#liz plays with action figures

[wantonlywindswept]

"Hello buir, this is your grandson."

"Buir? ...grandson??"

---

Was very frustrated I couldn't come up with anything for Cody Day (2/2/24) and then remembered that I have other ways to create chaos.

Anyway, TCW/Mandalorian time travel shenanigans! After o66, Cody ended up with the Tribe, never removing his helmet and devoting himself to taking care of the foundlings as a way to ease his guilt. He took a shine to Din, raised him as his own, and taught him everything he knew. ('What do you mean you're not supposed to physically assault droids with your bare hands?')

He was probably lost in one of the assaults on the Tribe that resulted in them having to relocate so often, but that's one of the reasons Din was so adamant about never removing his helmet: he wanted to honor his buir's memory.

Eventually Mandalor Din (lalala what season 3 lalalalala), Grogu, and Protector Paz end up interacting with some kind of Force bullshit and get chucked into the past. They then meet Cody, whose scar is in the exact same place as the marking that Din's buir always painted on his helmet.

(scar not pictured, as this figure of cody does not have a face)

((meanwhile paz and rex are Not About these shenanigans. mandalor please step away from the proto-stormtrooper. cody please remove yourself from within reach of the extremely well-armed mandalorian. why do second-in-commands always have to deal with idiot leaders paz and rex did nothing to deserve this))

[bluerosesburnblue]

@oveliagirlhaditright I'm putting my Missing Link thoughts in another post because it would be too long, and honestly I have SO MANY thoughts about why the basic premise of KHML was a bad idea (completely separate from my own distaste for the "Ephemer is Xehanort's ancestor" stuff that might be in it)

Because you're right to mention Pokemon Go and it really, REALLY feels to me like it's just trying to ride the hype from the mobile ARG boom that started with Pokemon Go a whole eight years ago. Because KHML as a concept doesn't even seem to be utilizing any of the unique features of an ARG that make them appealing

There's two real franchise-based mobile ARGs that I ever remember hearing about: Pokemon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite*. These two projects do make sense to me, as opposed to KHML because of the way that both franchises make use of the central concept of the augmented reality feature. They're additions to reality, which both series already played around with. HP takes place in our reality, but with a "what if magic was real and just hidden" premise, so it's insanely easy to make an ARG that's just "yeah, you're one of the people in on the secret magical society that always existed in the real world." Pokemon takes place in an alternate version of our world; every location in Pokemon is based on a real-world location. So that's also a natural progression for it, and it's easy to pretend that the "reality" you see in the ARG is just the Pokemon world. Other than location names and the presence of Pokemon, the Pokemon world is practically identical to reality

That is literally the central concept of an ARG. To make the game part of reality. And that just doesn't work with KH, a game about flying through space to reach Disney worlds. Sure, some of us might have wanted to pretend to be Keyblade wielders as kids, but did we want to be wielders in our small backyards? Not even imagining that they were another location, but the yards as they were? No! We wanted to be in the Disney worlds! Or Traverse Town! The central facet of ARG gameplay doesn't mesh with the functionality of a story-based canonical title. And so what do they do to force it to work? Complicate the lore with the Astral Planes, which completely take the "reality" out of Augmented Reality aside from... a map? Like, it might have worked with Quadratum depending on how much of "our reality" that ends up being, but that's not at all what they're doing

Additionally, ARGs are not conducive to story-heavy games! You're supposed to play them while walking around town, maybe stopping for a few minutes to take a break. Or you play them on work/school breaks. You need to be able to pick them up, play a bit for 10 minutes, and put them down. The typical gameplay cycle for most ARG players does not include 20 minutes just to watch cutscenes to get the Exclusive Lore before being able to do anything, and the people who like KH for the story aren't going to want to wait all the time for their mobile game energy to recharge before they can get their cutscenes (a thing that even KHUx did away with for story chapters after some time!)

The entire decision to make KHML an ARG, to me, feels like corporate checking off a box of "style of game that got popular in recent memory" and trying to copy it rather than thinking of the gameplay as a medium in and of itself to tell a story. Nothing about the ARG concept works with what KH is at its core, and I honestly feel like they unintentionally admitted that when it was announced that you'd be able to play it without leaving home. What is the point of making it an ARG at all if you're going to remove literally the only benefit that it has as a medium, as opposed to something that could benefit the story you're trying to tell? We are a long way from the days of TWEWY making revolutionary use of the DS technology to have its gameplay tell a significant part of its story

In an ideal world, I think that KHML should have been an MMO like we thought KHx was going to be back when it was announced. They wouldn't have to mess with the lore to make it work, other players running around would help to "populate" Scala ad Caelum in a natural way, people could form "families" with their friends to further the bloodlines narrative, and MMOs can function on the drip-fed narrative style that they wanted. It doesn't even have to be a big-budget MMO like FF14, because I actually do like KH3's artstyle and KHML's simpler usage of it (it manages to be distinctive and colorful, working in hallmarks of Nomura's hand-drawn style while still being more detailed than the PS2-era). It could just be... basically what it is now, but they add in new Disney worlds every couple of months to keep the story going

And now here we are, with a game that was supposed to be out by the end of 2023 still missing (lol) and only having had two betas by the near-midpoint of 2024 because they're having developmental issues that I would personally guess have to do with the game's self-defeating nature. I find it very frustrating

*Adding in, Wizards Unite literally ran for less than three years (June 2019 - Jan 2022) before shutting down so even being tied to a big-name franchise couldn't save it. I have a strong hunch that the Covid-19 lockdowns played a huge part in killing the ARG boom so it's doubly insane to me why Square Enix thought trying to bring it back was a good idea

[khristie16]

Social dance ¬ One

An old soul, lost in a modern society ruled by concepts which are normalised. Unable to follow them even if tried enough, a risk to be left alone in the dark, where shadows control life and decisions. To learn the normalised and be stumped in it or unlearn some patterns?

trope: childhood friends -> enemies to lovers format: reader x charles leclerc

triggers in this chapter: physically absent father You're free to leave a comment on how you like it, besos❀

Growing up in a tranquil neighbourhood, where silence was only occasionally interrupted by the distant hum of life, seemed mundane as a child. But now, you find yourself yearning for those days when the world was filled with the magic of fairy tales and the innocent fear of imaginary monsters under your bed. The simplicity of those days, when the biggest worry was dark shadows, feels like a comforting memory against the complexities of adult life.

Even as an adult, there's a part of you that still believes in the fantastical creatures that once haunted your dreams, a reminder of the vibrant imagination of youth. You fondly remember Charles, the boy next door, whose presence was as constant as the changing seasons. Living with his two brothers, he was an integral part of your childhood tapestry.

Those summers spent playing with water guns and pretending to be gangsters, with homemade lemonade as your elixir, are cherished memories. The lemonade's tangy sweetness seemed to cool the essence of summer's heat. As second grade rolled around, new friendships began to form, reshaping the landscape of your young heart.

You laugh now at the simplicity of those early days, where girls played with girls and boys did the same. It was a natural progression, the formation of new groups, so subtle you barely noticed it happening.

As time flowed on, your thirteenth birthday brought with it life-changing news. Your father, a dedicated and brilliant engineer, announced his move to a different city for a better job. His unwavering commitment to providing financial security and happiness for you and your mother was evident, a priority that guided his every decision.

As an introverted and shy girl, you cherished the few friendships you had but longed for close ones. You craved big gatherings but remained loyal to your initial choices.

High school began, and the absence of your best friend at the same school made the transition even harder. Making new friends proved challenging as your interests diverged from those of your classmates. The boys seemed indifferent, drawn to different types of girls. This solitude pushed you to delve into your passions—hobbies and sports that brought you joy—and deepened the bond with your father through shared interests.

Charles reentered your life, capturing your attention once more. As a natural observer, you noted the subtle ways girls behaved around him, ways that were foreign to you. There seemed to be a pattern to their actions, a social dance you hadn't yet mastered. So, you stood on the sidelines, watching and learning.

The classroom buzzes with the low hum of chatter, but your mind is elsewhere. Lost in thoughts, you barely notice your friend, Mary, seated beside you.

“What are you looking at?” Mary's voice breaks through your reverie.

Mary, the blue-eyed gamer girl, sits next to you. Her dark, fine hair frames her face, and her headphones rest casually on her shoulders. She hums a Korean song softly while sketching on her graphic tablet.

You shrug your shoulders. “Nothing.”

Mary nods, her attention returning to her art. After a few moments, she glances at you with curiosity. “Seriously, what are you trying to find there?”

Your gaze drifts to Charles—handsome, with a tall figure and brown, curly hair that looks irresistibly touchable. He's smiling at your classmate Liz, who exudes beauty and confidence. An ache spreads in your chest, but you quickly dismiss it as irrational.

“He's hot,” Mary comments casually.

You snap your head towards her, eyes wide in surprise. Mary chuckles at your reaction. “What? It's the truth.”

You shake your head, looking down at your hands. They could use some care, evidence of your passion for hobbies that leave oil under your nails. You've developed the habit of hiding them, but it's clear what you do in your free time.

Mary studies you closely, concern etched on her face. “Something wrong?”

You shake your head again, adjusting your position for comfort. “Nothing, just the usual,” you lie, hating the words as you say them.

“Jeez, I hope the trip will change you a bit,” Mary says, pecking your cheek affectionately.

You chuckle, appreciating her honesty. It's one of the things you love about her. Despite everything, she's always genuine.

You observe the boys, noting how they pay attention to specific girls—girls who aren't like you. You prefer your big T-shirts, allowing comfort while eating a hamburger, and you like your hair in a bun, keeping it out of the way while working under a car.

Your fondness for everything that reminds you of your dad is something you wouldn't change, not even for Charles's wandering eyes. You wish he could see you differently, or more accurately, see you at all.

Ironically, you talk more with his younger brother, Arthur. He's the youngest and always tried to keep up with you and Charles when you played as kids. Arthur has a soft spot for you because you remind him of home. You've known each other since childhood, and you've always looked out for him.

Unfortunately, Arthur started his first year here and is busy with his own life.

“Yeah, it could do me some good,” you murmur, zoning out as you think about the upcoming trip.

Flashback: Two weeks ago

Sweat drips into your eyes as you breathe heavily under the car, working diligently to put the parts back together.

“YN!”

You turn your head to see who's calling, though you already know. Long, slim legs in a pleated pink skirt stand at the doorway.

You push yourself out from under the car and grab a towel to wipe your face. “Yes, Mom?”

You have your mother's eyes—brown and almond-shaped, though yours are lighter, more amber than her dark chocolate. Your father's green eyes give you a unique blend. Your mother is a lady, elegant and beautiful, and you love her just as much as your father.

“I need to talk to you, hun.”

You nod and stand up, ready to listen.

Your mom is looking at you with a pitying look yet a sweet smile, which makes you feel like the sore leg of the whole family. As a child, when the family was still together, you did not experience such feelings. You concluded that this is a natural human development, causing people to feel worse mentally and often physically in today's world. You shook yourself out of your mother's piercing eyes. She misses your dad as much as you do.

The pitying look comes from her resentment of you spending so much time in the garage and not having a life like everyone else. Though your mom was never one of those women who wanted to take it far; she always stayed at home and raised you. For this, you are glad, but you wouldn't believe she could begrudge your decision. Maybe she hates when you ride your motorbike in the rain and it's stuffy every time you come back home.

You had to admit that the adrenaline was the only thing that made you feel alive. And if you didn't have your female friends in your life, you'd probably be even worse off. Sometimes you agreed when this thought made its way to the top of your consciousness, but you chose to ignore it. Every time, it made your heart sink and form a lump in your throat.

The most devastating feeling about it all was that you had a life, in a way. Hobbies, skills, and intelligence allowed you to sail through school academically, but you still felt empty. At first, you said it was puberty, but it took a long time. Even your friends had something you were missing, but you didn't know what it was. When you started to think about it longer, you didn't come to any conclusion. Maybe there's something more to it that you don't know about, but your mom's presence brought you back to the present when her soft and kind hands touched yours.

“Sweetie, your dad and I were thinking that you could visit my sister in Italy. Do you still remember her?”

You sigh, remembering her. She is everything you are not and probably never will be. Full of life, five men in each palm, and her life revolves around fun, a little work, and a lot of sex. You don't blame her, but you wonder why your parents want to send you there.

“You know, she's busy now. She started a babysitting business, and you know Eve. She's a nut, and when she sent me videos, she had about ten kids there at once, but her grace makes everything easier.”

At this point, you want to collapse, go back under the car, and not get out. Your shock is evident because your mom squeezes your hands.

“It would only take a few weeks. You were always so patient and responsible; it would help her a lot.”

Her words warm your heart slightly. At least someone appreciates these qualities. The problem is that it isn't the real reason they want to send you there. But you know your mom too well to pry the information out of her even if you'd asked.

You sigh. “You know school has started and I need to study.”

“It doesn't matter; I already arranged it at school. You will have an individual plan for the time you are not here.”

Unfortunately or not, your face has the ability to show every emotion and thought swirling inside. You want to curse yourself for it the second your mom stands up straight, ready to insist you listen. You raise your hands in anticipation that you weren't going to talk about it any further and go back under the car. After Mom sulks in the garage for a little while longer, deciding it would be better if you both cooled down, you get up again and go to the phone.

Dad picks it up on the other end. “Hello, sunshine, how are you?”

This time, you don't bother with small talk. “Why are you and Mom sending me away?”

Dad is silent for a second and then starts, “So she already told you. I told her to wait until I come for the weekend.”

“That's nice, but I want a reason.”

“Your mother thinks you lack certain skills.”

“Like what?”

Your blood is boiling, and you want to punch the wall or the ground. Right now, you don't care.

“Your mother told me how she was raised differently and she would like it for you as well. She is afraid you'll fall behind—”

You admire how your father is attentive to your mother's wishes, but right now you wish it were otherwise. Dad doesn't have a firm hand when it comes to Mom's feelings, so he allows her everything she has in her heart.

“—that we will send you there for a few months and see how it will benefit you.”

“What? Mom said a few weeks…”

“It wouldn't make much sense. It's far away.”

Tears begin to well up in your eyes and you feel helpless, just like you experience every day at school, but this time much more intense. The other part of you that survives inside is being ripped apart, leaving you with heavy breathing.

“Baby, wait for me to come home. You'll be fine.”

“How could I be fine when you want to send me a billion miles away?”

Dad just sighs. You can tell he’s sorry too, but he's adamant that it will benefit you.

“You'll see. You’ll be able to teach your aunt how to fix cars.”

A small smile forms on your face as you start laughing. The image of your aunt under the car is enough to break the tension. After the phone call with Dad, you head to the living room to talk to Mom, but someone knocks on the door. Mindlessly, you go to open it and there stands Charles.

Except he has Liz wrapped around his neck, hanging on him like a coat on a hanger, with lipstick smeared all over her face. No wonder she wasn't cast for the Joker adaptation. Charles stares blankly with a smudge of lipstick on his face.

After the initial shock, you ask what they would like.

Charles enlightens you about their visit: he needs to pick up some of your mom's freshly baked healthy bread for his mom, without lactose and all the other things discussed in magazines you don't read. You close the door to call your mom. Before you can do that, Liz speaks.

“Is that a boy or a girl?”

You flush like a pan on the stove, not hearing your mother's footsteps as she suddenly appears in front of you with her hands full of buns. You swallow and open the door a little more. This time, you focus your gaze on Liz, who you want to punch in the face and hope her hair turns gray when she sees herself in the mirror.

But when you look at Charles, you see that he’s amused by Liz's comment, as he has a smirk on his face. It doesn’t make you angry; it hurts you.

You wouldn’t expect that from someone like him. You spent your entire childhood together, and you hoped he would at least protect you. Somehow. But who are you to him for him to do something like that? After all, you haven't talked to each other in a long time.

And a part of you is glad to soon be away from people who box you in and don't care anymore.

Now

Back in your room, you start packing reluctantly. Mary calls and tries to cheer you up, suggesting that Italy might be an adventure you need, even if you can’t see it yet.

A few days later, you’re at the airport, saying goodbye to your mom. Her eyes are teary, and she hugs you tightly. “Remember, this is for your own good, sweetheart. Have an open mind, okay?”

You nod, though you’re not entirely convinced. The flight feels long, but you distract yourself by imagining what Italy will be like. When you arrive, your aunt Eve is there to greet you, her bright smile and effervescent personality already overwhelming.

“Welcome to Italy, darling! We’re going to have so much fun!” she exclaims, pulling you into a hug.

You manage a smile, hoping that maybe, just maybe, this trip will help you find whatever it is you’ve been missing. Eve’s place is bustling with activity—kids everywhere, laughter, and chaos. It’s a stark contrast to your quiet, introspective life.

In the following days, you settle into a routine. Helping Eve with the children keeps you busy, and you start to appreciate the small moments of joy in their innocent smiles and giggles. One evening, as you’re tucking in one of the kids, Eve joins you.

“You’re really good with them,” she says softly. “Thank you for being here. It means a lot.”

You nod, feeling a sense of warmth. It’s nice to be appreciated. “It’s different, but I’m getting used to it.”

Eve smiles. “You know, I see a lot of your mom in you. She was always so responsible and patient. But don’t forget to have fun, too. Life is too short to be serious all the time.”

Her words linger with you as you navigate the days. Slowly, you start to explore more—venturing out into the vibrant streets of Italy, tasting the food, and absorbing the culture. You even meet some locals who introduce you to new hobbies and interests.

One afternoon, while you’re out exploring, you receive a text from Mary. “Hey, guess what? Charles asked about you today. He seemed surprised you left.”

You stare at the message, a mix of emotions swirling inside you. Before you can overthink it, another message comes in. “Maybe this trip will show him what he’s missing out on.”

You laugh softly, shaking your head. Italy is changing you, bit by bit. You’re finding pieces of yourself you didn’t know were missing. And maybe, just maybe, when you return, you’ll be ready to face whatever comes your way—whether it’s Charles, school, or just life in general.

With renewed determination, you continue to embrace your time in Italy, knowing that this experience is shaping you into a stronger, more confident person. And who knows? Maybe when you return home, you’ll be ready to show the world the real you.

[whentherewerebicycles]

the baby is seven months old today and I am, as you might have gathered, obsessed with him. he is possibly the mellowest child on the planet. he wakes up beaming at me every morning and is like hey mom what are we doing today. I could say hey kid we are going to climb everest with no shoes on and he would be like sounds chill mom should we start before or after my nap? he is game for literally whatever. every month has been more fun than the last but this month has been especially joyful because he has discovered his baby sense of humor. certain faces, noises, and dance routines make him laugh uproariously and then he looks at you expectantly, already half grinning like are you gonna tell that hilarious joke again mom???? are you???? he has his more challenging days like any baby but I think that part of what distresses him on a fussy day is that he’s not happier like um hello??? I’m a happy little guy what is even happening to me??? he’s not at his cuddliest right now (there are so many toys to play with and dogs to reach for in this house he does not have TIME to be snuggled mother) but he still rolls over and tucks himself into my side and falls asleep clinging to me in the big bed for his last nap most days. he spends a lot of time in his crib singing to himself and practicing his new consonants (he is working on buh, muh, and possibly puh, and of course continuing to perfect various g sounds). he often hoots and hollers very loudly but then sometimes he will sing his songs to you in the softest, gentlest little baby voice you ever heard, like do you like this? what do you think of this one? he can sit up unassisted for about thirty seconds before he forgets how to balance and topples over. his favorite toys are giraffe friend (who lives in the car), elephant friend (he chews industriously on its trunk any chance he gets), and Obnoxious Piano Toy (he lives for its unbearable little songs). when Piano Toy’s songs play he starts unconsciously kicking his right leg in rhythm and then a few seconds later his left leg gets in on the action like the song is taking him over limb by limb (you can’t stop the beat!!!). he is deeply interested in and passionate about foods of all kinds except for his bitterest enemy arugula. every time he encounters a new texture in the world he gets this expression of totally absorbed focus on his face like a scientist encountering a specimen of a newly discovered genus, and then he must scritch-scratch at it for minutes at a time until he feels he understands it. and then he must CHOMP it!!! he knows his favorite people (my mom, my sister, aunt liz and uncle alex, his sitter) and will now give them hugs and chomp-kisses. he also definitely seems to have figured out that people find his hugs and chomp-kisses adorable so he gets a sly little look on his face before he does it like heh heh I’m about to blow your mind with how cute I can be. he is as bald as an egg and IMPOSSIBLY LONG how can AN INFANT be SO TALL!!!! he has a big round noggin and a squishy little square face and fat little baby hands and the chonkiest baby feet you’ve ever seen in your life and chunky little bow legs that he likes to kick kick kick as hard as he can in the bath. he is the best little baby and the biggest goober and he is mine he is mine he is my little kid!!!!!!!!!!

[pers-books]

Liz Truss’s bid to ban trans women from sports runs out of time after MPs discuss ferrets instead

Left: former PM Liz Truss. Right: two domesticated ferrets (names unknown) Getty/Wikimedia Commons

Former UK prime minister Liz Truss’s recent attempt to ban transgender women from female spaces ran out of time and will now not be debated after MPs joined forces to “talk it out” for five hours, including discussing ferret name choices.

Truss, the UK’s shortest-serving prime minister, sponsored the bill – entitled the Health and Equality Acts (Amendment) Bill – saying it would define sex in law as biological and, in her view, end the “absurd and dangerous situation where biological males self-defining as females can access girls’ and women’s toilets and so on – as well as sports competitions”. 

In recent months, Liz Truss has become increasingly vocal over trans issues and has aligned herself with hard-right groups and figures, even appearing at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in the US state of Maryland last month, where she claimed that “trans activists” had infiltrated the UK’s civil service.

One of Liz Truss’s allies, Secretary of State for Trade Kemi Badenoch, slammed the “filibuster”, saying that Labour MPs had used parliamentary time to discuss ferret name choices instead of “protecting children.”

Champion said: “I am interested that my right hon. Friend is keenly mentioning ferrets at every opportunity that she can get in this debate, so let me just put it on record that my brother had a ferret called Oscar.” Eagle replied: “My hon. Friend now has that on the record. I do not really know what else to say about that, except that I am sure that Oscar brought her brother great joy.”

Conservative MP for North Devon Selaine Saxby also joined in the Animal Welfare debate after she was asked by Ms Eagle whether she had ever owned a ferret, “and if so, what was that ferret’s name?”

Saxby replied: “That is an excellent intervention. I will come to ferrets, but unfortunately I have not had the pleasure of one at home myself.”

At one point, the Animal Welfare debate segued into a discussion of the soap opera Coronation Street, with Labour MP for Chester Samantha Dixon saying: “Is my hon. Friend aware of a recent Coronation Street storyline on precisely this issue? It involved the indomitable Evelyn, who is, of course, played by Maureen Lipman, and covered the issues around puppy farming. It was a strong, educational storyline.”

A bill aimed at ban conversion therapy failed to move through Parliament on Friday 1 March for the same reasons, after a debate on it ran out of time: with anti-conversion therapy ban MPs, including gender-critical Labour MP Rosie Duffield and several Conservative MPs, similarly accused of ‘filibustering’.

Were it not too early in the morning for it, I'd be HOWLING with laughter at this!

Here's a suggestion - instead of hounding trans people, do something about the number of children being groomed online!

[trashyswitch]

A Tickly Christmas Tradition

William comes home from work, to the house completely empty. Where is everyone? Suddenly, William's captured and...Tickled?! What in the world is going on?!

For a little christmas treat, I made a FNAF game fanfic. This prompt was actually an idea in a discord server that I was in last year. It was a funny idea brought up by @anxious-lee-ler...back in 2022. Specifically Dec. 14, 2022. Sorry it took forever for this one to be made. But despite that, I hope you enjoy! Merry Christmas Eve!

“Guys! I’m home!” William yelled as he put his bag down at the door. He took off his jacket and his work shoes, before walking past the living room into the kitchen. He looked around the house, and noticed that the house was practically empty. “...Hello?” He looked in the kitchen some more, and checked the bathroom. “Hellooooo?” He called. 

He walked up the stairs to the bedrooms, wondering if anybody was napping, or playing in their room. But when he looked in the kids’ rooms, he found them messy, but completely empty. He looked in the room he shared with his wife, and found it was vacant as well. Weird…

He went down the stairs, and called for them one more time. “Hellooooo?” He yelled. “MICHAEL? ELIZABETH?! CHRIS?!” He called. But he stopped as he stood in the middle of the kitchen. He couldn’t find his family anywhere! And it made no sense! Their second car was here! How could the car be here, but his family be completely gone?!

Suddenly, someone grabbed him underneath the arms and pulled him away. 

“AH! LET ME GO!” William shouted. Someone else wrapped a tie around his eyes and upper nose. “HEY-” he reacted, trying to remove the eye cover. But as he struggled strong and hard within the arms of the stranger, William felt someone…tickling his sides and ribs?! “ST-STOHOP- WHOHO IHIHIS THIHIHIHIS!?” he asked, trying to feel around for anyone who might’ve been standing there nearby. He could quickly tell that the tickling fingers were small, nimble fingers…almost from a little kid!

“Don’t worry, Dad. It’s us.” Michael told him, poking his fingers in his belly button.  

He could feel his fears slowly diminishing. Though he was thankful this was his family, he was still left incredibly confused by their actions. Why was someone tickling him?! Who was holding onto him? And WHY?! Suddenly, his legs were picked up by someone. “Whahait- Whahahat ahare yohohohou dohohohoihihing?” William asked, waving his hands around. 

“Taking you to the living room.” His wife told him. “We’re creating a new Christmas tradition that I think you’ll love too.” She told him. 

“Whahahat ihihis ihihihit?” William asked. 

“You’ll find out in a few minutes.” Elizabeth told her father before grabbing the lights from the decoration bin. 

William felt as his body was wrapped in rope that sounded suspiciously like Christmas lights. His gelled hair was ruined with what felt like a Santa hat followed by a…headband??? And weirdly enough, his shirt was unbuttoned followed by his socks being taken off. 

The confusion that filled Afton’s mind was overwhelming. NOW what was his family up to?! Why were they tying him up?! Why was he wearing a Christmas hat?! And how was a Christmas tradition that involved him being tied up, supposed to be fun for him?! 

“Not close to his face, Chris.” Mrs. Afton told someone. 

He could feel something being sprinkled onto him. He couldn’t for the life of him, figure out what it was! It felt strange on his belly. Whatever it was, it sounded like it came out of a pepper shaker of some sort. Were they dumping sprinkles onto him?! No, wait…sprinkles would be slightly heavier than this. This stuff felt completely weightless. What is it?! 

“Okay. Take off the blindfold, Liz.” His wife said. 

Elizabeth nodded and removed it from his face. “There!” 

William squeezed his eyes shut as the bright light filled his eyes. Squinting, he looked in front of him, and found his 4 members of his family standing in his field of vision and stretching their arms out excitedly. 

“SURPRISE!” They all said in unison to William. 

William widened his eyes and looked down at his body. Right away, he got all his answers. He was right! He really WAS wrapped in Christmas lights! And he did have a Santa hat, with a headband! Only…this headband had a yellow, glittery star hanging down in front of his face. And if there weren’t lights covering his shirt and pants, then there was most definitely glitter. Wait…the sprinkly things he felt were glitter?! A bit of yellow glitter that came from the felt star on his head, and bright green glitter absolutely everywhere else. 

William was mortified. “What in the- Why is there so much glitter?!” William asked, more shocked than angry by this point. 

Elizabeth giggled as she held 5 empty glitter bottles in her hands. “Oh…No reason, papa.” Elizabeth said with a shit-eating grin on her face. William groaned in annoyance. Elizabeth only ever called him ‘papa’ when she was in a mischievous mood. Who the heck thought it would be a good idea to give Elizabeth the glitter?! 

And then to make matters worse, Chris was giggling right beside him and STILL shaking the rest of the green glitter onto his lower leg. 

“Okay, okay…I think it’s empty, Chris.” Mrs. Afton told her youngest. 

Chris nodded and pulled the other empty glitter bottles out of his pockets. Chris had 5 glitter bottles as well! His two youngest children had managed to use 10 separate 16 oz. bottles of glitter on their father!! 

That was- like- 20 cups of glitter!!

“Oh……my god…” William muttered aloud. 

Elizabeth giggled. “Did we overdo it?” She asked. 

Michael laughed. “Nope. In my opinion, he needs more.” Michael joked, pulling yet ANOTHER 16 oz. glitter bottle of his own out of his pocket. 

“NO-” Mrs. Afton took Michael’s bottle. “10 full bottles is plenty enough.” She said, placing it aside. 

William looked at the glitter, and blew a puff of air…and the extra layers of glitter blew with the air, over to his crazy family! Mrs. Afton and Elizabeth squealed and covered up their faces to prevent themselves from getting covered. Chris opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue to catch the glitter on his tongue like they were snowflakes, while Michael closed his brother’s mouth and gave him a stern look. “Don’t eat the glitter.” He ordered his brother. 

“You are all gonna clean this whole mess afterwards. And I am NOT. HELPING.” William warned, shooting his wife a hairy eyeball expression. 

Mrs. Afton was unphased by his threatening look. She was almost awaiting the look, just so she could say her wonderful comeback. “Oh, don’t worry. We’ll clean it up while watching the video recordings of you laughing your head off on the TV.” his wife told him, hinting at his demise. 

Laughing his head off- What?! 

“What do you mean ‘laughing your-’?!” William widened his eyes as he saw their youngest child, holding feathers in his hand. William widened his eyes and quickly remembered that his shirt was unbuttoned. “...Oh no…” he muttered. He quickly remembered that his socks were off too! “OH NO!” He curled his toes, suddenly fearful. 

“Now do you understand what we’re cooking?” Mrs. Afton asked with a smirk. 

William stuttered in shock for a second, before narrowing his eyes at his wife and kids. “Don’t you dare…Don’t you ffffff-” He quickly changed his word. “-Ffffffreaking dare…” He warned. 

“Ooooh, you’re lucky.” Mrs. Afton reacted, before bringing her fingers closer to his belly. “Cause if you swore…we would’ve made sure you REALLY regretted it.” She told him. 

William yelped and wiggled around, trying to get his belly away from her fingers. “D-Don’t! Why are you doing this?!” He asked, a small wobbly smile building on his face. 

“Because it’s fun!” She told him before touching his belly. Just her little nails’ touch was enough to make the hairs on his arms stand on edge. “Plus, I know you’re gonna like this~” She told him, before dancing her fingers all over his belly. 

William jumped and winced, trying not to laugh right away. If they were going to make him laugh, he was going to make it a challenge. His family was going to have to work hard to get him to laugh like they want. If they were planning on playing games with him, he was going to play too. 

“Ooooh, holding out on us?” His wife asked before looking at Michael. “Get your hands ready. We might need you to help break your father’s walls down.” She told her eldest son. 

Michael nodded his head and readied his fingers on his upper ribs. “Ready, Mom.” Michael replied. 

“You’re not gonna go for his armpits?” She asked. 

“Nah. His armpits kinda stink.” Michael replied rather bluntly with a chuckle, waving his hand close to his nose for extra humorous effect. 

“Sh-Shutup!” William spat through his teeth. 

She laughed at her kid’s bluntness. “It’s not gonna get any better, Michael.” She teased playfully to her son. “But, you do whatever you want.” She said, before winking at him.

Michael smirked at the wink. That was his cue to start. “Yeah. I will.” He replied proudly, before  immediately starting to skitter and scratch at his father’s upper-to-middle ribs. 

“NonONO-” William squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head as the biggest wobbly smile they had ever seen on the father and husband had filled his face. He was visibly straining to not laugh. Apparently, it wasn’t just his armpits and belly that were ticklish. It actually looked like his upper ribs were just as bad, if not more ticklish than his armpits! And it appeared that Michael knew this all too well. 

“I wanna tickle his stinky feet!” Elizabeth teased as she ran up and picked up her Dad’s foot. 

“NO! Leavemyfeeheetalooone!” He grunted and protested through his teeth. 

Mrs. Afton laughed. “Sure, go ahead!” She replied. “Hey Chris?” She said, looking over at her youngest. “You sure you don’t want to join?” She asked. “You can prop up the camera and join in, if you want.” She encouraged him. 

But Chris shook his head and walked the camera closer to his Dad. “Mhm! I’m recording Daddy’s girl laugh!” He told his Mom. 

She laughed at her youngest’s reply. “Just keep the camera steady, alright?” She told him. 

“Yup!” He replied, popping the P. 

William could feel his lungs starting to fail him a lot faster than he was expecting. He knew growing older usually affected one's body…but his lungs too!? What a terrible time to figure this out! 

Soon, little titters and hisses started to exit through his wobbly grin. Mrs. Afton lit up upon hearing that. “We’re close! Liz, go for his toes!” She told her daughter. 

Elizabeth quickly separated the big toe and 2nd toe, before sliding the feather back and forth in between his toes. “Coochy coochy coo, Daddy!” She declared. 

William finally broke out in strong, high-pitched laughter. His laughter was so unlike his body frame! And his family was well aware of this fact. “BWAHAHAHAHA! AAAHAHAHAHAHA! PLEHEHEASE STOHOHOHOHOP!” He pleaded. 

“Okay, stop!” She ordered her tickling kids. Michael and Elizabeth removed their hands from their respective spots, while Mrs. Afton did the same thing. No one was tickling him, yet his laughter was still quite heavy and strong. But just as fast as it broke out, the laughter seemed to calm down into giggles, before turning into breathlessness mixed with chuckles. 

“Yohohou guhuhuys…” He muttered a little bit. 

“Okay…” Mrs. Afton made a signal…and with this signal, came an eruption of squeals and laughter. 

“eeEEHEEK! WAHAIT- NOHoho! Lihihiz!” William yelled and laughed. 

Elizabeth smiled and opened his toes with her index and middle finger, before fluttering the feather very gently into his toe crevice. “Tickle tickle!” She teased. 

“How did you learn to do that?” Mrs. Afton asked her daughter. 

“Michael! He taught me!” Liz told her Mom. 

Michael chuckled awkwardly. “Well…I may have tried it on her a few times…” He admitted. 

“I see~” She replied. “And where did you learn it, Michael?” She asked next. 

“.....Dad.” Michael replied with a laugh. 

Mrs. Afton bursted out in laughter. “Is that so?!” She reacted. “Having any regrets yet, Will?” She asked her husband. 

William nodded his head “YEHEhehehes!” He replied. 

“Alright. Liz, let’s give your brother a turn to tickle.” She told Elizabeth.

Elizabeth nodded her head and removed the feather, earning her a high-pitched squeak. 

William’s eyes widened the moment the feather flew out of his toes. It tickled SO MUCH MORE than Liz’s see-sawing EVER did! “eEEHEEK!” He went limp in the chair. “Ohoh gohosh…” He muttered, shaking his head.

Michael skittered his fingers on his ribs. “Tell me, Dad:” He started tickling in between the ribs for a bit. “How bad does this tickle?” Michael asked. 

William jumped and snorted, leaning his head back and giggling in a somewhat girly way. “EEheeheeheehee! Prehehehetty bahahad!” William admitted. 

“Okay…” He quickly switched to tickling each and every individual rib. “What about this? Is this better? Or worse?” Michael asked curiously.

William gasped and cackled, shaking his head left and right and throwing the bouncing felt star all over the place. “aAAHAHAHA! NOHOT THAT! IHIHIT’S WOHOHORRRSE!” He shouted. 

“Oh god!” Michael reacted. “It’s really that bad?!” He asked, tickling the individual middle ribs.  

“YEHESYESYEHEHEHESS! PLEHEHEASE STOHOHOHOHOP!” William pleaded. 

“Alright, alright.” Michael switched to tickling between the middle ribs once more. “I’ll do this instead.” He told him. 

William snorted and started giggling in the high-pitched voice all over again. “Ohohohokahahay, thahahahanks.” William told him. 

“Would it be too much for you if I joined back in?” Mrs. Afton asked. 

William shook his head. “Nohoho, ihihit wohouldn’t nohohohow.” He replied. 

Mrs. Afton smiled and started gently tickling the soft of his small beer belly. “I’ll be gentle.” She told him. 

William jumped and sunk his stomach in slightly, but to no avail. Not only did sinking in his stomach fail as a preventive strategy, but it also ruined his ability to breathe. So he breathed in as much as he could, before falling into an endless stream of high-pitched giggles. 

“Thihihihihis ihihihihis weheheird.” William told him. 

“Oh, hush your mouth and laugh, our 6ft Tickle Tree.” She teased. 

“Wh-Whahahat?!” William asked. 

“There’s a reason you’re covered in green glitter.” Mrs. Afton explained. “Can you tell him why?” She asked Chris and Elizabeth. 

“We wanted you to look like a christmas tree!” Chris told his father. 

“That’s why you’re also covered in Christmas lights with a star on your head.” Elizabeth told him. 

“HAhahahaha- Whahahahat?!” He reacted, unsure how else to react to this information. 

Michael chuckled. “I didn’t want to join in originally…” Michael looked at his Mom. “But then Mom mentioned ‘tickling’, and I quickly changed my mind.” Michael admitted bluntly. 

Mrs. Afton smirked. “Trying to throw your own mother under the bus, I see?” She asked. 

“What?! No!” Michael put his right hand up. “Honest!” He pointed his index finger at his Mom. “But I may be throwing myself under the bus.” Michael admitted. 

“Alright, alright.” Mrs. Afton replied, double-checking to make sure Chris and the recorder were doing okay. 

“Wait…How does the song ‘Oh Christmas Tree’ go again?” Michael asked. 

Elizabeth's eyes brightened. “Oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree, how lovely are your branches!” She declared, saying the lyrics instead of singing it.

“You’re very close. It’s ‘How lovely are ‘thy’ branches’.” Mrs. Afton corrected. 

“Okay. So…what if we sang ‘oh christmas tree’, but we changed the word ‘branches’ to ‘laughter’?” Michael asked. 

Elizabeth gasped. “YEAH!” She shouted excitedly, stopping her tickle attack. “🎵Oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree, how lovely are thy laughter!🎵” She sang. 

Michael hummed. “I think ‘your laughter’ would sound better in this situation.” He admitted. 

“I think I have to agree with you, Michael.” Mrs. Afton replied. 

“🎵Oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree, how lovely are your laughter🎵” Mrs. Afton sang. 

The kids joined in with their mother. “🎵Oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree, how lovely are your laughter🎵” 

Mrs. Afton continued the song. “🎵Your precious giggles fill the air, and warm our hearts with tender care,🎵” She sang in her gorgeous singing voice. 

“🎵Oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree, how lovely are your laughter🎵” The kids sang. 

Michael stopped his tickling and sang the next verse. “🎵Oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree, of all the laughs most joyful. Oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree, of all the laughs most joyful🎵” Michael sang. 

“Not bad!” Mrs. Afton reacted. “🎵Each year you bring us delight, with every shining grin so bright,🎵” She sang. “🎵Oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree, of all the laughs most joyful🎵” She finished. 

“My turn, My turn!” Elizabeth declared. “🎵Oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree, we learn from all your gigglees. Oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree, we learn from all your gigglees🎵” She sang. 

The other Aftons bursted out laughing. Did Elizabeth just come up with a word to make the verse work?! 

“🎵Your high-pitched squeals of festive cheer, give hope and happiness all year,🎵” She sang. “🎵Oh christmas tree, oh christmas tree-🎵 

They all sang together. “🎵We learn from all your giggleeeees.🎵” They all sang. 

William chuckled and nodded his head with a smile. “I would clap, but…My hands are kinda tied.” He told them. 

Everyone burst out laughing at this. Mrs. Afton walked up and unplugged the Christmas lights. “Let’s get this off you.” She said, removing the Christmas lights from around him. 

“Thank you, love.” William said, leaning in for a kiss. She wiped a few green glitter pieces from his mouth and kissed his lips. 

“Eugh…Gross…” Michael muttered aloud. 

“Awwwww!” Elizabeth reacted, holding her hand on her chest. 

Chris giggled, zooming in on his Mom and Dad’s kiss. 

“🎵I saw Mommy kiss the tickle tree, underneath the christmas star last night🎵” Chris started singing. 

Mrs. Afton and William both broke their kiss and looked at Chris, laughing at Chris’s lyrics. 

“🎵She didn’t see me creep, down the stairs to have a peek,🎵” Elizabeth sang. 

“🎵She thought that I was tucked up in my bedroom, fast asleep🎵” Michael sang. 

“He wasn’t!” Chris declared. “🎵I saw mommy kiss the tickle tree, Every little giggle filled the night!🎵” Chris sang. 

“🎵Oh what a laugh it would’ve been-🎵” Liz sang. 

“🎵If Daddy had only seen-🎵” Michael sang. 

Everyone, even William, joined in together for the last part. “🎵Mommy kiss the tickle tree last niiiiight!🎵” 

[megamaster64-comms-open]

Charlie from an AU that I'm not going to write! But I will info dump about it! Okay so first off the AU is called FNaF: Ties that bind, and it would've taken place in 2005. William Afton isn't the murder although he was framed by Charlotte. The reason she does the whole murder thing was to experiment with souls to find a way to bring her father back to life after he died from leukemia(It was going to be a different disease but I forgot what it was going to be) Charlie figured out that ghosts exist after getting continuous visions around Elizabeth and figuring out that she's a robot. So she forces her father to possess a Sonic jam disc she borrowed from Liz. In the game compilation he takes the form of sonics worst enemy, Dr. Robotnik! After playing Sonic 1 and figuring out her fathers spirit took this form she began targeting four collage kids from her campus who were once orphaned as children. With the help of her twin brother Sammy she killed and stuffed 3 of them into Toy Bonnie, Toy Chica, and Toy Foxy. However Andrew was a special case since Charlie didn't have access to Toy Freddy she put him in the Sonic Jam disc with her father. Creating a monster that would haunt her until she gave the disc back to Liz to which he then begins to haunt her, although after some talking Andrew calms down and joins his friends at Freddy's. after hearing their cries. Eventually Sammy begins to regret his actions and threatens to put both him and Charlie in prison. She responds to that threat by shooting him in the face. She stuffs his corpse into the Fredbear suit he used to preform in. Meanwhile, Elizabeth, her friend Cassidy, and her girlfriend Mary begin to solve the mystery of the disappearances and with the help of Sammy and Andrew the three of them confront Charlie and after a brief skirmish Elizabeth triggers the springlocks although this doesn't kill Charlotte it just traps her in the suit. She laughed as she reached for a hand crank only for Sammy to possess the suit and force the internals to implode on her. 6 years later Charlotte gets set on fire by Elizabeth at Fazbears fright. There were some other story elements that would've been included. Like Evan being manipulated by his father into thinking that his sister, older brother and mother abandoned him. Evan being forced into a rock band with his girlfriend Marla. He survives the bite in this au, it's less of a bite and more of a powerful electric shock that leaves one side of his face permanently disfigured. Cassidy has a twin sister that she's trying to track down for the whole story, her twin is part of Evans rock band. Evan has Paranoid Schizophrenia and Will refuses to get him therapy for it instead opting to constantly medicate him. Elizabeth was given a robot body built out of Circus baby after she was killed by her. Which she didn't know about until her father told her when she began to put the pieces together.

Reblogs are always appreciated!!!!

My commissions are open!!!!

[unapologeticallytheworst]

Hi, posting for a bit of peer review of the idea.

Celebrity CEO/Scientist!Tony Stark/Flight Attendant!Peter Parker

Notes: 3k words. Peter is 18 and in the summer between high school and college. Tony is indeterminately in his 40s and some non-superhero-y but still action-movie-y version of IM1 played out about 5ish years ago. Weirdly not Pepper Potts or Liz Toomes friendly. I swear I don't dislike either of those characters, but I wanted everyone in a weird headspace.

Fair warning, this just kinda stops and is in a rough draft state. But I gotta know if anyone would want to read more of this before I devote more time to it. Like I'll probably still finish it but I'll probably finish my main wip first, ya know?

Peter finds himself fidgeting with his tie, but he can't help it. He is just so nervous. Mr. Toomes has already made it clear that if he messes this up he's out. And he gets it, this The Tony Stark's private plane. He isn't even supposed to be on this flight, but he was the one on standby. Today is the company team building/party and as the newest he gets to sit it out. He hadn't minded at the time, it sounded like a class and that was the last thing that he wanted to do with his summer off. Then the caterers arrived and decked out the meeting room. He got what kind of team building exercise it was then. Ned had fixed him a plate and assured him he would get to enjoy it next time. To enjoy getting paid to sit at the desk doing nothing but eat good food and wait for a phone that wouldn't ring.

But the phone did ring, and not just any phone at that. The line everyone calls the red phone, the one reserved for the clients that pay consistent 24/7 availability. He actually let it ring for second longer than he should have because he was in so much shock. He has never even seen it ring and now it was his responsibly to not only answer it but work whatever flight is being requested. Because everyone else was definitely already too far gone on the large amounts of champagne being passed around.

When he did pick up, it was one Happy Hogan saying that Tony Stark wanted his jet wheels up as fast as possible. Which wouldn't have been a problem except he wasn't cleared to work for Mr. Stark who has his own special designation. Only a select few are allowed to work his flights, because he's so valuable to the agency. Mr. Toomes even personally greets him whenever possible. He had immediately alerted everyone who needed to be told, including Toomes,who took fifteen minutes to figure out what he already knew. It was going to have to be him that worked this one.

Lost in the nervousness of an hour ago, Peter almost manages to forget about the current anxiety. But the nearly blinding gleam of the slick black town car as it rolls directly onto the tarmac swiftly reminds him. Toomes shifts next to him and Peter wishes he would have just stayed at the party. His boss isn't drunk precisely… just probably more than he should be to greet their most important client for what sounded like an emergency. What kind of emergency requires an immediate long haul flight to Hawaii he's not sure, but if there's one thing that this job has taught him, don't try to understand the whims of the rich and famous. It will drive him insane.

It doesn't even seem like the car has fully stopped, before Mr. Stark is out and striding toward the waiting plane. Their eyes meet for the briefest moment, as he passes at the bottom of the stairs, and Peter feels thirteen again. Watching the press conference, where even battered, bruised, and clearly exhausted, Tony Stark was suddenly the sexiest person he had ever seen.

He only doesn't manage to make a fool of himself by virtue of the fact that he freezes. Not that it matters much since Toomes seems plenty willing to be embarrassing enough for both of them, trailing after Mr. Stark in spite of the obvious brush offs. Peter recognizes Mr. Hogan purely because he's seen him in the background of enough paparazzi photos. He rushes to help him with the bags, thankfully only two small duffels. Happy hands them off with nothing more than a nod, dashing up the steps still seemingly as frantic as he had seemed on the phone.

Walking up the steps is equal parts terrifying and exciting. He's about to be stuck with his celebrity crush for eleven hours and if he messes it up he'll lose his job. No big deal. Not a problem at all.

Toomes is still hovering, babbling completely missing the unspoken cues that Mr. Stark isn't in the mood. He's already seated and buckled even, clearly signaling his desire to get a move on. Peter cuts through their line of sight to stow the bags, hoping it will shake Toomes. The last thing he needs is Mr. Stark in a bad mood, because his boss won't back off. That he had gleaned in his conversation with one of Mr. Stark's regular flight attendants. Sometimes Tony is lonely and looking for someone to vent to, but just as much he wants to be left alone. It's up to him to figure out which is which. Engage if he engages him. Well she had used different words, because she was quite drunk, but he got the gist. He's glad it's not a party, she made those sound worse. He can leave Mr. Stark alone and if he needs someone to listen to his problems that's okay. Maybe he can forget his own for a while.

His move does disrupt the conversation but not in the way Peter is expecting. Mr. Stark interrupts whatever Mr. Toomes is babbling about, to say, “He's new.” Peter busies himself with making sure the bags are secure, pretending not to be interested in the conversation.

His boss is quiet for a moment, before launching into, “Yeah I guess it was bound to happen. One day you were going to call on a day when the rookie was the one on standby. He's a little wet behind the ears, but he's good. It was actually Cathy, one of your regulars, that plucked him out of janitorial.” Mr. Stark's statement didn't really require that response, but at least they are talking about something he brought up. Toomes speaks again when he doesn't get a response, “She said he is too cute, smart, and polite to be wasting time cleaning.”

Peter is flooded with regret that he let this conversation happen and feels his face heat at the description. He stands and spins in time to catch Mr. Stark giving him a once over as he says, “Well, I think I can trust Catherine's judgment.” Peter knows he's probably blushing even worse. It wasn't even that kind of look, more just taking his measure. But enough to remind him that he would very much like for it to be that kind of look.

Peter blurts, “Are you ready to go, Mr. Stark? Or has anything changed since I spoke to Mr. Hogan?” It's a bit rude to cut into their conversation, but he's getting desperate to get Toomes off the plane. Happy is no help pacing towards the back of the plane with a phone to his ear.

There's a hint of a smirk on Mr. Stark's lips as he responds, “Nope. We're good to go…” his eyes flick down the little gold name tag dangling off his vest, “Peter.” As Mr. Stark looks at him, Peter gets the distinct impression that he is fighting the urge to laugh. And he gets it, Mr. Stark understands his predicament and finds it deeply amusing. Which is something… at least he's not mad.

“Well, we better get going so we can get in line with ATC,” Peter drags the sentence out hoping it will work, but instead Mr. Stark just makes an interested noise and he has to explain, “The only private runway big enough for your jet is closed out of an abundance of caution due to an issue with the TAWS system, sir.” Then trying to rescue the purpose of the conversation, “So we really should get moving, because the commercial lanes are always busy.”

They stand there in a brief awkward silence, as Peter begs with every fibre of his being for his boss to leave and his body stop noticing the way that Mr. Stark looks sprawled in the plush leather armchair. He's still clearly deeply amused at Peter's problem, which helps with his libido some, cooled by embarrassment.

Mr. Stark goes to speak, to help or hurt Peter is not sure, but Happy abruptly rejoins the conversation, “The house will be ready, Tony. The staff will come out with Rhodey, because you know he'll complain, but I figured you would like the peace.”

Moment forgotten, Mr. Stark turns to talk to Mr. Hogan and Peter does his best to pretend that he isn't listening as he does a final check of the galley. Toomes still stands in the middle of the walkway seemingly lost by the conversation.

“So he can make it?” “Of course he's coming. It will take a couple of days, but he's coming. Think he's going to try and get Banner and Strange to come out too.” ”So we can all braid each other's hair and eat ice cream? - Sorry, I didn't mean that. Thank you for putting this together, Hap.”

There's silence then Mr. Hogan seems to understand what the holdup is, because he starts ushering Mr. Toomes towards the door, spouting random nonsense about how they need to get moving. Peter rushes after them pulling the door closed as soon as Toomes is clear. He turns and thanks Happy, who gives him a long look before speaking, “Sure, no problem, kid. Listen, be gentle with Tony, okay? He's just had a bad break up.” Peter just nods, trying to hide his surprise. It always seemed like Mr. Stark and Ms. Potts were so stable from the outside. Happy nods and goes, presumably to take a seat.

The two soft beeps from his ear piece remind him that he still needs to do his actual job now. So he tells the cockpit that the stairs and car are out of the way, who inform him of the situation so he hurries to get everything ready. Bouncing lightly with nervous energy he takes his place at the front of the cabin and says, “ATC said they can squeeze us in real quick, because there's a traffic jam on the JFK side. So if you two are all ready, we can be airborne in five.”

Mr. Stark's lips twist and he says, “You're going to skip your little safety briefing?” Most people wouldn't complain about that, but then again Mr. Stark isn't actually complaining. He's messing with him. That much is obvious. Why he's not sure, but it's definitely what's happening.

Still not sure why, Peter finds himself playing back by pointing out, deadpan, “Either of you could legally fly this plane, sir. I think you understand the safety procedures.” He can tell that he surprises Mr. Stark with the statement, but thankfully not in a bad way.

In fact given the way that Mr. Stark lights up a little and starts eyeing him in a new way, Peter would say that it's exactly the right thing to say. Mr. Stark relaxes back into his chair in a way that accidentally shows off the long lean lines of his body, looking more rock star than celebrity ceo and scientist. And Peter has to get a grip on himself, because they're not that kind of staffing agency. He almost misses what Mr. Stark says, so lost in the fantasy, “Maybe I just wanted to see you do your thing.”

Peter replies, “You can watch me do my thing once we're airborne,” and then feels the blush explode across his face as he realizes how dirty that sounds. Desperate to regain his professionalism, he adds, “But if you would rather wait an hour, because we ended up at the back of the line…” he lets the sentence trail off with a hint of challenge, because that's what this has to be about. Mr. Stark is just trying to see if he can rattle him.

He gets the impression that Mr. Stark is laughing at him as he says, “As much fun as watching you do your thing sounds,” and Mr. Stark definitely makes it sound dirty, “how about you just bring out the bar cart when we hit cruising?”

Relieved to escape whatever game Mr. Stark is playing with him, Peter tosses out, “Sure thing, Mr. Stark,” before disappearing into the galley to let the pilots know they're good to go and buckle himself into the four point harness of his jumpseat. It almost sounded like Mr. Stark was flirting with him for a second there, but that's crazy. Plus there have never been any complaints about Mr. Stark coming on to the staff. Then he wouldn't exactly complain would he? And Mr. Stark had been in a relationship.

The jolt as they start taxiing knocks him out of his thoughts and it seems like they'll make the window so he grabs the gum out of his standby bag. Toomes would kill him if he knew about the gum, but the last thing he needs is to be half deaf because his ears didn't pop right. On impulse he slips his book on the bar cart, secured to the wall next to him.

Peter finds himself weirdly excited to do bar cart for Mr. Stark. The bartending lessons had been his best scores when he had done his training. He can't do any of the fun flipping and spinning, that would be a disaster with his clumsiness, but chemistry had prepared him for mixing things. Plus the rider made Mr. Stark's drink preferences sound easy. A little bit of over pouring, but not enough to make it a single into a double. No need for anything fancy, just very well made drinks.

The chime in his ear letting him know that they've hit cruising altitude comes at him like a surprise and brings with it some of his earlier stress. He busies himself with triple checking the cart as the captain announces their flight time and ETA. Unlocking the cart from the wall and rolling into the main cabin, Peter resolves to give Mr. Stark the best experience he can. The thought that he is hurting over his broken engagement is way better motivator than the threat to his job. Especially since he doesn't need the job anymore.

Resolutely not thinking about the letter at the bottom of his bag, Peter notices that Mr. Hogan appears to have fallen asleep during take off. He did seem very tired earlier. Mr. Stark catches him looking and speaks softly, “He's been running himself ragged for me.” Peter can see how touched Mr. Stark is by what Happy has done for him, but he seems almost mad about it.

“He's your friend, he just wants to make sure that you're okay,” slips out of Peter's mouth without him meaning for it to happen as he parks the cart close, but out of the way.

Mr. Stark gives him another long indecipherable look, before speaking again, voice still soft not to disturb sleeping man a few feet away, “He said something didn't he?” Peter feels like he is betraying Happy's trust as he nods, but it's clear that Mr. Stark already knows.

Feeling the need to defend Mr. Hogan a little, “He's just worried about you. It's just because he cares.” Mr. Stark sighs at him and actually looks every bit the guy that just had a very serious break up, whose friends are worried about him. There's an exhaustion there, not the physical kind like Happy, he doesn't need a nap. He needs a break.

Mr. Stark's soft, “I know,” almost gets lost in the gentle hum of the cabin. Then he shakes himself and goes back to being the billionaire, former playboy, philanthropist that has been staring back at Peter from the glossy pages of the checkout for years. It's jarring and he gets the sense he just saw Tony, not Tony Stark, not Mr. Stark, but Tony the person. When he speaks again it's with a joking conspiratorial tone, “What do you say you help me convince him to go take a real nap? And fix me a gin and tonic?”

Peter rolls with mood change as smoothly as he can, “Sure thing Mr. Stark. Double or single?” he begins assembling the drink on automatic, he's thankful for the familiar task in the unfamiliar situation.

Mr. Stark seems relieved he doesn't make a thing of it, so Peter counts that as a win, ”Single. Shake him for me will you?” Shaking awake a stranger is one of those things that was one of those things that had felt very strange the first time but he had gotten used to with this job. Happy startles awake under his touch apparently not having realized that he fell asleep. Peter leaves Mr. Stark to deal with him as he starts pouring. “Hap, grab your cpap and go sleep in the real bed.”

Happy starts trying to protest, about how he's fine, how he doesn't need to, and Peter knows easy points when he sees them. So he tosses out lightly, “The sheets are fresh and the pillows are fluffed, Mr. Hogan. I checked myself,” then to Mr. Stark, ”Twist of lime, sir? I forgot to ask.”

Mr. Stark's smirk suggests that his, “Yes,” is about more than limes and that Peter just scored some points in whatever game they're playing. Then with a voice like honey, that makes Peter immediately understand exactly how the man in front of him gained a reputation as a world class playboy, he says to Happy, “See you can't let the kid's hard work go to waste like that. Go take a nap at least.”

[wantonlywindswept]

Alpha's Angels Assholes

[lullabyalikpoptarot]

IVE's Group Dynamics

Finally, time to get to this requested reading and look into the dynamics of this group.

Overall energy (The Moon) So, is this group on a break or something? There seems to be a lot of low energy with this group. Things being hidden or them being hidden away. A lot that is not really shown on the surface. There could be a lot of emotions happening, maybe exhaustion, just overall feeling a bit down as a group. Overall, what I am getting with this card is things not being as it seems.

Yujin (The Sun) She seems to be the jovial one of the group. She may be the one that is energizing the group right now. I can see her being more in the spotlight. She seems to be the energizer bunny and maybe the more upbeat and extroverted one of the group. She gives off the one that shines, which I figured this energy would be Wonyoung, but it seems right now she is shining brightest, but this could mean within the group dynamics she brings life to the group.

Gaeul (The Magician) It seems she is the one with many talents. She could be the most skilled one and the one that can do many things and maybe is willing to try new things. She seems the most confident in what she can do and get done. She may be the first one that communicates an idea of what to do or what they can do as a group. She might be the one that sees the potential talent and gfts the group has to offer.

Rei (5 of Pentacles) It seems she struggles the most, has the least amount of support, maybe does not have as much money or opportunities as the other girls. She can feel neglected and left out. I doubt she asked for help or support either. She seems quite lost here. She may feel like an outsider from time to time. Or feel like she isn't good enough.

Wonyoung (Balance) I feel like she could be the mediator. The one who likes the group to remain balanced, although it may seem she gets all the attention. That could more on the company doing that, because she seems to want to work well with others, doing her best to compromise and blend all their ideas together. She may like to hear all their ideas, and they all figure out ways to work through things. She seems to want to keep the peace and harmony in this group dynamic. So, I see her wanting all members to have their input and be involved in group things. I see her wanting to bring the girls together and work through things together.

Liz (8 of Pentacles) She also got the High Priestess; she seems to just do her own thing. She kind of focuses on herself and her craft. She is a hard worker and does her due diligence to get everything down perfect, she seems highly focused on the details and getting things done right. She can be a bit serious about things. I see her being all about work and maybe very little play, although I don't really see much playful and passionate energy from most of them, so yeah. She is the type that would want to keep trying something over and over again. She may also think things aren't good enough a lot.

Lesseo (8 of Swords) She may feel trapped and not really have the ability to speak on things. She may have to stay silent about things, so she doesn't seem that comfortable speaking up. She seems scared to take action and get things done. She may lack a bit of self-confidence in herself, so I don't really see her sharing her thoughts or taking action on things too much. She kind of just goes a long with the others. I don't see her voicing her opinion too much. There may also be a lack of freedom she may feel. It is like she can't really be herself in this dynamic.

So, not much drama, but not much of a connection, no cups or wands, so not many emotions or energy as a collective either. This can always shift, but this is the energy at the moment. Overall, it wasn't too bad.

[a-man-for-hire-and-his-archives]

Last King of the Cross Returns for Season Two: Here’s Why You Should Be Watching

Photo: Courtesy of Paramount Plus / Daniel Asher Smith

The Australian crime saga set viewing records in its first season. Now it’s back for another season with more action, underworld figures and drama. In partnership with Paramount+, here are the standout reasons to dive into season two.

--

Cinematic and stylish, it’s no wonder Last King of the Cross became the most-watched Australian show on Paramount+ on its debut last year. The Sydney-set crime series is fictitous drama inspired by the true story of brothers John and Sam Ibrahim, who escaped as children from war-torn Lebanon and became rising figures in the Australian underworld of the late 1980s and early 1990s.

As the darkly compelling, fictional saga returns from August 30 on Paramount+, the focus switches from Kings Cross to Oxford Street. Season two picks up 18 months after the last season’s white-knuckle climax, with both new and returning characters on board. The second season proves even more suspenseful and perilous – with more punchy action and family drama than before.

We’ve highlighted five key reasons to add the second season to your must-watch calendar. If you haven’t seen season one yet, don’t worry – you’ve still got time to catch up.

Naveen Andrews joins the cast as a formidable underworld figure

Best known for his long-running role on Lost, British-American actor Naveen Andrews joins Last King of the Cross as fictional character Ray Kinnock, the current boss of Oxford Street. That places him in direct opposition to John Ibrahim, who has set his sights on the bustling district to bolster his waning Kings Cross empire. Given Andrews’s track record for playing quirky yet charismatic characters, audiences can expect Ray Kinnock to be an unforgettable antagonist.

Brotherhood sits at the heart of this expanded family story

The first season thrived on the friction between brothers John and Sam, played with gritty conviction by lead actors Lincoln Younes and Claude Jabbour. This season introduces younger siblings Michael and Fadi Ibrahim, played by Dave Hoey and Alex Kaan respectively. While the younger brothers play a smaller role, they complicate the already tense struggle for dominance between John and Sam. That heated family dynamic will be at the centre of season two, as Sam is released from prison and begins to assemble the most substantial bikie chapter in Australian history. Meanwhile, John gets to work re-establishing himself as a key Sydney nightlife figure.

Sydney’s Oxford Street provides an energetic new backdrop

The first season was firmly centred on Kings Cross – but this time we jump to Oxford Street, with the former hotbed of crime and nightlife all but extinguished. The corridor was home to Sydney’s fashion scene and queer culture in the late 1990s, when this season takes place. That makes for a colourful and diverse new location to rival Kings Cross, which was famously recreated with an elaborate set for season one. With new antagonist Ray Kinnock dubbed as “the reigning queen of Oxford Street,” a focus on the street’s lasting queer legacy seems promising. After all, it’s where Sydney’s first Mardi Gras was held in 1978.

Fast-paced action punctuates this high-stakes crime drama

Realistic car chases, shoot-outs and brawls set the tone for Last King of the Cross. That’s especially true of the second season, which ramps up the action and the stakes. As brothers John and Sam each ascend the ladder of Australia’s criminal underworld, their competition won’t go down without a fight. And don’t forget Liz Doyle (played by Tess Haubrich), the driven Sydney detective who has been promoted to senior sergeant and commissioned a new crime taskforce.

John Is a strong addition to television’s modern canon of antiheroes

Modern television is full of memorable antiheroes: think Tony Soprano, Breaking Bad’s Walter White and Mad Men’s Don Draper. This season, John makes a strong case to join their ranks. While Sam and their younger siblings are compelling in their own rights, John moves to centre stage as he wrestles with Ray to gain control of Oxford Street. The tug-of-war between John’s underworld machinations and his family loyalties proves especially gripping this time around.

Season two of Last King of the Cross is streaming August 30 only on Paramount+.

This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Paramount+. Last King of the Cross is a dramatisation inspired by true events from John Ibrahim’s autobiography. Several characters and events represented in the series are fictional. Any similiarity to the name, character or history of any living persons is entirely coincidental and unintentional.

Source: Broadsheet

[spectrallik]

Specter Learns Guitar, the Hard Way

Big things often start small

I may have made a terrible mistake.

I’m a lifelong keyboardist. Not a great one, but an OK one. And I’m finally comfortable enough with the instrument to write my own music. Just one problem: the kind of music I want to make, the stuff that’s running through my head all the time, is on the dream pop/shoegaze end of post-punk. Keyboardists have a place in dream pop, and some of my favorite dream pop acts like Alvvays and Hatchie prominently feature synths. But any genre that descends from punk rock, even something this far-removed, is still fundamentally a guitarist’s genre. Plus, the songs in my head are on the heavier side like The Joy Formidable - no keyboards there, unless you count getting on your hands and knees and playing your effects pedals like a keyboard.

My synth has guitar tones, but they come nowhere near replicating the real thing. And I have some guitar-playing family members who are willing to help me out, but I don’t really know how to communicate my ideas to a guitar player. They don’t read sheet music, they just play everything by ear. How could I communicate how to play a part, or even what tone I’m going for, when I didn’t really know how a guitar works?

The only halfway decent guitar tone on the Roland Fantom, and it only sounds good after you shove a fuckton of reverb and delay after it.

So, I decided that the only way to get that knowledge was to experience the guitar firsthand. I don’t want guitar to become my main instrument or anything, but I want to at least get comfortable with it. Once I understand how a guitar truly works, it will be much easier to write for it. 

Unfortunately, the guitar I want to get - a G&L Fallout - is backordered for a few months. So, in the meantime, I got a cheapo starter guitar to screw around with and hopefully get some of the basics down. I’ll trade it in for a pedal or something later.

This is the Eastrock 39, and it is a piece of shit. It barely stays in tune, the pickups sound thin and lifeless, and the frets are rough. You have to actively fight this thing to get the strings to ring properly. Some of my tone problems are because I still need to build finger strength, sure, but I’ve read reviews from veteran guitar players that say that this doesn’t play easily. Not great for a supposed “beginner” guitar. On the bright side, it came with a ton of extra stuff that doesn’t suck - a nice guitar bag, beginner picks, a solid capo, audio cables, and luthier tools to replace the strings and adjust the action. It even came with a practice amp, but I live in a studio apartment and have an audio interface for my synth, so I don’t have much use for it. 

So… goals. My first goal is to get the basic chords down, figure out how barres work, and learn ONE simple song. I’m not too worried right now about memorizing the fretboard - I’m not gonna do any solos anytime soon - but I need to understand chords to actually play songs. Luckily, guitar sheet music is more commonly written in an alternate form called tablature that is WAY EASIER TO UNDERSTAND THAN TRADITIONAL NOTATION, HOLY SHIT, WHY ISN’T THERE A VERSION OF THIS FOR PIANO!? I’m still not great at reading sheet music, despite my ClAsSiCaL SuZuKi MeThOd training, but it took all of 5 minutes to pick up TAB.

So, what’s my first song? Well, a few months ago, I got a picture of one of my characters playing air guitar and singing along to a song:

As it turns out, this song - Future Me Hates Me by The Beths - is very beginner friendly. 90% of the rhythm part is the same power chord shape, and the lead guitar part is pretty reserved and minimalistic by Jonathan Pearce standards. Plus, the guitar I'm waiting on is the exact same model that Liz Stokes played on that record. So it should sound perfect, especially once I get a RAT on my pedalboard.

So yeah, we'll see where this goes. I do want to keep track of my progress somewhere, and I'm planning on getting the fuck off Twitter once and for all, so I guess it will go here.

[whgmasterofceremonies]

WHG 21 Day 2

Back in action for another day of surprises! The weather is looking partly cloudy with a chance of light showers and wicked flora and fauna!

For the record, I was referring to the bees and stinging insects, not the rubber ducks. Hmmm. Not sure which Gamemaker snuck that one in there.

Poor Glidon, though. Tough obstacle course, that one! Better luck in another story, champ.

I am very interested in what Viper and Lucatet had to talk about and what Safirel's escape room looked like. But before we can have a chance to dive deeper, it's time to honor our friends who have had to leave the competition today.

After the honorary cannon shot fades at dusk, the Games continue!

Oooh, and we see much less teamwork, a little more ruthlessness as the competition heats up! Chess and Cassian are left in the dark while Viper and Drest really have a bad night, not to mention the aforementioned fauna getting nasty!

More than 24 hours removed from meals on demand and the safety of walls, the tributes are feeling the pressure. Is a star rising among them? Or is this Chosen One Challenge merely a communal fall from grace? Our heroes' journey will go on tomorrow!

Chess (she/her), @concealeddarkness13

Adrestia “Drest” (she/her), @concealeddarkness13

Cassian (he/him), @concealeddarkness13

Rantha Cathartes (he/him), @maple-writes

Viper (she/her), @maple-writes

Safirel Beynleyra (he/him), @pen-of-roses

Liz Bethany (she/her), @waltzshouldbewriting

Lucatet (he/him), @ratracechronicler

Daisy Belle (she/her), @ratracechronicler

Glidon (he/they), @forthesanityofstorytellers

Layla (she/they), @forthesanityofstorytellers

Rod (he/him), @forthesanityofstorytellers

Text transcription:

Day 2

Cassian encounters a statue that poses riddles. He answers incorrectly and is rewarded with a swarm of bees.

Viper and Lucatet are seized by vines that don't release them until each shares a dark secret.

Bugs sting Daisy Belle, causing her to vividly relive her worst pains.

Safirel Beynleyra drops into an escape room with his worst memory playing across screens on every surface. Safirel Beynleyra escapes.

Chess finds a pond full of rubber ducks.

Glidon falls into the aerated water under an obstacle course and does not resurface.

Rantha Cathartes encounters a statue that poses riddles. He answers incorrectly and is rewarded with a swarm of bees.

Rod encounters a statue that poses riddles. He answers correctly and is rewarded with a small knife.

Layla manages to sleep through most of the day.

Liz Bethany encounters a statue that poses riddles. She answers correctly and is rewarded with a small knife.

Drest goes hungry but stays hunkered down to avoid traps.

Disqualified Tributes

1 cannon shot can be heard in the distance.

Glidon District 10

Night 2

Rantha Cathartes sabotages Drest's supplies.

Viper follows voices into the darkness and gets hopelessly lost.

Cassian calls out for help, but no one answers.

Daisy Belle successfully sets up camp.

Layla successfully sets up camp.

Chess calls out for help, but no one answers.

Important figures from Liz Bethany's life appear in her dreams to encourage her.

Safirel Beynleyra climbs into a tree and sleeps fitfully.

Monstrous beasts from Lucatet's life attack, but he fights them off.

Monstrous beasts from Rod's life attack, but he outwits them and escapes.

[pixiecaps]

okay so

my whole thought process with kian is that hes obviously this sorta prophet highly respected figure for the uh creatures i forgot what theyre called but the ones that say the same thing in sumerian. the only time they stopped and froze was when kian arrived and then the repeated saying of “kian knows”. i view these creatures more as kians disciples. followers. they take these victims and forcibly open their minds to the knowledge of everything and they lose their own will and being. they shift and become something else. and in this final form they function as kians army of followers who exist for him and his bidding.

so my impression of kian/leo is someone who has achieved, to put it into words, a higher level when it comes to the knowledge element. he is able to see a way for his side to achieve their goals. hence gal saying they’re a little off track and implying the agents are all pieces of a puzzle that are playing into this game and path or whatever. they know what needs to be done to “win” or achieve what they want to achieve BECAUSE OF KIAN (which i believe is the desconjuração.) what i found interesting was kians own lack of consciousness. he wasn’t a regular person he was in the same unpresent state as the creatures. doing the same thing of grabbing onto faces and staring into their eyes and gal had him on a leash and was pulling him back. so he’s clearly not acting on his own volition in this state. he’s almost a husk of a person. and i wonder if kian himself is a victim in this by gal. like the little girl who they experimented on and killed. i wonder if kian is used as a tool for a means to an end. they needed him to succumb fully to the knowledge so that they could use it and know what to do. and i wonder if he was a willing participant in that or someone who was just following along and ended up giving up more than he thought he would. because the whole saying is “to know everything is to lose everything” and it feels like kian is a physical manifestation of that.

im also curious if being marked simply means what gal was referring to when he said they have roles to play. im not going back into the episode to like quote him on this so this is all on memory so if i get something wrong then shhhhh. but he spoke as if their fate was set and that their actions are futile and theyre all connected because of the path they’re unknowingly being guided down in a way. like liz was marked because she had a vital role to play and gal said she completed her role and then killed her. she had done whatever kian had said needed to be done with her so that they achieve their goal. she completed that and was then rendered useless to the plan. which makes sense considering how she was connected to leo in her first encounter with the paranormal. and it makes sense for the others to also be regarded as marked considering how theyre also all tied back to kian and to the paranormal.

now a detail i did find really interesting was how gal mocked them and said im sure you’re thinking we’re the bad guys and how unfair it is and so forth. and even called himself injustice. obviously this is just his first appearance and im sure we’re going to learn a lot more about him but considering what we do know about the orphanage and how they were abused by their caretakers it makes sense to me for gal and his other siblings to turn to these type of ways of power. like occultism and learning about the other side. it makes sense as a way to cope and fight back against that trauma. no it doesnt excuse the people they kill and hurt obviously but i think if thats the way the stories heading for their backstory & maybe even partial motives it makes complete sense for gal to inflict injustices upon others. he and the other kids in that orphanage suffered major injustices by supposed servants of god. so turning and saying you know what fuck this world, fuck the people in it, fuck those who we view as weak and pawns, we’re going to work towards this consuming power and to change the world as we know it then it Makes sense. i’m still unsure about the end goal there if it wasnt obvious by how vague that last sentence is but you know the end goal is whatever theyve been building towards this whole time with every season. its obvious enough that these groups of esoterrorists are interconnected and working to achieve something and there seems to be no stopping it. the sudden increase of paranormal activity and intensity of the cases isnt a coincidence it’s likely years of planning for these groups.

this season just seems to have A LOT of details about the world and its lore and whats going on. and i love it. im still so amazed by every character and how theyre being connected and how past characters and past victims get brought up and how the fucking school from the first season was brought up and we got that piece of conversation between the principal before the group had found him dead saying he had “achieved it”. details like that make the story feel so grand and the characters so small. theres that constant feeling of theres something so much larger in progress while watching that i love. as if the membrane and the separation between the other side and our reality is a ticking time bomb.

overall 6 episodes in. highly looking forward to seeing whats going to happen. absolutely in love with the lore. i fucking love these characters and the silly moments but nothing quite grabs me as much as some good fucking worldbuilding and thats what ordem is doing right now and i could not be happier

[ladyseidr]

@florietiae asked: ❝ michael knocks. once, twice, then three times in quick succession. 'hey liz,' he calls, casually poking his head into her room. smile beginning to tug at his lips as he spoke. ' you me, & evan: kiki's delivery service. one hour. candy and popcorn are on me. ' / re-watched the movie w/ my brother today & thought abt that one hc you posted abt elizabeth getting to see kiki. and surprise 💕😊 ❞

It was a lazy weekend in the Afton household, Elizabeth tucked away in her bedroom. She was sat cross-legged on the floor, her current dramatic story in the works—which was to say, she was playing with a varied group of dolls, plushies, and action figures. The knocks at the door initially drew a sigh from her ( Mangle was just about to get it's revenge ), although she put on her prettiest, well. . . neutral expression as the door cracked opened. Michael's appearance quickly sullied it, though, her eyebrows furrowing. "What? What's that face for?"

His words broke through to her, her toys all but forgotten about as she exclaimed, "Really?" She was clambering to her feet half a second later, suddenly in a hurry despite just how long an hour was in kid-time. "You're the best!" Her words wound up half muffled in his shirt, Elizabeth quick to launch herself at him and hug him tightly. An awesome movie and she got to keep her allowance all to herself? Score! "I knew you could be cool." ( Alright, maybe she was messing with him now. )

[deargodsno]

Left: former PM Liz Truss. Right: two domesticated ferrets (names unknown) Getty/Wikimedia Commons Former UK prime minister Liz Truss’s recent attempt to ban transgender women from female spaces ran out of time and will now not be debated after MPs joined forces to “talk it out” for five hours, including discussing ferret name choices. Truss, the UK’s shortest-serving prime minister, sponsored the bill – entitled the Health and Equality Acts (Amendment) Bill – saying it would define sex in law as biological and, in her view, end the “absurd and dangerous situation where biological males self-defining as females can access girls’ and women’s toilets and so on – as well as sports competitions”.  In recent months, Liz Truss has become increasingly vocal over trans issues and has aligned herself with hard-right groups and figures, even appearing at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in the US state of Maryland last month, where she claimed that “trans activists” had infiltrated the UK’s civil service. Badenoch’s “ferret name choices” comment referred to an exchange between Labour MP for Garston and Halewood Maria Eagle, and Labour MP for Rotherham Sarah Champion. Champion said: “I am interested that my right hon. Friend is keenly mentioning ferrets at every opportunity that she can get in this debate, so let me just put it on record that my brother had a ferret called Oscar.” Eagle replied: “My hon. Friend now has that on the record. I do not really know what else to say about that, except that I am sure that Oscar brought her brother great joy.” Conservative MP for North Devon Selaine Saxby also joined in the Animal Welfare debate after she was asked by Ms Eagle whether she had ever owned a ferret, “and if so, what was that ferret’s name?” Saxby replied: “That is an excellent intervention. I will come to ferrets, but unfortunately I have not had the pleasure of one at home myself.” At one point, the Animal Welfare debate segued into a discussion of the soap opera Coronation Street, with Labour MP for Chester Samantha Dixon saying: “Is my hon. Friend aware of a recent Coronation Street storyline on precisely this issue? It involved the indomitable Evelyn, who is, of course, played by Maureen Lipman, and covered the issues around puppy farming. It was a strong, educational storyline.”

(snicker)