#ik I'm super late to this

[dk-ghostmachines]

Perfect Strangers: On Celebrity Privacy

no, you can't get a picture.

A stranger does not get to define what creepy is for another stranger. The idea of blanket consent for all fans, anyone claiming to be a fan, anyone who smiles and seems nice, is nuts. We know that it’s been acceptable for fans to ask for pictures with their favorite artist because of all the pictures we’ve seen of that happening, and all the accounts from people who approached “respectfully” and had really meaningful interactions. Labels are helpful until they’re not: “respectful” and “acceptable” are not fixed categories; things that are acceptable and respectful in one situation with one person will not be transferable to all other situations and persons. If you learn that someone doesn’t like something or doesn’t want to do something for you, but you do or demand it from them anyway, congratulations! You’ve just done something disrespectful that shouldn’t be accepted. A person is allowed to decide what behavior is and isn’t appropriate when interacting with them.

The standards for interacting with celebrities can and have already changed. It used to be acceptable to take and widely circulate upskirt photos of female celebrities. It used to be acceptable for 13-year-olds to get their fingers ground up in textile factories. When we know better, we do better. It’s one thing to make someone aware of a common experience, for people in an industry to warn each other of the dangers in that industry.  It’s a similar thing for people in that job to make the public aware of that danger, like so many artists do now. It is a completely separate thing for people outside of that industry to not only accept dangerous and abnormal behavior as “coming with the territory” but also to then act as though dangerous and abnormal behavior is a good and fine price to pay for the privilege of doing your job. Burn-out, performance anxiety, acne breakouts from wearing makeup for 7 hours: those come with the territory of writing and performing music. It’s not acceptable for any other job to require your hard work, dedication, and also your personal space and privacy in order to perform the job, and also your personal space and privacy while you’re not performing the job. Why would we accept it in entertainment? “You wanna be a child actor? Better whip those feet out baby, this is an occupational hazard.” Changing the operating procedures of a job because they threaten the safety of the employees has happened, is happening, should and will continue to happen, regardless of how glamorous the job looks. 

Some people are just mad that more harmless behaviors like asking for a picture have been grouped in with stalking and harassment. Strangers do not know you.  Strangers do not know your intentions, and if you go up to one and say you’re a fan, they still don’t know you. The two of you do not have a mutual understanding of what a fan is or what fans should get in the middle of a Chili’s. You asked in your version of appropriate, for one picture, one time, please, and then you’ll leave. They’ve been asked, in public, off-duty and out-of-uniform to start working again. Will other people see this, and then come up and ask? Is this now a 30-minute pop-up they’re not getting paid for? Will they be able to come to this Chili’s again or is this spot kinda blown up now? How close is this Chili’s to where they’re staying in town, will people put that together or try to follow them out of here? Do they just want to eat their BBQ before it gets cold and go home? People have reasons for saying no. They are the arbiters of their own bodies and their own time. When you ask someone for something, you’re asking. You’re not entitled to a yes and if you get a no, you are not entitled to an appeal. In theory, a picture lacks the intensity and aggression of stalking and continued harassment, but it still carries an expectation of performance. You’re not a magical hag, you didn’t put them at the top of your Spotify Wrapped in exchange for a ✨favor to be collected at the time of your choosing✨. And not to come off pro-capitalist, but pictures and appearances have a price attached to them. Chappell Roan and Doja Cat get paid to show up to places and take pictures and talk to people. That doesn’t just get waived cause you won the game and found them at Trader Joe’s. When you see your local cafe’s barista in the street you don’t get a hug and a real quick latte just ‘cause you ask nicely.

The burden of your favorite artist's mental health is not on you, and you shouldn't constantly be worried about them and how they think of you as an audience member. Here's something that can be true at the same time as that:

If you’re a fan of someone and respect the time they put into their work, the hours of prep time for concerts, the months or years that go into albums, movies, art - you should at least be ready to hear a ‘no’ when asking them to get into character and say hi to your boi on Facetime.

If their curated image is what really speaks to you, maybe examine your expectations when you see them in sweatpants, at the bank. Asking a stranger to pose or smile is weird, making them do the dance, or say the catchphrase is weird, hugging a stranger is weird. No celebrity has signed a contract to behave like your best friend. No one’s intimacy or time on this Earth is inherently owed to anyone else. That’s what makes it so awesome when our favorite artists choose to be super kind and create those spontaneously meaningful moments. But they don’t have to. Because they’re strangers.

[bloodyfries]

I headcanon that sometimes certain things will trigger very vivid flashbacks to Shen Qingqiu's (Shen Yuan's) past world.

One second he's navigating an unusually dense crowd of people during some kind of festival; the next second hes walking in a big city (we'll say Shanghai just bc) with all the lights and the people

He descending the stairs in a stone tower (probably some investigation about people in a nearby village going missing) and the next thing he knows he's in the stairwell in his apartment because the elevator broke

He splashes water on his face one morning and for a second he's back in his apartment's bathroom. His vision blury because he doesn't have his glasses, not just because he has water in his eyes

One day he's getting lectured about without a cure by Mu Qingfang, he blinks and his martial brother is suddenly a modern doctor (yes I head cannon sy as having a clinical illness like most of the fandom)

He's pouring over documents and paperwork with Binghe and suddenly he's studying for exams (or doing hw) with his college roommate

I think a lot about this

[sylvia-forest]

[CN] Shaw's Sweet and Sour Date (Part 1)

⚡Warning: This post contains detailed spoiler for a date which hasn't been released in EN yet!⚡

[Released Date: 6 Dec 2024]

[Section 1]

Shaw: I still don't understand, aren't you the boss? Why are you working for others?

MC: How can this be considered working? I'm just helping others out of kindness...

I completely ignored Shaw's displeased look in the mirror and carefully applied rouge.

After confirming that my makeup was flawless, I draped on a light gauze shawl and twirled happily in front of him. The delicate hairpins on my head made a crisp, melodious sound as they jingled.

MC: How is it? Does it look good?

Shaw: Now you're even showing off... I think you're really addicted to acting today.

Shaw rolled his eyes and I pouted in dissatisfaction.

MC: Who's showing off? I'm fragrant and stunning, absolutely gorgeous, and adorably beautiful! Shaw (in a playful tone): Alright, alright, Miss Fragrant, Stunning, Absolutely Gorgeous, and Adorably Beautiful. The tassels on your waist got tangled up from all your twirling.

As Shaw spoke, he bent down slightly to untangle the tassels wrapped around my belt.

When our eyes met as he stood up, I deliberately picked up my fan, held it in front of my face, and playfully threw him a flirtatious glance.

MC (acting mode on): Oh, sir, you are so thoughtful.

Shaw: ….. Shaw (laughs): Can you stop acting already?

MC: I'm just getting into character early to prepare for the work ahead!

Recently, the activities in Ruyi Town have been exceptionally popular, and the [MC company], originally only a promotional partner, has also invested more manpower and resources for the organizers.

The entire Ruyi Town is now filled with a variety of fun mini-games and lively storytelling performances.

Countless visitors are fully immersed here, eagerly exploring the streets and alleys to meet various NPCs and complete the tasks they assign.

Shaw: By the way, who are you going to play today? MC: Huh? Didn't I mention it? Shaw: I only know that early this morning, you got a call saying that some Xiao Lan from your company wasn't feeling well and needed someone to cover for her.

Shaw (teasinglyx1): Then, as you chatted, someone started grinning like an idiot, looking more and more excited, and finally volunteered to be the substitute.

Shaw (teasinglyx2): ...Is playing an NPC really that thrilling for you? MC: Mhm~ After all, NPCs used to give me tasks, making me run around everywhere. Now it's my turn to try commanding players. Shaw: Yeah, makes sense. And the first one to take your 'orders' was me, sending you off to work. Shaw: So, who are you playing as? MC: See this?

I pulled out a mandarin duck sachet and showed it off in front of him.

MC: ‘Why are we like mandarin ducks, always entwined in pairs, fluttering freely together?’ My role is simple—I'm playing a lovesick maiden. MC: I'm locked in the courtyard by the lord and lady, tossing and turning without a way out, so I need the players to help me deliver a token of love.

Shaw (curiously): To whom?

MC: Of course it’s the one I like.

Shaw (fuming with anger): Someone you like?

Shaw's eyes immediately narrowed. His gaze swept over the sachet and then returned to my face.

After a while, he suddenly laughed.

Shaw (trying to act normal): So you even have an acting partner, huh? Who is it? The one who just greeted us outside? MC: No, that’s our company’s screenwriting teacher. MC: My partner is the Lovesick Scholar, but I haven’t met him yet. After all, my character is supposed to be trapped in the courtyard.

I was halfway through explaining when I suddenly came to my senses.

MC (in a probing tone): Are you jealous?

Shaw (quick and blunt): Nope. MC: Huh, you must be jealous, otherwise why would you ask me this? Shaw: Is it possible that I was just asking a normal question?

"Is it possible that a normal question wouldn’t sound so sour?" I blinked at him but decided to swallow this teasing remark.

Shaw, clearly growing more uncomfortable under my gaze, simply grabbed my shoulder and started walking me out.

Shaw: Okay, it's almost time for you to go to work.

—

We walked through the staff passage and arrived at the back entrance of Ruyi Town's park.

It was almost time for the park to open, and the staff were wearing various ancient costumes and passing by us one after another.

Dressed in studded leather and sporting blue-purple hair, Shaw looked like a time traveler, standing out conspicuously amidst the crowd.

I suddenly felt reluctant to enter the park.

I reluctantly took a couple of steps forward but couldn’t help turning back to emphasize something to Shaw.

MC: I'm going in now. Remember to pick me up when you're done. Shaw: I know, I know...oh, wait.

Shaw suddenly called out to me. Just as I was about to turn around in confusion, I felt my hand suddenly empty.

The mandarin duck sachet had landed securely in his palm. In the distance, the morning sun was just beginning to rise. Under the golden light, Shaw grinned mischievously.

Shaw (starts reciting poetry out of nowhere): ‘The zither stops its tune at the phoenix pillar; the Shu lute is poised to play the mandarin-duck strings.’ I can recite poetry too.

Shaw (full of confidence): The first token of 'lovesickness' is mine.

[Section 2]

MC: Though this humble maiden and the Lovesick Scholar are deeply in love, our statuses are worlds apart, and I am confined to this courtyard. I don’t even know if he’s still waiting for me... sob sob~

MC: If only there were kind-hearted souls willing to help me convey my feelings...

I recited my lines with practiced ease, feigning to dab at the corners of my eyes with a handkerchief, all the while secretly pondering how to drop more hints if the visitors failed to catch on.

Thankfully, this group of tourists was quick-witted. After whispering among themselves for a moment, they came up with an idea.

Tourist A: Uh… Miss, if you have some token of affection, you can give it to us, and we’ll deliver it to the Lovesick Scholar for you.

MC: Oh, thank you, dear strangers! Please take this mandarin duck sachet to him.

MC: Once he sees this sachet, he’ll know what to do.

I handed the sachets to the tourists, and they immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Tourist A: Wow, this task is way too easy, just running errands... Oh, by the way, Miss, can I give you a suggestion? You really shouldn’t stay in the garden—it’s so hard to find you here.

MC: Ahaha, it’s part of the task... uh, I mean, the lord has ordered me to reflect here in the courtyard. This humble maiden has no choice.

Tourist B: If you can only stay in the courtyard, Miss, you could move to the rock garden. At least there’s shade and a place to rest—it’s way better than standing here.

MC: That’s a good idea! Thank you!

After saying goodbye to the tourists, I immediately picked up the cloth bag at my feet and walked towards the rockery.

MC: True, I was being so rigid—why stand there like a fool all day…

After a whole morning of being an NPC, I was already starting to regret it.

I had originally thought being an NPC would be a lot of fun, but after repeating the same performance and lines dozens of times, the novelty had long turned into monotony.

To make things worse, I couldn’t leave my spot. If it hadn’t been for the tourists’ reminder, I might have ended up standing in the garden until the end of time.

Gathering my skirt, I perched on the rocks of the artificial hill and opened my pouch.

—— Mandarin duck sachets, still dozens of them left.

MC: Sigh….

I rubbed my legs, which had started to ache from standing so long, hoping that a big wave of tourists would come soon so I could quickly hand out these sachets.

But after another ten minutes, the only sounds I heard were the laughter and chatter of tourists just beyond the wall. There were no footsteps heading toward the rockery at all.

MC: I don't know if Shaw has finished his work yet…

Without my phone and no tourists around, I was so bored that I could only count the ants beneath my feet and watch the drifting clouds in the sky.

As I sat there, I gradually felt sleepy and leaned against the rockery, feeling a little drowsy.

?.?: ….hey.

In a daze, it seemed like someone patted me on the shoulder.

I only felt that the voice of the visitor sounded somewhat familiar, but after a whole morning of practice, a conditioned reflex made me chant the lines automatically.

MC: Ladies and gentlemen, this humble girl and the Lovesick Scholar share mutual affection. If any kind-hearted person could help convey my feelings...

?.? (in a firm tone): I won't pass it on.

MC: ?!

I quickly opened my eyes and turned around, only to meet those fluttering golden eyes.

I didn’t notice when Shaw had sat down on the rock garden, but his smile was wide and carefree.

He had even changed into a Tang-style round-collared robe, his waist cinched with a jade belt, making his figure appear even taller and more upright.

He hadn’t tied his hair up, instead weaving a few braids, adding an air of unruly charm to the otherwise tidy outfit.

It seemed that no matter what time or space he was in, Shaw remained unconstrained, always being himself.

Shaw (HIS GODLY VOICE ASJHYI): Am I really that good-looking, you didn’t even blink an eye?

MC (shocked): ……!

I just came to my senses from my surprise, the heat instantly spread to my cheeks, and I hurriedly covered them with my fan.

MC (blushing heavily): I was just startled by you, that's all!

MC: Why are you here now?

Shaw: Because I received a mission.

He flipped his palm and an apricot-colored floral sachet appeared in his palm.

The sachet was exquisitely crafted, with jade clasps that made a delicate tinkling sound. It was far superior to the mass-produced mandarin duck sachets I had in my pouch.

Shaw: There is a gentleman named Shaw who is in love with Miss MC and asked me to deliver a token of love to his beloved.

I reached out my hand in a daze and was about to take it, but Shaw suddenly grabbed my wrist.

I was caught off guard and fell into his arms.

The satin rustled, the pearls and jade clinked, yet it was only the faint scent of mint from his collar that still felt familiar.

Shaw (in a low sexy voice): What about Miss MC? Don't you have anything to give him?

MC: I gave you the sachet this morning…

My mumbling was interrupted by Shaw.

Shaw (clicks his tongue): That's someone else's. Shaw (sulking): I want what's mine.

I froze for a moment, instinctively reaching to feel my body.

MC: But I'm wearing a costume and I don't have my own things with me… Shaw (mumbling): You really are an idiot.

Shaw interrupted me again, and the minty scent suddenly became hot.

A kiss, carrying a hint of reprimand, landed on my lips, as if to serve as a reminder and emphasis.

Shaw (HE SOUNDED SO HAPPY HERE): The 'Lovesick Maiden' doesn't count, I only want mine.

The warmth that hadn't fully faded from my face became even more intense. My heart raced, and I pressed my lips together, still tingling from the kiss.

MC (flustered): Th-then I also...

?.?: Didn't they say the Lovesick maiden was in this courtyard? Why don't I see her?

Suddenly, I heard the voices of tourists not far away. I woke up instantly from the beautiful scene and hurriedly broke free from Shaw's arms.

MC: Someone is coming, you go first…

Shaw: I won’t.

Shaw flashed a mischievous smile, gripping my hand tightly, clearly not intending to move an inch.

As the tourists got closer, I hurriedly adjusted my clothes and hair accessories, calling out to greet them.

MC: I am the Lovesick Maiden.

Tourists: Eh?

The tourists looked at me in confusion, then at Shaw beside me, and finally at our clasped hands.

Tourists: Then, who is this gentleman?

MC: He is…

Shaw: I am the one she likes.

Before I could even organize my words, Shaw spoke up first. The tourists across from us were all so surprised that they stared wide-eyed.

Tourist: Huh? Have we triggered a hidden plot?

Tourist: The Lovesick Maiden has a new lover? She doesn't want that scholar anymore?

MC (starts panicking): No! Huh, huh, huh—

Shaw (burst into laughter): Hahahaha!

In an instant, my frantic shout and Shaw's laughter echoed through the courtyard, startling the birds and causing them to take flight.

—

⚡Part 2

[standardlilith]

I love them a totally healthy amount

[youdontloveme-yet]

a bit unhinged.

[eijiroukiriot]

it's been a sec since i've done a translation! but i think this comic is really sweet so translation under the cut!! the title on the comic is "kiribaku and tododeku who aren't public about their relationship (having mild heart attacks)", and the caption on the tweet is "i wanna read 10000 stories about people finding out about kiribaku and tododeku's relationships"

Hero Radio OFFTiME! On our program, you can hear top heroes spill a little bit about their private lives. Today's hosts are Deku and Red Riot! What kinds of things will they talk about? Let's see!

Midoriya: Man, you must be tired! You came here straight after a night shift, right? Are you feeling alright?

Kirishima: All good! Besides, you've been working ten days in a row, right? Good on you!

(word bubbles - Very, Very Tired)

M: Alright then, our first letter of the night...this one comes to us from BlueMackerel-san, who asks, "How did you spend your last day off?"

K: Uhh...oh yeah! Hiked 'n camped! And ate a ton of campfire food!

M: Oh, with Kacchan?

K: Yep!

M: He sure does like hiking.

Flashback Kirishima: WHOOPIE!!

Flashback Bakugou: Just eat it

M: What'd you two eat?

K: The works! Spare ribs, and homemade sausage, and meat, and more meat! Bakugou always packs a ton of meat to barbecue, it's crazy good! What about you?

M: Mmm...I slept in until around noon...and I think that day, Todoroki's family invited me over for dinner. His sister is a great cook!

Flashback Fuyumi: Welcome, welcome!

K: Coooool. So we both ended up just spending the day with our boyfriends, huh-

M: UH- um-

K: Huh? OH-! Cut! Cut!! Can you guys pretend you didn't hear that last...

M: Ohhhh my goddddddd

Narration: Our next letter comes to us from DieYouScum-san, who writes, "I'm killing you when you get home"

[nebulations]

In the past, I have been forced out of my radio booth by Strexcorp. I have been mind controlled by the Glow Cloud, RIP, but never have I had my voice for the community stripped like this and turned to evil ends.

Blatant erasure of my top favorite arc, the Delta arc???

[masonshine]

I started playing Dragon Age Origins a week or so ago (bought it actually a year ago and played it then but never got beyong the prologue because of life) and i'm obsessed with everything!!!

I especially never thought i'd love Alistair this much?? I knew of the characters since, well it's hard to escape Dragon Age content on tumblr, and i was always so sure Zevran would be it because he just seems my type. Now tho, i'm so in love with Alistair?? Haven't met Zevran yet but i'm already so attached to my Warden and Alistair lol

I looove Morrigan as well and the whole party tbh. And i'm really enjoying the storyline and gameplay as a whole!

[zebratimw]

people who write essays or are having a meltdown in reaction to my art, I hope you know you are living so rent free in my brain

[curtsies-from-princess-ashlyn]

There have been so many songs I've had in the back of my head loosely linked to Ricky and Gina, and today's prompt finally gave me an excuse to compile a playlist for them. There's honestly probably more that can be added, but I'm actually quite proud of how many I was able to add to this list!

There are some songs that are from Gina's perspective ("Mastermind", "What if I Love You", "Nobody Love Me Like You"), including her S2 perspective, some from Ricky's ("would you love me now?", "Smoke Slow"), some about their angst that can be from both perspectives ("The Night We Met", "Where's My Love"), and some that are more joyous and celebratory ("Different", "I Just Love You", "Honeybee").

However, the one I really want to highlight is "Nebraska" by Oh Wonder. This was in my top 5 most played in 2021, so I can't believe I didn't think of it until now as a Rina (and especially Gina) coded song, but BOY does it fit them so well. Seriously, go listen to it now and tell me this doesn't perfectly represent and describe Gina Porter and how she feels about Ricky. It touches on the importance of "I love you" but that it shouldn't be a wasted phrase, and the narrator sings about traveling the world but the only place that feels like home is her beloved (who may have also broken her heart).

The other song that I want to talk about briefly is "I Just Love You" by Roo Panes. The feeling and atmosphere the music of this one creates always reminds me of domestic Rina, and the simplicity of the lyrics ("I just love you") reminds me of how Ricky feels for Gina. I also headcanon Gina's middle name is Marie, so the lyrics of the first verse fit, and the second verse sings about they've both had fears of vulnerability ("why are we oh so afraid / of saying something real?"). This contrasts the straightforward conclusion of the chorus, which definitely reminds me of Ricky's resolution, certainty, and directness in "Love You Forever".

[bexmimi]

hey! sorry i know this is like a whole week late (some stuff at work has been popping up involving online testing + some bs stuff that leaves us all stressed so i've been a bit m.i.a but should be back starting tonight for sure). i'm a bit behind with doing event things but if you'd like to speedrun some waterbomb threads/interactions either for the points or even just for the connections feel free to let me know!

down below are just a few links to some info on mimi so if you'd like to take a look at those and do even some general plotting we could also do that! don't worry, she's mostly all bark and no bite.... mostly.

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ profile⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ background⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ open connections

[chateaunoirsims]

~ Love them..that's all ~

[bitchdafuqyousay]

a really weird whistle

The college I went to had two campuses; main campus and west campus. West campus was mostly student accommodations. Dorms and whatnot as well as the gym, soccer field, lacrosse field, and the nursing building. That's where I lived, in one the dorm buildings on west campus. It wasn't too far of a walk between them- maybe fifteen to twenty minutes. Depending on how fast you walked. Which means it usually took me about ten minutes to walk between the two. God forbid I don't absolutely pace it when I'm walking. There were two back to back streets; one's full of old people and young families and the other was largely the same except it also has my sister's sorority house on it. That one was called Dupant Street. It's the one I usually walked through cause one of the old ladies had a really pretty garden that I liked walking past cause it always smelled real nice.

The building I spent most of my time in was the art building (obviously, that's what I was getting my degree for). It's called Wolf Hall. And when you walked that straight shot from west to main it was the first on one of two buildings you saw. The back of 'em anyways. At the end of the neighborhood street was this little crosswalk. You cross it then go up some stairs and congrats, you've made it to main campus. You rocked up the side entrance to Wolf after going through the sculpture garden. I always thought it was a nice walk, still do to an extent. I sorta miss taking it. I usually walked to main for classes everyday; sometimes regardless of weather. Cold, sweltering, windy. Didn't matter much to me. Unless it was raining. I hate being outside in the rain. When it was raining I'd catch the campus shuttle. Anyways.

That particular day I'd walked to Wolf in the afternoon to work on a project for my illustration class. I ended up being there till roughly two in the morning, give or take a bit. I didn't mind though, I loved that class a lot and the project I was working on was really fun. So it was fine. Besides, wasn't the first and definitely not the last time I'd spend most of my day and night in Wolf. I was decently used to it. Once I was done, all packed up and ready to go I decided to walk back to West instead of taking the shuttle. It was nice out, warm with a nice breeze, and I wanted to listen to the crickets, the frogs, night birds, and the cicadas as I walked back. See a few fireflies too. It was a really nice night. I wanted to walk. I was looking forward to it, really. Despite how late it was- I wasn't worried, I'd done that walk more times than I can count at all times of day and night, there were barely any streetlights but I never felt uneasy or like I was in danger; it was decently far from the city and pretty safe. So I got to steppin'.

Like I mentioned, it was nice. There was a real nice breeze and all kinds of little critters singing. So I prance down the steps from Wolf to that lil crosswalk. Everything was still fine, still real nice. Until I crossed the street at least.

Soon as my foot stepped onto the neighborhood's curb everything stopped. The breeze stopped, air going totally still. Felt heavy all of a sudden. And when the breeze stopped, so did all the singing. Every bug frog and nightbird went completely silent. Not a thing made a sound anymore. My breath suddenly seemed real loud. Now, I could've turned around, run for the shuttle stop. But there was the feeling of a wall behind me and I had this nasty feeling crawling up my spine that told me turning around would be a big mistake. Like somethin' real, real bad would happen to me if I did. So I started pacing it. So I'm walking, keeping my eyes straight ahead to where I could see the lights of West, the ones belonging to the soccer field. All bright like a beacon.

Something whistled at me from the other side of the street. The darker side, where nobody save a few had their porch light on, whereas the side I was on had a bit more. Not by much, but enough that I knew whatever was across me could see me pretty clear.

I didn't look over to the opposite side. Cause I'm not a fuckin' idiot.

It whistled again. It was wrong. Just... off. It was a whistle sure, but it wasn't done right. That's the best way I can describe it- it was like an imitation of a whistle. Like something had heard a whistle before and was trying to mimic it but didn't have the right parts to do it. There was something off to the pitch, lilting weirdly like it was trying really hard to get the sorta whistle you use to call a dog right but didn't know how. Didn't have a concept of tune or how notes line up. Just really odd. Like a parrot maybe. But parrots can sing, parrots have a sense of rhythm. They can accurately imitate pitch and tune. This thing couldn't, but seemed to be trying really hard to.

I didn't look over, not even out of the corner of my eyes. But I could feel and hear it keeping pace with me; the faster I walked, the faster it did. I could hear its feet, sorta like the sound dogs' feet make on pavement, but it didn't sound like four feet. just two. Walking alongside me on the opposite sidewalk. Whistling weirdly at me. Trying to get my attention. I pretended I didn't notice a thing, like nothing was off. Like all my hair wasn't standing on end, like I wasn't sweating.

It changed a bit each time it made that sound, still off. Still clearly wrong. But the tune got a bit more coherent- practice makes perfect I guess. I ain't even glance. Pulled out my phone and texted my best friend what was up to the best of my ability since I honestly had no fuckin' clue what was up. He responded fast (always does, love you baby) and was understandably as worried as I was. We're both decently superstitious, especially me. So I had a lot of nasty ideas about what was still whistling at me, getting louder and more insistent. I kept texting him as I walked- having somebody else know what was going on made me feel better. Truth be told I really wanted to call him, but I didn't want my unwanted walking buddy to know that I did in fact notice it, I didn't want it to feel invited to do... I dunno. Whatever. I didn't want it.

The walk felt like it was taking forever. The time between each whistle getting shorter and shorter until it was a continuous thing, not a break for a breath in between. I figured the walk felt like forever the same way going through a haunted house attraction takes forever. Fear makes time drag. It didn't seem like I was getting any closer to West. After what felt like hours, I reached the end of the street. Stopping at the crosswalk that'd get me from the neighborhood to West. I could see the nursing building. It was right across from me. I had to wait for two cars to go by before I could cross, the insistent whistling ringing in my ears as I stood there. Doing my best to keep acting like I didn't notice at all. An Oscar worthy performance, that walk.

I could cross. Finally. Thank fuck. And the second my feet left the curb. It stopped. The thing went silent, it felt like there were eyes burning the back of my neck, but it stopped calling at me. The breeze, night birds, cicadas, crickets, and frogs all came back. I hopped up onto the path going from the nursing building towards the dorms.

It was a nice night, but for the first time I could remember since being in college there was no inkling of disappointment that my walk had ended. I checked my phone as I unlocked my dorm room.

I left Wolf around two in the morning. The walk from Main to West is roughly fifteen to twenty minutes. I didn't get back to my dorm until three-thirty in the morning.

I didn't walk Dupant at night for the rest of that year.

[standardlilith]

MY BABIES!!"!"!$+$;

[n-agiz]

watched the barbie movie today and !! oh my god !! margot robbie ?? ryan gosling ?? they were both amazing and i am just in love with this movie and i bawled my eyes out with it but in the best way possible bc i just adored it way too much and couldn't contain myself <33 now oppenheimer awaits me this thursday hehe

[just-spacetrash]

🫥