#it's both post and pre canon lol

[bumblee27]

@mcyt-yuri-week Day 2; AU / Post Canon

<33

(totally not late wdym)

[marsbotz]

i ship inhun in a way that differwnt and more swagful than anyone else btw.

[dimiclaudeblaigan]

"yuri lowell is a manly heterosexual"

yuri lowell:

[bunni-v1]

your shadow milk cookie relationships headcanons are now my canon. like what the fuck how can a piece of literature be so accurate to established information we know about him!!!!!!! hejsjsdjejwje ur shadowmilk is so loving and so cute lowkey

if you don't mind, since your requests are open, could you elaborate more on some more aspects of the relationship pre-ep 8 and post-ep 8? (if u haven't finished this part then u can just ignore this hehe) you mentioned how smc naturally gets more and more devoted as time goes on and he opens up (THEY MAKE ME FEEL SO ILL) so i've also wondered how he would act like when there is a threat that legitimately puts his lover in danger, or at worst, sets the tone to losing them. he'd mald, i imagine...

feel free to answer, feel free to ignore—i adore your work and i think it's not strange at all for you to shift to cookie run after dabbling in mostly human-ish games like ZZZ and TWST. all in good fun, plus you're feeding a parched audience (i am audience, haha) have a good day!

🍓Okay so this ask kinda has three parts to it, so please excuse me if it seems a little... all over the place. I'll answer both the pre and post ep 8 things, and then I'll be touching on what he's like with the threat. I do hope you enjoy my love <3

Tw: Mentions of body horror (cookie body horror?); Shadow Milk Cookie; Obsessive and Possessive behaviors; unedited

Info: Shadow Milk x Reader; Fluff; Angst (lowkey tho); Pre and Post episode 8 SMC (spoilers ahead lol); Drabble/Headcannons(?)

Pre Episode 8

From how the story seems to be set up, the confrontation with SMC should happen last, they just released it now because of the anniversary knowing he'd be hella popular lol. So I'm functioning with the idea that Gingerbrave and Co. arrive around when the other Ancients are finishing up their own confrontation with their respective beasts, meaning there's a lot of time to work with hehe.

Anyway, pre-episode 8 Shadow Milk leans into the category of 'yandere' a lot more than post. He's very obsessive about you, again stalking and watching you, learning as much as he can about you before he even allows you to see him.

You're more often than not being monitored by him, and if you're not, he's probably with you. He gets annoyed when other cookies talk to you, and he isn't afraid to voice that. While he does give you a lot of freedom, he does subtly limit the things you do and the people you're around. It's harder when you're not with him in the spire, but he goes about messing with the environment to keep you where he wants you.

And, yes, he'll crumble cookies in your name if he needs to. Their lives are arbitrary in the grand scheme of things, especially so if they're causing you strife. He won't hurt any cookies you hold dear to you -- though he really may want to at times -- only cookies that are a threat to your emotional or physical well-being. If the death causes you too much terror, then he'll tone it down to just... making their lives a miserable hellscape. It's what the deserve for hurting you, of course!

When you do join him in the spire (because you will, it's just a matter of how long it takes him to nudge you in that direction), the behavior is a bit more obvious. He doesn't like you leaving the spire for literally anything, and if you do he knows and will pop up by your side the second you stray too far. He plays it up as cute worrying, but he's legitimately scared for your wellbeing, like terrified. You're never alone in the spire if he can help it (and he can).

Like I said he watches a lot. There are eyes all around the spire and they follow you shamelessly. They appear content to just watch you, sometimes even literally forming hearts, so they're no threat to your well-being. Again, he's just observing you, more excited now that you're actually in the spire and close to him.

There is a notable difference in the environment, though you likely don't notice it (because you've only ever seen post you moving in). The atmosphere surrounding the spire is lighter, more colorful, and happy. It reflects his excitement at having you around, a visual nod to his love for you, even though you're not exactly away of it.

Despite the negatives here, there are positives! He's incredibly doting, you'll want for nothing with him. Your greatest dreams will come true with a wave of his hand, even with only half his power. He does let you wander around, you just won't be alone when you do so. He's very aware of the dangerous environment on beast yeast, he's cause for it, so he won't be risking your safety.

He's incredibly showy with his style of loving. Grand gifts and performances just to get you grinning and giggling. (He loves writing plays where the two of you are the main characters, falling in love in a million different ways, cutie he is.) He serenades you with syrupy sweet lyrics all about how much he adores all of you. Scoops you up in his arms and dances around with you. He's very touchy, like I said, always needing to have physical contact for whatever reason. (It's because he's scared you'll leave him too.)

He doesn't kiss you much if only to initiate more intimate activities. When he does, his intent is to fluster you nearly every time. Kissing is something that's hard for him, for whatever reason. It's more intimate than touches, and weirdly enough more intimate than sex in his mind. It makes him so vulnerable, so he tries to avoid it unless it's to get a reaction out of you.

Most of what he does is to get a reaction, actually. He likes seeing the way you express yourself, and regardless of what you do, he finds it cute. It's a little intimidating how much he stares, and he stares a lot. Very frequently you'll find him sitting around just... watching you. He won't stop even if you acknowledge it, just smiles all innocently until you go back to what you were doing.

That's sort of how it feels during this whole time, that he's just watching from the outside. There's a distance he keeps between you and him, the power dynamic is a lot more stark here. However, when you're not aware - be that you're sleeping or doing something where you can't see him - genuine affection comes out.

Floating around the spire in his arms as you rest, he whispers sweet nothings he could never bring himself to say to your face. He'll lead you around the winding halls of the spire with a path of your favorite flowers, aiding you in getting to where you want to go. He leaves gifts around, taking you on little treasure hunts just to reveal something sweet and heartfelt at the end. The spire itself shifts and changes around you to be more to your liking, and there are rooms within it dedicated to the hobbies you enjoy.

This gentleness is all hidden when you're together, though. Only showing itself when you can't look him in the eyes and reject him. He can't bring himself to let you in, he's scared of that rejection. He wants you to think he's powerful and amazing, so allowing you to see just how much he adores you would be terrible. What if you don't like him at his weakest? What if you realize that you could do better than him? What if you meet Pure Vanilla and you realize how much better he is? What if you leave him? Oh, it tears him apart.

So, he can't let you in. He'll put on a performance so dazzling it'll distract you from how much his heart aches when he sees you. He'll prove that he really does love you through flowery words and fantastical shows, anything to hide how much he adores you. Even when you try to get him to connect, he'll brush it off for fear of you not accepting him as he is. He can't handle you rejecting him, not after all he's done to keep you at his side, not after how hard he's fallen in love with you.

Post Episode 8

This is where we see Shadow Milk Cookie open up a lot more to you. After the so-called betrayal of Truthless Recluse, and his being incredibly emotionally vulnerable from Compassionate Pure Vanilla's offer for friendship, he's now forced with the problem of you knowing him. You saw that raw vulnerability, the loneliness that aches deep within his dough and infects his very being with a sickness he cannot cure.

No matter how much he puts on airs, he cannot avoid you knowing him now. He has nothing to hide behind anymore, you saw how much he craves connection and care, there's no going back from that. He briefly considers leaving you, but the idea of losing you sends shivers up his back, so he dismisses the thought as quickly as it comes. He may actively avoid you for a little while, but if you are patient and kind to him, he won't be able to hide for long.

Showing him that you still feel the same way by continuing your regular shows of affection is a huge relief to him. He truly expects you to think less of him now that you've seen that side of him, but you don't. It's rather odd to a cookie like him, who spent his entire existence being worshiped, revered, and feared. He assumes when you see him weak you will despise him - that you were only there for all the grandiose gifts and displays. He doesn't consider the thought that you have fallen in love with him. That you consider him yours as much as he considers you his.

It takes him a bit, but he begins to pick up where you left off. This time, though, he's more... gentle about everything. You get to take the lead around this time, and as odd as it is for him, it's cathartic to be taken care of for once. He can let his walls down and relax while you stroke his hair and hold him close to your chest. You kiss across his face with reverence that not even the most loyal of his followers could ever begin to replicate.

You love him.

He becomes addicted to the feeling, your affections being something he craves with a hunger he'd never felt before. It takes a bit for him to come to you for it, so usually you'll have to initiate it, but he melts into your hands so easily. It's pathetic how much hold a little cookie like you had over a god like him, but when you're humming sweet words at him he can't bring himself to care too much. (He will huff and puff if any of the other beasts give him shit for it, telling them off like a angry child.)

All of those hidden affections of his become much more obvious to you as time goes on. He's a bit awkward with it because he's never really been so open with any cookie before, but it's charming the way he tries so hard to be genuine with you.

You get to hear those sweet words of love from him directly, earnestly said while he holds your hand in an iron-tight grip. He gives you those heartfelt gifts by hand, telling you all about how he worked so hard to get it for you and how much care went into it. He leads you around places himself, preferring to be by your side than guiding you from a safe distance. Even the way he holds you is different, much more adoring than before. It's a kind of care he hadn't really shown you before, more considerate of what you might want rather than what he believes you might want.

And, of course, he kisses you now. Very frequently. He still does do it to fluster you at times, but less than he did before. Now every kiss has a purpose behind it, a means of displaying his affection for you. They're soft and loving, full of emotion.

Something that carries over consistently is the watching. He keeps an eye on you at all times, regardless of where you're at. Since you're no longer in the spire, there's more risk so he wants to ensure your safety. Even if you're with another beast or with Black Sapphire or Candy Apple, he's watching you anxiously.

Now if you acknowledge the eyes, they'll react to you. Before they usually just continued watching, but now they'll squint and shift excitedly at your attention. Sometimes he'll even drop flowers or a little plushie at your feet while the eye seems to grin at you with glee. You can kiss them, if you'd like -- they're warm and soft but they don't feel like eyes. If you do so the pupil with dart around nervously, then it'll pop out of existence and arrange itself to another spot you can't easily fluster him at.

Still, though, they just watch you for the most part. Making sure you're safe and happy when he isn't around. He's a bit less obsessive about who you're spending your time with, though. He trusts that you won't leave him a lot more now, and no longer finds himself threatened by anyone (other than PV).

Bonus below

Now, as a mortal cookie in beast yeast, most things put you in danger. It's a tough environment to live in, and there are a lot of violent characters around that wouldn't care if you died or not. However, most cookies are aware of Shadow Milk Cookie's, shall we say, claim on you.

There are very few things that could actually threaten you, especially with Shadow Milk Cookie monitoring you so closely. He makes the environment around you safer, and he makes sure everyone knows that you are off-limits. Unfortunately he cannot control everything, though he really does try to.

If anything, anything ever puts you in actual danger, he is beside himself with worry and rage. Your soft and sweet dough is not made for battle and danger, regardless of what you might feel. It would take the witches themselves to stop him from tearing apart the lands to ensure your safety. And tear them apart he would. He would carve deep valleys into the ground for you, slice mountains to their base, and raze forests flat if it means you will be safe.

If it's a cookie? Some insignificant act or protest from a foolish mortal, deciding to use you to get his attention? Oh, they'll know hell.

Depending on how much damage they do the punishment will vary, but it won't be pleasant regardless. If they just take you away for a little while, he'll torture them. Ensuring the life they go back to is much harder for them to live through, but he won't kill them. They have to learn their lesson and live to tell the tale so no one is stupid enough to follow their example.

If they hurt you at all, they're dead. Shadow Milk normally makes a show out of any crumbling he does, but when you are involved? He doesn't waste time with any silly shows, they just crumble. No fanfare, no sparkle, just death. They don't deserve anything more than that, not when they've caused you hurt.

Ah, and if there is a threat to you -- silly or not -- he takes it very seriously. His monitoring will increase tenfold, and he does his best to keep you with him at all times. He will not take your safety lightly, not when he adores you so.

If there is a genuine threat to your life, he will do everything in his power to remove it. After the fact, he becomes much more obsessive of your safety. It's almost suffocating for a while, but if you express concern he'll ease up a bit. Though you can feel the anxiety in his body language and the way which he speaks.

[bruhstories]

Bet V

p.1 here & p2. here & p.3 here & p.4 here

mandatory mdni. you were not tagged in this because you are not over 18.

summary: in his attempt to break you, in-ho breaks himself pairing: hwang in-ho/the front man x civilian!reader warnings & content: age gap, masturbation, voyeurism, afab!reader, slightly detailed descriptions of reader’s background for plot purposes, red text for in-ho, purple for reader, pre 33rd squid game, canon divergent, veeeery slow burn, reader’s dad is dead w/c: 2k

a/n: this is my half-assed attempt at writing a game lol. if you would like to be tagged for the next part, please check this post! thank you for reading! please remember that if you asked to be tagged but i can’t find your age on your blog, you will NOT be tagged. there will be smut and people dying lol.

Neolttwigi had been another success. The seesaw game eliminated 91 people, and with 97 remaining players, In-ho proceeded with tuho. He paid close attention to the masked soldiers who directed the survivors to the same place where they had previously played Red Light, Green Light, only the floor was divided by a bright blue line in the middle. The ceiling was open, letting players experience natural light for a second time in a row.

The game was awfully simple —  throwing arrows into the neck of a jar. In-ho remembered reading about that game in school, how it was played by royal families and the upper class before becoming a game for everyone, and the jar had a narrow neck, making it easy to miss the mark. He had rarely played it as a child, preferring juldarigi or squid, games he taught his younger brother.

It became a habit for him to check the cameras in his penthouse whenever you were there. It brought him a strange peace of mind knowing that Eunjoo was safe in your hands, but he couldn't, for the life of him, stop looking at the selfie you sent the day before. In-ho knew that walking into a lamppost was bullshit, but he didn't want to pressure you into telling him the truth. He needed you to trust him, to tell him willingly. 

Still, he examined the picture —  your cheek in particular — and concluded that you lied to him. In-ho took it as a triumph. He didn't win the bet just yet, there was still time for you to mess up, but the fact that you chose to not tell the truth only solidified his belief that you were the same as everyone else. In four days he would return to Seoul and win. The prize? He wasn’t sure. Perhaps just the satisfaction that he was above you.

Players entered the field, and the voice in the speaker instructed them to split into teams of two in less than thirty minutes, which was unfair to player 002, since there was an odd number of people. 002 was taken away by a guard, and the remaining 96 players grouped into pairs. While the objective was indeed simple — throw the arrows in the jar — it came with a twist. It always did. Each player was given four arrows, but one of them was blindfolded and threw the arrows while their teammate picked the jar up and tried to catch the arrow in it. Once all four arrows were thrown, the teammates switched places. If at least six out of eight arrows hit the mark, both players passed, but if one player threw four arrows and the other only two, they both died. 

The game took out fewer people than In-ho had hoped — 19 to be precise. Player 002 was alive and well, and the remaining 77 survivors returned to their chamber, where more and more beds had been removed, exposing the remaining three games on the walls — Hide and Seek, Yutnori and Ssireum. He remembered his time as a player, how he was the only one who paid attention to his surroundings and anticipated the following games. In-ho used all of his skills and knowledge as a detective and emerged as the sole survivor and winner. Did it bring his wife back? No, but it did make him feel so good when proved he earned his right to live.

Players were receiving less and less food, and from the comfort and safety of the control room, In-ho watched them slowly lose all traces of their humanity. He wondered how you would've performed in the games. Participants would have abused your kindness, and your good intentions would've gotten you killed. To make it worse, he was certain you would've sacrificed yourself to save someone else, someone you deemed worthy of winning. But in his eyes, only you deserved to live.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, and In-ho took it out to read the text from you. He knew it had to be you. Who else would text him at that time?

Hellooo, I took a look in the fridge and noticed the eggs and milk will go bad before you come back. I was wondering if I could give it to someone who needs it.

Damn it, you did it again. In-ho couldn't be sure that you actually gave the food to someone else — he had to take your word for it for now.

Of course. May I ask who you're giving it to?

Remember the family I told you about? The one I teach Korean to? The wife is pregnant and can't work. I think she's due to give birth soon, actually, and they could use all the help. Besides, it would be a shame to throw away perfectly good food :)

Don't you want it, miss? When we first met, you told me you didn't have a good financial situation.

Oh, no, no. I'll be fine. They need it more.

Very well, please give it to them.

Ah, I also remembered you left some money on your nightstand. With all due respect, Mr. Hwang, that's very irresponsible. Anyone could take it.

Were you lecturing him? Him? Cute. In-ho even chuckled at your reprimand, finding it adorably amusing. If only you knew the things he did, the people he killed. How would you react? That question was beginning to take over his mind like a maggot wriggling inside of his brain. Would you be disgusted? Would you go to the police? Would you agree with his ways of cleaning the world of its impurities? It was no different than how you cleaned his penthouse — you both got rid of trash.

You're right, miss. There is a safe hidden in my wardrobe. Please put the money there. The code is 1321.

Surely you would crack at the sight of so much money and try to take some. No one sane would miss such an opportunity. But then again, maybe you weren't sane. Maybe you just needed a little push, a little encouragement. In-ho poured himself a glass of whisky and thought about the wound on your cheek, and the night you were crying on his kitchen floor. Someone had hurt you, and he needed to find out who so he could exploit that. And then, you would break. 

He was, however, slightly conflicted, because he didn’t want to ruin you. In-ho merely wanted to make you see things eye to eye. Just like him, life had been unfair to you. And just like him, you needed to survive. Kindness wouldn't take you very far — you had to witness the cruelty of the world somehow, and the only possible way to do that was to play the game and survive it, something In-ho knew you would never do due to your values and morals. And he couldn't wait one more year to push you past your limits. He needed to think of something else, and he needed to do it fast — time was ticking and you were a project he refused to let slip through his fingers.

In-ho checked the cameras at the time you normally arrived at the penthouse, patiently waiting for you. He was pleased to see that you were in a better mood, cheerfully greeting Eunjoo as you went about with your tasks, but something was different. You appeared to be texting someone, and he never received any notifications on his phone, yet you were quite busy chatting back and forth. His stomach churned, an amalgamation of feelings bubbling and boiling in his core. Anxiety? Anger? Jealousy? 

Jealousy.

You always sent him a text upon your arrival. You always let him know that you were there, so who occupied your mind if not him? The sudden lack of the very little control he had over you made him trip in his room and lose balance, and he forcefully ripped the mask off and tossed it on the floor. 

In-ho was losing the bet he made with himself, and not in the way he had imagined.

It wasn't him who lived in your mind, but you who invaded his, and it infuriated him, because after his wife died, he refused to get attached, refused to fall in love. Luckily for him, it wasn't love that he felt for you, but an unhealthy obsession to watch you, to know your every move, to find out who hurt you and make you hurt them back. 

You performed your tasks with utmost perfection, and placed the money in his safe while ignoring the riches inside it, but you were distracted, constantly looking at your phone and half-smiling whenever it lit up. In-ho couldn't have that. 

How's Eunjoo?

Since you were so busy talking to someone, he expected you to frown at his text, to scoff and ignore it. But you did worse. You stopped folding his clothes and sat on the edge of his bed, beaming at the message on the screen.

She's alright! We had dinner and a cuddle, and now she's playing next to me. I'll send you a picture!

In-ho watched you struggle to take a photo of the cat — each time you took out your phone, Eunjoo stopped playing, so you swapped to the front camera, trying to sneak a picture. You even smoothed your hair and made yourself look presentable, and he found it quite adorable that you tried to look presentable for him.

I'm sorry you have to see my face, but she wouldn't sit still for a photo!

You were stunning. It was all In-ho could think about when he opened the photo. Your bright eyes were like a drug to him, instantly hooking him, forcing him to regain a shred of humanity.

Don't apologise, miss. You're beautiful.

There it was, the crack he so desperately sought for. You were practically hyperventilating in his bedroom, struggling to breathe, constantly rereading the words on your phone. And then he heard you talk to Eunjoo, heard you question your own sanity. But no, In-ho didn't like you. He was simply interested in breaking you, oblivious to how you were breaking him.

"Damn it. I promised Donghyun I'd go for a coffee after work tomorrow. I'm so confused now." Your distorted voice crackled through his speaker, and In-ho clenched his jaw, barely stopping himself from breaking his phone.

Who the fuck was Donghyun? And more importantly, why did he care? 

He didn't care, or at least that was what he told himself for the past few days. He didn't care. He didn't give a shit about you. He didn't-

The familiar words of Frank Sinatra's Fly Me To The Moon stopped him dead in his tracks. In-ho turned the volume up, still in disbelief that you knew the song, that you sung it in his bedroom like no one was watching you. It was impossible how similar you were to him, to how he was before life took a turn. But a song and a kind heart weren't enough to change him. It was far too late for that. The only possible outcome was for you to become like him, and he wouldn't accept anything else.

For the first time, In-ho didn't offer you privacy when you stepped into his bathroom. For the first time, he watched as you peeled off each layer of clothing, and for the first time, he saw every scar and scratch, every burn and bruise on your body, new and old, and he understood. You had already faced the realities of this cruel world, and you chose not to become vengeful. Your father died, your uncle abused you, and yet, you shined.

The unforeseen urge to protect you seeped through his veins, but not before you got your revenge. You deserved to get revenge more than anyone in the world. And if you didn't want that, he'd make you want it one way or another.

"Fuck." In-ho whispered when his cock twitched in his trousers at the sight of your bare body. So vulnerable. So weak. So perfect. 

He sat down, phone in one hand and his eyes only on you. It was pure instinct when he fisted his cock, pure instinct when your name spilled from his lips, pure instinct when he imagined you under him, wriggling and writhing, pure instinct when he came on his fingers, disgusted with himself.

Pure instinct. Nothing more.

tagging: @ri1liane  @anmert1  @syraxnyra  @frshluvcats  @lanyia  @mettreads  @nightdark-dreamdark  @bridge-always  @lovekm  @audrey223  @starkeyszn  @hobiesbrownsgf  @thoughtfulbelieverstrawberry  @maria-trisha @akiqvq @10hrs26mn @okaycharr @politicstanner @moonxknightx @googie-jeon @swthrtbyeol @mariiestfu @ratsnestinmyhair @missroro @talia-the-gemini @fortluocha @true-queen-of-mischief @ssa-callahan @bibliophile-yomna @wwastro @heartsforseo @marymun @glads-stuff @starryeddie @kisses2kanao @gagaga167 @l4venderia @scryi @lelisae @twicelover2 @ashtrosstuff @cruel-affair @cdej6 @veragrhm @nikos-a-clown @cchewhaz @pepsicolacoochie @lily-ann-b @red22wolf @nellabear  @unabletonotlovesatoru @happiness2112 @waterjewelsspite @luna-looniesblog @plan3t-plut0 @full-sunnies @warlabels @xcinnamonmalfoyx @rickgrimesismydaddy1 @jasonpetertoddismygod @marihoneywk @llghtsnoww @torkorpse @salivasupplier @okqur @jamiewritesfanfiction-blog @certifiedlevisimp @kiss-themoongoodbye @bluehourss @alexa554 @sinful-tawtute @ithoughtthinks @nacatna-blog @riri53 @alexisabirdie @houta-habtet-houta

[unhappy-sometimes]

a 2024 reading retrospective

so. i read a lot of fics in 2024. here are some of my favorites.

before i get started, please note that these are not in any particular order and these are not all of my favorites!!!!!!!! i wanted to include so many more but i just wasn't able to! also please don't roast me for reading stuff from more than two years ago :(((

anyway, here we go!!

1. Air by Cantare

as always, @cantareincminor knocks it out of the park. i'm a sucker for alternate first meeting AUs and Air is one of the good ones!! i find that it can be hard to find authentic sounding banter between yor and twilight, but cantare manages it somehow! they have such great and natural sounding dialogue. it's just a one chapter fic, but maybe if we ask nicely enough, cantare will continue one day 😏

2. like the wild geese by anonymous_viscacha

okay in all honesty, i read this for the first time last week and i scrambled to add this one to the list. it's a short one shot about a shared lunch break between yor and loid, but it's so sweet and endearing that i just had to put it on. i love love love it when people let loid and yor catch up on the childhood they lost because they deserve it. i'm kinda obsessed with this fic right now.

3. what happens outside by aerequets

it's kinda unfair that @aerequets gets to be a great artist and author but here we are. i'm not complaining tho because what happens outside is a delightful read. i enjoy exploring post reveal pre relationship twiyor and this fic is perfect for that!! it's also just really cute and reading things from yor's perspective is super endearing.

4. chaos theory by sarsaparillia

so ngl this one scared me at first because i do NOT like major character death fics and this one really seems like it, but this fic was unexpectedly wholesome and has a happy ending!!! it's short but bittersweet so i can't really talk about it without spoiling it any more. go read it! it's short!

5. eventually i fall into you, you attack my heart by princessguard

i know this is a controversial (and somewhat ironic) take but i usually really don't like eden AUs but. this fic is proof that there are always exceptions to the rule. this one is a short little story about a serious student at eden and the weird girl he keeps meeting in trees. i don't know exactly why i love this one so much but it do. it's cute and the epilogue got me grinning like a fool.

6. like real people do by Puolain

once again another alternative meeting AU. i dunno, man, it's just so much fun to see twilight and yor having the chance to be real people and accidentally fall in love which each other. i eat that up every time. great work @loveroma!

7. I'll Be There in a Minute, Dear by fluffmelange

i was SO CLOSE to putting fluffmelange's "Leave No Trace of Yourself" here because that one is SO FUNNY but alas, this delightful fic barely won out in the end. you know what you should do? read both. fluffmelange is keeping us all fed with short and sweet fics that are so much fun to read. this one is a favorite simply because the premise is so goofy and simple but i could 100% see it being canon lol. we are in your capable hands @fluffmelange.

8. I've Been Throwing Bricks At Your Window Like There's No Better Way To Say Hello by thesmallestfishinthesea

this fic has such a silly and simply premise but i love it so so so much. it's about the three times yor forgets her keys (plus one extra time loid forgets!!!!) and it's so cute to have a view inside yor's (often frazzled) mind. i don't know what else to say other than READ IT RIGHT NOW!!! great work @smallest-fish-inthesea!

this is not all!! i really wanted to include the wonderful works of @whateversawesome, @briefhottubcoffee, @spencer-is-alive, luinel, and more (ao3 literally went out just as i was typing this UGH what awful timing) but i wanted to do something to give back to this awesome community. fun fact, today is my birthday and there's a tradition in my family where the birthday person gives presents to others. so this is my present to everyone!! thanks for everything you guys and here's to another great year!

oh oh oh one last thing, i tried to link everyone's tumblr if they have one, so if there's an author on here who has a tumblr that i didn't link, let me know and i'll link them.

okay! thanks everyone!

(ALSO DON'T MAKE FUN OF HOW DIFFERENT SOME OF THE DRAWING STYLES LOOK IN SOME OF THE ILLUSTRATIONS, I WAS EXPERIMENTING WITH DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES AND THEY LOOK STUPID ALL PUT TOGETHER LEAVE ME ALONE😭😭😭😭😭😭)

[forsaken-headcanons]

(General CW for descriptions of injuries, scars, and just straight-up character death. I know Forsaken is dark and stuff, but it doesn’t hurt to mention.)

Post-Forsaken HCs. I love them. You guys love them. We all love them. But I haven’t shared mine….until today!

*ahem*

For starters, idk how exactly they’d get out, but everyone who escaped would end up wherever they were pre-spectre-snatching. Noob would be in their bedroom, Guest would appear around where he caught that grenade, and so forth. And while most of the Spectre’s “alterations” would be undone, some wounds never heal. Literally!

The Noob 666 skin is said to be what G666 would look like post-forsaken. He retains his demonic appearance, but is no longer built like a gorilla who hit the gym. He’s mostly alright, but since the Spectre was the one to give him his voice in the first place, he’s back to being mute. As for his relationship with Noob…they made amends after a while. What they had would never be the same, but that’s alright. Guest is just glad that he doesn’t have to kill the person who mattered most to him anymore.

Speaking of Guests, next up is Guest 1337! Without the Spectre’s magic to keep him in one piece, he, uh. Definitely looks like he took a grenade point blank. How he didn’t drop dead after escaping is a mystery.

Anyways, he’s still the same old Guest as before. Just with a noticeable limp, and plenty of scarring. He insists that he’s alright, but he probably has to use a cane or something on the days when his leg really acts up. But since this is MY self indulgent fix it post and I get to do what I want with it, he ends up reunited with his family in the end. Hooray!

Despite 007n7’s best efforts, C00lkidd did eventually find out that he was hurting people (albeit downplayed by his father), but he tries to not think about it too much. He, Bluudud, and Pr3ttyprincess eventually became friends post-forsaken. Heck- 118o8 even fosters pr3typrincess for a while until her guardians found her. All in all, a good outcome for the kids, too.

….but C00lkidd isn’t stupid. His experience in the Spectre’s domain might be a fading memory for him now, but he wants to know why his limbs hurt sometimes, or why his arms and legs are covered in faint stretch marks scars….

Azure was sacrificed pre-Forsaken. That much is obvious. And if the confirmed-canon Nightshade skin for Two Time tells us anything, they weren’t doing so hot, either.

They both make it out in one piece, but it’s clear they’re living on borrowed time. Azure just can’t bring himself to fully forgive Two Time (which is fair. Come on-), but the two of them made peace before leaving to Telamon knows where.

Sometimes, a survivor might come across a black and white butterfly. Or a patch of Nightshade. And they know a certain pair of somebodies are still with them, in a way.

…I know, I know. This post is getting pretty long. But I had one more idea, so bear with me here. Similarly to Two Time and Azure, 1x1x1x1 found out pretty quick that without the Spectre, he wouldn’t be around for much longer (in my interpretation at least, Shedletsky didn’t willingly separate himself from 1x1x1x1. That was all the Spectre.) He wasn’t as violent as he was in the Spectre’s domain, but he didn’t really get along with anyone, either. And then one day he just. Faded away. 🫡 

-but of course, manifestations can’t really die, can they?

No. Shortly after 1x vanished, Shedletsky found himself able to feel negative emotions again. Post-forsaken, the creator and his creation are whole at last. The only traces of 1x were his crown, and his daemonshanks. Builderman took the crown and one of the swords to Roblox HQ to be sealed away with other ‘unlisted marketplace items’, but Shed kept a sword for himself. If he looks at his reflection juuuust right, he swears he can see a familiar red-eyed figure in the sword’s gleam.

SO sorry for the paragraphs lol. As you can see, I had lots of angsty ideas. Who knows? I might even have some more >:)

oh. oh you. ohyouuuu /silly

OUGH THESE ARE SO FREAKING GOOD?? internally screeching abt the stretch marks by the way. ohugh. c00lkidd... shedletsky holding on to one of 1x1x1x1's daemonshanks is so beautifully tragic. a fly accepting torn wings. a shirt looking past its folds. a sword living with its rust. SHEDLETSKY OUGH ENOUGHH

two time and azure making up postsaken is so nice :( oh the nightshades... poisonous in high concentrations, huh? oh the irony. yoinking these so freaking much we adore these sm holy shit

KEEP COOKING, DRAKO!!

[cherrysgf]

my yellowjackets oc !! ⋆.ೃ࿔🌸*:･

(note: i’ve never made one of these before sooo shh sorry if its bad)

name: adriana martinez

relationships: lottie matthews (romantic) travis martinez and javi martinez (siblings) natalie scatorccio (best friend during crash)

face claim: dafne keen (teen timeline), aubrey plaza (adult timeline)

about her: oldest martinez sibling, a little bit self absorbed, lottie’s on again off again gf, currently alive in adult timeline, tries to be positive, tries to be motherly figure to her brothers, sarcastic, protective, kind of obsessive, would listen to lana del rey if teen in modern timeline, kind of a mix of jackie, nat and lottie

pre crash (tw - sex work mentioned): 18, apart of the student council and volleyball team, dealing with undiagnosed anxiety and bpd, typical ‘overachiever perfectionist’ stereotype, had applied to columbia and got in on full scholarship, hides the fact that she’s broke from people, formerly worked at strip clubs before crash to get her family some money, had sex/relationships with a lot of shady/older people,

during crash: wasn’t as good as hunting as travis and nat but could still do it, so whenever one of them wasn’t up for it/couldn’t do it, adriana would step in, would usually pretend everything’s okay and would try and keep a smile on her face but when javi died, and travis wouldn’t talk to her, adriana started breaking down and isolating herself, sad cause she lost both of her brothers

relationship with lottie during crash: they got together between s1 and s2. once everyone started worshipping lottie, she would give her less chores and special treatment since adriana was her gf, which pissed off plenty of people (especially mari since she wanted lottie’s attention and shauna since she wanted leadership), lottie was very possessive of adriana and adriana was very possessive of lottie, but their personalities clashed often, and in between lottie and nats leadership, adriana took over after a fight with lottie, and she was one of the people who suggested the ‘drawing cards and hunting’ in the first place, so she blames herself for javi’s death, and when adriana was obviously in no place to lead, everyone suggested they follow lottie again, which is when lottie suggested they follow nat instead, which strains her relationship with nat but ultimately adriana still supports her in hopes that’ll get her and travis back together

post rescue: after the rescue, she also got sent to a psych ward, but a different one then lottie, nowhere near as exotic as in switzerland, she still gets horribly treated though, adriana and lottie don’t really keep in touch but occasionally they do get involved, she tired sending adriana money as well since lottie knew adriana’s financial situation, but adri declined, she tries and keep in touch with nat and travis as well but they’re dealing with their own problems so she’s kind of alone, found out about lottie’s death through misty separately/before the other yjs, even though she doesnt trust misty really she immediately agreed to help mistys investigation of lotties death(travnat is canon for the majority of the teen timeline but i imagine right before nats death her having a convo with adriana that implies her and misty are sort of a situationship)

sorry about the length!! i kind of got carried away lol (btw adriana was based off of these hcs i made last month)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

sept 2024 4koma update

No updates for the usual manga adaptations! Only a 4koma update this month!

This time it features Cater (and his clones) playing basketball with the Basketball Club members. While playing, Cater also focuses on filming himself for Magicam.

During the course of the comic, we learn that the teachers would never allow for Cater to use his UM for class. However, Cater brings out a clone if there is an odd number of students per class and they need to partner up. (Usually it’s Idia, lol) The problem with this is that Cater doesn’t have the endurance to keep his clone around for the entire class, so it usually poofs halfway through.

Vargas cameos at the end to train them all even harder. Cater bails on Ace, Floyd, and Jamil, leaving them to their fates. Scummy of him, but very in-character 😂

This particular update made me realize how much continuity there is in the 4koma. For example:

Cater states that he and Idia are the same class. This is true; they are both in Class 3-B.

Floyd expresses annoyance and anger when Ace comments that he and Jade are the same because they are twins. This is something that Floyd has historically disliked, demonstrated in the Beans Day event as well as his own School Uniform vignette.

Cater is shown using his UM. When his clones vanish, he disappears in a cloud of playing cards. This was first depicted in the Episode of Heartslabyul manga and implies that this is how his UM works in all interpretations. One discrepancy, however, is that in the Episode of Heartslabyul manga, all the cards are diamond suits. In the 4koma, the suits are varied—you can see hearts, spades, and clubs in addition to diamonds. (A friend theorized that the Heartslabyul manga is pre-Riddle OB and the 4koma is post-Riddle OB; in that time, Cater has realized the value of friendship and so the suits represented on his cards changed. But that’s just a theory—a gaaaaame theory!)

Cater has used his UM in other physical activities to get the upper hand or to get the task done faster. For example, to paint the roses or to get running his laps done sooner.

With all this continuity going on, maybe we can take some of the lore drops in the 4koma as basically canon? 🤔 (Like how certain characters are in certain courses together!)

[locketsvault]

「 RELATIONSHIPS WITH TOKYO GHOUL MEN 」

pairings: kaneki ken x reader ፥ jūzō suzuya x reader ፥ hideyoshi nagachika x reader ፥ ayato kirishima x reader ፥ renji yomo x reader

tags: romantic relationship headcanons, each character separate, gender neutral reader, no pronouns or agab mentioned, sfw post

warnings: canon events/violence mentioned, not proof read

request: Hey there? Can you do relationship head canons for ayato, renji, juuzo, hide and kaneki? (request found here.)

a/n: happy to do so! general relationships are very fun to write. however, I will let you know I do not write for arima which is why he’s not included.

// kaneki ken⌇˚.༄

⮑ Out of everyone on this list, being in a relationship with Kaneki is one of the sweetest and healthiest. Besides the whole he’s a one eyed ghoul, and everything that took place during the works. Honestly Kaneki just as himself, pretty chill guy.

⮑ He is open to being with a human and a ghoul, because he’s been both he’s very open minded to the idea. He may be more hesitant to involve a human after what happened to Kimi and Hide, but he would be willing to try.

⮑ His main love languages are quality time, physical touch, and words of affirmation. Receiving would probably be quality time, gift giving and words of affirmation. He needs his reassurance, my boy is traumatized and then some. Tbh… it works that way with everyone on this list lol.

⮑ Dates with him involve coffee dates (duh), book store dates, accompanying each other to author signings, home movie dates, and stargazing.

⮑ Hes a wonderful boyfriend, he always keeps you in mind, does his best to make you happy and comfortable and never asks for anything in return. He remembers every little thing you like, how to make you smile when you’re sad. Hes very observant. And he worships the ground you walk on low key.

// hideyoshi nagachika⌇˚.༄

⮑ If anyone on this list can tip how sweet of a boyfriend Kaneki can be, it’s Hide. He’s #1 easily. You see the lengths he’s willing to go for Kaneki. And it would be no different than for you.

⮑ Honestly, getting into a relationship pre and post him being well… eaten, is rightfully very different. Before, he’s very outgoing and would happily ask you out. It’s a cute school romance type of thing yk? But afterwards, he’s very hesitant. His face is well… and he’s in deep with ghouls. If you were a ghoul it would be a lot easier, but if you were human he’d be more hesitant. He doesn’t want you to go through what he has, despite him not having regrets saving Kaneki.

⮑ Okay that got sad… my poor baby. But it is true. If you manage to be with him after, he must really trust you. And he must really love you.

⮑ His main love languages are quality time, gift giving, and acts of service. Receiving would probably be gift giving as well, quality time, and physical touch. He may not intricate touch, but he loves receiving it. It may do more for him than words ever could tbh.

⮑ Dates with hide include outdoor activities (your choice), playing games together, watching movies, and spending time together at each others places.

⮑ Hide may seem the type to fuck around, but once he makes his mind about someone, they’re all he thinks about. There could be no one else. He loves you as you are, flaws and all. You’re perfect in his eyes. And he hopes you never leave him. He’d give you the world if he could.

// jūzō suzuya⌇˚.༄

⮑ Jūzō has never been in a relationship before and I don’t think he’s fully aware how to navigate one. He didn’t grow up with any healthy depictions of romance, he really only has instinct to go off of. Though I do trust he was introduced to media when he joined the ccg, which helped.

⮑ It’s quite interesting to say, whether or not he’d date a ghoul truly does depend on when you met him. He doesn’t inherently hate ghouls or look down on them the same way others in the ccg do. But ofc, he does see them in a negative light and—kills them. But I do think it’s possible for him to be with both.

⮑ physical touch!! Im sorry, I got a bit excited. But physical touch is something he both gives and needs, he needs positive touch, he needs to be held, he needs to be reminded he’s safe and you won’t leave him. Besides that, his main love languages is gift giving and acts of service. Reviving would be quality time and gift giving. Receiving things from you reminds him of what home truly is.

⮑ Dates with him are up on the ccg roof (or any roof), watching the stars and eating together, playing in the rain, and wandering the city at night.

⮑ Jūzō will make a lot of mistakes, but he is quick to learn and make up for them. He can be clingy and childish at times, but he means well. He’s still learning to be an adult, let alone a living being worthy of love. He adores you so much, his eyes sparkle when even your name is mentioned.

// ayato kirishima⌇˚.༄

⮑ A relationship with Ayato requires a lot of patients and self confidence. You’ll need to place boundaries and put your foot down with him with how reckless he can be. Despite that, he is quite loving. Oh, and being with him is quite dangerous.

⮑ If you’re not a ghoul, good luck getting this man’s attention. Don’t get me wrong, it is possible to date him if you’re a human, but it’s a very slim chance, especially if we’re talking before :re. He has many reasons, ranging from how dangerous it would be, to his genuine distain towards humans due to his traumas. After :re you got a better chance tho.

⮑ His love languages are acts of service and quality time. Receiving would probably be quality time, words of affirmation, and as much as he refuses to admit it, physical touch. He’s so touch deprived… since his parents died, all he knows is violence.

⮑ After :re, he really works on himself, to be a good boyfriend, a good person. He’s overall a lot happier. He has his family back, which naturally includes you. The happier he is, the easier your relationship will be. He loves you more than life itself, he’d give his life for you. He finally understands what love can do to a person.

// renji yomo⌇˚.༄

⮑ Oh Renji, he’s quite the interesting one. He’s a gentleman with you, never once has he treated you otherwise, even when he was in his violent days. He did have some morals after all.

⮑ He is able to fall for both ghoul and human, but he’s less likely to fall for a human. Humans are too fragile and dangerous to trust. They can easily be used against him. But the further into the story we go, the more likely he is the maybe give it a try. He would really have to know you either way before he’s willing to be in a relationship with you.

⮑ His love languages are acts of service, gift giving, and quality time. Receiving would be quality time, and acts of service. He isn’t really one for words of affirmation, and he can survive without touch. Though if you told him you wanted it, he’d give it.

⮑ Renjis is shorter than the others my bad. I don’t have much to say for him other than what I’ve said in previous works for him. Dating him is honestly easy, he communicates well and works through issues. He won’t run and won’t let you run either. And despite not wanting to admit it, he loves you very much. It would kill him to lose you.

main hub ✦ masterlist ✦ to do list

[marstons-angel]

bright as the morning, soft as the rain

sebastian (stardew valley) x reader

✧ tags : gender neutral reader, canon divergence, a lot of author liberties, alcohol, fluffy, pre-relationship, mildly suggestive but sooo mildly lol.

✧ wc : 3.4k (this is ridiculous lol)

✧ a/n : the thing to get me out of my writing slump being sdv fanfiction is hilarious.

hi! this is the first part to a silly little alternative first kiss series i have planned for the stardew romanceable characters. i think the other ones will be shorter (hopefully but lol).

i will link the rest of them as they get posted. i hope u like. rbs appreciated. also tagging @antique-remains (hi this is fang on my side blog lol)

✧ synopsis : sebastian wants to do anything but think of you. he's failing miserably on that front. sam and abigail are not helping.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖˚☽˚｡⋆

“Earth to Sebastian,” Sam snaps his fingers in front of Sebastian’s face. Sebastian jumps in his skin. “What’s with you today? If you’re not gonna take our pool playing tradition seriously, I’m not playing.”  

He swipes a hand over his face, cursing under his breath. Half-empty Joja-Cola can sits directly besides his pool stick, the faint air of smoke and liquor in the air. Right. He’s here to play pool.  

 He pinches the bridge of his nose with exasperation, shaking off the feeling before scratching the back of his neck.  

“No, sorry. I wanna play, just…give me a sec.”  

“Got something on your mind Seb?”  Abigail prods, unfortunately intuitive. Sebastian scowls at her. She stands to her feet to get closer, sitting on the edge of the pool table with her cheek turned just enough to look at him. Her smile is coy. “A certain someone, maybe?”  

His scowl deepens, lip curled in distaste. “No. Move. You’re in my way.”  

“You’re a bad liar.” Abigail says with a resigned sigh, arms crossed. “You weren’t this spacey last time you dated someone. ”  

“Fuck off,” Sebastian sighs. “It’s not like that yet.”  

Abigail grins before Sebastian can  correct the slip up. “Yet. Yet, he says.” 

Sebastian feels himself blush. “Ugh.” 

He sighs as he stands back up, leaning against his pool stick. Sam stops whatever he was doing (messing with the pool table deliberately, Sebastian assumes), taking newfound interest in the conversation.  

“Oh, you two talking about our new neighbor?” 

“Not really new. It’s been like… what a year or two almost?” Abigail adds. Sam shrugs.  

“That’s true. But it feels new to me anyway.” Sam says. He gives up on pool it seems like, abandoning his stick on the table in favor of navigating to the box pizza balancing on another table nearby and his drink. Sebastian watches him shimmy a slice of the pie, not bothering to blow on it as he eats. “Oh is that why your heads in the clouds? Figures.”  

“I didn’t say that. Abigail said that.”  

“And you’re saying she’s wrong?”  

Sebastian huffs. “…Yes.”  

Sam laughs good-naturedly. “Pfft. Uh-huh, yeah. I super believe you.”  

“Fuck you both.” 

“Come on, Seb. It’s not like everyone in town doesn’t know.”  

Sebastian’s frown deepens. “Not everyone.”  

Sam seats himself on the couch again and Abigail joins him. It creaks under the weight of them as they get comfortable together. Sebastian stays where he is, sitting on the tables edge with a drink in his hand and an itch for a cigarette.  

Sam counts on his fingers. “Your mom knows. My mom knows. Abby’s mom knows. If they all know then our dads definitely also know. Who else does that leave? Our towns tiny dude. Like I’d say Elliot doesn’t, but he’s here on Friday’s and he catches up with gossip all the time. So basically everyone.”  

“…Shit.”  

“See? Told you.”  

Sebastian doesn’t need everyone to know what’s going on between you. He doesn’t even know what’s going on between you. It’s taken him longer than he cares to admit to even acknowledge that there was something there. And he didn’t know it was mutual until recently when Abigail came dropped by to tell him she overheard her dad explaining old Pelican Town traditions on dating and romance. 

(Abigail always describes things in excruciating detail, adding all the bells and whistles. This makes her great to play the Solarion Chronicles with.  

It also makes her  good at artfully recounting interactions. He can easily picture you the way she said she saw you, overalls  half unbuttoned, dirt covered and leaning over the counter just slightly giving Pierre your rapt attention.   

The thought of it is enough to trigger some sense of affection he’s never entirely felt before.)  

It’s not like Sebastian is against the idea of dating you, it’s just— 

“I think you should go out with them Seb. I like ‘em a lot more than your exes.”  

Sebastian sighs. “You guys know why I’m on the fence.”  

Sam shrugs. “Does they even count though? They’re not actually from here. They live here sure but they didn’t grow up here.”  

“Right? That’s what I think too. Might as well go for it.” Abigail shrugs, glancing at Sebastian. “I really don’t get why you’re hesitating. Something else has to bugging you.”  

“I thought that too.” Sam adds. 

A faint blush creeps up his neck. He loves his friends and sometimes, he appreciates how well they know him. Times like this, he thinks it wouldn’t kill them to be a little less perceptive.  

They’re not wrong. It is something of a flimsy excuse to try not to think about you. Sebastian has always had a not dating policy about people he grew up with. He nearly dated Abigail in highschool and it was a shitshow. So he’s vowed to never do it again.  

But that’s not the real reason he’s been rejecting the possibility in his head. He uses it more for himself than anyone else. It’s not like he can give them the real answer because he thinks it’s one hundred times more embarrassing.  

How the fuck is he meant to tell them the reason he keeps hesitating to define your relationship is because he feels like he likes you too much?  

That’s the real reason he’s going in circles about it. It’s so cringe it makes him want to break out in hives but well, it is true. Sebastian likes you—like really fucking likes you—and it’s freaking him out because he thinks it’s the first time he’s really liked anyone.  

Dating has never been all that fun for Sebastian. It wasn’t something that felt meaningful. He dated mostly in college and only one of those relationships lasted a significant amount of time. And even then the relationship was never all that genuine. They ultimately broke up because Sebastian realized they were fundamentally incompatible. As bad as it sounds, there wasn’t a real sense of attachment there, not once. It was just convenient for both of them. He realized at that point he should probably just focus on himself.  

That was about when he moved back home to the valley to live with his family in his post graduation.  

And he had honestly expected it to be another few mundane years, akin to his early adolescence. He was so sure that he would spend it with the same restless feeling in his stomach, the same longing to be somewhere else. If he could never feel any belonging, at least he wanted to be somewhere he could blend in. He thought for sure moving back to Pelican Town was going to be nothing but dreadful and boring and existential. That he would come back and remember why he wanted to leave in the first place.  

Until one day, someone from the city moved into the old, overgrown farm and turned the entirety of the valley upside down.  

When you met for the first time, Sebastian honestly didn’t care. Nothing goes on in Pelican Town, so he figured you’d be the main subject of gossip for a few weeks before ultimately blending into the background of his life just like everyone else. He also didn’t think you’d last long living here. You were part of the corporate rat race he so detests and you didn’t grow up in the valley. It’s a hard place to get used to after living somewhere more populated.  

Against all odds  though - you did stay. And you’ve integrated yourself so much with the people living—himself included here it kind of baffles him. He doesn’t entirely remember what it was like before you came here.   

Sebastian couldn’t have predicted in a million years that that stupid help wanted sign in front of Pierre’s store would start actually being useful. But lo and behold, at least three times a week he finds you with full pockets - jogging after whomever last posted to give them what they need. And you do that without anyone really asking you too.  

You’re just so… helpful. And social in a way he can’t describe. Everyone in town has nothing but nice things to say about you. You’ve given everyone a gift on their birthday thus far. You’re keeping the entire economy afloat with your farm right now and you regularly clear those mines out for monsters. You even paid for the bus to get repaired, too - so now it’s up and running again.  

You’re full of surprises. And easy to adore, himself included.  

What surprises him most often is how easy it is for him to be around you. He doesn’t turn you away even when you visit his room sharply at 9am and hover over him in bed. He doesn’t get even the slightest bit upset when you have a mundane and disruptive conversation hours before he usually gets up. He keeps everything you’ve ever gifted him, and he often thinks of inviting you to things he does with his friends. He smiles when he sees you running around doing some chore, frantic and covered in muck - all mess and sunlight.  

You’re… nice. Honest, hard-working, and cheerful. Kind. Sincere in wanting to know him. You should completely and utterly exhaust him given those are your main characteristics. You should be someone he’s simply fundamentally incompatible with. 

But more than anything, you’re thoughtful. And it disarms him so utterly he feels overwhelmed by the thought. From the start, you put in a lot of effort into maintaining connections and he was no different. It’s just impacted him so much more than he thought it would. If he lets himself think too far on it, he really won’t stop thinking about you.  

To the point he’s been picturing what it’s like to live on the farm.  He’s in deep. 

Despite all of your idiosyncrasies, you really seem to give a shit about things in a way that feels utterly foreign to him. This extends to anything and everything. It extends to Sebastian, and it shows in the ways you don’t undermine him. Little things. You take his work seriously and apologize for disturbing him, you don’t immediately take the side of his family when he talks about them despite being friends with them too, you don’t interrogate him about what he is or is not comfortable with. You show up and linger in his life, and then you go off to your own thing. 

More and more, he gets the urge to stop you before you go. It’s too much. It makes him act…lame and he’s not too fond of it. He’s never really felt this strongly about anyone before and he’s a little bit of a wreck about what it does to him. So it’s not that he doesn’t want to date you, but more that he does so bad he doesn’t even want to admit it.  

 But well.. He isn’t sure it’s even working. As soon as you walk into a room it’s like— 

He’s lost in his thoughts for a while, only to get pulled out of them by some big commotion happening in the main part of the saloon.  

“Ah, you’re here. What perfect timing kid,”   

Shit. Shit  

Only somewhat obscured by the distance and wall separating their space from the bar - Sebastian catches a glimpse of you and feels something uncomfortably warm in his chest. His friends both make little oooh sounds, no doubt planning to do something stupid. He should intervene but he gets too caught up in pretending he doesn’t see you. Turning away stiffly, he pretends to be looking at something else while he listens on your conversation. It’s not too hard to hear, anyway.  

“Hi, Pam.” He can practically hear the smile in your voice. “Here’s your ale. Managed to grow a hops plant indoors this season so the brew is pretty fresh. It’s strong, fair warning.”  

A beat of muffle conversations follows up with a a loud sigh. “That’s exactly what I needed. Your pretty good with your liquor and spirits, huh kid? Thanks for the drink. Here’s what I owe ya.”  

“Selling alcohol under the table at my establishment? Tsk tsk.” Gus adds.  

It’s at this point Sebastian lets himself look at you properly. You lean with your elbows against the counter. You look a mess like usual, but you’ve got on a cowboy hat today that Sebastian finds ridiculously cute. You smile at Gus sheepishly.  

“Sorry. Can I buy myself a drink to make up for it?” You offer.  

“I’ll do you one better and give it to you on the house.”  

“Aw, what? Can’t let you do that Gus.”  

“You can and you will. You’re always looking out for everyone. Here, it’s a nice imported IPA. Nice and cold. Have a drink and go relax. Some of your friends are here too tonight I think.”  

“Oh?”  

On cue, you turn your head to the group of them. When you and Sebastian meet eyes, you brighten visbly - all smiles. He’s so caught up in it, he doesn’t even catch Sam next to him until he throw an arm around his shoulder and waves you over.  

You weave through the tables until you cross the threshold of their little hide-out. Abigail greets you first with a short sidehug before you go over to him and Sam.  

“Hey,”  

“Hi Sam.” You pause, tilting your head. “Did you cut your hair? It’s shorter than usual.”  

Sam beams. “I did! And you’re the first one to notice, other than my mom. Goes to show who my real friends are,”  

Sebastian nudges him, pulling away from his grip. “I see enough of your face everyday. There’s nothing for me to observe.”  

“It looks nice,” You add. Charming and genuine. Sam smiles at you. 

“Thanks,”  

Sebastian is weirdly jealous until you address him in conversation. “Hey to you too Sebastian.”  

His heart thumps. This is ridiculous. He swallows. “Hey. Uh. How have you been?”  

Awkward. So awkward. You smile a little and lean on the pool table besides him with your drink, taking a sip. “Good. Busy as usually getting ready for Winter. Renovated our coop recently so I’ve got a whole bunch of baby bunnies I gotta take care of. Went and bought another heater, some extra hay. Just farm stuff. Not very interesting,”  

“I find it interesting,” He replies quickly. You lip twitches in a smile.  

“I’m glad.”  

“Baby bunnies sound so cute,” Abigail adds. Sebastian glances at her as she joins the rest of them. “What else have you got in there?”  

“A little of everything. Chickens, ducks. I’ve got a void chicken too, kinda freaky. Oh and these little dino looking guys.”  

Abigail looks bright eyed. “Would it be like… weird if I asked to go over? I kinda wanna see them?”  

You laugh. “Not at all. I don’t mind. You could honestly go over whenever but it’s hard to navigate the farm if I’m not there, though I’m trying to fix that this upcoming winter.”  

You glance then at Sebastian, eyes almost sparkling. “You should come over sometime, too. You’d like the void chicken I think. And I’ve got a slime hutch.”  

Sebastian sputters at the obvious invitation only barely managing to cover up the shock to his system. You don’t seem put off, but it’s obvious you know what you’re doing. He’s going to explode.  

Abigail and Sam make not-so-subtle eye contact before Sam clears his throat.  

“Well, uh, me and Abi are gonna head out. We’ve got some stuff to catch up on, but there’s still a few hours until the saloon closes so you two should stay here and finish up  our drinks and stuff. Uh… yeah. See you again,”  

Sam nods, quickly rifling for his things. Abigail follows in his foot steps.  

“Mhm, yep. See you,”  

Sam gives him one last encouraging look before turning around and leaving. The two of them scurry off in a blink of an eye, before Sebastian can get a single word in about the situation or tell them to stay. And now he’s alone with you, quietly wondering if it’s as awkward as it feels.  

You’re the one to break the ice. “Do you have anywhere you need to be tomorrow?”  

Sebastian blinks. “Uh no. Not really.”  

“Me either. We should stay back then, for a little while.” You offer with a shrug. “Why not, right?”  

Right. Sebastian is being really chill about this entire interaction. “Right.”  

“I’m glad I got to see you tonight,” You say, out of the blue. Sebastian nearly jumps in his skin at the admission. “I’ve been pretty busy with the growing season ending so I haven’t been you know, able to come by as often. I don’t know if it made a huge difference to you but—“ 

“It did.” He blurts out. Your mouth opens then closes again, a blush crawling up his neck as he tucks his chin in embarrassment. “It was uh, weird for me. I know you’re busy and I like my alone time but I did… miss you.” 

“Yeah?”  

He’s almost too afraid to meet your eyes. When he manages  - you’re smiling fondly, sweetly with a sense of amusement. It rolls off of you in waves and it becomes clear to him in that split second that you don’t really intend to hide how you feel despite him being so hellbent on making sure he does. You’re not hiding that you like him. It feels stupidly warm and fuzzy.  

You look like you’ve been working all day and you smell a little like grass and rain in a way that makes him want to draw that much closer to you. So he does, leaving into your space.  

“Yeah.” He manages, barely getting the words out without being a complete wreck. “It’s new for me.”  

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder or whatever they say.” And then, even more sweetly. “I missed you too.”  

Fuck. You’re… fuck.  

Sebastian pretends to wipe something from his face just to cover it and make his blush less obvious. This is embarrassing. He likes you so much and for what.  

There’s a million things he wants to tell you but he can’t find the words for any of them. So he tucks in on himself and wonders how the fuck he would ever go about actually dating you.  

You inch closer to him. Tentative, until your thighs are touching. He doesn’t move away.  

Suddenly, you’re close to him than you’ve ever been. Looking from the corner of your eye, Sebastian turns his head to meet your gaze. You’re an inch apart, and he’s looking at your lips - slightly chapped from the weather. The faint scent of alcohol on your breath makes him dizzy. Your smile is what does him in ultimately. A subtle tug at the corners of your mouth, a little teeth. Something about it precious.  

“Hey,” You mutter.  

“Hm,”  

“Can I kiss you?” 

He responds with leaning forward to do it first. It’s chaste and easy, and he does it because you’ve already taken so many first steps and he should, at least, take this one. So he leans into kiss you and it feels like his whole body is melting. It’s brief and light and he pulls away before it feels like it should be over.  

You part for a breath, a single heartbeat - before your hands go up to cradle the side of his face. You kiss him deeper that time. A real kiss where he can taste you enough to know that you drank - one he would only want to do in the privacy of this confined spaced. He feels you in your entirety  - returns your gesture with a careful hand on your waist that you don’t pull away from.  

And it doesn’t stop. Like neither of you want it too, despite everything else. Despite the fact he’s doing this in the bar of his hometown where everyone will gossip about it without doubt, and despite knowing that  - the drive to kiss you is stronger than his usual sensibilities. So you kiss and kiss and kiss, short presses followed by long, firm ones. A slight brush of tongue, the soft nip of teeth as you tease and tug. All mirth and amusement and fondness and bravery and god he is so into you it’s ridiculous.  

You manage to pull away from each other after a while. His lips are tingly. And there’s a sheepishness to you both that makes it hard for him to look your way.  

“Hey, Sebastian.”  

He clears his throat.  

“Uh. Yeah?”  

“I’m gonna ask you out tomorrow. Properly.”  

He blushes. “…I’d be cool with that.”  

You grin. “Yeah?”   

Shit he’s happy. He is not gonna get a lick of sleep tonight. He smiles a little to himself.  

“Yeah.”  

.𖥔 ݁ ˖˚☽˚｡⋆

[meanbossart]

LORE ASK COMPILATION: "Still not banging Halsin, Squid Games, Sun King, Failing at love quizzes, Bottoms, Tops, and Cats" Edition

He didn't, Halsin wasnt around for act 3, too busy healing land and saving ghost children or something!

THANK YOU/I'M SORRY, I'm surprised there isn't more Bhaalist Dark Urge/Spawn Astarion stuff out there. Don't get me wrong, I love a good evil power couple, but who can resist the good ol'heartbreak of a vicious unending cycle brought on by your own senselessness!

That wasn't something I was interested in previously just because acquiring the slayer form isn't part of his canon, but I've been looking at enough fromsoft games' monster designs that I might be a little inspired to try LOL

Also I am just a fan of the canon design and never before thought it needed altering. But I'll let it cook ;)

God damn it.

DU drow was VERY antagonizing towards the emperor since the moment he dropped the facade, which made the attempt ESPECIALLY hilarious - that poor guy is so, so lonely.

I don't recall the exact wording in-game, but once the emperor took his shiny squid pecs out and shot his shot, DU drow recoiled and called him disgusting. After having the visions of Stelmane forced upon him to make whatever baffling point the emperor was trying to make, DU drow smugly asserted that he had finally let the mask slip and their very terrible date ended with the Emperor enforcing their reluctant need for one another, for the time being.

In-prose, that would honestly be pretty much it. DU drow would have reacted with absolute revulsion at the prospect of being hit on by a mindflayer, and taken the Emperor's (miscalculated) moment of lashed-out vulnerability as a win - as proof that he was exactly as duplicitous as he always assumed the Emperor to be.

I can assure everyone that I am as entertained by the thought as the rest of you and it is in the cards for future art, I just have... So many prompts... I have at least 5 different mini-comics I want to make, BESIDES singular pieces, BESIDES the fanfic... I wish I had more time and more hands.

But DU drow's unlikely semi-success as a parental figure is hilarious to me. I think about it constantly.

I haven't entertained that thought much because its antithetical to DU drow's character. Whether "good" or evil, he wouldn't allow Astarion to ascend because of his fear of no longer being needed and his reluctance to watch his partner be consumed by out-sourced power and changed into something he despises. Realistically, in a world where Astarion is allowed to ascend they could only break up and inevitably kill each other soon after.

That said, I am fascinated by the Sun King and the implications that path has for his character. So far that is an arc that I can only really see Astarion taking on alone, though - that might change in the future, might not. We'll see!

IF I CAN MAKE IT NOT ENTIRELY MISERABLE, I JUST MIGHT.

He got 2 out of 3 questions wrong - which is to say he was way too honest and Astarion didn't like that.

Except for the "when is he the happiest" question, which he correctly answered with "when he's neck deep in gore".

This is not even a lore-embelishment, this is actually how that scene went for me and I cackled about it for ages.

He would love to get tied up for old-times' sake. I doubt he knows much about fancy knots but Astarion might (though I might be in a minority that doubts his enforced "sex life" was actually that interesting at all.)

Thank you so much!

You are mostly correct. Bhaalist drow, both pre and post tadpole would be much more keen on the idea of having people around who fulfill their every desire - EXCEPT for killing. That is a joy they take on for themselves.

"Canon" DU drow values his independence a lot, on the other hand. He's neutral on the idea of slavery (what a sentence) and wouldn't be opposed to temporary servicing, but the idea of having someone around waiting for orders doesn't attract him at all, or at least would get on his nerves quick. He much preffers to do things himself and makes sure that other people see how much he does not need assistance.

The answer is yes, basically LOL.

DU drow both adores and despises Sceleritas presence and he doesn't know why. It very much reflects the type of relationship they used to have prior to DU drow's memory loss, and it's one of those things that he has conflicting feelings about but not any context for them.

I sadly doubt that the boys would become parents during Shadowheart's lifetime (it's for the best, they have a lot of work to do before I would trust them not to drop a baby), but honestly she strikes me as really liking kids as long as she doesn't have to, well, have them LOL.

And thank you so much for enjoying them and humoring me!

I think it is less about bottoming-topping and more about enjoying a more submissive role during sex, as well as in other scenarios. He believes that giving control away is, in a way, a show of devotion that goes both ways - his own for the willingness to do so, and his partner's for not taking advantage of it despite his wanting them to do so.

With one-night-stands (which he occasionally had pre-tadpole) he would still bottom without any of the submissiveness. This is because he didn't have the capacity to understand what it was about bottoming that attracted him, and led him to feeling constantly unfulfilled and frustrated (he just isn't build for no-strings-attatched type of arrangements, lol.)

This means that he really could operate either way depending on the partner as long as he got that fix of docility, whether it be from the bottom or top.

I think of Astarion as being similarly versatile but leaning more in the opposite direction when it comes to power-dynamics - though it being less about dominance itself and more about being pampered and catered to - and, of course, getting to do what he wants. Though he's willing to try most things a partner is particularly enthusiastic for just to see how he feels about it.

That said with DU drow he does prefer to top for a plethora of reasons.

I didn't have this piece of lore thought-up at the time, but I should have made them look like the lady he lost his virginity to.

Him and Astarion were gobbling those things up until the emperor reveal, then they both quit it cold-turkey after DU drow stomped the astral-tadpole dead (and back then you didn't have to roll any dice to do it, because otherwise we would have weird veiny DU drow to deal with for sure because he would NOT have suceeded that save.)

DU drow's feelings towards animals is a constant in every iteration of his character. They are organic little pieces of art wandering about the world that act upon their own laws and regulations, ones which humanoids aren't privy to - except for when they intrude into that world through magic and try to understand it through their overly-complicated systems and concepts. If a cat made the temple it's home, it can stay.

[dirty-bear-rick-sanchez]

I’m glad that Summer of All Fears addressed the fact that Beth doesn’t have friends. The only characters we’ve really seen Beth have any sort of relationship with outside of the family are that one Meeseeks and Davin (who clearly has an unreciprocated crush on her), and Space Beth's fellow resistance fighters, who Valkyrick establishes as coworkers rather than friends. While this was initially probably more down to the show’s lack of exploration of her character outside of the family, it does make sense. Pre-clone Beth seems to take on most of the responsibilities for the family/household on top of her full-time job, and of course has a lot of her focus on keeping Rick happy. Home Beth continues with this trend, maybe with Jerry and Rick picking up some of the slack on household chores as time goes on. Space Beth seems to focus mostly on her resistance work, with Rick even reminding her to 'have fun'. The little we've seen of what Beth seems to enjoy outside of family or work (whether as a horse surgeon or a resistance fighter) don't seem to involve connection with other people - she makes a hoof collage in The Whirly Dirly Conspiracy, Space Beth references that pre-clone Beth used to do yoga in Star Mort Rickturn of the Jerri, and Space Beth brags about having a 'soaking tub' on her ship. The only friend we know she had was Tommy, who she tried to kill. Of course she was a child at the time, but she still seems to either struggle with or avoid friendships, even as an adult.

In fact, the whole family has a pretty bad track record when it comes to friendship. Rick and Summer both have friends but their relationships/the people they’re friends with are pretty toxic, while Morty and Jerry canonically have no friends outside of the family.

I actually wanted to make a post about Rick and his support system when the first few episodes of S7 aired but never got round to it. E1 shows Rick's issues with the people he considers his friends - they're all addicts who enable each other and struggle to have honest conversations. E2 shows the relationship between Rick and Jerry and even has Jerry admit that Rick is the closest thing he has to a friend, but the issues with their relationship and inability to really trust each other or be happy with it. E3 shows the people outside of the family who Rick interacts with on a regular basis, as well as his relationship issues.

Summer has a strong desire to be popular in S1, but the only friends she has at this point are Nancy (who she is clearly embarrassed by) and Tammy (who only befriended her as part of her Galactic Federation mission). Later, she does befriend Tricia, but the little we see of their relationship shows that it's mainly built on bullying Nancy (and possibly Tricia's crush on Jerry). In Amortycan Grickfitti, she's desperate to win the approval of Bruce Chutback, even though he's presumably Morty's age.

Morty and Jerry don't really have as much to analyse since they're more explicitly friendless throughout the show - Beth outright states that Rick is the first friend Morty has ever had in the pilot, and Jerry is shown to be lonely and bored to the point of using an expensive phone service just for someone to talk to in Look Who's Purging Now.

Overall, the family's problem is that none of them have any friends outside of the family lol. But genuinely, I think this contributes a lot to their dysfunction; none of them have a frame of reference for healthy relationships or anyone they can really go to for support who isn't also involved in the problem in some way.

[harmonia-goddesses]

ok heck it game canon lore and character traits breakdown time

pokemon black and white

anthea and concordia appear in the opening among the crowd watching N's coronation. later, they're found in a side room of n's castle, which you are led to by the shadow triad to let your pokemon rest. they're both wearing elegant gowns. if talked to, they'll heal your team and give you some of n's backstory.

anthea:

in the original japanese, refers to herself only as "the goddess of love."

heals your pkmn

has a very gentle but sorrowful attitude; tends to trail off her sentences.

believes, contrary to the rest of team plasma, that trainers battle for good reasons rather than to cause harm.

seems to have a good sense of N's mental state, recognizing when he's denying his true feelings

aware that N's time in the castle has been painful.

Calls N "my lord," like the rest of team plasma.

concordia:

in the original japanese, refers to herself only as "the goddess of peace."

tells you N's backstory and motivations, and drops the most banger line in the game while she's at it

comes across as more distant and emotionally reserved than anthea, with more direct sentences and hard stops.

states that her role is to "give peace and comfort to N"; presumably this is her duty as "Goddess of Peace."

aware that Ghetsis is deliberately manipulating N's perception of the world.

notably, does not call N "my lord." she's either closer with him or less concerned with the strict appearance of loyalty than Anthea

both of them seem to care about N deeply, and want you to understand why he is the way he is, but they seem resigned to his role as Ghetsis's puppet.

pokemon black 2 and white 2

anthea and concordia are found in driftveil city, living with the faction of team plasma who are still loyal to N and await his return. they're hanging out together in the basement of the plasma safehouse, which appears to be where the sleeping area is set up, and are wearing more casual clothing with matching aprons. you can talk to them twice for different dialogue.

pre-hall of fame:

once again, it's clear here that she is very aware of how awful Ghetsis is, stating bluntly that he created team plasma for conquest and that N was groomed for his position.

She doesn't seem as sad here, though, ending all her sentences with periods instead of ellipses.

considers N to have been "a strange boy."

the type of person to use words like "nefarious" in everyday conversation.

this isn't about Anthea per se but this dialogue always sounds to me like the protagonist has gone through the whole game up to this point with no idea who Team Plasma or N are and finally found someone nonthreatening-seeming enough to ask, lol

once again, concordia is the bearer of backstory--n's and also theirs.

she knows enough to know the specific pokemon n was living in the woods with.

at least part of her knowledge is based on hearsay, though. i wonder who she's getting her rumors from? the plasma grunts?

states that they're also orphans that ghetsis put in the orphan-crushing machine i mean took in and gave too much responsibility.

post-hall of fame:

anthea once again shows more visible emotion than concordia, with a great deal of enthusiasm about pokemon battling and how it reveals the nature of the participants.

not much else to say about this one.

girl really likes battling.

concordia's first line here has soooo much characterization potential imo. she loves N, but she doesn't understand him? she doesn't consider her own feelings to be pure and innocent? lots you can do with that

she loves N so much though she still doesn't come across as very expressive with her speaking but she wants N to learn to live outside of Ghetsis's control and find his own path.

in this game, once again, both of them are very focused on N, his wellbeing and state of mind. N, for his part, mentions them directly exactly once (also in B2W2, when you explore the castle ruins):

and then they appear again in the credits of B2W2. they and Rood are meeting with Clay and the protag and rival outside their safehouse.

from their positioning here, flanking Rood while he meets with a gym leader and champion, it seems like they might be operating in a fairly high role within Rood's team plasma splinter faction, perhaps as seconds-in-command or assistants of some kind. or maybe i'm just reading too much into it idk.

but hey, what's this blog for if not reading too much into these incredibly minor pokemon characters.

[whateverisbeautiful]

I’ve been watching reactors watch the show for the first time and I’ve noticed that Lori was saying all the right things to Rick in the beginning in terms of his leadership and decision-making. At least on paper. She told him he was doing the best with the information he had at the time. Defended him to others, noting they blamed him when something went wrong even though he was the one that stepped up (and they wanted him to in the first place). These general thoughts have been expressed by Michonne as well and yet they both feel so different. Even in-universe. Rick only took comfort in her words some of the time. Other times, he just treated it like lip services. I was sitting trying to figure out what the difference was and it hit me that Lori was expressing “you can do this” while Michonne was expressing “we can do this” and I think we watch Rick figure this out in real time. He knew his marriage was in trouble for a long time but I don’t think he could really put a label on the exact issue. Lori depended on and supported him in a very traditional way. A way his parents and grandparents likely were. A way that was presented to him as the norm, what to expect and want. I think his relationship with Michonne, pre and post canon, opened his eyes to a new dynamic. One that he actually wants in a relationship. I just find it all so fascinating and wanted someone else’s thoughts lol

“You can do this” vs. “We can do this” is such a great observation and captures the Lori and Michonne differences well. 👏🏽 I really agree. I think another thing that made Lori’s “you can do this” approach even less comforting to Rick, was that he could tell she didn’t fully believe it. She’d say the supportive things to him and about him, and perhaps at times was really trying to believe she meant it, but there was always this unspoken, and sometimes spoken, doubt attached to it. Even if a part of her did believe in Rick, the part of her that doubted him seemed to be louder and stronger and I think both Lori and Rick felt that. It’s like Rick could hear those 3 silent words that came before her support - “I’m not sure you can do this.” 

I always love that Michonne introduced Rick to a whole different way to be loved and valued. To true partnership. It’s yet another reason their love story is so special because Rick was someone who thought his sole purpose in life was to pour into others and be leaned on, but then he meets this incredible woman who shows him he actually doesn’t have to do any of this alone. Michonne always has that “we can do this” mentality and it’s such a beautiful thing. And there’s still this great balance too, because Michonne still values the safety and love Rick provides her, but she also is able to give that back to him and be someone he can turn to and lean on as well. They really are each other’s North Star.  I think I wrote in a previous reveling how in his relationship with Michonne Rick got to feel valued not just as a provider but as a person. And it’s so true how the dynamic he found with Michonne is one he always wanted even before he probably knew he wanted it. That’s my thoughts on your really insightful thoughts on this! Thanks for sharing it. 😊

[tyranitarkisser]

Hinabuki week day 1 - Performance/Backstage

Happy Hinabuki week!! For the first day I decided to do a little bit of both prompts. I wanted to draw Hajime and Ibuki post-canon as theyre about to put on a show together, Hajime as the drummer and Ibuki as the guitarist and vocals as they discussed in their free time events.

Ive also had this idea stewing around in my head where the two of them met pre-canon as remnants of despair and put on literal "death" metal concerts where they kill the crowd throughout the show lol (The text on the second image translates to Kamukura/Mioda Despair Metal if I wrote it correctly)