#i finally got the panda themed bear

[snow-body]

love they support my plush obsession

[seulgiwifeee]

Secret Admirer pt. 2 || Seulgi

(PLEASE READ THE FIRST SECRET ADMIRER BEFORE READING THIS.. OR REREAD IF YOU NEED A REFRESHER ON THE STORYLINE !!)

♡ Member: Classmate*Seulgi x

Loser*Femreader

♡ Theme: ;)

♡ Warning: None

♡ Description: For months you've communicated with Seulgi by sending her secret admirer letters, but one day you decide to try taking things further between the two of you.

Word count: 4.6k

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Seulgi furrows her brows, tilting her head at you with confusion, but still accepts the paper.

Jittering teeth chatter behind your sealed lips and you fiddle with the stray threads hanging from the hem of your skirt as you anxiously watch Seulgi unfold the note. Once she finally reveals it to herself, scanning over the written words, it takes everything in you to not shut your eyes out of fear, clutching tighter onto the fabric of your skirt.

♡ Surprise! I hope you're satisfied. ♡

If so, WILL YOU BE MY VALENTINE?

ʕっ• ᴥ • ʔっ ♡

— XOXO, Candy ♡

Seulgi reads the note out lowly, just enough for you to hear, repeating herself as her mind soaks in and fully comprehends the words.

"Candy.." Seulgi mutters to herself again, slowly lifting her head and staring at you with an unreadable expression. Was it shock? Impressment? Disgust?

To make this interaction go by quicker before you melt into a puddle of shame from the overlapping feelings that continue to sting at you, you reveal Seulgi's Valentine's gifts from behind you and show them off to her. "I.. I got you this."

You pull out a bouquet and set it gently in her arms. "I honestly don't know what kind of flowers these are, but since I saw they were orange and know that your favorite color is orange I bought them for you." You then hand her a tiny gift basket. "I got you this panda bear because you had mentioned it was your favorite animal, and I tried to craft you this uh.. sort of bouquet of lollipops thing instead of giving you anything chocolate related since I remembered you said you weren't the hugest fan of it.. And then there's just some filler confetti down there at the bottom and uh.. yeah.. that's it.

I know it's not a lot, it's just all I could afford and— yeah.”

You pin your focus on anywhere but Seulgi's direction as she takes the basket from you. You grab onto the ends of your pigtails tightly, nervously glancing up to watch her examine your gifts, seeing her pull the stuffed panda out for a better look. She checks out the little orange bowtie detail you'd sewn on it and the custom orange cursive of her name you had embroidered into the bottom of the plushie's foot.

Seulgi looks up at you again in what looks like disbelief, her lips parted in a small 'o.' You squeeze your pigtails tighter, trying so hard not to avoid eye contact as you wait for what she'll say.

"You.. You're seriously Candy? You're the one who's been sending me the admirer letters all this time?"

Your body hairs stick up cold, hesitantly nodding your head in confirmation.

You're so uncertain by Seulgi. There's no telling what her next move could be, but as of what it seems like right now, all you can do is just prepare for the worst for the way her silence is speaking for her.

You ball your shaky fists to your side, squeezing your eyes shut, not able to look at her for any longer as the deafening silence continues on, and the longer it lasts—the longer of it allowing your negative thoughts to speak to you—the more of the war between you and your self-consciousness takes over, your mind unfortunately winning and now has you feeling like you've messed up, badly.

"Seulgi.. I'm so sor—"

At last out of fear, you try to apologize to Seulgi for clearly wasting her time, but to your utmost surprise, your muscles go tense, gasping sharply from the feeling of small arms tied around you as you're forced into a sudden hug.

Your eyes shoot open from the unexpected gesture and your mind runs to a panic when you look down to see Seulgi tightly wrapped around you. You don't know what to do. You continue to stand there frozen in place for what feels like hours until Seulgi eventually lets go of you.

You cover your burning cheeks, staring at Seulgi in embarrassment and confusion.

"Wha—? What was that for?" you ask nervously in a hush, your trembling voice barely audible for even you to hear.

Seulgi smiles, placing her gifts on the bench and pulls you in for another hug, holding you less tightly than before which allows your body to seek comfort of what feels like a homey warmth into the embrace this time.

"Thank you."

You freeze, the contact and scent of her so close to you, the warmness of her voice melting into your ear as she abruptly expresses her gratitude for you, giving you all kinds of jumbled-up feelings you weren't prepared to feel early this morning. "Thank you? A "Thank You?" For what?!" You reluctantly wrap your arms around Seulgi's lower back, hesitant and unsure if this action is appropriate despite her already hugging you twice now.

"Everything!" Seulgi pulls back, grazing her slender fingers down your arms and holds onto your hands, sealing them together by locking your fingers. She gazes at you with gentle eyes. "From the letters to all the thought you put into these gifts, even if you think it's not a lot, remembering all of these specific things about me—No one's ever done anything like this for me!

Like, the determination you have with how consistent you've been for the past months with writing and sending me these letters, the way you're so polite and nice and understanding with me and never fail to keep me engaged. I can always tell you're serious about what you say, and the fact you built up all of this courage to reveal yourself to me despite being this seemingly shy person tells me enough about you and I appreciate it so so much.

My friends don't even have my birthday fully locked in memory, yet, you still remembered from one conversation we had weeks ago that I don't prefer chocolate?!

I don't know.. it just makes me so happy knowing there's someone in this world with all this devotion and would actually waste the time out of their life to do all of these amazing things for me so honestly I don't think I could say thank you enough!"

Your mouth falls in shock.

You weren't expecting this reaction, at all.

She didn't even question anything or think twice about the fact that you, her confirmed secret admirer, are a girl. "I— wow.. so, uh.. do you just not care that I'm a girl?.. a girl that has a crush on you? I mean, you seemed so sure that I was a boy when talking with your friends yesterday— I mean—" You slap your hand over your mouth.

"Well, I can't really say I was expecting my secret admirer to end up being a girl.. but between you and me," she whispers in a playful tone, looking side to side and leans in closer to your ear, "I never minded the thought of it happening."

Your tense gaze at her softens just barely. "Wait.. so.. do you like girls?" you ask, quickly biting back your lip, already regretting if this is too personal of an ask.

"Well—" Seulgi squeezes your hands tighter, cutting herself off by biting her lip as she stares off in thought, looking as if she's almost uncertain about herself. You break the silence, asking her again quickly, a more greater question. "Do you like me? You know, feel any attraction?"

Seulgi looks back at you, more quiet than she was before. "I'd be lying if I said that I've ever been attracted to you because well.. we've never really talked. I don't see you often and if I do you're just so distanced away from anyone, so I've never really been given an opportunity if m being honest..

But, I can say that I can definitely see myself getting to know more about you in the future and see where things can lead to after that."

Seulgi latches her palm onto your cheek, her thumb and pointer finger gently nipping at your baby fat. "And you're just so cute! How could I not want to?"

You blush deeper at her teasing, failingly covering the lower half of your face to hide your sheepishness. "So, does this mean you'll be my Valentine?!" you ask her excitedly, your eyes gleaming when she answers with a single nod. "I would love to—"

You interrupt Seulgi before she can even complete her sentence, this time, you being the one who brings her into a tight bear hug, snuggling your head deeply into the crook of her neck, taking in her sweet scent and embracing the feeling of her body so close with yours. "Thank you! Thank you!" you squeal into her neck.

You pull back, looking away from her embarrassed from your sudden outburst, and scratch your arm. Seulgi smiles, glancing ahead of you, then reaches over to grab her gifts from the bench and looks back at you. "Come on, we should probably go inside before school starts." Seulgi holds her hand out, inviting yours to join hers. You giggle shyly, slowly creeping your hand over until it links with hers. Then you two walk off. "You know, I did these pigtails today just for you because you said it was your favorite hairstyle. How is it?"

Seulgi smiles as you two enter the double doors. "Adorable."

Your tiny mind can't believe that this is truly happening. Not only is Seulgi your valentine now, but she's proud about it, showing it off to the world as you two walk through the hallways hand in hand, although the peers around you probably wouldn't think twice about you two, most likely thinking you're just close friends like every other that's girl seen in this school holding hands with another girl.

—

You couldn't remember a single thing your teacher mentioned in discussion during first period because all you could think about was wow—this is not a dream. You and Seulgi could potentially be girlfriends by the next few days, or weeks.. or months?.. yeah, you're still not too familiar with the idea of how quickly these relationship things begin and whatnot.

You barely even survived gym class; Seulgi letting you run with her during laps, standing next to her during stretches, and you doing horribly at trying not to be obvious when you'd admire the way her body coordinated in that now blessing of a uniform as she'd bend all around.

But you really knew the beginning of this relationship or bond thing between the two of you was going to be serious once Seulgi invited you to sit with her during lunch. No— forced you to sit with her and her clique, sitting you down right beside her and keeping you in close.

All eyes fell on you as the friend group looked at you, clearly confused as to why you were all of a sudden seated there with them today, and honestly were quite judging with their stares.

All that the staring made you want to do was hide, and you didn't even dare to try sparing any eye contact with these girls. "Who's she?" one of them curiously asked Seulgi, but the hidden tone in her voice sounded very uninvitingly of you being there.

"She's Y/N, one of my new friends!" Seulgi explained to her happily. "—Well, I've never seen you hang out with her," another girl chimed in, raising her eyebrow at the both of you, clearly trying to throw some sort of shade.

"Hence, why I said new friend. We got closer today," Seulgi clarified, her forced smile flashed brightly to mask the tinge of annoyance you noticed in her voice. She was starting to get irritated at all of her friends' judgment. You bit your lip awkwardly as you looked down at your lunch tray, already embarrassed by the thick atmosphere your presence alone just being there had already caused.

Before anyone could make any more comments about you, the girl sitting on the other side of Seulgi looked down, noticing the earlier gifts you had given sticking out from the opening of Seulgi's bag. "Oh my gosh, Seulgi! Who got you these? You have a valentine?!"

Immediately, the tension died down and you were already nothing but a lost topic as everyone leaned over the table to check out the gifts sitting alongside Seulgi. Seulgi waved for everyone to sit and calm down and pulled out the gifts so the girls could see better. "Yes, guys.. I do have a valentine!" Seulgi confirmed to them with a blush, rolling her eyes playfully and covering her mouth to hide her smug smile.

"Who is it?!" one friend demanded, the others murmuring around, wanting to know the same.

You quickly stole a glance over to Seulgi's direction, staring nervously as you wondered what she was going to say to them.

Seulgi shook her head at them. "I'm not telling you!"

"Come on! Why? Is he ugly or something?"

"No— of course not!" Seulgi defended. "You guys just don't need to know everything about my life," she told them jokingly, but behind the smile, it was obvious she was serious about her words.

All of her friends in unison sighed dramatically with a roll of their eyes. "Seriously? Come on! Just give us a hint! Is he from the football team?"

"No."

"Basketball?"

"No."

"Is he in our English language class?"

"No."

"Is he hot?"

"Yes."

"Do we know him?"

"Is he in here right now?—"

"—Okay guys stop. I'm telling you right now, you're not going to guess who he is! And no matter what you do or say I'm not going to tell you anything," Seulgi stated firmly.

"Okay whatever.. just know, we're still not going to stop bothering you about this until we find out who he is."

Seulgi sighed with a dry laugh, mixing in with her friends' ticklish laughter. The girls around continued to talk with and exchange Valentine's gossip with each other while Seulgi turned over to you, seeing how noticeably uncomfortable you had gotten as you stared down at your tray, not a single bite of your food eaten.

"Can you give me your phone for a sec?" Seulgi whispered to you. You looked up, uncertain of what she would possibly need it for, but nodded anyway and handed your unlocked phone to her.

Really, you were surprised in yourself at how quickly and easily you gave her your phone, not even thinking twice about all of the bad things she could've planned on doing with it.

Not too long after, she handed you back your phone while pulling out her own. You looked at her confused until you felt a vibration a few seconds later come from your phone. You glanced down, seeing a message notification from an unfamiliar contact.

[Seulgi]

| sorry about them.. they can be a handful to deal with sometimes haha

| also sorry for lying to them about us

| i know ur upset

| i've never told any of them that i find attraction in girls so i had to continue with the thought that my valentine was a guy

| it's nothing against you i promise :(

[You]

| I know.. I get it though :):

Seulgi frowned when she heard you exhale a sigh from beside her.

[Seulgi]

| yk i wish i could've given you something for valentines if i would've known it was you behind those notes

| i would've had something so cute for you!!!

[You]

| Oh, NO no it's fine! Really

| Just seeing you enjoy my gifts is perfect enough for me :D

[Seulgi]

| :) ♡

The corner of your lips reached your cheekbones as you smiled stupidly at your phone, blushing and your heart fluttering around as you read the messages, continuously scanning over the heart emoji she sent.

You turned to face Seulgi, shyly smiling at her while she smiled back. Your attention was brought back down once you felt the buzz of your phone again.

[Seulgi]

| you should probably eat before your food gets cold

[You]

| Oh yeah..

*hearted message*

*Contact name has been changed to

"Seulgi ♡♡♡"*

Seulgi giggled softly watching as you quickly stuffed a spoonful of rice in your mouth after placing your phone down.

—

You walked to your locker at the end of the day with a joyful heart. For once, you didn't feel like you wanted to hide from the world, you were proud of yourself, strutting down the once terrifying hallways, feeling the most confident you never thought you could be.

Crazy how much Seulgi's effect can have on a person.

After grabbing your belongings you exited the building by yourself, like always, and walked down the concrete steps. While making your detour to the sidewalk, you heard your name from afar get called out which quickly stopped you. You warily turned around, startled by the sudden yell, but settled your nerves once you saw Seulgi standing by the tennis court frantically waving over for you. You could see her motion two fingers for you to come, so of course with your obedient heart, you hurriedly skipped over.

When standing in front of Seulgi, you shyly fidgeted with your fingers. "Hi.."

"Hey, Y/N! Sorry for stopping you at a busy moment like this, but I just wanted to finally give you a Valentine's gift!"

"Really?!" you gasped, glancing down at her arms and the ground, though seeing nothing. "You know, you didn't have to.. What is it?!"

"Close your eyes," she instructed and with no hesitation you did as she said, holding your hands out, expecting a physical item to end up in your possession, but something happened that you weren't expecting in the slightest. Something you had only ever daydreamed of happening.. You wanted to scream, hide, run away, but you managed for your body to accept it, feeling Seulgi's tender lips pressed against your cheek, her lipstick staining pink on you once she lifted back.

By this point, you couldn't control yourself anymore, your legs and hands were shaking violently and you had lost all ability to speak as your jaw hung open. You knew you looked like an idiot, and your face had to have been as red as a chili pepper by then, you could feel the heat emanating from your shaken body.

"S..Seulgi..." you struggled out, entirely caught off guard by her action and touched your cheeks, gently patting on the area where her lips once were.

Seulgi winked at you, finally walking off. "Happy Valentine's Day!"

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{One month later}

"I've never had a sleepover before," you admit quietly as you enter Seulgi's bedroom, looking around in awe, admiring the spacious room.

"Seriously? Never?!" Seulgi asks surprised, closing and locking the door behind her. You shake your head sadly and place your night bag near her bed.

"Well then," Seulgi starts, "I guess I'll just have to make this the best, most unforgettable sleepover you'll ever have!" She grabs you from the waist, pulling you in close to her side, and you bubble a coy laugh at the swift movement of her gesture, still not used to being this touchy with anyone. "So uh, what do people usually do at sleepovers? Is it like what the movies show?"

Seulgi shrugs. "I mean, guess they can be like that sometimes. You know, realistically it's usually more tamed down than the movies, but tonight we can just do what you want!"

"Oh, okay," you mumble with a nod, holding your thumb up.

"So, what do you wanna do?"

"I don't know.." you mumble awkwardly, "I guess we could watch a movie?.. People do that at sleepovers, right?" you suggest, your voice rising more high-pitched the more unsure you start to sound. Seulgi chuckles, seeing your lack of experience shine through. "Of course they do!" Seulgi turns on her TV and once on hands you the remote. "You can choose the movie."

"Oh uh, I'm not really that good at choosing stuff.." you mutter, hesitantly taking the remote.

"Don't worry, I'll watch whatever you put on!"

You nod with that and scroll through the catalog until you click on a random comedy movie that you thought was something Seulgi would enjoy. "Do you want anything to eat or snack on?" Seulgi asks as she turns off the light and gets ready to exit the room while you make yourself comfortable in her bed. You shake your head. "You sure?" She asks again and you nod reassuringly, although you are, in fact, hungry.

Seulgi arrives back as quickly as she exits the room, not wanting to leave her guest on her own for too long, and returns with a small carton of strawberry ice cream, your personal favorite, though she doesn't know.

Seulgi scoots next to you on the bed. "You readyy?" she smirks, wiggling her eyebrows playfully to spark your excitement. "Yup!" you reply, trying to mimic her brow movements to match her energy which only causes her to laugh more.

As the movie plays, you sneak glances over in Seulgi's direction from time to time, eying the ice cream, watching as the amount gradually gets smaller. Your glances don't go unnoticed once Seulgi notices your gaze in the corner of her eye and turns to you with a smirk. "Whatcha looking at?" she teases.

You quickly look away embarrassed and put your focus back on the movie, ignoring her question.

"You want some, don't you? Don't worry, you can have some if you'd like!" Seulgi holds her hand out, offering you the carton. You gladly take the ice cream, but once you pull out the spoon, you then realize it's the same spoon she'd been eating off of this entire time. Are you supposed to use it? Is this how friends share things at sleepovers? Did she just forget to give you a different spoon? You hold up the spoon, tilting your head at Seulgi.

"Oh sorry, did you want your own?"

Oh, so it was intentional.

You quickly shake your head at her. "Oh— uh.. no— no! It's good!" You use the used spoon to scoop up the ice cream and shakily place it in your mouth.

This is technically like a kiss, right, you thought. Did you just kiss Seulgi? Or maybe you're just thinking too much into it since you've never had any friends to live the experience of sharing food with before.

After swallowing your spoonful, Seulgi grabs the spoon from you, taking another scoop for herself.

For the next ten minutes of the movie, you and Seulgi take turns eating from the tub, somehow, during the middle of it, creating a sort of silent competition of who could successfully get the final scoop.

You won, afterward teasing and poking fun at Seulgi for being too slow. You two laughed it off, but as it calmed down, Seulgi just stared at you, silently, and continued to do so for a good couple of seconds. The longer she looked at you, the more you started to get self-conscious and ran back to your usual overthinking.

"What? What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?" you ask nervously, wondering if she'd been staring at excess ice cream stuck to the corners of your mouth or if what you had thought you both knew was an just innocent game had instead gotten her upset.

"Nothing, you're just really pretty."

What?

Your brain doesn't want to believe her words because after all, you probably do have leftover ice cream sitting on your face. Your hair's messily tied up, you still have on those big ass nerdy glasses.. you're literally wearing my little pony pajamas for goodness sake!

Overall in conclusion, right now you know you're just not attractive in the slightest bit, yet.. you just couldn't help yourself from blushing like a loser and covering your cheeks from the compliment.

Seulgi has called you "cute" and "adorable" many times during the last few weeks, and they definitely flattered you, yes, but this compliment was something new, something you never thought you'd hear from anyone's mouth seriously besides your mother. And in honesty, this was something your fragile mind had been needing to hear for a long time, especially in a moment like this where you're nothing but being and looking like your true self.

"N-No! You're pretty!— I mean— Aaggh!" You grab one of Seulgi's fluffy pillows and stuff your head into it, hiding your cherry-red face. Seulgi giggles at your reaction and leans in to hug you. "Stop, you're always so cute when you react like this!"

The force of her hug somehow manages to push you two down to your backs, her arms still wrapped around you and her leg slightly resting on top of yours. Seulgi pulls the pillow away, allowing your burning face to look at her, all flustered and shy of embarrassment. She smiles down at you and you giggle shyly, wanting to cover your face once more.

Soon, the embarrassment wears off, but now you and Seulgi just remain staring at each other silently. You don't even know why though, but you do know you sure don't want to look away. You can't. It's like there's a force keeping you like this.

Apparently, that force didn't want to just stop at eye contact because before you knew it, Seulgi's lips were pressed softly against yours.

Your foggy mind quickly wakes up, your eyes going wide as you look across at Seulgi whose eyes are shut closed, feeling deep into the kiss. You internally panic, not knowing how to react and look side to side now with so many new confusing thoughts and feelings as your lips mindlessly move in sync with hers.

Oh my gosh— your first kiss and it's with Seulgi.. Seulgi?!

You slightly squeal when you feel Seulgi's lips part and her tongue seek out to find yours. You don't what in the world to do, your virgin lips have never made out with anyone before, so you just try to copy what you feel her doing, mimicking the way her tongue rolls with yours while still looking around the dark room frantically. After a few seconds, you tense down and get used to this feeling, finally closing your eyes and allowing yourself to ease into the kiss.

You don't want this to stop, you want to taste the sweet strawberry coated all in her mouth some more, but after what feels like an eternity, yet somehow not long enough, you two softly pull back from the kiss, fluttering your eyes open and looking right into hers. You two can't even say anything to each other, Seulgi's face now blushing a deep red like yours.

As if it was possible, you were gaining even deeper feelings for Seulgi.. and with the way her eyes are admiring, you can tell she's starting to feel them too.

Without a second thought or word, you quickly dig into your pajama shorts pocket, pulling out a folded paper. You were going to give this to Seulgi the next day, having already made an entire plan beforehand for how you originally were going to use it, but after this kiss something clicked something in you, making you realize you had to do this action quickly because at this point, there was no room in your heart to wait any longer for something you so desperately desired.

Seulgi looks down, feeling the note placed in her hand, you continuing to stay silent.

You would normally be nervous at a moment like this, but the determination you feel drastically overweighs those feelings as you watch her unfold and read the note.

Will you be my G♡rlfr♡end, Kang Seulgi?

— Candy ♡

Seulgi looks at you with a blank expression, suddenly confusing you when she hops off the bed to pick up her school bag without saying a word. She sits back beside you, pulls out a pen, and takes the note.

You watch as she flips it over to the blank side and starts writing on it. Then with a smile, she hands it back to you.

It's about time you'd ask :)

— Candy's girlfriend

LOL hope you guys are satisfied with this ending sorry to keep you so suspenseful for so long

— Seulgiwifee ໒꒰ྀི♡˵ᴗ͈ . ᴗ͈ ꒱ྀི১

[mediocre-shark-tales]

Fated by the Stars (6)

Straykids ot8 x Reader

Warnings - Mentions of Abuse, Mentions of Wounds/Injuries Traumatic Past, Violence, and Mentions of Non-consensual Molesting

Summary - After a couple weeks with the boys returning to their jobs, today was the first day where no one could stay home. Of course you know you can handle yourself, but that doesn't stop the pack from worrying about you. But you have the perfect idea on how you will spend the day.

Masterlist

It took me ages to finally get the boys out the door and to their respective jobs. They were all worried about how I would be by myself. I had to remind them that I had been doing better recently. I no longer had the recurring nightmares, no more panic attacks. I was doing so much better than they thought.

I needed them to trust me because I had wanted to surprise them when they come home and I needed the whole day to work on the surprise. Over the last couple weeks, I was slowly gathering ingredients and craft items.

Now that they were gone, I had as much time as I could. First I would start with finishing their new set of bracelets I would make them. Ever since the first time I had made them bracelets, I haven't seen them without the bracelet. Because of this I want to make different sets so they don't have to feel like they need to wear the same one everyday.

This time all the bracelets had my name on it, surrounded by beads that relate to an animal they act like. Like Minho had a bracelet with white bunny head beads that were between other kinds of white beads to make it cuter. Hyunjin had a tiger themed bracelet, Jeongin got a fox theme, Changbin got a bear theme, and Seungmin got a dog theme. Chan got a Lion theme, Felix got a panda theme, and Jisung got a Squirrel themed one.

Once they were all done, I put them onto paper that I had colored with the same color their original bracelets were. I brought them back out into the living room that was attached to the kitchen. Almost like one big room if this wall didn't cut in between the two. I placed the gifts down on the table, under each one was a cute picture I had painted of each of them. The pictures included the specific mate and me cuddling, or hugging, or even a kiss on the cheek.

I also placed a few candles and some rose petals on the table as well. Now that I had finished setting that up, I had to start the baking half!

I gathered all the necessary ingredients like flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and of course, fresh, ripe strawberries. My favorite fruit. while the oven preheated, I began whisking the eggs and sugar together until they formed a fluffy and pale mixture. This step was crucial to achieving the airy texture of the cake. At least that was what the recipe told me. I wish I could have practiced baking this but its pretty hard to hide anything from the boys when one or another is here.

Next, I began to sift the flour and baking powder into the egg mixture, gently folding them together to create a smooth batter. I couldn't help but smile as the kitchen filled with the comforting scent of the vanilla. This must be what the boys smell when they are around me, at least they tell me I smell of vanilla. The batter, now a soft pink color was ready for the oven.

I poured the batter into round cake pans, ensuring an even distribution. Then I put the pans into the preheated oven, then sat back and watched eagerly as the cakes rose and turned a beautiful golden brown tone.

While the cakes baked, I turned my attention to making the frosting. I carefully washed and sliced the strawberries, creating a mound of ruby-red sweetness. These would be the filling for the cake, adding a burst of freshness to each bite.

As the timer chimed, signaling the cakes were done, I carefully removed them from the oven. Unfortunately as I sat them down, the side of the pan caught my wrist and burned it pretty badly. I howled in pain but still carefully sat the pan down. The kitchen was now filled with the irresistible scent of freshly baked sponge. I let the cakes cool, patiently waiting for them to reach the perfect temperature.

While I waited, I tried to wash my burn. Looking into the mini emergency kit, I found some burn cream and wrapping. Easily applying it to my wound before wrapping it up. The wrapping didn't look the best but it did the job for now.

Once cooled, I began to assemble the cake. Spreading a layer of whipped cream on top of one spongey cake and arranged a generous amount of sliced strawberries. Placing the second sponge cake on top of the last. Marveling at my creation, it was a masterpiece of light and airy layers, adorned with the vibrant red strawberries.

Looking at the time, I saw that I had about 10 minutes until the boys would all be home. I quickly blocked the entrance to the living room and kitchen area. I fixed myself up, wiping off some of the flour on my skin and clothes. Minutes passed quickly and I could hear the boys driving up to the house together. The sound of them exiting the car and running up to the house made me smile. They still were worried about how I was after their stressful days at work. I stared down the front door from the entrance I was blocking.

The door burst open with Chan leading the boys inside, when they noticed me they quickly ran over. "How are you babygirl?" They gave me a hug together but when one of them knocked my wrist, they earned a gasp in return.

Suddenly they all pulled back to look down at me worriedly, chan being the one to notice my wrist. He lightly grabbed my arm to check over my wound. "What happened sweetheart?" I smiled and pulled my arm back. "Don't worry about it, just follow me please."

The boys stared back confused as I walked into the kitchen area. Still they followed without questioning. But soon their faces were filled with astonishment. I smiled proudly as they saw the candles lit, surrounded by rose petals. In the middle of table sat the pretty strawberry cake I had made, in front of it was the line of gifts for everyone.

"I made you guys a cake, but I didn't know what fruits you like so I decided to do my favorite fruit. So Its strawberry. I also thought you guys needed some new bracelets so you don't have to always wear the same one." They all came closer, Minho placing his hand on my cheek. "Sweetheart, never let yourself think we won't love what you give us for eternity. I'm happy to wear this bracelet every second of everyday. Now I will just have to wear this new bracelet with my older one as well." I smiled. "Okay alpha, the color of the paper matches your last bracelet! Come get them!" I watched das Minho picked his up first, seeing the painting of us under it he smiled. "This is so cute baby." When he opened the package to find the new bracelet, he smile wider and put it on the same wrist where his other one sat.

Slowly each pack mate had their new bracelet on and went to hide their painting away in their rooms. Chan was the first to return. "So did you burn your wrist making this cake?" He asked while feeding me a bite. I nodded. "Next time, can you let one of us help you? I know you want your personal freedom, and I'm glad to give you that. But maybe let us teach you how to safely bake, then I won't need to worry about your safety as much." I nodded.

"Okay I would love to bake with any of my pack mates!" Soon everyone else had come back downstairs where a slice of cake waited for them. Chan was still feeding me my slice and eating his own slice in between my bites. I watched everyone begin to eat their slices. I gave most of my attention to Felix, he was the owner of a quite profound bakery after all. I watched as his face slowly turned up into a huge smile. Seeing this I felt a sigh of relief escape me, but seconds later I was in his arms as he swung me around. "We have a little prodigy baker right here!" He placed a big kiss on my cheek while I giggled in his arms.

"So it was as good as I hoped!" Felix nodded and sat me back down in chan's lap. "It was near perfect babygirl, I'll have to teach you some more delicious recipes." "Okay!"

Soon we all returned to eating our slices of cake again, until that happy silence was broken by Minho. "So, sweetheart." I looked towards him wondering what he would say next. "In about a weeks time, we are having a big party to celebrate all of our companies coming together as a joint brand. We would love to have you join us as our mate and our pretty omega. That way the whole world will know you are ours." Just the thought of them claiming me in any way big or small made me blush. "awe you made our 'mega shy" I hid my face in chan's chest, trying to hide my now growing blush. I felt chan begin to rub my back soothingly. "Does our little 'mega love to think about being claimed by her pack?" I slowly nodded but kept my face in his chest. After I responded to his question, I heard growls and purrs around the room. However there was no anger or upset in the growls, it was like the growls were more out of lust.

This made me whine against chan, my system easily switching to a lusty mindset. My omega wanting nothing more than to do what my pack wanted, to make them pleased with me. My body began to easy up, all stiffness dripping from me. I could feel myself falling into the lusty mindset of my omega. I dragged my hands up and down Chans chest, trying to earn more praise for my omega. He slowly grabbed my hands with one of his as he used the other to lift my face slowly. "Not yet my pretty little omega, we will get to that another day, we have it perfectly planned out for you."

Thanks to his light use of the alpha tone, I was able to bring my conscious back up to the front. Pushing aside the omega mindset that so desperately wanted her pack to claim her. I nodded as an answer to chan.

For the rest of the day, we spent it cuddling and watching movies. If only I knew the future, if only I could see what was coming. How unfortunate it is that good and happy can only ;last so long before fate hits you with some sort of pain or sadness. But this is life, I just hope we can survive the evil coming for me.

Masterlist

[alexisisheretoo]

Pokémon of Camahi: Starters and more!

To me, the starters are the culmination of what the region’s inspiration means. It’s representations, it’s culture, it’s art, it’s ecosystem. You should be able to tell what the region is based on by the starters alone if you know enough about the area. And so I put a lot of thought into these starters, everything I learned through my cruise, and use this as a way to show how amazing it really is.

First, the grass starter. America’s national bird is the bald eagle, but it’s biggest population comes from Alaska. It was the conservation efforts of the state that prevented the species from going instinct, and Alaska has one of the biggest avian hospitals. If I wasn’t going to make one of the starters an eagle, that would just be down wrong. What Alaska is also known for is its national flower, the Forget Me Nots, aka Scorpion flowers. Alaska has a plethora of colorful wildflowers, I even got some nice buttercream alaska wildflower soap on my trip, but it’s the Forget Me Nots that get the title of its national flower. So, for the grass starter, I decided to combine these two staples of Alaska into one Pokémon. But that’s not all i themed this lovely guy after. I also took inspiration from the natives of Alaska. Native Indian art style of Alaska is full of wonder with its shapes and way of depicting its creatures. I found various forms of merch of this art style in Alaska, with many kinds of animals, like orcas and bears. I found the style’s depiction of eagles to be my favorite, so I themed it’s patters off of that, and it’s general body shape off of the tribal clothes these natives wear.

Budglet (bud + eaglet) Grass

Sproutglet (sprout + eaglet) Grass/Flying

Scorpeagle (scorpion flowers + eagle) Grass/flying

Next, fire starter, my personal favorite of these pokes so far. One of the two survivors of the region jumps, bears just seem to be everywhere in the west. I find it very strange that Pokémon doesn’t have a black bear yet (I’m not counting Urshifu, fuck that guy). We have a brown bear, polar bear, and a panda, but no black bear!? Outrageous, I must fix this at once! And it just so happens that bears are abundant and very popular in Alaska, I even watched a documentary on them on my trip. Probably the most well known, and to me most iconic traits of Alaska, is the northern star. Alaska is placed where you can see Polaris and the constellation Ursa Major every night. It stays almost stationary in the middle of the sky. It’s so iconic, the consolation is apart of Alaska’s state flag. So of course I had to make my bear themed off it, since the consolation is named after bears.

Cubmet (cub + comet) fire

Grizstar (Grizzly + star) Fire/Dark

Ursalaris (Ursa + Polaris) Fire/Dark

Now, water starter! This came immediately to me, and yet took me the longest to design. While I was on my cruise, we went on a whale watch. On that trip, I witnessed something so rare that the instructor, that’s been on hundreds of trips for years, has NEVER seen it before now; a whale breach. In Hawaii, this is much more common, as it’s a form of mating call. But Alaska isn’t where whales go to mate, so it’s a spectacle when it occurs. So when it came to the water starter, it just HAD to be a whale. But I decided it wouldn’t just be a whale. It would start as a dolphin, evolve into a whale, and then it’s final form would be an orca. So what did I combine this with? Ships! First ones a tiny sailor, second is a yacht, and the third is a full on cruise ship. This was really hard to get right, but I adore it!

Porpler (porpoise + sailor) Water

Yachtleen (Yacht + Baleen) Water/Steel

Orcalantic (orca + Atlantic/titanic/gigantic) Water/steel

You think I only made starters? Oh no no no, I have many up my sleeve, and I’m excited to show each of them off! These aren’t as extensive as the starters, so it’s lightning round time!

Doedeer (doe + deer) Normal

Cariprance (Caribou + prance) Normal

Region’s local route one normal type. I have a strong hatred for normal types, I think the type is so dumb and inconsistent, so it was hard to design this guy. But I think it’s a nice lil reindeer. The shiny 100% has a red nose.

Mushky (mush + husky) Ice

Timbrisk (timber + brisk) ice dark

Ok I lied, this guy is my favorite. It’s a husky that evolves into a wolf, the Alaskan Timberwolf specifically. I know last rhino had so many dogs, but I must make more. No better location for a grey wolf Pokémon then the sled dog nation of Alaska.

Padglet (paddle + piglet) Ground/normal

Shoreswine (shoreline + swine) Ground/Water

Alaska and Hawaii have these pigs called swimming pigs and it’s just… I honestly can’t believe they exist, despite how much stuff that’s way stranger I’ve seen. Just the fact that people are swimming with pigs, and these pigs are known only by their ability to swim just… boggles my mind. Anyway, I made a swimming pig line that’s a surfer dude/life guard. Shoreswine’s nose is designed after water goggles, it has a lil floaty and paddle feet, and it’s tail is positioned like a snorkel. Definitely the most creative one so far if you ask me.

Munchcorn (munch + acorn) Grass

Darecorn (daredevil + acorn) Grass/Fire

Ok ok ok, this might be my favorite… just look at em!! American red squirrels have these pale brown bodies, but their tails are this bright red. So I thought, let’s set the tail on fire. First evo has a stick for a tail, and then the evolution has that stick on fire! And with it being on fire, I thought inspiring it off of daredevils would be fun. It also evolves from a normal squirrel to a flying squirrel. It doesn’t actually have wings, it instead uses leaves it finds to make that lil flight suit it’s got.

Swoospook (swoop + spook) Flying/Ghost

Macardinal (Macabre + Cardinal) Flying/ghost

In the west, there’s the belief that cardinals are the spirits of lost family members coming to earth to watch over their loved ones. It’s a belief my family has held for a long time, so I really wanted to make it a Pokémon. So here is a ghost flying cardinal! Hope I did the folktale justice.

Wattbler (watt + Warbler) flying/electric

Osprelectric (Osprey + electric) flying/electric

The first ever fakemon I’ve made! I am so happy she’s been able to survive through the process when I’ve had to say goodbye to so many designs I loved. It’s stayed mostly the same through the process. Now the pre evolution is themed off of a warbler instead of a chat. Thanks for staying with me for all these years lil guy.

And that’s all the ones I’ve designed so far! I hope you’ve enjoyed all the designs, I had a lot of fun. Next time, I’ll be showing off regional forms, I’ve got some plans for that. Like the region so far and have some ideas? I’d love to hear your suggestions for future pokemon, as I’m running out of steam here. But no need to, simply looking through is magnitudes for me!

[jewel-pixelheart]

Blueberry is finally here ! My first FNAF OC ever reworked 🎉

I purposely haven't post her Toy, Funtime, Rockstar and Glamrock version. They will have their own separate post.

If you have any questions about her, please feel ask me ! I will be glad to exchange with you about my FNAF OC ☆

If you want to see more FNAF content : click here

Blueberry is a Panda/Bear animatronic and children's entertainer housed at Freddy Fazbear's Pizza, alongside Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie, Chica and Foxy.

She was build to be the female counterpart of Freddy. The main purpose of this choice was purely marketing. It was established that young girls were more interested to see Blueberry on stage and boys to see Freddy. For instance, when a little girl is celebrating her birthday, Blueberry will be the one singing "Happy Birthday" on stage.

Secretly, Blueberry and the other animatronics are haunted by children murdered by a man named William Afton. She and the others are now seeking revenge against their killer by attacking any adults in the pizzeria after-hours in blind rage.

Physical Appearance and Functionality

Blueberry is pastel blue Panda/Bear animatronic. She wear a pink dancing skirt and pink bow. She can either be seen with a a microphone or a cane, depending if she is singing or dancing.

Blueberry was program to sing and dance on stage. She can sing alone or as duo with Freddy. And of course, when she is not singing, she act as the dancer of the band.

Blueberry is usually referred as "Mrs Fazbear" or "Blueberry Fazbear", even tho, her original name was only Blueberry. These nicknames were commonly used by employees and later on, got adopted by the customers.

"Usually, Mrs Fazbear never leave the stage until Freddy himself is not gone." - Phone Guy

Personality

According to the Freddy Fazbear's Pizza theme song, Blueberry have a graceful voice and loving smile. She is cheerful, energetic and fun.

However, during the night, Blueberry appear to be aggressive and vicious. She will let the night guard thinking she is the less dangerous of the animatronics. On the cameras, she seems to not care about proceed to the office. Her movements are slow, she also play her music box, which make her easier to find. But as she get close, she will get faster and attack the doors multiple times before going back on the stage room.

Despite her aggressive behavior, Blueberry have a sweet voice which she use to deceive her victims. At first, she will always appear as friendly and defenseless, but when she gets you to trust her, she will revealed her true self and show no mercy.

Appearances

• FNAF 1 - Blueberry (1993)

Blueberry is not active before Night 3. Her progression through the restaurant seems to be slow at first, but more she gets close, faster she is. She always attack from the left door, same as Bonnie and Foxy.

When the player look at the cameras, they can hear music playing from the room she is in. As a dancer and singer, she have an intern music box (like Freddy). She stop playing her music when she is near the night guard's office.

FNAF 2 - Withered Blueberry (1987)

The original Blueberry model was put into the Back Room with the old animatronics. Her design have decayed aspect, her left arm is missing and her right leg is damaged. A part of her torso is also missing, showing her endoskeleton. In addition, her left eye does not seems to work correctly.

Like the first game, Blueberry is not active before Night 3. She will leave the Back Room only when all the other animatronics will be gone.

FNAF 3 - Phantom Blueberry (2023)

Parts of Blueberry's head and arms can be found around the building of Fazbear's Fright. Blueberry will only appear as a phantomatic form to scared the player. Her music box can be heard time to time. It is unknown if the music box is real or if it's an hallucination provoke by Blueberry's Phantom.

Blueberry's appearances are mostly limited to the minigames. She will be guided by Shadow Freddy to the Safe Room. William Afton will then appear and attack/disassemble Blueberry, along all the other animatronics. During Night 5, all children's souls, including Blueberry's will blocks the exit of the Safe Room to prevent William from escaping. Resulting to his death by Spring Locks.

The remains of the Blueberry's animatronic were presumably destroyed when Fazbear's Fright burned down.

FNAF 4 - Nightmare Blueberry (1983)

Nightmare Blueberry is a nightmarish incarnation of Blueberry. Her appearance is similar to Blueberry, but is creepiest and damaged.

Nightmare Blueberry is randomly active during Nights 1 & 2. It's only from Night 3 that she will be a real threat to the player. Like in the first game, Nightmare Blueberry only attack from the left door.

A Blueberry plush can be seen in Crying Child's room, among all the other animatronics plushies.

Trivias

• The child haunting Blueberry's animatronic is Elisabeth "Lizzy" Gibson. (Her ref sheet will be posted separately)

• Blueberry's accessories are removable.

• More to be added...

Do not copy, retrace or use my art without my consent !

[takabinaryy]

Gaming & Kisses

This is my iidea that I had in my drafts since 2020...... ...I finally finished it :) Boyd x Erica x Stiles. Malec Lydia x Aiden Human stiles , Boyd and Erica are alive because I said so. Slight Shadowhunters crossover

Erica being the gamer girl or well gamer woman she was , she was sitting in her game room sitting in her Black and navy blue chair.( it was actually Boyd's)Sitting with her knees up to her chest with Stiles's Batman themed headphones over her ears. And black and mint green coffee Starbucks cup with iced caramel macchiato in it. Accompanied by a sailor moon bowl next to it with those panda bears with chocolate in them. Originally Erica was going to play the walking dead with Stiles , after both males were done with the errands.

However Thier little pup had slipped after a Karen had yelled and cursed at him for being to "talkative" with the cashier. So Boyd had taken Stiles back to thier shared apartment and explained everything to Erica. So that's why there's a blanket and pillow nest , a few feet away from the blonde, there on the Blankets is Stiles in the center being in his own little world. Boyd had kisses both of thier heads and telling them he will be back in an hour to finish, up the errands that were interrupted by that ridiculous lady in the previous store.

So instead of a gory blood game Erica had switched it to another game she liked " Among Us" , it doesn't have much nightmare stuff in it so if her pup were to look up at it he wouldn't be scared of it. There were a few of their friends online to play the game with her like Danny, Aidan, Cora , Magnus. And his close friend Clary or well also know as "Biscuit_Bunny" on YouTube and TikTok. Mostly known for her Witchy stuff , art , and dark folk lore content. Not to mention she's also Lydia's and Erica's favorite YouTuber/Tiktoker. Before the game starts she told her friends she would be right back , then muted her mic turning to Stiles.

"You okay over there Duckling?"

" Mmhms I okays mama"

" You wanna have a movie night tonight? "

" Stich?"

" Of course we can watch Lilo and Stitch, ducky. Here I'll text papa so he knows it's movie night. Why don't you sit in Mama's seat while I go prepare everything okay?"

" Okays , loves you"

" And I love you angel"

Erica gets up then steps forward to the little one and and ruffles his hair , earning her a soft giggle from the baby. Said baby gets off his nest of softness from the floor and sits in his papa's chair unaware that , his mama was technically streaming so the camera on the computer and on the ring light were on. Which means his favorite babysitter(Magnus) could see him to , out of curiosity he put his headphones on and instantly hear talking. Stiles didn't notice when moved his stuffed blue dino that it accidentally hit the mouse that was hovering over the immure button in the screen. He couldn't help but giggle when he heard Clary start speaking. Making everyone else aware of who was now in view.

" oh my goodness! Batwoman was hiding the precious bean from us! Hi pumpkin."

" you filling in for her sweetheart? Is that the dinosaur plush I got you? " HaleOfAAngel said who was also known as Cora. Stiles nodded his head and held up the cute plush so "Bluebarry" is under his chin and now in view.

" mhm named  em Bluwbarry"

" Awe so cute!"

" awww that's an adorable name muffin! You know I'll be watching you next friday , Alexander  is definitely excited to see you again" Mags.Of.Magic aka Magnus had said getting a playful groan from Aiden. The man switches his camera on in the bottom corner under Cora's before speaking , you can clearly see Lydia's dog judging him in the background.

"What? No fair you get to see the baby before I do! Lydia is gonna so darn jealous. "

"It's not my fault Aiden dear. Muffin's caregivers have to help with the repairings on Cora's house. You know with what that nasty hurricane did to it. "

Giggles were filling room as everyone talked about chatted about stuff , keeping it pg13 for the baby in the room. It didn't take long for Erica to come back upstairs to the gaming now seeing their white husky sitting on her hunches next to stiles, getting light head pats. She's happy to note that Stiles is indeed having fun with their friends even if their game was forgotten at this point. The blonde woman taps her knuckles on the side of the door now alerting Snow the husky. Which makes the canine getting up fully then going over to greet her "human" . Which also makes her pup turn his head to her with a smile on his face.

" mama yous back! You took all the evers!"

" and hello to you too ducking. Mama only took forever because I was helping papa put stuff away"

" papa backs!?"

" yep why don't you go give him a big hug "

Stiles says his goodbyes to their friends before taking off the headset and darts passed Erica and down the stairs to his papa. The action makes the blonde laugh even more so when Snow follows the boy to , shaking her head as she gets back to the chair and tells everyone that they can play another game another day, for now Erica is going to go spend Tim with her boys. Which everyone was fine with of course since they got to talk to a regressed Stiles for most of the time anyway. Erica turns off her live stream , and exits out of her game and turning off her computer before leaving the room with the pillows and blankets so they can use them on the couch for movie night.

[sserpente]

A/N: 🎃 THIS IS HALLOWEEN, THIS IS HALLOWEEN, HALLOWEEN, HALLOWEEN, HALLOWEEN, HALLOWEEN! Eddie absolutely LOVES Halloween, you can fight me on that. And since the spooky season has finally officially started now… enjoy, everyone! 🎃

Words: 2619 Warnings: pure and utter fluff as sweet as Halloween candy

Both Eddie and the Reader are over the age of 21 in this Imagine.

-

“Trick or treat!” You laughed out loud when you opened the door and leaned against the frame with crossed arms. Eddie had stuck a pair of fire red horns in his hair and framed his brown eyes with so much eyeliner you contemplated for a brief moment if he had meant to dress up as a devil or a panda bear.

You stepped aside to let him in, allowing him to swoop you into his arms to kiss you.

“So?” He asked when he pulled away again and you closed the door to keep the cold out.

Amused, you raised your eyebrows at him.

“Do I get some candy or do I have to go back outside and throw raw eggs at the house?”

Licking his lips, he reached for the plastic pumpkin basket next to the door. You swatted his hand away.

“Those are for the children! I got the good stuff upstairs. Come on, Lucifer.”

The decision to spend Halloween not going out to party this year but instead to cuddle up inside with hot chocolate (with lots of marshmallows!), watch scary movies, and then go for a walk in the dark once the trick or treaters were gone to enjoy the spooky atmosphere, had been a mutual one—and if anything, it had allowed you to go overboard with the Halloween decoration in your bedroom.

There were garlands, pumpkin and ghost fairy lights everywhere and the table was covered in bat and pumpkin confetti. Every single corner in your bedroom was decorated. You had little light-up ghosts, pumpkin candle holders spreading a lovely pumpkin spice aroma and a witches’ cauldron that lit up green and purple and that was filled with so many sweets it would take you until next Halloween to eat it all.

“Jesus H… you didn’t promise too much when you said you exaggerated.” Eddie grinned and swept you into his arms, straight towards your bed.

Metal music was blasting quietly in the background. That always did it for him. It lured him in like a bee in search of honey. Chuckling, you let him push you on the bed and crawl on the mattress. Then he lay down on top of you.

“If you want to watch the movie like this, it’s gonna be a problem for me.” Sure enough, you loved how playful Eddie was being. He always managed to put a smile on your face—regardless of how shitty your day had been prior to seeing him. Today was no different; not that you’d had a bad day. You had spent the entire afternoon decorating and looking forward to your evening together.

“I’ll just let you know what happens,” he said, chuckling. The childlike sound vibrated against your chest. You shook your head with a smile and pushed him off.

“What movie did you choose anyway?”

“’Halloween’, duh!”

Eddie pursed his lips and nodded. “Classic, I like it. And… what are we gonna eat tonight, apart from all this candy? What about Mexican?”

“Oh hell no! You’re gonna fart again all night if we have Mexican. How about Chinese instead?”

“Whatever you wish, princess.” He bowed slightly on the bed, making you chuckle before finally letting go of you and allowing you to slide the VHS into your recorder.

“You know, it’s almost a shame you actually like horror movies,” he admitted once the theme music started playing.

“Why’s that?”

Eddie shrugged. “You don’t get scared so I can’t wrap you in my arms to protect you and tell you it’s just a movie...” he explained as if it was obvious.

“If I remember correctly, you were the one who got scared during ‘The Shining’!”

“You promised to never bring that up again,” he said, feigning seriousness.

“Sorry… well I might not need any comforting but I’m happy to use you as a pillow regardless.”

Eddie opened his arms wide for you to make true to your promise, and you grabbed two handfulls of candy before joining him.

To be fair, neither of you took in much of the plot. There was a lot of screaming, a lot of suspense and a lot of stabbing but Eddie’s lips were far more interesting. One pile of chocolate and other treats later, you were all over each other already, making out as if both your lives depended on it. With teeth clashing, tongues fighting a relentless battle, hands sliding under your shirts, you soon ran out of breath but were still unwilling to let go of the other, interrupted only by the young trick or treaters asking for candy every now and then.

Your lips were swollen by the time the movie ended—and had it been just a little bit longer, both your clothes would lie scattered on the floor right now, the wrapping of a condom right next to them.

Reaching for the remote, you switched off the TV, drowning the room in silence for a brief moment. Eddie glanced at his watch.

“It’s nine. The last trick or treaters should be long gone by now.”

“Yeah. Should we go for a walk?”

He nodded and scrambled to his feet before helping you on yours.

“So…” he began when you put on your coat and both headed outside into the crisp autumn air, “I thought we’d spice things up a little.”

“Uh-huh?” You raised your eyebrows at him, curious as to what he had in mind.

“This isn’t just a normal walk, sweetheart. I may or may not have prepared a scavenger hunt for you.”

“Are you serious? A scavenger hunt?”

“Yepp. I have a map right here that should lead you…” He reached for the pocket of his Denim jacket. “… straight to the first of many clues that will send you on a spooky adventure.”

You laughed and took the piece of paper. Eddie’s drawings were truly remarkable. The map he’d drawn was a detailed image of Hawkins from above, with a dashed line and an X marking the first spot in the woods near that beautiful oak tree where you had once spent the night camping (and almost set the tent on fire while attempting to roast marshmallows). You did not fail to notice that it also had D&D symbols all over it.

“Ready?”

You nodded with a smile. “Ready.”

Hawkins looked absolutely stunning at this time of the year. Even though you couldn’t see all the orange, yellow, red and brown leaves on the ground and the tree branches save for a few illuminated by the street lights, the funky Halloween decorations and Jack O’Lanterns in every street warmed your heart and made you crave a cinnamon-spiced hot chocolate. Well, there was still time for that later.

A light breeze made you shiver, and the scent of dry leaves hit your nostrils as you took another look at Eddie’s map and went on your way. Eddie followed you suit.

You reached the woods soon after, even though it wasn’t all that easy to navigate the dirty paths away from the streets in the dark.

“Where on Earth did you hide these notes?” Brushing away a branch, you climbed through the bushes, deeper and deeper into the forest. Eddie followed you on his heal.

“I had to make it a little challenging… And so her noble knight, Eddie The Banished, accompanies the brave princess on her conquest to find the hidden treasure of All Hallow’s Eve…”

“Oh my god, you are totally making this a D&D campaign!” You grinned, failing at sounding reproachful in any way. You loved how revved up he always got, and how passionate he told the stories of his campaigns.

“We’re redefining the definition of live campaigns, sweetheart.”

“I’m glad you’re having fun too. I should have brought my boots though.”

“As she nears the biggest oak tree in the Enchanted Forest, she gapes up in awe, admiring the leaf crown for a moment. The clue must be near. Determined, she approaches the trunk and…?”

You grinned, shaking your head. You did as he “told” and stepped forward. The note was indeed hidden in the little oval-shaped hole of the old tree, placed perfectly next to a little flashlight. He’d really thought it all through.

When you unfolded the piece of paper, revealing another map, you found it lead to the junkyard.

“Another clue! Proud of her achievement, the warrior princess takes off once more to locate the place indicated on the map in her hands. She fears this may be the beginning of a long and exhausting journey but she is eager to return back to her castle carrying treasures beyond measure.”

You chuckled. “Did you learn this by heart or are you improvising?”

“I’m improvising, baby,” he replied smugly. Baby. Fuck, you loved it when he called you that.

After the junkyard followed the Arcade, after the Arcade followed Hawkins High School. After Hawkins High School came Skull Rock and after Skull Rock came the trailer park. After the trailer park, the map led you to the police station and after the police station, the newest map had an X drawn right over Dustin’s house. Each and every single one of the clues you found was accompanied by Eddie’s dungeon master skills guiding you through the experience. To be frank, you were having the time of your life, and, judging by the gleeful look on his face, so was Eddie.

Surprise reflected on your face when he “foretold” you to knock on the door next. Dustin opened only mere seconds later as if he’d been awaiting you.

“Good evening, brave warrior princess!”

“Oh my god, you’re in on this?” You bit your lower lip to stifle your laugh. Dustin giggled.

“I see you have come in need of my help this night of Halloween. What is it I can do to support my future queen?” You laughed once more when you noticed him hiding the piece of paper he had been reading from, no doubt written and given to him by Eddie.

“Well, I’ve had word you are in the possession of a valuable object that could aid me on my foregoing journey?” Eddie had drawn the symbol for a treasure chest next to Dustin’s house, along with an exclamation mark. It was the only lead you had.

“Ah, I believe I do! Let me give you this ancient coin—it gifted me prosperity and luck wherever I took it and now, it shall do the same for you! Be safe, princess!”

You giggled, accepting the quarter dollar he handed you. “Good night, Dustin.”

“Ah! Before I forget! I found this old piece of paper on my travels through the forest last night. It looks like a part of a map. Perhaps it will aid you?”

And aid you it did, for it was the last clue. Dustin giggled again before closing the door and waving at you like a true NPC. You looked at Eddie, tempted to kiss him senseless for this.

Then, you unfolded the last map. It led to Benny’s Burgers, right to…

“The… oh, it’s the chewing gum machine!” You chuckled. The chewing gum machine in front of Benny’s Burgers was the place you’d met the first time, and… many, many times after that. It had become your official meeting point before you had made things official between you, as it was right in the middle of both your and his place.

Excited to finish his “campaign” now and complete whatever quest he had planned for you, you set off, interlacing your fingers with his.

“You having fun, sweetheart?”

“Yes! This is without a doubt one of the most brilliant ideas you’ve ever had, Eds.”

He grinned, cutting you off to cup your face and kiss you.

“Now let’s finish this. For all the fun she is having, your fearsome warrior princess is starting to feel cold.”

Eddie chuckled, weaving a tale of how the princess’ noble knight, Eddie The Banished, became her devoted lover, until you finally arrived at your destination.

“At long last! Tired but not yet worn out from her adventurous journey, she places a hand on the modern machine and sighs. The treasure must be hidden inside of it.”

You chuckled—and let out a huge sigh for dramatic effect.

“She discovers the little slit and tilts her head, wondering if, perhaps…”

You took the hint, pulled out the quarter Dustin had given you, and slid it into the machine before using the handle to activate the mechanism. The coin fell in place and out of the little opening at the bottom of the chewing gum machine rolled one of those adorable little plastic balls containing a square-shaped piece of strawberry-flavoured chewing gum.

Only when you opened it, it did not, in fact, contain chewing gum. It was a ring. A delicate and elegant silver ring with tiny diamond clusters on each side of the blood red gemstone in the middle, a… was that a real ruby? Your jaw dropped.

“Eddie…” You breathed out. But when you turned to face him, you found him before you on one knee. Your breathing hitched when he spoke your name quietly.

“I know we’re young. I know that I technically haven’t graduated yet and, let’s be fair, I have absolutely no clue what I wanna do with my life after… I do know one thing though. I know that I love you so much it hurts. And that I want to be with you forever, spend the rest of my life with you. Will you make me the happiest metalhead alive and promise to marry me, sweetheart?”

The number of beats your heart kept missing must have been unhealthy. Beaming at him, you blinked away the tears forming in your eyes.

“Oh my god, Eddie… yes! Yes, yes I promise! Yes, I’ll marry you!” Relief washed over his face, replaced by a content grin which you only saw for a moment before throwing yourself into his arms. You didn’t count the seconds you stood in the dark, arms wrapped around each other. Only then did Eddie slip the ring on your left ring finger with shaky hands.

“I love you so much,” you murmured. Eddie hooked his index finger under your chin to kiss you.

“And I love you.”

You smiled, curiosity mixing with your feelings of utter love and delight now that you were breathing normally again. “How did you even manage to put your plastic ball in there? And made sure that the ring comes out when I use it?”

“I owe Benny three favours now. One for pretending the machine was out of order all day, one for dovetailing it in the first place, and one for putting in my ball.”

You knew money was always tight for him. His gigs with Corroded Coffin barely made him any money yet and with school, the only time he could have possibly earned a bit of cash was during the summer holidays. This ring must have cost him a fortune, at least a thousand dollars. Knowing that he’d decided to spend it on you made your eyes water, for, in the end, the ring could have been made of plastic and you still would have said yes.

“Would you like to head back now? Before we freeze to death out here and order our Chinese food before the place closes?”

You nodded. Eddie put his arm around your shoulders as you made your way through the dark and back to your place.

Halloween had always been your favourite time of the year—but it was even more so now, now that you were freaking engaged to the without a doubt cutest metalhead on this planet.

-

A/N: I’m gonna go watch Hocus Pocus 2 now and cuddle with my Binx plushie with a glass of red wine. See ya around! 🎃

I’ll continue with all the requests tomorrow and I thought that perhaps I could give some of them a spooky twist. I’ll ask you guys to send me some prompts then, promise!

[adobe-outdesign]

Reviews of All Scrapped Spaceword Betas

Exactly what it says in the title. This is also for my reference, as I might redesign some of these later for funsies. 

I’m only including Pokemon that were 100% scrapped (we’re not here to argue what might have become what) and aren’t evos/pre-evos of existing Pokemon. Also, I’m using the English fan-translations for the names because I don’t speak Japanese.

Flambear/Volbear/Dynabear

Our original fire starter, and yeah, I can see why this was scrapped. For starters (heh), it looks more like a rodent that evolves into a lion than anything resembling a bear. And secondly... it doesn’t really have a clear focus, nor a memorable design. It’s just kind of a rodent-bear thing with flames tacked onto it. 

The best Pokes usually have a "catch” to them, and these guys lack that. For example, this got replaced by Cyndaquil, which has the concept of flaming spikes that form out of its back. That’s memorable. This, well, isn’t.

Possible reason for being scrapped: Lack of focus/interesting design

Pokes to fill the void: Teddiursa and Ursaring are probably the closest in terms of being bears. Something about it also reminds me of Growlithe/Arcanine, probably because it’s a fluffy fire thing that evolves into a bigger fluffy fire thing with a mane and black markings.

Cruz/Aqua/Aquaria

This has the same problem as the Flambear line, just less extreme. It’s okay, being a little plesiosaur that evolves into a bigger plesiosaur, but it also lacks an interesting catch to it. The pearls are maybe something, but they’re not really emphasized, just kind of tacked on. Plus Dragonair kind of has the crystal neck ornaments on lock. And the horn. And the underbelly. And the water theme...

Whoops.

I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to a plesiosaur water starter in the future, but it would probably have to be completely redesigned.

Possible reason for being scrapped: Lack of focus/interesting design; too similar to Dragonair

Pokes to fill the void: Dragonair, as mentioned above. If you want a plesiosaur, Lapras is always a thing.

Putting the rest under the cut for length.

Sunmola1/Anchorage/Grotess

This is one of the most chaotic beta evolutions out there, aside from beta Girafarig. I can see the resemblance between Sunmola1 and Anchorage to some extent--counter-shaded blue fish with two fins and a short body--but the anchor part of the evolution comes out of nowhere. Then it sporadically turns into a gulper eel, which has nothing to do with the previous two evolutions at all.

I’ve heard some people suggest that Sunmola1 basically gets dragged into the depths and turns into a deep-sea creature due to its anchor, which is a fantastic idea. However, if that’s what they were going for here it’s not really clear, and I think it could be executed much better.

Individually, Sumola1 is a little plain. Not terrible, but I think they could do something more interesting with the little head thing. Anchorage is memorable, but there’s something very un-Pokemonish about it. I think it’s just the fact that it’s basically cut in half--I keep expecting the backsprite to show its organs or something. Grotess is also a bit too plain.

It’s also worth noting that at some point, this was the evolutionary line, which is more consistent but much less interesting (save for the middle evo’s eyes, which are pretty great).

Possible reason for being scrapped: Lack of evolutionary consistency; some designs plain or not very fitting for Pokemon

Pokes to fill the void: Alomomola is a sunfish Pokemon. Sharpedo is a shark crossed with an object, and Grotess almost certainly became Huntail and Gorebyss.

Rinring/Bellboyant

These two... are pretty good. They have a simple catch--black cats with bells--and the designs are nicely executed and memorable.

If I had one complaint, it’s that they maybe seems a tad unfocused in the backend of things. They’re dark types, but have a bunch of “cutesy” moves, and it’s not clear why’d they be dark apart from being black cats. They seem to have a magical girl vibe (Bellboyant looks a bit like Luna from Sailor Moon, which is probably not a coincidence), which also has nothing to do with the bells or the dark theme. I do think that the designs themselves are fine though, and that if you just focused on the sound concept a hair more you’d have a pretty great Pokemon.

Possible reason for being scrapped: Not entirely sure, these definitely would’ve been popular. Might’ve just been a balancing thing, or it lost the dev popularity contest. 

Pokes to fill the void: Skitty kind of has the same vibe as Rinring. They also remind me a bit of the Meowth line, being cat Pokemon with metal attached to them. The Purrloin line takes over the “dark-type cat” aspect.

Bomseel

I’m torn on this one. On the one hand, it’s a very plain looking Pokemon. The idea of it balancing a fireball/bomb on its nose instead of a ball is clever and memorable enough... except that it’s dependent on it being on that pose. It can’t balance that 24/7, and once it stops all you’re left with is a plain sea lion with dark points.

However, it’s fire/water. The only fire/water we have right now is a legendary, so it would be sweet to have one that’s just a regular poke. So it’s not that the concept itself is bad, using a water-based animal and adding a fire type; it’s just more that the execution is lackluster. Give this guy a hook not related to the fireball and make the seal itself more interesting and I think you’d have something here.

Possible reason for being scrapped: Lack of interesting design

Pokes to fill the void: Volcanion is our only fire/water Pokemon for now. In terms of seals/sea lions with a circus theme, Popplio is a decent enough match.

Tigrette/Electiger

Someone at Gamefreak hates tigerballs, because this line was planned for Gen 1, scrapped, then planned for Gen 2 and scrapped again. Which is strange, because while it’s not the best design it’s not bad either. It’s very very cute, and could definitely find an audience.

However, I’m not really sure what the premise is here. If it’s based on tiger clay bells, then it doesn’t really play into the bell theme much at all. And if it’s not... why is it so round? It’s not that the roundness is bad, but it would usually form the hook for this Pokemon, like it collects static electricity in its fur that makes it puff out or something. Maybe some dex descriptions would’ve made this clearer, who knows.

Also, Electiger is literally the exact same design as Tigrette, just bigger. It would either need a completely new final evolution or would need to show up as a single evo. 

While that sounds harsh, I do really like this design. Fix the evo, figure out/build on the hook of it being round or bell like, and maybe refine the markings a touch and it would be pretty perfect.

Possible reason for being scrapped: Not sure. Might’ve been too similar to Pikachu (both being yellow round electric type Pokemon with zig-zag tails, and og fat Pikachu was also very round). The need to rework the evolution also might’ve turned GameFreak off of it.

Pokes to fill the void: Spheal and Rowlet are both pleasantly round. Pikachu is cute and electric themed in a similar way. In terms of tigers, Raikou is also electric-type. The exact way the stripes are done here is also very similar to Litten.

Kurstraw/Pangshi

GameFreak. GameFreak, you are telling me that we almost had a voodoo-doll Pokemon based off of Ushi-no-Toki-Mairi that evolves into a fucking jiangshi panda?? You are killing me here.

A few interesting things to note here:

Kurstraw evolves at level 1. How? Why? No idea. It could just be a placeholder, but...

The fact that Kurstraw was set to have Curse as its signature move (then called “nail”) and that it only learned this move at level 100 makes it evolving at level 1 seem intentional.

To make things more confusing, it almost seems like (and this is speculation on my part) GameFreak’s intention was to encourage players to not evolve this thing. Stats are comparable, Kurstraw only gets its signature move if you level it up to where it can’t evolve, and Kurstraw has the better moveset (getting frigging destiny bond at lv. 16, while Pangshi gets... splash (which. makes more sense when you consider it’s called “hop” in Japan but it’s still useless). If that was what they were aiming for, then that’s a really unique mechanic that would really make this poke stand out.

Design wise, Kurstraw is... well, it’s a doll with a nail rammed through it. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s not very Pokemon-ish. Meanwhile, Pangshi is maybe a little too much like a Jianshi rather than being reminiscent of one, right down to the little hat. The pose, fangs, and panda colors (which resemble Jiangshi mandarin robes) are more than enough to get the hook across.

What I really love about these two are the expressions. They are just like, so dissonantly happy. Kurstraw is literally like

and Pangshi has the dead-eyed thousand-yard stare of Espurr, except unlike Espurr it looks completely and utter deranged. It looks like if this Pokemon ended up in Mystery Dungeon, it would respond to every question with “my favorite color is blood”. Amazing.

Possible reason for being scrapped: I think these two might’ve been scrapped just because they were too scary. I mean, it’s a voodoo doll impaled on a giant nail that evolves into a literal actual corpse. The implied violence was probably just a bit much for GameFreak.

The reason I think this is, beside the fact that they have fairly solid designs, good hooks, and all of their stats and moves in place, most beta Pokemon have had their premises revisited at some point. But we’ve really never gotten a voodoo doll Pokemon since this, and we definitely haven’t gotten any jiangshi Pokemon either, which suggests the problem lied in the very concept rather than the execution.

Pokes to fill the void: People say that Kurstraw was reworked into Banette, but if anyone Pokemon resembles it to be, it would actually be Mimikyu. They both have cloth bodies with drawn-on smiley faces that resemble something cuter than them and they both want to curse you for existing.

For Pangshi... well, there’s Pancham if you’re looking for tiny pandas. If you’re after a jiangshi though, you’re out of luck.

Wolfman/Warwolf

This Pokemon has a great hook. I mean, a Pokemon that wears a pelt that transforms it into a werewolf? Hell yeah. Not to mention it might be a reference to an obscure Nordic tale about people donning wolf pelts to turn into wolves for ten days.

Design wise, it... well, Wolfman looks almost exactly like Venonat. I’m not the only one who sees this, right?

That aside, I think the idea could be played up a little more. Wolfman is fine, save for its Venonat-ishness, but Warwolf doesn’t do much for me, basically just being a larger version with claws and fangs. If the idea is that it turns into a werewolf by wearing the pelt, what if its evolution looked somewhat like a wolf? Or better yet, the actually body of the thing changes to fill the wolf skin more, so it looks like its a part of it? That would really elevate this Pokemon to a new level.

Possible reason for being scrapped: I’d guess that it’s the same problem as Kurstraw and Pangshi--too scary. I mean, that is a dead pelt of some kind, which means that it killed and skinned some kind of Pokemon, and that’s not getting into questions of what Pokemon they got that from.

It’s also worth noting that when we did finally get a werewolf Pokemon via Lycanroc, it was minus the pelt concept.

Pokes to fill the void: Lycanroc as our werewolf Pokemon. In terms of design, Venonat is very similar as noted above. And something about it really reminds me of Snorunt, being little critters with glowing eyes that wear a cloak of some kind and live in the cold (this line was ice-type).

[bubblestheraccoon]

Music Mixes

Lumberjanes “Arts and Crafts” Program Field

Treble Maker Badge

“Some Risks are worth the Reward”

Music fuels the mind and thus fuels creativity. A creative mind has the ability to make discoveries and create innovations. The greatest minds and thinkers like Hildegard von Bingen, Barbra Strozzi, and Florence Mary Taylor all had something in common in that they were constantly exploring their imagination and creativity. As a Lumberjane it will be vital that we not only enrich our minds, but enrich those around us. Music is just one of the many mediums that can create an empowering environment, it is one of the few mediums that can be enjoyed at any time.

Finch’s Notes:

This post is based on a section from the bonus content from Lumberjanes: To The Max Edition Volume One. I did not create these playlist, their titles, or the blurb at the top of the post. If any of the links are wrong or broken, or if I should add any more disclaimers for song content, please feel free to let me know!

*D-Slur Warning.

**Only version of the cover I could find on youtube, here’s a version of song without the extra audio but it’s on a Russian website that overwrote my adblocker a little bit so visit it at your own risk. Here’s the song it was covering if you want that instead.

***Could not find cover on youtube. Link instead goes to band camp.

****F-Slur Warning.

Fox Fight Jams! By April!

Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks

Bad Reputation by Joan Jett

Run the World (Girls) by Beyonce

Northshore be Tegan & Sara

Woo Hoo by The 5 6 7 8s

Wilderness by Sleater-Kinney

Wolf by Now, Now

Spin Around by Josie and the Pussycats

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Theme

Jet Pack by Dog Party

Pirates by Jenny Owen Youngs

Dance Apocalyptic by Janelle Monae

Bamboo Bones by Against Me!

Push It by Salt-n-Pepa

I Knew You Were Trouble by Taylor Swift

Up All Night by One Direction

Roar by Katy Perry

Eye Of The Tiger by Survivor

Say You'll Be There by the Spice Girls

Ribs by Lorde

Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks (”Best Song Ever”-April)

River Adventure Mix of dooooom by Mal

I Was An Island by Allison Weiss

Shark In The Water by V.V. Brown

Let's Submerge by X-Ray Spex

Eyes Open by The Gossip

Rebel Girl by Bikini Kill*

Giant Kitty by Shonen Knife

I Won't Follow by the Secret Someones

4Ever by The Veronicas

Sk8er Boi by Avril Lavigne

Take Me Away by Fefe Dobson

Borne On The FM Waves by Against Me! & Tegan Quinn

Ain't It Fun by Paramore

3 Small Words by Josie and the Pussycats

Anchor by Letters To Cleo

That's Not My Name by The Ting Tings

Independent Woman Part 1 by Destiny's Child

Crush by the Sleigh Bells

Oh! by Sleater-Kinney

Tropical by Plumtree

Rhiannon by Best Coast or Fleetwood Mac 

The Con by Tegan & Sara

The Competition by Kimya Dawson

Cave Tunes by Molly

I Have Confidence by Julie Andrews

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell

Tightrope by Janelle Monae feat Big Boi

Just A Dream by Taylor Swift

Heartbreak Dream by Betty Who

Corner of the Sky by the Jackson 5

Valerie by Amy Winehouse

I Wanna Dance With Somebody by Whitney Houston

Call Your Girlfriend by Robyn

Let It Go by Idina Menzel

Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations

Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash

Jolene by Dolly Parton

Rock ‘n Roll High School by Shonen Knife

Don’t Save Me by HAIM

The Cave by Dia Frampton**

She Keeps Me Warm by Mary Lambert

This Is For by Ingrid Michaelson

Cut It Off by Mal Blum

Smash Into You by Beyonce

Jen’s Perfect Camp Mix by Ripley

Gravity Falls Theme Song

Summertime by Audra McDonald

Strong Enough by Kina Grannis

(You’re So Square) Baby, I Don’t Care by Cee Lo Green

Waterfalls - TLC

Just A Girl by No Doubt

Nobody Knows Me At All by The Weepies

I’m Beginning To See The Light by Ella Fitzgerald

Bad Girls by M.I.A.

Spice Up Your Life by the Spice Girls

Magic To Do by Patina Miller & Ensemble

***Flawless by Beyonce

Come On by Josie And The Pussycats

Don’t Stop Believin’ by Journey

Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles

Jo’s really rad! Mix by Jo

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Theme

Androgynous(Live) by Joan Jett and Against Me!

Tous Les Memes by Stromae

Sunshine by Rye Rye feat M.I.A.

L.E.S. Artistes by Santigold

What About Your Friends by TLC

Just One Of The Guys by Jenny Lewis

Melody by Kate Earl

Red Cape by Priscilla Ahn

No Wow by The Kills

I Found You by Tilly and the Wall

Do You Remember the Morning by Kid in the Attic***

Cheerleader by St. Vincent

Concrete Wall by Zee Avi

You Can Count On Me by Panda Bear

Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac (”<3″-Jo)

Don’t You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds

Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie

Oblivion by Grimes

Q.U.E.E.N. by Janelle Monae and Eryka Badu

Rapid Decompression by Against Me!

Roanokes Rule: The Mix[!][!][!] by April

Rattlesnake by Saint Vincent

Transgender Dysphoria Blues by Against Me!****

Amazon by M.I.A.

Another One Bites The Dust by Queen

Art-I-Ficial by X-Ray Spex

Separate Rooms by Now, Now

What’s Mine Is Yours by Sleater-Kinney

Sci-Fi Wasabi by Cibo Matto

Tennis Court by Lorde

Son Of A Preacher Man by Dusty Springfield

Dreams by Fleetwood Mac

Desire Lines by Deerhunter

Hot and Cold by Ex Hex

White Daisy Passing by Rocky Votolato

Misguided Ghosts by Paramore

For The Best by Gregory and the Hawk

The Hymn Of Acxiom by Vienna Teng

Capture The Flag by Broken Social Scene

From A Shell by Lisa Germano

Rosie’s Turn

Feeling Good by Nina Simone

Annabelle Lee by Sarah Jarosz

Terrible Things by April Smith & The Great Picture Show

You Can’t Be Told by Valerie June

Wild Geese Blues by Gladys Bentley

The Day Is Short by Jearlyn Steele

One Dime Blues by Etta Baker

Hard Way Home by Brandi Carlile

The Devil’s Paintbrush Road by The Wailin’ Jennys

To The Bone by Okou

Panic Cord by Gabrielle Aplin

Cups (You’re Gonna Miss Me) by Lulu and the Lampshades

Crayola Doesn’t Make A Color For Your Eyes by Kristin Andreassen

Complimentary Me by Elizabeth & The Catapult

Blue Spotted Tail by Kina Grannis

Sorry About The Doom by Slow Club

You Know I’m No Good by Amy Winehouse

From Texas: Big “D” by Julie Andrews & Carol Burnett

Finch’s Notes Cont:

Hi! I made this post to avoid work. But mostly I made this post because Lumberjanes is something really important to me, and these playlist are a part of my enjoyment of Lumberjanes I don’t see people talking about a lot! So I decided to make a post in order to share them with y’all. I remember hunching over my phone making a spotify playlist (here, though it’s missing a few songs that aren’t on spotify) while on a trip to California in the summer of 2018 when I first got into Lumberjanes. I probably listened to these songs while I made my first ever Lumberjanes fanart. These mixes helped me to discover artist I really love, like Janelle Monae and Mal Blum. I hope you enjoy them as well!

Other notes: Sk8r Boi is crossed out as that is the way it appears on Mal’s playlist. Also, I tend to shy away from music videos as a personal preference, so that’s why there are so few included on this playlist, though I’m sure many of these songs have beautiful music videos. I might reblog this post in the future with some youtube playlists of these mixes, but if you want to find them yourself there are a lot of playlists of these songs made on youtube already! Or you can make your own playlists using this post. 

And, just for fun, have one final Lumberjanes themed music recommendation:

Lumberjanes by Various

[awxward]

A3! Boys + My Stuffed Animals

Spring Troupe:

Sakuya

Gabriel

Gabriel is a small elephant with big ears that constantly make him fall over. He has a pink bowtie that says 'I Love You'

Makes Saku feel safe and Gabriel is a reminder to himself that he's loved and appreciated by everyone at Mankai.

Named after a friend from theatre class :)

Masumi

George Washington

George Washington is a tiger. He is small, but his arms are like those slap bracelets so you can wear him on your wrist (or let him hang on the side of shelf like I do).

So I got Georgy-Boy for easter 2020. i asked my friends for name ideas. They sent me stuff like 'Stripes'. I went offline for a few minutes and when I came back online I told my friends his name was George Washington.

//////////

Me: tiger has a name now

Friend: which name did you choose?

Me: his name is George Washington.

Friend: what the fuck. how'd you get George Washington?

//////////

Pretty sure he got the name bc I was listening to the Hamilton soundtrack.

Citron

Daniel

Daniel is mostly pink but has other pastel colors that look like watercolors. He's a unicorn. And a ketchain. And he's one of those dream lites, so he lights up. (He's supposed too anyway, but he's never lit up since i got him like 7 years ago at a yard sale).

Named after Daniel Howell (formerly danisnotonfire) [YouTube]

Tsuzuru

Lucifer

Lucifer is a small panda pillow pet. Very easy to travel with bc he fits in most backpacks.

My mom told me she wanted me to have a stuffed animal with a biblical name, i picked him up, looked her in the eye and said "His name is Lucifer." My mom tried to protest. "You said a biblical name, Mom. Lucifer is in the bible."

Itaru

Pao(???)

Pao is a panda. They are also a phone holder thingy. Like it'll hold your phone if you're watching movies or whatever.

Like 5-ish years old. Got them from a friend. They have a tag with their name on it, but I read it once and then just called them "the panda" for some reason instead of their actual name and now the tag is too faded to read the name, but i am 38% sure it says Pao or something close to that.

Chikage

Tsuki

Tsuki is a dinosaur. Tsuki is a sparkly dino. He's green rn, but if you brush your hand over him, the sparkles turn over and he becomes orange. I like green tho bc his tummy and the bottom of his feet are orange and so are his eyes.

Named after Tsukishima Kei (Haikyuu)

Summer Troupe:

Tenma

Hinata

Hinata is a narwhal. A bright orange narwhal. Infact he is the same color as Tenma's hair.

Named after Hinata Shoyo (Haikyuu) [bc its the same color as his hair. there is a theme with this narwhal and the anime boys i associate with them]

Yuki

Steve

Steve is a regular teddy bear, except he has a shirt that has pikachu on it. (the shirt was originally Tsuki's bc i got tsuki at a friends build a bear bday party, but it fits Steve better)

I just think Yuki would try new designs/color schemes/styles by making clothes for Steve to see how they look.

I got Steve from a claw machine (my bf at time won him for me just before we watched Endgame together.)

Named after Steve Rogers (Marvel)

Muku

Eeyore

Muku most definitely loves the Winnie the Pooh movies and I will fite for this hc. He gets my Eeyore. You know how Eeyore's tail is always going missing or falling off??? Eeyore's tail comes off (velcro) but its attached to his actual body with a string so it cant be misplaced.

Eeyore has a patch that says "official disney store" but i got him for $3 at a thrift store.

Misumi

Sherlock

Sherlock is a polar bear. Sherlock is very huggable. He makes Misumi feel safe. He has a hat and scarf (that don't come off. they are sewn on him)

the hat has a pom pom on top and the scarf has a pom pom on each end. the hat and scarf and the bottom of his feet have a blue/white plaid pattern.

Kazunari

Victor

Victor is a puppy and the first big stuffed animal of mine on the list! He's all tan and abt maybe 3-4 ft long. Victor lays pretty flat so he's comfy to lay/sit on. I think Kazu would like sitting or laying on him when drawing. Probably has him on his bed so he's like a giant pillow.

Victor is from Toys R Us. I got him last August-ish from my Aunt and Uncle who found him at a thrift store and thought I'd like him.

Named after Victor Nikiforov (Yuri On Ice)

Kumon

PJ

PJ is a small white tiger. He is also a ball. He can fit in one hand. When Kumon is thinking or stressed or bored (etc) he just lays on his back and tosses PJ up into the air.

When Kumon is laying on the floor tossing PJ, Misumi sits on the bed closest to where PJ is and tries to grab him (but only if Kumon is in a good mood and okay with it) It's a fun little game they made up they like to play.

Pretty sure he was named after KickthePJ (YouTube)

liber pls give us a pic with all of autumn i am begging

Autumn Troupe:

Banri

Sammy

Sammy is another one of my large stuffed animals. He is also a puppy, but unlike Victor he is sitting instead of laying. He's abt 2-3 ft tall. His fur is the same color as Banri's hair. Great to squeeze at anytime, but very therapeutic when you're in a bad mood. Has a heart on his ear.

i got him abt 7 years ago. I had just finished spn season 2 and was upset abt the finale and had no way to start season 3.

Named after Sam Winchester

Juza

Tiggs

Tiggs is a beanie baby tiger. Tiggs is a little larger than PJ (and not a ball). He's a regular orange tiger instead of a white tiger like PJ. He'd buy Kumon PJ so they could have matching stuffed animals. Small and very comforting to just hold/hug.

Omi

Benedict (Ben)

Benedict, also known as Ben, is a small koala. Just a little bigger than Tiggs. He has a heart on one of his feet (i think the right one). very soft. very fluffy.

Named after Benedict Cumberbatch (Actor)

Taichi

Dean

Dean is my largest stuffed animal. He is a dark brown teddy bear that's abt 4-ish ft tall. He can be put in a corner and used as like a bean bag chair, or he can lay down flat and be a good pillow like Victor can.

It's very fun to just wrap around him and squeeze as tight as you can. Especially in when your in a bad mood. Very comforting to cry into.

I got him a couple years ago at a thrift store.

Named after Dean Winchester (Supernatural)

Sakyo

Lev

Lev is a lion abt the size of a regular teddy bear (maybe slightly larger). I got him a thrift store so he's slightly worn out from age. He's mostly a pastel dark yellow-ish tan and his mane is dark brown. very huggable.

He's the stuffed animal I sleep with. Smells nice all the time, like the fabric softener.

Named after Lev Haiba (Haikyuu)

Sakoda

Emotional Support Iron Man

So Iron Man is small and he sparkles. He will hurt you/someone if thrown hard enough. Sakoda likes heroes bc they remind him of Sakyo they look cool. I'd hc that he got Iron Man from Sakyo when he was younger and its one of his most valued possessions and goes everywhere with him (or stays with Azamo or Sakyo at the dorm. Maybe Izumi or a couple others are on the list of who can watch over Iron Man.) Very protective of it.

Got the emotional support part of his name from a friend.

She saw Eddie Redmayne on a movie cover (think it was The Danish Girl) and started freaking out bc she loved him. I handed her the Iron Man and the next day she thanked me and said he was an Emotional Support Iron Man and the name stayed.

Azami

[Emotional Support] Spooder-Mon

Sakoda knew Azami as a kid. He most definitely got him the Spider-Man so they could have matching plushies.

Spider-Man is square and has little blob hands doing the web thingy. The tag said travel pillow, but he probably just chills by Azami's bed. When needed, Iron Man will be placed next to him if Sakoda can't take Iron Man with him.

I brought him to school one day and we had a bio test and all the people sitting around me passed him around and gave him a pat for good luck. We all got good grades and then he was dubbed as Emotional Support Spooder-Mon, but the Emotional Support title isnt part of his name (unlike the Iron Man).

i wanted guy in the pic, but i also wanted tsumu and hiso in the pic so you get 2 pics for winter

Winter Troupe:

Tsumugi

Phil

Phil is a zebra. He is a pillow pet zebra. Like Lucifer, Phil is also easy travel size. The bottom half of Phil is pink, so I refer to him as my pink zebra.

I just think it'd be cute to have Tsumugi with a pillow pet ok. I also thought he'd probably have has Phil for many years (since he was a kid) and Tasuku most definitely brings up things from when they were kids and shit.

//////////

Tasuku: you chose the pink zebra, and for what???

Tsumugi: its a very aesthetically pleasing pastel pink.

Tasuku: THERE WAS A DOG PILLOW PET RIGHT THERE AND IT WAS CUTER

Tsumugi: dont talk bad abt Phil.

the rest of mankai: ????????

//////////

I got phil before I got Lucifer many years ago. He was old when i got him and he is very old now. I love him so much.

Named after Phil Lester (AmazingPhil) [YouTube]

Tasuku

Cap

Cap is a husky. He was won from a claw machine with Steve.

There's just something abt the grey and white that gave me Tasuku vibes. Also, Cap's eyes are abt the same shade of blue as Tsumugi's and Tasuku knows this bc they are in love. Very squishy when hugged and with the way he sits, you could make it look like he's guarding something.

Named after Captain America (Marvel)

Homare

Ushijima (Ushi)

Ushijima, also called Ushi, is the last of my giant stuffed animals. He is abt 2-3 ft tall (like Sammy) and has a tail abt the same length.

Ushi is a raccoon thats mostly hot pink. Ushi's eyes are also pink and just abt the same shade as Homare's hair, although Ushi's fur is brighter by a few shades.

Ushi hurts when thrown/swung hard enough. Very fun to hug bc he's filled with beans (like beanie babies) so unlike all my other giant animals, he doesn't have to be fixed/adjusted after everytime you squeeze him. The tail has cotton tho and makes a good pillow.

Homare would definitely just see a 3 ft tall hot pink raccoon and claim it with no explanation.

Named after Ushijima Wakatoshi (Haikyuu)

Hisoka

Vladmir Dracula the 3rd (Vlad, Drac)

Vladmir Dracula the 3rd, who has many other names but usually goes by Vlad or Drac, is a vampire (surprise).

Vlad is a squishmallow thingy, and their tags say something abt them being able to be used as pillows, and thats why Hisoka gets Vlad.

Vlad is triangular in shape, with triangle ears, and triangle fangs, so I thought abt Misumi, but i figured Hisoka bc it's a pillow.

He's like the perfect travel size and he has a cape and a bowtie.

Named after Vlad the Impaler, the real life inspiration behind Dracula (my brother thought he was named after Vladmir Putin and I wanted to punch him for that but I was too busy laughing.)

Also named after Dracula, who was a vampire.

Idk where 'the 3rd' came from, but it's part of his name for forever.

Azuma

Sebastian

Sebastian is a dinosaur thats blue with a white tummy.

He's also a squishmallow, but he's bigger than Vlad by abt 2× as wide, so he'd be harder to carry around, which is why Hisoka got Vlad instead. Being a squishmallow means he looks more blob than dinosaur and i love it.

His tag said his name was Dominic or something, but I named him Sebastian before I actually checked the tag, so he's Sebastian.

Named after Sebastian (Black Butler) and Sebastian Stan (Actor)

Guy

Moriarty

Moriarty is my other polar bear. I got him with Sherlock and named him Moriarty bc Moriarty is Sherlock's nemesis.

He's just a plain white bear thats very huggable and adorable. I usually have a bowtie on him bc it makes him look fancy.

Guy would like him bc he's plain white and very fluffy.

[g0ldengubler]

chapter 7~instant crush

A/N: aaaaaa this chapter is so/so???? i guess it gets better at the end??? idk, i’m starting to get back into that “i’m not a good writer” mindset that i was in at the beginning of nauseous. i’m hoping to start writing another chapter super soon! i’m just stuck in rut and it’s showing in the chapters. i’ll work harder to make them better, but no promises. also listen to the song that the chapter was named after here. it’s literally one of my all time favorite songs on the planet lol. ok, i apologize in advance but i hope u still enjoy :)

Category: fluff

CW: smoking weed, mentions of toys and smoking tools and pieces

Word Count: 2680

before you read | last chapter | next chapter

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

After what felt like days, you and Spencer had finally made it to your father's cabin. You hadn't been up north in years, all because you were so focused on getting your dream job. Driving down a dirt road, the smell of the trees mixed with rain had you feeling nostalgic, triggering memories of when you were a little girl, reading Charles Dickens under a tree or on the rocky shores of the lake. You couldn't wait to share these new memories here with him.

When you arrived in Michigan, you made sure you got all of your favorite goodies like Better Maid potato chips, Faygo's Rock'n'Rye, Vernors ginger ale, Superman ice cream, and you even made Spencer stop at your favorite pizza place, Buddy's, so you could get your favorite salad and a cheese pizza with light sauce and a crispy crust. He chuckled at how plain you like your pizza, but it was something you and your grandmother shared a loved for. You wanted Spencer to have as close to the Michigan experience he could because while you weren't in love with your home state, the small things you grew up with gave you joy.

The last errand you made before moving up north was to a dispo in Ann Arbor. Spencer couldn't go in with you, so you left him in the car (even though you wanted him to come in with you, he didn't have his card so it wouldn't work). Walking in, you showed the security guard your med card and continued your way through the store. Jars of bud covered the shelves on the wall. Glass showcases were filled with wax. Each strain (no matter what form) had labels in front of them, giving information about it and what it could do to help with any specific problem like joint pains or body spasms. You never really had a preference on what strain was best, nor got too picky if it was an indica, sativa, or hybrid.

You talked with a staff member and asked what they suggested. You ended up getting some Cherry Pie flower, joint papers, hemp blunt wraps, and a mini bbq lighter. Once you grabbed the goods, you headed out to suddenly notice a store that was at the outdoor mall next door. A smile grew on your face as you ran back to the car, set your bag down behind your seat, and grabbing Spencer by his hand and pulled him with you to the mall.

"Silly girl, I thought we were done with the errands?" He asked.

"One more stop," you said eagerly, "I promise. Plus, I think you'll get a little kick out of it."

A small building appeared as you made him stop in front of it. You saw him look up at the sign, looking a little confused. "There's a store with the same name as me?"

"Wait till you get inside." You giggled.

Those who weren't familiar with the store would think it was an edgier Hot Topic, but once you showed him what was in the back of Spencer's, you saw his jaw drop and couldn't hold in the laugh that was brewing in your throat. "Told you you'd get a little kick out of it."

"Well I thought you meant because of the fact it's called Spencer's, not because of all the...toys...they have."

"Are you getting ideas, Doctor?"

He straightened himself out and fixed his sweater. "I cannot confirm, nor deny your question."

"Dr.Spencer Reid," you giggled, slapping his arm softly, "naughty boy."

"Are you getting idea's, Agent L/N?"

You were quiet for a moment. "...maybe." you mumbled.

Spencer just laughs at the little banter you just had. "Let's save it for when we're home. It'll give me time to really think about it."

As you're left there speechless, your clouded mind is interrupted by the look on his face as he looks at the dick shaped candy they had.

"Ok, ok," you giggled, "let me go find what I'm looking for and then my errands are done. I'm ready to just sit back on the couch, put a fire on, and relax."

From there you went to the middle of the store, where you grabbed a green rolling tray with a panda on his back smoking a joint, a hot pink grinder, and a game controller ashtray before going up to the cashier to pay. You then headed back to the car and headed off to the cabin.

The cabin hadn't changed a bit, with its Christmas lights still hung and the skeleton that was sitting on the porch chair. You thought maybe your dad did all this while you two were on your way, but whatever the reason, you could tell that Spencer was already in love with it once he saw the skeleton. You forgot how big the cabin was. It wasn't small like a fairy's cottage, but you could say it was smaller than Rossi's mansion.

The smell of pine needles and fire smoke filled your head with nostalgia as you entered. You dropped your bags and plopped on the couch. You felt at home, and with Spencer, the feeling was stronger than you could've ever felt. You let out a big sigh, smiling as you hold one of the couch pillows to your chest.

"If your father built this cabin, he's the genius not me." Spencer joked as he moved your legs over so he could sit down next to you. He let your legs rest on his lap, rubbing your legs awkwardly, giving you that awkward white guy smile.

"How about you put the bags in the bedroom and then we'll go exploring," you said as you adjusted your position, using the armrest as support, "I haven't been here in years and I'm feeling very nostalgic."

"Sounds like a plan!...um..." Spencer looks around the living room, trying to find the bedroom.

"Oh, sorry! It's straight down that hall on your left." You pointed over to the hallway next to him. Once he saw the open doors to the bedroom he grabbed your bags and sat them down. You got up as he walked to the room and started exploring. You started in the kitchen, looking back on the times you'd bake the most gooey chocolate chip cookies as your dad cooked the family stew. Your father always had a hobby for making food, didn't matter if it was a meaty dish or a beautiful dessert. You thought nothing could beat your father's cooking, and that became especially true when you went to college.

As you were walking to the hall, you noticed Spencer admire the artwork that was hanging on the walls. "Did you know that the first log cabins that were built in America were emigrants from Sweden and Finland?" He asked. "They had been building them for 1,000 years, prior to coming here."

"That's very interesting," you said loudly as I walked to my old room, "I didn't know that." Something you always loved was to listen to people talk. Spencer was known for rambling about something when he should've been keeping it case related. He'd start off with giving them what they wanted to know, but then get so excited that he kept going on. It was something you did, too, but only around those you were comfortable around and that was very rare.

As he continued to ramble facts about the paintings, you looked around the familiar room that felt a bit distant. Your dad had turned your old room into an office. All the bright lilac walls had turned to gray, and your bed with a matching white desk were replaced with a black leather couch and a black, very sophisticated desk. Pictures of the two of you mixed with Red Wing merchandise hung on the walls and sat at his desk.

"Uuuuhh, Y/N?" Spencer called, "you might want to see this!

With a confused look on your face, you walked out of the office and back out to the living room where you see him hold a ziplock bag. Inside was a small stash of something similar that you bought that day.

"Where did you find all that weed?" you asked.

"I was looking at the books on this bookcase and as I took one out to explore further, this fell out with it."

You start exploring on your own. It had to be here. It'd make complete sense.

"What are you looking for?"

You ignore him for a moment before finding it. That son of a bitch.

You show Spencer the glass piece you found, the light in the room making its blue accent glow.

"Is that a erlenmeyer flask?" He asked, looking puzzled.

You couldn't help but laugh at his innocence. "You're cute," you said, "but no, it's a bong! My dad's a sneaker bastard. I never knew he smoked-" you stopped in your tracks for a moment, thinking. "...I don't know how I feel about that information."

Spencer chuckles as you go through your mini life crisis. You notice his eyes then move in different directions. It took you a minute to realize what he was looking at. He would look at you, then look at the bong, then at the bag of weed, and continue the cycle. A grin fell upon your face, making Spencer grin a evil, yet goofy smile.

"Let's get comfortable first," you propose, "I'll heat up our pizza's and grab the salads, you grab the rock'n'rye and then we'll get to smokiiin."

Without a second thought, the two of you rushed to get into pajamas. You both had decided that Christmas pajamas was the way to go with how cold it was going to be. Coming out of the bedroom as Spencer came out of the bathroom, you both laugh at the fact that you pretty much had the same theme going. While Spencer was wearing a red long sleeve with the vintage coke'a'cola Santa Clause, you wore a white fitted shirt with the coke's'cola polar bears on it. Your pants were pretty much the same red and black checkered flannels, but while Spencer wore just regular slippers, you had on Rudolph the red nose reindeer fuzzy socks.

After heating up the pizza and pouring the drinks, your grab your food and went for the couch. You sat it on the coffee table in front of you before grabbing the bong, along with the bag and your grinder. As you began to grind the flower, you looked over to Spencer, who seemed to be really loving the pop through the nervousness on his face.

"Are you sure you want to try smoking out of a bong, Spence?" you asked, "Because you don't have to if you're too nervous."

"No no, I do want to! I'm just getting excited that's all."

"You're ok with your mouth being on the same place mine has?"

He was quiet for a moment. "No spit will be on this," you explain, taking the look on his face as a maybe, "but we have our napkins if you want to wipe."

"Ok, good!" He sighed out of relief.

Once the bud was grounded, you took some out with your fingers and packed it in the bowl, rubbing your fingers together to get some of the sticky stuff off. You then put on some music from you groovy playlist on your phone, connecting it to the bluetooth speakers that surrounded the room.

As you put your mouth on the top, lighting the bowl, you move the flame over half of it, letting Spencer have the other half. You felt eyes burning on you as you took the bowl out and inhaled. You held the smoke in your lungs for a few moments before a cloud formed in front of your face.

You handed the bong and lighter to Spencer, showing him what to do. You reminded him to inhale as he held the flame to the bowl. You watch as he did exactly what you did, copying your movements from memory. When he exhaled, the cloud of smoke was a bit bigger than yours was, you were shocked that he didn't have a coughing fit afterward.

He sat it down on the coffee table and sat back on the couch, letting the sensations take over his body. You grabbed the bong again and took another hit, handing it to Spencer afterward. He surprisingly took it from your hands and took another rip. You ended up doing this a few more times until your grinder was empty. You took the last bong rip, setting it back down and slouched on the couch.

By this time, the munchies had kicked in. You both devoured your dinner in a matter of minutes. But the tingles slowly left your body once you finished, so you grabbed the bong and your grinder again. This time, you took the bottom part off, looking at the leftover bits of the bud that turned into almost a powder form. You then grabbed your bag from the dispo that was sitting on the table next to you, and grabbed the flower you had bought. You took the cherry pie bud out of its container and ground it up.

You looked over to Spencer, who was just feeling the music. He looked very much relaxed, staring at the ceiling fan that hung above them.

After taking a huge rip from the bong, you coughed out a bit as you sat it back down. Without even realizing, you sneaked your way under his arm, laying your head on his chest. He put his arms around you, letting you snuggle into him.

With the light of the moon now being your only source of light, and the song Instant Crush playing in the background, you felt safe in his arms. Nothing could've ruined this moment. All you wanted was him and him alone.

"You're like a beautiful dragon, Y/N." You heard Spencer say.

You look up at him with a confused look on your face. "What do you mean by that?"

"When you exhaled. When I exhaled, even. We were like dragons blowing fire. It was so cool."

He was definitely gone, it was pretty obvious. But hearing him babble on and on about being dragons made you smile and giggle. It was contagious, making Spencer giggle with you, and then you couldn't stop. Your stomach and cheeks were hurting at this point.

Once the giggling calmed down, you looked up at him, as he looked down at you. Without a thought in mind, you both leaned and kissed. Your lips hovered over the other for a moment, before leaning back in, your lips melting together as your tongues attacked the other. His right hand in your hair, and his left cupping the side of your face.

After a minute, Spencer broke away and spoke. "I don't care what we are right now," he said, "we can talk about that another time. Right now, I just want you."

You smiled and went back in. He smiled through the kiss, letting tongue go back to where it belonged.

And there you stayed, kissing here and there, taking a few more hits before you both passed out on the couch, your arms still around the other.

[mammons-sugarbaby]

Hmmmm... What about a hc about the brothers visiting a zoo?

(I'm also going to reference the paws and claws event which was when I started playing....at the tail end of it lol)

MC's begging finally paid off and Lucifer cracked, agreeing to go on an outing to a human world zoo for the day, and of course the other brothers wanted to go where MC was going!

(this got suuuuuper long so I put most under a read more)

Lucifer

⦁ At first he would see it as something that cut into his busy scedule running errands and doing paperwork for Diavolo, but after getting there and seeing MC so excited, of course he'd soften up.

⦁ He'd tease them about acting like one of the kids running around but would 100% enjoy their enthusiasm. He'd take an interest in the wolf exibit, reading the information plaque about wolves and their familial bonds and feel a sort of kinship.

⦁ Of course he's also heard stories casting wolves in a negative light, in one case humans killing many in a particular area to protect their livestock, and an experiment reintroducing them to the area. The experiment went on to show how vital wolves were to the ecosystem and public opinion changed. They were misunderstood, Lucifer knew that feeling well.

⦁ At the end of the visit, Lucifer and MC were in the gift shop and MC picked up a stuffed wolf and showed Lucifer, saying how it reminded them of him. When they put it down and went to look at something else, Lucifer picked it up and bought it, surprising MC with it on the way home.

⦁ "So you'll have something to remind you of me when we're apart." He told MC, giving them a sly smile and causing them to blush. But Lucifer didn't fail to notice how they clutched the stuffed toy to their chest the whole way back, as well as noticing it sitting on MC's bed whenever he would pay them a visit. He'd never admit it, but it made him happy as well as a little jealous that MC slept with it every night. At some point he'd suggest MC could sleep in his room if cuddling the wolf plush wasn't enough.

Mammon

⦁ He wouldn't get why MC would want to walk around in the hot sun and look at animals all day, but once they get there, he gets just as excited as they do.

⦁ He'd ask all sorts of questions about every animal, and make plans on how to steal some and bring back to the devildom, surely they'd sell for a ton of grim!

⦁ Satan has to remind him human world animals wouldn't survive long in the devildom, and Mammon would dismiss him saying as long as he made a profit, who cares about some dumb animal.

⦁ This upsets MC and they scold him and tell him all about exotic animal smuggling, circuses, and other places that used animals for entertainment even if it caused the animal distress. Mammon feels bad and apologizes for upsetting MC.

⦁ But as soon as he sees the tiger, he is once again thinking of ways to get one, not for profit this time, but for himself. He admired the way they excluded a sort of quiet power, a regality, something beautiful and dangerous. He wondered if he could find the devildom equivalent and just how he'd be able to smuggle it into the house of lamentation.

⦁ At the gift shop he sees MC admiring a tiger keychain and when they walk away he pockets it, planning to give it to them later. While leaving he hands it to MC. "I saw you checking this out and I thought you'd like it." He says, cheeks flushing red as he tried to act nonchalant.

⦁ MC is surprised and brings out a matching one and gives it to him, explaining that they saw HIM looking at it and thought how nice it would be to give him a souvenir. MC laughs and says they have a matching set now, causing Mammon to lose what little control he had and he turns into a blushing, stammering mess. He starts rambling about how they shouldn't have spent so much money on something like that, but inside he was over the moon that MC had thought of him and that they now shared matching keychains.

Levi

⦁ He complains about having to go to such a "normie" activity, he has game events going on! And anime to review!

⦁ He's pouty through the first half hour of being there, until MC's constant attempts to include him in their fun finally win him over. He focuses on enjoying his time with MC, taking note of everything they find particularly interesting.

⦁ They reach the exhibit with the zebras, elephants, gazelles, and giraffes and he notes MC's smile drops when they don't see the long-necked herbevore. However he notices a sign that says "Feed the Giraffes!" with times underneath, he checks his limited edition Ruri watch and sees that it's feeding time.

⦁ "Hey, follow me MC." He says quickly, not wanting them to notice the sign. MC gives him a confused look but follows. The crowd gets thicker and MC falls a little behind, and when Levi notices, he grabs their hand and pulls them along, not wanting to miss surprising MC with feeding the giraffes. ⦁ Thankfully they're able to get there before the line got too long, and the take their place. While standing in line, Levi realizes he was still holding MC's hand and quickly lets go, blushing and stuttering out an apology. MC tells him they don't mind and if it's okay with him, they would like to keep holding hands. This makes Levi blush even harder and he holds out his hand for MC to grab.

⦁ "So what are we in line for?" MC asks, bringing Levi back from his inner thoughts about how it was just like that dating sim 'I took my crush to the zoo and we got separated so when I found them I didn't let go of their hand for the rest of the trip and eventually they kissed me in front of the panda exhibit'. Levi tells MC it's a surprise and they'll see in a little bit.

⦁ When they get to the front of the line, a park worker gives them a large cup of feed and explained how to feed the giraffes and ushered them up the platform. MC looked excitedly at Levi and was practically bouncing with excitement.

⦁ After feeding the giraffes, MC throws their arms around Levi and hugs them tight, jumping up and down and squealing about how he was the best and how it was such an awesome surprise.

⦁ Levi thought it would be the perfect chance to kiss MC like the protagonist in that anime, but MC beats him to it and plants an enthusiastic kiss on his cheek, making the shut-in otaku completely lose his composure and become a blushing, stuttering mess.

Satan

⦁ He actually is interested in going to the zoo, he reads a few books about zoos, what makes them good or bad, and about some of the animals that the zoo may keep.

⦁ As soon as he clears the gate, he grabs a pamphlet for himself and one for MC. He starts pointing to places on the map, explaining what order they should view the exhibits so that they would have time to see them all.

⦁ Halfway through MC's stomach growls and they apologize and ask Satan if he minded grabbing a bite to eat at the cafe with them. ⦁ He agrees and they head into the cafe, and to Satan's delight it was big cat themed. The barista was wearing tiger ears, their coworker wearing cheetah ears and when they turned around, MC notice they also wore a matching tail.

⦁ MC and Satan got their food and drinks and sat at a nearby table, while MC ate, Satan filled them in on various facts about the animals they'd seen that day.

⦁ When they get up to leave, Satan notices a souvenir stand and goes to investigate. MC points at a shirt that reads "Big Cat Cafe" with an image of various large cats curling around a mug below, and tells Satan they think it would be fun to get matching shirts. ⦁ Satan happily agrees and buys the shirts, then he suggests MC should try theirs on and MC tells him they both should change and wear the shirts for the remainder of the visit. So they change, and for the rest of the trip Satan can't stop smiling and thinking how cute MC looks and feels slightly smug thinking about how his brothers would react, especially Lucifer.

Asmo

⦁ He didn't really want to go, walking around in the sun for long periods of time was so bad for his skin. Not to mention the smells, he told MC he'd never be able to get it out of his clothes.

⦁ Nonetheless, MC convinced him and being Asmo, he's pulled out all the stops, wearing a gaudy explorer outfit to "fit in", as well as carrying an umbrella.

⦁ He cooed over various animals, saying how cute they were. Not as cute as him of course, but they had their charm.

⦁ It was then they came to the black bear exhibit, the massive creature lumbering over to the edge of its enclosure before flopping down. I seemed to look up then at Asmo and MC did a wave motion with it's paw.

⦁ Asmo went wild, pointing and dramatically exclaiming that "It recognizes my beauty!! No other animal here acknowledged me! This is obviously a creature of intelligence, class, and culture!"

⦁ MC couldn't help but laugh and after Asmo gave them an offended look, they explained that bears sometimes mimic people in that fashion, usually to get treats. ⦁ Asmo waved them off and continued to fawn over the bear. Eventually the bear wandered back inside, presumably to get out of the heat, and Asmo blew it kisses and waved until it was out of site.

⦁ On their way out, Asmo insisted on stopping at the gift shop, where MC bought Asmo a small teddy bear, since "he loved the bear so much". Within the week, a huge box arrived from akuzon addressed to MC and when they opened it, they were surprised to see a gigantic pink teddy bear that was covered in ribbons and bows. Asmo waltzed in and dramatically called "Ta-dah~~!!! Just a little thank you present for my favorite human~"

Beel

⦁ Beel was happy MC asked him to go to the zoo with them, he enjoyed hanging out with them.

⦁ Once through the gate they picked up (more) snacks so Beel wouldn't get too hungry while walking around.

⦁ Beel asked tons of questions about the animals they saw, and what kinds of animals MC liked best.

⦁ When they came to the lion exhibit, the lions were being fed and MC could hear Beel's stomach growl. He apologized and Mc told him not to worry about it, that if he'd like, they could go grab so more food.

⦁ Beel nodded but told MC he wanted to watch the lions for just a while longer. After a few minutes, his stomach growled again, even louder this time. The male lion's head turned towards them and he let out a bellowing roar.

⦁ They both burst into laughter and had to find a quiet area to calm down. Wiping tears from their eyes, MC asked Beel if he wanted to go to the restaurant now, Beel nodded and took MC's hand and they headed off to find out where the restaurant was.

⦁ While they waited for their food to arrive, Beel chatted excitedly about the various animals they had seen and MC asked if there was a devildom equivalent to a human zoo, Beel replied he was unsure. MC asked what his favorite exhibit was and Beel eagerly replied the lions, because of the moment they shared together.

Belphie

⦁ This boy complained the whole time MC was trying to convince him. At first he was extremely opposed to going to the human world in the first place. Besides, animals usually didn't like demons, unless it was the kind they were connected with.

⦁ Then he'd complain and ask what the big fuss was about looking at some animals in cages, it sounded pretty miserable for the animals. It's just like humans to not care about something unless they got entertainment out of it, even at the expense of what ever was entertaining them.

⦁ He complained even while walking around, though did secretly enjoy seeing MC happy. ⦁ After another round of complaining, he saw MC's smile slip ever so slightly, become a little more forced, it not quite reaching their eyes. 'Damn it, I went too far and now their upset.'

⦁ From then on he tried to keep his bitching to a minimum, though he was getting so sleepy. He didn't see how MC thought he could make it through the whole trip without falling asleep.

⦁ Eventually they came to a sort of petting area where various employees showed off various animals and let visitors touch them while explaining about the animal.

⦁ Belphie saw a bench in the corner and made a beeline for it, he sat down and leaned against the wall, promptly falling asleep.

⦁ He woke up to MC's voice calling his name and he reluctantly opened his eyes before he noticed a weight in his lap. Looking down, a fox had curled up on his lap, sleeping soundly. He was surprised and accidentally moved, causing the fox to wake up and look at him.

⦁ But it just sat there, staring at him as if saying "Why did you wake me up?" He knew that feeling all to well. "Sorry for waking you..." Belphie muttered, then slowly brought his hand up and gave it head scritches. The fox seemed to enjoy this and Belphie ran his hand along it's soft fur, noting a kind of harness on it.

⦁ He was so content he didn't realize a zoo employee come up and apologize for the fox's behaviour, that one was always slipping off somewhere. Belphie shook his head and told them it was no problem, but then the employee brought out a leash and clipped it to the fox's harness and clicked their tongue, causing the fox to jump down.

⦁ MC was bubbling over with excitement and envy on their way out of the park, saying how lucky he was that he got to pet the cute fox. Belphie only heard half of what they said before a fox plush outside of the gift shop caught his eye. He turned and headed towards the shop without warning, catching MC off guard. They soon followed after him and saw him looking intently at a row of fox stuffed animals, he seemed to find one he liked more than the other identical ones and picked it up.

⦁ He then asked MC if they could buy it for him, since he didn't have "human money". The laughed and agreed, buying it for him and smiling at how cute he was clutching at the stuffed fox.

[et-lesailes]

knit sweaters

pairing: chris evans x reader

word count: 1560

summary: you have a special announcement for your husband on christmas morning, and what better way to do it than with white cable knit sweaters?

themes: FLUFFFFFF

taglist:@evanstush, @tanyam93, @bval-1, @wonderwinchester, @patzammit, @rohaintahquil, @deidrashouseofpain, @sammyslonglostshoe, @mizariomi, @jadedhillon, @bohemian-barbie, @marvelouspottering, @whysparker, @sebastian-i-stan, @sebabestianstan101, @lille-kattunge, @teller258316, @peach-acid, @allsortsofinterests, @xoxabs88xox, @heyiamthatbitch, @cptn-sgrogers, @heyyouwiththeassbutt, @bangtan-serendipity, @troublermalik, @beardburnsupersoldiers, @hannie-stark, @bookish-shristi, @kind-sober-fullydressed, @whores4thor, @gingerninjaprincess16, @straightforwardly, @danathewitchywoman, @denisemarieangelina, @mango--mango, @frencchfries, @xlanawriter, @littlemoistcarrot, @pottxrwolff, @arianatheangelworld, @ifuseekamyevans, @southerngracela, @nsfwsebbie, @rororo06, @savemesteeb​

notes: saw THOSE ADORABLE PICTURES OF DODGER IN A CABLE KNIT SWEATER SO U KNOW I HAD TO

It’s Christmas morning and you’ve woken up about an hour earlier than Chris normally does, all to set up your cute surprise. You know it’s going to have him in tears, what with how emotional he is, but you’re excited nonetheless. You know you’re about to make your husband the happiest man on the planet, and it feels like everything’s aligned perfectly just for this moment to happen.

You tiptoe out of the bedroom, though flinch as Dodger leaps off the bed to follow you. Thankfully, his nails clacking on the hardwood floor do not wake the man up. “Good boy, bubba, come on-- we gotta get you ready,” you whisper, leading him out of the room and going into the storage closet in the hallway, getting out an opened package you’ve been hiding way in the back. The dog wags his tail as he tilts his head hopefully, probably expecting some type of toy inside. You laugh, reaching down to pat his butt playfully. “All your gifts are under the tree, silly boy. This is a surprise for Daddy.” 

You go into the living room together and you sit down on the floor, taking out the dog sized white cable knit sweater. “For you,” you murmur with a smile, putting it on him and giggling as he prances around with it happily. “For me,” you continue in a hushed tone, pulling out a matching one for yourself, “and for Chris.” You take out the last one, the biggest and probably comfiest of them all. 

However, it is what is embroidered on all three sweaters in red print that will be the biggest surprise for your husband, and probably the best one yet.

“Honey? You’re already up?” Chris calls sleepily from the bedroom about forty minutes later, and you immediately perk up from your place in front of the stove  in the kitchen. Thank God you started making the hot chocolate already. “Uh-huh! Hold on babe, stay there. Working on a little last minute surprise for you.” You pour out the warm liquid into two mugs- one blue and decorated with snowmen, and the other red with a cute, cartoon reindeer face on the front. You quickly go into the living room and place the mugs on the table before picking up Chris’ sweater from the couch, going to stand in front of the tree and beckoning for Dodger to come over. “C’mere, bubba! Sit, sit! Over here!” The obedient dog complies, trotting over with his tail wagging- you can’t help but giggle simply from how cute he is in his sweater.

“Alright, Chris! You can come out now!” 

It takes a few minutes, probably because he’s putting his robe on, but when he finally comes out and looks at the sight in front of him, he stares for a good ten seconds before his mouth slowly drops open.

There you are, holding up a large, white cable knit sweater to your side that reads “DADDY” in red. Your own says “MOMMY”, and as he looks down to his lovable canine companion, his tiny sweater reads “BIG BROTHER”. 

“Baby-- are we-- are you-- I-- are you trying to say…”

“Merry Christmas, babe!” you squeal, coming over and throwing your arms around him in a warm embrace before pulling back slightly to look up at him with sparkling eyes. “I’m pregnant!”

He stares down at you for a few more moments, registering all of this as his sleepiness slowly fades away. The corner of his lips are spreading further and further until he’s practically beaming, suddenly scooping you up as he roars with delight, “We’re having a baby?! A real life baby? Holy fucking shit!” You laugh loudly, holding onto him tight as he spins you around. “Yes, yes, you’re going to be a dad! My due date’s in September!”

He hugs you tighter and you hear him start to sniff-- there it is, the waterworks. He finally sets you down and looks at you with teary eyes, though he’s still smiling widely. “Fuck, baby girl. I can’t believe it. It feels like we’ve been trying for so long.” He leans down and kisses you passionately, holding you close. “This is the best Christmas gift ever,” he murmurs against your lips, “I don’t even need to open the other presents under the tree.”

“You sure? Because there might be a certain customized Pats jersey you’ve been wanting for a while now…”

He blinks and scoffs in disbelief as he looks at you, shaking his head to himself. “Honestly, what the hell did I do to deserve a wife as perfect as you? Can you please tell me?”

You giggle but turn your head upon hearing Dodger whining, pawing at one of the presents under the tree. “Alright, you can shower me in compliments later, babe-- our first child is waiting for his gifts.” He laughs and nods his head, gently pulling you down with him to sit on the floor. “Okay, okay bubba. Let’s open these babies up.”

ONE YEAR LATER

You smile as you sit on the armrest of the couch in Chris’ family’s living room, absentmindedly running your fingers through your husband’s hair as he holds your almost three-month-old daughter on his lap. “Whatchya got there, Miles?” he asks his nephew who’s tearing apart the wrapping paper on his gift from Santa. “Oh my God! It’s an iPad!” he yells in excitement. Chris chuckles in amusement, glancing towards his sister with a raised brow before looking up to you mumbling playfully, “Just for the record, we’re not getting Hadley an iPad until she’s like, eighteen.”

“Mm, you say that now, sweetie, but technology’s taking over. You’ll have to accept it eventually.” You tease, smiling as your baby starts giggling from Chris bouncing her on his lap. She’s a total daddy’s girl, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. You can tell she already has Chris wrapped around her finger, and it’s absolutely adorable. 

“I want Hadley to open her gift from her uncle!” Scott says excitedly, and Chris grins. “You wanna get down on the floor, baby girl?” he says to his daughter, carefully getting down and setting her on her tummy. Scott places a bag in front of her, lying it down so that the opening is facing her. She blinks and touches the colorful tissue paper curiously, clenching it tightly in her little hands and clearly amused by the noise. You and the rest of the family laugh and coo fondly. “I hope she’s this easy to please when she’s in her teens,” Chris remarks playfully, watching in amusement as the baby simply continues playing with the paper. “We can only hope.” You laugh, getting down beside them. “Here, sweetheart, let me help you.”

You hold her hand and help her to pull the paper out, smiling upon seeing a little stuffed panda bear inside. You slide out some of it so the head is sticking out. “Can you get it now, Hadleykins?” She blinks and looks to your hand where you have the paper, and Scott scoffs in playful offense. “Hey, missy, I spent money on that gift for you- can’t you at least look at it?” You and Chris laugh, and Chris takes the colored paper and hides it behind his back. She almost immediately forgets about it, looking back towards the bag in front of her. You watch happily as she slowly reaches out to touch the panda’s head in curiosity. You finally take it all the way out to show her, a wide smile on your face. “Look how cute it is, Hads! Can you say thank you to Uncle Scott?”

She makes a series of short noises and babbles, incredibly focused on touching the fluffy toy in front of her. Scott chuckles, reaching down to stroke the very few wisps of hair she has. “You’re very welcome, cutie.” Chris suddenly stands up, retrieving a little bag from under the tree. “I also have a gift for Hadley, but I want her mama to open it.” He says with a grin, coming over and handing it to you. You blink but smile in curiosity, taking the bag from him. “Should I be worried?” you joke, taking out the tissue paper and reaching inside, only to pull out a tiny, adorable white cable knit onesie. “Oh my God.” You instantly smile wider, looking up at him with pure delight as you hold the onesie up. “Is this for her? I didn’t even know they made this for babies! This is too precious, we can all match now!”

“Oh, God, you’re going to be one of those families?” Scott teases, and Chris’ sisters laugh as they nudge him. “Hey! You know you would be the exact same way. I think it’s adorable.” Carly comments, and you giggle happily as you hold it out to Hadley. “Look, baby girl! Doesn’t it look cozy? You want to change into it?”

Little Hadley looks at it and smiles, her shiny blue eyes twinkling with intrigue. Everyone coos yet again, Chris unable to help but scoop her up in his arms again. “Come on, baby,” he pats your back, looking down at you with a smile. “Let’s get our daughter in that adorable little sweater-- I think she’s going to look just as pretty as her Mama does.”

[ja-khajay]

2020-2021 Animation Watch(ed)list

I haven’t posted about animation in a while that I remember, and I know a lot of my followers are into it as much as me so I decided to make a list of the animated movies and series I watched on the past year or so, coupled with my short, spoilerless take on them. Enjoy!

Organized by

Things I saw for the first time

Things I rewatched

Under a cut for the sake of your dashboards! PS: I have not added any images yet. If you are interested in knowing more about the visuals of these movies, I might make an old fashion ask-prompted imageset list.

Part One: Things I saw for the first time

The Bear’s Famous Invasion of Sicily

Movie, 2019, Italian/French

9/10, a delightful little movie with amazing visuals. It feels like an animated picture book.

One of those “plot is in the title” media! I had never heard of this before but was heavily recommended it by my family members, who all loved it! It’s a sweet story, nothing groundbreaking but the unique colorful visual style alone makes it worth it.

The Castle of Cagliostro

Movie, 1979, Japanese

10/10. Reminded me of all the books i loved reading as a child

I assume its because it’s so old and the art style and themes are so different that it gets little to no love compared to other Ghibli movies, which is a shame! It’s fun with an endearing cast and as always, great animation and music

Mushishi

Series, 2006, Japanese

10/10 three episodes in I knew it was going to be my favorite series ever

One of the few things I’ve seen I’ll describe as life-changing. It’s absolutely lovely but never toots its own horn about it. Humble, calming, emotional and surprisingly mature. It’s pretty impossible to binge due to how intense the experience is. I just want to walk in the forest now...

FMA: Brotherhood

Series, 2009, Japanese

6/10 Dissapointing adaptation of a classic story

I read the manga for this when I was in middle school and remembered loving it. The animated version does an ok job of presenting the characters and worldbuilding and has some nice action scenes but overall looks really damn cheap and just. Not very good. Seeing I already knew most of the plot I did not have the element of discovery that made me marvel so much reading the original. It’s still a nice series but I really recommend reading it instead.

Code Lyoko (s1+2)

Series, 2003, french

3/10. 1.5 being for the opening song alone

This show sucks ass if I hadn’t been watching this with my bestie I would have dropped it two episodes in. The art style is ugly the stories are always the same and the first season has a (later removed thank fucking god) LITERAL “erase any consequences” button as a plot device in every episode. If you watch it for one thing let it be the nostalgia factor of early 00s Vidya Game Plot

The Legend of Hei

Movie, 2019, Chinese

7/10. Impressive visuals and a poor story

I finally watched this, peer pressured by the load of gifsets on my dashboard! It’s a sweet movie with really impressive animation, sometimes a bit too flashy for my taste (the action sequences go so ham they become not very readable...) but the story was just ok? The setting is barely explained and you are instead bombarded with vague epicspeech about powers and stuff that made me fondly remember Kingdom Hearts lol but that asides it’s a really good time! I need to watch more Chinese movies the few I know are just delightfully off the shits in how they approach action and I love that

Hunter x Hunter

Series, 1999, Japanese

9/10. Superior to the recent one!

I first got introduced to the series via the 2011 one. Comparatively, the 99 series focuses way less on action and way more on the characters, which I love because that fits my personal preferences! Despite mediocre filler episodes and some weird slight pointless plot changes, what it changes from the original manga doesn’t have much of an impact on the characters. The animation quality isn’t always consistent including a huge art style change for an arc (???) but it’s overall pretty nice. The series really shines in the last arc it adapts.

Oban Star-racers

Series, 2006, Japanese/french

9/10 a lovely surprise

This series is completly obscure despite having been created by people famous for their other series (Cowboy Bebop, Code Lyoko that i can name) and it’s a crime! It’s a kids show but without being stupid about it who tells the story of an inter-planetary race. If you liked that one scene in the star wars prequels you know what I mean. It’s got surprisingly nice animation for a TV series, and some truly great character design. The art style is a bit unique in a not for everyone sense, but I didn’t mind it much. It’s also THE most offensively 2000s series i’ve seen in terms of visuals. y2k kids assemble

The Little Prince and the Eight-Headed Dragon

Movie, 1963, japanese

8/10. Classic fairytale format with incredible visuals

Watched this for the art style because I know it inspired Samurai Jack, and it delievered! I dont’ have much to say about this one, it’s a very simply film but it’s sweet. For my pirates out there if you want to find it in good quality with english subtitles it’s VERY hard to find. If you just want to see the looks of it, it’s on Youtube with portugese subs.

We now enter the Gobelins Shorts Zone....!

My Friend Who Glows In The Dark

10/10 makes me cry each time

Pure delight...great animation writing everything. A little short about death and friendship but not in the way you imagine!

Colza

9/10

Visual treat...homely and nice :) not far from a 10 but a 9 because nothing about it is that groundbreaking

Sundown

9/10

If you’ve ever been ten minutes from failing a group project because of a single dude you will REALLY enjoy this. Loved the colors and personality

T’as vendu mes rollers?

10/10

It’s SUCH a sweet little short I loved that one so much

Dix-huit kilomètres trois

10/10

Surprisingly well written dialog. Visuals are great but the humanity of the characters carries this to another level

Un diable dans la poche

9/10

Amazing visuals and the most tense/creepy of Gobelin shorts i’ve ever seen. Chilling

La bestia

8/10

I had some issues with the pacing. Interesting story and visuals choices but I was not fond of the art style

Goodbye Robin

5/10

Confusing but predictable. Both at once??? Yes!

Le retour des vagues

6/10

Cool animation stuff but felt pretty pointless

                                                                ***

Part Two: Things I rewatched

Ruben Brandt: Collector

Movie, 2018, Hungarian

10/10. Underrated as hell

Watched this fully blind for the first time in an animated festival and rewatched it with friends. It’s a crime I never see anyone talking about it given the amount of whining I see about the lack of both adult animation and 2D movies? This film is a unique love letter to art in the form of a weird mix of charming crime story and psychological horror with amazing visuals. I recommend watching it blind and also buying it to show appreciation for how nice it is!!! WATCH THIS MOVIE...

Mononoke

Series, 2007, Japanese

10/10 Visual/storytelling masterpiece in the weird shit departement

If you can stomach intense stuff watch this. The visuals are incredibly unique and beautiful and under the jewel tones and art direction high takes it’s a really cool horror series. My only obstacle to enjoying it the first time I saw it was how dense it is - simply put, it’s so...culturally Japanese it’s not very accessible to me who doesn’t know anything about the culture? Watching it for the second time helped understanding the stories more! 

Corto Maltese in Siberia

Movie, 2002, french

9/10 but really close to ten. A great adaptation!

I’m a huge fan of the original comic so I entered this a biiiittttt suspicious it would suck but it was a really pleasant surprise! It has all the wonder and charm of the original and the animation was surprisingly good for the little budget. If you’re not familiar with the series, it’s a sort of geopolitical action/adventure movie but with it’s own really poetic vibe to it. It’s almost impossible to find online but happens to be fully on YouTube so go ham I guess?

Redline

Movie, 2009, Japanese

10/10 cinema was invented for this, actually

Every review of this movie i’ve seen gives it five stars and starts by talking about how immensly stupid it is. I’m no different. It’s a masterpiece of escalating energy with the depth of a puddle and it fucking rules. It’s free on YouTube too so there really is no excuse to not watch it. Watched it for the first time on a huge cinema screen and despite this my second rewatch on my small laptop was as/even more enjoyable. If you watch this stoned with friends you might travel to another dimension

Spirited Away

Movie, 2001, Japan

10/10 deserves the love it gets

I watched this a single time as a kid and had little memory of it! I mean it’s Ghibli you know it’s going to be good as hell but this one rly shines in how colorful and detailed it is and in it’s world! It made me remember I had a huge crush on the dragonboy as a kid. I’m gay now

Kung-fu Panda (1&2)

Movie, Usa

10/10. KFP fucking rules

Honestly my favorite franchise of the whole disney/dreamworks/pixar hydra. It’s fun as hell, doesn’t skip a single beat and has amazing animation and character designs. If something is a good time I will not care if it’s deep or not and boy I fucking love these movies

Sinbad, Legend of the Seven Seas

Movie, 2003, Usa

5/10 Some great some really bad and overall generic

I tend to hate american cinema and this includes that era of animation I have no nostalgia for. Sinbad is in a weird place because I love adventure stories and the visuals of the movie absolutely deliver but it’s very predictable and TANKED by the addition of the female character, pushed in your face as “look we have woman!!!” despite her writing being misogynistic as hell lol. The evil goddess rules tho. This movie would have been a solid 9 if instead of the girl the two dudes had kissed

[geckolady]

Skulduggery Pleasant: Raising Cain - Chapter 7

Chapter 7 - Perchance for cain

They laughed on the way to the Sanctuary, and hugs with Bear and Weasel were mandatory – for Stephanie only – and they were finally able to find out what had happened.

“Serpine’s men had amour and weapons,” Bear told Stephanie. “And they were in a small room and made sure to split us up.”

“We work better together,” Wolf said.

“Always have. And with others in the room we didn’t have a chance to fight to our strengths. They knew that would happen, but we rushed into it and didn’t realise until too late,” Bear said. “We were very lucky to have you, Stephanie.”

Crow nodded. “Though we do need to help you think up a name still. Calling you by your given name is getting more dangerous every day.”

“She’s Cub,” Wolf proclaimed. “Right, Cub?”

“Yeah!” She said, putting her hands in the air. They high-fived.

Crow made a movement that was likely an eyeroll. “But you still need a real name. Code names are good for missions, we’ve needed them for a while I suppose, but that doesn’t change the fact you need a Taken name.”

“Hey,” Weasel said to Stephanie, “you still haven’t told us why you gave us those names.”

“Aren’t you meant to know these things?” Stephanie asked him.

He rolled his eyes. “I can’t know everything. That would be boring. Tell me, why do I get the bad name?”

She tilted her head at him. “You don’t have a bad name.”

“Oh God,” Snake said. “She’s already acting like Skul.”

Stephanie flipped her hair back and began pointing and explaining – she pointed to Skulduggery, “Crow, you always brought weird things, like crows get stuff for their nests.” She pointed to Ghastly, “Panda made me a panda bear when I was little and it was the first thing he gave me and my favourite toy, so it became his name.” To Anton, “Bear, you got me things that made me think you were trying to be all tough and not super cute but also wanted to spoil me like a marshmallow. I almost called you marshmallow actually but I liked the animal theme so you became Bear.” Dexter, “Wolf, I’m not really sure how it happened, but it seemed to fit the you I made up from all the things you got me. It was always something new, unexpected and I loved it. I could always count on you to get me something when something bad happened too, so I sort of learned you were loyal and trustworthy, so I thought of a dog, but that sounded too tame compared to the other cool names so you’re a wolf.” Saracen, “Weasel, you always got me things I could eat or where I’d find more things to eat when I got there and weasels were good at finding food and getting from place to place unseen. At least to my head when I was a kid that’s how I thought of it, so you got to be Weasel. I like that name.” Erskine, “And Snake, I always thought you’d be telling me to do the stupid things and getting me in trouble on purpose, and then you’d hide and laugh at me, so you got to be Snake. You were always my favourite when I was very little because I’d spend so much time alone and whatever stupid thing imaginary Snakie said to me were usually pretty fun. So, I like it. I like them all though.”

They nodded and grinned. She thought they seemed pretty happy with that. “I like that,” Wolf said. “I’m the coolest.”

Stephanie started to laugh as all hell broke loose and they started bickering over who got to be the coolest.

“Guys!” She shouted at them, finally getting their attention. “You still need to tell me what happened! You got split up but you didn’t tell me anything.”

“Oh, yes,” Crow said, then coughed as if trying to distract himself from his own immature behaviour. “We were split up and attacked with extreme force. We knew Serpine was not to be underestimated but I think when we didn’t see Serpine we didn’t think his lackies would be any good. Obviously, we were wrong. Though we are lucky enough that there aren’t as many Hollow Men now.”

“Hollow Men?”

“Those paper like things from earlier. They have the single purpose of fighting to the death. Generally they can’t do anything but in numbers they are catastrophic. Eliminating a handful now is the absolute difference between life and death later.”

She nodded.

“The fight didn’t last long. They had a very big man that got a bag over my head and shackled me to a bedpost before I could do much, which bound my magic and stopped me from helping,” Skulduggery explained for her. She had assumed that was what the cuffs did but it was good to know. “I believe the rest of the fight was over as people were knocked out. And now I would like to know what happened to you.”

Stephanie was looked at by them all and Wolf let her have the stage. She hesitated. “Well, it was pretty fast honestly. I just remember attacking this guy and the Hollow Men almost made me sick – I hate them by the way – and Wolf had all that purple mist you told me about on him. He kept screaming at that first guy who was going to hurt him more, so I stabbed him in the chest. Serpine said I killed him.”

They were quiet. “I’m sorry,” Wolf finally said.

She waved him away. “I’d rather he stopped hurting you. But then again, I’d rather never have to see Serpine again, his magic definitely hurts too much.”

“What the–”

“Excuse me I’m still speaking Mr Pleasant!” She called before he had the chance. His jaw snapped shut. “So I passed out in the office after some guy turned up and I don’t remember what he said, just that he was there. I woke in the cell and that guy came in pretty soon after to take me to Serpine and he tried to make me convert to his mission and be his daughter or some shit and I told him to shove it but in less words because I didn’t want to die and I was taken back to the cells with only one smack which I thought was pretty good going considering everything. I tricked the guy into switching around cuffs and then I beat his ass and came and found all you. So you all got save by a little girl. Ha.”

They snorted at themselves and the tension went from the van. “We are so teaching you to fight.” Weasel said.

“I did fight!”

“Better,” Crow said. “If this becomes a habit, if you want to keep up with the people we have to fight, you need to be better. We get the worst, most likely to be killed missions. You will have to sit out of a few until you are up to the standards we expect. I’m sure we can find a few small cases until you’re ready for the big dogs though.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sure.”

They told her about Meritorious and the other Elders on the way but told her they were not going to be introducing them at that moment as they didn’t want to have to argue to keep her as their apprentice. Still, she and Dexter would have to go to someone called Doctor Kenspeckle in the Hibernian Cinema, a place he had converted secretly into a small hospital. They had already registered with him as soon as Gordon had died since they knew she was going to be sent into their care.

They waited for the Cleavers to get out the van and they all left, and Wolf disappeared to get them a car – Weasel whispered to her secretively that he was going to flirt one out of the Administrator which had made her blush violently because flirting was weird, but also grin because it was weird in another way – and the others disappeared to sit around for the Elders and Stephanie had to wait for Wolf next to Panda who snored lightly from the pavement. It didn’t take too long before Wolf pulled up next to her and they pulled and pushed Panda awkwardly into the car and then got in the front.

Since they were hoping he would awaken soon and didn’t care how, they put on the radio as loud as it went, making the car vibrated with the music, and they sang along too loud for them to sound good, which Stephanie was grateful for. They drove for half an hour and screamed the whole way, even in traffic, getting a lot of looks, and when they pulled up in front of the cinema and continued to sing until the end of the song, Panda still hadn’t woken up.

Her ears rang, but she was happy to help push Panda from the borrowed car and Wolf pulled him onto his shoulders. She locked the car for him and opened the building doors. He told her where to stand and made her walk through the magic door into the medical practice, making her grin and laugh and run up to the top.

“Who is making that racket?!” A voice shouted from somewhere. Two young men walked into the large waiting hall with smiles. They waved at her.

“Hello,” she said to them. “My friends need help.”

“Who are they?” One of them asked.

“Ghastly Bespoke and Dexter Vex.”

They laughed. “Oh, we know them, are they coming up now?”

Wolf came up sideways with Panda still on his shoulders. “Yeah,” she said. “Where do you want them?”

“This way,” he said. “I’m Civet by the way.”

She grabbed Wolf’s top and pulled him along. “Come,” she commanded. “I don’t have a name yet.”

“It’s a big decision. I’m Stentor,” the other told her and they opened a door to a ward in which Wolf placed Panda with surprising gentleness onto a bed.

She put her hands on her hips. “You need to lie down too.”

He grinned wickedly. “Oh yeah? Why should I?”

“Because you were in a traumatic incident and must be checked for death.”

“For death?” He said, laughing.

“Yes, and if you don’t I’ll tell on you.” He stepped towards her menacingly, but she didn’t move. “And it’ll be awful. You’ll be lectured and told off and still have to get checked but it’ll be worse. What are you doing?”

He didn’t respond, just pulled her to him and started tickling mercilessly. She shrieked with laughter and immediately fell to the floor, hugging her sides and trying to breathe through the intensity of the fun. An old man with grey hair and stern words for Wolf came in at some point but it just made Wolf pretend to roar and pounce on her and he ended up on his knees tickling her until she was screaming that she was about to pee herself and she was pretty sure she did just a little bit before he stopped and they panted, giggling still in her case, and the old man came and stood a foot from them.

“Are you two quite finished?” He said sternly.

“No.” They said at once.

He sighed tiredly. “Get on a bed. Both of you.”

He turned to his assistants and started telling them thing so Wolf and Stephanie looked at each other. They both stood silently and got into the same bed, Stephanie sitting on Wolf’s knees in the most uncomfortable for him way she could.

Kenspeckle turned back to them to tell them something and saw them. “For God’s sake. Your own beds!”

“Oh!” Stephanie said acting surprised. “Why didn’t you say that in the first place?” She got in her own bed and tried not to grin at the looks she was getting from the doctor, Civet and Stentor.

“Insolent girl. Tell me what happened to you.”

She told him about the brief torture and her time stuck in the cell but after a check over and some food she was told she’d be fine. Wolf was checked last and the other Dead Men came into the ward just as Panda groaned and started to wake up.

They were also sent into their own beds for check-ups though Bear and Weasel got out of that, meaning they could sit on either side of Stephanie and relay the meeting, in which they tried to convince the Elders that Serpine had killed people recently, including Gordon, and had taken them hostage, including a minor female that had been left at the mercy of not just Serpine, who tortured her, but also other known criminals. It had been played up a little to try and convince them but even then, it hadn’t been enough to get a guaranteed stance from the Sanctuary.

“We usually fight alone,” Bear told her reassuringly in his deep, quiet voice. He was the most comforting to have around, so calm and reassuring. Panda came next though she imagined she’d go to him for council and he’d help her, whereas Bear would let her talk and probably then kill or seriously maim whoever tried to hurt her, so they never tried again. It was very nice to have such strong support. She could have used that last year through school.

It was after saying all that they tried to help her with her name. The key word being ‘tried’.

“We need to play to your strengths.”

“Your personality.”

“You like funny things. Something warm and fun would be good.”

“Or something ironic,” Crow pointed out. “You like dark humour too much for something warm.”

“No,” Weasel argued for her. “She could have a warm name.”

“Yeah,” Snake smirked. “Like Flame.”

“That’s terrible,” Panda groaned. He had a bad headache after hitting his head hard and being given a sedative.

Stephanie nodded. “It was pretty terrible.”

“You need something bold. Strong,” Wolf said. “Like Wolf.”

She stared at him. “Wolf is my least liked name.” He raised an eyebrow and she grinned instantly. “I do want a bold name though. Something easy to remember. Not a mouthful. Not boring either.”

“Perhaps something exotic,” Wolf said. “Maybe we should get some books.”

They tried to think up some books or other things they could use to help her but were soon being kicked out of the place by Kenspeckle, getting Stentor and Civet in trouble as they had joined the efforts to think of names. Stephanie was last out and held back for a moment by the doctor.

“Are you alright my dear?” He asked.

She smiled at him. “I haven’t been happier in a long time.”

He sighed. “I would hate to see you get hurt on one of their hair-brained schemes.”

“I like hair-brained schemes. I like crime, in fact. I want to do crime tonight!”

He rolled his eyes. “God, just like Pleasant. You two both have a perchance for cain.”

“What’s that mean?”

“Trouble. It means you’re trouble and I’m going to have to fix you too much. Now go on I suppose but remember to rest or else you’ll be very sore tomorrow.”

She grinned and gave the grumpy man a hug before running down the stairs straight onto the back of Bear who hiked her higher and let her stay there. He really was a marshmallow.

[musicollage]

Atlas Sound. Logos, 2009. Kranky (USA) / 4AD (UK). ( Lyrics & Music – Bradford Cox )  ~ [ Album Review |   1) Pitchfork  +  2) Pop Matters  + 3) Drowned In Sound  +  4) NME  + 5) Prefix Magazine  ]

1) As we've gotten to know Bradford Cox over the last couple of years through shows, interviews, and blog posts, one of the Deerhunter frontman's most appealing qualities is his deep and nuanced appreciation of the music of others. Some musicians listen to records to see how they work, check out the competition, or trawl for ideas; by all available evidence, Cox feels records, deeply. If he was born without musical gifts and couldn't sing or play an instrument, one can imagine him working at a record store, amassing an enviable collection while driving people on a message board crazy with the sureness of his detailed opinions. Whatever you think of his exploits as an indie rock media figure, Cox's music fandom is easy to identify with and also offers a portal into his own work.

Atlas Sound, Cox's solo alias, in one sense serves as a sort of laboratory for figuring out what makes some his favorite music tick, away from the expectations of his main band. Two collaborations on Logos, the second Atlas Sound full-length, are excellent examples of how music listening can be absorbed into original work. First is "Walkabout", a track Cox wrote and recorded with Noah Lennox from Animal Collective, whom Cox got to know during a European tour. Though Cox's music shades dark and Lennox's is often flecked with uncertainty and doubt, "Walkabout" is the sunniest pop tune of either of their careers. Coasting on a buoyant, twinkling keyboard sample, it is a starkly catchy and irresistible, a clattery post-millennial Archies tune that straddles perfectly the border between simple and simplistic. Interestingly, it also sounds very much like a Panda Bear tune.

Then there is Lætitia Sadier of Stereolab, who wrote the lyrics and sings lead on Logos' "Quick Canal". The song opens with some gorgeously textured organ chords and soon a steady-state beat and drums rise up in the mix, setting the kind of relaxed-but-propulsive neo-krautrock scene that Stereolab perfected very early on. Here Cox gets to play the part of the late Mary Hansen, adding "la-di-da" trills behind Sadier as she intones phrases in her unfailingly lovely, for-the-ages voice. He even throws in a "Jenny Ondioline"-style rupture about halfway through, sending the track into a breathtaking shoegaze section for its final four minutes, wherein it floats magisterially on a pillow of shifting guitar feedback. "Quick Canal" is almost nine minutes long and it doesn't waste a second.

On these tracks, the confidence Cox shows in melting his aesthetic into the soundworld of other musicians is striking-- both are unqualified successes, very different from each other but among the best things Cox has ever done. But they also sound a lot like the music his collaborators are known for. Cox's sympathetic support and sense of how to construct songs with others suggests a desire to expand the parameters of what Atlas Sound can be. And given his willingness to let others take the microphone on an Atlas Sound project on these cuts, I can't help but go back to Cox's words on Logos before the album was released, which suggested that this was to be less introverted and that was "not about me."

And then I remember that the cover of the album consists of a photo of Cox with his shirt off and the lyrics in the first two songs start with the word "I", which suggests that we probably shouldn't take these statements very seriously. While the songs may or may not be "about" Cox in the strictest sense, the overall vibe is at least as introverted as 2008's Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel, and every note bears the same signature. With its strummed guitars, hushed double-tracked vocals, and tunes more reliant on ambiance and feel than melody or rhythm, Logos feels every bit as diaristic and personal, but with Cox, that's a plus. At this point, we're not looking to this guy for commentary on the outside world; we want to hear him wrestle with private demons in the sanctuary of his bedroom, bathing every sound in reverb to give the illusion of space and as a sonic balm against loneliness and figuring out how to make music as affecting as the stuff he loves to listen to.

So tracks like "The Light That Failed", "An Orchid", and "My Halo" (the latter two, though different in tone, are further entries in Cox's growing line of melancholy waltz-time shuffles) function primarily as the kind of eerie, blown-out mood music he has become very good at. They are amorphous sketches that still manage to convey feeling, capturing the sort of sad, exhausted, and fragile emotional state that is Cox's area of expertise. "Shelia", a taut pop song with a great chorus hook, is a change-up, though the repeating refrain "No one wants to die alone" fits with the rest of the record's themes. And "Washington School", with its dissonant chime of metallic percussion that sound like gamelan or evilly out-of-tune steel drums, contains the record's most interesting production, with thick drones reminiscent of Tim Hecker and menacing rhythm track.

So some things are different, some are the same, but all of it works well together. It's true that every time Cox ventures out of his comfort zone on Logos, you wish that he'd go even further and embrace extremes-- of tunefulness, tradition, noise-- that don't necessarily come to him naturally. He may yet take a big leap with Atlas Sound, but here the steps away, though rewarding, are tentative. For the rest of the record, Logos feels familiar and assuring, another affecting dispatch from a corner of indie music that is increasingly starting to seem like one Cox pretty much owns.

2) Take a quick gander at Deerhunter's discography and you'll notice a clear stylistic trajectory. From the confrontational noise of "Turn It Up Faggot" to the ambient preoccupations of Cryptograms to the straight-up indie-pop of Microcastle/Weird Era Cont., it's plain to see that as the band has evolved over time, its songwriting has increasingly tended toward the more accessible end of the spectrum. Unsurprisingly, it appears that Bradford Cox's other songwriting vehicle, Atlas Sound, is following a similar arc. On Logos, his second album under the Atlas Sound moniker, Cox provides us with 11 songs that are far less insular, though no less dreamy, than those he has penned in the past. While his fractured compositions still evoke the myth of the bedroom pop auteur, the songs on Logos sound considerably more refined than the lo-fi sketches being churned out by many of his peers. This, as it turns out, is a very good thing.

  To wit: "Walkabout", the track that had the blogosphere buzzing with anticipation for the better part of the summer. Built around a squelchy organ sample lifted from the Dovers "What Am I Going to Do", the song simultaneously recalls both the acid-tinged psychedelia of Black Moth Super Rainbow and the technicolor pop of Brian Wilson. Of course, it's impossible to mention "Walkabout" without acknowledging its co-creator, Noah Lennox, a.k.a. Panda Bear. In many ways, "Walkabout" bears Lennox's fingerprints more than it does Cox's, with Lennox's wistful vocal harmonies echoing throughout the track's four-minute runtime. It's easy to see why Cox chose to leak "Walkabout" well in advance of the release of Logos; bright, bubbly and infinitely catchy, the song perfectly captures the mood of a fleeting summer afternoon and stands as one of the year's best singles.

   "Walkabout" is obviously a standout, though it's also an outlier when approached within the context of Logos. While some may feel as if they've been misled, the good news is that the rest of the album is no less rewarding, if not quite as instantly gratifying. Take, for example, the opening suite that leads up to "Walkabout". Pitting disjointed acoustic guitar strums and distant, reverb-soaked vocals against a backdrop of aqueous noise, "The Light That Failed" succeeds at drawing the listener in while still keeping her at arm's length. "An Orchid", meanwhile, presents the listener with a dreamy ballad that feels like an indistinct outline for a Deerhunter song. Cox's vocals and the song's guitar hook are buried just deep enough in the mix to force the listener to dig a little. When "Walkabout" finally hits, it feels like a reward well earned.

  Luckily, "Walkabout" isn't the only nugget of pure pop bliss to be found on Logos. "Shelia", a disarmingly straightforward slice of jangly college-rock, proves hard to shake, with its Pixies-esque melody and sun-bleached three-part harmonies. Lyrically, the song serves as a world-weary rejoinder to the sweetly nostalgic refrain of "Walkabout" ("What did you want to be / When you grew up"), with Cox explaining, "No one wants / To die alone", before promising the song's titular subject, "We'll die alone / Together." It sure goes down easy, though.

  Cox has publicly acknowledged that Stereolab were his favorite band in high school, so it should come as no surprise that given the opportunity to collaborate with Lætitia Sadier, he puts his best foot forward. On "Quick Canal", he lovingly builds up and tears down a cathedral of sound for Sadier to inhabit, layering a deep bass groove, tambourine hits and a wall of gently panning organs atop a steady, shuffling beat. Midway through, the song falls apart, briefly taking a detour into glitchy noise before giving way to a squall of fuzzed-out guitars. Try as Cox might to obfuscate the vocals, however, Sadier's voice proves indefatigable. To her credit, she sounds right at home here, bouncing her voice off of the song's jagged edges to produce a track that's equal parts haunting and triumphant.

  With regard to electronic composition, on Logos Cox sounds more confident than ever before. Samples and electronic instrumentation form the underpinnings of many of the album's songs, though not to conspicuous effect. Penultimate track "Washington School" illustrates this point better than perhaps any other on the album. Opening with a loop built from fragments of a minor key piano line, the song soon piles on a pounding, bass-heavy beat, chimes and a playful synth line, blossoming into a full-on folktronica number that recalls Four Tet circa Rounds. Somewhere in the distance, Cox's disembodied voice rings out: "Shine a light / On me."

  If Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel was the product of Cox's willful isolation, then Logos is the sound of the auteur stepping outside of his bedroom to engage the world outside. Though it cedes little of the hazy delivery that made Let the Blind… so compelling, Logos brims with a wide-eyed energy all its own, conveying a palpable sense of optimism that's all too rare in Cox's oeuvre. This isn't too surprising when one considers the circumstances; the path that led Cox to the album's creation -- globetrotting tours with his idols, collaborations with some of the most distinctive voices in indie rock -- is the stuff of dreams for hermetic music nerds. Perhaps that's why Logos sounds as vibrant as it does: it's the result of Bradford Cox living out his dreams rather than just dreaming them.

   3) One of many unsatisfactory things about end-of-decade retrospectives is that musicians are rarely so accommodating as to plot their careers in nice, convenient ten year cycles. Nonetheless, that’s how posterity tends to remember them, regardless of finer details. Thus the Kinks are Sixties artists, the Clash a Seventies act, Talk Talk an Eighties band, Nirvana from the Nineties, and you’d comfortably stick a punt on The Strokes and Sufjan Stevens ending up defined by this decade we’re exiting.

  But what of Bradford Cox? Even if you were aware of Deerhunter's raucous 2005 debut ”Turn It Up Faggot” at the time, you're a wizard or a liar if you foresaw how their frontman was going to fill the years 2007 to 2009. That is to say: three Deerhunter albums (‘tis a fool indeed who views Weird Era Cont. as anything other than a record in its own right), two EPs, and a solo project as Atlas Sound that’s yielded God-know-how-many free downloads, as well as last year's Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel, and now – an epic 22 months later - Logos. That all of this bar the odd freebie has been good to exemplary is simply astonishing, and points to an artist whose profligacy and cult popularity has him nicely set up to be a defining artist of the next decade.

  And yet... anomalous as ”Turn It Up Faggot” may seem, such scabrous origins are indicative of a palette that has been cooling and quietening ever since Cox first intersected with the limelight. The soundbite-friendly ‘ambient punk’ aesthetic never really lasted beyond Cryptograms, with Microcastle canning the abrasiveness in favour of reasonably straightforward shoegaze set off with dreamlike Fifties flourishes. Having arrived at something like a commercial sound, another artist might have stopped there; however, Cox has ploughed right on through, this year’s Rainwater Cassette Exchange far and away Deerhunter’s most introverted work, a retreat into quiescent childhood reverie.

  Logos has much more in common with Rainwater... than Let the Blind..., for the most part ditching the dissonant electronics in favour of delayed acoustic guitars and old-time pop structures. On the face of it, it sets out Atlas Sound’s stall as simply being whatever Cox may do sans Deerhunter. Yet in a way the 'ambient solo project' tag still kind of makes sense. Strictly speaking ambient music is defined not by instrumentation, but by its evasion of the consciousness. Whole swathes of Logos are blurred and indistinct - technically melodic, hooky songs treated and delivered in such a way that they all but self-negate, leaving nothing but fleeting impressions: the winsome viola that arrives in ‘Attic Lights’, just as Cox mutters ”maximum pain, maximum effect”; the gay singer’s unsettling yearning for traditional marriage on ‘Sheila’ ("we’ll die alone, together"); the barely discernible mantra ”all is love” that briefly ghosts through ‘Washington School’.

  This might sound like a way of romanticising an unmemorable album, but that's far from the case. These songs are bunched together into two dreamy, fog-like passages that serve as a backdrop for a handful of the most tangible tunes Cox has ever written, soaring atmospherically above the misty dreampop. Opener ‘The Light That Failed’ roots itself in the consciousness through eerily torpid glitching, Cox’s disconcerting use of something approaching a falsetto, and the doomy langour of its titular lyric. It sets up an album that frequently drifts into disquieting areas, yet never quite follows through on this early moment of dread. Indeed, delightful Panda Bear hook up ‘Walkabout’ serves as definitive proof that the light hasn't failed at all. While much of Cox’s early pop obsession speaks of a desire to creep out of the now entirely, ‘Walkabout’ is far more tangible and good natured, thanks largely to Panda Bear’s high, comforting tones and the appropriation of the hook from actual vintage Sixties pop gem ‘What Am I Going To Do?’ by The Dovers. Ironically for a song built around a 40-year-old tune, nothing, else on Logos has ‘Walkabout’s immediacy, though the excellent title track comes close, a rattling Strokes-alike number slightly removed from the world by Cox’s arsenal of floaty FX.

  As we’ve known ever since last year’s leak of the Logos demos, the centrepiece is the eight and a half minute, wholly electronic ‘Quick Canal’. Though tamed a little from the leaked 13 minute instrumental, this more mannered, Laetitia Sadier-sung incarnation is a better fit here, and still towers above the skyline. The Stereolab singer adds an inescapably Enya-ish quality to the gentle early stages, but by the time the song’s swooshing, snowy motorik has kicked into full gear she fits in immaculately, an aloof Old World passenger on a song charged with haughty European electronica. It perhaps doesn’t sound so jaw-dropping as it did in isolation, but a lot of that can be attributed to an intentional effect of the surroundings. Those short, subliminal songs serving to filter away reality and focus, like half remembered dreams that leaves the senses baffled and feverish.

  Logos is a gorgeous, hallucinatory and somewhat sickly outing. While there's every chance he'll wrong foot us, and soon, this record is entirely in keeping with the increasingly self-erasing route Bradford Cox has taken as a musician; it's hard to stifle a shudder at that blanked out cover image. Maybe Cox will go on to be a star next decade - he's a gregarious, prolific man liked by critics. But listen to his music, and that doesn't feel quite right. Maybe he'll become an icon. Or maybe he’ll finally make his escape from our timestream entirely, leaving us to wonder if he was ever there at all.

   4) Much like Starbucks, Bradford Cox has become a ubiquitous presence. What with his work with art-rock outfit Deerhunter, his involvement in Karen O’s official soundtrack for Where The Wild Things Are, and now this, his second solo offering under the Atlas Sound banner, you’d be forgiven for thinking that such familiarity will start to breed contempt. But you’d be way off the mark.

  There are two things you should know about this unlikely lo-fi hero of gangly deportment (he has Marfan Syndrome, a genetic disorder that stretches his limbs and strains his heart) and a girlish speaking voice (the affliction for this is yet uncertain). Firstly, it is impossible to dislike him (just see Wayne Coyne’s spoof argument with him on YouTube, branding Cox a “dick”). Secondly, his creative output has proved him to be one of – if not the – most forward-thinking and inspiring musicians of our generation.

  So, as Cox takes time out from Deerhunter, along comes ‘Logos’. Less of an experimental minefield than its predecessor, ‘Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel’, it sees Cox weave in and out of dream-like sequences, such as the sombre ‘The Light That Failed’ and ‘Quick Canal’, the latter featuring the sweetly masculine vocal of [a]Stereolab[/a]’s Laetitia Sadier; while ‘An Orchid’ pitches in as the aural equivalent of a David Lynch storyboard, guided along with looped noises and whimsical vocals.

  It’d be easy to overlook Cox’s lyrics when the soundscapes are this rich and ornate, but there’s a delicate exploration of the most human of sensibilities and yearnings on ‘Logos’. He opens up the emotional vaults on ‘Sheila’, pining softly that “no-one wants to die alone… we’ll die alone together”. Likewise with ‘My Halo’, where Cox reveals “My halo burned a hole in the sky/My halo burned a hole in the ground… so I wait for polarity to change”. There’s much warmth and playfulness to be found here too, the unfeigned honesty and childlish desires expressed on ‘Walkabout’ – featuring the falsetto of [a]Animal Collective[/a]’s Noah Lennox – with its lyric “What did you want to see?/What did you want to be when you grew up?” being a case in point.

  Cox may have tagged Atlas Sound as just another side-project, but ‘Logos’ is a clear indication that his solo creative output is just as richly rewarding as what came before.

   5) For a project originally started as a way for Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox to give a voice to his despairing isolation (he records completely alone) as a teenager, Atlas Sound is starting to sound like an arena-filling, widescreen pop project. Logos, Cox’s second proper solo album, takes the dense, gray worlds of Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See, But Cannot Feel and puts them through a rainbow, delivering a splendid album.

  If there’s one word to describe Logos, it’s “watery.” And in that regard, Logos shares a lot in common with Merriweather Post Pavilion (and Deerhunter’s Rainwater Cassette Exchange from earlier this year). Both albums trade in dreamy avant-pop landscapes buoyed by soggy atmospherics. “Criminals” sways like a shipping vessel in choppy seas, while the album’s great closing third (“My Halo” through the title track) sounds like it was transmitted from that underwater base in the third season of Lost. Cox is still reliant on the general ambiance that envelops his solo work, but here he’s willing to let his vocals float above the mix. And while musically this is brighter, he’s still all Debbie Downer. Old standby lyrical tropes of growing old (on “Sheila” Cox sings “we will grow old” like he’s reassuring someone else), loneliness (“Attic Lights”) and lost hope (“The Light that Failed”) show up repeatedly, and he still sounds like he’s on his deathbed when he sings.

  But for an album created largely by one guy alone in his room, the guest performances shine the most on Logos. Stereolab’s  Lætitia Sadier wrote the lyrics for “Quick Canal,” a sprawling, shoegazey track that never loses its motorik motion, peaking repeatedly in its eight minutes. The bubbly “Walkabout,” the high-profile track with Animal Collective’s Panda Bear lives up to all the hypertext spilled about it this summer, delivering the best of both Panda Bear’s effervescent youthful innocence and Cox’s wistful yearning.

  Logos, while just the second solo album from the frontman for a band of marginal fame, represents the latest and greatest chapter in Cox’s ride to indie stardom. He rose to prominence mid-decade as a confrontational trickster riding blog-hype (circa Cryptograms), continuing with a solo album to build his brand (Let the Blind), an indie-rock masterwork (Microcastle) and a solo album of nearly as high repute (Logos). As for what’s next, Cox has remained mum (though Deerhunter might be taking a hiatus), but with Logos, he ensures we’ll all be waiting.