#im laughing at how dramatic this is

[rviner]

In this moment, Teddy doesn't think she's ever trusted Nolan as much as she does right now. The one thing stabling through the chaos. She feels his arm come around her, protective and tense, pulling her against him as the impact of shattered glass rains down, slicing through the air. Teddy flinches, eyes shutting tight as she raises a trembling hand to shield her face, her shoulders stinging with the sudden slice of a shard. "Fuck!" she gasps, a raw sound of both pain and fear. But her gaze quickly darts to Nolan, catching the blooded line on his cheek.

She opens her mouth to say something, anything, but as masked figures pool into the street, Teddy's caught in a moment of confusion and terror. "Who even are..." they're locked in a second of hesitation as the figures blend into the chaos of the crowd but that single second of hesitation is ripped away as gunfire starts. The crowd's screams merge into one overwhelming wave, Teddy frozen before Nolan's grip tightens and he yanks her back with such a force that it nearly knocks her breath out.

When he pushes her into the broken storefront, the crunch of glass underfoot sends another shiver of fear through her. "Nolan..." Teddy's words are cut off as her gaze lands on the bodies strewn across the floor, blood mixing with dust and glass shards. For a moment, her mind blanks, caught in the brutal reality sprawled in front of her. But then Nolan steps in front of her, blocking her view, his hands firm on her shoulders, his voice cutting through the chaos like a lifeline. Her gaze fixes on him, her focus reeling as she nods. "Right, yeah. Okay, keep moving." the words barely escape her as he's guiding her again as they rush for the stairs.

Each step feels like it pulls her deeper into a relentless nightmare, but she clings to Nolan's hand, fingers wrapped so tight she can feel his pulse beneath his skin. They climb higher, but even as they rise, the chaos beyond the store doesn't quiet. Every scream, every burst of gunfire seems to reach up to them, clawing at her nerves, setting her teeth on edge. When they reach the next level, Teddy scans the space desperately, searching for anything that leads to the roof. There's no sign of a fire escape ladder, no hatch, no clear path up.

"Fuck." she breathes, voice barely audible as her fingers tighten around his. She tugs him into a nearby room, her grip slipping free only when she rushes to a set of doors, throwing them open with a hope that feels thinner with every second. The fire escape outside is barely hanging on, the metal warped and rusted, the first few steps crumbling, more of a hazard than an escape. Her gaze flicks to Nolan, catching his eyes as she runs a hand over her face, pausing when she notices the blood smeared across her palm.

She lets her hand fall back to her side, swallowing down the rising panic. "I think your legs are long enough to skip the first steps." she mutters, a shaky grin shot at him. "Maybe you can make it across and pull me over?" she offers, her voice a mix of urgency and doubt, fully aware they're running out of time. And then the sound of footsteps echo from the floor below, too fast and too many to be anything friendly. Looters, masked figures, she can't tell, but the threat feels too close. "Go, quick. We can do it." Teddy urges, shoving at Nolan's arm in a rush, to get them moving.

Nolan wishes they could stop so that Teddy could catch her breath from the shock of what's happened. But they can't, and so he continues to pull her along, holding her upright as they trek through the treacherous streets. "I don't know! We just gotta get outta," he gestures wildly as they run, doing his best not to outpace her but maintain the sense of urgency. The very real fire at their back urging them on. He nods at the suggestion of back streets, already pivoting them towards what he thinks might be a path when another explosion rocks the ground they stand on and he tightens his grip on Teddy, hunching over her protectively as glass shatters from a nearby window, shards flying in every direction. He squeezes his eyes shut, wincing at the cuts that slice at his cheek. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

"That's in the other direction!" he shouts over the discordant noise surrounding them. "You're right about the back streets, they're our best–" bet. Words cut off as masked figures emerge and Nolan swears, already tugging Teddy back cautiously "We need to get off the streets, Teds." It doesn't matter where but his only focus is on getting them both out of this mess. They can find people later. There's a tense moment, when the figures stand still, having pooled into the crowd. The seconds feel like a string, pulled taut before it snaps and everything speeds up when they begin firing into the crowds and the screaming starts.

He doesn't think, he just does. Nolan tightens his grip on Teddy's arm, practically hauling her back. "We gotta go up!" He yells, trying to think quickly as he shoves her into a blown out storefront, the door hanging off the hinges, glass crunching beneath them. There are bodies on the floor, unmoving and bloodied, covered in debris. Nolan spins around, trying to see any sign of life before his gaze falls on Teddy. Her gaze on them. "Teddy. C'mon, look," he moves to stand in front of her, two bloody hands on her shoulder to draw her focus. "We have to keep moving." Nolan's voice contrasts the chaos outside as he tries to reach through the fog to Teddy. Which he hopes is enough incentive to get her moving again, his heart pounding as he takes her hand, already pulling her into the store, towards the stairs he sees leading up to a second floor. "The roofs, Teds – best bet." He explains as they begin to climb, his heart seeming to beat in time with each rushed step.

[neonhellscape]

most offputting twink youve ever seen in your life

[milkbreadtoast]

o yeah btw i liked these guys from the latest crk update..... detective gays.... macaroni and cheese....🤭

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

do—

Do Howdy and Barnaby ever get together in your human au 🥺🥺

of course they do, who do you think i am

oh BOY do i have things to say about human!Laughingstock! im so unwell about them allow me to talk and talk and talk and ta-

~

so in this au they're like... the ultimate slowburn. their feelings for each other slowly simmer and grow over the course of *checks nonexistent watch* a lil over a decade i think. it's not very dramatic - just soft & silly w/ just a heap of pining and a pinch of angst for Flavor

it starts when they were teens - Howdy had a lil crush on Barnaby in middle school. and how could he not? Barnaby was cute, hilarious, and kind. at this point, they weren't friends! Barnaby knew Howdy's name, but only because they'd shared a school since elementary (as with 6/7 of the other neighbors) & speaking from experience, you just Know Those Names. Howdy slowly "grew out of" this crush, especially when the friend group started forming and he & Barnaby became actual friends.

that crush would fluctuate over the years. It starts out strong and then softens into just this hum in the back of Howdy's mind. always there, often easy to ignore, just... part of him, in a way.

Barnaby has a similar experience. when he and Howdy became friends, he got a lil crush - how could he not? Howdy was cute, laughed at all of his jokes and had a few of his own, and was endearingly eccentric. but at the time, Barnaby didn't recognize the crush for what it was. so he elected to ignore it until the crush dwindled to something easily manageable, something he wouldn't realize is still there. as with Howdy's, it'd never fully go away

and its noticeable enough to their friends that they'd all kinda side-eye how touchy Howdy & Barnaby are with each other (Barnaby is a physical guy, but damn. if Howdy is nearby they Will find a way to be touching at all times), the way they always laugh at each others jokes, the way they always ask "where's [x] / is [x] coming with" whenever the other is absent. but the group couldn't be sure if they were looking into it or not. it's too subtle. over time they get so used to it that they don't bat an eye - Howdy is Barnaby's best friend after Wally. of course they're close!

but then there's this one college party Howdy drags Barnaby to (and by extension, Wally). they're drunk off their asses, Wally's edible has kicked in, the party is pretty chill and everyone is having a decent time. all three of them are on the couch, and Barnaby and Howdy start drunk-complimenting each other. naturally, this feeds their mutual attraction, and one thing leads to another! they make out on the couch. naturally with Wally sandwiched between them, snacking on chips and committing the moment to memory (it's a surprise tool that'll help them later!) neither Barnaby nor Howdy will remember this

now, something i'd like to state for Barnaby in this au! he has had a lot of relationships - from one night stands to actually dating someone for months. sometimes the one night stands were a "he takes someone home after a date, & they leave while he's sleeping and ghost him" situation. with actual dating, the other person always breaks things off after a few weeks, if not days. it breaks Barnaby's heart a little bit every time. to the point where in his mid-20s, he just... stops dating. he avoids other people's advancements towards him, he always takes a friend with him to bars/etc as a buffer, he becomes an expert at gracefully turning people down

("why, pray tell" no one asks "do they always leave him? he's such a catch!" that he is! when he was in school, it was his friend group. he'd try to introduce his 'girlfriend' to his friends, and it'd be an immediate "eugh, you're friends with those freaks? no way!" as an adult, people found it off-putting how (by societal standards) unusually close he was with Wally. also, again, a "weird" friend group. they'd think it's too much, or just not their scene, or 'why don't you date your little blue haired boyfriend', etc. Barnaby never holds it against Wally or his friends. he has the mindset of if that person was the one, they would accept every part of Barnaby - and his friends are indeed part of him. Howdy has also dated around a little, but to a much lesser extent. he's too busy! he doesn't have time for that!)

but the ball really starts rolling in their late 20s. something the group does together - as a fun lil rare hobby - is LARPing. they get really into it! Sally made them all custom costumes, Julie helped make the weapons (like a giant sword for herself), etc etc. they fully commit to the bit (even Frank <3). so at this event's point in the timeline, Eddie is fully integrated into the clique, but that's unimportant - just to show where we are!

so they're all doing their thing, it's a pretty big LARP event - there's always way more people than our dear neighbors, yk. they're just part of the crowd! & there's a big battle hosted, the group is split between teams, but Barnaby & Howdy are on the same side! yay! during the battle, Barnaby is "mortally wounded." Howdy half-drags him away from the main battle under the cover of their teammates (including Eddie and Julie) and sits him down by the tree. now, Howdy & Barnaby are the ones who get into the roleplay the most. they get lost in the sauce! they perform the hell out of everything they do!

& since Barnaby is "dying", he really acts like it. Howdy acts accordingly, but again, they get a little too emotional, a little too into it, a little lost in the sauce. genuine tears are in their eyes, Howdy's voice is genuinely shaking a little as he holds Barnaby in his "dying moments" (Barnaby is holding the sword between his arm and his side. he has ketchup on his armor.) Eddie and Julie are getting choked up just watching this happen. and as Howdy & Barnaby look into each others' tear-filled eyes, those little feelings that have been so quiet for so long come right back babey! full force! but then they all get hit with "arrows" and have to die right there and then, and the moments over. but! both Barnaby & Howdy walk away from this LARP session grappling with Partially Realized Feelings.

Barnaby struggles with this the most, since yk at this point he's sworn off dating. he's being careful with his heart! but when he tells Wally all of this, cause he tells Wally everything, Wally's like "oh. yes, i know! remember that one college party where you two kissed for an hour". and then he goes on to point out every instance where he's thought "right, Howdy and Barnaby are in love" (bc Wally is way more observant than he lets on! he saw that shit! his peepers were peepin!)

BUT IT'S STILL A SLOW BURN BABEY!

Barnaby and Howdy don't approach each other about this. they're both in the boat of "well, i'll just keep going and see what happens" to the point where they're practically dating without ever saying anything to each other. Howdy notices how Barnaby lingers around the store more. Barnaby notices how Howdy keeps turning up at his work to talk more. (they already chat so much...) but they still! dont! say! anything! but they both Know! they're not emotionally circling each other they are Dancing to their Own Music!

and Barnaby is letting himself believe that this can work because, well... Howdy already accepts him as he is. Howdy is part of the group. Howdy loves Wally just like the rest of em. Howdy has seen Barnaby at his (presumed) worst and didn't even flinch! as for Howdy, well, he just thinks this is right! his whole life no one has really caught his eyes or heart, but Barnaby is different. he's always been in Howdy's peripherals. it feels natural to love him so deeply. Barnaby slots into his life like the final piece of a puzzle!

there's a lot of stuff that happens in this inbetween state - Howdy's store burns down & almost takes him with it, there's some family drama that needs to be handled, The Crash happens, etc etc etc - so it's a while before they "actually" get together. but they're both patient! they've waited this long, even if they didn't know they were waiting. neither of them are in a rush. they're young. they have time.

[concert-bflat]

Thinks about how. Gloreth only starts looking at Nimona differently/strangely when her parents call her a "monster". Just throws that label with such a negative connotation on her. Gloreth fucking fights for Nimona immediately in the beginning saying that she's her friend and never once looks at her with ridicule until her mom just holds her by the shoulders and tells her she's a monster, straight in the eye, straight in the face. And just the word is enough to cause the change.

Nimona's getting fucking attacked and prodded and Gloreth doesn't even feel sorry for her just because she's now re-contextualizing everything around her but with that word. I'm so sick. She looks not in hesitance but at disbelief before she runs away. She sees Nimona trying to defend herself from literal Danger in any way she can (she's just a kid and she's fighting with people who won't listen, never will, people that she can't get through) but just sees that as more proof of her being violent, monstrous. She sees her friend all alone, with the odds and the world stacked against her despite them being. so similar but just tells her to go back to the shadows.

And like. Of course she believes those words calling Nimona a monster and takes them to heart. Her parents, the ones she would probably trust most are the ones that told her that. And she's young, she doesn't know much about the world or much better. And of course, her parents and the whole village don't know any better. They didn't see what she saw. They don't know or feel the need to know much more than the definition of the word "monster". But it hurts. God it hurts. It's wrong. It's not fair. It's really not fair.

And it causes this whole legend that will stay with Nimona to ridicule her for generations and generations and birth this system that she's trapped by and causes everyone to be so brainwashed. The one that makes people scared and build walls. That births unecessary distrust.

God. Even in the scroll illustrating Nimona and Gloreth, Nimona is portrayed as such a bigger and scarier threat than she ever could be or would be, until Nimona internalized and gave into those images and despair of course. It's not fucking fair.

Thinking about how when the villagers saw Nimona as a "normal" person they were happy for her just living her life and playing with her friend, she was just another kid being happy like she and every ("normal", apparently) person deserves to be, and they were allowing her to be happy then when they find out what she really is they hate her. They call her a monster and drive her out immediately. They don't look into the details that contradict the stigma, they just feel betrayal when they weren't even the ones who were betrayed (Nimona couldn't fucking help being who or what she was. And she was her own person. She was still. A someone. Why do things have to be different now?). I'm so sickkk.

Thinks about how Nimona feels so hopeless as to just. Accept and yield to that label. That label that was passed down to Gloreth. To the whole world. Such simple but awful words. Aughhhhhhhhhhh

Another post I saw talks about how this is a movie about how hate is taught. And oh my god it is. Hate it taught. It's done so simply yet so, painfully effectively. So devastatingly. And that hate teaches people to hate the world back. God I fucking loooove this movie

Also Nimona's such a Creature /pos /affectionate she's so relatable I fucking love her and I'm insane okay that's the post bye

[anarchne]

i wish i could remove the word “adopt” from kept peoples’ vernacular lol

[lottieurl]

the way this ep had me crossing off my bingo "mistynat win" right before a HUGE MISTYNAT LOSSWIN (win but oh lord at what cost) will be funny EVENTUALLY. like remind me in five years i might laugh. not now tho

[harvestmoth]

girls when they.

[risingsouls]

so should you, you ancient fuck 🤣

[livelaughlovefootball]

No... No... Netflix, no,, please, no... please tell me it's a joke

please don't make a big joke out of la liga. It's already enough of a joke, but it's my favorite league and my favorite sport so ahhhh...

please netflix why 🥺🙏

[jakowskis]

one thing abt torchwood is the dialogue can be so corny and edgy and stupid and it's soo much fun to write. dude torchwood's like a telenovela to me HSFJDSFHKDSJF

[dizzybevvie]

.

[theclosetedskeleton]

please please please let my phone not be on its shenanigans anymore. my stupid pleading isnt gonna do shit but i don't wanna confront my parents about my phone being technically broken it stressing me out bad idk if will they'll yell at me

[mirusx]

reddit is a very interesting platform cause what do you mean someone expressed their thoughts about the story and a person replied to them 'it's just fiction, calm down'

[barkingangelbaby]

venting so much i ran out of tags lmao

[elegyofthemoon]

God what's that guy's name again. In Fire Emblem. The slut who wants to be a jock

HOW COULD YOU..... HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME......