#like what if its just another sunny ep?

[vicvinegarandhughhoney]

If tomorrow's ep doesn't end with Dennis sobbing on the beach and Mac coming up to him to offer a tissue I AM GOING TO SCREAMMMMMM

[marsbotz]

rewatching nature i dont want to make one billion posts abt it so heres alllllll my nature thoughts as we go lets go wheeeeeee

[itzsana-kiddingmenow]

Lee! Jay Ler! Enha

Okay— In like En'o'clock ep. 26 they played that game where you press down the teeth on the crocodile. Ot7 decided to play another game off camera and Jay lost ^^

I've been requesting sm Enha recently apologies 🥲

𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙤:

𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨: 700

𝙖/𝙣: my bias wrecker EEEE you guys are probably so tired of my crappy fic names LMAO

𝙩/𝙬: rough tickles 🫠

𝒍𝒆𝒆: jay

𝙡𝙚𝙧: enhypen

𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒕: @someone-who-loves-kpop-saranghae @jeonginsdiary @leeknowstan33 @v--143 @wereallgonnadieonedaybutnottoday @inkytornpagess @lajanaa @a-wild-seungberry @channieissocute125 @soap143 @seungsluvv @skznccmlee @moony-9 @sunny-117

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞? 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐮𝐛s 🐾

Jungwon gingerly pressed another tooth in the tiny crocodile’s mouth, the toy shaking, but not snapping shut. 

After the scene filmed of them playing the crocodile game, the group had decided to play it separately in their own time. 

“Your turn!” Sunoo called, Sunghoon was giggling suspiciously as Jay examined the two leftover teeth on the crocodile toy. 

It was a 50/50 chance, either he won or he didn’t. Jay shut his eyes and pressed one with a wince, almost letting out a cheer of victory until the toy snapped down on his finger. 

“No!” He gasped, and Heeseung suddenly had the idea to throw himself onto the younger and knock him to the floor. 

“Now Jay lost, and that means he gets a punishment.” The oldest announced. Jay began to squirm away, eyes widening in horror as the other members approached him with a grin. 

“W-Wait!! What punishment?!” He squealed cutely when his arms and legs were stretched apart, extended away from each other. 

Jay only realized he was completely immobile by the time Heeseung’s fingers met his lower sides, and his face immediately contorted into what looked like a painful smile as he struggled to hold in his inevitable laughter. 

The American kicked out lightly behind Heeseung’s back, the oldest moving his fingers further up to slip his cold hands under Jay’s shirt, scribbling along the boy’s bare sides. 

Jay whimpered, staring at the eldest pleadingly as all the other members cooed at him from the sidelines. 

“Look! He’s trying so hard to hold it in!” Jake laughed, Sunoo flushing red at the sight of the fingers wiggling along Jay’s bare body. 

“What if I…” Sunghoon slipped a finger up Jay’s socked foot, causing the older to jerk harshly with a held back smile. 

When Heeseung’s fingers moved higher to the bottoms of his ribs, Jay punched the floor with his clenched fists, closing his eyes and straining hard. 

He broke out into an unwanted smile when Sunghoon continued his slight movements along his feet, and a small giggle made its way through his barricade. 

“Awe, he finally giggled a bit!” Jungwon smiled softly as Jay bucked up desperately at the light scribbling at his ribs, but it was all over the moment Heeseung reached his armpits. 

Jungwon grabbed his arms and tightened them over his head just as Jay screamed with laughter, throwing his head back and letting out every noise he had tried to hold back. Laughter, crazed giggles, loud screams, you name it. 

“NAAAHAHAHAHA!! NO PLEASE—LEHEHEAVE ME AHAHALONE!!” He pleaded, the massaging into his sensitive pits drove him absolutely crazy. 

“No can do.” The leader above his head responded. 

Niki decided to join in, squishing at the older’s sides and scribbling over his belly, causing Jay to squeal defeatedly. 

More and more hands joined in, and Jay was dying. The boy had a bright red face, tears streaming down his cheeks, eyes crinkled up from his bright smile, and the loudest, most hysterical laughter the members had ever heard from him. 

“STAHAHAHAHA—GUHUHUYS PLEHEHEHEASE I GIHIHIHIVE!!”

Jay gasped when the fingers eased up into lightly scribbling over his body, a break compared to the roughness of the tickles he had just been given. 

“Nohoho plehehease nohoho mohohohore!!” Jay giggled, a heartwarming smile on his face and cheeks a cute shade of red. 

“Pleeeaase?~” Niki pleaded, but the older shook his head, fully tapping out. 

Everyone let go of him, and the boy slumped exhaustedly underneath them. “Soho meaann…” He panted. 

“Sorry, hyung. But you lost.” Sunoo laughed. 

All the boys exchanged glances, and before Sunoo knew it, he was being chased across the dorm, pleading for mercy from his inevitable punishment. 

[married-2-the-music]

K-pop Discography Deep Dives: Gfriend

A Disclaimer: I was planning, when I first started Tumblr, to be a lurker, but then I began an office job and needed something to listen to to keep myself occupied. And then, I started going through entire K-pop groups’ repertoires, album by album, and jotting down my thoughts. And then, I stumbled into K-pop tumblr and decided, you know what, there’s at least four people on this hell site who would read in depth rants about these discographies and at least five who wouldn’t read it and then get mad because it’s kind of our job as K-pop fans. My lukewarm takes should be taken with an entire silo of salt and the knowledge that this is completely for fun and occupying my very bored, very neurodivergent brain. With that being said, enjoy!

So, let me lay out my credentials for Gfriend: I’ve been a Buddy since I stumbled across MAGO in a compilation in 2020 or so, and needless to say I was crushed to find out that they disbanded. I still consider myself a Buddy, and in the last few years, I’ve listened to all their title tracks and a decent amount of b-sides. So, this deep dive is less of me getting into a new band and more of me seeing…hmm what else can I discover? Obviously, a lot of bias is involved here.

Gfriend debuted in 2015, in the heyday of 3rd generation, with a “schoolgirl” concept not unlike their peers Lovelyz, TWICE, and WJSN. Also, as a side note, their intros are all great, even from the beginning, and I wish that more of the interesting quirks that make them so great carried through into the rest of the songs.

Their first song, Glass Bead, has more of a classical spin than I remembered from their earlier work, and I enjoyed it, Me Gustas Tu, and Rough more on re-listen. Glass Bead is sweet: it’s good, but to someone who’s listened to as much k-pop as I have, it doesn’t stand out as very unique. From the album, Neverland is pretty good too.

Me Gustas Tu’s intro starts with gentle water and the song itself continues the feeling with an overall sunny vibe; it’s another nice one, but another that feels like a lot of others. As a hidden gem, Under The Sky has great drive and payoff, and would’ve made a better title track in my opinion.

I know a lot of people absolutely adore Rough. I’m…not one of them. Don’t get me wrong; Yuju’s belted power notes are always a pleasure, and her voice with the electric guitars makes such an excellent contrast. Eunha’s high voice also stands out, but Umji’s, Yerin’s, SinB’s, and Sowon’s are great too, and their different tones all harmonize well together.

I wish that the energy of the rock guitar or the orchestra carried through more, because there’s something about the song that doesn’t feel fully realized and I can’t say what it is. Rough is less a moment of standing apart from their peers and more a very gentle sidestep—but definitely a marker of what’s to come. Hidden gems from this album are definitely Say My Name and Someday, the second of which uses the classical touches quite well.

Their first few titles are a bit formulaic, but Navillera, despite at first fitting it, has much more drive and heft, and by the time we reach the guitar solo and the accompanying power note, it feels earned. It takes the best parts of the previous songs and melds them together into something great. I confess that I know this song by heart, and all in all, it’s an early highlight that I find myself liking more each time. Hidden gems from this album include Mermaid and Compass (with a special shout out to the harmonica in Distance).

Fingertip picks up where Navillera left off, with a good sense of humor in its 80’s action movie spoofing. It has one of the few dance breaks I adore, and I found myself bopping my head. And the catharsis! One of the things I love most about k-pop is when songs build to a point where everything just lights up, and Fingertip has this in spades. My hidden gem for this EP is definitely Crush.

Next up is a return to form in Love Whisper, which feels very much like Spring, and has a calming energy, but the song itself isn’t anything trailblazing. It’s a bit meandering and the orchestra isn’t used enough for me. It’s also a lot like Me Gustas Tu, which again, doesn’t mean that either is a bad song, but it does mean that both stick out less.

Summer Rain also has a nice opening, but it feels more dramatic and symphonic, which sets it apart from the rest of Gfriend’s songs at this point. It isn’t my favorite either, but I like it more than Love Whisper, Glass Bead, Me Gustas Tu, and Rough, which I classify in the same category. From the album, Rainbow is the definite winner, with Red Umbrella close behind.

Sunny Summer offers a different view of the same season; it’s upbeat and while carrying through the youthful energy of their earlier work, something about it also feels more grown up, as though a goodbye to their younger selves.

I’m probably reading way too much into what should be a fun song, but it reminds me of the feeling of a last summer vacation after high school and before adulthood. Either way, I’d say that my hidden gem from this album is Vacation (for its boundless energy)

With Time For The Moon Night comes the second big shift in Gfriend’s sound and the start of a new era. The intro, Daytime, sounds right out of a Disney movie, and the song delivers. It begins peacefully, and eventually gently glides into an introspective sort-of ballad that toes the line between sad and hopeful. The whole album is honestly great, and my favorite of the EPs so far.

That being said, I’d like to take a moment of your time to discuss Bye, which may be my favorite of Gfriend’s b-sides. It’s a ballad, yes, but so much more. It blends a full orchestra, an electric guitar, and some of Gfriend’s most affecting vocal work to date. All in all, it’s one of those album tracks that could’ve made an excellent single, and I’m so glad I rediscovered it in my deep dive, because I may or may not have replayed it three times.

Sunrise, perhaps appropriately, feels like Time For The Moon Night’s opposite twin, with lyrics that are just as sad combined with a far more hopeful and well…sunny spin on it. It’s many people’s favorite Gfriend song, and while it isn’t mine, I can’t deny that those choruses, especially the final one, is a hell of a knock-out.

Memoria, while technically a b-side, is also a Japanese single, but it’s so ethereal and lovely that it deserves a shout out. Hidden gems from this album include Only 1, and A Starry Night, but the stand-out has to be You Are Not Alone, both for the adorableness that is the title and for the surprisingly poignant follow-through.

Fever is a departure from the sound Gfriend’s been cultivating and seems like a bit of an odd choice. It’s not a bad song but it’s not great either; it’s pleasant, but it slips in and out of the ears, without any staying power. The girls’ voices feel underutilized, which is unusual for them, and I’ll never understand the impulse to have an anti-drop rather than a power note. I don’t have a hidden gem for this album, but I did like the whistling in Smile.

This album also highlighted something I’ve noticed: a lot of Gfriend’s b-sides start out with a really unique or interesting instrumental (like Smile) but don’t carry it through to the rest of the song, and thus leave it sounding like a lot of other songs.

Flower is the one song I really did like from the album, although it’s a Japanese single and so not technically a b-side. It also takes Gfriend’s music in a different direction (in this case, tango) but the gamble pays off! It’s a pretty good song; not their best, but a nice break.

After this, we finally reach the Modern Witch Trilogy, what I would consider their Magnum Opus, and unfortunately, the end of their time as a six-person group. Each part of the trilogy is magical in its own way: Crossroads is classical and grounded in emotion, Apple is ethereal and delightfully entrancing, and MAGO is empowering and warm at the same time.

The first song of the trilogy is Crossroads, which is definitely the most melancholy of their titles, finally giving the orchestra time to shine. The song’s best moment is undoubtedly the short section of a-capella before the last chorus’ soaring take-off, with the girls’ voices absolutely feeling like some sort of desperate plea to the stars.

My hidden gem for this album is definitely Labyrinth, which, in a 2023 world, I could totally see being a pre-release with a music video; not a title track instead of Crossroads, but with it. Here We Are is great too, and the other b-sides hold their own.

Next in the trilogy is Apple, which simply oozes magic and power. At first, I worried that it would be another Fever with a nothing chorus, but it proved me wrong! It doesn’t quite have a climax but it’s still absolutely engaging and unique.

This is another great album, and it was so hard to pick a hidden gem. The trio of the electro Eye of The Storm, the ballroom waltz of Room of Mirrors, and the dance floor of Tarot Cards are pretty neck-and-neck. But if I had to choose, Room of Mirrors is my favorite.

And at last, we reach MAGO! MAGO is, I’ll be honest, one of my all-time favorite k-pop songs (we’re talking Top 10), and I’ve loved it since I first heard it. To say everything I want to say would take forever, but if I had to name a few, here we go. The song has such great drive and heft and never stops moving, even when it slows down a little. It explodes with confidence and self-expression, and it’s a song that stands out because that empowerment doesn’t fall flat.

There are so many good songs from this album too: the rock in Love Spell, the brightness in Three Of Cups, and the R&B in Secret Diary, but my favorite without a doubt is Wheel Of The Year. Look, I’m a total sap, and it’s the exact kind of song that I adore: sad and happy, hopeful, emotional, inspiring, and all about the power of friendship. In the wake of their disbandment, it’s hard not to see this as a lovely farewell, to both the fans and each other.

It’s hard to overstate how much I adore the Modern Witch Trilogy. All three of these titles also feel so…queer to me? Obviously, as a queer woman, everything I view is through a queer lens, but between the found family separated in Crossroads, the forbidden temptation of witches in Apple, and the all-female be-yourself disco club in MAGO, I don’t think I’m reading too much into this. But I’d love to hear other opinions on this.

My top 5 songs are MAGO, Wheel Of The Year, Fingertip, Crossroads, and Bye. But I loved their whole discography, and as much as I ragged on Fever, there weren’t any songs I actually disliked, and it would be a highlight in a less incredible body of work. I’m also Wiccan, and the Wheel Of The Year is such an important thing for us that it felt like it was made just for me. I admit, when I started writing about their later songs, I even got a bit emotional and even more when I found out that the members themselves helped write some of them.

Gfriend, to the surprise of no one, gets a 9.5/10 from me. I can’t really imagine a discography more suited to me personally, although I think that anyone who appreciates great voices, disco, orchestral spins, or witches would find something to love here too. The only reason the score isn’t higher is because I haven’t done that many deep dives yet and I want to leave some room, lol.

So, I’ll see you next time, for a boy group!

[thesherrinfordfacility]

hello! just saw your tags on the post regarding Crowley's sunnies changing after e2, saying the sunglasses theory isn't dead. I've not heard of this one before, would you mind explaining it? much love ❤️

LMAO hi @doctorqueensanatomy, strap yourself in it's a wild ride!!!✨

so, i noticed from the trailer and some photos that we got that crowley seemed to swap sunglasses and sideburn lengths during different points/promos, and basically came up with this. i felt it was indicative of a timeskip, and given that the trailer gave us the 'im back' scene, i thought a timeskip somewhere in the show would be because they'd had an earlier falling out, possibly related to gabriel.

now the loml Laure, @theeminentlyimpractical, added to it (there are multiple of our back-and-forth rbs in the thread!!!) and backed it up with more promos and 'evidence', and we looked into all the content we had pre-s2, to try piecing it together. unfortunately, we couldnt fully establish a timeline from what we had, because there would be some random scenes where crowley had different-length sideburns all with the same ep.

then more clips came out, and it mucked up the theory further - but also then s2 got released and it threw it completely out the window. iirc, neil was even asked about it - and said a) the snake moves with the hairline, it likes to be visible, and b) crowley essentially just switched up what he wanted to wear (ie sunglasses) on different days/at different points.

so there hasnt, beyond that, been a clear explanation. the issue we had though is that this is prime. even given when the show was filmed, the attention to detail by and large has been intricate and accurate, a real testament to the talent and love for the show involved.

neil has admitted in other asks to some goofs in accuracy (most recent i think concerned the record that aziraphale has - which doesn't have the correct hole size for jukebox play, but also the clock in the background of the kiss having a continuity error), but crowley is a main character. he has a heck of a lot of screentime - so to me, it's either:

david may have been lined up for another job necessitating different hair and some of the scenes where he has different length sideburns might have been filmed later on in AP, or scenes were shot out of sequence and the ones where he has longer sideburns were filmed towards the end (and hence when david might have been going into another role). and its explained as a character quirk

something fishy is going on but is a major part of s3 and can't be spoiled.

im mindful to respect the show with the view that i find it hard to believe it's something they'd miss, as amazing as the whole team evidently is... but at the same time, i can't imagine how tough filming was during COVID, and therefore am somewhat happy to just have it be canon that crowley is just That Guy.

hope that explains somewhat!!!✨

[existentialmagazine]

Review: Empowering listeners, the vibrant pop artist Lucy Crisp shares her new infectiously upbeat anthem ‘Locked Down’ laced with an inspiring message

Since her 2020 debut, Lucy Crisp has found herself pouring her infectious activism into songs that cannot help but delve deep within. As this Nottingham-based pop singer and songwriter uses her personal experience of living with Cystic Fibrosis as a core part of her empowerment, she seeks to create a safe space for her fans to feel comfortably vulnerable. Now sharing her second track from her upcoming debut EP ‘65 Roses’, Lucy proudly bares yet another parallel of sunny sound with more meaning seeping within in ‘Locked Down.’

Bright and vibrant in aura right from its shimmering beginnings, ‘Locked Down’ makes sure to shine into your eardrums straight from pressing play. Dancing in through a bedroom pop and synth pop daze, Lucy immediately clasps around you with a dominant scattered electronic beat you won’t be able to shake yourself free from. Slowly building with the addition of colourful drawn-out guitar strums, the easy-going lacing of sound entices you in and never lets you go. Complemented gorgeously with Lucy’s confidently soaring vocals, her clean and powerful words ensure they’ll be ringing through your mind long after pressing play, urging you sing along before you even know the words. Driving dominant beats climb in for the choruses push, a crash of momentum that’ll see you dancing along at full force. Allowing Lucy to stretch her vocals even more prominently, the chorus bursts from the seams and flows emphatically with the addition of heavenly backing vocal harmonies. Progressively building as things progress forwards, the track slowly incorporates more and more sparkling layers of sound, an arrangement of electronic subtleties made even more grand by their entwining. There’s not a second of ‘Locked Down’ you won’t feel completely inspired by, as Lucy serenades you with the most addictive of musical concoctions.

Filled with pick-me-up optimism, Lucy writes ‘Locked Down’ with an empowering message of feeling unstoppable despite any adversities. Without allowing any limitations to be placed upon her, Lucy found herself reflecting on her feelings amidst the COVID-19 lockdown as someone with a disability, striving to not allow anything to stop her thriving. As she opens with the all-too relatable line ‘I’ve been stuck in a game for the past two years, nothing has ever stayed the same’, Lucy not just delves into her own experiences but seeks you to do the same, allowing yourself the grace for going through an unexpected few years of tumultuous times. Finding herself longing for company, lyrics like ‘everyone disappeared, had to hold back the tears’ perhaps don’t just relate to COVID’s interjection but also the loss of her friends that have moved away and started anew. Double-edged nods like ‘I’m not the person I used to be’ carry both the sadness of what has been lost and the growth of who she has become all in one, stronger and self-empowered but in ways still mourning who she once was. Continuing ‘one day I’ll leave this town and nothing can stop me now’, Lucy finds herself looking within and not allowing anything to hold her back from what she wants. Refusing to be stuck behind while everyone else moves forward, Lucy embraces every part of herself and her identity, feeling only more fuelled by the adversities she faces that she continues to prove cannot restrict her immense talents from exceeding well above and beyond.

Check out ‘Locked Down’ here for a definite mood booster filled with contagious lyrics and technicolour sounds!

Written by: Tatiana Whybrow

Photo Credits: Unknown

// This coverage was supported and created via Musosoup, #SustainableCurator.

[ladystoneboobs]

8 TV shows to get to know me better

i was tagged by @isitcasualnow. here goes.

friday night lights-i'd just always like more people to watch this to grow the fanbase, which was small enough when it was still airing. so that every season until the last two we had good reason to think it was cancelled until a last minute turnaround. a teen drama set apart bc it was anchored by two parents and that actually worked. one of the last great network tv dramas, even accounting for a weird turn in the end of s1-early s2. as a lifelong tx resident (tho not in a small town thank god) a lot of it does ring true to me, and the little things that don't used to drive me crazy. disclaimer that i have no interest in nonfictional usamerican football and every game i attended was a purely social occasion, esp since our hs team sucked.

yellowjackets-the only currently running show i am willing to hunt down unofficial ways to watch each ep right after it comes out. that's a recommendation for you when roku has made me lazy and spoiled about wanting to watch stuff on an actual tv screen. it's girls going wild lord of the flies-style and milfs doing crime, something for everyone.

the simpsons-esp the golden years in like s1-10. i still watch this pretty much every day through the beauty of syndication.

jeopardy!-another show my family has watched every day for decades. you should still be able to find some of the old alex trebek ep on youtube.

er-if fnl was one of the final new great network tv dramas, er was one of the last running with 15 seasons. i dipped sometime after s10 but came back near the end. i used to sneak out from my room to watch this show in the living room with my mom as a little kid. the first two seasons of er and the fnl boxset are the only tv i've bought on dvd. which should tell you something tho it's all kinda unusable now.

degrassi: tng-esp the original classes of '06 and '07. a cringe interest i am old enough to admit to now, having been involved in the fandom ironically back then on multiple forums where we both discussed and made fun of the show. i'm sure it still has plenty of unintentional entertainment value, and its precursors, djhs and dhs are what we have to thank for bh90210 and every usamerican teen drama that came after.

it's always sunny in philadelphia-curse the fx/hulu deal for making this harder to find elsewhere. i still remember when it was on netflix.

derry girls-only 3 seasons as uk show that's not downton abbey or midsomer murders or the like, but i've the entire run on netflix multiple times now

[major-victory]

So now that I've finished season 1 of bnha, I wanna try and do a little analysis of what I do/don't like about it, or in otherwords: despite being a flashy action shounen with a fun basic hook that is well drawn and voice acted, why does it lose me?

I can't add a readmore, so bear with me here

Overall

I overall like the show a good bit. Switching over to English has definitely made it more engaging for me, though it is Entirely Possible that it's primarily due to Chris Sabat carrying it for me personally. But all of the actors are great, theyre well suited to their roles, and they feel well directed. (And I'm not biased at all that I hear Saitou when Chris speaks shut up, im sorry my fave role of his is such a small one when the man literally voiced in DBZ)

The hook IS genuinely fun. I LOVE the concept of a kid showing such an urgent desire to help that he inspired a known pro hero to push himself as well, and I am always weak for Strong OP Master accidentally adopting a kid that he initially wrote off, but in such a way that he would Kill for said child. Better still when, in order to make the child his apprentice, he gives the child a piece of his own power (see: the breaker for another fun example of this narrative) and this ends up hurting him down the line.

Animation

The animation is also very fun. They let these kids make Great Expressions -- lots of wrinkles and lines, over exaggerated when necessary to drive home the intensity. The action and posing is fun, tons of foreshortening, great camera angles for a lot of the fights.

So with all of that being as fun as it is, I think it loses me in 2 places: narrative and lighting.

Narrative

Basically -- the pacing just feels Off. I think I'm not a huge fan of introducing shigaraki so early in the game, instead of having no build up to them as a threat, and then turning around and going into the sports fest... it isn't even whiplash, it just doesn't feel like those arcs were supposed to come one after the other like that. Like there should have been an arc before USJ that helped ramp things up a bit more, made the USJ bit feel more impact full. In stead it just punched you in the arm, said "Jah! Bet that was scary" then ran off leaving you more confused why you were punched in the arm at all.

Lighting

Lighting really just boils down to All These Scenes Look The Same. They all have the same lighting intensity and shadow placements, every scene is as saturated as the last. Even the shots of Deku in the night, or Deku leaving school at sunset have largely similar lighting, it's just the color itself that is off.

There is only 1 scene I can recall in those first 15 eps (I'm 2 eps into season 2 so shh) that had any distinct lighting: the scene where Deku completes his beach cleaning and the sun is still rising. It created a fun back-lit effect on him, and was gorgeous when combined with the raw emotion and his scream. Loved That.

But there were other opportunities to use lighting just as dramatically, especially in the USJ battle sequences, when Shigaraki first appears. This is such a terrifying, heavy set of fights, but the whole time its illuminated like it's just a sunny day. There's no dramatic shadows that obscure half a characters face, no fun colorful spec lighting to help them stand out against the combat around them. They just look the same as they do in any other scene. I think, writing about this now, that has a huge impact on the fact that these fights are occasionally losing me. They're fun they're fast, theyre flashy, and I like that, but they don't look any different.

That said, I know there's a few scenes later in the show that look to change this up a bit, but I'm not sure when they do, or how often either.

[theshy1sout]

Red Son little meow meow

one of these silly ideas idk how to explain myself

this is what happens after season 3 episode 10 and shut up about canon in the next eps xd I'm glad i did post it before the final of season 3

enjoy!

___________________________________________

Everything hurts.

Mei turns around to lie on her back. She stretches her arms, feeling her butt, her neck and legs all in pain. The blanket she slept on didn’t really do its job. Mei wishes her body will get used to the hard cave's ground one day.

At least the pillow is soft and comfy. At least she has her dragon plushie. She squeezes it gently, making it squeak softly. The toy has never been so important to her. She carries it almost everywhere like a green fluffy cure for all dark thoughts that still are boiling in her head. The plush is the only thing she owns now, and she can't hug it without thinking about someone who wandered half a world to give her it back. Someone the least expected, but now her only hope for things to get better. Mei squeezes the dragon gently once again. She's not alone.

Mei opens her eyes and looks around.

A little smile appears on her face when her sight finds Red Son sitting nearby on his own blanket. He's chewing something in silent concentration, green leafy plant sticks from his hand.  She sits up and yawns loudly.

- Good morning - The dragon girl shares her sunny smile with the demon.

Red Son raises his eyes at her and nods simply. With one shake of his head he points at something next to her blanket. She turns around.

- Breakfast - A rough mumble leaves his full mouth. - Enjoy

Mei frowns at him, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. The little harshness in Red Son's tone doesn't sound natural, even for the demon. Only now she notices that his small glasses hide bags under his eyes.

- How was your sleep?

- Good - He throws briefly, biting the plant from his hand. - Better than yesterday.

Mei gives him a gaze full of worry. Last night she lost control of Samadhi during her sleep and Red Son stayed awake for hours to keep her calm. Luckily today she slept the whole night without any fire attack. She hoped it would let him make up for lost sleep, but his oddly exhausted face makes her doubt it. She frowns at the thing in his hand, recognizing it suddenly.

- Peppermint?

- I like how it tastes - He says and grimaces with another bit of the plant.

- Okay… - Mei grabs a roll from the breakfast plate. - You don't eat breakfast with me?

- Nah.

He doesn't really look at anything specific. His sight is blank and vacant. Mei bites her roll, pinning him with the firm sight of her jade green eyes.

- Did you sleep? - She asks with a fake careless tone.

Red Son doesn't answer.

- You didn't sleep??

- I couldn’t let you have another attack in the middle of the night! - He bursts out.

- But you also have to sleep!

- I don't - His chin raises proudly. - I'm a demon, I can function without sleep for a whole week.

Mei skeptical glances at the bags under his eyes.

- Oh, really?

He looks away, twisting his mouth with discontent.

- You have to sleep - Mei rubs her face with one hand. She puts the roll back in its place, she's just too angry and worried to eat right now. - You can’t train me if you’re in this condition.

- I can - Red Son takes another bite of peppermint and almost chokes with disgust. - I had to be awake in case you lose control of Samadhi during the sleep. I didn't want the situation from yesterday to happen again

- But I'm calmer after our training yesterday. I didn't have an attack this night.

- But what if you had, huh? - The demon points at her with the plant.

- Look, I really appreciate you care about me so much - Her hand gently takes the peppermint from his hand. - But you also have to care about yourself.

Red Son doesn’t answer. His eyelids move slowly in a half-conscious blink as he watches her putting the plant away from him.

- Do you at least eat anything? Other than this?

The demon’s sight wanders about for a long moment before it finally finds her eyes.

- Okay, that’s it - Her voice is firm as she stands up. - You’re going to sleep NOW

- What? - His eyebrows frown as if she tells some not funny joke. - No! You can't force me to do that

- Lie down - Mei orders.

- No.

- Lie down.

- I'm not gonna…

- I SAID LIE DOWN

Red Son shrinks, widening his eyes. He groans and splits out the rest of the peppermint he has in his mouth. His body falls loosely on his blanket. His face frowns as he huffs like a sulking prince. He is lying calm and very still, not daring to move, or maybe not having the energy to move. His red hair is still tied in a big fluffy ponytail and his glasses are still on his nose. At least he wore pajama last evening so he won’t sleep in his coat right now.

- I'm not going to sleep - He protests, but he already looks like he has no powers to stand up.

Mei grabs her dragon plushie and sits down next to the demon. She lifts one of his arms and he doesn't even seem to be able to protest. When the plushie finds its place in the demon's half-conscious embrace, Mei covers Red Son with a blanket.

- I won’t even close my eyes - He huffs in protest, finding her sight. - I can't leave you alone. You can't be alone now.

The girl freezes. Her heart squeezes a bit as an odd wave of feelings washes her over.

- You’re a much more pleasant companion when you sleep well - Mei smiles at him, taking off his glasses. He huffs, putting so much effort into keeping his eyes open. - You forget to put your hair down.

- I don’t forget it, I’m just not going to sleep.

Mei giggles, frowning with amusement at his prince's sulk grimace as he forces himself to stay awake. She glances at his hair with a little hesitation, cause what if he burns her hand in unconscious instinct? She’s still not sure how her powers work. On the other hand, the demon definitely CAN sleep in his ponytail, it won’t kill him or something. But… Something strange tempts Mei to take this little unnecessary risk. She slowly lifts her hand, reaching out to his head in the most obvious and visible way possible so the demon can protest at any moment. His half-open eyes watch as she reaches his hair and grabs the scrunchy.

Nothing happens. Her hand is still in one piece. Red Son doesn’t even move. She carefully loosens his hair and wears the purple scrunchy on her wrist.

- Your hair is so soft and warm! - Mei gasps as her hand dares to stay in his hair for a little bit longer. Carmine strands shimmy smoothly between her fingers. Its warmth is fascinating and pleasant in touch. Suddenly, a loud squeak makes Mei shrink. She freezes, noticing the demon is moving. She glances at Red Son in fear and then opens her mouth in awe.

The demon squeezes tightly the green dragon plushie. His arms wrap it around so that only its head pops out of them. The frown leaves Red’s face, his eyes are almost completely closed.

Mei smiles. Her hand pets his head gently a few more times and the soft squeak of her plushie speaks out again.

- Stop it - Red murmurs angrily. His voice sounds weak. - I hate it

Mei smirks. Her fingers confidently run his warm hair, stroking the tender skin all across his head. His body shakes with a sudden sigh. His eyes wander slowly under his closed eyelids as her hand unhurriedly plays with his hair.

- You hate it, hm? - Mei chuckles.

A quiet harsh groan leaves his mouth, but a moment later she hears a soft moan like a shy begging for more. He even starts slightly moving his head to her like a cat. Some irresistible instinct makes her sink both of her hands into red warm fluff. Her fingers start gently massaging his head and Mei feels the demon melting more and more and more under her touch. She gazes at his face, deeply calm and relaxed face, his half-opened mouth, and soft deep breath… The odd satisfaction makes her bite her lip as she smiles.

But then she stops. She stops with that smile on her lips, with her fingers in his hair, with her eyes on his calm face.

What is she doing.

Mei lets go of the demon's head and move away in terror.

What the hell is she doing??

So weird. So different. So weird! The way she was doing it, and the odd satisfaction it gave her, and the fact he didn’t protest, and the fact they both enjoyed it, and the fact she still doesn't have enough…

Her cheeks fill with strong blush. Or maybe the blush is already here, but only now she feels it and it almost hurts how warm her face is all of the sudden.

And Red Son? The calm sleep doesn’t leave his face. He looks like in the heavens, blissfully peaceful as if the hard cave’s ground is the comfiest thing he has ever lied on. If he's still awake, she would tell him how cute he looks, and now when she thinks about it, she isn't sure if it would be teasing…

The demon moves his head slightly down as she watches him. When his lips accidentally touch the horn of the dragon plushie, he vaguely bites it gently and keeps it between his teeth.

Mei looks away, smiling.

It isn’t a regular morning for Red Son.

The reality comes to him much slower than usual. There are so many pleasant feelings wandering unhurriedly in his mind. The little tender strokes run through his head. His hair feels lighter, much lighter, warmer in the new lovely way. Something soft presses onto his chest, making it dance. He feels so loved, so melted, but he doesn’t remember the dream that made him feel this way. The last thing he remembers before falling asleep is… Is...

His face frowns at weird and definitely not possible memory. No, it is impossible, impossible she touched him, impossible she was doing it that way and that long. It’s definitely a dream, just a dream, just another sweet unrealistic dream with her, just another fake scenario his brain made up to coddle him up and distract him. The strong hopeless sigh shakes his whole body.

Oh how he wishes it would actually happen…

- How was your sleep?

Red Son opens his eyes. He hopes it’s not so visible how much he enjoys starting a day with her girlish voice and her jade green eyes. He sits up and a sudden loud squeak almost makes him jump. Only then he notices the dragon plushie in his hands. He widens his eyes at it as his ears fill with Mei’s laughter. His heartbeat fastens. His mind repeats one sentence in a loop:

It did happen, it did happen, it did happen, it did happen…

Oh, and it definitely has to happen again.

He smacks multiple times, viewing their camp with his lofty prince sight. He yawns loudly and dramatically, stretching his arms casually. His hand, in a slow and cool gesture, reaches his head and runs his hair. His fingers stuck in it theatrically and Red pretends to be surprised.

- Look what you did! - He gasps in dramatic annoyance. - My hair is a complete disaster, and it’s all your fault!

Mei frowns at him, tilting her head aside like a not understanding puppy.

- What are you waiting for - He waves at her, not noticing that his fingers smoothly leave his hair. - You have to fix it now.

The girl gasps and sharply covers her mouth with her hand. When she shows him her face again, it is decorated with a huge smirk on her rosy lips and a subtle carmine on her cheeks. She doesn’t walk, she JUMPS to him.

- You forget I’m also the royal - Her eyes sparkle when she finds a brush in his bag. - I won’t do someone’s hair without praise.

Red gazes at her mischievous smile and exciting chills run his back. The corner of his lips lifts, forming a gentle smirk.

- What do you want? - He says and Mei has no idea he is ready to do her every order like an obedient subject. She sits down next to him, already sinking the brush and her hand in his hair. Red gulps as his eyes wink slowly with pleasure.

- Do my hair in return - She says.

Red Son snorts with amusement.

- You call that “praise”? It’s so easy I would do that for free.

Mei stops. The brush and her lovely gentle hand leave his hair. He turns around and she is still here, holding the brush close to his head without touching it, smirking at him as she raises her brow challengingly.

- Oh, would you?

The demon clutches his teeth. His cheeks get redder and redder as he begs her in his mind to continue. The brush and her hand are so close, if he only moves a bit closer they would touch him, but at the same it would look so pitiful…

The demon takes a deep breath and closes his eyes.

- I would - Red mumbles quietly. - But please, don’t stop…

He hears her girlish laughter and her hand and the brush come back. He sighs, feeling her finger stroking his sensitive head skin. She combs him gently and slowly, like yesterday but a bit more… tender. The demon sits still, not opening his eyes as his insides melt with every move of her hand in his hair. Oh it feels so good…

- You’re cute - Mei says shyly and Red Son tries his best to hold his hair from blasting with flames.

[mrrightandmrbubble]

Things You Might Have Missed in Studio 666

Because of course this was going to happen.

(TW: Gore)

The fake Dream Widow plaque that may indicate what this full EP due on the 25th could be titled

Director BJ McDonnell said this opening scene was a lot more ick than what made it into the film (and based on a flash a few minutes later, he’s not wrong - keep reading)

The Sigil of Baphomet in the background - the ‘official’ symbol of the Church of Satan

When the news broke about the Dream Widow massacre in this fictional timeline, Nirvana were in Davenport, Iowa IRL

1) The second mockup Dream Widow plaque; 2) The artwork on the wall behind them is similar to what can be seen throughout the Encino house - almost foreshadowing

The costume department spent $0.00 on Taylor Hawkins

Jeremy Shill has Barb Weems assigned as his first contact on speed dial

I might be wrong but this looks like Taylor’s friend Hans Hagen casually crossing in the background

The Big Red Delicious - Foo Fighters’ first touring van

According to a crew member, this was the first scene they filmed. Also, Nate goes in for a handshake and gets knocked back

Shifty, sir, you’re taking the wrong path

So yeah, this is what I meant by toning down the ick

The jump scares that flash each time Dave claps are the faces of the trapped members of Dream Widow

There’s a poster for The Figurines in Greg Noll’s room, in 1993, except The Figurines didn’t release their first EP until 2001, whoopsie doodles

Once you notice recurring symbols with five points planted throughout the house, representing each member of Dream Widow and all members of Foo Fighters who will not survive...

This artwork was commissioned for the film - artist is Nalani Williams

This couldn’t really be any other album but LP2 by Sunny Day Real Estate, could it?

The picture on the wall behind him is never shown in focus but it looks like a younger Dave and his mother Virginia

Think of the pain Dave was going through to have to pretend he didn’t know shit about running a barbecue for the sake of this joke

Mossburn Island Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

Who dumps iceberg lettuce on a plate in the middle of the table like that? Who do you think you are?

No notes, just offering this as a reaction pic

Remember when we thought Dave’s neck had gotten so thick that it broke his Mjölnir necklace because we didn’t see it for a while? We can rebuild him, better, stronger

The 2019 Pula poster

Absolutely no one thought to use the crucifix figurine on the shelf at any point in this movie

1) The five points on the decorative thing above his head; 2) The text on the poster reads “Fear Beyond Imagination”

The metronome on the bedside table and the obvious wink here

Visual hat-tipping to The Exorcist

Was the fact that the delivery guy looked so similar to Dave a deliberate choice or

Further evidence that Dave has this shirt in every imaginable colour

Another cluster of five - the candle holders on the wall

I get that they wanted to make most of the effects as practical as possible but cardboard on a dolly is never going to look like anything else except cardboard on a dolly

Pilfered filing box from a law firm that has nothing to do with its contents

THE BUCK ROGERS DISINTEGRATOR PISTOL, HAIL HOLY SHIT ON HIGH

I don’t think the creative team had someone like me in mind, who would go through this frame by frame and would point and laugh this loudly

The shadow hand on the right

You. Can. Never. Have. Too. Much. Ranch

Stunt hands by Steve Vai (no, really)

‘666 Presents’ on the punk posters

For anyone who might need this. Someone very well could, I don’t know your life

Continuity oopsie: Between shots, Pat lifts his head off the bog roll twice

Pat is always the closest to breaking throughout this movie but here, he’s not even trying

Dave whacks in one direction, Taylor’s head turns the other

They all play their signature instruments or variations/custom versions of them

Dave’s Gibson Elvis Presley Dove, with the six-pointed star added for the film

FF show posters: Portland 2018/Vegas NYE 2017

While Barb is yucking out over the food on the ceiling, i’m wondering what has gone so wrong in their lives for a pile of instant noodles to end up draped over the board

We never got an explanation for these dolls, did we? Was there ever one? There wasn’t one. Unless - dolls, ‘Doll’, “i’ve never been so scared”. I’m reaching

Whiplash reference

The runic alphabet, but put your thing down, flip it, and reverse it

AGAIN, FIVE, THE FIVE, THE THING WITH THE FIVE

Pat slips very briefly on the spilled pool water on his way over

Except for Chris and Rami, the band members are killed in the reverse order in which they joined the band - leaving the OGs to battle in the film’s climax. Bwaaaw

You can briefly see the blood bag in Jenna Ortega’s hand before she squeezes

Bringing their own wardrobes to work right down to the undies (I don’t know how to feel about knowing this)

BJ said the original idea for the ending was for Tenacious D to show up and take the book. WE COULD HAVE HAD THIS

A subtle sign that the curse is complete during this scene is Dave’s darkened eyes after Shill says the final incantation

Jimmi Simpson was brought in as an acting coach for the band around the time of the table read, but he buggered off by the time they were shooting

Looks like a room in Studio 607, the band’s newest studio adjacent to 606

‘Hair & Make Up Artist to Lionel Richie’

[the-nagakenny-archives]

I'm shy but I tried writing something hope you like it

One last sip of coffee and two stomps to properly secure his boots, and the Gravity Falls Weirdness Expert was out the door.

  It was on a particularly sunny, clear day that found Stanford once again out in the field for a little catch up on his studies. The past week had been uneventful within the confines of his basement, as if the world was allowing him time to compile the numerous foot notes and sketches of his latest findings into a fairly cohesive summary within the first few pages of his second journal. Nights and afternoons were spent humming over words that didn't quite flow, and cross referencing facts he had uncovered with rumors that fell deaf upon all ears but his. Lovely as the quiet had been, seven days was more than enough time to stay cooped up in a research shack when there was plenty more to discover.

  Stanford cupped a hand around his ear and listened. A woodpecker pecked away at its hole in a birch, determined for an early breakfast. Not too far from there, a squirrel skittered along branches, hoping for an acorn meal of its own. A gnome tutted at a rainbow puddle, helping its reflection pick at its latest zit.

  All sounded normal, the scientist regarded with a deep sigh of disappointment. It was uncommon to not have something completely new to marvel over. Were it not for the gnome, one wouldn't know that they were in Gravity Falls at all. It was all so peaceful and Oregonian. Perhaps the world was still holding its breath over more important things to come. Perhaps it didn't quite realize that Stanford was more than ready to jump back into the weird and the wild.

  Four more minutes of strolling and listening, Stanford was just beginning to consider going into town to replenish his supplies when he finally spotted an unusual subject he'd been craving.

  A long, long, long snake tail hung from below the branches of a bright red leafed tree. The tip, maroon and tan in color, swung slowly and rhythmically back and forth, like the tick and tock of a pendulum on a grandfather clock. Stanford's wide eyes traveled up the tail to see the colors recede to darker browns in circled patterns as the mass grew thicker the higher his gaze climbed. Whatever was up there, the leaves could only do so much to completely cover it. It had to be massive.

The first, most obvious thought that came to his head was Python, but he quickly dismissed it. Pythons were not native to Oregon, certainly not one of this length at the very least. Except, this was Gravity Falls, where the only acceptable thing was to accept the unacceptable. Even so, a Python, even one as gigantic as this, seemed too...ordinary for the town's infamy. He'd made it this far by thinking outside the box, so what else could possible have a snake tail of this capacity?

It hit him, and he had to choke back a gasp of delight. "A naga! An actual naga!" The whispered excitement seemed especially piercing in the quiet of the early morning, but he was too elated to care. This was exactly what he had been waiting for to break what had started as a monotonous walk in the woods. Patting at his breast pocket for a pen and paper, he wracked his brain for what little he knew about these creatures. From what he remembered, the bottom half was always a snake, while the top half-

  "Well, hello."

  Stanford yelped and juggled his pen for two seconds before he composed himself enough to acknowledge that he was not alone. Clutching his pen holding hand to his chest to steady his heartbeat, he replied hesitantly, "Hello?"

  A deep, throaty chuckle seemed to echo all across the canopy of trees, a pleasant sound, but not very becoming of his nerves. "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. You just looked so excited, I got a little curious."

  It wasn't hard to put two and two together. "I...should've realized that nagas were intelligent enough to understand human speech." Stanford cleared his throat, the thrill at the thought of another research subject spurring him on. "After all, if I'm getting my facts straight, your top halves are-"

Even if he had hypothesized it, he was not at all prepared for the sight that awaiting him. Slowing winding down from the thick branches was the top half of the naga; human in shape, and far more handsome than he could've imagined. Barrel chested with long chestnut hair, soulful brown eyes twinkling with mischief, and a long nose that only seemed to complete his features all the better. The naga's mouth curled into a playful smirk at Stanford's beguiled expression.

  "Impressed? Understandable. Not every day you run into someone like me, am I right?" He twisted his upper half upside down so that his long hair hung down in a wave of brown, barely tickling the grass beneath him.

  Stanford regained just enough sense to formulate a response. "Why, er, no, certainly not...hardly ever!" His excitement renewed, he clicked his pen and resumed reaching for some paper. "You must tell me everything about you!" His grin was all teeth.

  "Well, first thing's first, how about an introduction?" The naga said with no small amount of amusement. "My name's Kenneth. Call me Kenny."

  "Ah, yes, of course." Stanford shook his head and held out a six fingered hand. "Stanford Pines. Resident Researcher of Gravity Falls Phenomena. Pleasure to meet you, Kenny." Much to his delight, the Naga extended the red tip of his tail to shake with. "So fascinating! Your girth alone would take a whole page to describe! But more about that later; I must know all about your culture!" He set his pen to paper, waiting with baited breath and still beaming.

  Kenny returned the smile gleefully. "Well, I'm partial to smooth jazz, but I can't say no to samba. Oh, and don't get me started on-" The naga's rambles were cut short by Stanford's throat clearing.

  "Um, as stimulating as that is, I was hoping to do my research on your species as a whole."

  Kenny quirked an eyebrow. "Gonna need to clear me up on that."

  Stanford nodded patiently. "Well, it could be things like, what your diet consists of. Is English the most common language among your kind? Wouldn't a jungle be more befitting for a body such as yours? What natural abilities do you harbor, if any? How did-"

  "Ep, ep, ep!" Kenny, to Stanford's slight indignation, placed a finger to his lips, interrupting his little question vomit. "I think it'd be better to answer one at a ti-" The naga's eyes seemed to glint for a moment. "What was that last question?"

  Stanford pushed the finger off his lips to answer, "Um, what natural abilities do you harbor?"

  The glint returned, and the scientist knew that he'd seen a look like that many times before. Usually it was on his brother as he was hatching one of his harebrained schemes, one that would more than likely leave the two of them grounded, in body casts, or both.

  Suddenly wary, Stanford stuttered, "Um, actually, perhaps you could tell me about your diet-"

  "No, no, no! This is a question I know I can answer!" Kenny's voice took on a musical lilt, the sound of it somehow easing just a little of Stanford's reluctance. Besides, hadn't he wanted to study more creatures?  This was a rare opportunity, and the naga had offered. Stanford could always put out any potential fire with the extinguisher he'd hidden in one of the nearby trap doors.

  "Well, alright, what are your abilities?"

  Kenny's smirk returned in full force, and Stanford suppressed the urge to cringe. He was doing this for science, he reminded himself. For science.

  "Well, you see, Stanford...can I call you Ford?"

  "Oh, uh, yes."

  "Well, Ford, us nagas all have one very special ability in common." Kenny chuckled, the force of it rippling all across his coils winding around the branches. Stanford watched, mesmerized at the browns and tans that ebbed and flowed like an ocean of coils.

  "Ah, ah, ah. Eyes over here." Kenny's tail tip gently turned Ford's eyes back to his, amusement coloring his tone.

  Ford blinked himself out of his stupor. "Yes. Sorry. You were saying?"

  "Weeell, nagas have a very useful, very fun ability we just love to use." Kenny sang.

  Ford instinctively leaned closer, now more curious than nervous. "And that is?"

  "This."

  A ring of yellow gently emerged and flowed outward from the center of Kenny's eyes. Then came orange. Then green. Then blue. Back to yellow. Orange. Green. Blue. Yellow.

  Ford gasped softly at the display. "Enchanting." He breathed. "How on earth are you doing...that with...with your...y-your eyes...?" Odd. It was getting a little hard to speak the longer he observed them. His brain would form thoughts, but the patterns would compel them to swirl away into a silvery mist. Some thoughts would reach his mouth, but his tongue was becoming heavy and useless, like he'd downed a whole bottle of red mulled wine.

  Kenny smiled softly, nodding with satisfaction at the colors emerging in his volunteer's eyes. "Magic. Although I've been told by a friend that it's slightly more complicated than that. But what matters is, it feels nice, right?"

  "Y-Yes...it does..." Stanford sighed his agreement, the hand holding his pen going slack at his side. It really was the most wonderful feeling, like any care or worry that had ever crossed his mind just didn't matter anymore. The weight of expectations and responsibilities lifted off his shoulders, and in their place was an intense feeling of relaxation and peace, welcoming him to their cozy little world of lovely colors and rippling coils.

  Ford giggled curiously. "Wazzz...wh-what's...happening?" He should have been writing this down and asking more pressing questions, but his brain may as well have been cotton by this point. Everything felt soft and warm and good.

  Kenny giggled back. "Jussst a taste of my abilities, like you wanted." He tilted his head. Ford's own head followed, glued to his eyes. "You're looking a little sleepy. How bout' a little nap?"

  "Nnn...nap...?" Ford blinked sluggishly, the word sparking a flash of recognition to reignite his sleep addled brain."H-Hold on...jus' a..." It took a painful amount of effort and willpower, so much that his eyes watered, but Ford managed to tear his eyes away from the hypnotic spectacle, taking a moment to rub the drowsy out of them.

  "I...what just..?" He was dazed and dizzy. But he knew just enough to figure that he had to keep his eyes covered.

  Kenny blinked away his hypnosis, startled by the rare show of resistance from a subject. There were few who could resist when they were that far under, but Ford just made the very short list. Even so, he wasn't completely out of the park yet, if his sleepy ramblings were any indication.

  "Aww, hey, what's wrong?" Kenny kept his voice gentle, but couldn't suppress some amusement either. "I thought you wanted to know all about the abilities of the nagas?" He tilted his head, feigning hurt.

  "Of...of course I do, but..." Ford turned away from where he heard the voice, having enough sense to cover his eyes with his arms, but not enough to remember how close he was to Kenny's tree. "I...I need to be-OOF!" He smacked right into it, the shock enough to snap him out of the spell completely.

  He shook the swirls and cobwebs from his head, gritting his teeth and focusing on the pain. "You..." He turned back to where he thought Kenny was, eyes shut tight and pointing accusingly. "You tried to hypnotize me!"

  "Wrong way." The voice to his left snorted playfully.

  Red in the face more from embarrassment than anger, Ford turned in the proper direction. "What do you intend to do, use me as some sort of thrall?! Easy slave labor?!"

  Kenny clapped. "Ha! Much more original than any accusations of eating people! But no." Ford heard a rustling of leaves to his right, and he flinched backwards, into a mass of coils that propped around his shoulders like a friendly arm. "You asked me what nagas could do. I was just showing you the works."

  Stanford stubbornly remained angry. "You could've just told me! Or I could've watched you do it on a gnome, or...I don't recall giving you consent to hypnotize me!"

  Kenny held up his hands in a placating gesture(that Stanford could not see). "Easy there, Ford! You're saying you didn't like it?"

  Ford sputtered indignantly. "I...that's besides the point! I'm doing this for science, not for a...a nap! Can you imagine how many hours of precious research time I'll lose if I sleep?!"

  To his surprise, Kenny's voice took on the slightest bit of concern. "Um, when was the last time you slept?"

  Once again caught off guard, Ford had to gather his thoughts and take a deep breath to answer calmly. "I can handle not sleeping for a few days. What I can't handle is how the world moves on with or without me. Every second of every minute of every hour, something is happening. Creatures to catalogue, reports to write, disputes to diverge! I'm going to change the world with this project! I'll sleep when I'm dead!" Ford had forgotten what calm was by the end of his tirade.

  Still with that aggravating concern he'd often heard from his mother, brother, and Fiddleford, Kenny tutted and gave Ford's shoulders a little squeeze with his coils.

  "That's no way to go, buddy. Everyone needs sleep. Even life changers like you."

  "We're getting off subject." Ford gritted his teeth, trying to breathe evenly. "You showed your ability. Thank you. I'll write all about it in my next volume. Now leave me alone." Eyes still shut, Ford ducked under the coils and felt around for the paper he had dropped during his little spell. Kenny's tail curled around his right wrist, as though dejected by the lack of attention. The six fingered scientist yanked his hand away, cursing quietly when he dropped the pen it'd been holding. "I mean it, Kenny. I've had enough." He snapped.

  "Oh, but you really haven't."

  Maybe it was the cockiness with which the naga said it, but Ford couldn't withhold his curiosity. "What do you mean?"

  "I mean, that I'd only just begun, and you'd only barely felt the full effects of a naga's powers. You resisted, and that just sent everything off kilter. Imagine how much info you could write about if you only knew what it's really like to be hypnotized by a real naga?" Kenny studied his own hands smugly, feigning nonchalance and hoping the anticipation didn't show on his face. He needed a new cuddle buddy after all.

  Wait. Ford's eyes were still closed. What did Kenny have to worry about?

  Ford crossed his arms, tapping a finger against his jacket. Kenny was just using promises of scientific discovery as a lure for another hapless victim, that's all this was.

  Regardless, he did have to know something. "Why do you even want to hypnotize me, anyway? It can't just be because you think I need sleep." Ford huffed.

  Kenny shrugged(Ford could STILL not see it). "I just wanted a cuddle. The fact that you need sleep is serendipitous."

  Stanford had lost count of how many times this naga had had him completely flustered. "That's...that's why you...huh?"

  "Of course! It's what I do. And no, it's not really a naga thing. It's just a Kenny thing." The naga laughed.

  Ford found himself letting his guard down a little at the confession. "That's...really all there is to it?"

  "Mm-hm!" Kenny nodded confidently. "Besides, is losing a few hours to the best sleep you'll ever have really that bad? Think of the discoveries you're missing out on!"

  "W-Well, no, but...cuddle with you? I mean, that's just...uh..." Darn it, he was thinking of the discoveries! What could he be missing by resisting such power? Was sleep all that would happen? Could he dream under the effects of naga hypnosis? How long could a human like himself last before he gave in?

  The questions were leaking through the dam of resistance in his brain. It wasn't long before they'd break free. Not only that, but...it's not like anyone would know about this. There was no one around this area but him and Kenny. Losing a bit of dignity for a few hours couldn't be too bad, could it?

  Slowly, Ford allowed his crossed arms to leave his side. He knelt to the ground, feeling around for a good place to sit.

  "I'll take that as a 'Go ahead'?" Kenny couldn't hide his excitement.

  Hands patting a particularly soft mound of earth, Ford grunted and set himself into an upright sitting position, legs splayed. "Don't try anything stupid." He warned, determined to have as much control over this bizarre circumstance as he could.

  "No problem at all." Kenny giggled. "Now, how 'bout you open your eyes, first."

  Reluctantly, Ford slowly pried his eyes open, squinting against the light of mid-morning. Blinded, it took five seconds for his eyes to adjust the many colors of the day.

  But then, he realized, it wasn't the day he was looking at. It was a now familiar sight of oranges and yellows and...he could barely keep track. They were going at a steady rate, but when he thought he could pick out one color, that one would fade into another, and another, and another...

  Ford squinted, still stubbornly wanting to remain in control. Who said he couldn't monitor the scientific intonations in his head, after all? That way he could do research on the naga's hypnosis without losing any time to useless pastimes like sleeping.

  The colors are reaching a familiar pattern. They ebb and flow like tides of the ocean. One disappears, only to appear just when you've forgotten it existed. Incredible. Dazzling. So very...focus! I hear something. A voice...a song...birds? No. Smoother. Kenny? Is it a lullaby? Trying to make it more challenging? Do your worst. I'm not...sleepy...at...all...Beautiful...So pretty...FOCUS!

  Kenny watched, patiently awaiting Ford's lapse into sleep. One second his swirling eyes would droop, the next they would spring back up as he caught himself growing drowsy. Even when Kenny began to hum a gentle, lulling tune, Ford was putting up a good fight. But if the bags under his eyes told him anything, it was that he really needed a siesta.

  Right. Time for a little coiling.

  Noises of the forest are...fading...easier to focus on Kenny's voice...all that matters...wait. No. I was...I can't...sleep now...not yet...Focus on...ability...

  Getting harder...to fight...melatonin trigger perhaps...so sleepy...yes, must be...mela...the stuff that...makes you...sleep...eyes make it...easy...to sleep...using...colors...lovely colors...

  ...?

  Feeling...heavy...around...waist...

  Indeed, a coil was just starting to inch its way around Ford's abdomen, squeezing in especially tense areas and loosening any aches and pains he had been feeling just seconds before. Around and around the tail went, carefully pinning his arms to his sides, just enough to restrain, not enough to alarm or hurt. The tip continued on upward, reaching over his chest, feeling his slow, steady heartbeat. When the tail reached his shoulders, Kenny used his impressive strength to gently tilt Ford backwards, lying him on the ground, and making sure his hypnotic eyes were always in view.

  ...Warm...Blanket...? No...coils...? So...sleepy...Why was...I...fighting...?

  Kenny grinned over the helpless state Ford was in. His mouth hung open, his lids were periodically shutting and opening out of sync over his still swirling eyes, and his upper body was all wrapped up in his coziest coils. Still, even after all that effort, Ford looked like he need just one more little push. A nudge in the right direction.

  Kenny slowly, slowly, slowly pulled him into the air, so that he hung suspended over the ground, legs dangling with the direction he swayed in. Another loop of coils around his body, and Stanford was covered neck to toe in the warm embrace of a naga hug.

  ...Being..held...so...wonderful...

  Eyes lidded so low he could barely see Kenny's, Ford moaned softly at the sensations of his predicament. He couldn't remember why he had bothered fighting. Actually, he couldn't remember anything outside of his euphoric drowsiness and coil cocoon. Even then, Kenny noticed that his eyes hadn't closed just yet. Continuing his hummed lullaby, Kenny gave the coiled mass a little push, giving it a rocking effect.

  ...back...forth...back...forth...sleepy...so...sleepy...

  I'm...

  Falling...

  Falling...

  F...a...l...l...i...n...g...

  Gentle snores emerged from the cocoon, and Kenny sighed with satisfaction. "That wasn't so bad, was it now?" The tip of his tail closed Ford's mouth, where the snores turned into deep breathing. The coils gradually shifted from horizontal to vertical, so that his cheek was comfortably rested against his scaly bonds.

  Kenny ran a hand through Ford's brown hair, smiling with his usual mischief. "You wouldn't mind sharing your results when you wake up, would you?"

---submitted by b120583

OOC: I love this! :'3 Always nice to see a character like Ford in a situation like this <3

[cutemeat]

What up I haven't watched any sunny for like 3 months so my mind is a perfectly smooth blank slate - what seasons/eps are you poking around at most rn, I'll go watch them too :)

!!!! OOO yes ok i have a few eps ive been specifically fixated on esp since s15 came out...

i have been dissecting "The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award" and "Gets Quarantined" because they really reflect the writing of season 15 and I think its probs intentional.. mostly the way the gang describes 'playing the game' in the Award ep with the bright lights, fun colors, and funny banter... reflects the visual/surface-level aesthetics and writing of s15 and the subtext of Gets Quarantined (I wrote up an essay on this but forgot to post it so hopefully ill get around to that soon LOL) is very useful when reading s15! so I've been rlly into those eps ... I ESP RECCOMEND COMPARING THE ENDINGS OF "GETS QUARANTINED" AND THE S15 FINALE IF U WANT.. the whole thing abt 'creating a visual harmony' and how the gang does exactly that w audio/visuals at the end of Gets Quarantined and how they Very Much Do Not attain harmony at the end of s15 despite the framing making it seem that way at first glance is just so... so good. mwah.

but also s3 as a whole i have been rlly into the past few months! it's just so great cuz I think s3 perfectly captures most of who these characters are at their core, obv not EXACTLY cuz they were always hiding shit but its so so close... esp when u watch s3 then jump to like s15 u can see so clearly the kind of ppl they're PRETENDING to be in later seasons compared to who they really are in earlier seasons... but also how frank is basically the opposite cuz while the younger half of the gang builds up their facades over the years, frank's facade fades away!!!

and ive also been rlly diving into s13 lately... like oh my god there's so much to that season that I feel like I never see anyone rlly talk abt?? like.. i think its just a time thing. like an episode from season 7 is gonna be a lot more beloved than an ep from s13 by default I think cuz we've just had more Time with it... but man s13 has some rlly good depth in a lot of places. also I just have a good tolerance for 'bad writing' ig so I don't care </3

and lastly ive been obsessed with 'Mops Twice' !!! I've been trying to rlly get a good reading done on that ep... currently, I'm rlly fixated on the ep's use of the color red and esp how its used on the lips of both female characters?? wondering if its sort of a play on the concept of a 'red herring' esp since the color red was used in that kind of way in The Sixth Sense which mac n charlie make a big deal over in s5... idk I just feel like that's another instance where newer seasons don't get as deep analysis but there's a lot there to pick apart!! (my main theory is charlie is an extremely unreliable narrator who makes himself out to be the underdog/hero/victim in a similar fashion to how the narrative of Fight Club can be read... n he makes everyone else out to be the villains in very stereotypical ways complimenting noir tropes.. like deetress being the sorta femme fatales.. macdennis being queercoded villains... idk there's just a lot LOL)

TL;DR... "The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award" & "Gets Quarantined" from S9, Seasons 3 & 13, and "Mops Twice" from S14 have been my main focuses as of late!

[ahtsumu]

LOVE PERSEVERING, EP 1. “The Plot Twist”

pairing: nanami kento x f!reader

synopsis: the nanami’s have an evening full of surprises – the most surprising of all, however, is the one that comes without explanation.

tag(s): loose (very loose) wandavision!au, humor, domestic fluff, suggestive content, profanity, can be read as a standalone! ; wc: 2.6k

love persevering m.list

“SORRY I’M LATE.”

Nanami Kento closes the front door behind him and changes out of his oxfords for house slippers. The traffic was crazy, there’d been an accident on the 101, a Maserati collided with a Ferrari and the two drivers were hashing it out in the middle of – no, that’s a horrible story and even worse lie. He doesn’t even drive to work. He takes the Caltrain to his job in San Francisco every morning and takes it home to Sunnyvale every evening.

Shit, Nanami thinks as he tries to hide the evidence of his… offense. Can he cover it up with something? Maybe if he held his briefcase in front of it… No, that’s so obvious. It’s so… red. And big. There’s no way it’d stay concealed.

It’s not that Nanami is in any way dumb or easily frazzled. No, he’s quite intelligent and levelheaded and the fact that he works as an Associate at Goldman Sachs should be proof enough. It’s just that he strongly dislikes the thought of lying to you. Technically, he doesn’t even have to make up a story to explain his tardiness. You probably don’t really care that he’s – Nanami checks his watch while setting his briefcase down – an hour late home. But having a story would quell your suspicions about the true reason he’s late.

See, today his co-worker Archie was talking on and on about how he surprised his wife with a bouquet of fifty roses the other night and, well, Nanami felt inspired. He’s not typically one for large romantic gestures, so he thought that maybe he should step up his game and at least remind you of how much he loves you the one day he’s given a sign to.

“First, you gotta lower her expectations, y’know?” Archie says like he’s giving a pitch. “Make her think the conversation is gonna be far from romantic. Say something totally boring. ‘Hey, honey, I had a great day at work today.’ Somethin’ like that, y’know? Then you just whip it right out. Bam.”

Nanami looks at the pink peonies in his hand with a small smile. Happy marriage, the flower shop attendee had said. Hearing your footsteps leading out from the second-floor bedroom, he quickly places the red bouquet behind the living room sofa before rushing back to his original place by the door. At first sight of your figure descending the stairs, Nanami starts (perhaps too exaggeratedly) loosening his tie.

“Ken.”

Oh. Oh, this doesn’t sound too good. Pausing his movements, Nanami assesses the damage. Your arms are crossed over your chest and your head is slightly cocked to the side, and you’re shooting him an expectant look. To be frank, you look a little pissed. You’re not even smiling. This definitely isn’t too great.

“Honey,” he starts, flashing you a conciliatory smile.

“Did you know that we were supposed to leave for our reservation an hour ago?” you interrupt.

Reservation? It doesn’t ring a bell.

Oh, is that why… fuck.

Taking your husband’s silence as evidence that he’d forgotten, you let out a sigh and walk up to his frozen frame, stopping when you’re right under his nose. “Did you?”

Nanami looks up at the ceiling as he tries to recall anything about reservations, but his mind turns blank. Actually, he thinks as he furrows his brows, he can’t even remember what he did yesterday.

“No,” he admits truthfully, looking into your eyes. “Sweetheart, I’m really sorry but I don’t remember at all. Listen, I –”

And then, you laugh.

“I was just messin’ with you, babe.” Still giggling, you pull him in for a hug. “The reservation’s not today.”

Nanami blinks as his arms wrap around you. There’s no reservation. “You’re ridiculous,” he chuckles. “I genuinely thought that I’d done something wrong.”

“No, definitely not. You’re wonderful.” Lifting your heels off the floor, you capture Nanami’s lips in a short kiss. He eagerly responds, pulling you closer into his firm body. This is, without a doubt, Nanami’s favorite part about coming home. You. Always there, at the end of the day, with your sunny little grin and sweet, adoring eyes. A little piece of paradise.

“You are so much trouble,” he murmurs as you pull apart. You hum at that, unable to disagree.

“We do, however, have a reservation at eight tomorrow.”

He frowns. “I genuinely don’t remember making plans for that, darling, I’m sorry.” Nanami glances down at your face and notices your surprised expression.

“Me neither. I was hoping you’d be able to tell me something about that.”

Well, that’s odd. It’s not often that either of you forgets anything, let alone something as easily remembered as a dinner reservation. It’s utterly peculiar that you would both happen to forget about the same thing. Today’s turning out a lot stranger than he’d ever expected. “How’d you find out?”

You pull your phone out of your back pocket and show him the email confirmation.

Dear Mr and Mrs. Nanami,

Thank you for making a reservation with us at Gary Danko. As a reminder, your reservation is for two people at 8:00 PM this Friday.

If you have any questions concerning your reservation, please feel free to contact us. We look forward to serving you!

Thank you,

The Gary Danko Team

“This is… strange,” Nanami notes, studying the little screen.

“Very,” you agree.

“Should we cancel?”

“Should we?”

“I –”  Nanami’s stomach grumbles, putting a pause on your conversation.

With a chuckle, you slide your phone back into your pocket. “Never mind. We can talk about it during dinner,” you say, helping your husband out of his suit jacket. As the blazer comes off, you affectionately rub a few circles on his back, feeling his posture relax under your touch. Honestly, he works too hard. You always tell him this but he really should take a few days off and drive down to the beach – maybe with you, if he’d like – and forget about the world for a while. God knows he could use the rest.

Nanami hums in approval. “You go on first.” He kisses your forehead before gesturing at the briefcase on the floor. “I should put this away.”

The moment you disappear into the dining room, Nanami moves his briefcase onto the coffee table and brings the bouquet of pink peonies out from their place behind the sofa, this time holding them behind his back. A reservation neither of us remembers, he suddenly thinks as he strolls quietly towards the dining room. Truly odd. Tucking the thought away in his mind (there’s always time to figure out mysteries like these), Nanami calls out, “Actually, honey, there’s a reason why I came home late today.”

“I was just about to ask. What was it?” You’re almost done setting the table when Nanami walks through the archway with a bouquet of flowers almost as broad as his shoulders.

“Holy shit.”

He laughs, filling the room with its bell-like sound. “For the lady.”

Shaking your head in disbelief, you walk over and take the bouquet from his arms, cradling it like a baby. Each petal is fresh and alive and so vibrantly pink. It’s obvious that a lot of care went into this bouquet, and it only touches you further that your husband went to such lengths to guarantee you’d only get the best flowers possible. “Thank you, darling. What’s the special occasion?”

“No occasion,” Nanami says, shrugging. “Just that I love you. And I wanted to remind you that, even on days where nothing happens and it feels like we’re just going through the motions –” he takes your free hand and hunches over to kiss the ring on your fourth finger “– knowing I get to share every day with you gives me joy to look forward to.”

Happy marriage. It’s true and that’s all there is to say about it.

You’re unable to form words. Nanami Kento, the subtle, quiet lover, being loud with affection for once. An indescribable warmth spreads all throughout your body. “Ken…” Tears prick at your eyes as you set the bouquet down on the table and rush into his arms, peppering his face with kisses. “I love you,” you murmur in his ear. “I love you, I love you, I love you. I love you. Thank you.”

Nanami grins, cradling your face in his large palms. “I should do this more often,” he says, letting out a breathy chuckle when you nod instantly. “I’m sorry. I’ll work on – ” You cut him off with a slow but eager kiss, snaking your arms around his neck and tugging him closer to deepen it. If Nanami had been surprised by your interruption he doesn’t show it – his lips, soft and plump, move in complete synchronization with yours. He tastes like tea and honey and he smells like he always does, of wood and spice and the beach. It’s intoxicating and completely dangerous how irresistible he is and you can’t get enough of him.

The truth is, every real kiss with Nanami feels like the first. And you can never get enough. But you are running out of air, so you break the kiss first and rest your forehead against his, feeling his hot breath fan across your cheeks.

“You’re perfect,” you whisper, stroking his cheek with the pad of your thumb. “I wouldn’t want anyone else as my husband.”

Nanami quirks one corner of his mouth up and covers your hand with his, turning his head to kiss its palm. “If I had another life to live after this one, I’d marry you in that one, too.”

A prolonged growl from Nanami’s stomach interrupts your sweet moment.

“I think your stomach objects.”

“Maybe we should shove something down it, like dinner.”

Grinning, you slip out of your husband’s reach and beckon him to follow you into the kitchen.

“This salmon is delicious,” Nanami remarks, taking another bite off his fork.

“Thank you,” you beam. “I found a recipe while I was at work today and thought I’d try it out. Honey garlic salmon. My life is forever changed and so is yours, by extension. You’re welcome.”

Nanami chuckles, ready to respond with a dry comment about ‘having no choice,’ but then that odd email you’d shown him earlier resurfaces in his mind. “Speaking of changes. Should we cancel that Gary Danko reservation?”

You hum, thinking back to the letter as you chew. It seems like the most logical thing to do. After all, neither of you remembers making the reservation. The ambiguity surrounding its existence is unsettling enough to warrant cancellation, but something in you just wants to see what might happen. Swallowing your food, you say, “Don’t you think it’s strange that it has our names on it? I think we should consider going.”

“What if it’s a scam?”

“Then we go home, order Indian takeout, and watch a war documentary until we both fall asleep.”

Unconvinced, Nanami sits back in his chair and crosses his arms over his chest, the navy fabric of his button-up tightening around his muscles. “We should call them first, figure out if they know anything.”

“You’re right,” you say, and then you pause before adding, “And if they don’t?”

You’re done speaking but Nanami knows that sentence isn’t finished, and that the other unspoken half is: can we still go? The truth is – and he’s told you many times – that your unpredictability is the most predictable thing about you. For a moment, he doesn’t say anything, eyes darting across your face as he contemplates his answer.

It’s not that Nanami is an overprotective husband or needlessly suspicious of every odd thing in life. It’s that he somehow cannot remember a single second of his life before today, the same day this email arrived. To be more accurate, he feels like he has those memories inside him. Somewhere, deep in his brain, he vaguely remembers what things like a “fifth birthday” or “first wedding anniversary” look like. They just feel out-of-reach. Regardless, he’s absolutely certain that things aren’t exactly right. But you look so excited and utterly unaware of his predicament, so it must be something only he’s experiencing and he doesn’t want to burden you with this problem.

“If you really want to go, then we’ll go,” Nanami concludes, taking a sip of his wine. “After all, the wife…”

“… is always right,” you finish for him. “Well, sometimes the husband is, too, but in this specific context, for unspecified reasons, the wife is most definitely correct.” The grin on your face almost puts his worries to rest.

(Almost.)

You call Gary Danko after dinner and they confirm your reservation.

“Sorry if this sounds, um, weird, but would you mind reminding me when we made this reservation?” you ask, walking in circles around the kitchen.

“Not at all!” Some typing noises travel through the receiver before the man you were talking to says, “Actually, you didn’t make the reservation.”

You make eye contact with Nanami who’s lightly rinsing the plates from dinner. “Pardon?”

“No, it was a Miss Amanda Priestly who called us and reserved the table for you two days ago on October 31st. Does that name sound familiar?”

Nanami raises his brows. That’s your boss.

“Um, yeah. I know her, thank you,” you say, frowning. What on earth is your boss doing reserving tables at Michelin-rated restaurants for you and your husband?

“She left a message, too, in case you were, quote, ‘confused,’ unquote. She says, ‘Mimsy, thank you for your help on the Modish Winter look book. Dinner is on me. Kisses, AP.’”

And suddenly, everything falls into place. All those late nights you spent analyzing old trends and predicting the next season’s rush into your memory. For a month, you pretty much lived in your office down the hall from your editor-in-chief. You barely even had time to sleep. It makes sense that Amanda would show her thanks for the effort you put into the project, but you hadn’t expected her to. After all, she’s Amanda Priestly. She still calls you Mimsy instead of your real name.

“Oh, of course!” you laugh, looking over at Nanami. He sends you a curious look before putting the rinsed plates into the dishwasher. “Thank you for your help.”

“My pleasure.”

The call ends and you tuck your phone in your pocket as you say, “Mystery solved.”

“Hmm,” Nanami says, drying his hands on a kitchen towel. “The Modish Winter Look Book. For some reason, I don’t remember you working on that.” In fact, he doesn’t remember you working at a magazine company at all, although he can’t put his finger on what job he used to think you had. What is going on?

“Really?” you ask, reaching for his hand and lacing your fingers together. “You don’t remember that time I ran into our office with four different tweed blazers and asked which one looked the most wintery?”

Nanami furrows his brows as a memory comes back to him. It was a sunny morning in early November when you ran into the home office with two blazers draped over each arm and forced him to rank them based on how well they exuded “winter energy.” Truthfully, he had no idea what he was doing, just that the one with more blue seemed most appropriate for wintertime.

“I just remembered,” he says, a look of amused confusion coming over his features. Today has been so strange. “Did the blue blazer make it to the final look?”

“One moment,” you say, disappearing into the living room and returning with an advanced, rough copy of Modish’s Winter Fashion Edition. “It’s not out yet, but…” you trail off as you flip through the pages, pointing when you get to the one you were looking for “… here’s your contribution to the magazine.”

The blue blazer, in all its glory, smack dab in the middle of the section that says “TRENDS TO SAY GOODBYE TO.”

“Ouch.”

“Well, you predicted something,” you giggle, placing a hand on his chest. “Fashion might be your calling, Ken.”

He smiles wryly. “I’m hanging up.”

[yunfeiz]

my fav red velvet songs

for some clarification, in every rv ep, mini album, or album i'll tell you which song is my favourite (jokes on you all of them are my favourite, these ones are just to my tastes more)

let's begin!

something kinda crazy - ice cream cake the melody gets super addicting after a bit and i really love the song. like whoever made it knew what they were doing cuz it's literally making me go crazy

day 1 - the red this song makes me so happy. like it always manages to put a smile on my face. idk the lyrics but this is the song that makes me feel like im slowly falling in love

cool hot sweet love - the velvet i feel like this is the kind of song that makes me feel so relaxed. the way all of their voices blend together is so addicting. it's like their harmonizing but im 50% sure they arent. love this song

sunny afternoon - russian roulette it's the same thing that i said above. their voices blend together in the chorus so well because of their different tones. SM is so lucky to have red velvet cuz their voices are out of the world.

happily ever after - rookie people don't talk about this song enough. its so addicting. wendy's adlibs make it even better. the song is cute and it's so cheerful and it's just really beautiful. one of my fav rv songs

hear the sea - the red summer i feel like this song is so calming and refreshing. it's almost like an entirely different vibe from the album. it's like drinking a cup of water after eating a hearty meal.

kingdom come - the perfect velvet + the perfect red velvet red velvet repackage albums make me cry sometimes tbh BUT kingdom come is the best thing that came out of this. this song is slept on. their vocal tones make the song sound even better.

blue lemonade - summer magic tbh i dont' have much to say on this song other than IT'S SO GOOD. summer magic is such a good summer album i would highly reccomend listening to this when it's hot out

rbb - RBB this is one of the few red velvet albums where im like the tt is better than the b sides (cuz red velvet are b side queens). rbb is just THAT song. i love it so much (for b side sassy me is my fav)

milkshake - the reve festival day 1 milkshake is one of those really surprisngly fun songs cuz it sounds almost minor (idk if it is my music theory is a little shabby rn), but the song and the way it's written is super fun. super cool

ladies night - the reve festival day 2 i had a horrible time choosing between ladies night and love is the way but i decided on ladies night. once again im a sucker for city pop like influences in songs and ladies night just fulfills that. (i adore love is the way though)

in & out - the reve festival finale i love this repackage album tbh. i listen to this before debate tourneys so i don't cry. in and out is just amazing. idk how to express why exactly i love it but i do

pushin & pullin - queendom i think i follow the person who produced this song on tiktok? but they produced it wonderfully. it fits the timbres and the tones of the rv girls so well. i enjoy this song so much

bamboleo - the reve festival 2022 in terms of general music theory and production feel my rhythm would take the cake BUT i can make a post about that another time (lemme know if you want it). however, AGAIN city pop is my thing and any song with city pop influences so bamboleo is literally amazing

i haven't been posting very consistently lately and i'd like to apologize. i have exams in a couple of weeks so i gotta start preparing. i will try and make some layout posts this week and keep updating you guys about songs im obsessed with but i don't have any guarantees. have a great day!

[bitchassbucky]

.eps (explicit)

Word Count: 2k

Warning/s: dark!bucky x dark!reader, MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH, blood mention, gore and dismemberment/beheading, murder, toxic/abusive relationship dynamics, sedation/drugging/use of sedative, stockholm syndrome-ish, one very special character reveal

A/N: i told y'all there's more <3 the special character treat is for @sarge-barnes-sir mwah!

this is queued shdhhsh gonna fix the links in the mornin’

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE HEED THE WARNINGS ABOVE, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ THIS VERSION, GO AND CHECK OUT THE NON-EXPLICIT VERSION.

follow the CTRL series:

i - .exe

ii - .avi

iii - .raw

iv - .png

v - .zip

CTRL playlist CTRL moodboard

Safeness, comfortability, warmth are all but a false sense of reality.

When a prey takes down its walls, the predator moves in. Camouflaged in familiar colors, in words that you’re used to hearing, in praises, in lies. Most predators use the mask of the night to move in darkness—unyielding and calculated. Come morning, there will be only one left alive, tainted with victory and bloodshed.

You and Bucky have been engaging in a dance for two—a battle of who’s willing to take the leap of faith and unleash hell upon the other.

Stifled smiles and pursed lips.

The air is filled with unsaid irritants, little things that ticked away like bombs.

There was no time for pleading, no time for mercy, no rest for the wicked.

Did you still love each other?

How far are you willing to go to keep up with his… complacency?

Bucky’s mundane life already taking a toll on you. The endless nightmares of him feeling you. The swirling vision of Bucky being with you every waking—and sleeping—moment: it grates your soul to shreds.

“We’ll be together forever, right?”

“Yes, darling.”

“What about the day after forever?”

“That too, honey.”

Where was the man you loved so deeply? The man that broke his morals just to be with you?

Was he under this hull of a Yes Man? A poor little thing that says ‘yes’ to everything like a puppy.

The man you held so dearly now slipping away, chipping his humanity, shedding the once-human.

“Would you marry me tomorrow if I asked you?”

“Of course, baby, why wouldn’t I?”

“Would you kill for me?”

“I’m meant to do the same for you.”

It’s irritating how Bucky gave up too quickly. Too fast, moving too fast. The gazelle let the lion tear its neck as it lay there, unmoving, letting the blood seep into its hide.

When you first met Bucky, it was your own fairytale unfolding before your eyes. Kismet, reality, forgiveness from above. He was soft and shy, passionate, lively.

Far from what you expected from a man his age—you blame Steve for forcing you into his narrative before. That all men are out to get you. They will hurt you. They will use you and leave you for good. But Bucky? Bucky came in like a knight. He saved you from the carcass of your past. He saved you from the sins that you prayed and knelt for.

Bucky taught you how to love.

Bucky taught you how to live for yourself.

Bucky taught you that being alone doesn’t mean you have to be lonely.

“It was an unspoken little thing, wasn’t it?”

“What thing, baby?”

“Our love.”

“Yes, honey, it was.”

He worships you.

He worships you like a fucking God and you hate it.

Suffocating, too suffocating. You dove straight for the water and now you’re drowning.

Do you still love each other? The question hangs in the air, heavy with its weight, light as a feather.

It’s all your fault. It’s all your fault. It’s all your fault. It’s all your fault.

So you stand there with a syringe half-filled with a horse sedative. It’s a concern how easy it is to waltz into a pet store and pick up a general anesthetic. You make a mental note to look at it later.

Bucky’s body slumps forward, his forehead meeting the edge of the table with a dull thud. If the overdose doesn’t kill him, the weeping crack in his head will.

Holy fuck, humans bleed a lot. And fast. Good thing you already have that clear tarp taped down. Even with the hush money stuffed down your throat, it would take a good nick to regrout the kitchen.

“What is that for, honey?”

“I’m painting the cabinets.”

“Okay, darling.”

So you let him bleed, surprised that the liquid is redder than what you thought it would be. A soft gurgling noise came from Bucky, the last of air escaping his dead body. You stood there, syringe in hand, as you thought how to dispose of a six-foot-tall man without arousing suspicion.

Not that he’ll be missed anyway: the local news and the internet already branded him as a psycho and you as a victim. You were both victims in this fairytale. They reported his case as “skipped the town like the sicko he is.” So, no—no one’s going to look for him.

The sun was high up in the sky and there was a dead body in your kitchen.

A butcher and a surgeon walks into a bar for a drink. “What do you do for a living?” Said the butcher, “I save lives! What about you?” The doctor answers. “I save animals from dying slowly. We’re basically the same. You’re just very clean.” You see, the butcher comes into the bar covered in blood, reeking of death. The surgeon, on the other hand, wears his white coat with pride even though he’s surrounded by death every passing second.

Today was the day you learned that you have the tools of a butcher and the precision of a surgeon. Unlike before.

You carefully take Bucky’s fingers off of his left hand, leaving a skin flap on the edge of the last knuckle for you to stitch close later. Four promises. Four goddamn promises and he broke all of them.

It was his fault that he’s dead. He made you do this.

Starting with his left shoulder, you jab the knife between the bone and the soft flesh of his armpit, bringing the blade downwards. The sickening smell of blood swirled along with the image of muscle and fat being sliced made you gag.

Does the brain know that it’s seeing something it shouldn’t?

A rational part of you wanted to look away but the time is ticking, it’ll be much harder once rigor mortis sets in an hour.

You swing the knife down, cracking the bone once, and then again, and again, and again until the shoulder bone splinters and dislocates itself from the rest of Bucky’s torso. You had to switch knives and blades and a fucking bone saw to get through the rest of his limbs, leaving only his chest, head, and stomach untouched. After taping up and packing the arms and the legs, you work on putting the rest of Bucky into a nondescript suitcase.

The only problem being his head getting into the way of things.

Wanting to preserve even a shred of his dignity, you left his face untouched. Well, save from the crack in his skull.

You begrudgingly take a hefty chef’s knife and start cutting through the jugular vein, only stopping when the blade hits the spinal cord by his nape. The serrated blade of the bone saw sits on your blood-soaked gloves, scrape-scrape-scraping until it snaps into two.

The human head weighs around 10 pounds, kinda like a bowling ball.

An opaque black garbage bag containing Bucky’s head looks nothing suspicious as you put it inside a backpack—into a firepit you go.

His limbs—arms and legs alike—are going deep into the ocean, forgotten and to be used as fish food.

The limbless torso will be finding its home in a deep hole in the middle of a densely wooded area, far from the city.

But you’re not quite sure what to do with the mason jar of teeth though; the clinking noises of it remind you of the seashells you used to collect when you were a kid. Maybe you’ll stash it away with the torso.

Placing the bags into the trunk of a rental, you begin your journey to the end of your fairytale.

The drive to and from the places was tiring, to say the least. The internet connection of the diners was spotty at best. Locals were overly friendly with the city folks who came passing through their towns. The roads reek of roadkill and manure from the farm animals that were left to roam for fresh grass.

At least you get to come home in a spotless apartment, alone once again.

But not lonely.

Your space is yours again. No trace of anyone anywhere. Immaculately yours.

—

Humans are social creatures.

No one can truly be alone, especially in today’s world where we’re connected to everyone—whether we liked it or not.

Leaving your wretched job behind was an easy feat to do. No one can say no to the victim of such a vile crime. That’s all they saw you: a helpless little thing. So off you went; saying half-assed goodbyes and sending emails of courage and hope and fucking resilience.

Your resignation meant that the company’s free of any dirt from you, Bucky’s disappearance quickly becoming a joke and a rumor blending in one.

They let you leave: in your bank account a fat check ensuring that you’d shut up about the scandal for months until you can’t feed yourself no more. So you packed your bags and jet off without looking back. You never liked that apartment anyway.

Nevertheless, you found yourself looking into another dead-end job in one of the towns you stopped over before. It’s a charming place like time froze in their plaza while the rest of the world went on. You found a small studio apartment in a street tuckered away from the main avenue, you settled there as days became nights and nights turned into days.

You woke up one morning craving a healthy serving of coffee and pancakes, luckily the town’s local diner wasn’t far from your new home.

The coffee was too hot, the pancakes were amazing, fluffy, and just right. You’re sitting in a sunny booth, the warmth doing its wonders.

“Hi, can I get today’s paper, please?” Your voice is sweet as you call your server, giving her a quick smile.

A pair of Raybans adorn your face, unconsciously hiding behind its darkened glasses. The waitress gives you a thick stack of newspapers, refilling your cup with black coffee.

Upon opening the paper, you ignore the town’s headlines and went straight for the job postings. The door jingled open as patrons come in and go, waving to familiar faces.

Job Vacancy Announcements

Secretary to the Town Sheriff

You skimmed over the rest of the details, only noting the address of the office. The job looks quite lucrative for someone who would only take messages and organize files for the sheriff.

Looking over the job posting again, you read over the words walk-ins only. That shouldn’t be hard enough.

The diner looked deserted save from the man sitting behind your booth. Leaning over and tapping his shoulder, you put on a polite smile, “Hi, sorry, do you know how to get to the sheriff’s office from here?”

“Hello, darling.” The man croons in an accent, he looks over to you, “join me in my booth, will ‘ya?”

You’re in no position to reject his proposal, you’re the one who needed an answer.

Taking your coffee cup, you slide into his booth, “hi.”

“Just the face I wanted to see.” Clean-shaven, a hint of mint and smoke, and something woody; a worn leather jacket and white button-up shirt hugging his soft frame. “Some folks over on the apartment complex were talkin’ about a city girl wanting to rent a studio all by herself. That happen to be you?”

You look over to him, trying to understand how that small of news spread like a wildfire, “yeah. I moved in a week ago.”

He leans over, smiling sweetly as he unabashedly lets his eyes roam your features, “What’s a city girl like you doin’ in a place like this? I hope we ain’t too boring for you, gal.”

Chatty—he’s way too chatty.

“Just wanted a change of pace, really. Away from the bustle of the city.” You rustle the paper, clearing your throat to get back on the matter on hand, “so the sheriff’s office? Is it too far from here?”

“What business are ‘ya bringing into the office?”

“A job, actually. Says here that they’re looking for a secretary.” You might as well tell him everything, he seems too chatty to be dismissed over and over again.

“Well, darlin’, today’s your lucky day. No need to drive down the old road.” He reaches down to his seat, pulling up a brown hat, “Hi, I’m Sheriff Bodecker. Now, to whom do I owe the pleasure?”

You bite back a giggle, you’ve always wanted to be involved with the law.

[serenityseventeen]

♪ The Last Day of Summer With You

Dino/Lee Chan : Firefly Meadow

Chan groaned in exhaustion as he continued walking down the dirt road with you on his back.

On the way up the hill, you had tripped over a thick tree branch and sprained your ankle, which was to you, a complete disappointment. You had waited until the last day of summer to take him to a forest meadow to see fireflies only for an unplanned disaster to occur.

“Just a bit more,” You said quietly, after hearing Chan's exhausted breaths. Even though you got hurt and felt bad for having Chan carry you, you wanted to desperately see the lightning bugs. You rested your head on his shoulder and said, “I told you that you don't have to carry me all the way over here, I could walk.”

Chan, despite being quite obvious about the fact that his energy was getting drained, smiled and chuckled. “It's okay. If that sprain was not enough for you to go back, I'm just going to trust you that there's something beautiful up here,” Chan replied, looking ahead. He could see the dirt path slowly fade to just green grass.

It was getting dark and if you had to estimate, you would guess that it was probably around 9 pm. The way up wasn't easy but now that you two have reached a certain point, it was quite easy to tell that the floor was evening out. Trees were surrounding the path and Chan felt a bit skeptical about the place as he looked around.

He didn't know about the fireflies yet.

As you two traveled further away from your car that was parked at the street nearby, deeper into the forest, you could see hints of the destination approaching. You found this place when you were following a rabbit while you were young, and though you've always somewhat hated the look of bugs, whenever you saw fireflies, you'd get reminded that everything ugly in life still had beauty in it.

You wanted to share this special place, that you were sure no one knew of, with the most special person in the world. You wanted to thank Chan for being the kindest, most loving, caring, and helpful boyfriend. Through thick and thin, snowy storms and sunny weather, Chan was always there by your side. Now that another summer with him was about to pass by, you wanted to tell him how special he was.

While he continued to walk, you took out your phone and turned on the flashlight, making sure that it was bright enough to light up the night. Then, in a reassuring voice, you told him, “I have a small surprise for you, do you mind if I cover your eyes?”

“Cover my eyes??” Chan was taken aback by the question but he knew that if he wanted a good surprise, he had to at least follow your conditions but even so, Chan tilted his head doubtingly. “How long will you cover them for?”

You estimated how long it would take for Chan to walk to the firefly heaven, and concluded, “Around 30 seconds? Just keep walking forward, the path onward is flat but the grass is tall.”

As your hands went on to cover Chan's eyes, he adjusted his grip and your position on his back with a little jump and continued.

Of course, Chan was terrified. As if walking in a forest during the late evening wasn't scary enough, he had to walk with his eyes covered. Sometimes, he would even become paranoid, thinking that he'd be carrying a ghost or something, so he'd always ask you something and hear your warm responses to chase away the fear.

The meadow was like a clearing in the forest. The grass gradually grew taller and there weren't many trees anymore, only one or two in the middle of the field.

At first, you were afraid that the glowing bugs wouldn't be there, or if there were, there wouldn't be many, since fireflies were primarily present during late spring to early summer. You did know, however, that sometimes fireflies could live on or have twinkling bottoms a bit later in the humid weather. You just had to hope that there were some.

With a soft sigh, you looked down at the meadow.

More disappointment. You should have checked for fireflies the day prior. You felt stupid for not doing so.

There was nothing.

No twinkling bugs, no fairyland.

With a sigh, your hands slipped off of Chan's eyes.

“We're too late. The fireflies are gone.”

“Fireflies? What fireflies?” Chan asked. You let yourself down and while hopping on one leg, you took a hold of the tree behind you. The bark was rather smooth rather than rough.

“In the summer, there are fireflies here. I should have taken you here earlier, at the beginning of summer, not at the end...” You looked down, plucking a piece of long grass and fidgeting with it, feeling that everything had been ruined. You continued to mutter, “I wanted to make it special so that you could know that you're special to me.”

Chan felt his heart smile. “Well, it's okay, we don't need to see fireflies... I don't like bugs anyway.”

He had a joking tone, meant for you to laugh, and he didn't fail at that. You just found yourself chortling at what he said because you knew it was somewhat sincere.

“The fireflies are really beautiful,” You commented, looking ahead at the darkness of the forest. “I will make sure to take you here again to see them.”

“I'll wait for that then, but you don't need to wait to tell me that you adore me,” Chan replied, putting his arm around your shoulders to help you stabilize and comfort you. “I mean, you already make me feel special everyday. Who needs lightning bugs? You're already the sun of my world, I don't need anything else.”

You chuckled softly and confessed, “I thought you were gonna say that I was already like a lightning bug, but fortunately, you called me the sun instead.”

Chan chuckled and looked forward, where in the distance, he saw the faint blink of a neon yellowish light with a tint of green.

You dropped your head, and commented quietly, “Still, I think we wasted our time coming up here.”

There was a silence of words as Chan stared at the firefly, subconsciously reaching his hand out toward it. It flew rhythmically, from left to right, high to low, eventually landing on Chan's hand. You were staring at the ground, still bummed, when you felt a slight tap on your shoulder.

You looked up and were met with a cute little beetle. The bottom of the beetle was glowing and its little light was somehow enough. You and Chan looked at each other, amazed at the little beauty. You both smiled, your eyes reflecting the bug's neon glow, your eyes following it as it flew off into the distance.

“I think the climb was worth it,” Chan said, turning to you. He took your hand and gave it a soft kiss. “We got to see a firefly like what you wanted.”

“That's not what I wanted, I wanted a whole pack of them. It would have made this meadow light up like a magical land!” You smiled as you complained, knowing that you felt satisfied.

Chan clapped his hands together. “I've never seen a firefly up close but it looked and made this land so magical, it almost felt unreal. Anyway, I'm happy to have come here with you. It felt special.”

You smiled, chuckling at your boyfriend's simple but sincere words. You could tell that not one of his words was an exaggeration even if it did seem like it since the sentences were so brazen.

“Thank you,” Chan said, brushing his thumb across your hand softly.

You didn't know how to respond. You just felt euphoric at the beautiful moment, making it seem like a hundred fireflies were lighting up the place brilliantly when there was only darkness and the flashlight from your phone as a light source.

You felt thankful to that one lightning bug that was like a blessing.

Noticing the shifting weather, Chan slipped his hand away from your shoulder, walked in front of you, and crouched down. You couldn't see his face but you were sure that he was smiling as he said the next sentence in a gentle voice.

“Climb on, honey, let's head back.”

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

© serenityseventeen

a/n: Today's IN THE SOOP ep made me cry- I cried when Seungkwan and Chan had their talk at the Tarp Zone because that was so wholesome and just so- beautiful to see them care for each other... But then I must've looked crazy because after that, I began laughing when they began reminiscing their past lol (and why are they so effortlessly funny lol) + I need to get that Dino fic done... I don't want to work on many things simultaneously, I can see the end!! + And guys- what if- what if i become a dinonara!?!? considering switching my bias to dino, sorry wonu... but I might not change??