#look times have been tough can we skip it this year? It's not like anything new will be brought to the table

[starcurtain]

A Closer Look at the Phaidei Memory

I've seen so many people talking about this scene with Phainon and Mydei and making fun of how blatantly obvious Phainon is about his... respect for Mydei's... conspicuous body, but one thing I feel like a lot of people missed (or at least I haven't seen anyone discussing) is that this memory seems to come from very early on in their acquaintance.

Looking at it closely, it's clear that the two aren't particularly familiar with each other yet in this memory sequence. For one, Phainon questions things that he should easily know if he was well-acquainted with Mydei already.

First, very comically: "Do you even bathe, bro?"

And second, Phainon questions why Mydei isn't immune to the black tide:

This suggests that, up to the point of this memory, Phainon had not been in enough battles with Mydei (or at least close enough to Mydei) to see him be affected by the black tide. Apparently, this memory-Phainon-and-Mydei don't have years of rushing into battle side-by-side to defend Okhema yet.

It's also hilariously clear that the Phainon in this memory has absolutely no idea how to talk to Mydei.

Breaking this scene down, it's literally Phainon just trying really hard to strike up conversation, doing his best to try to crack the tough exterior and get Mydei to actually interact with him. He jumps around through topics rapidly--the baths, the black tide, their personal sparring--looking for anything that will catch Mydei's attention.

Meanwhile, we can tell that Mydei is not particularly familiar or comfortable with Phainon yet because his dialogue is so different from any of his other scenes in the game. Although Mydei is obviously not the game's biggest yapper, he does always have full sentences to contribute to other conversations and banters readily with Phainon whenever he's baited into it.

In this memory, he instead starts off polite but also completely aloof:

This is the exact sort of response you'd have to a vague acquaintance coming up and trying to talk to you like you're best friends. Phainon skipped at least four steps of familiarity here, and Mydei is obviously at a loss for why the conversation is even happening.

He responds by blatantly stonewalling, answering Phainon's (slightly pathetic) attempts to start an actual conversation in nothing but single word answers:

You can even see Phainon recognize how bad he's failing half way through the conversation, which prompts him to vocally declare that he's going to make a complete topic switch:

And this time, it works!

When Phainon brings up their personal duel or spar, whichever it was, finally, finally Mydei caves and engages in the conversation with him:

Which prompts Phainon to laugh (in relief? lol) and flat out crow about how he's finally cracked the code and figured out how to get Mydei to notice him:

Poor Mydei, however, did not seem to realize his slight display of interest was going to lead him into a full conversation, and he responds to Phainon's blatant invitation to keep talking with a confused:

Witness Mydei accidentally turning down Phainon's request for a date in real time.

The only thing that complicates the situation is what Phainon says late in the memory: that they've battled "all this time." However, looking at his earlier comments, this last statement may just be in a general sense, as in "two Chrysos Heirs who have been fighting the titans for years," especially as the rest of the line "How do you train? Would you consider teaching me?" once again indicates a lack of close familiarity.

(It's also possible this line is just poorly translated in English, and was actually meant to refer to their legendary ten-day-long duel: "We battled all that time, yet I never saw you fatigued." Given the rest of the lines in the memory, I think "dodgy translation" honestly makes the most sense here, and would also just have really funny implications: Phainon and Mydei didn't fall in love at first sight; they fell in comically-long-duel at first sight. Okay, maybe for Phainon it was both.)

Phainon's earlier statements in the memory make it clear that he isn't very experienced with fighting Mydei specifically, with the overall implication of the dialogue being that they've just had their first duel against each other recently:

So anyway, where I am going with all this?

I know a lot of people got distracted by Phainon's (accidental?) pass at Mydei in the first line, but I think taking a step back and looking at the scene as a whole, in context, makes it even more hilarious and off-the-cuff:

Phainon and Mydei aren't well-acquainted in this scene.

Phainon literally walked up on a guy he barely knows and the first words that fell out of his mouth were "Dan Nicky your bobbies." "I would know that body anywhere."

Even Mydei was weirded out at first!

Like, Phainon has absolute foot-in-mouth syndrome around his new "friend." He spends the whole conversation narrating his own attempts to communicate ("Ah, I see I am unwanted. Instead of leaving, I shall try another tactic. Is it working yet?" and "Yes, yes, yes, it worked!") like this is a remotely normal thing to do around a person you're not even close with yet.

You can see his puppy tail wagging. He wants to be friends with Mydei so bad.

He is actively making up excuses to try to get Mydei to spend time with him here--first the comment about "Yay, you're here!" at the baths like he expects them to bathe together, then the whole "Why don't we go somewhere and have a long conversation about the insights we gained from rolling around in the dirt together?" to finally just flat out asking Mydei to train with him.

It's so charmingly earnest, straightforward, and even a bit awkward that I think this scene is really under-rated by the fans. It's not just another example of Phainon commenting on Mydei's muscles--it's a glimpse into what they were like before they were close and just how much Phainon wanted to connect to Mydei, how willing he was to explore to discover exactly what Mydei would be interested in so that he could seize that common ground between them.

Really a masterclass in showing us fans characterization right on the cusp of changing, and for showcasing both Phainon's charming audacity and Mydei's surprisingly-reserved-around-strangers behavior.

And, since we know the future that memory-Phainon-and-Mydei are headed toward... we also know it worked! Mydei is smiling by the end of the conversation! He and Phainon are going to become vitriolic best buds--er, rivals--and Phainon is going to get all the spars he wants.

Persistence pays off!

[ethereange]

you saw him first. it had always been that way, your perceptiveness betraying you. a quick run to the store for some painkillers after you popped the last couple for a migraine, left you frozen in place at the sight of the ash blonde. your awareness heightened at the fact you were in a giant, beat-up hoodie with mismatched socks, your hair frizzy and gave the impression that you were hungover. and suddenly toughing through a headache at home didn't seem so bad right now.

katsuki was scanning over the jars of protein powder. his hand reached for the one with clean white packaging and a simple black font. the one he always liked. but it faltered, retreating, skipping over to one with a blue label.

since when did he like blue?

your head was throbbing and waves of tears threatened to form at your eyes, but you knew it wasn't from the pain.

he turned around, and all you could do was face the hopelessness of his gaze locking with yours. with him seeing firsthand the look on your face that would crack open until your heart shattered all over the tiled floor.

but it never happened. he never even looked your way.

"kacchan, did you find anything?"

kacchan? but it wasn't izuku's voice..

"i told ya to stop callin' me that," katsuki grumbled.

"i know, but it's so cute! i can't help it after deku used it for you!"

you clutched your bottle of advil. her clothes sat just right. her hair was what you spent two hours in front of the mirror with an iron for. she had eyes so blue it made the ocean pale.

was that why? was she why you liked blue now?

"oh!" she gasped, "is that the powder i talked about?"

"yeah, but," he sighed, "it's shit and i'm not gettin' it."

"what! how is it bad?" she exclaimed.

"the macros are terrible. i'm gettin' my usual."

you let out a breath you didn't know you were holding.

"you're no fun," she scoffed, "we need to get some gluten-free snacks, can you come?"

there was a pause, before he said, "nah, i don't eat that crap, i needa check somethin' first." the girl blinked at the bluntness, but shook it off and walked down the aisle.

"need somethin'?"

your heart skipped a beat.

piercing eyes of ruby met yours, the same as they always were. something that took years to read, always changing, always something behind the enchanting hue.

"no-" you whispered, mouth dry. "no," you repeated, clearly this time, "i was just on my way to checkout."

"checkout's the other way if ya didn't know."

your face burned red, but you steeled your gaze as best as you could and nodded, turning away.

"she's an intern, by the way." you stopped.

"what?"

"she's an intern, third-year. but she's not tryna be a sidekick, she's aiming for personal assistant. but i'm not picking her up- too chatty."

you swallowed, "okay, and?"

"just thought you wanted to know," he spoke, softly, as he reshelved the jar. "do you.. have another brand i can try?"

you stared at him, and you sighed. as you stopped at his side, you gazed over the rows of containers. "why didn't you like this one?" you gestured to the one he just placed on the rack.

"the macros were fine... i just don't like blue."

you let a laugh slip out, and a warmth budded in your chest, an all familiar feeling.

the pain of your migraine dulled as the pains of the past were slowly, carefully, starting to be stitched up. because you and katsuki were hunched over the protein powder, just like you were all those years ago. and for some reason it brought a sense of peace that you never thought the sight of him would bring again.

[formulas-bitch]

Family above all - Daniel Ricciardo x sister/reader

The sky was a deep, cerulean blue, unmarred by a single cloud. The air was warm and gentle, caressing Daniel Ricciardo's cheeks as he stood on the edge of the pier. His little sister, Mia, skipped along beside him, her long, chestnut hair bouncing with each joyful stride. The waves lapped rhythmically against the wooden boards beneath their feet, creating a soothing melody that seemed to echo throughout their souls. Daniel turned to face her, the sunlight reflecting off his piercing green eyes. He could feel the weight of the world on his shoulders, the burden of responsibility that came with being the big brother. But in that moment, with her bright smile and infectious laughter, he couldn't help but feel a sense of peace.

"I'm sorry, Daniel," Mia said softly, her voice barely audible above the sound of the waves. "I didn't mean to make you feel that way."

Daniel looked at her, surprised by the sincerity in her eyes. "It's okay, Mia. I know you didn't mean any harm. It's just… things have been tough lately, you know?"

Their parents had been going through a rough patch, arguing more often and retreating into themselves. It was like a dark cloud had settled over their happy home, making it hard for anyone to find any joy. But standing here with Mia, Daniel felt a sense of hope begin to stir inside him. She was his little sister, his best friend, and he knew that together they could weather any storm.

"You know, Dan," Mia said, her voice growing stronger, "sometimes when things get tough, we just need to find a way to make each other laugh." She giggled, the sound echoing across the water. "Like that time you tried to teach me how to ride a bike and I fell over and scraped my knee. That was so funny!"

Daniel couldn't help but smile at the memory. "Yeah, that was pretty funny," he admitted, feeling a small twinge of guilt. He wished he could take back some of the things he had said earlier, but it was hard not to feel protective of his sister. She was only 24 years old, after all.

Mia's face lit up at the mention of the memory, and she giggled again. "You should have seen your face when I fell over!" she exclaimed, her brown eyes sparkling with mischief. "It was priceless!"

Daniel couldn't help but laugh too, feeling some of the tension ease from his shoulders. "Yeah, well, I guess I was just trying to be too protective," he admitted. "I didn't want you to get hurt or anything."

"I know, Dan," Mia replied, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "But I'm not a little kid anymore. I can handle myself." She paused, her expression growing more serious. "And even if I can't, I know you'll always be there for me."

The sincerity in her words made Daniel's heart swell with pride and affection. He looked into her eyes and saw not just his little sister, but a strong, independent woman who would one day make her own mark on the world. And as much as he wanted to protect her from everything, he knew that he had to let her spread her wings and fly.

"You're right, Mia," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "You're not a little kid anymore. You're growing up, and you're going to face your own challenges. And I'll be there for you, through everything. Just like I always have been, and always will be."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, they were lost in each other's gaze. The weight of the world seemed to lift from their shoulders, if only for a little while. They stood there, side by side, watching the waves crash against the pier, feeling the warmth of the sun on their skin.

"You know, Dan," Mia said thoughtfully, her voice barely above a whisper, "I've been thinking… about our parents. I know they're going through a rough patch, but I think we can help them. We can be there for them, you know? We can be their strength when they need it most."

Daniel nodded, considering her words. He knew that Mia was right; they could make a difference. They could be the ones to bring their parents back together, to help them remember why they had fallen in love in the first place.

"Yeah, you're right," he agreed. "We can do that. We can show them that we're here for them, that we'll always have their backs." He paused, looking at her with determination in his eyes. "And we can have some fun along the way, too. Just like we used to."

The two of them shared a knowing smile, remembering the countless happy memories they had made together. From building snowmen in the winter to camping trips in the summer, from watching movies under blankets on the couch to staying up late playing board games. Those were the times they cherished, the times that made them feel like they could take on anything.

And so, with renewed determination and a sense of purpose, they began to plan. They would start by spending more time with their parents, finding ways to include them in their daily lives. They would arrange family dinners, movie nights, even simple outings to the park. They would show their parents that they were still capable of enjoying each other's company, that there was still hope for their relationship.

The first step was to invite their parents over for a picnic at the beach. Daniel and Mia spent hours planning the perfect menu, making sure to include all of their favorite foods. They set up a beautiful spread on a blanket, complete with fresh-baked bread, cheese, fruit, and a selection of cold drinks. As the sun began to set over the horizon, casting a warm glow over the water, they eagerly awaited the arrival of their parents.

Their father was the first to arrive, looking slightly uncomfortable in his dress shirt and slacks. He took a seat next to Mia and offered her a small smile. "So, you two have something special planned?" he asked, his voice a bit strained.

"We sure do, Dad," Mia replied, returning his smile. "We just wanted to spend some quality time with you and Mom. You know, like the old days."

Their mother arrived a few minutes later, looking more apprehensive than their father. She glanced between them uncertainly before sitting down beside Daniel. He put an arm around her shoulders, offering her a reassuring squeeze. "Hey, Mom," he said, "we're just glad you could make it."

As they all sat there, the sun dipping lower in the sky, they talked about everything and nothing. They told stories about their childhood, laughed at old memories, and shared their hopes for the future. The food was delicious, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore provided a soothing background to their conversation.

Their father seemed to relax a bit as the evening wore on, even cracking a joke or two. Their mother smiled more often, and her eyes lit up whenever she looked at them. Daniel could see the love they still had for each other, even if it was buried beneath years of hurt and resentment.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, they gathered their things and walked hand in hand along the beach, the warm glow of the setting sun painting the sky in shades of orange and pink. They stopped at a small rock formation jutting out into the ocean, and their parents leaned against it, watching the waves crash against the shore.

"This is beautiful," their mother said, her voice soft with wonder. "It's been so long since we've just been able to enjoy each other's company like this." Daniel and Mia exchanged glances, pleased with the progress they had made.

"Yeah," their father added, his voice gruff with emotion. "You two are something else. You know that?" He turned to face them, his eyes shining in the fading light. "I don't know what it is about you two, but you have this way of bringing people together. I'm not just talking about us, either. We've seen it with our friends, our family… You're like a little ray of sunshine in everyone's life."

Mia blushed at the praise, looking away shyly. Daniel, on the other hand, was beaming with pride. He placed a hand on his father's shoulder, feeling a newfound sense of closeness and understanding. "Thanks, Dad. We're just glad we could help in some way."

Their mother smiled, her eyes filling with tears. "You don't know how much it means to us, Daniel and you, Mia. You've given us hope. Hope that maybe…" She trailed off, searching for the right words. "Maybe things can go back to the way they used to be."

Daniel and Mia exchanged glances, their hearts swelling with affection for their parents. They didn't know what the future held, but for now, they were content just being together like this. As the stars began to twinkle in the sky, they stood up, taking turns helping their parents to their feet.

Hand in hand, they made their way back to the blanket, gathering up the last of their things. The cool breeze off the ocean tickled their skin, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore was a soothing lullaby. As they walked, Daniel and Mia couldn't help but feel a sense of peace wash over them.

Their parents, too, seemed to have relaxed, their steps more steady and their conversations more animated. They laughed at old stories and shared memories, and for a brief moment, it was as if the years had never passed. They reached the car, and as they loaded the blanket and chairs into the trunk, their father glanced at Daniel and Mia.

"You know, I've been thinking," he said. "Maybe it's time we started planning some family vacations again. Just the four of us." There was an unspoken promise in his words, a vow to work on repairing their relationship and rediscovering the love they once shared.

Mia's heart swelled with hope as she looked at her parents, seeing them as they used to be: a strong, loving couple who could face anything together. Daniel, too, seemed to sense the shift in the air, a newfound sense of optimism that they hadn't felt in years.

Their mother spoke up, her voice tinged with excitement. "That sounds wonderful, dear. I've always loved spending time with all of you. It would be wonderful to make more memories together." She smiled at Daniel and Mia, her eyes shining with gratitude.

Their father nodded in agreement. "We'll find a place where we can all unplug from our phones and laptops and just be together. Someplace quiet and peaceful where we can reconnect." He turned to face them, his expression serious. "And I want you two to know that we're here for you, no matter what. If you ever need to talk, or just need some space, we'll be there."

Their mother reached out and took their hands in hers, squeezing them gently. "We love you both so much, and we're so proud of the people you've become. No matter what happens in life, we'll always be on your side." She glanced up at the stars, her voice filled with emotion. "I think this night has taught us all an important lesson. About love, and family, and the power of forgiveness."

Daniel and Mia exchanged another glance, their hearts swelling with love for their parents. They knew that the road ahead wouldn't be easy, but they felt a renewed sense of hope and determination. As they climbed into the car, Daniel slid into the front seat beside their father, while Mia nestled in next to their mother. The scent of the ocean lingered in the air, and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore faded into the distance.

Their parents continued to chat, sharing stories and laughter, the tension that had been so palpable in the past dissipating with each passing mile. Daniel and Mia listened, content to simply enjoy the company of their family. They couldn't help but feel that something had shifted, that a new chapter was beginning for all of them.

[vulpixisananimal]

LOOP 1

"Just that easy?" (You say, holding up the five orbs you'd taken from the saviors. A moment later they started to glow and float to the door in front of you.)

[Just that easy~ Lucky you, getting to skip the year long treck to get those orbs~]

"It's still weird you can do that." (You roll your eyes, look at you, Cadence, about to go on another grand adventure diving into some crypt or castle or something. Wasn't two enough already?)

---

"Well this is familiar at least." (The house felt cold, empty, and frozen. Despite that, you could still feel a powerful rythm coarsing through it. You could feel your heart beat with it.)

[Well since YOU know about how to move to a beat already I wont explain~]

"Very helpful."

[Thank you, thank you.]

(You take your steps forward. Already falling back into motion. Past the first few hallways and the world starts to twist into a familiar mazelike pattern. You see your first enemy.)

"Woah."

[A little sadness blob! You've beaten sadness before, haven't you?]

"Sadness? It just looks like a slime."

[. . . . . Perfect! I can teach you about how we do things here in Vaugarde then~]

"Can't I just kill it and move on?"

[Nope~ Tutorial time~]

---

(You were getting the hang of this. It was similar to the crypt, enemies move in paterns, and you could tell that patern by hand shapes. Rock, paper, scissors, not that hard. Aparently, you were Rock AND scissors, something of a rarity.)

(You weaved throug sadness, still getting used to just how they worked. Damn, it was strange here. Monochrome, frozen in time, hard to find usable items, and. . .)

(A pain in your side, not paying attention, you fumble. Dammit, don't forget, new world new rules. The sadness you were up against was paper, and you were weak to that. You had to keep track of the beat AND what hand symbols sadness had?)

(You strike back, beat, beat, beat, step.)

(You trip up. You try and move, and-)

LOOP 2

"Soooooo~"

(The star looked like they wanted to gloat so bad. Or tease you. Or anything like that. You just sat on the tree root absolutly fuming with rage.)

"So." (You reply.)

"How'd it go-"

"I just died!!!" (You yell back.) "I got hit with something and died! And suddenly I'm falling from the sky again and ending up right back here!"

"Oh congratulations! What a miracle! Let's all here it for our little Comet for cheating death~"

"I want to strangle you."

"But then who will help you out then~"

(You hate them you think.) "Alright. Later then. What WAS that anyway."

"You're in a time loop! Neat, isn't it?"

LOOP 6

(You were doing well this time. You started to recognise familiar rooms and halls. Sure, the place was getting shuffled constantly, but there was a method to the madness.)

(Hah! You really did feel right at home.)

(It took a bit, but you finally had a key to the next area. You knew something was going to be in the way, something always was. But that was more than alright.)

(Finally getting to the door to the next area, you unlocked it, and moved on.)

(Ha, right on cue, it didn't look like any dragon or wraith you'd fought before, it looked almost like... Some carnaval ride. With a big ol ball for a head.)

(No time like the present, you go to attack.)

LOOP 13

[Congratulations! I have no idea where you are!]

(Loop had been a reluctently amazing helper so far. But as you got higher in the house things got less coherant. Like the world itself was breaking down. Now, you were wandering repeating halls trying to find a, what was it, "key-knife"?)

[Keyknife~ And you're looking for a Change God statue, an unbroken one.]

(Very helpful. You continue. It was tough here on the third floor, but you will push on. You had to. Find the salt-shaker looking sadness, kill it, take the star charm, and use it on the right line of tears this time!)

(At least the beat was consistent, unlike these hallways.)

(Eventually, you made it. More frozen statues, more halls, and. . . .)

[. . . . . Oops.]

"Oops?!?" (You were staring at a locked door and no key.)

[I may have forgotten one tiny teensy little details on the last floor about a key hidden there. For this door.]

". . . . I am going to attack you next I see you."

Loop 14

(This time you remembered the key. Truly, it was hidden in a perfect place. In a book that said "please do not look" on it. Lesson learned, you got to the door from last time.)

(It wasn't too much further untill you found... Something? A state of that God, the Change God? Unlike all the others, it was intact.)

(. . . You close your eyes.)

(. . . !!!)

(There was a flash of. . . Something. Looking around, it didn't look like anything changed, but, no you were holding a knife? Is this the thing Loop was talking about?)

[You got the KeyKnife! Now you can get rid of the Kings Hair.]

---

(You move quickly. Damn, you didn't expect to be attacked by a sadness so fast, or so strong. It was supposed to be the that miniboss sadness then the King! But no! The hallways were twisting, turning, breaking, and it had lead you right to this weird sadness!)

(The music was so intense.)

[Good work! I've never seen this type before~]

(Wow! Very helpful! Dammit, it was rock craft, and tough, you tried keeping up, things were moving fast, you slip up, and-)

(You're dead. Again.)

[blueicequeen19]

DHP Pt. 9

Warnings: angst, fighting, blackmail, masturbation, unprotected sex

Series ML

I’m dripping sweat by the time we’re done moving everything into the apartment. Half the furniture is from the Chateau so Sarah has an excuse to redecorate. John B can never tell her no. We all refused to let Y/N lift a finger so she went across the street to grocery shop with what little money I had until I got paid again. She also mentioned getting a job although I didn’t want her to work but that was an argument for another time.

“Are you going to name him after me?” John B asks for the tenth time, smirking as he hands me a beer.

“Or me. There’s plenty of John’s, not enough Pope’s.” Pope chimes in, particularly serious. I chuckle, looking over to see Sarah and Kie in a heated debate. Their words were hushed but knowing Sarah, she was probably putting Kie in her place. She had no right to start her shit last night. I didn’t expect her to help today but she did, remaining silent and keeping her head down. She almost seemed defeated.

“So have you told Y/N about everything that happened last summer?” John B asks.

“No. What’s there to tell?” I shrug.

“The gold. Kiara. Rafe.” Pope adds.

“There’s nothing to tell. I started a business that’s still not up and running and paid off a shit ton of debt. I’m not bringing in any money yet.”

“Yet. Key word.” John B says, his eyes darting to Sarah and Kie constantly.

“This will all be temporary. You know I’d let you guys live at the Chateau but Sarah is hounding me for a baby. Especially now that you have one coming. Her baby fever is through the roof. My dick is going to fall off.”

“I didn’t need to know that.” Pope grimaces.

“I know but I need to step up and be a man. I have to do this. I have a one year lease then I’ll find a house out in the marsh again. I’m selling my dads house so I’m not living there. That’ll be a little dough until the charter is up and running. I’d rather Y/N not worry about working but with everything that’s happened, she probably needs something to keep her busy before the baby comes.”

“Yea, she lost everything. Like her life was completely uprooted.” John B and I both shoot Pope a glare and he holds his hands up in defense. “Sorry! That came out wrong.”

“No, it’s true.”

“Shits tough. Sarah went through it. Y/N just has to find herself again. She’ll have you to support her.” John B nods.

“I don’t know if I’m ready to let her back in. It took a lot for me to open up to her the first time.”

“Oh yea? Then what did I hear last night? We got thin walls man.”

“Listen, pregnancy hormones are apparently no joke. She woke me up and I helped her out. That was it.”

“Maybe you should work on the relationship without being physical. Withhold sex until you both know what you want.” Pope says, earning another glare from us.

“Do you want me to die? Have you not heard how crazy pregnant women can be?”

“Yea I’m with JJ. Don’t risk your life, man.”

Sarah and Kie’s hushed voices grow louder, earning our attention from across the room. I lick eyes with Kie and she shakes her head, waving off Sarah and stomping out the front door. Sarah sighs before joining us, curling up against John B’s side. It made me miss Y/N and her softness.

“What was that about?” I ask, downing the rest of my beer.

“She doesn’t trust Y/N and she thinks you’re being stupid. She’s just mad and jealous. I think you need to just set the record straight with her.” Sarah opens her own beer and takes a long gulp. Kie was a problem I’d ignored for a long time. How clear can you make it to someone that you’re not interested without being shitty?

Thank god I wasn’t having a girl. These women were driving me fucking nuts.

I hated how no matter what’s happened, I still ached for her. She left me breathless and crazy. My heart skipped beats and shit. I’d never felt anything like this before but she was right. It’d been there since the beginning.

“Guys!” Kie burst back in through the front door, her curly hair whipped around her face like she’d been running and her chest heaving. “Rafe has Y/N cornered at the grocery store across the street.”

Those words send me into a blind rage as I jump to my feet and tuck the peacekeeper into the waist band of my shorts, concealing it with my shirt despite my friends pleading for me to stop as I shove my way out the door.

The closer I get to the store, the angrier I get. My vision is practically red when I see that he’s not only standing too close but he’s wearing a proud, cocky smile. Almost like he’s.. flirting. Y/N wasn’t tense or appearing to be in any distress. If anything they looked to be having a pleasant conversation. It’s when her eyes lock on my fast approach that her face falls, her eyes widening.

“J..”

I fist the back of Rafe’s pollo, all but throwing him away from her.

“Jesus, dude. We were just talking.” Rafe chuckles, holding up his hands as he smiles.

“JJ, stop.” Y/N snaps, grabbing my elbow but all I can think about is the shit Rafe has put my friends through. What he’s put me through. Now he’s talking to Y/N. Flirting with her.

“Stay away from her.” I growl, taking a step towards him just as the Pogues catch up.

“Okay, okay, enough. Let’s go.” John B says, stepping between the two of us and pushing back on my chest.

“How’s the Kook life treating you guys? Blow through all that money yet?” Rafe turns to Sarah, who stiffens under her brothers gaze. “Did you enjoy getting our father killed?” His gaze moves to Pope, “How’s that family legacy? I think I might still have a few pieces of that cross left.”

I can’t stop myself from pulling the gun and shoving John B away, pressing the barrel against Rafe’s chest. He only smiles, like the untouchable asshole he thinks he is. I hear the girls gasp but everything fades, my hatred for Rafe and his family masking everything else.

“What the fuck do you want?” I bite out.

“Y/N owes me a favor. I’m here to collect.” Rafe keeps his cocky grin as his eyes move to Y/N at my side, trying to talk me down. I can’t hear her.

“She doesn’t owe you shit.” I growl, pressing the gun harder to Rafe’s chest.

“Ask her. Just ask her.” Rafe takes a step back, casting a glance to Pope and Sarah before looking back at Y/N.

“JJ, stop. You’ll go to jail!” Y/N grabs my face, making me look at her pleading eyes. The gun is taken from my hand as Rafe gets back in his car and peels away. “What was that about?” Y/N demands, searching my face like I’ve been injured.

“What favor do you owe him? What did he want?”

“You’re being crazy right now! Chill! We were just talking!”

“Rafe Cameron doesn’t just talk to people unless he’s looking to gain something. So what favor did he fucking want?” Her face hardens as she takes a step back, too stubborn to back down from me. I was being an asshole but I couldn’t help it. This was too close to home.

“You’re not going to talk to me like that. You’re being shitty with me for no reason.”

“Guys, stop. This is what he wants. He wants us to fight.” Sarah says, gently pulling Y/N back so we’re no longer in each others space.

“She doesn’t know how much of a psychopath Rafe is. She shouldn’t trust him!” I shout, letting John B lead me away as Sarah tries to plead with her.

“Then tell me why! You never fucking tell me why! You have all these barriers you put up and your reasons for doing things but I’m not going to just blindly follow you without reason. I need to be in on it too. What did he do?”

“Both of you stop.” Kie says, catching a murderous look from Y/N.

“No, you stop. Mind your own fucking business.” Y/N shouts at Kie. God, this was only getting worse.

“He is my business, bitch! I’ve known him a lot longer than you! It’s not our fault you don’t know the man who knocked you up. You better adapt real quick to the way we do things because it’s his baby too.” I find myself diving between the girls as Y/N lunges for her. Kie’s eyes soften as she looks up at me but it’s not her I’m protecting.

“Get over yourself, Kiara. It’s never going to happen between us. It’s over. It’s been over. Whatever torch you’re carrying for me, you need to let it fucking go. Don’t speak about my child on my behalf.” I snap, a pang of guilt slicing through me when her face falls. She was my best friend but I couldn’t do this anymore. Tears fill her eyes before she turns away, stomping off to where she’s parked down the road.

“Really, dude? How about you let her down gently?” Pope scoffs, going after her.

“You could’ve handled that better.” John B adds, taking Sarah’s hand and leading her to the Twinkie. Y/N shoves past me, heading back inside the apartment building without a second glance in my direction. I’d be glad when today is fucking over.

It’s late as I walk by the bathroom door, a stifled moan stopping me in my tracks. My ears perk up as I listen in. It would be totally like her to try and pleasure herself knowing I’ve offered to help. I can’t pull myself away as her soft little whimpers grow closer and closer together as she nears her peak. My dick hardens in my shorts as I grit my teeth, listening for the moment that she comes undone.

I think she’s close when she lets out a frustrated groan and there’s a loud bang. I don’t even hesitate in shoving the door open, terrified that she’s fallen in the shower.

“What the fuck?” Y/N snaps, opening the shower curtain to look at me.

“I-I’m sorry. I thought you fell or something.” I say, taking deep breaths to calm my racing heart. She scared me to death. I’m not surprised when she rolls her eyes at me, sitting a bottle of shampoo down on the edge of the tub.

Her eyes soften just a little when she realizes that she scared me. I take slow, easy breaths to calm my heart as she starts to lather herself up with soap without shutting the shower curtain. I can't look away as her hands massage the suds into her glorious tits then down her baby bump and around her hips. My cock is throbbing painfully already in my shorts as her hands find her breasts again as she rinses, her nipples pebbled and begging for my teeth.

"Did you cum?" I croak, my throat dry as my body screams for her.

"No." She says firmly, turning the water off and wrapping her body then hair in a towel. She steps out, looking up at me with defiant eyes before brushing past me to go to the bedroom. I watch her go down the hall before glancing back at the couch where I told myself I'd start sleeping. I really should walk away. We can't work through our issues if we're constantly avoiding it with sex. But when I look back down the hall to see the door left open and her naked silhouette climbing into the bed, I lose the rest of my restraint.

I go to the door and lean against the frame, watching as she gets a vibrator from the nightstand she'd packed away and brings it to her clit. She glares back at me as she turns the toy on, her body jerking with the sudden vibrations. The toy gets turned up as high as it will go and her eyes threaten to close as she starts to pant softly, surrendering herself to the pleasure. I can't look away, jealousy choking me over the damn toy touching her instead of me. I'm tempted to pull my cock out and masturbate with her but I know that will tip her over the edge and I don't want to help her achieve anything without me involved.

She groans when she can't reach her peak and she throws the toy down on the bed, her breathing hard as she stares back at me.

"I think your pussy is a little spoiled by me." I smirk, bringing myself to the edge of the bed and gazing at her wet, swollen pussy. Her glare intensifies as her eyes trail down my body, stopping at the tent in my shorts.

"That's fine. I'm spoiled by your pussy too." I lower myself to the bed, crawling up between her legs and savoring the shuddering breath she lets out as I stop just at her pussy.

"I want you to cum on my cock." I say, looking for her permission before I fuck her brains out. By the look in her eyes, I know she wants it too.

"Okay." She whispers. I don't hesitate in flipping her onto her hands and knees, making her yelp then moan loudly as I fill her up from behind. She's so wet that I slip right in, touching her so deep that my eyes threaten to roll back in my head. I fuck her hard and fast, sending her into orgasm after orgasm as my own quickly builds inside me. I pull her hands back, her face pressed into the comforter as I use her as nothing more but a vessel for my pleasure.

I didn’t know how to talk to her but I knew how to do this. I knew how to fuck her until she forgets everything she’s mad about. In this moment nothing else matters. Not the secrets or the lies. Not Rafe Cameron or her loser ex. Not Kie. Just this.

[aesethewitch]

My 2024 Year Ahead Tarot Reading

All the way back in January, I did a year ahead reading for myself. For each month in 2024, I drew two cards from the Alleyman’s Tarot and one from my Dungeons and Dragons Tarot deck (for variety and to play with it, since it was brand new at the time!). My goal was to get a general overview of each month, patterns for the year as a whole, and specifically reminders and warnings for the year.

I kept notes throughout the year in my divination journal to reflect on that month’s reading and compare it to the actual events of the month. For the most part, it was pretty accurate! There were a few things that seemed inaccurate at the time, but that ended up being… well, more accurate than I wanted them to be.

I’m omitting some of the more personal bits and pieces from the actual journal entries, but all of these observations are coming direct from the journal! Noting, of course, that I’m writing this at the end of November/beginning of December, so December’s notes are going to be kind of scarce.

January

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Knight of Wands, Seven of Inking Bells D&D Tarot Card: The Sun

Immediate Thoughts: Using motivation to reclaim a sense of self; makes sense, lacking direction, drained

Full Reading:

I’m partially through the month, and I can see what this means: A loss of direction and sense of self, feeling very drained and lacking motivation to do much of anything. But the choice to find motivation can give a hearty shove to the creative mind. I should focus on the things that make me happy, not just what I “should” be doing.

Analysis:

[11/25/24 (the time of reviewing my entries)] I don’t have any full notes on January, unfortunately. Since I did this reading partway through the month, I skipped it. However! After year ahead readings closed, I took some time to myself. I focused in on my hobbies and self-care, holing up for the chilliest part of the season.

February

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Six of Cups, Death (Blood) D&D Tarot Cards: Five of Wisdom

Immediate Thoughts: Violent upset; death in the family?

Full Reading:

A painful change. My intuition says this is an actual death of someone I know. It will kick off a renewed determination to enjoy life despite the rain and thrive under bad circumstances. No matter how large the foe, I will manage.

Analysis:

[3/26/24] No one died in February. I did take a somewhat extended hiatus (longer than I expected/wanted) and started up again at the top of March. February was really tough, health-wise.

[11/25/24] Looking back, this is the month I thought was totally wrong. In actuality, I received really bad news last month — my dad’s health is declining rapidly, and we have a very limited amount of time with him left. Things started going downhill in, you guessed it, February. I really had hoped that this outlook was wrong. I’m still hoping it’s wrong. It has given me a renewed motivation to enjoy life and take care of myself and the people I care about. So, that’s something, at least.

March

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Hierophant (Arrow), King of Swords D&D Tarot Cards: Page of Intelligence

Immediate Thoughts: Reclaiming a sense of control over spiritual matters

Full Reading:

A renewed sense of control in the spiritual realm. This might be a good time to start doing more spirit-focused spells and workings. With the Page of INT on the field, maybe a bit of research into constructed spirits or a new kind of spirit vessel?

Analysis:

[3/26/24] March has been good. I do definitely feel like I’m back in the saddle and have control over where I’m heading next. I haven’t been doing a ton of spirit work, but what I have been doing is very natural and fulfilling. The research I’ve been putting in has paid off already.

So, not perfectly accurate, but not bad!

April

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Two of Cups, Weird-Ass Mystical Shit D&D Tarot Cards: Ace of Charisma

Immediate Thoughts: Balance and happiness, trying new and weird magic; new and deeper friendships?

Full Reading:

This is a good month for magic and trying new things. A happy time of balance and good relationships. Could also be a sign of new and deepening friendships. The warning is to not get too carried away by alluring outside influences.

Analysis:

[4/14/24] I’ve been interacting more with folks in my online witchy circles! It does count!! (:

I haven’t gotten to do any new or weird magic yet. I should do that Straw into Gold spell soon and maybe look at some other spells. A new recipe, maybe.

Then again, my new money bowl has been working! It’s a new configuration and cast method with different upkeep than previous iterations. Not “weird,” but definitely a change.

I’m also planning on returning to older, odder facets of my practice — ghosts and ghost-related workings. By popular request, I’ll be writing about my ghostly experiences and how to contact/work with the dead.

Maybe I could get really weird about it. Hyper-specific, weird, and outside my usual work. I’ll give it some thought.

[4/28/24] Friendship!!! The folks in the Discord server I got invited to in February have encouraged me to revive the original House Rules campaign for them to play. It’s very cool! I’ve gotten to chat more than usual and have gotten better acquainted with people individually. I’d say this reading is now definitely accurate on the new and deeper friendships front. (:

Going into May, I’m keeping burnout warnings in mind. I’ve got a lot going on, and I don’t want to get overwhelmed again!

May

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Ten of Wands, Two of Whips D&D Tarot Cards: Judgment

Immediate Thoughts: Heavy; breaking out of unhealthy patterns, lashing out

Full Reading:

A heavy month. Burnout leading to anger. It’ll be necessary to look at everything on my plate and decide what actually needs my attention and what can be left alone. What’s worth my time? Pick and choose battles wisely.

Analysis:

[5/27/24] Most of this entry is redacted due to it being really personal.

I’d thought that the burnout would be work-related. Instead, it ended up being more interpersonal, emotional burnout. Bearing a burden alone is neither necessary nor fair. The lashing out was definitely very real. Perhaps the most accurate set of cards out of the whole year, unfortunately. The bright side is that the conflict(s) laid everything bare and paved the way for improvement and healing. Judgment, indeed.

June

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Three of Books, Knight of Swords D&D Tarot Cards: King of Strength

Immediate Thoughts: Imposing order

Full Reading:

A lot of esoteric knowledge is tough to make sense of. The urge to wrangle it is powerful, but it isn’t always possible. That doesn’t mean to waste the energy! Just direct it toward more productive ends.

Analysis:

[8/7/24] June… was hard. I ended up not getting a lot done after all. Back to back migraines killed the back half of the month. There was some magic and theory work, but not a lot.

[11/25/24] Looking back on this, I wasn’t being very fair to myself. The reading was more accurate than I gave credit for at the time. There was so much I wanted to do and get done and handle, but my body just kind of gave out. It does that sometimes. In the end, I had to direct my energy reserves to simple survival — productive enough, no?

July

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: The Letter, Nine of Cups D&D Tarot Cards: Four of Intelligence

Immediate Thoughts: Successful social interactions

Full Reading:

Successful socializing is rewarding! Proper communication about goals, wants, and needs is essential. Taking time to oneself, even in the company of others, is an essential skill. This hand screams “comfort in others’ presence,” which I love.

Analysis:

[8/7/24] July was better than June. My friend finished her move, and we helped her haul furniture last week. It was definitely a month of positive socialization, even if I can now feel myself retreating inwards again.

[11/25/24] I remember little of June, unfortunately. I do remember much of July, though! It was a fun time, though very busy. I took as much time to myself as I physically could. Recovering from two full weeks of migraines at the end of June took a long, long time. It was horrible. Having comfortable places to socialize without straining myself too far was critical to my recovery! So, another pretty accurate reading.

August

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Queen of Pentacles, Eight of Tentacles D&D Tarot Cards: Nine of Intelligence

Immediate Thoughts: Comfort, roots, expression

Full Reading:

Comfort and indulgence. This is a sign to invite others to enjoy the things that make me feel good. It’s easy to hide away but hard to exist out in the open. Foster a space where anyone can come and be themselves safely. Protecting myself and my energy is still important — this may be a good time to renew personal protections.

Analysis:

[8/7/24] I definitely think the advice for August is solid. I’m tired. I desperately want to indulge in the things that make me happy.

With my friend only two hours away now, I might be able to plan some actually fulfilling witchy events. And maybe I can involve my partner more, too. He seems interested in everything.

Being so drained, it’s tough to gather the energy I need for even the most indulgent, lazy activities. Still, I’ve got to try.

[10/16/24] August ended up being a subdued month. The weather made me pretty ill, so I spent my time caring for myself and focused on my novel.

[11/25/24] God, August was so bad. I thought June was bad, but August was almost as bad. It was three straight months of feeling like absolute garbage. If you recall seeing my content publish less and less frequently (which has unfortunately continued into the end of the year), this is why. The second half of the year has severely kicked my ass.

I did ask for more help around August, though. My partner kept my spirits up and engaged with me about the things I care about more often and more intentionally. It definitely helped as I finally, fully recovered from the horrible summer sickness.

September

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: The Tradition, the Comforter D&D Tarot Cards: The Devil

Immediate Thoughts: Comfort, roots, expression; interference

Full Reading:

More comfort, this time found by returning to my roots. This time of year is full of fulfilling traditions, and it’s important that I get to partake in them. Straying from the path and letting lazy temptations take over is no good.

Analysis:

[10/16/24] September saw our first chilly days. I did observe several traditions and have plans for more as we move into the final months of the year. Overall, a calm month. Not a lot of spells, more spirit work and offerings.

[11/25/24] This time of year is always when I come alive again. Spring and autumn are my peak seasons. Spring is often spellwork, autumn more so spirit work, so this really does track. Otherwise, September was pretty quiet. I was still recovering, so I intentionally took it easy. Traditions and structure definitely help to energize me, though!

October

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Four of Swords, the Star D&D Tarot Cards: Knight of Charisma

Immediate Thoughts: Rest, dreaming

Full Reading:

“Damn, bitch, take a vacation.” So I will. October will have one full week (at least) off from writing, posting, commissions, everything. Maybe I’ll go somewhere I’ve always wanted and fulfill a dream.

Analysis:

[10/16/24] Looking at October, I’m torn. It’s been a chiller, less busy time, but I’m still working on other stuff — plans, writing, etc. I hope to do more in the second half of the month. On a more somber note, I’ve gotten news that my dad is officially Captial-D Dying. The suggestion of rest isn’t about dreams. It’s about having hope for the best and allowing time to pass.

All I can do is wait.

[11/25/24] As you can probably tell, that’s the day I got the Bad News. It’s worth noting that I very much did not take a full week off, and I should have.

On October 31, I wrote an entry venting about everything going on that I won’t include here. But in that entry, I mention scheduling a week to stay offline and away from my computer. And I’m going to be doing that!! Kinda!! This weekend, from Thanksgiving on Thursday until Monday, I’m not working at all. I’m taking Thursday and Friday off, and I’ll return to everything Monday. I won’t be allowed to log into Tumblr or my email or do any work. Totally unplugged.

I have it marked on my calendar and everything. Peaceful introspection will be mine this weekend.

November

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: The Emperor, Nine of Wands D&D Tarot Cards: Seven of Intelligence

Immediate Thoughts: Authority over a safe space

Full Reading:

No matter how serious things get and how certain I am about my path, I should always take a moment for quiet introspection. Peace is an option. It might take some clever thinking, but I can make it happen.

Analysis:

[11/24/24] After almost a full week of activity (November 6 to November 11), the “quiet introspection” was less a suggestion and more a bodily-mandated requirement.

It’s been a really busy month. Events and socializing in public have left me drained of energy. I have little left for Thanksgiving on Thursday. Peace and quiet are no longer options, they’re requirements.

I sort of think this card combo might also be in reference to the Annoying Neighbors debacle, in a way. All of them are finally, blessedly quiet after months of struggling. QUIET. I win.

Dominion over my safe and quiet home. Ha ha ha.

December

Alleyman’s Tarot Cards: Bone Fire, Queen of Swords D&D Tarot Cards: Wheel of Fortune

Immediate Thoughts: Start fresh, question everything; BIG educational upheaval

Full Reading:

Radical change! Time to call everything I’ve learned and everything I am into question. Time to decide who I want to be. Am I happy? What am I willing to do to get there? There’s an element of faith and chance here — nothing is certain. But the leap has to be made. It has to burn. I have to stand back up. I have to fight. I have to.

Analysis:

[11/25/24] Now, obviously, December hasn’t happened yet. But I think I can comment on this hand now, since it’s more a call to action than a prediction.

I really am in a position where I need to examine my life and my practice. This year has been difficult on a lot of levels. I keep setting goals that are unattainable. They “should” be things I can achieve, but my health continually gets in the way. It’s not fair, but I have to do better about keeping my limits in mind. The more conscious I am, the better I feel, the better I’m able to perform.

I’m looking toward December as a month of planning. I want to sketch out my 2025 with purpose. I’ll throw out everything I don’t need and don’t use and don’t particularly like. I’m talking restructuring my whole year. New schedule, new holidays, new traditions, the works.

I’m starting over. It’s all gonna be new again.

The thing I have to remember is my limits. Not what I “should” be able to do, but what I actually can do.

Facing reality, one Bone Fire at a time.

Conclusions

Since jotting down my December thoughts in my journal, I received a very cool tarot readings from a mutual who was testing out a new style. Now, I’m fairly certain I know what the Bone Fire is and how to approach it. It’s going to be a lot more new than I was expecting. Square one, in many ways.

Ah, well.

I had pretty good overall accuracy for this reading! I expected the details to get less accurate later in the year, but it stayed fairly faithful throughout.

The big critique I have for this is that I wish I’d written down more details at the time of the reading. Part of the brevity is because I wrote the reading out by hand. This year, I think I’ll type up a very in-depth report that’s more similar to the year ahead readings I do for clients.

My 2025 reading will also definitely focus more on the spiritual side of things rather than being a totally general reading. I have a feeling that it’s going to be more productive if I do it that way!

Anyhow, let me put my shilling hat on real quick… If you’d like a year ahead reading, check out my Ko-Fi commissions, available for a limited time only! I also do other types of tarot readings and custom spell services, if that tickles your fancy. And stay tuned for more seasonal posts!

You can also read this post over on Ko-Fi!:

[relia-robot]

Character A, who's kinda glad she's always had her childhood friend B to rely on and help her through the tough times, and who would do anything for her

Character B, who's known A for less than a week but had to do something to blend in and hide from the law, and now feels really bad about it

Jen sat on the cliff overlooking the town with her childhood friend, Scarlet, just like they had done every weekend of every summer throughout their lives. It definitely got better when they were old enough to buy their own ice pops, and even better when Scarlet got a fake ID and could buy beer earlier this summer. Jen couldn't enjoy them in quite the same way, lacking a digestive system, but she liked pressing the cold cans to her heat sinks and feeling the condensation drip down her artificial skin.

Jen snuck a look at Scarlet as she tipped back a can to catch the last dregs. Her dirty-blonde hair had been cut short just a few days ago, and it looked good. Better than just good. Scarlet put down the can, and Jen hurriedly looked away, her cooling vanes spreading out behind her in the setting sun. Why now? They'd known each other for more than a decade, they'd grown up together, she'd been there when Jen had figured out she liked girls, so why-

Why was it only now, less than a day before she was supposed to leave, that she'd caught feelings for her best friend?

Scarlet's hand lay on the dirt between them. Jen inched her hand closer. What would it mean if they touched?

"H-Hey, so, uh... you got everything sorted for the big exodus?"

"Yup!" Scarlet looked out over the town that had been their home for seventeen years, the sun casting everything in a golden light. It looked beautiful. She looked beautiful. Scarlet grinned as she tossed the can behind her into the bag of empties and popsicle sticks. "Can't wait to leave this podunk town behind."

"You, don't have anything you're gonna miss about it?" Jen tried to ask nonchalantly. Maybe Scarlet wouldn't notice the hitch in her voice.

"Well," said Scarlet as she glanced over at Jen, "this has been really nice. I'll... miss this."

Jen turned to face her. The glow of the sunset basked both of them in a radiant glow. She hesitated, leaned forward slightly. "I'll miss you."

Scarlet leaned forward, too. Her breath smelled like beer and blue raspberry. "Jen, I..."

Jen felt the two of their faces getting closer together. Maybe... maybe now was good? Maybe even if she didn't stay, it'd be good? Maybe... maybe they could...

Jen saw Scarlet open her mouth, slightly. Jen's movement hitched, then she closed her eyes and parted her lips, inching towards the other girl. Closer, and closer, and...

And she nearly overbalanced and fell forward. She opened her eyes to see Scarlet on her feet, facing away from her. "Geez, it got late, huh? I better get home, my parents will kill me. Same time tomorrow, huh?"

Jen, breathless, lips still parted, couldn't say a word as Jen grabbed the cooler, slung it onto her bicycle, and pedaled off.

---

MYSTERIOUS CRASH STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION!

Last week's meteor impact remains a mystery as authorities have been unable to find any kind of impact crater. Experts say that no known celestial objects should have been able to impact our small town, but astronomers and FBI agents continue to comb the woods for clues as to what may have caused the light show we received last Friday. Several of our residents have reported strange lights in the night sky over the last week following the impact. Local chief of police, Sheriff Fontaine, had this to say about the strange happenings-

Scarlet skimmed the rest of the article. She was pretty sure that the local bumpkins had no way of finding her ship, but if it was getting attention from outside it was definitely time to skip town. She crumpled up the paper and tossed it away, to the edge of the camouflage netting she'd set up around the crater.

It landed almost exactly where Jen had found her a week ago, the android girl's eyes acting like flashlights in the late summer dusk. She hadn't screamed, or run away, or even flinched when Scarlet had tumbled out of the small cockpit. Instead, she'd just reached down her hand to help Scarlet up.

And what had Scarlet done in return? Reprogrammed her! She had been the one that panicked! She was supposed to be better than this, better than her parents, but when push came to shove she'd been just as quick on the logic bomb as they were. And now what? Not only did Jen think she was Scarlet's childhood friend, not only had she extrapolated a whole host of fake traditions and in-jokes, but now she was trying to kiss her!

Which wouldn't be nearly so bad if Scarlet didn't desperately want to kiss her back. She flopped down next to the weird secret government craft she'd stolen and let out such a sigh of exasperation that all the local squirrels went skittering away. She lay like that for a while, arm over her eyes, then sat up again and grabbed her tools. Better to try and just fix the damn ship as best she could and get out before the spooks really found her.

---

Jen was coming back from her evening paper route when she was met with Sherrif Fontaine and her dad. Her dad took his hat off and scratched his growing bald spot - a sure sign he was anxious. "Sweetie," he said, "Sheriff Fontaine wants to ask you a couple questions. Is that okay?"

Jen straddled her bike. "Does he have a warrant?"

"Cute," deadpanned the Sheriff. "I just want to know about this girl." He brandished a photo of Scarlet at her, hair long and uncut.

Jen stared him down. "What about her?"

He heaved a sigh. "God's sake, girl, have you seen her or not? Do you know where she was last Friday?"

"She was with me. We've been best friends basically forever. We were up on the hill, like always. Is this about that meteor?" Jen remembered that night, switching to low-light mode to see it in all its scintillating colors, smeared across the sky. It had landed right behind them, why the cops hadn't found it yet was beyond her. She squinted at the memory. Why hadn't Scarlet and her gone looking for it? She remembered wanting to... hm.

The Sheriff was rolling up the paper. "Can't tell you that. But she was with you, you say?" He huffed, cybernetic cop eye implant gleaming through bushy salt-and-pepper eyebrows. "Fine. I'll contact you again if I need more info. Thank you for your time."

As the cop drove off, her dad put a warm hand on her shoulder. "Thanks, sweetie. But, who was that girl? I'd never seen her before, but you said she was your best friend? Is she new at school?"

Jen frowned at her dad. "Dad, we've known each other for years. It's Scarlet, she's been over tons of times."

"Oh, damnit," said her dad. "This is another one of those trans things, isn't it? I knew her by another name, and you don't want your dumb ol' dad embarrassing you by remembering the wrong person. Okay, Scarlet, right? I'll remember if I see her again, I'm sure."

Jen's eyebrows knitted together. "No, Scarlet..." Wait. That was wrong. Scarlet had always been a girl. But... she was trans. But then, when had she come out? Why couldn't she remember?

"I'm going back out, Dad, bye!" She yelled over her shoulder as she swung her bike around.

"But what about your evening charge? I made virtual burgers!!"

---

Scarlet hit ignore for the fourth time on her comms, then turned it to do-not-disturb mode. She could see government trucks moving through the city below. She had to hurry and get her ship fixed, now.

"Sorry, Jen," she whispered as the comm array logged another call. "I can't stay."

---

Jen pedaled hard through the city. Scarlet wasn't answering her phone. She hadn't been home. In fact, the home had been some old lady who'd never had kids, or even heard of Scarlet. She'd gotten a hold of the guy who did her fake ID, but he said he'd never seen her around before, and only gave her one because he recognized Jen. There were black unmarked vans everywhere. People cybernetic, robotic, and biological were standing on the street, not knowing what to do. What was happening?

She had to get to Scarlet.

She got to the base of the cliff path, only to find that the local cops were setting up a barricade. Her hands clenched on the handlebars. Whatever was happening, Scarlet was at the center of it. Had she lied to her? Was everything fake? A helicopter circled overhead.

Jen thought about last night. The almost-kiss. Her feelings for Scarlet, seeming to crop up out of nowhere just this week. The way Scarlet's eyes had softened when she said she'd miss the evening sunset with Jen. The beers. The popsicles. Watching the stars come out together.

The helicopter swung overhead again, and suddenly she was pedaling with all her might. The Sheriff shouted, but couldn't stop her from trampling over the barricade and speeding up the hill. Sirens started up behind her, and she heard tires spinning in the mud. She jumped off the road and onto her secret shortcut, straight to the top.

---

Scarlet hit the ignition switch, and the omni-engine came to life. The camouflage netting blew away in the blast, and she whooped for joy as the craft began to hover in midair. The helicopter overhead began shouting instructions into a megaphone as she went through the world's fastest pre-flight checklist.

The sun was setting, and her heart stung as she saw the cliff where Jen would be waiting for her later, never to be seen again.

---

Jen pedaled with all her might, cooling vanes fully extended, heat warnings in the corners of her vision. She launched off the path and skidded to a stop at the top of the cliff, an impossible ship hanging in the air in front of her, cockpit open. Sirens sung throughout the city as black vans suddenly lit up red and blue. Scarlet, at the controls, half turned in shock. "Jen?!"

"Scarlet! What's going on?! Who are you?!" Jen shouted over the racket of helicopter vanes and the strange engine before her.

"Jen, I'm sorry!" Scarlet shouted back, eyes suddenly damp. "I can't stay, and I don't have time to explain!"

Jen stared at her. She looked at the gap between them, the helicopters overhead. Her eyes narrowed. She spun her bike around and dove into the woods.

Scarlet watched her go, and sunk down into her seat. She was about to close the cockpit when Jen came screaming back, faster than any human could bike. Scarlet shouted as she approached the cliff's edge. "Jen, no! You'll fall!"

Jen screamed, the bike flying through the air, then abruptly changing direction straight down as she leapt, hands extending, an arrow aiming straight for the cockpit. Scarlet was so shocked she couldn't do anything as eighty pounds of plastic and ultralight alloys came directly at her face, Jen's eyes flashing, arms crushing, lips soft and tasting faintly of batteries. Her arms encircled the robot girl, and they held each other close.

Scarlet pulled away from the kiss to find Jen on her lap, both of them breathless, the cops now on the cliff beside them. Sheriff Fontaine was shouting about grounding the craft. Scarlet looked back to Jen. "I have to go."

"We have to go."

Scarlet's mouth hung open for a moment, then she smiled as her tears pinged off of Jen's artificial skin. She closed the cockpit, and held Jen close as the ship zoomed away, off into the golden sunset.

[f1xmalereader]

Hi, can I request a max verstappen x male reader? Maybe the reader is in his first year of f1, he’s in Mercedes, McLaren or Aston Martin. Him and max are kind of enemies because the reader and max are battling for the first place in every race, they are really close in points and max is “mad” because he is supposed to be the best (reader is totally chill about it) and one day in a party max sees the reader and realize that he has a crush on him, and some time after he confesses and the reader invites him to a date, maybe a quick cute kiss and max blushes a lot and is a happy ending?

SORRY IF ITS TO LONG, I GOT INSPIRED 😭

One fateful night

Max Verstappen x Male Reader

You've always had a passion for racing ever since you were a kid. It was your dream to become a Formula One driver and after years of hard work, you finally made it to the big leagues. You were now in your first year of F1, racing for McLaren alongside your talented teammate, Lando Norris.

But there was one driver who always seemed to get under your skin - Max Verstappen. The two of you were constantly battling for the top spot in every race, and it was clear that Max was not used to having someone challenge him like you did. He was supposed to be the best, but you were giving him a run for his money.

You didn't hate Max, per se, but you didn't exactly like him either. There was always a bit of tension between the two of you, and you couldn't help but feel a bit competitive around him. He was a great driver, but so were you, and you were determined to prove that you were just as good as he was.

One night, after a particularly grueling race, you decided to let off some steam by attending a party hosted by one of your fellow F1 drivers. You weren't really in the mood to socialize, but you figured it would be a good way to unwind after a stressful day.

As you made your way through the crowded room, you suddenly found yourself face-to-face with Max. He was standing off to the side, nursing a drink, and he looked just as surprised to see you as you were to see him.

For a few seconds, the two of you just stood there, sizing each other up. You could feel the tension between you, but there was something else there too - a spark of attraction that neither of you could deny.

It was Max who broke the silence. "Hey," he said, a hint of a smile on his lips. "I didn't expect to see you here."

You shrugged. "Yeah, I just needed to blow off some steam. You?"

"Same," Max said, taking a sip of his drink. "It's been a tough season so far."

You nodded, knowing exactly what he meant. "Yeah, but it's been exciting, hasn't it? I mean, we're both pretty close in the points."

Max's expression turned serious. "Yeah, we are. But I'm going to beat you, you know that right?"

You grinned, feeling a surge of competitiveness. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Max."

The two of you bantered back and forth for a few more minutes, but eventually, you found yourselves sitting on a couch, talking about everything and nothing at all. You were surprised by how easy it was to talk to Max - you had always assumed that he was just a cocky, arrogant driver, but he was actually kind of funny and charming.

As the night wore on, you realized that you were actually having a good time. You didn't even mind that you were hanging out with your supposed rival - if anything, it was kind of exciting.

At one point, Max leaned in closer to you, his eyes glittering in the dim light. "Can I tell you something?" he asked, his voice low.

You nodded, intrigued. "Yeah, of course."

Max took a deep breath. "I've been thinking about you a lot lately," he admitted. "I mean, not just as a competitor, but...in a different way."

Your heart skipped a beat as you realized what he was saying. "You mean...you mean that you like me?" you asked, your heart racing.

Max nodded, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Yeah, I do. I know it's weird, since we've been competing against each other and all, but I can't help it. I just...really like you."

You felt a wave of warmth spread through you, and before you knew it, you were leaning in to kiss Max. It was a quick, chaste kiss, but it was enough to make Max's cheeks turn even redder.

"I like you too, Max," you said, smiling at him. "I had no idea that you felt the same way."

Max grinned back at you, looking happier than you had ever seen him before. "I'm glad I finally had the guts to tell you," he said. "So, uh, would you like to go on a date with me sometime?"

You nodded eagerly. "Yes, I would love that."

The rest of the night passed in a blur of excitement and happiness. You and Max exchanged phone numbers and made plans to meet up again soon. As you walked out of the party together, your hand in Max's, you couldn't help but feel like you were on top of the world.

You had never expected to fall for your rival, but there was something about Max that just drew you in. Maybe it was the way he looked when he was racing, or the way he talked about his passion for the sport. Whatever it was, you knew that you were in for an exciting ride.

As you climbed into your car and drove away, you couldn't help but feel grateful for this unexpected turn of events. Who knew that a chance encounter at a party could lead to something so special?

You were excited to see where things would go with Max, both on and off the track. One thing was for sure - your heart was racing, and you knew that this was only the beginning.

[mrsfrecklesmarauders]

Sirius had always hated birthdays. He liked the part when he was the center of attention and everyone gave him love and affection. But there was something that made him sad, perhaps the feeling of getting older or perhaps the trauma that his family had given him.

Remus remembered the first birthday he spent with Sirius. He turned eleven. He wasn't happy about getting older. Except for the fact he would go to Hogwarts next year.

But once Remus found out it was Sirius' Birthday because Regulus yelled about it, Remus tried to make it a happy day for Sirius. Remus let Sirius pick up the games. They did whatever he wanted. Remus made him laugh. He asked his mum to bake him a chocolate tart, like the one she did for Remus. Sirius ate it all, leaving stains of chocolate through his whole face. He looked adorable.

Remus did the best to make Sirius feel special and happy. And it worked for a while. Until Sirius' family arrived for a fancy dinner. And Sirius was forced to go.

"Can Rosie come?" Sirius asked. He looked sad now. And it broke Remus' heart.

Walburga gave Remus a disgusted look.

"Sorry, darling" she answered "It is only a family dinner. You do understand"

"Yeah, of course" Remus answered shyly.

Sirius was angry now.

"I am not hungry" he spat "I ate too much tart"

Walburga kneeled down to face her son. Her eyes were intense and scary. It gave Remus chills down his spine.

"You are coming with me whether you want to or not..." Walburga said carefully "Everyone came especially to see you. You are letting your Grandparents, Uncles, Auntie and cousins see the birthday boy, right?"

Her smile wasn't welcoming. It sounded like a threat. Remus didn't want to leave him alone with them.

"Let's get you changed into nicer clothes" Walburga gave her son a look before standing up and dragging Sirius away. Sirius turned to look at Remus helplessly.

Remus didn't know what to do. He was just a kid. So he cried for the rest of the night on his mother's lap.

Now Sirius' eighteenth birthday wasn't the exception to make Sirius sad. It had been a tough year for him. He had ran away from his wicked family after his father beated him up that summer. And his favorite Uncle Alphard died a few days ago. Remus knew Sirius wasn't okay, even though he pretended he was.

But Remus was going to make this birthday special as well. He figured he owed to him. They were closer than ever. And Remus loved him. He would do anything for Sirius. He would die for him.

"Of course we are having a big party for him" James said.

James and Peter agreed that Sirius needed cheering up and distraction after everything that had happened to him.

"All of his day will be busy and fun that he won't have time to feel sad"

Remus was still worried though. Sirius' mind tended to go to the darkest places. Remus just wanted to take his pain away. He would do anything to see Sirius smile and enjoy his day.

The morning of Sirius' Birthday, his three friends tiptoed to his bed. Sirius still looked peacefully asleep. And Remus' heart skipped a beat because as he grew, he got even more beautiful.

James counted with his fingers. Three... Two... One...

"Happy Birthday Padfoot!!"

"Happy birthday Padsie Baby!"

"Happy birthday, Pads!"

The three boys yelled at the same time. And Sirius woke up in a beat, kind of scared. James played In Da Club by 50 cents. The part when he rapped: "Go shawty, it's you birthday!". And James began dancing foolishly to the song, followed by Peter.

Sirius smiled deliciously and Remus was compelled to dance as well. Only to see that gorgeous smile of his.

Sirius laughed looking at his friends. When Sirius' eyes crossed with Remus, he stopped breathing for a second. He was looking at him and smiling at him. If only Remus could kiss his bloody lips right now. If only he could wrap his arms around him and call him his. Remus was desperately in love. But he had to contain himself. Because James and Peter didn't know about them. About their thing, more likely. So he just smiled back.

"How are you feeling, birthday boy?" James asked. Sirius finally moved his gaze away from Remus. And Remus could breathe again.

"Good"

"You're finally eighteen so you can officially buy some beer for us" Peter announced.

"You're eighteen as well, Wormy"

"Yeah but you look eighteen..." Peter sighed, sitting on Sirius' bed "I look fourteen"

"Oh you're such a baby!" James squeezed Peter's cheeks while he protested.

"Shut up!"

The Marauders laughed.

"And Sirius is so old..." Remus joked, wrinkling his nose.

"But even more handsome" Sirius smirked.

Remus couldn't say no to that.

"You wish"

"You know is true, Moony..."

Remus tried not to blush.

"Presents!" James interrupted, grabbing a big box from his bed and passing it to Sirius "You're are going to love mine"

Sirius grabbed it and opened it with a smile.

The bastard of James picked up the best presents for everyone. He got Sirius a cool poster of the motorcycle he fell in love with over the summer. And a set of clothes that included a lot of leather. Perfect for a motorbike boy. Leather jacket, leather trousers, a cool band t-shirt.

"Wow!" Sirius beamed "Prongsie!"

James was smiling gracefully.

"So you stop whining about how much you want that bike..." James said "But the actual motorcycle is on you"

Sirius laughed and opened his arms for James.

"Thank you, Prongsie. I love it"

James came closer and let himself be hugged by Sirius.

"I love you, Padsie" James gave him a quick kiss on his head.

Remus noticed James looked kind of sad as well. Perhaps he was worried about Sirius. Sometimes Remus thought he loved Sirius the most but James could easily compete with him and even win.

"Open mine next" Peter said, giving Sirius a small package.

Sirius was happy as he picked it up. And he opened it.

Peter got Sirius a cool black shirt with tiny stars as a pattern. It looked very elegant for a party or a formal dinner. And it was perfect for Sirius' style. He surely loved it.

"Oh my God!" Sirius gasped when he looked at it.

Peter blushed, proud of himself.

"I saw it and I thought of you" he smiled.

"You have good taste, Wormtail"

"You say that like it surprises you"

Sirius simply smiled in response.

"Fuck you" Peter rolled his eyes.

James and Sirius laughed. Remus smiled.

"Thank you, Wormyboo" Sirius blew him a kiss.

"You're welcome" Peter shrugged.

"It looks like a girl's blouse..." James added, taking a look at it.

"Shut up, James Potter" Sirius took it back "You don't know the first thing about good fashion, Mr. Double Denim"

"Double Denim is cool!"

"No darling" Sirius laughed, shaking his head.

"Remus" James said, looking intensely at him "Are you going to give Sirius your present?"

Remus had been entranced by Sirius' happy reactions to his presents that he hadn't said anything until now. James, Peter and Sirius were looking at him expectingly. Sirius' eyes were full of curiosity and hope.

Remus blushed and cleared his throat.

"Oh yes, certainly" he walked to his bed and retrieved the small package between his hands. This was pathetic.

"Happy Birthday, Sirius" he gave him the sweetest smile.

Sirius practically ripped the paper off and Remus could see that what he saw disappointed him.

"That's a really big bar of chocolate" Peter broke the ice.

"My favorite" Sirius faked a smile "Thank you, Moony"

If Remus could, he would give Sirius the moon and the stars. He would go to the end of the world to make him happy. He would give him his whole self. His whole life. Everything he was. Everything he owned. All his love. Sirius could have his heart. It belonged to him anyways.

But how could he express all of that in a tangible present? Firstly, Remus didn't have the money to buy him something cool or fancy like James and Peter. And secondly, Remus had prepared something else. Remus had it in his drawer. But he was embarrassed to give it to him now. In front of the lads. He was scared of giving his feelings away. Or everyone noticing something more than friendship between them.

So he got him that chocolate bar for now.

"I didn't have time to get you anything else..." Remus swallowed embarrassed.

"It's okay, Moony" Sirius said "Good thinking. If I have this big bar to myself, I won't take more of yours"

"Yeah exactly" Remus faked a smile as well.

Sirius stared at him intensely. Remus felt naked.

If only Sirius knew how much he loved him, how much he cared. Remus wanted everything with Sirius. But he settled snogging him in secret or whatever it was they were doing. Perhaps Sirius deserved better. But Remus couldn't let him go.

"We are also having a huge party for you, birthday boy!" James luckily broke the awkwardness and tension. And Sirius smile was back "Everyone is invited! Everyone wanted to celebrate with you, sunshine.... Lots of girls" his eyes fixed on Remus for a second "Perhaps you can pick up someone to fool around tonight and distract yourself"

Sirius tensed and gave a worried look at Remus. Remus tried to keep his eyes on the floor.

"Or maybe not" Sirius said angrily "I want to spend my birthday with you guys. Unless you are abandoning me for your love interests..."

"Lily is my girlfriend..."

"I wish..." Peter whispered.

Sirius frowned.

"No...no... No" James shook his head and squeezed Sirius' cheek "Today is your day. Nothing is more important to us than you, right lads?"

"Suree!" Peter nodded.

"Nothing is more important" Remus added.

Sirius crossed eyes with Remus. Remus sensed he wanted to tell him many things. But Remus didn't want Sirius to worry on his big day. The important thing was that he was happy. So he smiled at him to let him know everything was okay.

"You're wearing my shirt to the party, right?" Peter asked.

"Of course not! He is wearing my t-shirt and jacket. They are cooler" James teased.

They began competing and fighting about it which made Sirius laugh.

"Shut up, you wankers"

Remus was happy to see Sirius having a good time. He was going to make sure the rest of the day stayed that way.

*****

Sirius became the center of attention for the rest of the day. Breakfast was full of compliments, delicious food and presents. The Marauders and the girls took him to Hogsmeade so he could buy his first legal beer. Sirius was very proud about that one.

"Having fun, birthday boy?"

Remus asked Sirius as the two of them sneaked away from their friends to smoke. Finally Remus had Sirius for himself. He had Sirius' real present burning inside his bag.

"Sure..." Sirius nodded "I wish we could be alone though" he added "I could use some kisses"

Remus chuckled.

"We are alone now"

Sirius' smile disappear.

"Our friends are near"

Remus sighed "We will find a moment later"

"Moony..."

Whatever Sirius wanted to say was interrupted by a phone call. Sirius took out his phone and saw his brother's name on the screen. He had been trying to avoid phone calls from his entire family. But not Regulus'.

"Hey Reg" he answered as he stood up and walked away "Thank you..."

Remus knew Sirius still cared for his little brother. If Remus could, he would fix whatever was going on between them. He didn't have siblings so he didn't know. But perhaps there was something he could do. Perhaps he could invite Regulus to Sirius' party. That would make Sirius happy. That Regulus attended on his own.

****

Remus waited a moment to have Sirius alone again. But it seemed impossible.

The party was huge and everyone wanted to talk to Sirius, give him drinks or dance with him. Especially girls. Remus tried not to be jealous and act like cool friend. Because that was all he was.

It was Sirius who found him alone just outside the bathroom. Remus didn't have time to react when Sirius pushed him against the wall and kissed him. He tasted like alcohol.

"Mmhm..." Remus smiled between kisses "I thought it was your birthday not mine"

"I've received many things from people today, but all I wanted was to kiss you" Sirius kissed him again.

Remus' heart filled with joy when he heard that.

"You are certainly a celebrity today" Remus said "More than you normally are"

Sirius scoffed.

"There are a lot of people here I don't really know. Prongs just invited everyone" Sirius sighed "Even Reg is here with his weird friend"

Sirius looked at Remus and Remus tried to play innocent.

"Reg is here? That's great"

"Moony... He told me you asked him to come"

Damn. Remus forgot to tell Regulus not to say anything. He sighed.

"I figured you wanted to have your little brother at your birthday party" Remus shrugged.

Sirius' eyes moved through Remus' face. At first he thought he was angry. But then Sirius smiled.

"I know we haven't been having the best relationship lately, but I really wanted him here" Sirius' eyes glowed. "Thank you, Moony"

It was incredible the joy he felt to see Sirius happy and satisfied. Remus wanted to scream. Remus wanted to laugh. Remus wanted to kiss Sirius and tell him how much he loved him.

But he was scared. It was not possible that Sirius felt the same way he did. He couldn't be completely in love with him like Remus was.

"I have something for you" Remus said instead.

Sirius raised an eyebrow.

Remus took out the package he had been hiding inside his jacket all night. And he handed it to Sirius.

"Happy Birthday, Sirius"

Sirius was surprised.

"I thought you already gave me something this morning" Sirius said, grabbing the package.

"You really think I would only give you a chocolate bar for your birthday?"

"Knowing the chocoholic you are, yes..."

Remus laughed "I didn't want to give you this in front of James and Peter"

Sirius looked at Remus curiously.

"What are you waiting for? Open it up!"

Sirius did as he was told. He unwrapped the package and gasped at its contents.

Sirius firstly stared at a picture frame decorated with moons and stars all around it. It was a picture of three children, dressed up like pirates smiling happily at the camera. The boy in the middle was Sirius, looking handsome with that mischievous smile of his and his intense gray eyes. The boy on the left was Regulus, with a tiny smile and smart eyes, very mature for his age. And the girl on the right, was Remus before his transition.

Even though he didn't like to look at his old pictures that much, Remus liked this one. Because it had been a happy day with the two Black boys. They had had so much fun.

"Oh my God!" Sirius exclaimed and laughed "Look at Reggie's face"

Remus smiled because Sirius seemed so happy.

"I found my mum's old camera over the summer" he said "We look so happy in that picture"

Sirius smiled as well.

"The frame is handmade. Took me a while to draw all those moons and stars. I am not an artist like you" Remus chuckled.

"I love it"

And to prove it, he hugged to his chest, with eyes filled with tears.

"Look at the other thing" Remus added to distract Sirius from crying.

Sirius looked at the CD in his hand. "The Moon and the Stars" was written on the cover. "Songs from Moony to Padfoot".

"It's a silly name but I figured... I mean we are the moon..." he pointed at himself "and the Stars..." he pointed at Sirius. Then he felt embarrassed about it.

"There are just a few songs that remind me of you or make me think about you when I listen to them" Remus explained nervously "I reckon you would like them. They are not romantic cheesy garbage but actually cool..."

Sirius was speechless, staring at his present.

"I know is not much..." Remus added "I don't have a lot of money to buy you something better, but..."

Remus was interrupted by a fierce kiss. Remus was suddenly out of breath again as Sirius pinned him to the wall.

And Remus gave into the kiss as he stroked Sirius' hair and Sirius' neck, pulling him closer. His heart was beating so fast, it was going to get out of his chest any time soon.

Remus loved him so much, it couldn't be healthy. He loved him. He loved him. He loved him.

They only stopped kissing when they were out of breath.

"I'd take that as a thank you"

Sirius laughed "I really loved it, Moony" he said "Thank you so much. You are amazing"

Sirius kissed him again. This time delicately.

It was all worth it. Seeing Sirius like this, seeing him happy on his birthday. It was worth it. Remus wished he could be there for the rest of Sirius' birthdays to make sure he has a nice day. It didn't matter if Remus and Sirius weren't boyfriends. Even only as a friend, Remus would love him and would do anything to make Sirius happy. This feeling was eternal, it would never be over.

[valleyfthdolls]

Y’know what this post is gonna seem silly to my followers and mutuals who do know anything about sonic but I keep seeing people (who will never see this post bc we don’t follow each other) get some basic stuff abt the series wrong when they’re new to the fandom so I’m just gonna set some stuff straight, just put it on the record:

If you google “how old is sonic” it will say like 35. Sonic the series is more than 30 years old. Sonic the character is 15.

The reason Sonic is such a “bad boyfriend” to Amy is that they’re not dating; Amy has a crush on him they both know is unrequited and they both seem to have accepted that, though it doesn’t stop Amy from being especially lovey-dovey over Sonic at times.

Knuckles is an echidna. This is a real animal. Look them up, they’re very cute.

Amy is a hedgehog. She does look like an echidna to the point she’s been theorized to be a hybrid, but canonically, she’s a hedgehog.

Shadow is not 50 nor is he 65. He is intentionally framed as being from 50 years ago, not 50+ years old. It’s akin to Aang- he was in cryostasis for 50 years and didn’t age at all. He’s often believed to be ageless, but appears to have a similar maturity level and bodily age (?) to Sonic, Knuckles and Silver.

There is no relation between Sonic, Shadow, and Silver. They’re just 3 unrelated weird hedgehogs.

No ships in the series are canon. If someone tells you they are they’re lying. Some characters canonically have crushes, but they have mandates against relationships entirely.

Shadow is implied to have PTSD. They sometimes miss the mark when writing him, but this is the core reason for his initial cold and brooding attitude.

Knuckles is black and indigenous coded. Sonic is also generally believed to be black coded as well. (autisticshadowthehedgehog has a good post on this.)

Most if not all of the characters excluding Vector, Rouge, all parents, all visibly middle aged or older characters, and maybe a couple others are children or teens. Being horny about them is generally considered weird.

Re: the IDW comics, Surge the Tenrec isn’t a Sonic clone. Tenrecs are believed to be more closely related to elephants than hedgehogs if that says enough.

They’re also a real animal. Very cute. Spiny mammals are the best

This one’s not something people get wrong but when starting the IDW comics, the metal virus story arc is often considered to be very bleak and difficult to handle, with things just constantly getting worse for the cast no matter what they do before it hits you with “next time: from bad to worse!” three quarters of the way through and you realize these characters still have something to lose and can and will lose it. It’s the closest to horror the series ever has or probably will come, though it is of course a children’s comic so that’s not necessarily saying it’s particularly horrifying, and it genuinely did get tough to read at times. A lot of fans consider it to be quite distressing or disturbing, so I’d skip it if you don’t know if you can handle that.

Anyway that’s all I can think of rn so if anyone else has anything they think should be cleared up for new fans please feel free to add on

[thedevilsmemes]

ASTARION ANCUNIN QUOTES ~ BALDUR'S GATE 3 SENTENCE MEME!

"Hello, darling. Don't be shy, I promise I not to bite until we've been formally introduced."

"The tadpole's influence broke his dominance over me, and now I can finally pursue the one thing I've hungered for these long dark years."

"I'll be the last thing the bastard ever sees."

"Given that my choices were 'eternal life' or 'bleed to death on the street', I took him up on the offer."

"It was only afterwards I realized just how long 'eternity' could be."

"By the Hells. Sex, my dear. A night of passion."

"I'm out of wine and flowers, so I hope an introduction will suffice."

"And I wish I was drinking out of the skull of everyone who's ever wronged me. Life is tough."

"I've been waiting. Waiting since the moment I laid eyes on you. Waiting... to have you."

"Yes darling, that's what we call a lie."

"All I want is a little fun, is that so much to ask?"

"Why hello. Welcome to my humble party."

"Oh, we're lying to each other now? Excellent."

"But... you're no stranger now. Just strange."

"I hate it. This is awful."

"Wait! Don't interrupt them. Let me do it. They sound disgusting."

"I don't know, I'm sure a vampire spawn could still rip out your heart."

"My, My. Who knew our friend had so much blood in them?"

"Oh, you're such a sweetheart."

"I'm just glad you're being sensible about these revelations. I was worried people might turn up with torches and pitchforks."

"Although, there's still time."

"I already apologised. What more do you want? Unless you're looking for another nibble?"

"Yes, darling? Do you need something?"

"What in the sweet hells were you THINKING activating that lance, I was right there!"

"Next time? No no no, if there is a 'next time' I'll be the one aiming the all-powerful weapon."

"Although, I do appreciate you trying to fix your mistake, just don't do it again!"

"It's just that I happen to be a... what's the best way to put this? A vampire?"

"Oh my honour, the only thing on my mind, is depraved carnal lust."

"You couldn't wait ten seconds before being an absolute freak."

"Oh, good, puns. Because clowns aren't enough of a horror already."

"What? Was it something I said?"

"Really? - Anything in particular?"

"Now, I can't help but notice that one of us is positively drenched in blood. So..."

"At least the smut peddlers of Sharass' Caress will have a field day writing erotic verse about us when we're both dead."

"Hundreds? Urgh, it'll take hours to kill them all. She/He's right, we should just go."

"Oh? Then what do you want?"

"Five seconds into this relationship and I already want to break up with you."

"Oh the one hand, killing Gortash will be fun. On the other, Halsin can be very annoying."

"The man can't stay quiet about 'enjoying the freedom of nature's gifts'. I bet he'd outlaw clothing if he could."

"Good Morning. Thank you for not killing me the other night."

"Of course, what fun! I'm going to fucking kill you."

"I am. And beautiful - not enough people mention that."

"Hmm. Hmm. Thank you for helping me. It was very kind."

"I can't even tell if any of you are acting strange because you've been replaced or because this group is full of weirdos!"

"So... I was wondering if maybe - perhaps - you might be able to..."

"Can you read what's on my damn back? Please?"

"Well, hello... Looking for a cuddle?"

"What are you? No. We are not jumping down there!"

"Oh - eh - Hello again?"

"Easy now. Let's not do anything Hilarious."

"You have a manner of irresistible desperation about you. I like it."

"I'd trust a devil over a vampire any day. I think he likes us."

"Oh, bravo! Encore!"

"Why she sounds positively demented."

"I love it! let's tell her everything!"

"Don't be touchy. I'm sure he meant 'better off dead' as a compliment."

"I'd shake her hand, but she can still snap me in two, so... probably safest to skip it."

"Anyway, it's a brand new day. I'm sure we'll find lots of people for you to kill."

"I must see this. Don't you dare say no."

"Well, this seems like a lovely little spot. The sense of impending doom aside."

"I suppose it was only a matter of time until [ insert name ] took vengeance."

"For the Lady/Lord of loss, She/He does not like losing."

"Come to kill me again, darling?"

"Guilty as charged. Sometimes literally."

"What? No! Don't you dare! This isn't funny!"

"Huh, thank goodness, I was almost worried."

"Nice as it is, she still doesn't have the best hair in the camp."

"Well, I mean... kind of? It's a long story, honestly."

"You'll get back to me? This is important, devil! When?"

"It's not enough we have a gallery of villains to look out for, but now we could be infiltrated by a shapechanger?"

"But you're serious about this? About... us?"

"Tailor's mannequins? I never figured [ insert name ] for a follower of fashion."

"Well done again on besting Baal and all that. It was very twee."

"You filthy devil. I'm shocked."

"Haha! That's - Oh, you're serious."

"Well, of course we can leave him, it's the easiest thing in the world. We just have to keep on walking."

"Well, at least you purr for me..."

"The thing that will decide my fate forevermore? Yes, it has been on my mind, why?"

"Who knows how long before the others go feral without us there to guide them?"

"Let. Me. Go! - Ah... Hello!"

"No, as much as I'd like to become a Lord, ruling over the Underdark's vampire spawn, we have unfinished business with the mind flayers."

"I'm glad you had your fun then. I am here to provide an endless array of delights."

[sylvia-forest]

[CN] Shaw's 6th Anniversary event - Finale (Part 1)

⚡ Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for an Event which hasn't been released in EN yet!⚡

[Day 5]

MC: Do you remember the event "To Myself 365 Days Later" that we participated in last year?

Shaw: I haven't forgotten. Judging by your excitement, did you receive the letter you wrote to yourself last year? MC: Exactly! Did you receive yours? Shaw: Let me check... Oh, indeed, I did. MC: Quickly, let me see what questions you asked last year. Shaw: Hold on, do you want to see mine? How about exchanging yours? MC: ...Alright, let's look at mine first and then yours!

Under the bright lights, Shaw's eyes sparkled with curiosity, as if waiting for my answer.

Looking at the familiar yet distant questions in the email, my heart was stirred.

The first question I asked myself was: Are you living happily? My answer was...

After answering, I looked at the unusually quiet Shaw.

MC: Why aren't you saying anything? Not even a sarcastic comment...?

Shaw: Because you look so serious, much more refreshing than when you're usually making a fuss. Shaw: I don't want to spoil the atmosphere. MC: After all, it's a ceremonial thing, of course, we should treat it well. MC: Now it's your turn.

Shaw smiled, slowly took out his phone.

He didn't rush to open the email; instead, his gaze fixed on me.

Shaw: It's up to you to look, but let's get one thing straight—I won't answer every question. MC: Are you afraid your questions are "difficult to answer"? Shaw: What are you thinking? How could I dig a pit for myself?

He stubbornly squinted his eyes, raised his hand, and opened the email.

—

Life is not like archaeology—no clear origins, no clear classifications. Many questions need to be answered by oneself. But I've always enjoyed taking on challenges.

So today, I wrote down these questions. As for how to comprehend them, it's up to you a year from now.

As for me, I like to add difficulty for my future self. Now, tell me, which moment of hers was the silliest this year?

Do you know how to skillfully handle her when she pretends to be angry?

When she buries herself in work and ignores you, how can you attract her attention reasonably?

You probably have the answers already, right?

—

A ripple of emotions surged within me, and I happily leaned in front of Shaw.

MC: Why are all your questions related to me? Shaw: What do you think? In that situation last year, I couldn't think of anything else.

I paused for a moment, realizing what he meant by "that situation," and then chuckled.

MC: Some people looked composed at the time, but unexpectedly, they had their own troubles~

[T/N]: By ‘that situation’ means, Shaw and MC were having a “cold war” last year, although Shaw looked calm and composed on the outside but inside he was wrecking his mind as how to end this "cold war"! You can read the event from here.

He slightly averted his gaze, speaking somewhat unnaturally.

Shaw: Anyway, those are all in the past. MC: True, let's focus on the present~ So, these questions related to me should be easy to answer, right?

Seeing that I set a trap, Shaw grinned and seemed ready to counterattack.

Shaw: Still not difficult? The first one is a tough one. Shaw: You've had too many silly moments; I can't rank them. MC: ...Then you can skip it! Answer the second one first! Shaw: No, I like taking on challenges. Shaw: The silliest moment... Should I say singing in the shower? Shaw: Or perhaps every time you work overtime with that "life has no meaning" look? Shaw: Let's use the process of elimination. First, list the rare moments when you're clever. Shaw: This way, what's left will be the silliest... MC: Shaw!

I raised my fist, but he grabbed it and then turned me around, holding me in his arms.

Shaw: I already answered the second question. Shaw: In terms of counterattacking, I've become more proficient.

The breath tickling my neck made me laugh uncontrollably.

MC: Alright, alright, I won't argue with you! Answer the third one quickly!

Shaw: The third question is framed incorrectly.

I paused, turning to look at him.

Shaw: As long as it's something I want to do at the moment, I won't consider what's reasonable. Shaw: Whether it's kidnapping you or tempting you with something fun. Shaw: I won't let any opportunity slip by.

In the dim light, his confident expression gleamed. I chuckled and nestled into his embrace.

MC: But I won't cooperate with you every time.

Shaw: Doesn't matter. There's always a way to make you cooperate. Shaw: I'm always confident about that.

—

MC: Since it's a little flower hat you gave me, I've decided to let you help me put it on~ Shaw: ...Troublesome. MC: Hmph, then I'll put it on myself. ￣⁠ヘ⁠￣ Shaw: Did I say I wouldn't help? Shaw: There, it's on. (一_,一) You look even sillier now. Shaw: Indeed, this silly and cute style doesn't really suit you.

MC: Is that so? Then why does someone keep staring at me? MC: Could it be they find me cute but are too shy to say it out loud? Shaw: Tch, what's there to be shy about? MC: Oh? Is that so? My ears are perking up—Shaw! MC: (///¯皿¯) Why are you using the hat to press down my ears! MC: Shaw, aren't we supposed to be heading back? Where else are we going on the way? Shaw: You'll find out when you get there. Shaw: It's definitely beyond your expectations.

—

MC: Undersea tunnel...?! MC: Wait, isn't this supposed to be a detour on the way back? MC: How did we end up crossing several cities to get here? Shaw: It's a secret. Shaw: You'll find out when the time comes.

—

The moment I stepped into the passage, it was as if I had entered another world of wonder.

The arched passage, made of a giant transparent glass, extends forward under a "blue sky," and waves of fish swim by.

Curious, I look around, and Shaw raises his jaw at me.

Shaw: Just looking at it is boring. How about... we also swim under the sea? MC: You mean scuba diving! Shaw: Let's broaden our horizons a bit. Who said we can only scuba dive under the sea? Let's go for a mix-and-match style.

Shaw opened a hidden door behind him and took out two skate boards with a familiar pattern, making my eyes widen.

MC: Aren't these our backup boards? When did you put them in? Shaw: About a month or two ago. MC: ...?

Seeing my lack of reaction, Shaw puts his hand into his pocket.

Shaw: I overestimated you. I thought you'd figure out why I brought you here as soon as you arrived. Turns out you're not only dumb but also have a terrible memory.

MC: What do you mean?

Shaw: There was once an island lord who claimed he'd build the world's best undersea tunnel. But now it seems that guy was just all talk and no action.

This is a reference from the 'Four season event' (I didn't play this event so I don't know much about it (┬┬﹏┬┬)

MC: ......!

Memories of the summer island flood back, and I sweep my gaze around in disbelief, almost breaking into a high-pitched tone.

MC: No way? Shaw... you actually built an undersea tunnel for me?

Shaw: ......

He wordlessly flicks my forehead with his fingers.

Shaw: I'm not a God. Where would I build an undersea tunnel for you? MC: But you... Shaw: Thanks to Professor Shen being invited as a consultant for relics here, I took the opportunity to offer my help. Shaw: The condition was for him to clear this place for me for a day.

I pause, and emotions surge within me, mirroring the silent waves — I never expected that a casual remark would be remembered for so long.

MC: Even if you didn't build it, you still brought me here, so it's just as valuable in my heart. MC: But you're really good at keeping secrets. You hid it from me for a month or two, and only now...

I suddenly stop and realize the subtle aspect of this.

MC: Hold on, so you originally planned to bring me here? What about the RV trip...

Shaw: What's the big deal? This little accident won't affect my plans. Shaw: It's just making this day a bit more interesting before moving on. Nothing wrong with that.

Seeing him confidently raise his jaw, I teasingly blink my eyes.

MC: Really? It's not that smooth, after all. Your arrangement was unintentionally disrupted.

Shaw: If it's disrupted, it's disrupted. There are countless backup plans.

He takes a step forward, staring at me meaningfully.

Shaw: Hey, you said... no matter what choice I make, it can make this day interesting. I naturally can't be left out.

Those eyes, so close, glitter brightly, and my heart seems to miss a beat.

MC: It seems I did a good job setting an example~

He smiled, lightly kicked with the tip of his foot, and my skateboard was already in front of me.

Shaw: Alright, this is the only chance to skateboard in an unmanned underwater tunnel.

As he spoke, he stepped onto the skateboard, leaned forward, and drew a beautiful arc in the deep underwater world.

I also smiled and stepped onto the skateboard, catching up with him.

We freely roamed in the deserted underwater world, with strange and colorful shadows in the corner of our eyes.

Only the figure in my eyes was particularly clear.

His flamboyant clothing seemed to turn into a fish tail, leading me to swim against the world, galloping towards the distant and unreachable light.

I accelerated to keep pace with him, holding onto his hand.

MC: Shaw, today is the happiest day for me. Shaw: Don't speak too soon; the day is far from over.

After some play, Shaw took me to the end of the room.

A touch of anticipation welled up in my heart as I reached out and gently pushed open the door—

Under the azure light, this cozy glass room was covered with dream-like continuous warm light, like the only end in the deep sea.

Everything here was obviously carefully arranged. I couldn't help but imagine how the person in front of me, who was not good at such things, handled it. He must have been a bit impatient, criticizing his own choice of decorations while arranging them with an air of righteousness.

Maybe when someone passed by the door, he would immediately stop. His actions would freeze, putting his hands in his pockets, pretending nothing had happened.

These hurried yet chic figures vividly appeared in my mind, gradually merging with the person in front of me.

Thinking step by step, I walked to him, tiptoeing playfully.

MC: I didn't expect someone to have such a sense of ceremony. Setting up must not be easy, right?

Shaw: Don't underestimate me; as long as it's something I want to do, there's nothing I can't do. MC: Hmm, I certainly know that. It's just that your delicate side is not often seen.

I paused, teasingly took a step forward.

MC: It seems like I'm seeing different sides of Shaw more often now~

He bent down, a warm breath rushing towards my nose.

Shaw: Is that so? Are you sure you've seen everything clearly?

He was too close; when I instinctively tried to step back, he directly embraced my waist, blocking the "retreat."

The next moment, with a crisp snap of his fingers, a cluster of electric light burst at his fingertips, and the overhead lights instantly went out.

In the dim darkness, a nearly ethereal voice echoed in my ears.

Wooo—

Like a curtain, a shadow slowly closed from above, almost swallowing all the faint light in sight.

I stared blankly, a huge whale swimming past the skylight.

Its dorsal fin towered high, like a lonely island lost in the deep sea, wandering in the boundless ocean.

Such an unrealistic scene made me feel like I was in a woven dream.

MC: ...!

The next second, another burst of brilliant light and shadow suddenly bloomed on the wall, like fireworks filling the underwater world.

How could there be fireworks here?

I hurriedly turned around to the other floor-to-ceiling window, only to find that the incredibly dazzling "fireworks" were continuously blooming underwater.

It was not as grand and overwhelming as the previous two years. It didn't even have sound, but the brilliant colors stole all my attention.

I stared in amazement, still unable to react to how such fireworks could bloom underwater.

But for some reason, my smile became even brighter.

Shaw: Why are you smiling so foolishly?

I came to my senses, slowly blinked my eyes.

MC: I thought I had already guessed what "thing" you were hiding, but now it seems like I need to correct it. Shaw: Well, let me hear it.

My gaze swept around and finally settled back on him.

MC: At first, I thought the thing you were hiding was—"being carefree." MC: After all these days, although you rarely made plans and arrangements, every single thing took me by surprise. MC: I thought you would give me excitement, but you gave me a gentle rain in Watertown; MC: I thought you were going to take me on challenges and adventures, but you gave me the courage and determination I needed the most; MC: Even when I thought it was my turn to surprise you, you made me realize... MC: A surprise can also be created by two people at the same time.

Shaw listened quietly, with even the fireworks merging into his bright gaze.

MC: But until just now, until one unexpected moment after another, I realized... MC: The thing you hid might be simply "liking." MC: Everything happens only under the premise of liking. MC: Only then does it come in front of me.

I paused, gently hooking his finger.

MC: Shaw, am I right?

It seemed like my smile also caught his, a rare thread of joy pouring out from his eyes.

Shaw: Almost, but you didn't mention the most important part. MC: The most important? Shaw: Just like you said, this is only the "premise," and what comes after is the main topic.

In the dim light, the color hidden in his eyes became even brighter.

Shaw: What I truly hid is an "invitation." Shaw: I know very well what kind of person I am. Shaw: I never care about what is the best; I only like what interests me.

He paused, his gaze freely sketching on my face.

Shaw: So once I encounter it, I won't let go. Shaw: And I invite her to stay with me and keep it interesting all the way.

I smiled, holding his fingers a little tighter.

MC: It sounds like an invitation that cannot be refused, but...

I smiled, holding his fingers a little tighter.

MC: No matter where you go, I will be with you. MC: If you want to play in the mortal world, I'll "arm myself" and venture with you. MC: If you want rare tranquility, I'll hold your hand tightly and watch the sunrise and sunset together.

I took a deep breath and looked at him seriously.

MC: So, no matter what the future holds, I'm willing to burn my life and unleash it to the fullest with you.

He raised a carefree smile and gently pulled me closer to him.

Shaw: I remember your words. Shaw: What about my final touch?

I was taken aback.

MC: You've been secretly taking so many photos of me, and I didn't have time to prepare any finishing touch here.

Shaw: Well, in that case, I'll do it myself.

In the silent depths of the sea, a hot kiss gently pried open my lips.

Everything was so quiet, quiet enough that I could only hear the breath near my ears and the pounding of my excited heartbeat.

I slowly closed my eyes, falling into the endless sea with him.

Another year.

And there will be countless more.

—

🚐 Finale (Part 2)

[justice4billiam]

My Best Friend

Billy Hargrove x Female Reader

I've learned a couple of things in my short life, and one of them is that falling for your best friend is the stupidest thing ever. The other is that being too much of a wuss to say anything about it will make things even more awkward.

I never planned on having feelings for him. They just crept up on me one day when we were having a blast on the beach. Suddenly, out of nowhere, my brain decided it was the perfect time to spill the beans. What the fuck, brain?

"Hey, y/n, you okay?" he asked, looking at me with his beautiful blue eyes full of concern. "Hellooo, y/n? Anyone home?" He put his hands on my shoulders.

His touch jolted me back to reality. "Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry about that, B. I was just lost in thought for a sec." I stared at our toes, hoping he wouldn't notice my flushed face.

I mustered up the guts to meet his gaze again. His eyes, so wise and all-seeing, scrutinized every inch of my face, searching for the truth.

"Don't lie to me, y/n. What's going on?" His voice was soft, but his expression was serious.

My body felt on fire, and I wanted nothing more than to run away and spare myself the embarrassment of laying my heart on the line. But I stood my ground, unable to move.

"Leave it alone, Billy! I'm fine! I just spaced out, okay? Can we drop it now, please?" I snapped, my voice tinged with desperation.

I stepped back until he released my shoulders, then stooped down to pick up my towel from the sandy ground.

Billy watched me for a moment longer, then sighed in defeat. "Fine, I'll let it go. Let's enjoy the sunset." His eyes regained their usual playful sparkle, and we continued our day at the beach, soaking up the last rays of sunlight.

He grinned mischievously and snatched my towel before tossing it aside with his own. I rolled my eyes at his playful antics and allowed him to take my hand and guide me back toward the water. We waded in until the waves lapped at our knees, and I felt a jolt of electricity shoot through me as his hand intertwined with mine.

Standing there next to him, watching the sunset over the ocean, I couldn't hold back the feelings brewing inside me since my sudden realization. My gaze drifted to Billy, and I was struck by how stunning he looked in the orange glow of the sunset. It was an unexpected beauty hidden beneath his tough exterior. To most people, he was a whirlwind of chaos, all sharp and rough edges. He was a handsome man, and he knew it, too, with an ego the size of Mars.

To me, Billy Hargrove was a beautiful yet hurting man concealed behind a mask he put up to face the harsh realities of life. Despite his struggles, I couldn't help but see the pretty etched into his sharp features. His eyes burned with a bright blue hue that softened whenever he spoke passionately about his love for surfing or basketball. The crinkled lines around his eyes when he laughed wholeheartedly were the prettiest thing to me.

As Billy bent down into the water, I felt a pang of sadness as he let go of my hand. He dug around in the sand under the water until he found what he was looking for and then popped back up with a triumphant grin, holding his discovery with both hands.

I raised an eyebrow, amused by his excitement. "What did you find?"

He stepped closer and revealed a beautiful seashell, holding it out to me like a precious gift. "A gift for my favorite girl," he said, his eyes sparkling affectionately.

I couldn't help but smile at his words and how he looked at me. Billy and I had been coming to the beach together since we were 12, and he always found perfect seashells for me. Even after six years, his gestures still made my cheeks burn red, and my heart skipped a beat.

"Thank you, Billy, it's perfect," I said with a smile, taking the seashell from his palm and walking over to my bag to tuck it away. His words warmed me, but at the same time, they stung. "His favorite girl." Oh, how I wished that were true. How I wished I were his girl.

I couldn't help stealing a glance at him as he stood there, looking at me with a mix of tenderness and something else I couldn't quite place. We had been friends for years, but lately, things felt different between us. There was a tension, an unspoken desire that simmered just beneath the surface.

I turned away, feeling a flush rise to my cheeks. As much as I wanted to be his girl, I was afraid to risk our friendship, fearful of what might happen if things didn't work out. So, I kept my feelings to myself and tried to be content with being just his friend. But each time he called me his favorite girl, it reminded me of what I wanted but couldn't have.

[signalwatch]

The Marvels (2023)

Watched:  11/09/2023

Format:  Alamo Drafthouse

Viewing:  First

Director:  Nia DaCosta

Marvel has been having some issues, of late, with quality and maintaining a fanbase.  I'm not sure why having a fanbase for sci-fi/ fantasy stuff means eventually that the absolute worst people on Earth feel like their opinions should dictate what the rest of the planet sees and what constitutes a "good" Marvel, Star Wars or whatever movie.  But I suppose it's the same reason that people think they get to tell other people they're the only *real* Americans.

I don't want to define the film Captain Marvel or TV show Ms. Marvel by the audience that manages to mix misogyny and racism into rocket fuel for social media, but I will say - in the event of this year's strike by SAG-AFTRA, it's been tough to get much in the way of promotion out there for The Marvels other than dropping trailers, and that's left a gap in the conversation those folks have filled.  It's more likely we'll see the occasional hit-piece by a major industry publication looking for clicks than Disney doing anything worthwhile to actually promote the film on their own.  We coulda really used the lead cast hitting Hot Ones and Good Morning America.

Look, I agree:  Marvel has put out too much content since Endgame, and that's had a deleterious effect on the overall quality of the material.  Even I have been asking "will this be necessary?" as I hear about each new Marvel thing still in the pipeline.  And sometimes you're watching, say, Loki Season 2, and you're thinking "I literally do not care what happens here" because something like "oh noes, the timelines will all collapse" is both meaningless, up it's own ass of the story being about itself, and insanely old hat to us aging comic nerds who've seen timelines and multiverses collapse and expand over and over for our *entire lives*.  And, yes, Superman will still get printed every month.

Movie superheroes still have to have an antagonist, and they still have to wind up in a big crescendo of a finale, but we've seen this dozens of times in the past fifteen years.  You can polish it, put a new coat of paint on it, but eventually it's someone in a slugfest with their evil opposite who has the advantage on paper (but not the heart of a hero).

So what you have left is what you can do with characters.

And that brings us to The Marvels (2023), Marvel Studios' latest offering.  

The movie has mediocre reviews and is tracking to open badly.  I haven't read the reviews, because (a) I already had tickets and was going, and (b) I kinda wanted to write this before I saw what Chris Spectacles of the Akron Observer thought of the film.*  And I didn't want this review to be me addressing the concerns of reviewers.  

I saw it in a 2/3rds full theater on opening night, and with not a child in sight.  I will say the following up top:  

First - there's no post-post-credits sequence to wait for.  Go home after the first couple of them.  This is not a trick.

Second - Before watching this, yes, you will have to have seen Captain Marvel.  You should see Ms. Marvel.  You will want to just skip Secret Invasion, which this movie pretends didn't happen, and that's fine, because that show was quite bad and more confused the MCU than helped it along.

SPOILERS

The Marvels (2023) is not going to change the world.  This is also not going to "save" Marvel Studios, if, indeed, Marvel Studios needs saving, or the *idea* of saving the studio that means anything at all.  

What I'll argue the movie does is provide a fun time at the movies with characters that are a good hang for the movie's speedy, non-stop runtime.  If Guardians of the Galaxy taught Marvel that what you need is a mix of action, comedy, space and family issues, this movie is absolutely a product of that line of thinking.  The Marvels isn't trying to copy Guardians (despite the fact the villain is a version of Ronan who is a mean lady instead of a mean man), but clearly those items were on a whiteboard somewhere while this movie was getting sorted out.  

The movie knows that the villain's plot is going to fail, and knows we, the audience, are just following the beats on that score.  And so it does the unthinkable of late for Marvel:  it uses the plot as an excuse to tell a three-sided story with three solid characters thrust together an inextricably linked, thereby creating a movie that's character driven.  The problems it addresses are personal in nature as much, or more!, than the need to stop Kree Hammer Lady.**

We catch up with the MCU as Kamala Kahn has settled a bit into her role as teen-hero, Ms. Marvel.  She's still very much a kid living with her family (Marvel understands when they've struck character gold).  Meanwhile Carol is in deep space, living with Goose and part of a network of folks helping keep peace across the galaxy, one supposes.  And, working aboard SABRE's orbital base, Monica Rambeau (I think last seen in WandaVision) is putting her powers to some use and being a scientist/ astronaut type.

But it seems since we checked in during the 1990's, the Kree had a civil war that somehow:  (a) messed up their sun? (b) evaporated their oceans and (c) ruined their atmosphere, creating a permanent state of planet-wide nightfall.  Not-Ronan has taken up the mantle and is trying to restore Hala, the Kree homeworld in a very Kree way - by murdering people.  She's obtained the second Quantum Band (Kamala having the first one we'd seen - there are two) and she's using it to open worm holes to...  

Look, the plot is the villainous plot from Spaceballs, and our villain is MegaMaid.  There's really no way around it.  It's not what *I* would have done as a writer, but Spaceballs was also 40 years ago, so... we may have to let this one go.  What's important is that MegaMaid is targeting planets in which Carol Danvers has an emotional investment and stealing their water, air and sun, and that's personal and mean.  But why?  Well, thereby hangs a tale.

But, like I say, it kind of doesn't matter.  She could be unleashing cooties on those planets.  She exists so our heroes get together and figure out their personal stuff.  And that's what the movie is about.

Monica has to figure out what it means that Carol didn't come back for Monica when Maria fell ill, both the why's and the impact.  Kamala has a parasocial relationship with Carol that Carol feels she has to live up to, even as it inspires Kamala and Carol doesn't feel at all like that hero.  But Kamala's hero-worship is kind of the unspoken opposite of how Monica has reacted to learning she has powers of her own.  And Kamala and Monica are complete strangers, navigating knowing each other while also seeing each other's relationship with Carol.  It's complicated stuff!  You could have made a similar indie movie about a movie star, her old friend and a fan, and gotten much of the same effect.  

But this one is in space, action-packed (I mean VERY action packed) and manages to balance the sincere moments with the incredibly silly moments with the pathos of inadvertently causing the self-immolation of Space Nazis.  And, in my opinion, it all worked.  

I liked the singing planet (but they did need to hold to the concept through the battle), I liked the kitten Flerkens and the absolute chaos of the evacuation scene.  I liked Kamala's family dealing with the nonsense of superhero/ SABRE life.  I liked the kooky three-way fights and the "we gotta synch up" montage.  The fight sequences are very well choreographed and work well despite what absolutely should have been a lot of confusion for the audience - ironically, only the audience is in a position to get what's happening. And I very much liked that our heroes *tried* to reason with the mad despot once it was clear they had the upper-hand and offer a way out of this.

In general, I was already in the bag for Brie Larson's take on Carol, and it's interesting to see a version 30 years older and with a lot of new, self-inflicted baggage.  Iman Vellani's Kamala Kahn is an absolute delight and can't wait to see her again.  And Teyonah Parris is very pretty great as my first Captain Marvel, and with decades of baggage to sort through with Carol, the blip, super-powers and how to be a superhero, which, frankly, she doesn't want to be.

Complaints:

So - did the singing planet die?  I have no idea what happened there.  It would be nice to know.  It seemed like everyone was going to die, and no one seems to care.

They basically borrowed the ending of All Star Superman, but didn't do it as well or with much emotional resonance, which is a real bummer.  Now DC can't use it, and this didn't land as well as it could have for Carol.  Felt like it needed a few more beats.

We gotta find more interesting ways to dress aliens.  Bright robes are very 1990's ST:TNG and it keeps happening at Marvel

Space is boring in this movie.  Marvel space was defined by James Gunn, and it is beautiful. Show that candy colored majesty, not ST:TNG white stars (the new Trek knows this).  There's definitely some more creative design they could have done, but maybe less is more if Quantumania was any indicator

Carol sure is good at astro-navigation and everything is apparently cosmically nextdoor in the MCU

I don't understand how the heroes became disentangled

Kamala uses her powers without her bangle, and I didn't know that was a thing

Spoilery Spoilers

It was fun seeing Valkyrie again, and good use of the character in her current role.  Also, sure felt like she and Carol knew each other pretty intimately...  Close to making that happen as Marvel will get, I guess

I don't know who Park Seo-joon is, but he was swoony.  I guess he's a big star?  Probably make the kids very happy

The first post credits scene was met with audible joy from the audience, so here's hoping that works.

The second post credits scene received an involuntary verbal response from me and a few others in the theater.  I like where they're going with this.  X-Men will not work in the MCU, but as close-universe neighbors, seems like a fine idea.  Also, thank goodness that isn't the last we'll see of Lashana Lynch

I was led to believe Richard Ryder/ Nova would appear, he does not.  

(late edit: this movie has the single greatest needle drop in Marvel history)

I don't think this one landed for me exactly as hard as the origins of either Ms. or Captain Marvel, but if the requirement was "I would like to spend time with these people, and see them together in a fun way" this managed that.  It feels unnecessary only in that it only barely strives to move a universe of stories forward and is, instead, self-contained and about these three people and their family/ friends.  It is very necessary as a "we should have solo stories that advance the characters but not carry the universe forward in obvious and awkward ways" sort of way.

Would I watch four more of these?  Yes.  

And thank god they got Nick Fury into a place where it's not a drag to have him around.

Look, I don't know what you people want out of Marvel, but I want something fun I can rewatch without feeling like I'm doing homework.  I like a good adventure and fight scenes and jokes and characters to enjoy.  I suppose I'll check out some reviews, and I think from my laundry list of nits to pick, it's clear I'm not giving this a 5/5, but when all you hear is "underperforming" and "mediocre reviews" in a world with ten movies about Vin Diesel driving cars fast and the general shit people get enthusiastic for, I won't even pretend to know what people consider a win.

*I swear to god, if I see one more person thinking they've got the edgy take on Marvel by saying "I don't consider Marvel movies to be *cinema*...   Dude, we get it.  You're very special and very smart and you can get your "I'm a very smart person on the internet" cookie on your way out the @#$%ing door

**no one is beholden to remember made-up alien names for longer than the name pass by in the credits

[strongsassysexysloane]

7 + 11 for Jack/Reader??

I needed soft. The context was bugging me for a while, couldn't fit those two into anything but then this came along...

I do miss writing for Jack...

Prompt: How do you always make me love you even more when I don’t want to? - and - I can never say no to you.

1.7k

Warnings/themes - potential goodbye, hurt, feelings, comfort...

. . . . / / . . . .

The day had been a long ass one. You really didn’t want to go have your weekly wind down with Sloane but if you didn’t go it would be so much worse. Even though if you were honest with yourself, you looked forward to it. Mostly because it was the only one on one time you got with your friend lately. It was almost like you were both avoiding each other unconsciously. She had been keeping her distance and you had a feeling you knew why but neither of you wanted to acknowledge it.

A lot of things had happened over the last year and a bit. Everyone looking inward because looking outward was met with chaos and tragedy. Jack Sloane was a very inward person to begin with so you knew having the extra time to really check yourself was good for her but ultimately meant you may lose her. So, you had been keeping your distance.

You decided to grab an extra coffee before heading up to her office. Getting her favourite brew always put her in a sweeter mood.

The door was ajar, you could see her concentrating on her laptop, her glasses pushed back on her head, the site was ingrained in your mind. She was so beautiful like that, her left knee pulled up to her chest as she nibbled on her thumb. God, she was beautiful.

With your hands full you couldn’t knock to alert her of your presence, “Knock knock.”

Her bright smile lit up her face as she dropped her thumb from her soft lips and slipped her leg down. “Hey, thought you were skipping out on me. I was about to send out a search party.” You saw the humour cloud her true feelings; she was nervous.

So that was why she was nibbling her thumb, you knew it was a nervous tick. It wasn’t anything to do with what was on her screen, or maybe it was. You walked into her office, behind her desk, placing her cup of coffee beside her hand on the mouse. She quickly clicked out of the tab, but you saw it. Costa Rica… You swallowed the pain, the image of a real estate site in another country.

“Here’s your coffee… What was that I saw? You going on a holiday?” You saw the wince at the mention of a holiday. The words sounded so casual falling from your lips but the ache in your body was anything but.

She took the coffee, stepping up from her chair and nodded towards the chairs. “Can we?”

You nodded, not able to say anything more without emotions pouring out. She followed you around her desk to sit in opposite chairs. There was silence, it was consuming you.

Ripping the Band-Aid off in a second, she spoke. “I’m leaving. I decided it’s time for a change.”

You sucked in a quick breath, expecting the news but still praying to something that she’d change her mind. Others didn’t know her as well as you, she’d become a friend, a dear one, very quickly. You both just clicked, a fondness between you for some time. Light teases, touches and hugs that drew you to one another when the days were tough.

When you didn’t say anything, just looked at her like she was the only person in the world she continued, filling in the silence. Something that was never a problem between you before but now she felt like she needed to, her nerves sky rocketing. “It’s not an off-hand decision, I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Not sure what the feeling in my gut was, I feel like I’ve been swimming in a whirlpool for a while. Not going down and not getting out, just around and around waiting for something to click. This place, has become my home, I’ve grown too comfortable, too comfortable in the never ending sadness that passes through these doors. A continuous stream of pain, in between we have specks of happiness, the people we work with…” The feeling building between you that she was referring to you being the happiness in her life – “but I need… I need something more, something different, I’m unsure what that is but… Please god say something…” She sighed, slumping back in her chair, realising she had become hunched over in her rambling to try and get you to say something but you just stared at her then out the window to your right.

You bit the corner of your bottom lip, her words floating in the air around you. Every single one you could see and hear. Her voice was wavering, something you weren’t used to but you chuckled, turning back to see a surprised Jack Sloane. You looked at her, really looked and saw the extra lines curving her face, they hadn’t been there six months ago, at least not that detailed, the soft bags under her eyes. She was tired, how had you not seen that before? Her thumb came back up to her lips, you felt sorry for her nail, it was torn and red, she’d been chewing on it for a while. God, you loved her but how could you ever tell her this when her life seemed to be taking her somewhere far away from you right now. The thought pricked something within you, you loved her, you couldn’t let her stay because of that, because of you.

Then the words slipped out from your lips as she ran her hand through her soft waves, pushing her glasses off her head in the process. “How do you always make me love you even more when I don’t want to?”

Her eyes ignited, staring at you, at your lips, then back to your eyes in a second. “What- You – What did you just say?” She stood up, hands on her hips like she was about to give you a lecture for running into a burning building without a care for your safety for the umpteenth time.

Seeing the shock flare across her face, the realisation hitting her and a smile fighting to spread across her face. “I – Jack…” Now the words caught in your throat, you stood up when she stepped closer, towering over you. God, she was beautiful. She attempted to take a step back, out of your personal space, a hand wrapping around her middle but you took those fingers in yours and brought her closer. Your thumb soothed over hers, “I love you, Jack Sloane. I can’t ask you to stay but god do I want to… it’s not fair and I want you to be happy but-“

Her spare hand came up to cup your cheek, wiping a tear that you hadn’t noticed fall. “I can never say no to you.” The words meant to be light, in the deep moment but it just cemented everything so much more.

You brought your lips closer, brushing your nose against hers. “Jack, please. If you need to go, go, travel, find something that makes you happy. I don’t want you to wake up in a months’ time, a years’ time –“ God if she stayed with you for that long. “- to realise you really aren’t happy here, it will hurt so much worse than how I’m feeling right now. All I ever wanted for you was to be happy. You’ve been my happy for so long now, I didn’t want to accept it. Someone shouldn’t be someone else’s happy but you are… I’m sorry.” You rested your forehead against hers, closing your eyes to hold back the tears. You bared everything that was sitting just below the surface, everything you never admitted to yourself.

She waited for a moment, closing her eyes with you. Accepting all the words, emotions that you poured out to her. There was so much hurt in your voice. The words breaking her heart but also putting it back together. In that moment it clicked, she didn’t want to travel, to find a place in another country. It wasn’t what was missing for her, the whirlpool in her mind stilled, the water rippling, and she was floating with the waves. She opened her eyes to find yours still closed; the tears dried on your cheeks. God, she loved you too.

“Can I kiss you?” She smirked at your shock, your eyes opening in a flash, burning behind them, desire igniting when you looked at her. All the feelings she was letting you see.

“I can never say no to you.” A cheeky grin spreading across your lips as she laughed. A laugh you hadn’t heard in weeks. Something you craved daily.

She hummed, closing the miniscule gap between you. Her lips so soft as they connected with yours. She felt you hold in a moan as she sucked your bottom lip between hers which only sparked a growing need in her lower stomach. She nipped your lip before slipping her tongue between your lips as you moaned.

Your hands gripping her hips as your tongues fought for dominance, the soft kiss turned heated in an instant. All the longing between you exploded. Her hands threading through your short hair. You felt her hips shift, her leg pressing between yours and you gasped, ending the kiss. She chuckled, nipping under your chin. “You play dirty Dr. Sloane.”

The name sent a shiver down her spine. Her fingers tugging at your roots causing you to groan and bending your neck further. Her teeth nipped at you neck, her tongue coming out to sooth your skin. “You have no idea, Special Agent.”

“I look forward to finding out.” You all but moaned as she sucked below your ear. “Not hear Jack.” Was all you managed before her lips sought out yours again.

She kissed you softer this time, her fingers loosening in your hair. One hand curled around your neck as the other sort out your fingers. A smile breaking across her face as your groaned when she pulled your hand away from her skin. “If I can’t, neither can you.”

You had just managed to find skin as she pulled your fingers away. “Do we still need to finish our session or can I take you home and-“ You saw the desire flood her eyes. “I was going to say make you dinner, but I think you have something else in mind.”

A devilish smirk on her lips as you finished. “Oh I have several something else’s in mind.”

. . . .

A little hurt, a little comfort... just what the doctor ordered.

[leefi]

The Flower that Bloomed Nowhere Read-through | Part 7: 90-100

Part 1: 1-14 | Part 2: 14-22 | Part 3: 22-34 | Part 4: 34-64 | Part 5: 64-80 | Part 6: 81-90 | Part 7: 90-100 | Part 8: 100-127 (caught up here)

Bal is soooo funny for choosing to simply sit out and wait the loop. If that were me I’d be acting out. I’d be skipping around the sanctuary acting mischevious and committing hooliganry. Hey does Fang have loop memories

SU NAME REVEAL!!! KUROKA!

raises hand. I have another question. did samium also fuck that old man

Shiko is so sweet oh my goddddd 😭 I wonder if Kuroka fell in love with her...

I hadn't even realized how much of a fan I was. That another me had been growing on those lonely nights, only waiting for someone to draw it out.

Even though it was such a small thing, for the first time, I felt like I was able to be someone other than myself. Someone who shined brightly.

Just like her. AWWWUWYYYYYYUUUUWUWUUUUUUUU!!!!! AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

"Fang, Su, have you still got enough eris for barriers?"

Fang looked at their scepter, making a thoughtful hum. "Yeah, for a few minutes."

I thought Fang didn’t have their scepter?

Another thing I'd failed to understand at the time was that this was largely by design. Replicating high-quality food was impossibly cheap, and a low-hanging fruit in terms of helping people's quality of life. It was the politics of spite, or 'tough love' if you wanted to be charitable; choosing not to help others for no reason other than them having not earned it, or at least treating it as not worth the infinitesimally minor inconvenience to their betters.

oh i dont like this worldbuilding that much anymore

“Nowadays you can get your nutrition managed with pills anyway. It's not like when we were kids, when it actually mattered what you ate."

"There's still no long-term research into the subject," [Shiko]’s mother replied, frowning. "And besides, it's not simply a matter of health. There are social consequences to having a limited palate."

“social consequences”? lets kill her

"I'm just saying, it wouldn't hurt to be a little more conscientious," Shiko's mother insisted, holding up a hand. "And I know I've only been here for a couple of years now, but I really don't think it's that bad. Some parts in town seem a little deprived, but the theater is nice, and I've never had any trouble finding anything from the shops. It's hardly Altaia or Old Yru, but it's not as though we're eking out a living on the Lower Planes."

KUROKA BABY IM GONNA GET YOU OUT OF THERE. IM GONNA GET YOU OUT

Shiko’s granddad and Samium were conspiring to use her???? “Get the drop on her”???????? I mean this isn’t anything we didn’t already know but hearing them speak so plainly and shamelessly about it IN HER HOUSE is repulsive

I'd done a lot of stuff for a person my age, especially if you counted the stuff from-- Well, you know. I'd traveled by carriage, bus, tram, vacuum tram, boat and airship. I'd been to seven different countries and lived in four. I'd played in an amateur sport team (assuming chess counts as a sport).

it does not

Ophelia had been unspokenly left out as well; she apparently produced such an aura of eternal femininity that our minds had just silently registered it as the correct call after we'd only been able to find three shovels in the greenhouse.

also me if im being completely honest. *the gorillas get released* sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry

Hey while they’re digging I’ve been thinking. using the dying gods as their proxy has me wondering if this really is an integrated pneuma in some person enacting its long thought out (hehe) revenge. But that doesn’t explain multiple culprits especially considering they’ve been referring to death with different gendered pronouns

She looked between us. "Questions?"

Linos looked to the side. "Uh, do you see any problems with the plan, Zeno?"

There was a pause, then an approving thump from the luggage pile.

funniest character

a possible explanation for many of these contradictions was that there wasn't just one 'mastermind', but competing groups.

One calls it 'master'. The other calls it 'Her'...

YES YES YES YES YES YES YES. It's almost like...a battle of wills? A battle of competing ideologies?

"I think I-- I think I have a hernia," I said weakly.

"What you have is a case of the weeny-whinies.” THE WEENY WHINIES!!!!

KAMRANSU SWEEP!!! im doing yuri multiplication in my head rn

hum. "Indeed, you've stumbled upon the fundamental issue. After all, if what we inhabit is not the true reality, but merely the product of a physical process within another, it seems very improbable for our 'creators' to be playing with tools akin to our own. Our very conception of inter-dimensional spacetime - and the associated concepts of entropy, movement, and finite energy - could be nothing more than an amusing fabrication, with no bearing on actual physics."

Kind of like how a two-dimensional creature can only interpret a 3-dimensional world from a 2-dimensional perspective, and a 3-dimensional creature can only interpret a 5th-dimensional world from a 3rd and simplified 4th dimensional perspective…but what defines “actual?“ is any of your universe “actual”, for that matter? You have no confidence that your reality is real beyond the myths you’ve heard of the ironworkers. I don't mean to explicitly suggest this is a simulation by any means, but rather...I'm thinking back to Zeno's question. "Why turn back the self when you can turn back the world?". Well, if you're conflicted on what a "self" constitutes, it only follows to reason that the nature of the world around you too would also fall into question...

Well, that depends, Utsushikome. Do you believe a pawn is destined only to look across at its rival pieces for eternity, by its very nature?" She stabbed her fork into a tomato, spilling its red fluid. "Or, perchance, might it learn to crane its neck towards heaven?"

My eyes drifted from the tower towards the ceiling of the bioenclosure proper. The blackness.

Slowly, I clicked my tongue. OHHHHOHOHOHOGOGOGOGOGOOGOGOGOHOHHOHHOOHHOOHOGOGOGOGOYOYO RHHEEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHHEHEHE

She nodded several times, like I'd said something profound. "Yes. That's it exactly." She exhaled. "It's cowardice. People are afraid of death, so they try to turn it into something it isn't. Something beautiful and cathartic, something symbiotic with humanity, just like Grandmaster Melanthos was talking about. So they don't have to face the truth that it was all for fucking nothing. That being mortal is an accident of material circumstance, just as much as hunger or, or-- I don't know, going *bald*.” 🦍

"When people think of truly eternal lives, of sticking not just a few more centuries on the pile but outlasting the lifespan of stars, the scope of the proposition is harrowing. What would we become, in trying to achieve true stability as creatures of chaos and change? Could we?" Her voice grew a little quieter; solemn, almost. "What would we do, without that option to simply fade away?" She looked towards me. "What do you think, Su?"

I went for a third round of blinking, just to emphasize the point.

Why does [Kam] always single me out in these conversations?

big ass crush on you

Ohhh Kam is a 60 year old minor! Cool!

Even though she'd dismissed questions on the subject with an affect of far-sightedness back in the transpositioning chamber, the fact of the matter was that people our age getting stressed out about their own mortality was freakishly rare; I'd literally never met another person quite like [Kam].

This trait she and I share. I was having existential breakdowns at the tender age of 5

Ohhh Su is in her early-mid thirties! Okay yeah that checks out with her mental illness

You're only 32, Su," she said, frowning. "It's a little early to making world-weary statements like that, don't you think?

*looks at su* *looks at orv*

*looks back at su*

Of all the years I could live, could thrive, until all those regrets are nothing more than a single drop in a vast lake. I'm sure the same is true for you, too."

This really was out of character for her. I felt a complicated feeling in my chest. "That's, uh... Kam..."

"Is this really the right time for this?" Ran asked flatly. "The philosophy was one thing, but this is getting weirdly romantic."

Kam scoffed, making a gesture of distaste. "Don't be peculiar, Ran."

KAMSU SWEEP WE HAVE LITEREALLY NEVER BEEN MORE BACK THAN WE ARE RIGHT NOW

"Perfect," Kam said, stepping towards it immediately.

"Feels a little weird to be looting the dead," I said, glancing around.

"This is no time for sentiment, Su," Kam replied. She walked up to the cabinet in question and, after unsuccessfully trying the lock, took the butt of her refractor rifle and shattered it, before casting it aside and sliding the larger weapon out.

this actually became a COD lobby im crying

saw Samium lying down in the bed, eyes half-open, staring at the ceiling. Other than the fact that there was a book by the side that seemed to be gone now - fiction, probably, the cover depicting a ship - that felt a little confusing. So he could read a novel, after all? Or maybe someone had left it here?

Ship of Theoseus chan?

Why did the playwright just look at me

"Okay, so. Here's the thing," they said. "The monster might be, uh, real."

SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPP

WE HAVE LITERALLY NEVER BEEN MORE BACK THAN THIS MOMENT FOLKS THIS IS IT. THIS IS REAL. IT'S HAPPENING

Okay for all my excitement about the beast is there any way to check if that’s actually the phantasm conjuring arcana they talked about earlier? Could explain the grim reaper but I don’t remember if it could produce sound or not…or how big it could get. Could also just be a really advanced golem since the power was active while this was happening? (And that was the negating factor when they were debating COBD (cause of Bardiyas death before))

I’m pretty sure the beak thing is actually real though, so many people have corroborated it. The beast only showed up while people were panicking

Man I wouldn’t be surprised if this conversation with Samium we’re seeing over the logic thing concluded with Su pushing him out the window. my rationale towards this is would that be fucking crazy or what

So, this sounds like it's coming from way off in the distance-- Like really far down the hall, or behind a wall, or something. Now, I'm getting a really bad vibe at this point,

Have i mentioned yet how much I love fang

Ann says we should just gun it." Anna's eyes narrowed slightly at her name being shortened, but didn't interject.

Have i mentioned yet how much i LOVE fang

I said something stupid about hiding up in the armory, maybe grabbing some of the grenades, so we went all the way up

they are addicted to those grenades

If Ptolema thinks the beast is fake then I believe that it's fake. She’s consistently proven to have the best observational skills of the entire group, picking things up that other people don’t see. As she says, she's got the mind of a surgeon. She knows how a body is meant to be built and interact with its environment. Believe women!!!! Ema sweep!!!!

Can I be honest. Creepy children’s stories scare me so much and I could barely get through that one barn quest in Cyberpunk 2077 and this children's slideshow with the piglet is reminding me of that. I literally couldn’t sleep for a few days after playing that. Anyway. Animal Farm? because there is a farm with animals

no i'm being deadass was that an animal farm redux. it felt like an animal farm redux

It would be so funny if Fang acted the way they do because something was wrong with them. But it would be even funnier if they're just like this