#maybe they did something super cool and they named the town after them

[imatekuani]

I was scrolling while semi-asleep, read a post titled headcannons about Amity Park and I thought it was someone shipping/marrying Amity Blight and Willow Park until I realized that I'm also part of the Danny Phantom fandom.

Now I can't unsee that the frikin hometown of ghost boy combines the name/surname of these two witches part of my current fixation.

[codenamesazanka]

Saw some Spinaraki kid OCs so I decided to try my hand at it too. Though it's less happy family kidfic and more resentfully making Heroes and Deku face consequences post-canon. Sorry.

the Spinaraki lovechild:

Shirakata Masanori | 白方正憲

Age: 15

Appearance: Lizard heteromorph. Black hair, pink eyes, white scales.

Quirk: Adhesion. Decay's spreading effect + Gecko's sticking trait. Anything object Masanori touches and remain in contact with will adhere with anything the object is also touching. If he touches a sidewalk, everyone on it will be stuck and trapped, unable to move their feet.

result of Spinner and Shigaraki getting together post-Deika/pre-surgery. super unexpected.

three months after Shigaraki went in for surgery, Spinner pops out an egg (please go with it)

During Heroes' raid on the PLF Villa, Spinner entrusts egg to ReDestro. Unfortunately, when everyone got arrested, egg gets swept up in custody capture of MLA kids.

With no one to claim the egg, it is placed in orphanage; all contact is then lost.

Egg hatches after war, at end of August.

Spinner was never able to tell Shigaraki about their kid due to the possession.

He decides not to say anything to the Heroes either. Doesn't trust them after Shigaraki got killed, and better that the kid doesn't grow up stigmatized for having terrorists as parents.

But Spinner does leave a letter with his court-appointed lawyer, hoping that one day it will reach the kid, when they come of age.

Spinner dies early due to effects of having multiple quirks; dies ten years after war

The lawyer, deciding to just finish up this assignment cleanly, finds the kid 4 years later and delivers the letter despite the kid not reaching age of majority.

Despite half-assed mild societal change efforts, Masanori grows up an orphan in the system, with the additional stigma of being an PLF raid kid (and therefore very likely the child of dead/arrested Villains/criminals)

Abandoned, unnamed babies in Japan are named by the city/town's mayor. Masanori was named with the kanji "white-direction correct-law" in hopes that he would become a law-abiding citizen (unlike his unknown parents). The Mayor is an asshole.

(Though Shirakata is a real surname, and chosen because kid has white scales)

Early on, Masanori looked out into the world and realized it doesn't want him, made it clear he doesn't belong. So he accepted it.

However, he knows the path of Villainy only leads to doom.

His caretakers drilled that into the PLF raid kids. Quirk counseling emphasized it a lot. So did teachers. Everyone.

He’s (reluctantly) played the ‘Villain’ in enough playground games that ends with the ‘Heroes’ pretending to smash him to pieces or explode him to nothing, because everyone has seen the war footage.

And he’s known too many people who salivate over the satisfaction of proving his blood is irreparably criminal.

So he won't be a Villain.

He just wants to leave - leave the orphanage, leave the city, leave Japan. Maybe travel the world alone forever.

Masanori is: very solitary, utterly disinterested in people, self-reliant, pragmatic, opportunistic, clever enough but can bite off more than he can chew

Masanori doesn't really have any sentimental feelings about his parents; or rather, he feels there's no point to dwell on it

He always knew he was the son of criminals. Discovering that he's the son of the most notorious criminals is somewhat cool, but Spinner and Shigaraki are long dead and gone.

When Masanori first received the letter, there was a satisfaction to finally knowing, nearly a sense of destiny. So he read the League of Villains memoir. He read the manuscript drafts that he inherited from Spinner. He did a lot of research.

(In the letter, Spinner admits that the kid was a surprise, that Shigaraki never knew, and Spinner himself doesn't know anything about the kid and will likely go to his grave not knowing.

They dealt the kid a shit hand.

Saying something cliche like they loved the kid they never knew would be hollow; and besides, Spinner and Shigaraki were twisted and distorted people. Villains. So the truth is, the kid is likely better off without them.

But.

Spinner wishes he and Shigaraki could've known the kid, and he regrets that neither of them were able to stay alive and free.

Spinner also writes that if Shigaraki knew about the kid, he knows Shigaraki would've tried to give them the world.)

But eventually, for Masanori, the end result of all that is realizing that there's nothing to be done with this information. Spinner and Shigaraki don't know him, and he doesn't know them; never will. They were criminals, they were young and stupid, they picked a fight and lost, and they left him behind.

All he has is still just himself.

...and this new knowledge he might be able to use to his advantage.

Which is why Masanori decides to confront the Hero Deku and demand compensation for the death of his parents and other hardships

Age 15, Masanori arrives at Deku's agency, carrying Spinner's letter that is his only proof

But just looking at Masanori convinces Deku. Kid's appearance is basically Tenko in lizard heteromorph form, but even his demeanor reminds Deku of Shigaraki - aloof but intense, determined. (tho he is still younger, less hostile, a bit stiff in nervousness)

Deku is shocked, guilty, suspicious, already wants to help, appalled at the extortion attempt. Ready for a conflict.

At least until he hears Masanori's demands:

Guaranteed admission to UA's General Studies Program, a recommendation letter, as well as a stipend all three years that Masanori is in high school.

And that's it.

Masanori has only an okay school record.

He did not have an enriching school life.

He's been accused of delinquent behavior - mostly suspected small theft and 'incidents' with other students

(They could never actually prove he stole anything; and the incidents he get into are always with the more aggressive classmates. They're not so much fights as pranks, and the bullying usually ceases immediately afterwards.)

High school is not mandatory in Japan, and minors legally can start work at age 15, so Masanori has been "asked"/expected to leave the orphanage after middle school. Jin Scenario

Not a very bright future. But he was ready for it... until he received Spinner's letter.

Suddenly.

If Masanori gets into UA High School, an elite national school, with recommendation from a world-renowned and beloved Hero, it's leaving the orphanage, leaving his hometown, starting a new life.

(General Studies program because he has zero interest in being a Hero.)

Graduate and better prepared to leave everything behind and travel the world alone forever.

Opportunity of a lifetime. He will shamelessly seize it.

Masanori's not blackmailing Deku or anything - nothing to blackmail, since no one cares Deku killed Shigaraki, and admitting he's the son of terrorists is social death. He's relying entirely on Deku's heroism.

Even if his Shigaraki was a Villain that Deku had to kill for the good of the world, that was still his father. Deku will feel compassion and guilt for Masanori.

Because Deku is a hero.

Manipulative? Yes. Is he unqualified for UA? Yes. But Masanori wants a chance at having more to life.

And Deku has to face what he (and All Might, and OFA) never actually did: resolve the continued rejection and ostracization problem in quirk society, and the cycle of Shimura tragedy

Because it's quickly obvious Masanori is just like his parents: given up on the world, given up on people. He's just not dangerous about it.

But his heart is empty. He has never been saved. And he no longer wants to be.

In other words: this time, Deku has to truly save someone that's been failed and rejected by this society he upholds. even if easy mode too because Masanori is not a villain. but is less receptive than a seven-year-old. or someone already having Pro-Hero aspirations

[sword-is-bored]

I Met You Once

(Link X Reader)

Feminine (Y/n)!

Ocarina of Time

“(Y/n)!” The young girl turned her head, finding a boy in green on horseback. She tilted her head, wondering how he could know her name. “I’m sorry… do I know you?” He looked a couple years older, but not by much. “Oh! I’m.. uh.. yes. I’m Link. I was talking to your older sister. I just wanted to meet you.” The young girl tilted her head and smiled. She knew her older sister enjoyed talking with strangers, especially when she ventured to Castle Town. Maybe… this would be a friend for her. After all, their quaint house tucked far away wasn’t something she was able to leave. The young fairy boy seemed keen on talking to her. “It’s nice to meet you, I haven’t heard anything about you.” She said. Link shrugged and got down from his horse. “This is Epona. I..” He blushed, holding out his hand. “I wanna be your friend. I’m ten. I heard you’re eight.” She blinked and slowly nodded. “Yeah. I am. I like your horse. She’s pretty.” (Y/n) took his hand and shook it. Link grinned. “Great! Come on and pet her.”

So, (Y/n) did. She stroked the mane of the gentle horse, still a young foal herself. The two began to chat more, and (Y/n) found she really liked this boy. He had traveled all around Hyrule and visited… everywhere! All the adventure she had yearned for in her young years. “I have to stay home, mom and dad want me to be the perfect lady.” (Y/n) said softly. “Why’s that?” Link asked. “Oh, when I get married.” She said nonchalantly. “Married?” Link asked slowly. “Yeah. I have a fiancé.” (Y/n) hummed. “A fiancé?” The young girl grinned at the boy’s question. “Yeah! It’s super cool! When I get big enough, I’ll get married. So mom and dad want me to know all the things I need to be the perfect wife.”

The perfect wife.

The words had rang clear through the young boys brain. However, he had witnessed a different fate.

Years later, when Hyrule was crumbling.

Tears that (Y/n) cried when he had met her.

“I hate him. I hate this man. I hate being married. I’ve… already had two children. My body is ruined. I’m ruined. I wish.. I wish I never agreed.” An older Link had witnessed this, and brought the memory back to the present. “Link… I wish… you’d found me. I love you. I’m sorry.”

“(Y/n)… you shouldn’t marry him.” The young boy whispered. “Why not? Mom and dad say he’ll treat me so nice.” Link stared at the girl, biting his lip. “Promise me something? We’ll stay friends, okay? And you can tell me anything. And I’ll do anything to make sure you’re happy.” He asked. (Y/n) thought it was a weird request, but shrugged it off. A friend. That’s all she’s ever wanted. A true friend. “Okay, and I’ll do the same for you.”

Years passed, and Link made good on his promise. He would visit at least once a week, if not twice. (Y/n)’s parents found him irritating, but he never meddled in her marriage again. (Y/n)’s 16th birthday was nearing, as were her preparations for her marriage. “I’m really excited Link. After this long, I’ll be able to meet my fiancé soon.” She gazed at him, as they sat in Hyrule field together. Link hummed, picking at the flowers around them. “Yes, I’m sure you’re excited. But is this something you want?” He asked, tilting his head. Throughout the years, Link had lost his childish charms. He had grown into a fine young man, and (Y/n) couldn’t help but to notice him. Really notice him. The way he protectively stood with her, how kind he always was. How he could make her laugh, even at the worst times. Something… she wants? (Y/n) had to sit back with herself. Did she want to get married? “And you’ve never met the guy? What’s so great about him anyway?” Link prodded. (Y/n) frowned and thought to herself. “I don’t know. I guess… the fact that someone wants me. I’ve been spoken for for as long as I can remember.” She murmured. “Don’t you think that’s… creepy?” (Y/n) shook her head. “Not even a little?” Link asked. “If I were engaged for that long, I’d at least want to know what my wife looks like. Her name, her face, the way she laughs… you know. Something.” (Y/n) brushed Link off. “You wouldn’t understand.” She mumbled. “But… (Y/n). That’s… forever. Marrying someone.” (Y/n) huffed and tugged at the instrument Link carried around. “Okay, whatever fairy boy. Play me a song. I don’t want to talk about that anymore.” Link rolled his eyes and took the ocarina back from her. “Yes, princess.” He murmured and began to play a soft tune.

He just… couldn’t shake the way she looked at him. And through these years he had fallen in love with her. The way she laughed, the way her eyes sparkled when she was truly happy. He needed to see that smile. He wished he could do more to show her how much he cared for her, as more than a friend. Sure, at first this was his heroic heart. He needed to save a girl who obviously couldn’t save herself on her own. It’s what was right… but… now? Now his heart was in on it. He couldn’t… shake what he saw.

(Y/n) told him she was fourteen when she married this man. He was thirty eight years older than her. Fifty two. Marrying a child. “He made me happy at first and then… he treated me like a slave.” And that’s all she was to him. A servant. And it crushed him to see her like that. He spends a few days with her, under the guise of being an old childhood friend. He… fell in love with her so fast. So hard. He figured he could save her before any of this. He was already altering the future, why couldn’t he do it again?

“Link?” He jumped up as she snapped her fingers a few times. “Hey, did you hear me?” (Y/n) asked sitting back in the grass. “Maybe. Maybe not, why?” Link asked, feeling embarrassed he had fallen that deep in his thoughts. “I told you I’m getting married. In a week.” His heart seemed to stop and he looked at (Y/n). “What?” He hissed. “I’m getting married in a week. I was told yesterday, isn’t that exciting?” Link slowly reached out and took her hands, staring daggers into the ground beneath them. “(Y/n). I’ve… I know what your life will be like with him.” He said slowly, delicately as not to scare her. “You cannot marry him. Please. You.. you have to trust me. Okay? Say the word and I’ll take you away. Far away. I’ll protect you, and make sure no one ever takes away your freedom to choose again. But you have to trust my word.”

(Y/n) searched his gaze, finding nothing but panic and pain for her. Her heart clenched and she realized in horror… did she love him? She pulled her hands away and stared at Link intently. “I.. I don’t…” The words escaped her mind. He looked up, his eyes finding hers. And for once she could see her future. Laughing and running, cuddles and soft kisses. Waking up in the night, finding his sleeping body beside hers. A comforting and fulfilling presence. She bit her lip and closed her eyes. “I’m scared.” She said simply. Link pulled her into a tight hug, nodding softly. “I know. I am too, but I promise I’ll protect you. And I promise you’ll be so much happier. Trust me.”

She did trust him. With her life.

“Okay.” She breathed, hugging back. He pulled back and smiled, gently tilting her head up to look at him. He leaned in close, and she did as well. They shared a gentle kiss before Link pulled away. “I will come to get you the night before your wedding. Take anything you’d like. You won’t be returning.”

The day came, and (Y/n) waited anxiously in her nightgown. Her window cracked open and the familiar head of her lovely fairy boy poked inside. Their gazes met and he held out a hand. She smiled and took it, climbing out of her window with him.

To freedom.

(Happy ToTK release my friends :))

[babiebom]

Bachelors and what kind of ~dere they would be

A/N: I thought this would be something cool to write headcanons for especially because I've played through the Sebastian yandere mod and have watched vids on the others being yanderes. Personally I feel as if some of them don't really fit the yandere category and others would fit them more.

Tw: none as far as i know. Does sort of spoil one of Sam's heart events and a game event.

Word count: at least 10 bullet points per character

Sebastian

Kuudere

Describes as often plays it cool and even in the most stressful situations they're calm and collected. They never panic and often remain distant and analytical until the end.

I feel like Sebby doesn't often show his emotions, especially because he seems introverted.

But the thing is he doesn't seem like the shy uwu scared of people introverted he's more of a voluntary introvert and just prefers being along but has no problem interacting with people

So for that I'm saying he's more the type to always be calm around the person he likes, never making his feelings obvious and never treating them any different than he would treat anyone he sees as a friend.

Kinda reminds me of an anime scene(I forgot the name but its space themed)

Of where the girl basically confesses her feelings and calls the guy an idiot after they talk about what they plan for the future and she says her dream is to become his wife and why can't he see that

And his reaction is basically ? I thought we were already together what?

And she's like ???? You've never made it clear that you like me and he's like yeah didn't think that i had to? I thought we were already together.

He gives off those vibes.

I also feel as though if he did open up it would be in a nonchalant way, it wouldn't be dramatic or romantic I think he would just be stating his feelings as facts.

And I feel like people often forget that this man is a huge nerd and super smart at least in my opinion

I mean he codes from home and plays dnd.

Even if he isn't a robotics and super science nerd like Maru is I think he is a smart and rather analytical person. I don't think he would be on the emotional side of things

If you get together he doesn't change much but does show his affection through touch and acts of service rather than his words.

Harvey

Dandere

Described as shy, quiet, and asocial is most situations. Stays quiet to avoid conflict

I feel as even though he's the town doctor he doesn't have many friends

Like he's only close to Maru bc she works for him in the clinic

And we usually see him hanging out alone or in his room looking at planes and stuff

I feel as though if he developed feelings for you either you would notice right away with how weird he acts around you or you wouldn't notice at all because you assume he's quiet with everyone unless its medically related.

So maybe not shy but quiet does describe him.

Obviously he opens up around you little by little the more you interact with him but it takes a lot of effort on both if your parts

On yours you have to consistently bother him and talk to him which is a lot of work especially when its not reciprocated at first

And on his he has to allow himself to be vulnerable and open with a person, its even harder when you feel romantic feelings for that person because what if they don't really like you in that way or they decide they don't like you after getting to know you

Very sweet man when you get together, still quiet but in a more comfy way.

Shane

Tsundere

Described as hostile and cold on the outside and sweet and kind on the inside

And I feel like that exactly describes Shane

While he is an alcoholic(recovering or not based on how you see him and play the game)He is very sweet even if not to people other than you(once you get to know him), jas, and his chickens.

Does seem like the type that once he starts feeling things for you he would start helping in small ways but also tries to not make it obvious

Oh he sees you walking from the woods with a big ass bag of fiber rocks and wood?

He'll offer to carry it if you need help

Sees you out and about in town, asks what you're up to and if you need help with anything

But don't think that he'a doing this because he likes you

He doesn't he just wants to pay back the kindness you've given to him back to you so he doesn't owe you anything

Ends every sentence to you with stupid or idiot if it allows without seeming genuinely mean

Does really like you and slowly starts showing you that once you show you aren't going anywhere

Does still get incredibly flustered when you do something sweet for or to him

Though if you get together is more open with his affection.

Elliott

Yandere

Described as a person that is very loving and affectionate to their loved one until it becomes a constant obsession leading them to become overprotective, violent, and psychotic towards anyone they deem a threat to their loved one, even the loved one themself

First of all his yandere mod was the scariest one yet like ooof

And while he does not seem like a violent person

He is a writer, which means he is some sort of delusional, creative, and or imaginative that I think he could have a mental break and carry out the things he imagines. 

We see that due to him being a writer, he is basically a hermit because all he does is stay in his cabin and write all day

Like yeah he's friends with Leah but how often do you think he actually leaves his home seeking interaction?

I feel like he would meet you and then suffer from a writers block and its your fault because now all he can think about is you

You're his muse

And due to that he becomes obsessive over you, no one else can have you he needs you at the very least more than they do.

Would 1000 percent stalk you, in his mind he's just watching over you to make sure nothing happens to you

Whether that be in town, on your farm, in the mines...he has to keep you closeby.

Speaking as a writer that does get very obsessed with things to the point of me changing what i write about and how often I think about or daydream about it

I think he is the most likely candidate for this kind of 'love' towards a person

Your imagination can delude your thinking, paired with living in a cabin alone with only your thoughts and silence it's no wonder he would be slightly insane.

Sam

Bakadere

Described as clumsy, stupid, and lacking in common sense when dealing with things in their life, but also very optimistic, and having a carefree, child-like innocence.

While this may seem like I'm roasting him I'm not

I do think he sometimes seems clumsy or dumb or even maybe like a teen especially because he's just playing guitar or skateboarding or playing video games

But there are glimpses of him being responsible and caring

Like how he actually had a job, even if it's part time

Or during his heart event when Vincent asks if their dad is going to come home before we find out that he indeed does come home

He covers his true feelings with optimism and happiness even if he's worried, which makes me think he fits this.

He only wants his loved one to be happy, and while constant optimism may seem or be annoying so certain people, he wants to be that light in your life.

And because he's so optimistic he is naturally kinder to others, while others like Sebastian, Shane, or Haley are standoffish when you meet them, Sam is sweet and is happy to meet you which translates well into getting to know you and then shifting into a romantic relationship

So while he may seem dumb to others, even to you with how positive he's being he's actually far from it even if he is a little reckless and clumsy sometimes

He turns down the constant optimism after getting together, but never stops being positive towards you, no matter if you succeed or fail, he's there to pick you up again with kind words and unwavering support.

Alex

Also Bakadere

but for a totally different reason

the dude is basically a himbo, though some of the things he says can be seen as iffy or mysogynistic

im pretty sure he doesn't mean any of it though, and while he can come off as dumb and out of touch he is shown to be sweet and caring and using his frat boy persona as a way of keeping people at an arms length

due to that i see him as similar but different to Sam

both boys seem kind of dumb, annoyingly optimistic, and sort of innocent in a way.

and both boys tend to use that as a surface personality, and until you actually take time to know them(Sam's worries, Alex's background and current worries) they seem like the type of people to be positive in any situation

Also seems as if he would take on a leader role simply because everyone voted for him to be it because of his positivity.

another thing is how certain(though inside he's not as) that he will become a gridball player.

Like the dude only talks positively about his dreams and is constantly working towards his goal

as well as we see in his dialogue that the farmer does indeed sometimes get annoyed at his words such as when he says things like "what why're you looking at me like that"

exactly as an anime character in this role would do.

Though after marriage is still sorta a dummy which is low key kinda cute.

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s2 episode 24 thoughts

this episode was quite spooky. because cannibalism is real. but something about scully about to get her head chopped off and boiled seemed more outlandish than all the aliens and the guy that kills people with his shadow or even lizard man eugene tooms!

which is strange. because those things are pretty outlandish! maybe its because it was so much scarier than even evil lizard men.

let’s jump in:

so this is an episode involving more meat. did we need more meat, after the earlier meat processing content in s2 episode 10? many are saying no. but not chris carter!

we begin at a dirt road at night. in the state of arkansas. we have an older man and a younger woman named paula in a car, which is not suspicious at all! /s

oh and now the old man choking? is this natural or did she induce it with some poison. i mean maybe he deserved it, if she did. he takes some pills, so I’m guessing it is due to natural causes. now she beckons him out to the woods. 

into the woods. she says he has to catch her. is she luring him into a Bigfoot trap? we have yet to really see Bigfoot, and maybe he’s hungry. although Bigfoot is more Pacific Northwest than Arkansas, i think.

author's note: we tested negative for bigfoot in this episode :(

oh! this man tripped and is now surrounded by people with flashlights and very cool masks. get axe murdered, fucker.

back in DC! aforementioned fucker has been gone for 10 weeks and scully thinks the higher ups are sending them on a wild goose chase. “i’m not questioning the legitimacy of the case, just their motives in assigning it to us” <- damn, very well spoken by a rightfully suspicious woman

oh, but at the scene, someone saw a fire. and mulder says the fire is “supposed to be the spirits of massacred Indians” OH...

(mentally i was like, please do not be another scary Indigenous story episode. and we did in fact get that. sighs deeply. we can make things scary without making Indigenous people the scary ones! or using the trauma of genocide as a setting for spooky time! well, i'm sure you, dear reader, know that, so i shall not preach to the choir, but i will point out that these thoughts were going through my mind)

“these are only legends, mulder”, says a dismissive scully. and why is her hair looking excellent today. I mean not that it isn’t usually but damn. shoutout to the hair and makeup team.

the place on the side of the road where he went missing had a big fire! could be a bonfire, both parties thought. until mulder remembered a documentary he saw in college...

(hehehehe mulder spent college watching documentaries <3)

! MULDER LORE REVEAL ! wow it's been a while since i've gotten to format some text like that. he watched a documentary about an insane asylum in college and it gave him nightmares.

(and this may not be super relevant to his character, but to ME, it is, so i shall note it <3)

he's got the VHS from the doc all loaded up, and presses play on a guy rambling about a fire demon!! who was found in the same spot as the fire mark!!! dun dun dunnn 

(love the implication that he either purchased his own copy of the documentary that gave him nightmares in college, or had to go rent it from the video store. both are wonderful possibilities)

cut to arkansas. mulder is on the scene holding a plastic fork from the ground. wearing his silly sunglasses. lmaooo idk why they make me laugh. what a serious gentleman.

sheriff arrives at the scene. he says the witch’s peg to ward off spirits is normal there and also that the fire mark comes from illegal trash burning. and, as an American i am aware of how Americans love an illegal trash burn. but still. suspicious.

sheriff says the missing man george was chasing women out of town. lovely sounding fellow /s

wife questioning time!! he left her years ago. oh, but tea: the day before he went missing he was going to cite major health violations in the chicken plant! hmm... a cause for murder?

mulder gives the wife his phone number. also mulder is also looking very good today. but that is an evil voice in my head that ought to be silenced.

noooo, it's chicken plant time. no thank you ma’am, i would be out in the car <3

paula from the woods at work in the plant!!! taking mystery pills. seemingly in pain??

chicken cutting cam. oh, this is not for me! 

the agents chat with the manager, who says george was trying to shut them down. and while clocked in, paula is sweating. she just gasped in front of a whole bunch of chickens and some guy with very blue eyes. she sees a human head on the chicken stand and picks it up and throws it off. shoutout to this fake decapitated head and my best friends in the prop department for making such a funny creation.

(but of course, it was a hallucination, and she really just threw a poor chicken on the floor!!! his sacrifice was in vain... gone but not forgotten)

mulder is inspecting the chicken gutting operation and i've said it before and i'll say it again: he is braver than me. 

ohh, more chicken drama: george was filing a lawsuit about “line hypnosis” and it was dismissed before he vanished! he deserved to win. is there a meat processing union? there ought to be. but he was the only one citing bad health practices, the other 3 workers said it was fine... sooo what’s the truth…

“what’s that” asks mulder, who then gets shown the feed processor, and asks “chickens feed on chickens?” <- heartbreaking realization. many of us remember where we were when learning this information. i'm sure it will stick with him forever. and i'm frankly surprised he didn't know already.

NAURRR THE SLUDGE AND BLOOD nasty nasty evil

OH plot twist: paula is holding the manager with a knife to his throat… scully telling everyone to calm down. personally i would be not calm. she said “don’t get excited” but me? experiencing an active hostage situation at my place of work? i would be excited

NOOO the sheriff shot her and she fell into the feed conveyor belt processing… thing. sheriff i KNOW you are covering something up. you will not hide from me.

SHE GETS GULPED INTO THE FEED BELT THINGY GAGGG it’s giving the jungle by upton sinclair that caused many american 8th graders to confront the corruption of the meat industry

paula had gone to the doctor about headaches… like george!!! doctor had assumed the condition was stress induced. and they did have similar symptoms. 

treated them both with codine… ain’t that a bit strong?? this man doesn't seem to be a very good doctor, tbh. i mean i don't think the guy that works at the chicken plant to sew back on fingers needs to be an expert in everything but like. codine for headaches? umm girl.

mr. chaco of chaco’s chicken was paula’s grandfather… if i was a grandfather rich off of chicken money, my grandkids would not be working the processing line, let me tell u that much!

back to the agents: these two should not be looking as good as they do in a chicken processing plant. they had to really step it up today to compensate for the horrors of the set.

chicken man lives in a mansion. further evidence of corruption. paula, i would not have had you working in such conditions if i was your grandfather. there has been a deep wrong here, i can see already.

and he’s got a big hat and is feeding his chicken corn. not other chickens, like the feed he makes in his plant... seems he is aware of the ethical issues implied in his business. also, mulder with those weird ass glasses. 

cacho is going on about the subject of chickens. and how he built this town. he sure is taking an awful lot of credit for creating a town, pretty sure that's a team effort mr. chaco. he's also going on about how he thought george was trying to tear him down. 

AUTOPSY TIME!! rare degenerative disorder in da brain of paula. and scully has only seen it one other time back in med school because you can only really find it in an autopsy. nice work, doctor! <- i just typed “nice worm 🪱” so we'll let that stay for the added sense of whimsy it provides

but despite looking like a young girl fresh out of high school, paula was born in '48?! she was 47 years old. allegedly. this is not adding up. so they go on a quest to find her birth certificate and see what the truth is.

debrief in the car. so: odds are not great that she and george had the same very rare disease

during this discussion, our duo are run off the road by a chicken truck!!!! no! oh... he drove them into a river. mulder has shifted into rescue mode as the river is red with chicken gore. i feel someone might be distracting them and trying to get the body… (this was actually not the case i was just overly suspicious)

but more chicken drama: the driver had the same symptoms as george and paula! how can this be?!

“i just came up with a sick theory, mulder” (grabs her shoulder) “ooh, I’m listening” LMAOOOO this is sososo funny to me. yeah tell me ur sick theories scully you have my full attention.

GAG!! because it is both gross and shocking. her theory: what if someone put george’s body in the feed grinder, and then since it’s a prion disease, a chicken ate it, and someone ate a chicken, and it spread to the humans!!!! AHHHH! well that would be an epidemic, because they ship chickens out across the country… she glances knowingly, implying things could be very bad 

the river is filled with bird gore from the plant BLECH... who allows this??!! please say there are some modern regulations in place to prevent this being done irl.

mulder says he wants it dragged, thinking that maybe george is in there. and the sheriff is hesitant to do this. once again, i’m onto you, sheriff. i mean, a river full of chicken gore: it would be a good place to put a dead body.

and bam! a body is found. or rather. many many many bones. many bodies. and they are still going. damn.

so, we have a ton of bones. scully can put them into 9 distinct skeletons, one of which is in fact george. i love that she can do that, put the bones into distinct skeletons. she knows it's geroge from a pin in his femur!

“all of them share one, strange detail though” “well, they seem to have lost their heads” “… well, besides that” <- LMAOOOO idk why this was so funny to me... he really thought he picked up on something but he did Not.

here's the linking detail: all the bones are smooth and buffed like they have been polished. ??? who is polishing bones? it sure isn't me, i'll tell you that much. 

george’s wife is at the scene, learning her husband's body has been found, and she is sobbing. and the sheriff says “we’ll take care of you” now what does THAT mean? because it's not really sounding like the welcoming words of a man who is going to guide his neighbor through tragedy, and instead like there is something bigger at play here...

back at the plant, the doctor is mentioning another guy coming down “with the symptoms”…. omg. so this IS a known thing from the inside. mr. chaco knows but he isn’t doing anything about it!!!!! chicken dramaaaa goes crazy 

scully at the scene of all the bones, carrying a bucket of chicken. lmao. she is braver than me, for i would have gone vegan the first moment i set foot in chicken processing land.

mulder does some digging: 87 people have disappeared in the area in 50 years! that seems... a lot? and he thinks the same person or persons were responsible. he thinks they were EATEN!! boiled in a pot.

“they used similar evidence to prove cannibalism among on the Anasazi tribe of New Mexico” okay: 1. why do you know that 2. need to look into these allegations for myself and 3. Anasazi… that is the title of the next episode!!! what could this mean!! another cannibalism episode?!

scully is very sad to say that paula could have gotten sick from eating george :( girl I’m not convinced the chicken is clean put it down NOW 

cannibalism = eternal life? follow for more crazy mulder theories!

she puts aside the chicken……. good!

mr. chaco says “he’ll handle it” and george's wife doris arrives, saying she “can’t keep lying”… she says “she did it” (!!)

OH????? she... killed her husband? that is a bold thing to admit to.

“we’re gonna take good care of you”, says mr. chaco, which raises the question: are they a cannibal cult???? is that what he means when he mentions that he “built this town”???

now what the hell is going on. <- an interjection i stand by

mulder and scully are going to the courthouse to look at the papers and all the birth records are burnt!! doris calls mulder and says he’s afraid mr. chaco will kill her… they split up…. nooooo i hate splitting up!!! i watched so much scooby doo as a kid!

GASP! a guy in a mask like we saw at the very beginning of the episode is in doris' home!!! drumbeat playing while she screams…. overall, this is very not good, i wrote, referring to the use of Indigenous imagery for this murder, and also doris being murdered in the first place

scully at the scene of the murder ft. big ass flashlight. she gets in through the side door. gun: out. trench coat: open. looks: served. diagnosis: baby girl that could kill me, and i am respectful of the fact that she has this power yet refrains from using it on me.

mulder at mr. chaco’s house. mr. chaco has some… stuff in his home. including photos with Indigenous people and also bones. having human bones in your house, and especially on display, is not a good sign of ethics in play. and a skull. Oh! it says the skull is from a tribe in New Guinea... why tf does he have that. put it back???

at the back of chaco's parlor, we see a mysterious door. mulder is busting it open.

LORD ALMIGHTY, I DID NOT THINK THERE WOULD BE HEADS INSIDE??? HELLO???

so that must be where all of the heads that mulder noticed were missing have gone. they're sewn up sort of like shrunken heads. very spooky. once again, pour one out for the props department for such a creation.

noooo chaco is in the house with scully, who was investigating the call of doris. NOOOO HE KNOCKED HER OUT!!! this seriously needs to stop happening like i'm worried about the brain damage she is experiencing.

back to mulder cam. goodness. all of these heads. 

in a field now. doctor is serving some soup. to a bunch of people. who are eating around a big bonfire. do NOT tell me scully is in that meal....

she is not. YET! but he is bringing her over to be roasted. and they ate doris! chaco is yelling about turning on each other and how they were only supposed to eat outsiders. girl you shouldn't be eating anybody last time i checked. 

man in the mask shows up with an axe. and chaco is decapitated in front of scully. who is put into the decapitation thingy next. GIRL THIS IS FUCKED UP!!!

mulder on the scene, just in time. he shoots the dude in the mask.

“you alright?” he asks, brushing her hair back after lifting her out of the decapitation machine. my good friend, i would venture to guess that she is not quite alright at the moment!!! this will take an awful lot of unpacking!!!

sigh. but the tenderness of the near death experience. coming back to life in someone's arms. yeah i'll romanticize that.

TEA!!! the sheriff was the one under the mask!!!!!! i knew he was up to no good.

wrap up: chicken place shut down. unclear how many citizens of the town ate people. 27 have become ill with prion disease. chaco’s plane was shot down in 1947, and he spent 7 months with a cannibalistic tribe, and also he was born in 1902, so he was 93 at his death- so the cannibalism really WAS extending life. and we see some more feed being scooped to the chickens as scully says his remains have yet to be found. end scene.

HUH???? what in da hell. so what are we thinking kids…?

well, i'll tell you something: turns out i am afraid of cannibal cults, no matter how outlandish they seem! i guess when you get a villain or evil situation of the week show like this, you WILL learn exactly what kind of fear pushes your buttons. i can imagine almost nothing scarier than being led to the slaughter like scully was. seems a purposeful commentary on the meat industry, especially when taken in with the other meat episode this season.

so, if i were scully, i do think i would need to take a week or so off. but she is just built different than i am.

some things bugged me here. first of all, like i mentioned, you don't need to throw in Indigenous people to make a scary story. like is the thought of a bunch of arkansas cannibals not horrific enough? the scary was there!

second, i have not been doing a kidnapping count, but i feel that scully is getting the rough of the deal here. i believe in gender equality when it comes to characters being kidnapped. like, an even 1:1 ratio. why are we denying mulder his damsel in distress arc? does anyone think about how he would feel? how nice it would be to see scully burst in with a gun and shoot the fellow that was about to cannibalize him?

still, it is rare an episode actually spooks me, so i must give credit where it is due. even if it felt a little outlandish, your girl was frightened! scully needs a vacation now. i also thoroughly laughed at the sick theories line and his funny sunglasses.

it's funny to note, but i like the episodes that are either very silly and light hearted, or incredibly angsty the best. and that may seem contradictory, but you cannot tell me that one breath and humbug may be on opposite ends of the tone spectrum, but they are both objectively Perfect. i'll have to think more on why they are the best in my opinion, but i think honestly i would watch these two read the dictionary.

[lily-alphonse]

OKAY ONE MORE RAREPAIR FROM ME but I feel like I had to send you Gus+Elliott / Gulliott /CookBook :>

COOKBOOK OUR BELOVED

THANK YOU I'M DYING TO INFODUMP ABOUT THIS ONE

I would write an entire longfic for these two if I had the time. I have such messy ideas. CW mention of eating disorder, religious trauma, trans issues (Elliott has had a hard life ok thats why we're giving him happiness)

OK SO

Elliott Backstory (aka all of my insane Elliott headcanons)

Elliott is trans FTM, originally named 'Emma' in a religious family so past is MESSY and traumatic ✨

Begged to go to bible college and was given money for it and just disappeared, using the money to make it to the city (and maybe also top surgery, either way he's had top surgery by the time he makes it to Pelican Town)

Slowly established a new life in the city doing whatever work he could and living as a man now

Always hated the city though and wanted something more rustic to chase his dreams of being a writer

Finally took the plunge when he turned 30 and had a bit of a crisis about it, basically like yeah it's great to be myself now but am I really, when I am crushed by the monotony of the city?

Like he was working so much to try to afford his shitty apartment and testosterone he didn't even have any friends

Also he's anorexic did I mention that lol he does not have a healthy relationship with food. Hates having to stop working to eat, hates cooking, has body dysmorphia for multiple reasons alright

Gus Backstory Using the same backstory from the Gus/Willy rarepair post, he grew up in the city. Part of the down-low queer scene, he had a few boyfriends. A couple of them felt like they could have been true love until reality hit, and there was nothing true about it. He found love in his passions instead, in cooking and found family in a place where life moved slower. Let's make him older like 40s (teehee age gap my beloved STOP I know I'm making it messier deal with it they're both fully adults whatever! I actually headcanon him being in his early 50s so this is already a compromise)

It takes some time for them to properly meet, because Elliott's ID still has his deadname. (He hasn't had the money to do all the legal work to change it and/or he just legally can't change it without a full sex change. But either way his ID still shows him as being a woman.) He could hope that the saloon owner is cool and won't require ID, it is a small town after all. The anxiety over it is enough to keep him away from the saloon for several months after moving there though. He keeps to himself until he can't, because he's started making friends and they wonder why he won't join them for a drink at the saloon.

He makes an excuse that he doesn't really like to drink even though he most definitely does, but Willy argues that he can always just come for the food. Gus is a great cook after all. The thought of food not from the gas station, that he doesn't have to cook himself, is appealing.

In a realization of his worst nightmare, Gus does need to see his ID. Elliott tries to make an excuse but it starts to get awkward. He swallows his fear and gives it to him with a slight tremor in his hand. There's a clear moment of hesitation on Gus' part where he stares at it, but then it's as if nothing happened, the smile back on his face and he hands the ID back to him facedown.

Elliott wants to cry. From relief, from terror, he doesn't know. All of it. The last thing he wants is to be outed in this place that had started to feel like home for once. He gets super wasted to try to deal with it, and stays in his cabin for days waiting for the fallout. The gossip. The world to come crashing down on him. But it doesn't.

Actually the only thing that comes is a knock at the door a few days later. To Elliott's embarrassment, it's Gus. He brushes his hair in a hurry and plasters a smile on his face to answer the door.

Gus seems a little shy, which isn't like him. Gus is bubbly and talkative, usually. But maybe he's just hot from the walk. And the takeout bag in his hands.

"Hello Gus."

"Hi Elliott, um, I hope this isn't a bad time..."

"No, how can I help you?" Elliott leans against the doorway in what he hopes is a casual, unaffected manner. Gus steals furtive glances at Elliott's neck, his hands.

He definitely glanced. Why would he glance?

Gus is gay. Oh my Yoba Gus is gay.

"I was hoping to catch you in the saloon but I haven't seen you since the other night and uh.. I just want to let you know you're safe with me -- here, I mean, you're safe, here. You have friends here."

Elliott is overcome with a myriad of emotions and for once, most of them good. But he is incredibly torn on whether to pull at this thread that has Gus stuttering. It has been a long time since he's had someone so cute in his clutches. But he packs that away for now, letting the relief through instead.

"Thank you. That means a lot, actually... would you like to come in?"

AND THEN they fall in love and its a little messy because they both have their own hangups to overcome but they are so good together because Elliott has a facade up with the rest of the world and wants everyone to like him but goes about it the wrong way, and Gus wears his heart on his sleeve and everyone does love him but he also struggles with setting boundaries and self-love. And they'd have some fights about food but Gus would come to understand his limits and work with him and show him cooking can be fun and everything, GUYS IM SO NORMAL ABOUT THEM IM SO NORMAL (not hyperventilating at all, very casual)

Send me any Stardew Valley rarepair and I will tell you how I would make them work! (Even non-marriage npcs) If youre lucky you may get a mini fic out of it. Check the list below to see if Ive already answered yours

Rarepair Masterlist

[atmilliways]

Wrong On The Money (28)

part 28 of ?? | 862 words | Teen+

Blackmail fic on Ao3 | on tumblr

Summary:

The next time Dustin visits, Eddie goes out of his way to agree that, okay, sure, Steve is pretty great. Dustin is ecstatic, bragging about how he knew they would be friends if they gave each other a chance. Steve himself dozes through the start of the conversation, but Eddie is pretty sure he wakes up with a smile, so who knows.

Happy Monday, have some idiots. (affectionate)

28.

And with that, the floodgates have broken.

-

The next time Dustin visits, Eddie goes out of his way to agree that, okay, sure, Steve is pretty great. Dustin is ecstatic, bragging about how he knew they would be friends if they gave each other a chance. Steve himself dozes through the start of the conversation, but Eddie is pretty sure he wakes up with a smile, so who knows.

-

When Robin stops by, Eddie name drops a possible mutual friend. Her eyes go big and her mouth drops into an O before she rounds on Steve and hisses, “Dingus, I know you’re on medication but did you tell him?”

“What? No,” Steve yelps, eyes flashing back and forth between them in sudden confusion. “I mean—” and oh god, his poker face is laughable, whoever dubbed this guy Mr. Cool was hilariously wrong “—uh, no? Told him what? I don’t know anything.”

Eddie smirks and cuts in with a smooth, “Nah, he’s innocent as a little baby. It just takes one to know one, Bucks.” (He’ll come clean to her about the blackmail some day, but. . . not without the ability to book it out of there in the event of nuclear rage.)

They bond over laughing at Steve for sputtering that he is not a little baby, he was a whole nine pounds at birth—

-

Lucas stops in again, between visits with Max, and Eddie clears the air about the end of the last Hellfire campaign.

“But look,” he concludes, after apologizing for cutting him out, “if it ever comes up again, don’t have your friends try to make the reschedule happen for you, ‘kay? Being there to plead your case is a much better look, and shows a lot more respect for everybody else’s time. Catch me, or . . . whoever runs the club next year, between classes or something.”

The kid nods, saying he will, and after he’s gone Steve peers over at him.

“Are you finally going to graduate this year, Munson?” A little coil of hurt starts to form in Eddie’s chest, only to be immediately unwound when Steve beams at him. “That’s great, man, congratulations! Maybe ‘86 is your year after all.”

“It's not,” Eddie mumbles, face reddening—except for where a livid scar already crawls up the side of his cheek. The stitches only came out of it yesterday. “I missed finals, so it depends whether good ol’ Hawkins High decides to send me off in victory or disgrace, which. . . .” He sighs. “Let’s just say that there’s already a precedent, and it ain’t the good option.”

“Oh come on, if they let me graduate they can let you graduate too,” Steve argues. “I racked up two concussions and a shit-ton of missed days in senior year because of migraines.” (And yeah, Eddie remembers his comment about how he’d helped Wayne and ‘didn't even get another concussion doing it.’ Jesus H. Christ.) “You nearly died, and as far as this town knows it’s because a mob came at you with torches and pitchforks! They can cut you some slack.”

“They won’t.”

“I can call my parents,” Steve offers, and holy shit he looks serious. “My mom’s super respected by the school board. If I promise to move out so they can sell the house, I’m sure she’d do me a favor.”

Eddie winces. “Steve. Where would you live if you did that?”

“With you and Wayne,” he replies, as though it’s the most obvious thing in the world and totally not causing Eddie’s brain to self-destruct. “The government’s giving you guys a house, and I’ve spent the past couple months pre-paying on rent.”

“I. . . .” Eddie blinks. A pretty boy is asking to live with him. A pretty boy he threatened for money, for months, is asking to live with him, even knowing what he did and that he’s a flaming homosexual. “Are you sure you don’t have another concussion?”

“Yeah, nothing got me in the head this time. Why?”

Why. Jesus H. Christ, this guy. “Steve,” Eddie says gravely, “You might be insane. Sweet . . . but insane.”

Steve smiles. “You think I’m sweet?”

“Oh my god.”

-

The thing is, Eddie knows Steve is sweet. In kind of a bitchy way—he’s half convinced the guy plays it a little dumber than necessary sometimes just to wind him up. But that, Eddie's embarrassed to admit to himself, is part of the appeal. Steve keeps him on his toes, which is generally where Eddie likes to be anyway. It’s fun.

But. 

Okay. 

So, he might be falling for Steve Harrington. 

He just can’t see how Steve could ever feel the same. And it’s fine, they can be friends. Shit, with how much half the town still probably hates his guts, Eddie needs all the friends he can get—and he’s got a lot now.

Helping save the world will do that, it seems. 

So Eddie has to kill this crush before it gets any more off the ground than it already has. Kill it with fire, because he doesn’t need an actual rejection (that Steve would be sweet about, fuck) to know that Eddie Munson doesn’t get the guy. Not like that. 

Being friends is fine.

[clivedovelover]

Very politely but sorry i was referring to ur oc aus i saw on the other blog 😭😭😭

IM FINALLY ANSWERing THIS ONE BECAUSE I REALIZED I CaNT ACTUALLY do A COOL THING FOR EVERY AU

Hello sorry i think 4 months passed since this ask was sent i'm kissing you on the forehead anon i'm sorry

Okay so there are 3 AU's or so, i'm still thinking of doing more in relation of these main 3 but i don't know!!

Folie a Deux

I don't have this one super elaborated. I just wanted an AU where Valentine beats the shit out of Clive daily

Basically is an AU where pretty much everything stays the same at first (clive blowing up london, Valentine's mom dying) but in relation of both characters they are more morally dubious, Clive goes to prison but he manages to made it appear as if he killed himself there, and then he runs away with another identity to avoid his sentence.

Valentine thinks, in this AU too, about how clive freed him from his mother and, in some percentage, they both were meant to meet. He doenst feel guilty about these thoughts (not like the original who does feel bad about thinking like that). He also doesn't believe the news about this guy killing himself in prison, he feels so upset about it and takes it as a personal attack, Valentine decides to start investigating about that, mostly because he got a fixation with Clive after the destroying of the city.

One way ir another he finds out that Clive is alive, in an almost empty town. As a said before both of them are more morally dubious SO yknow lol. Valentine's mom is dead and Graciella isn't being really helpful, he doesn't have friends or anyone who is close to him so what he has to loss?

Valentine kidnaps Clive on his own place, knowing no one would look up for him and does shitty stuff to him from time to time, but mostly just keeps him at his mercy. Clive develops Stockholm syndrome

Puppy Love

I guess the name is self explanatory, kind of.

Valentine is 14 and Clive is 17, valentine moves to London way earlier in his life. Graciella is a teen here too with the same age as Clive, they are classmates.

I did this one because i wanted something more light hearted and also because i wanted Renata (Valentine's mom) to interact with Clive in some way.

Valentine is still a lonely kid but at least has Graciella as his friend since is the only other argentinian person on his school.

Graciella doesn't like Clive and Clive doesn't mind her, they just team up when it's needed because it's easier to work with the other.

Valentine has a crush with Clive, and it's silly. He's also 14 because i was that age when i found out about Clive and Professor Layton games hehdhehhe

Im not sure how i want for this one to end, but since it's an AU i can give Clive a happier ending? Maybe

Elope

Again, i'm sooooo creative with the names

It's the same as the original story but it ends different, Clive doesnt kill himself and accepts to run away with Valentine, again lying about his own death. Valentine just leaves a letter for Graciella and she doesn't make the report to the police

They run away to the same town as the Folie a Deux AU and have a pretty calm and nice life, they change their names and formalize a relationship after some time.

Valentine becomes an art and theater teacher for the people of the town and Clive takes care of the house most of the time (for safety reasons mainly)

[drawingjester00]

Here is a small section on the rc9gn x shezow crossover

Guy sighed as they passed the ‘Now Leaving Megadale’ sign. His sister, Kelly, looked at him sympathetically. They both knew this was the end of Shezow. After two years of fighting as her, Guy has embraced her and his femininity. He continued to watch the signs as the family car went down the highway. Kelly put her hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at her.

“I know you are gonna miss being Shezow but this will give you time to focus on being a teen.”

Of course his sister was being level headed about this.

“I know I should be excited for this chance but it feels like i'm losing part of my identity now. We also have friends in Megadale.”

“I'm sure Maz will visit and we can visit him. We are only moving like two hours away.”

Guy sighed, “hopefully this place ain't super lame.”

Kelly smiled and rolled her eyes, “for what its worth this is an exciting new adventure plus we always have each other. Twins got to stick together.”

“Twins got to stick together.”

Guy went back to looking out the window to sulk. The car ride felt like forever but after about two hours they entered the town they will call home. A big sign read ‘Welcome to Norrisville.’ Guy huffed. Even the name of this place sounded boring.

It didn't take long to find their new house. It was nice enough but that did little to sway how Guy was feeling. He also wasn't very keen on spending his weekend unpacking before he started school on Monday. He much rather sulk or literally anything else.

Guy can hear his dad bickering with the movers. They are an hour behind because they stopped for a lunch break. Not long after they came to the realization it's gonna be a hot minute for the truck to get there his parents sent the two off to explore the neighborhood.

Guy initially refused but it didn't take long for his sister to wear him down. They start walking down the street. He could hear kids playing he assumed in their own backyards. He could hear people playing their tvs much too loud. Some people were tending to their lawn but really nothing of interest. At least before he saw two kids who looked about their age exiting one of the houses. They were bickering about something called grave puncher.

The orange haired one noticed them first before nudging the purple hair kid. The kid turned and waved with a smile. In seconds Kelly was over there introducing herself. Guy considered walking away but he thought better of it and joined his sister.

“...and this is my twin brother, Guy.”

The purple hair kid looked at him, “your a guy named Guy. That's so bruce.”

Guy shifted under his gaze. It felt weird. And what the hell did bruce mean? It must be some local slang.

“I'm Randy and this is Howard,” he holds out his hand, “it's nice to meet you both.”

Before either of the twins could shake his hand the orange haired one began dragging him away.

Randy smiled sheepishly before yelling out, “Sorry about Howard and maybe we can show you around Monday!”

It didn't take long for them to be out of sight.

“Randy seemed nice.”

Guy looked at his sister, “we just met him, we don't know that.”

“Key word being seem. Although with the googly eyes you were making…”

“I was not. I never —” Kelly laughed, causing Guy to huff “whatever, let's just keep walking.”

“Sounds like a good idea.”

They explored for a while longer. By the time they got back they had met a few of the other kids. Kelly was excited about their first day. Guy started to get a bit excited too for a different reason. Something was off with that Randy guy and he was gonna find out what. This is exactly what he needed.

Randy and Howard were heading to the Gamehole. He wondered if he should have invited the twins. They seem pretty cool. Although he thought Guy looked like he could see right through him. It felt like Guy could see all of his secrets. His brain couldn't seem to let it go.

“CUNNINGHAM!”

Randy shook his head startled, “what huh?”

“What the juice man? I have been talking to you for the last like five minutes and it's like you nomicon out.”

“Sorry I was just thinking?”

“Is that what I smell burning?”

“Haha, very funny. No but I was thinking about Guy.”

“Guy? Why?” Howard didn't seem to be really interested in the answer.

“I dunno, something in my gut is telling me to keep a close eye on him.”

“My gut is telling me I need some nachos. Let's get a move on.”

It didn't take them long to get to the Gamehole. Howard ate most of the nachos as per usual, but Randy couldn't find it in him to say something about it. He couldn't focus on his mad gaming skills either. Howard was quickly getting annoyed.

[poisonedspider]

Taking a brief brain break before hopping back into drafts. Mostly because Dumblr is the worst and isn't accurate so I was like woooo I'm almost done then suddenly ALL THESE OTHER REPLIES SHOWED UP? So I was like...I'm gonna go find my Hazbin trading cards I got from the preshow pack. I remember getting them and being like who the fuck are half these people, though I screamed that I got Angel. Now that I've seen the show, I'm going to go through them and here is my stupid break down of them.

Oh hey, the first two cards that fell out when I opened the box were Angel and Husk. I didn't even ship them back then so I didn't intentionally place them together. Meant to be.

Sinners is such a generic card. Like wow, thanks for that trading pack. Glad I can just have all the sinners in Hell apparently.

Little did I know when I got these cards how much of a boner I would have for Vox. I am happy as hell that I have this card, but back then I was like who tf is this random ass television man.

Charlie's pitchfork. ITS HOLOGRAPHIC. That is all.

There's a Velvette card? I mean, of course there is, but I don't even remember seeing that when I opened this six months ago.

Cannibal town plaza. I remember getting all these items and locations and being like I DONT CARE but now that I am connected to them it's kind of cool actually.

....another fucking Charlie's pitchfork, only this time it isn't holographic so fuck that boring shit.

Katie Killjoy. Not only is she a cunt, but she's a cunt that barely got any screen time in the season so I think we need more of her.

The parlor. Who the fuck calls it that? I've just been calling it the hotel lobby. This isn't a game of CLUE. No one got murdered in the parlor with the butcher knife.

Sir Pentious' ray gun. I'd like this card more if I felt a strong connection to Pentious. It's growing because of @sirserpentine but before that I was like...I do not like this character I do not want this card.

Mimzy. Her boobs look really great on the card, gotta say. I think getting this card made me feel like she would play a bigger role. Maybe she was supposed to, because let's be real, her part of the song makes zero sense.

OH MY GOD THERE'S A SUSAN CARD> Going through these post-show versus pre-show is a fucking TRIP.

Moaning at the fact that I have a Lucifer Morningstar card.

Woooo Vaggie, and she is ALSO holographic. Should I pair her with the pitchfork? Also do I have the whole main cast? Guess we will find out.

Tom Trench. He can go hang with the Katie card. The only reason I like him is because he clearly watches Angel's work.

ANGELS TOMMY GUN. I did not appreciate this card as much back then, but I do now. Especially since trying to find a prop tommy gun for my cosplay has been ridiculously challenging.

Sir Pentious! Yay! Almost the entire main cast. The preshow deck came with....three decks? I think? So I still have quite a few to go. Making strides.

I remember getting this Loan Shark card and being like....the fuck are you. The only reason he even matters to me is because he wants to bang Angel in the club and we think that's kind of hot.

Shrunken head keychain. Knowing that this is what Charlie gifts Vaggie from her trip to Cannibal Town actually makes this card kind of sweet. I think before I assumed there was a correlation with Alastor.

Hazbin Hotel. Wow. It has its own card. Its like the entire show is named after it or something.

ANOTHER ray gun, only this time it's holographic as well! What is with all the weapons being holos? Give me more holo characters.

Winners. You know, until I started roleplaying here, I didn't realize they were actually called that? I know Adam says it in the song, but I thought it was just because he meant sinners were all losers, not that winners was actually their title.

Charlie Morningstar. C'mon card deck, only a few to go. Also this picture of her on the card looks super weird, and I honestly prefer her pilot name, don't at me.

Heaven's courthouse. Since this is one of my favorite scenes in the entire series, I'll accept it.

Lute. I don't remember this card at all. Now that I know all the characters, I'm glad I have this card as well. I just wish it would have her without the mask because gosh is she beautiful.

Razzle and Dazzle. RIP.

The heaven embassy. Not going to lie, I'm kind of over these location cards. I'm running out of cards and I am still missing some characters I love. I would rather have those.

Moneyshot. Angel literally rolled his eyes at the card and threw it.

Adam. Okay, okay, so the deck has every boy I plan on cosplaying, which I can appreciate....

...but guess I need to buy more decks because I DONT EVEN HAVE ALASTOR!? And it's a crime to not have Valentino (Angel is gagging don't mind him) but have the other Vees.

[yuckytastic]

‼️jort 2 update because its been nearly 2 weeks and hes been through a lot‼️

kinda annoyingly long so its under the cut

ok so jort 2 was doing fine till i had loads of art hw for gcse (help) and so i did that and ignored all of jort 2's cries for help. then after that to reward myself for finishing like one (1) evaluation bc i wasnt feeling motivated i played slime rancher for 2-3 hours maybe (side rant i love my slimes theyre so silly<333 my favourites are the honey and plant ones because when they merge theyre so pretty<33 i also love phosphor slimes and i need to make a lantern of them for my room or something because i should start a shrine)

anyway.

so jort 2 was sick and i didnt cure him in time and he started beeping like the heart rate monitors do as someones heart is slowing which i feel is a little morbid but he died. i think i apologised on my last post in the notes

the caption aged badly but yeah

so i needed name ideas and luckily his death presented the perfect opportunity as @moon-inspector suggested jelly so thank you<3

then i lost the tamagotchi.

id taken him out when i went in town with my friends a couple of times and i thought he might have fallen out of my tote bag next to a bench and i was really upset because he was £20 and also he was really cool (and also i lost something and was about to cry but fear of crying in public saved me🔥🔥🔥🔥) so i was sad :c

then me and my family went to the countryside and i got to do hiking which is super epic and i touched so much grass and lo and behold who was in my coat pocket but jort 2 himself (technically his corpse) but i found him yay

then my friend taught me how to mute him because one time he woke me up at night and while trying to do that i accidentally hatched one but because i wasnt intending to he kinda died (that wasnt jelly tho that was jort 2.5 because i want to give jelly a long and fulfilling life)

so that concludes the adventures of jort in the past 2 weeks ish where i forgot/ couldnt be bothered to update bc i had other things to do (watching youtube videos)

ill probably hatch jelly like tomorrow

[gisxlles]

(JASMIN HOPPE, CIS WOMAN, SHE/HER) - is GISELLE BRANDT late to class again? how does the 21 year old JUNIOR expect to get their degree in DIGITAL MEDIA? professors say that they are AFFECTIONATE but i heard that they are TRACTABLE. hopefully they’ll make it to graduation! ooc: hi all! i'm marie and i'm super excited to get to know all your characters. i have to hop off for a work event (and will probably be lurking on mobile) but i'll be back on tonight to read over intros & reach out to plot. speaking of, if you want to plot with giselle, give this a like & i'll message you!!

basics.

full name: giselle marie brandt

nickname: gigi

age: twenty-one

dob: february 28, 2000

hometown: timber creek, ma

ethnicity: thai & german

sexuality: bicurious

languages: english (fluent), thai (fluent), german (conversational)

appearance.

faceclaim: jasmin hoppe

hair color: brunette with lighter brown/dark blonde highlights

eye color: brown

height: 5'5

tattoos: a small b&w tattoo of a flower on her left outer wrist

piercings: just her ears are pierced

family.

mother: chalita somsi

father: henri brandt

pets: shepard brandt (a grey british shorthair cat)

background.

the brandt family is considered something akin to royalty within timber creek; the family establishing it's roots in the town since the beginning. their name coming to be through successful business ventures, the most notable being the opening of timber creek university. the man who was to inherit the business and the woman he married (who his family wasn't fond of) didn't expect to welcome a bundle of joy into the world so soon but here came giselle. she brought a happiness to the couple and hopes that this child could fix their marital problems. how naive of them to think that though. the cheating continued on henri's part and chalita struggled with this loneliness for years. giselle was oblivious to it all. her views of being a princess esque figure in this fairytale life she was living clouding what was in front of her. her fairytale came crashing down when she was ten. her mother had enough of this life and filed for divorce. her father got custody of giselle but she saw her mother part of the summer and for some holidays. the little girl couldn't understand what happened to the love between her parents she thought she'd seen through the years. how could it just disappear? how did her family break? giselle grew older. henri remarried (but still struggled with infidelity). they were a new family. with that, giselle finally got a glance of what her mother was put through. she never wanted to be put through that so she vowed to forget about the whole storybook love she once wanted. a love life that only consisted of hookups, one night stands with strangers, or fake dates to appease her parents. as giselle enters her junior year at timber creek uni, she still struggles with what she wants out of life. when you've been given everything you've ever wanted in life, what more could you ask for?

headcanons.

even after everything, giselle is still a daddy's girl. it helps that he spoils her with anything she wants.

one of her favorite things to do is ice skate. it's something she use to do with her mother a lot growing up and she's pretty good at it. maybe not olympic level good but she's earned a couple medals & trophies.

her other favorite thing to do is play video games. it's her way to de-stress / when she wants to be alone. her fave game is probably mass effect (hence her cat's name).

wanted.

step - sibling (wanted connection on main)

fake boyfriend (wanted connection on main)

the trinity - give me a cute little trio of besties that are always there for each other. pls let me know if u are interested in this! (nora vogel & OPEN)

family friends - the brandts are well known so maybe our families know each other

tutor - giselle isn't the greatest when it comes to schoolwork so she probably needs help in a class or two

ice skating partner - she does pairs so it would be cool to have a partner here

the co-op couch - someone who will play video games with her. they bring the snacks and she provides the drinks and they play all night long.

the set up - giselle humored her parents one time and went on a date with someone they set her up with and it was y/c. they did NOT hit it off and it ended in disaster.

the puppeteer - giselle is pretty gullible so maybe someone is manipulating her for something? that could be fun!

hookups / one night stands - giselle avoids relationships but she's all for hooking up and leaving in the middle of the night.

the one who got away - this person is probably the closest one to get giselle to admit to some feelings. she really liked them but refused to acknowledge it and sabotaged whatever was between them. a regret of hers.

girl crush - giselle's never dated or hooked up with a woman before but she is curious about it. she finds y/c attractive but doesn't know if she is bisexual?

rivals - sporting rivals could be fun! giselle does tennis and ice skating and maybe they are always trying to one up each other.

ex-friends - the two used to be close but something happened which caused their friendship to end??

enemies - someone who just does not like giselle and giselle doesn't like them.

really i'm open to any & all ideas so if you have something that giselle could fill, throw it my way to discuss!!

[3terna15unshin3]

Then Because She Goes

I wake up, love you, so love you, love you

★ Chapter 5 of 15, 4926 words

★ Matty Healy x Original Female Character

★ warnings: alcohol consumption

<< 4

25 December, 2018

The holidays were celebrated peacefully and with tons of food, in the Manansala family. Este’s mum and dad spent the day cooking all of her favourite Filipino food for an early Christmas dinner, then enjoyed a classic roast dinner the next afternoon on Boxing Day. 

Well-fed and happy to be back home to hang out with their family dog Dano (a mellow golden retriever, named after Este’s obsession with the film Little Miss Sunshine), she had a relaxing holiday. And, as much as the regressive feeling of staying in her childhood house sort of stressed her out, Este took advantage of her last couple of days off of work by not making many plans. 

That was until she got a message from Matty. He always hopped around for Christmas, since his own friends and family were messily dispersed between London and the north countryside. He and the rest of the band were allowed a holiday break from rehearsals, so he spent late December basking in the calm before the storm. Matty knew he’d eventually be in Manchester with some free time. So, he decided to send Este a text. 

Their conversation had graduated to iMessage after Matty suggested the idea that night in Kingston. As nice as their budding friendship had been, he found himself thinking of Este with affection. How she could make him laugh both on purpose and by accident, the way her hair sat lazily on the edges of her face, her love for books and her skill for allowing other people to experience what she feels when reading them. 

So, he considered maybe asking her on a date. But the idea of that scared Matty—the formality of asking, the possibility of rejection. When trying to assume if she felt the same way, he was coupled with uncertainty, but he reached out anyway.

Este

Tue, 25 Dec at 13:02 PM

Merry Christmas x

Free to grab coffee on the 28th? 6 ish?

I’ll be in town that evening, if u are up for it

Only a couple of messages were sent between them since the album release party. Este, of course, showered him in flattery after first listening to it, whole-heartedly impressed by his work. Since Matty’s drunk words were sober thoughts that night, he really did care about Este’s opinion of him. He bubbled with joy when reading her messages. If she was telling the truth, that is. But Matty didn’t take her as a liar.

It had been busy for both of them; Matty was doing press for the month following A Brief Inquiry’s release and rehearsing for tour, while Este, Sam, and Oliver were dealing with the pre-holiday retail craziness. With that in mind, Matty was surprised to get a fairly quick response from her.

Este

Tue, 25 Dec at 14:10 PM

28th is my first day back to work :( off at 8 as usual

But we can do something afterwards if that's not too late?

And Merry Christmas to you too x hope you’re enjoying a break from the craziness

I am thank you !

I could just come by and hang out while u work bc I love it there Lol

Unless it’ll be busy I can just meet you there after close

That would be lovely! It’s always super slow the week after Christmas anyway

Everyone’s too busy raiding the big shops for the sales

ok cool I’ll probably show around 6:30

I need to chat to ur face about the album too :P

You’ve said enough about the album Este bloody hell

I don’t think I can take another compliment

Ego been fed enough lately?

Yeah actually thanks

Trying to learn how to be humble

Thank god x

✴ 28 December, 2018

A bay of colourful spines stared at Este as she stood in the Teen Fiction section trying to help a middle-aged mum find a book for her daughter. Every fragment of her teenage memories that popped into her mind felt outdated or not the right fit for the customer. 

“I find that she’s rarely challenged with the books she reads, you know? I want her to really fall into the trance of a novel, have it leave an effect on her. I don’t think a book has done that for her yet,” the mum explained passionately.

Este thought back to the moments she felt that way for a book. One she read a couple of years ago—when she was definitely too old to do so—came up. Its heavy subject matter and vast symbolism and imagery struck her. Her hands picked the familiarly bright blue book. 

“This one’s called Challenger Deep. I read it well into my twenties, but it explores topics I think other teen fiction writers refuse to explore. A little heavy, but for the right purpose. I think your daughter would love it, if she feels really deeply, like me.”

The mother, Orla, spent another 25 minutes chatting with Este about the intensity of being a teenager in the state of the world. A phenomenon the book shop worker never got sick of was getting a peek into the lives of the people of Manchester. Este felt like every time someone new walked into the shop, she got to know her city a bit better.

“Thank you again, Este. You’ve been lovely,” said Orla after checking out the novel for her daughter. Her boots then stepped out of the shop and into the breezy evening air.

The quiet day continued, piles of books slowly getting sorted through and reorganised. Matty, of course, was on her mind. Este watched the clock as 6:30 neared, but no text came through from him yet. She was hoping he wouldn’t catch her while deep in conversation with another customer, or (embarrassingly) struggling to carry a stack of books.

Once 6:50 rolled around, Este finally heard from him.

matty

Fri, 28 Dec at 18:49 PM

Sorry im already late

Just left late tbh

Lol ur fine

Do you like bubble tea??

You realise I’m Asian right???? course I like bubble tea

and you don’t have to bring anything! I’m okay

Omg you’re asian I would have ever guessed

Shut up and tell me your order

Matcha milk tea with pearls pls

Thank you xx

Ok gonna be even more late now but u know why so

Matty didn’t end up walking through the front door until quarter past seven. “There he is,” commented Este.

He held the two bubble tea drinks, one in each hand, raising them both in celebration. “I made it,” he said, handing her the green one. “Only 40 minutes late!”

After thanking him, Este took hers to the counter to set it down and puncture the top with the pointy side of the straw. Matty did the same. She looked at his drink, taking note of its purple colour. “You like taro?”

He looked at her, confused. “Yes? Should I not like taro?”

A laugh escaped from her lips and she shook her head no. “You should. I love taro. Just surprised, that’s all,” she admitted without elaborating. 

“You’re surprised because I’m white and uncultured and should be picking, like, strawberry or something, aren’t you?” 

“I didn’t say that.”

✴

Matty carried over a metal stool from the back room to set it next to the one Este sat on. Together, they sat behind the counter, sipping on their teas and chewing up the boba. 

“Can you let me say one more thing about the album? So I can just get it out and then move on?” asked Este. Matty sat on her left, fidgeting with the spinning seat of his stool, swivelling back and forth over and over; while she sat still and faced him fully.

“Okay, fine. This is your last chance.”

She smiled, happy to be able to get her last point out. “My favourite track isn’t Love It If We Made It, like you’d think.”

“Really? What is it then?”

“I Couldn’t Be More In Love.”

Matty looked back at her for a second, shocked. “Tell me why.”

“It sort of feels like being down on your knees and screaming at the sky. And it sounds really guttural. Your voice carries with so much urgency. I love its composition too, with the twinkly 90s sounding keys and saxophone solo and key change. It has all the elements of a standard, a perfected and refined sound—that almost holds down the rawness of the vocal.”

His swivelling gradually slowed to a halt as Este spoke. She had pointed out every aspect of the song that Matty loved, while her hands gesticulated in front of her, helping her process her own thoughts. Every word she used felt carefully chosen and placed strategically. It was refreshing.

“You know,” Matty started, with a smile of gratitude hanging from his mouth. “I recorded that vocal, like, a day before I went to rehab. So there was this hopelessness to them, and to be honest I sang it better after I got out. But it just felt right, so we left ‘em.” 

“That makes me like it even more,” Este replied shortly, chewing more pearls and looking at him with admiration. She sensed he had more to say, so she let him continue. 

“And not many people know, but it isn’t about a girl or romantic relationship. I wrote it about the idea of, like, what happens if all of this disappears—when nobody cares. Getting to do this thing, writing music, and having it personally affect people and being able to keep making more. It’s genuinely the one way I make sense of the world. Not even the fact that I have that vehicle to process my emotions but just knowing that it’s there. What happens when I’m not sure it’s there anymore?”

She let the information sit between the two of them for a beat. “Things always make sense when you’re the one explaining them.” They smiled at each other. “It’s comforting. Makes me feel hopeful. Like, if someone understands themself in this way then maybe one day I will too. An understanding deep enough to remain curious.”

He laughed, swishing around the straw in his close to empty bubble tea. Setting it down on the counter, Matty’s feverish hands reached for something else to twiddle with. A stack of sticky notes was in his hands, now ripping the yellow sheets into skinnier strips and connecting them end to end to make one long piece. 

“When I listened the first time, I obviously thought it was about a relationship. So it made me think of an ex of mine,” Este mentioned hesitantly, watching Matty toy with the paper, nervous to bring up what she was about to. “It was my first time, like, actually being in love. So after things didn’t work out, it was so hard for me to grasp just not loving her anymore. When all I’d done the whole time was love her. So that whole, ‘What about these feelings I’ve got?’ thing really hit me.”

Matty paused for a second, having a quick panic internally. Is Este gay? I thought Cate was the gay one. It was embarrassing to imagine beginning to pursue someone not interested in him, let alone anyone of his gender. If that was the case, their friendship would be just fine the way it is—but his infatuation felt too far gone to reverse. 

“That’s kind of where that line came from. And what I want people to feel when they listen. But when I thought about what it means to me, it wasn’t romantic at all,” he said. “Have you loved anyone since then?”

“No. Not in the same way. The true bisexual experience is having a huge pool of humans you could be attracted to and then not liking any of them. At least for me,” Este responded, bringing a light-heartedness back into her speech. Matty relaxed in reassurance and joined her in laughter. Bi. Good. Phew, even. “Was it easy? Figuring out your sexuality, I mean?”

She got up to walk over to the door and bolt it shut, flipping the sign to read ‘closed’. “In a way. Growing up, I thought the feelings I had for girls weren’t the same as the ones I had for boys, just because I thought they had to be different. Even though I knew they were there. And then I grew up—learning more and more—and things started to make sense. But it was never fully easy, or linear. Or definitive.”

She sat back down, continuing to watch Matty fold up the ripped paper. He brought one end of the strip of paper up and around itself. Using his fingers to flatten it, a small pentagon was formed, and he took the remaining length of paper to resume folding. 

“That’s sort of what I find so difficult about it,” he admitted. “So many people over the years have taken what I say about my sexuality and construed it to mean something concrete—when that’s just not how I see it.”

His thumb nail, one by one, made small creases in each side of the flat chunk of paper to create the recognisable five points of a star. Matty set it down, now complete, on the counter and slid it over to Este. She picked it up and rolled it in her fingers, replying while studying it and bringing it close to her face. “It’s for sure frustrating when people think they know you better than you know yourself.”

Matty grabbed another couple of sticky notes to start another star. “I’m kind of envious of people like you, you know. Who have it figured out. I have such a hard time letting myself truly feel things that I find myself coming millimetres close to understanding myself in a different way than before and then I just pull away at the last minute. Just in fear of not liking what I discover, or looking stupid. Which I should stop being scared of.”

“I don’t have it all figured out, not even a little bit.” Este ripped up a few papers to try and copy him but she failed. No words had been shared between them about the technique, since they were busy conversing, so she only had the visual aid of Matty making another in front of her. She gave up, letting him just hand over the second one for her to hold. “You being aware of that fear is enough understanding in itself, in my opinion.”

They sat quietly for a couple of seconds, Este finishing her last few sips of tea and tossing the empty cup into the bin. “Is that what Sincerity Is Scary is about? That fear?”

He looked at her, nodding to confirm her question. “The stupidity of that fear.”

“Wow, I should become a music journalist or something,” she joked, shocked that she got it right.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, darling.”

Matty made more stars as their conversation persisted. He varied the width of every strip of paper to make ones of all sizes. A pile of yellow origami accumulated. Este watched, still not understanding how it was done. She found it endearing—and quite cute—to witness the attention and effort he was putting into the mundane craft. 

“You hungry?” she asked, finding a lull in their discussions. 

He glanced up at the clock, seeing its hands pointing at 10:07pm. “Always,” agreed Matty. “In the mood for something specific?”

Este remembered that she had walked to work that afternoon, after lending her car to Cate for the day while hers was getting serviced. So, she considered places within walking distance from Greenhouse. “Piccadilly Tavern does some good food. Just down the road,” she suggested. 

“Sounds good to me.”

They gathered Matty’s collection of stars into the corner of the counter, while Este secretly hoped Sam would leave them there for her to be able to collect them again tomorrow, and then put on their jackets. His bubble tea was now empty and in the bin alongside hers. 

Small clicks were heard while the two walked around the shop to turn off the lamps. Then, they were out the door one after the other, Este locking up behind them, and taking off to the pub. Matty extended his arm, bent at the elbow, towards her. She noticed—confused at first—but eventually wrapped her own around it and came close to the warmth of his body. The air sat at a chilly 5°C, but it didn’t feel that way when they had the other so close. 

As the pub neared, Matty and Este observed its packed nature from the outside window. They had both forgotten the state of pubs on Friday nights. 

“I honestly don’t think we’ll even physically fit inside,” he said as they paused before the door. Their arms were still linked. Este had to stop herself from accidentally stepping on Matty’s foot.

“I’d suggest another place, but they do a great margherita pizza here and it’s kind of all I can think about right now,” she confessed. 

He chuckled. “We can takeaway?” Matty pulled the door open, and she went in, approving of his suggestion. 

The wait for a pizza to share was only 15 minutes and Este left her number to get a call when they were ready; so they sat on the curb outside to avoid the bustling building. Despite him protesting, she paid for the food. Matty had already bought the drinks from earlier, so Este argued that it only made sense for her to cover dinner. He gave in.

“Oh, I have news for you,” Matty mentioned vaguely. 

Este was curious. “News?”

“Yeah. I finished On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous last night.”

“Go on! How do you feel?” she eagerly pushed. Matty dragged out his thoughts with silence to build suspense, making her writhe in impatience. Este shoved his shoulder with hers to try and get his words out faster. “Seriously, if you have anything bad to say about this one I might have to walk away right now. That’s a warning.” 

“I think it’s my favourite piece of fiction I’ve read in the past three years.”

✴

The pub rang Este about their ready-to-go pizza in the middle of their conversation about On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. They talked about Vuong’s words and what made them so poignant, and Matty even claimed that her annotations benefited his reading experience (and embarrassing her by referencing some of her notes verbatim). 

Matty offered to go inside to fetch their takeaway and carried it for the entirety of the walk to her flat, after they decided it was more sensible to go there rather than camping out in Greenhouse after hours. Plus, she knew that Cate would be staying over at Georgia’s for the night, so they’d have the place to themselves. By the time they got up to Este’s door, the food was still hot, since her flat was only a short walk from The Piccadilly Tavern. 

“Must be nice to live in this area. To be within walking distance to your work and all of the shops around Piccadilly and everything,” commented Matty. 

“Yeah. It's busy, though. And it makes it too easy to just stay in my little bubble and never leave.”

She held the door open for Matty and the pizza box to squeeze through, and he set it on the dining room table. 

“When I was in my early twenties—living here—I wouldn’t have ever wanted to leave,” he admitted.

Their jackets came off. 

“Water okay with you?” she asked, jug in hand. “It’s either that or wine. Choose wisely.” 

He opened up their takeaway, positioning the pizza so that they could share it, and then took a seat. “I mean… I’ve got no plans in the morning that a hangover could disturb. Do you?”

Este paused to think and then turned to pull on the handle of the drawer beneath the microwave, pulling out a corkscrew. Matty laughed at her non-verbal answer to his question and graciously accepted the glass of red she poured for him.

Their first bites of pizza hit the spot. Este wasn’t lying when she said the Tavern did a great margherita. They spent a couple of minutes eating, with small portions of conversation squeezing between their mouthfuls of pizza. 

“So what’s next year looking like for you? Touring the world?” she asked, stopping at her third slice. 

“Yeah, pretty much.” Matty wiped his mouth with a napkin before continuing. “We start with the UK in early January, bit of a break in February. Then, hopefully the Brits—if we’re nominated. Off to South America for some festivals, then Coachella and US tour through to June maybe? Coming back over during the summer for Big Weekend and a bunch of European festivals. Summer Sonic in Japan, Reading and Leeds. Australia and then Asia—I think ending it off with more US dates. All while writing and recording the next album, too.”

Este’s mouth hung open, struggling to conceptualise his crazy schedule. A whole year of travelling? Non-stop? It seemed impossible to her. She realised that it’s Matty’s job and that he’d done it before, so it must not be as scary to him. “Wow,” was all she could mutter out. 

“Yeah, I know,” he said with a chuckle.

“I don’t know if I’d survive that.”

“I barely did, last cycle. Did a bunch of smack, and stuff.” He sipped his wine and laughed. The glass was close to empty now. “But it’s worth it in the end."

She dusted the powdery flour accumulating on her fingertips into the corner of the box, considering the fact that it may be the last time she saw Matty for a while. It unexpectedly saddened Este. Conversing over text was fun and friendly, but moments like that first night; sitting on the couch and sipping beers in her flat, or drunkenly shouting at each other over the music in Kingston, and making origami stars behind the counter at Greenhouse, all made her realise how great his company was. Her attachment grew. Would their connection sustain through the year he was away? Does he even want it to sustain? she pondered.

“I’ll have to write down that crazy schedule on paper to break the news to my nan that you can’t attend her party,” Este joked. 

“When is it?” Matty asked. 

She could see a glimmer in his eye. Oh god. He wants to come, she thought. “No,” denied Este. “You’re not coming.”

A smile grew on his face as he realised she was onto his intent of asking. “Come on. Tell me when it is,” he insisted, playfulness evident in his voice.

“You’ll be on tour, Matty. I’m not going to make you show up to a banquet hall to celebrate my nan and granddad’s anniversary.” 

“It’s not ‘making me show up’ if she told you to invite me and if I want to go,” Matty argued. 

Este covered her face in embarrassment, with her elbows resting on the table in front of her, in disbelief that he wanted the information out of her. She spoke a ‘no’ but it was muffled by her hands in front of her mouth. He reached forward, pulling them away to reveal her face. In a flustered state, he noticed her mouth twitching up and down to try and stop a smile from showing up. Matty’s eyes found hers. He put on the biggest, corniest smile he could; eyes squinting, cheeks flexed, all teeth on display. Este couldn’t help but let her smile escape, Matty succeeding. She let out a laugh. 

“9th of February. Saturday,” she gave in.

Racking his brain for the specifics, he realised that the 9th was when he’d be off, after the UK leg and before South America. Matty couldn’t believe the coincidence, laughing to himself in bewilderment. “I’ll be in London.”

“For a show?”

“No. Home. Off, free. Perfect time to attend a dinner and dance event held in a banquet hall.”

She looked at him in disbelief. “Be serious please, Matty.”

“I am.”

Este shook her head, deciding to avoid the conversation and pouring them both another glass instead. And then she poured another, and another. It neared two o’clock in the morning, the both of them lounging comfortably on the couch together. The bottle of red was empty, a beer sat in front of each of them on the coffee table, and they were passing a now second and half-smoked joint back and forth. Crossed out of their minds, the previously deep and thoughtful conversations from earlier in the night were long gone. 

Matty found himself doing things like explaining, in detail, the (objectively, according to him) correct way to put shoelaces into a pair of Converse; which he didn’t know he was so passionate about until he caught himself talking about it for far too many minutes. Este happily listened, equally as tipsy and high as him, shooting back with random tangents of the same minuscule relevance. It was the most fun each of them had all week.

The influence in their system along with the late hour of the night forced any remaining walls between them to falter. Este reached and touched his knee in laughter a few too many times to go unnoticed by Matty. He watched her eyes linger at the ink on his forearms that poked out of his cotton shirt while he blabbered. Her hands constantly reached up to flip the gold dragonfly hanging around her neck, but she always did.

Likewise, she caught sight of him breaking eye contact more than ever before. It looked like he was looking down at her lips, but she wasn’t sure. The curls on Matty’s head were disturbed by his fidgety hands every few seconds. Este thought it looked nice when they were messy so she wouldn’t dare complain. 

“I feel like there's wet concrete behind my eyes when I try to close them and open them again,” he said to nobody in particular, obviously tired.

“That was a weirdly descriptive way to say your eyelids are heavy.”

“Yeah I know, but that’s what it feels like.” Matty clicked the power button on his phone and read the time. It was past three now. He flipped it around to show Este. “I think it’s bedtime.”

She stood up, reaching into the basket of miscellaneous throw blankets that sat in the corner of her living room and tossing one to Matty. It landed directly on top of his head and made him giggle. They were both smart enough to know that there was no way Este would let him leave this late, so she didn’t bother even asking him to stay. 

“Don’t be alarmed if you hear me get up a million times during the night. Wine makes me wee,” she warned with a slight slur to her speech. 

“Noted.” Matty untied his shoes to remove them before pivoting his legs onto the sofa where Este was previously sat, laying flat. “Thank you for the pizza. And wine, and weed. And for letting me stay over.”

“You’re welcome. Now you know what I get up to on Friday nights.” She took a cushion from the opposite end, near his feet, and then walked back to where his head sat. Standing behind the arm of the sofa, Este lifted his head to place it underneath. He looked up at her and uttered a small ‘thank you’. 

She smiled back and laughed. “Your face looks silly when it's upside down.”

He wanted to pretend to be offended but he was too tired to carry out the bit.

Este continued to potter around the flat, still wanting to clean up after their night by putting the scattered bottles and glasses near the sink and closing the pizza boxes from the table. When it was tidy, she made her way back over to Matty. “You’re okay with sleeping here? On the sofa?”

He nodded, barely awake. “Of course. Don’t worry about me, I’ll knock out as soon as I close my eyes,” he assured her. Este was about to turn towards her room when Matty grabbed her hand to stop her first. “Wait, before I forget. On Beauty and Being Just.”

She raised her eyebrows. “On beauty and being just what?”

“It’s an essay you should read. Been on my mind all night but I couldn’t remember the title and it’s only just now come back to me.”

Este promised to read it but was unsure if she’d remember what was called in the morning. Walking away, she switched off the big light, before the two of them said a final goodnight. Not bothering to change her clothes, she fell asleep soundly.

6 >>

[clunelover]

I did talk to BFF about my sister and it was overall positive but kind of challenging emotionally. Part of the issue is that she’s like "oh I’ve let that all go now, I’m not mad at her at all" but like…she is and I can tell from how she talks about my sister when the topic comes up. She also is convinced that I feel like I’m in the mom role and therefore have to protect my sister…not quite! My sister puts me in the mom role and I hate it, more like! But she brought up the good point that part of the reason she doesn’t say things about her baby in the chat that includes my sister, is because I never talk about my kids in there either…and I was like "oh yeah, cause my sister’s replies are always sort of off and they bother me so then I stop." Like this time I shared a pic of E after they came back from their first ever basketball game that they went to with Girl Scouts, and they were all pumped and had been given a cool hat with the gay pride flag inside the outline of Wisconsin, and I said something about how they were all of a sudden SUPER into basketball, and my sister just said "lol." Hard to explain why that made me annoyed I guess but it did! lol.

Anyway I was all distraught after she left, just feeling bad about things with my family, because it feels like I have to accept things as they are (but I don’t want to!) or get proactive about trying to change things, meet people where they are, etc (resentful that everything is on me as per usual! I don’t think these people consider meeting me where *I* am!)

Anyway I was turning that over and thinking about what exactly to say to my sister (cause I think she misunderstood my "hey you should invite us over" message but also I shouldn’t have said it in the first place so I was going to send some sort of "hey never mind, I was being controlling and trying to manage your relationship, do whatever you want" message but the thought of what exactly I’d say had me VERY UPSET and then something dawned on me - why the f am I spending so much mental energy on my sister who, regardless of what she actually feels towards me or my kids, isn’t really emotionally available to be the kind of sister/aunt I wish for…I should instead be trying to nurture relationships that DO make me feel good (or…dare I say…forge new ones??)

So I set up a dinner with me and BFF and my other best friend for next weekend. If I can decide some likely dates I’m going to invite over a family who we were pretty close friends with before we moved to this house, try to reconnect with them a bit.

And I was mulling over how else adults create community and find friends, and then I picked E up from camp and they randomly said "I think there are four Jewish kids at my camp" and I asked how that came up/why it was on their mind…they said "I don’t know"…I guessed it was maybe because we have common Jewish last name and so people often assume we are Jewish (they said no, that wasn’t it), and THAT led us to a discussion of religion in families and I was saying how daddy and I both come from families where our parents were raised very religious and then they decided not to raise their kids that way, so my parents didn’t take me to church and daddy’s mom didn’t take him to temple, which is fine, although maybe we would have liked those things and we never got to know. And that made me realize, oh yeah, religious communities are one big way adults meet each other!

I shared all of this with Jeremy later and said for various reasons I’m not that interested in joining the UU church in town, but I’d be interested in checking out a Quaker meeting, and he said "whoa, I was just today reading a substack post by someone I like, about how they are an atheist but attend Quaker meetings, and I thought it sounded really great! Let’s do that!" SO all this to say, I think we’re going to try that tomorrow! Posting here partly for accountability so I actually do it.

[mama-scarebear]

I like this method of communication I suppose but I do think I will stop overpopulating your blog with massive text posts after this haha.

That is interesting. I'd love to hear if there were any specific ways your being punk and witch inspired one another. Were you a chaote by chance?

Yes, her portrayal of gender nonconformity is super awesome. I hope you end up with an amazing tattoo. Will you be giving her some sort of design or giving her creative freedom?

I grew up on a small island, so I totally get that re: rural living. I hope the local community you mentioned in your other message are cool and that if you do want to be recruited that it's fulfilling for you.

I looove some of those bands, Whoredrobe, Pat The Bunny (a solid fave from the list so far - i'm not a good person). I don't know the rest of these, so I'll be checking them out. I love being exposed to new music :D.

That style of festival sounds way more fun. The body aches can be worth it :D I recently did something similar to that but it was a food truck festival kind of thing. It was fun. It was still quite busy but also much smaller.

I love hearing about you so I guess it works out. Also yeah I got that kind of vibe from it. I love a girl with a good dose of whimsy. A part of mine comes from my love of claymation and stop animation.

🪽

Hey now this is my blog and I've not asked you to stop yet. Don't you be so presumptuous as to assume I dislike these back and forths of ours.

I was nothing so formal. I contended myself with just exploring and practicing broadly, mixing everything pêle-mêle. My old witch tendencies and my punk tendencies were born from the same place though. Namely rebelling against my literally Christo fascist upbringing. Nowadays I think I fall more along the lines of Christian folk magic more than anything else.

Ill be giving her a vague idea and then creative freedom. All I want is a strong woman of some kind. Maybe a barbell? Who knows.

The head hunting has been successful. I start working for that organization in August. It'll be interesting if nothing else. The local queer community is rather spread out and solitary so there's not much of a community there. My main focus and goals are to put in place groundwork for future queer folks to find and build upon.

Pat the Bunny is a personal fsvourite and has been for a long time. I recommend Your Heart Is A Muscle The Size Of Your Fist. It's a sad but moving song.

It was a lot of fun but made me need a cane for a few weeks afterwards. Its on me for getting in the pit with a recently healed fracture though. Smaller events are my type of thing. I like small town shows and festivals or at least underground ones.

My love of strange art comes mainly from my love of puppetry as an art form. Especially in TV and film. It's a dying art but when done well or intriguingly is very evocative. I'm also just not somebody who likes following the mainstream at all. Counter culture runs deep in my bones.

[godblessyoublackemperor]

stratford on avon travelogue aka benny's really good super nice day (part 1 of 2)

IIIIIII decided to go to stratford on avon today bc i've been meaning to go for a while and I've got this week off (birthday tomorrowwwww) - cham was gonna come too but had a bit too much work so it was just me, and I was slightly apprehensive about that but i actually had an incredible day and I'm going to tell you all about it RIGHT NOW

I left the house at noonish, its a roughly 45min drive from worcester and the drive was actually really nice, all relatively fast b roads/country lanes. I didn't really have a plan for the day other than just walk around, maybe see some shakespeare shit, otherwise just see my little lizard brain took me, so I just set the sat nav for "stratford on avon" and set off. When i got to the town outskirts i immediately saw signs for anne hathaway's cottage so i was like "yeah aight" and turned off, went down some cute semi-rural residential streets and arrived in a nice green leafy neighbourhood with a nearly deserted car park (no bank holiday today in the uk, we have it next monday). I noticed the minimum stay was 3 hrs so i was like hmmmmm and then when i got to the cottage it turns out you can buy a ticket that gets you into all three shakespeare places (anne's cottage, his birthplace, his new place) so I was like hmmmmmmmmmmm *a plan is forming*.

watch out 🐊

I wandered round the orchard/outsidey bits (a little sculpture/statue trail of shakepeare-y stuff) and did a very speedrun-y tour of the cottage itself - I wasn't super invested or bothered about Learning I just felt like being a tourist and it was honestly super fun to just be like no thanks i don't want any information :) i'll just walk around :)

falstaff's belley, also bees

it's nice she could afford such a cool place, she was good in interstellar

After maybe less than hour I emerged from ann hathaway's cottage and by that time the plan had cemented - I was going to go and see how many of shakespeare's three cribs I could see in a day. I didn't actually need to do this because the ticket is valid for a year but it felt like a fun little goal. I also noted there was a handy signposted route into the town centre so I opted to leave the car there and walk - I both did and didn't regret this decision later.

The walk into town was mostly along a long straight boring road but I did see a cool graveyard and a euphemistically named "SCULPTORS" workshop not far away. The walk in total was probably about 15-20 mins but it felt a bit longer, i eventually got bored and wandered off down a side road and finally got spat out of the sleepy residential streets just in front of Holy Trinity church:

(i didn't know that was what it was immediately, again fully did not plan or research anything beforehand, anyway it is apparently a Landmark so, great 👍)

From here it was a short walk along the river, and by that point i was falling slightly in love with the place already - the weather was just sunny enough, it wasn't too busy, people were boating on the river, there were swans and geese everywhere. After a few minutes I saw these and my original plan to visit some dead bloke's houses sort of got back burnered:

When I saw the boats for hire sign my little lizard brain immediately decided it wanted nothing more in the whole wide world than to go on a little boat on the river avon. I thought "yeah aight" and wondered off to find the actual hire point, these were just moored here and the wasn't anyone actually around to hire them out to me.

on the way i went past some big theatre place? i think it was something to with the dead bloke, idk i was thinking about boats.

a couple more minutes of boat focused wandering brought me to the boathouse (on the right^) which was deserted except for the staff who were all sitting on the veranda eating hula hoops. they seemed mildly surprised that i wanted to hire a boat, and explained that they only electric motorboats for hire that day. I had already seen the sign advertising the option between analogue and electric and i was like "yeah aight", so i paid the man and hopped aboard. I was given a brief how-to, and here i should maybe explain I have not been on any kind of boat in a very long time, my experience extends to heavily supervised rowing on a canal as a kid and one (1) time having a brief go at the wheel of a motorboat on a scottish loch when i was 13ish. None of this really swayed or discouraged me however, so consumed was i with the lizard brain instruction to Go on A Boat. I gamely took in the safety briefing which amounted to lever forward go faster, lever back go slower/reverse, turn to wheel to steer, dont fall in (I'll try not to, i responded cheerily, like a real adult), and I was on my way.

aboard the good ship "number 27"

it took me a couple of minutes to get the hang of the steering, but its top speed wasn't too fast and it actually handled really nicely and responsively so the learning curve wasn't too steep, and pretty soon I was whirring happly along

On the return leg I was just working out how to correct after my big u turn (i only had the boat for 30 mins and was only allowed on a short section of the river) when i spotted something odd and brown on the near side of the riverbank and i was like, is that a fucking otter, and lads IT WAS AN OTTER

i look really unexcited here bc i'm trying operate a phone camera at the same time as controlling an unfamiliar vehicle, and trying not to plough said vehicle into said otter. the otter looks really unexcited here bc im just a twat in a boat and it sees those all the time.

The rest of my journey was uneventful but very pleasant, once i got the hang it was a very relaxing and centering activity and i will definitely be back. I brought the boat back right side up and with me still dry and in it, which the dudes at the boat hire seemed pretty happy about, and they were even happier when i showed them the video of the otter.

From here I sort of just wandered around a bit more? By now it was approaching 4 o'clock and S on A is apparently one of those towns where everything shuts down from like 4 to 5, so it was pretty quiet. I wandered up the high street, wandered into a hi fi store, gawked at some turntables, wandered into a weird little "vintage store", took a picture of a tuba, left, wandered around a bit more, and then walked past a japanese restaurant and stopped and was like hmmmmmmmm.

bonus toilet selfie bc i was feeling myself this day.

It wasn't opening until 5 but i now had a plan formed (completely forgotten about the dead guy's digs by now). I wandered back towards the river, found a gelato place, got gelato (elderflower, battenberg and salted caramel, don't question me), and went and ate the gelato with my legs dangling off the steps by the river OH NO I HIT THE IMAGE LIMIT OK PART 1 OF 2 I GUESS