#kouri watches only friends

[gingersnapwolves]

Kouri watches Only Friends, episode 7

I appreciate that they had Sand point out that Ray’s lucky he only hurt himself but still wish they hadn’t put this in at all. There were better ways to show Ray’s self-destructive streak than DUI.

Cheum: you want me to kill someone? Please tell me to kill someone.

Mew: what makes you think I can’t kill them myself

Boston over here putting some puzzle pieces together, looking like the math lady meme

Yeah you kinda deserved that Nick. Appreciate you not throwing Sand under the bus though.

Mew that is absolutely the correct reaction to that cheating scumbag. Stay strong bb (but don’t set your apartment on fire)

You know, Boston, if you wanted them to give you the time of day, you probably should’ve buttoned your shirt

That is such an evil smile, Mew

Mew can be a little evil, as a treat

Nick, I have a feeling that doubling down on betraying Boston’s trust is probably not going to make him fall in love with you. However I don’t care so godspeed.

That went better than expected

Okay, I love that instead of releasing the video, Mew decides to torture Boston with it instead. We support Mew’s rights and Mew’s wrongs in this house

Cheum spraying them with the hose!!!! 

[sl-ut]

even more streamer!ellie hcs

part one | part two

ellie is not at all embarrassed to admit that a large portion of her own fame was largely due to her connection to y/n

like ofc she was already fairly popular on twitch but its not like the average person who didn't watch streams would recognize her

she ends up making a new priv instagram bc she gains like 50k new followers in a month

she only has like maybe 100 followers on the new one and basically just posts random photo dumps, family photos, and especially the literal cutest and/or horrendous photos of her gf

posts a LOT on her ig stories on both accounts

her main pfp is deffffff some screenshot that she took of their happy little sim family or like their little minecraft guys standing side by side lol

ik i said before that she loves playing like the sims w her gf on stream, but she also LOVES playing roblox together

starting drama in dress to impress, causing havoc in bloxburg, making friends and enemies galore in tdi

her avatar is definitely so dumb like its probably the hamster or squirrel or like the most basic ass starter avatar with a shirt that has her gfs face on it

and her username is def like "y/nstan420" or something

when she's streaming alone she's more focused and serious (but still her silly little self) but when she's with others, esppppp if her gf is on with her, she defffff gives weston koury vibes like im actually giggling at this so hard

they both make tiktoks of each other

y/n once did the "watch my gf for me" trend and she came back to find ellie holding the phone and ranting about something so random like she was probably explaining her favourite theory about how the dinosaurs went extinct or something about planets and space idek

ellie doesn't really follow trends as often, instead just posting videos of her scaring her gf or pranking her or maybe even like mukbangs or something

loves to post fit checks before they go out to do literally anything

also likes to lipsync to dirty audios

the video always ends as she's about to get smacked upside the head

idk if i ever actually gave much backstory???? but here we go anyways lol

i think we've established that y/n is an up-and-coming actress

they met through a friend of dina's, who was a costume designer on the set of y/n's first big film

dina visited her friend on set on the last day of filming and she ended up getting an invite to the cast/crew party that night

jesse was tooooo busy to hang out with his bombshell gf ig???? so ellie got to go with her

she already knew who y/n was since she was starting to gain popularity and was immediately adopted by lesbian twitter

she was so nervous when she clocked her on the other side of the room

spent the whole night shuffling around the room to gain the courage to go talk to her

also spent all of that time trying to come off like the coolest chillest most confident masc ever like she wasn't constantly wiping the sweat from her palms lmaoooo

she finally was forced to lay on the moves when y/n came over to join in on the convo with her castmates

ellie made her laugh and vice versa

she shocked herself when she offered to grab another drink from the kitchen "for the pretty lady"

she immediately considered throwing herself off of the impossibly high deck

was even more shocked when the girl only laughed and hopped up to join her, fingers curling into her bicep

she totally wasn't flexing the whole time

dina was wandering around looking for her, way too drunk to be there much later considering that it was almost 2 am and had to work a ten hour shift tmr :(((

she didn't have much luck bc she never thought to check the upstairs guest bathroom

ellie constantly be fighting them uhaul lesbian rumours

but she actually was ready to upheave her entire life to follow y/n around the world

reposts any and all posts of her gf on her story

adds little hearts and stars and little taglines that earn her a scolding

like that one time she wore a tight-fitting corset on the red carpet that had the girls lifted to the heavens

she captioned it "i <3 my gf('s boobs)"

fights with haters in her gf's comment section

wears her gf's merch

omg the way she SCRUMPT when she saw the paparazzi pic of her girl wearing ellie's merch out on a random thursday

they hadn't even made it official yet

flirts with her gf in random comment sections lol

like y/n comments on dina's selfie and ellie is instantly replying to her

"u come here often?"

they have def been caught in compromising positions soooo many times

like by their friends, cast and crew members on set, y/n's manager, even the paps

ellie felt so boss when tmz posted a pic of her pressing her gf against the wall outside of the club they'd gone to on ellie's bday

els had her tongue down her gfs throat and both of her hands jammed up the front of her top, very clearly grasping and squeezing her breasts

they got a stern talking to from y/n's pr team but ellie actually didn't care

she def has phantom dick disorder in literally all aspects of her life

lets not forget that this version of ellie does not have experience in fighting and has not lived through an apocalypse so she's contextually less tough than normal ellie

but that doesn't stop her from mouthing off to assholes three times her size

don't get me wrong, she can hold her own and still works out on occasion, but she fr looks like a chihuahua barking at pitbulls when she gets yapping

speaking of, stoned!ellie absolutely loves when her gf be yapping

i love the dynamic of ellie doing a chat stream w her gf where ellie's got her in her lap, leaning back with droopy eyes and a dopey smile, still giving her gf all of her attention while her gf ends up being more of a "alert and yappy" stoned and is rambling about strangely philosophical topics and answering questions in chat

ellie is just sitting there just giggling and when her gf turns to her she just goes "ur so smart baby" and "u look so pretty rn"

omg omg omg i luv this pairing im never gonna stop writing them like

bonus: this is the vibe of the ck campaign i mentioned in the last part

[storytimewithnova]

Teenage Love and Obsession

Bokuto Kouri, the quintessential air-headed teenage girl with her head perpetually lost in the clouds, spent her middle school years believing in the love stories she read in teen magazines. According to those quizzes, she had convinced herself that one boy was her destined soulmate, and their compatibility was flawless. She was utterly infatuated and bordering on obsession

🎶A - i look at you when you walk by🎶

Every day, Kouri's routine involved gazing upon him, admiring his perfection, and watching him stroll past her. It was a brief encounter, but she cherished those precious seconds.

🎶B - i look away because i'm feelin' shy🎶

Whenever he drew near, she'd avert her eyes, overwhelmed by shyness.

🎶C- we're friends, so I say hi🎶

Kouri's perspective: She reveled in the fact that they were friends. Take that, popular girls! She had entered the friend zone, but strangely, it wasn't enough to satisfy her.

The more she obsessed over Semi Eita, the more oblivious he seemed to her feelings.

🎶D - i've never noticed🎶

Kouri realized one day, "Why am I only noticing this now? Wait, isn't that blonde guy passing by Atsumu Miya? He's gorgeous, and he's a setter, just like Semi! What was I expecting? Semi is a setter, Atsumu is a setter. I guess I have a type."

Akaashi interjected, "Captain... Captain, you're lost in your thoughts again, Bokuto-san."

Kouri: "Huh? What is it, Akaashi?"

Akaashi: "I said we have practice."

🎶e - the sight of you makes me wanna piss my pants🎶

Kouri responded, "Hai hai, let's go."

They made their way to the gym, where Kouri couldn't help but scan for two specific boys. Her nerves flared as she felt their eyes on her, and there they were—the two boys she had a crush on.

🎶a - i dream of you every day and night🎶

"They constantly invade my thoughts, my dreams, my everything. Morning, noon, night... they're always there. I want to hate them; I want to resist being consumed by thoughts of them, but I can't. I love them. Ahhh, I'm in love with them. Curse it!"

🎶b - i've dreamt of you before but once or twice🎶

Breaking the fourth wall, Kouri confessed, "Maybe I've dreamt of us together once or twice, but who am I fooling? I'm always thinking about it non-stop. Can you blame me? They're so handsome. I can barely contain myself around them."

🎶c - i manifest my dreams🎶

"I manifest my dreams of us together, from daydreams to dreams in my sleep. They're always there, and I know I sound obsessed. I admit it, I am. And it's tormenting me because I want to say those three little words. Damn it!"

🎶 d - i'm sleep deprived🎶

Concerned students wondered, "Have you seen Kouri?"

"Yeah, she doesn't look so good."

"Do you think she's sleeping?"

"It doesn't look like it. I hope she's okay, though."

"I saw her during lunch with those teen magazines, filling out those stupid quizzes. My buddy Kurt saw her scribbling stars and hearts on the cuffs of her jeans."

🎶e - the thought of you is perpetually in my head

Kouri sang, 🎶"Love quizzes got me in a state of mess, unnecessary stressing, obsessing when the answer's clear as day, and that might never change. I'm in love, I'm at the top of the class, I'm in love, and I know this feeling will last. I'm in love, and the quizzes show."🎶

The boys overheard her mention being in love and sensed that she was obsessed with the kind of love those teen magazines preached. Despite sharing the same feelings, they succumbed to the doubts sown by a manipulative "pick me" girl, thinking they couldn't provide the love Kouri sought. Consequently, they began dating the pick-me girl as part of her plan, and Kouri was heartbroken as she witnessed this turn of events.

Kouri couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Semi Eita and Miya Atsumu getting cozy with that infamous "pick me" girl, the one whose intentions were as transparent as glass. This girl was after nothing but fame and money, using the boys for their popularity.

As Kouri watched them together, her heart ached, and a storm of emotions raged within her. She had dreamed of being with Semi and Atsumu, and now it seemed like those dreams were shattering before her. The pain was palpable as she realized they had chosen someone else over her.

🎶f - my heart is breaking, it's an endless fight🎶

Kouri's heart felt like it was being torn apart, and she was locked in an endless battle with her own emotions.

Akaashi noticed the turmoil in her eyes and tried to console her, saying, "Kouri, it's going to be okay. Sometimes, things don't work out as we plan."

🎶g - i thought we were destined, but I was wrong🎶

Kouri couldn't help but think, "I thought we were meant to be, but I guess I was wrong."

The days went by, and Kouri continued to watch Semi and Atsumu's relationship with the pick-me girl unfold. It was painful, but she couldn't tear her eyes away.

🎶h - tears falling, I've lost my song🎶

Tears fell from Kouri's eyes as she felt like she had lost her way, her happiness, and her song.

Akaashi, who had been silently supporting her, finally said, "Kouri, you deserve someone who truly values and loves you for who you are. Don't let this break your spirit."

But Kouri couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever find that love she had dreamt of for so long. The lyrics of the song she had been singing seemed to mock her now.

🎶i - love quizzes, they've led me astray🎶

"Love quizzes," Kouri thought bitterly, "they've led me astray, and now I'm left with a broken heart."

Despite the pain, Kouri decided it was time to move on. She couldn't keep holding on to a love that was never meant to be. With Akaashi's support, she started to rebuild her life and find happiness outside of her unrequited love.

The story of Bokuto Kouri was one of youthful infatuation, heartache, and ultimately, resilience. She learned that real love was more than the quizzes in those teen magazines, and she was determined to find it.

A million thoughts raced through Kouri's head as she watched Semi Eita and Miya Atsumu with the pick-me girl. She couldn't help but question her own heart, wondering if she should continue listening to its whispers. Until now, she had walked the line of infatuation, with nothing truly lost, but there was an undeniable void within her.

🎶A million thoughts in my head🎶

Kouri was torn, uncertain about what was wrong and what was right in this tangled web of emotions. She grappled with the question of which path to take.

🎶Should I let my heart keep listening

'Cause up 'til now I've walked the line,

Nothing lost but something missing.🎶

She couldn't shake the feeling that she had been walking a fine line between reality and fantasy. Nothing had been truly lost, but there was an undeniable sense of something important missing from her life.

🎶I can't decide What's wrong, what's right

Which way should I go?🎶

Kouri found herself at a crossroads, unable to make a clear decision. The lyrics echoed her inner turmoil as she grappled with her emotions and the uncertainty of her feelings for Semi Eita and Miya Atsumu.

🎶If only I knew what my heart was telling me Don't know what I'm feeling Is this just a dream? Ah oh, yeah🎶

She longed for clarity, wishing she could decipher the cryptic messages her heart was sending. Was this love real, or was it merely a dream that would fade with time?As days passed, Kouri continued to watch the unfolding drama with a heavy heart, wondering if she should hold onto her feelings or let them go.

🎶If only I could read the signs in front of me I could find the way to who I'm meant to be Ah oh, if only🎶

Her confusion persisted as she yearned to understand the signs before her. She questioned her own path, hoping to discover who she was truly meant to be.Despite the uncertainty, Kouri couldn't deny the complexity of her emotions. The lyrics mirrored her inner struggle as she navigated the twists and turns of her teenage heart.

🎶Am I crazy? Maybe we could happen Yeah Will you still be with me when the magic's all run out🎶

Kouri pondered whether her feelings were rational or simply a flight of fancy. She wondered if there was a chance for something more with Semi and Atsumu. Would they still be there when the initial enchantment had worn off?

🎶If only I knew what my heart was telling me Don't know what I'm feeling Is this just a dream? Ah oh🎶

The lyrics continued to haunt her, emphasizing her inner struggle and the elusive nature of her emotions.As Kouri tried to move forward and rebuild her life, she couldn't help but long for clarity and understanding in matters of the heart.

🎶If only I could read the signs in front of me I could find the way to who I'm meant to be Ah oh If only, yeah If only, yeah If only, yeah If only If only If only🎶

These words echoed in Kouri's mind, a constant reminder of her quest to find herself and understand the complexities of love.

Kouri's journey continued, marked by a persistent inner turmoil. She wrestled with her emotions, trying to make sense of the tangled web of feelings that surrounded her.

🎶Every step, every word

With every hour I am falling in

To something new, something brave

To someone I, I have never been

As time passed, Kouri felt herself changing. Every step she took, every word she spoke, it felt like she was falling into uncharted territory. She was becoming someone she had never been before, and it both frightened and exhilarated her.

🎶I can't decide

What's wrong, what's right

Which way should I go

The uncertainty continued to plague her. The lyrics echoed the questions that swirled in her mind—what was the right path to take, and where would it lead her?

Akaashi remained a constant source of support, reminding her that it was okay to explore these uncharted emotions.

🎶Yeah

Am I crazy? Maybe we could happen

Yeah

Will you still be with me when the magic's all run out?

Kouri couldn't help but wonder if she was crazy for holding onto these feelings. She wondered if there was a chance for something real with Semi and Atsumu, even after the initial enchantment had faded.

🎶If only I knew what my heart was telling me

Don't know what I'm feeling

Is this just a dream?

Ah oh

The lyrics continued to resonate with her as she grappled with her emotions, desperately seeking clarity in the midst of her uncertainty.

With time, Kouri began to realize that she couldn't keep dwelling on a love that seemed to slip through her fingers. She needed to find her own path to happiness, regardless of whether it involved the boys she had once obsessed over.

The story of Bokuto Kouri was one of growth, self-discovery, and the realization that love was a journey filled with twists and turns. And as the lyrics suggested, if only she could understand the signs and follow her heart, she might find the way to who she was truly meant to be.

As time passed and Kouri's feelings continued to evolve, there came a moment when Semi Eita and Miya Atsumu began to overhear snippets of her conversations with Akaashi. They couldn't help but notice her inner struggles and the lyrics of the song she sang. The lyrics, in a way, became a soundtrack to her emotional journey, playing softly in the background as they observed her.

One day, while Kouri was talking to Akaashi about her changing perspective on love and life, the boys happened to pass by. Semi and Atsumu exchanged glances, recognizing the pain and confusion in her eyes.

They couldn't ignore the fact that they had been a significant part of her life and her heart's journey. It tugged at their own emotions, making them question whether they had made the right choice by dating the pick-me girl.

🎶If only I could read the signs in front of me

I could find the way to who I'm meant to be

Ah oh, if only

These lyrics seemed to resonate with them too, and they found themselves pondering their own decisions.

As the days went by, they couldn't help but wonder if they had misunderstood Kouri's feelings all along. The realization that they might have hurt her became a constant presence in their minds, just like the lyrics that played in the background of Kouri's emotional journey.

It was a turning point in their own stories, as they began to reevaluate their choices and consider the possibility that Kouri might be the one they were meant to be with all along.

Semi Eita and Miya Atsumu couldn't shake the feeling that they might have overlooked something essential in their haste to date the pick-me girl. The lyrics of the song had acted as a haunting reminder of Kouri's presence in their lives.

🎶Am I crazy? Maybe we could happen

Yeah

Will you still be with me when the magic's all run out?

Those lines echoed in their minds, prompting them to question whether they had made the right decision to pursue the fleeting magic of popularity and external validation over something deeper and more meaningful with Kouri.

🎶If only I knew what my heart was telling me

Don't know what I'm feeling

Is this just a dream?

Ah oh

They began to wonder if they had misread Kouri's emotions. Had they dismissed her feelings as mere infatuation when, in reality, it was something more profound?

The uncertainty ate away at them, and the more they observed Kouri's struggles and heard her heartfelt conversations with Akaashi, the more their own hearts were pulled in conflicting directions.

One evening, as they walked past Kouri, they couldn't help but catch a glimpse of the tears in her eyes. It was a moment of realization for both of them, a realization that they might have made a grave mistake.

🎶If only I could read the signs in front of me

I could find the way to who I'm meant to be

Ah oh, if only

These lyrics, which had been Kouri's anthem of self-discovery, now became a theme in their own lives. They knew they needed to confront their feelings and reassess their choices.

The story took an unexpected turn as Semi Eita and Miya Atsumu found themselves entangled in their own emotional journey, guided by the same lyrics that had accompanied Kouri's struggle to find her path.

When they go to her, hoping they never expected or wanted to hear. Kouri

Kouri:🎶A million thoughts in my head Should I let my heart keep listening? I know it's time to say goodbye So hard to let go...🎶

As Kouri's voice filled the air with her poignant rendition of the song, Semi Eita and Miya Atsumu felt a profound sense of regret wash over them. The lyrics resonated with them now more than ever, and they realized the gravity of their actions.

🎶I know it's time to say goodbye

So hard to let go...🎶

Kouri's voice was filled with a sense of finality, and the weight of her words hung heavily in the air. It was a heart-wrenching moment for both of them as they comprehended the depth of her pain and the possibility that they might have missed their chance.

They exchanged somber glances, a silent acknowledgment of the opportunity that might have slipped through their fingers. The realization that they might be too late to mend things with Kouri weighed heavily on their hearts.

The lyrics she sang had become a painful reminder of the choices they had made and the consequences of those decisions. It was a turning point in their own stories, one filled with regret and a desperate desire to make amends.

But the question remained: had they missed their chance to be with the girl who had loved them, even as they pursued empty fame and popularity? Only time would tell if their newfound understanding could lead to a second chance at love with Kouri.

In the days that followed, Semi Eita and Miya Atsumu couldn't shake the haunting melody of Kouri's song from their minds. They realized that they had been so consumed by the allure of popularity and the pick-me girl that they had neglected the genuine affection Kouri had held for them all along.

Each verse of the song echoed through their thoughts, a constant reminder of the time that had passed and the potential opportunities that had been missed.

🎶Every word you're not saying

Gets me lost in my imagination

And I'm on my way to a broken heart

And I'm walking' on shards...🎶

Kouri's voice had captured the essence of their situation perfectly. They had not spoken the words they should have, and they had left her heartbroken. The lyrics seemed to be a prophecy of their own making.

In a twist of fate, they found themselves drawn to Kouri, each battling their own sense of regret. They knew they had to make amends, to find a way to communicate what their hearts truly felt.

One day, they decided to seek Kouri out and confront their feelings head-on. They found her sitting alone, her gaze distant, and her voice silent.

🎶I know it's time to say goodbye

So hard to let go...🎶

Those lyrics, once sung by Kouri, now hung in the air as a silent plea for closure.

Semi and Atsumu approached her, and with sincerity in their eyes, they said, "Kouri, we need to talk."

Her eyes met theirs, a mixture of surprise and curiosity. It was a pivotal moment, a chance for them to finally express the feelings that had remained unspoken for too long.

The story was reaching a critical juncture, where the fate of these three intertwined hearts would be decided.

As Semi and Atsumu serenaded Kouri with their heartfelt song, it felt like a surreal moment in her life. Their voices filled the air, carrying with them a promise of change and a chance at happiness.

Semi & Atsumu:🎶Oh, yeah I guarantee I got ya

I've been craving for your love Can't see nobody but us So I, so I, so IbSee you from across the room Make my way over to you I'm trippin' over butterflies🎶

Kouri's heart raced as they sang. She couldn't believe that they were finally acknowledging the mistake they had made by choosing the pick-me girl over her.

Semi & atsumu 🎶Oh, yeah Baby, I don't really mean to rush But I'ma really need your touch If I'ma make it through the night I got the moonlight Tequila sunrise Uh, come take a shot on me, I got ya🎶

Her emotions were a whirlwind as she listened to the lyrics. It was as if they were confessing their feelings openly, as if the past mistakes were being washed away by the sincerity of their words.

But just as they were about to continue singing, the pick-me girl couldn't hold back her annoyance any longer:

Pick-me girl: "You chose the nerdy airhead over me? The girl that can give you everything? She's a nobody!"

Semi: (pausing) "That is where you are wrong, where we were wrong. You're the nobody, except for someone out for popularity and money."

Pick-me girl: "Huh? Who told you that?"

Semi: "Your ex, aka my friend."

Pick-me girl: "That meddling two-timing jerk!"

Semi: (smirking) "Haha, two-timing? Nah, love, that's you."

As the pick-me girl huffed away, Semi and Atsumu resumed their song:

Atsumu: 🎶Cards out on the table, what you say? I need you, you need me, you're mine I'm your moonlight, you're my sunrise, babe I guarantee I got ya Moonlight sunrise (oh) Baby, come be my starlight (oh, yeah) Moonlight sunrise Oh, baby, just to make you stay (ah, yeah) Moonlight sunrise Baby, let's do it all night Moonlight sunrise I guarantee I got ya🎶

Kouri was left with a mix of emotions, and she looked at them, her heart pounding. It was a lot to process.

Semi: (smiling) "Kouri, we realized we made a mistake. We were blinded by the wrong things, and we hurt you in the process. But now, we want to make it right."

Atsumu: "You mean everything to us. We don't want to lose you."

Kouri's heart fluttered. It felt like a dream come true, and yet, she needed time to think.

Kouri: "I... I appreciate your honesty, but this is a lot to take in."

Semi: "We understand, Kouri. Take your time. We just want you to know that we're here for you."

Atsumu: "And we'll do whatever it takes to make you happy."

As they spoke, Kouri couldn't help but remember the lyrics of the song they had just sung. It was as if those words had become a promise, a pledge of their genuine feelings.

🎶I don't know how to say this I hope this song's on your playlist This feeling's so hard to explain I don't even know how to talk right now It's "I-need-you-o'clock" right nownI want you to hear me say Moonlight sunrise Baby, come be my starlight Moonlight sunrise Oh, baby, just to make you stay Moonlight sunrise Baby, let's do it all night Moonlight sunrise I guarantee I got ya🎶

Kouri realized that she didn't want to let this opportunity slip away. Her heart had always longed for Semi and Atsumu, and now, they were standing before her, willing to make things right.

Kouri: "Okay, let's give it a shot. But we'll take it slow, alright?"

Semi and Atsumu exchanged relieved smiles.

Semi: "That's all we ask, Kouri."

Atsumu: "We promise we'll make it worth your while."

And so, as the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the three of them, they took their first steps toward rebuilding what had been broken. Their journey would be filled with challenges, but they were determined to navigate it together.

As they walked away from that moment, the lyrics of their song lingered in the air, a reminder of the promise they had made to each other:

The three of them🎶I don't know how to say thisI hope this song's on your playlist This feeling's so hard to explain I don't even know how to talk right now It's "I-need-you-o'clock" right now I want you to hear me say Moonlight sunrise Baby, come be my starlight Moonlight sunrise Oh, baby, just to make you stay Moonlight sunrise Baby, let's do it all night Moonlight sunrise I guarantee I got ya🎶

As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, Kouri, Semi, and Atsumu embarked on a journey of rediscovery and genuine love. They took it slow, savoring each moment and building a bond that was stronger than ever.

The lyrics of the song that had brought them together continued to hold a special place in their hearts, a reminder of the path they had chosen. With time, Kouri, Semi, and Atsumu discovered that their love was more profound than any teen magazine quiz could ever measure. It was a love that embraced their quirks, celebrated their individuality, and grew stronger with each passing day.

Their story became a testament to the idea that love was not about popularity or external validation but about finding someone who truly understood and cherished you for who you were.

And so, under the moonlight and in the glow of the sunrise, their love story continued to flourish. They faced challenges together, supported each other's dreams, and cherished every moment they spent in each other's company.

As they looked toward the future, they knew that their love was destined to endure, just like the lyrics of their song And so, their love story, which had begun with a serenade and a heartfelt confession, continued to be written in the stars. They had found their way to each other, and in each other's arms, they found their home.

As they embraced the beauty of the moonlight and the promise of the sunrise, they knew that their love would always be a guiding light in their lives.

[brokenflashbacksandwhiskey]

Kouri Richins: Jailhouse letter reads like a woman who feels above the law

So, I've been followingthe Kouri Richins case and writing about it over on Medium. But can we specifically discuss the "Walk the Dog" letter?

For background, Kouri is a real estate business owner, mother, and now accused murderer. Investigators claim she killed her husband, Eric, with a fentanyl overdose in March 2022. A year later, she wrote and published a children's book about grief. The irony.

Now, from prison, she's accused of penning a six-page letter addressed to her mother in which she appears to direct her mother and brother as to the story they're going to use for her defense, claiming that Eric used drugs and drank throughout their marriage, despite the fact his family says otherwise. He said, she said, as usual.

Law & Crime posted the letter in its entirety. While reading it, I couldn't help but marvel at how self-absorbed and almost narcissistic the letter is. It doesn't read like a woman who is grieving her husband, but rather like a woman trying to cover her tracks in a way that would inevitably be discovered. She mentions her children maybe once, b ut only as a source of ego - that whatever Eric's sisters did, she "could do better" and that they were insanely jealous of her for it. That she built her real estate business while being a stay-at-home mom.

The Daily Mail also reflected on an interview with Kouri's mother before the letter was public, during which she relayed the narrative outlined in the letter as if perfectly rehearsed.

On the same token, one of Kouri's friends mentioned how Kouri allegedly felt like an "outsider" in Eric's affluent world and how she came from nothing. Yet based on the letter, it seems Kouri was happy to brag about everything Eric's wealth brought her. God knows she wouldn't have been able to build a successful real estate business within a few years on the housekeeper's salary she claimed she lived on in college. (And I can vouch for this, as someone who also cleans for a living and barely gets by on said salary.) Clearly she had no idea how to manage that much money - she was allegedly millions of dollars in debt that ironically Eric's life insurance could help dig her out of.

To the public, she played the grieiving widow card and revelled in the sympathy and attention. Now, she's trying so hard to backtrack and it's becoming evident that, like many female killers, she thinks she's much more clever than the system and everyone around her. She lives in an illusion and will carry that to the bitter end, at the expense of her kids and with no remorse to how it impacts them.

These are just my thoughts as I am writing up this article. Watching the trial play out in this case will be really interesting, and tragic - it saddens me that all Kouri is worried about is herself, while her kids have been robbed of their dad, and his family is still grieving. Betraying the outside world is one thing, but betraying your own kids like this is another level of cruelty.

[travis-and-jodi]

April 15, 2015

The Jodi Arias Saga: A Tragic Drama

By Kristyan Kouri, Ph.D

Department of Sociology & Gender & Women’s Studies, California State University Northridge, USA

Introduction

In June of 2013, Jodi Arias was convicted of killing her lover, Travis Alexander. Because the jury deadlocked on whether she should be executed or sentenced to life in prison on two separate occasions, it was lef t to judge Sherry Stephens to decide her sentence. Consequently, on April 13, 2015 judge Stephens handed Arias the prison term of life without parole. To say that this case has been sensational would be an understatement. Both trials garnered wide spread media coverage and four separate books have been written about the murder.

According to popular opinion, Jodi Arias is a jealous, crazy, angry sociopath who had a fatal attraction toward Alexander. Yet when one looks at the case from a feminist perspective, the story reads like a tragic drama. With that being said, I am not excusing Arias for the murder of Travis Alexander. What I hope to do instead is shed light on the gendered social and psychological forces that may have induced a woman with no previous criminal history to engage in a brutal act of violence.

Act I

In act one, we meet a 26 year old woman who would like to marry and have children. She is in the midst of looking for jobs that will improve her fi nancial situation. A high school dropout, she supports herself by working as a waitress. We also fi nd that Arias is living with Darryl Brewer, a man 20 years her senior. Brewer admittedly has no interest in marrying Arias [1]. Th e two are in the midst of losing the home they purchased together.

At this same time, Arias learns about Prepaid Legal, a company where employees make money selling legal plans. She attends a company conference and meets the dashing Travis Alexander. As a star motivational speaker for the company, he has been slated to attend a formal banquet the next evening. He invites Arias to be his date, and because she has nothing to wear, he fi nds her a gown. One part of the banquet includes presentations given by star associates, which delineates their fi nancial success with the company.

At this time, Arias learns that Alexander owns a home in Mesa Arizona and drives a BMW. She gets stars in her eyes because it seems as though she has met her prince charming. Arias, however, initially resists Alexander’s sexual advances because she is still in a committed relationship with Darryl Brewer. But since Alexander seems intent on forming a relationship with her, and she is keen on exploring this option, she ends her partnership with Brewer soon thereafter. Arias makes it known that she hopes the budding romance will lead to marriage.

Analysis of Act I

In act one, the feminist themes are already evident. Th e fact that Arias was looking to marry comes as no surprise as women living in contemporary society are still taught that their lives cannot be complete unless they form a long lasting romantic partnership with a male. Young girls are bombarded with this message from toddlerhood on.

They learn about it directly from family and friends and indirectly by way of movies, popular songs and fairy tales such as Cinderella and Snow White. As such, the ability to attract men becomes incorporated in a woman’s self-concept, and romantic rejection is of t en experienced as an assault to one’s self-esteem.

Because narratives such as these can serve to shape a woman’s point of view, and guide her behavior, as girls grow to adulthood, fi nding a husband (or a close equivalent such as a live-in boyfriend) becomes a primary aim. Securing a mate is, of course, not a young woman’s only cultural objective as females living in America and other developed countries are now expected to attain some sort of career. But marriage to a successful male is the culminating event in a whole host of cultural trajectories and a good many women still hope to meet this societal goal.

Act II

In Act Two, we watch the progression of the couples’ relationship. Because Arias really wants to please Alexander, she takes instruction in the Mormon faith, and is eventually baptized into the religion by Alexander himself. Although it takes a while for Alexander to fully commit to Arias, they are an official couple for about fi ve months.

During this time period Arias begins to speak like Alexander and use his rhetorical quotes on her My Space page. When she is with him, she follows him from room to room, scrolls through his text messages, and listens in on his private conversations; when he is not in her physical presence, she talks about him incessantly. Alexander’s friends refer to Arias’ behavior as strange and crazy.

They come to the overall conclusion that she is “off.” Although they warn Alexander about her, he insists that she is truly a nice and kind person.

Analysis of Act II

At fi rst glance, Arias’ actions do seem out of the ordinary. When her activities are examined through the use of a feminist lens, however, one begins to see that her behaviors are not necessarily so unusual af t er all.

It appears that Arias was simply following a cultural trajectory amply described by sociologist Rose Weitz. “Women,” she writes, “are taught that they cannot live happy fulf i lled lives without a Prince Charming who is superior to them in all ways��� [2]. In this way, it appears that Arias looked up to Alexander and wanted to be just like him. Af t er all, Alexander was a successful and charming businessman and there was no one else like him in her social sphere. And Arias is certainly not the fi rst woman in the world to mold herself into the kind of person that she thought the man of her dreams wanted her to be.

There was a second issue probably going on as well. While the fact that Arias seems as though she is becoming Alexander seems strange, her behaviors are in keeping with what sociologist and psychoanalyst Nancy Chodorow says commonly happens to females when they enter into romantic relationships [3]. Working from a branch of psychology known as the object relation’s perspective, Chodorow contends that when babies are born, they see themselves as one with their mothers.

But as the children grow older, they gradually form ego boundaries, and by def i nition, eventually come to see themselves unique individuals rather than an extension of their mothers.

At the beginning of this developmental process, girls and boys want to behave as their mothers would. But since anything seen as feminine is devalued in American society, mothers panic when their sons begin to engage in “feminine” actions. As a consequence, mothers push their sons away and this abrupt separation occurs long before little boys are ready to sever ties with their primary caregivers. Overall, this sudden and painful split causes young to develop very rigid ego boundaries, and they come to see themselves as markedly separate from others.

Mothers, however, do not become frightened when their little girls begin to imitate them because they are playing their proper gender roles. As such, mothers are not compelled to push their daughters away.

But the lack of separation leads to a dif f erent set of problems. Because a girl’s primary caregiver is usually her mother, she never completely individuates from her, and as a consequence, she never sees herself as completely separate from other people either. All told, when compared to men, women’s ego boundaries tend to be far more permeable.

Taken as a whole, Chodorow’s theory can be used to explain why it seemed as though Arias was trying to “become” Alexander. Because Arias’ ego boundaries were exceedingly porous, she didn’t know where Alexander ended and she began.

A clause from Actress Angelica Huston’s autobiography, Watch Me, provides us with yet another example of this phenomenon. Af t er breaking up with a long term boyfriend, she wrote the following passage in her diary. “I didn’t know what was me and what wasn’t anymore ... I’d been Bob’s possession and his construct, saying the things he might say, even smoking his brand of cigarettes” [4].

Nevertheless, Arias’ intense manifestation of this problem appears to be at extreme end of the continuum and she may indeed have been suf f ering from some sort of mental disorder. And this hypothetical psychiatric malady was probably at least partially fueled by her desire to meet gender norms for marriage and family. In fact, a number of researchers have shown that gender rules are intertwined with many different psychopathologies. Although such works are too numerous to expound upon in this short article, I will mention several of them here. In her bestselling book Reviving Ophelia, psychologist Mary Pipher reported that many girls who were fi ne as children began to develop psychopathologies when they entered into their teens.

Placing the blame for such maladies squarely on the back of cultural rules for women, Pipher notes that as girls move from childhood to adolescence, they are expected to follow harmful social directives. One such mandate has to do with physical appearance and girls are induced to spend an inordinate amount of time perfecting their looks. This, of course takes time away from healthier pursuits such as sports, study and other creative activities. But in an attempt to fi t in with their peers, girls adhere to these cultural guidelines even though they know the rules are damaging. As such, they replace their true needs with false ones, and the suppression of their true needs gives rise to all sorts of psychological problems [5].

Other social scientists have examined the ways in which gender roles impact adult women. In her inquiry into the lives of married females diagnosed with schizophrenia in the 1950s, sociologist Carol Warren discovered that the women’s psychiatric symptoms were imbued with gender symbolisms relating to their husbands and children. One woman, for example, tried to burn her house down and another woman fed her child a tranquilizer pill. After conducting a careful analysis of their life stories, Warren concluded that midcentury gender rules, which relegated women to the domestic sphere, served to incite feelings of powerlessness, loneliness, stress and isolation. As time went on, she theorized, their feelings morphed into more serious psychiatric ailments [6].

Taken as a whole, the studies show that gender rules and roles can be linked to a variety of mental illnesses as women have diverse life circumstances and varying vulnerabilities. Other psychological maladies that have been directly connected to gender rules include eating disorders, nervous breakdowns, and even suicide.

Act III

After about five months as an official pair, Arias and Alexander conclude that their relationship needs to end. For Arias, Alexander’s inability to be faithful is quite troublesome. However, they continue to communicate on a daily basis and this makes it difficult for Arias to let go of her dream of marrying Alexander. So she decides to move from California to Mesa, Arizona to be closer to him.

Though Alexander tells his friends that Arias irritates him and the he is unhappy about her plans, he helps her become familiarized with her new surroundings. He pays her to clean his home, and allows her to sneak into his house and sleep with him at night. And they continue to take trips together, just as they had when they were an official couple.

Meanwhile, Alexander is openly looking for a chaste Mormon wife. He begins to date Lisa, an 18 year old woman who is 11 years his junior. The fact that he is not only sleeping with Arias but vacationing with her as well is kept secret from most of his friends. Arias suspects Alexander and Lisa are dating, but he tells Arias that they are only friends. Lisa also suspects that Alexander is cheating on her with Arias, because he talks about her so much [7].

On two occasions Alexander’s tires are slashed while he is with Lisa, and on a third, Lisa’s tires are lacerated. Th ough Lisa is sure that Arias is the culprit, Alexander refuses to believe that Arias would engage in such behavior.

Alexander breaks up with Lisa and attempts to take up with another Mormon woman 29 year old Mimi. He tells Arias that he feels God wants Mimi to be his future wife and at this same time comes clean about his relationship with Lisa. Because Arias now realizes that the situation is hopeless and that she and Alexander will never marry, she returns home to California.

Analysis of Act III

In Act III, additional gender issues become apparent. First, since Arias correctly surmised that Lisa was Alexander’s of f i cial girlfriend, and was aware of the fact that their own sexual relationship was a secret, one wonders why she would stay in situation that placed her at the bottom of her lover’s relationship hierarchy? Once again, the probable answer comes from Sociologist Rose Weitz. “In their struggle to keep their men,” she writes, “women learn to view one another as untrustworthy competitors” [2].

It seems to me that Arias saw herself as part of a competition that she could def i nitely win, and that her willingness to have regular sex with Alexander would give her the competitive edge. She was obviously convinced that Alexander would eventually come to see her as that special one and would ultimately end his relationships with other woman and marry her.

The strategy Arias used to “hang onto” her prince charming was no dif f erent than the tactics employed by scores of other women trying to achieve this very same goal. In spite of the changes made as a result of the women’s liberation movement, one powerful strand of cultural thought still teaches women that the prime way to attract men is through their sexuality. Unfortunately for Arias, the tactic was an exercise in futility; instead of drawing Alexander closer to her, he came to look upon her with disdain. And at some level, Arias had to have known that she was degrading herself.

Second, it is easy to see that Arias’ jealousy didn’t just rise up out of thin air as many people in the media have suggested. No matter what he told his friends, Alexander and Arias was a couple. Although much has been made of Arias’ fatal attraction to Alexander, little has been made of his fatal attraction to her. When it comes to their drama, he was very much a willing participant.

Act IV

Even after Arias returns home to California, she and Alexander continue to communicate with each other on a daily basis, and he even tells her he’ll come for a visit. Their conversations become erotic and they engage in phone sex. But they also argue and Arias feels that Alexander is becoming increasingly mean. In one text message he calls her a “three holed wonder” and says that she is at least “good for something”.

Though Arias and Alexander are scheduled to travel to Cancun to tour the nearby Mayan ruins, Alexander tells Arias that he wants to go alone. What he doesn’t tell Arias is that that Mimi will accompany him on the trip. Arias will soon discover the truth.

During this period of time Arias logs into Alexander’s Face book page, and he becomes extremely angry in that that she has violated his privacy. A few weeks later they have another fi ght, and Alexander tells Arias that her recent actions have left him in a state of emotional ruin. He rebukes her with a series of verbal denunciations calling her a sociopath, a slut and a whore. He goes on to say that she’s the worst thing that ever happened to him.

Eight days later, Arias visits Alexander at his home in Mesa Arizona. Th ey spend the af t ernoon having sex. She kills him in the early evening. The murder is brutal. She stabs him 24 times, slits his throat, and shoots him in the forehead.

Analysis of Act VI

Arias had to have been cognizant of the fact that Alexander held her to a double standard. On the one hand, he saw Arias as tainted despite the fact that he willingly slept with her. On the other hand, he felt that he himself was worthy of a “virtuous” Mormon wife. What’s more, being called a slut and a whore had to have provoked feelings of anger and pain. When Alexander adds invectives such as sociopath and liar to his verbal assault, the rage that had been smoldering within her rose to the surface. It is at this point in time that Arias appears to have snapped.

The murder itself is consistent with gendered crime patterns. In her research on women who kill, sociologist Vickie Jensen discovered that when women kill, they usually take the life of people who reside in their domestic sphere and that person is of t en a husband or boyfriend [8].

Th e precipitating event is frequently an argument that is coupled with physical/emotional abuse. While men commit far more murders than do women, and they do indeed kill their intimate partners, sociological research shows that when compared to women, their motives for committing murder are far more varied. Specif i cally, male perpetrated homicides are far more of t en associated with fi nancial endeavors. This comes as no surprise as American gender rules for men continue to equate status with wealth and power, as gender rules and crime are tightly interwoven [9].

The Arias case fi ts the pattern that Jensen and other criminologists describe. She did not murder Alexander for money. Th ough Arias claims that on the day of the murder she accidentally dropped Alexander’s brand new camera and a violent confrontation ensued, her veracity has been repeatedly questioned on this point. The evidence does, however, show that Alexander was, at least, emotionally abusive.

All told, it appears that Arias felt victimized and degraded by the man she initially thought would be her prince charming. She then went on to murder him while in a state of extreme rage.

As such, the contours of the case are similar to another sensational crime of passion that garnered widespread media coverage that of Dr. Anna Maria Gonzalez Angulo a woman who, on September 29, 2014, was convicted of aggravated assault for poisoning her lover, Dr. George Blumenchein, with a sweet tasting chemical found in antifreeze [10]. Similar to Arias, Gonzalez-Angulo found herself at the bottom of lover’s relationship hierarchy. Th ough Blumenchein had a live-in girlfriend, he maintaining a sexual relationship with Gonzalez-Angulo and like Arias, Gonzalez-Angulo had no history of violence and no prior arrest record. In the end, the intense emotional turmoil that accompanied these love af f airs gone-bad seems to be what triggered the violent behaviors exhibited by both women [11].

Of course these situations did not give either woman the right to assault or murder their lovers, and it should be noted that the vast majority of women that experience the feelings of anger that arises in the aftermath of a failed relationship do not resort to violence.

Nevertheless, in some rare instances, the hurt and rage that emerges af t er romantic rejection, coupled with the inability to meet powerful gender norms for marriage and family, can ultimately lead some women to commit unspeakable acts of brutality.

Arias’ own unspeakable act of brutality has led a number of journalists to label her a sociopath. For example, in the last chapter of the Arias biography, Picture Perfect: Th e Jody Arias Story, author Shanna Hogan uses the word sociopath to describe Arias’ character [12]. Although I have never met Arias, and as such, cannot make any kind of definitive diagnosis, af t er reviewing the evidence at hand, my training in both sociology and psychology has led me to conclude that she is anything but. I will now turn to the work of psychologists Neil Jacobson and John Gottman to help explain my reasoning.

Af t er carefully examining the issue of domestic violence in their book, When Men Batter Women, Jacobson and Gottman conclude that men who batter women fall into two dif f erent camps, and call the fi rst group of batterers “pitbulls” [13]. Because the “pit bull” is the type of batterer who is completely and emotionally dependent on his wife or girlfriend, he continues to obsess about her and even stalk her long after their relationship has ended.

Referring to the second group of batterers as “cobras,” Jacobson and Gottman assert that men who fall into this category have a long history of antisocial behavior and are generally unable to hold down jobs. Some of these men, Jacobson and Gottman assert, can be looked upon as true psychopaths. Since the “cobra” is incapable of establishing any kind of true connection with other humans, they form liaisons with women for nothing other than sexual gratif i cation and economic benef i ts. If the relationship should end, the “cobra” quickly moves on to his next target. So if Arias were a true sociopath, she would not have become so attached to Alexander and she would never have held onto him for such a long period of time.

Psychiatrist Dale Archer makes a similar point in an article he penned for Psychology Today magazine [14]. He begins his argument by explaining that the term, “sociopath” is nothing other than a “lay term for a psychiatric diagnosis denoted as antisocial personality disorder.” He then goes on to compare what he’s learned about Arias to the DSM IV diagnostic criteria for antisocial personality disorder.

He notes that while some of what is known about Arias does seem to correspond with certain parts of the diagnostic measures, other aspects of her story do not meet the most important condition of all: having had displayed a long history of antisocial behavior, beginning before the age of 15. With this he writes that Arias had, “no prior behavioral issues, legal issues, problems with work, family or friends and no known problems with previous boyfriends.”

Information gleaned from Arias’ former boyfriend Darryl Brewer corroborates Archer’s assertion. In an interview he gave to AZ Central, Brewer told news correspondents that before becoming involved with Prepaid Legal and the Mormon Church [15], Arias was a kind, sensitive and caring person who was wonderful with his son [1]. He reported that she was good with her friends and got along well with her coworkers. Brewer also told AZ Central newscasters that Arias was very hard working, and af t er holding down two dif f erent jobs, had managed to save $12,000. “She wasn’t taking me for a ride,” he stated, “Because I didn’t have any money... I don’t know what happened to her in that last year-and-a-half, but something changed radically.”

In the end, it is important to remember that Arias is a young woman from a working class background who held the occupation of waitress for most of her adult life. At the time of the murder, she did not even have a high school diploma. Accordingly, she did not appear to have been politicized in any way nor did she seem to have developed any sort of feminist consciousness. With that being said, I wish she could have taken a gender and women’s studies course because in doing so, she would have learned to deconstruct gender rules and roles. As such, she may have been able to discern just why she was so drawn to Alexander, and why she had such a hard time letting go of a man who treated her so poorly. For if she had greater insight into the way she was feeling, she might have been able to stop herself from committing the heinous crime that ruined her entire life.

References

1. Williams C (2013) Jodi Arias’ ex-boyfriend says what he couldn’t in court.

2. Weitz R (1995) Social reactions to lesbians, spinsters, widows and nuns in Freeman. CA: Mayf i eld Publishing Company.

3. Chodorow NJ (1978) The reproduction of mothering. CA: The University of California Press.

4. Huston A (2014) Watch me: A memoir. NY: Scribner, New York.

5. Pipher MB (1994) Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls.

Riverhead Books, New York.

6. Warren CAB (1987) Madwives: Schizophrenic Women in the 1950s. CA:

Rutgers University Press.

7. Loh D (2013) Travis Alexander’s Ex-Girlfriend Lisa Andrews Diadoni Testif i es In Jodi Arias Trial.

8. Jensen V (2001) Why Women Kill: Homicide and Gender Equality.

LienneRienner Publishers.

9. Messerschmidt JW (1993) Masculinities and Crime: Critique and Reconceptualization of Theory. Rowan and Little Publishers, Landham Maryland.

10. Rogers B (2014) Convicted of Killing her Colleague turned Lover, MD Anderson Doc Awaits Punishment.

11. Kouri, Kristyan. (2014) Love Affair Gone Bad Leads to Violence: The Gonzalez-Angulo Story. Social Crimono 2: 112.

12. Hogan S (2013) Picture perfect: The Jodi Arias story. NY: Martin’s Press, New York.

13. Jacobson NS, Gottman JM (1998) When Men Batter Women: New Insights into Ending Abusive Relationships. NY: Simon & Schuster, New York.

14. Arche D (2013) Is Jodi Arias a Sociopath. Psychology Today.

15. Belknap J (2015) The Invisible Woman: Gender, Crime and Justice. Cengage Learning, Australia.

[brandonkoury]

Is that BRANDON KOURY? Wow, they do look a lot like DARREN BARNET. I hear HE is a TWENTY-TWO year old CIS MAN JUNIOR who are studying BUSINESS AND MARKETING at Luxor University. Word is they are an ARISTOCRAT student who is FOR The Unhinged. You should watch out because they can be MANIPULATIVE and GLUTTONOUS, but on the bright side they can also be AMBITIOUS and PASSIONATE. Ultimately, you’ll get to see it all for yourself.

QUICK FACTS:

full name: brandon neil koury

birthdate / age: november 17 & twenty-two

zodiac: scorpio ☀ scorpio ☾ taurus ↑

hometown: san jose, ca

major: business and marketing

minor: computer science

+ traits: ambitious, passionate, loyal, resourceful

- traits: manipulative, gluttonous, temperamental, impulsive

BACKGROUND & HEADCANONS:

born and raised in the heart of silicon valley, brandon grew up majorly spoiled.

his father is a self-made millionaire, starting up his own tech security company in the 90s that has since flourished. he also has a knack for spotting garage startups that have potential and buying them out for cheap, little seed businesses sporting the CrossTech logo everywhere.

brandon really admires his father, constantly strives for his approval, and hopes to be just like him one day...... by riding the nepotism train directly into a board seat for CrossTech lmfao

but he actually does kinda have to prove himself first, hence the business & marketing major

during his first year at luxor, his mom passed away -- and then his dad remarried within 6 months. if he’s upset about it, brandon’s never shown it, instead laughing and calling his 30yo stepmom a milf.

he is insaaaanely competitive, to the point that it’s a detriment. has 100% thrown a fit or two (or a dozen) during track & field meets.

self-care is a big deal to brandon. he subscribes to the whole ‘your body is a temple’ ideology in the sense that he’s always eating healthy and sticks to a strict workout schedule. he also stays away from pot and psychedelics, but alcohol?? the occasional bump of coke? totally no biggie.

catch brandon doing ridiculous juice cleanses after parties

toxic masculinity advocate 💖💖💖

last year he broke his ankle while skiing in aspen over winter break, getting stuck with a boot on his foot and a ton of PT. he’s still mad at himself for it and trying to fully recover - expect some Man Pain Sports Angst about it

doesn’t handle rejection well. he’s the type to lie after not getting his way, just to be like “i wasn’t even trying” or “she was a butterface anyway”

dazed and confused is his all-time favorite movie

jumps from obsession to obsession, always putting his all into whatever project he’s got going on, whether it’s school related or social

very self-assured because he has his whole future plotted out in his head already, and everything will go according to plan Or Else.

CONNECTIONS:

friends / ex-friends

track & field teammates

business & marketing major rival - luv the idea of them just furiously pitching mock mission statements and always trying to one-up each other

tutor(s) - he’s a decent student, but trying to be the Best takes help

someone he only calls/seeks out when drunk - potentially unlikely friends/confidant vibes?? idk exactly and it’s really dependent on our muses so yeah!

someone leading him on - brandon the chronic people user getting a taste of his own medicine 😌

annnnd anything else!! brandon’s been attending luxor since he started uni, so that’s plenty of time to have past dramz goin’ on, too. pls dm me if you have any ideas for connections to flesh out ~

[zahra-kha]

Slights

When Zahra turned ten, she stopped calling herself a Kouris. It had been a sudden declaration for her parents, watching their daughter burst into their home - bruises all over and with a slowly swelling right eye as she snapped out that she wanted to be known as a Kha from here on in. Trotting slowly behind her was Cahil, her tiny brother with his head down and trying to hide his sniffling.

While Zahra wouldn’t open up about what had occurred, even to her father, it didn’t take much to figure out what had transpired after speaking with Cahil. After Zahra had been mended and Cahil cleaned up, Cetin sat down with the lad in his bedroom that night, hoping some time to cool down would let the child open up.

Cetin pulled the boy awkwardly in his arms. Even at six, Cahil was smaller than most children his age, looking more around the age of four. While the miqo’te man was by no means large, he oft felt as if he were going to break the poor child due to how thin and frail he felt.

Thankfully, there’d been no injuries on Cahil, so whatever had happened, it hadn’t affected the boy physically. Cetin ran his hands through his son’s fluffy dark blue hair, his gruff features melting into a smile as he got a giggle out of the boy.

“You wanna tell your old man what happened?” Cahil’s smile evaporated at his father’s question and he looked down, squirming uncomfortably in his father’s arms. With a low hum, Cetin leaned in and gave Cahil a small nudge, lightly bumping their foreheads affectionately. “Hey. I only bite the bad guys, remember?” he let out a mock growl and playfully snapped his teeth, earning him another giggle from his child.

His playful demeanor appeared to soothe Cahil as he lightly pushed his father’s face away with a laugh. “The other kids...said things about us today.” the boy shifted, snuggling close to his father as he began to recount the events of the day.

----

“Why do we have to have the babies on our team though?” a young hyur boy demanded. He picked up the red kickball they were going to play with and tucked it under his arm. “If you dummies wanna pull them in so bad have them on your team then! Me and Cyrus can play on our own team!”

“Eh~ I don’t really care either way...” Cyrus commented, putting his hands behind his head and turning away. Another young hyur a little over Zahra’s age, he looked completely disinterested in the argument breaking out. “I just wanna play, Amir.”

“We have enough to keep it even, Amir!” a young girl who looked almost identical to Amir crossed her arms, scowling heavily at him. “There’s no reason not to let them play. We all wanna have fun.”

The small group of six were arguing out at a local park. There weren’t many, and while this one wasn’t one for children to play in and was more for the locals to enjoy its beauty, it was also large enough for the local authorities to turn a blind eye to a few kids wanting to have a good time. So long as no one complained about them being an eyesore. Most of these children had the privilege of being from well to do families, so it was unlikely anyone would come to scold them anytime soon.

Zahra decided to step in and support the young girl arguing with Amir. “Sura is right. There’s no need to force the little ones to go play something else when we can all just play the game together and have fun. Try to be more reasonable, Amir.”

Amir seemed to have decided he was the leader of their little group, and was displeased that the others wanted to force him to include the younger children in his kickball team (or in the game at all). His attention snapped to Zahra and his expression darkened. 

“Shut up, Zahra. You’re just trying to have a dog in this fight because of Cahil. Otherwise, you wouldn’t even take my sister’s side.” he sneered at her, his irritation rising with how he felt everyone was ganging up on him. Not even Cyrus was backing him up. It wasn’t like he was the bad guy here for not wanting to include the babies. “You know I’ve been wondering, you two even real siblings or does your mom really get around like everyone says?”

“Amir!” his sister all but screeched at him, but the words had been spoken and it was too late to back down now. He shrugged her off when she grabbed at his arm to stop him from saying more. The kickball fell to the ground and he crossed his arms, looking down at the stunned xaela girl.

“What? Everyone’s mom talks about it. Their mom leaves high society to marry their bum of a dad and then suddenly they have a lizard kid? Who’s the dad? At least Cahil makes sense, even if he looks like a-”

WHAM!

In two steps Zahra closed the distance and slammed her fist squarely into Amir’s face with as much force as she could muster. Her face was flushed with rage, fists balled at her sides as she panted. Behind her one of the younger children began to wail.

“I’m adopted, you arse!” Zahra shouted it as loudly as she could. “I’m not their child, I was born in the Steppes from the Kha clan! Both of my parents were xaela! Tell your shitty mothers that!”

---

“...and then Sura slapped Zahra for hitting her brother and calling her mother a bad name and it turned into a big fight until Cyrus pulled them off each other and made Sura take Amir home. We think his nose is broken.”

“Haaah.” Cetin let out a heavy sigh to keep from laughing. “I see. How do you feel, Cahil? We never hid the fact that Zahra isn’t your biological sister, but we never tried to raise you two as if you weren’t siblings. You’re both our children and we love you very much. I’m sorry you had to hear a lot of bad things today. Your friend was repeating things he’d heard from his mother, and unfortunately, your mother and I have a past that isn’t agreeable with some people.”

There was a long pause, and for a moment Cetin had to lean back and look down to see if the boy had fallen asleep. But the little bundle eventually shifted again, peering up at him with wide blue eyes full of confusion and pain. “Papa, do I...is there something weird with me?”

He was referring to his appearance. At first glance, Cahil looked like a normal four year old miqo’te, although he was six. Perhaps he was a bit thin for his age, but that was about it. He had large blue eyes, slitted pupils. Even his little tail was growing out nicely. What made him distinctly different from the others were his ears. Instead of soft furry ears protruding from the top of his head, instead he had small tapered ears that one would find on an elezen child. This was the first time he’d heard anyone actively give his son grief about his mixed heritage, but it was unlikely to be the last.

“You’re a handsome boy, Cahil.” he ran his fingers through his son’s hair, smiling warmly as the child’s eyes began to droop. “And you’re smart. You know that, right? Do you know what Zahra did?”

“Mm.” he let out a tiny yawn. “I don’t like it. Those mean ladies won’t stop saying bad things. They already knew sister was adopted.”

Of course they knew. Zahra had been adopted just before Cahil had been born. There was at least a four year gap between Zahra and Cahil if they had guessed her age correctly. They’d only been married for two years at that point and Theria had lived with her family up until they had eloped. Even they weren’t that stupid to think Zahra was Theria’s bastard child. It was just trash talk to ruin her already damaged reputation in society’s eyes.

“Remember the slights done to you, Cahil. You don’t have to respond to them right away. But remember how people react when it happens. Remember the people who do nothing, and remember those who do. Remember those who protect you, like your sister, and think on how that makes you feel. And when you have the strength and power to do something about it - decide for yourself what you want to do.” he continued to run his hand through his son’s thick hair. “That’ll determine the man you’ll become.”

“What kind of man did you decide to become, papa?”

Cetin chuckled, giving his son’s nose a little boop. “A complicated one. Maybe grow up to be less like your old man, hm?”

[houseofvans]

ART SCHOOL | IN SESSION WITH ROB SATO

From vibrant rainbows to familiar yet alien landscapes occupied by strange beings, LA based artist Rob Sato’s works are filled with creative energy in a loose minimalistic style. From watercolor, digital medium to acrylics and oil, Rob’s artworks and illustrations have been shown in various galleries from Giant Robot 2 to the Oakland Asian Cultural Center, where recently his original paintings for a comic called 442 were exhibited. We’re excited to chat with Rob about his work, his various collaborations and what he’s got coming up for the rest of the year.  Take the Leap!

Photographs courtesy of the artist.

Introduce yourself Hello, my name is Rob Sato. I’m an artist, illustrator, and writer. Something people might not know about me is that I was a kid I was so fanatical about the Oakland A’s that when they lost in the World Series I threw a tantrum so big that I destroyed my bedroom and after that I felt so stupid I quit following baseball. Also, I’m told I have maybe one of the great poop stories of the world. It can only be related in person, so ask me about it sometime if we ever meet.

How would you describe your work and style? Eclectic? Kaleidoscopic? I’ve never had a concise answer to this question. I tend not to pin myself down because I think if I did, I’d stop making things. 

Art is my outlet for the cryptic and obscure as well as the gushing spillover of foolish idealism and wild fantasy. It’s the only place I’ve ever found where you can healthily play with unhealthy thoughts, where you can explore undefined emotions, things that lurk out in the corners of consciousness that may be embarrassing or uncontrollable.

I love to make entertainment and decorative work, things that tend to be obvious, that communicate very clearly and reveal all their cards, but I also love to make work that hides things, that actively resists easy understanding or recognition and risks being super personal or unrelatable and strange. This can make things difficult, especially in the ongoing deterioration of attention spans, but I can’t help but pursue things outside of a pop sensibility and logical thought. I have to be, much of the time, in mental wildernesses. It’s hard to get there, hard to be there, and hard to come back, but it keeps me going.

Tell us about how you really started getting into art, and how that turned into what you do now? Was it something you always intended to pursue? I’ve drawn every single day for as long as I can remember. I never really thought about it. It just seems to be what I do. It’s how I have fun, how I solve problems, how I think. I’ve wanted to pursue other things like make movies or write books, but I always find myself drawing. Before I know it, it’s time for bed again.

When you are working on a new piece or upcoming exhibition or show? What’s your process like? What themes do you find yourself taking on? I explode. I used to plan things in a very directed way, but lately I’ve just let my brains spill out everywhere. I make a ton of drawings and paintings, and try my best to be fearless and open. Most of it produces failure after failure, but it shows me what might be worth building on, plus many exciting surprises reveal themselves in the process. As a show nears I start seeing what things fit together, what needs to be edited out, and how it all might form a cohesive exhibition. Sometimes the subject matter is the glue that makes everything stick, other times it’s the aesthetics. Alongside the explosion I usually have 2 or 3 pieces going at any given time that I’ve had long term plans for. These pieces can take take months or even years. 

Thematically I’m all over the place. War and peace, realism and surrealism, grim realities and escapism, sober observations and dumb jokes.

What are some of your go-to art making materials? Are there mediums you want to explore that you’ve yet to get your hands on? I feel pretty comfortable with anything you can use to make a mark on a piece of paper. I’ve mainly used watercolor and various drawing tools for the past several years. I’m been having fun with acrylics and oils again, and I’ve started to play around with photography a little. I’ve had ideas for sculpture and film for years that I’d really like to finally get to. What I really want to get my hands on is more time.

Where do you find inspiration? What kind of things or people inspire what you make? Watching someone pick their nose listening to headphones and singing softly to themselves in line at the grocery store. Just watching my cat live her weird life. Even though the final artwork may not really show it, these places are usually where my ideas originate. Art has also been a place where I can put memories that have some abstract need to be recorded.

I made this series of drawings called “Bad Hands”, which started out with me laughing at these dumb hands I was drawing with academically incorrect anatomy. Abandoning correctness felt so good. In the process it triggered a memory from High School. I had been forbidden from drawing in one of my classes, so I was contorting my hands into different shapes at my desk to amuse myself. There was a hysteria over gang activity in the school at the time and the teacher freaked out thinking I was throwing gang signs and I ended up getting sent to detention. 

At detention I was talking with a friend and made fun of the teacher for her mistake. A kid who was in a gang overheard and then HE misunderstood and thought I was making fun of gangs or something. On my way home from school he and a couple dudes punched and kicked me for a bit while I tried and failed to explain. I think it’s funny. 

So embedded in that piece is this tumbling series of misunderstandings, these multiple layers of hands being perceived as bad, speaking in an absurd language that communicates different things to different people. I know people aren’t going to see all those layers in the final piece, but that’s where it comes from and I hope it at least sparks some thoughts about talking with our hands, and where else can you follow this kind of train of thought except in art?

I get inspired by artists who seem to approach art as an intuitive discovery process rather than a  pursuit of mastery, that play is one of the more important aspects of making things. My wife, Ako, has been a huge influence on me in this respect. She’s continuously playing with various materials around her at any given time and finding out what she can do with them. Everywhere she goes she abandons a nest made of fresh creations she’s manifested out of mud, string, packaging, plants, uneaten rice, her used drinking straw, lint and whatever else was within her reach

You’ve done a lot of collaborations with companies, museums and art galleries. Do you have a favorite collaboration, and what about the collaboration do you enjoy the most? I’ve recently been collaborating with Tiny Splendor, an indie publisher and printer who have studios in LA and Oakland. It’s been really great working with them, Cynthia Navarro in LA on risographs, and with Max Stadnik, who runs the print shop in Oakland. 

Max has been returning to lithography, my favorite traditional printing medium, and he printed a piece of mine inspired by mushrooms called “Growerings". It’s a full 5 color print, which means it took five separate plates and each print had to go through the press 5 times. It turned out more beautifully than I could have hoped for. Litho is a super difficult but also very fun process and the results are so rich. 

I think I particularly love this collaboration because the image fits the medium so well, and the combination of the two elevates the final piece of work, When it works, the artwork and the print become more than just an image on a piece of paper. It’s more alive in some undefinable way.

Since we’re called Art School, we always ask the artists to give us their favorite art tip? Never force the thing you think you want, you’ll probably miss out on the really interesting thing that’s happening. Also, don’t drink too much coffee. I have trouble taking both of these pieces of my own advice every day.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not making stuff? How do you chill out? I read and run. I love coffee and I love gossip and talking nonsense with friends. Also, I cannot stop watching Terrace House.

What is the last art show that you went to? What artists should folks keep an eye out for? I recently went to the Velveteria in LA’s Chinatown, which is one man’s collection of paintings on velvet. A very entertaining and very fucked up experience. I went to a life drawing session at Subliminal Projects and got to draw surrounded by Chad Kouri’s fun abstracts. I’m actually typing this interview inside an art show right now. 

I’m here at my wife, Ako Castuera’s, show “Soil” at the Weingart Gallery at Occidental College. We’re here feeding worms. She sculpted this beautiful ceramic vermiculture composter for the show. It’s a grand temple for worms. The show is an act of gratitude for the exchange we have with the soil which provides the clay for ceramics, and for the worms who turn decay into healthy earth to grow new life in. 

She sculpted a menagerie of creatures out of the worm poop that also populate the show. Super fun. Speaking of Ako and Subliminal, her show there with Hellen Jo and Kris Chau this past December was one of those once-in-a-lifetime powerhouse gathering of forces. That may have been the best show I’ve ever seen.

What advice would you give someone thinking about following in your footsteps? What’s something you learned that you want to pass along to art making newbies. Don’t listen to advice if it is extremely quotable. Pay no attention to it especially if it accompanies a photo of a famous artist and fits perfectly into an instagram post. If it’s easy to remember then it’s probably empty, crap inspiration. Those things are entertainments and not words to live by.

 If you’re interested in making art you’ll keep making it. It takes day in, day out patience and exploration and mutation to discover how you really work, not some idea of how an artist works. 

Sometimes it will be very hard, sometimes it will be so breathtakingly easy you think that your problems have been solved forever. Neither situation ever lasts, but cultivate and nurture your curiosity and what you love, and you’ll find ways to make it through the rough times and keep on making things one way or another.

Who are some of your favorite artists to follow and/or see in a show? Lately I’ve been really enjoying the work of Nathaniel Russell whose work makes this great space where funny, grounded matter-of-factness and sweet nothingness sit comfortably together. His drawing also reminds me of Ben Shahn, my all-time favorite drawer. 

I really like Amy Bennet’s oils, these intimate studies of isolation in suburbia where mundanity overlaps with quiet drama and melancholy. Her work obliquely reminds me of Edwin Ushiro’s work, though his stuff is the opposite of melancholic. He captures almost incidental but haunted moments from growing up in Hawaii and infuses them with warmth, and it’s in a style influenced in a super personal way by animation. It reminds me of Satoshi Kon’s movies in its well observed, slice-of-life elements. Edwin’s sketchbooks are a treasure too.  Esther Pearl Watson’s recent autobiographical paintings, Hellen Jo’s latest badass watercolors, Amber Wellman’s funny, playful oil paintings, and Matthew Palladino’s watercolors are also favorites. 

Megan Whitmarsh’s work is some of my favorite to see in person. Her installation with Jade Gordon at the Hammer’s “Made In LA “ show was maybe the funnest work I’ve ever seen and interacted with. I went to see the Ai Wei Wei show at the Marciano Foundation, which I thought was impressive in scale and execution but still somehow lame, but I stumbled on a Mike Kelley installation/ video piece I’d never seen before in the upstairs collection and loved it so much, but I can’t remember the name of it at the moment. 

It’s 2 videos shown side by side of the same guy wearing a cape singing almost the same song simultaneously, but each version has different words at different points. It’s a love song but one version is more bitter and mean and one is sickly sweet. Anyway, highly recommended!

What do you have coming up the rest of the year that you can share with us?  For just a few more days there’s a show up at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center with a bunch of my original paintings for a comic I illustrated about the 442, the Japanese American Army unit of World War II. Plus it has some personal work about Japanese American Incarceration and images from my family’s experience in the concentration camps. My grandfather was incarcerated in the Arkansas camps, and he was a soldier in the 442. 

Next up, I’m in a slew of group shows all happening within a few weeks of each other this month. Poor scheduling on my part as usual, but it’s nice to be invited to so many. I just sent off my piece to the “Seeing Red” show curated by Jeff Hamada of the BOOOOOOOM art and culture blog. That show will be at Thinkspace in LA. Giant Robot has been kind enough to host another solo show for me in September. 

I’ve been busy experimenting with some more 3d stuff that pushes the more narrative side of my work which I hope to show there. We’ll see how the experiments turn out. I’ve also been working on a ton of prints and ideas for books. This year I want to focus on working in print, making zines and comics, and writing a lot more. 

FOLLOW ROB | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE | SHOP 

[wdwbabes]

happy three year anniversary limelights !!

i can’t believe its been three years oh my gosh. the joy these five boys have brought me over the past 3+ years is insane. (sry for the bad grammar i’ll edit this later its 12:30am i’m exhausted)

here is my story with corbyn, daniel, jack, jonah and zach

the first person i found out about was jonah. i was going to see digitour in 2015 and he was on the lineup. i was like ok, gotta find out who he is. this man had the best cover of night changes ever. i still listen to it to this day. he was amazing on stage, although i do not remember much of it, i know he was great. i followed him ever since, from pressplay to the band.

next was corbyn, i happened across his younow. he was amazing. hands down my favorite, sorry boys. i watched all his younows. i became obsessed with jake miller because of him. corbyn was the first to follow me on twitter. he would do late night broadcasts and after one of the broadcasts i dm’d him askin a question and he reaponded. you can only imagine how freaked out i was. i followed him from younow to impact to the band.

after corbyn i found zach and jack through corbyn. corbyn was on this younower/influencer tour with jack and zach. simon britton, hunter and brandon rowland, weston koury, nathan triska and more were on it. they would travel to a city on a weekend, rent a house and do a meet and greet and show. it was really cool, they did broadcasts together at the houses, my personal favorite part. at that time, jack had straight hair and zach was just the instagram stitches boy. (if you don’t know that, idk u)

i found daniel when the band started, i didn’t watch american idol so i had no previous idea of him.

but when the band started, i was so excited. whether or not i knew all or them, i would have loved the band. them separately and together are amazing. i can still remember them announcing the band. the first vlog. the release of taking you. those memories are so vivid in my brain.

i was a hardcore stan from the beginning. the band retweeted one of my tweets about the ep. it was an edit of the boys holding the eps, how they announced only the beginning. (corb posted it on ig) from that tweet, the band acc, daniel and zach followed me. (on twitter) so yes i have 3/5 + the band accs follow. it was a crazy day.

i unfortunately couldn’t go to the first show they had in milwaukee, january of 2017 but the following year i made up for it by going twice, once in march and again in august. seeing them makes me so happy. i have seen them again this past june. if you have not seen them i highly recommend

it has been my dream to meet corbyn and tell him how much he means to me. he has helped me through so much. i can just hear his voice and calm down, feel better and refreshed. he makes me happy. i just want to hug him and never let him go. i have not had the chance to meet him unfortunately. someday soon, i will do whatever it takes to see him, talk to him and hug him

this past year or so, i have become really attached to the people surrounding the band such as the family members and friends. christina, gabriela and tatum have played such a big role in my life this past year or more, christina definitely at least three. the gonzalez family alone is basically my lifeline. lavender may avery is the love of my life. anna seavey is a huge role model for me. rachel, kay, lainey, gabriela, samuel, ryan, ava, and so many more are so amazing, i wish i could be like them. isla and reece have a life all kids wish they could have.

i love this band with my whole ass heart. if you read this whole thing i love you, i did not proof read and its 12:30 am, i’m tired.

to the band, i love you. thank you for being you, your silly ass selves. i love you, i can’t say it enough. and guys, take a break. tour, album, tour, tour, tour. you guys need a break every once in a while. come on, jack has a child and he won’t get this time back. take some more breaks, give him time with lavender so he can watch her grow up, and not through a screen. i say this with love. you all deserve the world. i hope you know how much your music means to me and how much i love you. happy three year anniversary loves

[gingersnapwolves]

Kouri watches Only Friends, episode 5

Sand over here forgetting he has a roommate now lmao

Ray and Sand: it’s not that we have feelings for each other, it’s just that we’d rather spend all our time together, that’s completely normal

Being out somewhere and my glasses breaking is such a nightmare scenario. I can’t see shit without them so I feel Mew’s pain here

Please don’t get arrested for public indecency guys

Nick’s like ‘my plan is working!’ no Nick it’s just that you’re the only guy in a ten foot radius and he’s horny

This random girl seeing the way Sand and Ray look at each other and immediately concluding she has no chance is so funny

This blind dining idea is so cool but I’m such a picky eater, I could never actually do it

Ray’s eyebrows going up when they start singing happy birthday lmao

Calling Boston is objectively the worst decision in pretty much every situation but I’m so glad that Mew called him instead of unknowingly ruining SandRay’s adorable date

Not me actively rolling my eyes when Top says ‘I love you’

Sand! You have a roommate!!!

Boston’s actor is pretty good, you can actively watch him decide to destroy Ray and Sand’s relationship just because he’s in a shitty mood

sdjlhgskdlhjkgfa ‘go to your room’ is the funniest possible thing Sand could have said there

Nick, that now makes three separate people who have warned you about the sort of person Boston is

Ray, I applaud you for trying to communicate, and Sand, I also applaud you for knowing you’re too emotional and drunk for this conversation. When y’all are sober, I’m sure there will be a calm and measured conversation which will end in a cute hug and then punting Boston off a bridge.

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Deacon St. John || Phantom in the Night [4/5]

A/n: I honestly didn't expect this small series to reach 5 parts, let alone 4, but I present you with the next chapter!

⚠️MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD⚠️

Hope you all enjoy! Love you all!!! ••••••••••••••••••••

***HAS NOT BEEN PROOFREAD(I really should, though)! PLEASE NOTIFY ME OF ANY ERRORS!!!***

***** Prompt: Deacon discovers his mongrels ring sits upon Captain Kouri's finger. He decides to not linger on the object and focuses on the matter at hand. Once finishing a job with Captain Kouri, Deacon and you finally meet with Colonel Garret on Wizard Island. Your heart is shattered when someone from Deacon's past turns out to be working for the colonel. *****

~3rd Person POV~

Deacon's thoughts were foggy after seeing Captain Kouri wearing the ring he gave Sarah the night he placed her on a NERO helicopter. He told himself not to dwell on the matter as there were more important things at hand and he had moved on from his dead wife thanks to (Y/n), who is the woman he now loves more than ever. 

On the way back to the cabin, Deacon followed behind Captain Kouri. When they arrived, the drifter saw Russell and Mullins standing beside a burning corpse. The two spun around when hearing the motorcycles come to a stop. "Hey, corporal, the captain's here," Mullins said.

Russell shuffled through the snow and stood in front of Kouri. "It's done, sir."

"Make sure you make a marker," the captain responds.

The man saluted. "Yes, sir."

Deacon glanced around, noticing (Y/n)'s absence. "Where'd (Y/n) go?" He asked the two men.

"Oh," Mullins turned towards the drifter. "She said something about following a trail. We told her we needed to find Vasquez, and then she wandered off."

"You didn't try to stop her?" Deacon's voice was tinted with anger.

"Well, uh, no. We figured she could handle herself since she killed that Rager earlier."

Captain Kouri glanced at Deacon as he was listening. "(Y/n), huh? Friend of yours?"

"Something like that," the drifter mumbled as he searched for Vasquez's or (Y/n)'s trail.

"We heard gunfire not too long ago," Russell informed.

Deacon squatted down when he spotted something on the ground beside a toppled over bike. Eyes narrowed, he stared at a piece of paper. "Uh, how long has, uh..."

"Vasquez," Kouri replies, kneeling beside the man.

"How long has Vasquez been with you guys?" Deacon asked, picking up and examining what was written on the piece of paper.

"Couple of weeks. Maybe more," the captain shrugged.

"Huh," the drifter scoffs. "Well, he's been busy."

He hands the piece of paper to Kouri, who takes it and spots x's where their supply runs have been hit. His brows knitted together in disbelief. "What the hell...?"

Deacon stood up, searching his surroundings for another clue. "You guys been having trouble with supply runs? Marauder attacks?"

Kouri stood up with a small nod. "Yeah."

"Okay," Deacon states. "We're gonna go on foot from here. It seems (Y/n)'s already picked up Vazquez's trail. We'll follow her footprints and hope she's still on the other end with some good news."

"And what if she's not?" Kouri questioned unsurely.

"She's a fighter. If someone did grab her, they won't be alive much longer."

Deacon wandered behind the house with Captain Kouri and through a section of wired fence that was severed. The footprints led further down a snowy trail and at the end were numerous dead wolves and a rotting deer carcass. The drifter analyzed the scene and imagined what happened. "The gunfire they heard must've been (Y/n) killing the wolves. Seems she stepped in a pool of blood before heading further up the mountain."

Kouri saw the bloodied footprints leading further up the mountainside. "This friend of yours... Who is she?"

"Someone who deserves a medal for all the shit she's done to help others," Deacon spoke.

"Well then, I can't wait to meet her. Sounds like she would be a good addition to the militia."

"Yeah, uh, don't tell her that. She's not the militia's biggest fan," Deacon retorts.

"Not many are, but we do what has to be done."

"And so does she without needing to be ordered around or rewarded. Just... don't get on her bad side."

Kouri remained silent, trailing behind Deacon as he followed (Y/n)'s bloody footprints in the pure, white snow. They abruptly ended at a cliffside with foliage along the ledge. He peered into the tall vegetation, wondering if she was using the frosted leaves as cover.

Suddenly, a person leaps from the greenery with a knife drawn and tackles Deacon the ground. The blade rests against his neck, but it didn't dig into his skin. The person on top of him sighed and straddled his waist, retracting the knife. "Jesus, Deek. I thought you were one of those bastards."

"What're you talking about?" He grunted.

(Y/n) mumbled a small apology before climbing off Deacon and getting to her feet. "Mullins and Russell told me about Vasquez. I followed his trail and found an entire group of marauders. They took off a few minutes ago. The tire tracks should be—"

A cacophony of groans and hisses silenced the woman. She pulled both men into the tall bushes with her and she moved closer to the ledge. She popped her head out from the foliage and peered down at the dig site below. A horde of Swarmers dragged their feces-covered bodies over the hill and began feeding on the corpses buried in the mud.

"Goddamn horde..." Kouri hissed under his breath.

"This must be their feeding ground," (Y/n) whispered. She scanned the area and noted what all they could use to sneak around the Freaks. "Follow me, gentlemen."

Deacon trusted her with every fiber of his being, but Kouri was more skeptical. He didn't trust the woman, but he had no other choice. The captain followed behind the drifter, who was treading on the heels of (Y/n). The (h/c)-haired woman safely navigated them around the horde without alerting a single Swarmer.

They followed the tire tracks up the mountain to an encampment of marauders. The men gathered in the center of the settlement, chuckling as they held a woman at knifepoint. While Deacon and Kouri were whispering back and forth on how to deal with the marauders, (Y/n) had wandered off without making a single noise.

Deacon was the first to notice she was no longer by his side. "Where the hell did she go now?" He looked around but kept his head low to keep from alerting the assailants.

Suddenly, a single gunshot rang out and one of the marauders collapsed to the ground with a bullet hole directly between his eyes. The enemies were aroused from their entertained state of mind and quickly yelled at one another to take cover and search for whoever pulled the trigger.

Deacon hadn't even pulled the trigger before three other men were dead. Kouri was quite impressed at the display of accuracy and couldn't even locate (Y/n) himself. The drifter decided to move in and take care of the remaining marauders with the woman watched his back.

All the marauders were dead within minutes. (Y/n) emerges from her hiding spot and threw her sniper over her shoulder before regrouping with Deacon to help him find a way into the cabin Vasquez had locked himself in with alongside the woman. They crawled under one of the houses to get around a pile of debris and found a side door.

(Y/n) opened the door and found the woman stabbing Vasquez to death. When the door smacked against the wooden wall, the woman sprung up and lunges towards her. She quickly grabbed the tattooed woman's wrist before the blade pierced her skull. She stared past the knife that was only inches away from her face and into the stranger's eyes. "We're not with those assholes. We were actually looking for the asshole you turned into a human pincushion."

The woman yanked her wrist out of (Y/n)'s grasp and stumbled backwards, pointing the knife at her. "Get the fuck outta my way."

Speechless, (Y/n) stepped aside and allowed the woman to escape. Deacon entered once she hightailed it out of the cabin. His nose scrunched up at the sight of the bloodied Vasquez. "Jesus..."

"A fitting end for a marauder," (Y/n) stated. "Hope your militia buddy doesn't want him alive because he'll be sorely mistaken."

"Who fucking cares? He got what he deserved," Deacon said, holstering his handgun. "Let's get outta here."

The woman nodded with a heavy sigh. "Right behind you."

The couple regrouped with Kouri, who expressed his surprise and integument in both their skills. He told them both to follow him to Wizard Island once they returned to their bikes where they would both meet with Colonel Garret.

During the entire ride to the island, (Y/n) remained silent. Deacon knew she kept her lips tightly sealed to keep herself from taking out her anger on him or Kouri.he also feared she was furious with him, but she wouldn't express her true feelings.

<—————————————<<<<<<<<<<<<

After meeting and being instated into the Deschutes County Militia, (Y/n) was summoned by the colonel himself to his room in the "Ark". It was the lowest level in the cave system inside the mountain on the island.

A scowl kept creeping up onto her face as she drew closer to the colonel's chamber, but she was able to suppress it when she followed the older man to a table in the middle of the room.

Colonel Garret clasped his hands behind his back as he paced back and forth in front of (Y/n). "Now, Miss (L/n), was it?"

"Yes, sir." The formal talk put a fowl taste in her mouth and she felt like her nose would twitch in disdain if she had to say it one more time.

"I've sworn you in as a specialist, but Captain Kouri has informed me of a few important details."

"I hope none of them are bad, sir." (Y/n) mentally eye-rolled, feeling her lip twitch slightly.

"On the contrary, it's all good. With your sharp eyes and stealth skills, I want to make you this militia's first assassin. I will be putting your skills to good use."

"Sir, I'm not an assassin," (Y/n) denied in the most formal way possible.

"You've the skills of one. Now," Colonel Garret placed his hands on the table that rested in the middle of the chamber. "All assassins have codenames. What will yours be?"

(Y/n) swallowed her anger, knowing she couldn't afford to lash out at the colonel without being harmed. "How about "Phantom"? It's kinda stuck to me whether to want it to be or not," she muttered the last part for only her ears to hear.

"Phantom, huh? It's got a nice ring to it," the man chuckled, striding towards her and stopping a few feet in front of her. "Soon, that name will strike fear in all those who oppose us. The frightening name will cause every force of evil to crumple to their knees and beg for their lives."

"Yes, sir..."

"I know you just arrived, but I already have an assignment for you. A man by the name of Gavin Atkins has recently gone AWOL. I'll give you his last known location. Once you've had a tour of the island, make sure to deal with him as quickly as possible. I look forward to the results."

Painfully, (Y/n) saluted. "I won't let you down, sir." She swiveled on her heels and left the Ark in search of Deacon. One of the men guarding the explosives tent pointed her in the right, but she was baffled when he said the drifter was visiting the Wizard Island witch.

When she entered the tent, she froze when she recognized the woman Deacon was holding by the arm. She kept the shock from appearing on her face and kept a neutral expression when Sarah spotted her. The drifter, or now known as Corporal St. John, followed his wife's gaze. When he saw (Y/n), he knew something out of his control was set in motion.

(Y/n) spoke, hiding the hurt in in her voice as she spoke. "My apologize. I'm not familiar with the island yet and was hoping someone in here could help me, but it seems I've interrupted something. Excuse me." Without waiting for a response from either Sarah or Deacon, she left.

The woman headed over to her bike with heavy footsteps and took out the mask from her backpack. She mounted her ride before concealing her face with the haunting mask.

A young man by the name of Wade Taylor, who she remembered from the ceremony, sauntered over to her with wide eyes. "Whoa. Cool mask."

"Uh, thank you, Taylor. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a job to do."

Taylor grinned and nodded as he backed away from the bike. "You should let me wear that mask sometime."

"I'll think about."

"Yes!" He cheers before wandering off.

(Y/n) had to admit the young man was a welcomed distraction, but she knew the job Colonel Garret gave her would definitely purge Deacon from her mind. Morosely, she didn't even get to start her bike before said man appeared in front of her practically out of thin air and placed his hands on the handlebars to keep her from speeding away. "(Y/n), I—"

She swiftly lifted the mask from her face, still managing to keep her tears from falling. "Don't you fucking dare try to apologize. What you should be doing is catching up on the two years you've missed with her, corporal. She's your wife after all. You should be glad she's alive. Guess I was just... a small fling." She bit her top lip, desperately trying to keep her tears at bay.

Hearing her call him by his recently appointed titled caused his chest to tighten painfully. "No, you are not just some small fling. Listen to me, (Y/n)."

She shook her head, prying his fingers off the handlebars. "You're wasting your time with me."

"Just listen to me for a minute, dammit!"

"I don't have time for this, corporal. Colonel Garret has assigned me as the militia's first assassin. You can probably guess what my codename is. After all, it's kinda a curse at this point. Who knows," she pulled down her mask to conceal her face then placed her hands on the handlebars and revved the engine of her bike. "Maybe I was wrong. Maybe the militia is exactly where I belong."

Deacon's eyes widened as his body felt paralyzed. He watched helplessly as she sped down the bridge and left the safety of the island. His heart was racing in his chest, her words ringing like an unstoppable bell in his head. She had displayed her pure hatred for the militia clearly and hearing her say she was possibly wrong felt as if she had been broken.

Walking back to the tent where Sarah stayed, his thoughts continued to veer towards (Y/n). He hoped she would return safely and be able to have a proper talk once her job was done.

<——————————————<<<<<<<<<<<<

Days turned into weeks and Deacon had yet to talk a single word to (Y/n). The colonel had been keeping her busy with assignments, which provided her the opportunities to get as far from him as possible. Even when he learned her routine and tried to grab her attention at every possible chance, she'd give him the cold shoulder.

With (Y/n) being stubborn and unwilling to talk, Deacon hadn't been able to tell her what Sarah had told him a few days after arriving—she had fallen in love with another man. Apparently, this man was the one who guarded her tent and they had started a relationship a few months ago. Deacon thought he would've been devastated to hear Sarah moved on, but he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

They both had thought the other died and moved on from one another, finish someone else to love. Unfortunately for Deacon, the woman he loves now was trying to drown herself in assignments and completely forgot about him.

One day, Deacon decided to pursue her on one of her jobs and departed to Diamond Lake. He found Captain Kouri sitting in a chair, watching the new recruits try to complete the obstacle course. Even though it had been a while since he joined the Deschutes County Militia, he still found the formal greetings and saluting unpleasant regardless of how long he spent overseas in Afghanistan. "Sir, I'm, uh... here for a personal matter."

Captain Kouri stood up with a knowing smirk. "It's in regards to (Y/n), isn't it?"

Deacon was baffled to hear him call her by her real name and not her codename, which everyone on Wizard Island has been doing since the colonel told them to address her as such. "Uh, yes."

"I was just about to radio you about her. She's been missing for three days." Deacon remained silent but felt his muscles tense at the news as Kouri continued. "I sent her to take out a camp of squatters near the 97. She's good at her job and it's never taken this long for her to report back. I tried her radio, but all I got was static. I'll mark the spot on your map where I sent her. Make sure to bring her back safely, corporal."

Deacon saluted to his superior. "Yes, sir."

[suffernotawitchtolive]

I don’t want to know who we are when we aren’t together || Self

The world spun around him, the scrapes felt like holes in his flesh. The pain had only been this bad once before. They had been torturing Joshua and then had killed Wren. This pain only compared to the look on Joshua’s face as he died. Of course Wren hadn’t stayed dead, but now he wished this pain was death. In the moment he wanted death. Joshua had turned on him. Joshua had protected the witch. Wren hadn’t even wanted to kill her. whether she continued to follow his trail or not, he wanted to quit hunting and settle down with Joshua. Maybe have a new parish, but Joshua wasn’t settling down with him. Joshua had betrayed him for Kouri.

The silence was ripped apart with a pained sob. Wren gripped his own hair as he leaned back against the truck. He had driven for hours to get away from the attack. To get away from Joshua. Had it been a ruse? Had he been trying to save Wren from her? Why would he attack Wren that way if it was to protect him?

Attacked him. Joshua attacked him to defend that girl. Joshua had shot him. Wren had broken the bolt and left most of it in his shoulder. the pain started to lace through his arm and chest, his tattoo kept throbbing as he sobbed. His sobs got the attention of the hunters he had driven to inside the safe house. 

He was covered in blood and starting to tremble violently. His arm was starting to lose function in the pain from the bolt and he was starting to feel dizzy. Joshua had shot him. Judas shot him. At least he wasn’t dead. But had he betrayed Wren or was he still protecting Wren. The ground spun up to meet him but was caught and carried inside.

He had woken up three days later. they had moved him to a different state. He was in a small clinic inside a small church. He guessed. With all the crosses and the saints on the white walls. It was a four bed clinic. No one else was in here. He knew this was a hunter recovery unit. A witness protection for him while he was injured. They would probably make him work here while he recovered. Little did they know, he would recover much faster than he should and he would be gone before they released him.

Now weeks had passed and no word came from Judas. She had bewitched him. That had to be it. Joshua wouldn’t do this.

Wren didn’t speak. He just answered the yes or no questions with a nod or shake of his head. Anything else got a polite nod or smile. He barely interacted with anyone and only did the bare minimum. He had been injured badly, emotionally and physically. this place was quiet and understanding. Beautiful and comfortable. He hated it. He would give any number of days here up to be with Joshua again one more time in that damn asylum. 

“Father.” He jumped, being caught off guard, a tear rolling down his cheek. It was a small, young, nun. He tilted his head to acknowledge her speaking to him, “Father. You’ve lost someone... and not to death. That’s how you came to us,isnt it?” She said softly to him. He looked down to the ground and gently brushed the tear off his face. 

She watched him in silence then started to play with a flower to give him a moment to himself in the most polite way she could, “That is why we are here. The Vatican send the injured home to be retired. you were intended for retirement. They know that you’ve lost someone important. I’m here to help you get them back. I am sister Lynn. Father Gregory is going to aid you as well as sisters Rita, and Gwen. Gwen is a mute as you are.” 

Wren shook his head, speaking softly, his voice quiet. He hadn’t ever heard it so quiet before yet so clear,” I’m not mute, Sister. I didn’t mean to be rude. I just had nothing to say.” 

“You do now, and it wasn’t that.” She looked down,” You’re going to tell me you do not need help. this is why the Vatican sends the wounded home. Sends those who have lost others to us. We are here specifically for rescue missions. You’re going to tell us to stay here. That is why we can’t. The Vatican sent you to us to make sure this is a recuse mission and not a revenge mission.” She lay a hand on his arm as he started to feel the air being forced from him. They weren’t going to let him kill Kouri, and his injuries were not great enough for him to be retired. Judas had wounds to great to keep hunting so they would either retire him, or worse, since he wasn’t of use to them anymore and all supernaturals were blasphemy. He couldn’t let them get Judas in their hands.

“I can’t save him.” She seemed shocked. A priest in love was something that sometimes happened, and love had been what they saw him grieving. A priest in love with a man was more taboo than the killing they did, “We can’t save him. He doesn’t wish to be saved. I can no longer fight. The Vatican made a poor judgement on this one. I’m too injured. you’ve seen my shoulder. I can’t move this arm at all. It was ruined in the fight.”

“you have spent more words making excuses than anything else you have said here. Father. Your in the protection of the church and all of those you keep are now as well. The church will cause you no grief. After we retrieve the one you lost, you are both retired. He has done amazing work for the Vatican under your guidance. This is a true rescue and release mission. They reviewed your report of the Asylum. Great work.” She almost blushed. He was a legend, honestly. their best hunter. He had done better work at the asylum than anyone there had known.

Wren smiled bitterly and squinted to the sun above them. It was a cool day. Not cool enough to keep the snow from melting once the sun got higher. Right now the snow was still freshly fallen at their feet on the sides of the path. Just freshly cleaned. Had been cold enough to snow but somehow not cold enough to kill the flowers.

"Youre new here, Sister. You were given orders to aid me in finding the ome I lost. You are to aid me in saving him. You didnt know it was a him, you dont have a name yet or you would be skeptical of saving him. Father has different orders. Je is a fore extinguisher. He is to escalate the situation until the only line of action... is to kill me and the one I have lost in the process of 'saving' either you or humself or one of the others. He may kill the girl who has my friend captive. He may not. She isnt on their radar yet. I didnt think she was a threat so never reported her." He started to walk, hands clasped at his back.

"I... father Wren, that's not..." she stammered as she followed. He spun on her, making eye contact and started to compel her.

"Forget this conversation. You havent seen me this morning. You will go to find me in my room. Go on." He watched as she calmly turned and went the other direction. His tattoo chastised him for letting her go. A witch. A fire extinguisher here to redeem herself to the church. Or another soul to sacrifice to the church as Wren had done over and over. It didnt matter to him. She would have died in the field. They wouldnt let her get to her second mission.

He had overturned his room. Made it look like a major struggle. Broken bed, broken desk. There was a broken bookcase and papers thrown around, curtains burned and torn. He avoided everyone as they ran to see what had happened. He made it to his truck and used magic to start it, he disnt know where they hid his keys.

He had to go save Judas. Reverse whatever spell kouri had put on him. It had to be a spell. Had to be. Joshua would never turn on him for her. Not after all they had been through. Not after all he had put Joshua through. Not after...

Wren couldnt think about this any other way. Not now. He had to concentrate and had to think of how to actually fight Joshua this time even though Joshua wasnt going to hold back like Wren had to.

As he drove he muttered a spell, A delayed spell that set off bombs he had planted in the church. There were areas he knew no one would be this early in the morning and he had planted them there to keep the church away. He knew that the Vtican wanted to retire him. He knew that meant theg wanted him dead. True retirement came after long trials. Sitting and reporting to the vatican in person. Presenting your case and begging for it. Most of the time if you were Wrens age, you were denied. Judas was even younger and an abomination. Wren had always known they wouldnt reture Judas.

He winced and held his own shoulder. The pain was lacing its way down his arm, years springing to his eyes. Judas had shot him. Had been stating at him and not recognised him. Judas had shot at him and sent him away, protecting his childhood...

"Stop it, Wren." He told himself aloud," Stop thinking that way. There was no way she could turn him. He knew the blood and gore on my hands. He knew it all. I told him. He had hated me for it but we had worked it out. We were okay. We were in live. He would never turn on me."

Unless she told him how her family had been innocent and she had been run out of her families home. Had been orphaned by her priest. Unless he had once loved this girl and now reunited, he loved her more. Or just plain loved her. Didnt live Wren and finally figured it out. Wren sobbed.

"Im his mission." A cry ripped from his chest. Judas wouldnt do this to him. No matter what. He had never given up on Wren. Judas should have. The moment Wren doubted him, used him, ruined him. Wren sobbed even harder but he had to keep driving.

He could feel blood running down his arm but instead of giving in to the pain, he used it. He started to mutter a spell the blood laying into the shape of his tattoo until a name struck him. He knew where Judas was. He was going to save him. No matter the cost.

The cost could be Judas. That was right. If he killed Kouri while Judas was under the spell he would be stuck under the spell. He had to break it. That was clever. She knew he couldnt kill her until she removed the spell. Never remove the spell, never die. Leverage.

Wren had to make a backup plan. Had to fix this. He had to.

Finally after a day and a night he pulled over and fell asleep in the cab of his truck, blood dried on his arm and side making his shirt stick to him in the cold. He slept, almost as if at peace. He knew what was coming. He prayed he was wrong. His dreams told him he wasnt.

The windshield cracked.

@tattoobruised

@pride-and-wrathfulness

@alexanderforhire

[rosereine]

Goodmorning, Guys! It’s Ib’s 6th year anniversary! Just look how this game has gone far!

Going to post some art later on after choir practice but I’m going to talk about the game for a while. Just to appreciate it, probably might add a break line here later, since I’m on mobile.

Ib has been the first Pixel RPG Horror game I’ve come across (Around 2013-2014?), I’ve seen art and videos of it in the past but It didn’t catch my interest at first, and I regret finding about it so late. Basically, the game made me love pixel rpg games. The game’s setting is on an Art Gallery which immediately makes me weak because I love art galleries/museums. I love the scenery of the game even if it’s just rooms with paintings and sculptures. Kouri really did an effort with making the artworks in the gallery which I appreciate because they’re so cool! The puzzles are simple, not much chase scenes but the game’s atmosphere can keep you on your toes during your first gameplay, watching it and playing it are two different experiences.

The characters: basically the story and characters of the game brought us in. They’re such lovable characters in their own flawed ways. I’ll talk about them below, I’ll save Ib for the last, because she’s the best.

Garry, our blue rose screamer. He’s quite the fan favorite and I can see why, although some art portrayals sadden me because most people overlook the fact that he uses feminine pronouns in the Japanese game, but don’t let my words discourage you, do what you like! I like him a lot as well as a character and I appreciate the way he treats Ib so kindly like a little sister. His reactions to the gallery are hilarious. He’s willing to trade his own life just so Ib can live, and he’s just an overall sweetheart, best brother ever.

Mary! The sweet yellow rose painting. The fans are divided in either hating her or loving her because of her hatred for garry but honestly, I like Mary a lot as well. She’s a painting by Guertena, all alone in that world with no one to talk and play with, she’s the most human painting in there, she’s friends with the paintings but they’re not as human-like as her, so she desires to leave the Fabricated World, she’s hostile but there’s a reason for that. She wants a friend, which she saw in Ib. Together, Forever is the ending where Mary truly gets what she wants, and I found it cute that the two became sisters. Because I headcanon that Ib really wants to have siblings, being an only child, obviously. But I adore Mary, but it’s just a wrong move for her to use hostility in order to get what she wants, but I see her reasons. It made me sad to see her fade into ashes.

And Ib, our glorious red rose child. The protagonist who’s often overlooked because of her silence, but out of all the characters of the game, she’s my absolute favorite! I was learning what kind of person Ib was, not through her speech but through her language and the actions we choose for her to do, so seeing as Promise of Reunion is the true route for the game, we can see Ib being a polite, curious, kind and strong child. On the first few rooms in the gallery, Ib was brave enough to go through them alone. And due to her problems with understanding difficult words, it seems that’s she curious enough to learn what they are and what they mean, by asking Garry a lot. And when Mary asked her the “If there were only two” question, Ib has the option to say that she’d surrender herself, which basically means she believes that none of them deserved to be left behind, and if the event would happen, Ib would let both of them leave while she stays behind. whyisntthesacrificeendingcanon?!? which strikes a very kind personality of Ib. I always adore child protagonists in books, movies and games because, everything is so different in their perspective, hence why Ib tops the cake. I adore her so much, I just wished that the fanbase before gave her enough recognition by herself, and not of the shipping.

I had a lot of words unsaid because it’s a school day and I don’t want to be late and I think this sums it up momentarily. I love this game very much, I appreciate it, despite the fanbase being low currently since a lot of years passed since this game was released. Please, if you haven’t played Ib, please experience this heart crusher.

Happy 6th anniversary to this game once again!

[deliciousgears]

Defrosted (Femslash February 2018)

Fandom: Urusei Yatsura

Pairing: Ryuunosuke/Oyuki

Prompt: Day 6 - Heat

Summary: On a hot summer’s day, Ryuunosuke attempts to run her own shaved ice stand, with the help of a certain Neptunian princess.

Word Count: 4004

Notes: I know, I know: an UY fanfic written by me that ships Ryuunosuke with someone else shouldn’t be possible. But I felt that since I got the whole of February, I should branch out a little bit...

Warnings: Some mild sexiness, but nothing really explicit.

It was going to be another hot day in Tomobiki. 30’c at the highest, 25’c at the lowest. Ryuunosuke was already sweating through her shirt as she wheeled her little food cart down the road, carrying her ice shaving machine and six large bottles of syrup, each with a different flavour. If not for anything else, it certainly was going to be a good time to get some shaved ice.

Ryuunosuke parked herself at the corner of one of the busy shopping streets, and started setting up shop. She had taken the small cart off her father, who was busy cleaning the school store or something (she never truly found out what he was doing, only that he didn’t seem to care that she left with the cart), along with the syrup bottles. Ran had told her that she knew somebody who could get her all the ice she wanted, just as long as she knew where she was going to be on the day.

Ryuunosuke looked around the street. There were a few people there already, but no sign of any ice waiting for her. Maybe they were still delivering it?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a loud rumble coming from the sky. Ryuunosuke looked up in confusion; wasn’t it supposed to be cloudless, today? She was surprised at the sight of a dark, swirling cloud that was forming in the sky above the square, crackling with lightning and growing by the second. As the cloud grew, a cold breeze blew down like a wave, a buffer against the hot summer sun, followed by a wave of snowflakes travelling along the wind.

Then, in an instant, a large crystalline block of ice burst out from the cloud, leaving trails of cloud vapour behind as it plummeted towards the city streets. Ryuunosuke barely had time to wheel her cart back before the car-sized block slammed into the sidewalk next to her, shattering into large pieces sliding onto the concrete and smaller shards zipping through the air, smashing through store windows, shattering car windshields and taking the head off a store mannequin.

Ryuunosuke stared at the massive pile of broken ice, clear and flawless and already starting to melt, long enough that she almost didn’t notice the other object bursting from the dark cloud, a red airbike carrying two figures, one of which she instantly recognised as soon as she laid eyes on her.

“Benten?!”

Benten waved at Ryuunosuke as she landed her airbike right beside the broken block of ice. “Hey there, girl! Is this gonna be enough ice for ya?”

“Enough ice?” Ryuunosuke said. “This is way too much! This is enough ice to make shaved ice for a year! It’s way too much for me to store in my cart here!”

Benten grinned at Ryuunosuke. “Well, maybe we should get to work, then? You wouldn’t wanna waste this, trust me!”

The second figure slid herself off from the back seat of the airbike, and stepped up towards Benten and Ryuunosuke. “It’s quite alright. I can have Benten keep the rest you don’t need in cold storage until later. It’s the least I could do as your business partner.”

Ryuunosuke turned to look at the other woman, only to find herself lost for words. She was a beautiful woman, of course, but she had a curious elegance in the way she carried herself in her snow-white kimono. Her face and hands was pale with light blue eyes, and her hair was long and bluish-white held up in a high ponytail, but Ryuunosuke couldn’t tell if her hair was ice, or had ice in it.

It took a few minutes for Ryuunosuke to realise that she was staring at the woman, and a couple more to realise that she had noticed, and was staring back. Almost immediately Ryuunosuke turned her head away, her body going ramrod straight. “Yeah, that’s fine, thanks.”

“You’ve never met Oyuki before, have you?” Benten asked, her head tilting. “We went to school together, along with Ran and Lum. We all pretty much go back a long way together.”

Oyuki smiled softly. “That we do. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Fujinami-san.”

Ryuunosuke just sighed and pulled out a large cooler from the cart. “Yeah, thanks a lot”. She began filling it with the blocks of ice. Eventually, the cart was set up properly with Benten’s help, and Ryuunosuke flew the little banner with the red “kouri” kanji over the cart.

She looked back towards Benten, who was already loading a small-hover trailer with the remaining ice, and Oyuki, who watched Ryuunosuke setting up her cart for sale. “Okay, you can go now. I’ve pretty much got this.”

“That may be so, Ryuunosuke-san.” Oyuki said. “But I have to stay here with you, as your business partner. I brought you your ice, remember? So you have to hold up your end of the bargain.”

Ryuunosuke looked confused. “Business partner? For a shaved ice stand?”

Oyuki’s face didn’t change at all, let alone bely any emotion. “The last time that I loaned somebody something for their own commercial use, it led to a sherbert bird running loose in Tomobiki and assaulting citizens. I would rather not want to deal with another repeat of that incident.”

“Yeah, I get that…” Ryuunosuke said, remembering what she heard of the sherbert bird incident. “But since when is plain old ice some kind of valuable thing on a place like Neptune?”

Oyuki smiled in a manner that didn’t seem to indicate amusement or politeness. “Naturally made ice is of little value on Neptune. But naturally made ice is very impure. This ice is personally made with pure water, in special conditions.”

Ryuunosuke stared at Oyuki, unsure if she knew what she was hearing. “Personally made? By yourself?”

“Of course,” Oyuki said, “It wouldn’t be personally made if I didn’t make it myself.” Oyuki waved a hand, wafting cold air from her slim fingers. “That’s why I want to stay here and protect my assets, Ryuunosuke-san.”

Ryuunosuke couldn’t find any more argument, especially considering that there were people gathering at the cart, waiting to get served. Instead she took her place inside, and started to work.

True to her word, Oyuki stayed at her side as the day went on, watching Ryuunosuke intently as she worked. She sat by herself on a tiny folding chair from Benten’s airbike, a large parasol stood over her head to provide shade for herself and Ryuunosuke. She was surprisingly easy to ignore, when there were enough customers, but there were moments when Ryuunosuke would lock eyes with Oyuki, and she would get distracted again. By the time the sun and the heat were at their highest, Ryuunosuke was finding it increasingly difficult to get those intense ice-blue eyes out of her mind.

After an hour or two, Shinobu had appeared at the stall, wearing a pretty white dress and a large floppy sunhat. She smiled brightly as she came over to the cart. “I didn’t expect you two to be here today.”

“You don’t expect me to be selling shaved ice?” Ryuunosuke asked.

Shinobu laughed. “Not you, but Oyuki-san over there.”

Oyuki smiled at Shinobu. “I’m the one providing Ryuunosuke-san with the ice. I’m here to help protect my stake in this business.”

Shinobu nodded, and bought herself a cupful of ice with some strawberry syrup, and Ryuunosuke watched her as she left, her dress swaying behind her as she walked.

“You seem to like her,” Oyuki said quietly. “Wasn’t she Ataru’s ex-girlfriend?”

“Yeah,” Ryuunosuke replied nervously. “I guess. But she has a boyfriend now.” She couldn’t help but spit out the word “boyfriend” like it was a bad piece of fish. “Now I don’t even see her without him around, and I…”

Ryuunosuke’s words suddenly died as she realised what she was saying: even an idiot could tell that she sounded incredibly jealous of Shinobu’s boyfriend. She looked over at Oyuki nervously. “Actually, just forget it. It’s just rambling.”

Oyuki just gave Ryuunosuke a smile. “We all get a broken heart sometimes, Ryuunosuke-kun. Even me.”

After an hour, the lunchtime rush hit; Ryuunosuke worked as hard as she could in the sweltering heat. She couldn’t believe that the business was going so well. She could even see some repeat customers from earlier in the day, alongside the rather large throng they were already getting.

“Ryuunosuke-kun, aren’t you going to eat anything?” Oyuki asked, for the first time since they opened shop. “It’s just gone past the lunch hour.”

“Don’t feel like it.” Ryuunosuke said. “There’s some onigiri I packed down with the coolers if you’re hungry.”

She turned back to serve the next customer… Only to quail and move back as that customer turned out to be her father, staring directly at her.

“Ryuunosuke, aren’t you going to greet your father?” The man’s face was stern and disapproving, which wasn’t much of a change from the way it usually was at any other time she saw him.

“Oh, you’re Ryuunosuke’s father?” Oyuki said. She pulled out the small bag with the onigiri inside. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you from my friends. You know Benten, Ran and Lum, don’t you?”

Mr. Fujinami looked at Oyuki, with the kind of blank expression on his face that usually denoted that he didn't really care. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Oyuki," Oyuki said, "Ryuunosuke-kun's business partner. Princess of the planet Neptune." She gave Mr. Fujinami a polite smile. "I don't believe we've met."

Mr. Fujinami just looked at Oyuki in silence for a moment, before turning back to Ryuunosuke. "How dare you ditch your old man this way! You've turned your back on the Hamachaya!"

"It's not like the Hamachaya was any good when I was there!" Ryuunosuke said bitterly. "Now get out of line if you don't wanna buy anything!" Inwardly she braced for another fight. She wanted to stand her ground there, in front of the tiny little cart with Oyuki's personally made super-pure ice.

Behind Mr. Fujinami, several voices shouted out in assent: "The boy is right! Get the hell out!"

"Loser!"

"Jerk!"

"Fashion victim!"

Mr. Fujinami turned around to face the crowd gathering in front of him. For a moment, he stood completely still, not moving. One particularly burly looking man quickly got in his face, shouting so loud even Ryuunosuke's ears rang. But then he suddenly punched him hard in the face, sending the entire pile toppling backwards to the ground.

Mr. Fujinami turned back to Ryuunosuke, grinning. "Well, would you look at that? No more line!"

Oyuki's eyes hardened, focusing directly on Mr. Fujinami. "Fujinami-san, I'm not going to tolerate you trying to ruin our business like this." As she rose from her little folding chair, a cold chill swept around Ryuunosuke and Mr. Fujinami. The people around them quickly sensed that danger was coming, and made themselves scarce.

Ryuunosuke placed her hand on Oyuki's shoulder. "Don't bother. I'll handle this."

Oyuki blinked, surprised. Of course, for Oyuki that meant her eyes widening slightly.  The cold chill quickly faded away. "Do you really think so?" She looked over at Mr. Fujinami for a moment, before sitting back on the chair. "Fine, then. I'll have these onigiri while you take care of him."

Ryuunosuke just nodded, and approached her father, cracking her knuckles. "I don't expect you to come quietly. But I ain't letting you stick around and ruin my business!" She assumed a fighting stance, fists at the ready.

"You're still years away from being worthy to inherit the Hamachaya!" Mr. Fujinami sneered, sinking down into something like a White Crane stance. But being Mr. Fujinami, he probably didn't know jack about White Crane Kung Fu.

Ryuunosuke darted forward, punching at Mr. Fujinami, but he could dodge her blows effortlessly. She ducked forward, turning around into a sweep kick, only for him to leap over and try to deliver a diving kick at her head. She quickly twisted away from, rolling across the floor.

Mr. Fujinami leaped at Ryuunosuke, fist pulled back, but she was ready. She ducked beneath her father's punch, and surged forward, delivering an uppercut to his jaw. The feel of her knuckles hitting bone was so incredibly satisfying that Ryuunosuke almost forgot why she was fighting him in the first place. It was the moment where the thrill of the fight overtook everything.

Mr. Fujinami slammed onto his back hard on the pavement. But before Ryuunosuke could turn away, he rolled himself around, raising himself to his feet once more. "That was a good punch, Ryuunosuke... You're proving yourself to be a strong man, worthy of the Hamachaya..."

"I keep telling you," Ryuunosuke said angrily, "I'm a girl! I'll always be a girl! And I'm not  going to go along with your stupid little games anymore!" She stepped forward, fists clenching. "I can live for myself, now! No-one else, especially not you!"

Mr. Fujinami turned to give Ryuunosuke a sick smile. "You say that, but who prepared that onigiri you've been keeping in the cart all that time, so you wouldn't go hungry?" He pointed over at the cart.

Something about his words gripped Ryuunosuke, however. For most people, having your lunch made for you would be something nice and appreciable. But Ryuunosuke knew that her father wouldn't just make onigiri and leave it in the cart. Especially not if he didn't know that she was planning on borrowing the cart before she did it.

Ryuunosuke turned to look at the cart, and saw Oyuki collapsed on top, a half-eaten onigiri held limply in her hands. Her eyes widened in horror as clouds of steam started to seep out from under her kimono. "Oyuki-san?!" Her face seemed to have gone bright red, and drenched with water. And her hair, which looked almost solid before, now draped limply over her face, the ponytail almost completely loose.

Ryuunosuke turned back towards her father, but it was already too late: his fist smashed into her face as soon as she turned around, sending her slamming against the cart, knocking the onigiri out of Oyuki's fingers to land in her lap.

"Pathetic!" Mr. Fujinami grinned as he stood over Ryuunosuke. "I thought that my special Ghost Pepper Onigiri would have taught you a lesson directly." He looked over at Oyuki, gasping for air. "But it sure seems to have taught her just fine!"

Ryuunosuke looked down at the broken onigiri, revealing a strange dark red substance that definitely didn't look like salmon or cod roe to her. Almost immediately, the rage rose up within her, and all she could think of was teaching the old man a lesson.

Mr. Fujinami grabbed the side of the cart, only for Oyuki to grab his arms. He could only smirk as Oyuki rose up to glare at him, even though her grip felt so strangely hot, like she had put her hands in scalding hot water.

"I told you that I'm not going to tolerate you trying to ruin our business!" Oyuki said, her voice hoarse and deep. "You're going to regret crossing me like this!"

Mr. Fujinami cackled as he glared down at Oyuki. "Really? And what do you, pray tell, plan to do to me? You definitely don't look too good right now!"

Oyuki just scowled, and raised her hands up in front of Mr. Fujinami's face. And before he could even react, two wide jets of hot steam suddenly shot out from her palms, scalding his face.

Ryuunosuke could only watch as her father staggered backwards screaming and clutching at his face. He stumbled to the floor, rolling around, his face red raw. Nothing serious, but probably would need some medical attention.

Oyuki leaned heavily on the cart for balance, her eyes glassy. "It's such a hot day, isn't it...?" She gave Ryuunosuke a demure smile, even as her hair fell about her face as an utter mess.

Ryuunosuke quickly got to her feet as Oyuki slumped against the cart, grabbing her body. She flinched back as she felt near-burning heat on her palms, forcing her to grab her by the folds of her kimono. Panic gripped her tightly as she held on to her limp body, and she looked around, desperate to find help.

It must have either been sheer coincidence, or perhaps just fate, that Lum happened to be floating down the street towards the cart just as Ryuunosuke was at her most desperate hour. "Ryuunosuke! What's going on..." Then she noticed Oyuki's limp body, and swooped down to the cart. "Is that Oyuki?! What's she doing here?!"

"Lum!" Ryuunosuke circled around the cart towards the oni girl. "Oyuki and me were running this shaved ice stand, but my old man had hidden some Ghost Pepper Onigiri and she ate them and now she's dying and I dunno what to do and..." She started to hyperventilate, tears streaming from her face.

Lum quickly cracked Ryuunosuke hard on the head with a small wooden hammer. "Calm down, Ryuunosuke! Oyuki's not dying, she's just really overheated!" She looked over at Oyuki, a worried expression on her face. "Although if we leave her like this she's definitely not going to have a good time. An overheating Neptunian is gonna be really dangerous, for themselves and others…” She gave Ryuunosuke a grave look. “We gotta cool her down, quick!"

Ryuunosuke clutched at her throbbing head as Lum called her saucer over. Before she could even look up, the large shadow of Lum's saucer hung over their heads. Lum raised her arm up and snapped her fingers, and suddenly the three of them were bathed in a beam of light. Ryuunosuke found herself and Oyuki being gently lifted them up into the saucer.

Ryuunosuke found herself carrying Oyuki in her arms as Lum started filling a bath with cold water. She could only gaze down at the princess, her eyes shut tightly, her face flushed and hair loose. She could feel her heart ache as she gazed down. She was careless and she hurt somebody who didn't deserve it through the carelessness.

Lum quickly floated back over to Ryuunosuke. "The bath is ready! Help me get this kimono off and get her inside!" She tugged at Ryuunosuke, helping lead her into the bathroom.

But Ryuunosuke stared at Lum, eyes wide. "Get the kimono off?"

"Well, yeah!" Lum replied. "What you want to just dunk her in here fully clothed?! That's just gonna make an even bigger mess!"

Before Ryuunosuke could stop her, Lum had already pulled loose Oyuki's obi, unravelling it from her body. Ryuunosuke swallowed hard as the silk pooled around her feet, leaving just the kimono to cling limply to Oyuki's body. Ryuunosuke looked up at Lum once more, her face burning redder than ever.

Lum tilted her head at Ryuunosuke. "Are you alright, Ryuunosuke? You're looking pretty flushed right now."

Ryuunosuke shook her head violently. "It's okay! It's gonna be okay!" She could hear her voice cracking as she spoke. She shut her eyes and tugged the kimono from Oyuki's body, her skin feeling burning hot. Ryuunosuke winced at the heat before quickly lowering Oyuki into the cold bath, only stopping to make sure that she didn't hit her head on the edge.

"Careful, Ryuunosuke..." Lum said as she bent over the bath. "Keep her upright so she won't drown."

Ryuunosuke opened her eyes nervously. Oyuki lay inside the tub, her body still steaming, even as she lay in ice cold water. But her face was calm once more, almost at peace. Ryuunosuke sighed in relief, even as she kept her eyes firmly on the girl's face, not even daring to move lower.

Lum quickly stood up. "Looks like she'll be okay... I better get to the pilot's seat and bring this saucer round somewhere safer... Not to mention pick up that stupid cart." Before Ryuunosuke could say anything, Lum was already out of the bathroom, leaving her alone with Oyuki. Ryuunosuke glared at the door shutting behind Lum, before kneeling next to the bath.

How did Ryuunosuke get into this stupid situation? All she wanted to do was have a business of her own, one that wouldn't be ruined by her father, or any of the other weirdness that happened in Tomobiki. And now she was stuck watching over one of Lum's friends who her father nearly damn killed with his stupid pranks...

"Is she gone already?" Oyuki said quietly from beside Ryuunosuke. "I would have expected more of a fuss from Lum-chan..."

Ryuunosuke jerked her head up, and looked over at Oyuki, stretching languidly in her bath, which was steaming even more. "Y-you're awake! You're okay?" She sat there, her body rigid. She felt happy, but also nervous, being close to such a pretty woman without her clothes on.

"Of course I am..." Oyuki said softly, smiling at Ryuunosuke. "I'm deeply grateful for you and Lum-chan rescuing me. I could have never expected such gallantry from most of my other friends..."

Ryuunosuke flushed deeply, down to the roots. "It was nothing, okay?" She turned her face away, wanting to look somewhere else than anywhere in Oyuki's proximity. "I didn't want you to die out there, especially because of me!"

"My, such a modest girl you are," Oyuki giggled softly. "I hope you don't blame yourself for what happened to me. I knew as much about that onigiri as you did, after all." She moved closer to Ryuunosuke, leaning over the side of the tub, and Ryuunosuke swallowed hard, keeping her gaze away. "You're a shy one, aren't you? So much different from the impetuous youth that Lum and Benten speak of so much..."

Ryuunosuke tried her best to keep her gaze averted, even as Oyuki came closer. She wasn't going to look at Oyuki, she wasn't, she wasn't, she would not even try... She was going to ignore how her heart was hammering, the beat felt all over her body, as well as how close and breathy Oyuki's voice was becoming...

"It's quite alright, Ryuunosuke." Oyuki said quietly. "I understand if you don't want to seduce me, or be seduced. But you're welcome to ogle me at the very least, if you wish."

The heat of Ryuunosuke's blood spiked up, and she turned to glare at Oyuki. "Who the hell do you take me for?! A sleazy piece of trash like Moroboshi?! Huh?" But the glare melted in the matter of minutes it took for Ryuunosuke to take in Oyuki, leaning in close to her, her pale body so close that she could just touch...

Ryuunosuke swallowed hard once more. "What... Why are you so close to me...?"

Oyuki only smiled at Ryuunosuke. “Because I want to be, Ryuunosuke-kun. And I think you want me to be close to you, too.”

Ryuunosuke couldn’t argue with that. She slowly turned around to face Oyuki once more. “You really think so?”

Oyuki’s only response was to wrap her arms around Ryuunosuke’s shoulders, and draw her in for a loving kiss. When she pulled away, Ryuunosuke’s face was completely pink, which made Oyuki smile. “Care to join me for a bath? I think it should be just about hot enough now.”

Ryuunosuke blinked. “Hot enough?” She looked down at the water curiously, then stuck her hand in. She yelped and pulled her hand away. “It’s hot! But it was ice cold just a moment ago!”

Oyuki just smiled. “Well, all the excess heat from those onigiri had to go somewhere, didn’t they?” Then her eyes turned languid. “Well, aren’t you going to take a bath with me, or not?”

Ryuunosuke hesitated for a moment, but quickly stripped off. She got into the bath next to Oyuki, slowly easing into the hot water. As she did so, Oyuki settled in against her, an arm around her shoulders.

“Do you feel better now?” Oyuki asked, running her fingers through Ryuunosuke’s hair.

“Yeah…” Ryuunosuke replied, blushing deeply.

“Good.” Oyuki smiled, and leaned in to kiss Ryuunosuke’s lips again.

When Lum returned to the bathroom, she was surprised to see Ryuunosuke and Oyuki sharing the tub, curled around each other in a close embrace. Lum just sighed, and grabbed the bundle of clothes on the floor. “I’ll just go and wash these,” she sighed, hefting them up in her arms.

“Hey, Lum?” Ryuunosuke asked nervously. “Is the cart okay?”

Lum smiled nervously. “Of course, Ryuunosuke. If it wasn’t, Oyuki would probably kill me…” She quickly left the bathroom with the bundle of clothes, trying to ignore the very intense stare Oyuki was giving her.

[gingersnapwolves]

Kouri watches Only Friends, episode 8

Rebound relationships are a terrible idea you guys

Sand and Ray are breaking my heart!!!!!

Mew over here like ‘I’m just trying some self-destructive tendencies after you broke my heart and ruined my self-esteem, what’s the problem?’

Sand struggling so hard not to give into those puppy dog eyes lmao

Ray, you should really do some self-reflection about why you refuse to let Sand distance himself from you

“If you have a friend that likes old people” Papang please!!!! Why does Thai BL insist you are a Senior Citizen?????

Ray, listen, I love you, I really do, I’m rooting for you (and Sand) so please stop doing things like introducing your friend to cocaine

Oh the eventual blowout between Ray and Mew when Ray figures out he’s just doing all this to get back at Top is gonna be so fucked up

Well, that’s probably not fair, Mew’s also doing it to get over Top, and I do think he’s genuinely trying to give Ray a chance and it’s just not working. But either way the fallout is gonna be bad.

Nick what is you doing

Top being concerned about Mew’s behavior is like that ‘heartbreaking: the worst person you know just made a great point’ meme except that it’s Boston who’s the worst person that we know

Okay, I didn’t see it coming that Top would save Ray from the cops, that was pretty cool of him considering that it would’ve been better for him if Ray had been arrested

This show makes me SO glad not to be 19 anymore. Being 19 is exhausting.

Boston taking this golden opportunity to not be a douchebag for once, looking it in the eye, and then waving as it passes him by. At least he’s consistent????

[junker-town]

THIS WEEK IN SCHADENFREUDE, where Oklahoma’s loss to Iowa State exposes Lincoln Riley and two Stoops brothers in a far-reaching conspiracy

Why did Bob Stoops really retire? These fans have an idea. This is your weekly tour of the angriest in college football internet, also stopping briefly at Michigan.

Oklahoma is at it again.

By “it,” I mean losing games to double-digit underdogs, which the Sooners have now done in seven consecutive seasons. The latest installment: a 38-31 home loss to 31-point dog Iowa State on Saturday, the Cyclones’ first win against OU since 1990.

The Sooners tumbled from No. 3 in the AP Poll to 12th. They’ve gone from the inner circle of the Playoff picture to periphery. How’d Sooners fans take that?

Our first stop: the Sooners message board at LandThieves.

You’re aware that Oklahoma’s head coach is now Lincoln Riley. It is not Bob Stoops, who stepped away last summer after two decades on the job. Every indication is that Stoops left because he’d had enough of being OU’s head coach and thought the time was right to hand the reins to Riley. But one poster has another idea.

Oklahoma’s defensive coordinator is Mike Stoops, Bob’s brother. The Sooners’ defense has been mediocre for a while now, carried along by a consistently great offense. Calls for Bob to fire Mike were frequent during Bob’s years as head coach.

I Have A (Conspiracy) Theory...

Bob knew we weren't winning a title with Mike's defense.

He couldn't bring himself to fire Mike, however.

Instead of enduring another season of blame, he handed the keys to Riley--knowing the chances of going undefeated were very low.

That way, if Mike ****ed up he wouldn't have to flip the switch on his own brother.

Would I quit a job just to force someone else to fire my brother?

(Rhetorical question. I’m not answering it.)

The theory that Bob Stoops retired to get away from a hard decision about his brother is not all that much of a minority view.

This postgame thread from Rivals’ Sooner Scoop board posits a similar idea:

Conspiracy theory?

I spent the night reviewing recent happenings at OU, and OVERthinking them...

I continue to wonder how much being saddled with his Bro' had to do with Bob's sudden departure ...and NOW, if Boren's resignation plays a larger part than we realize...

I'm also questioning if yesterday's fiasco was actually a Trick Play...If so, it worked! Coach Campbell knew, on Monday, that his starting QB was out, but didn’t announce it until Friday. Very little available info’ on back-up QB…None on third stringer…No game film…No scouting report…No in-game adjustments, which seems to be a Stoops Brother’s trait, and there you have a sure fire recipe for a major failure…

Could it be a very real possibility that somehow, The Russians are behind the entire Scenario?

And at SB Nation’s Crimson And Cream Machine:

Has anyone reached out to the other Stoops brother? WHAT DOES MARK STOOPS KNOW, AND WHEN DID HE KNOW IT?

There’s also some worry about the ramifications of “striping the stadium,” when some Memorial Stadium sections wear crimson and others wear cream.

The Sooners went with that on Saturday and it didn’t achieve the desired effect of producing a win.

Stop "striping" the f'n stadium!!!

OU is guaranteed to lay a giant stinking turd when they do this crap. And burn those ****ing red on red unis.

Or maybe Oklahoma could take a more mild step toward reform.

Stripe the stadium

Can we only do this when Kansas is in Norman?

That seems like a sensible compromise.

There’s also a deeply NSFW “roll call” thread where everyone just says how they’re dealing with this devastating loss.

Some of the notable coping mechanisms:

“I’m thinking of starting drugs ... Not sure alcohol is gonna work for this”

“I picked a bad day to stop smoking crack.”

“if our DC can do it on gameday, why can't we?”

“Hey, to top the day off, my wife is in the other room watching romcoms and griping at me about my diet, and I lost 12 pounds in the past 3 weeks. She is also a NYer and doesn't get up for this. My stepson is, but he is working as a DJ at a radio station in NJ right now, and has no idea what happened. He said ‘I think I will get some more hours in since we are playing ISU at home this week.’”

“Anyone know a good place to bury a body? Asking for a friend.”

Glad to see everything’s fine.

R/Sooners was basically just a Fire Mike Stoops battleground.

Just before 7 p.m. ET on Sunday.

“YOU HAVENT MADE A GOOD ALBUM SINCE ROLL THE BONES,” one thread reads.

Another says the Sooners have now achieved MEME STATUS:

It's sad. Team had a bye week to prep for a game they were predicted to win by 5 touchdowns, even in light of the fact they barely squeaked by Baylor 2 weeks prior. And what happens? They lose it.

Playoff hopes are gone and the team has meme status for the rest of the season.

That and Riley's honeymoon period is definitely over. Out of his last two games, both of which should have been easy wins, Riley barely won one and lost the other at home to a team Stoops never lost to.

I'm sure Texas is smelling blood after today. They're going to come after us like animals next week, and in it's current state, this team won't be able to handle it.

I’m now going to look at Mike Stoops’ Twitter mentions.

People have been unsparing.

Funniest thing I’ve read all day is that coach @OU_CoachMike makes $920,000 a year. What an embarrassment

— Alex Bailey (@Ginobailey94) October 8, 2017

Starting a petition for @OU_CoachMike to be fired ☺️

— kaylie rae (@kaylieraeliegh) October 7, 2017

starting a petition to get @OU_CoachMike fired

— jake hattey (@hatteyjake1) October 8, 2017

(That’s gonna be a lot of petitions.)

@OU_CoachMike dude.

— Cody Houdmann (@cjhoud) October 8, 2017

Have you blocked me back yet? @OU_CoachMike

— Christian Black (@_OnceYouGoBlack) October 8, 2017

@OU_CoachMike why can’t you be more like your brother?

— Nemo Hoes (@YungTrap6God) October 8, 2017

I'm not paying my bursar balance knowing a portion of it goes to @OU_CoachMike

— Joe Shelley (@JoeShelley_7) October 8, 2017

@OU_CoachMike you couldn't defend your mom.

— John McMahan (@johnnydmcmahan) October 7, 2017

Too far.

The Fire Mike Stoops train is also rolling furiously down the tracks on Facebook. I’ve never seen an outburst quite this strong for a coordinator firing.

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I will no longer emotionally invest in OU football until someone grows the balls to fire Mike Stoops Sadly, I'm not surprised yet again #firemikestoops

Publié par Brandy Kirkpatrick sur samedi 7 octobre 2017

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Possibly unpopular opinion. 1.) Fire Mike Stoops 2.) Fire Strength & Conditioning Coach. 3.) Fire tackling...

Posted by Jason Myrick on Saturday, October 7, 2017

Once you’ve gone after the strength coach, you’ve passed the point of no return.

Oklahoma wore all red, which it never does.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

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Fire Mike Stoops and lose the crimson pants. No pants are better than crimson pants.

Posted by Christopher Moon on Saturday, October 7, 2017

This guy has been through an almost unimaginable hell:

My condolences.

Also:

@OU_CoachMike you are the worst thing to happen to OU football. Brent Venables takes shits that could coach better than you

— Jake Kouri (@jakekouri10) October 7, 2017

Finally, let’s take a quick look at Michigan internet, after the Wolverines lost yet again as a favorite to Michigan State.

A Redditor at r/MichiganWolverines saw John O’Korn throw a trio of interceptions and started feeling things for former QB Jake Rudock:

r/MichiganWolverines

I’m not sure what’s more brutal toward Michigan’s offensive line: the joke here, or the first response to it at the bottom:

r/MichiganWolverines

And someone thought in serious detail about Michigan’s similarities to Jay Gatsby.

So We Beat On

As I write this, fighting back the urge to puke from last night's drinking binder, from the corner of my eye, I see a book at the edge of my desk. That damn book. I've written a ton about it the last semester for college. I'm sick of it, but The Great Gatsby is consuming my life so I must share the burden with you.

"Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year receeds before us. It eluded us then, but that's no matter- tomorrow we will run faster, strech our arms further... And one fine morning-"

A lot has changed over the course of just a few years. Juggling school, work, and two children, things don't get much more hectic. Life has a way of shuffling your priorities for you, against your will. However, amidst the pressure of everyday life, in the forefront of a country in social turmoil, one thing remains a constant: Michigan. I make time for it. I forcably shove it into the spinning cogs that move my life forward every Saturday. Everything stops for three hours. The chaos around me is nullified to a dull hum in the background. I could search the very depths of my conciousness to find something that compares to this unique passion of mine, but it would be to no avail. No matter the consequences. I'm still here.

The Great Gatsby, if you're familiar with it, is a tragedy. F. Scott Fitzgerald writes of our passion to recapture the past. To re-create the moments lost in memory. As it goes, this passion is ultimately damaging. No matter how hard you try to grab the ever-fleeting past, you'll walk away defeated and demoralized.

Michigan football seems to be doing the same, stuck in the realm of past glory. We as fans push this notion all the time. Perhaps if we merely accept that things are different now, we can truely move forward to capture a new essance of glory.

Forget about yesterday, forget about capturing the past. Focus upon today, where challenges await in the future. And put some damn steel in your spine.

"So we beat on".

And so Michigan beats on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into a tie with Maryland for fourth place in the Big Ten East.