#ill give graduation another go eventually

[autisticangus]

yeah taz reddit is a Nightmare World is sucks so bad. i remember trying to find some Aubrey designs for a cosplay and just found like 6trillion posts on why she sucks and everyone hated her like...you hate the bisexual fire magician? w the rabbit? 🔥🔥 snap snap? do you have no whimsy in your heart?????

sure theres critique on here, and i personally wasnt a huge vs dracula fan, but the difference between tumblr!taz fandoms "i personally didnt enjoy xyz, i really liked abc tho! perhaps well see more of that soon?? even if we dont ill still be here for xyz2!" compared to reddit!taz fandoms "i hate everything theyve done since balance, if you dont immidiately understand why its because you lack media analysis skills, and also travis personally psychically attacked me with his horrible neurodivergent symptoms - oh i mean CRINGEY HUMOR and tasteless 10 year old tweets - and i personally believe this random family i dont actually know genuinely despises eachother and i personally cant wait for their inevitable downfall. im SUCH a huge fan!"

I made the mistake of going on The Adventure Zone subreddit to see what people's thoughts were on TAZ Vs. Dracula episode 1 (I just started listening to the season).

Not only is it an overwhelmingly negative and complaint driven community, but the needless hate towards Travis McElroy is just astounding. Like I get that some people are sore at him over how he handled TAZ: Graduation, and that's fair, but it's turned into this culture of the guy being everyone's villain all the time. Makes it basically impossible to engage with the TAZ fandom at all outside of the fan art and similar.

[ender1821]

re: shinyduo/gempearl being so not normal about each other after life series. other anon was so right why are they freaky.

pearl is definitely just as at fault imo. gem’s excellent at innuendos and tone of voice (“your red skin is my favorite~”) but pearl’s yes and filter falls apart in front of gem. the pickles a prime example, and the ren stream disaster wedding of course. she’s also very genuine and i love that for her. but that results in crazy lines like the “love you gem. always will. even if you dont want me, ill still be there.” TO STREAM WHEN GEM WASNT EVEN THERE.

and i need to mention the latest stream. Pearl “I only get asked if im gay when you’re in the picture” and how they both have to take a minute of silence to process that flejelejwkej. whose fault is that pearl? whose fault ?? to her credit she seems genuinely confused by the extent of her actions. the most damning evidence for her straightness i fear. rip gem though, she seems to be having fun anyway.

theyre both professionals and follow up in that stream with how the fandom will always play around with them as characters etc etc. good communication, very healthy, good for them. but this post is about why they graduated from shenanigans and innuendos to 2 hours of fanservice and it doesn’t even feel intentional half the time.

as for next life series, i would be shocked if they didn’t keep up this befuddling yuri bit. theyve mentioned seeing all the tierlist maker dream team posts and pearl had to ask her chat “OTHER than gem, who should I team with” so theyre well aware demand is there. theyre fantastic as enemies and well aware of that, but they could get some scarian level drama by teaming together, and i dont say that lightly. since pearl keeps stalling pvp on hermitcraft, theyre never getting that 1v1 without cosmic intervention or a declaration of love 😭

rambling now. love to hear your thoughts xoxo

yippee i love anon rambles!!! im glad we’re all unwell

im NOT gonna go on another rant about the life series alliance situation because as i’ve just demonstrated yesterday i can literally rant. for hours. and we don’t need that lmao. at this point whether or not they team up in the next one SOMETHING will happen. i have that much faith in them. they’re bound to run into each other and do something and that’s the shiny duo connection speaking god bless

like the other anon said, i do think they can work with just about any dynamic and it’ll be insanity-inducing either way. one of my favourite things about them just as a pairing (in any context, platonic, romantic, etc.) is just the way they will drift towards one another, to be linked in a way that’s indescribable, to always carry a piece of each other with themselves wherever they wander because the influence they’ve had on the other is irrefutable— and okay yeah they’re getting way too freaky about it get out of my fan fiction-esque rant. what are you doing here. why are you like this. what. like there’s something going on when what they’re getting up to creeps more and more into being what i usually read in fics. i. hello???

i really, really want to give them the benefit of the doubt. okay. listen. for every mention of feet and poking at pearl’s straightness, there’s a chat message behind it that warranted it, i’m sure. this isn’t the post to be getting into how fans are with cc boundaries and how we’re STILL bad at figuring our tags out, but i feel like this discussion eventually HAS to touch on the fact that it’s been made clear that they don’t want to see shipping stuff, and bringing it up in chat crosses that boundary just as well. i think they’ve handled it well in acknowledging that they’re aware it’s for their characters, drawing clear lines between what they’re comfortable with and what they’re not, etc. i think just the muddled lines from people continuously bringing stuff from a fandom space up to a cc contributes a lot to why we got. whatever happened on that wednesday stream. honestly, from these instances on stream i think it’s been shown that they just find this stuff amusing, and good for them, y’know? still doesn’t mean we should be regularly poking them about ships and. well. i dunno. literally bringing it up in chat?

but still. BUT STILL. god the ways they “yes, and” each other just keep getting worse. stuff like the pickles and the wedding (and the SL ep 4 ender dragon fight! still one of the most baffling “yes, and”s i’ve ever seen from them, i swear to god) were almost completely just them. that was just them. there’s no blaming chat for gem saying “wait, i don’t have a beard” right after pearl rejects ren for having a beard, and CERTAINLY NOBODY ELSE TO BLAME when pearl takes that and literally proposes to her. that was all them. and why. girl. huh??? i do believe, at least to some extent, that pearl is oblivious to the implications of what she does/says. but that only goes so far. sorry man i can only give so much benefit of the doubt for like 2-3 streams of 2 hour fan service. good lord

i was texting a friend who isn’t into mcyt about this whole. thing. and the way i described it was: imagine being a gempearl shipper, and you’re enjoying life, driving this train with fanfics and fanart and everything’s all good… and then for some reason gem and pearl jump on the train, hijack the conductor seat and starts directing the train elsewhere. nearing the end of that stream i was questioning my life and screaming for a way off this train. that’s how it felt to me. of course i’m exaggerating but like. genuinely how did we get here

[rapturousfrog]

the beginning of the end pt 1.

ummm so wrote this little thing, this is the first part. this thing would go on to tell the story of daryl and his childhood best friend (maybe more) until they have a falling out, until she meets shane, until they are reunited when the world ends.

lmk thoughts?

daryl dixon x female oc (eventually)

warnings: painfully slow burn, lots of cursing, drugs, mentions of abuse. not super family friendly!

“im going to apply to nyu.”

the words, to say they were foreign was an understatement. college, cities, the rest of the country– hell, the rest of the world– felt like a delusion when she was 13, 14. and it suddenly felt all too real as she stared her high school graduation in the face.

how many nights had she laid on the top of the shitbox rusted out trailer blowing cigarette smoke at the moon and counting the days until she could leave? imagining all the different possibilities of colleges and careers and mortgages and car loans. a fucking life.

a lot of them. she had spent a lot of nights doing that. then, less and less. then, the thought started to give her anxiety.

now? now saying those words made her physically ill.

it’s not that she doesn’t want to go. everything in her body her entire life has pushed her towards this point. she has that drive that is buried somewhere deep inside her, she has always felt it. she knows that she is going to go.

it’s not that she doesn’t want to go. it’s that she doesn’t want to leave.

--------

if she had to pinpoint when her constant daydreams of escape dulled into just a quiet, deep-seeded wish, she would have to point to when she met the fucking loudmouth from across the trailer park.

he was screaming and ranting and raving and swinging and drinking. he was just too much. but he was screwing with the one neighbor girl in the entire town that she had made friends with. leering over her and taunting her. she heard her friend telling him to fuck off, and as she approached the scene she saw the vulgar boy, no older than 16 but still a good deal older than herself, grasp her friend’s wrist and pulled her back to him.

she was a lanky little thing at 12- tall for her age but an absolute child. and still, she marched her little child ass up to merle dixon and slapped him across the face with the full force of her body. which was granted, not much, but not nothing.

he jeered and got angry, which she reveled in. it’s nice to get under the skin of assholes sometimes. but sometimes, it could be a little risky. she learned this a few days later.

she was ambushed coming out of her shitty trailer one morning by the carcass of a dead racoon being whipped at her. she managed to turn her body but it still slid against her shoulder, earning a visceral reaction on the inside.

but she kept silent! she was good at that. she knew he was expected screaming, crying, maybe another slap. she just stared at him, then down at the dead raccoon with sympathy.

interrupted from her silent condolences, another twang broke through the air.

“what the hell you doin’, merle?” the voice was angry, much younger than that of her current nemesis. she snapped up to meet the dangerously blue eyes of a boy who looked to be about her age, maybe a year or so older. the boy was clearly enraged at his- brother? and an argument did in fact ensue. she calmly walked by the fight and took herself to school.

that day, the blue eyed boy wandered over to her house, apologized for his brother in not so many words, introduced himself as daryl. she introduced herself as lily, and the rest was just fucking history.

--------

were someone to chart out the time spent with daryl and the frequency of lily’s wanderlust daydreams, they would find an incredibly inverse relationship. so much so, that she was ill when it was college time.

18, not a lanky little kid but a tall woman. curves and fiery red hair and edgy jewelry and cigarettes- so many cigarettes. and daryl. 19, rippling muscles, brooding fucking attitude, shaggy hair and clothes constantly covered in dirt.

the only good thing she has known her whole life.

she’s not just going to college, she’s leaving daryl dixon.

it’s not that she doesn't want to go. it’s that she doesn’t want to leave.

--------

“i’m going to apply to nyu.”

she stared expectantly into those blue eyes that of course, averted themselves almost immediately after her words. the cicadas were all that answered her.

daryl was very much aware of her plan- of her dreams. he listened in detail as she explained the possible avenues she would take once she graduated. of course, this was at age 14, when everything was a fucking game. as they got older, the talk of dreams and escape and “new chapters” slowed when the booze and and the weed and the mischief picked up.

he knew she was leaving. hell, he always wanted to leave too. but as the calendars got thrown out year after year, shit just seemed darker and darker. he carefully observed the path his brother was on- bender, juvie, bender, military, bender, jail. and how was this any different from his father? what path, what escape, what skills did he have?

daryl will be the first to tell you that he has none of those things. and he never will.

somewhere along the way, whatever little flame of hope that was kept inside him blew out. his father, his brother, his whole fucking life was absolutely destitute. she was the only good thing in it, he realized to himself, still sitting there in silence. she was the only thing that stopped him from walking into the creek and never coming out.

and now, she was taking that very real step on the very real path of leaving his very pathetic life.

“tha’s… tha’s real good,” he gruffed calmly, sincerely. but still not meeting her eyes.

“yeah,” she murmured, looking out over the park from where they sat on the top of his trailer. “it is.” she simply couldn’t shake the painfully dejected tone in her voice.

[kings-highway]

TRICK OR TREAT >:]

Aaaaaaaaaa hello hello, welcome, yet another treat for the bag <3

What’s it this time? Well a little bit of behind the scenes worldbuilding from my early days of Paranormality!

Did you know: The original draft (of which several pages are written) centered around first years Daichi, Suga and Asahi being recruited by a literally haunted Kurokawa to investigate the paranormal and potentially find a way to relieve him of the figure that was always following him - it maintained a consistent distance, always just standing, watching, never doing anything more. Although he believes himself maybe just crazy, Kurokawa is genuinely suffering from these hallucinations and needs an answer. Unfortunately, when Daichi reports seeing this thing (before he knew of Kurokawa’s hallucinations) things get a little bit more complicated. The story would have spanned all three years, including eventually a match-up with the Alien-hunting pair of Oikawa and Iwaizumi, who strike up a friendship with our Karasuno crew though they only team up when their areas of interest overlap. There were also potential plans for a Yokai-hunting team over at STZ, in the way that some people try and “hunt” bigfoot. Of course, Kurokawa’s condition gets worse and worse, he gets more erratic, until eventually, at the end of their second year, as he’s set to graduate, he is suddenly hospitalized. (having been driven to hurt himself due to the hallucinations). He is, at this point, diagnosed with schizophrenia. (not in a demonizing mental illness way trust me on this let me cook a fucking second). Of course, with the proper treatment, medications, and being able to understand himself, his circumstances… improve. And the ghost hunting trio is left… a little adrift. Were they really just… chasing nothing? Well…

Except… hadn’t Daichi had seen Kurokawa’s figure before.

And even as Kurokawa’s symptoms improve and he regains functionality… that one, watchful vision is far too solid to be a schizophrenic hallucination, and seems to refuse to waver despite his increasing control over himself.

ANYWAY for various reasons not entirely unrelated to the fact that I was too afraid to write this version for various reasons, I ended up eventually reworking it into the concept that became Paranormality. HOWEVER as maybe a sneak peek, I can confirm that Kurokawa and Kurokawa’s ghost may just in fact make an appearance in the upcoming installments of the Paranormality series. A few other tidbits about this fact:

1. My roommate directly inspired this, because her first reaction upon laying eyes on Kurokawa was a genuine gasp and then “oh that man is HAUNTED.” And then, way later, there is a scene where Kurokawa and Tashiro go to talk with the third years after the stx match and I pointed out a figure in the background that looks like he has no head (go find it if you want) and my roommate, without missing a beat my roommate said: “THAT is what’s haunting him.” so.

2. The story was going to be tonally WAY darker and more intense, whereas I ended up/wanted to give Paranormality a sort of… Doctor-Who/Mary Poppins vibe of just whimsy and horror more in sync, instead of straight ghost stories.

3. The Schizophrenic Kurokawa headcanon is… canon to me. I… wish this character was more popular, but I LOVE him, and he’s entirely a headcanon in my brain. A lot of his behaviours were going to be inspired by a friend of mine who has schizophrenia and became the funniest person in the world because her auditory hallucinations started using MY voice and she kept bringing me things she thought I asked for and I was gonna give that dynamic to Kurokawa and Daichi. But anyway. The point is. Despite it being almost entirely fanon I love Kurokawa and he WILL show up somewhere eventually I PROMISE. And he will probably have schizophrenia

[witchofhimring]

Alys x Aemond modern AU headcanons

Alys Rivers x Aemond Targaryen modern AU. Alys is 30 and Aemond 26.

-Alys was born to her father when he was young. Not wanting to suffer the shame of having a child out of wedlock Lyonel Strong chose not to publicly acknowledge her. He did however pay child support. Alys lived with her mother until she (the mother) died when Alys was 14. Afterwards she went to live with her grandmother. Alys's grandmother owned a flat and antique store which Alys would eventually inherit. Alys moved our briefly to attend University and returned aged 21. Shortly after her grandmother passed and Alys was now in charge of the store. Lyonel had nothing to do with Alys once child support was no longer mandatory. Alys had a few relationships but none of them worked out. This was made harder when she was told that having a child would be difficult. So she was all alone.

-Aemond was born to CEO Viserys and his second wife Alicent. Despite the largess of his family Aemond was practically alone. His father cared more for his eldest daughter and Aegon was...well...Aegon. And having only your mother and sister for company can get lonely. When he was 18 Aemond moved out an started University right away. Money was no issue since he had been saving and got a free ride thanks to scholarships. It was nice to get distance, but Aemond still felt isolated. After graduation Aemond moved to a small town that had a company near by. A small, unassuming place. But the perfect starting point for accomplishing his dreams.

-Aemond and Alys did not meet for the first half year. He heard of the strange woman who owned the antique store. Alys herself took little interest in the blonde Targaryen moving in close by. Going to a fortune teller she was told her life would drastically change. Alys wondered continuously what the fortune teller meant. Being a suspicious woman Alys took these sorts of things very seriously. So she waited patiently, these things should never be rushed, and prepared herself. Whether this would bring good or ill she could not say.

-Their meeting would come on one rainy day when Aemond foolishly left the house while it was about to rain. He just wanted to get some air when the heavens opened up and Aemond was forced to run into the nearest building. This one was small, built nearly two centuries ago, and painted completely black with red bricks. He had never felt inclined to go in, having only heard stories of the crazy woman who lived in there. Inside was like stepping into one of his families old castles. The room was dim and old carpets covered the floor. From small books to suits of armor Aemond was momentarily enchanted. That was when Alys stepped out, nearly causing Aemond to flee from pure shock. She was not an unattractive woman, maybe not conventionally, but no one could call her ugly. Raven black hair hung to her waist in big thick curtains. Her heavy set jaw lent to her looks, giving this woman a look of authority that suited her. Most strikingly were the most gorgeous wide green eyes. They reminded him of set jades his mother wore. 'Can I help you.' Raising an eyebrow Alys was equally taken aback by this strangers looks. Alys had never found a man who she thought deserved the word "beautiful". His silver hair hung down to his waist, disheveled but attractive. He had only one eye, amethyst. The other was covered by an eyepatch. His face was angular with prominent cheeks, the type artists would clamor to paint. Alys was considerably better at hiding her alarm, Aemond less so. Little did they know where this would lead them.

-It started out with Aemond becoming interested with some of the older objects in the house. He would come by and examine them. Sometimes he would ask her the history behind them. Luckily Alys, who also had an interest in history, kept a detailed record of everything. Two people, who did not have anyone else, found themselves drawn to one another. Linked by this similarity and shared interests, they begun a friendship. A friendship that would evolve into something more.

Notes: I plan to make more Modern AU's for Alys and Aemond.

[loyaltyforged]

NOTE: Specific to my portrayal. Not all headcanons apply to the canon timeline!

LAN FAN’S FAMILY AND CHILDHOOD.

canon divergent au / headcanon concept. open to roy mustang rpers. original concept with @vrheilen pulled from my previous blog, @her-loyalty.

       Lan Fan and Roy Mustang are half-siblings, born of the same mother, but with separate fathers. HERE’S HOW:

       Fu’s daughter was ordered to marry a man that him and his wife had chosen for her. She would undergo training to become ‘a perfect housewife’ as was customary of women in Xing during that time; cooking, cleaning, sewing, embroidery, and bearing children were among her duties and in exchange, her would-be husband would put food on the table and provide their household with money. Unfortunately, she did not desire to marry a man she was unfamiliar with and did not love, so she fled home and crossed the desert into Amestris to avoid her fate.

       In this foreign country, she met a kind Amestrian man that offered to hide her. He fed and clothed her, provided her with a safe haven and kept her off the streets. Eventually, they fall in love and decide to wed. Due to the woman being of Xingese descent and in the country illegally, their wedding was extremely private, the marriage certificate vague, and a single picture of them at the alter had been taken. A copy of the picture is given to Madame Christmas.

       Later on, Roy Mustang is born. When he is quite young, the Military Police are tipped off about his mother being an illegal immigrant and take action. The couple is forced to give Roy up and his father convinces his mother to return home to Xing before she is caught. His father takes the fall and is executed. Roy falls into the custody of his aunt, Chris Mustang (Madame Christmas).

       Meanwhile, his mother is reunited with her family in Xing, only to find out that HER mother has passed. Her Amestrian marriage is kept from Fu for a long time until she finally confesses. Fu attempts to understand her situation, but still begs her to find a Xingese man that will take care of her for the rest of her life as he cannot due to his occupation as a secret soldier.

       Years pass before she meets a man that falls in love with her and promises to care for her; his feelings are not reciprocated, but as she does care for him and desires to put her father’s mind to rest, she accepts his proposal and they marry. Almost fifteen years after she has Roy with her late Amestrian husband, she gives birth to a little girl whom they name Lan Fan.

       Soon after Lan Fan’s birth, her mother dies of illness and her father falls into a depressive state. At age 3, she is sent to live with her grandfather in the mountains. She receives occasional visits from her father until she turns 6 when he is killed in a clash between their family and another. 

       During her childhood, Fu raises her properly, teaching her obedience and various languages among other things. When she turns 7, Lan Fan begins her training under their Clan’s secret soldier program. She is a quick learner and is easily discriminated against as she is the youngest and only female being trained among a group of older boys and men. She struggles through unfair treatment, but the desire to become the best and prove that she is capable of being strong keeps her going. 

       When she meets the twelfth prince, Ling Yao, at the age of 10, his encouragement furthers her determination. Lan Fan works hard and becomes the top of her class, graduating when she is 13. She is soon assigned as Ling Yao’s second bodyguard alongside her grandfather.

Lan Fan does not recall anything about her mother and very little about her father. Fu is the main family member in her life, serving as both her grandfather and father figure.

HOW ROY AND LAN FAN FIND OUT THEY ARE RELATED:

       During the events of Brotherhood/the manga, there is a period of approximately 6 or 7 months where Lan Fan and Fu are in search of an Automail engineer to acquire a replacement for the loss of her left arm. After having the steel appendage installed, Fu and Lan Fan hide out in Central and she trains herself to adjust to the new hardware. 

       While she is busy with that, Fu meets with Roy Mustang for the first time and notices a resemblance between him and his late daughter as well as his granddaughter. Both suspicious and curious, Fu searches the library archives for a possible marriage certificate, but with the vagueness of it, ultimately finds out nothing. He meets with Roy a second time, striking up a casual conversation about family. Not much is revealed because of Roy’s lack of knowledge regarding his parents and his tendency to be secretive, but he does mention Madame Christmas.

       Fu’s next mission is to have a chat with Madame Christmas. He ends up asking for a photo of Roy’s parents and is presented with the picture taken on their wedding day. It is immediately confirmed that the woman in the photo, Roy’s mother, is also his late daughter. He gives this information along to Madame Christmas and they vow to keep it a secret until after the events of the Promised Day have passed.

       Of course, Madame Christmas’ tavern is blown to smithereens and she leaves town to take a vacation along with the girls that work under her. Fu dies in a battle with Fuhrer Bradley and is later taken back to Xing by Ling and Lan Fan to be buried.

       When Madame Christmas returns to Central, Roy buys her a new tavern, as promised, and she becomes occupied with getting her business up and running again. Roy is busy with restoring Ishval and cleaning up the mess created on the Promised Day; during any meeting they have, Madame Christmas struggles to find the appropriate time to mention Roy’s parents and his relation to Fu. Eventually, she finds out about Fu’s death and confesses that he is in fact Roy’s grandfather. Roy, wanting to know more about this newfound relative, keeps in mind to ask Ling–the new Emperor of Xing–about Fu the next time they have a meeting.

       The foreign affairs meeting comes around and Ling comes to town along with his only remaining bodyguard. Roy brings up the subject of Fu, asking the Emperor what kind of person he was, what he was like, etc., and evokes Ling’s curiosity. Upon being questioned as to why he was so interested in Fu, Roy reveals that he recently found out that the old man is his grandfather. This leaves Lan Fan and Ling shocked and Roy clueless. Ling is the first to bring up that Lan Fan is Fu’s granddaughter, shocking Mustang as well.

       Basically, a bunch of denial and awkward moments between Lan Fan and Roy ensue as they slowly try to get to know one another and treat each other like family. The distance and their occupations serves to be quite the hurdle, but Ling allows Lan Fan to visit on occasion and the two become used to the idea of having and being a sibling.

[fisheadz]

Y’know what I just realized?

In my daydreaming of Desmond’s backstory (since we don’t get any clues, I can have free rein here), I have inadvertently created a few OCs. And I’m only just now realizing that. Like an idiot.

Enough coherence. Now I will go forth with the rambling.

I like giving characters with no backstory a group of friends that are all sad in their own way. And Desmond is no exception.

I hc that him and Magdalena were friends way longer than they were dating (she says that they were together for 4 years, if my memory serves me right). But it took them a little while to build up to "friends", and eventually lovers. But how does he know her in the first place?

Well, that starts with a boy named… Desmond. Another boy in our Desmond’s freshman class. Let’s call him Des2. Des1, our boy, was a lonely kid, and Des2, ALSO being a lonely kid, decides that he’s gonna be besties with Des1. At first Des1 is against this, but Des2 has a way with being awesome, and they end up being really good friends, all through high school (and the following years as well, ofc).

They do the age-old trope of sitting alone together in the cafeteria for their freshman year, but when the next year rolls around, a couple other students join their class. Tabitha and Daniel, a pair of twins who keep to themselves, mostly. And so Des2 decides that, that just won’t do! Cos ofc he does. And he befriends them too. Tabitha can be a bit blunt and rude at times, without really knowing, and Daniel has his own mental demons to work through, but they all end up as good friends. Inseparable, one might say.

The next year, Orville joins their class, and this time HE’S the one who worms his way into the group with his charisma and affinity for calculus (and love for helping others with said calculus). And so now we have 5.

Until Magdalena transfers from the next town over. She’s an… acquired taste, for sure. Loud and boisterous, a million different things going on at any time, be it band or gardening or whatever she takes interest in. And the others are like “hmm idk man she seems kinda annoying frfr ngl..” and Des2 just was not having it. Magdalena liked to get in peoples faces, and she liked making friends. She and Des2 are like two peas in a classroom! And so they make quick friends.

Again, they others weren’t too sure about her, but with the combined efforts of her and Des2, they warm up to her fine enough. The only outliers are Des1 and Tabitha, for differing reasons.

Des1 has had enough changes that year (up for interpretation atm) and thinks that Magdalena is just too much right now. Tabitha has developed a feeling or two for Des2, and thinks that Magdalena is getting a bit too close to Des2, even though she and Des2 have been friends for years, and Magdalena is just some new bitch who likes the bass.

Eventually they graduate, and Orville moves away soon after for college. It’s a tearful goodbye, because he was a good friend to them all, especially Magdalena, cos he knows what it’s like to have people not like you because you’re just too fun, but it’s his dream college, and they’re not going to take this away from him. So he leaves, and it’s back to 5.

Des2 starts to withdraw a bit, worrying everyone, most of all Tabitha. Between his dad being diagnosed with a - potentially hereditary - illness that year, and Orville leaving town, he’s not doing so hot. Eventually, after everyone gets a bit too pushy (out of concern, ofc), he snaps. He HATES being a he. And he HATES being called Desmond. (“Uh, no offense Desmond”). Turns out, Des2 has been having some revelations about himself - or rather, herself. And thus, Erica was born.

Does this change how Tabitha feels? Nope. Still super down bad. Like, she’s SIMPING simping, harder than ever. Turns out this was a big year for self-discovery. Daniel, too, is beginning to have some rather gay thoughts, and for Desmond no less… who is none the wiser, because at this point in his life, Des has the emotional intelligence of a tennis racket. Magdalena decides to start exploring her own sexuality, and quickly comes to the conclusion that she’s pansexual.

And then, a couple years later, after Tabitha and Erica finally got together (without the former’s homophonic parent’s knowledge, obviously), tragedy strikes. They get a call from a friend of Orville’s. Orville died, some way or another. Break-in gone wrong, car accident maybe. Either way, it’s devastating news for them all. Especially Magdalena, who was closest to him. And so, with Tabitha trying to comfort Daniel, who’s… really not in the best headspace rn, and Erica struggling with her dad and his hospital bills, it’s up to Desmond to help her through her grief.

And surprisingly, it turns out good! Once they start hanging out together more outside of hangouts with their other friends, it turns out that they have a lot in common. They both like music, they both like stringed instruments, they both like stupid sci-fi movies, they both like… uh… music… okay they don’t have A LOT a lot of stuff they both like, but that’s okay! They still end up being better friends than ever!

(Ignore Daniel seeing them getting closer and spiraling further, thinking that Desmond would never love him, even though that’s not really true.)

And so life moves on. Even with an Orville-shaped hole in their weekly routine and their hearts, they heal and they bond even more. Once she and Erica get together, Tabitha warms up to Magdalena quickly, and they become great friends. Erica’s dad is beginning to show signs of recovery! Daniel’s mental health is better than it has been in a long time! Desmond is getting to live his life outside of his parent’s expectations! They smoke weed on weekends, they go camping every so often, they throw parties for literally every conceivable reason just because they love each other’s company! They live their lives!

Of course, the high can’t last forever. Erica’s dad’s health takes a turn for the worse, and while she’s grieving, Daniel starts spiraling again. And to top things off, Daniel and Tabitha’s parents find out about Tabitha’s relationship, and Daniel’s sexuality. It… it goes bad. Very bad. Their parent’s air everything - their sexualities, their bad history, their mental issues, all of it - out in front of god and everyone. It fucks up their reputation, and while Tabitha and Erica leave town for a couple weeks for everything to cool off, Daniel stays for work, and to try and fix the situation.

It doesn’t work. Everyone other than, like, 4 people seem to hate him, and with Desmond and Magdalena getting closer than ever, he doesn’t see any way out of this mess. And so, Daniel walks into the woods one day, and doesn’t ever walk back out.

Once Tabitha gets the news, she’s hysterical. Inconsolable. And for a while, they’re all worried that she’ll follow in her brother’s footsteps. She believes that it’s her fault, for leaving him when everything’s gone to shit, for not checking on him more often, for not bringing up her concerns for his mental state sooner, for their parent’s finding out about everything in the first place. She blames herself.

It’s a bad year for everyone. First Orville, then Erica’s dad, and now Daniel. It seems hopeless for a while. Magdalena leaves town, running off with a few others to start a band. And so, it’s just Erica, Tabitha and Desmond for a long time.

And so, in the midst of the tragedy, and after he finds out about how Daniel felt through a letter that he left him before killing himself, Desmond decides, fuck it. His parents want him to be a doctor? So be it. He applies for med school, gets accepted, and the rest is blurry. Desmond throws himself into his studies, Magdalena keeps radio silent, and Tabitha and Erica try and live a quiet life.

Until, Magdalena returns, a couple years later! She’s dyed her hair red and is delivering a note for her ex girlfriend’s family, telling them to fuck off. She’s in high spirits!… which crumbles once she sees how everyones drifted apart. And so, just like Orville so, so long ago, it’s up to her to bring everyone together again.

It could’ve gone smoother, for sure, but she eventually makes progress! With Desmond at least. Tabby and Erica just want to live their lesbian dream away from everyone, and so Magdalena respects that and lets them be. And now, it’s just Desmond and Magdalena, the former working himself to death trying to get his phd. He feels obligated to do so; for Daniel. For his friends. He refuses to lose anyone else because he missed the signs.

It’s a rough few years, after that. They’re both burdened by everything that’s happened. But Magdalena refuses to run away again. And eventually, Desmond gets his medical license, and starts working to become a therapist, something that he ends up excelling at. Magdalena turns to her old hobbies, and after some work, opens up a flower shop. Neither of them give up music, but it’s put on a back burner.

And it goes like that! After a little while longer, Desmond and Magdalena get together! And they date happily for those 4 years, until the events of the game occur. With Desmond increasingly paranoid and stressed, the town slowly falling into madness, and herself beginning to fall into the effects of agent rainbow, Magdalena runs again, skipping town like she did all those years ago. She meets back up with some old band mates, sad-fucks her ex a whole bunch, and the rest is history… for the moment, that is.

The game happens, and after that, Desmond and Lucas get together. And first a couple years, they live happily for the most part. Without the lingering effects from the chemical, the residual trauma from the events that took place, and the general EVERYTHINGness going on, it’s a good life.

And then, Desmond gets a letter. A wedding invitation, from none other than Tabby and Erica, who he hasn’t heard from in years. Lo and behold, Magdalena got a letter too.

Turns out, Erica has developed the same illness as her dad had, and while treatment is going much, much better for her, she and Tabby just don’t want to risk it. So, they’re getting married, and they’re inviting their old friends because, as much as they loved their little life of just each other, they really miss them. It’s emotional, of course.

They’ve all heard of what happened in Milton Haven, or at least what was released by the press, and they know that Desmond was involved, even though it was never said that he was, because this seems like the kind of thing that he’d be unlucky enough to get tangled up in. And they’re also very interested in his new boyfriend, who’s very much done with wearing a suit, even after just 10 minutes. So, Desmond tells them everything, and they all have a good time teasing him for the silliest things, and drinking cheap wine and smoking some weed. It’s almost just like when they were young. Even though they’re not there, they can feel Orville and Daniel right beside them.

After the wedding, Desmond and Magdalena get a moment to talk. She confesses that she regrets running again, and Desmond says that he’s glad she got away from the chaos while she could. They both screwed up, even with the chemical involved. They loved each other, but it just wasn’t going to work forever. And so, they leave on a good note, numbers exchanged and promises to attend her next show made. (She also teases him a bunch when she finds out about Lucas. Good-natured, obviously. She’s very happy for him.)

(Erica overcomes her illness and she and Tabby live happily ever after with their kid, who they name Danny.)

(Also Tabby’s parents die in a freak accident. For funsies.)

And there’s my spontaneous mini fic of a backstory + a little bit of frontstory as well. That’s a thing, right? Right.

All of this is highly self-indulgent, if you couldn’t tell. This backstory changes from time to time, as I think of increasingly stupid possibilities for whatever he’s been through that’s so bad that he, a therapist, doesn’t think a therapist could help with it, but this is the general gist of it, ig.

I have so many headcanons for Desmond and Magdalena, like that he didn’t like cats at all before Tonia, or that he’s a retired stoner, or that she hates being called by nicknames, but those can come at a later date. It’s 3am, and I’m not even going to go back and fix any grammar fuck-ups, I’m so tired.

I wanna draw these guys, especially Orville, Tabitha and Magdalena cos I have them envisioned already, but those, and more elaboration on whatever I typed in my haze of longing to get this out, can come some other time. For now, Fish retires to sleep.

[wickedsrest-rp-archive]

Name: Jazmine "Jazz" Markham Species: Human (Non-powered) Occupation: Scribe Age: 29 Years Old Played By: Meek Face Claim: LaKeith Stanfield

"No, I don't take this seriously at all. What’s your point?."

TW: Racism

“Jazz” was born in a small Texas town in the early 90’s to a prizefighter for a father and an accountant for a Mother. His parents divorced as he was still breastfeeding and he lived with his mother. He never knew any different so not having his father around didn’t bother him much.   He is the great-grandson of comedian “Pigmeat” Markham. The legacy of Pigmeat was… “controversial” to say the least. It was a legacy that Jazz wished he could forget about. But how he felt about his great-grandfather wasn’t important to his parents and from an early age it was stressed to him that he ought to be a comedian. He didn’t care too much for being funny and inevitably being compared to his Great-Grandfather. He would rather follow in his father's prizefighting footsteps. His father also had quite the reputation of being a “Ladies man”. “Socializing” with so many women, just like his father, became his main focus; second only to boxing. His main goals in life became as toxic as his father and great-grandfather before him. Dating as many women as possible without regard to their emotions or humanity; and knocking out anyone who stood in his way. It was apparent from an early age that he wasn’t going down the path of a good person. While most kids were playing with trading cards he was doing his best to convince a girl to be his girlfriend. And if she said she had a boyfriend he’d find him and mash his face into the dirt.  As he grew older his toxicity grew with him. His ego grew as big as a mountain. After graduating high school with an undefeated amateur boxing record he decided to forgo the Olympic trials and become a professional fighter. He figured it would be the easiest way to continue meeting more women to date. The money he earned hardly concerned him beyond using it to woo another woman every week. After a string of 1st round KO wins he made the ill-advised decision to accept a fight against an opponent that was far too experienced and more than a couple weight classes above him. He left the ring battered, humiliated, and unconscious on a stretcher. He vowed to fight again however, before he could step into the ring again the news of a broken hand suffered in his last fight not healing properly stopped his career in its tracks.  After a bit of therapy he discovered his knack for being incredibly funny. He had made people laugh before but now it felt different. He began going to open mics and finding spots in vaudeville shows to practice. He was so heavily consumed by comedy that his goals of becoming a prolific ladies man faded into the background. He accepted what he saw as fate and began a career as a comedian and comedy writer. Before long he grew weary of the confines of his home and decided to head out on a road trip to find a new place to call home. He drove all over the country but eventually settled on the town of Wicked’s Rest. A town he had never heard of but the suspiciously low rent of a cottage near some quiet woods made him decide to give it a try. Besides, he figured the place could use a laugh or two and the road trip had very nearly depleted his funds.  The town was a bit eerie and whispers of fairies and monsters made him chuckle. He met a sexy, spooky local at a coffee shop for what he assumed would be a date. They talked to Jazz non-stop about magical creatures and in an attempt to relate Jazz pulled what knowledge he had about fae out of his butt. He was convincing enough that after a few days he was contacted by someone who called themselves a “Scribe”. They wanted Jazz to be a Scribe as well but he wasn’t interested. At least he wasn’t until they told him the salary and benefits. Writing about Halloween monsters as if they were real? Sounded like an easy enough gig he thought. But everyone talking about these creatures as if they were real was a bit off-putting. But hey, it would pay the rent right? He’d lied to get jobs before but being an expert on “pixies” may have been a step too far.

Character Facts:

Personality: Playful, dishonest, insensitive, flirtatious, dysphoric, loquacious, non-committal, lazy

An accomplished amateur boxer but a broken hand derailed his career shortly after turning professional.

Great-Grandson of late comedian "Pigmeat" Markham.

Would rather make someone laugh than have a fight.

Very tough and physically strong (still very much a non-powered human).

[napsaps-archive]

Hehehe just for you Ill give you a happy ending to this story :3 enjoy!

Its a few years after that faithful class and a few months after you graduate. But no matter how hard you try, you couldnt get that southern beauty out of your head. You tried your luck when applying for other classes, but your schedule never seemed to line up. Asking around didnt really help either, she didnt live on campus and wasnt particularly close to the people you hang out. Whatever, it wasnt a big deal! Its not like she haunts your daydreams when you should be paying attention in class and back in your room while youre sleeping. Its ok, really.

Anyways, you had the most exhausting week youve had since graduating, so you decided to treat yourself to your favorite coffee shop/bookstore. Its been awhile since youve been there. Putting on your most comfortable but still cute outfit, you head out of your apartment and set out.

Once you arrived, you got hit with the bitter coffee smell and the soothing jazz playing on the speakers. Its wasnt terribly busy, but there was still a decent line for the register. So much for an easy day. You sighed and made your way to the back of the line. You couldnt see who was manning the register but you could tell it was definitely someone newer cause usually it goes a little faster with seasoned workers. No big deal tho, you'll be sure to tip them a little extra for having to deal with customers all day.Slowly but surely, you made your way up to the register counter. You already had your order in mind, so there was no need to look up at the menu. So that left you being face to face with the cashier. Who had a...familiar face. You couldnt pin out how and where, but she looked so familiar. Gorgeous brown hair pulled back behind her cap, beautiful light green eyes, full lips that had a shine from gloss, and perfect manicured nails on top of her tablet. All in all, one of the most beautiful girls youve ever seen. But where have you seen her?

"What can I get started for you, sweetheart?"

Just from hearing her voice, all of it came rushing back to you. The biology class, being paired up and initially dreading it, fearing she would be another case of dropping all the work into you while still getting credit, actually turning out to be one of the nicest people you ever met. The girl that plagued your mind for months even after the class ended. The one you were too nervous to talk to and regretted that you missed your chance. Now shes here standing not even a foot away from you.

"Uh..you on, doll? Youre holding up the line."

Quickly breaking out of your thoughts and yelping out your order, you handed her some cash and sped walked to a empty table before groaning into your hands. Of course you had to embarrass yourself in front of her and the entire shop. Goddammit, why cant things go your way?

Eventually, your name was called from the front and you stood up to grab your cup. You took a sip and, wow. It was perfect, exactly how you liked it. Kudos to whoever made it. Lowering your cup, you noticed more writing next to your name. Confused, you turned the cup around to read what it said.

'I thought I remembered you from somewhere! LTNS cutie! Maybe we can catch up sometime? ;) xxx-xxx-xxxx'

Your cheeks burned up as you looked over at the workers counter. The two of you made eye contact and she gave you a quick wink before moving on to help her customer. Butterflies fluttered in your chest and your cheeks burned hotter. But before you could forget, you made sure to add the number to your contacts list for later.

Maybe some good came out of all this after all.

immgoinggsto theoww up shes everything to me

[amazonbasicsprinterpaper]

Hi angel, this is what I wanted to get you for Valentines Day because I feel like I’ve been dropping the ball lately (hello I’m in late January right now) and I don’t remember if I did anything for you last year. I remember we talked (God, do I regret not saving the chocolate heart from you, that was SO CUTE).

So I wanted to do something that was appropriate and on brand, and words are the easiest thing for me, especially if they’re mushy gushy (but not too over the top, you know? You couldn’t waterboard that word out of me in that context. Okay maybe you could, but that’s not the point right now). But also sometimes you’re just so great that my brain glitches and I can’t figure out any words.

Anyway, these are the thoughts and feelings that I’ve been bottling up kind of, but not really because I have been putting them somewhere. Mostly in my various journals and in my notes app if a piece of paper isn’t readily available. Yeah. Okay we’re this far in and nothing has happened so let’s do this.

OKAY HERE GOES.

Growing up, the people I would watch the most were my parents. I would watch them closely and observe what they were doing carefully. My mom was my absolute idol growing up (she still is) and everything she would do, I would try and copy. Many, many times she would pick me up and sit me on the kitchen counter or the kitchen island and I would watch her make food. Something else that would happen a lot is I would help her with whatever cooking or baking she would do. We also did this a lot when we lived in Ohio - I would often help her prepare food for my grandparents when we moved there to take care of them. Preparing food for people became my love language (which, you know… says a lot about me and the type of people I’m attracted to).

I grew up, graduated from undergrad, moved around a few times, got stood up more than a few times, really thought I was going somewhere with someone, got (horribly) broken up with, and then I began to kind of ween myself off from being interested in people for awhile in order to focus on myself, religion, school, work, you know. Life things, I suppose.

Then, you know, out of the blue… you showed up. We didn’t talk for a long time because you were doing your thing and I ended up in North Carolina for the summer, but eventually we found our way back to one another (by that, I mean that I remember you saying that you remembered me and reached out).

Life got… really really freaking better after that?

My brain hasn’t stopped thinking about you. You were the most best surprise I’ve ever been given. No, you don’t surprise me and put your arms around me when I cook food, but you do so many other things. I’ve learned so much in such a small amount of time with you, and I’m better for that. I remember being a kid and praying for someone that would make me feel like my dad makes my mom feel. When I went through that horrible breakup, I didn’t think that someone like that would ever exist for me.

I wasn’t expecting you to carve a path into my soul the way that you did, and then you just made yourself at home here. I didn’t know at the time that it was going to be you that my heart thinks about all the time, but it’s you. It’s always you. I’ve learned that home doesn’t always have to have four walls and a roof. Home can be a person that gives you the same shelter that four walls and a roof can, and I’m forever and ever thankful that you’ve given that to me.

I don’t have to mask when I’m having a bad day. I don’t have to censor myself when having a mental illness breakdown or an episode. I don’t have to put up a front or a personality or act a certain way around you like I feel I have to with so many others that I encounter in the wild. I do think that there’s one thing that I have to majorly pull back on, but I know in the back of my mind that I probably don’t have to do that either.

I just really love that I can be my complete self around you. You’re the safest space that God has given me. Normally my safe space is a book with blank pages but I’m so glad and grateful that I can have more than that as a safe space. The person I can tell anything to without judgement.

My very sweet boy, I’m thankful to have found you. You make me feel safe, appreciated, cared for, strong, brave, and happy. I’m the luckiest to be in your presence and I’m the luckiest to be adored by you. All of your efforts are always seen, and it means the world when I have a bad day and you calm me down and make me feel comforted and make sure that I’m in a better space. You help sculpt me into who I want to be as a person, which is better.

Everything about you makes my day. Your cutie smile, your cutie nose, the nerdy things you talk about, the historical things that you get to teach to kids. And then the things that I imagine a lot; your scent, your laugh, what you’d play if you had the aux, if you crinkle your nose if someone says something funny, if you’re reading a book and I yap about something and you smile at what I say to let me know you’re still listening, the coffee to creamer ratio. The things that may seem insignificant but are actually the most meaningful because they make you, you.

I don’t believe I’ll stop getting butterflies when I think about you or when I talk to you. I don’t believe I can ever unglue my hands from my phone when I get a notification that’s from you. I don’t believe I’ll stop dreaming of you. I don’t believe I’ll stop running to you. I don’t believe I’ll stop choosing you. I don’t know if I believe in soulmates all the way, but I do believe in two people sharing their spaces with each other, and I’m grateful that I’m able to share my space with you.

In the most perfect ever world, I think about waking up in the morning and you’re right there. Maybe you’re still sleeping, maybe you aren’t. Except right here when I’m writing this, I do like to think that you’re sleeping and I get to watch you while you do. Your sweet expression, my hand on your cheek, doing that thing where I rub it with my thumb, maybe your expression shifts a little, maybe it doesn’t. Getting up (reluctantly) to make coffee or tea and keeping whatever drink extra warm for you when you wake up.

I imagine reading books, playing games, making food, feeding it to you, foreplay in the form of Walmart runs (or Publix in FL), the stupid petty arguments with the makeout makeups right after, tea on the deck (in ID), you randomly asking me trivia questions, me randomly asking you about the American Revolution (and being the top person I thank in my book’s acknowledgements), annoying one another when we’re bored, to hold your hand, to kiss your face, to be loud with you in public (and be louder with you in private), and sometimes maybe nothing at all but as long as it’s with you.

I think about you showing me how to play your favorite games and me immediately dying and having a lot of fun with it. Like, one time I had a dream where I was playing D&D and a level 3 goblin ate me. IS THAT EVEN A THING? I don’t know, but it makes me smile to think about because that’s such a me thing to do. I think about showing you how to play Stardew and how you’d need to buy a goat from Marnie, except you went to her house on a Tuesday and she’s not there and you’re like “MARNIE, IT’S A TUESDAY, WHY ARE YOU STARING AT THE MICROWAVE??”. And that makes me smile too because that’s such a you thing to do.

You’re my most favorite ray of sunshine, on the great days and on the icky days. No day is perfect and that’s okay. I’ll always sit with you and give you comfort or I’ll allow space and privacy on the icky days. I’ll forever try like mad to help you out through any of the stress that comes along with work and problem solve.

But on the great days? I want to see you obtain every single win and celebrate the good moments. Was the stress alleviated? Was the problem solved? I want to celebrate that always because me? Your biggest fan? For forever and infinity plus a day just for added measure. I’ll go off to war and fight dragons with no sword or armor if it meant you get no stress.

I’m going to forever appreciate all the small things that you do to make me feel important and happy. Staying up late when I’m having a bad night to make sure that, at the very least, I won’t do anything bad in the night. Asking if I’ve had anything to eat or drink. Subtly asking once in awhile if meds have been taken. Every so often mentioning new music that you found that you want to share. Being receptive to the food that I make. It’s a blessing that I’ll never take for granted, ever.

Looking towards the week of Valentines Day, it’s going to be stupid cold here in the mornings. Like I’m seeing -2 here, cold. Which means I’ll no doubt be yapping about my joints and how inconvenient the cold will be. Still now, I have no idea why this winter is so hard on me. Oh well. ANYWAY, that leads me into being so thankful and grateful that you’re still here with me on bad pain/body/joint/etc days. It’s probably not easy to deal with it, even though people could easily say it’s not easy for me to live through it and experience it. But the people in my life are just as affected by it, and I’m beyond grateful that you choose to stay with me when that happens. You told me one time that you would keep my joints warm as possible and it was such a small thing to say, but it really made an impact on me that you would do that.

I yearn to kiss your neck and feed you little snacks while you tell me about your day, to curl up with you and a book and some tea, to maybe get bored of that book and then just watch you while you read yours, to most definitely get hot and bothered while watching you do anything work related, to watch you get fed up with something in your game so I can do any distracting for you if need me, to secretly sneak in a cute (or spicy, depending on the day) note in your lunch bag before you go to work, to really do anything and everything.

Thank you, thank you, thank you so much for being here with me and not leaving. It makes my life feel so much greater because of you. I feel like I’ve said this before but you really do paint my grey life into a world of bright, vivid color. I cannot be more thankful for all that you do for me. You go above and beyond even when you aren’t asked. I know I’m stubborn and I think I can do everything on my own, but I’m glad that you ask if you can help anyway. You are so much more than you give yourself credit for, and I wish that you could see yourself through my eyes and see how lucky I am to have you with me. At the end of the day, you’d be the person I’d want to come home to, tell how my day was, share my happiness, sadness, wins, and frustrations with.

You are my favorite everything. My favorite person, partner, ray of sunshine, baby boy, squishmallow baby daddy, person to lean on, best person with music recs (sharing music with you is an S tier activity), the most cutest cutie pie, the most attractive dreamboat I’ve ever seen, the absolute loml, most precious honey bunny bumblebee, the sweetest apple of my eye, the king I always want to treat you as.

I’m so happy that I get to be the one that does Valentines Day with you. I would never want to do fun holidays with anyone else (I do hate when icky corny married women say they love to “do life” with their husbands, that’s so stupid. But saying “do [holiday]” is cute and not icky or corny) or get super excited about it. I don’t remember the last time I was so excited to do a holiday with anyone, and I really hope and pray that this year will be better than last, because you deserve it. I’m so sorry that I don’t remember what I did, but I hope that this year will top it.

To my most favorite boy in the whole world, happy valentines day. I adore you with every atom in my body, more today than I did yesterday, but less than I will tomorrow. You’re the absolute best.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo forever, Edie

[harrison-abbott]

I knew this girl once called Karola. We both studied at the University of Aberdeen. She was a friend of a friend. And, in Scotland, if you didn’t already know, higher education is free for Scottish students and European students: they can get their tuition fees paid by a faction of the government. Karola was from Poland. Well. Karola failed her first year. So she had to resit it again. And then when she did that, she didn’t bother turning up to one of her exams, and so failed that too. But she did a resit and passed it. In her third year, she changed her degree and this added on an extra year for her to study. But she got disillusioned with the course material. And again when it came to exam period, she didn’t head in to one of the exams. And then she milled around for a few months, working in bar jobs. Then she decided she should try and complete her degree anyway. So she wrote a letter to the university. Telling him that she had been on anti depressants for the last few months. And that her Dad had had cancer. And that the mental strain had affected her ability for studying, and she would like another shot at trying the course out. The first part was true. She was on anti depressants. But the second part wasn’t true: her father didn’t have cancer. He’d been ill in the past but wasn’t anymore. Karola was only sprucing the pity theme up in the hope that the university would relent, and give her another opportunity. When the real reason for her not passing her semesters was that she hadn’t made the effort to revise and go and sit the exams. I know all this because she told me herself, shamelessly. She admitted that she was just lying to the university. And the university believed her. And she was able to go on and eventually graduate. What struck me most about her behaviour was that she had had the blessed chance of free education. Which so many students around the world simply don’t have access to – even though they yearn for it. There are millions of young people around the world who really, really want to study, but they don’t have the funds for it. Or, they have to take out these huge loans and end up in crazy debt for the rest of their life. These folks would put in all of their effort to their courses and try real hard to achieve. Yet, with Karola, she just didn’t give a shit. She wasn’t interested in her studies, even though they were free. And despite it being a great university, too. Aberdeen being one of the top universities in the world. Then she even had the nerve to pretend to the institution that her life was in disarray. She lied. And got a degree at the end of it. All she did after graduating was work in crummy bar jobs for a while. Then she just headed back to Poland. And that was it. I don’t know what she’s doing these days. Don’t care.

[privilege-rpg]

NICHOLAS HUMMEL

☆ FULL NAME: Nicholas Eric Hummel ☆ GENDER: Cisman ☆ PRONOUNS: He/Him ☆ AGE: 30 (April 30th, 1994) ☆ BIRTH ORDER: Second ☆ TYPE: Full sibling; solo ☆ HOMETOWN: Portland, Oregon ☆ JOB: TA for PSU's History Program ☆ SCHOOL: PSU Alumni ☆ SEXUALITY: Bisexual ☆ FACECLAIM: Mike Faist

ABOUT NICHOLAS

tws for death, eating disorders, and zero proofreading The thing about growing up in the Hummel family is that it was like a modern fairy tale. Nicholas never wanted for anything. He had a doting mother, a rough but loving father, siblings that he could spend hours chasing through their backyard. Their finances made it so they were always comfortable but it’s safe to say the love would’ve been the same even without the money. Their parents provided them with any and everything they could ask for. In Nicholas' case, this came in the form of books and museum visits and trips around the world to see as much of it as he could. It was a happy childhood. That made it hurt so much worse when his mom passed away. Although expected, the death of his mother created a distinct shift in Nicholas' worldview. There was the Before, when everything was exactly as it had always been, and the After, a new state of living that their entire family had to navigate. The grief isn’t something he’s healed from so much as it’s something he’s learned to live with. It’s a second skin to him at this point, no matter how many times he’s wished he could shed it. He couldn’t fix his dad or siblings’ burden, but he could do his best not to add to it. He could turn himself into someone they didn’t have to worry about. So he completed every chore that was asked of him without fuss, made sure to be home long before curfew, and became hyper aware of any bit of stress his family might have. It was always easier to take on other people’s problems than his own. It isn’t that Nicholas was afraid his friends and family would react poorly if he admitted he wasn’t okay. But they had already been through so much. Maybe that’s why it never crossed his mind to admit when things went too far. When he began fixating on food and numbers at the detriment of his health. The few times Nicholas stopped to consider that he might have a problem, he promptly shoved those thoughts into a box and shoved them to the far back of his closet to be forgotten about. He perfected a balancing act between ignoring his own eating disorder and playing the part of a dutiful son and brother. He was consistently at the top of his class, ultimately graduating as salutatorian – he would’ve been valedictorian if that bastard Bradley Uppercrust III hadn’t blackmailed their physics teacher to give him extra credit. College was yet another new world that Nicholas hadn’t thought he needed to prepare for. History was a no brained to go into – he’d always had a fondness for it in school, and thought a job in a museum would be the perfect way to spend his life. He excelled in academics for a while, but without the structure comfort that he’d built his childhood and adolescence around, he found himself slipping further into his bad habits. But if he could just ace his classes and keep smiling for his friends and family, then there clearly wasn’t a problem. It all came to a head during Nicholas' junior year when his body decided to stop tolerating his abuse. Waking up in the hospital was scary, having to face his family with the truth of his eating disorder was even worse. Nicholas doesn’t like to remember it too much. It was only after weeks of emotional distress, and the realization that his education was also in jeopardy, that Nicholas agreed to get help. The whole process was messy, a constant back and forth between the familiarity of illness and the vague concept of recovery. He moved back home for a bit until he felt like he could trust himself. It was years later than originally planned but eventually, Nicholas was able to finish his degree and graduate. He then started his master’s program in the hopes of getting that particular aspect of his life back on track. He's coming to trust those around him with the nastier sides of himself, and learning that they’ll still care about him regardless. Shocker, I know. Area man learns that he’s allowed to be happy and want things just because. Full story at 11.

FAMILY BACKGROUND

cancer tw, death tw

Burt Hummel comes from a humble beginning, and really never had any intentions of becoming famous. Working for his father’s garage, Hummel Tires & Lube, he developed an interest in cars, and proved to be pretty damn good at what he did. A twist of fate saw him approached to help out with some behind-the-scenes things for Top Gear by a customer who happened to work on the show. This opportunity led to yet another, even bigger twist of fate, with Burt meeting the woman he would go on to marry, up-and-coming actress, Elizabeth Blake.

As the two grew together, so did their respective careers; Elizabeth booked bigger and bigger acting gigs until she was a household name, while Burt, whose stint on Top Gear showed him to be a natural in front of the camera, was propelled into a life of presenting for various television shows. They relocated to Los Angeles, and their fame began to grow, along with their family, until Elizabeth eventually got sick in the late-noughties, then lost a quick but mighty battle with cancer. Burt took a break from the limelight following his wife’s passing, opening a new Hummel Tires & Lube location in LA, before deciding to go back to presenting a few years later.

Now, Burt presents on Top Gear, where he got his real start, and also hosts a talk show, The Late Show with Burt Hummel, where he interviews celebrity guests and is often praised for his ability to entertain the audience with his dry humor and build a quick rapport with his guests. While he never dated anybody seriously since losing Elizabeth, Burt has recently begun dating Carole Hudson, but they’re not ready to make things public just yet.

[kevma]

Name: Kevin Ma Occupation: Attendant at Retrocity Age: 28 Sexuality: Pansexual Pronouns: He/Him Species: Human Hometown: Port Leiry, Oregon Relationship Status: Single Personality Traits: Chaotic, resilient, generous, insistent, sarcastic, open-minded

Biography (tw: chronic illness, mentions of parental death)

Growing up in Port Leiry as a human is a bit of a strange experience, but not in any way that Kevin knows how to articulate. From an early age, he simply accepted that there were unexplained things in the world and trying to dig for answers about it caused more issues than they were worth. He'd grown up hearing the local legends and stories from his cousins and parents. It was fun, particularly around Halloween, but he's never given much more thought to it beyond that. If people want to go around claiming that they're witches, then he's not going to tell them they can't.

But it did spark a desire for Kevin to see what else was out there. He was looking for the stability and certainty that never seemed to be present in Port Leiry. There was always just something unsettlingly off. New York City on the other hand felt exciting but familiar through books and movies. Kevin really found himself while at NYU, growing more comfortable in who he was outside of his family and their expectations. He made friends who encouraged him to go beyond what he thought himself capable of, and Kevin began to see a future himself that was more than just returning home to take over his parents' business one day.

Kevin couldn't even call these the best-laid of plans, but they are inevitably derailed when he gets sick during his sophomore year. At first, he just thinks it's the flu, a chill settling deep in his bones with an ache he can't quite shake. But then he starts to feel fatigue that never seems to go away, and finally he drags himself to the campus medical center. He thought they would give him some fluids, prescribe him some antibiotics, and send him on his way. What began instead was a four-month process of being in and out of hospitals, having tests run with inconclusive results, and more questions than answers.

He returns to Port Leiry two and a half years after he leaves it, moving back in with his parents and taking a year off to stabilize his condition. It's not like the movies, where there's a firm diagnosis and doctors magically know what to do. Instead, it's a series of frustrating steps, trial and error until he finds a routine and regimen that works for him. He's not strong enough to leave home again, so he enrolls at Tideview, finishing out his degree in computer science while trying to find yet another path to follow.

His father dies just as he's graduating, and it feels like yet another sign to get him to remain in Port Leiry. Kevin gets the job at Retrocity initially because he's one of its best customers. And when Galaga goes down right as he's about to get the high score again, he wants to learn how to get the machine working again. When he's not exchanging tickets for prizes or tinkering with the out of order machines, he's often playing the games himself, equal parts a hobby and a way to keep his motor functions in shape.

Wanted Plots / Connections

The Devil - Kevin is sick, with a chronic illness that greatly impacts his daily life and has thrown more than one monkey wrench into his life goals. While he currently doesn't know about the supernatural, that secret will come out eventually. It would be easy to tempt him with vampirism or the werewolf bite, or maybe even a magical cure or a hunter's tattoo, if he can figure out something worth offering.

The First Love - Kevin struggled with his sexuality as a teenager, and didn't come to terms with it until he was away at college in New York City. This person would have gone to high school in Port Leiry and is male/masc-presenting. The relationship would've been secret, and Kevin would not have been open to labeling anything, which led to an eventual falling out when they went their separate ways for school.

TBA

[guineverependragon]

23 animes in 2023

As the year comes to a close, I wanted to make a list of the new animes that I have enjoyed this past year. I've been completing this anime challenge since 2020 and I'm so grateful to have met new mutuals along the way and explore different genres and animation styles. I look forward to continuing the challenge again in 2024 with 24 animes, and I hope you all enjoy the ride with me. Below is my list, highlighting my top 10, with my overall rating and brief summary (some spoilers).

Happy New Year everyone! (◍•ᴗ•◍)♡ ✧*。

Buddy Daddies (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes)

9.8/10; Two assassins accidentally find a 4 year old girl on one of their jobs and eventually become her papas. This series highlighted the important details of parenting while presenting it in a queer platonic way. The fact that they all made it to the end and happily shared their lives together is historical. The angst of episode 10 set the stage for what they were willing to fight for. The growth and development of Rei and Kazuki was beautiful and I love the family they have created together. Angst with a happy ending. One of my favorite found families in one of my favorite comfort series. And the action and call back to details was wonderful. So many tears at the end but I'm glad I stuck it out. 

Natsume Yuujinchou (2008 - ) 6 Seasons (75 episodes, ongoing) 

9.5/10; The series follow Takashi Natsume, an orphan boy in high school who can see yokai (spirits). One day, Takashi finds a very old notebook that his late maternal grandmother, Reiko, who possessed strong spiritual powers, used to bind dozens of powerful demonic spirits, both good and evil, that she defeated to follow her every whim and desire if called upon. Takashi resolves to give back all the names in the age-old notebook, Book of Friends, and in the process joins forces with another feline/wolf-like spirit called Madara (nicknamed "Nyanko-sensei" in his borrowed lucky cat-like form), who knew Reiko when she was alive. Nyanko-sensei intends to take back the notebook after Takashi dies. Until then, he agreed to protect Takashi from the nefarious spirits who want to harm him for being the grandson of Reiko, who died in her young adult years decades prior to the story. The stories of the yokai Natsume meets along his journey are truly heartbreaking and led me to cry on multiple occasions. Natsume's own story of losing his parents and being passed around by family members throughout his life was equally devastating. As Natsume adapts to seeing yokai, he finds true family and friendships and becomes happy. It's a beautiful series from start to finish. 

Skip to Loafer (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes) 

9.5/10; Mitsumi Iwakura is a sparkling high school student who moved from the outskirts of Ishikawa Prefecture to high school in Tokyo after graduating from junior high school. Mitsumi grew up in a depopulated area, with only eight students in her class. However, on the day of her entrance ceremony, she gets caught in the commuter rush and gets lost, and her life plan is quickly frustrated. A tall and handsome boy who was worried about Mitsumi calls out to her and decides to go to school with her every day.  One of my favorite OPs this year. I hope the series will be able to continue. 

The Apothecary Diaries (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes, ongoing)

9.3/10; Set in a fictional country based on Ming-era China, the series follows Maomao, a young girl working as an apothecary in the red-light district, who is kidnapped and sold to the Imperial Palace as a servant. However, Maomao surprisingly tries to make the best of the situation and wait out her time until she can return home. One day, after hearing rumors that the emperor's children are critically ill, she begins to investigate the cause, using her experience as an apothecary, and successfully solves the mystery of their illness. Even though she intends to remain anonymous, her actions eventually catch the attention of an influential eunuch, Jinshi, and soon finds herself solving various mysteries for the royal court. I became hooked on this series pretty much immediately. The lore of the fictional era paired with the insights of Maomao make a truly fascinating story. I’m excited to see where the second half of the series is headed.

My Happy Marriage (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes)

9.2/10; During an era in which spirits and magic are real, but in decline, Miyo Saimori, born without supernatural talent, is forced into an existence of servitude by her abusive stepmother. When Miyo finally comes of marriageable age, though, her hopes of being whisked away to a better life crumble after she discovers her fiancé’s identity: Kiyoka Kudou, a commander apparently so cold and cruel that his previous would-be brides all fled within three days of their engagements. With no home to return to, Miyo resigns herself to her fate—and soon finds that her pale and handsome husband-to-be is anything but the monster she expected. As they slowly open their hearts to each other, both realize the other may be their chance at finding true love and happiness. It has a similar feeling of Cinderella but goes extensively into the aftermath of trauma and learning how to live beyond that. It's true in this case that sometimes love isn't enough but it's certainly important. You find yourself as a viewer wanting Miyo to have the best and also wanting her to believe she deserves the best. And watching Kudou soften his personality as he fell in love with Miyo was such a sweet experience. They are a beautiful couple and I can't wait to see what season two has in store for them. 

My Boss is Goofy (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes)

9.1/10; Kentarō Momose, whose physical and mental health deteriorated after his boss's abuse, changed his job to a sales position at an advertising agency. However, due to his trauma, he was unable to move due to stomach pain during his first tour. Momose's new boss, Shirosaki, leaves Momose without saying anything, and Momose becomes worried that his new boss will be the same as before. | This series was so wholesome. I love how it didn't minimize or brush over Momose's trauma simply because he got a new job. They acknowledged that it takes time to heal and just because his new boss was understood doesn't take away the suffering he had to endure. Momose and Shirosaki's relationship was so pure. I loved everything about them. Even if the series isn't considered BL, it was so refreshing to see men be so vulnerable and supportive of each other. I also loved that they had a clearly identified bi character. An adorable wonderful series that I enjoyed very much. 

Loving Yamada at Lv999! (2023) 1 Season (13 episodes) 

8.9/10; The story follows the daily life of college student Akane Kinoshita. After getting dumped by her boyfriend, she continues the game Forest of Savior (FoS) they once played together and attended an offline event of the game. There she encounters an emotionless and handsome high school student named Akito Yamada. Yamada happens to belong to the same guild in the game as Akane, and after this encounter Akane begins to get closer to other members of the guild, especially Yamada. The ending confession was absolutely heartwarming and I really hope we get a season two to see their relationship grows. 

Sugar Apple Fairy Tale (2023) 1 Season (24 episodes)

8.9/10; Anne Halford is a candy crafter determined to follow in her mother's footsteps and become a Silver Sugar Master, a title bestowed only by royalty. In order to travel to the capital and realize her dream, she purchases Challe, a handsome but foul-mouthed fairy, as her bodyguard. Anne wishes to befriend her new companion, but in this kingdom where fairies are treated as property upon possession of one of their wings, Challe wants nothing to do with humans. I was truly thrilled with how engaging this series was. After not watching anything for quite some time I was hooked on this series and watched 5 episodes right away. It's a great combination of adventure, coming of age, fantasy, friendship, and slow burn romance. Animation was gorgeous. I hope it gets another season. One of my favorite watches this year! 

I'm in Love with the Villainess (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes) 

8.9/10; Rei Ohashi, an ordinary office worker, is overworked to death and suddenly finds herself reincarnated as Rae Taylor, the heroine of her favorite otome game, Revolution. However, Rae has no interest in the game's three original romance routes with the Bauer Kingdom's princes. Instead, she sets her heart on Claire François, the game's main antagonist. Using her knowledge of the game's events that are yet to come, Rae tries to give Claire a happy ending before the coming revolution destroys any chance of it happening. Initially I was put off by how disinterested Claire seemed in Rae but the slow turnaround and realization of her feelings at the end really made the series worth watching all the way through. I also like how they were direct about Rei being a lesbian and acknowledging that their relationship wouldn't be the typical kind. 

Oshi no Ko (2023) ️1 Season (11 episodes, ongoing) 

️8.8/10; Gynecologist Gorou Amamiya is tasked with helping deliver the children of Ai Hoshino, an idol singer whom he admires, without the knowledge of the general public. However, the night of Ai's delivery, Gorou is murdered by an obsessive fan of Ai's, and is reincarnated as Aquamarine Hoshino, Ai's son, retaining his memories of his previous life. Unbeknownst to him, Aqua's fraternal twin, Ruby Hoshino, is also a reincarnation of one of Gorou's patients who was a fan of Ai's. Four years later, Ai is murdered by the same fan, who later dies by suicide. However, Aqua deduces that the murderer may have had his and Ruby's father as an accomplice and resolves to infiltrate the entertainment industry to find and kill him. This series was wild from start to finish! It immediately pulled me into the dark mystery of the crime involved while also being fun and compelling. I'm excited to see how the story continues to unfold in season two! 

Josee the Tiger and the Fish (2020) Movie (98 minutes) 

8.7/10; Tsuneo Suzukawa is a 22-year-old university student studying marine biology. He works part-time at a diving shop, where he bonds with coworkers Mai and Hayato. On his way home after a lecture, he saves a paraplegic young woman named Kumiko Yamamura, who insists on being called "Josee". After being invited over for dinner as a token of gratitude, Tsuneo receives a job offer from Josee's grandmother, Chizu, to become a caretaker for Josee. A very endearing film about dreams, grief, and overcoming obstacles. Emotionally compelling moments, gorgeous art style, and an overall happy ending. I very much enjoyed the movie. Only wish we could have seen more of them together as an official couple. 

Romantic Killer (2022) 1 Season (12 episodes)

8.6/10; A romantic comedy following Anzu Hoshino who was visited by a wizard named Riri who is on a mission to fix her love life (or lack thereof). By taking away her most precious desires, video games, chocolates, and her beloved cat, Hoshino is forced to address her wholesome harem but finds beloved friendships along the way. I loved this series. Very wholesome, enjoyable, and entertaining. An anti-heroine after my own heart. 

A Silent Voice (2016) Movie (130 minutes)

8.5/10; The film covers elements of coming of age and psychological drama, dealing with themes of bullying, disability, forgiveness, mental health, suicide, and friendship of opposite sexes. It follows the story of a former bully turned social outcast, who decides to reconnect and befriend the deaf girl he had bullied years prior. Tissues are an absolute must for this one!

Hell's Paradise (2023) 1 Season (13 episodes, ongoing)

8.4/10; Sentenced to death, ninja Gabimaru the Hollow finds himself apathetic. After leading a blood-soaked life, Gabimaru believes he deserves to die. However, every attempt to execute him inexplicably fails. Finally, Sagiri Yamada Asaemon, a fledgling member of a famed executioner clan, is asked to take Gabimaru's life; yet Sagiri makes no move to kill him as requested. Insisting that Gabimaru will not die because of his love for his wife, Sagiri instead offers him the chance to obtain a full pardon for his crimes. If he can travel to the island of Shinsekyo and obtain the Elixir of Life—which supposedly grants immortality—and bring it back for the shogun, then his freedom will be assured. But of the many who have traveled to Shinsekyo in search of the mythical Elixir, not a single person has returned sound of mind, if at all. Though unaware of the numerous dangers ahead, Gabimaru decides to accept the offer—alongside ten other death row convicts—in hope that he and his wife may finally live in peace.   Incredible action sequences and excellent animation from MAPPA studios. Excited to see how the story finishes. This was definitely a step out of my usual genre comfort zone.

 Kanojo ga Koushaku-tei ni Itta Riyuu (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes)

8.3/10; Eunha Park dies in modern day Seoul and gets reincarnated in a novel as an extra character named Raeliana McMillan who eventually gets killed off during the story. To avoid her second death, she pretends to be the fiancée of the male lead Duke Noah Volstaire Wynknight for 6 months. Will Noah help Raeliana avoid her ill-fated ending, or is history doomed to repeat itself? 

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes) 

8/10; Himuro-kun is a descendant of a snow woman in Japanese folklore. As a result, when he experiences a strong emotion he can create a snow storm. Before he arrives on his first days as an office worker, he literally gets cold feet and is frozen in place. Fuyutsuki-san helps by providing some warm tea and comfort which forms the beginning of their mutual affection towards each other. This series was a very wholesome slice of life office romance. It was so refreshing to see a male character be so open and vulnerable with his feelings. I hope we'll be able to see more from this series in the future. 

Tokyo Godfathers (2003) Movie (92 minutes)

8/10; One Christmas Eve, three homeless people—a middle-aged alcoholic named Gin, a crossdresser named Hana, and a dependent teenage runaway named Miyuki—discover an abandoned newborn while searching through the garbage for presents. On the baby is a note asking the finder to take good care of her and a key, leading to a bag with clues to the parents' identity. | An interesting interpretation of found family and divine timing. The animation style was really unique and you couldn't help but root for these people who have found one another. It also looks at the darker themes of how homelessness is looked at in Tokyo (but truly the world). Very unique film. 

Otonari ni Ginga (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes)

7.9/10; Ichirou Kuga has suddenly found himself taking on the responsibility of caring for his two younger siblings after their father's untimely death. To make ends meet, Ichirou rents out rooms in the apartment complex he inherited and works full-time as a shoujo manga artist. However, his manga sales are low, his assistants have recently left, and deadlines are fast approaching. As stress threatens to overtake Ichirou, salvation comes in the form of an extremely competent novice artist, Shiori Goshiki, who becomes his new assistant. With her skills, they are able to tide over the difficult situation, and things begin looking up. But in a bizarre accident, a supernatural experience unfolds between Ichirou and Shirou, which leads her to declare them engaged. With this seemingly innocuous action upending his life, Ichirou now has to manage his new and peculiar relationship with the mysterious girl, all the while following his own passion and fulfilling the duties that rest on his shoulders. The pacing of the series probably would've come across better if I had watched the episodes back to back instead week to week. The romance between the main characters was very sweet and endearing. I think what threw me off was the lore of the princess's world combined with the ordinary day to day. It's a shame the series ended when it did because there's so much left unanswered but I suppose that's the draw to read the manga. Enjoyable and sweet overall. 

Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia (2023) 1 Season (13 episodes)

7.9/10; In the small city of Nanao, insomniac Ganta Nakami tries to catch a nap in his school's abandoned astronomical observatory. There he stumbles upon a sociable and carefree girl named Isaki Magari who has the same problem. The two form an awkward friendship and reestablish their school's defunct astronomy club. It was a very sweet romance between two teenagers that have experienced quite a bit of trauma in their lives. Finding comfort and understanding within each other, they begin to heal and grow closer together. 

Tomo-chan is a girl (2023) 1 Season (13 episodes)

6.2/10; A girl confesses to her childhood friend and he doesn't believe her because he doesn't see her as a girl. Tomo tries to be girlier but ultimately Jun realizes he's loved her all along. The plot loses the thread a few times but the pay off in the end for their relationship was worth it. A cute, silly, fun time watch.

Yuri Is My Job! (2023) 1 Season (12 episodes)

6/10; Hime Shiraki is a high school girl who deeply cares about her image as a sweet, helpful princess but on the inside only cares about herself. So when she accidentally injures a café manager named Mai Koshiba, she is willing to cover some shifts to keep her façade intact. Hime ends up working as a waitress at a place that is part café, part theater, where all the waitresses pretend to be students at a fictional all-girls boarding school known as Liebe Girls Academy. Hime finds herself drawn to another waitress at the café, who in front of the customers gives Hime love and devotion like she has never known. However, behind the scenes, the girl seems to hate her guts. I really had a difficult time staying interested initially because of the tsundere attitude and it took awhile to find out what was causing it. The episodes that explored the two main character’s histories and background were the best parts of the series. If I rated the series just on those episodes I would've given it a 9 because it really did capture the experience of loving your best friend and being frustrated when they don't understand those feelings. I want to read the manga and see if there's more to the story there but overall I was very disappointed in the anime. 

Omoi Omoware Furi Furare (2020) Movie (103 minutes)

5.8/10; Yuna Ichihara is in the spring before her first year of high school and is pained to be separated from her best friend Sacchan who is moving away. On her way to the train station, she is stopped by a random girl named Akari Yamamoto, who asks her for money for her train fare. Although Yuna is somewhat afraid and reluctant, she gives the girl money, who in turn gives Yuna her bracelet as a promise she will meet her tomorrow to pay her back. On the same day, Yuna runs twice into a boy who looks like the idolized prince of her childhood who she referred to as her first love. After that, the girl named Akari returns Yuna's money, they head home together only to find out that they live in the same apartment building. The girls instantly become friends. However, they find that they explore love in completely different ways, and Yuna may be in love with Akari's younger brother and Akari in love with Yuna's childhood friend. | It's difficult because the series was 12 volumes put into one film so the pacing of it was a bit different. Also with fan subs it's always possible that certain points get lost in translation. The build up to Yuna and Rio was strange, especially since he initially had a crush and kissed his step sister. They eventually got to a cute place but I have a feeling it was better explained in the manga. And for whatever reason I just didn't really care for Akari; she was always keeping secrets and carrying the burden of things when Yuna always offered to help. The animation was stunning and I can tell the story had a lot of potential. 

Fragtime (2019) Movie (61 minutes)

5.7/10; Misuzu Moritani is an introvert who has always had difficulty interacting with her classmates, quickly becoming flustered whenever someone tries to talk to her. Sometimes, she will use her ability to stop time for three minutes to escape troublesome social situations. One day, as Misuzu watches the suspended environment around her, she observes that her classmate, Haruka Murakami, is somehow able to move despite her temporal influence. From that moment on, Misuzu experiences new wonders as she explores more of the world she has long avoided; no matter where time may take her, Misuzu can count on Haruka to always be at her side. It was equally too long and too short. I don't think the point of the movie really came across. The two main girls were very sweet but overall I wanted the story to be more interesting.

[cartoonkitten]

ngl. can I like, throw out some ric and cherry (and garth sorta) villain/antagonist arc hcs or something

I’m gonna assume they were in the same bunch of students at howlington when they were 14. but ric wasn’t initially friends with cherry and garth (cause let’s be real, those 2 have been besties since then), but eventually became friends with them. I’m gonna contrast him to freddy for a sec and say he was kinda bullied, but unlike freddy, he ended up taking the wrong path in life and glorified the destructive and absurd behaviors of the wilder wolves in secret, and to cherry and garth he did give sorta weirdo vibes, being sorta reckless (even more so than garth but actually intentionally and not accidentally lol), but he never explicitly seemed like a bad guy, so they did become friends. I wanna say after howlington was wrapping up for them and they had just graduated into the night patrol is when ric sought out real wilder wolves for whatever weird reason, but was never taken seriously by them either. now the part that really set him off into deciding to be evil im not all that sure of, but maybe I’ll just say that he was just pissed off and frustrated that not only his own pack thought he was too reckless but his ‘icons’ (for lack of better words) simultaneously thought he was too tame/not really wild and had no good use, and it tore him. idk I’m really working with crumbs here. but basically he decided to form his own wild pack out of spite, while still maintaining an image as part of the pack to infiltrate and catch off guard. eventually just deciding ‘yeah fuck this I’m officially against y’all’. admittedly I sorta lost what I had going for this idea but really I cant come up with very good ideas I fear. but i wanted to make his arc kinda ironic in the end, cause his mind was so clouded with arrogance and frustration that he forgot that despite all he had planned to be evil, right in front of him (or his facade really, but still, it’s still /him/, like /his/ personality nonetheless, just masking his villainess) he still found people who respected him, like his new night patrol crew, flashheart, cherry and garth, his students who looked up to him sm. he could’ve changed for his own sake and the sake of others, like cherry, but kept falling into his anger and let himself grow more power hungry, leading him to his death, contrary to freddy, who held his father’s, mutton’s, and batty’s (his closest family) words close to his heart the whole rest of his life to guide him down the right path and find his place that made him happy, and look where that lead him.

as for cherry i genuinely have no idea what to do for her. like she has 0 character depth I have to work with so I’m just gonna make up some shit. maybe she doesn’t feel strong enough, or smart enough, or like she’s pressured so much it makes her wanna go ape shit a little, who knows, just /something/ that could give her a reason to turn against the protags. now, this might be a wee bit random, but ngl, it would’ve been so cool of 100% wolf if they made cherry’s character a message on untreated mental illness. cause they could’ve totally hinted more towards her having some sort of mental issue and have her fall down an awful path due insecurity and anxiety n such. fucking hell, going back to the first 3 suggestions, it could literally be lead from any of those and still be some sort of reference to that. it can deliver the idea that nobody struggling deserves to go unseen when they’re at their lows, and that doing nothing will only make things darker. your friends are here to listen to you, to pull you up, and be there for you, only if you let them, and allow yourself to support yourself moving forward as you heal, and you will feel better, you’ll grow a different view on life. again, it’s literally another reference to the whole franchise’s theme, only slightly more unique. leaving us with "I wanted to be wild, but turns out I’m not" isn’t how you write something that’s clearly supposed to be compelling and interesting. give us some feelings within her, some internal conflict, something we can relate to that isn’t so nonexistent and bland. idc if the mental illness idea I had even makes sense, I literally just want some cherry development cause there’s no way they really left us with that little info 😭

[idontknowreallywhy]

Ahahaha Nutty’s question sent me waaaay down the rabbit hole so am going to post them separately as I’ve already lost the draft once…

If I ever manage to pluck up the courage to write fanfiction I’d give this AU a go but I probably won’t as too intimidated by all the incredible talent out there so if anyone else wants to run with it please let me know and go for it….

Starting with Virgil…

Our virtuosic Virgil is constantly torn between his love of science and love of the arts. He graduates with joint honours in engineering and music then moonlights with an experimental jazz ensemble to earn some cash while studying for his doctorate. He occasionally performs as a concert pianist but the work is scarce and he decides he can do more good with engineering.

He becomes a well respected civil engineer and consults on many of the top building projects of the time, although he becomes weary of the egos of the project owners and his hardline approach to safety causes friction more often than not.

Virgil finds himself in London to assist with the rebuild of another vanity project - this time a late 20th century bridge that keeps throwing pedestrians into the Thames. The atmosphere is tense for weeks and eventually comes to a head when Virgil refuses to accept a bribe to overlook serious structural flaws in his report to the design regulator. He resigns and the owners take revenge by bad mouthing him to all their rich building sponsor friends.

Jaded and concluding that engineering is too full of muppets to be worth the stress, Virgil throws himself into the London music scene and ends up as a guest soloist for the London Symphony Orchestra which he enjoys but finds a little lonely - as the soloist he’s never truly part of the group.

One night, having absolutely nailed the Rach 2 in the first half, Virgil decides to hang around and watch the LSO take on the Tchaikovsky 6th symphony in the second. He was impressed by how much passion and hard work had been laid down in rehearsals and was excited to see the eventual performance. But the conductor is taken ill just before it begins. Virgil is the only option they have other than cancelling the concert and so, knowing they are so well rehearsed the orchestra can basically conduct itself he agrees.

Amateur videos of the performance were used as a teaching aid in music colleges for a decade afterwards. The audience wept. The players wept. Virgil had never felt so alive. The resident conductor retires and Virgil finally finds his true calling.

A year or so later he meets an attractive fire chief in a bar and long story short between them they pioneer a new method of extinguishing flames with sound.

Question of the day

The eldest Tracy boys were well into their life goals when Jeff announced his plans for IR.

If Jeff hadn’t developed IR, what do you think the brothers would have done with their lives?