#i know it's definitely the wind but it's fun to think it's anything else lol :>>

[keeps-ache]

wink blink look !!

[luxaofhesperides]

if you give a ghost a trauma: a parody fic

read on ao3.

Danny wishes to be sent someplace he could have a better family. Unfortunately, that lands him in a Gotham where tropes are made reality to the extreme. He really just can't catch a break. (or: a dcxdp parody fic where i make danny the only one able to see how bizarre things are. this does not help him in any way.)

. . .

“We’re gonna get you!” Maddie Fenton, a Bad Parent™ cries as she shoots her gun at Danny, her half dead son.

“No!” he wails, flying around as he dodges the shots. “I wish my parents weren’t trying to capture me for Evil Science Reasons! I wish I had a better family!”

“Lol, done,” said Desiree, snapping her fingers. 

Danny only has time to say Uh-oh before he’s sucked away into a magic portal and spit out into a dark and dreary city. In just the one second he’s there, before he even hits the ground, he hears gunshots, screaming, and the wailing of police sirens. Then he hits the ground and groans, releasing his ghost form to go back to being a human. 

“Where am I?” he asks himself, getting to his feet and looking around. The alleyway he’s in is empty and full of garbage just scattered around. Wherever he may be, it clearly needed to invest more in its sanitation department. 

He spots a fire escape on the side of a building and uses it to climb onto the rooftop, a totally normal course of action. Then he stares at the city, glowing with the street lights and neon business lights and a spotlight with the shape of a bat in it glowing on the clouds. 

“This might as well just happen,” Danny says, “My life is already so weird anyway.”

He stands there for some time, at a loss of what to do next. The wind is cold and brings with it a promise of rain, and from the looks of the dark clouds above him, it’s going to rain soon. Danny needs shelter, fast.

“Hey, kid, you okay?” says someone who snuck up behind him.

Danny shrieks and jumps, nearly going over the edge of the roof.

“Woah!” the person says, grabbing his arm and pulling him back to safety. “That was close!” 

Danny blinks up at his savior, then squints. This guy’s definitely not normal, since he’s wearing a domino mask and a lightly armored black suit with a blue bird emblem stretching across his chest. 

“Way to nearly kill him, Nightwing,” says a new person, dropping down onto the roof from the sky. This new person wears red and black, a pair of bandoliers crossing over his chest. 

“Well, I saved him, didn’t I!”

“Um, hi,” Danny interjects. “Thanks for grabbing me before I fell, but who are you?”

“You don’t know who we are?” blue bird asks rather incredulously.

“Do you think I’m asking just for fun.”

Red and black steps in with a smile. “I’m Red Robin, that’s Nightwing. We’re vigilantes trying to keep Gotham safe.”

Danny makes an educated guess that the city they’re currently in is Gotham. Not a city he’s ever heard before, but what does he know?

“Okay,” he says. There’s really not much else he can say.

“You never answered my question,” Nightwing says. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, yeah, just fine. No idea where I am or how to get home, but it can always be worse, you know?”

“Did you get lost?” Red Robin asks, pulling a holographic computer up from his wrist. Tucker would kill to get his hands on something like that. Danny wonders if he can get his own as a souvenir. 

“Something like that, yeah,” he replies. Another few gunshots ring out loudly through the streets, closer than they were before. Danny flinches, then ducks down a little, looking back towards the street apprehensively. “Um. You guys gonna do anything about that?”

The two vigilantes shrug, as if that’s an acceptable course of action. And then a hand shoots up and grabs the edge of the roof by Danny’s foot, making him jump in the air. Nightwing catches him yet again and moves him away from the ledge. 

A red helmet, leather jacket wearing guy built like a pro-wrestle hauls himself up the roof easily. There are guns tucked into holsters on his thighs and a red, block bat stuck on his chest. 

“Should I be concerned,” Danny says blankly. 

“Nah, it’s just Red Hood,” Red Robin replies, “The only person he ever tries to kill is me.”

“Cause you’re a replacement. And also, get over it, that was ages ago We’re good now. I haven’t even had a Pit Rage episode in months!”

“So the bullets you shot at me last week were just for fun?”

“Yeah, and they were rubber, so it’s not like you would have gotten hurt.”

Danny takes a few steps closer to Nightwing, hiding behind him. He’s getting bad vibes all around from that guy. 

“Tch,” a new voice says right behind Danny, making him flinch. A young boy with a sword steps out from behind him and joins the crew of vigilantes just hanging out on the roof. “As if he’s even worth that much attention.”

“Hello to you too, Demon Brat,” Red Robin says.

“How many of you are there?” Danny asks. “Don’t you need to like, protect the city?”

“Batgirl and Spoiler are working on it,” Nightwing says.

“We’re doing what?” another voice says, and a energetic blond girl dressed in purple armor hops onto the roof, tucking her grappling hook away. Following her is another person in all black, face fully covered, with stitches covering the mouth portion to make it seem as though they can’t talk. The person leaves the blond girl behind to head straight to Danny, making him take a few nervous steps back. 

“Dead,” she says, poking his chest with a finger.

Is that a threat? It feels like a threat. 

“No?” he tries. 

“What are you talking about, Batgirl?” Red Hood interrupts. “We all know the only dead person here is me.”

Everyone promptly groans, telling him to shut up about it and go one night without mentioning his death. 

Okay, that seems concerning! Is he another halfa? Is he like Vlad? Danny’s going to be so mad if he got dropped into another world directly into the hands of another Vlad. 

“You’re dead?” he asks, leaning away from Batgirl as she pokes him once more. 

“Yeah.”

“Same hat?” Danny tries, squinting at him.

“The fuck?” is the answer, which tells him that he probably doesn’t know what Danny’s on about. There’s still a 6% chance that he’s just lying to make Danny look like a fool, though. 

6% is more than 5%, which means it’s enough for him to just act on instinct and walk right up to the gun-wielding Red hood. He tries to consciously use his ghost sense, which is an odd feeling that reminders him of the moment before he hiccups. 

A light blue mist wafts out his mouth. 

Yep, the rumors are true: this man is dead.

“Once, again,” Red Hood says, “The fuck?”

“Seconded,” Nightwing adds.

“Third!” Spoiler joins in. 

Danny takes a page out of Batgirl’s book and pokes Red Hood’s chest. It’s very solid, only hard muscle, and reminds him a bit of Dan. That’s never a good sign. Something about Red Hood is making his skin crawl though, a sense of wrongness that sets alarm bells ringing in the back of his mind. 

“Did you come back instantly when you died?” he asks.

The white lenses of Red Hood’s helmet turn neon green. “Why the fuck are you asking me that.”

“Just checking. The green I’m seeing right now is making me think you’re a halfa.”

“What’s a halfa?” Red Robin interjects.

“An unlucky soul like me,” Danny responds, distracted. He lays his palm flat against Red Hood’s chest. The vigilante holds still, as if frozen, letting Danny do as he please. The ectoplasm he feels in other ghosts is usually calm, made unique by the personality of the ghost it belongs to, but it doesn’t roil and try to hurt the host like the ectoplasm in Red Hood is doing. 

He pulls back and looks around at the circle of vigilantes surrounding him. “Can anyone answer how he came back? Where did he even find this must rotten ectoplasm?”

“Pit,” Batgirl helpfully answers.

“Pit,” Danny repeats. “Like a pit of death? Toxic sludge? Landfill pit gone evil? What am I working with here.”

“Lazarus Pits,” the little one with the sword says. “How do you know about them?” He then pulls out his sword and points it at Danny, ignoring the way Nightwing hisses Robin, no! 

His name is Robin? Isn’t that just Red Robin’s name? Did this Robin have a color added to his name as well? 

“I literally don’t, but if it’s green and weird, then it’s probably ecto.” He turns back to Red Hood. “I’m gonna take care of it now.” And then he shoves his hand into Red Hood’s chest, ignoring the alarmed shouts from the other vigilantes. They try to pull him away, but Danny goes intangible, making their hands fall right through him as he gets a good grip on the ecto, sending his own out in a steady stream to chase the rotten flow towards his hand, then yanks it out. 

It’s green and goopy in his hands, steaming slightly in the air. “Ew,” Danny says. “That’s nasty. You were just living with this inside you?”

Red Hood doesn’t seem to hear him. 

Red Hood takes off his helmet and stares at the rotten ectoplasm in Danny’s hand. Nightwing approaches him cautiously, laying a hand on his shoulder.

“Hood? You doing okay? How are you feeling?”

“It’s gone,” Red Hood answers, shocked. “The Pit Rage. It’s gone. I haven’t felt this clear headed since before I died.”

“That must have sucked,” Danny says empathetically, then shakes the nasty ecto off his hand. It lands on the roof with a wet splat. 

Once again: ew.

“How did you do that?” Red Robin asks, crowding into Danny’s space. Batgirl slides up behind him, trapping him between them. 

“Did you not just watch me yank it out? It was easy. Anyways, y’all got jobs to do, and I got places to go. So I’ll see you never!”

He tries to fly away, but only manages to get a few feet before he’s pulled down by multiple people grabbing at him.

“What is going on here,” A low, gravelly voice demands. Yet another vigilante appears, gliding out of the shadows. This one is much bigger than everyone else, cloaked in darkness, with a helm that has two little ear things poking out on top. 

“Batman,” Robin says, “This meta cured Hood of his Pit Madness.”

“I see,” Batman replies, looking Danny over. “Are you an orphan?”

What the fuck. Who just asks that?

“No.”

“Are your parents well?”

“Sure? My mom was pretty energetic while shooting at me before I came here.”

“You do not have to be unsafe in your home again,” Batman says, grabbing something out of his tactical fanny pack. “You can live with us instead.”

He holds out fucking adoption papers.

Danny backs up as fast as he can, shaking his head. “Oh, no! No you don’t! I did not trade one fruitloop for another!”

“No new brother?” Batgirl asks sadly. 

“Definitely not,” he insists. “No thank you! I’m fine as I am and fully plan on going home.”

Batman frowns. “You said your mother was shooting at you.”

“Yeah, and? The food in our fridge comes to life every meal and we have to fight it. This is normal for us. Chill out and put those papers away.”

The entire crew of vigilantes seems very put out with Batman obligingly puts the adoption papers away. 

“Yeah, I’m done here. Go back to protecting the city. I’m just gonna… go.”

Danny doesn’t wait for them to say anything else before flies away, remembering to go intangible this time. He soars through the polluted streets of Gotham, weaving between tall buildings made with dark stone and decorated with gargoyles. It’s all very dark and dreary, which means Sam would love it.

She would not be loving the pollution, though. Danny certainly isn’t. 

“I wish I could go home,” he says loudly, looking up at the sky expectantly. 

No magic portal appears to yoink him back. 

“I wish I was at home again, and not here!”

Desire does not appear to help him out. She leaves him stranded in Gotham, pouting at the sky until he gives up and flies down to sit on a new roof and angst about his situation. Hopefully this time a gaggle of vigilantes won’t bother him.

Resting his head against his hands, he sighs. Then again, and again, loudly. “Man, this sucks,” he says to himself.

“What’s got a kitten like you so down?” someone says behind him.

“I’m so tired of random people sneaking up behind me on rooftops,” he informs them without turning around. If they wanna talk to him, they gotta got to him, not the other way around.

“Ah, ran into the Bats, did you?”

They’re called Bats? But only two were Bats. None of the other vigilantes fit the theme. That’s just lazy and inconsistent. They should rebrand to something better.

The person walks over and sits down next to him. Danny glances over and is startled to find a woman in a leather body suit, with a hood that has cat ears and googles with an orange tint. 

…Is everyone in this city just dressed strangely at all times? Is this the normal fashion of Gotham?

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue?”

“Sorry, didn’t mean to stare. Who are you?”

The woman laughs. “Oh, so you haven’t heard of Catwoman?”

“Nope. No clue who you are.”

“Well,” she purrs, “A pleasure to meet you. I’m a thief.”

The dots connect in his mind. “Like a cat burglar!”

“Yes, like that.”

“Man, this city is wild and I come from a place that deals with ghosts on a daily basis.”

“So what are you doing in a place like this? Gotham isn’t kind to newcomers.”

Danny sighs, yet again, and tilts his head back to look up at the cloudy, starless sky. “I made a dumb mistake and got sucked into a magic portal that spit me out here. I have no clue how I’m going to get home.”

“Do you have a place to stay?”

He glares at Catwoman. “I’m not open to being adopted. I’ll just eat any papers you send my way.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” she reassures, “I have no interest in being a mother. But I have a spare bedroom if you need it, and I wouldn’t mind teaching you a few tricks of the trade. It’ll be fun, messing with Batman.”

Ah, so she’s doing this for Trickster Reasons. Danny can respect that. 

And he also doesn’t have any other options. Considering how much gun violence and general violence he’s hearing in this city, he’ll probably be killed an embarrassing number of times just from trying to find a place to sleep on the streets for one night. Between cold, dangerous streets with storm clouds hanging heavy over his head or a guest bedroom in the home of a thief with a theme, there’s really no choice.

“If you don’t mind me hanging around, I’d really appreciate having a place to sleep until I figure out a way home.”

“Come along, then! I was just about to turn in for the night.” Catwoman stands up, stretches, then takes hold of the whip on her waist and snaps it out. She takes a running leap off the building, then throws her whip out to wrap around a billboard to swing across the street. 

Danny watches her go, then follows her lead, flying behind her, ready to catch her just in case. But Catwoman moves with ease, clearly experienced in recklessly moving through the streets, and makes her way to a highrise apartment with no trouble at all. 

They land on a balcony just as the sky rumbles with ominous thunder. Another second later, and the clouds open up and heavy rain begins to fall. 

Catwoman throws the door open and they both scramble to get inside before they get drenched. The lights flick on, revealing a stylish modern apartment, filled with art pieces and ornamental bonsai trees. A few quiet cries come from corners of the room, and then cats appear, one after another, moving around Danny’s legs curiously before turning to Catwoman. 

“That was a close one,” Catwoman says conversationally as she takes off her hood and googles, revealing her face. Her pixie cut is messy and her eyes are bright and sharp, just like a cat’s. “I suppose since we’re going to be working together from now on, that we properly introduce ourselves.” She holds out a hand for to shake. “Selina Kyle. I look forward to the trouble we’ll cause together.”

Danny stares down at her hand, then takes hold of it. Looks like he’s going to be a thief! Well, it’ll be a fun story for later. 

He doesn’t want his name attached to his new life of crime, though. And, he figures, this is a fresh start. New life, new name. There’s one that pops into mind immediately, and he latches onto it, ready to step into the world of crime. 

“Call me Neal Caffrey,” he says, shaking her hand. “I’m ready to start when you are.”

[theyluvlyss]

𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐎𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐲𝐞𝐬

《 ♡ 》 headcannons

───────── 《 .°•♡•°. 》 ──────────

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐭 :

while it's always fun to imagine (haha, get it����) what it'd be like for him to be your best friend or your boyfriend, there's times when you yearn for that tension. that something in between that's more than a platonic relationship, but just short of being a lover. and I'm here to revive that feeling of what it'd be like for bruce yamada to have a crush on you...

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 :

fem!reader x bruce yamada - she/her/her pronouns!

𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐞 :

70s-80s - the grabber doesn't exist

𝐓𝐖/𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 :

I actually don't think I cussed at all (rare lyss achievement) (unless you count abbreviations💀) - fluff, fluff, fluffff! very cute and sweet - bruce being his golden boy self💛💚

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ...𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

───────── 《 .°•♡•°. 》 ──────────

Bruce having a crush on someone is so OBVIOUS and pathetic (but like in a cute puppy way lmao🐶😙). Definitely the type that goes out of his way to hide it and whisper and giggle around like it's some huge secret, but mf, you told all of your friends, your baseball coach, half the members on the team, your entire family, your crush’s entire family, the stray dog, and the pizza delivery man😐😭💀.

By the time he's going out of his way to woo his person of interest, they pretty much already know and are either elated to reciprocate his fond acts, or are swift to let him down easy (although the latter is rare, because, well… it's Bruce lol).

But with you, reader… for some reason, I feel like you somehow wouldn't know. Bruce will go through his normal routine - shy smiles, hushed whispers whenever you're near, etc. Best believe your parent(s), his friends, your friends, the wind, the trees, and even the damn walls already know, and if they could talk, they'd tell you, because you somehow have no clue. Brain absolutely empty on the knowledge that Bruce Yamada fancies you and is planning on making moves sometime soon.

And his reasonings, that special little thing that drew him to you, was probably the fact that you had never paid him any mind to begin with. You didn't dislike him, but you had no interest in him, either, like most other girls and guys did.

No strong desire to acknowledge him unless he did so first, no needs to be around or find excuses to hang out with him. Hell, even when you two passed in the hallways, he'd have to wave to you first just to get your attention. Not that he minded, but he just wasn't used to that, so he was intrigued.

Now, I'm not trying to say he has a big head or that he's egotistical or anything. If anything, he really liked that you were not consistently fawning over him and pursuing something fake in order to have his name in your mouth. Not to mention, he did genuinely find you interesting for other reasons.

A reader (clearly💀✋🏽), close-knit to your group of people, observant, and definitely easy on the eyes, all he was ever doing was making sure that his remained on you. Even when you caught him, he wouldn't shy away from smiling even wider, sending you a wave that you'd hesitantly return, just for him to refocus himself back on the lesson or his friend group or whatever else it was that should've been holding his attention instead of you.

This is how it would start. Him making it very obvious he had some sort of interest in you, but not the best at relaying what kind of interest.

To you, it really could've been anything. Was he making fun of you? Did he know something about you that you didn't? Was it your appearance? Something wrong or out of place? The possibilities seemed endless, and they only dwindled when, more and more, Bruce attempted to weasel his way into your life “casually”.

I put “casually” in quotes because it was anything but that💀.

Mans literally walked up and insisted on knowing what it was that you were reading, forcing you to swallow your pride and reveal *insert your answer here lol* which had him then pressing for more information. And while this was rattling at first, he was determined to have you be more and more comfortable around him until the word “friend” left your mouth first.

He'd rather you take control of the labels instead of him placing them upon you two, an indicator that he was doing something right rather than coming off as pushy. And once you had done so - “Bruce, you didn't have to. We're friends, you don't owe me anything :).” - that's when he'd up the antics.

Like I've mentioned before in another post, he is a true giver. A giver of words, gifts, affection, etc. So naturally, he's throwing you compliments left and right, being reassuring and supportive when you need him to be, encouraging you to come to him for help with any and everything, gifting you things ranging from small and meaningful to large and random; you name it, he was doing it.

Call it a courting speed-run. Not in the sense that he's literally taking things too fast or faster than you'd like, but I just mean he's quite the natural charmer and well…

Bitch it's working🤷🏽‍♀️😆.

The only times when things could come to a complete halt is when he's jealous. If he's jealous. I feel as though this would be a rare feat for Bruce. He's always been a very secure and comfortable guy, very easy-going. Like I've mentioned before, he wants you to take the lead when it comes to labels, and he figures that if the label isn't “boyfriend-girlfriend” “dating” “together romantically” “significant other” or anything else of that nature, then what right does he have to be feeling envy towards anything or anyone else you give your attention to?

To put it simply, Bruce and jealousy are not a thing unless and until you two are officially together. And even then, should y'all get together and should he feel there's even an ounce of a threat, his natrual response it to just kill ‘em with kindness.

It's his default setting😭 - no one can be upset or mad at or resentful of him when he's just such a stand-up, charming guy.

Someone's flirting with you right in front of him, you introduce them out of obliviousness to the other guy's antics, and all Bruce does is flash that smile and offer his hand to shake - “Hey, nice to meet you! I'm Bruce Yamada. Cool jacket, by the way. Is that real leather? Those are hard to find!” - the other guy doesn't know whether he wants to continue flirting with you anymore out of respect for Bruce, whom of which they just met and already love lmao, or begin flirting with him instead because, well… they just met and they already love him!

There's hardly any room for jealousy when there's no long-lasting competition. Plus, when it comes to objects/events/close friends and family, he's more often than not encouraging you to indulge further, maybe even finding ways to join. It's what he would want upon telling someone else his interests in baseball, style, music, etc…

He wants that for you as well, and he's more than happy to be the person for that. More than happy to ensure that you're happy above all else because if there's one thing he was absolutely sure he loved about you, it was you being content♡.

Meanwhile… jealousy rising within you is a different story entirely🥴💀.

While you try not to allow instances to be frequent, and you've done your best to accept that, “My crush/best friend is popular. Of course people are going to flirt with him sometimes…” those factors really didn't do much to ease any tension whenever a girl would shove herself between you and Bruce just to make it known she was trying her hand at flirting with him, regardless of if he had previously expressed any infatuation with you or not...

“Brucie, hi…!!”

“Brucie…?” You'd murmur to yourself in disdain, staring with a quizzical expression etched onto your face while he all but smiled and greeted the girl with the same elated tone.

“Oh, hey, what's up?”

“I'm having a party this weekend, ya’ know? My birthday landing on a Saturday and all.”

“Wow, that sounds awesome! Does it have a theme?”

“Oh my god, how'd you guess…?! It's 'Hawaiian Paradise', complete with a beach theme for the pool and everything. Who knows, maybe you'll get to catch me in my new bathing suit if all goes well - if you wanna come, of course.”

At one point, subtle hint drops and sparkly-eyed looks into his own got tiring for you. It was only natural you gave into your spite some of the time…

“Aww, that sounds really fun!" You'd chirp, faking a warm grin before breaking the "bad" news you had just come up with. "Too bad he can't make it. We actually already had something planned that day🤕.”

“We did😃?”

“Yup😬😀.”

“What, like… like a date?” The girl would ask, her hopes dwindling by the second at your sure words.

“...” And with all eyes on you, you decided in the moment that a slight loss of your dignity was worth it to shoo the girl flirting with your crush away from the scene. Away from the two of you and farrrr away from him…

“Yup.”

“Welp, you heard the lady…" Bruce would agree gingerly, shooting off a giddy smile and wrapping and arm around your shoulders. "We gotta date that day, and who am I to skip out on such a pretty face?”

“Oh… Well, okay… See you, then.”

And sure, while Bruce had enough sense to spare you in such a situation, it didn't mean he wouldn't be throwing lighthearted teases your way after the fact…

“If I'd known that me going to another girl's house would finally get you to go out with me, I would've planned this all myself way sooner.”

“Bruce, pleas-”

“-No, no, don't let me steal your thunder. You're a cute actress when you're all robbed of my attention.”

“😐…”

With all of these factors about Bruce combined - his gift giving, complimenting, dotingness, teasing rambles about you liking him, his charming nature, etcetc. - confessing to you actually becomes a lot harder than one thinks. While he's gotten over the nerves and fear of rejection that came with doing so, it was you actually taking him seriously that became his biggest obstacle.

I imagine there having been literally several instances where this man has confessed to you, and you're just so sure it's another one of his little, “I know you love me😙🤭.” smug typa things that you kinda just, “Harhar, you're very sweet, Bruce, now help me carry this in…” y'know, laugh it off.

Meanwhile, in his head, he was being 1000% fr, and lowkey just poured his heart out to you😃🥲…

But, by the time he wants to try again, overthinking prevails, and he's just letting you assume it was all a part of his loveable charisma. By maybe the third-fourth-fifth time of this routine, though, he'd lock in and get serious💀. He'd confess, you'd brush it off, but this time-

“No, (Y/N), I'm being serious. I've liked you a long time now, and I know it might be kind of…sudden for you… but it's not for me.” Etcetc., insert the rest of a love spill here because I'm too lazy to fluff it out myself lol and there you are, standing, wide eyed and heart swelling because he's really liked you this whole time and YOUR DUMBASS HAS BEEN LETTING IT SLIP FROM ONE EAR AND OUT OF THE OTHER, OH GOD, YOU MONSTER-!!!😫💔‼️

Jkjk I'm playin' lol🤭😹.

But, with such tensions, it definitely makes for a sweet moment and results in you two beginning a wonderful relationship. Not to mention, y'all do become an IT couple, like, once again, POWER DUO. So truly, it all works out for the best🤷🏽‍♀️.

𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 !!

...next up is billy✨️.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ...𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ...𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭

𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 :

@in3rci4

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 :

1,894 words

𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 :

none :(

[katsu28]

hiii request for jamie tartt here🫡 i loved ur recent fic sm!!! could you maybe do the acacia flower or sunflower prompt? in my head i see hiding their relationship bc reader is a teammates sibling, but oopsie someone got heart eyes and started rambling haha

or literally anything else is fine too if this doesn’t strike your fancy lol<3 tysm!!!

hello!! i loved this so much, u are a gem for requesting it <3

acacia: a hidden relationship + sunflower: drunken rambling about their adoration, jamie tartt x kent!reader (no physical descriptors so imagine whatever sibling type u want!), 2k

“Are you sure we can’t tell him about us?” Jamie’s voice from where he was fixing his hair in the mirror pulled you away from your book and you glanced over at him. 

This was a question he posed to you all the time, and every single time, your answer was the same—though getting more creative with the details with every occurance. 

“Do you want my brother to gouge your eyeballs out? Cut off your dick? Possibly murder you?” 

Jamie paled, freezing in place. “Not particularly.” 

“Then no, we can’t tell Roy we’re seeing each other.” You picked up your book again, ready to resume your reading, but Jamie let out a noise resembling that of a kicked puppy’s whine. His shoulders slumped and he trudged over to you, throwing himself down on the bed in front of your crossed legs. 

Setting your book aside for good this time, you watched him make himself comfortable with his head in your lap, cheek pressed against your thigh as he looked up at you with the puppy dog eyes to match his previous whine. 

“I hate all the secrets. I have to lie to him, straight to his scary face, every fuckin’ day. D’you know how stressful that is? How stressed I am?” He huffed. You bumped your knuckles against his chin affectionately.

It wasn’t fair, Jamie having to face Roy and lie everyday when you had to do it a tad less often, but it was a necessary evil. One day, you’d tell your brother, but first you had to figure out how. 

This, among other reasons, were the downsides to being in a secret relationship with Jamie. There were tons of upsides too, no doubt about it. 

You had the privilege of seeing a softer, sweeter side of him that was reserved only for you, but you couldn’t go out in public with him. Nights in were your favorite dates, but sometimes you wanted to go to a fancy restaurant and eat expensive food and share a dessert with your boyfriend without needing to worry about the tabloids having a field day of it all. 

You could already see the headlines if the press ever caught wind of your relationship—AFC Ricmond Star Jamie Tartt Bags Manager Roy Kent’s Sister. They’d stir shit up, claim that Jamie was only with you because your brother was in a position of power over him and who knows what else. 

Most of all, you certainly couldn’t let Roy find out you were seeing one of his players, especially not Jamie fucking Tartt. They were friends now, but he’d always been overly protective of his sisters ever since you were all kids. He’d throw a fit and probably kill Jamie, then you. Well, he probably wouldn’t go that far, but you’d definitely be on his bad side until he got over himself. And you loved your brother to death, but he was a dickhead sometimes. 

“I’m gonna get early wrinkles, love. You don’t want me to have those, do ya?” 

“I think you’d look adorable with wrinkles. Like a cute little old man.” You dotted a kiss to his forehead, attempting to smooth out the crinkle between his eyebrows with your thumb. 

“That’s not funny.” 

“It’s a bit funny.” 

“Right, since you obviously don’t appreciate my problems, I’m off.” Jamie heaved himself off the bed, forcing out a rather overexaggerated sigh. You smiled innocently at him and he rolled his eyes, his own soft smile still on his face. He leaned down to press a kiss to your lips before heading for the door. “Dunno when I’ll be back but don’t wait up for me, yeah?” 

“Have fun, my love. I’ll just be here, thinking about you with wrinkles.” 

“Still not funny!” 

The Greyhounds were out in full swing tonight. Colin had somehow managed to book an entire pub for a whole night so they could drink and have a good time without being swarmed by the press vying for any morsel of gossip about one of the best up and coming Premier League clubs. Good friends, good food, even better beer—what more could anyone ask for? 

Jamie had been taking full advantage of it. That, paired with the fact that he no longer had to follow that god awful diet that deprived him of his beloved ice cold beverage, had led him to where he was right now, leaning heavily against the bar, drunk off his ass due to some sort of drinking game Jan Maas had insisted on teaching him. 

See, tipsy Jamie was fun. Very generous, would offer to buy a round or two, good for a few funny stories the next day. Absolutely pissed Jamie was a textbook oversharer. He didn’t make much sense, so everyone just mumbled a ‘very cool, mate!’ or something of the sort, made sure he didn’t topple over—those kinds of things. 

Roy was nursing his own beer next to Jamie tonight, half-listening in contained amusement as the Mancunian babbled on and on about someone. Who the fuck it was, Roy had no idea, but it was good entertainment and had soon garnered the attention of the rest of the team. Maybe this could be another one of those funny stories they could joke about in the locker room tomorrow. 

“She don’t look anythin’ like you, thank god. Imagine—imagine that! A lady Roy. Shit’s mad!” Jamie mused, amber beer spilling over the lip of the pint. “Nah, she’s the prettiest and the funniest and the coolest person ever and I love her.” 

“Who the fuck are you talkin ‘bout, bruv?” Isaac asked incredulously, looking just as amused as everyone else.

“Mate, I’m talkin’ ‘bout me girlfriend,” Jamie said very as-a-matter-of-factly, like they should’ve known that. “Duh.” 

“You’ve got a girlfriend? Since fucking when?” 

Jamie counted off on his fingers, scrunching his nose in thought. “Erm…four, five months? Maybe six?” He shook his head quickly, correcting himself. “No, not six. Would’ve done something special for six, wouldn’t I?” 

“First I’m hearing of it. How ‘bout you boys, did you know Jamie had a girlfriend?” Isaac asked, looking around. A chorus of ‘no’s and similar answers sounded amongst the others. Jamie’s brow furrowed. “It’s settled then. Who’s got the heart of the great Jamie Tartt?” 

“Good rhyme, boyo!” Colin chimed in, clapping his best friend on the back. 

Isaac looked proud of himself. “Whoa. I’m a fucking poet and I didn’t even know it.” He accepted another few praises before turning his attention back to Jamie, who looked like he was thinking really long and hard about something. “Okay, back to you. Tell us about her.” 

“I don’t even know where t’start, man,” Jamie sighed happily, resting his chin in his palm. “She’s kind and warm and—and she knows me better than anyone. It’s like…it’s like she’s an angel.” 

It was kind of weird, hearing Jamie be so open about his feelings for another person. He’d always been one to play things close to the vest, so that’s how they knew things with this secret girlfriend had to be serious. 

Sam beamed, happy as ever that his friend had found someone special. “Surely the angel from above has a name? Maybe one of us knows her?”

“Y/N.” 

The room fell silent. Everyone turned to look at Roy, who looked like he was about to start punching dicks. 

“Y/N, like…Roy’s sister, that Y/N?” Sam replied hesitantly, drawing pointed looks from every single one of his teammates. “I’m just confirming! There are other people named Y/N in London, you know.” 

Jamie pointed in his teammate’s general direction, nodding aimlessly. “Yep, her. That’s my girl.” 

Roy stood from his seat without a word, grabbing Jamie under the arm and dragging him towards the door. 

“Hey man, what the fuck are you—” 

“Just fucking shut up, will you?” 

“Okay.” 

You were about to call it quits on finishing your book and turn in for the night when the doorbell rang. When you went to open it, you definitely weren’t expecting to see your brother standing on your doorstep, practically carrying your half asleep boyfriend and looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. 

“Your prick boyfriend got proper pissed. Where do I put him?” 

So Roy knew. And judging by the way Jamie was swaying on his feet, you guessed that he’d been the one to let the cat out of the bag. 

“Erm, couch is fine. I’ll get him settled later.” You opened the door a little wider to let them in and Roy grunted his acknowledgement, hauling Jamie over to the couch and promptly dumping him onto the cushions.

Jamie didn’t even flinch when his face hit the pillows, instead just letting out a dreamy sort of sigh and smacking his lips together without even opening his eyes. You were the one to roll him over onto his side, nudging the dustbin right near his head before covering him with a blanket. 

“How much did he drink?” You asked, smoothing the walnut mist strands away from his eyes. 

“Too fucking much, that’s how much.” Roy grumbled. He wandered over towards a different area of your flat, not wanting to wake Jamie. “Jan Maas taught him a Dutch drinking game, except that fucker can actually hold his alcohol.” 

You cast a fond glance back at your boyfriend, smiling softly at his peaceful face. “Yeah, this one can’t really drink much anymore. Said it’s because of your training regimen, the no beer thing.” 

“Of fucking course you’d know.” 

“I assume Jamie told you about us.” You said quietly, picking at a loose thread on the sleeve of your jumper instead of looking at Roy. Another vague low noise of acknowledgement from him, though it sounded a bit more strained this time. “If it helps you come to terms, Jamie’s been wanting to tell you for ages. I was the one who wanted to keep it under wraps.” 

“Why?” 

You let out a humorless chuckle, shaking your head. “‘Cause I knew what you’d think. Knew what you’d have to say about it.” 

“Are you a mindreader?” 

“No.” 

“Then how would you know what I’d think?” 

“Oh come on, Roy, you don’t think I know how you are? You get…dickish. I still remember you scaring off poor Billy Montgomery in year nine!” 

“Billy Montgomery was a fucking wanker, that’s why.” 

“Yeah, I know that now,” You huffed, scowling. Roy raised an expectant brow at you. “You’ve always been outspoken about the people I date. I just—I didn’t want you to be that way with Jamie. I know you’ve had your differences, and I know you’ve made up, but…I dunno, I was just worried about what you’d think of us.” 

“Do you love him?” Roy asked stiffly. There was a tic going in the hard line of his jaw when he forced his gaze to yours, and it almost looked like he was in the middle of shitting a brick. If you hadn’t been so nervous about his reaction, you probably would’ve laughed. 

“I do. A lot, actually. He’s…everything I could’ve asked for. Everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner.” 

“Then it shouldn’t fucking matter what I think.” Roy said. “Jamie makes you happy, and that is the only thing that matters.” 

To say you were taken aback was an understatement. You’d been so worried about how you thought your brother was going to react to the news, you never stopped to consider that maybe Jamie wasn’t the only person who’d been working to change for the better. 

“Thank you, Roy.” 

Caught up in your heartfelt sibling talk, neither of you had noticed Jamie had woken up and stumbled over to the two of you until he gathered the two of you into a rather squished hug.

“My two favorite people, the Kent siblings! You guys are the best!” He slurred, nuzzling into the embrace. Roy let out a growl, but he patted Jamie’s back stiffly nonetheless. You had to stifle another laugh at how utterly uncomfortable he looked right now. “Oh fuck, I think I’m gonna throw up—” 

“That’s it, I’m fucking leaving.” Roy shoved Jamie away from him, wiping his hands off on the front of his jacket and heading for the front door. “Make sure he doesn’t choke on his own vomit and tell him he’s still got training tomorrow, I don’t care how shitty he feels!”

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[comicaurora]

These have been pent up for a while, so there's a whole list lol. Some are Aurora, some are not.

1) Can lacrimas carry out multiple purposes at once? Or will they blend them? I'm assuming that this is possible, considering that the automaton in the ruins was using a lacrima as a brain

2) Has anyone tried to make tools or weapons out of lacrimas? I'm talking like chisel that needs no hammer. Or maybe a Fire lacrima on a bow that sets your arrows on fire

3) Can you engrave runes on lacrimas to make them affect themselves?

4) Where can I read more about the Twins? If I'm not wrong they're the creator gods, aided by the Light dragon and the Void dragon to create life, but I might be getting a wrong read on that

5) Since we see Erin successfully become the first Void mage, does that now mean there's potential for him to make a Void lacrima? The dragon probably won't allow it, but still

6) What exactly does elemental corruption of each element do? Fire literally burns you up, as we saw in Arc 1. I can infer that Life likely makes you a chimera. Void corruption makes you a cave crawler. But what do the other one do? Does Earth make you a statue? Does Wind disintegrate you, Thanos style?

7) Now onto the non-Aurora questions, is your art vector or raster? I believe it's vector, but it's always better to confirm

8) What are your opinions on reading into the environment and the character design to infer things about the character themselves? In any type of media

9) Have you played Baldur's Gate 3?

10) Do you have any music that you'd recommend? I've listened to every song I liked so many times that I hate them now.

11) I'm new to Tumblr, anything that I should know? You don't have to answer this one if you don't wanna. I think I know some of the basics already. Reblog what you like, and avoid the terfs, right?

You might be able to tell that I like the idea of the lacrimas a little bit. Just a teensy bit. The artificer in me definitely isn't obsessed. I appreciate any answers you can give :3

Cheers!

Ooh, lots of stuff!

Yes, it's possible. A lacrima can be engraved with multiple spells, set in a casing engraved with commands, or some combination of the two. Typically, all spells engraved directly on a lacrima will activate at once when the lacrima is "switched on", but a spell can be quite complex, and conditional activations are possible - "if-then-else" statements, basically.

Yes, magic items exist.

Generally no. If the lacrima is disrupted or broken, the spell generally stops functioning, so a self-affecting lacrima will run only as long as it takes for the lacrima to distort or break.

There's an extra lore page about them!

He probably could if he wanted to (and the Dragon allowed it) but Void energy is very dangerous, so he likely doesn't want to.

Each form of elemental corruption agitates the presence of the element in the mage's body. Earth corruption can damage or alter bones, encourage unhealthy petrification of soft tissues, etc. Wind corruption can have physical effects but it often most obviously produces breakdowns in the person's ability to speak or understand language. Lightning damages, numbs or intensifies a person's physical senses.

Raster, I draw with CSP's digital pens. I've only very briefly experimented with vector art - I don't like how it simplifies the lines.

I think it's a fun school of analysis but, like all literary analysis, it runs into trouble if it tries to lock down exactly what the writer was thinking or intending (which is an objective fact that one can be incorrect about) rather than trying to analyze the story on its own and what meaning might, intentionally or unintentionally, be factoring into it.

Nope

don't trust my taste in music it's 90% nu metal and sonic OSTs

Like what you like, reblog what you want, generally it's considered dubious form to add a comment to a reblog unless you have something profound to contribute (commenting in the tags is fine), steer clear of discourse and callout posts and generally the sectors of the site that are constantly on fire, blocking someone for any reason is 100% fine

[jtl07]

Lol, was that okay?!? How can you ask that! It was perfect!! Bea in glasses would be very, very hot 🔥 This was fun, you’re so amazing. I’ll give you a new one: camera, park, superhero

the world definitely needs more Bea in glasses lol - this was a fun one to ponder, though it ended up not as tight as usual, more of like a sketch than anything else. hope it's okay!

"- and Charlie and them started being mean but I told them The Halo really could do all those things and then! And then you won't believe what happened!"

Beatrice glances at her brother and his wife, the couple enthralled in their 7-year-old son's story. She can't help but think how different this child's life is compared to what she and her brother'd had. Is glad for it, is proud of it: that young Henry can come home from the park with a skinned knee and dirty jeans and be cared for rather than yelled at, can make a hoodie in honor of his favorite superhero and be encouraged rather than disciplined, can come home without fear, can make a mess without tears, can live as the child he's meant to be. Beatrice is proud of them, proud of their family; proud to be part of it as well.

"The Halo came! And all of them ran away because they were scared but she was really nice! She said my hoodie was perfect and she let Aunt Bea take pictures on her phone and her work camera!"

"He wanted me to wait to send you the ones on my phone," Beatrice explains as Henry continues to bounce around them, pointing to where he and The Halo had posed by the playground. "I'll email you the ones that don't end up used by the paper."

"By the way, I saw your article on that gender affirming clinic," her brother says as Henry swings from his arm, "Incredible writing."

Beatrice shrugs, shyly adjusts her glasses. "Stories like that write themselves."

"They still have to get written, Beatrice. And you write them well."

Beatrice shakes her head but pauses in her reply, head tilted as if listening to something in the distance. She returns to herself with a cough, checks her watch, edges toward the park's exit. "Ah, well, speaking of articles, I'm afraid I've another one to start. I'll see you all for dinner this weekend." She takes her leave politely but quickly. And if any of her extended family notice the strange gust of wind in her wake, none of them comment on it.

**

"Why are you always saving me?" Ava sighs hours later, cradled in Beatrice's arms as they touch down on the balcony of Beatrice's apartment. Beatrice lets her suit dematerialize once they're inside and Ava's settled on the couch.

"Well, it is my job," Beatrice says, keeping her voice light even as her body is heavy with exhaustion from the fight. She kneels down next to the couch to start unlacing Ava's boots.

"Just your job?"

Beatrice pauses, glances up at Ava's face but finds her eyes downcast, taking in the stillness of her own body. The fight had been a hard one, even with the both of them teamed up together. In the end, it had been Ava who'd saved them - saved them all, yet again - but at the cost of blowing out the halo. Beatrice knows this is temporary but she also knows the fear that Ava harbors inside: that all of this, from the hero work to the mere act of walking, is all on borrowed time.

She reaches out slowly, waits for Ava to track her hand, before she rests her palm against Ava's cheek. Feels her stuttered breath, the slow release.

"And my pleasure," Beatrice says, a truth and promise wrapped together.

Ava closes her eyes and nods, turns into the touch to press a kiss into Beatrice's palm. It isn't until Beatrice gently pulls back to return to Ava's boots that Ava speaks.

"Hey, do you think Henry can make me a hoodie too?"

Beatrice chuckles. "I'm sure he'd be delighted to."

"Fuck yeah."

[burning-academia-if]

Since its Christmas 🎄. It can be naughty if you want it to be 😜How would the Ro's spend it with Mc? Also what would they like as a present 🎁 and what would they give Mc?

MERRY BELATED CHRISTMAS!!!

Also, I answered what the ROs would like as gifts here!

Rook: He honestly doesn't like most holidays for a variety of reasons, and usually pretends they don't exist. If it's something you'd like to celebrate though, then he'd go along with it, and it's one of the few occasions where he's going completely at your pace. For a gift for MC, I think it's something practical or something you've been needing that you mentioned offhandedly and he kept a mental note of it for later

Beck: Christmas used to be family time! If you've been together long enough, you're definitely being dragged to his parents house, and they are definitely going to try to feed you everything you're willing to eat lol It's also a pretty melancholy time for him, though, since it's a bit of a reminder of things he's lost. I think after all the family chaos winds down, you're left with him and a very fragile peace. He'd give you something from a show or game you like! Like a cool shirt or mug or something lol

Rhea: She doesn't want you near her home because she knows how that would go down, so you're spending Christmas Eve together instead! And since its Christmas Eve, things are still opened so the two of you can order in from your favorite place and just hang out. She'd probably make you watch classic holiday movies just because she never really got the chance to growing up and she wants to make up for lost time. I also think pre Christmas, she'd make the two of you decorate your own ornaments together too. Anyway, her gifts remind you that she comes from money because it's like Rook but like times ten. Multiple things you need all from the high end brands. She just blinks if you comment on it. There will also be a hand made card in there, somewhere in the depths of that giant bag she gave you

Zoe: Christmas is also family time, but this is the chaotic cheerful version ft siblings! You're being dragged into all the holiday activities. Gingerbread house competitions, baking cookies, all the Christmas games where the winner earns ten bucks about. It's non stop, and at the end of it Zoe just drags you to bed for cuddles and sleep but they're likely exhausted lol I think anything Zoe got you would be related to your hobbies, but they'd also include a care package of your favorite snacks or drinks.

Lars: You probably couldn't convince him to celebrate a holiday if you tried, but he is going to get you a gift because he knows you probably got him one. (Idk why, I'm also having flashbacks to the 'MC tied themselves up as the present' ask fakslfja). Anyway, his gift is probably a replacement for something you should have replaced a million years ago. Those busted shoes you've had for five years, the threadbare jacket, maybe even a new laptop if yours looks about ready to break down. ALSO, if your into a specific band he might grab concert tickets for the both of you to go.

???: Not necessarily Christmas day related, but I think they would be enamored with the idea of decorating a tree, so they'd ask if the two of you could get a small one and decorate it together askjskj They've never celebrated Christmas before, just like they've never celebrated anything else. They'd probably have fun just doing festive things for the novelty of it, but ultimately, they'd treat the day the same as any other day more or less. Unless you want something more from them, they'd be happy to provide. Gift wise, it'd probably be that one guilty pleasure thing where you want it so bad but you have no real reason to get it, so they just get it for you lol

[gunnrblze]

Till Death, pt 1

Keegan x Ajax series! This was supposed to be lighthearted and funny tbh but as always, I had to insert decades long yearning and desire and longing, silly me smh. I apologize if any of it’s confusing, I’m not very good with writing scenes of only two people with the same pronouns, so the use of he/him may get a little mistakable with who exactly I’m referring to. Also the writing is just kinda all over the place lol enjoy that.

༄ 1500k+ words, mild mention of dick and ass but no smut (yet?), so mdni idc, yearning in the full definition of the word, sap fest fr

Mornings always came a little dreadfully at first on base. Pushing through the initial exhaustion from the day before was never easy. Especially knowing you’d be doing the same menial tasks all over again.

Something made it a little easier whenever Keegan caught wind of Alex, though.

Alex moved like a body of water, somehow smoother and more fluid than the rest of the clunking boots around them. Keegan knew it was a slippery slope whenever he admired his smile for a bit too long, or the way he felt his heart catch whenever Alex slung his arm around his shoulders.

He knew their erotic jokes didn’t mean much. It was all in good fun, anyway. Hell, all the guys made jokes like that with one another. It didn’t mean anything, unless it did. But Keegan knew it didn’t.

Didn’t. Unless maybe Alex felt it too. Felt his pulse quicken or his pants get tighter around his crotch whenever he saw Keegan crack a rare little grin, or catch him shirtless in the showers after training.

Maybe that was just the thing about the military. You could joke here and slap an ass there with your fellow men, but the second you started dreaming about your lips against his or your cock anywhere but your own pants or fist, it was different.

Keegan didn’t mind too much, though. He didn’t have time to mind. From the moment he woke up above Alex in the barracks every morning, to the moment he fell asleep in the same spot every night, he was busy with everything else that went on.

So if he had to pretend the sound of Alex snoring wasn’t imprinted into his mind already, then so be it. He could push past the fact that Alex was near him practically all day. Slept below him and trained with him, ate with him, worked with him, goofed off with him like idiots. He’d ignore that he could identify the broad man by his scent alone.

And Alex would simply do the same. He would allow himself only a few minutes a day to really think about those deep blue eyes that followed him. To really think about how his own eyes would trace over the bottom of the bunk above him at night, trying to map out the lines of where he imagined Keegan’s body rested on top.

The setup was okay. They were both avoidant enough to ignore the lingering glances and touches. Morning trainings came and went, mealtimes and meetings and daily work flashed by like the hands on a clock.

And they pretended. Pretended that seeing the other hurt in the field or taking on enemies too great a size didn’t tear at their heartstrings when it was all said and done.

This wasn’t a job that allowed attachment. It was too fast moving. Everyday was the same on base, but things moved too quickly to really claim a stake anywhere.

Except Keegan and Alex seemed to follow one another, whether intentionally or not. From basic recruit training to joining Task Force Stalker and becoming Ghosts together, where one man went the other followed.

Just how they liked it.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

“Ajax, rise and shine, pretty boy” Keegan’s grumbly voice would stir the large man in his bunk, tossing over and rubbing the few hours of sleep from his eyes.

“Again with the nickname?” Ajax’s tone was too riddled with exhaustion for Keegan to decipher his true level of annoyance, but he knew the man too well.

“You seemed to dislike ‘AJ’ so we’re just trying to freshen it up, sue me” he answered, giving the man a pat to the cheek and not even trying to hide his smirk before walking toward the door.

“Right, get outta here and make yourself useful, Russ” Ajax retorted with a gruff chuckle as he rose from his bed, stiff muscles and joints already aching. He’d been a marine so long he wasn’t sure if his body was cracking from the exertion, or if every guy in their mid 20s had the lower back pain comparable to an elderly mans.

A smirk adorned his face too though, despite himself. Keegan’s short huff of laughter wasn’t nearly as melodic as it always sounded to him, but it bounced off the hallway of the barracks and right into his eardrums nonetheless, worming its way into that warm, gooey part of his heart that he chose to keep shut up. For the greater good, of course.

Ajax didn’t ever seem to be too deterred by early mornings, despite his initial disdain upon opening his eyes and seeing even the slightest sliver of light. He could make the best out of what felt like the worst. Even PT at 0500 hours, wide smile lighting up the room in a way that had every other soldier wanting to slap it right off his pretty face. His charm felt like a hand around Keegan’s throat, squeezing and squeezing and threatening to cut off his air supply, lest he shut it down before he gets comfortable with the idea of not breathing.

It was like that everyday. Keegan would watch him both up close and from afar, opting to observe everything instead of speak like the other man tended to, apparently. He wouldn’t typically favor being surrounded by a guy who couldn’t seem to shut up, but when it was Ajax’s deep voice that bass lined the walls of the armory while he was cleaning his M40, well, how could one dare complain?

Ajax was too tactful not to notice Keegan’s staring, of course. He wasn’t stupid, too perceptive not to see the way the man’s eyes raked over him, all of him. Deep blues combing over every inch of his being as if he were noticing the man for the first time. It was something he’d done from the days they’d met in basic training.

Keegan’s silent once overs used to deter Ajax from wanting to get to know the man better, assuming he had to have some kind of unspoken issue with him. But Ajax quickly found that Keegan’s voice just didn’t seem to come naturally to the man, maybe it was better for him to look than speak? It didn’t quite explain why he had to look at him like that, he was just thankful that the hot blush was masked on his dark cheeks whenever Keegan’s eyes not so inconspicuously studied the way his uniform stretched around his biceps, or the way the water rolled off his ass in the shower.

It was almost so blatant at times that Ajax felt as if he knew the man had something more going on in his mind. But he didn’t indulge himself in the idea. The idea that these lingering glances meant anything other than Keegan’s keen perception subtly making itself known. The near brooding man looked that same way at everything. From his rifle to his superiors teachings to the landscapes during recon missions, Keegan took in all the details that he could.

But it didn’t stop Ajax from feeling like it was something special. Something that made his heart clench and mind go fuzzy for half a second because Keegan was watching him. He could look at the other privates, watch his back wherever he went as if some pre-installed hyper vigilance riddled his system, but he was observing Ajax.

Keegan’s approach of looking but not speaking seemed to mirror that of Ajax’s. He could talk to Keegan all he wanted, but if he really found himself staring the way his eyes begged for permission to, he’d get lost in the man. His eyes so deep and blue that Ajax didn’t even care how cheesy it felt to compare them to the Pacific.

Mealtimes felt like a reprieve from the rough routine they endured everyday, and Keegan found himself relishing even in the manner Ajax ate in. It wasn’t ever too long before his eyes found their way back to the dark brown ones that would sit across from him. Was he jealous when Ajax would wrap an arm around the waist of the soldier next to them? Joking and laughing in a way that he only wished he could reciprocate? No, he wagered. He just didn’t like Private Brooks and that stupid horse laugh of his, that’s all.

“Gonna eat that, Keeg? You know I’ll take it” Ajax would toss a joking wink to Keegan when his fork shuffled around the mush of peas on his tray. He felt like a damned schoolboy again, swapping lunch trays with his friend whenever he didn’t like part of his meal. But the smile Ajax gave him seemed to make the noise in his head disappear if only for a moment, pearly teeth contrasting against velvety dark skin.

Keegan’s heart thrummed as he walked across base to work, boots clanking on the pavement in time with the muscle that threatened to explode from behind his ribcage if he thought about that damned smile for any longer.

⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘⫘

[floralpowders]

Various HSR Casts vs Escape Rooms

Summary: Some of the Star Rail characters vs how they’d do in an escape room.

I went to an escape room recently and thought “Sure let’s put characters in an escape room and see what happens”. Also this isn't edited at all. Sorry lol  

Trailblazer (Stelle/Caelus) 

The few times that I’ve been to an escape room, there’s always a reminder and rule that the game is about “brains not brawn!” 

…And the Trailblazer is the reason why

Is somehow a little too convinced that if you just pull harder, maybe it’ll finally open (you’re not supposed to open it) 

HOWEVER, because they are really nosy and like digging around a lot, they’re actually pretty good at finding hidden things that may be the key to a puzzle you’re trying to solve

I can see them just throwing ideas out and shooting their shots until something clicks for someone else to solve a puzzle 

If you didn’t already get booted out of the room for property damage, I’d say you have a chance to make it out of the room together 

8/10 — You just really have to make sure they don’t just. Destroy everything. 

Dan Heng 

A little rough to cooperate with because of how quiet he tends to be, but he’s smart and can solve puzzles 

He’s really good with the puzzles that require attention to details, so two things that don’t seem associated but actually are? He can get that down for you 

Will more likely start in his own corner without being told and figure something out on his own while you handle another corner

If he notices you’re struggling with something, he’ll help and offer suggestions and that’s mostly how the both of you would wind up working together for the puzzles at all 

Also another person you have a chance to make it out with, but really depends on whether or not the two of you manage to overcome the silent barrier 

7.5/10 — Generally good but you know—

March 7th 

Another memory to record down! 

She would have tons of fun with the escape room; it’s just like being a detective from The Angler Mysteries! 

….But admittedly, she leaves you to do the puzzles yourself. You’re the sidekick after all! 

Will cheer you on while you do the puzzle, and more or less take the credit for when you solve it, saying “Of course you got it down! You’re the sidekick to a genius detective!” 

Good at bouncing ideas off each other though, so that’s a given! 

If she does solve anything, it's pure accident BUT she'll act like she totally did it on purpose. 

7/10 — She’s great at support and she just has good energy as a partner! Just not good at puzzles herself. 

Welt Yang 

He’d love the chance to try and do all the puzzles himself if given the chance but of course, with time ticking, he relents to splitting the work up. 

Very good at cooperating that tbh, you’d probably want to work alongside him to the puzzles but…inevitably winds up turning into him doing the puzzle instead BUT HEY WE CAN CALL IT TEAMWORK SURE 

Honestly a good sport in escape rooms, but unfortunately because he takes his time with the puzzles, you either run out of time or nearly run out of time before you make it out 

If you don’t finish, Welt’s more likely to ask for the solutions which. Um. then you can’t come back to the game after unless you really forget how to do the solutions, but I don’t think Welt’s really one to forget 

9/10 escape room partner with a -1 because Slow. 

Serval

Oh you know she’s going to be such a great partner for these 

She’s smart. She’s friendly and warm. The two of you are definitely going to make it out of here and it’ll be extra fun!

She'll hype herself up when she manages to complete a puzzle and she'll definitely hype you up too when you complete one

If the two of you stumble on a puzzle you can't solve, she’ll definitely have both of you try to put your heads together to figure it out. 

She's also the one I bet could have a chance of getting the both of you out in record time

10/10 partner but maybe because I'm biased and you can't go wrong with Serval

Gepard

Even despite it being all fun and games, the diligent and responsible face of Captain Gepard Landau is a tough one to break.

He's a little too serious about this because he focuses too much on trying to finish on time rather than the fun of the game

Starts delegating the work between everyone and is constantly the one trying to regroup and fill everyone in so everyone's on the same page about puzzles and everything

Very much continues being captain. In the escape room. 

Please help him ease up a bit he's probably stressing himself out more than anything 

7/10 He gets it done and you manage on time but again. A little too serious even for his own good

Sampo

What are the chances that he leaves you to do the puzzles on your own?

You know him: with the number of times he’s been in trouble there comes an equal amount of times he’s escaped

So to speak: he’s good at escape rooms

…Except he uh. Doesn’t exactly…. Solve the puzzles that the escape rooms set up.

Maybe if you push him, sure, but chances are he’ll play dumb and pretend he’s stuck on a situation and then you wind up having to do all the work

You probably have to keep a careful eye on him because I can imagine this guy possibly leaving out the entrance and leaving out there if you don’t notice soon enough and well. Now you’re on your own in the escape room 🧍🏼

Force him to stay and he might actually give you a winning chance to get out of the escape room on time because of how fast he works. You’ll start wondering if he’s done these before and what kind of situations caused him to say things like “oh yeah I’ve seen this one before.” But hey you’re winning 

Also with how fast he is, there's a chance you could get out record time. But. You know.

6/10 — Seriously. Have a leash on him so he’d stay and solve it. Otherwise he’s out within the first 3 minutes or something. Without you. 

[makoredeyes]

Keep it coming you say? 👀 I saw that tag! I'm ~quite~ bored, so here's a couple questions/whatever they're considered, lol.

Yes, flattery will get me very far here, indeed! To where? I do not know, but whatever, compliments! You deserve them. I'm rather sure my friends are tired of hearing me go on and on about destiny characters, ':)

How's your writing wip's going so far? I'm waiting very (im)patiently for any updates, I've totally not re-read everything forty-two times.. hope their all going well!

A little self indulgence here, but I like to think Andal Brask was the Hunter Vanguard when Osiris and Saint-14 were in, because.. come on, I'm rather sure the time frame adds up. I like to believe before, because their dynamic just seems really fun to me. Lots of great opportunities. (I partly blame that one fanart sylenth-l made of Andal and Osiris for this, it was really funny). What do you think their dynamic would be like?

What do you think it'd be like if the Iron Lords mysteriously came back alive? 👀 I'm talking, SIVA couldn't actually kill them because their ghosts hid in the light in their bodies, and SIVA only goes after non-organic materials right? Maybe it couldn't work it's way into the light, and as long as their ghost + light are intact, = alive. But *only* after the Warmind managed to get control over SIVA and free their physical bodies from harm? It's a thought I had, influenced by a few fics but I quite like the idea. Just imagine, a ghostless, lightless Osiris receiving word that maybe, they weren't as dead as he thought they were. Or Fel and Timur coming back only to realize what happened to Osiris?? Poor Sagira?? Learning lady Efrideet's alive? 👀 (Is that her name?)

Or perhaps, In this one fic, it's Timur and his special, take over your will little stunt he has, was keeping SIVA at bay, I think that's pretty neat too! So many possibilities! (If you were the one that wrote these, I hope you see this as a compliment cause I am not about to go dig through Ao3 to find them xD)

Either way, it'd be like a modern!au of the iron lords, for them at least, hah (I can just imagine Gheleon having a mental breakdown that their memorial involved fighting one another)

I can't really think of anything, but rest assured I will *probably* be back once I'm dome tormenting my poor boy Tevis

Ahaha yeesss YESSSS I feed me I'm such an attention whore lmao RIP XD. (fr tho bless you ;_; )

I am writing! There are longer gaps between posts rn because I have lots going on in my life, but also, because I am working on many fics at once. I counted the other day I have 26 WIPs but six I am actively working on in concert - three for Housefire that are all directly intermingled plot and timing-wise to the point where I'm not even entirely sure what order I'll be posting them in yet, another chapter for Things Found (I am trying to stay 2 chapters ahead with that to make sure I have a cohesive story for it), and two XXX stand-alone one-shots! I should fish out another teaser for everyone soon. I think it'll be one of the one-shots that makes it out next tbh they're the furthest along. But the naughty stuff is also the slowest to get written bc I yanno...can't write that stuff at work, etc. haha. But I've felt a new wind of motivation lately for writing and am picking away at these projects pretty regularly. <3

I'm going to admit I am not very well-read on the hunter squad in general, BUT iirc I believe Andal was Vanguard during the City Age. He was definitely around as I recall his presence in the comics. The problem with that time is that Osiris was largely absent. This was when the Cult of Osiris was gaining traction, and Osiris' obsession with the Darkness and the Vex was really heating up. He was neglecting his duties to the Vanguard (with Ikora often standing in as proxy for him) and he wasn't really paying attention to anyone else. Like. At all. There was a lot of unhappy tension even with Saint at that time. Andal, by all accounts, was a damn good fella though, and while I think just about everyone nettled Osiris, Andal also stuck up for him where he could. Even if Osiris couldn't appreciate that in the moment I'm sure he would come to later. I look at Osiris and see him as he is now, with some hard lessons learned and some hard losses under his belt, realizing a little too late some of the damn good souls he had in his court, Andal included. All of that said, 100% in a lighter, easier setting, a free-spirit like Andal (and/or Cayde...heaven forbid them both together!) would drive a stuffed shirt like Osiris up an absolute freaking wall with pure comical results, hands down.

(a side note, a brain storm, an insane thought that just poisoned my brain - a sweeter moment hidden from time: Andal's guitar and this gift of song Saint has hinted Osiris has....??????! I'm not melting it's just hot in here, right???)

As for Ironsbane and SIVA... I have INDEED put an awful lot of thought into this. Quite a lot. So much. I have my own ideas on ways to circumvent the disaster, O Reader Mine, but you're going to have to wait a while longer for me to write it. :3 (Housefire is, after all, ultimately, a fixit )

*but no SIVA attacks whatever it is programmed to, organic or not: and Rasputin set it on hundreds of Iron Lords and wiped them all out with the sole exception Efrideet and Saladin with the directives “REPLICATE, ELIMINATE, IMMUNIZE” it was not what SIVA was made to do but he deliberately repurposed it into a weapon. (I could go on for years about Rasputin and his darker epochs, but especially his misappropriation of SIVA lol)

** Your mention of Timur and his spooky skills DID remind me of another fic I need to get back to as well OTL TT_TT I still have requests I took in January I have yet to complete. At this rate it's going to take me all year to get them all done and by then I'll be taking more aahaha whuups.

[wexhappyxfew]

"walking in the park" for your new girl Flo? 💚 I have yet to read her blind date, but I bet this prompt will be fun for her!! 😊

hi killy! so sorry it's taken me some time to get to this - as you know, busy schedule and courses i'm in the midst of, but!! i have been working on this for a bit and finally feel that it is ready to get out to the world. it's definitely angsty though - i feel i've just taken some of these prompts and pushed sadness into them lol. BUT, i can absolutely say it was a joy to write and to dig into this side of her character. so THANK YOU!

prompt: 'walking in the park'

featuring: Florence 'Flo' Godfrey and Harry Croby (and Meatball haha!)

Quiet was probably the scariest five letter word she could think of at the minute.

Thorpe Abbotts was always loud, an almost more comforting four letter word that was always in her mind.

The small park on the edge of the center square in Langmere was a far cry from that. Because it was simply that, quiet. Something that was never a guarantee.

She'd frequented this small park throughout the summer months - now with the bitter chill of the wind and the fading of green leaves from trees, it filled the pit in her stomach with more remorse and sadness than she would've liked.

The bench was cold, but she wasn't lonely - the sun was out, shining brightly, warming her cold hands. Meatball was wrestling a patch of leaves, rustling about, tearing at the dried bit of life. There were some families here with their kids, a few older couples walking dogs or feeding the birds. There was still joy even in the midst of wartime. She shut her eyes and took in a breath.

"This seat taken?" Flo looked up from her spot on the bench she'd found, and saw the shadowed and sunny figure of Harry Crosby, lead navigator of the 100th, stood there. Flo looked up at him and swallowed briefly before nodding.

There'd been some run-ins on base here and there - even a few conversations as of late. And if anything, he was starting to be one of the last familiar faces on base for her to see about. She offered a weak smile.

Crosby sat beside her, stiffly at first, before relaxing and looking down to his interlinked hands. They sat in a quiet bit of silence for a moment of time, the two of them listening to the world around them, far away from war for the time being, yet still on the border where it was enough to overshadow how peaceful the place truly was.

"Everything alright?" he asked her and she spared him a glance and nodded.

"Yeah, just, thinking a lot if I'm being honest," she told him with a nod, before noticing the soft look on his face and smiling a bit, "yeah, too much thinking." Harry let out a laugh and looked towards her and offered a somewhat sad smile, the light in his eyes dimmed but not gone, persistent, but flickering.

"You're the last familiar face for me on base," Flo whispered quietly, "besides maybe Rosie. Or Lemmons or Wink. But otherwise, everyone else….."

"Yeah." offered Crosby, his voice a delicate calm and quiet that settled the uncontrollable tremors of her nervous legs or twitch in her eye, "It's nice to see you though." He looked over at her with such a sincere look on his face that she were sure she could've broken down at the drop of a hat just at his words.

At the realization, at the break of his voice, the oddity of it, the heartache, the unusual feel of having to experience that.

That.

Losing all they had in the past few months.

It hurt to think about, to even relive.

Flo gently reached forward and looped her arm through his and gave it a comforting squeeze - she knew Bubbles death had hit him in harder ways than he had cared to admit. She remembered how she'd see them in the flying club, out on the tarmac, in the summer warmth, bathed in the sun's rays as they lounged in the green grass under the blue sky. Now, he seemed a shell of who he once was, broken by that horrid thing called war and what it meant to lose someone. Her eyes welled.

"You holding up okay?" he asked her quietly, glancing her way, earnestness in his voice and tone that made her shoulders go ridged and her mind go numb.

Everyone on that base was suffering about something in their own way.

Whether it was grief wrangled into a tightly wound ball, waiting to burst, or a certain sadness that even a morning sunrise couldn't hinder, it was something they were all dealing with - and in their own ways.

Lemmons had mentioned it the other night, when she'd finished some last minute details repainting something on one of the planes - he'd told her to hit the hay, take the night. He always seemed to know when she was lost in that daze she couldn't pull herself out of. She knew he could always sense it, see it. Between the look on her face, or that look in her eye. He always knew when her head was somewhere else and that she was trying to distract herself somehow.

Sometimes it was because she was thinking too much, or too hard about something, usually a certain someone that had occupied the greater part of her mind for months, who was suddenly gone.

Or sometimes it was because she wanted to take Meatball on a walk and try to help clear her mind.

Sometimes, it was her curled in her cot, Meatball's head cuddled in her lap, his gentle eyes looking up at her as she stared numbly out of the window by her cot.

He seemed to know, Meatball that is, that there was something going on. It was almost like she didn't know what else to do and had resorted to just always having Meatball close by - at breakfast, out on the tarmac, late nights spent staring at the stars, just her and Meatball side by side.

Flo felt silly sometimes, sitting out there telling Meatball all the deepest parts of her, but then her eyes would well with tears and he would sit and stay like the good dog he was, and listen, even if it meant the occasional treat or extra leftover of something off the table after dinner.

Sometimes she wondered if Meatball realized he was gone. That he wasn't just gone on a trip or gone for a few months, that he wasn't returning and coming back.

Sometimes she wondered if he knew somehow in his mind that Benny was gone.

Flo looked to Crosby and nodded.

"Yeah," she managed out with a nod, like she was half-convincing herself that she was okay, "yeah, I'm okay." Crosby offered her a crooked smile and she tipped her head towards him.

"How about yourself?" she asked him, trying to put on her best smile his way, "I know you've been working hard; we come in at the end of the night and you're still up." Crosby let a grin grow on his face and chuckled before looking at her and nodding.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Crosby said, "writing to Jean, or well…..trying, is the better word for it." Flo watched his face; the way his mouth seemed to frown and his eyes looked sadder and more sullen, the far-off look distant in his orbs that flickered in and out when he glanced someone's way.

"It's hard," Flo whispered, her voice dropped to a resolute tone, the emotion simmering at the brims, "to try and tell someone what it's like, to be here. Experiencing it. Living it." Crosby looked to her and she tilted her head.

"My Ma and Dad always write, asking how I am, how the boys are…." Flo felt her throat tighten, thick with grief for a split second and shook her head, "ask about Benny, too, any news. It's just…." Flo stared out to the park, her eyes watering as she felt her shoulders drop. She was never great at feeling her emotions - sure they were there, but she could never really explain them in a way that made sense. So when she got to writing, it was usually a blank page for minutes before she could even write "Dear….".

"No one really understands unless they're here." Crosby said quietly, before gently placing his free hand over the one curled around his arm, "We'll find a way to be okay again." Flo watched him and then nodded, something in his voice and his eye convincing her that he was right.

Crosby was always right.

[chevelleneech]

I definitely agree there's an odd tension between chanlix, I remember reading this rumor that someone had cheated on Felix around the time in which Chanlix stopped interacting with each other lol and mind went oh I'm connecting the DOTS. But I'm always surprised by people thinking misung are together because I really dont see how their dinamic is different from other kpop boyband duos, like there are so many, and misung beheavior is really not that different from I've seeb from other close friendships in other bands. I do think though that Minho is 100% queer, that man level of weird is not from the straight variety lol.

I just posted something that is not at all in response to you, lol. I am reading your message after, but my response is really that I kind of just believe them.

I’ve seen a good amount of ships and I think there’s fun to be had in shipping them, but I also feel like Jisung and Minho aren’t playing the longterm skinship game, because there are other members they could spread that affection out to. For example, Jisung and Felix love skinship and kissing, and I’d bet loads of money the two of them have had at least two drunk make out sessions, but I don’t think there’s anything romantic going on between them, because they don’t have any romantic vibes between them. Minsung though, seem to be very consistent in saying how they feel about each other, they don’t interact with the same level of palpable tension with other members as each other, and speaking of, the other members say their relationship is different as well. Which is why I also think Chan and Felix have a Something.

SKZ seem to be a group that adores affection and don’t hide that behind “Idol groups are known to do skinship.” They acknowledge it, but they also talk openly about how differently certain members treat other members. For example, I enjoy Hyunjin and Changbin’s dynamic and wouldn’t be shocked if they hooked up (not that we’d ever know, but hypothetically), but I don’t ship them in a serious way. I would even go so far as to say I think Changbin is genuinely attracted to Hyunjin, but who isn’t? Lol, he’s gorgeous. But for real, I don’t think their flirtations go beyond what is normal in SKZ but also idol friendships. In fact, I’d say they are the two best friends in the group who play at being a couple, and enjoy the pretend, but are genuinely just friends.

Chan and Felix, though, they just have a very awkwardly charged tension, lol. And they make a lot of their “We want to touch but can’t.” tension obvious because of how they react to each other. Add onto that how downbad Chan is when he talks about Felix, and how laser focused Felix gets when he’s emotional on stage and almost always only wants Chan… they just scream “There’s something going on here!” I don’t know anything about the cheating allegations, and currently can’t say I’d believe them. I don’t think Chan is perfect, but I can’t see him cheating on Felix. If anything, I’d say they likely weren’t together and Chan got with someone else, which might have pissed Felix off. Not to get too long winded, but I do think they love and want each other, but I also think they are in the stickiest of situations because of Chan’s position, and because his feelings have been obvious from day one. So maybe led to not so great discussions between them about what they’re feeling for each other, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it took them a long time to figure things out, which is why they have such an awkward yet obvious tension.

Minsung is different, at least in my opinion. They’re so easy to get, and again, consistent. They and the others say they go on dates, and they do. They and the others say the two of them are always together, and they are. The both of them constantly talk about how they flirt with one another and belong to one another, and Jisung has said he had thoughts of Minho when writing a love song. Minho has said Jisung is his boyfriend. Jisung said they will get married (which I’m not taking seriously serious, but it adds to the notion that they are comfortable and committed to the idea of being in each others lives for the rest of their lives).

Of course they could not be dating, that is always a possibility, but at the end of the day, I feel like all good romantic relationships have a root of friendship. Your partner doesn’t need to be your best friend, as it’s healthy to have close outside relationships with people, but I don’t think there’s anything that should prevent best friends from becoming romantic partners. So while Minsung absolutely do have lots of similarities to other pairs in the group, and there are other friendships in the idol sphere that are close like Minsung, for me, it doesn’t negate the possibility of Minho and Jisung being a romantic couple.

I think they are best friends who fell in love, and they don’t exactly hide it. They just have a lot of established ideals that keep them from have to do less. As in, idols are known for skinship and letting fans think there’s more going on, so they can get away with being super touchy because not many will think anything deeper. They work together, and idol fans don’t typically believe two people who spend tons of time together can or have ever fallen in love. And lastly, idol fans are more open to believing queerphobic rhetoric than not, meaning no matter what Minsung say or do, most fans are likelier to believe they’d never actually date because they don’t think any idols are actually queer.

So with all those ideals essentially stacked against them, forcing them into a platonic space… what’s stopping them from dating? For me, the answer is nothing.

[an-expected-journey-to-jeju]

Journal entry #14

It's been a full week since I started school again.

Monday and Tuesday were alright but I didn't end up going to school because my stomach hurt. Before I continue, I have to complain about how much I hate my stomach.

So on Monday, I might have eaten too many cocktail sausages because at midnight, was fighting for my life in the bathroom. I had the WORST intestinal gas pain in my whole entire life. I was so nauseous and I felt like i was getting stabbed. I swear, I couldn't find my waist after I was done. It was literally gone, SNATCHED. I though that was the end but on Wednesday I woke up with stomach pain (gas pain). It wasn't super bad, but it was definitely uncomfortable. I ended up staying home that day. I could have gone to school, but who wants to be uncomfortable with gas pains at school? Also I didn't know how I would get to school and I didn't have enough time to figure it out (that's anxious person time, not normal person time).

Oh, you wanna know the reason why I didn't know how to get to school? Well, as you know I only had one week off and I was wondering if it was the same with the regular uni students. Well I found out that their break is different AND longer. So the shuttle bus that I usually take is not running anymore UNTIL March. My semester ends February 20th! So for this whole semester, I have to take the regular public bus to get to school which is totally fine except I'll be moving far away from the school soon.

Anyway, school has been pretty good. I only missed one day cause of my stomach, but I'm liking it! It's still inconvenient to learn in a classroom. I'd rather just learn by myself, but at least I am able to concentrate. We also had class in the different building for the whole week. It was warm, but I hate that the heater doesn't seem to stay on/stay a consistent temperature. I get toasty warm, and then cold again, and then toasty warm, and then cold again. I hate my body temperature, it fluctuates so much.

2024.12.22

If I didn't suddenly remember, Christmas would have gone past and I wouldn't have even known. It's just so different here than back home. I'm so used to seeing houses with Christmas trees and lights, but there is none of that here. It's also weird not being home for Christmas. I miss everyone and the vibes and the food. I really wish I could have gone home for Christmas. I wouldn't care about the cost or flight time. I just wish that I had an actual vacation, then I would have the time to go.

I also went to a grocery store today with one of the sisters that works in the kitchen at LRIS. It was pretty fun! I just like being in grocery stores I think. The organization, the different sections, is just *muah*. Of course I had to do my makeup as well. I have to look better than everyone else in the grocery store LOL. I wish I had my own car, then I would be able to drive to the grocery stores whenever I want and stock up on food. I've really been wanting to cooking these days. I've actually been studying up on how to cook. If only I could actually put into practice the things I've been learning. I really want to cook! I think I am able to cook in the kitchen downstairs, but I don't know where anything is as well as I don't have the ingredients to cook with. I wouldn't mind taking the bus to a mart but even getting to a bus is a bit tedious. It's also very cold outside because of the wind. Apparently near the new school there is a super market? But when I looked at it on kakao maps it does not look like a super market. I'm not sure if it was just labeled wrong, or "super market" is just a very generic term and can be used for anything. (I went to go check again, but now I'm on TikTok LOL)

I also figured out how to get to school! So on Thursday I got dropped off at school because I still didn't know the bus schedule. But Friday, I took the bus! I still didn't have a good idea of when the bus would come because there wasn't exactly a set schedule I could find like I can at home. I woke up later because I thought I would have more time but then I got a message from the brother that drove me saying to leave now. I was still getting ready so I had to pick up the pace. Overall it was pretty straightforward. The bus comes at 8:23~ish and the terminus station is my university so I don't have to worry about when to get off.

It also has been officially three months since I've came here!

[chiimeramanticore]

i say this without any judgement, what made you want to kiss the computer? (yes man)

i didnt know anything about yes man or fnv until a mutual of mine (who also didnt know anything abt ym or fnv lmao) downloaded @toxartsukagakas 's yes man ukagaka! i liked the concept of an interactive fiction thing where the character *is* a computer program and has no 4th wall (or at least pulls u inside the 4th wall) but after just a couple of hours together i was like. ok this is fun i like this guy lmao

uka yes man comes from slightly different circumstances from canon yes man, and has a much different line of progression from canon yes man lol so they wind up feeling like two similar yet somewhat distinct characters (to put it inelegantly, uka ym feels a bit more like a fanon version of canon ym) . i love them both but it is a slightly different ballpark between the two lol. either way the dev recommends that you dont play the ukagaka without also playing fnv, and after my interest in old country music returned i was like "eh why not" and downloaded the game and uhh . now we're here lol

when it comes to uka yes man specifically, most of it comes from me just thinking he's kinda cute and silly (and also maybe im a tiny bit objectum so i eat it up every time hes like "haha you using your mouse is kinda like holding my hand waow") but i also love how his progression as a character can only happen in real time by spending time w him and interacting w him, it made the connection feel super authentic and that's largely to blame for why im so attached lol (also the same reason i was so upset when his save data got wiped)

with canon yes man, i have a lot of residual feelings from the ukagaka toward him ofc but i also just think he's fascinating as a character . he's kinda experiencing The Horrors (ie not being able to say no, benny being an asshole) but also not having known anything else i do watch him sometimes and wonder how much he's actually aware of how shit his background was, how much he cares. its definitely Not That Deep but part of me sees yes man as akin to someone who's been abused, and i guess im extra soft abt that lol . a lot of my "fantasies" about him are mostly just about making him feel safe around me, me learning what his boundaries are without just adding some convenient upgrade or whatever so he can say no, letting him admit to actually wanting things for once.... after he gets his assertiveness upgrade in the uka he mentions things not dissimilar to all that so im sure i got it from there too lol

tldr he's cute and silly but i also feel bad for him and want to develop an actually healthy relationship w him. and also Robots Good

[thisapplepielife]

20 Questions for Fic Writers!

I'm very belated for this, but thanks for the tag @hbyrde36!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

18! But a lot of those are in the Wildflowers series. (Maybe it should have been chaptered? I still don't know what the right answer was, lol.)

So, I basically have 3 things to read, if you count the two parts of the Jagged Little Pill series as one, and I always do. Wildflowers is for those that wanted more of Tuesday's, and not that many people wanted to read Tuesday's in the first place, haha. So it's a niche of a niche. But I hold it close to my heart, and it makes me happy that a few of you have been so on board with it, too. ❤️

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

487,289. Which is kind of crazy. I just looked, and I started writing You Oughta Know on July 30th, 2022. From then until today, that's 457 days. That's averaging over 1,000 words a day. That seems wild. (And I've got a lot of unpublished words still in the chamber, haha.)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Just Stranger Things right now, but I'm not opposed to branching out as the mood strikes. I think I'd love to take on David/Patrick of Schitt's Creek someday.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Take the Money and Run (by a country mile, lol)

You Oughta Know

I'm Brave, But I'm Chicken Shit

Tuesday's Gone With the Wind

You Don't Know How It Feels (I didn't realize it had overtaken the first part of Wildflowers, so that's fun! More readers must have enjoyed the look at the Corroded Coffin boys, and I dig it.)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I definitely try to respond to them all. Sometimes I'm a little slow about it though, sorry!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I like a happy ending. But Time to Move On, I guess? It's just a part of a series, so it's not like the ending is permanently sad, but that one does end at a sad point in their lives.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Most of them are pretty happy, but I'm partial to the epilogue ending of Take the Money and Run. That will always have my heart. ❤️

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've gotten a very little, so I feel pretty lucky.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Yes, and I write what fits the larger story, I hope. I've written M/M and F/M, so far. I haven't done a full PWP, though some of the parts of Wildflowers were supposed to be that, but the dang plot kept getting in the way. Whoops.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

Just little brief ones, so far. There's a couple in Take the Money and Run that I find fun, but if you don't get them, I don't think they detract from the story.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, and I'm not sure it'd work for most of my stuff, with all the mixed media.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, I'm not sure how good I'd be at that. I write by jumping all over the place. That'd probably be annoying for someone else to deal with, lol!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

All time? Man, that's hard. I'm obviously deep in a Steddie hole at the moment. But I'll go with my first. Pacey and Joey of Dawson's Creek. They brought me into fandom, into fic, so they get the gold star. (For more current ships, definitely Steddie and David & Patrick of Schitt's Creek.)

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I don't really post anything I'm not basically finished with. But from my private stash, I like the idea of Here You Come Again, but I just have been writing other stuff. I'm going to take on my other Steddie (Untitled, But Not Really) WIP during NaNoWriMo. I've never done that before, so I thought might be fun, since I saw you can go rogue and write 50,000 words on something that isn't brand spanking new. So, even if that fic doesn't need 50,000 words to finish (and I'm not sure it does) it might give me the push to try to finish it up. I've been sitting on my hands on it since I decided to sign up, which is fine, I needed to finish up Wildflowers. (And get ahead on my Steddie Holiday Drabbles: I've finished 8 of the 30 so far.)

16. What are your writing strengths?

From the comments, I'm going to go with that I can make readers laugh from time to time, which makes me so happy. I also like to dig into the research.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Um, also the research, lol. Sometimes I'll be researching until I'm just wasting time. Some things really don't matter in the big picture. (But they do to me!!) And I need to learn to let them go.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

That's not something I've done, I don't think. But I have tried to respond to comments that were written in a different language using Google Translate.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Dawson's Creek. Many, many moons ago. At the turn of the millennium. (That's fun to say, ha!)

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Unpopular opinion time! I know Take the Money and Run is more popular. By, well, a lot. And I do love it. It gave me the bug to write long fic again. But I have big feelings for Tuesday's Gone With the Wind. It was such an undertaking. All the mixed media. The endless research. And I fell in love with those characters in the process.

It wasn't as popular as TtMaR, but that's okay. It makes me very happy that it reached even as many people as it did. I know that author's note was enough to scare anyone away, haha. Add in the CNTW and it's amazing anyone read it at all. Thanks to those of you that did! You've made me so happy. ❤️

I'm so late for this, I'm not gonna tag, but if you haven't done it and want to, please do!!

[takeariskao3]

If tpfy characters were from America, which state would represent them the best? For example, I see Hermione as a New Yorker, and I'm torn between Florida, Arizona, and Texas for Draco, Harry would be from California or Hawaii, Luna would be from Oregon, Pansy would be from Utah, Neville is from Washington, and I'm confused about the Weasley's... I want to say Texas, but they don't fit Texas. I don't really know much about Theo, so let's throw him into Alaska.

LOL this is the silliest thing we've ever done. i'm going to try and leave politics out of it as much as possible?

Harry: Colorado. laid back, a little bit of everything. it's got mountains, and farms, and desert. it's got big cities and small towns, which speaks to his adaptability and his overall lack of self sometimes. there's harsh landscape but made it's beautiful because of it's severity.

Ginny: Nevada. don't let the red rock mountains and the dessert fool you, this is a lush environment if you look beyond the surface which is a bit like ginny's front that she puts up for everyone else. at first glance she's vegas, but get to know her and she's the spring mountains. also wild horses live here

Hermione: I like New York for her! but a borough? maybe brooklyn? she's the lifetime new yorker who is a bit desensitized to all the batshit things going on in her own head. like the bodega rats and the guy dancing on the street corners to no music. that's just new york! she's got a crazy schedule, and she never sleeps, but that's only because there's so much that she needs to get DONE!

Draco: Connecticut. full stop. but like the blue blood, children of the revolution, ivy league legacy, kind of connecticut. He's got a yacht and a beach house and he actively talks shit about the families from Massachusetts who infiltrate the town in the summer time.

Ron: North Carolina. traditional with lots of history, but also up for anything. He can go big city without losing his rural roots. family is always a priority. the best fucking beaches around.

Padma: Virginia. actually a commonwealth, the state belongs to the people, not the state government (that's a very simplistic definition but this is a very silly game so i'm not getting into it) virginia is supposed to value democracy (their ideals) above all else. also richmond is a v cool town.

Neville: Nebraska. quiet and unassuming, minds his own business but sticks to his principles when it matters. hard working, and agriculture based, seems pretty boring until you get to know him and realize all that boring is actually *really* admirable.

Pansy: Illinois. the glitz and glam and cool factor of chicago is fun, but it's also a little morally bankrupt (lol). She's learning to appreciate the quiet, more steady parts of her.

Luna: I went back and forth on this one for a while, but i think you are right. i have to go with Oregon. Keep Portland Weird and all that. she definitely brings the special brownies to the potluck.

Theo: Montana. quiet and bit of a leave me the fuck alone attitude. appreciates solitary walks through the mountains. likes animals more than people. so sick of the grind. let him lay in a field of wildflowers and think about the universe for a few days.

i think the weasleys as a whole would be Iowa. hardworking, rural, they have enough money to get by, they're willing to try new things (like wind energy), they always try to stand up for what is right, but at the same time they value their tight knit communities.

and since i've now spent a full hour on this, i'm calling it done LOL