#if i had whipping cream i'd include

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

i've decided that the best way to Assemble my hot cocoa is: half milk / half water, dash of hazelnut flavoring, tall swirl of whipped cream, and rainbow sprinkles - all in a mermaid mug. chefs kiss

[liveontelevision]

Who Wants Pancakes?

@alcoris-shiz requested some Radioapple stuff and i hope this is okay 😬 I haven't written for any ships yet, so this is my first shot at that 🎉

18+ Smut-ish, Mentions of Blood

♡♡♡

Lucifer didn't think the proximity would become a problem, I mean, he purposely made his office as far from that damned radio demon as possible and it still wasn't enough of a buffer to keep him off his ass. Still, other than having an occasional argument or just hearing some insulting mutters in passing, it wasn't all bad. The hotel was finally picking up and getting some residents, and he did make a promise to lend a hand where possible.

Something Charlie suggested early on was weekly hotel staff breakfasts. It was a fond memory, though a distant one, to have a hot plate of pancakes with her parents, so she was quick to suggest Lucifer start making them one day of the week for everyone to enjoy. Unfortunately, that does include Alastor. He agreed with delight, willing to do anything for his dearest daughter even with the slightest hesitance.

After a few weeks, it actually became something Lucifer looked forward to. Sure, he had to deal with the more extreme personalities of some of the staff, but it's been quite a while since he cooked and he was glad to get the chance to enjoy it with Charlie, again. Alastor had actually never joined this routine, which he had to admit, sent a stir of emotions to Lucifer's head.

Was he too pompous to even accept pancakes? What could that damned fool be doing that was so important, he couldn't sit down for a mere hour? Should he consider trying different recipes? He knows Alastor is a cannibal, but there had to be some exceptions.. But why should he care?

He often embarrassed himself by entertaining the idea of trying to satisfy him in any way.

"Who's ready for pancakes?" Lucifer pushes the kitchen door open with his back, his arms stacked with plates upon plates of freshly made pancakes as he sang out the phrase with a smile. An audible hum emerged from each of the staff members seated at the table, the scent filling the room. He skillfully slid the plates free of his arms and lined them up on the table before snapping his fingers and allowing each plate to portal in front of the hungry demons. He actually spent these past few weeks learning about who likes what; Angel loved having whipped cream decorating his plate, Husk was a fan of honey baked into his, and Niffty's always looked like an icecream sundae with the amount of toppings she'd want. A classic syrup drizzled plate appeared at the head of the table, a seat fit for a king. So, when Lucifer wiped his hands clean of any baking reminents that might have been stuck on, he was struck with disbelief to a devilish smile meeting him, seated at the head of the table. At his seat.

"Well! What a pleasant surprise! I'm so glad to see you could finally join us!" Lucifer's chipper demeanor wavered as he spoke through his clenched teeth. Alastor slowly slid Lucifer's plate across the table to be in front of the seat next to his, a chair that was always left open, in the hopes that a certain demon would join. Well, here he is.

"Good morning! I've found myself with a bit of free time this morning, so I thought i'd kindly grace you all with my presence. I'm sure you've all been missing me this past few weeks, I do apologize for any worry i may have caused." Alastor smiles brightly, completely ignoring the fuming angel who sat down hard in the only available chair. Charlie was quick to reassure Alastor, simply stating that she's glad to see him and how she's just happy to see him join breakfast. But Lucifer was clearly not entertained by that answer, since it's simply just not true. Lucifer let's out a crood fake laugh before picking up his knife with a white knuckled fist.

"What, am I to simply watch everyone enjoy their breakfast? Am I to pick through the trash for my food? How crude!" Alastor puts on a woe-is-me fit, raising his arm to fain over his head in a fainting motion. Charlie loudly cleared her throat to gain her father's attention, then nudged her eyes in Alastor's direction before holding her hands together in a pleading motion. How can he say no to those puppy dog eyes? He can't, unfortunately. With a dramatic dropping of his utensils, Lucifer huffed his way into the kitchen, tying his already dirtied apron back around his waist.

Mumbling some angry profanities about a certain deer demon, he listened to the muffled conversations and laughs that went on right beyond the door. As he began to mix the batter, he heard the door swing open.

"I appreciate your work, Your Highness, but I am especially particular about my food. I'm sure you wouldn't mind me watching your methods, hmm?" Without any answer, the radio demon took a seat at the island across the counter, crossing his slender legs and propping his head up with his hands. Lucifer let out a quiet, "Oh Brother -" before quickening his pace with the whisk. "Now now! Don't let that frightful scrowl ruin my pancakes. I keep hearing of their excellence and I expect just that." He tuned in, his smile only becoming increasingly petty.

This went on the entire time. Lucifer made his pancakes with a scowl, his eye twitching at every little note or critique that came out in Alastor's staticky tone. Afterward, he was finally able to join his daughter for breakfast. Even if his plate had gotten cold, and everyone was essentially done with their own food, he made it a point smile and acted as if he didn't waste his morning on this red-headed prick. Lucifer began to clean up the table, with some help, but he surely didn't mind when Charlie had to take everyone to the lobby for an exercise that was supposed to start sooner than earlier. The worst part? The plate made fresh for Alastor sat perfectly untouched.

"Oh, come on! That fucking piece of ... " Lucifer grumbled, essentially cleaning up everything but that plate, simply too angered to look at it. He brought the dishes to the kitchen, plopping them into the sink. He set his ring to the side as he washed the dishes, humming a tune to calm his previous rage. Menial tasks always did help with that. A static song overwhelmed Lucifer's humming, snapping him out of his little trance and making him whip his head around, to see an all too close radio demon, holding his untouched pancakes in front of him. Lucifer groaned and rolled his eyes before returning to the dishes.

"Oh wow. So! Are you here to help me clean or make fun of how I do the dishes? Either way, I don't need it. Do me a favor and fuck off." Losing his cool for a moment, his final statement come out as a gravelly growl. Alastor let out a despicable cackle, placing the plate down next to the sink, having to lean over Lucifer to do so. Lucifer scoffed when he felt his back lightly brush the other's Torso, attempting to keep a blush from running across his face.

"Why no, good sir! I don't intend to help one bit, not to worry. I simply enjoy seeing a powerful king, such as yourself, acting as a meeger housewife." His voice was far too close to Lucifer's ear, a chill running up his spine as he felt his hot breath against the side of his cheek. In his best attempts to keep his cool, he stood rigged for a moment before continuing to scrub a plate that was already spotless.

"Don't forget your place, good sir - " he spoke in a mocking tone," - I could kill you with a snap of my fingers." He spat out, his face still not visible to the demon towering over him.

"Oh, I don't doubt it! Well, I won't interrupt you again, I am here to simply enjoy the view, as I said before." As he stepped away to sit back into a bar stool, a hushed static ran over Lucifer's body. His eye twitched as he continued to clean his dishes, hoping that ignorance would make him lose interest and find something better to do. It didn't

Alastor's eyes boar into his back the entire time. After a hasty clean-up, Lucifer was quick to set aside his apron and dust off his vest and sleeves to get the hell out of the room. The white noise of static was becoming unbearable. After letting out a sigh of relief, Lucifer blindly went to pick up his wedding band, his hand reaching out and meeting nothing but empty counter space. He began to panic, looking around frantically, patting down his pockets, even reaching into the sink.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck - " In the nervous state, he took no time to look back to Alastor, if he did, he'd be greeted with his smile growing impossibly wider.

"Missing something, your highness?" Alastor said with an innocent tone, batting his eyelashes at the king. Lucifer whipped his head around and slammed his fists on the counter in front of him, cracking the marble.

"What the fuck did you do?" His devil features were quick to sprout, starting with his tail that stuck straight up like a cat in distress, the tip just barely flicking. Alastor could feel the heat of the small flame that sparked at Lucifer's crown, sitting right between his lengthy horns that tore through his flesh. His eyes squinted with a terrifying red glow, completely enraged at Alastor's unphased expression.

"Oh, dear! Could you possibly be looking for this?" Alastor wiggled his hand in front of Lucifer's face, flaunting his own wedding band sitting pretty on his red claws. Lucifer wasted no time to reach out and grab it, but of course, Alastor easily got away by standing from his seat.

They danced around the kitchen for a moment, Alastor cackling at every near miss, which only pissed the king off more. His power was used poorly, making him run out of stamina much quicker than he would prefer, but still long enough to tire out the radio demon just as much. They stood a few feet away from eachother, panting heavily. Letting out a final growl, Lucifer flooded the room with his large wings and lunged out in one final attempt. Alastor, not exactly planning out his next move, popped the ring into his mouth in one smooth motion. Lucifer stumbled and stopped mid lunge, the sheer confusion hitting him more than anything.

"What in the unholy hell - What did you do?! Why??" The situation became comical for a moment, his rage dying down as he tried to wrap his head around the bold move.

"You want your ring back, Sweatheart? Come and get it." He spoke awkwardly, attempting to get his words out before opening his mouth and showing off the wedding band that sat right on the center of his tongue.

Lucifer immediately flushed red, his wings curling around his body before tucking behind his back again. This wasn't what Alastor originally had in plan, but seeing his reaction was just as well. He placed his hands on his hips and bent forward to meet Lucifer's eyes and present him with a much better view of his opened mouth.

They stood there for a moment silently. Alastor shut his eyes and hummed for a moment, closing his mouth and slipping the ring on the tip of tongue before sticking it out to present to Lucifer. It took him far too long to make the decision, but Lucifer took a painful grip onto his shoulders and smashed his open mouth against Alastor's presented tongue. He was far too startled too grasp the situation in time, allowing Lucifer to skilfully wrap his forked tongue around Alastor's prying the ring off and into his own mouth. He pulled away, their tongues still connected with a line of saliva for a moment.

Lucifer placed his hand below his mouth and gently spat out his ring, sliding it carefully on his finger still covered in their mixed spit. He never broke eye contact with the dazed deer demon. Lucifer smirked, crossing his arms across his puffed out chest with pride, as if he won something. He let out a satisfied hum before his eyes followed Alastor's body moving towards him. Standing nearly toe to toe, Lucifer had to crain his neck to see Alastor's glowing eyes.

"Do it, again." His voice was low and gravely, a loud static screeching for a moment causing Lucifer to hiss and cover his ears. Taking the oppurtunity, Alastor took a strong hold onto Lucifer's jaw, pulling him upwards until he was struggling to keep his feet on the ground. He held onto his wrist, an angry glint in his eye, yet silent.

"Did you not hear me, Your Highness? Do. It. Again." He couldn't prevent his face from heating up at the demand, slightly gasping for breath. Mustering his strength, he rolled his eyes and sent a wicked grin to Alastor, his face still held in his hands.

"Sure~"

Lucifer took in a fistful of the demon's red hair and yanked it towards his face, making their lips crash together in a heated attempt to take control of the situation. Alastor lost his grip, allowing Lucifer to firmly plant his feet back on the ground. He kept a tight grip on his hair, keeping the towering demon at his level by bending him over uncomfortably at the hip. He continued to wrestle his forked tongue around Alastor's mouth, no matter how hard he tried to keep up with the king, he couldnt help but melt into the moment. And he feel absolute shame because of it.

After what seemed like meer seconds, Lucifer pulled his hair back, causing his neck to uncomfortably crane backwards. He fell to his knees, the only way to break the discomfort of his current stature. He panted heavily, his arms dropped to his side in a beautiful display of obedience. Lucifer's irises glew a shade of blood red at the sight in front of him. He leaned down just slightly to meet his eyes, finally having the upperhand, "I'll do it again, Sure. But - you have to admit that I won." He grinned almost innocently, making Alastor's limp expression immediately turn into a snarl.

"Go on, then. Admit defeat. You lost."

He'd never admit it, but Alastor found himself in an absolutely helpless situation. He was overpowered.

"Sire, you can't possibly be serious, I would hardly call this a game, don't -" before he could attempt to charm his way out of it, Lucifer readjusted the grasp on his hair to lift his head up by his ears. He yelped.

"Ahha! That's a fun noise! Go ahead and do it again, Darling. I'll give you what you want~" Lucifer kept a tight hold on the other demons ears, feeling them twitch in his fist. He leaned down slightly just hovering over his lips, before yanking his ears forward to connect them with his. The sudden motion made another quiet yelp come from Alastor's lips, but it was muffled between their heavy breaths combined.

He reached upwards, grabbing Lucifer's vest and pulling him down until his knees hit the floor painfully. The sudden jolt caused Lucifer's teeth to graze the inside of his cheek, a small amount of blood mixing in between their lips. Alastor tasted it almost immediately, grabbing Lucifer's sides and pulling him into his torso, sloppily trying to lap up any of the angelic blood that spilled from his mouth.

Lucifer pulled away, pushing on Alastor's chest to keep a distance. As they caught their breath, Alastor licked his lips clean of the golden blood that he managed to obtain. He let out a low growl, before picking up Lucifer by his waist and tossing him hastily onto the counter. Pulling him right to the edge, their bodies completely pressed together, he locked their lips again. Lucifer lost his powerful composure for a moment, gripping Alastor's back and letting out a pathetic whimper into the kiss.

Alastor responded by biting Lucifer's lip, allowing more of his sweet blood to spill into his mouth. He slipped his hands between the two of them, slicing the threads of each button that held his vest and shirt together with ease. Pulling his shirt to the side before he could even realize his top was undone, Alastor pulled away from his lips and let out a heavy breath at the nape of his neck before anchoring his pointed teeth at the softest part of his skin.

Lucifer let out a careful moan, quick to cover his mouth lazily to hold back any other noises. His hand was quickly ripped away from his lips, Alastor guiding it back to the top of his head. He quickly took a grasp of his hair again, desperate for anything to anchor himself to reality.

After leaving a lovely trail of bloody bruises and bites across his entire chest, tainting the procelain white skin, he stepped back to look at his work. Lucifer was a panting mess, hair stuck to his forehead and eyes dazed. His shirts had fallen off his shoulders and he was still attempting to catch his breath. Alastor recovered much quicker, wiping the trail of glowing blood that flowed down Lucifer's chin with his thumb and licking it clean himself.

"Well, I suppose I'll admit to defeat and leave you to your duties, your highness." He swipes some invisible dust from his coat before holding his hands behind his back and heading towards the door.

"Ah, and might I say, you make quite the meal!" He said chipperly, leaving a stunned Lucifer still seated on the countertop as the radio static that once flooded his senses slowly ceased.

♡♡♡

Also just saying, I took some inspo from a radioapple drawing I saw on IG and i cannot for the life of me find it again so I'll include it if anyone finds it :,)

[emo-batboy]

i'd like the chart thanks!

Also, there's another person who wants to rp Leo, can they?

Okay a few people are asking for the chart so here’s the current chart!! (I took out some characters that are still not as fleshed out. That includes Nathan, Ria, Nina, Ashley, Zoe, Ray, Maggie, and the hater and Metropolis characters, but they’re all filler characters rn)

A Wild Battinson Character Lore Continuity

- Felicity

- Oldest of the bunch, right between Millennial and Gen Z

- Works at an office, besties with everyone there. Corporate girlie (does use the term girlboss)

- Like if a Gothamite/Bruce Wayne fan was swiftie-coded?

- She has a pet pitbull, you know that kind of white girl

- Tatum

- Goth U, Comp Sci major

- Keeps everyone he knows online at arms length so we don’t know much, has a small close knit friend group irl but he’s also mutuals with everybody on twitter because he’s that kinda guy yk?

- But they’re slowly convincing him. He’s getting there

- Marzia

- Oh god poor Marzia

- Italian, born in Northern Italy, English is her second language but you wouldn’t be able to tell if it weren’t for her slight accent

- Biggest Bruce Wayne stan, will go feral, but only gets replies from him at the worst moments possible

- *snorts like cocaine* “Please don’t do cocaine” is my personal favorite

- Goth U, she gives art major vibes but tacked on a double major in psychology last minute so now she’s staying a fifth year

- Reads smut, writes smut, part of the poetry club, def on booktok, you know the type

- Alejandro

- Runs an ice cream stand in the park on the weekends when it’s warm enough

- Bi, Dating Leo (pfp is them holding hands because he’s a whipped son of a bitch)

- He’s like if that normal-looking kind of athletic guy who always wore sweatshirts and basketball shorts to class just suddenly mentioned he had a boyfriend one day.

- He’s straight-coded but more specifically “the straight guy that gay guys have crushes on against their better judgement”-coded

- Knew the whole time he was bi but never REALLY liked a guy until Leo 🥺. whenever he looks at Leo, he’s got those madly in love eyes

- Thinks Batman is hot and suffers constant torment from Leo (who has a crush on Bruce) because of it

- Ale just wants to be bench pressed is that too much to ask? But It’s his fault he’s a twunk dating a twink so—

- Goth U, Really interested in tech stuff but he’s actually a sports medicine major. He wants to be a physical therapist for athletes

- Cannot hold his liquor

- Smile Watch

- Who knows

- It’s a mystery

- Lela

- Goth Girl

- BFF’s with Nico (goth girl, e-boy solidarity)

- Also good friends with Natalie, they lined up all their gen Ed’s together

- Chill in a Morticia Addams kinda way. She is Morticia Addams actually

- Mom owns a convenience store, she helps out after classes a lot

- Studied for the MCAT, did pretty well, she wants to be a doctor (probably neurosurgeon but it depends on what internship she gets)

- Currently completing the undergrad to grad program at Goth University with a masters in public health

- Natalie

- Former intern, now ASSISTANT at Wayne Press

- Got the job because she impressed Bruce with her good reporting skills, now works mostly on organizing press releases and maintaining Bruce’s public image

- Great at her job because she knows social media and Bruce Wayne Stans the best (she is one obv)

- (Babysits Bruce when Alfred is busy, how did this happen, why is this her job now? She’s tired of his shit lol)

- Still technically working part-time because she hasn’t gotten her degree yet, but she’s set to work full time after she graduates Goth U in May

- Sometimes while sitting at her desk she just gets that perspective shift where she’s like “how did I get here” Bruce Wayne Stans’ dreams do come true

- Caleb 🤡

- Literally 18/19 but aging faster than humanly possible with the stress he’s under

- Used to work at Bat Burger, left because the babysitting gig required more time

- Lives with his aunt who’s already retired (used to live alone, she never had kids or a husband so she’s loaded) He’s staying cuz his parents are super busy and travel for work :) and guess what crime-filled alley their window overlooks? I’ll give you one guess

- Babysits Tim, used to be a less serious gig but his parents have been out of town a lot lately (just vacationing without their child 🙄) and thankfully Caleb lives right across from their swanky apartment so he’s practically a nanny now (read: older sibling/third parent)

- Took a ton of childcare courses for this job and now he’s kind of interested in working at a daycare maybe? If Tim doesn’t kill him in his sleep first

- Recently graduated Goth High, now takes online classes at Goth Community College while deciding what to do with his life

- Jarod

- Recently graduated Goth High, now taking a gap year before starting GothU in the fall. Him and Caleb were always in the same classes so they’re super close (they’re the youngest)

- Future Comp Sci/English major (he wants to be a video game writer)

- Has a younger sister, and technically the oldest child but spiritually he’s the middle child.

- His parents and Priyanka’s parents are close friends so he kind of grew up seeing Priyanka as an older sister. That’s why they’re Like That.

- Literally so fed up with Priyanka, it’s not even funny (yes it is) but the second you’re rude to Priyanka, he will deck you, watch yourself

- Katie (Sweater Thief)

- ER Nurse at Gotham General Hospital, mostly does night shifts

- Gives chronically online energy when she’s online, but everyone in real life wouldn’t suspect a thing because she’s so good at having her life together (the code switch will give you whiplash)

- Surprisingly older than most of the others despite being Like That.

- Literally graduated with a 4.2 GPA how tf?

- BFF’s with Leo then became BFF’s with Ale too after they started dating (she is slowly corrupting Ale and I think that’s beautiful)

- Creator of the Babygirl Bruce Wayne Agenda and PROUD

- Priyanka

- Works at coffee shop owned by her mom called Caffe Mood. She plans to run it one day. Currently a barista

- Goth U, business major (accounting)

- Bilingual, knows Hindi

- LESBIAN QUEEN

- Despite being gay, She is allowed to think Bruce Wayne is hot, that is her Right

- Mad fucking crush on Georgia, calls her Georgie. Intends to never tell a soul. Will fail miserably

- Dead fucking set on the idea that Batman’s a vampire

- But she thinks everyone’s a vampire so—

- Her parents and Jarod’s parents are close friends so she kind of grew up seeing Jarod as a younger brother. That’s why they’re Like That

- Jarod is constantly on her nerves, wtf Jarod (but be mean to him and she’ll kill you)

- Leo

- Works at bookstore called Gotham City Bookstore

- Gay, Dating Alejandro

- Twink (derogatory)

- Swears his gaydar is the most accurate there is (always wrong)

- Made being gay his entire personality because he had an identity crisis in middle school and proceeded to have a massive crush on some straight guy all of high school (that guy was Ale, Leo’s gaydar is so off)

- BFF’s with Katie despite being a few years younger. They were in a high school production of Sweeney Todd together and the rest was history

- Calls every single celebrity gay as a joke, Ale reigns him in if he’s getting too out of hand

- Used to have a mad celebrity crush on Bruce, still kinda (definitely) does

- Attends GothU, undecided for a while but ultimately settled on mathematics because it’s ironically his best subject

- One of those mf’s that needs to be held back at all costs, god help Ale

- Rose 🌹

- Works a tailoring job full time

- Good friends with Felicity, she’s like the black cat to Felicity’s golden retriever

- 70% super nice and chill, 30% wild card party girl

- Gets drinks with friends a lot, tweets when drunk but no one can tell the difference. It’s amazing

- Does not seem horny, is horny. But like normal about it? If that’s a thing

- Nico

- Kinda plays the straight man of the group if the straight man was emo

- BFF’s with Lela (e-boy, goth girl solidarity)

- KING of twitter roasts. He makes memes to end lives.

- Pansexual, single, and probably writing bad poetry in his diary about it but don’t tell anyone

- Goth U, actually dunno the major. Probs public health with Lela but doesn’t want to be a doctor. More like research parallel to social sciences

- Has a 8/9yo sister named Madelaine whom he would die for despite not expecting to be an older brother so late in the game (what were his parents thinking)

- Has tea parties with her and all that jazz. She steals his eyeliner and chain accessories all the time, also she’s friends with Dick and Barbie (yes, Barbara Gordon) so sometimes he watches over their play dates

- He’s a “tough emo boy” so he totally doesn’t laugh at Madelaine’s puns. He’s a bitch ass liar

- Kellyanne

- GothU, marine biology. Transferred from GCCC with an associates degree to save money but now she’s got a full ride cuz of the WE higher education fund

- More recent Bruce Stan

- Pretty poor upbringing, that’s how she met Bruce Wayne. He bought her whole family groceries one night after her card declined at the convenience store trying to buy dinner

- Now she’s in it for the long haul :)

- Lia

- GothU, fashion merchandising

- A GIRL’S GIRL

- Older sister also attends Goth U, but she’s in med school

- More recent Bruce Wayne stan, still not particularly in with the culture and jokes but getting there

- Friends with Georgia and Elizabeth irl. Elizabeth was in the same sorority before graduating first. Got to know Georgia after Lia found her dog with Bruce at the park outside GothU. They party together now

- Elizabeth

- Graduated GothU last May and worked an internship at LexCorp, immediately regretted it but snagged a job at WE (thank god)

- Now works as a research assistant at Wayne Tech in the R&D department for commercial products

- Didn’t really get the whole Bruce Wayne Stan thing until Bruce Wayne personally wished her a happy birthday?? The man is so sweet?

- Absolutely loves her job but still screams at rubber ducks over faulty code in her little cubicle, but that’s the industry she chose so it’s a give and take

- Met Natalie through Stan twitter and now they DM each other about working at Wayne Enterprises

- Doesn’t post much on twitter but follows the main Bruce Stan accounts, irl friends with Lia and Georgia

- Georgia

- Has a dog named Bean

- GothU, majoring in like three languages, polyglot (including Hindi 😏)

- Works at a retail home decor kinda store (home goods?)

- So lesbian-coded, but does not know it yet. Priyanka is her gay awakening. She is now a regular at Caffe Mood (She thinks she just likes the coffee (yeah right))

- Works at Goth U’s admissions department over the summer too

- Once got drunk and locked herself onto a roof by accident, ended up hanging out with Batman (he offered to break into her apartment for her but she said “nah”)

- Jane

- Works at Wayne Enterprises

- Runs bring your kid to work day (idk what her actual job is but she’s an Essential Worker, okay?)

- Very sweet, 10/10, looks on the bright side but never in a toxic positivity way

- Super social too, became work friends with Bruce because she’s nice but not draining to his social battery? They have lunch on occasion

- Watched the Graysons die with Bruce, call that trauma bonding

- Watched her toxic ex’s car burn to a crisp after a joker spree and took a selfie with it (she can have a little revenge, as a treat)

[herejusttosufferalong]

So, I'd just like to report from my corner of the WH, where I'm calmly eating my buttermilk waffles topped with berries and extra whipped cream with a side of 2 sunny-side up eggs, chicken fried steak, extra crispy hashbrowns, and unlimited refill coffee.

So far, it's been a shitshow, with people having a food fight and flinging all that good food at each other (I may have seen some chairs and stools being tossed as well. Tsk, tsk). Some people are leaving through the door while some are slinking out the window... idk, maybe to come back at a later date and declare they have been in the restaurant the whole time amid the chaos.

Meanwhile, the waitress asked me if she could get me something else... I just added fresh toast with, again, berries and whipped cream, a ton of bacon, and their unlimited mimosas. As the waitress walked away to get my extra order, I wondered if the WH had expanded its menu to include a big bucket of popcorn coz the show just might not be over yet.

WH doesn't serve popcorn but we can have the jakolas run out and get ya some

gotta give the seasonal employees something to do

[py-dreamer]

Ooop- so it's almost mid september...

Y'know what that means?

Yea so we have a return of the stickers!!!

Well less stickers and kinda whatever this is Ig

Don't get me wrong I'm still super proud of it! I suppose it was meant to be like stickers from last year but it kinda escalated and sort off got a wee bit out of hand...

...just a tad bit...

Woooh! So anyone who's in the KNY hotpot might recognize this style and yes I did basically use the KNY birthday art format but COME ON!!!

IT'S SO CUTE!!!

LOOK AT MAH BOIII SITTING ON THAT CAKE!!!

I JUST WANNA NOM BIG BITE!!!

(If you can't tell I do really like this cake art)

I promise this time it is really 10 days till my actual birthday unlike the whoopsie 11 I did last year -_-'

And I know it's not Mk's birthday even though it looks like it is, I know. But it's the bloody format of the art and Idk how else to change it. Besides I think they slay in those birthday outfits.

And it was fun to do my sticker style in a bigger thing!

But Idk if it's cause I haven't touched my bloody stylus in ages or I've been swimming in the KNY hotpot for too long BUT WHY WAS MK'S FACE SO HARD TO DRAW FROM THE FRONT VIEW!!!

I HAD TO COMPROMISE, MANS LOOKING TOWARDS THE SIDE!!!! LIKE XIAOTIAN I LOVE YOU AND WANT TO SQUEEZE THEM CUTE LIL CHEEKS OF YOURS BUT WHY ARE YOU SO HARD TO DRAW FROM THE FRONT!??!?

HE LOOKED LIKE A BLOODY CAT WITH SLIT EYES Y'ALL!!!

Oml...regardless, I did have a lot of fun with this and had lots of fun with the decorations and such. If you were here last year, your keen memory and astute eye might notice that the cake is the same cake I used in the 'shenanigans in space' birthday stickers I did last year!

@leesbian42, @cats-and-confusion remember that lol?

So the tiny memory flower thing and star candies are an homage to that :)

(btw, pssttt @emerialyncodevenice I know we haven't talked in a while but you mentioned that you liked the bloomin cake and was thinking of using it. Feel free to use this if you like, Idk how just credit me m'kay?)

But anyways, if y'all wanna use this pic, again. Pls credit me.

AND NO REPOSTING PLEASE!!!

The decorations are meant to be sugar cookies and idk what the icing is. Since I'm thinking more of an east asian fruit cake (those really really soft fluffy spongy ones) I was thinking more like light yellow dyed whipping cream and less buttercream.

Maybe even some kinda custard Idk...(does custard go well with cake?)

The orange chunks are meant to be like mango balls or chunks and hopefully the red thingys in the middle read across as strawberries

I had to include the Monkey king plush, he's just so little!

I was tempted to draw in the other characters as plushies since they are as important to MK probably but it's getting late and I'd already been working on this baby for like 3 hours already.

All in all, I do really like this and ngl, pray this doesn't flop.

I know my single stickers don't always do well but pls y'all I like this very much...

It is nice to compare this year's work and last year and I am proud to say I have improved at least somewhat

And as for why I rarely post, well I've gotten back from my holiday but sadly I'm at that age where work and stuff will be my main focus for the time being.

Got a lot of assignments and tests y'know...

(hell I have one due the 17th and tests to do tomorrow and here I am faffing on about legos on tumblr)

And like I said, I have been blipping and dabbing in demon slayer, read a lot more KNY fics lately (I actually have a mini sketch of kamaboko squad as hashiras, heavily inspired off of other designs but even so-, if I'm in the mood I might post that!)

But enough yapping, I'll try my best to keep up this 10 days thing

(if you don't know up till my birthday for 10 days I try to post a sticker or thingy like this one)

no promises since I am busier this year but this was a lot of fun so you'll definitely see some stuff.

(I just realized I have to keep up this level of detail in my other stuff T^T save meeeeeee plsssss)

[louloulemons-posts]

I'm unsure if you're taking requests but if you are i'd like to send one! Could you do one where it's eddie x reader with rosacea and reader get insurance about their redness?

Cherry Cheeks

Eddie Munson X Reader

Word Count : 0.5k

Warnings : not proofread, fluffy, petnames, just cuteness, readers insecure due to rosacea, tooth rottingly sweet.

A/N : i loveee this idea, as someone who has rosacea i haven’t really seen any fics for it. thank you so much for the request ����🏻

~ / / / * \ \ \ ~

You’d always been like it, even as a child having rosy cheeks at all times. It was something you had grown with, but also something you’d had come to be insecure of.

Your cheeks were always red, especially when the cool wind whipped around, which was starting to happen now. Going into the colder months your rosacea got worse.

Sometimes it made you look like you had acne and others it hurt your eyes, but what remained was your flushed cheeks.

It was frustrating to say the least, and had caused you to push away many, feeling insecure about the way you looked. That included your boyfriend, Eddie.

He wouldn’t get it, he was perfect. Perfect body, perfect hair, perfect face, perfect skin. It was annoying how beautiful he was - not that you’d ever complain.

You’d hoped that Eddie wouldn’t have picked up on it, but sadly he wasn’t stupid. He knew you were pushing him away and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

He drove to your house, knocking on the door, being greeted by your mom. You’d heard the knocking, but thought nothing of it.

Too absorbed in putting many creams and gels on your face to help stop the flare up you were having currently. Your nose had also become very red, making you resemble Rudolph.

Hearing a rap of knuckles on your door, you called out, “Come in.” Expecting it to be your mom, but no, there he was Eddie.

“Hey,” he said.

“Uh Hi, what are you doing here?”

“Trying to figure out why I’m getting the cold shoulder from you babe.”

You couldn’t even look at him, letting out a quiet, “I’m sorry Eds.” He felt his heart break at that tone, at the fact you were upset. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

You shrugged, it felt stupid, he wouldn’t understand how could he. “Come on Sweetheart, talk to me,” he said, taking your hand so he could lead you both to your bed.

“I-it’s dumb.”

“If you’re upset about it, it can’t be dumb.” “My skin, it’s all red and splotchy and ugly. I hate it and it’s getting really back because I have something called rosacea and it’s flaring up and I just hate it and it’s embarrassing.”

“Take a breath,” Eddie spoke, rubbing his thumb on your hand. “So you’re feeling insecure about your skin?”

“Mhm.”

“I’m sorry about that. But just so you know I’ve never noticed that, I know that might not make you feel better, but I don’t think it’s as bad as you think.

“Saying that, if you wanted, we could go and see one of those skin doctors a dermo-thingy.”

“Dermatologist?”

“That’s the one. We can go see one and see if there’s anything we can do? If you want?”

“You’d come with me?”

“Course I would.”

“Thank you Eds.”

“Anything for you.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too Cherry cheeks.”

“Eddie!”

~ / / / * \ \ \ ~

Thank you so much for reading!

Please leave any requests 🤍

[charmwasjess]

For the ask game - 5, 7, 18 for dooku?

5) Out of all your fanworks that include Dooku, which is your favourite?

If I had to tell people to just read one of my Dooku fics, I think it would be Milk Run.

I think it's my best Jedi Dooku character work, and I loved writing his dynamics with Qui-Gon, Jocasta Nu, and Sifo-Dyas. It's a longer work, but hey, fuck being self-deprecating, I'd vouch for every page of that shit: if someone gets to the end of chapter two, where Dooku very awkwardly and earnestly tries to explain Jedi sex life to Qui-Gon, and doesn't love the fic by then, I'll give the reader a free coupon for… uh, *turns out pockets* I guess an essay on Legends/EU. :D :D ??

7)Is there a piece of clothing you think Dooku is particularly fond of/that you imagine them wearing a lot or like to draw them in?

I go with the characterization from the novels that Dooku is very fastidious about his Jedi uniform, keeping it all neat and perfect, very rarely if ever out of uniform. Like Sifo-Dyas and Jocasta Nu's depictions, he's got those warmer colored tan/gold/cream/warm brown Jedi tunics with the little flourishy gold detail work on the sleeves and hems.

I like this because it's fun to write the rare times when he needs to be out of uniform for a mission or something, and he's completely awkward about it. And it's fun foil with my headcanon that Sifo-Dyas is out of uniform a LOT with his underworld work. I like imagining them side by side looking like they came out of different eras.

Seer of the Cosmic Force, fated to speak with the froth of doom on his lips? No, it's that guy over there in the hoodie and the manbun, trying to convince the barista to take a coupon for a complimentary drip coffee but instead give him a free extra large matcha frappe with a five squirts of coconut syrup and extra whip.

18)Type Dooku's name and tell us what the autocomplete suggests as the next word

You know, I tried this in my SMS to see if it would give me a different answer than my previous, and got "Dooku cleaned"

Hmmmmmmm. *making direct eye contact with Sifo-Dyas*

[manda-kat]

Souvenir Role Call!

I'm home! I'm sleepy, but as promised, I'm gonna show you guys everything I got. I ended up with lot of items, but honestly a lot of these were either free gifts or my mother bought them for me. Also, I'm more a fan of cheep thrills. I'll include prices if I can remember them. Now let's a go!

The first thing I got was this San Francisco pin. It was 5.95. I had a lot of options of tourist attractions to choose, but since I didn't see any of those on my doomed trip to San Fran, I just got a liscense plate. I saw plenty of those.

(The next things will not be in chronological order. I'll post them in order of what I unpacked first so I can sort through them easier.)

This mermaid doll was from a store called Kawaii Kawaii Hawaii, which is the cutest name for a Japanese/Hawai'ian shop. (There is a LOT of Japanese stuff in Hawai'i. Apparently more Japanese Americans live on Oahu than Native Hawai'ians or White Americans) It had a bunch of nick nacks but I was enamored by this mermaid. The doll is super cheap and feels like a rip-off of a more popular brand, but her face is so cute! Her hair's pretty natty though when you look closely. She was fifteen dollars, which is hard to find a basic doll for nowadays, so I'd consider it worth it since I had never seen a doll like this before. Then literally two doors down we found a store selling these exact mermaid dolls, but with added angel wings for the same price. I wasn't about to buy two, but I was tempted.

A seashell lei given to hotel guests at the Waikiki Sunset. It was a nice pistachio green hotel only a few blocks from the beach. The people were super nice and the amenities were pretty good. I've been at a better hotel, but that one was because I had a discounted rate on the room, so this was a great option. I really wanted to stay at the pink palace just because of how cute it looked, but that was out of the question. It was very closeby though and I was able to see it when we went to the beach. The pistachio palace ended up being just right.

At the Polynesian Cultural Center I found one of these wooden frog guys. I think he was seven dollars or something. He's one of the frogs that you can run a stick down his spine to make a lovely noise. What I didn't know is that he makes every sound echo. The hollow body means that even gently bumping the side with your finger will make a dreamy little sound. A fine addition to my frog collection.

Not really souvenirs, but hey look. Wristbands. Perfect to say I'm gonna put them in a photo album and then forgetting to do so.

I got this pin at the ABC store. It was about five dollars. The lady at checkout was surprised to see it and told me a lot of people were looking for this one specifically and she thought they sold out. I can't imagine that considering how many of these I saw.

Dole Whip pin! In Hawai'i if it can be flavored with pineapple, it will be. The ice cream was good, but I feel like it was a bit overhyped. There was a line out the door for it and honestly I feel like it might have just been the summer vibes making everyone crave ice cream. I would definitely have another bowl if someone offered. I had the soft serve, so I'm not sure if there's a more popular way to prepare it that makes people go wild, but it was definitely good.

We shall be continued with more photos in a bit! Stand by!

[vespersposts]

KNB: a scented story

Hello everyone!

✨Here is the post that came out of a conversation with the wonderful beauties @fellow-deviant, @lamnwar, @0214letters, @officialparentofadrien ✨

What perfume could the Knb guys wear according to their personality (and in my opinion)?

I'll put my choices here, let me know if you agree or disagree. I have also included 3 characters that I am particularly fond of, but I am open to adding others if you suggest them.

Part 2 here

🩵 Kuroko:

determined, kind but also very in touch with the sensitivities of others. Reminds me a bit of the sunrise after a night out with friends, that feeling of a unique and comfortable moment.

I think he would wear a fresh perfume, slightly spicy but not bitter, perhaps with an aquatic and metallic touch, something like

Echo- Davidoff -> suede, nutmeg, sandalwood and a touch of chili.

💜Musakibara:

Apparently lazy, a bit spoilt, fond of sweets and sports, he is like those neighbourhood cats who seem to spend all their time with their bellies in the sun and instead have a strict schedule of where to go for cuddles. He reminds me of brown sugar, sweet but also aromatic, and in my opinion he is the type that would do wonders with a unisex fragrance based on vanilla and osmanthus but with a warm, woody base (I love the contrast between his 2 metres and the delicacy of white flowers). He'd rock this one:

Vanilla Exclusif- Mancera -> White Peach, Osmanthus, Whipped cream and Brown sugar with a base of amber and woods.

💛 Kise:

It makes me smile just thinking about him. The brother I would like: polite, sunny, affectionate but also capable, competitive, empathetic and not at all bothered by his success or beauty. OK, he's a Gemini like me, so sometimes we're a bit of a nuisance, but…. You get used to it! He reminds me of the excitement of doing something for the first time, of having to keep a secret in order to surprise someone, but also of the fear of getting bored quickly and being left behind.

This complexity can be expressed with a zesty, citrusy opening that evolves with pepper and ends with musk and incense (which are in perfumery the connection between sprit and body). It's a sexy scent, for sure!

Dylan Blue- Versace -> bergamot, fig, pepper, papyr, musk, incense.

💚 Midorima:

Quoting Hitchcock's definition of Grace Kelly, he is 'hot ice'.

Serious, meticulous, ironic and quirky all at once, he has an undeniable charm, always keeping you on the edge of love-hate. He reminds me of a garden in the sun, but also of a library at midnight, a plate of hot ramen but also the slush that makes you 'freeze your brains out'. For him, I chose a fragrance that is apparently very masculine but revolves all around a delicate flower: iris.

Dior Homme Eau for Men- Dior -> grapefruit, iris, amber, cedarwood.

💘 Akashi:

The guy who has everything but the emotional necessary. Yet he struggles, with struggles that no one sees, to become himself again but also not to lose what he has learnt. Sei reminds me of confidences drinking lemon tea, roses, peace after great suffering, the beauty of balance when you had to build it; but also the thrill of imagining a new future.

Rose ikebana- Hermes -> roses, rhubarb, tea, spices, moss

💙 Aomine:

The bad guy who is not so bad. The lazy guy who tries to get noticed because he's too messed up to realise he needs to, the guy who thought he'd lost his best friend's trust and interest in his greatest passion. I'd like to give him an alpha male scent, but in my opinion Daiki is much simpler, in the sense of minimal. It reminds me of a warm sunny day where you don't have to do anything special, maybe on holiday, when you have time to look up teh sky and fantasise. I think he would happily wear something low-key, like 'your skin but better', with ozone (oxygen) notes, amber wood and musk.

I'm also sure that if his better half gave him a perfume he would bathe in it every time he knew he had to see her, but that's another story.

11 11 - Lake & Skye -> ozonic, musk, amberwood

🩷 Momoi:

My favourite girl in the series, so understanding, sweet but also determined. She does not compromise but knows how to stand aside, she trusts Tetsu and his intuition blindly and she is right. The patience of the saints both with the GOM and at Too, the need to be part of a group and to keep being together. She is very feminine, but also very sharp so she reminds me of the scent of magnolia which is sweet but not cloying. For her I chose a simple floral with a hint of lemon to emphasise her freshness.

Magnolia Alba- Chloè -> Magnolia, citrus zest

❤ Kagami:

The boy who is all fire and passion but is a first-class softie. He always makes me smile when he gets embarrassed over nothing or when his mighty physicality clashes with that not-so-well-hidden shyness. He is a mix that struggles to find its roots, but he is an intelligent guy, just a bit impulsive. I think he uses an 'important' perfume to cover himself a little. I think the perfume that was created as the 'essence of determination' is perfect for him.

Blue de Chanel- Chanel -> woody, zesty, green notes

🩶 Teppei:

He deserves more consideration. He has this adult/kid ambivalence that makes him so charming, an eccentric but also a character who is able to inspire and uplift others even when he himself is in doubt. He's shrewd but never harsh, sometimes a little manipulative (but for a good purpose). When i think about him I think about opposites, like tecnology and traditition all blended together. So this perfume has notes of Yuzu but also sea and ambergris (that is syntetic).

Invictus Aqua- Paco Rabanne -> Yuzu/ marine/violet leaf/ambregris

Ok, seems like i finished this loooong rant! Hope you arent bored out of your minds. Let me know you impressions if you like!

Lots of kisses!

V.

[billycorn]

Babe come quick, Billycorn just dropped the most insane lore about himself in the tags of a reblog game I tagged him in—

On a more serious note, holy smokes, you're studying marine biology??? You've raised honeybees??? My guy you can't just drop these pieces of trivia and dip.

What's your favorite thing about studying marine bio?

Do you have a top five list of marine animals you like?

Do you have a favorite ocean zone (or level / depth range— I can't remember the proper term for the different depths of the ocean)?

What was your experience raising honeybees like? Did you learn anything neat about bees at large, or even just your hive(s) in particular?

Would you recommend raising honeybees to hobbyists, with your experiences in mind?

Do you have any tips for someone wanting to start out in beekeeping? (If you can't tell, I'd love to get into beekeeping, even just as a field of research, hehe. I'm not in a place to have a physical hive anytime soon)

One last question— you mentioned liking hot chocolate. Do you have a favorite mix? And do you like to add things into it, like whipped cream and cinnamon, or a peppermint cane to stir it with? If so, what do you like adding?

I really like this ask because it gives me the opportunity to "drop these pieces of trivia and dip." That said, I'm gonna give a bunch of information no one asked for, because why not? (You opened Pandora's Box)

For context, I grew up on a small farm in the Australian countryside, a little ways from a major city, and we had a lot of animals, including: Dogs, Cats, Turtles, Doves, Chickens, Guinea Fowl, Peacocks, Guinea Pigs (who I am very allergic to), Cows, Horses, and Fish. One time, I found a Fox pup who'd gotten separated from it's Mother so I cleaned it up and took care of it until the local Forest Rangers could come pick it up. I swaddled him in a blanket and he started purring (I didn't even know foxes purred, it was a little different to a cat's purr), and he's held an honorary place in my heart since. Hope you're doing well out there, Junior!

Now, for the BEES. I don't have too much to say about them because they were largely self-sufficient. I helped build the hive (we just had the one) and put it in a sheltered spot, to protect from bad weather. After that, we moved the colony in and let them do their thing. We got the colony in Summer so they had plenty of time to build up their honey reserves before winter, when they'll eat a lot of it. The first cycle of seasons, you don't harvest any honey because the hive needs time to establish their honey stores. Also, it's good to be aware of any diseases present in nearby hives, in case there's any cross-contamination.

Raising the bees is my Dad's hobby, I just helped set it up and then stand back and watch as he gets stung harvesting the honey because he refuses the wear the bee suit. More than once I've been outside and seen him go sprinting past with a bunch of angry bees chasing him. The honey was delicious though.

If someone really wants to get into Beekeeping, I'd say go for it, but if you're not certain, then hold off. Also, research the different types of hives before you get one - mine is a flow hive. Fun fact, the demeanour of the Queen effects the colony. If the Queen is aggressive, the colony will be aggressive and more likely to sting. If the Queen is placid, you'll have any easier time.

Okay, onto Marine Biology! In Feb, I moved out of home, several hundred kilometers away to study Marine and Antarctic Science, majoring in Marine Bio. It's been a massive few months. I'm almost finished 1st semester (2 exams left, wish me luck) but I'm still pretty early into the course.

My favourite thing about Marine Bio is just how much there is to learn. I'm curious by nature and the oceans are filled with things to learn about that I never would have guessed. I was flabberghasted when learning Starfish are considered invasive pest species in some parts of the world.

Favourite Ocean Zone, I'm most comfortable on the Continental Shelf, but the Hadal Zone is the coolest. The deeper you go the weirder the sea life gets and I just think that's neat.

Top five marine animals:

Turtles (any and all) (Also, Carracosta is one of my top 5 favourite Pokemon)

Coelacanth

Handfish

Nautilus

Platypus

And finally, Hot Chocolate! My favourite mix is Jarrah, a few teaspoons, boiled water and some milk, maybe a marshmallow on the side. I haven't tried adding things like Cinnamon or Mint, but I'm thinking I should now.

[wilsons-striped-ties]

may tc challenge (days 1-31 one shot)

original post here!

by @icouldbeyourprettygirl

1. How did your relationship start? Was it you who did most of the initiating?

mango: I guess we really became closer in year 1 because I was the female rep for his class, and I would stay back to let him sign the class journal and we'd chat, and he'd text me regarding class stuff and afterwards in year 3/4 I just grew bolder

passion fruit: I was in the front row, right in front of the place he would always stand to teach, and I would whisper the answers to myself and he would always pick on me to answer/do stuff, and I guess since I was most participative, we just became closer

2. How often do you think about them?

mango: every waking moment for a long period of time, before collage started and I became too busy but yesterday I started to think about him again and it's consuming me again

passion fruit: sometimes! I just hope he's doing well most of the times, and wonder how he's doing, I would kill to sit in his classes again

3. What kind of weather matches their vibes? What about yours?

mango: he fits the sunshine after a storm vibe, his resting face is literally scarier than whatever there is, but when he smiles it feels like the clouds parting and warm, bright sunshine breaking through to grace the universe

passion fruit: i think his is more of a complicated stormy weather, but the rain isn't hitting yet. like when the sky's all grey and the wind is whipping into your face, but there's the chance of the sun peeking through, or getting hit with a tornado, there's no in between

me: I'd like to say that I'm when its winter but the sun is still out in a nice way? mostly because it's my favourite season but I feel that I may come off as cold to people, but around friends and people comfortable with me, I'm someone they like to hang around with and there's just those winter days that are warmer rather than freezing? I can be quite unpredictable too, and I change around different people

4. May the fourth be with you! Do they have a favorite movie franchise? Do you?

mango: I have no idea :' he looks like a Lord of the Rings buff maybe

passion fruit: hmm his daughter adores Harry Potter, but he doesn't say much about himself, I do get Lord of the Rings vibes with him too though HAHA

me: ...Lord of the Rings BAHAHAHAHA but hot take: I prefer the Hobbit. I also love Star Trek!

5. Do you have a playlist dedicated to them? What are your favorite songs on it?

mango: FOR SURE. I'm currently listening to it right now. Some of my favourite songs from it include: Nonsense (sped up), Still into You, 我有很喜欢的人了 (I have someone I like), 是梦吧 (it's a dream), Need You Now, Why Don't You Love Me, Mr Watson etc

passion fruit: I don't have one, but it would be similar to mango's

6. What's your go to fantasy/day dream about them?

mango: silly but him driving me home, or just me being in his car, me hugging him and him hugging me back, going to an amusement park with him, and sitting on rollercoasters with him

passion fruit: reading books with him, grabbing movies and fancy dinners with him, us just having deep conversations under the night sky and his attention is fully on me

7. If you had the opportunity, would you go on a date with them? (If they're married/taken, imagine their partner is out of the picture) If so, what would you want to do?

mango: 110% would. definitely will grab dinner with him, hold hands, walk around aimlessly in the shopping centre before going for a late night movie and the date ends with him driving me home

passion fruit: DUH. suddenly got hit with the idea of bowling with him? and maybe grabbing a movie with him before going to dinner, and a late night ice cream snack

8. Do you dress up on the days you see them? How so?

mango + passion fruit: my high schools do school uniforms so I don't really have a say in anything much

9. What's your favorite memory with them?

mango: I think prom, me and my best friend went up and we were all gathered outside the banquet hall of a hotel and we were at those standing tables eating peanuts and nonsense and the table next to mine had him, talking to other teachers. I was standing opposite him and it felt like those drama stuff because there was nothing blocking my view of him and vice versa, and I looked at him and got hit that it's the first time I've seen him in six months and suddenly everything felt lighter and I looked away before looking back, and he chose that exact moment to turn and look at me and our eyes met and I swear I SWEAR his smile pulled wider and his eyes lit up and his eyebrows raised before waving to me really fast and I waved to him and grinned and it was the most wonderful feeling ever

passion fruit: every time he singles me out from the class and asks me to answer a question or do something. he's one of the first and only person to make me feel significant and seen, in a crowd of everyone else that always makes me just another face

10. Have you ever thought about a future with them?

mango: every fake scenario I make up always somehow links to him

passion fruit: not really, its a little harder to imagine

11. Does your tc give you physical affection?

mango + passion fruit: I wish :'

12. Happy Mother’s Day to all who celebrate! Have they ever told you anything about their family? Have you told them about yours?

mango: he's really secretive, so nope

passion fruit: first day he told the class about his family but I wasn't there because I was facilitating orientation with the year 1s

me: I have told them that I have a sister in the school but that's about it, was going to have a long talk with mango about my very toxic family dynamics but he kinda bailed so

13. Do any of your classmates have a crush on your tc?

mango: nope but almost all female year 1s would have found him attractive on the first week of school if he was their teacher, but would stop afterwards HAHA

passion fruit: nope

14. What’s something you wished they knew about you without you having to tell them?

mango: I wish he would know my feelings for the day, like if I was in a good/bad mood and were having a good/bad day or maybe like over the weekends if I had a good break etc

passion fruit: I wish he would know how much I really enjoy his lessons

15. If your tc was invited to a wedding and asked you to be their plus one, what would you wear, and what would you want to see them in? (Theme of the wedding is up to you, so you can choose your outfits)

mango: formal weddings, I would probably wear a dark blue/black gown? No specifics but I would match him. For him, THREE PIECE SUIT DARK BLUE/BLACK + WHITE SHIRT PLEASE and not any checkered/plaid nightmares please maybe top button off or something *giggles like the degenerate I am*

passion fruit: same wedding theme, I would wear the same thing and also match. For him, ooo would like to see him in a three piece as well because he always wears a dress shirt and pants anyways, if he'd throw on a jacket, it would be perfection mmm

16. Do you have any photos of them? Either those that you've found on their social media or ones you've taken yourself?

mango: YES I've taken sneaky paparazzi photos of him, created a facebook page to stalk him, his instagram and school website pictures (one of them is insanely hot) and also have taken photos with him (I somehow manage to look atrocious in every picture I take with him)

passion fruit: some photos off the school website, and photos with him!

17. Have you ever listened to break up songs/love songs and thought of them?

mango: UH DUH

passion fruit: not really

18. What style/haircut/tattoos/facial hair/etc do you think would suit them best?

mango: his look now is wonderful but clean cut/a little stubble would be enough, he doesn't really rock facial hair. would be interested to see a tattoo though

passion fruit: oof some white streaks is HOT in his hair and he has that already, he rocks with and without facial hair, a tattoo would be interesting too

19. Which color would you assign the feelings they give you? (Ex: happy -> yellow or something bright)

mango: he literally gives me yellow, he never fails to make my whole day awesome and bright, and it's a painfully wide smile on my face whenever I'm with him, but its always genuine and never fake

passion fruit: whatever colour I'm feeling, toned down to a soft, calm and yet strong colour. he adds a sense of security and makes me feel wanted around him, I feel happy but it's more of a calm joy

20. Which decade would they be best in? How about you? (Based on fashion, technology, art, music, the fun stuff.)

mango: maybe 90s, but I don't really know much about him and his fashion taste is atrocious HAHA but he always calls himself a boomer

passion fruit: old money, he would rock those roaring 20s, if not maybe 80s, but anything with extravaganza and stuff he would fit in

me: would like to think I'm 90s-early 2000s, especially in terms of music, but I'm absolute crap with technology, but I'm an old soul and I love older stuff (art, music, men, aesthetics HAHA)

21. Have you ever run into them in public? (Or tried to?) How did it go?

mango + passion fruit: I WISH

22. What pushed you to create your blog?

mango + passion fruit: honestly, I've had this blog soley for the whole ooo tumblr with all my interests and the communities and stuff and just started to post about my tcs because I had fallen even more madly in love with mango and wanted an outlet and found a community for it too

23. If you could know anything about your tc, what would it be?

mango: his everything. morning routine, day to day what does he do, his life, his interests, his hobbies, his preferences, what he likes and dislikes, his goals, dreams, aspirations, favorite things, EVERYTHING

passion fruit: his everything, but I would like to hear his whole life and preferences from his point of view, his perspective. he just has such an interesting perspective on life

24. How do you think you’d react if they confessed their feelings to you?

mango: stunned speechless, drop dead to the ground kinda reaction

passion fruit: a kind of smile that I try to suppress but fail to, I would be surprised but would have expected it secretly hehe

25. Have you ever done/read/watched/listened to something you may not have been interested in because they like it?

mango: I've literally fallen in love with running because he runs (though he short distances and I prefer long distances), and literally becaome more invested in sports and stuff because of him

passion fruit: I've paid more attention in his class and turns out my favourite and best subject is history, which he teaches

26. If your tc was your age, would you date them? Do they have any red flags?

mango: oh for sure. red flags wise would probably be that he's sometimes distant for no reason, or he's forgetful to a point that it's kinda annoying sometimes

passion fruit: hmm maybe. he doesn't really have any red flags that I can think of

27. If your life was a book series/tv series/movie and you had a fan base, would your fans realistically ship you and your tc? (Got this one from TikTok lol because I love the thought)

mango: ooooo maybe, we've got that romantic tension and stuff

passion fruit: probably, actually, we've got quite good chemistry and he does make it a point to show that I'm his "star history student" and make me feel special LMAO

28. What’s something that always makes you think of them?

mango: sports, running, everytime I see neon/red shirts, mangoes

passion fruit: passion fruits, history, red cars, gold chains, black/dark blue dress shirts

29. Let’s chat for a sec! What’s something you’ve been dying to talk about regarding your tc?

mango + passion fruit: they literally don't know that they have me wrapped around their fingers bruh

30. Do you flirt with them? If so, how?? 👀

mango: I don't dare to

passion fruit: I had a chance to but chickened out

31. What’s something you’re manifesting happening between you two? (If you don’t manifest, what’s something you hope happens?)

mango: I HOPE HE NOTICES ME LIKE SERIOUSLY IM RIGHT THERE SAY HI OR SOMETHING I hope he talks to me when I go back to school and I hope he remembers that he owes me a picture with him and I hope he doesn't just say hi but has a proper conversation with me and ask about my life and that he talks more openly please :'

passion fruit: man I wish he can sign my history guidebook like I forgot to bring it to the results collection and I don't have any other chances to ask him to sign it so when I go back to school I'll bring it and see if there is an opportunity to ask him to sign it because I've poured my heart and my soul and cried on it a couple times, you can't even see when the text ends and where my notes start, it's insane and I wish he acknowledges that

(Andddddd that's it!!)

[r3dblccd]

Name: Nakamura Sei (pls imagine this in the tone of a gyaru ala "sei desuuu~")  

Age: 25 

Do you like to cuddle?: absolutely! big spoon, little spoon, I can even be a fork!

Can we make-out?: can we? I really hope so! 

A night in or dinner out?: I already booked something but if you wanna stay inside, I'll go groyery shopping real quick 

Whip cream or chocolate syrup?: Both! Tastes best together, right? 

Chocolates and roses?: self made chocolates! 

What makes you a good Valentine?: I love you so much so I hope I can be a good valentine the same way I hope I make a good boyfriend so the day will be all about us! No work, no training, just you and me 

Would you cook for me?: I definitely would if we stay in, I'll do my best! 

Would you let me cook for you?: We could cook together then, it'll be faster too 

Where would you take me on a date?: okay, so I did have an onsen room booked in the mountains with spa day included!

Who’s paying?: everything is paid for, don't worry about it! 

What did you get me for Valentine’s Day?: there will be another surprise~ 

Valentine’s Day Application @irrwicht

Takumi couldn't help but chuckle reading Sei's little 'application' to be his valentine this year. How could he be this cute?! How could a person be this cute?!!! "Of course, I'll accept it. He's already thought of everything so diligently, it'd be a shame to miss it, and he is my boyfriend, after all, obviously I'd want to spend Valentine's Day with him. I do wish that he had told me about what he had planned earlier though, I could have covered the expenses at least." Takumi hummed. Oh, well, he can make up for it with his gift for Sei instead.

[anonsally]

Day 11 of Australia vacation: Wilderness and Waterfalls tour

The second (and final) day of our wildlife tour started off well: we stopped just outside of town and looked in a little dammed-up river pond. We could hear banjo frogs (the sound made me giggle), and then after a few minutes the guide pointed out a thin stream of bubbles. A moment later, a platypus surfaced!

I think it was a little smaller than I had imagined, but admittedly size is hard to estimate, especially when the creature keeps diving underwater. Even Brother-in-law was excited about this sighting, because he'd never seen a platypus outside the zoo before. I think they are endangered in mainland Australia but are actually doing okay in Tasmania? Or at least not as badly.

At most 15 minutes later, we pulled over because our guide had spotted an echidna by the side of the road! It was super cute, but slightly larger than I had imagined. It looked like a large hedgehog with a very long snoot. We were amazed to have seen both of Tasmania's monotremes in an interval of about 10 minutes!

While we were admiring it, I heard some unfamiliar bird sounds and asked the guide about them. He said they were coming from a yellow-tailed black-cockatoo, which is a bird I hadn't seen before. We managed to find it and I got a pretty good look. On the drive that day we also saw a few brown falcons (another new bird for me).

The next stop was in Mount Victoria Forest Reserve, where we took a short walk to the Ralph Falls Overlook. We heard some birds and spotted a gray shrikethrush high up in a tree. The forest was beautiful--lots of exciting moss--and the view of the waterfall was dramatic.

On the way back to the car, the guide did something I don't approve of: he played a recording of the pink robin's song. While I would never have done this myself, I understand that he did it because I had expressed a wish, when we booked the tour, to see a pink robin, and he wanted to fulfill that request. And it did work! After a couple minutes, the guide heard an answering song and turned off the recording. A pink robin had come to investigate and, if necessary, chase off the interloper making the sound in his territory. It was super cute! And even though it stayed on a high branch, I could tell even before getting the binoculars to my face that it was PINK. Such a brightly colored bird, very cute and small and round, and we had a decent look at it in the binoculars before it flew off. I was really pleased to have seen it, even though it was cheating to get it to show itself that way.

The next stop was for a short walk to St. Columba Falls, through a lush, primeval forest with a lot of moss, fungi, and centuries-old tree ferns. This trail was very heavily trafficked, and for good reason.

After that, we went to Pyengana Dairy (again) for lunch, and then did the brief Weldborough Pass Rainforest Walk, which included myrtles and an interesting set of interpretive signs written for children.

The final stop was at the decommissioned Mount Paris Dam, which had some pretty scenery and trees; then the guide took us back to the B&B, dropping us off around 4:30pm.

The rest of the afternoon was very relaxing--the first downtime I'd had in days! I finally had a chance to catch up on Tumblr (I hadn't even looked at it in a week, and I'm a dashboard completist so it took a while to read everything that people had posted in the meantime!) and write emails to my cousin (I normally write to her every day; there was a period of several days around New Year's when I didn't even have time to read my emails).

We also drank some sparkling wine and looked at photos together. Dinner was served at the B&B and included delicious potatoes from their garden, lots of vegetables, quiche, and chicken, plus a tasty dessert of a little pear cake with whipped cream. Afterwards we played a game.

[the-oc-lass]

Nimona OC - Charlotte Swiftheart/Corova: Christmas/Holiday Special

Hi! Am I a day late? Yes! Am I posting it anyway? Yes again!

I had more ideas for this, but honestly I think I'd rather post this much now than however long it would be until a full length thing was done.

I decided to call the holiday Midwinter, but honestly, it's basically Christmas with a different name. Anyway! This does fall into the AU I wrote for my Nimona OC, so those interested, it's linked below. Enjoy!

Original Post

Each winter in the kingdom is cold, but in the past, the city’s constant bustle and buzz kept the ground too warm for the snow to stick. But ever since the wall fell, things have been different. Things have changed. Including the snow. Nimona drags the four of them outside the wall after the first snow, and it’s as if Charlotte is a child again. She’d grabbed Ambrosius by the hand and they’d gone galavanting through the magical powder. Shortly after, an all out war of a snowball fight had broken out, with Ballister and Norshe on one team, Ambrosius and Charlotte on another, and Nimona deviously targeting all four of them. They were cold, tired, and a little sore by the end of the day, but it had all been worth it. They’d gone to Charlotte and Norshe’s apartment for hot cocoa, where Nimona had taken all of the mini marshmallows and claimed them for herself. It was a good day. Now, Charlotte wakes on the day of Midwinter, which has been a kingdom-wide holiday for hundreds of years. Even though she never had much growing up, she always found Midwinter beautiful and exciting. She rolls over to wake Norshe, but finds her fiancée gone from the bed, her spot cold. However, before she can worry too much, the door to their bedroom opens, and Norshe comes in with a tray of fresh pancakes with whipped cream and chocolate chips on top. 

“I knew you’d be awake,” she says, smiling as she sets the tray on Charlotte’s bedside table. Charlotte smiles up at her. 

“You know me well,” she says. Norshe hums, then cups Charlotte’s face in her hands and leans down. 

“Merry Midwinter, lovely,” she says, before planting a kiss on Charlotte’s lips. Charlotte smiles into the kiss, then looks dreamily at her future wife as she pulls away. 

“Merry Midwinter,” she says. Norshe eventually goes to get her own plate of pancakes and then they sit in bed and talk while they eat, discussing plans. 

“Bal and Brosi invited us to spend the day with them and Nimona,” Charlotte says, sticking a bite of pancake in her mouth. Norshe hums and nods, sipping her coffee. 

“We can do that. Just remember that we promised to have Midwinter dinner at the sanctuary with everyone tonight.” 

“Right. I think Bal said they’d come to that too. And then we’re meeting here for presents?” 

“We’ve got it all figured out, baby.” Charlotte smiles, then takes a sip of her hot chocolate (her preference over coffee). It’s going to be a good day. 

“I’m not the only one concerned that we’re letting Nimona drive, am I?” Norshe asks. The other three of them chuckle a bit. 

“No, you’re not. I trust her, don’t get me wrong, I just…Wouldn’t put it past her to drive a little bit crazy,” Ballister says, making a small gesture as he talks. 

“We’re also assuming she’s driven before and will know what she’s doing,” Ambrosius adds. Charlotte nudges her brother’s side with her elbow. 

“Hey, don’t forget, she’s been alive for a thousand years. I’m almost certain she’s driven before,” she says. Ballister makes a sound. 

“She also can walk or fly, Char. Maybe she’s just been doing that for the past thousand years,” he says. Charlotte thinks about it for a moment, then points at him. 

“Fair point.” Before they can get into the discussion any further, a car pulls up and lands in front of them, and Nimona rolls down the driver’s window and leans out. 

“Well? Are you coming?” she asks. The four exchange some glances, and Ballister is the first to move. Charlotte quickly follows him, and their respective significant others trail behind. Charlotte finds herself in the front passenger seat beside Nimona, and Ballister, Ambrosius, and Norshe squeeze into the back. As Nimona lifts the car from the ground, she speaks in an announcer voice. 

“Thank you for flying Air Nimona, this is your pilot speaking. We’ll be arriving at our destination when I say so,” she says. Charlotte turns toward her and raises an eyebrow. 

“Okay, Nim, where are you taking us?” she asks. Nimona gives her a sharky grin. 

“You’ll see.” Right. That’s very reassuring. They talk idly amongst the five of them as they go on a relatively uneventful drive, and Charlotte can’t help but watch the landscape move by. It’s incredible. To think, all of this beauty was hidden just behind the wall, and for her entire life, she had no idea. After maybe half an hour, Nimona guides the car down, landing it just a little ways from some trees. 

“Did we do something to make you mad? This looks like a murder spot,” Ambrosius says. Although Charlotte can’t think of anything that might’ve ticked Nimona off, she can’t help but agree with her brother’s observation. This definitely looks like the type of place you bring someone when you plan to kill them and dump the body. However, Nimona just blows a raspberry. 

“Don’t be so dramatic. I have a surprise,” she says, before climbing out of the car. Charlotte glances at the back seat, and Ballister shrugs before opening his door. She turns and does the same, climbing out and stretching. She adjusts her scarf and earmuffs before turning to look at Nimona, who is impatiently tapping her foot. The group starts to head into the woods, but the shapeshifter quickly jumps in front of them and holds out her hands. “Wait! I need you to trust me and close your eyes.” Charlotte raises an eyebrow at her. 

“All of us?” she asks. Nimona nods. 

“Yeah. Just…Hold hands or something and I’ll guide you,” she says. Charlotte casts her skeptical gaze toward Ballister, who sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. 

“We’re all going to die,” he mutters. But when he drops his hand, he holds it out toward Nimona. “I’m going to trust you.” Nimona grins brightly, then looks at the rest of them. Ambrosius glances at Charlotte, who shrugs and offers him her hand, and he sighs and takes it before taking Ballister’s free one. When Charlotte glances at her fiancée, Norshe has her arms crossed and is looking at Nimona with a skeptical face. After a few moments, though, she uncrosses her arms to take Charlotte’s hand, pointing at Nimona. 

“Trip us and I’m hiding the marshmallows until next winter,” she says. It’s clearly a threat, and one that she’ll hold herself to, but Nimona doesn’t seem bothered. She gleefully takes Ballister’s free hand. 

“Let’s go!” she says. The four close their eyes and fall into a line as they start moving, keeping firm grips on each other’s hands. 

“How long is it going to take to get to your surprise?” Ambrosius asks. Nimona hums. 

“Not too long.” They continue on mostly in silence, and it doesn’t take long before they stop again. “Wait here for a second, Boss.” Snow crunches as Nimona runs away from them, and they all stay still. 

“Are we just standing here with our eyes closed now?” Charlotte asks. Ballister hums affirmatively. “Right. Cool. Totally wonderful.” She starts to drum her fingers on the back of Ambrosius’s hand, listening closely. Suddenly, she hears the sound of something powering up, and her eyebrows wrinkle together. 

“Okay! Go ahead!” As Nimona calls out, Charlotte finally opens her eyes again, and she hears herself and the others gasp softly. They’re standing near a frozen pond surrounded by trees, and the trees are adorned with bright, colorful lights and decorations. She looks over, searching for Nimona, and she finally spots the shapeshifter at the edge of the pond, arms crossed as she smiles at her handiwork. 

“Nimona, this is incredible,” Ballister says, breathless as he continues to grip Ambrosius’s hand. Charlotte breaks away to move toward one of the trees, reaching forward to brush her hand over the snow covered needles of one branch. 

“Is this why you kept disappearing this week?” she asks without looking away. Nimona makes a noise that suggests a shrug. 

“This, and a little something else,” Nimona replies. Charlotte looks over at her, and the girl turns and shifts, vanishing into the trees for a moment before she returns with some boxes in her arms. She flies them over to the group and starts handing them out, and Charlotte raises an eyebrow when she’s handed the box. 

“You know we aren’t exchanging gifts until later, right?” she asks. Nimona nods. 

“Yep. But you’ll need these,” she says, pointing to the box in Charlotte’s hands. The thing is pretty heavy for its size, and she gives Nimona a skeptical look before shifting the box in her arms to open it. Inside, there’s a pair of white boots, but the odd thing is…There’s a blade attached to the bottom. Not a typical blade, but it’s the closest comparison she can make. 

“Nimona?” She lifts her gaze. 

“I got them from this town up north. They have a bunch of frozen stuff that they use these to move around on. The guy I got them from called them ice skates,” Nimona says. Charlotte looks back down at the “ice skates” and considers. There were a few times when she was a child where the ground was cold enough during the night for ice to form, and she recalls slipping on it early in the morning before it melted. Would blades really help? She’s not so sure. 

“Do I want to know how you knew what sizes to get us?” Ambrosius asks. Nimona turns toward him, a finger held up. 

“Do you know how much information about you there is online? Too much. Same with Boss. There’s even an old page about Chari from before the whole Swiftheart scandal,” she says. Charlotte glances over at Norshe. 

“She just came up and asked me last week. Thought it was weird,” Norshe says, shrugging a bit. 

“Hey, be glad I got any for you and Nemesis at all, Killjoy,” Nimona says, looking over at Norshe. Then, she turns back to Charlotte and grins. “Well, come on! Put them on so we can try them out!” Despite her better judgement, Charlotte complies. 

Picture this: a baby deer trying to walk for the first time. Now imagine that, but five times worse. That’s currently what they look like. 

“I’m going to hurt for days,” Charlotte groans from where she’s just fallen on her ass again. Nimona slides past her, currently in a form that she’s informed them is a penguin. 

“Maybe you wouldn’t hurt if you stopped falling,” she says. Charlotte sighs and rolls her eyes. 

“Well gosh, Nimona, I hadn’t thought of that. I’ll take it into consideration,” she says sarcastically, carefully climbing back to her feet. Norshe wobbles past her, arms spread in an attempt to balance. “You doing okay, baby?” Norshe shushes her and flaps one hand. 

“I have to focus,” she says, before catching the edge of her tongue between her teeth and looking down. She pushes her feet out in an arc, then moves them back in, and that helps push her forward. She lets out an excited victory noise, then repeats what she just did and speeds up a little. 

“Oh good Gloreth!” Charlotte turns her head in time to see Ambrosius speeding toward her, clearly out of control. 

“Brosi!” she yells, turning in time to hold out her arms. It doesn’t matter, in the end. She tries to catch him, but the collision knocks them both down, and both groan and lie there for a while. She can hear Nimona cackling somewhere nearby, and she sighs and shakes her head slightly. Finally, she grunts and pushes on his shoulder. “Alright, get up. Come on, off.” He groans and rolls off her, and they both sit up. 

“I need a break,” he grumbles. She hums in agreement, and they both carefully crawl to their feet and stumble toward the edge of the frozen pond. There’s a log lying near the edge, and they sweep the snow off before settling on it and letting out a shared sigh. 

“I’m going to be exhausted tonight,” Charlotte says, sagging into Ambrosius’s side. He leans into her too. 

“I think we all are,” he says. She smiles a bit. 

“At least Nimona’s having fun.” He nudges her side slightly, and she looks over at him. 

“What, you’re not having fun getting beat up by ice?” he asks. She chuckles. 

“No, I am. Not from the ice part, but…Well, you know. I like this. All of us being together. I don’t really care what we’re doing as long as we’re together.” He raises an eyebrow, and she rolls her eyes a bit, still smiling. “Okay, I don’t care what we’re doing most of the time.” He hums, and she looks back at where Norshe, Ballister, and Nimona are all skating. 

“Come on, Boss!” Nimona calls, sliding past him in her usual form. Ballister tries to turn, but stumbles and almost falls, causing Ambrosius and Charlotte to chuckle. Norshe also laughs, and she almost falls because of it. “Careful, Killjoy! Don’t crack your head open!” Charlotte keeps watching, but a frown slowly forms on her face. 

“When we lost her, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to keep going. When I thought of the future, I didn’t see things like this. It was all so…dark.” Ambrosius turns his head toward her, then reaches over to take her hand. She keeps watching the three on the ice. “I didn’t realize how much light she brought into my life until she disappeared. And I know I had you, and Bal, and Norshe, and everyone from the KB and sanctuary, but I just…” She doesn’t have the words to complete her thought. Ambrosius gives her hand a small squeeze. 

“I know,” he says softly. “It wasn’t the same. She’s part of you, Char. A little…ish, sister. When you lost her…You were losing someone you loved. She was your family.” She looks up at him. 

“So are you.” He smiles wryly. 

“But she was there when I wasn’t.” Charlotte frowns softly. 

“Ambrosius…”

“Hey, what matters is that she’s here now, right? We all are. We’re going to spend Midwinter together, and get all bruised from the ice, and it’s going to be the perfect day because we’re here together,” he says. She looks toward the ice again, and Ballister and Norshe are trying to support each other as they skate. Nimona is lying on the ice, watching them with a bored expression. After a moment, Charlotte smiles again and elbows Ambrosius’s side. 

“Sap,” she says. He smiles back at her. 

“It’s a family trait,” he says, elbowing her back. They laugh for a little bit, then look back at the ice. Ambrosius gets up first, stretching a bit before he turns and offers Charlotte his hand. “You want to go get our asses kicked by frozen water?” She tilts her head, still smiling at him. She takes his hand and he hoists her up.

“First one to fall buys lunch the next time we meet up,” she says, a challenge in her eyes. He looks back at her, rising to the challenge. 

“You’re on.” Almost at the same time, they shove each other, and it sends them both stumbling sideways as they make their way toward the ice, laughing all the way.

(P.S. Yes, Nimona calls Norshe "Killjoy" like how she calls Ambrosius "Nemesis." Yes, there's a reason. No, you don't get to know what it is yet)

Lovely tagged people (hope you're all doing well! I have something in the works for you):

@ammonitetheseaserpent @perfectkittystranger @madlad06 @xxlunadrawsstuffxx @floxu

[jeremy-ken-anderson]

Letting the Features Creep

It actually takes quite a long time before a game gets to a point of being less accessible for new players due to feature creep.

The regular problem with feature creep/scope creep is Not Getting Launched. Imagine you're an indie dev making a JRPG and then you're like, "but FFVIII had that thing where one dude had a quicktime event to go nuts with the trigger button, and the other had a fighting game combo and another had timed swings for auto-crits. We could have little quicktime events to keep combat interesting!"

What you've got to understand is

a) There is no limit to the number of features like this you can include in your game. I learned this when I saw the feature in Bravely Default where they had a social element and you could bring in copies of other players' heroes if you'd passed them on the train, and also they could speed up your town reconstruction, like, wtf.

b) Quicktime events are coroutines. Coroutines are literally a whole region of programming you won't need in order to make a JRPG unless you decide you want quicktime events. Like, they're a skill! Your programmer might not have that in their repertoire already, and if they don't you're looking at having them learn a new coding discipline so you can have triggered attacks.

BUT.

On the OTHER hand.

I really don't have a problem with feature creep (ha, misspelled it "feature crepe" and I'm imagining that meaning you keep on adding delicious ingredients. Peanut butter? Sure! Strawberries and syrup and whipped cream? Chocolate chips! Is there even a crepe under there anymore?) in live-service games. Warframe has one of the wildest cases of feature creep and honestly wouldn't have survived as a game without it. It's a better game for it - multiple of the currently-understood "core features" of the game did not exist at launch and features, ya know, crept in and then they were great, and became core features that stuck around. Similar deal with Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms. Some players have a problem with new features like Seasons (in spite of them literally just being an overlay that hands you more free stuff for doing what you were doing already), but I very much do not. I think the game has some pretty clever gating to keep players from encountering material before they're ready, so that they don't get overwhelmed (I think doing something similar would help Warframe a ton). A lot of levels only appear after you've gotten close to the power level necessary to actually do them. Good stuff.

The point is that both games do varying levels of work on keeping the original problem I mentioned - the game getting confusing for new players - under control. Considering achievement stats suggest something like 95% of potential players drop off without unlocking a second planet I feel like Warframe could profit from working harder at this, but they didn't ask me. But what they don't do, and I'd argue they don't really need to do, is avoid feature creep due to the problem of never releasing. Because, like, they're released.

The Adventure Quest Model has proven successful for loads of games: You make a game, you release it, and then you patch it almost every day with new stuff for people to look at. Sometimes this will eventually result in a jumbled mess of a product but a) sometimes it won't and b) in the meantime you've gotten something onto the shelf to buy so who cares?

[dollarbin]

Dollar Bin #23:

Carole King's Writer

Thrift store dollar bins were packed with copies of Tapestry 30 years ago. Battered copies were straight up ubiquitous, and I blamed the crazy cat lady on cover for taking up space in the bin that I felt should have been given over to all the Lou Reed records I did not yet own. I didn't want Tapestry, or Herb Albert's whipped cream covered lady or that terrifying record with my bearded cousin naked in the arms of Barbara Streisand. I wanted a goddamn copy of The Bells.

I wasn't the only person pissed at poor Carole King. Soon after helping Joni, Aretha and Linda tear down patriarchy's first wall King became terribly unpopular. It took Lauren Graham plopping into bed beside her TV daughter for the public to welcome King back into their ears.

Good luck getting King's rewritten-for-the-show ode to parental dedication out of your head in the next 24 hours.

But why did King spend the 20+ years before Lorelai as a Dollar Bin villain? Why did Emmylou and Joni get 90's reboots while King got squat? Sure, as the 70's unfurled, King's records faded from transcendent to dull, but let's not kid ourselves: simply put, King was a gangly songwriting genius with a slightly nasal singing voice, and that still only works for people with dicks.

King was so unpopular in the 80's that her biggest credit that decade is the theme song to the Care Bears Movie. Brace yourselves.

Happily, King eventually escaped from these terrifyingly plush beasts, got a well deserved medal from Obama and grudgingly allowed Lane to play the drums, so don't expect to find a copy of Tapestry in any Dollar Bin these days.

But every other one of King's records is easily and cheaply available, and there's a whole lot to appreciate about King other than Tapestry. The very best place to start is with her first solo record, Writer.

Common misconceptions about King are a) that she and her lyricists stuck to dull, G-Rated topics (like caring-a-lot) and b) that she could not rock. Tapestry lives up to its hallowed status, but it also reinforces these tropes: the only vaguely PG lyrics on Tapestry involve Slapwater Jack's shotgun, and the album contains zero feedback.

But drop the needle on Side 1 of Writer: the first track, Spaceship Races, is wild and weird; had King's cat sat in on this recording session it would have, to quote Steinbeck, crapped a litter of lizards.

There is so much going on in this song.  Okay, the guitar riff isn't exactly J Mascis material, but the drums spur us forward, the bridge slows us down, the closing guitar/piano fade is worthy of a whole additional song and King's jubilant chorus is just what I'd want my R2 unit to spill into the X-Wing's cockpit while I kamikazed joyfully into the Death Star.

Writer also includes King's own take on one of her most covered tracks, Goin' Back. The song was made famous by the Dusty Springfield in 66 and the Byrds in 67 but everyone sings it, from Nils Lofgrin to Phil Collins. I've never heard a version I didn't like (probably because I have not listened to the version by Collins), but King's own recording, with tasteful backing vocals from her friend James Taylor, rocks, swings and sways: Carole understands her own song better than anyone else.

Goin' Back isn't the only already classic track of her own that King finally claims on this album. I wish there was a copy of the Byrd's Easy Rider theme Wasn't Born to Follow on Writer, but King's even more famous musical manual for self-reflection, Up On The Roof, stands in for it here, a lovely fade at the end of this Dollar Bin classic.

As you surely know, King had spent all of the 60's writing such songs with her husband/lyricist Gerry Goffin for other performers. Together King and Goffin let Aretha Franklin be a natural woman and invented the Locomotion.

But Writer sees King begin her pivot away from both her marriage (they divorced in 68) and the patriarchal gesture. Her friend Toni Stern (she/her) helps King write for the first time without a man in the room on this record; a partnership that would culminate a year later in one the best individual songs of King's, make that anyone's, entire career, It's Too Late, from Tapestry.

Here's to the upcoming wave of Gen Z and Gen Alpha non-male singer-songwriters. Let's hope they are a powerful group who are admired not for their cookie cutter looks, heterosexuality or voice, but instead for their genius and their shared loathing of Stephen Stills.

And let's hope they all love and respect Carole King. In other words, let's hope there are a whole more Lucy Dacus's in the pipeline. We need them!