#i had specifically the playstation universe in my mind

[milimeters-morales]

Miles: oh sorry someone’s calling me

Miles: … oh really?? wow!! mhm… mhm.. damn, okay… yeah i can make it!! see you in 10! I won’t be late don’t worry haha! love you too, bye (hangs up)

Peter: oh you’re leaving??

Mike: no, wrong number 😊

[thesafeplaceforhealing]

Love, love love!

Are humans controled by emotions? I see our lives turned their orientation towards the so-called "audience engagement". We gotta make it quick and efficient, am talking about our lives. I witnessed the transition from being a kid who was happily playing in the street with the neighbour kids, now I am an efficient human being supposedly. Times change all the times! I appreciate that, I won't ever be against it, like when people refused to use a lamp instead of lighting candles because "it is the evil running that light". Is so good to experience changes, even inside ourselves.

I was once a very different person. I was a rebel. At 12 I brought my girls with me to our stadium claiming it as a space for girls, too. We demanded a team for us, girls. They said they couldn't. But within a few months, rugby trainers came to our school and we had our rugby girls team! Scored the second place at national level. We were amazing. I used to defend girls' rights without even knowing what a "right" was - which is actually a claim of something you think must be accessible for you. I was even a feminist without knowing "feminism" was an actual movement, I was just a girl who wanted equal opportunities. I was very angry, I did that because my mum back in 2012 bought me a Wii, game supposed to be more for girls, while I specifically asked for a playstation in order to play Fifa as I loved football. I was told I was supposed to just be girlie. Is that even a thing? I got so mad I brought my girls to the stadium. Absorbing that phrase quite some times during my early time shaped me endlessly. I was constantly brought to think what I was allowed to do and not to as a young female. Anger raised me and matured me enough to become this calm and this composed and this actually boring person.

My love for writing never changed, tho. Now, I even extended my audience to my whatsapp chatt, sometimes I just start writing to people just for the honest sake of speaking my mind. You know I always see the flaws and for that I owe explainations to people as a form of respect towards them: when I see someone who would not really even try to be peaceful, I won't speak my mind, sometimes it ain't worthy. My love for music has never changed, too. Still helping me to be revived from darkness. Nothing I love more that music <3

Today, we are extensively taught to be efficient under all possible aspects. That freaks me out so badly. I open my social media and all I see is people making videos with great explanaitions of how to do literally anything in the best way. A wonderful sicilian boy makes videos based on data on why is important to go to school and university to kind of both have his say on this very topic and deal with the very wide problem of dropouts. This shows the so-called "invisible hands of the market", which is viewed in terms of economics, but I can also perceiveit under the aspect of politics and sociology. An activist is making an impact on society and is changing it (I supposed I did not analyze his outcomes) and people go to school and university! Great, amazing, incredible, wow. But what about the Government? It just waits for people to fix their problems. I got this idea when I read the Agenda 2030 by the UN. I thought it was a guide to get where we supposed to be sustainably. But guess what, it is just indicators to measure sustainabily and to implement an impact. I was very excited about the Agenda back in 2015, it blew my mind. But when I actually read it all I felt such a disappointment that I thought "well, they are just waiting for us to fix all the problems. The Government should employ the guy who makes videos about the importance of schoolin and he should be given all tools for running a national campaign. But guess what? Government won't have this brilliant idea. I love people, I just want to see them able to sustain their lives. So, yes let's all be efficient but Governments, Unions and International Organizations. So, yes let's fix all problems while those who could actually solve them all just sit and philosophise.

Emotions. Am I controlled by emotions? Are you? Are we? I would say "yes, we do". Everything is based on them. An emotion can lead to take a choice that will bring us to a specific type of reality. Right now I am more focused on my goal, because if I do not reach it I can not be satisfied. But yes I like emotions and I think they're beautiful, I think they great, I think they are a wonderful reflection of who we are inside, like an eye which reflects the inward one. Concluding, I wouldn't suggest to anyone being an efficient human being as I consider it something that belongs to machines and robots and all of that high tech that is really finally happening. We belong to emotions! But we can choose to be more rational or even more sensitive. It is who we choose to be that will form our personality. Great times we live in, I am thrilled of being here. Blessings, G

[halcyon-digest]

2011

Art Klaudt: Enrolling at high school

Anonymous 1: closeted surveillance mind reading delusions

ava: going to the pool in the summer with my mom and sister. the kids yelling in the castle park next door, the smell of hot dogs from the snack shack, the black trash bags we put on the car seats to keep them from getting wet. the shiny silver seatbelt you had to be careful not to burn yourself with. blasting selena gomez & the scene’s album “when the sun goes down” front to back and singing along with my sister in the back seat.

kate: I graduated from high school. I also made my tumblr account. A few of my friends had them, but I think the deciding factor was my friend Chris. I don't even remember how we started being friends or why he shared his tumblr with me but we're still bros to this day. It was full of personal writing, and he was (and still is) very depressed and thoughtful. I would tease him about his sad posts about his crush, who I had deduced was the first chair violinist in our high school orchestra (and valedictorian). This is jumping ahead a bit but I feel like I can't talk about her without mentioning that she was brilliant, incredibly kind, and died suddenly and somewhat mysteriously in 2017, and it shocked everyone but I think hit him particularly hard. Anyways. That's how it all started. 13 years of a website becoming an indelible part of my brain.

Anonymous 2: my first guitar lessons with my middle school science teacher. i can still play a little song he taught me that was meant to help me memorize the pentatonic scale

Lucas: Can't think of any

Anonymous 3: A sort of synthesis of lots of memories that can't be separated out and feel like one memory, of being a student, getting severely drunk with a specific group of people, several specific pubs and bars, several streets in the city at night, the university campus at dawn, the university campus with its lake frozen and a shopping trolley pushed out into the middle, being in the tiny single bed in my girlfriend's room under her super cheap super light synthetic duvet and green bobbly sheets, the smell of the perfume Blue and head and shoulders apple 2-1 shampoo, listening to the clash, watching the twilight zone, the corridor and the shower room and how it all smelt, the willow tree outside my window.

Lucas: Getting a word wrong on a spelling test because I misheard it

Anonymous 5: Being humiliated by my homeroom teacher

superswag: I was 2

v0w0v: Biking to a local coffee shop in the summer to meet my friend and go on the computers there. He would pretend to be "Ben Drowned" on cleverbot and I would go on the creepypasta website. I was very attached to this friend and thought what I felt was a crush. He was kind of mean to me and a very stock-standard nerdlet in every way including academic prestige and a circle of friends just like him; in retrospect I understand the reason for my intense attachment is because I wanted his life, a kind of gender envy compounded on top of other sorts of envy.

Anonymous 6: Moving to a new school where I had to wear a uniform. The school was for poor kids and it was the first time I felt like I was different somehow from my peers, because other people around me had richer families and went to private schools and not the one I went to.

Anonymous 7: actually genuinely laughing at annoying orange.

binnie: The website Funnyjunk... I have a friend that is very dear to me who I still talk to that I met around these years.

Anonymous 8: Meeting a toxic friend that I was friends with for years, having a friendship on and off over the years.

April M. Mildew: I think I got a Playstation 3 for Christmas. It came with LittleBigPlanet 2. My life is boring. Why am I thinking about worms. What does this memory have to do with worms. There is some connection here with worms.

[nerdby]

Loki Season 2, Episodes 2&3

Theories & Breakdowns

Okay, I just finished watched episode three of the second season of the Loki series and I know that there is A LOT to keep track of in the Marvelverse and that it can be confusing. Trust me, peeps, I started getting into Marvel in a hardcore way all the back in 2004 back when google was practically useless cause it was bogged down by ads and every other link led to a porn website. The only advice I got when I asked for help on getting into the comics was, "Just pick one."

It was very unhelpful advice because X-Men was my jam back then and this was before House Of M had been written to clean up the Marvelverse. So there were literally a dozen different X-Men stories going at once and ALL of them were set in alternate universes in alternate timelines with various tie-ins to the Avengers, Spiderman, Fantastic Four, ect. Forums and the Marvel online encyclopedia was a gift from the Gods.

So I wanted to talk about some theories and tie-ins to the comics and other aspects of the MCU. That way people aren't confused and there will be less bitching.

Narnia Time

One thing that I noticed a lot of people were confused by is Loki referencing the events of Avengers (2012) like it happened a long time ago even though it had really only been a few weeks. If you go back and watch the first two episodes, though, you will notice that Brad has much longer hair in the second episode. This means that he probably has been in that particular universe or time branch for a while and remember

Time passes differently in the TVA.

In C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles Of Narnia -- specifically The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe -- the Pevensie children disappear through the magical wardrobe into the land of Narnia where they reside for YEARS after defeating the White Witch and becoming the new monarchs of Narnia. But at the end of the book, the Pevensies wander out of the wardrobe and back into their own world where it turns where only a few MINUTES have passed. Cause time passes differently.

Brad's new do and the fact that time passes differently in the TVA has me wondering if the TVA doesn't also operate on Narnia time. It wouldn't be all that surprising because the Loki series would not be the first piece of media to borrow this particular element of the Narnia saga. It was also a very important plot point in the 1999 anime Digimon Adventure01 (AKA Digimon: Digital Monsters) which was based off of the Japanese handheld toy and PlayStation 1 video game.

Both of which predate the Pokemon manga and anime, by the way.

It would be incredibly, laughably ironic though because the TVA is a pretty obvious metaphor for Christofascism and Narnia was written by C.S. Lewis to indoctrinate children into Christianity. Seriously, one of the books in the series called The Horse & His Boy is an Islamophobic shitrag about a boy from Narnia that rescues a girl from a very obviously Middle Eastern-inspired desert nation and brings her back to Narnia. Which at the end of the series we find out is some sort of metaphor for purgatory and Aslan is Jesus, I think.

It's been a long time since I read the books.

I just think that's hilarious and also 100% logical given that the Loki series seems to be a crossover of Agent Of Asgard and the Kang Dynasty that's building up to Avengers Forever. I'll talk about that more in a bit.

Amnesia?

The other thing that people seemed confused by when Loki referenced Avengers (2012) is that he seemed to be taking full responsibility for the ordeal. I mentioned in another post that in the first Avengers movie Thanos more than likely told Loki about the Infinity Stones, but very conveniently left out the fact that the Mind Stone which was encased in his staff would make him act like a giant, tantrum throwing douchenozzle and very easy to manipulate. I think that Loki taking responsibility for the Chitauri invasion supports that theory somewhat and also suggests that

Loki still hasn't figured out that the Mind Stone had any effect on him and therefore blames himself for the events that took place in the first Avengers movie.

Because it is canon that he was being controlled by the Mind Stone and manipulated by Thanos. This was confirmed by Marvel back in 2019.

If this is confusing then go back and do a very thorough rewatch of Avengers (2012) and Avengers: Age Of Ultron. It is in AoU that we find out that the Mind Stone is encased in the staff that was given to Loki by Thanos in the first Avengers film.

Who Built Miss Minutes?

In episode three, Miss Minutes said that Kang built her as an AI program to play chess with, but history has proven that Miss Minutes doesn't exactly have a great a track record and might not actually be trustworthy. Not only that but there is a theory trending that the Loki series building up to the Avengers Forever story arc from the comics. In the Avengers Forever story, Avengers from across the multiverse are brought together to take down a team of evil super villains by the Avenger Prime who is none other than Loki himself. And the guy leading the villains is Viktor von Doom -- AKA Doctor Doom who is the Big Bad in the Fantastic Four, but also a prevalent villain in other characters' arcs. Like everyone has gone head-to-head with Doom and his Doom Bots.

So is it possible that in an alternate timeline Kang and Doctor Doom knew each other, and Doom built or helped build Miss Minutes's AI program and Kang took credit for Doom's work? Or could a Doom variant using Miss Minutes to communicate with Kang and manipulate him?

Also there is a Fantastic Four movie in the works at Marvel, but it is still in pre-production. It would make sense that there would be some sort of a tie-in with all the multiverse shenanigans. Kingo from the Eternals was even briefly referenced in an easter egg in episode two of the Loki series.

Fascism

This is something I don't particularly like to talk about on this blog because it gets into my own personal religious beliefs. Which I have been mocked and discriminated against because of by asshole atheists on this app.

If you're an atheist with a bone to pick with religious people because you refuse to get therapy for your PTSD this is your opportunity to kindly fuck off👌🏻

But since Loki is based off of the Norse God it's kind of unavoidable. Especially with the giant looming statues of Thor, Odin, and Baldr in episode three. I know people are gonna have questions.

Those statues were a nod to modern day Norse Paganism and Loki sneering at them, I think, is Tom Hiddleston's and Marvel's way of saying they don't exactly approve of how things are going in the community.

That is because there is a very serious problem with Nazis and fascism in the Norse Pagan and Pagan community in general.

What the Loki series was referencing in episode three is called Folkish/Volkish Heathenry -- Heathenry is a synonym for Norse Paganism. Folkish Heathenry is basically Christofascist Norse Paganism. It is Norse Paganism that was inspired by Adolf Hitler's Nazi occultism blended with misappropriated Wicca, Norse Paganism, and Christianity. Folkish Heathens -- also called Odinists which are NOT the same thing as Odin devotees -- adhere to The Nine Noble Virtues which were written in the 1970s by members of the British fascist party before they became extremely popular in N. America.

The Nine Noble Virtues teach that good Norse Pagans must be white, cishet, and able to pull their own weight in society. That is eugenics -- racism, queerphobia, ableism, and there's no shortage of misogyny or toxic masculinity, either. Its white supremacy.

If that also sounds a lot like rightwing evangelicalism that's because it is. See, Folkish Heathens have blended Christofascism with their own completely bullshit version of Norse Paganism to make the actual Norse God Loki into a Satan-esque character. They have done this by placing heavy emphasis on the story of Ragnarok where Loki instigates war against the Aesir -- Odin and his allies -- after Odin punished Loki for the death of Baldr by forcing Loki's toddler son Vali to murder his twin brother Narfi by turning Vali into a rabid wolf.

I'm not gonna lie. That is an oversimplification because there is a HUGE list of bullshit that Odin put Loki through in The Eddas, including ruining his marriage and banishing three of his children essentially orphaning them. There is also a lot of political metaphors that play into the story because The Eddas were put to paper for the first time in the 11th century right in the middle of the Roman conversion to Christianity, and there were a lot of practicing Pagans back then that did not want to convert. Norway started a motherfucking war, so they could keep practicing Paganism and some historians believe that Loki is a metaphor for the Pagans who did not want to convert. Many of whom may have also been part of the Sami who are the indigenous people of Scandinavia. Cause, yeah, Scandinavia was colonized.

But the oversimplification is kind of the point because Folkish Heathens rely on the naivete of new converts and ex-Christians looking to get into Paganism to lure them into their cults. And, yes, I do mean actual cults that exist both in N. America and in Europe. They use the story of Ragnarok to turn Loki into this evil Satan-esque character while painting Odin, Thor, and Baldr as Yahweh and Jesus.

That is because the Norse God Loki spits in the face of heteronormative Christian values. He is a bisexual, polyamorous, nonbinary genderfluid shapeshifter that is capable of getting pregnant, giving birth, and getting other people pregnant. Folkish Heathens do not recognize Loki as a God worth worshipping because they hate queer, trans (nonbinary people are trans -- look it up), intersex, and poly people as well as disabled and BIPOC people. And the Norse God Loki Laufeyjarson -- AKA the God of outcasts, stories, playtime, the hearthfire, home, and the family -- represents all of those things.

That is why in tonight's episode of Loki there was no Loki statue up there with Thor and Odin.

I know these things because I am a Norse Pagan that worships Loki. I used to run a blog dedicated to exploring the subject of Loki's transness and kinda preventing the erasure of transgender history. I have watched the Nazi problem in the Pagan community get steadily worse since 2018, starting with the Lokean community. For three years, I got hate mail and death threats from Nazis and TERFs and ignorant puriteen mini fascists.

If you've ever wondered why I take the politics of the Marvel comics and fandom so seriously now you know.

I've been suicidal since I was twelve years old. The X-Men: Evolution cartoon series started to air on KidsWB around that time, and that was the first piece of media that taught me that it was okay to be different from everyone else. And that I did not deserve to be dead or ostracized because of my differences. X-Men is a Marvel property, so I am not exaggerating when I say that Marvel kept me from killing myself as a child.

That's why I'm so happy and so proud that Loki scoffed at Folkish Heathenry. It also confirms a suspicion that I and many other Heathens have had that Tom Hiddleston knows about Lokean Norse Paganism. Because there are also a ton of references to Norse Paganism in the first season and in post-2008 Marvel books.

I'm going to post a link to the Southern Poverty Law Center's information on Folkish Heathenry and the Asatru Folk Assembly -- AKA the AFA. The AFA is the largest white supremacist Norse Pagan cult in the US with four all white churches or hofs. The second largest cult is The Odinic Rite, and the largest European Folkish cult that I know of is called Norsk and it is based in Norway.

I'm doing this because I know a lot of people reading this will think I'm insane or exaggerating and not take the issue seriously.

Peeps, that's exactly what they want.

Please, read this article about the 2019 Christchurch mosque shooting in New Zealand. It goes into detail about how Nazis use "off-color" jokes and memes to normalize white supremacy. Those jokes and memes are the reason why you're rolling your eyes right now, and they are also the reason for the book bans here in the US, the Don't Say Gay Bill in Florida, and why JK Rowling has any fandom left at all. Even though she said she supports Nazis.

[buckmepapi]

𝓪𝓫𝓸𝓾𝓽

✧《✩》✧

navigation | main masterlist | library | bucky barnes masterlist

this is your reminder that this is an 18+ only blog, minors dni

about my dumbass; 

im a queer 26 y/o cool kid from the UK, im disabled, deaf, and diagnosed autistic and adhd 

please keep my conditions in mind when asking for fics and chapter updates, im in constant physical pain and struggling with my mental health so my first priority isnt always providing free entertainment for other people. 

if u wanna know more about my health n conditions feel free to ask, im an open book when it comes to it as i believe openly discussing these things could help someone else struggling with the same issues.

I’m queer but more specifically queer demisexual, demisexuality is a form of asexuality.

I’m not sure how I would describe my gender. I’ve always hand a “weird” gender expression constantly bouncing from “tomboy” or “girly”, neither or both since I was as young as 11. If I had to describe it I’d say genderqueer. I use she/her pronouns or they/them

i am literally a mess of a person inside, i use writing as a coping mechanism for my trauma n also bc i am a hoe with constant horny thoughts ™️

your hoe thoughts ™️ are welcome here, i am a kinky depraved human being so there won’t be any judgement from me

i live with my boyfriend Dec (shocker that someone would put up with me, i know) and with my now three stinky cattos, Milo, Simba, and M’aiq - you can find pictures of them by searching their names in the tags!

interesting things about me (????);

I've struggled with my hearing for the past 8 years (?) but only reccently last year been checked by audiology and given hearing aids - the hearing aids are great and help a lot so far, i didnt realise how little i could actually hear lmao. i also am re-teaching myself bsl (british sign language) as i knew some as a kid when communicating with my Deaf great aunt, but never pursued it further till now. so that's a thing I've been finding helpful n really enjoying

I’ve finally finished my year and a half long EMDR intensive therapy to help tackle and manage my dissociative problems and childhood trauma resulting in CPTSD

I’m hoping to study an Arts and Languages access module at Open University to see what further education I wanna achieve - I’m just waiting on funding as I’m eligible to do the course for free bc of being disabled lol

im double jointed and weirdly flexible? probably bc of my hypermobility and why my bones hurt so fucking much lmao - i can do this absolute banger of a party trick where i can spin my hand over 360* lol

i love love love reading, studying eytmology, history and philosophy in my own time - this and marvel (winter soldier, deadpool) and Spawn are my special interests

My other special interests include family history, genealogy, and Far Eastern Prisoners of War in WW2 (the specific interest is most likely because of my family member being a POW in the Death Railway camps from 1942 to 1945)

i love painting and paint a lot of marvel wall art and renovate furniture in my free time

i’m obsessed with cross stitching

i play way too many videogames

i fucking love journalling, i live for that shit, gimme a bullet journal and some stickers and washi tape and u will not hear from me for 2 business days 

social links;

Instagram - sunlightpink

Facebook - dm if mutuals

Art Instagram - sunlightpink.art

WhatsApp - dm if we are close mutuals only.

spotify

snapchat - i probably will never give this out even if you ask, as I haven’t used it in like 4 or 5 years and only keep it for the memories on their.

gaming stuff;

playstation - kimmywinchester

xbox - atombaby111

nintendo switch - 

beatstar - crowley#21

[newtonsheffield]

Hi Molly! I’m not sure if my last (kind of long) message went through because of my shitty internet, but here’s a quick summary of what I said because I’m too lazy to retype it like I had before! Sooo, I said that I totally understand needing an outlet while working all day with people, especially healthcare. I look up to you because I hope one day to find something I can create that helps me and others enjoy too! I’m so glad that writing this universe is a hobby and not a burden!! I’ll be here to provide prompts until you tell me to leave 😂

I also said that I looooooved the drabble you wrote about what happened right after Enchanted, and it got me thinking about Sophie and Anthony and their interactions. Then I started thinking about other rare duos that we don’t see a lot and I was wondering if you had any headcanons for some, specifically a sibling + a spouse. Sophie and Anthony, Benedict and Lucy, Daphne and Kate, Penelope and Gregory (I had a random thought of Greg coming up with an idea for a fantasy novel and going to Pen and saying “I have this idea, but I don’t have the writing skills. Will you help me write it?” And Colin is just like “ummm I’m your brother. Why not pick me?” And Penelope and Gregory start having weekly book meetings, and eventually get a book published, and even though Colin acts annoyed, he loves that his wife and brother are close and wrote a book together. Random thought I had haha)

If you got the first message, I’m very sorry for the duplicate and go ahead and delete one of these haha

Abby! No! I didn’t get your other message!  Working with other human beings is an exhausting experience I think we can agree! Especially in healthcare where you tend to have to take on the problems of other people and that... takes its toll. People crying on your shoulder becomes very emotionally draining, for me at least: And when you’ve had to have a parent hold down their child who has screamed and cried and bitten you so you can take a tooth out that’s going to kill them if you don’t? Yeah It’s rough man  😂. Anyway! You shouldn’t look up to me, I have a genuine problem with redbull and I think it’s a breakfast drink and whenever I have a problem, I just get a new tattoo, which I’m gonna do again soon (🌷🌷) When I say it’s a problem, I mean: Like If I have one I have to have 3, thems the rules and I don’t make them. 

I love This idea of like odd bod Bridgerton pairings. And I LOVE the idea of Gregory and Penelope writing a novel together. Love and adore so I am gonna just leave it untouched! But! Here are some more Bridgerton rare pairs! 

Sophie knew it wasn’t fair to be nervous around Benedict’s family. They hadn’t been anything but kind to her, but still she couldn’t help but feel a little skittish around them. Especially his older brother Anthony. Anthony was an imposing man, even more so than his wife, who was so warm and friendly but so confidant and magnetic that people seemed to be drawn in by her energy. Anthony was in general, a stoic silent person, standing by his wife who was always laughing loudly, with the softest look on his face. But that kind of stoic silence made Sophie nervous. Because it was almost impossible to tell what was happening inside his mind. The last place she expected to find herself was in Anthony Bridgerton’s kitchen, the man right beside her, cooking in companionable silence, the sound of their partners floating back to them. You... like to cook? Sophie said quietly, questioning him lightly, watching carefully for his reaction. Anthony smiled softly, still hyper focused on his task chopping evenly I Do. I know Ben is useless in the Kitchen, much to our Mother’s heartbreak but I like it in here. Everything makes sense, there’s an order to do things in, I find it... calming He said shrugging and Sophie smiled, understanding just a little more about this man. I get that. I got into cooking because it felt nice to create something out of all the chaos so I get that. Anthony laughed Well, you’ve met my wife so I’m sure you know how much chaos is in my life.  Sophie laughed, her heart warming at the soft look in his eye anyway. And then, with a cheeky smirk on his face Anthony Bridgerton, the stern, stoic man said Plus I think we can agree earns you huge points in the bedroom no?  And Sophie couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled from her chest You’re definitely not wrong Anthony. And next time she went to his house she was barely surprised when Anthony grinned at her and said Get in the Kitchen Sophie, we’re making Risotto! 

Lucy Abernathy had been very nervous when her new boyfriend Gregory had tugged hr by the hand into his Mother’s house and yelled out Hyacinth Bridgerton! Get your arse down here! Lucy loved how much Greg loved all of his siblings, and she had heard the way Gregory talked about his littlest sister. She’s like my favourite person, Luce! He said with his eyes shining brightly and Lucy’s breath had caught as he’d said Don’t be nervous, she’s gonna love you. But from the very first moment Hyacinth locked eyes with Lucy it was evident that she did not, love Lucy. Hyacinth raised her eyebrow as she took Lucy in Hy, this is Lucy who I’ve told you so much about! Lucy’s heart thumping a little wildly at the thought of Greg telling his little sister about her. Hyacinth clicked her tongue I assumed, given the way you were wrapped around her like an octopus. Lucy shifted uncomfortably. Gregory scoffed, I’m going to get some snacks and then we’re gonna play Playstation he said ruffling his sister’s hair. Hyacinth narrowed her eyes at Lucy as she kissed Gregory’s cheek before he left. You’re different than I thought you’d be. Hyacinth said lightly, I looked at your instagram I hope I’m wrong about what a princess you are. And Lucy had stared open mouthed after the young girl, sitting quietly all afternoon as Hyacinth quietly sniped at her, indignation and frustration rising in her chest until she snapped Hyacinth if you want to hate me that’s fine, but I love your brother and I’m not going anywhere! Lucy hissed at the girl when they were alone in the kitchen immediately feeling guilty that she’d let the stress get to her and then Hyacinth laughed brightly Ooooo She’s got some claws. Maybe I am wrong about you. And as odd as it was Lucy couldn’t help but feel she’d won this girl’s respect when Hyacinth begrudgingly slid a bowl of crisps in her direction.    

[maeve-writes]

Little Red Corvette

Pairing: TFATWS!Bucky x Reader

Rating: 18+; Minors DNI

Warnings: Fluff, some angst, public sex, slight praise and daddy kink.

Summary: Bucky finds happiness in fixing up classic cars. He has his sights set on one in particular. When he can’t find it, you make it your mission to do whatever it takes to get it.

a/n: This is written for @buckyblues 4k Follower Challenge. (Congrats again!) I chose Little Red Corvette by Prince. Normally I’m inspired by lyrics, but the idea of Bucky in a sexy red two seater with a pretty lil’ thing next to him made me weak. I wanted this to be straight up smut but feelings got in the way.

This is not beta’d. Forgive any mistakes!

-

When Bucky came to terms with his new life, found some peace in a world without Soldat looming over his shoulder, he found solace in his tinkering. He would often take apart whatever technology he could find to see how it worked only to put it together again. It was therapeutic, a constant reminder that things were never broken for long, someone would always be there to fix it.

You were the one to piece him back together. Sam helped, too, of course, tightening any loose screws you may have missed, but you did all of the heavy lifting. You found out what made Bucky work, what parts needed replacing and you fixed him. He would never be the original James Barnes, but no one ever stayed the same, and you didn’t want him to be. You liked the man you woke up next to every morning, who blinked at you with sleep hazed eyes and pressed lazy kisses across your face. You loved the man that ravaged you at night, on any surface, buried as deep as he could go so he could become a part of you, to feel you against his soul.

While you found his tinkering irksome at times, especially when he would steal the coffee maker or microwave when you were in a rush to get to work and just need to zap fry breakfast and fill up your thermos, it was mostly endearing to see his nose scrunched up in concentration as he disassembled things with childlike fascination. 

What broke you was when you flopped down on the couch with controller in hand and no console to receive its signal. 

Storming into the garage, you slammed open the door to find him hunched over his work bench. “James,” you hissed through clenched teeth. You could see his muscle tense underneath the grey henley he had on, his breathing stilled. Only two women ever used that tone with him, one was his mother, the other was you, and he wasn’t sure which he was more afraid of. When he didn’t answer, you leaned against the door frame and glared at the large frame of his back. “Care to tell me where my PS5 is?” 

His shoulder dropped slightly and he dared to look over it at you. Bucky had seen death, had seen war, had seen the near end of the universe itself and nothing made his blood run colder than the receiving end of your icy stare. “I’ll put it back together,” he offered. The grinding of your teeth made him flinch and he dropped his tools to cross the room and make things right.

It took two months to find a replacement for your beloved PlayStation. How could he have known how hard it was to find one in stock? Even when it came in and he hooked it back up for you, you still held out one more day before you finally caved and forgave him with a two day fuckfest that ended with a proposal that Bucky moved on from electronics to cars.

He took the suggestion and ran with it. The next day he and Sam went to the junkyard to find a good frame with potential and towed it back with that bright, genuine smile of his and an eagerness to get started. He spent days on the internet ordering parts, looking up facts on what modern modifications worked best, and watched video after video of reviews on classic sports cars.

You found him in the garage most nights when his dreams became too much and he didn’t want to wake you. Some nights you would bring him snacks with a kiss and leave him to his work. Other nights you would climb behind him on his bench, wrap your arms around his waist and sleep against his back. Either way, you allowed him to work because that’s what Bucky needed.

When he wasn’t off on a mission or wrapped up in you, he was researching cars or fixing them. After one was finished from the base up, he’d give it away or offer it to a charity auction, then start all over. He had his favorites, every “car guy” did, and he also had his white whale.

One night you felt him crawl up your body impressively hidden behind the spread of your book. You lifted a curious brow but before you could lower your novel, he shoved his tablet in your face as he took a seat on your thighs. “Every time I try to find one, someone snatches it away,” he told you, voice a little huffy as if he was seconds away from a tantrum. 

“It can’t be that hard,” you tutted, tucking your book away to help him with his search. It turned out that it was incredibly hard to find any sort of form of his new obsession. Every post that either of you found had been sold or had a sale pending. Even body frames were hard to come by, much to your luck. “I’m sorry, babe, but we’ll find one soon.”

Bucky resigned himself to finding a filler car. While he was still enthusiastic about fixing up something new, you could tell his heart was set on it - the 1965 Corvette Convertible, specifically, Rally Red in color. There wasn’t much that your man asked for in life, even though it owed him so much, so for him to yearn for one thing so much and not be able to obtain it, it upset you.

So, you were going to make it happen. 

You spent your days working as usual and your nights searching for his coveted car. Your browser was filled with tabs, each watching car auctions, only to be outbid on all of them. Frustrated, you flipped on your VPN, opened up your TOR browser and dipped into the dark web to dig deeper. It wasn’t your first time going through back channels to get what you wanted and it wouldn’t be your last. If it would make Bucky happy, it would be worth the risk.

Two weeks later you told Bucky you would be working later than usual. You had been playing up a huge project at work and the deadline was coming closer. He, of course, hated when you were out past dark without him, but he never vocalized his concerns because he knew the bite he would receive in return. You could take care of yourself, he knew that, but he would still worry because that was his job.

You took an Uber from work to meet the seller at the small airport on the edge of the city. The man was from Germany and specialized in vintage cars; if he didn’t have one you wanted, he’d find one for a hefty price, of course. But any amount was worth your man’s happiness, at least that’s what you tell yourself as you held the small bag of cash in your hand as you crossed the airfield.

Sitting outside what you assumed to be a private jet was the cherry red two seater, top already down and looking as beautiful as the picture you saw online. Yeah, it was going to be worth every penny. “Jonas,” you asked as you approached the man standing cross armed next to the car. He towered over you by at least a full foot and a half and was just as wide. His dark eyes watched you approach, a curious flint sparked in them.

“Yes. You are early,” he noted. He held out a beefy hand and you placed the money in it. “Not one for pleasantries, hmm?” His laughter echoed across the runway and you offered him an amused smile. “Your man is a lucky one.” His other hand was held out, this time with the keys to the car. “For you to meet a complete stranger in the middle of the night, it is dangerous, no?”

You narrowed your gaze and lifted a brow. It seemed your look was enough of an answer because Jonas gave you another laugh. “A woman of very little words, I like you. We will do business again, yes?” It was a statement rather than a question. “Enjoy.”

He swept an arm toward the driver seat and you slid inside. With a turn of the key, the car purred to life and a smile grew on your face. You revved the engine twice, nodded to the man a few feet away before you sped towards your house to give Bucky his gift. 

When you got home, he wasn’t there. You found a note left on the kitchen counter: Beers with Sam. -B

Normally you wouldn’t mind him going out because you were happy that he would be even willing to leave the house, but to only leave a note and not text you seemed worrisome.

You pushed any more negative thoughts out of your mind and headed to take a shower. By the time you got out and headed back to the kitchen to make yourself a quick sandwich, Bucky was home, sitting on the counter and watching you. “Hey, handsome, how’s Sam?” You leaned up to kiss him, but it wasn’t returned. “Something wrong?”

“You weren’t at work,” Bucky said evenly. “We stopped by to grab you dinner and you weren’t there.”

Your skin heated and you sighed. “Bucky, I can explain-“

He cut you off with a dismissive wave of his metal hand. “Don’t bother. If you’re seein’ someone else, you can just tell me.”

You recoiled like he slapped you across the face. “James,” you snapped, which caused him to tense up, “I would never, ever even dream of being with anyone but you.” You forced your way between his legs and cupped his face in your hands to make him look at you. “You are all that I want and no one will ever compare to you. Don’t ever say that again, okay? You’ll break my heart.”

He didn’t say anything, not for a few minutes, and neither did you. All he could do was stare into your eyes and see the truth in them. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s okay, I know why you did,” you assured him and pressed another kiss to his lips, this time you received one in response. “Now, can I tell you why I wasn’t at work?” He nodded once, a tiny glint of worry still lingering in his eyes. “Well, I’d rather show you.”

You stepped away from the counter and pulled him along with you. With his hand in yours, you led him to the garage and flipped on the light with a, “Ta-da!”

“Oh, darlin’,” he breathed as he let go of you and stumbled into the room towards the car, all of the fear, worry and angst melting away instantly. “How did you-“ You pinched your forefinger and thumb together and twisted them in front of your pursed lips. He rolled his eyes but smiled and gestured to the driver seat.

“All yours, handsome,” you winked and hit the button to open the garage door.

He shook his head and patted the seat next to him, “You’re comin’ with me.” When you protested saying you were in your night clothes, he waved it off. “We’re just goin’ for a drive, sweetheart, nothin’ to dress up for.” You joined him with a reluctant sigh and flopped into the passenger seat. 

When the key turned and the engine purred, Bucky let out a pornographic moan. You turned to him, brow perked. “Sweetheart,” he rasped, “you have no idea what this car does to me.” Your eyes flickered to the quickly growing bulge in his jeans before his deep chuckle caught your attention, “Or maybe you do.”

He reached over to pinch your chin between two metal fingers before crashing his lips against your own. His tongue fought its way inside of your mouth and licked sinfully against the roof of it. “Buckle up,” he whispered against the gasp you released as he sat back.

Lightheaded, you did as instructed and watched him adjust the mirrors and lights before he pulled out of the garage and sped down the driveway and through the neighborhood. His face was bright in the evening light, his smile outshone the moon. “You’re gorgeous,” you told him breathlessly, and you would have most likely not been heard over the wind whipping around you by any other person, but your super soldier caught every syllable and flushed at the compliment.

He took your hand into his and brought it to his lips, kissing each knuckle before it came to rest on his thigh. You could feel the happiness radiating off of him, seeping into your own pores and filling you up until your lips turned up into a matching smile. “What’re you thinkin’ about,” he asked you, flicking his attention from the road to you and back again.

“You,” you replied, “always you.”

The smile on his face grew and he squeezed your hand once more. He found a new happy place, one outside of your shared home, one not between your legs. It was there, in that car, racing free down the open road with his best girl in the seat next to him. “I’m thinkin’ about you, too,” he said as his hand guided yours towards his lap.

“Mr. Barnes,” you gasped playfully but allowed him to rest your hand against his tented jeans, “we can’t do this, it’s sinful.”

“Live a little, darlin’,” he played along, forcing you to squeeze him which caused him to groan.

You pinned your bottom lip between your teeth and rubbed at him over his clothes, feeling the heat of his arousal coming off him in burning waves. Your fingers worked open the button of his pants and with a little maneuvering, you were able to fish out his cock, hard and thick, violently red and dripping with need. His hiss as it hit the cool air caused you to jump back for a moment, but his needy whimper drew you back again. “I swear to god, Bucky, if you crash and kill me, I’m going to haunt you,” you warned him.

He blinked, taken aback by the rather brash statement, about to ask what you meant by that but you were already unbuckled, bent forward and taking him into your mouth. “Oh fuck,” he groaned, metal hand gripping the steering wheel tight enough to pop the stitching on the leather coating. 

Your tongue swirled around his tip, gathering what leaked out before you flattened your tongue and took more of him in. He was thick and long, hard to take all at once, but you had learned from many hours of practice just how to get all of his glorious cock down your throat. Your hands worked what wasn’t wet with your tongue yet as you bobbed up to suck on his head and relax your jaw. “Feels like heaven, sweetheart,” he cooed above you, his free hand bundling up your hair to keep it out of the way. “Fuck, your mouth works my cock so good.”

Delighted at his praise, you hummed in return that sent sparks to his core. You took more of him in, nearly all of him, with your cheeks hallowed and your tongue dancing along his skin. More praise fell from his lips, encouraging words and filthy promises, you almost forgot you’re in the car until the tires started to hit the bumps along the white line - an indication that Bucky was veering off of the road.

You pulled off of him much to his disappointment and saw that he parked along the side of the road. “What’re you doing,” you asked, wiping your spit away with the back of your hand. 

“You told me not to crash,” he shrugged and undid his seatbelt. “Now get over here and ride Daddy’s cock.”

The words hit you dead center and you nearly collapsed from how weak and needy they made you. “We seriously can’t do this, Buck, anyone can come by and see.”

“That’s livin’, darlin,” he replied. His flesh hand wrapped around his cock and started to pull on it, staring at you with half lidded eyes and a groan rumbled in his throat. “Are you gonna just sit there and stare or are you gonna enjoy the ride?”

Absently, you licked your lips and watched his hand work himself and honestly felt a little jealous of it. That was your cock, it was your responsibility to make it feel good. Thoughts of getting caught and thrown in jail over public indecency were thrown out of the window and you crawled over to him, losing your sleep shorts on your way over.

“No panties? That’s my good girl,” Bucky grinned, his hand moved from himself to your hips as you climbed into his lap. “Been thinkin’ about this pretty pussy all day.” He hungrily licked his lips and reached between your bodies to run his fingers through your folds, drawing a gasp from you. “Absolutely soakin’, hm? Been thinkin’ about me, too?”

You nodded, your pussy clenching around nothing as Bucky’s fingers teasingly danced around your hole. “Daddy,” you whined, desperate for any sort of attention, “please?”

“What do you need, sweetheart,” he purred, his thumb ghosting over your clit as your slick began to run down your thighs. 

“You, Daddy,” you answered, hoping that was enough. “All of you. Only you.”

Bucky seemed to be happy with that and slid two thick fingers inside of you. “Such a greedy little pussy,” he hummed, slowly pulling them out again as you whined above him. “You need to be filled, don’t you, baby? My fingers won’t be enough.”

Your teeth dug into your bottom lip once more, threatening to draw blood, when you shook your head in response. “Need your cock,” you told him. “Please.”

“Always askin’ so nicely, sweetness, how could I deny you?” He twisted his fingers inside you one last time before he held himself steady so you could line up. “Sink down on Daddy’s cock like a good girl.”

You steadied yourself with one hand on the headrest of his seat and the other was used to guide his tip towards your core. Once he slipped inside, your hand shot up to grip at his shirt as you lowered yourself with satisfied moan which was nearly drowned out by Bucky’s. “Too big,” you sighed, seated and feeling stretched and full.

“But you’re takin’ it, darlin’,” he smiled up at you, his skin flushed and covered in a thin layer of sweat. “You’re doing so good.” You preened at his compliment and returned his smile. “You move when you’re ready.”

You took the time to adjust to angle and his size, leaning down to exchange a lazy kiss. When you parted for air, you shifted your weight to wrap your arms around his neck and raised your hips to slide up his cock only to slam back down with a moan.

“Is that how you’re gonna to play it, sweetheart,” he asked breathlessly. When you replied with the same harsh roll of your hips, Bucky growled and his hands found your hips. You could feel the bite of his grip against your bone, you knew the bruises it would bring in the morning, but it would be worth it. “Can’t have a nice, slow fuck in the car, can we? My girl needs it hard and rough.”

He shifted his legs to plant his feet firmly on the floor of the car and started to meet your hips with a harsh snap of his own. Delighted at the feral snarl that curled his lips, you increased your speed, bouncing on his thick thighs as he fucked up into you, a growl erupting from him with each meeting of your hips. “Yes,” you gasped, “that’s it, Daddy. Just like that.”

“Yeah, I know how my dirty little girl likes it,” he grunted over the sound of your skin slapping and your slick sex sucking him in. “I can hear how much she likes it.”

Your head fell forward as he pounded up into you, the lewd squeak of the seat joined the chorus of your moans. “So close,” you told him.

But he already knew by the way you fluttered around him, coaxing him toward his own end. His metal hand left your hip and moved between you to seek out your swollen bud. “Gonna cum for me, good girl,” he asked. You tried to answer, tried to nod, but the way his hips shoved up into you and the cool metal against your heated sex that rubbed desperately at your clit was far too much.

A delicious snap came from within you and spread a white hot fire throughout your body. You came with his name on your lips, a desperate, holy cry. And he wasn’t far behind, a few hard thrusts and he spilled into you, whispering praise and adoration.

You stayed joined until the mess between your legs became itchy and the bugs started to swarm from the sweat on your bodies. “Best mill and half I’ve ever spent,” you sighed happily, lifting off of his lap.

“Wait, how much?!”

[gaming]

Indie Game Spotlight: Paper Beast

This week’s Indie Game Spotlight is for those who are ready to escape into a different world. Paper Beast is a dreamlike odyssey through a wild, simulated ecosystem in virtual reality. Discover adventure mode in which you will connect with exotic creatures and solve intricate puzzles, or choose sandbox mode and let your imagination guide you through interactions with a stunningly immersive and stylized world.

We chatted with creative director and game designer Eric Chahi about where the idea came from, creatures we can expect to meet, and more.

Where did the idea to combine data and paper into a game come from?

Our first idea was to create a game aesthetically focused on wildlife—the way animals move, their diversity of motion, and how they adapt their walking stride to the terrain. So we prototyped algorithms to have artificial life walking and recovering their equilibrium without any animator input—only through parameters. The goal was to have creatures respond and react fluently to any physical perturbation. That’s the core feature.

The way to visually represent our wildlife was still unclear early on. We opted for stylized, origami-like creatures made of paper, preferring to avoid realistic representation because of the uncanny valley—the closer you get to real, the more it becomes unbelievable. 

I had another aesthetic floating in the back of my mind—wild data falling into the web-like Niagara Falls. Why not merge these two concepts—artificial wildlife and data? Because it is made from trees, paper is the perfect link between life and data. It is very symbolic and fun in terms of gameplay and universe. All ideas crystallized very quickly once this concept of paper connecting data and life was born.

Is there anything in particular that inspired the world?

Many things. The world is quite a hybrid, on the edge of artificial and real. Often, it is a transposition of natural stuff to data, and vice versa.

Inspiration for the wide-open landscape and its peaceful feeling came from the Sahara Desert. The hypnotic motion of storms has influenced some key moments of the game, while some creatures evoke the life and shapes of sea coral. Punk rock music, too! Our soundtrack lends intensity to some of the creatures.

What are some of the creatures we can expect to meet?

You will meet, for example, a kind of herbivore that loves to eat paper. Social insects can build sand piles by rolling a sandball. A sort of turtle drops sand to create a dam, which stops the water flow. There are also predators, and a creature named PaperStrip with fur made of paper that leaves trailers in the sand. Each of them has originality specific to Paper Beast, including their visual design and behavior—how they act in this world. Beyond their design, their impact on gameplay was always in mind.

The player will discover these creatures in the course of the adventure and can continue to experiment more deeply within the dedicated sandbox mode. All creatures interact with and influence each other, especially because many can shape the terrain. This creates many opportunities for players because the landscape is simulated—sand and water flow, there is erosion. It's like clay, formed by the player and the creatures' actions.

What do you hope we take away from the game?

I hope every player will feel the sensation of having lived in this world and shared a real journey with these beasts. At the same time, we think players will experience the world as surreal, exotic, joyful, and mysterious. I hope you feel this universe directly in your gut, without the words to describe it.

With sandbox mode, I hope people will enjoy seeing the terrain evolve in real-time through animal action, and that players will feel encouraged to try many interesting combinations and find crazy, emergent behavior.

Ready to jump right in? Paper Beast is available now for PlayStation VR via PlayStation Store.

[ozzdog12]

2020 Top 7 (and 1)

2020 am I right? We saw an insane amount of games come out and 2 brand new consoles. What a wild and weird year for gaming, and life in general. In case you are relatively new here, and to be honest that would be completely fair considering I don't post very often on Tumblr anymore, every year going on the last 4 years (on here) I have done a Top 7 (& 1) for my favorite videogames of the year. Check out 2019, 2018, & 2017. What’s wild, as I look back on my list of games that I’ve completed and played, only maybe 10 came out this year. 2020 was a huge backlog year. 

Lets get on with the ‘And 1!”

Favorite Game that Didn’t Come out in 2020: Control (PS4)

Control may very well have been my 2019 Game of the Year, had I played it in 2019. I LOVED Control. I wanted to play it in 2019, but initial reports that it was a little rough on base consoles put me off until it was fixed. And Holy smokes what an insanely fun and trippy game once I finally started it. I knew within the first 20 minutes this was going to be the shit when I went down a hall, walked into a room and talked to the “janitor” left out a door behind him and the entire building had shifted. I’ve always liked Remedy games, but from a distance. Max Payne 1&2 and Alan Wake all oozed with weirdness and intrigue, but never enough for me to finish them. I missed out on Quantum Break. The story is Control is just the right amount of mind f*!$ for me and builds a universe I didn’t know I needed. It take some time to piece everything together, then everything just clicks. The game does have a weird difficulty spike when fighting bosses and the checkpoints were too far apart at times, but those were later patched. I spent an insane amount of time within the Federal Bureau of Control building and even more time after that with the Foundation and AWE DLC and it STILL wasn’t enough. I wanted more. Outside of Prey, I can’t think of another game that stuck in my brain more after I’d finished it. Control is absolutely a MUST PLAY title. In a world where everything sort’ve feels similar, Control stands out of the crowd.

Number 7: Astro’s Playroom (PS5)

I never thought in my wildest dreams that a game I had almost zero interest in playing would end up on my list of favorite games this year. Astro’s Playroom is being labeled as a ‘Tech demo’ but that feels like an insult to what it is. It’s a full fledged game and its free! I’ve paid more for less. A charming little platformer that lives and breathes the history of the Playstation. So many cool Easter eggs and references. It certainly centers its gameplay around the DualSense controller and everything it can do, but at its core, its a completely approachable and forgiving 3D platformer. I played it just to see what it was about, next thing i knew I had completed all the levels and wanted to further explore all the nooks and crannies within the game. I wanted to see everything the game had to offer and I had an absolute blast doing so. Makes me kinda wish I’d played the previous game on PSVR (I’d have to have a PSVR too)

Number 6: Spider-Man: Miles Morales (PS5)

Another quality title, albeit a spin-off, from Insomniac to add to their Spider Man universe. Gameplay felt obviously like Spider-Man, but Miles has unique abilities that made the game feel different enough, especially the cloak and stealth. I enjoyed the fact that it was short and concise. The issue with most ‘open-world’ games is that they are entirely too bloated with unnecessary filler content (I’ll get to that in a later game), something I felt the first game suffered from, but I also understand why they are there. However I could’ve use one or two more story missions to help flesh out some characters, but it wasn’t required and didn’t change my opinion one way or the other. My one BIG gripe was with Miles himself. He is an extremely smart young kid, but so incredibly naïve. Peter Parker tells him the one thing he SHOULD NOT do is tell people he is Spider-Man. I get it, that’s part of his growth, but Miles thinks he can just solve his problems by revealing his identity and it almost certainly never works out. 

Number 5: The Last of Us: Part 2 (PS4)

The Last of Us Part 2 may be the most polarizing game in the history of the medium, but for the absolute wrong reasons. I’m in the minority that I very much enjoyed my experience with TLOU2, quite a bit actually. Its better in every single way over its predecessor, except the overall story. There are plenty of fair criticisms to be had about the story and various things within the game itself, but I thought the gameplay was so tight and crunchy. There were genuine moments of suspense and terror that I felt that no other game has ever given me. The entire hospital section (2nd time) was so susensful, I had to put my controller down to gther myself. Some of my favorite moments in the series I experienced with a character I wasn’t overly fond of. How many games can do that? The Last of Us Part 2 was meant to invoke emotion, not necessarily joy. I think that's what people lost along the way. Say what you will about the direction Naughty Dog has taken over the years, but you would be hard pressed to find a studio that makes games graphically better than they do. Yes, I know about their crunch culture, but this is not a place for that. I will say, the game was a tad bit too long, which is not something it typically say for a single player, narrative driven game. The pacing and the way the story was told wasn’t my favorite, but I respect what it was trying to do, even if it failed in some aspect of that, I finished the game within the week it was released. Something I RARELY ever do. I’m a father and I related with Joel a lot in TLOU, but I also recognized how wrong he was. There is a lesson to be learned. Your actions always have consequences and while he was doing what he thought was the right thing, it wasn’t his choice to make, and in doing so set up a series of events that were entirely avoidable, but again, that’s the point isn’t it?

Number 4: Grindstone (Switch)

I’m counting this as a 2020 game since it just came to the Switch this year ( less than a month ago) but its not the first time I’ve played it. Grindstone was the only reason I kept my Apple Arcade subscription and when I let it lapse, there was a void I just couldn’t fill. I bought Puzzle Quest on Switch but it just wasn't the same. Its THE perfect game for bite sized play, even though in its addictive nature, you’ll clear a few levels and an hour has passed before you know it. It has the perfect amount of depth that most ‘match’ games don't. You have different weapons, items, and outfits w/perks to use and experiment with to keep it fresh. I went months without playing my Switch and when this was announced in August, I couldn’t wait! Sadly, I had to wait 3 months, but since then I have spent so much time on the Switch. It gave me a reason to play it again. The art style and humour is great. The variety of enemies and challenge is just right. I can’t recommend it enough. Seriously, check this game out!

Number 3: Doom Eternal (Xbox One)

I will be the first to tell you, I did not like Doom (2016). I found it extremely boring and trite. I understood what Doom(2016) was doing and it succeeded, maybe too much. Nostalgia is a helluva thing. So in saying that, I was mildly interested in Doom Eternal. Doom Eternal is nothing like 2016 outside of it being a Doom game that connects to the rest of them (& also being a sequel to 2016). The mechanics are drastically different with more platforming (for better or worse). Eternal is challenging, at times very hard, especially early on. Eternal has no respect for its players, in a weirdly good way. It laughs at how you’ve played FPS before this one and WILL MAKE you play it its way, not your way. Yes, you point and shoot, but ammo is scare and you MUST use everything in your arsenal. No more using just 2 guns for the whole game. The enemies are relentless. Sometimes you have to pause and take a breath after a battle because you go a 100 mph for the whole fight. You have to continuously move or you die. There is an enticing rhythm to it. I categorize Eternal as ‘Blood Ballet’. Its a game where when your feeling it, much like a rhythm game, you get in the zone and there is no stopping demons from getting slayed. Surprisingly, unlike most games in the genre, it seemed to get easier (sans one extremely frustrating platforming section late in the game) the longer you played it. Was that a testament that I ‘learned’ the Eternal way or it truly did get easier? I don’t know, but the final Boss(es) were....easy.. I had more problems and deaths within the first 4 hours than I did the final 8-9 hours. The multiplayer was also surprisingly fun. The older I get, the less interested I am in multiplayer, but I found myself coming back for more for a good month or so. 

Number 2: Gears Tactics (Xbox One)

As 2020 comes to a close, I came to a stunning realization. I might be a bigger Gears of War fan than I had previously thought. Don’t get me wrong. I love Gears, but I seem to love Gears more than I thought. I'm way more invested into the lore than I recall. Anyways, Gears Tactics is everything XCOM 2 SHOULD’VE been. Not only does Gears Tactics utilize the Overwatch action, its makes it EXTREMELY important. The story revolves around the father of Kait Diaz, Gabe and a ragtag group of mostly random soldiers to take down Ukkon. Anyone who is remotely interested in the Gears universe will love the story and references. The gameplay is just so damn satisfying. The bosses are very challenging and different. I actually had to change my strategy to finish the final boss. I experimented with a totally different style of class and was rewarded for it. The post game stuff is also aplenty. This game scratched a VERY specific itch for me and I’m itchy to jump back in. I’m glad this came to Xbox One because I’m current computer could not run it.

Number 1: Ghost of Tsushima (PS4)

I have a very odd relationship with massive open world games. I love them, but I get very burnt out on them. They all have a relatively same-y formula and are often populated with bloat. GoT does have some of that but to its advantage, its not very populated, in a good way. One of the things that I really appreciated about GoT and its side quest is most of them felt meaningful. The thing that really stood out to me about GoT is the absolutely satisfying combat. It just feels SO GOOD. It requires timing and patience. There are different fighting styles for different enemies and even the armor you wear is more than just cosmetic. The combat is so fun and satisfying that I was immediately excited when they announced Legends, a multiplayer add on, for free. Its so much fun and is a blast to play with a group of friends. I’m sporadically still playing the Legends mode. I initially wanted to play the game in ‘Kurosawa’ mode but I am glad I didn’t because the game, even on the PS4 is stunning, and on the upgrade on PS5 is jaw-droppingly smooth. I did play the entire game in Japanese with English subtitles. I still don't know what Jin’s English voice sounds like.��GoT does a good job a drip feeding you new abilities and things to keep things fresh. I love stealth and once I unlocked it, I spent the majority of every battle taking out as many enemies as I could while in stealth mode. Ghost of Tsushima does a lot of things very well, that the few things it doesn’t can be easily overlooked.

[artificialqueens]

Galactica, Chapter 56 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Hiya loves! We're doubling up tonight to catch up to where we are on AO3. Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Last Chapter: Violet returned to work, Raven made a career-changing decision and Pearl went out a window.

This Chapter: Gigi takes a chance, Courtney is distracted, Fame continues to be Fame  and Trixie struggles.

***

Bimini stirred a pot of quinoa in the kitchen, preparing her lunch after her midday trip to the gym, when she heard a yell sound throughout the apartment.

“OH! MY! GOD!”

Bimini turned around, just to see Symone come out of her room, her laptop in hand.

“Oh my god oh my god oh my god!” Symone was jumping up and down, a gigantic grin on her face, her hair in a high ponytail, the screen of the laptop shaking.

“Hello love-”

“I GOT OFFERED A MAGAZINE!” Symone screamed, happiness radiating from her and Bimini couldn’t hide a smile.

This. This was exactly why she still lived in a model apartment even though she was in her mid twenties. This was why she stayed even though she could easily afford her own place. This was why she didn’t mind when new girls didn’t wash their dishes or when they left panties in the bathroom sink.

Because she got to be part of moments like this.

“Congratulations,” Bimini grinned. “See,” She pointed her spoon at Symone, “I told you Sutan was brilliant.”

“Mmh,” Symone smiled, holding her laptop to her chest, squeezing it tight.

“What’s up with all this noise?”

Both Symone and Bimini turned, catching sight of Naomi and Gigi who had come out of the rooms, Naomi's hand on her hip as she looked around, Gigi’s eyes wide as saucers as she took in the scene.

“Symone got her first magazine,”  Bimini poured black beans over her quinoa.

“What?!” Naomi walked over to Symone, grabbing the computer from her hands. “Give me that!” Naomi's eyes ran over the screen, her hair spilling down her back, her long legs looking even longer in the tight leggings she was wearing. “Holy shit.”

“Congratulations Symone,” Gigi smiled, and Bimini felt a wave of fondness for the new girl who had literally flown in last night, Sutan asking to see her in person. She was obviously not a real redhead, her dye job not fooling anyone, but she had perfect eyebrows and a very nice smile, the way she moved filled with potential.

“This is so unfair!” Naomi groaned, shoving the laptop back into Symone's arms. “You haven’t even walked a proper runway yet!”

Bimini didn’t like to get in arguments, her personality type not one that looked for conflicts, so she wasn’t going to point out that Symone had literally just walked a showroom, which was a much bigger deal than anything Naomi’s agent had gotten her at L.A. Fashion week back in October.

“You Amrull girls have it all too easy.” Naomi sat down on one of the kitchen chairs, sighing heavily. “Fuck.”

***

“Ah!” Pearl grinned as she finally found her keycard, the lanyard shoved to the very bottom of her beat-up messenger bag, her computer safely inside. Pearl held it against the door, a little beep allowing her to step inside the design empty floor.

Pearl didn’t normally go home with Trixie, since part of her job entailed after-work schmoozing and cocktails and entertaining their ad partners and she was normally long gone when he ended his day, but Katya had texted that she couldn’t get ahold of him, and when Pearl had checked his work calendar, it had all made sense. Trixie was apparently spending the afternoon on attempting to find a new hire for design, and Pearl wasn’t envious in the least. Since she was still in the office editing their new web content, she went down to get him.

“Sugar butt!” Pearl held a hand up to her mouth, calling out for her best friend, the door to his office closed. “Time to go home!”

“Do you mind keeping it down?”

Pearl looked over, spotting Violet who was still sitting at her desk.

“Vivi!” Pearl grinned, letting go of the door to walk into the floor, her quest to get Trixie completely forgotten.

“Don’t call me that.” Violet huffed, but she didn’t protest as Pearl walked over.

“I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever,” Pearl grabbed an empty chair, spinning it around to sit on it. “How’s the whole leg situation?” Pearl gestured towards Violet’s leg. She had already gotten the whole story from Trixie as they played Playstation and drank beer, the man working through his feelings by shooting people in Call of Duty.

“Annoying.” Violet raised an eyebrow. “Kinda like you.”

“Ah!” Pearl gasped, putting a hand on her chest. “Someone hasn’t gotten the good painkillers.”

“Please,” Violet sighed, rolling her eyes. “I’m fine, it’s just this stupid fucking paperwork.” Violet gestured to her desk, and Pearl looked at it, Violet’s desk for once not filled with the trinkets that usually defined her space. Instead, it was pages upon pages of legal documents.

“Damn.”

“Mmmh,” Violet signed another one, putting it on top of the rather large pile. “You’d think not pressing charges would be easier.”

“Hold on,” Pearl sat up straight. “You’re not pressing charges?”

“No,” Violet shook her head. “I don’t want to bother anyone.”

“Standing up for yourself isn’t a bother Vivi.” Pearl bit her lip, moving closer to her friend. “You deserve justice.”

Violet looked at her, her brown eyes searching Pearl’s face.

“Know what Pearl?”

It wasn’t often that Pearl blushed, actually, it almost never happened, but she could feel her cheeks heat up, the intensity on Violet’s face making her feel both small and like she was the center of the universe.

“Forget what I said,” Violet smiled, tilting her head. “You’re not that annoying.”

“Ha!” Pearl laughed, throwing her hair over her shoulder, the moment between them broken as Violet joined in. “Girl please.”

“I could sue, but, I honestly just want to be left alone, and to forget that this entire thing ever happened.”

“If you’re sure.” Pearl leaned back in her chair. It made sense with what she knew of Violet, a trail sure to be what she’d consider an unnecessary mess. “But just so you know, I’m punching Aiden in the face if I ever see him again.”

***

Gigi tapped her foot nervously, heart racing and stomach in knots from the three espresso shots she’d had this morning.

It was either that, or the fact that she was in way over her head, and couldn’t even figure out how she’d gotten there.

Less than two weeks ago, she’d been hanging out at the Venice Beach skate park with two of her friends, enjoying the sunshine and a scoop of her favorite banana chocolate chip bread pudding from Schulzies, when a woman with a labradoodle handed her a business card.

She’d called the number later, after getting home from her fashion design class at SMC, and now, here she was. Sitting in the lobby of Elite Model Management feeling like, at best, a mistake, and at worst, a complete and total fraud.

“Gigi Goode?” A dark-haired woman called out, giving her a warm smile as she stood up, smoothing down the skirt of the green dress her mother had made.

Gigi wished her mother was there with her, but apparently grown-ups don’t take their moms with them to job interviews--or whatever this was, and Gigi desperately wanted to be seen as a grown up.

“Follow me.”

Gig swallowed, following her down a long hallway and then into an open, bustling bullpen, full of chic New York professionals, all perfectly groomed, every movement with purpose.

They stepped up to a door labeled ‘Sutan Amrull’ and Gigi stopped cold, suddenly overcome with fear.

“Wait…” she took another deep breath, trying to calm her shaking nerves.

The woman turned around, a look of concern flashing over her face before she smiled again.

“Hey,” She reached out, touching Gigi’s arm. “Don’t worry… You’re gonna be great in there.” She gave it a quick squeeze before letting go. “And, if it helps at all… I promise that he’s incredibly nice.”

Gigi forced out a laugh, nodding. “It does help. Thanks.”

The woman opened the door and guided her inside, where the man himself sat behind a large desk, a pair of glasses on as he was typing away on his laptop.

It was weird seeing Sutan in real life, since Gigi had of course looked him up, and knew that he was the force behind some of the biggest supermodels in the last 20 years.

“Umh..”

Gigi bit her lip. She knew she was already signed with Elite in L.A., but apparently, Sutan had asked for her specifically and after talking to Naomi, she knew that meeting could determine the course of the rest of her career.

“Oh,” Sutan looked up, a smile flashing over his face before he closed his computer and pushed his glasses into his hair. “Hello.”

“Hi,” Gigi waved, her stomach doing a flip. “I’m Gigi.”

“And it’s great to meet you, Gigi!” Sutan stood up, quickly buttoning his suit jacket before gesturing towards the chair in front of him. “Come sit.”

Gigi did as he asked, the man shaking her hand before she sat down. She’d never been treated so seriously before.

“How are you doing?” Sutan sat back down. “Is the apartment okay? Girls treating you well?”

“Oh, yeah.” Gigi nodded. “Everyone’s been…really cool.”

Really cool was an understatement. Symone was probably the most beautiful girl she had ever seen. Naomi carried herself with absolute confidence, and Bimini was so amazing Gigi couldn’t help but hang on her every word.

“Wonderful.” Sutan smiled. “I like your dress.”

Gigi didn’t know if he was being serious, the suit Sutan was wearing obviously expensive, what everyone was wearing in New York obviously expensive.

“My mom made it.”

“She did?” Sutan looked surprised for a second. “That’s great, and a good edge to have.” He smiled, tapping the pen he had picked up on the desk. “If she happens to ever be in New York, bring her by.  Let me say hello to her and show her around the company so she knows what you’re going to be doing.”

“Really?” Gigi tried to hide how much that notion excited her, how much she’d love to share more with her mom than her nightly calls home. “She’d love that, and she likes coming to New York. She’s a costume designer. For theater.”

“Makes it all the better! I’m sure we could get some Broadway tickets for the two of you.” Sutan made a quick note, and Gigi wondered for a second if it’d be rude to make a request, her mom talking her ear off about how Jinkx Monsoon was finally going to be back on Broadway. “My girlfriend is actually a designer too.” Sutan smiled. “Though she only does boring old regular fashion.”

Gigi laughed, the promise that Sutan was nice apparently holding true.

“So.” Sutan sat up straight, adjusting his suit jacket. “Let’s cut to the chase.”

Gigi nodded, shifting so she could sit on top of her hand, her stomach suddenly tight with anticipation and worry.

“I’m very interested in signing you Gigi.” Sutan pointed at her with his pen. “You’re obviously gorgeous, but we all already knew that.”

Gigi had never heard anyone state how she looked with such absolute confidence, Sutan calling her gorgeous like it was a fact and not an opinion.

“I have to see you walk, and we need professional photos for a portfolio, so we have to do test shots which means we need to get you to a salon.”

Gigi had to force her hand not to fly to her hair, but she had apparently not managed to hide it well enough, since Sutan smiled.

“I’m not going to make you into a blonde or anything, but Elite girls don’t use box dye.”

“It’s actually-”

“Or henna.” Sutan had cut her off, but Gigi didn’t feel corrected or like she had done anything wrong. “I promise you’ll love it. Juju Sanderson is a master at what she does, and you can always say no.”

Gigi nodded, the nervous twisting of her stomach replaced with more manageable butterflies.

“All that aside… Today, I think you and I should just talk. Get to know each other.” Sutan leaned back in his chair. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good.” Gigi smiled, finally letting herself be excited. She was going to be a model.

“So, Bimini told me you like roller skating?”

***

There were times when Maxwell was incredibly, deeply grateful for Trixie’s laid-back, supportive-dad style of management. Times when it was essential to have someone running the show who didn’t yell, who had perspective and encouraged them all to find joy in their work, to not get too stressed out about deadlines, reminding them that they were a team. Usually, in fact, Maxwell appreciated Trixie a lot.

Today was not one of those days.

In typical Coach fashion, Trixie had dragged the entire department out for a family lunch at a nearby Mexican restaurant, insisting that they were all getting way too anxious and uptight about the upcoming deadline for Spring Runway submissions. He treated them all to delicious food and several rounds of margaritas, got them all to relax and let their guards down.

Which is why, when they returned to the office, laughing and chattering, trading jokes and banter, no one was prepared for the sight that awaited them.

Miss Fame, in all her ivory-clad glory, standing in the middle of the design floor, tapping her foot and looking around.

Maxwell felt his heart literally drop straight out of his asshole, the panic of a drop-in visit from their CEO just as acute as if it was the first time.

Why hadn’t Courtney called to let them know she was coming? Usually, they would have at least had a few minutes of warning. And they all had their phones on them, so there was no excuse. What an absolute nightmare.

"There you are. I was starting to worry I was paying you all for nothing."

Maxwell exchanged a tense look with Alexis, the only other designer who’d been through this ordeal as many times as him, the trauma bond they shared always coming out in moments like this.

"Hi, Fame,” Trixie said, doing his best to save them all with a friendly grin. “Can we help you?"

"Knit."

Everyone looked at April, whose eyes grew about three sizes, and Miss Fame sighed.

"White knit. One of you showed me a white knit," she said, then folded her arms, clearly waiting for a clear and immediate answer, no one stepping forth, not even Violet who Maxwell knew was fluent in Fame.

"Umh," Blu raised her hand like an obedient second grader, and Fame gestured for her to go on. "Can you be a bit more specific-"

"No," Fame cut her off. "Now. Who has something of actual value to add?"

***

Courtney stabbed a tomato, wondering what time it was in Tokyo. It had to be late at night. Was Bianca out on the town, living it up and enjoying the Japanese nightlife? Or, maybe she was back in her hotel room, already tucked in bed. Courtney closed her eyes, wishing she was there with her instead of stuck in this dull cafeteria surrounded by suits.

If she really concentrated, she could imagine the feel of the cool sheets on her back, Bianca’s lips trailing down her collarbone. She squeezed her thighs together under the table.

“This seat taken?”

“No, go ahead,” Courtney replied distractedly, lowering her eyes once again, doing her damndest to conjure up the image she’d just had, feeling like she’d just been woken up from a delicious dream, trying desperately to fall back asleep quickly--but it was gone. She sighed, dejected.

“Deep in thought, huh?”

Courtney looked up to see that the voice belonged to one of the suits, a generic square-jawed bro smiling at her from across the table, apparently trying to be charming.

“Um…” She was in no mood for this today. She glanced over at her phone to check the time, eyes bulging and stomach turning over when she realized how long it had been, and that she had three missed calls from the office. Miss Fame was obviously back from her own lunch, and Courtney was in deep shit. “Fuck!”

She jumped up from her seat, snatching up her things.

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck-”

“Everything okay?” asked the suit, but Courtney didn’t have time to indulge his bullshit, simply grunted a ‘yeah’ and raced to the elevator.

When she got to the office, she realized to her dismay that Fame was nowhere to be found. She woke up her computer and quickly figured out what happened. She must have gone down to design...with no warning, if the frantic messages from downstairs were any indication.

She slid into her seat, taking a deep breath and picked up the phone, dialing Kandy’s extension. She answered immediately, quietly reporting, “Yeah, she’s still here. Everyone’s ready to kill you.”

“I know, I’m sorry! I thought she was still at lunch, but...what can I do to make it better?”

“We like pastries and alcohol,” Kandy said, and then abruptly hung up, Courtney dropping the receiver with a groan.

***

Sutan grabbed a handful of hangers with polo shirts, putting them into the clear plastic bin he had fished out from the bottom of his closet. The dry cleaning had been hanging in the hallway when he had gotten home from work, Violet’s things mixed in with his own, the apartment as always spotless after the visit from his housekeeper.

Sutan took another handful, putting it in the bin for storage. Violet hadn’t asked him to clean out the summer side of his wardrobe, the clothes she hadn’t yet used still neatly packed up in the beat up suitcase they had gotten from her place, but Sutan wanted to do this for her, wanted to make sure that it was easy for Violet to get to her things while she was staying in his apartment.

He put the lid on the bin, actually hauling it to the empty walk-in closet in Raja’s old room a task for another day since he wanted to get done before dinner arrived, an order of Italian food on it’s way.

Sutan didn’t actually know if Italian was what Violet wanted but it seemed like a safe bet, his girlfriend asleep on the couch when he got home, her shoe, jacket, crutches and purse making a trail from the hallway to where she had obviously crashed the second she came through the door.

He admired her work ethic, but a small part of him couldn’t help but worry if she was pushing too hard too fast, Violet’s afternoons spent with her sketchbook open to do her part of the spring fill ins, even though he could see that she was so exhausted she could barely hold a pencil.

Sutan tore into the plastic, ready to put the clothes away, when he heard the door to the bedroom open.

“Sutan?”

“In here!” Sutan poked his head out of the closet, a smile on his lips when he saw Violet in the door, his girlfriend leaning against the frame. “I got you a penne vodka for dinner.”

“That’s fine.” Violet was wearing her work clothes, a pale lilac wrap dress hugging her body, but she was rumpled from sleep, the fabric askew so he could see her bra, matching lilac lace peeking out.

“Fine.” Sutan nodded, a fine from Violet just that. A confirmation that it was fine, which Sutan was still trying to get used to.

“Do you have Raven’s number?”

“... Yes?” Sutan looked at Violet, only now noticing that she was holding her old and clunky iPhone in her free hand, the other holding the one crutch she prefered to use at home. “Why?”

“So I can text her?”

Sutan snorted, the dry reply really what he should have expected.

“I figured.” He fished his own phone out of his pocket, his notifications telling him that a text from Gigi had ticked in, the young girl asking him if she could bring some reference photos for Juju to look at.

Gigi was only 19, but his gut feeling had been confirmed the moment he saw her, her weird but charming little laugh, great jaw and intense eyes exactly what he predicted everyone would be looking for in the upcoming seasons. She was a little bit boney, but she’d hopefully grow into it, a pound or three more and some guided trips to the gym rounding her out.

“There.” Sutan pressed send on Raven’s contact, a ding from Violet’s phone telling him it had arrived.

“Thanks,” Violet smiled, and Sutan had expected that he’d be left to continue unpacking, but she was still leaning against the door, now fiddling with her phone.

“Everything okay lovely eyes?”

“It’s just,” Violet looked unsure. “The spa thing Fame sent with the flowers. It’s for two, and I wanted… I thought maybe Raven would like to go with me, but…”

Violet trailed off, and Sutan had to bite down a smile. He had sensed that Raven and Violet had gotten closer but this was a development he hadn’t seen coming.

“I think she’d love that.”

***

“So, these are my top three candidates at the moment,” Trixie said, handing over an iPad to Raja, and a folder to Fame, who always preferred to look at physical copies, the three of them in Fame’s office.

Raja swiped through the photos, trying not to judge the candidates too harshly, while Fame sifted through the folder.

“Trixie…” Fame paused, looking up, “what am I looking at, exactly?”

“Well, uh… One of them is a recent Parsons graduate, the other has been working at Calvin Klein for a few years, and the third-”

“This is garbage, Trixie. None of this work speaks to the Galactica brand. None of it.”

“Well, but don’t you think those blue pieces are-”

“Trixie.”

Raja felt for Trixie, she really did, but she had to agree with Fame on this one. She could see why he’d selected the designers, their work technically good and creatively interesting, but it was all wrong for Galactica.

“Look, I know they’re not the most exciting portfolios we’ve seen, but this is a tough time of year, and this was the best of the bunch. Fashion week will be hard without an extra person, and Violet’s been doing great work, but her injury is really slowing her down, and-”

“Why don’t you expand the search? Maybe go international?” Raja suggested.

“Yes, try that. And please do not waste our time with any more sub-par candidates.” Fame closed the folder, then called out, “Courtney!”

After a beat, she sighed and tried again. “Courtney!”

It seemed that the progress Raja thought Courtney was making had been stymied a bit, Fame’s exasperation clear as she raised her voice, something she hated to do, calling out to her for a third time.

“Courtney!”

“Yes Miss!” Courtney finally came racing to the door, standing breathlessly, notepad in her hand, waiting for Fame’s instructions. Fame held out the folder in her hands, and Courtney stepped forward.

“This is garbage,” she said, handing over the folder. Courtney took the folder, pausing for a moment, as Fame looked at Trixie and pointedly repeated, “garbage.”

Courtney looked slightly confused, but nonetheless dropped the folder into the trash can beside Fame’s seat on the sofa.

“Is there anything else you need, Miss?”

Raja stifled a laugh, knowing full well that this moment had lost the dramatic punch that Fame intended, could see the cross look on her friend’s face as clear as day.

“That’s all.”

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

I want to write an original story with a similar basic premise to Animorphs (kids use alien technology to fight a secret guerrilla war against other invading alien species and are subsequently severely traumatized), but I'm not sure how clearly distinct from Animorphs I need to make it to be legally okay. The plot's pretty different asides from that and none of the characters are really similar, but I'm not sure if it's still too close. Any advice?

Yes!  All advice comes with the whopping caveat that I’ve never published a novel myself, but I can make recommendations.

Step 1: Write the dang thing!

I feel like we writers worry too much, too often, and especially too early about copyright issues.  I’ve had friends fret over the possibility of mentioning Disney in novels that they haven’t so much as outlined; my usual response is to hand them a copy of Percy Jackson with the 30,000 mentions of Diet Coke flagged, or to highlight the words “PlayStation” and “Sellotape” in the Harry Potter series.  Heck, Animorphs itself takes potshots at Nickelodeon and Planet Hollywood.  Worrying about copyright early on in the writing process is useless to the extent that it’s almost impossible to predict what copyright issues the final product will or won’t have.  I successfully published a poem trashing Dole fruit company in an anthology, only to have the whole anthology pulled because its inside cover accidentally (incorrectly) implied that it was published through our university’s press.

Trust me, I get why this problem draws the mind — it assumes a reality where my novel is finished, an agent accepts it, a publisher puts it out, and it sells enough copies for senpai to notice me.  But if you’re not talking to a publisher about this issue over your sixth or seventh draft of your polished manuscript, you’re borrowing tsuris.  Maybe by the time you’re done writing your novel, the resemblance to Animorphs will be less than passing.  Maybe you’ll run into a completely different set of copyright issues.  Point being: cross that bridge when you come to it.  Even better, let your publisher cross it for you.  That’s part of why they’re there.

Step 2: Draw out what makes your story unique, and avoid what makes K.A. Applegate’s story unique.

If you’re writing about mind-controlling aliens, that’s fine!  Those date back to at least Robert A. Heinlein, and arguably as early as humanity itself has had a concept of possession by spirits.  If you’re writing about shapeshifting kids, also fine!  Those definitely date back to the dawn of human culture, and can be found in the religions of every continent.  If you’re writing about trauma, fine.  I think you’re okay to borrow almost all of the broad strokes of Animorphs.

Things that wouldn’t be okay to borrow:

Specific descriptions of specific aliens.  If you have any vulcan-like beings in this universe, don’t make them four-eyed four-legged scorpion-tailed blue people.  Same goes for all the unique species and creatures.

The exact words KAA uses to write the scenes.  Hopefully you learned this already in middle school, but you have to do a hell of a lot more than rewording a quote to avoid plagiarism.  Don’t even paraphrase any passage from an Animorphs book, ever.  Write your own stuff.

Exact plots.  If you’re having your child shapeshifters chased by a sentient tornado that senses their shapeshifting energy while they all drive around continuously shapeshifting to play keep-away with said tornado, then that’s copying KAA’s homework even if you never use the words “yeerk” or “veleek.”

Exact characters.  This one’s nebulous, but try to avoid having your first narrator be a thirteen-year-old boy who enjoys basketball but was cut from the team, whose older brother is mind-controlled by an alien, whose friends all describe him as middle-aged before his time, and whose girlfriend is an animal-loving assistant vet.  You can write a Jake-like character if you change anything from his sport of choice to his ethnicity — and then ask yourself how that difference would change his outlook or upbringing.

Macguffins.  This is similar to the specific aliens: however your protagonists gain the ability to shapeshift, don’t make it a blue box.

Step 3: TELL NO ONE.

If I had to guess, at least one author has already done exactly what you’re describing — written heavily modified Animorphs fan fiction and published it as an original work.  If I had to make a specific guess, it’d be either that Veronica Roth’s Divergent series started as a work of Rachel/Tobias fan fiction, or that Stephenie Meyer’s The Host started as a fan sequel to the whole series.  However, I can’t go beyond guessing, because both authors are (WISELY) keeping their traps shut about the issue.  Yes, Roth has mentioned that Tobias “Four” Eaton is named after Tobias Fangor, but hasn’t gone beyond that.  Meyer has pulled the ultimate Mary-Shelly-worthy power move by responding to questions about her inspiration with “it came to me in a dream ¯\_(ツ)_/¯” which, honestly, life goals right there.

Speaking of Stephenie Meyer, let’s talk about E.L. James as an example of what not to do.  Sure, she didn’t have a ton of choice about people knowing 50 Shades of Grey was Twilight fan fiction — she initially published it on FFN under that heading — but it’s also this unavoidable fact about that novel that has contaminated many people’s perceptions of it.  Meyer has chosen to be classy as fuck about the whole thing through making no acknowledgement whatsoever of James, but she’d be well within her right to sue.  And James’s own work is forever going to be “that Twilight fan fic that made it big,” never considered purely for its own merits.  Jump from E.L. James to Cassandra Clare, and things get uglier: Clare’s been open about the fact that the Mortal Instruments originated as Harry/Draco fan fiction, and as such there’s widespread awareness in fandom spaces that Clare was that cyberbully on FFN back in the day, and is probably guilty of plagiarism.

How to avoid that nonsense?  Take it to your grave.  I know that one of the bestselling YA novels of 2015 was an utterly-revamped Supernatural fic idea; I only know that through the author being a friend of a friend, because the author has (WISELY) made zero public statements that that’s the case.  I know that Tamora Pierce, D.J. MacHale, Stephenie Meyer, and Noelle Stevenson have all quietly acknowledged having FFN or AO3 accounts, and I also know that none of their fan fiction usernames are widely known for good reason.  I know that Applegate herself has made statements that, shall we say, do not definitively rule out the possibility that Animorphs might have in its earliest incarnations borne passing resemblance to Lord of the Rings fan fiction.  But none of these authors have said as much on the record, which is the right way to go.

Anyway, happy writing!

[indecisive-v]

NINJAMUFFIN DOING ANOTHER AMA ON TWITTER, HERE'S MORE SHIT FOR YA! keep in mind i'm just sharing the funkin related stuff, though i am including WAAAAY more than what i shared before 👍 go check out ninja's twitter profile for questions about stuff like ritz! questions in blue, answers in orange. if yall don't wanna read everything i MIGHT make a version of this post where i replace the answers with my own summaries of em (and if the questions are long, those too)

and here's a link to the ama tweet itself! dunno if it's still goin

Q: I figure the answer will be yes but do you have more plans to implement more guest appearances from people in the newgrounds community into FNF? Or are you all gunna focus on OG lore and stuff going forward

A: for guest appearances, I think we have always seen it as getting a healthy mix of both. PERSONALLY I'd like to lean towards having more OG stuff than guest stuff, BUT it's all a matter of what other boys think of that as well. I'm not the sole person working on game!

Q: Are you gonna release the full FNF game or are you gonna be releasing week after week? Like, are you gonna release week 8 or are we gonna wait some years until The Full Ass Game comes out?

A: Release plan for FNF right now is a few more updates or whatev to the 'demo' we have out right now, and then a long silence of probably no updates whatsoever until the full game is done (which will likely be a few years). That's partly why we made kickstarter for game.

Q: Hey so like, how much will Fnf cost after it's finished? And when will you ask the supporters what they want the game on?

A: It's all subject to change, but right now it prob gonna be standard 15-25$ lil steam indie game.

We will ask Kickstarter pledgers and whatnot what they want the game on SUPER close to when its released, to keep options open if we get onto anything like a console people want.

Q: 1. how was your day

2. are you releasing a week 8 song early like week 7, or are you goin full lockdown

A: I am doing GOOD today, and I think recently I've been good in general.

up to the mood, but so far we doing good about not having anything leak or whatev, so I think it'd be fun to have update come out with people not knowing what to expect at all. Build dat intrigue

Q: Will fnf ever get official plushies?? Seems like an untapped market

A: FNF plushies will prob happen some point, we have a lot of current merch stuff on our plates already though! (Mostly kickstarter type stuff, shirts, pins, posters, and all the physical OST stuff) Its a lot to sort out, but in time more and more stuff will happen. We r jus 4 boys!

Q: did you ever expect your game to blow up as it did? what was your first reaction to seeing it become super popular

A: FNF never had a humble moment, literally day 1 before the prototype even came out, the vid on twitter had like 5K likes overnight. Then when ludum dare version came out, it got 5K likes again, like it wasnt just a fluke. Was crazy, and def felt like somethin was different wit FNF

Q: Do you plan on getting other people to come in to help with the music? That seems like a lot of work to dump on one person, what with the erect mode and whatnot.

I guess the question could apply to all aspects of development. Will you be bringing on more people to help?

A: We definitely are getting help from other people. We are always keeping an eye on people for various different things. In terms of programming, already I've gotten 2 people (MtH and Geokureli) to help with certain Week 7 stuff (charting/polish, and loading stuff). Shit like dat

Q: Oh, also, will the Steam version be Workshop compatible? That'd really help streamline the process of downloading mods.

A: Steam version of FNF will likely NOT be Steam workshop compatible, because we want all the mods to NOT be spread out through different places. There WILL be modding support that is as streamlined as Steam workshop though. Mainly for non-steam versions of the game!

Q: Are there any chances that the game will have a physical release? Also any updates on a switch port? I remember one of you guys talking/joking about it.

A: Not impossible for FNF to get a physical release. We would want to see how far we could go with it though. I think it'd be super easy to do something wit people like LimitedRun games or whatev, but I think stuff like that can only go so far. I wanna see Funkin in mf Walmart!!!!!!

not that LimitedRun isn't going to be an option! Just we consider and pursue many different things! FNF release is years away, so we have time to think about everything. Whole mindset can be different just a few months from now.

Q: Out of curiosity, how are you dealing with all the popularity? It blew up so fast id barely be able to handle it if I was in your shoes.

A: The only way I've been able to handle it is having the other boys on the crew and being able to talk to them about all the overwhelmingness.

Part of it feels very lonesome, feels like NO ONE can come close to comprehending exactly how I'm feeling, except them. also other PALS!!!

Q: Do you own any of the bootleg FNF merchandise? Like any bootleg plushies or anything?

A: i dont, i genuinely think they r a waste of money, and I know any bootleg shit that gets made, we can prob go about and make it, and make it 100x cooler because we actually put effort into shit. bootleg shit just in it for the coin, so they aint gettin that from me

Q: How did you go about getting in contact with sr pelo for skid and pumps vocals?

A: Pelo i think was familiar and pals wit PhantomArcade a bit thru various Newgrounds things and collabs and whatnot.

pelo retweeted the first OG FNF posts first ever, and brought a LOT of attention to it. to pay him back, we put skid and pump in game! ask dave for more info prob

Q: what's the plan for having the full ass game open source if it's gonna cost money? couldn't people just download the source and compile the game for free?

A: when FNF is fully released, the full source code will be released as well.

the game will be DRM free so it will be way easier for people to redistribute the released/offical .exe instead of compiling it, so that's not the issue anyways. people will pay for things if they like it

Q: What are the chances of it getting on consoles like switch or Playstation, ps5 would definitely be my preferred way to play

A: it'd be a matter of hiring someone to build out backend stuff for those specific consoles. someone who knows their way around all the wacky code stuff, AND knows console hardware stuff. Then its just a matter of hittin up those console manufacturers (Sony, Microsoft, or Nintendo)

the CLOSEST one is SWITCH. pretty much all of that backend is already made, so it just a matter of gettin all that access and shit.

i think in any case though, there's a lot of NDA stuff required, i dunno how much we'd be able to talk about it even IF we get that stuf sorted

Q: any ideas of releasing it on epic store or another platform?

A: Right now, the only thing that is 100% confirmed and WILL happen is a Steam version, itchio version, and mobile versions on respective app stores. Other storefronts aren't out of the picture though, but we don't want to spread ourselves too thin with it.

Q: Will you continue using HaxeFlixel to make the rest of FNF?

A: yes, because it is what I'm the most technically proficient in, and generally is VERY flexible. just a matter of ME becoming a better coder. It's ALL open source, so if I need something done a certain way, either I can do it, or we can hire someone to do it.

Q: have you seen game theory's videos on your game yet and if so, what do you think about them? (not talking about his predictions because i dont want spoilers. i like mystery)

A: it is always good silly fun to watch the Game Theory vids about Funkin with some pals, and see what matpat thinks of the game. i lov the vids, but wish he used my face less! Or at least used a cuter pic of me like this one!!

Q: Ok so: What does the future of FNF look like to you?

A: future of FNF is a rhythm game that not only exceeds every expectation that people have of it, but subverts most expectations and conventions as well.

Q: Do you plan on retouching on older weeks once the game is fully out? Like reanimating sprites, redoing some charting, updating the background, etc

A: retouching and probably overhauling certain aspects is almost definitely gonna happen. Everything is fluid and can be changed (and should be changed when necessary). i dont think anything should be too attached to, especially this early on in development

Q: I honestly do not care if the answer to this is vague as hell to keep surprises and shit lol but… Since Week 7 was the closest we’ll get to a playable girlfriend (still bf controlling tho), do you have plans to make girlfriend playable in spin-off things or just freeplay?

A: wouldnt be out of the picture for a playable GF, i don't think we've had some hard thing AGAINST it. just a matter of what we want out of the game, and what sort of story or whatev we could do with that concept

Q: How do BF and GF manage to meet famous newgrounds characters (such as pico, tankman and the others to come) like is this all in one universe/ timeline or are they being brought in?

A: i think they are all just there existing. i think there's a lot of wacky things in other media that try to justify crossovers, like MULTIVERSE bullshit or TIMELINE shit, but i dunno, its like subspace emissary. Captain Falcon and Olimar from Pikmin just hang out. Shit like dat

disclaimer that all lore shit is in phantomarcade head pretty much and maybe there is wacky dimensions or somethin

Q: Will the game have dlc?

A: its not too unlikely that we'd have expansions of some sort, but i mean right now we plan on packing in as much as we can into base game, and trying to make that as pure as possible.

if there is ANY dlc, i would personally want it to be 100% free updates

Q: How did you meet Phantom Arcade, Kawai Sprite, and EvilSker? And what do you think about the community and its controversies?

A: me and phantomarcade been fukin around NG for years so years and years ago we naturally crossed paths and became pals

about 2 years ago i found kawaisprites music on NG, and started talkin wit him, made Ritz wit him and we fell in lov

and evilsk8r i met cuz of FNF!!!

quik elaborate on evilsk8r, wanted artist for gamejam FNF was for (ludum dare), and OG person i asked wasnt available, so he referred me to evilsk8r, who I have never met or talked to before ever.

[chlcrine]

( courtney eaton / demi girl ) LUNDY VICENTE is 22 years old and is a JUNIOR at thales university. SHE is majoring in WOMEN’S STUDIES and is known for being THE JAILBIRD as HER can be RESILIENT and SCHEMING as well as HOTHEADED and AGGRESSIVE. every time i see HER, SHE reminds me of THE DEEP END OF A SWIMMING POOL, TITLEFIGHT LYRICS, SLEEPING ON A FULL SIZED MATTRESS. ( amanda / 23 / she/her / mst )

hey guys its amanda the raven mun. like this to validate me thanks *winks*

NAME:  lundy b vicente AGE:  22 BIRTH DATE:  november 19th 1998 ZODIAC:  sagittarius sun, leo moon SEXUAL ORIENTATION:  bisexual  /  biromantic FINANCIAL CLASS:  lower HOMETOWN:  kissimmee, florida EDUCATION LEVEL:  junior studying women’s studies FACE CLAIM:  courtney eaton ADDICTION(S):  nicotine DRUG USE:  frequent ALCOHOL USE:  frequent POSITIVE TRAITS:  self-reliant, confident, risk-taking NEGATIVE TRAITS:  vulgar, violent, selfish

BACKGROUND  -  triggers: prostitution, child neglect, incarceration

as she would put it, lundy was born to a crackwhore mom and never knew her dad. the earliest years of her life were certainly happy, allbeit delusionally so. by the age of five the girl had the local streets memorized, running rampant with her friends through parking lots and swimming in motel pools. while her mother used alternative means to earn money and occupied their single bedroom with the company many suitors, young lundy became independent, and aware of the harsh realities of the real world on her own.

before long, cps caught word of the less than ideal living conditions that the child was living in, and got involved. ultimately she ended up in the foster system after a brutal custody battle between her mother and the state.

though she lived in a variety of homes around the state of florida, some good, some not so good, lundy ended up stuck in a home for troubled girls. the system threatened to chew her up and spit her back out, but self-reliance had made her testy around authority figures.

her thirteenth birthday was spent during the first of many bouts in juveinial detention, but she took to the facility well. like a school she reined over, lundy actually found herself getting into trouble just so she could return. the highlights of her teen years mostly consisted of fighting, fucking, and making the other kids in juvy all around just as miserable as she was.

once she turned eighteen, lundy was contacted by her father’s family. he lived in virginia, and offered her a place to stay as she tried to “get back on her feet”, seeing how he himself had done some time and knew the feeling. it didn’t take long for lundy to decide that family life wasn’t for her, so she began applying to colleges in hopes to live on campus.

PERSONALITY  -  triggers: violence

it should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with lundy that she was kicked out of her most recent housing situation over the summer. the police were called after a neighbor reported a domestic disturbance, only to find that lundy had beaten one of her roommates bloody and blacked out. though she claims she had a reason  ---  he was creepy!  the feds didn’t give much of a shit about that, and there is a pending court case. she is also living with her dad again, working to repay him for her bail fund, and waiting to be contacted further. she most certainly should NOT be indulding in partying, or any reckless sort of behavior, but that goes against her very identity.

when you actually have lundy on your side, she’s a force to be reckoned with. ride or die, type of person, but she struggles to find people who actually wish to become close enough to her for that. at this point, it doesn’t bother her that others find her offputing. her sense of humor is an acquired taste, and she’ll certainly say what’s on her mind, but perhaps that may seem refreshing? to some people? maybe?

lundy is rather loud, just when she speaks, and LOVES digging into other people’s business. she is incredibly impulsive and will always support bad decisions. she’s deliberate, though never planned, and tactless. the type to hurt your feelings on accident AND on purpose, depending on the day. in general, she is silly. a maniac really

RANDOM SHIT

she plays bass. picked it up whens he moved to virginia. she’s just a rock chick!

proud marxist but i don’t recommend bring it up to her. she’s been kicked out of many classes due to this

as far as gender goes, lundy has always felt “female enough” but certainly has a more adrogynous energy about her. wears a lot of baggy clothes and backwards hats. has been called a lesbian since before she can remember, but kind of took on that persona and made her something she’s proud of

sleeps most comfortably in small spaces. prefers her full sized mattress to anything bigger

constantly makes the jacking off motion when other people are talking

has this love you tattoo on her hairline a la her at the time girlfriend and this tattoo on her hand

loves a good video game session (aka not talking to anyone for 72 hours unless it’s through playstation)

loves a good handwritten letter, will even get romantic about it sometimes

likes fucking menthol cigarettes

always leaving the house with her hair wet like girl why???????? also loves to swim

had a gay boyfriend once. the only boyfriend she ever had. it lasted like a week asdfsdf

based on:  young aleida ( oitnb ), moonee ( the florida project ), spinelli ( recess ), jayden ( short term 12 ), donna ( that 70s show )

WANTED CONNECTIONS

a band?????? this is so so so up for whatever ideas anyone else has but she’s definitely always wanted to be in a band and has the charisma for it. need anyone else who plays an instrument other than bass or sings

half siblings???????? they would have to be at least half white, because her dad is white.

exes ?? (f/nb) of literally any sort. she was probably a very fleetingly romantic gf. she’d be like here is a love note i made u but also we’re breaking up tomorrow. 

someone she’s beat up?????????

honestly i can’t think of anything all that specific anymore my brain always runs out of juice at the fucking end of writing intros like this. i really just want literally any connection dude hit that mf LIKE button

[gliese710]

Love - The Punishment: Part 2

Pairing: Kyungsoo x Y/N

Genre: Fluff/Angst

Summary: Y/N is a low ranked devil who finds her joy in the smallest of mischiefs. If only a certain angel could mind his own business.

Masterpost

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

It's been three days since Kyungsoo got his freedom back, and three days since he has developed this neverending restless feeling.

He can't concentrate on anything with that wicked devil constantly occupying his mind, despite at last freeing him. Maybe...no certainly he had been too harsh. Guilt has been eating up at him since that day.

It's just guilt, he tries to convince himself. He's an angel after all, not supposed to be harsh to anyone. But a vague feeling of yearning keeps nagging at some corner of his heart. Maybe because he had gotten used to the endless chatters and now the silence is almost tangible. He'll grow out of it, he keeps telling himself.

Two more days were enough for him to accept the fact that he misses you; not the chitter-chatters, not the constant hustle and not the small time of breather he got out of an abrupt change in his routined life, but you. Hell, he even wishes you would somehow start following him around again.

He is craving the feeling of having a friend, even if they don't share the same morals. He realizes morals have nothing to do with friendship.

You sit at the bank of a river, feet dangling below, touching the water just enough to wet your soles. It's comforting, away from all the chaos, being lazy and doing nothing. The silence is comforting.

You stare at the flowing water, gaze blank, thinking about nothing.

"Kyungsoo, " a voice so familiar you could distinguish it amongst thousand other sounds snaps you out of your daze.

Turning your head quickly, you look at him with widening eyes. He looks a little fidgety, nonetheless speaks again.

"My name...it's Kyungsoo."

Your lips twitch up in a smile on their own, eyes beaming with genuine happiness, and Kyungsoo reflects the same expression when he sees yours.

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

"Oh, you sure are ticklish," you say, a sly smirk etched on your lips, chasing him up in the sky.

"I told you I'm not," he barks, trying to fly as far from your reach as possible.

You snicker, "Then get your ass back here you coward."

He doesn't counter. He can't.

The chase continues, air filled with your laughter and endless bickers.

Days with Kyungsoo has been just like this. Vibrant.

"I wish I'd met you sooner," you tell him one day, legs splayed on the beach, watching the sunset, breathless after one of your chasing sessions.

Silence engulfs you for a while before he swallows the lump in his throat, "Me too," he whispers in a pained voice.

Black and white, pure and evil, light and darkness; one cannot exist in the presence of other. You two were never meant to be together. Yet the thought that your days are numbered painfully clenches at your heart.

And though none of you ever brought this up before, you know it pains him too.

Serving the earth is a duty for angels, each allowed a specific amount of time to watch over it and then return to heaven. New angels take their place. Whereas for devils, it's their punishment. After repenting in hell, their fates get determined by their crimes. Either they get sent back to the world, reincarnated, to live a more meaningful life or if the committed sin was unrepentable, they get turned into devils, to serve the purpose for assigned time before simply perishing.

You exhale a shaky breath, "Kyungsoo, what sin do you think I committed that I still haven't repented enough?"

He looks down at his hands, unresponsive. Forcing out a humorless chuckle, you continue, "This whole system is so fucked up, don't you think? Why create something so useless only to tarnish something so beautiful? Why-"

Kyungsoo turns fast, panic written all over his face. "Y/N I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry for that day. It was my fau-" he rushes out the words before you interrupt him.

"You don't have to apologize Kyungsoo. I know you didn't mean it. But it doesn't change the fact that it was all true."

"It's not true Y/N," he repeats with too much guilt in his eyes and you scoff, looking away.

"You know as well as I do that we can't alter human's decisions. We can intensify their hidden desire or maybe provoke them a little but the end result remains in their hand. They choose which way to lean on, we just give them options. The monsters live within themselves."

He places a hand on top of yours and gives it a gentle squeeze. Your eyes start to glisten.

"Without evil, there would be no definition for good. Everything has a purpose in this universe, and the world would be a chaos without even one of it. Different purposes are what keep the world in balance."

With a smile and eyes full of tears you nod.

Kyungsoo too smiles and the gentle breeze blows all the worries away...for now.

You know, you can feel your time coming to an end. But for now, you choose to pretend, so that when the time actually comes you'd have no regrets.

And so you live, like there's no tomorrow, like there's nothing odd, like it was always meant to be this way.

You fill your days with mutual bliss.

"You'll live upon my terms today," you say one morning, lips pulled up in a wicked grin.

Kyungsoo cocks an eyebrow, eyes inquiring.

"I'm the evil queen today and you're going to serve me."

Kyungsoo laughs, amusement clear in his eyes. "As you wish, your Highness," he says, voice playful.

You drag him to the same house you two first met.

"Remember, you aren't supposed to be involved, " you eye him questioning and he nods, a little nervous.

Satisfied, you concentrate on the task.

The boy was already sulking, this time because he didn't get his desired PlayStation. Brat.

You succeed easily, a triumphant smile on your face as the TV shatters into pieces.

Kyungsoo winces but changes his expression into neutral once you avert your gaze towards him.

"Doing good?" you ask him, voice teasing.

He sticks his tongue out resulting you to chuckle.

"So, which did you enjoy more? The TV's cruel fate, the boy's utter lack of obedience or..." he squints his eyes playfully, "my helplessness?"

"Oh, you know..." you wink at him before dragging him out, "Come on now, we can't waste all our day here. I'm only queen for one day, gotta make the most out of it."

Later that day, you sit on the grass, cross-legged, brows furrowed and a whiny pout on your face.

"Y/N I swear it wasn't intentional, I don't even know how it happened. I just couldn't stop myself," Kyungsoo tries to convince you, desperately trying to make you look at him.

You refuse to comply though. You are beyond pissed at him, for he has, once again interrupted in your act.

"Look at me, please, " he puts a hand on your shoulder but you harshly shove it away, moving your head sideways.

Again, he shifts in front of you, "I'm so sorry, please forgive me?" he pleads in the most honey-like gentle voice of his and your facade starts to crack.

Struggling to keep the frown intact on your face, you eventually give up, breaking into a laughter at his utterly wary self.

"You look so cute, " you say, in between laughing hard.

Kyungsoo just watches you in amusement.

You stop laughing when your eyes fall on his face. He looks ethereal. It's like fall in a spell, gaze moving from his eyes to nose to his lips...oh those lips look very inviting and in a stance you start leaning forward.

He doesn't move, not his body not his gaze, like he's also in a spell, the glint in his eyes changing to something indescribable.

A dog starts barking suddenly, breaking you both out of your stance. You flinch a little and then move back to your position awkwardly.

Kyungsoo clears his throat before standing up, proceeding to hold one of his hands toward you, the other behind him, in a bowing posture.

"Allow me, your Highness," he dramatically states and you laugh, offering him your hand.

He helps you stand up, then kneels infront of you, head hanging beneath, "This lowly creature is at your mercy now my queen."

"Hmm...so what do you think your punishment should be?"

Kyungsoo looks up at you before answering, "I suggest you spare my life this once and in exchange I'll gift you the best day of your life."

"It sounds pretty tempting-"

"Oh, you'll love it your Highness, please think about it."

You pretend to be in deep thought, "Ok, I'll take the offer for now. But if you fail to impress me by the end of the day, I'll take your head as compensation."

He smirks, "Sure, your Highness. I'm all yours."

Your cheeks go bright red at the way he stated it. You try to hide it by averting your gaze.

Kyungsoo lets out an amused chuckle before interlacing your hand with his. He ushers you to take flight and you do, holding hands.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

And the rest of the journey goes completely silent.

You stare at him as if he has hit his head doing the dumbest thing possible.

"What?"

"What?"

He rolls his eyes and huffs out a frustrated sigh, "Just trust me okay?"

You sigh at his pleading look, "I guess there's nothing to lose anyway, your head's a pretty good deal."

His face lits up and you feel a slight tug at your heart.

Kyungsoo has brought you to an amusement park, which you thought at first was because there will be far too many opportunities for you to annoy people, and you felt excited for a short while before he informed you of his plans.

"We're going to try out the rides," he had said like it was the most normal thing to do.

You wonder from where did Kyungsoo get this weird idea, you've never seen any of your kind do this before.

You aren't complaining though. Being with him is enough for you, but of course you aren't going to let him know that.

Kyungsoo asks you to choose the rides. You can tell he's hoping you would choose the less scary ones, but it's your day and you're not giving up an opportunity like this to see a scared Kyungsoo.

He goes a little stiff beside you as you head towards the roller coaster ride.

"You're not afraid right?" you ask him tauntingly.

He scoffs, instantly putting on a brave face, "You're forgetting I can fly. What's even there to be afraid of?"

You smirk, before literally screaming, " Then let's gooooo..." pulling him along with you.

"Sit tight, don't let the wind blow you away," you wink at him and he gives you a glare.

The ride starts slowly, "It's boring, " you say, feigning a yawn.

"It hasn't even started yet, " he scowls.

"But it's-" Kyungsoo puts a finger on your lips, "Shushhh."

You roll your eyes but shut your mouth anyway.

He doesn't scream like the humans do, too prideful to give his fear away, but the extra pressure in your hand which he hasn't let go for once since the very beginning is enough to know.

The ride goes well, for you anyway, with you laughing your lungs out more at the bloodless pale sight of Kyungsoo than the thrill of the ride.

He clearly isn't fond of these, yet he lets you jump from one ride to another, each one scarier than the former. Not once does his smile falter.

Kyungsoo literally stumbles out on wobbly legs after your fourth ride on Drop Tower. You particularly loved this one very much. But now as you are looking at his breathless form you can't help but feel a little guilty.

This shouldn't be happening. You should be selfish. Anyone's suffering should purely serve for your satisfaction. But somewhere along the line, everything changed. Your purposes, your rationales, basically your whole track now revolved around an angel. An angel who should be your absolute enemy. And yet here you are.

"Where to now?" Kyungsoo breaks your stance, brows raised teasingly, as he caught you staring at him for far too long.

You shake your head, smiling, not at all embarrassed at getting caught, "Let's end it here."

This is when his smile falters, not entirely but enough to point out the sadness in his eyes. The inevitable, which you both unspokenly decided to push back in your mind for the day- your last day, finally sinks in, and you blink rapidly to keep in your tears.

You've been fading noticeably since this morning. You both know it's going to be your last sunset, which is not much time from now.

"Let's take a rest," he says, a sad smile plastered on his face. Let's spend the last moments together.

He guides you towards the ferries wheel to sit on top of it, your hands still joined together. The sun is still quite visible from here, atleast till the tall buildings start to engulf it.

For a while, you sit there in silence, staring into oblivion. Then exhaling a shaky breath you look at Kyungsoo to find him watching you with a look in his eyes you can't decipher.

"I guess this is it then," you say, forcing a smile.

He just stares blankly.

"You can keep your head, it indeed was the best day of my life," you try to lighten up the mood a little but he still doesn't respond, "It was fun seeing you so scare—"

"Y/N," he calls, eyes fixed on you, "Would you call it love?"

Your breath hitches. You stare at him wide-eyed, unable to form any words.

"I'm promised all the happiness in heaven and still I don't want to go back. I want to stay here, with you, forever. Is it foolish?"

A forced chuckle escapes your lips, "It is very foolish..." you raise a brow, "but I like foolish thoughts."

Shaking his head, he lets out a small laugh.

You look at the ethereal creature infront of you and gulp the lump in your throat.

"Kyu...Kyungsoo, " you croak out, "Do you think it's part of my punishment?"

He gives you a confused look.

You gulp again before continuing, "I'm not supposed to feel anything good, love isn't a feeling I could perceive. Then why do I feel it?"

You return your gaze towards the far sky.

"I thought about it a lot. I think it's my ultimate punishment, I wouldn't have dread perishing if I didn't get a taste of heaven, " taking a sharp breath you continue, "Thank you, Kyungsoo. Though only for a short time, thank you for being the heaven in my hell."

"Y/N, believe me, I wouldn't exchange any heaven for you, I..." The lump in his throat felt painful and words turned into a jumbled mess which couldn't be delivered to express his emotions. So he did the only thing that could.

And when your lips met, so deeply that you could finally taste his soul, pure and serene, and the love he felt for you, the sadness for the inevitable separation— all so strong you could feel them like your own and you knew he could feel yours too.

The lights lit up the entire park to bid goodbye to the mighty sun, and with mingled tears, intertwined tongues and closed eyes, you bid farewell to the world too.

[sarcastically-defensive17]

Harry Potter Battle Wounds Pt 1 - L. Hemmings

Original story by sarcastically-defensive17

Female reader

Being the little sister of the infamous “C-Dizzle” Calum Hood meant that it was rare you could Skype him throughout his time at Uni.

You were one year younger than him, and while you were in year 12 he went off to University with his friends, choosing to move closer to campus.

It’s safe to say, you missed him like crazy. You and Cal had been thick as thieves for so many years, and are probably the single reason your mother’s hair started to turn grey. Or, at least, that’s what Joy would tell you both.

You and Cal had organized to skype on a Sunday afternoon, giving him enough time during the week to organize work for his classes, and Sunday morning to recover from a hang over he generally had.

From his Facebook tags alone, you had seem far too much of your older brother in stupid situations due to mass amounts of alcohol. He really was enjoying the University life and you were happy for him, you just wished he would dedicate some of his time to coming home to see his family. Hence why you took it upon himself to schedule specific blocks of time where he would Skype you. You even went as far to ensure Ashton, the only one of Calum’s friends you have met, knew of the time and made sure Calum dedicated that time to his family.

It worked perfectly and you never thought you’d admit it, but the Skype calls were even more fun when Cal’s friends got involved.

You heard he lived with three of his friends, one of those being Ashton and another his friend Michael who you met on a Skype call one night, but you had never seen the infamous Luke who was either asleep, at class or out who knows where.

The boys all have different accounts on where Luke was when you asked one time why you hadn’t seen the man.

Michael calmly replied “he’s at the titty bar. He strips for cash.”

He received a smack upside the head from Ashton for the comment, and you remember the sight of Michaels (then) bright green hair flying up and a yelp leaving the boys’ lips making you laugh until your stomach hurt.

“That is child abuse, Ashton!” He screeched as he ran off camera, “and no fair! Your hands are bigger than my dick!”

Ashton simply rolled his eyes, “It wouldn’t be child abuse if you didn’t act like a child!” He shouted before looking at Calum, “he’s at work, isn’t he?”

You saw your brother change his attention from the PlayStation game he was fixated on through the screen, and he simply shrugged.

“He may be at one of those parties he never invites us to, who knows.”

And so, for a whole year, you had never seen or spoken to Luke. You didn’t even know what he looked like, apart from the knowledge that he was “the lankiest penguin in the world” according to Mikey.

You had originally planned to go to a uni closer to home, in order to stay a bit closer to family and to your girlfriend. You had your heart set on the music production course that Calum’s Uni was running, but ultimately your girlfriend convinced you to also apply to a closer University.

You simply didn’t tell anybody you applied for Calum’s one, and just applied to see if you would have gotten in.

That changed when you went over to your girlfriends house and found her in bed with your best friend, Andrew.

You thought it best to follow your own path, not the one she wanted you to forge so she could continue taking advantage of your gifts and attention while also getting her rocks off with your best friend behind your back.

On the advice of your sister, you withdrew your application to the closer University and worked your butt off to get results that were good enough for the University course you wanted.

And just as Mali promised, it paid off and you were moving your stuff into Calum’s apartment not long after graduation, as Michael was moving in with his girlfriend, Crystal, who proved to be the nicest person you had ever met.

You lived there for a whole week without running into Luke at all.

You were beginning to think he didn’t exist at all. Plates of pancakes left on the bench, or sticky notes left around the house to remind one of you to “pick up more toilet paper” was evidence enough of another person in the house.

The idea that you also retreated to your room every night at around 8 also guaranteed you were dead to the outside world until you woke the next morning.

Until one night, when Ash, Cal and yourself were binge watching the Harry Potter series, given the fact that Ashton had never seen any.

“You have got to be kidding me?!” You screeched from your bedroom after overhearing their conversation through your open door.

“What happened? Drop your contact in your bra again?” Calum asked, a smirk on his face as he focused on the game playing on the television.

You stomped to the lounge room to flick him in the ear, before directing your attention to the eldest boy, “You have never watched Harry Potter?”

“Um, no? Should I have?”

“Yes, of course you should have, Ashton! You have big Hufflepuff energy and I bet you don’t even know what that means!” Your voice was an octave higher in disbelief and your frown deepened when the boy simply cocked his head at your words.

“Uhh-“

“That is it!” Your hands were raised in the air, “We are watching the first movie tonight and I will not take no for an answer!”

The first movie turned into the second, at which Calum bid a “Goodnight nerds,” as he stalked to his bedroom.

Ashton went to bed after the second one finished, leaving you alone in the lounge room, eyes glued to the screen as the second film turned to the third and Professor Lupin tried to teach Harry to produce a Patronus.

You were so engrossed that you didn’t even hear the door open. You could have been stabbed by an intruder and you wouldn’t have even noticed because you were too enamored by the movie you had seen over 20 times.

“Slytherin is the superior house, and anybody who disagrees is boring,” a deep voice says from behind you and you jump from your seat, pegging a bowl of popcorn at the face of whoever was in the apartment.

A thud echoed around the room followed closely by a groan and you rushed to flick the lights on, which revealed a tall blond man clutching his nose with popcorn on his hair and all around him.

“Luke?” You heard Cal ask wearily, walking out of his room rubbing his eyes.

“Luke?” You repeat, shock clearly ok your features.

“Yeah, hey Y/N! I live here too!” His brows were pulled together in pain, as anybody who takes a bowl to the face would be, but he also had an amused smile on his lips.

“I am so sorry! But you snuck up on me! You could have been a robber or murderer or who knows!” Was your only reply as you took in his features.

He was tall, a lot taller than you. His shoulders were wide and it was hard to tell if he was muscular through his oversized Nirvana shirt, but he had skinny jeans clad on his long legs, and converse on his feet.

There was a small scar on his bottom lip from where a lip ring used to be, on the same side you also had a lip ring.

His hair, that looked to be somewhat long was pulled back into a bun at the bottom of his head.

He was very attractive. Anybody could see that.

Your face immediately reddened at the internal revelation and you wanted nothing more than to clean the popcorn and run to your bedroom to hide.

Which is exactly what you did. You rushed around, dusting popcorn off of the tall boy and cleaning it from the floor before running to your bedroom and burrowing yourself under the covers in embarrassment.

The next morning, the house was practically empty. Ashton and Calum had a class, and as it was your day off, you slept in for a little bit. You thought you were alone so you moved to the kitchen to make breakfast, only to come face to back with a large figure standing at the stove.

“Morning,” he said, his voice gravely from sleep.

“Oh, hi!” You squawked, jumping slightly at the presence of Luke.

He simply turned and handed you a plate of pancakes and returned to his work at the stove.

“So, smallest Hood, I figured since you pelted me with a bowl last night and we haven’t gotten to know each other since you got here, that you could treat me to a coffee later today?”

He turned and you could see a subtle smirk on his face. Your face blushed at the question and you gaped, still in place and holding your pancakes.

“That is,” he continued, “unless you’re a Gryffindor. I could never date one of those.”

“Date?” You managed, confusion still evident on your face.

“Yeah. I’ve seen you a couple times on a Skype call with Calum and the guys but I was nervous to join them Incase I made Calum’s beautiful sister think I’m the dorkiest person ever, but then after she pelted me with popcorn I figured ‘what worse can happen’?”

You simply laughed at the idea of the attractive man in front of you being dorky.

You moved to the counter, taking a seat and cutting into your plate of food, “how could you be dorky? And I never saw you on the Skype calls!”

“I think anybody who spends literally any free time they have at a library would be regarded as a dork,” he laughed, and your cheeks reddened at the sound, “and I saw you a few times when I had gotten home, but never gotten in view of the camera.”

Your mind wanders back to Michael asking somebody named Lucifer how the outside world was, but Calum had told you it was their Golden Retriever.

I guess that kind of fits with the golden curls hanging from Luke’s head.

Instead of proving further, you figured there was only one thing you wanted at the very moment.

“So what time for coffee?”

A smile broadened on Luke’s face and you mirrored it.