#i dunno. will maybe expand this at some point into something

[themyscirah]

It was there, before it was there.

For Hal, it was dreams. Awake and asleep, he would finally fly. There he went farther and faster than his father ever did. Tinged in green, he would touch the stars. But it always ended the same. He was a Jordan, after all. At least the end was warm, like sunlight.

Guy got knocked down a lot. Picked himself back up a lot too. Sometimes went down again right after. Each time though, for a second after, he could only see green.

John heard voices. Sometimes just a few, a council, old and wise-- sometimes more: a town, a city, a planet. They all wanted something. Wanted him to do- to be- ..... something. Well, they could just get in line.

Kyle would know things sometimes. But only sometimes. Moments in between moments. In his dreams, he always knew his father's face. They would smile, and talk, and share a drink. Then his eyes would open, and the blurry photo would return.

Once Simon saw an injured squirrel on the ground. It looked almost dead. He touched it, and it rose up and scurried away. His arm ached. His mother scolded him for using the markers (what markers?) again. He took it as a sign. Courage.

Jessica knew whispers well. They told her that she was a mess. That she was weak, or scared. Sometimes it was her own voice. Sometimes it wasn't. Sometimes, it even told her she was strong. Brave.She always liked those ones the best.

Jo's phone never died. Or rather, never stayed dead. On nights she would stumble in, tired from work, friends, or if she was lucky, the cute girl at the bar, she would leave her nearly-dead phone on her desk, cord forgotten. In the morning though, it would always be ready for her, battery life pulsing green.

It was there, before it was there.

[loregoddess]

why does art have to be so art

[kozachenko]

Don't really have much to post again aside from some more sketching that I've done recently, this time of Reimu and Marisa, mainly because I just need a starting point as to how I would go about drawing them in my style (which is why the poses are so boring lol).

Artist's Notes;

So I mentioned in the last post how I've been wanting to experiment with how I wanted to draw Reimu, and I then got an idea for Marisa. So I wanted to try and contrast the two of them with each other via their shape language and body types. For scale I also put some numbers on the side just as a visualizing aid so I can imagine them easier. I wanted to make Reimu very tall and lanky and Marisa to be short and rounder. Also, this provides some interesting contrast in their shape language, and Marisa ends up being more round and Reimu ends up feeling more sharp.

I think what I'm most worried about is mainly that I don't 100% know if these two drawings still...feel like Reimu and Marisa. MMaybe because I made so many changes to both of them, but I feel like it's mostly in their faces. I kept the little personal touches that would add when I would draw them in the past (i.e. Reimu's tiny eyebrows and Marisa's freckles) but I dunno, maybe it's in the eyes? Like, Marisa's bigger eyes and eyebrows are definitley ideas that I want to play with in the future, but Reimu.... I dunno, I like the idea of her face shape in this drawing specifically, and I defnitely feel like I got closer to the monilid eye look I was trying to achieve in my previous attempt at drawing her eyes, but something still feels off with her.

When I drew Marisa, I really wanted to explore some other ideas for her body type, mainly in contrast to Reimu, so I wanted to give her a fuller figure and make her shorter than Reimu. I do feel like her eyes could be a bit sharper as eyes look maybe a little too innocent for Marisa, but I do still want to use these eyes I drew for her as a springboard for later attempts. I made some adjustments to her dress so that they would look good on the body type I gave her. I also need to draw shoes more because those boots....I just, I don't even know, I probably just need to draw that specific body type more wearing those types of boots or find references because I am not happy with how they turned out. Out of the two of them, Marisa was definitely my favourite to draw. I really enjoying drawing different body types when I get the chance to, and I feel like it's important to try your best to expand your variety when it comes to drawing the human body, I'm glad that I'm comfortable with drawing different body types. I do still have a long ways to go with this as I just need to do it more often and still need to do this but with different body shapes and weights and how to combine those two aspects to create unique body types and silhouettes. Also, please feel free to give me any critiques to how these two designs turned out, I remember that I drew Reimu when it was late at night and spent the entire day on Marisa so I defnitely feel like there's some things to critque here.

I'll be honest... I don't really like how Reimu turned out too much. Not to say it's a bad drawing, but I dunno. I think I just need to draw Reimu more, but she's honestly the hardest character to translate into my style. The thing is, I have an idea for her in my head but I just have a hard time putting it to paper. It's not like I've never drawn her before, in fact, aside from the height I really like how she looked in this piece of fanart (why tf did I make her so short in that piece) I did a while back despite the fact that I've imrpoved on my faces a lot since then (again, I do want to try my lineless style again, I just need to find the chance to do so), maybe because that was the drawing that provided me with some of my ideas on how to draw Reimu in my style? I do think I'm definitely in the rut of the "not knowing how to draw a character's face in your style" phase that I'm sure many fan-artists go through, so with enough drawings I'll get through it eventually, just gotta suffer through several more hours of trial and error though so yipeeeeeeee... As for things I do like, Reimu's hair turned out nicely. I did my usual technique for drawing Reimu's hair and then pasted the lineart layer underneath the main lineart layer and changed the colour to give it some extra pizzaz, and I do like how Reimu and Marisa contrast each other a lot. I just need to find a way to make them feel more like themselves while still taking liberties with their designs in my style.

Even if these are just sketches and me laying the groundwork for how I want to draw these two in the future, I still want to improve how I draw them a lot (also I don't like how much these two look like teenagers, I see both of them as being in their late 20s-early 30s and it just doesn't read like that and I definitely need to do more studies in the future to get them right in my style).

[heavyfreaked]

My favorite video game of all time. I make sure to play it at some time every October, assuming I make it a full year before feeling compelled to play it again. I dunno what it is, no matter how many times I play it, I just never get tired of it. I consider it my age meter, the day it stops being fun is the day I'm officially old. The only negative I really have to say about it isn't even really its fault, and that's that my love of it often feels stifled by the fact that there's just so little of it. It's a short game, which is what makes it so replayable in the first place, but there's really only one of it. The official sequel isn't a bad game, but I wouldn't count it as a sequel. Yeah the story picks up where the last one left off, yeah it's got a 2 in the title, but it doesn't really expand on the previous game's mechanics, it swaps them all out with a whole new set of mechanics, making it more of a reimagining than a sequel. And 3 is even more not a bad game than 2 is, it's a downright fantastic game, but it only brings back and expands upon mechanics from 2, not 1, so it's a sequel to 2, which isn't really a sequel to 1, meaning to this day 1 still doesn't have what I'd consider a true sequel. And I don't feel like I'm asking for much here, I kinda just want the first game again with a new mansion, like it's not really a sequel I want as much as a DLC campaign.

Or at least that's what I thought I wanted until I had to consider that maybe what I really want is just to play it for the first time all over again, to feel again the very specific way it made me feel when I was a kid. And that's not very fair to hold it against the newer games that they didn't do that. How were they supposed to leave the same impression on me when I was no longer as impressionable? Though I also don't think that means nothing will ever make me feel that way again. For a while I thought it did, and I would just have to live with it, but I also thought the same about Kingdom Hearts until Persona 5 of all games pulled it off. I don't know how, because those two games have basically nothing in common, at no point when I was playing it did I think "this reminds me of Kingdom Hearts," until the credits started to roll, and although it didn't look or sound like Kingdom Hearts, it FELT like Kingdom Hearts. I'd love to play a game of "YouTube Reviewer:tm:" and explain scientifically with facts:tm: and logic:tm: why that would be, but I don't think it can be done. Video games are art, and contrary to what a lot of wannabe art critics believe, art is meant to be consumed with the heart, not the brain, not that the brain is unwelcome, but it needs a heart to chaperone it. So I like to be optimistic that someday that specific heartstring Luigi's Mansion tugged at over twenty years ago could get pulled again, if not by the inevitable Luigi's Mansion 4, then by something I wouldn't even expect to begin with

[erstwhilesparrow]

to the surprise of approximately no one, i am thinking about video game mechanics and mcrp and c!owen and violence again. i am thinking about interesting accidental resonances and i am thinking about what someone's medium of choice makes it easy to tell stories about. the thing is, owen's pov of outsiders is a story that, despite being told almost exclusively in minecraft, really does not want to be a story set in minecraft.

what i mean by this is that cc!owen repeatedly and deliberately tries to prevent minecraft logic from existing in the story he is telling. according to him, things operate in the messy space of real-world physics, and the fundamental structure of the world aligns much more with our reality than with, i dunno, a series of 1s and 0s. of course they can't climb the vines to get to the top of the walls, they'd get tired well before the reach the top, never mind that minecraft doesn't have any mechanic in place to keep you from clinging to a vine for as long as you want. of course acho drowning during the underwater maze game could have been from something being wrong with the potions, never mind that minecraft potions come out the exact same way every time. of course it matters that owen punched mohwee for going into the maze, but only once, because he couldn't bring himself to do it again. never mind that a punch in minecraft rarely means much.

a single punch in minecraft doesn't mean anything. or it means almost everything, which is why it doesn't mean anything. but the outsiders, at least for a little while, make a world where a punch matters, where it's the kind of thing you go running to tell other people about because it means a real fight's brewing. mohwee punches graecie, and someone comes running to let owen know. we're meant to react to it the way we would if it happened irl. we're treating this seriously now!

except that's really hard to do in minecraft, because minecraft isn't a game that gives you many avenues for... body language. for the kind of nonverbal communication you do by touching someone gently. try as they might to pretend otherwise, it is built into the bones of any minecraft world that the only way you can touch another person for sure, in a way that the game has an obvious mechanical system in place to respond with, is by punching them. so two things here.

one is that yeah, the outsiders creators stop acting like a punch is a punch not super long into the series, because there is no vanilla mechanic for [grabbing you by the arm and dragging you away from the gates]; you have to use what you have at your disposal (such as the left-click button on your mouse) to gesture at the thing you actually mean. owen emulates the act of dragging someone around by punching magic at one point. nobody, in-universe or out, reacts like he was actually hitting her, and i'm not saying we should. but there is that disconnect between what the story is supposed to be (maybe owen pushes her away from the gates, maybe he's trying to pull her back), and what the game will allow them to do.

two: despite the ways that the game runs counter to the kind of story owen et al. are trying to tell, this limitation wrt punching still produces some really interesting resonances that require us to accept and pay attention to the fact that no matter what owen says, this is a story told through minecraft, inflected by its mechanics.

(side bar: i'm focusing on owen for this, but i think you can expand this idea to other characters, maybe the whole cast, by thinking about how both the story world and the game world are, on some fundamental level, set up to not allow for kind or gentle connections between people. you can't actually put your arm around someone else. you can't actually wipe away their tears or lean on their shoulder. the entire world the outsiders live inside of, both from a game perspective and a roleplay perspective, is designed to funnel them toward big dramatic gestures and cyclical violence. the easiest way to touch someone is violently. and still, there are the gestures of care, carved out of what the game will allow. sharing food. speaking softly to each other. opening the trapdoor to your bunker and letting the people behind you hurry down the ladder to hide. so you've never learned how to touch someone without violence. you can still know how to put your whole body between the person you care for and the danger. you can still die for them. isn't outsiders such a story of caring, despite, despite, despite?)

anyway. about c!owen. i think it's fair to say he's a character shaped by violence from the jump. he comes up the elevator and is almost instantly making and hoarding weapons. he tells himself he has to protect everyone, and the first two ways he decides to do this are by making a sparring ring where he intends to teach them to fight, and by threatening to break their legs. for the latter half of the series, he is literally sleeping on the edge of a sparring ring, all his personal effects literally pushed off to the side to leave room for this sand pit in the middle. even before he gets the memories of his time as a soldier back, we can see that this is how he interfaces with and understands the world. violence is in his bones.

as a result, i am kind of crazy about the fact that the literal game mechanics he engages with reinforce this image of him. there's this brief period of time really early on where i guess they haven't really got the prox chat range to yell to each other from a distance, and owen decides to take his weapon of choice and fire an arrow in the path of the person he's trying to talk to. (i know for sure he does this with rasbi and with at least one other person. forgive me, i don't recall who the other person was.) when you're getting shot at, yeah, you sure do generally want to look in the direction that arrow came from to see who's trying to shoot you! that'll get someone's attention! that is generally how people play the game!

at another point much later in his series, a group of outsiders find an enormous crane towering over a section of the maze, and owen pulls out a bow and aims it upward. it took me a second while watching to realize that it's because when you draw a bow in the game, you also zoom in on the thing you're aiming at. owen was trying to get a closer look at the crane, so he grabbed his weapon and used it to get a better understanding of the world.

more broadly, owen uses spears and arrows to point at things, to check distances and investigate stuff he doesn't want to or can't get close to. when he and magic first notice ash up on the walls, he fires arrows up at her, not really to hit but to see how she reacts. then he keeps firing them, having noticed the barrier blocks (in-fiction, the screen that makes up the false sky). later, while talking to chat in a high-up part of the maze, he demonstrates again that the sky is fake by hurling a spear into it.

out of character, these are just creative workarounds for the medium's limitations. in character, however, these instances make it clear that every single thing about the way owen interacts with his world is coloured by the fact that he has used weapons and will continue to use them, that his reaching for a bow right after waking up wasn't some fluke, that even with his memories wiped out he is a character who has been trained to reach for violence before anything else.

just by playing the game, cc!owen adds another dimension to this character, because he is playing a game where There Exist game mechanics meant to facilitate violence, and this is about the cycles of violence c!owen finds himself trapped in and perpetuating and it is also about how violence is so deeply ingrained in him that it is an inextricable part of his world.

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Ange I was thinking about your latest Ettore drabble, maybe, canon Ettore would’ve turned out differently if he had met the right person. If he had met someone who is as depraved, desperate for some escape, maybe just as unknowingly craving that genuine human touch, he wouldn’t have hurt someone else, he would’ve had something warm to hold onto in that hellhole he lived.

Hopefully I don’t sound like I’m defending canon Ettore’s action, he is a scumbag. But maybe had two scumbags who are just as desperate to comfort each other through canal pleasure been left alone, they might have had something beautiful, something genuine blooming between them.

Im not joking when I said you’re singlehandedly making Ettore one of my favorite characters, Ewan played a scumbag, and a lot of Ettore fics hammered his predator side through and through, I like your approach to the character in fanon writing exploring the other possibility if he met someone and started connecting with them in the end. I would love to read the “I love you” drabble you teased if you have time and ofc feel like writing it one day.

Sorry this has taken me so long!

Warnings: Implied smut, mild violence, heavy angst, character death, mentions of grief, trauma. Word count: ~2k

Main series masterlist

Author's note: No gods, no masters, no tag lists. Only scabs community label fics. If you find yourself tempted to slap a label on this, please block me instead.

Ettore stares after Boyse’s retreating form, a feeling of unease settling into his gut. It’s not a feeling he is accustomed to and he hates it. This would end badly. The sudden spike in adrenaline directly opposes the post-sex haze he was expecting to bask in for a moment, and his jaw clenches in anger, simmering hot and unforgiving beneath his skin.

He considers going after Boyse, silencing her, making sure she doesn’t ruin the only good thing he has to look forward to on this miserable ship. But then he looks down at her, the woman he is currently buried inside of, her eyes large and reflecting the same anxiety he currently feels. His fury slowly dissipates as he is brought back into the moment; her warmth enveloping him, how soft she feels against his body.

“Shit.” She breathes out shakily, pushing him away and straightening up.

A hollowness expands within Ettore’s chest at the sudden loss of contact as he slips out of her. There is something about it that feels so final, it has him longing to press her back up against the wall and keep her there forever.

Slowly, he adjusts his clothing as she does the same to hers. His eyes move between her and the door, unsure of how to handle the situation.

“Fuckfuckfuck.” She murmurs, raking her hands through her hair and starting to pace. “That was so stupid of us.”

“You think she’ll say anything?” He asks, standing perfectly still in spite of the nervousness that rolls in his gut.

“I dunno.” She says with a shrug, chewing absentmindedly at her thumbnail. “Hard to tell.”

“We could stop her…”

She ceases her pacing and looks him in the eye, her tone serious. “You’ll do nothing, not after what you did to Monte. I’ll talk to Boyse. Just go back to work, okay?”

He nods. She has a point, but he hates the lack of control he has over the situation.

As she turns to leave the laundry room, he is struck once more by the overwhelming sensation of finality. He reaches desperately for her, pulling her to him and kissing her fiercely, as though he is trying to breathe the very air from her lungs. He feels her relax into it, moving her lips against his for a few seconds and his grip on her tightens.

She pulls away eventually, breathless and eyebrows raised in surprise. “You trying to get us caught again?”

“No, I just…” The words die in his throat, unable to articulate the fact that he wants nothing more than to live in this moment forever, and he shakes his head. “...doesn’t matter.”

She slips out of his grasp and walks off. He doesn’t turn away until she rounds the corner and is out of sight

He spends the rest of the day on edge. His ears prick up at every sound, his shoulders never fully pulling away from his neck. The ship doesn’t make for the most relaxing environment in the first place, but he’s feeling especially tense. The impending sense that something is going to happen refuses to leave him, but he’s unsure of what to expect.

Perhaps Monte will seek him out, intent on getting him back for his attack earlier? Maybe Dibs will formulate some sort of punishment, having been informed that he’s involved sexually with another member of the crew when it’s strictly forbidden?

When sleep mode is activated later that evening, he anticipates relief washing over him as there is seemingly no fallout to the events earlier that day, instead his mind continues to race.

He passes her in the hallway on the way back to his cell, and raises his eyebrows at her in question. She shakes her head and he sighs in frustration, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her around a corner.

“You’ve not sorted it?” He asks in a whisper.

She sighs. “I couldn’t. Haven’t been able to find Boyse most of the day and whenever I see her she’s not on her own. I’ll try again tomorrow.”

“Fuck.” He tuts, pulling back from her.

“I think it’s best if you don’t come to my bunk tonight.” She tells him. “Can’t risk it.”

He knows it’s for the best, that what she’s saying makes total sense and yet he can’t help the crushing disappointment that settles heavy and unyielding in his chest. When his mind won’t quiet there is nothing that soothes him more than to sink inside of her, and feel the way she shudders and falls apart against him. He needs that now more than ever, yet the riskiness of their current predicament will not allow it.

He quirks his lip, looking away from her and stalks back towards his cell.

Sleep does not come for Ettore that night; he lays flat on his back, eyes fixed on the door to the cell, waiting. For what, he is unsure, but his gut feeling tells him something is wrong and he is powerless to stop it. He is always the hunter, never the hunted, and yet the tables have turned and there is nothing he can do about it. His grip on the blankets beside him turns his knuckles white as he lays there, trapped and frustrated.

He has no idea how long he lays there for, just watching, but at some point the lights on board brighten, signaling the start of another day. He climbs from the bed, raising his arms above his head to lean on the doorframe as he peers out.

The first few members of the crew begin to exit their cells, sullen faced as they head towards the showers. Ettore looks at them impassively as they pass, not really seeing them. His gaze focuses, zeroing in when he sees a familiar head of long, dark hair heading in the opposite direction; Dibs. He suspects where she is headed, and waits a few moments before following.

Lurking around the corner, his suspicions are confirmed as she goes into her cell. He wishes he could hear what they are saying, it’s not common for Dibs to visit any of the crew in their sleeping quarters and seeing this makes his chest feel tight. There’s no way this isn’t related to them being caught together.

He flattens against the wall, as he sees Dibs leave, striding purposefully back towards her lab. He can’t see the expression on her face, but there’s something about the way she carries herself that leaves him longing to punch her. He flexes his fingers to suppress the urge and then heads into the cell that she’s just exited.

She’s pulling on her top when he enters and is clearly startled by the sight of him as her head appears through the neckhole.

“Christ! When did you appear there?” She asks, smoothing the material of the scrubs over her midriff. 

He ignores the questioning, jutting his jin towards the doorway. “What was all that about?”

She sighs, her gaze downcast. “Dibs says I missed my last check up. Wants to see me this morning.”

Bile rises in his throat, his eyes narrow. “You know that’s bullshit, right? Boyse has dropped us in it.”

She nods, looking up at him in resignation. “Yeah. Yeah, I know. But what choice do I have? Gotta take my punishment.”

“Don’t go!” He tells her angrily, his heart feeling as though it will thunder straight out of his chest. “You don’t have to go!”

“The longer I leave it, the worse it’ll be.” She shrugs. “I’ve lashed out at her before and all she did was up my sedatives. Can’t imagine this will be any worse.”

“But what if it is?!” He shouts, feeling his face grow hot as he surges forward to grab her by the upper arms. “What if she hurts you?”

“Then she hurts me.” She fires back, scowling. “You’ve hurt me before, it heals.”

He lets her go, stepping back, but never shifting his focus from her face. “I’m not letting you do this.”

She scoffs. “She’ll drug me up, I’ll come back, I’ll sleep it off. Why are you being so fucking weird about this?”

He speaks before he has time to think, the words leaving him in a burst of exasperation. “Because I love you!”

Freezing when he realises what he’s said, the air hangs heavy between them as she stares at him in shock. Why isn’t she saying anything?!

His fists clench as he feels rejection begin to pierce at him, eager to lash out, until her face softens and she speaks, barely a whisper.

“What did you just say?”

He exhales, not realising he’d been holding his breath and looks away from her. “I just…I don’t want anything to happen to you, alright?”

She cups his face, urging him downward so that she can rest her forehead against his. “I know. I know. I’ll be okay, promise.”

He relaxes in her embrace, eager to keep her with him. He leans in, pressing his lips to hers, disappointed when she pulls back with a playful smile.

“Let me owe you that one.” She says softly. “My guarantee to you that I’ll come back.”

He watches silently as she walks away, in the direction of the lab, dread gnawing at his insides.

Ettore is slamming closed the lid of a washer when Tchemy enters the laundry room. “We’ve been summoned.” He calls out to him.

“What d’you mean?” He asks, turning to face him.

“Dibs needs something put out of the airlock.” Tchemy says with a casual shrug. “It’s me and Mink on maintenance today, but she asked for you specifically. Must be heavy if Mink can’t help me.”

Ettore feels as though all the air has left room, his heart lurches painfully in his chest. He pushes past Tchemy, ignoring the other man’s joking pleas for him to slow down as he storms quickly towards the airlock.

Time draws to a standstill, the blood rushing in his ears when he sees the gurney and the sheet covering the figure that lays upon it. His knees feel like they’ll buckle beneath him, everything sounds far away.

“This is a body…” Tchemy says apprehensively.

Dibs nods solemnly, her expression grim as her mouth presses into a tight line. “She bled out during a routine procedure. Tragic, but unavoidable, these things happen. We have to dispose of her”

Ettore barely comprehends the exchange, his eyes drift downwards to the hand that’s hanging from beneath the sheet. Her hand. The same hand that had cupped his face earlier that day as she’d told him she owed him a kiss. A kiss he’d never get to have, because she’d been taken from him. She was his and they’d taken her away.

His hands tremble, his eyes sting painfully and he swallows thickly, he won’t give Dibs the satisfaction of a reaction. She’d taken enough from him already. He’d been right, why hadn’t he done more to stop her? He’d let her go and now she was being discarded like rubbish.

He bristles with anger as Tchemy claps him on the shoulder, pulling him out of his painful reverie. “Need your help, man.” He says.

Dibs had done this on purpose, she’d wanted him to know, to see, to punish him by having him help dispose of her. His heart shatters when he lifts her, how cold and void of her usual softness she is against him is too much to bear. His mood shifts, becoming darker, angrier, more predatory as they seal the airlock back up. His resolve hardens. Something inside of him has died alongside of her, and he wants to make them pay for what they’ve stolen from him. They’ll all feel every bit of the pain he’s enduring, he’ll make sure of it. And he’ll start with the person who ratted them out in the first place; Boyse.

Post script author's note: I have set the ending of this up for events that lead directly into canon, and we all know how that ends, so this is the end of the road for our star crossed lovers. I am currently accepting requests for Ettore, but no further requests which relate to this series. This instalment is its final part.

[thatdeadaquarius]

hi! quick tip: if you’re on mobile type ‘:readmore:’ then hit enter! i dunno if you’ve been told but. yeah :)

also, your recent piece on apd was incredible!! very nice to see representation!! keep up the excellent work <3 it did get me thinking though: reader with vocal stims, cementing it in the acolytes’ minds that you don’t speak the language of teyvat, and then you’re all just stuck in this loop of “oh man they don’t speak the same language of me” but they DO

if asks are closed or this is outside of your comfort zone then feel free to delete! have a lovely day <3

AHFJLAKLOSUDBABWB U FELT REPRESENTED YAY!!

A cookie for thee, and also extra for telling me how to do Expand thingy on mobile ilysm 🤲🍩🍪✨️ (pspspsps all askers,, u get cookies,,cometothedarksidepspspspspsss)

I was so worried bc it wasnt like super all the aspects of Apd issues, and it was very based on my personal experience w/ similar symptoms + other bits of ppl's experience so i was hoping it still felt somewhat recognizable for ppl w/APD!! Tysm for the feedback :D

NOTE ABOUT VOCAL STIM DEPICTED:

So i think ive experienced verbal stims, so this is a combination of others shared experiences + personal experience, and while everybody experiences things individually/their own way, please let me know if there is something obviously inaccurate/maybe even offensive.

You will definitely not make me mad or otherwise offended, I really want to hear that kind of feedback from others who vocal stim!

Thank you so much for reading! :)

___________________♡_____________________

So lets just say that ur vocal stims r pretty non-verbal or non-sensical ("her sister was a WITCH BRO-" like memes that dont make sense to them)

Or like, u have verbal stims that r actual language but they dont hang around long enough to hear it maybe ??

♤

So like, this ends up happening

Chongyun was exploring near Qingce village for supernatural stuff as usual

And U were just vibin, chillin near Qingce village livin ur best Creator god cottagecore life

And ur like planting a new seedbed, Jueyun Chilis :) (bc jfc however bad it was to collect them in game, its 10x worse in person, ur tired of running around town getting chilis, Qingce isnt exactly flat 💀)

♡

And every seed u put in the dirt ur like "boop!"

And Chongyun comes by, bc u at edge of town, and the villagers mentioned a strange new traveler settling here

He immediately feels a wave of that same feeling he used to feel when the Creator god had their eyes on him, or would assist him in battles

So poor boy almost overheats trying to climb up the hill to ur house

And is like "??...Creator??"

Then kinda stops bc ur just like-

"Boop!" "Boop!" "Boop!" ☺️ LMAO

And then u finish planting seeds, get the watering can,,

And everytime u pour it just-

... "EJACK! Come, water!"

(Ur saying it so fast too, and he's still somewhat farther away, so he cant rlly hear that well too)

...

..

And its just so incomprehensible to Chongyun he's deadass like "A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE??!"

So of course,

He waves, 👋

And ur like omg icy boy!! :D 🧊💙

But u dont say anything yet, and then he starts,, miming?? He points at u? Then like?? Points up? The sky?? Then like, mimes swinging his claymore???

(ARE U THE CREATOR??!!)

U look up, very confused 🧐

He seemes frustrated.

Then he just kinda, bows and leaves?

...

...oh no.

Do Teyvat people speak that crazy language that u saw in game?

Instead of English??

Well.

Shit.

...

.... U havent rlly talked to anyone in Qingce yet since u just got here in Teyvat like a week ago

And found this abandoned house

♧

It just gets worse 😭

Bc slowly, one by one,

Each playable character in Liyue comes to attempt to talk to you

(And since u have a farm, and they keep giving u food/goods? For some reason?? U still dont need to go into town)

☆

At one point, even Zhongli shows up

And thru complex miming and hand motions u think he means dont worry abt him? Like just go back to what u were doing?? Okay??

U guess he's just gonna chill here for now?

...

...Zhongli just kinda,, squints, and puts his hand on his chin in his classic "thinking very hard" face

So ur tending to the garden saying,

" FREDDY! You're supposed to be on lockdown!Vanessa...I'm... a Material Gworl✨️"💀

...Just, on an endless loop LMAO-

...

(Hes trying to see if he recognizes any part of ur language, poor old man 🤔🤔😭)

♤

And it just snowballs even more, and now,

None of you have even tried to say a word to each other. 🤡

(Other than ur vocal stims)

...

Keqing: "Perhaps, it's similar to Fontaine's native language?"

You, in the background: "🎵 dUdE,,, sHe'S jUsT nOt InTo YoU 🎵" (mimicking the autotune and everything)

Ganyu & Keqing: "..."

You: " 🎵 gOtTa MoVe On, mOvE oN-🎵 Hurricane Katrina?? More like Hurricane Tortilla!"

Ganyu & Keqing: "...Can't be,"

"what else do we got? Should we call Yunjin to better mime for us??"

♡

Xiao's the first one to even get close to knowing u can actually talk to each other, bc he's always checking in on u most often <3

And he only heard u bc u swore u heard a monster outside ur house one night and came out ur house with a pitchfork, very nervous,

"...Hey there demons.. it's me.. ya boy."

(And u just keep stimming that out of nervousness to make urself feel better as u check around ur house lol)

Xiao: "??? Demons???!! WAIT-"

♧

By then, it literally took like 6 months for yall to finally have a real conversation 💀💀

...

(Chongyun got so embarassed bc he was one of the first few to misunderstand he overheated rip🙏)

Im. So. Sorry. This. Is. ✨️Ass✨️

Twas the best scenario i could come up with, im telling yall, im not as funny as the ppl who send in these asks 😔

Keep in mind, I never claimed i was funny or a good writer, u cant hold it against me lol /lh

Lower ur expectations LMAO

Well i hope u got sm enjoyment outta this anon, sorry abt the quality!! :)

Cheers,

🌒🌊🌧Aquarius♒️🌌🌘

[gilraina]

Sometimes when I browse the podfic tag I see posts like "I'd like to start making podfics, tell me what stories you'd like to see me podfic" and there's just something so weird about this to me? Imagine someone saying "I wanna get into making fanart, tell me what I should draw first", or "I'd like to try writing fanfic, give me ideas for stories". I know it's not a 1 to 1 comparison (and maybe it even happens sometimes, I dunno), but it just feels like such a backwards approach?

I started podficcing because I was reading a lot of fanfic and had so many fics I loved and wanted to try recording, either because I had an idea for what I wanted them to sound like when read out loud, or just wanted to experiment. Over the years I've had to tell multiple people that I don't take requests, or even commissions, because my to-pod list is already long and keeps expanding. Finding a good story, and reaching out to the author to get permission to record it, is all part of the process to me.

I don't know, maybe it just comes down to people being new to podfic and not fully understanding that part of fandom and its etiquette, but even so, my question is: if you don't know what stories you'd like to podfic, or it doesn't make a difference to you, to the point where your first instinct is to ask random strangers what they'd like you to record rather than to pick something yourself, then why would you even want to do it in the first place? Contrary to what some may believe, making a podfic is actually a lot of work (especially when you're new to it), and personally I just can't imagine putting all that work into something I'm not passionate about. And if you haven't even made a single podfic before, then how can anyone even give you a good suggestion, when they don't know yet what kinds of stories you gravitate towards, what would be the best match for your narration style, etc.?

Also, from the fic writers' perspective, I imagine there's a world of difference between

a) reaching out to the author for permission to podfic their fic, because you loved it so much that it inspired you to create something based on it

and

b) putting out a general "send me fics and (maybe) I'll record them" statement

One of those will get you a much more enthusiastic response from the writers than the other. Not to even mention that there are plenty of writers who have already given blanket permission for their fic to be podficced, and would love to get a surprise podfic of their story. If you're a podficcer or want to get into podficcing, I can't recommend using the Blanket Permission Highlighter extension enough. It highlights the names of AO3 authors who have given blanket permission for their works to be transformed, and allows you to filter the archive to only show works from authors who have BP statements.

If you'd like to try podficcing, but feel anxious about reaching out to authors to ask for permission, choosing a fic from an author who's already given that permission is a great place to start! Much better than announcing that you want to make podfics and waiting for people to reach out to you, I promise!

[cccc-aus]

au where hms are separately dumped into the fanon characterizations of the album. mind ends up with fanon heart and soul, soul ends up with fanon mind and heart, and heart ends up with fanon mind and soul

mind would probably figure out that something is up the quickest. for one, that creature very suspiciously never argues with him as of late- it won’t even fight back when he provokes it, only begging for the mind to “stop being mean” to it instead of reacting violently like usual. while the mind had initially thought it must be some sort of ploy, it would seem that “the heart” was just… stuck in this oddly helpless and passive state. the soul is also off- the mind hadn’t noticed before the heart began acting strangely, but the soul had started becoming… strangely nonchalant about their situation, despite being the one most compelled to become whole. although the mind enjoys the peace at first, it feels wrong soon enough. he is not meant to rule like this; tridential sovereignty requires all to rule equally, and these one-dimensional illusions of the heart and soul are not his equals. something is very, very wrong, and it once again falls to the mind to fix it.

soul doesn’t notice immediately. the ids are still fighting, and he stopped paying attention to their fights long, long ago because the heart and the mind always say the same damned things, over and over. however, as of late, the mind has been the only one driving the fights, while the heart has become much less violent. it is becoming concerning- while the mind usually starts the fights, the heart always escalates them. as the heart and mind are equals, they are both equally violent, as much as the heart and mind would disagree with that statement. this isn’t right. are really these even his heart and mind? (in the distance far away from the house in headspace, the soul can see a dot of blue and black heading his way.)

heart would probably notice the least because generally his point of view lines up with the fanon characterization. sure, maybe that automaton freak had given up on even the pretense of wanting to work together to become whole, but the heart had known it was only a pretense the entire time. the mind had also become even crueler lately, beyond what the heart had thought possible of a part of him- but why was the heart surprised? the mind electric was cruel but crude, only concerned with his damn efficiency and (seemingly) torturing the heart for the crime of wanting to experience life fully. the soul was slightly more worrisome, becoming oddly uncaring of their horrid situation. the heart figured that he had finally cracked and lost it- the soul had always been one step off the edge, and the mind had probably pushed it.

mind is the first to start attempting to find the real heart and soul. by the time soul also realizes that something is horribly wrong, mind is like 15 minutes away from reaching it. both of them have to go look for heart themselves (because he hasn’t noticed anything wrong lmao)

(how do they find each other? i dunno, i haven’t thought that far. for now i think that if they walk far enough from the house in headspace (like hours away) they find the others’ houses but i’m not set on it lol)

(sorry soul fans i’m not great at characterizing him. if any of you want to expand on this then please do)

Yeah this is basically just their fanon personalities. Half of Heart’s violence is directed into Mind, and Soul is just a bastard who’s along for the ride.

I do love me some criticisms of problematic fanon characterisation! Perhaps you could bring Whole into the mix at some point, seeing as how he’s never technically been canon?

[lilaccatholic]

I'm watching youtube videos about mail order companies of the past and how they eventually expanded into brick and mortar retailers, and I'm wondering if the same thing is going to happen vis-à-vis internet retailers.

Probably not in the form of shopping malls, which we all know are quickly falling out of fashion, but in some way, shape, or form. People are getting tired of poor quality and supply chain issues from places like Amazon, things that could be remedied by the power of the famed customer service and ability to interact directly with a product before purchase of old big box stores, coupled with their standing inventories, but as of now, the convenience of online retailers beats driving to a physical store.

Who knows? The economy is hovering on the precipice of something, and maybe the fallout of that will see a return to the department store model. It's not as though they don't exist anymore, either. There are far fewer, to be sure, but they still exist. Heck, I buy most of my nicer clothes at Macy's. Still, it's hard to think of something like Amazon branching out in full force into the physical retail space to the point that it outpaces their online properties, ownership of Whole Foods notwithstanding.

I dunno, I just really enjoy thinking about what the future of certain industries will look like! Anyone who has any thoughts on the subject, please share them!

[manic-sapphic]

~oh, just catra leaning full tilt into a mental breakdown of proportions on par w total planetary destruction. so, just another tuesday. don't worry about it~

corrupted catra is still such an interesting figure to me and fun af to theorize about. i mean, how tf did catra know adora came through a portal? no one told her that shit in their actual reality. i'm pretty sure it's not an uncommon theory that she's drawing some knowledge of the planet itself after being exposed to the portal magic.

but i almost view it kind of like, similar to how much of the first ones tech - such as light hope or the crystal castle itself - can almost be seen as possessing a sort of sentience able to both read thoughts and store knowledge, so could the portal itself. cause catra wasn't the only thing corrupted - the portal was from the moment of its creation. everyone knew it would be in some way or another; that's why they tried to stop catra from pulling the lever.

and based off the reality it creates, almost all of it reflects a reality we see catra actually enjoys - the polar opposite of the reality they'd all just left. and after every other character we see lost to the expanding entropy of the corrupted reality is gone for good - catra is the only one who crawls back out.

i view the corrupted portal almost like a sentient entity itself that catra created when she opened the portal, however unintentionally. it gives her the reality she wants - the one she misses - and when it all falls apart along with her, it's almost like maybe cause of her connection w this entity as it's accidental creator, it fused w her in such a way not only she - but this portal entity itself - could come back to finish what they started.

this time, armed with all the knowledge stored by the planet itself - which doesn't seem too far-fetched of a concept, given that (as we find out later) the magic of etheria has been essentially being mined and stored by first ones tech all this time. and the portal was created using a combo of etheria's magic and first ones tech - the sword.

just some thoughts i've had about it that i'm sure others probably have as well.

also though, i included the few seconds after adora punches out corrupted catra as a gif cause while her expression is angry right after she does it - it quickly falls to one i see as a sadness. she knows she had to do it, but she wishes she didn't. probably partly from seeing what had become of catra that made her have to do it.

which also kinda kills me when i think of the prior episode, Remember, when adora and catra are in the woods and adora says to her "this can't be what you wanted!" the saddest thing about that, to me, is that it's honestly not. but at that point, what catra wanted was something i dunno if she even fully understood; but either way, she just felt she knew that she could never have it.

[thewebcomicsreview]

Oh wow, Prequel AND Homestuck updated this week? What year is it?

Dehydrated, grieving, and coming off of a particularly nasty sugar high

Sugar high, huh? One of my little theories is that Jane has the lollipop Juju still. Is that a theory? Maybe it was confirmed at some point and is just a thing that happened? I dunno, man, this comic's so long.

JANE: Sigh. JANE: Jake, do you remember when I went to the moon?

Jane's been to like several moons at this point but wait is this in reference to the snapchat epilogues, where Jane was kidnapped by carapcians? Those are actually officially not canon and no longer available, which I supposed makes them appropriate to mention in a story about the nebulous nature of "canon" to stories. Or maybe she's talking about something else.

JAKE: Uuuuuuuuuuuuh. JANE: No? It was a huge deal. JAKE: Was this around the time all those carapacians took a big chunk out of it?

Oh my god, it is referencing the Snapchat epilogues. They ended in a cliffhanger and got deleted, but Jane got kidnapped by someone and sent to the moon, where she met Jack Noir (the one who became Beq Noir) and the Felt who were there for some reason and then the Snapchat comics abruptly stopped and were decanonized so it was never explained.

JANE: Just what did *you* do, besides whimper like a kicked dog, as they took our boy away!? JANE: "TAVVY!" JANE: You can fly, you idiot! JANE: You're such a harmless, dunderheaded fucking nonentity that those seditious connivers would have *let* you tail them! DIRK: (Ouch.) JANE: Everything he has, *I've* provided. JANE: Everything he is, *I've* nurtured! JAKE: (Criminy, bro, she has a death laser.) JAKE: (Like goldfinger.) JANE: Remember how I willed him out of my body, 3 months premature, because I was so excited to see him?

This is Homestuck, so the line about how Jane forced Tavvy to be born early is either a what the fuck random joke like the guy who confessed to Jade he microwaved a hamster, or crucial important foreshadowing that'll pay off in 600 pages. Quite possibly both.

JANE: Across all the iterations of yourself, do you think your children ever felt even a MODICUM of that? JANE: Jade? Terrifying, JANE: I hate even thinking about it. JANE: And I don't doubt for a second that there were more. JANE: How do you imagine they turned out?

Speaking of referencing Other Media, this is an unintentional reference to Grandpa Harley's secret kids from Hiveswap, in particular Joey, who seemed to really hate him and have good reason for doing so. Lot of Expanded Universe references suddenly. It might be that this particular writer has a thing for references, but it might also be setting something up. And earlier update also referenced Pesterquest.

Also, engaging with the text on a non-meta level, yeah, Jake English is top ten worst parents in Homestuck, though he's still beating Jane herself.

Messy Jerry Springer melodrama?! In Candy?! Unprecedented.

JAKE: Gamzee. JAKE: Via some vile cosmic caper or another it is *always* gamzee! JAKE: He found out! JAKE: Started rambling on and on about "how motherfuckin' malicious" it was to see "A dIfFeReNtLy AbLeD bRoThEr MiSsIn' OuT oN tHe NiRvAnA oF tHaT nUtTy MoThErFuCkIn' NeCtAr." DIRK: (Why are you doing the voice?) JAKE: "ThErE's WhOlEsOmE, hOlIsTiC hEaLiNg PrOpErTiEs AlL uP aNd StUfFeD iNtO tHe HaRmOnIoUs UnIoN oF pB aNd J." DIRK: (You don't need to do the voice.) JAKE: "WhAt EvEn Is ThIs SuLtRy BiTcH oF a LiFe WiThOuT a LiTtLe PeAnUt BuTtEr JeLlY tImE?" DIRK: (It'd be so sick if you stopped doing the voice.)

Homestuck characters impersonating each other is always a solid gag.

JAKE: After that, the insane clown started stowing peanuts around the mansion, tricking little tavvy into eating them! JAKE: Poor squirt was thrashing throat-first into anaphylactic shock bi-weekly. JAKE: I epipenned him so many times, i learned needlekind! JAKE: Worried myself as sick as our boy was, just wishing that nutty nightmare would nix. JAKE: Then, wham. JAKE: It did! JAKE: Thank god! JANE: I- JANE: I had no idea. JAKE: Of course you didnt! JAKE: You werent there! JAKE: You might have expelled him into existence with your easy-bake tuna canoe. JAKE: But i kept him alive!

I'm not sure if that's how peanut allergies work, but "easy-bake tuna canoe" sure is a line.

JANE: I didn't even fucking breast feed him! DIRK: (Which is fucking crazy, all things considered.) JANE: I don't... even know what his first word was. JAKE: It was "honk." JANE: Jesus Christ.

This is such a fucking weird family. Also, a very odd attempt at a Jane...redemption arc? I guess it's important to make her more than a Trump analogue, even if there's a worryingly high chance of that reference becoming relevant again soon.

JANE: The rest of you couldn't be trusted! JANE: None of you even bothered to graduate high school! JANE: While you were all being shut-ins, and self-destructing, and fucking... cavorting!!! I was making public appearances. JANE: Somebody had to represent us, so people wouldn't assume the worst! JANE: They waited 5000 years for us, and for what? To see there was no plan, no reason, that none of their gods were really on their side. JANE: I had to become an adult before ANY of you decided to catch up.

I feel like this motivation doesn't really explain the Troll racism. I was kind of hoping that Jane, like Rose, didn't think of Earth C as "real" and was basically just larping as a dictator in their little game, and that's why she helped raise Yiffy. It seems like we're going in the opposite direction? Jane wanted to live up to the status of a God? You can kind of tell this wasn't the original plan for her.

JANE: I even forgave you for Dirk. JAKE: Forgave me for... for being with him? JANE: What? JANE: No, I was always an ally first when it came to that. JANE: What's a... a dalliance between bros, really? DIRK: (Word.)

Everyone in this comic is some kind of lunatic.

JANE: Dirk just never *got* you. JANE: He thought he could figure you out, make all the right moves, and you'd be happy. JANE: But people have to want themselves to be happy. JANE: And the only thing you've ever consistently wanted was to be absolved. JANE: I understand that now. JAKE: ... And? JANE: And I accept you, Jake! JANE: That's why I have confidence our union will endure forever. JANE: You release me of all my doubts. And I can't be disappointed by you. JAKE: Huh...

Jane's....maybe not wrong in her reading of Jake, here. His whole shtick is wanting to be a cool action hero, or at least a respectable dude, and not being able to do so. But Jane's wrong that he can't disappoint her.

JAKE: Do you still need that water tested? JANE: Haha, no. JANE: I drank it all in my hysterics without even noticing. JAKE: And youre okay? JANE: Completely fine! It really was just... water.

This is pretty clearly Thematique™. None of the threats Jane is worried about are ultimately real.

JAKE: Her guard is down... DIRK: And you have a gun. JAKE: I have TWO guns.

I do love, though, that we immediately transition from Jane going "I will love and forgive Jake forever, for I have nothing to truly fear" directly into Jake going "I should shoot my wife".

DIRK: He's gone, dude.

Oh, this is a great reveal. Brain Ghost dirk lowers his glasses so we can see he has Jake-Green eyes, confirming to Jake (and the audience) that this Dirk is a figment of Jake's imagination, and not "connected" to Ultimate Dirk in any way. That's just such a cool way of conveying that information.

DIRK: It'd be the only reasonable excuse you'd have for nipping this uncomfortable epiphany in the bud so you could slink back to following orders from Dirk. JAKE: ... JAKE: Gods hooks, i backflipped right into my old ways! DIRK: Don't beat yourself up about it. It's a running theme with literally everybody we know. DIRK: You all get caught up in these feeling jams, hugging it out in self-realizational bliss. DIRK: Then, bam. DIRK: Premature ejaculation. DIRK: That passionate growth grind ends before it builds to anything actually satisfying.

And Brain Ghost Dirk telling Jake the real hard truth that he needs to stop listening to Dirk and looking for someone to tell him what to do.

DIRK: You're fully dressed Jake now. DIRK: Sitting on the sticky floor of a custodial closet, hidden away from anything certain and good in this world. DIRK: Alone. JAKE: This is scary! I dont like this. DIRK: Fuck yeah it is. This is sweaty, achey, burning transformation, brother. JAKE: I want to go back! I want to be the other guy again. DIRK: You can't be the other guy anymore, Jake. DIRK: We're sending him upstate to live on a beautiful farm, where they're gonna immediately drag him out back and put him out of his fucking misery. DIRK: Remember when you told Egbert you wanted someone to hold you accountable? JAKE: No. DIRK: Well. JAKE: Nooooooo. DIRK: "Here's Johnny!" JAKE: AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! JAKE: Oh...

This is very Disco Elysium

JAKE: Cripes, if there really is no magical component to all of this, JAKE: if youre really gone, JAKE: then i am simply a forty year old man... being led by the nose... by an imaginary friend. JAKE: That is not cute. DIRK: It's kind of cute. JAKE: No! JAKE: Its mental illness! DIRK: It can be both.

It's also Homestuck

JAKE: Everyone is waiting around for this better version of me to pop up, but thats never going to happen. JAKE: Because if it did, it wouldn't be me anymore. DIRK: So, are you trapped being Mr. Pissy Pantyloos Loser Man no matter what? JAKE: Sort of.

Jake is defined by being a loser. What happens if he grows? He becomes someone else, same as happens to us all when we change.

JAKE: I never really understood all that much of the "doomed timeline" hoopla you cerebral types tend to gab on about. JAKE: But... its nice to think that there might be countless janes somewhere out there who never stopped being happy. JAKE: Baking, getting up to all manner of lighthearted mischiefs... true blue all around. JAKE: When i think of her, thats whats real to me. JAKE: What she is now, what these rotten unenviable circumstances have made of her, its all just... DIRK: Happenstance. JAKE: Is that stupid? DIRK: Probably, but you're a god of Hope.

Aw, I like that take.

JAKE: If i can believe in those janes, JAKE: i think i can let this one go. DIRK: Extravagant hoops to stumble through just to keep believing, man. DIRK: It's sneaky. I like it.

Even if this is the most cynical take on a hope-based hero I've ever seen.

Oh hey, it's the kids! All together for the first time! I'm shocked this big meeting is happening silently like this while someone else conversation narrates over it.

Fun fact: At no point in the entirely of Homestuck do John, Jade, Rose, and Dave have a conversation with all four of them together.

I was wrong last time, this is the page leading into the promised big flash. There is no longer anything left in Meat or Candy do to but [S] Get to the Point.

[theultimatekamehamehavoc]

Naegami Fluff and/or Shenanigans 10

Byakuya just looks like he's like mint cookies. I dunno why I feel this way but he just gives that to me. Plus, it's KINDA cute as a headcanon. Like, mint cookies, minting money. Uh... Mint is green His tie is green. I dunno! This one is very miniscule. Which is why I am now going to expand this thought via Naegami. Aka, one day, Makoto accidently steals Byakuya's stupid little mint cookies. Hijinks insure. Ahem It all begins one day when Makoto's a bit hungry and lost of what to eat. He doesn't really feel like cooking at all. Maybe he's just feeling a bit lazy and lethargic that day. Or, perhaps, he was just craving a little snack. Regardless though, the boy decides to rummage around in the pantry in search for a tasty treat to sink his teeth into. Eventually, the boy finds a nice box of mint cookies and, without much thought, he opens it up and begins snacking. He then takes the box with him and maybe does some activity while eating a bit mindlessly. Maybe watching some videos, reading some manga. What matters though is that, after a while, the box becomes empty and he's both a bit bummed out that there's no more cookies but also just a bit embarrassed that he ate them all like that without noticing until the last minute. Makoto tries not to think much of it though and swiftly discards the empty box. Here's him munching on one of the cookies btw.

Fast-forward a day later and Byakuya searches the pantry in search of a small serving of the cookies he "invested" in that he totally didn't buy on a whim with his boyfriend in a dinky supermarket to try something new. However, gasp! They're gone! Who could have done this? Certainly not the heir! He would have known if he'd ate them all. He's not one to forget such a fact. Thus, his head turns to the only culprit there that could have done such a thing to his Great Value thin mint cookies that he was lowkey a tad bit interested in trying and judging for himself. Emphasis on the judging cus the heir's got a way more refined taste to actually ENJOY Great Value cookies like the average joe. And, Makoto. Yeah, him. There is just that immediate realization in his eyes. Oh, crap. he done goofed, didn't he. Therefore, the boy tries his best to tell the truth. Before he can confess what he did though, Byakuya interrupts him and begins his investigation. Basically, Byakuya literally treats this whole situation like a crime case. A crime scene with a murder victim, suspects, and a culprit that needs to be caught at all cost. Therefore, the bastard starts interrogating Makoto, acting that he really IS upset and has no choice but to solve this mystery once and for all. However, Makoto can tell the heir isn't TOO mad though the word's the heir says aren't to be ignored. The boy can tell that, even though the cookies were cheap garbage in the heir's eyes, he still had that long-lasting curiosity to actually try them. By eating the mint cookies, Makoto took that away from him. So, regardless of the lighthearted air to the situation, Makoto still had that guilt festering inside. The heir's antics do distract his mind a bit as he questions Makoto on where he was on the night of the crime, estimates the time in which the crime took place, and even pulls out a notepad to write down all of this information. Eventually, Makoto ends up spilling everything after this goes on for a while. He played along for a bit. However, the boy's guilt kept festering and festering into a boiling point that he could not handle any longer. When he speaks of what occurred, Makoto is very visibly embarrassed. Though he isn't one to do this type of thing often, the fact that he ingested a whole box of the thin mints still left him feeling ashamed. Byakuya does end up cheering the boy up in his own Togami way however. Like, the two chat a bit and it's oddly sweet.

Byakuya basically tells Makoto that he wasn't that mad at him and he should have expected something like this to happen at some point. The heir's picked up on Makoto's good and iffy habits after all. Makoto can't help but say sorry again though cus Makoto's just like that. They decide to put this situation aside though and get some new cookies instead that aren't Great Value ones. Aka, it's baking time!

Here's them with the cookies. They made too many.

[b4mpyre-k1zz3s]

omg i loved your dark bam imagine!!! is there any way we get some more, like how he manipulates the media or her and ends up with her?? sorry i just love it so much and you’re literally so talented!! no rush in it! have a wonderful day/evening/night/morning idk just have a good ig ❤️❤️

Can’t Stand Losing You (Pt. 2)

Whatever was going on between Bam and you was impossible to make heads or tails of. He only seemed to complicate things for you further when he gives you a surprise over dinner.

Bam Margera X Fem!Reader

(Dark, Angst, Fluff)

3.3k Words

Warnings: Obsessive behavior, suggestive content, paparazzi, bribery, possessiveness, lying, kissing

An: Thank you sosososoos much for this request!!! You are so sweet thank you!! I am so happy that my fic captivated you so much! All of your love for my work means so much! <3 I felt like the conclusion of the original fic was a little vague, so I was so happy to expand on it more! I am a sucker for the dark stuff so keep those requests coming! XD (links to parts 1 and 3)

“Hey, is this, like- Star Magazine?” Bam feigned high pitched valley girl upspeak as he pressed the phone against his ear with his shoulder. “Mmhm. Yeah, so I’m at Venice Beach, right? And I see this guy- total dreamboat- and he’s with some chick, and I’m all like, ‘Who’s that?’” Bam thrummed his a against the wheel of his Hummer, parked about a block away from your house.

Summer was brutal in LA, and swimming was one of the better ways you could cool off. Usually, you and Bam blended in with all of the other ridiculously hot people that hung out there, so it wasn’t an issue. You would splash around and Bam would end up chasing seagulls or face planting into the wet sand hard enough that he was sneezing out sand for weeks. Relatively quiet stuff (by your standards).

This wouldn’t be the case for long. “So I go to get a better look and you’ll never guess who it is!” He grinned, hearing the operator lean back and say something to someone just out of reach of the receiver- they were sending people. The operator returned, eagerly listening, “Who did you see, miss?”

“Bam Margera!” Feigning the voice of an excitable female fan, he could audibly hear the guy sit up in his chair as he continued, “And he’s shirtless too! What a hunk!” Taking a second to collect himself, Bam continued with his act, “Yeah! And, like- I think he’s with some model lady too? I dunno…maybe she’s his girlfriend or something?”

Click.

☆彡

“Are dudes really wearing that kinda stuff nowadays?” You joked, peering at the cleft of Bam’s ass crack that showed over his low swim trunks. Never in your life had you seen anyone wear them that low. He shrugged as you walked through the parking lot, past a couple of vans parked right where the sand met asphalt, “What?” He was several shades lighter than the sand you popped your folding chairs onto, his limbs dappled in multicolored bruises from skating and stunts. He looked like a bad peach. Scoffing, you flicked your sunglasses open, replying to Jim in a jokingly sarcastic tone, “You’re practically exposing yourself, Bam. You are such a slut!” Bam sat down in the chair next to you, “Yeah, you’re one to talk.” Well he did have a point there- you weren’t exactly dressed conservatively yourself.

But you couldn’t help it. It was a perfect day, and you needed to get a tan for your next photoshoot for some swimwear company. Reaching into your tote bag, you grabbed the bottle of sun tan oil. The sparkly hibiscus flower on the clear bottle flaked pink glitter off into your hands as you poured some out, rubbing it onto your shoulders and back. From behind you, Bam watched you with fervor as you massaged it in. He chuckled suggestively, “You need some help with that?”

“Haha. Very funny!” You rolled your eyes, “I am more than capable of applying my own lotion, thank you.” Reclining in his seat, he chuckled, “Eh, was worth a shot.” Your eyes drifted along the sands, the sounds of the waves like silk over your ears. It was quiet, as usual, while you people-watched. Mom with her kids, some bitch from the Real World getting into a fight with her boyfriend, guy with a camera- typical stuff. And it seemed that that day, for once in a very long time, that everything was normal. You and Bam made fun of the surfers when they wiped out, he got fly-by shat on by a seagull, and everybody had a really great time.

Bam would have an especially good time a few hours after you left.

☆彡

The silver magazine rack creaked as Bam flipped through it, humming to himself. By now it was night, and the dim light from the dirty little corner store that he stopped in filtered out onto the street though the glass storefront. Tapping his foot impatiently on unswept floors, he scanned through the tabloids for anything with his face on it.

Jackpot! His eyes went wide as he snatched up the thin, papery tabloid. Bam flipped through it, his eyes scanning every page. And there you two were, a picture perfect celebrity couple. A damn sexy one too, he thought, eyeing your exposed skin. The bold, bright pink text screamed at him from the front page, “Just like Paradise! Bam Margera spotted with girlfriend Y/N at Venice Beach!”

Grabbing a candy bar, he got his purchases and had them rang up at the counter. Not even waiting to drive back to his hotel, he kicked his feet up and read by the light of the dashboard. “Hmm…” Furrowing his brow, he thought about slipping that camera guy a twenty next time to make sure he got more flattering photos of him.

★彡

With all the flashing lights and media people, you really felt like a big shot as you walked down the red carpet. All the guests at the premiere were all dressed up so nicely, in their dazzling dresses and fancy suits- and then there was Bam, who was always too good to dress up for anything, especially these kinds of things. It meant nothing, you reminded yourself, as he snaked his arm around you. You two were going together to mess with the media, that’s it. Sure, Bam bought your dress and shoes and made sure you looked like total eye candy when you were with him, but it would be just the same as when Steve and Chris make out on the red carpet- it’s just for fun.

“Hey Bam! Over here!” Some reporter lady with the most egregious hair to body ratio you had ever seen beckoned him over, sticking a microphone in his face. “Who are you with tonight?” His arm around your waist pulled you a little closer, feeling the purple velvet of your dress, “Well, this sweetheart right here is my girl, Y/N. Ain’t that right?” You giggled and smiled, playing the role of a smitten girlfriend well.

What did trip you up, however, was when Bam brought his face close to yours for what you thought was going to be a kiss. Instead, he planted two little pecks on your cheekbone, before licking a hot stripe up from your jaw to your temple. “Ah!” You couldn’t help from exclaiming in surprise as he snickered, the spit rapidly cooling on your face. The lady seemed shocked, but not as shocked as you were. And just as soon as that happened, you were whisked away to the next flock of people asking for photos of you two. You whispered to him, “I swear to god, Bam- if that makes me break out after this…”

☆彡

The premier was fun and all, but Bam decided that the movie sucked and you dipped halfway though. After sneaking pas the other guests, you silently ducked out a side door in the theater, walking down an alley that was illuminated only by floodlights. He looked you up and down, the look behind his eyes unclear due to the cool sunglasses-at-night look he was sporting, “You wanna get ‘somethin to eat?” You thought of what was nearby, not wanting to chance it with the paparazzi that seemed to follow you everywhere recently, “Yeah, maybe…do you have something in mind?” The grin he gave you after your question made you a little uneasy.

Your jaw dropped when you saw where he was taking you. It was one of those romantic, fancy restaurants with lighting so low you could barely see your plate while you were eating. “Bam! This is…you- you can’t get in here without a reservation six months in advance!” He just smirked in response, not hesitating as he squeezed past the crowd of expensively dressed people, leaving you to follow him like a lost puppy. Leaning against the lectern, he smirked expectantly at the Maitre D, “Reservation for Margera?”

“I’m sorry, sir. We don’t-“ Just out of your sight, Bam palmed a couple hundreds to the tuxedo clad man. He paused, thinking for a second before nodding. “Ah, yes! Come right with me, sir.” You gawked at the lavishly decorated restaurant as you walked, Bam’s hand around yours like he thought you couldn’t keep up with him on your own.

It was beautiful- really the kind of place he would pick. You could’ve sworn you were in the castle of some medieval vampire prince as you were seated on the second floor balcony, overlooking the large dining room. Gold candle light danced off of the crystal chandelier in the center of the room, complimenting the purple velvet that was everywhere, from the upholstery on the seats to the large, draping curtains over giant windows. Everything matched, from the dark stained wood of the tables to the black jackets of the servers and the cold, metal railings you were seated near.

☆彡

You listened to Bam as he animatedly told you about his trip to Vegas he just got back in from, “Yeah, it was crazy! I mean-“ He rolled up his sleeve, showing off his most recent tattoo in the low light, “I got this done by Kat Von D.” You leaned forward to get a batter look, squinting at the design. He smirked a little, your forehead almost touching his. His voice got a little softer as he continued, “After that, me and Dunn visited the AVN Expo- had a blast.”

“What’s that?” You sat back, picking idly at your food. He seemed a little surprised at the fact that you didn’t know, his voice returning to its normal register, “You know, the porno convention.” You raised your eyebrows, your eyes widening. He chuckled at your surprise, a glint in his eye, “Yeah! There's pretty much naked chicks everywhere there! If I’m being honest, I think that’d be a great j-“ His attention was turned to the waiter who was with glasses and a bottle of wine for who knows how long, “Oh, thanks.” As he bent down to pour them, Bam paid him no mind, his smirk audible in his voice. “Anyways, as I was saying, it is a hell of a good time. Maybe next year I could get you Ron Jeremy’s autograph.” You giggled a little as the waiter fled, “That would be great! I wish I could come with you!”

“What do you mean?” Bam asked, his tone shifting as he raised an eyebrow at you. You pressed your lips together, “I mean- I'm just usually pretty busy with work. It’s not like I could just take time off.” Chuckling, he leaned back in his seat, glass of wine in hand, “Oh, sure you can’t.You have the money to go wherever you want. I go to Finland, like- three times a year!” He took a sip of his Pinot Noir, “Why don’t you go to…the Caribbean or something?” Idly picking at your food, you replied matter of factly, “Well you know people in Finland. It’s not like I have buddies in the Caribbean. I can’t even get a day off until November!”

Reaching into his pocket, he wordlessly passed you a white envelope over the purple silk tablecloth. Your head tilted to the side as you took it, opening it with your well manicured nails. Bam had an air of coolness, watching you with steepled hands as your eyes went wide. To your shock, inside the envelope were two light blue plane tickets to Westchester, Pennsylvania. The flight was tomorrow. He smiled.

★彡

It seemed that no matter what time of year it was, Westchester was cold. Your LA blood wasn’t used to the chill, forcing you to shiver against Bam, the cab’s heat blasting on you two. “I can’t believe this…” You grumbled, pulling his coat that he gave you around you. The fur on the hood felt nice against the cold back of your neck as you seethed, “My boss is gonna kill me, Bam!” He tsked, affectionately pulling an arm around you. “Oh, shut up. You know you love this.” His voice had an endearing tone as he held you close enough that you could smell him- beer and cigarettes masked under the cologne he wore to impress you. You were too cold and tired to fight, instead opting to try and sap any warmth from him and the car's air vents until you got to your destination.

The windows were steamy by the time you arrived at what he dubbed Castle Bam. You were half awake, exhausted from the long flight while he grabbed not only his but your luggage, quickly scooping you up in his arms and shutting the car door with his foot. There was no doubt you were awake now. “Ah! Bam!” He cackled as he sprinted up the driveway and into the house carrying you.

Someone sitting on the black leather couch in the living room sat up when Bam called out to him, “Hey, Dunn!” You were unceremoniously dropped into the couch, with Bam still wearing his shit-eating grin, “Meet the princess of Castle Bam!” You rubbed your eyes looking up at the stranger across from you, “Mmhm. Hi.” Nodding, he put a hand out to you, “I’m Ryan, nice to see you. God- Bam’s been talking about you nonstop.” You shook his hand and smiled back. He seemed friendly and comparatively normal next to Bam who stared holed into the back of your head with a weird look in his eye. Tossing a handful of clothes at you, he swiftly left and went upstairs, presumably to his room.

“Put these on. I have somewhere to be tonight.”

☆彡

Bam smirked, leading you through a side entrance in the venue through a packed hallway. It felt like one of those things you shouldn’t be doing, but you did it anyway. “Y/N, this guy’s probably the coolest person you’ll ever meet.“ Giving a nod to one of the security guys, Bam led you up a set of stairs, squeezing past people, giving you the rundown.“His name’s Ville Valo, and his band’s called H.I.M. Got that all?” You nodded, trying to show that you were listening. He smiled, reaching a door at the top of the stairs, “Good. Now, don’t make an idiot’a yourself.”

From how much you heard Bam fangirling about these guys, they were kinda…underwhelming looking- you expected something a little bit more Sisters of Mercy. You walked into a room of maybe five guys, just sitting around, drinking beers and waiting to get called onstage. “Hey, Ville! What’s up, man?” He plopped down onto the little floral upholstered couch someone must’ve fished out of a dumpster next to maybe the most beautiful man you had seen in your life as he shot a nod to Bam. You were beaconed over, and you squeezed in between him and the arm of the couch, practically sitting on his lap.

From the far end of the couch, Ville leaned across to you, giving you a once over with half lidded eyes. “Pleasure to meet you” His voice was gentle, with an accent that was remarkably European (though you couldn’t place exactly where- you’re a model, not an encyclopedia). He gave you a lipsticked smile as Bam turned to you while you were distracted, taking your face in his tattooed hand and gripping it hard as he suddenly pressed his face against yours. Your eyes went wide as you felt his tongue against yours, freezing like a deer in headlights. This isn't something friends do. You couldn’t figure out where your mouth ended and his began until he pulled away from the mess of flesh with a cocky grin, “LA’s finest.”

He gave Ville one of those looks that say more than words ever could. Seemingly unphased with Bam devouring you like a lion eating a gazelle on the Savannah, he laughed a little and got up, pleasantly gesturing for you to follow him, “Here. I’ll show you backstage.” And he led you down the stairs and through all these corridors, Bam still holding you close the whole time like he was afraid you were going to float away. “And this,” Ville gestured to a door that was labeled as his dressing room, “is where it all happens.” He glanced back at you, making the kind of eye contact that insinuated things. This clearly displeased Bam, him shooting a look back at him. Ville just chuckled, but before anything rash happened, someone came and got the band to bring them out onstage.

☆彡

The dark, desolate car ride home after the show was underscored by the music playing from the stereo of Bam’s orange Hummer. He had 24 CDs and about 22 of them were H.I.M. The green numbers on the stereo blurred in your vision as you squinted, trying to tell the time. You could see that it ended with ‘Am’. Sighing, you closed your eyes and let your head hit the window as the music washed over your brain like river rocks, the singer going on about his “poison girl”, whatever that means. Behind the wheel, Bam smiled, glimpsing over at you from the dashboard light. So much had been going on, and you just needed to not think too hard for a little. And you got back to the castle and headed upstairs and before you could realize it you were in his bedroom. It wasn’t too bad- his black sheets felt so nice and the room was comfortably dim, exhaustion claiming you. Friends share beds all the time anyways.

But out of the corner of your eye, you spotted something hanging out from under his mattress. You thought to yourself- he was in the bathroom, so it wasn’t like he’d notice if you snooped a little. Quietly rolling off the bed, you bent down and wiggled out the pink, papery object. Your eyes went wide as you stared at it. It was one of those celebrity tabloids- with you on it. Perplexed, you lifted the mattress up more, wondering why in the hell he’d collect this kind of thing.

Oh god. Your heart dropped. There had to be at least twenty under there. Some were from before he even met you, and others were as recent as the previous week- just tucked away down there like prison contraband. Your mind was racing so fast that you didn’t even notice the sound of the bathroom door opening as Bam walked in- not until he leaned over you and put a hand on your shoulder, making you jump. Whipping your head around, you were face to face with the fabric of his gray pajama pants and the bare skin of his stomach, close enough that you could feel his soft skin on your eyelashes as you stared at his heartagram tattoo. You still clutched one of the tabloids in your hand as you panickedly looked up at him, gesturing to your findings. “What- what’s all this…?” He sighed, kneeling down to get eye level with you.

“Y/N- Y/N. Listen.” He took one of the magazines scattered on the floor into his hands, seeming earnest as he spoke, oddly calm, “I only buy this shit cause it’s funny. I mean- they say all this ridiculous shit about us!” Flipping through one of them, your eyes scanned the pages. Everything that was written about you was…oddly sweet, endearing even. Something seemed to click in your head. He liked you- he liked you. He was trying to impress you this whole time. Silently engrossed in what you were reading, you mused “Is it really that bad…?” Bam’s eyes flitted up to yours and you almost seemed to smile as you turned it over to read the cover, “Just like Paradise…Bam Margera spotted with girlfriend, Y/N, at Venice Beach.”

You were just barely- no, less than an inch away from each other as your eyes met his. And you kissed him and it felt good- so much better than that kiss before. It was soft and sweet, in a way neither of you were really expecting it to be.

[narhinafan]

Hey, about NaruHina, something in Boruto just seems awfully sketchy to me. I mean, let's be absolutely real to ourselves, if our wife, were to be Hinata, I would actually make extra time to SPEED UP in getting my workload done, before coming home to her, who wouldn't? Hinata is just amazing. She is the reason, why Naruto gets out of bed, along with their kids.

But in the beginning, the entire setup in Boruto, for some reason was trying to be like, "He is overworked", as if it completely forgets that Naruto can generate clones to do work for him, and he can share the workload with Shikamaru or Kakashi. And either way, why do we go this route of "neglectful parenting" again? Shouldn't Naruto know better to not bite off more than he can chew? And the fact that he and Hinata never, ever argue (sometimes, this is necessary, and I don't mean like this toxic kind of arguing, but like, discussing things, spilling their own guts to say what bothers them, that kind of jazz, sharing the grievances), at least from what I have seen so far (I haven't looked too deeply into Boruto, and I am kind of hesitant to, for many reasons), I dunno, to me, this paints Naruto in a negative light, as if he is purposely overworking himself, as a way to cope with the reality of him having initially failed as a father, husband and leader. Self-masochism, basically.

Not only that, it comes off as if Naruto's love for Hinata was only a ruse, and as the years passed by, all of it was lost in the process, as he was working towards becoming the ideal Hokage... and I find this pretty insulting, how dare they paint this couple like that? That's just dirty. ...Or am I just being weird? Because this is the impression I got so far.

Naruto is generating and using clones its why he ends up collapsing of overwork in the Boruto movie. Plus he is usually busy cause of circumstances or busy times like the Chunin exams more then anything other then those specific times he does manage make time to come home.

From what I can tell he is overworking cause it can't be helped especially since the village had a big development boom in recent years after the war and also is no longer really hidden likely increase the workload to such a degree that there methods aren't suitable for handling. Likely doesn't help that times are relatively peaceful which would hit ninjas livelihood quite hard. Its also likely even worse since Naruto is famous worldwide which would bring a lot of new business to the village on top of having to maintain peace and as the hero of the war has the most influence so people can't ignore his points. Add that the village has increased in both size and population before the village could fit in the crater Pain made, but in Boruto not only most of the buildings are now high rising ones, but they even had to expand outside the crater and build a city behind the Hokage monument. The current village is likely equal to two-three pre war villages together maybe even more.

Naruto does seem to get help from Shikamaru, but its not enough a lot of things likely need Naruto himself to take care of for lots of reasons and I bet his clones are the only reason they managed to handle the rapid growth in recent years.

Naruto's workload as Hokage is likely several time more then what previous Hokage had to deal with its not somthing he just assign away either.

I get what you mean, but I think Hinata is aware of just how much work Naruto gets especially cause of the education she got from her clan since a young age so she has some understanding of both political and management/development of the village.

I don't like it, but it is realistic in times of peace after war its normal for a development boom to happen. The leaf village benefited it from it the most, but at the cost of Naruto being worked to the bone to handle it.

[ohwynne]

TIMING: Current LOCATION: Prickly Pear Farms PARTIES: @ariadnewhitlock & @ohwynne SUMMARY: Wynne and Ariadne try some of the food at the party! CONTENT WARNING: N/A

They felt a kind of giddy they hadn’t felt in a while. Wynne walked around Prickly Pear Acres with Ariadne on their side, a smile on their face as the world around them was covered in soft glee. It should be like this always, they thought. It should last forever, this feeling of hope — because they felt hopeful. If Ariadne and them could be happy here, in spite of everything, then the world continue to spin for the better. If this was possible, for a day, then more days like this would come.

“There!,” they exclaimed, pointing ahead at a table. “I knew it was here somewhere.” The it in question was the food that was spread out, all of it looking very delicious. Their appetite had been bad these past months – worse, somehow, than it had been before – but their high spirits had made them hungry. “It all looks good. I don’t even know where to start.”

—

This felt normal. Or at least, as close to normal as was possible. Going to a party with your partner, at a party thrown by someone else you loved. It couldn’t be so bad if this was possible, right? Ariadne squeezed Wynne’s hand softly. It was possible to have peace and comfort and love and all those kinds of good things.

She moved her gaze from Wynne to where they were pointing when they commented. “Oh, yes – it does look amazing!” Not as good as a whole buffet of candy would’ve been, but delightful nonetheless. “Maybe start at what seems like the end? I dunno. I just – we should start together.” No more splitting up. “But we can get stuff and just share it all? If you want. Whatever you want.” She kissed them, soft and gentle. “Happy to follow your lead.”

— 

The idea to start at the end would have never crossed their mind and so they beamed at Ariadne, always in awe of her creative mind. Wynne nodded, “Yes, we start at the end. And we get a bit of everything! I don’t want to miss out on anything.” They were determined to enjoy it all, to feel their stomach fill and expand without it feeling like a battle.

Wynne went and got two plates, handing one to Ariadne and starting to load various colored foods onto their own. “Who do you think made all this? I — does Monty also eat this kind of food?” It was a nicer thought than imagining the kind farmer eating brains. They frowned a little, wondering if it was better to have to cause nightmares and without helping it, they thought of Jade. They shook the thoughts off. “It all looks so good.”

— 

“Uh, I think Monty can, but I don't know if this is like, top choice.” Based on talking with Caleb, and what she knew (which wasn’t much, but this was a party and she was going to be happy about things), he’d have preferred brains or stuff but that also wasn’t necessarily ideal conversation with her very much human partner. Not right now. Ariadne grinned. “Oh, absolutely. I love how you think, as always.”

She took a plate from Wynne. “It looks amazing, and I’m starving – I mean –” she sucked in her lips. “Like, for real – for this. Not for – not other stuff.” Ariadne shifted from one foot too the other, rather awkwardly, before spooning a bunch of noodles covered in something red onto her plate. “What are you going for first?”

—

“No, I guess not,” they said as they regretted bringing up the farmer’s diet. Zombies ate brains and other human meaty things, which Wynne tried not to judge them about but was still very discomforting. It wasn’t like they could change their nature, after all, and Monty seemed to be doing something good about it … but even so. They had a human brain. They didn’t want to use it to think about how it would make a good snack.

They also went for the noodles, “Then we have to feast. So you’re not starving any more,” Wynne said, before also putting some bits of meat in thick sauce on their plate. “I’m going for this first, I think.” Some curry also made its way onto their plate, and they used their spoon to have a first bite. It didn’t take long for their face to fall and tears to appear in their eyes.

—

Ariadne shrugged off the idea of what Monty ate. It wasn’t good to talk about with humans – not that humans were any less than she was, but it seemed crass and she very much did not want to be crass. Or upset Wynne.

“Yeah, exactly. We’ve gotta – it’ll be so good, I know it!” She scooped a few more items onto her plate before taking a bit in tandem with Wynne. Except that tears were starting to pour from their eyes and Ariadne quickly set her plate down. “Are you – okay? What’s the matter??”

— 

At the estate, they had never eaten very spicy food. The Welsh kitchen was great, but not known for being exceptionally flavorful and especially not spicy. And thus, Wynne had no tolerance for it at all. Though perhaps even if they had, they’d have ended up with tears in their eyes.

Ariadne was looking at them like something was terribly amiss and they tried to make their face look normal, even if it was growing red. They gestured at the food, gasping rather than saying something, offering no response for their girlfriend to go off. Eventually they just gave a thumbs up to make sure she knew they were okay.

— 

“Okay – it’s just too spicy? Or like, really spicy?” Ariadne didn’t tend to eat very spicy things, and so she wasn’t sure if it would interact with her taste buds differently on account of the whole being dead thing. She figured it did, at least for people like Monty, and so that was good. 

She took a small bite of her food, swallowing quickly. “We should see if Monty’s got any ice cream. I think vanilla does a good job of cutting hot – like spicy stuff. But you are hot, also. Like, not spicy, like – not like I eat you. Well.” She shook her head. “You know what I mean. It’s still a fun idea for food, and I’m glad you came to the party with me. I know I wouldn’t wanna do this without you.”

— 

Beads of sweat formed on their head the way they had when across of Cass and Wynne wiped at their forehead, “Spicy,” they said, “Too spicy.” Their tongue felt like it was on fire and they felt the whole of their throat burning. But it wasn’t too bad, if only because of Ariadne across from them.

Laughter spilled from stinging lips, their entire mouth – if not body – on fire and somehow still amused and endeared with their girlfriend. “That sounds good, ice cream. And you, you too sound good — you’re adorable,” they said, hiccuping from both laughter and spice. “It’s a good party. You’re hot, too.” Wynne wiped at their eyes, the back of their hand wet with sweat and tears. “Even hotter than this.”

— 

“I’ll advise Monty to put some warnings up next time he has a party where people with legit taste buds come.” She set her plate down and took hold of Wynne’s hand. “If I kiss it, does it make it better?” She pressed her lips against theirs, willing their lips to open, hoping to let the coolness of her tongue soothe theirs.

Then they were laughing and Ariadne couldn’t help but laugh too. Life was so good with them, and it was good that they were here, together, not in separate places both in danger. Together, she was certain, they could handle anything. “I’m glad I sound good. You should come over after, if you want?” She kissed them again. “You’re the hottest though. I’m the luckiest girl in the world.”

—

“I just am not very good at spicy food I think,” they admitted hoarsely. Ariadne’s lips on their own were sweet and cold, but it wasn’t enough to completely get rid of the hellish sensations taking over their body. Wynne looked at her when they pulled back and found they had no complaints, however. “Better.” 

If this was what could go wrong at this party, then they had no complaints. Eating food that was too spicy was far from the end of the world, far from the worst thing that could occur. Wynne found themself infinitely glad that it was something like this they were crying over, “That sounds amazing. And if I’m the hottest, then you’re the … coolest and prettiest.” They smiled, a little dopey from both the heat and Ariadne herself.

—

“You’re plenty good at other things.” She grinned. “Besides, being good at spicy food… could be like, some cool trick, but I don’t think it really matters in the grand scheme of things.” Ariadne couldn’t help but keep on grinning. “I always want to make things better for you, you know.” She looked at Wynne with a soft expression in her eyes.

They both deserved something good, and this was something good, and that was the biggest relief she’d had in a long while. “Well, fine, I’ll agree with that, but only because it’s impossible to disagree with you.” Ariadne moved closer to them again, pressing another kiss to their lips. “You make the world – my world – but the world too – so bright. You are my sun, you know that?”

—

“I am good at other food. Maybe I can start cooking more spicy to also get food – I mean good at it,” they said, hiccuping once more. Wynne was beaming at Ariadne, at the small gestures made for them. This was so small and almost meaningless in the grand scheme of things they and Ariadne had done for each other, but it still mattered. “I know.”

It was impossible to resist Ariadne when she was like this, all sweat words and soft gestures. Wynne giggled against her lips, “C’mon, we’re in public,” they said, cheeks still red and the cause one of various things around them. “Let’s find somewhere else.” They took her hand, lips tingling and an expression of infinite fondness on their face as they pulled Ariadne to somewhere more private