#it wasn’t actually 100$ I’m exaggerating

[mikestoklassa]

I love that Mike has gone to Zak Bagans’ Haunted Museum thrice because I went once and it was so batshit insane I don’t know of I could go again. It was also $100 dollars.

[nerdy-novelist017]

Soaked (Benny Cross x Shy!Reader Reader pt 8)

Hello, my lovelies! Sorry this took forever to write and post but I’ve been very busy with real life (ew) and I’m actually posting this while I’m on vacation. I wrote it on the plane and am posting in the car so please be kind if you see any mistakes hehe 😉

Benny x Bunny Masterlist

Word Count- 4.7k+

Summary- Benny’s never wanted anything as much as he wants to marry you, but with such different lives, you’re not so sure it will be as easy as he claims.

You felt the wind surge around you as Benny accelerated down the main road, his motorcycle roaring beneath you both. The world blurred past in a whirlwind of colors, but all you could focus on was the way your heart lifted, how a thrill of excitement shot through you as you zoomed past the rest of the gang. He did it just because he knew it’d make you giggle. And you did, the sound escaping you in a way that felt so carefree, so full of joy especially as you shot past Johnny and the others, leaving them in your dirt.

The wind was relentless, blowing your hair out of its carefully manicured braid, but you didn’t find yourself caring much anymore. The days spent with Benny had a way of shifting everything you thought had mattered. The things that once held so much weight – social status, gossip, public appearances – no longer seemed as important anymore. With Benny, it was almost like discovering a whole new world. No, not a new world. The same streets passed beneath the tires, the same faces you once worried about still existed. The world was still the same, but it was how he viewed it that felt so different. He didn’t care what others thought about him, didn’t pay attention to their expectations. He lived in his own world, surrounded by others like him that didn’t conform to the societal molds – people that you wouldn’t have even approached just based on their appearance. You never considered yourself a very judgemental person, but because of Benny, you have met and befriended people you could have never imagined.

That’s one of the things you loved about Benny. He wasn’t like anyone you had ever met before. He was different. And you were beginning to love that too.

He pulled off the main road, stopping in his signature spot in front of the club house. The roar of the rest of the gang pulling up sounded in the distance as Benny helped you off the bike. He held his grip on your hand, lacing his own fingers through yours as he pulled you gently into the bar. You followed him inside where the Vandals’ laughter and chatter soon filled the air. A familiar buzz of camaraderie enveloped the place, and before long, you found yourself seated around the table with a few of the core members. Benny was close – as always – with his arm draped over your shoulder.

“Hey, Bunny,” Cockroach’s voice cut through the sea of noise as he leaned forward and used his beer bottle to point at you. “When are you finally gonna say yes to our boy Benny, here?”

You stiffened slightly, the weight of the question hanging in the air and drawing the attention of the others at the table.

“Oh yeah,” Corky piped up, one eyebrow playfully cocked in a challenge. “He’s been asking, what, 100 times now? What’s the holdup? He’s not getting any younger, ya know?”

Heat filled your face at their teasing. Though Corky’s words were a bit of an exaggeration, they weren’t technically wrong. Since your kiss behind the clubhouse, Benny has asked you to marry him almost every day, sometimes more than once in a day. It had started by him mentioning married life in casual conversation, and you jokingly pointed out that he hadn’t actually proposed to begin with – not traditionally. And you were shocked to see him abandon everything he was doing in the moment to ask you to marry him. You giggled and rolled your eyes at his dramatics, but something deeper inside you caused your heart to flutter nervously. Since then, he’s asked several times, some in passing, a casual remark slipped into the conversation. Other times, he’d pause what he was doing, drop to one knee and grin up at you as if he were waiting for you to give in. But each time you’d laugh it off, brush it aside as him being unserious.

“Maybe I’m just waiting for the right moment?” you replied as you timidly played with the chain of your necklace, trying to deflect the attention.

“The right moment?” Cockroach parroted in disbelief. “He’s been proposin’ left and right for a week. Hell, I’d have said yes after the first time if it were me!”

The group laughed, and you tensed under Benny’s arm, wanting to melt into the floor from embarrassment. Benny squeezed your hand reassuringly, and he leaned, his voice dropping to a low murmur that was only meant for you, “They don’t mean nothin’ by that, you know that.”

You nodded, not trusting your own voice. He was right, you knew that. They didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, but the constant razzing – especially with this particular subject – was start to weigh on you.

“Yeah, c’mon, Bunny,” Cal chimed in from across the way, “What’s it gonna take? Benny’s a catch! He’s got the bike, the looks, the . . . mommy’s issues. If you don’t say yes soon, you might lose your chance.”

That playful jab was too much for Benny who stiffened next to you. You expected him to get angry, to blow up like you had seen your father do when he was upset. But instead, Benny leaned forward, eyes narrowing with a playful glint that you had come to adore. The table was buzzing with laughter, but he wasn’t about to let the spotlight stay on you for too long. Without missing a beat, he flashed a grin at Corky, his hand raised as he said, “Alright, alright. But let’s not pretend you all ain’t desperate for a distraction since none of you can keep a bike upright without fallin’ on your asses.”

The table roared with laughter and Corky’s mouth fell open in mock offense. “That was one time! And I had an oil slick!”

Johnny immediately jumped in, “Yeah Corky, an oil slick you created when your bike was leakin’ everywhere.”

Laughter erupted again and you shot Benny a grateful look as the guys started ribbing Corky about his infamous fall. Benny’s eyes met yours briefly, his thumb brushing your hand under the table in a silent message: I’ve got you. Most of the group knew you were shy and did not appreciate being the center of attention in a crowd, and they respected that. However, there were a few class clowns (as Benny called them) who loved to tease you, knowing it could get a reaction without fail. But Benny never let it go on for long, always shutting them down when he recognized your discomfort.

They’ve never teased you about marriage though. You had to wonder if Benny had voiced his irritation to them at some point or if they had picked up on your hesitation organically. Either way, it left you feeling bad. Excusing yourself, you wiggled out of Benny’s grasp as you stood and made your way for the restroom, needing a moment to breathe, to clear your head. But just as you reached the back of the bar, a voice stopped you.

“You ain’t gotta worry about what they say to you,” Funny Sonny stood leaning casually against the bar top as he sipped a glass of whiskey. “That just means they like you, accept you.”

You paused, glancing over your shoulder at the table of rowdy bikers. “I’m just not . . . used to it. All the teasin’.”

Sonny nodded, his disheveled hair falling into his eyes as he grinned. “You’ll get used to it. Won’t be long till you’re the one throwing out the first jabs.”

He said it so nonchalantly, as if it were the most obvious course of action, as if you weren’t from completely different worlds. You furrowed your brows, eyes casting downwards as you admitted, “I’m not so sure about that. I’m not at all like you guys.”

“You don’t gotta be like us to be with us. We’re family here and family means lookin’ out for each other, even the ones who came from different backgrounds,” he said, his voice lowering a register to a bit more of a serious tone.

His words settled over you like a warm blanket, the concept so foreign yet so familiar. Family. You knew what that was, you had one, you were loved by one. But for some reason, it felt like it meant something different with the Vandals. They chose their family, stood by them despite no blood relation. Your parents loved you, you knew that. They showed it in their own ways every day. But by default, they had to love you. With the Vandals, they chose to care for each other, chose to look out for each other. In a way, it almost seemed more powerful, more profound.

Being Benny’s girl didn’t just mean he alone had your best interest at heart. It also meant having the rest of the Vandals on your side too, all of them looking out for you. You weren’t sure if you’ve ever experienced such an intense loyalty before, even from blood relatives. And it left you with a warm feeling in your chest.

When you returned to the table, Benny was already standing as if he were waiting for you. His eyes met yours with a slight unease, almost like he thought you wouldn’t come back, like he thought you were so upset that you’d sneak out the backdoor.

“Wanna go for a night ride?” he asked, his voice soft as his hand extended out for you.

Your heart squeezed at his thoughtfulness. He knew how much you were growing to enjoy the feeling of blazing down the empty streets under a star-filled sky with him. A smile tugged at your lips, and you took his hand without hesitation, nodding.

You nodded, a small smile tugging at your lips as your hand slid into his own. You were vaguely aware of the groans and exaggerated protests from the table about the night being still young, but you didn’t hesitate to follow Benny as he led you to the door. He pulled you along to his Harley, the cool and fresh air a welcome change.

The tension from earlier still lingered as Benny’s hand touched your leg, helping you onto the back of the bike. You wrapped your arms around his torso, pressing your face into his back, finding solace in the familiar scent from his jacket.

He drove you around the city, stars and stop lights shining above, engine roaring below. He eventually pulled off the main drag, heading down a quieter road that led out of town. The blacktop blurred beneath you as he slowed the speed to more of a lazy joyride. He took a familiar turn, stopping at the small pull off area before a bridge. The sound of the engine faded as he brought the bike to a stop, the air filling with crickets’ song. The night’s air was breezy, but a welcome change from the hot, loud atmosphere of the clubhouse.

Benny dismounted first, reaching out to help you down. His touch – lingering longer than necessary – against your arm felt electric, sending a jolt of butterflies to your stomach, his eyes searching your face as if he was trying to read your thoughts. The two of you walked over the concrete bridge, pausing once in the middle. You leaned over the railing, getting lost in the gentle swirl of the water below. But Benny was lost in the sight of you.

“You alright?” he asked, his voice low, the usual playful teasing replaced by something softer and reserved only for you.

With your heart beating hard at his gentle tone, you nodded. “I’m fine.”

He frowned, reaching out to brush a loose strand of hair from your face. “I know the guys can be a bit much. I don’t like when they tease you like that. I didn’t mean for them to make you uncomfortable.”

You couldn’t help but smile a bit at his words, knowing that wanting to protect you was something he took very seriously, even if it meant from his own friends, his own family.

“I know,” you responded softly, leaning your chin on your hand over the railing.

“I’ll talk to them, make sure they won’t raz you like that anymore,” he promised, his expression serious.

“It’s not that. It’s just . . . I don’t know. It’s a lot to get used to,” you admitted gently. Before Benny, you’d never even been in a bar before, never ridden a motorcycle, never stayed out past curfew. He was a completely different experience than you were accustomed to. And now he wanted you to marry, after only knowing him for a few weeks. He wanted to be your husband, your partner for life. Your life felt like a bit of a whirlwind ever since you met him, but you wanted to be certain it wasn’t just fun because it was new.

He didn’t say anything for a moment, just stood there, his eyes tracing your features, his hand resting over your own. You could practically see the gears turning in his brain, something in him conflicted. Finally, he released a soft sigh, putting an arm around your shoulders and pulling you in close. “You don’t have to answer them, you know. Hell, you don’t have to answer me. Not till you’re ready.”

Your heart skipped a beat as you breathed in his scent – leather, smoke and something uniquely Benny. “It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just that I . . . ”

Benny pulled back slightly, his fingers tilting your chin up to meet his gaze, his thumb gently brushing your cheek. “Hey, you don’t owe anyone an explanation, not even me. You’ll say yes when you’re ready. And when that time comes, I’ll be here. I ain’t goin’ anywhere.”

A smirk tugged at the corner of your lips as it was your turn to kid. “How do you know I’ll say yes?”

Benny’s smile was gentle but still roguishly confident. His hand lingered on your cheek, his fingers tracing down the curve of your jaw as if he were mapping every detail of you. “I just know. When you feel it – when it’s real – you just know.”

He said it so simply as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, as if love were the most uncomplicated concept. You didn’t understand that, couldn’t see it that way. You’d seen the love your parents shared and that was beautiful and kind but it was also messy and cruel more often than not. And you understood that your parents were not the only representation of what love and marriage was supposed to be, but it was a constant presence in your life. They didn’t have perfect love, not like what you’d see in the movies or read in books. And you wondered if maybe you were giving too high of expectations for what love was supposed to be, but what you felt when you were around Benny . . . well, it felt exactly like the books described.

The way he looked at you, as if you were the most important thing in the world, made you feel so seen. The way he listened to you as if you were the most entertaining show, made you feel so heard. And the truth was undeniable: you were falling for Benny faster than you thought possible. It was terrifying. Benny was all fire and freedom, a rebel who didn’t play by the rules, who followed his own path with reckless abandon. And you admired that about him, but the thought of stepping into his world permanently felt like stepping off a ledge into the unknown.

“What’s goin’ on in that head of yours?” he asked, pulling you back into the present.

You pulled back slightly, biting your lip in contemplation before speaking your mind, “Don’t you wonder if there are other girls out there that you haven’t even met yet? Girls who are more suited for you?”

He shook his head, his voice light as he said, “Nah, I know you’re the only one for me, kid.”

“But marriage is serious. It’s forever.”

His hand slid down to your hip, turning you to face him fully, his expression solemn. “I never . . . I never thought marriage was real. The way I saw my mom and old man together . . . what they had wasn’t love. And I realized that at an early age. I didn’t think it was something that was real, just a bunch of fairytale bullshit you tell little kids. The girls I’ve been with, girls that may have been more suited for me, have never made me feel what I feel with you, Bunny. This is serious to me too because it proves everything I’ve never believed in.”

Emotion caught in the back of your throat as you pictured the man standing before you as just a boy living in a toxic household, an unloving home. It made you want to hold him tight, to shield him from the rest of the world. The man who held you so gently, who took you for night rides just to cheer you up. The man who came to your bake sale when nobody else did. The man who promised to drive slow so as not to scare you. The man who said he’d follow you all the way to California so that you didn’t have to go by yourself. The man who taught you about his hobbies with eagerness, and listened to yours with attentiveness.

He deserved to be loved in the same way he loved. But the tragic thing was that he didn’t see that, couldn’t comprehend someone loving him like that. He was damaged by his childhood, and you realized that he didn’t think he was worthy of repair. But you’d show him that he was, that he was worthy of everything he never had.

Slowly, you lifted your hands to gently cup his face, and his breath hitched in his throat. There was a shift in his expression – his usual teasing and bravado now replaced with some raw and unguarded as though he was offering you a glimpse into a deeper part of him, one rarely ever shown to anyone.

He pressed his forehead to yours, his voice dropping to a soft murmur. “You’re not just some girl to me, Bunny. You know that, right?”

The words sent a shiver down your spine. He wasn’t playing around now, not hiding behind his usual flirty quips. His sincerity was almost overwhelming. You swallowed thickly. “But what if I mess this up? What if I’m the one who can’t do this?”

Benny’s brows furrowed and he lifted a hand to brush across your cheek, his touch gentle but grounding. “You won’t. You couldn’t, even if you tried.”

“You’re making it sound so easy,” you said, your voice barely above a whisper, as if you didn’t quite believe him.

Benny could feel your tremble, the shaky laugh betraying your nerves you were trying so hard to hide. He could sense your heart racing, and he wanted so desperately to be the one to soothe it, to take away the hesitation in your eyes. His thumb brushed over your bottom lip, the soft curve of it making his heart ache in his chest. He loved how your lips quivered just slightly under his touch. He loved making you blush, loved teasing you until you looked at him like you were annoyed or completely at his mercy. But this . . . this was different. His touch lingered on your lip, slow and almost reverent as he savored the way you responded to him. It wasn’t about teasing anymore – it was about showing you what you meant to him.

“It is,” he murmured, his voice a little rougher than he intended “It’s easy because it’s you.”

The air between you felt electric as his hand slid down the curve of your neck, his fingers lingering there, feeling the steady thrum of your heartbeat that seemed to match his own wild one. He ducked his head slightly as he whispered, “You’re scared. But you don’t need to be.”

He meant it, more than he meant anything in his life. He pulled back just enough to look into your eyes again, searching for any sign of doubt, any sign that you didn’t feel the same way he did. Your eyes – wide and uncertain – met his, and Benny felt the weight of his words over them both.

“How can you be so sure?” you asked, your soft voice almost disappearing in the night.

And how could he explain it, especially since he’s never been good at explaining his feelings? How could he put into words what was so abundantly clear to him? That you made everything – even the most outrageous things – seem possible. That with you, he didn’t feel like just some fuck-up waiting for the next diaster. With you he felt grounded, like he belonged somewhere. Like you saw him for more than just the wild, reckless kid everyone else saw.

“Because you make me sure,” he responded with a gentle, encouraging smile as his hands moved to tilt your chin upwards to him. “You make my life feel like it’s supposed to.”

His gaze moved down to your mouth once more as you pulled your bottom lip between your teeth, and he simply couldn’t resist anymore. He closed the gap, brushing his lips so softly against your own. The kiss was gentle, tender, but as you responded to his touch, the need that had been simmering inside him for so long flared to life. His hands dropped down to your waist, pulling you impossibly closer, smiling into the kiss when he heard your slight gasp.

His heart pounded in his chest as the world seemed to fade away briefly until it was just you and him, just this. He never wanted to stop, never wanted to let you go.

But you did eventually pull away, the need to breathe becoming all consuming. Breathlessly, he pressed his forehead against yours, his eyes remaining closed as he focused on slowing his pulse. His hands remained on your waist, holding you like you might slip away if he let go.

“You see?” he whispered as his lips brushing against your forehead softly. “It’s easy being with you.”

You giggled and his heart soared at the melody. It took everything in him not to pull you back into another kiss, not to hold onto you like you were the only thing that kept him grounded.

His lips still tingled from the kiss, and he could taste the faint sweetness of your breath, the softness of your lips. It wasn’t enough. It never felt like enough for Benny. He wanted more of you. He’d never wanted anything like he wanted you, never craved anyone like he craved you. It was almost unbearable, like every second where he wasn’t touching you was a second wasted.

And yet, he knew you were scared. He could see it in the way you looked down at your shoes, could hear it in the timidity of your voice. It only made him want to protect you more, to make you see that being with him would never be something you had to fear. But he didn’t know how to say that without sounding like he was pushing, without making you feel like you were being rushed into a decision that was as much about you as it was him.

But damn if he didn’t want to make you his.

He opened his eyes and pulled back enough to look at you face again, to really take you in. And my god, the way you were looking up at him with those wide, innocent eyes made his chest tighten. And you didn’t even realize how much power you had over him. One look, one smile, and he was a goner.

Before either of you could speak, thunder cracked off in the distance, bringing you both back to the present, back to the rest of the world. You glanced up at the dark clouds that blew in to cover the stars, wondering how long you had stood on this bridge with Benny.

“Guess we should get back,” you said sheepishly.

“Guess so,” Benny replied with a lazy grin as though the storm could come crashing down and he’d still be perfectly content standing here with you.

“Do you think it’s going to rain?” you asked as you walked to his bike, glancing up at the thick, dark clouds blowing in from the west.

“Nah,” he said as he swung a leg over the bike with that signature confidence that made your heart race. “We’ll be fine.”

Famous last words.

******

By the time Benny pulled up to your house, rain was pouring from the sky like a waterfall, fat and heavy droplets splattering onto the sidewalk. Despite wearing Benny’s Vandals jacket, the rain had completely soaked you. Your hair, which had been meticulously pinned up just hours ago, was plastered to your face, and your dress clung to your body like a second skin.

You didn’t wait for him to shut off the bike before you hopped off and tugged on his sleeve.

“C’mon!” You laughed, tugging on Benny’s sleeve as you ran for the safety of your porch overhang. Your heels splashed through the water pooling on the blacktop, and he followed quickly behind, his warm hands finding your waist to steady you from falling as you both stumbled beneath the overhang.

Breathless and grinning like an idiot, you turned to face him, and you were momentarily stunned by the sight. Rainwater rolled down from his usually swept up hair, sliding down the curve of his cheekbones and falling off his jawline. He only wore a whote t shirt, the wet fabric turning almost transparent as it clung to every ridge, every toned muscle and you blinked before your gaze shot back up to his face. Even as wet as a drowned rat, he still managed to look so effortlessly sexy.

He was grinning at you with that boyish expression, and heat filled your face at the realization that you were just as soaked as he was but definitely not as pretty a sight. You probably looked like a mess — makeup smeared, hair ruined — but he was staring at you like you were the only thing that mattered in the world.

“Not gonna rain, huh?” you teased, quirking an eyebrow at the heavy rainfall just off your porch.

“Just a light sprinkle,” he returned easily, but you noticed he had to bite his bottom lip to keep from laughing.

“Do you wanna come in?” you blurted out before you could stop yourself. “To dry off?”

He sobered instantly, his gaze raking over your form before moving to your front door. He’d never been inside your house, never seen where you call home, where you lay down at night and replay your memories of him. There was never really an option for him to be inside your house. He’d never met your parents — despite asking multiple times to meet them, but you couldn’t bring yourself to put neither your parents nor Benny though that. Deep down, you knew your father would never approve of Benny, never give him his blessing. It was a disaster waiting to happen when he found out that you were dating a biker. You begged your mother to keep it a secret to which she obliged, but you knew it wouldn’t be long till he found out.

Benny took a full step back from you, hesitation obvious in his face, his voice low and almost regretful he said. “I—I better not, Bun.”

Normally, you wouldn’t ask again after being denied, wouldn’t be so bold. But you weren’t the same girl you were a few weeks ago before you met Benny. Emboldened by the perfect opportunity to have him inside your home, to share a piece of yourself with him, you stepped forward.

You took a step forward, your voice soft but sure. “My parents aren’t home. C’mon, just to dry off and wait till the rain lets up a little. You can’t drive in that anyway. It’s not safe and I won’t let you.”

Benny released a breath that sounded a lot like a laugh as he shook his head, clearly conflicted by your invitation. And for a moment, you thought he might shake his head and turn away. You thought he might face the rainstorm and leave you behind.

But instead, he nodded and your heart soared at the small gesture. Filled with hopeful energy, you shot him a smile, moving to open the front door and invite him inside your home, inside your world.

-Tag List-

@beebeechaos @imusicaddict @elizabeth916 @jaiuneamesolitaiire @dudii4love @ironmooncat @astrogrande @pearlparty @themorriganisamonster @sillylittlethrowaway @ughdontbeboring @penwieldingdreamer @charmingballoon @eugene-emt-roe @sunnbib @killerqueenfan @cynic-spirit @pomtherine @tranquilty @m00npjm @justsomewritingblog @thepassionatereader @rebecca-hvnstn @nethanybear @dreamlandcreations @buckysteveloki-me @simsiddy @zablife @sansaorgana @autumnleaves1991-blog @butler-trouble @lindszeppelin @wavyjassy @real-lana-del-rey @ilovehyperfixating @xcallmetaniax @lovenewfandoms @youngestxhearts @abaker74 @ateliefloresdaprimavera @thefallofthedamned @hottpinkpenguinreads @nctma15 @vendylewin @capswife @alexa4040 @pearlstiare @sweetestrose569 @18lkpeters @mrsalwayswrite @thedreamingfish99

[valeriianz]

Me: says im 100% not going to write anymore of The Proposal AU. Also me: "but what if--" tagging @valiantstarlights, my partner in crime for this AU lmao

this is part 4, aka the engagement story. part three, two and one, if anyone is keeping track (its not in any actual order, we run on vibes only in this house).

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

“Stop taking my hand!”

Dream slips his hand out of Hob’s with a pointed glare (and only a brief reflection of the instant warmth that shot up his arm from the touch). Hob, for his part, sighs with a barely contained eye roll.

“Sorry.” At least Hob sounds sincere, leaning in to speak quietly in Dream’s ear in the crowded room. “Force of habit, I guess. But you know…” He brushes his knuckles under the line of Dream’s jaw. “We are supposed to be engaged. Holding your hand is not the worst thing I could do to you.”

Dream’s skin prickles. “Is that a threat?”

Hob sighs again, a small smile tugging at his lips.

“It’s a tease. I’m teasing you.” He bumps his shoulder to Dream’s. “Lighten up. Have a drink.”

Perhaps Dream could do with a drink, especially if he’s actually thinking about what other debauchery Hob could get up to, outside of the limits of hand holding.

Snagging a beer out of the fridge, and forcing himself to smile as an aunt or grandma or someone comes up to him and starts asking him how he and Hob met. 

They had developed this, on the flight here, to Hob’s surprisingly luxurious childhood home. The story wasn’t much of an exaggeration of the truth– they indeed worked together but had hidden feelings for each other and after years of dancing around each other, they finally realized they were crazy for one another. 

It was easy enough to sell… perhaps not to the siblings who would loudly announce to Hob, “This is the same Dream who you bitched about on the phone? The one who didn’t let you come home for Thanksgiving last year? Who makes you go on coffee runs and harass writers?”

And Hob would shrug while Dream’s plastered on smile would sharpen to something deadly as he looked sideways at Hob. 

“Ah, what can I say? I like a man who knows what he wants.”

It would appease his family, for now. Dream had a moment of realization himself. 

He wasn’t aware Hob had such a large, welcoming family. His mother had immediately hugged Dream, smiling ear-to-ear, and Grandma Johanna had taken his hand and expressed to him how elated she was to finally see Hob settling down with “someone so handsome.” And now, at the welcome home party, everyone wanted a piece of Dream. To interrogate him or just meet him; meet the man who would make Hob honest. Who was now part of the family.

Dream had swallowed thickly. He wasn’t used to all the attention. Nor the care and playfulness of Hob’s family all around him. It was making him emotional and he didn’t know how much longer he could hover, an imposter among Hob’s fortunate family, with parents and siblings and aunts, uncles, and grandmother who all loved him and genuinely were excited that he was home for the holidays.

They all had no idea that it was all fake. Dream was a fraud. Hob and his relationship was purely transactional. The reality of Dream’s impulsive decision was finally crashing down around his ears and the room started to spin.

“Hey, you okay?”

Dream startled at Hob’s touch, no matter how gentle it was, on his shoulder.

“I’m fine. Why do you ask?” Dream bit out, blinking away the stinging in his eyes and going for a sip of his beer and scowling as he found it empty.

Hob’s hand, palm open, slid down Dream’s shoulders to his back, rubbing soothing circles between his shoulder blades.

“You look a little green.”

Dream huffed and tried not to relax into Hob’s soothing caress.

“This is all a little much,” Dream spoke honestly. “You didn’t tell me you had such a massive family.” Who love and are proud of you and are so quick to welcome me. So happy and eager to congratulate us and–

“Well, you never asked.” Hob replies simply, his hand dropping. Dream misses it immediately.

“Hey love birds!” Jo, Hob’s sister, pops up in their quiet space with a drink in her hands.

Dream tries not to jump at Jo’s sudden appearance, or bristle as she takes Dream’s left hand without permission to stare at the fake ring Hob and him had bought in the airport, realizing too late that they needed some kind of proof to their engagement.

Dream hoped Jo wasn’t some kind of jewelry appraisal. The silver band was simple, with a glass diamond inlay. Hob had a matching one. It cost them $30 each.

“I love the rings!” Jo gushed, thankfully dropping Dream’s hand before he could yank it back rudely. “Oh! You gotta tell us– who proposed to who?”

Dream can see the panic that crosses Hob’s eyes, which only grows larger with a nervous laugh as the family around them picks up on what Jo said and now everyone is interested in hearing the story.

Dream feels his heartbeat in his throat. They hadn’t discussed this. Hob and him had exchanged hobbies and interests and food preferences and allergies (Dream utterly bewildered at how much Hob already knew about him) but had somehow forgotten to build an engagement story.

“Oh, it’s not that interesting,” Hob laughs, an edge of hysteria to it. “Dream, honey, you were just mentioning that you wanted to rest–”

“Ah, c’mon!” Grandma Johanna prods, wiggling in her seat on the couch. “We’re all dying to hear it.”

“Yes, Hob.” Dream speaks with his own mischievous glint in his eyes. “I’d love to hear it from your perspective.”

Hob stares at Dream, utterly bewildered and then– Dream swallows nervously– his lips curl. 

“Aw well, if my sweet Dream insists…” Hob takes up Dream’s left hand and kisses the top of it while maintaining eye contact and Dream’s pulse stutters.

“You’d never know it,” Hob starts, addressing the room, which the whole family has now congregated in. “But underneath this hard, prickly exterior–” he gestures with a wide sweep to Dream. “Is a big ‘ol softie.”

A round of tittering surrounds them. Dream stares at Hob, eyes widening as he suddenly realizes his mistake of giving Hob the reins. Putting him on the spot.

“He took me to the local carnival…”

Dream hates carnivals. The rides are rickety and dangerous and full of rowdy teenagers.

“... where I won him the biggest pink teddy bear in the darts game, after he begged me for it…” Hob turns to wiggle his nose in Dream’s face.

Dream feels his cheeks warm and jaw drop. He hates the color pink and would never beg for anything, let alone a stuffed animal–

Some family members are now studiously looking at Dream, seeing him in a new light, no doubt. And Dream nearly shakes with the indignity of it all. He doesn’t even know these people, but he will be staying with them for the next week and he absolutely will not lose face over Hob’s overactive imagination.

“And finally,” Hob grins at Dream, clearly having the time of his life putting his boss on the spot and Dream can only stand and wait for the punchline.

“We go on the ferris wheel– the sun is setting– all planned, I’m sure. And then–”

“And you kissed me,” Dream interrupts, causing all eyes to refocus on him. Dream swallows at the bewildered look on Hob’s face. “It was very romantic.”

He turns to address the room himself, feeling ridiculous but barling onward, leaning sideways onto Hob in a way, he hopes, is besotted. 

“We walked off the ferris wheel to a group of carnies that Hob had hired, a quartet, to meet us and they sang ‘Cherish’ acapella.”

Hob’s brows shoot up into his hairline, stunned silent. 

“The Madonna song?” Somebody asks, Dream thinks it’s Hob’s cousin, Fancis.

“The Association,” Dream spares them a glance and a vague gesture with his wrist. “It’s an oldie.”

Grandma Johanna puts her hand on her chest and makes a sound like, “t’aw.”

“And then,” Dream continues, delighted now to have the upper hand. “Hob joined them for the chorus.”

Jo and some of Hob’s cousins exclaim loudly, looking back to Hob, who is running a hand through his hair with a wide, uncomfortable smile as more of his family join in on the slowly building sound of laughter. Dream smirks and tugs on Hob’s arm to get his attention. 

“You have a great voice, darling, don’t be embarrassed. I was very smitten.”

“Oh, I’m sure you were,” Hob says, his ears red. Dream would never admit it, but it’s a very cute look on him. 

“And when you asked me to marry you, of course I said yes.” Dream tapped Hob on the nose, who’s eyes narrowed murderously. Dream smiled with teeth, uncaring how sarcastic he appeared now.

“Oh you guys!” Hob’s mother exclaimed, her expression reflecting utter joy. Jo was whispering something to Hob’s brother and snickered between themselves. “That’s very unlike the Robert we all know,” she gives Hob a knowing look. “I suppose love makes you do strange things.”

“Strange, yeah. That’s one way to put it.” Hob is looking at Dream again, his eyes glinting with revenge, most likely. But Dream doesn’t mind. He’s just relieved they got this out of the way, along with the bonus of managing to embarrass Hob in front of his entire family. A win-win in Dream’s books.

the song Dream came up with... which Hob would definitely, absolutely, sing to Dream on any other occasion lol

[rweoutofthewoods]

I’ve got two questions!

The depiction of demisexuality in TB… how accurate is that? Bc I know love in stories is often exaggerated and people don’t feel that way, but the way James’s thoughts and sexuality are described there… I may have to do some introspection if demisexuality is fr Like That.

Also, if you’re willing to let us know, is the timeline going to be: James confesses about his student -> Sirius finds his little brother and connects the dots OR is it Sirius finds his little brother-> James has an oh shit moment?

I hope you have a great day!!

Hi!! So I think demisexuality is a spectrum and ofc this is fiction, so I’d never say it’s 100% accurate. BUT in my personal experience it’s pretty close. James found a connection with Reg he’s never had with anyone which with being demi you need that important bond first before physical attraction comes. And James, he’s not sex repulsed, he never hated it, he’d just never felt that connection and trust before that made him actually desire it. Like he did have sex even though he didn’t experience that kind of attraction to people, because of course culture and society affects those sorts of things, but I think the key things is that he’s never actually like felt lust for a person. Like it wasn’t something he thought about or desired, and he was totally fine not having sex. Jegulus bonded and found a deep understanding in each other very quickly, and while Reg was attracted to James from the first meeting and was planning to seduce him from like the first week, James didn’t feel the same sort of lust or sexual desire until AFTER they’d bonded. I think in a lot of irl cases, it might take a lot longer to build that bond and trust that could then lead to sexual attraction, but in the case of Tennessee Baby, it’s fiction and they both became very interested and attached to each other very quickly, so do take it with a grain of salt. I hope it’s a pretty close depiction, but everyone is different and I’m sure it’s not perfect.

YOUR OTHER QUESTION… I can’t say bc I’ve been toying with both a new idea and my original plan. I won’t know for sure until I try to write it and see what I like best. But I will say that some shit is going to go down over Christmas 🙏😍 And I do know regardless that Sirius is not going to find out about Jegulus until a bit of time after he reconnects with Reg, but that’s all I can say for sure rn.

[nat-the-octo]

man, Splatoon 3 is basically over, huh?

Everyone is doing their Splatoon stories rn, so I guess I’ll do mine I got Splatoon 2 with some Christmas money in New Years of 2020. My only previous knowledge of the series was a vague concept of the game when the first came out and watching old Failboat videos on it like Octo Expansion and photoshopping new weapons. I wasn’t really into video games as an interest (hyper fixation) until the pandemic, where my mom got a switch lite for the family to see the new animal crossing, and me later getting my own console for my birthday later in the year. All of which is to say: I didn’t know what I was getting into with Splatoon.

I sat down minutes after midnight (probably sleep deprived) and I was thrust into this colorful, creative, and diverse world where you’re constantly encouraged to stand out, make a difference, and live by your own rules. It’s difficult to explain why this game where people living how they want get to cover mundane gray cityscapes with color and life was so instantly appealing to me, but it struck a chord that sent me hurtling down a rabbit hole that would without exaggeration, change the course of my life.

I immediately played through the story mode, then played it 8 more times to collect every weapon, got my ass beat by Octo Expansion, cried during Into the Light, 100% Octo Expansion, and was lucky enough to be just in time for the real final splatfest of Splatoon 2. (I lost) This also boosted me to be able to actually experience and understand more video games as a whole, but that’s a different topic. This all led me to February 2021, (yes that all happened in 2 months) where me and my friend skipped online school to watch the direct on a playground in my neighborhood, and saw the reveal of Splatoon 3. From here, everything begins to speed up. I found my way onto Inkipedia, consumed all possible knowledge about this tiny trailer that was available, then consumed all info and lore about the current games, including characters, old splatfests, previous metas, splatband lore, and more. THAT led me to splatoon theories, (shoutout to rassicas), which later led me to splatoon fanon with theories and ships and ocs and suddenly it’s September 2022.

Ironically the section of time with Splatoon 3 might be the part I have the least to say about, mostly because it all feels so recent even today. I watched the trailers, read the twitter posts, thought Shiver was nonbinary, played the testfire, everything. Everything post launch feels so wonderful and great and everything I wanted from the game and more. I actually felt like I was apart of a community as I debated splatfest topics with my friends and complained about my weapons being nerfed. (I still get upset about the tenta missile nerf from like. a month after launch.)

I think this part of the story will hit a lot harder in a few years, when I experience my first actual content drought instead of joining at the end of one, but for now, I can just be satisfied by my memories and experiences with the series so far. This franchise has truly changed who I am today and will be in the future. I’m a completely different gender person now because of playing the game, and now I have my own little theories and ships and ocs that I haven’t put to page and all the things that made me start in the first place, and it feels like I’m truly part of a community for once.

idk how to end this so to whoever read this far, thank you, honestly. I hope we both get to live the lives we want in the future, no matter what life throws at us.

P.S. here’s a pic of my main OC for the first time, might do more stuff with her if i feel like it

[luvsellie]

ELLIE WITH "IM YOURS, IVE ALWAYS BEEN YOURS" PLEASE 😩 CONGRATULATIONS ONCE AGAIN ON 1K (deserve more honestly 🤭) 🎉 IM SO PROUD OF U 🥹 YOU ARE AMAZING 😘🫶

— pairing ellie x fem!reader | wc 0.4k | prompt "i'm yours, i've always ever been yours." | note THANK YOU CHAL 🫶 AND IT'S STILL YOUR BIRTHDAY WHERE I'M FROM SO TAKE THIS AS MY BDAY PRESENT FROM ME TO YOU <3

05:37 pm

ellie spent way too much time with dina.

you had determined that this statement was, in fact, 100% true after the third time she had ditched you for the black-haired girl. your inherent jealousy—if you could even call it that—prompted you to approach your girlfriend about the subtle feeling of abandonment that had started to bloom like a flower in late spring.

unfortunately, she wasn’t taking the whole situation as seriously as you would have liked.

“i am not ditching you for dina,” ellie scoffed from her bed, eyes glued to the tv as she played some game you couldn’t remember the title of on her playstation 3. “i spend most of my time with you, actually.”

biting the inside of your cheek, you sat a little straighter. “when was our last date?” the question hung awkwardly in the air, and ellie didn’t answer, still focused on the pixels on the tv. so, sighing through your nose and rolling your eyes, you stood up from your spot beside her, moving to intercept her gaze. “ellie,” you repeated again, “when was our last date?”

she finally gave in to the conversation as her eyes slid up to meet yours. game forgotten, she set the controller beside her before leaning pack on her palms. she made a show of looking out her window to exaggerate how hard she was thinking. “ummm, probably last week,” she said, somehow convinced by her own answer.

you raised your eyebrows at her, crossing your arms over your chest. “no, actually, it was last month; you took me stargazing, remember?”

“what does this have to do with me spending time with dina?” ellie asked impatiently. she wanted to return to her game, you could tell.

inhaling deeply, you tried not to lose your cool. “just make time for me this week, okay?”

your blunt request finally managed to catch your girlfriend’s full attention. she scooted closer to the edge of the bed—closer to you—as she said, “i always make time for you, babe. you’re the most important person in my life.”

“well it sure as hell doesn’t feel that way at the moment,” you told her bitterly, lips drawn downwards in a frown. “it’s like you’ve become dina’s girlfriend all of a sudden. and the worst part is you didn’t even take the time to break up with your actual girlfriend.”

ellie’s eyebrows knitted together as she stood. uncrossing your arms from your stiff person, she grabbed your hands, the look on her face becoming concerned. “i’m yours. i’ve only ever been yours. i promise, babe.”

you sighed through your nose as you looked at her. damn ellie and her sweet words of reassurance.

the girl knew just how to get you, and, by god, she had you.

© luvsellie 2022 | do not repost, republish, steal, or translate !!

[gophergal]

Author Commentary - I Know Where To Look (Chapter 2)

Howdy, y’all! Welcome back to another commentary post, this one will be a lot shorter than the last (probably?) I know that’s ironic given the extra length of the chapter, but this one just required less interesting research and decisions.

When does the fic take place, by the way?

So, I have a very specific headcanon for when canon materials take place in TF2 that may slightly contradict actual canon. Because of that, I am of the opinion that the Mercs were hired in ‘64, and this fic starts in May of that year. All of the Meet The Team videos take place between 64 and 68.

For your convenience, a list of relevant (and not so relevant) HC ages for characters as of 1964:

Heavy is 40, as mentioned in the chapter (his birthday is in October)

Medic is 46, though he looks young for his age despite going grey (This is relevant. Also his birthday is in March)

Scout is 19

Sniper is 22 (wear some fucking sunscreen, man)

Spy 42

Engineer is 38

On that note, I’m also taking advantage of the fact that MtT is in universe PR, so keep that in mind when characterization and events contradict them. I see the mercs’ personalities in MtT as exaggerations of what they actually have going on, and I think that is somewhat supported by the way they are presented in the comics, but I would never claim that is 100% the “correct” interpretation.

For example, Pyro at this point creeps almost everyone out, but only scares Scout. The fact that their own team is terrified of them in MtP is an exaggeration. Also Pyro related: you might notice that I typically use they/them for them, but in dialogue and prose, he/him is used. That will change, it’s just a result of the team assuming that Pyro is a man, since the rest of them are men. It’s just something that will change as the team gets closer.

Heavy’s backstory memory in the shower was just something I came up with on the spot. It felt right. Might have been projecting a bit about the whole “seeing your deceased parent in your reflection” thing. Who knows. Either way, every time I’m reminded of the characters’ who’s backstories we know, I’m just reminded of how if tf2 wasn’t comedic the damned franchise would just be a drama.

Also, the “victory round” (I’m blanking on what it’s actually called in the game, but you know when the winning team gets crits at the end?) fills me with genuine rage and I almost want to punch my laptop whenever I play tf2. However, if I did that I wouldn’t be able to write/draw more Red Oktoberfest queerness.

That Kotlet cooking scene is based on this recipe. I’ve never actually made it myself because meat has gotten really expensive, but it does just remind me of meatloaf. That’s all

“Horse Feathers” is something my maternal grandfather used to say all the time instead of “bullshit” or “goddamnit.” I thought it would be funny to make Engie talk like my papal *shrugs*. Speaking of Engie, he ISNT HOMOPHOBIC I PROMMY. That man is aspec and an eternal third wheel. He’s just uncomfortable with being involved in non-practical problems.

[100blocks-archived]

https://www.tumblr.com/100blocks/739127247631482880?source=share

I don’t think this opinion is that controversial, I feel like a lot of people feel that way. But I do understand why he put it in the video. Like a lot of people/drantis would use him having a fanart account as something to hold against him and use in a “dream allows kids to draw nsfw art of him” argument and as him encouraging shippers, which is something he wanted to clear up to the general public and also show that he has multiple people who control those social media’s for him. So him saying that and basically saying that he has his hands of all that’s happening on those accounts is good for his video and for the normies.

but also I feel like a lot of fans took it as him never even having seen the art or that he’s never the one liking it. Even though he said that he’s the only one who’s aloud to reply to people, that he does in fact like stuff (and let’s be honest the 90% was veryyy much exaggerated) and so many times his general activity lines up with the fan art being liked, and that he does keep an eye out for what is liked on the account itself so even in that regards he’s involved.

like if you take the first dnf kissing art that was liked it was 100% dream since he tweeted on the account immediately afterwards about it. And he joined a space while on the account so he for sure used it a lot more than he said. But for the video that wouldn’t make sense to say since it was mostly for the normies and not for the fans yk and denouncing his “parasocialness”.

idk if this makes sense😭

yeah that actually makes a lot of sense! like his fan interactions in the past lined up a lot with the art he liked and he sees most of it or all of it anyways so at the end of the day it’s not that much of a change. it still just feels a bit weird that he wasn’t truthful to us about this because from a fan perspective i don’t really see the reason why? like i get he’s super busy but if he wants to sit down and like some art it doesn’t matter when or how often he does it.. idk i’m not mad at him for it or anything just one detail that i don’t understand

[whitegownsandflowercrowns]

I rewatched 1x08, 2x01 and 2x02 with my sister recently, and some of the things that I noticed:

I’m not gonna lie, if I haven’t seen an episode of the show in long enough, I start to think that people are exaggerating how religious Alicent is. I almost forgot about her putting up the FOTS sigils all over the Red Keep, and her “The Father will compel me to forget the allegations made by you here” line is peak religious passive-aggressiveness. Rip Alicent you would have loved/hated Catholicism.

“They used to tease me because I was different” buddy you have an autistic sister I don’t want to hear a word about how you were “different” because you didn’t have a dragon before hitting double digits.

“Aegon the Strong?” “My nephews have already claimed that title” I DIDN’T CATCH THAT THE FIRST TIME CAUSE I WAS SO STRESSED I LOVE IT.

My sister has also not seen most of Season 1 (Episode 8’s the only one she’s seen in full) and it is very funny to try and explain the context behind Alicent’s actions only to realize how absolutely HORRIBLE she sounds. Just “oh yeah she gave that scar to Rhaenyra because she was trying to cut out Luke’s eye when he was six. Which is obviously bad but she was under a lot of pressure in the moment. Yes this is right after she made Rhaenyra present Joffrey to her right after giving birth.”

Once you’ve seen Vaemond’s main scene once every time you watch it from then on out you have to say “Her children…are BASTARDS!” along with him. It’s the law.

Also didn’t pick on this during my first viewing because I didn’t know where it was headed, but there are so many points in Rhaenyra and Mysaria’s first proper conversation where Rhaenyra is just…staring into Mysaria’s soul, looking her up and down, etc. If she wasn’t already aware of her attraction to women, she was questioning a lot of things during that conversation.

My second watch of the ending of 1x08 has completely confirmed for me that Alicent didn’t truly make a mistake. I’m sure “I misunderstood” is what she tells herself to sleep at night, but it’s made pretty obvious in that scene that she was hearing what she wanted to hear and nothing else. Viserys is out of it, continuing a conversation they never had, referring to “Aegon’s Dream,” and all of the questions she’s asking him are 100% leading questions. “Our son Aegon?” at that point he could have broken out into a coughing fit and she would have taken it as confirmation. Don’t get me wrong, it’s because she wants all of her suffering to have been for something, but at that point her mind would have twisted anything to mean “I want Aegon to be my heir.” It’s not the writers forcing a misinterpretation, it’s Alicent trying to give herself plausible deniability of her own involvement and guilt.

The other line I’m legally required to say along with the character is, of course “Each of them brave, handsome…strong.”

Ugh Luke was such a sweet kid I miss him. I very much suspect that he’ll appear at Harrenhal, though, so hopefully we’ll see more of him.

Rhaena’s Season 1 wig was BAD, my god.

I still think Blood & Cheese was well done, and my theory now is that the moment where Helaena stops and gasps is the moment that her dreams end. That’s the moment where she realizes that it’s actually happened, that this is a nightmare she’s never waking up from.

I miss HOTD Sundays.

[kendrixtermina]

The Hamburg Defamation Case Update

To summarize from here:

What was ruled as defamation:

the I dare say obviously fictional 'hearsay' stories from "a friend of a friend who knew a former crewmember", such as the italian man story, the idea that they called it a 'slut parade', Till & richard arguing over some girl. Frankly it's ridiculous they even printed that. Obvious fiction, exaggeration, no one behaved like an actual human, tons of ambulances called but no one noticed?

spiking with KO drops (only ever claimed by Shelby, who was on meds that shouldn't be mixed with tons of booze, kind of caused a mass panic where people who were drunk or saw drunk people (Kayla) retroactively wondered if there may have been drugs involved - plus every single witness has confirmed the “bottles opened in front of guests” thing)

That the parties were intended primarily as sex things / to get Till potential partners or that people were deliberately gotten drunk with the intention to sexually prey on them/ that sex was expected (which is consistent with statements of loads of former party-goers on social media that they were just normal parties where he occasionally hit on someone)

What they're still allowed to write: (in the sense that it was ruled 'plausible enough' and/or 'in the public interest')

that Till may have sex with people in at least potentially questionable states of drunkenness (seems all but indisputable at this point, multiple accounts with affidavits)

that there was a 'system' where people were explicitly 'recruited' to parties with booze and some chance of later sexual contact - hm. Certainly technically true it was the case that influencers or just ppl from the metal scene in the town the concert was in were contacted on insta (also confirmed by posters here) but with that word choice allowed one wonders if it will be sufficiently distinguished from the third bullet point above. 'Inviting people to parties where there may be booze & flirting' =/= 'inviting people with the explicit purpose of perving on them'. There is booze and flirting in most parties, after all, some even have discounts for women.  the main point of row zero was ultimately to have some pretty, rocker-looking ppl standing in front of the stage so it looks good on photos, bonus points if they're influencers or something. So there's nothing per se nefarious about contacting pretty, rocker-looking ppl on insta. I suppose some might find it objectifying to put up attractive ppl as 'decoration' but they're getting free booze, backstage passes & exclusive invitations out of it so no different from being a model really.

This is all just related to the case with Till for now.

The stuff that was ruled defamation wouldn't have been dismissed if it wasn't too ridiculously lacking in evidence to even consider reasonable report, and the criminal investigation will only be stricter about evidence.

So unless some wild new unprecedented evidence turns up now suddenly several weeks in, I think we can confidently say at this point: 

Roofies thing 100% debunked

the idea that it was some bordello-like thing where ppl were deliberately picked to be pressured into sexual stuff, 100% debunked.

& having drunken sex in a hotel room, whether criminally relevant or not, is something any guy can do, so definitely not 'abuse of power'. (that would be, like, making your goons restrain someone or threatening their job etc.) - the moment it's just you & him alone somewhere he's the same as any lowly mortal. (Lowly mortals, of course, can still do ordinary crimes.)

We (or rather, the prosecutors) shall see about the rest, I guess.

Regardless of particular conclusions (I don't think I'm fully decided where I fall either, yet, i dont want to form biased, emotion-based conclusions and get attached to them), at least we all gotta agree that even if they’re guilty of some stuff,  we're dealing with a very different claim and level of potential ambiguity, severity and intent.

Any sane person would consider roofies or being pressured in a locked room to be rape, but drunk (but still walking & talking) is more of a gray zone.

Most ppl would say when someone is full on incoherent or unconscious & this was outwardly recognizable it’s obviously rape but almost no one would say that about being, like, slightly tipsy, and realistically, lots of people have shitfaced sex & consider it totally normal. These are evidently situations where everyone was smashed. No one’s gonna argue that this was the world’s most responsible behavior

So it depends on details & specifics that hopefully will be brought forth by fair judges asking the actual involved people non-leading questions. 

Defamations against jerks is still defamation even if it’s, say, calling a dude a serial killer if he only killed one guy. its not about defending anyone its about truth & logic. 

Far and wide you see people reacting as if the first three points were indisputably true seeing as they have been repeated over and over in the tabloids. Death threats, vandalism, random fans being accosted for wearing t shirts, calling for boycotts of any nightclub that lets them in (ironically with Michael Jackson T-shirts for sale nearby) ... this isnt rule of law, guys. 

They even pulled Flake’s book from circulation on spotify which, like... even actual undisputed criminals shouldn’t lose the right to publish books. If there is ANY way that any citizen can be deprived of free speech, you create an incentive for that to be applied to people one wants to silence. 

You can buy books of war criminals & murderers. You can get the memoirs of OJ Simpson and the Austrian Incest Case guy, for crying out loud!  & most ppl who do that are probably motivated by morbid curiosity & wanting to know how a crazy person thinks, not any desire of “supporting” them. Understanding people is not condoning them, indeed understanding crime is how you stop & prevent crime, so this kind of censorship wouldn’t be ok even if they were guilty. 

Also don’t think for a moment that the labels, companies etc. care so much about morals (michael jackson... still on spotify), it’s about avoiding controversy for advertisers because ads & corporations rule everything and rage gets more clicks than anything. 

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for contents that are yet to be released on the global server! ⌚

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

–

✧ [Call] ✧

Victor: Have you seen the gift?

MC: I have! Th-this clay tea set has quite a deep meaning at first glance!

Victor: Clay tea set? …what deep meaning do you think it has?

MC: …you’re expressing your earnest hope for me to drink less and have more tea?

Victor: Superficial, and too shallow understanding.

MC: Then–– the tea set has the engraving of patterns of the sheaf of wheat. Does it mean you want me to eat more often?

Victor: The sheaf of wheat symbolizes, “may you have peace year after year.”

MC: But wishing for peace has no connection with Valentine’s Day… I don’t know why you gave me this, but I’m very happy!

MC: Why don’t we have a home tea party tonight with this new tea set? I’ll prepare roasted seeds and some small snacks!

Victor: Dummy, put the innocent tea set back in its place.

Victor: It’s a reference for a business gift sent by LFG’s Purchasing Department. Your gift is on the dressing table.

MC: So this wasn’t a gift for me? Hehe, why didn’t you say anything earlier? And I was here racking my brain about why you gave me this.

Victor: I was just curious to see how far has a certain someone come in her ability to pull off a lie. And now it seems that it has indeed reached a great height.

MC: Humph, I’m at the dressing table…

MC: [screaming, literally]  Victor, am I seeing this right! IT’S ACTUALLY THE BOTTLE! OF! VINTAGE! PERFUME! I’VE BEEN COVETING FOR! SO! LONG!

Victor: …sure enough, this is how a dummy expresses her liking for something.

MC: It has nothing to do with how I express myself, okay? This perfume absolutely deserves an even more exaggerated exclamation.

MC: This 100-year-old bottle of perfume has really and truly appeared right in front of my eyes! You wouldn’t have bought it from a museum, would you?

Victor: Don’t cook up misleading rumors like this.

Victor: When I was in Paris for my business trip last week, I came across a vintage perfume collection store by chance.

Victor: And I remembered that a certain someone had her heart set on a bottle of vintage perfume, so I asked around casually.

MC: So that’s how it is~ Sob, sob, sob, Victor, I am too lucky to have you!

Victor: Instead of saying thank you in mouth, why don’t you use the time tonight to repay me?

Victor: After all, according to the dummy’s theory, every festival deserves to be celebrated properly. And naturally, Valentine’s Day mustn’t be an exception. 

─────

–

✧ [Email] ✧

No wish list or quirky gift boxes? The only thing you want to do for Valentine’s Day this year is to take a stroll down the streets with me? Although I have no idea what a certain someone is up to, it’s also nice to spend the festivals like this once in a while.

─────

–

✧ [Go see him] ✧

Not just suit, wristwatch, and tie… you even bought fluffy pajamas for me. Does a certain someone want to give me all the gifts this year on Valentine’s Day?

—

[ispeaktheyburn]

Things I learned about the Leo Frank case from reading And the Dead Shall Rise by Steve Oney (note: none of this is meant to drag Parade, which I love with all my heart):

-Britt Craig didn’t launch a smear campaign against Leo; he was just the reporter who broke the news of Mary Phagan’s murder (before Leo was considered a suspect).

-“That’s What He Said” is a pretty accurate depiction of Jim Conley’s testimony on how he allegedly acted as Leo’s accomplice and helped him hide Mary’s body in the basement, but before the trial he gave four different versions of the story in affidavits (the police grilled him until he produced a version they were satisfied with).

-I’ve posted about this before, but Leo’s lawyers were racist as fuck. They argued that Jim Conley’s race made him inherently untrustworthy and that “no white man” could have committed such a brutal crime. I’m guessing JRB/Uhry chose not to include this in the musical because it would have made it harder to sympathize with Leo.

-The musical exaggerates the antisemitism that occurred during the trial—not to say there wasn’t any, but incidents like Mary’s mother spitting “Jew” at Leo when she was on the stand are definitely fiction. The most blatant, violent antisemitism arose after the trial, when Northern Jewish-owned newspapers started campaigning to save Leo.

-The unsworn statement Leo made at the trial was nothing like “It’s Hard to Speak My Heart”—he used most of it to explain the work he did at the National Pencil Company on the morning before the murder to convince the jury that his hands were too full to kill Mary, but it probably just made them perceive him as cold and unfeeling.  -Several of the factory girls who testified against Leo did recant their testimony and admit to being coached by Hugh Dorsey, but later they recanted their recantations and claimed they were coerced by William Burns (a private detective working with the defense to clear Leo’s name) into changing their testimony. Of course, Burns denied the accusations and the defense accused the prosecution of bullying the girls into changing their testimony again. So it’s clear that they were bullied by one side or the other, but we’ll probably never know which side.

-Tom Watson was silent on the case until a year after the murder, when a newspaper run by his political rival published an editorial supporting Leo. Also, if you think Watson is evil incarnate in the musical, the real guy’s writings make the musical version look like Mr. Rogers.

-Jim Conley had his own lawyer during the proceedings, William Smith, who came to believe Jim was the actual murderer and played a major role in Governor Slaton’s decision to commute Leo’s sentence to life imprisonment (he also wrote a note on his deathbed professing his belief in Leo’s innocence). 

To sum up: I'd highly recommend this book to any fan of Parade who’s interested in learning more about the case; just don’t read it expecting to find 100% incontrovertible proof of Leo’s innocence. I still believe he was most likely innocent, but I found myself agreeing with Oney’s comment on the last page that “there will never be a resolution to the Frank case,” because it’s a lot murkier than the musical would have people believe.

[ashipiko]

Pre 2, gen 2 3 8, love 3

LOVING THIS EMOTE RENNY TY for blessing my eyes 🫶

tho it is now ashace hour so. 😳

LOTS OF STUFF UNDER CUT!!! INCLUDES ART

ASK GAME HERE!

PRE-2.) What was their first impression of each other?

“Pfft. Ashi was soooo boring at first— Always ‘Don’t mess around!’ or ‘Riddle’ll have your head for that!’”

“…Was she wrong? Uhhhhh… Anyways!”

Ace found Ashi too similar to Riddle for him 😭😭 which TBH was an exaggeration

he found that she was a party pooper because she would always warn him before he did something stupid, but she was really fun to tease which made up for it <33

“Ace was a meanie, TBH. Like fun, yeah, but kinda annoying too! Though I gotta give it to him, I respect the guts to speak up to his dormhead like that.”

Ashi found Ace annoying too, and unreasonably mean 😔 but she was able to tolerate him, plus he was her only friend (apart from Grim) in the beginning 🫶 She also admired his ability of standing up for himself and others when he recognized something wack

GEN-2.) Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

“A date? Ahh, now that I think about it, I don’t think we really had a FR one? I think our hangouts eventually faded into dates… Besties to lovers, amirite? Haha!”

LIKE ASHI SAID the line between besties and S/O is INCREDIBLY thin between them 😭😭 so they never really had an official first date, but it was probs going out to get tarts or just hanging out in their secret garden at heartslabyul <3

GEN-3.) What was their first kiss like?

“Shhh! Listen, Ashi doesn’t know about this, but… Our first was technically before we started dating. She was fine with it! ...I’m pretty sure? Who the hell even sleeps while leaning on their ‘friend’ like that, huh?! It was bound to happen! W-Well actually, it wasn’t even a real kiss, just on the forehead— Gah! Whatever!”

Ace and Ashi’s first kiss (a kiss on the forehead) happened during Book 5, in the practice room <3 Everyone had gone out in the period where Deuce and Epel left, leaving the two of them alone 😳😳During this while they were doodling in Ashi’s notebook together, she happened to fall asleep on Ace and he just kinda. sat there like 😳

He claims that, “The vibe got a hold of me and then next thing I knew, I tucked her hair behind her ear and freaking!!! KISSED HER ON THE FOREHEAD.” another person claims to have walked in on Ashi waking up and Ace screaming <3

GEN-8.) Who gets jealous easier?

“Ha! You seriously think the guys at NRC have a chance at stealing my girl? Pfft, cmon. They’re all ugly losers! They got no shot! Unlike me~”

ACE 100% LIKE obvs ashi has her jelly moments BUT? she’s a charming pretty and charismatic girl in an all boys highschool of course she’s gon get people crushing on her 24/7 😭😭

not to mention Ashi is Ace’s partner in crime, rival, bestie and girl so he has a LOT to lose w her 😔 def the type to side eye and put his arm around her in attempt to drag her away

LOVE-3.) How often do they cuddle/engage in PDA?

“Cuddling with Ace is super cozy, actually! It’s always so fun and warm, it never gets old— Eh, is my face heating up?”

SLEEPOVERS EVERY WEEK W THESE TWO (unless it’s a busy week or someone’s overblotted again 😔) I think it just naturally happens whenever they’re both on a couch/bed and watching a movie or playing games together <3 so pretty often for cuddling I’d say

PDA THO..... I think ace would do it purely to flex that “HA I GET BITCHES” and Ashi would also participate despite getting HELLA flustered 😭😭 pre-relationship they already were pretty close physically but when dating they hold hands a LOT more often (like all the time) and just lean into eachother a lot 😳 plus the smoochies

it may happen on accident w/o them acknowledging that it’s PDA tho 😭😭

[milkyway-ash]

Hi, omg I’m back to like doing my dumb silly lil twst theories or like fucking twst random thoughts.

Ok so we all know that Trey’s platinum jacket birthday card is coming out soon and on the background are pictures from the movie that each each character is based off of. For instance we all know that Riddle, obviously represents the queen of hearts and Ace,Deuce,Cater,and Trey represent the card soldiers. BUT if we analyze a little deeper, they all could also represent another character from Alice in wonderland like Deuce is hinted to be similar to the white rabbit (please don’t quote me on this, that clocktown card was kinda making it obvious) , or Cater could possibly the March Hare. But with Ace’s Platinum Jacket card, he’s only represented by the card soldiers and the queen of hearts herself!!

So in a way, that theory (is this considered one??) of each individual character from twst is represented by someone is slightly contradictory in a way but let me get to the point. I personally assumed that Trey was probably like the Mad Hatter in a way but like not really but then with the preview of his new card, the mad hatter isn’t even on there , it’s like the same as Aces just the card soldiers and the queen of hearts.

But personally every time I see heartslabyul plat jackets I’m like, “who are they supposed to represent in Alice in wonderland???” But then it I thought to myself and let it simmer.

What if the reason why the queen of hearts is on their card is because (in some way shape or form) the queen of hearts also represents them as the character.

Now of course Riddle is like 100% is like the queen if hearts but in his own way but I mainly wanna focus on Trey. But I wanna focus on when Trey gets angry. In his dorm uniform vignette, first years are complaining on how all of Trey’s cakes taste the same so they decided to make a cake , that goes terribly wrong, Trey makes up for it by actually making another cake and everything is just normal. But Trey (being the not normal mf he is /pos ) makes the first years finish that fucked up cake cause he was still mad about it. Now when reading this , you’re probably thinking “dawg the math isn’t mathing, how does this make sense” now Ik it’s insane but we all know that Trey’s anger isn’t as exaggerated like Riddles, but I feel like how insane alice in wonderland is , like the concept and the story itself, I feel like it would be one the many punishments that card soldiers do. In the manga, Ace and Deuce had to sing the crocodile song as a consequence of the whole debacle in the prologue.

There are probably some more things to this argument and I could possibly find similar traits to the queen if hearts and Ace too, but it’s 3 in the morning and I want to sleep so badly. I’m so sorry for putting y’all through this nightmare blunt rotation thought. (Apologies for the grammar errors if any!!)

Update: So like I just realized that in the manga Ace and Deuce wasn’t there to sing the crocodile song when everyone else was supposed to😭😭

[gust-jar-simulator]

Alright I’m trying to get in the practice of writing drabbles, and clearly I do not remember how to restrain myself to 100 words. This is 900. Girl help.

Characters: Red and Vio

Prompt: "Please put me out of my misery and just kiss me already."

•🌹🪻🌹🪻🌹•

Vio honestly wasn’t quite sure how they’d ended up here.

Here, of course, being relative- he didn’t go to the market if he could help it, given his stark differences from who they used to be. People made comments he had to spend the rest of the afternoon repressing, it wasn’t worth it. So he’d chosen to stay at home and try his hand at goldsmithing for awhile, enjoying the clarity of focus involved in intricate engraving.

Red had chosen to stay behind because Vio had chosen to stay behind, and thankfully had the sense to wait until Vio had put the jewelry in his hand down before hopping up on the workbench and shoving a glass of water at him. “Self care time! Going good so far?”

Vio took the glass, but didn’t look away from the bracelet in progress, moving the lamp to get a better look at the half-finished leaf and flower pattern. He’d left gaps for possible jewel settings (honestly a bit of pearl might look good, but he was worried about the fragility) and most of the lines had come out right, but. It was a practice piece, and he hated working on practice pieces when he could see the real goal spinning slowly behind his eyes, something truly worth the effort, something inlaid with slices of sardonyx and copper to conduct-

Something booped him on the nose, and Vio blinked up at Red, who was still sitting on the workbench and giving him a pointed look.

“…yes?”

With an amused noise, Red stole the glass he’d forgotten he was holding, maintaining eye contact as he took a long, exaggerated sip, punctuated with an equally exaggerated sigh. “See? Water. You should have some.”

“I know I should,” and he even took the glass back to prove it, because he did know, “but- look at this, do you think the engraving is too shallow? I might have to go over it again-“ He reached out to pick up the bracelet, and Red caught his hand, weaving their fingers together and squeezing softly.

Pulling their hands back to rest on his knee, Red ran a finger over Vio’s knuckles and just smiled at the way the interruption didn’t seem to compute, Vio blinking and almost stuttering as he tried to reroute from critically eyeing his own work to the way Red’s palm was warm against his own. He needed- he was- what was going on, again? He was doing something. There was an echo of diagrams in his mind, something about minerals and dark magic and rune arrays, but that wasn’t what he was working on right now.

“C’mon,” murmured his teammate, warm like cinnamon, “I’ve got you. You can go right back to it, promise, but I need to see you drink a little water, okay?”

Drink water?

Vio blinked, and looked down at the glass in his hand. Well that was easy enough. He tipped it up and drank, just enough to wash the metallic taste out of his mouth, the cold hitting his tongue like rain through an open window.

A blink, refocusing, and he finally registered Red and the rest of the empty forge. The light had changed by now, afternoon shifting to evening, and he… actually did not have enough light in here to be working on detail work. Hm. “Are the others back yet?”

“Yep!” Red squeezed his hand briefly, grin widening at the way Vio actually saw him this time and squeezed back. “They’re sparring outside. I wanted to make sure you didn’t turn yourself into earrings or something, it’s been awhile.”

There was something there, to the way Red was still holding his hand, to the way Red’s heels were kicking a little against the leg of the bench. He wasn’t good at these things, couldn’t quite tell if it was anxiety or pure affection or what. Was a few hours of work enough time to miss someone? He squeezed Red’s hand again, gently, and the other’s smile widened a little more. “I’m sorry if I worried you, I’ve just been fighting this bracelet.”

“You’ll worry me less if you drink more,” Red prodded, kicking Vio’s knee lightly, and Vio just sighed. “You’re lucky I’m here, Blue would have picked you up.”

He grimaced at the cup. “I’d kill him for it.”

Red just hummed a vague noise of agreement, running a thumb over the back of his knuckles again, before pulling his hand a little closer and kissing Vio’s fingers. “You’ll figure it out. You always do. Maybe you need a break?”

“I…” He’d hit his flow with the work, a break was the opposite of what he wanted, but now he was vaguely aware of a stiffness in his legs and neck and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten. “Five more minutes, I need to finish this section of the pattern.”

“Five minutes.” Sliding down from the bench, Red dropped to his feet with a little spring in his step, swinging their hands briefly. Before Vio could answer, Red ducked into his space with a flash of a smile and kissed him with lips so soft that Vio’s spinning, ticking mind blanked out like a clean white page.

By the time he’d considered kissing back, Red was already at the door of the forge, waving back with a little giggle. “See you soon! Don’t forget your water!”

The door slammed to, and Vio stared blankly into his reflection in the cup as he tried and failed to remember the rhythm he’d found in tooling leaves and flowers.

He could taste the smallest bit of honey on his lip.

[runninguplenorahills]

Idk which post y’all are talking about where someone said Will was being a dick at rink-o-mania but if you want to argue that Will wasn’t being a dick then Mike wasn’t either🤷‍♀️

Simply since the only reason y’all think Will wasn’t being a dick is because we got those scenes from his perspective. We know why and how excited Will was to see Mike so when Mike doesn’t hug him at the airport we feel with Will and how disappointed he is. From then on he’s moping, barely talking and rolling his eyes at everything and that’s a fact like, Mike wasn’t exaggerating at all and Will also doesn’t deny it but tells him how uncomfortable thirdwheeling made him feel. And we’ve seen Will third wheeling throughout the whole of those scenes so we understand why Will is acting like a dick which is why y’all are so quick to excuse his actions and say he wasn’t being a dick. Even though he actually did behave like an asshole (ignored Mike the whole day) to the point where Mike told him that he sabotaged the day for him! Here we get Mike’s perspective of the day for the first time and I’m honestly baffled by how quick y’all are to excuse Will’s actions at rink-o-mania and defend him just because there’s a reason to his actions but despite the fact that we literally talk about Mike’s reasons for his own actions on here almost every single day y’all still label him as a dick???? Still label him as “the bad guy” because “just because he has reasons to act the way he does doesn’t mean he wasn’t still being a dick” but somehow that doesn’t apply to Will???

And I’m really not trying to be mean here but y’all really need to get your perspectives straight because I will never understand how people get mad over the fact that Mike said Will ruined his day and not Angela even though the answer to that is literally at hand! Rink-o-mania was only a fraction of the whole day and Will basically ignored and rolled his eyes at Mike ever since Mike arrived in Lenora! Yes, Mike is to blame for this because of that weird ass airport hug but just because there’s a reason as to why Will acted like a dick doesn’t mean he wasn’t still acting like a dick!! And he was acting like one throughout the whole fucking day! Airport, drive to the breakfast burrito place, stay at the breakfast burrito place, drive to rink-o-mania and stay at rink-o-mania. Will barely talked to Mike throughout all of that so of course that’s what sabotaged the day for Mike and not Angela because 1). Will has been Mike’s closest friend since forever and during the months they spent apart from each other they lost contact for which both are to blame equally as much! So Mike was probably feeling anxious and unsure about wether Will actually missed him/still cared about him! 2). That’s one reason why Mike was kinda icing Will out at the airport and I can imagine that he didn’t even fully pick up on how excited Will was at first since he was focused on acting indifferent. And 3). Will’s demeanor changed instantly to icing Mike out so from Mike’s perspective it seemed like Will wasn’t happy to see him which confirmed Mike’s fear that Will doesn’t care about him anymore. And like, Mike never acted like Angela bullying El wasn’t horrible! But quite frankly, realizing that my best friend doesn’t care about me anymore while I still care so much about them would absolutely crush my whole day above anything else too because that’s the kind of hurt that runs deep! Especially when you add to that that Mike is in love with Will! That’s why Mike uses El’s name instead of his own when confronting Will! He did it to protect his own feelings. And y’all think Mike didn’t realize he was being stupid when Will told him about the thirdwheeling? Didn’t get the biggest reality check that it was his own fault that Will was icing him out? He 100% did! And that look Mike gives Will after “Well what about us?” that everyone goes feral over to this day? That’s when Mike realizes that Will does actually still care about him and their connection and it overwhelms him that Will was able to look right through him so he’s getting defensive again! Mike ices out Will again which is why Will thinks he was wrong in assuming that Mike was hurt that he didn’t talk to him! “You don’t have to say anything, I was being a total jerk to El, I deserved it” that’s what Will says after Mike tries to apologize! Will is not the one apologizing for acting like a dick to Mike not because he wasn’t acting like one, but because at that moment he still didn’t get that the point was that he hurt Mike! That’s why Mike tells Will that he feels like he lost him! He realized that him icing Will out lead to Will icing him out and that’s why he’s like no look Will, you didn’t deserve what I said to you because I understand why you acted the way you did so let me tell you why I acted the way I did! That’s mostly the reason why Will is tearing up in that scene, not only because Mike apologizes but because Mike let’s him know that he still cares about him deeply!!

So they both had good reasons to act like dicks to each other but they also both still acted like dicks! Yes, Will too!