#it is Very Clear that they put that extra time in production to good use

[randomfoggytiger]

The X-Files: A Day-in-the-Life On-Set

An extract from this (very long) 1995 Chris Carter post.

CRUSHING TIMELINES AND ULTIMATE FREEDOM

…The Los Angeles office, housed in its own bungalow, is nicely appointed but relatively spare. 

The [Los Angeles] office itself is bustling this particularly morning, as writers move in and out--- occasionally invading the space of researcher/officer manager Mary Astadourian, where various drawers full of research material are kept. In there, the scribes will find literature on the paranormal, diseases, viruses, and various monsters, with folders that carry labels like “Roswell” or “Loch Ness.” 

…Part of the morning is devoted to the regularly scheduled writers’ meeting, with the entire staff… assembling to go over that week’s script, blocking out the teaser and all four acts….

The other writers question each nuance, throwing out suggestions to refine the story and make sure it’s clear…. Despite the need for exposition, Carter also stresses not letting the pace drag, wanting to spread action within the hour (or more precisely, 44 minutes or so minus commercials) allotted them. “Make sure you keep it hoppin’,” he says. 

…Eventually, it’s suggested they shift some action from the second act into the first in order to achieve the proper sense of pacing. The move requires some reconfiguration of other plot elements, but once those are blocked out the producer and other writers seem content. “That works for me,” says Carter, sending the show’s writer off to do another rewrite. 

Carter’s daily schedule, however, is just beginning. The writers’ session is followed by what’s known as a concept meeting-- a teleconference with the staff in Vancouver to grapple with various production issues before the begin filming a new episode…. 

Other issues involve the number of extras they can use….

Because money is always an issue, and time a luxury the crew usually doesn’t have, compromise and ingenuity remain key….

The producers also pride themselves on finding means of scavenging resources, then developing different ways to capitalize upon them. A prime case involves the crew getting access to a Canadian Navy destroyer that was then used in three different episodes, including “Dod Kalm”... and “End Game”.... “It’s fun,” Carter says, “to make something out of nothing.” 

Episodes must be plotted down to the most minute details-- in part because Carter is a perfectionist, and in part because the show is under a microscope now, with fans picking and nitpicking every conceivable aspect. Issues raised include what sort of garb Native Americans depicted should wear, with an emphasis on being as faithful as possible to tribal customs. (A Navajo group has complained because a character wore his hair down, something the elders in that tribe wouldn’t normally do, in the episode entitled “Anasazi.” Carter subsequently visited a Navajo reservation and attended one of their ceremonies.) 

From a more practical standpoint, the Vancouver team wants to know whether they can wardrobe the actors in blue jeans because some postproduction special effects shots use blue-screen, which essentially eliminates that color. 

The L.A. staffers are also assured that a shoot-out sequence will be top-notch, with bullet hits and ricochets plus a movie-style car explosion. Can it be done? “The answer’s yes… with disclaimers,” quips Beck good-naturedly adding, “One big disclaimer: How much money you got?” 

…The crew clearly takes enormous pride in the series, which presents them with such challenges on almost a daily basis and allows them to put their skills to the fullest possible use. Some freely admit, in fact, that they’ve been spoiled by their involvement with "The X-Files" and would have a hard time working elsewhere. “They’d have to drag me kicking and screaming off this show,” Gauthier says. 

The same goes for makeup special effects supervisor Toby Lindala…. Still, Lindala has proven up to most any task, with the Flukeman-- a costume his crew created in 10 days that had to weather water and other shooting ordeals-- still his proudest accomplishment. “That was probably the most insane undertaking for a time period,” says Lindala, who worked a 28-and 28-hour day during that stretch to get the suit ready in time. Even so, Lindala grew up watching monster movies and isn’t complaining, relishing the opportunities the show has provided to fool around with such projects. “I love making ‘em,” he says. 

Goodwin, a veteran producer who has worked on such series as "Life Goes On" and "Mancuso FBI", now tries to provide more lead time to prepare such major undertakings, but in most instances Lindala and his team (four people, including Lindala, work full time in that area) have just seven days’ notice to put a makeup effect together, and his services are needed in virtually every episode. 

…Careful planning remains the main hedge against both cost and time crunches, with Goodwin pointing out that in television time essentially translates directly into money. “The quicker you have to do it, the more it costs,” he says, adding that while some in the industry are tempted to cut corners, “My motto is, ‘Quality, whether they want it or not.’” 

…Kim Manners, also one of the show’s pool of directors, lauds Carter for treating each installment like a mini-movie. The process gives the individual directors-- who in episodic television, which is dominated by executive producers, are often viewed as transient guns for hire-- the opportunity to truly ply their trade. “He insists that you go out and be a filmmaker,” Manners says. “He doesn’t want you just go out and be a traffic cop.” Because of that freedom, he adds, the show is “the zenith of my career.” 

…Unlike most television shows that shoot on location, on "The X-Files" whoever scripted that particular episode goes to Vancouver to scout out locations and do other preparatory work. “To make sure,” as story editor Frank Spotnitz puts it, “everything is in sync with what the writer had in mind,” from casting to production design. In the cryptic vernacular of the show, the process stems from commitment to “purity control.” 

…For the episode in question, that means co-executive producer Howard Gordon, the only member of the writing staff other than creator Chris Carter who has been with the show virtually since the beginning, has made the sojourn to Vancouver. “As a writer, you don’t get that experience on any other show,” says Gordon. 

…Other matters have also arisen, some remarkable in their degree of minutia. Gordon’s script for the episode being prepared, for example, contains a seemingly innocuous reference to being “in the mood for some Quarter Pounders,” and Fox’s legal department wants them to clear the wording with McDonald’s…. “That’s a great line,” says an only slightly exasperated Manners…. Hours later, it’s decided to change to a more generic term rather than hassle the legal issue. 

…A later shot involves disposing of the [dead] cow, and Gordon-- a city kid from New York-- has actually researched the matter…. …But in light of McDonald’s headache, Carter has another suggestion. “How ‘bout if we just have a truck with golden arches on the side?” he jokes, spurring laughs from everyone in the room. 

…The attention to detail, again, proves remarkable, driven by Carter’s commitment to perfection. 

The entire process involved in shooting an episode of "The X-Files", from the first day of preparation to the last day of postproduction, usually takes six to eight weeks, with the seven days of preparation key to ensuring that the eight days of production that follow go smoothly-- though even the enormous effort that goes into planning can never account for every detail that can delay filming and raise blood pressure rates all around. In the middle of the season, as time grows shorter, there’s occasionally been as little as five weeks from prep to air. 

Just two days before shooting is to begin, Manners, Gordon, Carter, and co-executive producer R.W. Goodwin cram into a small audition room, where they’re scheduled to see more than 20 actors in just over an hour….

Manners, Gordon, and about 15 crew members, including special effects ace Dave Gauthier, production designer Graeme Murray, and others from various departments, later embark on a technical survey. They pile into an air-conditioned bus to scout out all the locations that will be involved in the upcoming shoot, usually a six-to-eight hour pilgrimage. “And this is the easy part,” laughs set decorator Shirley Inget. 

Carter follows the group to the door but has too much work at the office to come along. “I’m gonna miss this one, you guys,” he tells them, which is met with a collective “Aw” from the bus. 

…The bunch straggles back to the studio around 7:30 P.M., almost eight hours after their departure. On a near-by soundstage, meanwhile, Bowman is directing stars David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson, trying to keep the level of enthusiasm up with another long night of work to do. Shooting is frequently a tedious process, with long lapses between the action as shots are set up. The two stars carry out an emotional scene in front of an elevator that isn’t really an elevator, with a crew member behind the soundstage wall sliding a wooden door closed to approximate the effect. “I love it!” Bowman proclaims as the scene ends, watching the shot through a monitor and lauding his star as “One-take Duchovny.” 

Outside, Anderson’s baby, Piper… plays with various staff members as well as her father, assistant art director Clyde Klotz, who’s just returned from the technical survey. Piper shows off her mother’s piercing eyes and frolics later with Duchovny’s dog, Blue (his constant companion on the set), both seemingly fascinated with and a bit perplexed by the other. "The X-Files" is, indeed, a family affair, underscored when Goodwin brings his 10-year-old son and a friend into the production office the next morning, the latter collecting autographs from everyone on that week’s script. 

A short time later Duchovny and Anderson arrive, enjoying a few quiet moments while Piper plays nearby in a small red tub, watched carefully by her nanny. …Though he isn’t shooting that day, actor Mitch Pileggi (who seems to create quite a stir among the female office staff) also pops by to look over dailies, or raw footage, of a fight sequence featuring him shot earlier in the week.  

…Bowman has to deal with five actors (Anderson, Duchovny, and Gunmen Dean Haglund, Bruce Harwood, and Braidwood) in a relatively confined space, so the staging will be critical. After Bowman aligns them one way, Duchovny suggests an alternative in handling the shot, and various configurations are tried. As they begin rehearsing, everyone still seems a bit punchy, and the mood is light. Haglund keeps wanting to call a Nazi scientist “Kempler” instead of “Klemper”, and Duchovny has a hard time not laughing each time Braidwood (who comes up roughly to the actor’s chin) approaches him, with Frohike supposed to act relieved to see Mulder alive after the events that closed the second season. “Did you ever see the Star Trek where Spock thought that Kirk died?” Duchovny tells him with his trademark deadpan delivery. ‘That’s what you want to be doing.” 

Production ultimately won’t conclude until near 2 A.M. that morning…. 

[hadestigers]

now hang on now.

[sunnie-angel]

Come Home Soon

jason todd x gn!reader

rating: general | wc: 780

inspired by this ask

Jason Todd’s never really gotten over the shock of having you in his life. He pinches himself sometimes, just to check, uncertain sometimes that this is all real. That the neat way you’ve inserted yourself into his life isn’t just an errant daydream too perfect to be true. 8 months it’s been and the butterflies in his stomach are still alive as ever.

Gotham’s been more…chaotic than usual these past few weeks. Arkham’s latest breakout has been a shit show he’d never like to repeat, thank you very much. Jason’s been half dead on his feet from all the extra patrols he’s been doing at the Bats’ requests, damage control spilling into the small hours of the morning. It’s almost a relief then, when you get invited on a road trip out of town. For a little while the constant fear that he won’t be there, that danger will come scratching at your door while he is caught unawares in a different part of the city, will be put to rest.

He is happy, then, to see you off. Presses kisses to your cheeks and reminds you to call when you arrive with a smile on his face. The relief lasts the length of time it takes for your car to disappear into traffic. It dawns on him then, that this will be the longest time you’ve spent apart since he had worked up the trembling courage to ask you out. The apartment feels hollow, without you as its living, breathing heart. There’s no music playing in the kitchen and the side table by the couch isn’t littered with your forgotten cups of tea. Half of your products are gone from the bathroom, empty holes littering the countertop. Jason doesn’t realize how much space you occupy in his life by simply existing until all of that emptiness is staring back at him.

He wonders just how far you’ve driven by now. If you’d had to stop for extra gas and if you’d chosen a sweet or savoury snack for the last half of the journey. He wonders if you have a road trip playlist or if you’d mind making one together. The two of you don’t go driving in a car often, no, Jason prefers the wind of his bike and the warmth of you at his back too much. But he thinks that he might like making exceptions for you.

It’s bittersweet, then, thinking of your life without him. You wouldn’t be half so good with using a taser as you are now. Wouldn’t know the combinations and routes for a dozen contingency plans. As he sits in that apartment so changed by your influence and pictures you winding down some country road, he thinks about the ways he’s shaped your life. Gotham’s just one city in the grand scheme of the world but every moment you’re in it, your life is at risk. Not just because of your love for him, but any stray bullet or dose of fear toxin would take you away just the same. There’s whole countries out in the world that he knows you’d love that aren’t all trying to kill you in gruesome and horrible ways. More, if you go without him.

The vibrations of his phone in his pocket shake him from his reverie. It’s your contact photo, the one you’d stolen his phone to take, that smiles up at him.

“Hiya, baby!” your voice is more cheerful than he’d expected. “We just got in for the night, you wouldn’t believe how bad traffic was getting out of the city. Actually wait, you remember that…”

He doesn’t remember the anecdote, but he appreciates the sounds of your voice washing over him. For the first time all day, he feels settled in his skin. The apartment doesn’t feel so empty with your voice filling it.

“Oh and Jason, if Mrs. Dudek down at the market is selling packzi this weekend could you pick some up?” It’s the offhanded nature of your request that cements in his mind that you’re coming back. That you’ve always been planning to come back. It soothes that little part of him that still wonders if all of this will dissolve like spun sugar on the tongue. That for all the troubles he’s brought to your door, you still choose to come home to him.

“Yeah,” he clears his throat and tries again. “Yeah, I’ll swing by and grab some if she’s there. No guarantee they’ll all still be in the box by the time you get back.”

“Get two boxes then, you pastry fiend.” you laugh, affection colouring your voice. “I miss you and I’ll be home soon.”

“I’ll be waiting,” he says simply.

[sordidmusings]

Tender Love and Care - Hair Care (Buggy x Reader)

Art by Capitanpoops (link keeps expiring QnQ)

A/N: Ah yes, another 'taking care of Buggy's head' fic to take up space on the internet. Just gotta indulge in giving this man some tlc. Did I write four thousand words of simping for the cringefail pirate clown's hair? Yes. And I'd do it again >:p

Word Count: ~4 k

Warnings: afab!reader (no pronouns), Lots of Feelings, yearning, possibly angst?, probably hurt/comfort?, waxing very poetic, Buggy being a prickly bitch who doesn't know how to receive affection, Buggy also being a delusional bitch who immediately latches on to that affection

amab!Version

Next ->

~ ~ ~ ••• ✦✦✦ ••• ~ ~ ~

“Touch the makeup and I’ll bite your fingers off!”

“I’m quaking.”

“...I’ll spit in your face.” His eyes narrowed while you blanched. “I’ve got damn good aim too so you better watch those big ol’ eyes.” Almost a compliment? Progress.

“To save us both from catastrophe, I’ll let you keep your grease-face,” you promised. After a few more seconds of giving you the stink eye (really, you should be taking notes because his form is exemplary), Buggy finally settled back into your hold. His stubble scratched lightly at your palms and you allowed your thumbs a scant few passes from his cheek bones to the back of his jaw. That was easy enough to play off as mindless movements while you examined him for the coming wash. Hopefully.  You were at least putting in the effort to keep the affection in your chest from blooming into a wide smile on your face, lest he begin spitting like a wet cat again.

After placing him down on your clothes chest, you began gathering together the things you’d need to clean him up. You had already prepared a large basin of steaming water before you had grabbed Buggy from Zoro for your night shift with him. If he had truly protested against you then you’d just have extra water to pamper yourself with for your nightly routine. What a loss. While you flitted around grabbing a cup, a pile of towels, and care products, Buggy took to commenting about whatever his eyes fell on around your room. Your half-assed replies did nothing to discourage his gentle roast of your safe space. He only shut up when you picked him back up and brought him over to the basin.

You were taken by surprise when you took off his bandana.  You had guessed that his hair was thick from the pieces that framed his face, but you hadn’t expected long locks to be wrapped up in there. They slipped and fell down like silk despite being in clear need of a wash, and you started to become a bit excited to see how they would come to shine under your care.

“What’s wrong with you? Never seen hair before?” There was a bit more bite to him all of a sudden and it hit you that he may be self-conscious from your staring.

“Never seen yours before, duh,” you teased. “You should wear your hair out as a power move against all the scrangly ass men in these waters.”

Buggy took a blank-faced moment to process your words. Probably weighing your sincerity against the backlog of insults he’s heard in his life. Unfortunately, one joking compliment never stood a chance.

“Whatever, just do your job.” His bitter tone made you keep your mouth shut and drop the topic. For now.

Seeing how he had a lot more hair than anticipated, you got up again to grab yet another towel so that you could use it as a cushion. Finally settled, you grabbed Buggy in one hand, the cup in the other, and got to work. You had laid a small board across the basin so you could rest Buggy on it instead of having to hold him up the whole time. You may have gotten strong in this life, but you were not masochistic enough to try holding him up throughout this process. You made sure to be extra gentle when you put him to rest on the back of his head, mindful that the hard plank wasn’t the most comfortable.

Wetting his hairline was taking longer than you thought. The soft noises from the pouring water hitting his scalp and trickling through his hair into the basin below felt loud in the stillness of the room. Everything had a languid air like you could breathe freely without thought or time to measure the passing of each exhale. Wanting to check in, you looked down from your task and into Buggy’s face. Despite all his past showboating, Buggy was having difficulty keeping his gaze anywhere near your face.  You decided to take pity on him in his discomfort but not too much. “So how’d you get your damn good aim?”

Silence.

You’re beginning to think that him looking at you like you’re stupid is his comfort zone.

“You know, that ‘damn good aim’ that makes my ‘big ol’ eyes’ easy targets?” you supplied.  At first, you thought he would roll his eyes and make more digs at you, but he finally caught you off guard.

“It’s a trade secret,” he said with a growing smile and a glint in his eyes. His face grew even more pleased when you smiled mischievously back at him.

“Clown trade?”

He hummed out an affirmative. You saturated the last of his hair at the front and sides and now needed to dunk the rest in the basin. The sheer amount of long blue locks that this pretty, pretty man had may cause it to overflow, but you supposed that’s just a workplace hazard when becoming a glamor clown’s hairdresser. You paused in lowering him to look around quite dramatically (squinty eyes, pursed lips, and all) before leaning slightly closer to stage whisper, “You can tell me; I ain’t no snitch.”

You barely caught the laugh that he choked short in order to keep up his serious facade. He let his eyes wander the room to double check your surveying and pretended to be in thought. He let out a heaving sigh and said, “Okay, okay, but you have to lean in close. Can’t have this getting out.”

Ever obliging, you turned your head and leaned until you felt his warm breath on your skin and the roundness of his nose tickling to top of your ear. You were thankful he couldn’t see the little shiver down your spine or the goosebumps spreading down your neck. He was thankful you couldn’t see him close his eyes to savor the scent of your perfume. All was still for a few breaths too long.

“The secret?” you prompted, thinking he was waiting for your urging or that he was just trying to make you squirm. You didn’t see his eyes flutter open while he forced thoughts other than your closeness back into that head of his. Okay, he really needed to do something to reel himself back in and get some control of the situation.  Easier said than done when he’s only a head.

You felt as much as you heard him take a deliberate inhale… only for a loud raspberry to be blown right next to your ear.

Nearly dropping him in shock, you quickly pulled your head back and held him at arm’s length like a misbehaved puppy. Through his canting cackles, Buggy met your wide eyes with a proud grin. It didn’t even need the help of his makeup to split his face. Damn, you could stare at that forever. He had just the prettiest eyes you think you’d ever seen. The way they shifted color under the low lights and sparkled with his smile had you feeling entranced. It had the same commanding presence and addicting warmth as flames with their own swirling colors and sparking embers. You thought your poetic idioms for him would always center around the sea, especially for his blue-green eyes, but here we are.

The corner of his smile started to twitch downward under your stare until wild and cheerful giggles burst from your lips. They were the kind to shake your shoulders and scrunch your cheeks up into your eyes and he’s now certain that he has fucked right up. Buggy felt alarms blaring in his mind as he took in your joy and was certain he would make an absolute fool of himself in any and all ways possible to keep getting hits of it. Between your settling laughter, you managed to say, “Don’t worry, I’ll bring that wisdom with me to my grave.”

Readjusting your grip, you moved forward and dunked the back of Buggy’s head fully into the water. He sighed out at the sensation, but he fully melted when one of your hands went to support the back of his skull and the other flowed through his tresses to make sure all of them were wet. You let yourself take your time, both to make sure you were thorough and to indulge yourself in the comfort of the moment. A tenderness spread through you when you saw that this was also indulging Buggy. His breath was slow and steady, and his eyes were resting closed to better focus on the sensations coming to him. You truly were a people pleaser at heart and seeing someone so bedraggled and affection-starved accept your care made your heart and head feel fuzzy.

You slowly leaned him more upright and used your other hand to wipe out some of the excess water. Buggy felt you shuffling around, and his eyes opened to see what you were up to. After you moved him to rest on the flat bottom of his neck on top of the softest towel that he’s felt in ages, he realized that you went through the trouble to try to make even that wooden board comfortable for his sake. He was starting to feel even more uncertain and out of his element.

Careful fingers carded through and spread out his hair behind him while an equally careful gaze watched over their work. After lathering your hands with a shampoo bar scented by vanilla and spices, you set to work giving him the scalp massage of a lifetime.

While focusing on doing the best job possible and maybe also the beautiful color of his hair was keeping you from thinking about anything else, Buggy had no such luxury. He had nothing to direct his nervous energy at - didn’t even have fingers to fidget with! - so he closed his eyes and tried to keep his face neutral. Everyone enjoys a good scalp massage or at least some kind of pampering so it wouldn’t have been weird for him to visibly enjoy it, but something watery and vulnerable was pressing at his throat under your tender care. His mind and body (well… head) were at odds. While his train of thought spun every which way only to be tethered back to the word ‘why’, his muscles melted until they were soft and pleasantly limp. Has his brow ever been so smooth? His jaw so loose? His lips so softly set? Oh God, you must have noticed the stubborn stiffness in his neck because your fingers abandoned his hair to firmly rub from the base of his skull to where he met the towel and that was truly his undoing.

With a rumbly hum, Buggy finally gave in to temptation and tied his mind to your movements. He let himself imagine affection there - imagine that this was special and just for him. You’ve never tended to anyone else like this. You offered because you simply had to know what his hair felt like. You just wanted to touch him. You wanted it much more than you ever wanted to touch anyone else. If he opened his eyes and looked up at yours, he would see them pouring with love, just like your hands were, and you would look sweetly down at him with your pretty eyes and pretty smile and say lovely things and you’d love him-

You’d love him.

Fuck.

You noticed Buggy suddenly flinch under your hands and you tensed up.

“Are you okay? Did I snag your hair?” You hadn’t felt anything tug but you supposed you could’ve missed it.

Buggy cleared his throat before stiffly responding, “No. Keep going.”

Something thick in his tone caught your attention and you looked to see his expression was tense instead of the blissed out one you had admired not too long ago. That won’t do. You went back to the tried and true pressure points on the scalp that you knew from experience eased anyone up. Checking his face again, you noticed it was more relaxed but still too guarded for your tastes. Deciding he must be getting antsy, you switched to working the shampoo down his hair after getting a touch more product on your hands. The time it took to get it properly sudsed and rinsed was calm, despite the fact that there was some undercurrent to the air that felt charged. Maybe it was just from seeing the talkative and bratty clown be so subdued. As you began spreading conditioner through his hair, you decided that it was time to engage him again.

“This bar is my favorite; nothing makes my hair softer,” you said. Already, his hair was relaxing to glide even more smoothly between your fingers. You weren’t ready to give the feeling up, so you spent the entire time that the conditioner was setting to run your fingers through his hair.

Buggy couldn’t do anything at the moment to judge your claim, but the smell alone made him understand why it was your favorite. It matched that of the shampoo bar, but the richer ingredients in the conditioner highlighted the comforting tones of the vanilla and the sensuality of warm spices and wood. He relished in it on every inhale, hoping to unravel and memorize its every undertone. Was that a touch of orchid in there? A little pink peppercorn? Maybe some incense and amber at the base? Buggy suddenly felt ridiculous. He was never one to give much thought to fancy perfumes, yet here he was trying to dissect your scent like a sommelier tasting a new wine. 

You made quick work of rinsing his hair this final time and gently pushing and squeezing any excess water out. You set Buggy back on a towel, this time one that was spread on the floor. It was the one that you had just been sitting on. Buggy was embarrassed that he noticed and enjoyed the fact that he could still feel your body heat on it.

“How many of those things do you have?” Buggy scoffed as you pulled yet another towel over to dry his hair. You bopped his forehead with a finger in warning against further sass.

“You can never have too many. It’s something that you use daily and they come in handy during emergencies,” you explained.

“Oh yeah like what?”

“Well, I was thinking of situations like having to soak up a spill or blood, but the state of your hair definitely qualifies.”

The outburst was immediate.

“I KNEW YOU WERE MAKING FUN OF ME YOU DAMN LIAR! HOW DA-”

Good thing you were prepared for this and stuffed some of yet another towel into his screaming mouth. He bit down on it harshly and glared at you with all his might. Snarls and grumbles still made their way through the cloth, letting you know just how displeased he was. You were a little shocked to find that despite being gagged and despite just being a head that his glare still actually intimidated you. The time spent with the crew treating him like a harmless little pest had helped you forget that, when push came to shove, he could back up his talk with violence.

The brief glimpse of fear in your eyes gave him a twinge of satisfaction but mostly felt a lot more hollow than he’d expected. Wasn’t this what he wanted? 

When you reached back out to continue drying his hair, you were more tentative than he had ever seen you and his mood dropped even further. Even with your caution, the way that you moved the towel over his hair and gently squeezed more water out of it was filled with care. The whole thing felt very foreign to him. Buggy usually rubbed his towel through his hair chaotically like the more forceful he was the sooner he could get done with the bothersome task. You were working over him like any undue force would be an insult. Like he was something precious. That watery feeling started pressing on him again.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” you started quietly. “I just meant to poke fun, not make you actually feel insulted.” After a few more soft pats with the towel, you slowly removed his makeshift gag. He took a moment to wiggle around his jaw and get the dry feeling out of his mouth.

“Yeah, well good job, dumbass,” he bit. You winced at the hurt in his tone. “Just finish up.”

You took a moment to recenter yourself while you grabbed your comb and brush. This was not how you wanted this to go. One wrong comment had sent this whole interaction spiraling and it made you sad. Sensitivity like that was usually built up from years of feeling the same hurts over and over again, and you didn’t ever want to be someone to aggravate an already festering wound, especially not on someone who you genuinely enjoyed. Not on someone who you were increasingly craving affection from. This needed to be fixed. Steeling yourself for the resistance you were about to meet, you began combing the ends of his hair and spoke, “The blue color is so pretty.”

He ignored you. As expected.

“It was one of the first things I noticed about you.” He still wouldn’t even glance up at you. “Also how it brings out the color of your eyes.”

He snorted dismissively in a way that very clearly told you he wasn’t believing a word you said. Also expected. You’re just going to have to soldier on until this eventually worked… maybe worked… hopefully worked?

Just as in the rest of the process, you were slow and thorough when combing his hair. You murmured compliments to him about how soft it is; how thick and how beautiful. By the time that you had switched to using your brush, he was showing signs of being worn down by your flattery. His face was more relaxed and he let himself look around instead of trying to burn a hole through the floor. All you could focus on, though, was how downcast and tired his eyes looked.

“Alright, I’m all finished up,” you told him. “I’m going to put you in the hammock for a minute while I get ready for bed.”

After placing him in the middle of your bedding, you disappeared behind a dressing screen. The routine of bathing  yourself with a washcloth and bowl of soapy water eased you. Since you had taken so much time tending to Buggy, the last bowl of fresh water had become lukewarm. Despite this, the final wipe down had you feeling refreshed and ready to jump into bed. It was no soak in the tub, but still left you feeling much better after a long day of helping work around the ship.

You had set about your routine briskly so that you didn’t leave Buggy waiting too long. Little did you know, he didn’t mind the time of having nothing to do besides enjoy the soft blankets you curled up in every night. He was trying to soak it in before you inevitably put him back down on the floor. If the night had taught him anything, you’d at least put him on one of those fluffy towels instead of throwing him back in the bag like the others did.

You came over to him on the hammock and he admired how you looked, now clean and fresh in a modest slip. When you picked him back up, your face and body language were as placid as he had ever seen them and he was surprised at how content that made him feel. He readied himself to be moved away, left cold and forgotten, but he was astonished when you plopped yourself in your bedding instead with him still in your hands. The shock must have shown on his face because you giggled at him and gave him a bright smile. Even with the bumpy road that the night had been, your smile made him soft and content. He was realizing with more and more resignation that your smile and laugh would let you get away with anything when it came to him.

“So no floor? Trying to bribe me with favors?” His voice was mostly back to that sarcastic lilt you’ve come to adore.

Content that he was feeling better, you answered, “Nah, just using you so I can have a teddy bear. Haven’t had a good one in ages.”

Making good on that promise, you made sure that he was securely nestled into your neck and shoulder. You used both of your arms to cradle him there and both hands to continue your worship of his hair. It was just barely damp and the coolness felt nice on your hands, especially in contrast to the cozy heat emanating from his head. His long eyelashes tickled at your neck every time he blinked, just like the light scruff on his jaw teased at your chest. His big nose felt cozy rested on your clavicle, and you had to resist the urge to reach down and trail your fingers on it. A giddy and victorious feeling flushed through you when you felt him close his eyes a final time and sink into your embrace.

Buggy should have known that he was doomed from the start. He was having a hell of a time trying not to moan at your fingers scratching and massaging his scalp, both during the hair care and now, when he was held in your arms. He couldn’t stop his little movements to nestle into you and get just that much more of your warmth and touch. If he thought that he loved the smell of you before, he was absolutely intoxicated now that he knew what it was like when it floated over the two of you while wrapped in body-warmed sheets.

He wanted to ask you why you were doing all of this, but he didn’t want to know the answer. Not right now. Right now he was going to let himself go back into that place in his head where you lo- cared about him. A place where each night he would crawl into bed with you and, no matter how the day went, you would be there to empty his mind of anything but the two of you. You’d greet him with a kiss or a laugh or an embrace and you would shine with so much joy because he’s next to you again. He’d know what your love felt like, how your body felt under his hands, how your skin felt under his lips. All these daydreams swirling in his head started to make him sick with want, and he needed to know at least one of them. He couldn’t handle all of them staying forever in his mind.

The tiniest increase of pressure from his lips brought your attention to where they rested below your collarbone. The almost kiss was so heartbreakingly shaky and hesitant that you felt your eyes burn with the threat of tears. To reassure him, you dragged your cheek across his temple before turning to leave a deliberate kiss there. Buggy relished the contact, the satisfied sigh you let out afterward, and the gentle weight of your cheek as you snuggled back into him. Your reward came in the form of a grinning cheek pushing into you.

All his humor and posturing certainly caught your attention in the best way and even his explosive temper was something you couldn’t say turned you away. This gentleness, though, this uncertain and wounded place, had you bursting with affection and you were hoping to keep experiencing it. You’d meet it each time with steady affection until it turned into something he embodied with the same surety that he had in his beloved spotlight.

Both of you slipped more sweetly into dreams, curled up together as you were, and with more peace and ease than the years before had allowed. Neither of you would let the years to come be absent of this sweet treasure, either.

Next->

[milkoomi]

semester success. ᥫ᭡

[ 3 chapter mini series ] | chapter one , chapter two

in this series, i’m going to teach you all my helpful tips and tricks on how to succeed in the new semester in just 3 quick chapters! get ready to take notes, we’re diving right in!

final chapter — SACRED STUDYING

the time you spend studying or doing schoolwork should feel sacred to you. you should immerse yourself into this trance where you just grind; making the most of your time and putting your best work into your assignments/studies. in this final chapter i’m going to share some ways that have helped me really lock in when i study for big exams! this is a lengthy chapter, so let’s get right into!

class is in session …

୨ৎ — create/find your sanctuary

where you study is the very first step into effective study habits. i touched on this point briefly in previous posts (such as this one), but i want to go more in-depth!

creating your study space

whether it’s your bedroom, an office, or even a spare room in your house, if you choose to study at home there are a few key things we need to settle.

cleanliness: your space needs to be clean and that cleaning needs to be maintained. when we study in areas that are messy and full of chaos, we’ll find ourselves stuck in a headspace that is just as messy and chaotic. if you’re in your bedroom and you have clothes lying on the floor, go put them away! clean your floors, dust off your shelves, make your bed; refresh your space so that when you go to sit down and get to work you have a clear mind!

organization: this is just to go off of the first point, but organize your work space. your desk is where all the magic happens, so create an organization system! make sure you have a pencil/pen holder, a desk lamp, maybe some small storage bins that can hold notecards/post-it notes/tape/etc.! amazon has some really great desk organization finds for a great price, and you can also score some really cute and aesthetically pleasing pieces as well! my pen/pencil holder also doubles as my desk lamp as well as a phone stand! i have another pencil holder that doubles as extra storage as well where i can keep my extra notecards & post-its! keep your study space organized!

decorations: your work space should feel like your space. don’t be afraid to cater your room’s/desk’s aesthetic to your liking! i personally love figurines (hatsune miku, blindbox finds, anime figures, etc.) and i love crystals, so i’ve added my own little trinkets onto my desk so that when i sit down to work i feel happy because i’m in my own space surrounded by things that bring me joy! your study space shouldn’t feel boring or lackluster, it should bring you joy! it should motivate you to work in that area because you created it into what you want it to be! don’t hesitate to add inspirational quotes around your study space as well whether it be ones you print out and frame or ones you write down on cute stationary and hang them up around your room and/or desk!

lighting: natural sunlight, overhead lighting, fairy lights, led lights; whatever it is, pick some kind of lighting that makes you feel relaxed yet still motivated to get work done! lighting is important! you need to be able to see your work, duh! but you also want to make sure your lighting isn’t too harsh on your eyes especially if you’re sensitive to light or isn’t too dim so that it makes you feel tired!

some other optional aspects to creating your study space:

candles/incense!

background music!

comfy back cushions!

your at-home study area needs to be a place for that productive energy to flow! it needs to not only make you feel comfortable at home, but also to motivate you to lock in. make it personable to you! include your favorite things, but don’t forget to incorporate supplies that will be useful and beneficial to you!

finding a good study environment

of course you have the typical libraries and cafés, and while those places are absolutely perfect for getting work done, you might find yourself getting bored of the same locations.

what to look for in a study location:

aesthetics: for a lot of us, how a place looks/is decorated matters! most of us strive for having an aesthetic area to study and work on assignments, it just adds to that motivation and makes us feel like those iconic characters like rory gilmore, paris geller, or even elle woods! so find a place that fits your aesthetic needs. maybe you want something leaning towards dark or light academia, maybe you’re searching for something cute and cozy, or maybe a place that’s a bit more modernized and minimalistic!

population & demographic: crowded areas are not the place for study sessions, so keep an eye out for how populated an area is! personally, i can’t focus when there’s a bunch of crowds in a place where i’m trying to study. people are distracting, and the more people there are in a place where i’m trying to study, the more i’ll lose focus. also, it’d be good to scope out what kind of people are at the place you’re trying to work at! are there any fellow students you see hard at work? are there clusters of people conversing and laughing together in different sections? are there people quietly reading in more secluded areas? who is exactly is at the place you wish to study? if the demographic fits to what you’re also trying to accomplish then maybe that place is a good fit for you! but if you notice that there are more people there to chat and laugh it up with friends/colleagues, then you might want to keep the search going.

noise: as crowds can be distracting, so can the level of noise. you might find yourself in a café where the music might be way too loud and it makes you lose your focus or the place you’re at is far too quiet and, for some reason, it might make you feel uncomfortable. consider the amount of noise around you and determine if you’re able to focus or not. some people prefer more noise while others don’t, and that’s okay! find what suits you and your study habits best!

furniture: any outside location (a place that isn’t your bedroom/personal office) needs to have proper furnishings so that you can lay out your notebooks, textbooks, and laptop/tablet. tables and chairs are key! make note of what kinds of tables you like. do you prefer lower standing tables or ones that are higher up? do you need to sit on a more cushioned chair/couch or do you need a stiff and stable chair? make sure the furniture at any location you plan on working at is optimal for your study sessions!

other things to consider:

amount of privacy!

smells!

hours of operation!

bathroom accessibility!

୨ৎ — form a ritual

having a good routine for your study sessions can make your work experience feel so much organized and even more enjoyable!

you might want to light some candles and start setting the overall vibe or maybe you have a specific way of preparing for your study sessions, either way whatever it is you do to get into the zone can help you get the most out of your work sessions.

things to do to prepare

clean: i’m not saying you have to do an entire deep cleaning of your space, but maybe just picking up laundry off your floor or making your bed! maybe you have cups & empty water bottles scattered on your desk, take them out! maybe you’ve got papers just all in miscellaneous piles, go and reorganize them! do whatever it might be to clean up your space a little, nothing major needs to happen, just pick up after yourself!

prepare a snack: making sure you have something to munch on while working is very important (making sure you’re eating is just important in general!), so before you sit down and get to work, make yourself a little snack! maybe a toasted pb&j (or nutella, my personal fav) sandwich or a little fruit salad or maybe it’s even a simple bag of chips! get yourself a little snack ready! brain food!!

make yourself a cup of coffee/tea: every time i post something under my #milkmedia tag, you’ll almost always see a cup of tea in my pictures! i’ve been trying to drink more tea rather than coffee, but if you need some kind of caffeine for your study sessions, make yourself a cup of coffee/tea! i love making myself some chai & i mix in a small teaspoon of honey and then i add some vanilla creamer!

write down your goals: make a quick list of what you want to get done during your session! avoid making it really detailed and keep it more generalized. it doesn’t even have to be coursework related, one of your goals might be to work for an hour! another goal could be taking a break during your session!

whatever it is you decide to do to incorporate into your study/work routine or what it is that you do to prepare for your session, make it personable to you! let it be things or little activities that prepare, calm, and clear your mind. your ritual doesn’t need to be any intricate or crazy, but simple things to bring into your routine can make your study sessions more enjoyable!

୨ৎ — time is gold

the time you take to study should be the length that you, your body, and your mind can handle! if a 4 hour study session is too overwhelming, try an hour less than that or you can always start by seeing how well you do within one hour. get a good gauge of how long you can keep your mind focused on your work. if you find yourself getting exhausted after 2 hours, then maybe some things within your routine need to change or you just need a break.

also be sure to consider that your time spent on studying/working should only be used for that reason! remove any distractions from your study space so that you can devote your time and energy into your work. of course, breaks are also essential, so be sure you set timers for yourself so that you can avoid burn out! when you do take those breaks, try to avoid scrolling through your phone. try closing your eyes and focus on your breathing! you can also get up and stretch, keep your body moving (trust me, your knees and back will thank you!). you can even take some time to read a few pages of a book that you read for entertainment!

incorporate the pomodoro method!! i’ve discussed this method a few times in previous posts, and loads of studyblr blogs talk about this method as well! but the pomodoro method helps you stay on track with your work/study sessions while still including much needed breaks within that time. again, you can set a timer, but there’s also so many “study with me” videos on youtube that follow the pomodoro method!

before you’re dismissed …

study sessions and the time you spend working on schoolwork shouldn’t feel like a trap to you, it should be time that motivates and inspires you! keeping yourself engaged is key, and if including simple decorations or creating an entire prep routine will help you get focused or keep you from going insane (because i know that getting work done can drive me a little crazy from time to time) will make your sessions so much more enjoyable, or at least tolerable! best of luck to all of you in your academic journey! i know that this semester will be full of successes for you!

with lots of love, faustina 🌷

[virrtualangel]

Beatle movie ranking

!!ALL MY OPINION DONT KILL ME I LIKE ALL THESE MOVIES THIS IS JUST FOR FUN!!

5.Let It Be

Honestly, it’s just a shortened version of the Get Back documentary. it’s essentially the same as Get Back excluding a few scenes.

i’m more inclined to rewatch Get Back over Let It Be because it’s more footage to comb through.

4.magical mystery tour

I am very well aware that this wasn’t a great time in their career. and for what it’s worth i do really enjoy the album. the movie itself is extremely confusing for me to understand. the only thing bringing it higher then Let It Be is just how much i enjoy the visuals. the music video segments are definitely a highlight, they’re delightful and visually appealing to see. UNFORTUNATELY…i do not know a single thing going on and what i did understand i didn’t entirely find interesting. The concept itself is a nice one, the execution however, wasnt. it’s framed like a family guy episode almost, where it would cut to a scene with no explanation. ringo’s aunt as a character didn’t add much to the movie for me, it felt like they were trying to do the whole paul’s grandfather from hard days night again but it just didn’t work for me. the wizards are nice and that might’ve been the only thing i personally enjoyed in the movie.

3.hard days night

Their first movie, woohoo! definitely the most grounded film they’ve been in. it’s perfect to show the sheer insanity of beatlemania in the early 60s and the beatles personalities and humor. the music video segments are lovely and delightful to watch. It flows very naturally with one another and each bit leading up to the big show is just as goofy as they are. paul’s grandfather is such a devious guy and works as a hilarious way to push the movie forward in terms of conflict. the managers and people alongside the beatles are also just as entertaining. the entire cast just plays off one another and overall it’s a wonderful watch.

2.yellow submarine

If Magical Mystery Tour was bad confusing nonsense then yellow submarine is good confusing nonsense. because at least there is a clear story and no family guy cutaways. being their one and only animated movie it’s such a beautiful and eccentric movie. the different animation styles used and colors of each new land they explore in is such a delightfully unique way to mirror the music used in the movie. each new area full to the brim with whimsy and color. even if it’s random, jeremy hillary boob ph.d as an extra main lead was such a lovely little addition to an already silly cast. admiral fred and the blue meanies are another set of great characters within the film that again just push the constant whimsy and eccentricity of the film.

1.help!

The only fault with this movie is the blatant cultural appropriation within it. it’s very obviously a product of its time. that being said i love everything else about this movie. it’s the funniest movie they’ve been in and despite rewatching it every now and then it’s still a wonderful time. every character from the cult members to the scientists and of course the beatles themselves bring so much personality and humor to the movie. the writing and cinematography is wonderful, this entire movie is a delight. the music video segments are so so so well done and fit into the story well. the entire movie is definitely worthwhile regardless if you know much about the beatles or not, it’s just a wonderful time.

all movies are definitely worth the watch despite my opinion!! this was for fun feel free to put your own input i’m open to discussion bc film review is epic, if this post does well maybe i’ll start posting more film related content…maybe…

[creatingblackcharacters]

Hi!!! I've sent in specific questions about this topic before but I wanted to ask a little further with some context.

My friend and I have a story that surrounds a theme of exploitation. There are two stories, one of colonization that is more of my friend's brainchild, and then the one that is mine. It's focused primarily on capitalism and greed through drug production and trade. (I've asked previously about Black characters and interacting with drugs!)

My character is the son of parents who were murdered (they're Bonnie and Clyde style criminals) and to take care of him and their adopted daughter, his older sister begins selling, and then gets hooked on a very potent fictional drug. It's basically meant for military use but was highly addictive? Eventually she's found dead from what's presumed to be an OD though, so my character and his sister are left to fend for themselves.

There's a lot of plot with him growing into a famous criminal with a group of others, and through it they start working for the same people who were initially his older sister's suppliers. (He is unaware at the time.) After a long time he ends up in prison with who was blamed to be her supplier and it basically comes out that he was a scapegoat, and that she was actually murdered by them. Afterward he breaks out of prison and starts going for like a Batman-esque vigilante justice thing? To put it somewhat simply.

It's hard to describe because it's a sci-fi with a lot of moving parts, but I wanted to specifically ask if you had any notes, and if there's something that might need to be adjusted or scrapped as a whole? Overall my plan is to make his sister very clearly a victim of circumstance who had no other options, but I wanted to make extra sure there wasn't something glaringly obvious I was missing. Thanks so much for everything you do genuinely, blogs like this are a HUGE help.

Future Mr. CBC here, aka Hott Chocolate:

We love that you are putting a lot of thought into this and that you want to be intentional with your creation of Black characters. This story sounds like a fun read! That being said, when anyone creates anything we have all these concerns and worries. We unfortunately can't go over every single detail here to clear your mind (you'll have to get an editor or sensitivity reader for that). There's no way to tell from just the prompts alone that it's not going to be a problem, but from the entire work! You have to do the work and trust that you did well. Then?... You post it and receive feedback. From what you have told us? You are headed in the right direction. Good luck ☺️

[chronicbeans]

I feel like I request way to much and I can't remember if I made this request already 💀 I imagined puppeteer reader having to show wally basic human things like brushing your teeth and hair and that you have to wash your clothes and when they say this wallys just like "more clothes pls" and after a lot of begging reader gives in and takes him shopping and when they're out wally sees a couple being all affectionate and is just like ":O is this how you guys show affection wowow" and tries to pull the same moves on reader 💀 (can be romantic or platonic I just love the idea of wally unknowingly rizzing up reader 😭)

OMG YES. More human Wally being confused.

Human Wally and Puppeteer Reader (part 2):

🍎 Day 3: this man is helpless. Like, you know it isn't really anyone's fault, since he is used to being a puppet and not a human, but... Come on! He tried to eat the toothpaste! Actually, not even that... HE DID EAT IT. He said he ate it because it smelled nice, so it probably tasted good, too! He was perfectly fine, afterwards, too. Sometimes you wonder if he is really entirely human...

🍎 So, when you finally decide to try to teach Wally how the shower actually works (all this time he has been sitting under the water in his clothes), you take GREAT CARE in doing so. He seems to take things very literally or get more interested in something else. Also, you don't want him to eat the shampoo or soap.

🍎"Okay, Wally, lets go through this nice and easy..." you carefully, very carefully, and extremely carefully talk over the process of how to wash his hair and body, as well as how to dry himself off. You also make sure to make it absolutely CRYSTAL CLEAR that you don't wear your clothes in the shower, and to instead take them off and leave them outside the door, for now. When you tried to go over how to brush his hair, he raises his hand and says "Oh! I got that, already! How else do you think I get my hair this well made up?"

🍎 So, you ask him, after about an hour of teaching, if he is ready to try to shower properly. He nods in excitement, watching as you leave to let him try it.

🍎 It sounds like a warzone. You have no idea what is going on, but you are way too scared to find out. You do notice that, even if he has done nothing else properly, he has left his clothes outside the door. You snatch them up, glad that you can finally get them washed up and rid them of the numerous toothpaste, ketchup, and paint stains on them.

🍎 You end up asking Angela if he can borrow some of Henry's father's old clothes, which she has refused to throw away. She was extremely torn... letting that... THING wear his clothes? But, eventually, she ended up going along with it. She had said that it was probably what he would've wanted. He was always happy to give to those in need. So, you neatly fold and outfit up, and leave them outside the door.

🍎 Two hours later, he finally gets out and peaks his head out the door to get his clothes, only to stop when he sees that they are gone. "(Y/N)! Help! Someone stole my clothes! I can't go out like this! I need to look nice!" You rush over, sighing as you point to the folded clothing, looking up to Wally, who is hiding behind "Put these on. Your clothes need to be washed." "If they needed to be washed, I could've just worn them in the shower." "PUT THE CLOTHES ON PLEASE-"

🍎 He comes out, wearing the plain white dress shirt and black dress pants you got him. To your shock, he somehow got his hair styled into his classic pompadour, even though you don't know if you have the product for it. The bathroom is mysteriously clean, despite the chaos you heard from it. Now, its time to buy him some clothes of his own.

🍎 He is like a child on Christmas morning. He sprints through the clothes aisle, getting lost three times during your trip. He throws practically anything he can find in there that resembles the clothes he wore on the show, with a few extras added on. He even runs to the women's aisle to grab a few dresses, saying they reminded him of the few times he played a princess in Sally's plays. Oh! And they also look pretty!

🍎 At the check-out, he can't help but notice these two people behind you who are acting really odd. They are cuddling really close and using the most sugary of compliments to refer to one another. Is that how he is supposed to show affection to you? He hasn't seen you do that or have that done to you... Oh no! You must feel really lonely! He needs to fix this, as your most devoted puppe- umm... Human!

🍎 As you are putting the numerous bags of (really expensive) clothing into your shopping cart, you feel Wally latch onto you from behind, nuzzling his face into your neck as he says things like "I love you so much, sugar cube!" or "Let's get married, someday!" You wheeze from both how tight he is holding you and shock, not knowing where this lovey-dovey behavior came from. Sure, he was always clingy, but it was more in a "worship" way, not "we are suddenly dating now" way.

🍎 The cashier giggles, mentioning how the two of you are "such a cute couple and would make an even cuter married couple!" You decide to stay quiet in the store, walking out with the clothes in the cart and Wally hanging onto you like a lifeline.

🍎 You pack everything in the car, before sitting in the driver's seat and turning to Wally. "What were you doing back there? Are you trying to like, date me or something? Is this weird worshipping schtick you have going on not enough to you?" When he explains what he saw and why he was doing it, you calm down a bit. Just another case of Wally being a little confused, but having the right spirit. "Okay... Just remember that that sort of behavior is usually reserved for romantic partners or trying to get a date, okay? Reserve that for someone you really, REALLY love. I don't know how to explain it. Like, butterflies in your stomach, a nice burning in your chest when you are near them. That sorta love."

🍎 Butterflies in his stomach? Burning in his chest? Near the person he loves? He gets those things near you! There is also this new, beating in his chest ever since he became human. That must be love, too! He looks to you, saying "So... Continue treating you like that. I got it."

[gh0st-t0wn3]

Lmk ss edits + Headcanons, Part 3 (Chang'e, Nezha, Pif, DBK)

- She/Her

- Bisexual w/ male pref (eternally devoted to her husband, Hou Yi, in Chinese mythology though, so I don't ship her with anyone)

- Constellation shaped freckles

- Even though her robot bunnies don't need to eat she still sets out extra plates otherwise she feels bad

- Ambivert

- Used to have a short hair phase

- Aside from cooking she's also good at coloring/painting and makes jewelry for fun

- Can talk for hours on end

- Would absolutely loose her mind if she found out about rollerblading, change my mind

- BIG sweet tooth

- Exchanged a few recipes with Pigsy before they left

- Uses Kaomojis

- Stress eats

- Chang'e and Macaque are besties (I saw other people talking about this and thought it was cute)

- Chang’e is one of the very few people Macaque allows hugs from because she gives the best comforting hugs ever

- She tried to teach MK how to cook once and he failed miserably, she has banned him from the kitchen permanently

- Everytime Macaque complains about something to her it ALWAYS has something to do with Wukong and Chang’e is honestly done with them at this point

- She is always energetic, like seriously, she can run around and cook and exercise for hours and never break a sweat

- She can play the flute

- She does Nezha's hair sometimes when he visits

- Her, Nezha and Macaque will all get together sometimes and just gossip for hours

- Hates it when her kitchen is messy, even when she's in a rush to make something or there's a lot going on she'll be sure to put everything in a neat order

- Smells like cakes, pies and other pastries

- Love language is quality time

- Her skin is always really cold (because of , y'know.. living on the moon) but she's lived there for so long now that she hardly notices anymore

- Doesn't really have a skin care routine and doesn't use a lot of products but her skin is always so soft and clear anyways

- Makes up her own constellations when she stargazes

- She has a small shrine in her house in respect to Hou Yi

- Has two group chats, one with Macaque and Nezha for gossiping, and the other with Pigsy and DBK for cooking

- He/Him

- AroAce

- Put his hair up in a messy bun the ONE time Wukong decided to drop in unannounced, still gets bullied for it to this day

- Would probably die if you ever gave him any kind of soda

- Has a scar on his neck and can even pop his head off like the headless horseman because of... iykyk.. sometimes pulls it off to scare people

- Like Pigsy, he's a huge environmentalist; got super pissed when he heard about climate change and pollution, like he was DEVESTATED

- Really likes chocolate milk, but only drinks it when he's alone because Wukong caught him once and still teases him about it

- Use to babysit Redson when he was little, especially when Princess Iron Fan was too distressed to look after him herself for long periods at a time after her husband was sealed away

- Taught Redson how to harness his powers while he babysat

- Perfect handwriting, it should be a font

- Has difficulty breathing, especially when he gets overwhelmed, due to... yk.. committing..

- Always has a least a small taste of metal in his mouth

- Redson would somehow manage to disappear if Nezha looked away for even a second so he wound up having to get a ring sling to carry him in, no one took him seriously with it on

- Sees PIF as an older sister

- Favourite food is strawberry cake

- Not necessarily a vegetarian but doesn't eat meat often

- Meditates to save and absorb energy instead of sleeping, that way if something happens or someone attacks, he's always awake and ready to handle the situation

- When meditating, stray lotus petals will float around and surround him that act as a shield while also emitting a peaceful aura that keeps both himself and the people around him in a calm state of mind

- Him and Wukong have a sibling rivalry

- Felt incredibly guilty when Redson got trapped in a scroll because he was the one Redson came to when his parents were gone and thought he failed to protect him

- DBK and him have an awkward relationship given the whole "Attack on heaven" thing, but have been trying to find something to bond over for PIF

- Erlang and PIF are basically his older siblings, like they'd be the kind of siblings who'll pretend to give him an important task so he'll leave them alone and then immediately shut and lock the door as soon as he leaves the room, y'know?? He still hasn't forgiven them for that

- Smells like Lotus flowers and strawberries

- Love language is acts of service and words of affirmation

- Likes the idea of hiking and stargazing but never has the time to do it since he's always working

- Isn't afraid to call out someone's bs (*cough* Monkey King *cough*) but can't handle someone calling him out for the literal life of him

- He loves flowers and their symbolism, use to study it before he was tasked with guarding the map to the samadhi rings

- He's actually a really good swimmer but people don't believe him because of his relation to fire

- Has absolutley licked himself to see what he tastes like

- She/Her

- Bisexual

- Has a beautiful singing voice and use to sing lullabies to Redson all the time when he was a kid. Although it's a rare occurrence, she'll sing lullabies to him even now if he gets particularly stressed out or anxious

- Feels guilty about being too mentally unwell to take care of Redson properly after DBK was sealed away when he was little but never knew how to make up for it so she just closed herself off instead which is why she's so cold with him

- Would sleep in a guest bedroom or on the couch for the first few years of DBK being sealed away because she couldn't handle being alone in such a big bed without him

- Follow up on the last HC, after she started sleeping in her and DBK's bed again Redson would sometimes come in in the middle of the night and sleep in bed with her so she felt less lonely but stopped after he turned 11-12 (or at least the Demon equivalent to that age cause he's like 500+)

- Does Redson's hair for him in the morning since he's always too tired to do it himself

- Use to style his hair like hers, with the little horns made of hair, at least until his real horns started growing in

- Her and Macaque are sworn siblings (I have no idea where this HC came from but I saw other people talking about it and thought it was cute)

- Sees Nezha as a younger brother

- Was outcast from her family after DBK started courting her, she was upset for a while but it was worth it

- Super long hair, like it reaches her thighs when it's fully down

- Master calligrapher, seriously her writing is so beautiful and neat

- When DBK was first freed, the first two or so weeks she would stay up as long as possibly and hold onto him so tight whenever she finally did fall asleep because she was scared she'd wake up and he'd be gone again

- Felt like she failed as a mother when she realized she missed Redson's first words, first steps, everything, because Nezha had to look after him while she mourned her husband

- Favourite flowers are Dhalia's

- Because her hair is long it's also very heavy, sometimes if her scalp is particularly sore from keeping it styled up in horns all day DBK will sit with her and brush her hair while she relaxes and watches TV or reads

- Cooks sometimes but isn't as good as DBK

- Has a terrible habit of hiding her emotions from her family (actually the entire Demon Bull Family struggles with this habit)

- Hates the feeling of ink on her skin, someone knocked over a bottle of writing ink in her hand once and she washed it for almost an hour straight to get rid of the feeling of it on her skin

- Smells like Stargazer Lilies

- Love language is quality time and words of affirmation

- Surprisingly big fan of horror movies (conjuring, exorcist, Shining, etc)

- Listens to true crime shows/podcasts while working

- Had servants home-school Redson and then took over home-schooling him herself when he was older

- All her clothes are custom made, and had to get them re-made with fire resistant materials after Redson was born, as well as everything else in the Demon Bull Palace (Clothes, rugs, sheets, blankets, curtains etc)

- Has separate makeup and jewelry boxes, one for everyday wear, and one for special events (anniversaries,  royal gatherings, etc)

- Ambivert

- If she runs out of patience for you, you will literally die

- He/Him

- Bisexual

- Hardly recognized Redson when he was freed from the mountain, which is why he didn't address him as quickly as he did Iron Fan

- Has a hard time trying to Remember Redson isn't little anymore, was devestated that he didn't get to watch him grow up

- Tries to connect with Redson and learn about his interests but it just comes off as really awkward for both of them

- Throws all of MK's (and other suitors) Courting gifts to Redson away if he sees them before Redson does (I am a firm believer of overprotective dad DBK)

- Learned how to cook for Iron Fan after they started courting eachother to impress her and it grew into an actual hobby of his, now he likes to cook and bake when he's stressed instead of yelling and breaking things (especially after the Lady Bone Demon incident)

- All his old cook books are pretty much dust after not being used and taken care of for several centuries and although he was upset, he still remembers a few of the recipes, majority of the food he makes now is what he learned from watching Chang'e's cooking show

- Exchanges recipes with Pigsy after getting to know eachother a bit at the beach, but they don't talk much outside of food related topics

- Once walked in on Redson and MK making out in Redsons room and promptly threw MK out the window (he was fine)

- Use to allow Wukong to take naps on his chest while they were still in the Brotherhood, mostly because Wukong would never stop and DBK eventually gave up on trying to get him to stop

- Got really emotional when he found out Redson got a nose ring to match with him (pretended not to care but started crying when he was alone)

- Keeps a photo of PiF and Redson with him at all times, it's not in great condition anymore because he was buried under the mountain with it, but it's too sentimental for him to replace it

- Knows Redsons date of birth down to the exact hour by heart (Canon in JTTW)

- Touch starved, being locked away for 500 years definitely took a toll on him

- Still hasn't entirely forgiven Wukong for calling Redson a "half-baked son"

- Much like how PIF will sing to Redson when he's particularly stressed or anxious, DBK will cook Redson his favorite childhood meal; he was worried the first time it happened because he wasn't sure how to handle Redsons emotional state and also wasn't sure if he still liked the dish he loved as a child, but Redson was visibly happier (or at least calmer) afterwards so he'll keep making it for him

- Has a sepertate pen and writing ink that he uses exclusively for writing to PIF

- He's a sucker for romance movies

- Will pick Redson up by the back of his shirt like a cat and drag him to bed if he's overworking himself

- Invited the Brotherhood to see Redson when he was first born; was disappointed when Azure, Peng and Yellowtusk never showed up

- Goes all out on him and PiF's anniversary to make up for the 500 anniversaries he missed (same with PIF and Redson's birthdays)

- Smells like dirt and regretful life choices (fr though he's been under a mountain for 500 years, that smell doesn't wash away easy after that long, Iron Fan surprisingly doesn't mind, but maybe she's just too happy that he's back to care enough about it)

- Love language is physical touch and quality time

- Cried watching the Titanic, don't even try to tell me otherwise

- Hopeless romantic

- Loves spicy food but doesn't have as high a tolerance as Redson (still very high though, but I mean c'mon, Redson is literally a fire demon)

- Cannot understand or use technology for the life of him, he's calling in Redson left and right asking how to download something or how to get onto another website

- Still feels guilty whenever he sees Redson flinch at him (because of the whole almost killing Redson when he was possessed by the Lady Bone Demon)

[urban-homesteading]

Rendering beef fat into tallow

Ten years ago, I came across a comment on a soap making forum where a woman explained how she gets her tallow pure enough to make into her soaps and it has worked really really well when I've made large batches of tallow. Since the internet is an ever-shifting labyrinth of lost advice, I thought I would help preserve her advice here as well.

By lionprincess00 from soapmakingforum.com:

"I take it and cut off all meat bits I can. Then I cut it into small inch sized pieces or so. Someone here mentioned baking soda to help the render smell, and another mentioned salt for helping get impurities out.

I put it into a pot of water that's filled halfway up the fat. I pour a good half cup or so of salt into it. I mix oh about 3 tablespoons of baking soda into water and pour it on as well. It creates a reaction and releases carbon dioxide, so beware as it heats of spilling over. I did an experiment not using baking soda in the render, and by the third it still smelled extremely meaty. Whatever the reason, it helps a ton reduce the overall finished product's odor. BEWARE OF EVAPORATION, and fill with fresh water as needed.

I heat it on medium low for a good half hour, and then lower the temperature to full low. I simmer for, oh, 4 hours or more, until the fat looks like a gelatinous gooey sinus infection lol. I strain it through a sieve into a glass Pyrex baking dish, used cheesecloth in the sieve once but can't find it anywhere after I ran out, so sieve it is.

I refrigerate it for at least 4 hours or so. It needs to cool completely through. Overnight is best.

Look at the liquid now. Below the fat in the dish after its cooled, the water is a deep muddy brown and STINKS like what I would think a dead body smells like. I almost gag at this point when I go and dump it in the field for the coyotes to sniff out haha. Once I didn't do this, and I'm assuming I used cleaner pieces of fat and cut most trimming off compared to other times, so you may or may not get this.

It looks like it's pretty clean fat now, but there's more cleaning that can occur, and I want it very very clean to prevent smell, dos development, and just the yuck factor of bits being left behind. That water was so nasty, and if it was that bad there's more cleaning throughout the fat that needs to happen.

Scrape any funk off the base of the fat disc and discard.

Pop out the solid fat disc and place in the pot. Fill with water to cover an inch below the fat, or so. This isn't an exact science, so close is fine.. Add about a quarter cup of salt and another few tbs of baking soda. Heat on low, and melt it. I keep it here for a couple hours or so. I strain it out into the cleaned out Pyrex. Cool for at least 4 hours. It just needs adequate time to harden completely through. If you pop it out too quickly, the bottom of the disc will still be water logged. The water beneath the fat disc this second render is a murky slightly tinted white. Very murky. Scrape the base of yucks again.

I do it again. This time I use about between 1/8 and 1/4 cup of salt. Honestly I dump and eyeball it, but for instructions sake, start with these and make it your own. The water after cooling is a cloudy white, but getting cleaner looking. Scrape discolored base. I do it the fourth time. The water is almost clear after this render and cooling. This is how I know most of the impurities are gone. I DON'T use salt this final render nor baking soda. The salt may be what clouds the left over water in the above rendering, but I know it still needs the extra rendering based on the smell too. The smell is nonexistent practically by the fourth render and cooling. The water left beneath the disc doesn't smell either by the fourth time. Is four necessary, probably not. I just want a clean clean product if I'm going to do it myself and not purchase it. Now is it necessary on bigger batches, yes and so is a fifth. If you're doing a lot at once, it may need 5 renders. If you split your 5 lbs into 2.5 renders each, 4 is good. If you do all at once, use a big enough pot for the bubbles of salt and baking soda reacting, and plan on 5 renders, and potentially 6 depending on how little the odor remains.

So, my final render is clear water and smell free even after a remelt of my tallow I rendered. So I do this method."

[uriekukistan]

tokyo ghoul characters and their skincare routines

kaneki doesn't have an extravagant routine, but he still takes care of his skin. probably just a basic 3-step routine with soap, moisturizer, and spf. i feel like he kinda has dry skin in the winter, so he probably also keeps chapstick and a little tube of hand lotion in his backpack or pockets.

haise on the other hand has more skincare products than he can count and the quinx squad is tired of how much space it takes up in the bathroom. definitely has one of those fluffy hairbands. he's a double cleanse, toner, at least 3 serums, eye cream, moisturizer, and sunscreen guy. he also exfoliates 2-3 times a week and does a mask every night.

ayato might wash his face with hand soap on a good day. his skin is annoyingly clear.

urie has that patrick bateman skincare routine. face ice pack for morning puffiness, cleanser, exfoliate, a peel-off mask, alcohol-free aftershave, moisturizer, eye cream, and spf. he has the second most extra skincare routine of the quinx squad.

juuzou doesn't want the stitches on his face to get infected, so he takes a good amount of time to wash his face every day. he doesn't really use anything else because he doesn't want it to mess with his stitches. yes, that includes moisturizer and spf.

akira is another skincare diva like haise. actually, she probably put him on to a bunch of his favorite products. she has a pretty regimented routine that she follows to a T. every product she uses is probably really expensive too. she likes to pamper herself.

touka has a pretty average skincare routine. a bit more than kaneki's routine, but not a skincare diva. she does cleanser (one wash in the morning, double cleanse at night), maybe one serum and/or spot treatment for breakouts (she is the most annoyed by ayato's skincare routine because she breaks out easily), moisturizer, and spf. sometimes if yoriko comes over on the weekend, they do masks together.

eto either has a very high maintenance skincare routine or doesn't do anything at all. it depends on the day. on the days she does do skincare, she goes over the top to balance all the nights she falls asleep while writing and does nothing. prone to buying new expensive products to try and not using them.

tsukiyama is the biggest skincare diva on this list. also has a 10+ step skincare routine. not a single product in his collection is less than $100. he gets those gold face masks that models get. and has a facial at least once a month. probably spends at least an hour applying all his products in the most careful way possible. nothing but the best for tsukiyama shuu

hinami has a skincare routine similar to touka's (probably learned it from her when they lived together). her criteria for products is if the packaging is cute. she probably makes ayato do pore cleansing masks with, she is appalled by his twice a month hand soap routine.

saiko buys any products that have animals or characters on the packaging, especially any sanrio x (insert skincare brand) products. she gets a bit lazy with it though, and she's prone just using face wipes so she doesn't have to stop watching her anime or playing her game

mutsuki is a skincare minimalist. soap, moisturizer, and spf works fine for him. doesn't see the point in all of haise's expensive serums. another dry skin boy, he probably also carries around lotion in the winter because his hands get really dry.

shirazu washes his face with shampoo in the shower. yes, shampoo.

[thedemonscrawler]

HEY guess what you can do with wool? That's right!

DYE IT

With food coloring and kool-aid!! And also acid dyes, which are designed for this, but acid dyes can't be used with cookware you put food in, and Kool-Aid packets are 50 cents.

.. did they go up in price? Didn't they used to be 20 cents? Anyway

Tbh a big part of the allure of spinning my own yarn is dying either the fibers or the final product. I just like the sense of independence that comes from going "ah, I need a color, and I have a lot of white and a handful of dyes!". I did this a lot with my posable critters too, though acrylic and polyester are a lot more strict about what dyes will actually work.

(Though tbh? Soaking acrylic faux fur in watered down acrylic paint, waiting for it to dry, and then taking a slicker brush and brushing out the clumps will get you pretty far!)

The evidence of crimes past with that paint permanently on there. I think this fucker is almost old enough to make its own Tumblr account (but not in Australia 8()

I digress! Because I haven't been dyeing acrylic, but KERATIN!

I did actually try dyeing a chunk with the same semi-permanant magenta dye I use on my own hair, cos like. Hair is also keratin.

Actually, it was supposed to be a bisexual gradient from pink to blue, but when it came time to heat set the color, the manic panic blue just fucking vanished.

Lesson learned: Ion Color Brilliance is a good brand, Manic Panic is not.

My bestie has inquired about me spinning the yarn and knitting them a scarf, so I wanted to make what was basically a mockup of the different ways you can spin the fibers to get different colors effects. And also I got Kool-Aid this past grocery visit and have been chomping at the bit to use it.

@sivilityy enables me <3

BEHOLD, MY CHILDREN!

Dyeing wool with kool-aid or food coloring is very easy!

Step 1: Soak wool in warm to hot water with about a 1/3rd of a cup of white vinegar for 15 to 45min. The vinegar is a mordant, something that helps the fibers take up the dye.

Step 2: Mix your dye of choice into a pot of warm to hot water, close in temperature to the soaking bath. The more kool-aid or food coloring, the stronger the color. I was going for pastels, so I used half a pack for the blue and pink, and a single drop of yellow food coloring for the yellow. The purple... 8') We won't talk about the purple.

Step 3: Fish your wool out of its soak, give it a gentle squeeze, then plop it into the pot. I like to scoop out some of the vinegar water and pour it into the pot as well. For insurance!

Step 4: Heat your pot to just below boiling. You want steam, but little to no bubbles. Agitation + heat or sudden temperature changes = felt. You can't spin felt. If you want to to make felt, though, now you know.

Step 5: leave your wool at simmering for around 30 min. How do you know when its done?

it fucking sucks all the color out of the water. How sick is that?! In the few batches I've done, I haven't always gotten it to be clear like that but don't stress it. About 30 min seems to be good even if there's still some color in the water.

Turn off the burner and let your creations cool down in their soup. Or, if you're impatient like me, run your hottest tap water into a different pot, then pour your wool into the slightly cooler but still hot water, so it doesn't get a HUGE temperature shock. Don't use cold water, or you're gonna get felt! Give em a rinse in the hot water to get any extra color out.

Let 'em hang and dry, and you're done!

So far all of mine have felted a little bit? Which hasn't been so bad, I've just needed to fluff them up a little once they're dry. I want to try indirect heat with a steamer basket and see if that helps, but I only got the one basket and 4 colors this time, so I used the pots.

SCIENCE

[kxowledge]

What's your skincare routine currently?

I actually spent the other week taking stock of how my current routine was working and deciding if I needed to change anything, so I have a lot to say on this

AM:

Wash face with water

(extra step for wintertime) Avène thermal water

Serum with antioxidants and niacinamide: just switched from facetheory Colloidal-C Anti-Redness Toner, which I got in hope of reducing redness (did nothing for me) back to facetheory’s Cera-C Pore Reducing Toner, which actually makes my skin look great. It has 5% niacinamide and a vitamin C derivative, which is what I want – I just would like extra perks (anti-redness). An alternative I’m considering is the Isntree Onion Newpair Gel cream.

(extra step if my skin is feeling very dry i.e. what I use during winter) hydrating serum: I’ve just finished Avène Hydrance Serum which I found very hydrating though too light weight (i.e. not good for winter for me) and honestly it lasted so little that I won’t buy it again. My go to instead is snail mucin: Mizon’s Snail Repair Ampoule (best formula but not so much product, what I’m currently using); or COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Essence (best bang for your buck, though my pump was really bad)

Alpha-arbutin: most recent addition to my skincare & it seems to be making a difference when it comes to discoloration (PIE). I’m using Beauty of Joseon Glow Deep Serum, mostly because this was the only product I could find here in Norway.

Caffeine for my undereye: I’m using The Inkey List Caffeine Eye Cream – while I can say it’s infinitely better than what The Ordinary offers (because why would you use a dropped for something that goes around the eyes!!), I can’t tell if I’m seeing results or not, despite using it for almost three months. Maybe?

Moisturizer: Eucerin 5% Urea Repair, my holy grail of all time. I buy this by the litre. Since I entered my mid-20s, my skin has turned dry. Combined with drier winters and the heating I have to put on to survive winter, this is the only thing that makes my skin stay intact.

Sunscreen: probably controversial, but I actually don’t wear sunscreen everyday, as the amount of light I get is ridiculous (though I do in the summer or if there is snow). Over the past year, I tried several ones and my top two choices are Beauty of Joseon Sun Relief (cannot fault a single thing and I found it to be good value for money based on how long it lasted me) and Isntree Onion Newpair Sunscreen (jury is out on whether the onion extract actually helps me, but I found the texture to be perfect for me and it actually ensures I apply a proper amount since it’s not too runny)

Dr.Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment: amazing!! This has been so far the only thing that helped with redness. I haven’t worn foundation in a year and it’s only because of this. I don’t even think it’s that expensive because I spent 30£ for a 50 ml jar which lasts me six months of daily use. Love it.

PM:

My routine is the following:

Double cleanse: I’ve been liking a lot the Beauty of Jonseon Cleansing Balm – so far the best cleansing product I’ve tried. Micellar water is a no for me, as I don’t like using cotton pads. Oils are mostly ok as an alternative, with iUnik Calendula Complete Cleansing Oil being my failsafe (but it doesn’t remove 100% of my mascara).   Next, I use a foaming cleansing gel. My go-to used to be Neutrogena Clear & Defend, but it keeps being sold out, so I’m now using  CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser. It works fine. My main criteria here is price tbh.

facetheory Exaglow serum: the daily base, with tranexamic acid, liquorice root, and a vitamin c derivative, this in combination with whatever active follows has helped me reduce my hyperpigmentation so so much

An active (see below)

Moisturizer: Eucerin Urea repair, again.

Actives is when things get more complicated, because I rotate weekly between (combinations of) them

Differin (adapalene): game changer, I tolerate it very well and I recently increased it to three times per week  + Azelaic acid: I love it and over the years I tried so many different products (available in Europe). I find that for me 10% works just as well as 20%. Usually, a higher price tag gets you better texture (i.e. less grainy) but not better results. Isispharma Metroruboril was very smooth, but a more basic one works just fine for me – hence why I keep going back to The Ordinary’s 10% one. It’s not an area where I feel like I should be spending a lot.

Kojic acid: I’m using Dermaceutic’s Radiance, which works fine in combination with my overall routine. + Retinol: bit of a controversial combination, but because I’ve been using retinols for so long, this works fine. I’m using A313, which is v gentle. I bought it in Paris and it has a too thick texture in my opinion, so once I finished the tube I’ll go back to my fave L’Oreal Revitalift (amazing fragrance, great texture, very hydrating too)

An exfoliant: while some of my products have small percentages of lactic acid in it, so I never felt the need to have a dedicated exfoliating step up. However, I thought I could benefit from it and started using  facetheory’s Glycolacsal which has glycolic acid (8.5%), salicylic acid (1%) and lactic acid (0.5%).  I use it twice a week and it’s really good.

In addition to all of this, twice a week I do a face mask with benoxyl peroxide in the shower which helps tons to keep acne at bay BUT is infinitely better than using the cream, which has bleached all of my towels. The cream used to be a must in my routine but now that overall my acne is under control, I don’t need to use it as often.

This ended up being extremely long, but I love skincare and I feel like I learnt so much about my own skin and how to work with it and what products work in the past few years. I’m testing new things but in a calculated manner. And I don’t know. Skincare is nothing static and the whole process of figuring things out can be fun (and necessary).

[hinamie]

ok i have composed myself i have transcribed the lyrics for wish you were here as best as i could. i am going to listen to this and only this until i lose interest or the ability to hear, whichever happens first

this song is SUCH a bop the soft guitar intro in2 the main beat is so good but can we TALK . about how . HE STARTS IT WITH A "MWAH" WHAT A FUCKING ICON I LOVE HIM I LOVE THEMMMMM the percussion is so good i love the soft offbeat claps in th bg they add such a nice lil pep n especially in verse 2 after "love you even if you hate my guts" they add like 4 extra clap beats and i am !!!!!!! ASCENDING

verse 1 is iconic i love the line "pack up my head might mail it back to your house" its so fucking funny it reminds me of that post thts like "i didn't know how to deal with the fact that i had a crush so i wrote her a note that said get out of my school" . but listenok listen. verse 2 is the one they posted a snippet of last year and first of all i love the electric-y/tv-turning off/guitar slide/quiet video game laser effect as the vocals start it makes my brain buzz aNYWAY this verse is my favourite between the two and has absolutely s tier lines such as "as long as you think of me I don't care what" and "love you even if you hate my guts" PLUS the lil clappy bits i mentioned they r so GOOD. not to mention his voice pls.,,, he sounds so good when he belts,,, his voice has a slight rasp to it that they lean into with the slightly muffled old speaker sound god he sounds so good all the TIME his vocals are so clear when he hangs on the words "singing" and "myself" into the chorus PLS. also the bg vocal 'a t-t-t-touch too sentimental' is so gd CATCHY

speaking of the chorus oh my god the CHORUS. the desperate cry of "don't you miss me? / don't you want me around?" is so devastating and heartfelt head in HANDS also the lyrics . im so excited abt them i cannot put into words how !!!!!!!! they make me just. gestures helplessly

wishful thinking is all that’s holding me down  lost on a blue moon  i wish you were here right now

in chorus 2 especially the way the beat cuts out after "lost on a blue moon" n comes back after "I wish you were here"??? AUDIBLE SEROTONIN TO ME ((plus in the final chorus changing the "lost on a blue moon" to "not like you used to" ??????? OW ???????????? that had a lil kick that got me a bit.. , being stuck with ur own wishful thinking as a stand-in for the physical affection of the person u like,,, ....fushiguro touch starved megu- *is shot dead*)))

HOWEVER the absolute lyrical Backbone of this song is the fucking bridge. i knew it would be i heard the snippet ages ago and i was like holy shit these lyrics go hard what are they from only to b dismayed to find that whatever song they were from did not yet exist. but now it DOES and i can listen to the way the bridge sounds like lights dimming. like headlights passing through a hazy window. it sounds like clouds parting

nobody else in this life or next  will ever have me the way that you do nothing in hell, heaven, earth, or the rest could ever take me away from you

THAT FUCKING EMOTIONAL BOMBSHELL against the original soft guitar from the intro drop the drums just reverb-y lyrics and background vocals and some of the most romantic fucking lyrics i've had the pleasure of reading let alone hearing one of my favourite artists sing.

i am going to once again fuse my fv brainrot with my megumi brainrot. realistically ik this is probably a missing your ex song but i do not care. this is a longing megumi song to me i dont CARE argue with a WALL (said to no one). the verses and chorus are pine-y and a bit snarky n very i like-like you and don't know what to do with how much i miss you. it's wry and frustrated n just tsundere enough but then u get to the bridge n there lies the sheer undying devotION god im unweLL this is all i'm going to listen to. this was worth waiting a year for if this is part of a new album they have in production im actually going to die

[radiowallet]

Promise

Pairing: Dieter Bravo x Marcus Moreno Summary: Dieter gets a gift while away on location. WC: 1.9K Warnings: 18+ MDNI Sexual content. Exclusive M/M dynamics. Written in third-person POV, male protagonists, allusions to smut, and dirty talk. Mentions of food and drug use. Small angsty moments. Yearning. So much yearning. AU Marcus Moreno (no wife, no Missy). A lot of purple prose and waxing poetic in this one, besties.

A/N: We're back with more of these boys. What can I say? I am obsessed with their dynamic and as long as my broken brain keeps sending me ideas for them, I intend to keep writing them down. Big thanks to @magpie-to-the-morning and @jazzelsaur who are patient as patient can be while I barge into their DM's to screech about these two soft, vulnerable boys. I love you both.

Pretend Alleyways Masterlist II Main Masterlist

For any new writing follow @radiowallet-writes and turn on notifications.

--------------------

The bouquet had been delivered to set, the candy cotton pink petals hard to miss amidst the cranes and cameras and all the rest of the hardware it took to put a film in the can. Everyone had fawned over the flowers from the moment they arrived, their delicate shape a marvel beneath the heat of the Moroccan sun. 

But when the courier called out Dieter’s name, the room almost erupted, everything from squeals of elation to nosy questions being tossed his way. Dieter couldn’t help himself, cheeks warming and chest puffing, as he accepted the vase, the increased attention not only from the crew but also his fellow actors, stroking his ego in a way he couldn’t help but relish in. 

Maybe some would be embarrassed at the sheer honesty in that one single thought but Dieter found peace in the sentiment. Hell, he was an actor. What else was there to say other than the truth in validation, hoping that enough of the attention could one day fix the broken pieces inside his heart. 

“One of your many admirers sending you flowers now, Bravo?” A well-meaning production assistant asks in passing. 

“Something like that,” he hums, taking care to tuck the card into his pocket for later. 

After that, the flowers find a place on the craft service table, and if an extra take or two is needed because Dieter’s eye line strays just a tad too far left no one makes mention of it.

The day is called just as the last of the light is lost, the sun setting far behind the rows and rows of beautiful blue houses. There’s an offer for drinks and dinner brandied about, a few cast and crew breaking away. Dieter quietly bows out, and again, if anyone notices the once infamous party boy choosing a quiet night in over a raucous night out, not a word is said. 

Once back in his hotel room, Dieter is instantly restless, the flowers moving from room to room, the vase twisted left, then right, then right again. Self-doubt starts to dig at the base of his spine, the very beginning of a panic attack creeping up his back, tight and hot and painful, a wicked whisper telling him he should have just gone out, damn all and any consequences. There is only a bouquet of pink peonies in this hotel room to keep the loneliness at bay tonight, and not for the first time, Dieter feels the icy cold fear that he’ll forget all he has waiting for him back home.  

He does his best to ignore it, breathing slowly around the rubber band across his chest, counting each second with the tick of his fingers. One, two, three, four, in. Five, six, seven, eight, out. Twice more is enough to chase the feeling away, giving Dieter the space he needs to finally breathe fully, his head clearing just enough to ground him back to the moment. The blossoms finally find a home right beside his bed, the low light of the bedroom illuminating the pretty pink petals, and only then does he actually start to settle down for good. He fishes the card from his back pocket, dragging his thumb across the seal.

It’s nothing remarkable; a white envelope, only his first initial scratched across the front. But it’s enough to have his cheeks warming all over again, the tip of his nail finally piercing through the thick paper. The card is equally unassuming, but when he opens it up, the words are anything but. 

Dieter reads it over once, then twice, then one more time for good measure, lips moving along with the lines, one promise after another infused to each and every one. It’s enough to have him scrambling for his phone, dialing with shaky hands and a breathless laugh. It only rings once before it clicks over. 

“Hey, baby.”

“The flowers…” Dieter starts, his mind racing faster than he can manage to speak, any sort of coherency lost at the sound of Marcus Moreno’s soft baritone on the other end of the line. 

“They were too much.”

“No! Fuck no!” Dieter is quick to cut the other man off, refusing to let him think that for even a second.  “No, sweet boy. I love them!”

Marcus would do this from time to time, doubt himself and his place by Dieter’s side. It always brings him back to the moment in that lavish hotel room, Marcus’s warm breath painted across his cheek, lips bruised and fingers grasping, when the heroic had admitted that most couldn’t handle it. To this day Dieter can’t help but wonder if he was maybe talking about more than just superpowers.

He thinks maybe Marcus doesn’t realize. That he doesn’t see what it means to possess a heart so big. Bigger than anyone deserved, the weight of it nearly dragging him down, away from the light and into the shadows. The very ones he tries so hard to protect the world from. And Dieter knew that when the man fell, he fell fast. Fully. All of him hanging out on a precarious line, waiting for the other inevitable shoe to drop. 

Dieter wishes he could figure out a way to convince him that both of his feet were firmly planted on the ground. 

There’s a beat of silence and he swears he can hear the words neither of them dare to say. Not yet. Not with things so new. But he can feel them. Always feel them. With each kiss Marcus pressed into his skin, every drag of his fingertips, each scrape of his teeth, there was the promise of an affection too great to imagine. It was there, on the tip of the other man’s tongue, quietly unspoken but still so very very present.

“I love them,” the actor says again, determined to make his point stick this time. 

Marcus hums, and Dieter can almost picture him then and there as if he was sitting beside him on the 1000 thread count duvet in Morocco instead of miles and miles away, in an empty apartment, his only plans for the night a crappy tv dinner. He could chide the heroic, remind him to have fun, take more chances, but that’s a sticky subject all its own. 

It had been a running theme of the last few months of their lives, the two of them stealing what little time together they could. Marcus would plan, meticulously, weekends away explained under the guise of training or intel or some other bullshit excuse. Dieter would make a stink to his manager on those days, stomping his feet and demanding a mental health break. Maybe it was the fact that he returned from those weekends brighter and lighter than ever before, but Marissa never fought him too hard. 

They would lose track of the hours as easily as they lost themselves in the other, tangled sheets and broken sleep bookending their pleasure. The give and take between them deepened with each weekend that rolled around. Dieter delighted in Marcus’s company, preening beneath the wonder of having him all to himself. The way his whole heart became the center of the universe, genuine affection and care feeling better than any late night or black out bender. 

Marcus would watch Dieter paint, only a sheet around his waist as his eyes traced the curves and colors inspired by his own tender touch. And Dieter would marvel at the bend of the other man’s form, following his steps to the gym, his own eyes wide as twin blades cut through open air. They stayed in. Always in. The pair of them forgoing even ordering in, digging through Dieter’s freezer in search of mini pizza bagels and knock-off taquitos rather than risk breaking the peace of their privacy. 

And if he showed up to the set of the big budget action movie with his belly still soft, it hardly mattered. His heart was full, his mind at peace, and even as the director rolled his eyes, all Dieter could see was Marcus dropping to his knees, nuzzling into the patch of coarse hair smattered across the swell of his stomach, before swallowing him down to the base. 

Those days gave them both something to cling to when life and work and reality would push them back to opposite sides of the country. Memories they could remember in the between, when it was only phone calls and FaceTimes the touch of their own hand to chase away the anxieties hiding around the corner.  

Dieter learned in great detail how to coax those little whines from the heroic, memorizing the ragged sound of his cries as he whispered all manner of filth into the crease of his skin. Marcus matched the energy in kind, splitting up inside the actor, lips on his throat and hands in his hair. Dieter called him sweet boy and Marcus declared him his whole sky, a promise of more following every goodbye. 

And Marcus always keeps his promises. 

When it came time to leave for Morocco, six months of loneliness looming in the distance and one awkward farewell party behind them, Dieter did his best to remind Marcus to not linger in his solitude. It would be too easy for him to fall back on old habits; long nights on rooftops chased by haggard days in the gym, but Dieter hoped the hero would make time to tend to his heart in ways he had forgone for so long. 

Marcus took care to meet Dieter where he stood, urging him to hold onto every word he ever said, his whole heart following Dieter, even when he physically could not. The actor clung to the sentiment, doing his best to remember every weekend spent wrapped around the other man. He held onto every ripple of pleasure and each drip of afterglow. 

Dieter shakes his head, refocusing on the present, even as he wishes for all the little things he so desperately wanted here and not there. Plush lips and dimpled cheeks, brown eyes wide as he nods and quietly accepts the truth in Dieter’s words. 

“I’m glad.”

The silence is back, but more of a comfort now, the blend of their breath lulling the last of the sun and sand and stress away from Dieter’s heart. His eyes are heavy in the best way, his fingers loose where they curl around the phone, still matched to the curve of his cheek. 

“You should shower, Dee. Then sleep,” Marcus prompts, his voice somehow even softer. 

“Mmm, jerk off with me first,” he half whines, free hand already pulling at the threadbare sweats he had worn from set. 

There’s a chuckle, low and sweet and steady, one that Dieter has learned means a promise is about to be made. 

“I’m at the office now, mi cielo, but call me when you wake up and we will.”

It’s enough for now, Marcus’s gentle voice in his ear and the catch of pink petals in the low light, giving Dieter the push he needs to let sleep find him. In a few hours' time he’ll wake up, his stomach empty and his neck sore, but the fresh scent of peonies and an aching promise have something else curling deep inside his belly. And when he dials, the answer comes on the first ring. 

After all, Marcus always keeps his promise. 

--------------------

Pretend Alleyways Masterlist II Main Masterlist

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[an-angel-in-the-garden]

Szayel and mayuri (seperately ) with a reader who is as weird or weirder then them?

Fluff plz

A fun request. As we had spoken about, I made some changes to be a little more specific then just general headcanons so I hope you enjoy. Buckle up everyone this is a longer post.

Szayelaporro

Szayelaporro is a wild card on a good day, willing to do anything to achieve his goal it's a wonder that the other espada put up with him 

Then you came along, somehow just as weird and a times more concerning just for a very different reason 

Eating hallows is nothing new for an arrancar in fact it's incredibly common but a soul reaper or human doing that is...well unexpected to put it simply 

That's how Sazyelaporro had found you, a simple soul wandering around having come across what was left of a hollow your first thought was to bite

He finds it truly fascinating and wants nothing more in that moment then to learn how your mind works and oh it's nearly love at first sight

Szayelaporro is quick to rush over to you and then more or less demands that you come back with him 

This is not a question or a request yet you answer like its one and that just makes him more curious

" Why though?"  What do you mean why, because I said you would.  " Yes, but why do you need something from me? Will I get anything from coming with you?" Maybe. I haven't decided yet. " Okay!" 

So he brings you back with him and you become a companion

Working with him is an experience that's for sure, he's willing to give in to anything you want, be it an odd experiment solely because it sounds cool or having a bite of one of his fraccions

The latter request honestly got him a little worried but he still let you do it because why not, he also wanted to know what would happen if you ate one 

It was not pleasant tasting and it made you a bit sick 

He laughed at your suffering but still took care of you 

You get to be around for all his tests and such and truly having such an open and curious mind just makes him more excited for experiment time 

A truly reckless couple but man is he devoted to you and anything you want to know he will get answers for

Mayuri

You met thanks to Urahara who, like he had with Mayuri, brought you into the Research and Development Institute as a set of extra hands

What a bad idea that was, in some ways you were worse then Mayuri in other ways you where a delight to keep around

Urahara found it funny you both hated him so much and that seemed like the thing that made you get along

When Mayuri took over after Urahara left the weird not quite friendship continued and grew

He knew you were useful to keep around for as annoying as he thinks you can be Mayuri can admit you're helpful

Everything was fine until he started to learn more about you

Working with you means he has to learn some of your habits and well they are interesting to say the least

Constantly wanting to eat or lick things you should not, poking at already cut open experiments or wanting to mix things you think look nice

Not to mention how often you crouch beside him and just stare until he gives you some kind of reaction

It was annoying yes, hard to deal with but he found it almost unbearable when you weren't around

The weird looks and odd questions mixed with whatever action you choose to take that day become apart of his routine so when a day is missed or you just disappear on some random trip he's left more annoyed than normal

You became a constant he wanted to keep around for more than just scientific reasons for a while he claims the only reason is to make Nemu more productive

Perhaps because of how odd you are Nemu sees you as something akin to a mother, bing far nicer than Mayuri and with how often you both work together she gets attached and Mayuri will use that to keep you around more

Call him out on it, back him into a corner with a bright grin on your face and he'll start to crack, first anger then acceptance if you make it clear you like him

From then on the soul society must deal with the worst couple around, you two fit together great but no ones happy about it

With his love of morbid experiments and your encouragement and equally as morbid curiosities you two are a dangerous but somehow functional pair

And that's a wrap! Here I am once more finding out that writing for Szayelaporro is oddly easy. He's just fun whether he's mean or sweet he's just fun. So I hope this is what you wanted and thank you to everyone who's been waiting for me to upload again! I've got some stuff I've been working on so please look forward to that as well! ~ Lilly