#maybe they never really did. for all our time together we never shared a ton of interests

[victory-cookies]

.

[tofupixel]

Thank you for getting me to finally try pixel art! I‘ve always wanted to get into pixel art but I never knew what to start with and always ended up procrastinating. Your blog and the post you made on learning pixel art were what finally pushed me to give it a go. It was really helpful and I managed this little animation in Libresprite.

I definitely want to improve and your art is like the ultimate goal lol. Do you have any tips or instructions for how to get better or on what to focus on in the future? I‘d appreciate any kind of criticism/input you are willing to give! How do you manage to make such gigantic and beautiful landscapes?

thank you!! and i'm so happy you decided to give it a real go, you're doing great already!! the rendering on the body and the pink shading is really nice.

i can help a little with animation stuff but i'm not an expert, ill write something out about backgrounds at the end

i hope you don't mind but i edited the sprite a little, just to illustrate some stuff

🤺Animation stuff

i added an extra frame near the top of the arc so it slows down. this is called ease or slow in/out and usually happens at the beginning and end of movements. u can do even more slow but this is just a quick version

i also removed the middle frame (where the tail is straight down) to make the swing appear a bit more powerful. this could be the principle of timing in the same video. you can exaggerate smears if you do this, its up to you!! lately i tend to exaggerate stuff a lot, things arent super noticable in motion

i also got a good bit of advice from nickwoz that helped me, basically when you begin to animate, it really puts the rest of the sprite being still into focus. try to think of how you could animate other parts of the body, even subtly. and sometimes if individual pixels stay still they can catch the eye in an unintended way as well, just keep it in mind!!

if you want to learn animation more, you could take a look at duelyst sprites, they have incredible idle and ability animations, i study them a lot

heres one i downloaded a long time ago. i recommend just downloading stuff you like and looking at it!! i have a huge collection of pixel inspo. slowing animations down can really help you understand whats going on. its just a bunch of simple elements put together that makes it look so good.

IF U WANT MORE RESOURCES/ARTISTS I REOCMMEND TO GO AND STUDY LMK!!! IM LIKE A WIKIPEDIA, I AM A BIG FAN of pixel art and love to share

🌿 OK lets talk about landscape stuff

it looks like you have art experience already, but im gonna talk as if youre a complete noob cos it might help some other people who read this!! ur doing great 👍

❓ how to learn: study (and practise a lot)

what i mean by study: draw it, copy it, try to understand it. you can try to change characteristics about it. changing the angle or lighting can help u understand how something works in 3 dimensions.

sometimes it takes time, dont worry, you will figure out your own style through doing studies, its all a process

❓ how to draw landscape details?

study pixel artists and how they do it recommendations: fool, slym, jubilee, deceiver

also please look at real world references!! you got to build that visual library

❓ how to learn composition?

study traditional artists or animation. i did a ton of studies of ghibli backgrounds which i think helped my growth a lot recommendations: arcane, studio ghibli, traditional painters

im gonna break down a piece as well and maybe that will help. this is one from 2022 but its still one of my most popular and its pretty simple too!!

if we remove all the fancy stuff what we have is actually really simple. just a few large, overlapping shapes that all point towards our focal point. it's the brightest area with the most contrast and many edges point into it.

go to pinterest or google and just search "pretty landscape" or "mountains" or something and you can see what i'm doing is nothing special or unique!! break it down into bigger shapes to begin with, its just different areas of material mostly.

and heres how you can make any landscape from any colours. purple sky or mountain? orange grass? ok !! it all works, it doesnt matter. i just blend the colours.

when parts of the landscape are in the distance they become closer to the sky colour as there is more "sky" in between you and it. its called atmospheric perspective. so if the sky was red, the clouds would fade towards red.

OKKK i dont know what else to say so i hope that helps!! honestly 90% of what i do is intuitive and hard for me to really explain, so you dont have to know The Rules, you just kind of pick up stuff as you go.

GL and thanks so much for showing me your art!! please keep going!! 💕💕💕💕

[caitchercatlady]

The Promise of Forever

-3rd Year Version

Inspiration song: Made You Feel My Love-Adele

*note: I decided not to include Lilia in this post because I felt it wouldn't feel right. I see Lilia has that father/grandfather figure who wouldn't be interested in a teen student character (even as MC approaches marrying age). Please forgive me.

Trey Clover

"Is everything alright, (Y/N)? You haven't reached for a cinnamon bun yet. What's--Oh, that! (Snicker) I knew it was around here somewhere. Oh, no. It's for you. Go ahead. You're really quiet, (Y/N). Do you not like it? What is it for? (Chuckle) To start the rest of our lives. (Laugh) So is that a yes?"

Cater Diamond

"Nope, you caught me at the best time, cutie. I was just finishing a little something for you. Wanna see? Pretty impressive, yeah? Well, I'll let you know a little secret. All these pictures spell out a secret message. Yuppers. Betcha don't know what it means. (Snickers) Of course, I want you to figure it out. I know how smart you are. (Gets down on one knee as you end up figuring out the collage.) You can never pop the question without the ring, you know."

Leona Kingscholar

"What do I want to do today? Ugh,, you know you can't thrust these questions onto me. I know it's our free time, and I'd rather not use it on thinking. How about you give me an easy question? What's the quickest thing I can make a decision on? Two things. One, you already know, and two, sleeping. You don't know the first thing? Hmph. Maybe this will help you remember. Based on the look on your face, I don't have to pop the question, do I, your future royal highness?"

Vil Schoenheit

"My beautiful one, it's been a long night. We've barely had time to ourselves. Yes, the praise I've received is more than warranted, but I believe my best achievement is yet to come. My dear, you must be tired. Have a seat and allow me to show you what I mean. (Pause) It is what you think it is. If you marry me, I shall show you what I must take to be the best husband in Twisted Wonderland and of your heart."

Rook Hunt

"Mon trésor. I have an urgent discussion that I hope you'll engage with. Will you lend ton oreille? Wonderful. I have un problème that has been itching me from top to bottom. You see, there is something so beautiful that I want something for my own, but it's selfish to keep a beautiful thing for yourself when the world should admire it. Trickster, what should I do? (Pause) I can be selfish once, eh? I suppose I should make my one selfish moment of weakness count, correct? Ma belle, indulge in my selfish desire and be one with me. That is my greatest wish."

Idia Shroud

"Hee! Sorry! I was gonna come out of hiding eventually. Oh, uh...I should've known you'd recognize the suit. Well, uh, I was...thinking, and I...wanted to see if it still fit. I hope that's not weird. It's not. Oh, ok. Then, I thought...maybe we can...walk outside? Uh...no...I'm gonna start using the tablet less. Anyway, do you wanna--Oh! Uh, yeah, let's...go. (Mutters) I was not expecting this. (Outside) Yeah, that's quite the light scattering in the sky there. (Mutters) Just as I hoped for. (Aloud) What? Nothing! Well, not nothing, but uh...It's a little scary be be because I...I never did this. I'm not perfect and...and...and I'm not ideal, but I...I love you, and I...I want you...forever. Will you...accept me?"

Malleus Draconia

"Shh, it's late. We must be quiet. Come. Follow me. We are going to see the moon. Yes, but you haven't witnessed the moon yet. There. The moon is in its utmost perfect position and form. Not everyone witnesses such a sight in the late of the night in their lifetime. Do you remember how we discussed our futures together? How we will share our lives together? I have never been able to share this kind moon with anyone before now. Not that the chance hadn't presented itself. More rather, I wasn't sure I was ready. Now, that I'm ready for us to watch this moon together a two, I propose that we watch this moon forever as one. May you take this ring and be the bride of my heart, Child of Man?"

[bronx-bomber87]

Happy Wednesday Fandom :) We got a trailer! Some bits in is for our couple not a ton but I am intrigued what S6 will bring. This episode has me grinning the entire time. Just fluffy cuteness the entire time and I was so here for it. Kid talks and amazing moments. Good one. This ep Is comedy gold.

5x17 The Enemy Within.

That theme I talked about last ep is how we start off. How adorable they are when they find each other at the station. Lucy speed walking to catch up to him. Tim with the biggest smile on his face. Like he didn’t just see her in roll call earlier. *heart clutch* Just happy to see his wifey at work. I love the effect this woman has on him. (Another theme in this ep). I just love S5 Tim in general. Happy and light seeing her come up to him. Making his day with her presence. Damnit I love them so much. Lucy starting off with him not hating her LMAO His smile dropping off asking what she’s done? Haha

Be more married you too my goodness. I do love how quickly they fall into step with each other as they speak. Seriously never had a couple with such good physical chemistry without even touching. The flirting here is amazing. We watch Tim not really be mad and fighting back a smile in the second gif. Once again the effect this woman has on him is incredible. She is beyond adorable with her retort of how he should reply. We all know Tim could never hate her. Angry, exasperated or annoyed. Yes ha But never hate.

We find out Lucy was playing the long game for getting back at Tim for something. Clearly before they were together since it was for a Tim Test few months back. He wants to know which one? She can't remember...It was bad enough to make her do this but not enough to remember which test. Oh Lucy. lol Angered her enough to do this then forget she'd done it ha Tim asks once again 'What did she do?' Lucy lets him know she signed him up to be a mentor... For make a dream.... Tim is exasperated af asking when she planned this? Lucy dreads the answer but tells him today….

Lucy goes on that a 12 year old cancer patient named Jordy is on his way. Tim walks away from her and I LOVE her grabbing his arm. Making him stay put. Tries to put a good spin on it. Saying he would be lifting up a sick kid. What could be more important than that? Tim commends her for her answer. Telling her nice job boxing him in. Except he’s not going to let her get away with this. Did she really expect him to do this solo? LOL Sassy Tim has arrived and is throwing back her own words at her. Lucy doesn't have a leg to stand on. Just concedes and joins him. Fantastic start to a hilarious episode for them.

Jordy arrives and Tim and Lucy couldn’t be cuter. The way they look at each other is precious. Also hello height difference I always welcome you to our screen. The way Lucy is looking at Tim while he talks to Jordy. Like she needed another reason to be in love with him. Getting glimpses into Tim as a dad. That instant ovary explosion. Don’t blame her one bit.

Tim couldn’t be cuter saying he heard he wants to be a cop. Jordy doesn’t seem as enthused as Tim and Lucy. Nonetheless Tim looks super cute saying they’re going to take him to processing. Lucy’s fully bodied shimmy is so adorable I cannot. She is very excited to play parents with Tim.

They’re in processing and Lucy is trying to get Jordy to engage. Tim isn’t short on sarcasm in this episode. I’m dying it’s so funny. Telling him to look miserable LMFAO. Lucy’s face. Chiding her husband a little bit. But also realizing how unhappy this kid is. Love her walking up to him and sharing her worries as well. Tim noting he looks like he hates them. Lol Lucy doesn’t disagree….Saying maybe he hates his picture being taken? Or he’s miserable cause he’s tired from being sick?

Tim says they should just move onto the next thing then. They turn around and Jordy is gone. Had this kid for all of 20 minutes and they lost him already LOL This episode is so great. Had me rolling the entire time. I remember seeing a hilarious post after this premiered. Celina dealing with her sisters murder, Angela/Harper/Grey dealing with Elijah. And Tim and Lucy keep losing the same kid LMAO They are the comedic relief in this one for sure.

Lucy is in a legit panic. It’s so funny. Saying she doesn’t know what she’s going to tell the foundation. Full on sarcasm saying she can’t wait to tell them they lost him. LOL Tim is so calm and chill. Saying they didn’t lose him... he’s just misplaced LMFAO. Oh my lord Timothy I’m crying I’m laughing so much. She is being the worried sick parent and he’s being the calm one.

I love them looking for Jordy whilst also talking about their future kids. Getting me all in my damn feels. Tim being so friggin chill about them finding him. Lucy saying when it’s ’OUR’ kids OUR. They’re so casual about it. I’m losing my damn mind. That when it is their kids he better take it seriously. Tim defending their future kids also making me feel things. Saying ‘Our’ kids would never pull a stunt like this.

Look at Lucy’s face when he makes that remark though. She is beaming watching him talk about their future kids. They’re trying to murder me in this ep and I’m very ok with it. I may need to go lie down but I’m ok haha Lucy gets caught up in the thought of them having kids. And is pulled back to the present with Tim’s sassy departure LOL Saying they’re doing great so far. Sarcasm king in this one and I love it so very much. Lucy's face when he leaves too funny.

They run into Aaron and he has Jordy. Lucy looks so relieved. She asks what they talked about? Aaron says he kept asking him what his childhood pet was. Lucy looking confused as hell asks why? We see this kid stumble and get nervous for first time. Saying it’s for a report…Tim's face smelling BS but he isn't sure why. They’re trying figure what to do next. Tim suggests the war room? He doesn’t seem excited…Lucy mentions K-9 unit. Ask if he likes dogs?

Tim is over this kid. Saying what kid doesn’t like dogs? (I mean he’s not wrong…) Lucy scolding him like only she can. Such a wifey scolding too it’s so funny. Tim makes the kid sit while they figure this out. Lucy says maybe the impound lot? This is where Uncle Tim comes in and I love it so much. Talking about his nephews and what they’re into right now. My heart. He seems very confused on what it actually is they like and it’s hysterical. Pop culture never been his strong suit and I love him for it. I'll be honest idk what ghosts on the toilet is either. LOL

Lucy is enjoying his explaining this stuff. Amused really. You can tell she’s cracking up as he goes on. Picturing him with his nephews and loving that mental image. They're so busy flirty they don’t see Jordy take off on them again. They turn around and he’s gone….They lost the kid again LMAO Back to being worried parents. They ask the most clueless guy in the building if he’s seen Jordy? Ha Of course he hasn’t…Nolan is lucky he knows what's going on in his own SL.

They’re in Sally Port looking for Jordy. Legit looking under shops. Don’t hate the shot of Tim in this scene. Hello booty shot. His phone starts going off and he groans as he comes back up and says it’s a Grey. Lucy voices her irrational fear about Grey knowing they lost him twice. I’m rolling. Why would he know that Lucy? LOL Tim’s face is everything to this comment of hers. Loves his panicked wife and her ridiculousness.

Lucy is legit pacing back and forth while Tim is on the phone. Grey is asking him to run an OP for him. The last thing Tim needs on his plate right now. It is sexy how he coordinates it and says he’ll fold in later. Mmm. Then asks Lucy if she’s enjoying her revenge for his Tim Test? Lucy says she isn’t... Does a cute little love tap on his arm and has him follow. I love it.

They find Jordy at a computer. Tim scares him and asks what the hell he’s doing? I love the in-sync head tilts. They see he is googling how to delete traffic tickets. Lucy goes off on a nerd rant about how those are processed in a different office. She catches herself and looks at Tim. He’s so used to her nerdy ways at this point doesn't phase him in the least.

Just backs what she’s saying. That even if he could do that here it’s a crime to do so. Poor kid folds. Says his dad told him to because they couldn’t afford the fines. Tim asks if he really has cancer? Lucy scolds him once again. I love this. He tells them yes that part is true. Lucy asks if he wants to be a cop? He says no they’re wack. Lmao The way the look at each other I cannot. The kid wanted a football game not this. HA

Tim mentions if he’s googling this no way he’s a a hacker. Asks how he gained access to the computer? Jordy hands him the sticky note. Tim is so damn incensed I’m dying. Lucy asking did Smitty really need a sticky note? He couldn’t just remember this? I love the way Tim snatches the note and takes off. He is so very done with this day and this kid. Smitty's incompetence being the icing on the cake of his day. This episode is comedy gold I love it sfm.

They bring Jordy’s father in. Telling him they could charge Jordy with a crime. That he had illegal access to a police computer. The dad starts to panic and says they can’t do that. He’s just a kid. He has cancer. Lucy says no one wants to charge Jordy. Him on the other hand… Mr. Yates starts to freak out more. Saying it was just couple tickets. Lucy mentions it’s 37....

Holy crap dude that’s a lot of tickets. That him using his son. A minor no less to help out makes it a felony. One that could send him to jail. The dad pleads with them. Saying his medical costs are crushing them. That if he doesn’t pay for the tickets he’ll lose his license and car. Saying he knows he messed up. He can’t go to jail his family needs him.

Then we hit one of my favorite portions of this episode. Their silent communication has always been a glorious wonder. It hits new heights in this scene. Because the minute he looks at his girl he knows what that look means. It’s why he answers with a ‘Lucy really?’ He goes from you can’t be serious. To how am I supposed to say no to that? Lucy doesn’t have to say a damn word.

That’s the beauty of their connection. Says everything she needs to in that puppy dog look. Man is whipped and we all love it. Her empathy shining through and getting to Tim in this moment. I said it couple times in this episode. The effect this woman has on him is immense. It was continuously through out this one. In the best way possible.

That man has zero defense against that look she gives him. Absolutely zero. Can you imagine a little version of Lucy doing this to him? If they end up having a daughter. She’s gonna have this man wrapped around her finger. Just like his wife does. God help him haha All Lucy had to do was give him that glance and he was in shambles. As we all know Tim would do anything for that woman standing next to him.

He came into this conversation ready to put that man in jail. But then the love of his life looks his way and it’s over. I’ll never be over how amazing their silent communication is. We are so lucky to have a couple this amazing without even saying a word. There’s that country song ‘You say it best. When you say nothing at all.’ If that ain’t them. Tim folds and says he’s not sending Mr. Yates to jail. I love how he looks at Lucy before he tells him that. Knowing she is the reason behind him is doing this.

It’s so good. Man is so soft for his girl and this scene is proof of that. Ugh I love it. Melissa’s and Eric crushing it per usual. Tim says he can go to Daddy and me Traffic school. There’s an arcade that Jordy will love it. As if Lucy needed another reason to love this man next to her. Mr. Yates asks how he can make it up to them? ‘Be a better father to your son’. Hot damn you tell him Tim.*fans self* Mmm. Yum. Got to be soft but still little authoritative at the end. I’ll take it.

We rejoin them in the station. Tim done with his OP for Grey. Lucy coming over mentioning his how Daddy and me traffic school sounds fun. Tim replying 'Yeah Jordy will get 5 dollars in tokens too.' Lucy letting him know it was a really nice gesture. I love her coming up to him and letting him know this. Making sure he knows what a wonderful thing he did for them. That it was so sweet. This scene makes me squee for so many reasons.

Tim letting her know he wanted to throw that guy in jail. You could tell when he entered that room he was ready to throw down. It wasn't sitting well with him Yates putting his son in a position like that. Lucy replying ‘But?’ Tim bestowing the best compliment he could on her. Touching on the theme of this episode I think. The fact she’s a good influence on him. I mean it exudes out of him now a days. She already was before they got together. Now it’s increased ten fold the effect Lucy has on him.

Lucy and her view of the world. A thing that used to drive him absolutely bonkers. So much so he tried to show her the underbelly of L.A. to dampen it. That same light and view has now rubbed off on this man. Soaking him in that sunshine she gives off. I can’t with how many feels this is giving me. And he’s telling her as such. He’s known for a long long time what a good influence she is. But he’s telling her in person. With heart eyes galore to boot. Such love and admiration on his face for her. *internally screaming*

Naturally he complimented her so she needs to do one right back. Telling him with just as much adoration and affection might I add. That he’s going to be a great dad someday. We know that’s true. Also we know Lucy is already picturing him as that great father to their kiddos. I just love how causally they talk about their future kids. It’s a thing that’s just an eventuality. The level of comfortability around the topic just shows us where they're at. How serious they both are.

Tim needing to tease her now that they’ve been soft. It’s so damn funny. Look at his pleased smile when he does it. Look at that man in the final gif. Could power a city with that smile. He so loves to tease her. Lucy is exasperated with him but still smiling regardless. She loves this infuriating man in front of her so much.

They couldn’t be happier or more adorable. It blows my mind still we get to have them together. Not only that but this level of ship goodness. Straight flirting, complimenting and teasing. They’re so in love I might pass out from all my feelings haha Such a good ep for them.

~~~

Side notes-non Chenford

I do love Angela getting to be the one to take Elijah out. So fitting. Also that scene with Charlie and Wes holy hell.

Thank you to all you amazing readers. For all the likes, comments and reblogs. We only have 5 left episodes in this season. Unreal. Shall see you all in 5x18 :)

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for not befriending my partner’s new friends?

So I (21 nb) didn’t go to college, but my partner (22 nb) did and graduated last spring a little after we met-we’re both pretty outgoing people and I have a fair amount of my own friends, but because of this and their involvement with the local art scene, they have much bigger social circles than I do. When we first got to know each other, I met a lot of their friends and really gelled with them and became friends with them in my own right as well. Recently though (like the past 2 months) they’ve befriended a handful of people who seem to really dislike me. These people haven’t done anything cruel to me, but they avoid me at group gatherings and seem to go out of their way not to talk to me or engage when I try to reach out the same way I did with my partner’s other friends when I met them. We’re also polyamorous, and I know my partner is dating/sleeping with two of them, which makes me kind of uncomfortable given how they treat me, but isn’t something I want to bring up in our relationship.

At first when I mentioned it to shared friends, they suggested maybe the new people are just shy/socially awkward and don’t understand how to interact with people. This seemed plausible to me, but it still made me uncomfortable, especially because these people also frequently loudly discuss how much they don’t like bands/artists/movies that they know I really enjoy. I tried harder to engage or invite them to parties and stuff like that at my apartment to get to know them better, but they never responded or told me through my partner that they were too busy (which is again plausible-we all work a lot and our schedules don’t always line up). I don’t have a ton in common with these people and I don’t think my partner and I need to get along with ALL each other’s friends, so I recently decided to stop putting the effort in to get along with them. I did eventually bring it up to my partner and basically just said I didn’t think I fit in with them very well/they didn’t seem really interested in me. My partner blamed themself for it at first, but I made it clear that I didn’t feel they were at fault given that they’ve introduced us all and haven’t been particularly sketchy in terms of trying to hide me from their friends or vice versa-we Have all spent time together. I was satisfied with just having made my feelings known and thought things were fine, but now my partner is mad and saying that I haven’t given their new friends a real chance and that I don’t care about their (the friends) feelings because I’m not engaging in the kind of things they like to do/am putting down their interests. I have said a few times in front of these people that I didn’t like certain genres of fiction that they’re into and things like that, but I wasn’t trying to be mean and didn’t think they would care given how they talk about my & each other’s interests. It didn’t occur to me that their feelings might be hurt because again, they haven’t talked to me any of the times I’ve tried to start conversations or say hi, so I assumed my opinion wouldn’t mean much to them. That being said, I definitely did feel uncomfortable with them in a way that might have come across, and recently I have stopped trying to say hi and have been avoiding seeing them/have kind of given up on trying to get to know them at all.

AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[stepmarchen]

Analyzing Shuri and Lucas' Relationship

Mostly a Lucas rant because he's one of my favorite characters (even though we love to hate this bastard)

spoilers up to Ch. 126

Despite our not so lovely introduction to Lucas' character in the early chapters of the manhwa, It's so interesting how Lucas' villainy took a complex route in later chapters and the role his strengths and weaknesses play to Shuri's misfortune and favor.

Shuri often recounts memories of Lucas during their childhood in Bretten and we get an inside look on the person he is inside.

"Lucas Ighofer, my brother... He thought I was slow and dull-witted because I didn't know how to be tough... but he would also sometimes step in like an older brother in front of the rough neighbors. Whenever that happened... He made me think that maybe some things would go his way."

- Shuri, Ch. 125

He wasn't exactly "nice" but the two relied on one another in that way that only siblings would relate to. While he totally belittled her, Lucas also trusted Shuri with his earnings, the code to his safe, and defended Shuri like a true big brother.

In a way, I think it's actually thanks to Lucas that Shuri also dreamt of a better life. We see this in the way she seems to remember him in a positive light (literally basked in warm light). There's also major significance in how her core memories of him are usually about his hopes and dreams, as opposed to say, his gambling habits or laziness.

Shuri could've had the same humble dreams as her bff Anna but I think she looked up to Lucas, who was the only real role model in her early life.

The main difference between the two was the vehicles in which they took towards their shared goal. Shuri planned a more earnest living, selling crops for a chicken, and the eggs for a pig, and so forth. Meanwhile, Lucas made bets, resulting in quick and large sums of cash while simultaneously losing it all in the process.

Lucas knows exactly how corrupt the world can be and he's fully willing to go down with it. It's just unfortunate that he's also willing to drag down Shuri along with him.

In the end, Shuri got an involuntary ride to the top of the food chain and Lucas... climbed his way to the capital... eventually.

Now let's talk briefly interlude about Lucas' time in the capital.

While he's a selfish mf that tried to extort his own baby sister (multiple times), he is also one of the most motivated characters in the series, even to the point where he becomes a pest. He'll take all the shortcuts he can take, but if it doesn't work out, he's not totally unwilling to take the long and hard route. In their first on-page meeting, Shuri calls out Lucas for lying about starving for 4 days. But this is never actually confirmed. I want to say that it's pretty likely that he really was starving. Now, the reason why? Proooobably because he gambled away his food money.

Anyway, back on topic.

Eventually, Lucas does make it and opens the Sheiss Gambling House at the call of Cardinal Meissner.

"He used other people's weaknesses for his own selfish interests... yet despised being exploited himself. He, more than anyone... wanted to live a life where he could use others."

- Shuri, Ch. 125

The thing about Lucas is that he's also one of the smarter characters as well. His outer farce makes him seem like a small threat, but he singlehandedly started the gears for the upcoming Holy War.

Think about it. He somehow gathered tons of blackmail on the church because he disliked the idea of being used by Cardinal Meissner over his Gambling Business. Blackmail that at this point, only an insider (with access to secret tunnels in the Vatican) like Richelieu had privvy to. We don't know exactly how Lucas gathered this material... but the fact that he did makes him a pretty big threat.

Which is exactly why the church captured him.

And it's only thanks to years of growing up side by side together that Shuri knew her brother well enough to know that the blackmail existed and where/how to retrieve it.

The only concern now is that Lucas may have also given the Church vital information regarding Shuri. And we don't know what he disclosed.

At this point, we know that Shuri still has some lingering sisterly love for Lucas, but it's unconfirmed whether Lucas feels the same way. Lucas is an asshole but I would like to think that in his final moments, Lucas would still protect Shuri like he did years ago.

In the end, Shuri outgrew her "dim-witted" nature and took advantage of the information waiting in her lap. She evolved past Lucas' shadow used his brains to her advantage. But she never used anything against him. Even in the bitter end, she tried to save him. And he ended up killing himself.

[ahiddenpath]

Hidden's Life

Hi guys, I started writing a journal on my computer, as typing is a lot faster than pen and paper. I am sharing my first entry.

Content warning: It's about the "should I have a kid" debate, and it's way more political than what I usually post on my digimon blog. It gets into climate change, the financial and emotional cost of child rearing, and is leftist in tone. I am really struggling with this topic, and I welcome input and conversations. If you want to talk about it and we're pals on Discord, please do! I want to hear from as many people as possible.

The tone is bleak, but in a matter-of-fact way, if that makes sense?

So, I took a two week vacation. I was in Vegas for a few days for the first time, then in a cabin on a river. I’m not going to talk about that much here. Instead, I’m going to focus on life.

Whenever I have a few days off in a row with no plans (which is rare), I like to touch base with myself on where I am in life. I guess that’s what I’m doing here.

I will say that I’m feeling a lot more rested/restored by this vacation than I have been from my vacations over the last few years. Travel takes a ton out of me, and I’m sensitive to time zone changes and general shifts in routine. I’m surrounded by career scientists, many without children (aka people with money to travel), so it’s common to feel like I’m “missing out” or “doing it wrong” if I’m not visiting 1-3 international spots per year. It turns out that. Um. I actually really like the river cabin. Japan last year was amazing, but I came back jet lagged, exhausted, sick, and with a foot injury from power walking for 10-14 hours per day for 2 weeks. More chill domestic vacations may be the way.

But anyway, I wanted to write down my thoughts on the future.

I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it here, so pardon me if I have, but… I’ve been dating my husband since we were 14, and we’ve been married for 11 years, together for 21. For nearly two decades, whenever I asked about children, my husband would shrug and say, “Maybe someday.” This year, for the first time, his answer changed to, “I’d like one child, but I’m not sure if it’s ethical.”

As for me, I’ve never been hit with maternal desire. In my early twenties, I assumed I’d marry my now husband, have kids, and be a stay at home parent. I’m not sure… Why I thought that? Other than that I have no career ambition, and my husband was raised by a stay at home parent. It feels a bit weird to say I lack ambition when I’m a career scientist, but it’s true. I just want to get the most money with the least effort and damage to my physical and mental health. I feel, on some level, I’ve been waiting my whole life for some kind of purpose or desire, but these days… I’m beginning to understand that wanting health and happiness is an amazing goal, and that humans aren’t necessarily meant to find fulfillment from our work. It’s okay if family is your goal! It’s okay if being a hobbit is your goal (being comfy, reading books, taking walks, etc)!

I got my first job when I was 15, I had to get my mom to sign a permission form, lol. I saved all my money and invested it as best I could, which was CDs (at the time they had like a 5% return, and as a teenager I did not really understand investing- that kinda remains true). My mom warned me from early on that she had no money to help me, and my father openly gloated about not being financially responsible for me soon. Like, he’d count down and update me every now and then- only five years until you aren’t my problem anymore, girl! Four years, three, two, one. He apparently still doesn’t understand why I went no contact with him.

I’ve never been laid off or between jobs, just. Working and preparing for a future where I was financially independent since I was 15. So again I wonder. Why??? I thought I would be a stay at home parent, lol! My husband is extremely intelligent, and he graduated straight into a programming job that pays more than I will ever make, so that might have been part of it. But when I got my new job 2 years ago, my package became competitive enough that I now actually… Have a career to lose.

What I’m trying to say here is that I feel conflicted about… everything. Why am I in this job that I don’t like, but I excel at and it pays fairly (or at least, it does since the new job two years ago)? Am I going to do this until I’m in my 60s because capitalism? Do I want a kid? Shouldn’t I know if I want a kid? But then, I can barely scrape together the brain juice to decide what I want for dinner most nights, after spending 8 hrs working and 90 min commuting. Is it any wonder I can’t bring myself to figure out if I want huge life changes or not?

Financially, my husband and I are doing well. We have a house, retirement savings, and we can afford our expenses on my husband’s salary alone. Mine is called upon for things we want, like getting a working shower in the master bathroom this year and the laundry list of smaller home improvements we paid for last year. But when you have a house, there is always more to do. Our roof is probably original to the house, which is 36. If I want our fireplace to work, that will cost at least a few grand. Our heater is too small for the house; if we want to use our finished basement more, we need to replace it with an appropriately sized one.

If I quit now, it will be difficult or impossible to do those things (and by the way, I feel like wanting a correct sized heater, a working master shower, a working fireplace, and a safe roof are not, like, super bougie??? God damn shit’s expensive). (And by the way, I'm aware that HAVING these problems is a privilege, and that is INSANE to me). If I wait too much longer, I’ll be unable to deliver a healthy baby (I’m 35). But if I’m going to have a baby, just one baby, then I want to spend time with them.

Meanwhile, there’s the ethical questions. I’ve searched online for: Is it ethical to have a child during the climate crisis? Interestingly, the hits were mostly about the impact each individual human has on emissions and climate change. Listen, sure, if you really want to be conscientious about it, don’t have more than 2 kids, which keeps your family’s population steady at the micro level. But damn, don’t be guilted out of a family, a totally normal thing, while a few corporations destroy the world for profit and tell you to have fewer babies. God damn! The mythos of the individual’s impact on climate change while companies burn fossil fuels for funsies is some high level con work, holy shit.

I’m not worried about my theoretical kid’s carbon footprint. No man, I’m worried about them having access to clean water, reliable power, food, medicine, and places to live that aren’t storm riddled, underwater, on fire, etc. Oh, and clean air. People who are sensitive to air born pollutants are already dying prematurely, and have been for years. The idea that people think climate change is something you “believe in” like fucking Santa Claus is absolute insanity to me. People are already dying, my brother in Christ.

So like, do I raise and rear this child to die early or have poor quality of life starting now, and rapidly declining? True, humans have literally always faced pressures: plague, economic strife, war, the threat of nuclear fallout, etc. We have babies anyway, partially because we don’t all have education and access to reproductive care, but also because having families is just. A totally normal desire, as is not having them! Having them does have an additional biological push behind it; organisms tend to feel reproductive pressure. It’s evolution’s super fun gift (/sarcasm)! In some ways, having kids feels almost necessary, as it makes people feel hope and desire for a better future. But there must be millions of kiddos existing now, and we’re not doing much to make the world more habitable for them on a global scale.

I want to take a moment to clarify that I am not judging anyone for having children. We should be able to have families. It’s insane that we’re facing these pressures, that so little is being done about it. But as someone who does not have any yet, I find myself grappling with these questions.

So yeah. A.) I’m not sure if I want kids, and my lifestyle does not allow much time or space for reflection. B.) I’m not sure if having children is ethical in the year of our lord 2024. C.) As much as I dislike work, I’m not sure if not working is right for me, either. It’s easy to fall into mental health issues without a structured routine. D.) I have a strong desire for financial security, and it was beaten into me from as far back as I can remember. What will the loss of my income do to my mental health? E.) While we can afford our needs on my husband’s salary, relying on one income is always precarious. Layoffs are a constant threat in tech, and injury, mental health crises, and death can come for anyone. F.) When I was in therapy, my therapist specifically advised me not to stop working and rely on my spouse’s income. I know this is good advice for women, lol! Like, truly, I do get it. My therapist knows about my drive for financial security and my strong support for women. I can say, though, that in 21 years with my husband, he’s never given me reason to doubt him. Not once.

I guess that brings me to another fear of having a kid. Obviously I’m terrified of pregnancy and childbirth, and my country has the worst maternal death rate of the developed world (like… by a long shot). I’m already unhappy with my body and my energy levels; bearing and raising a baby is not. Going. To help. But I’m also worried about the division of labor that goes into childrearing. I’m told Millenial men have made huge strides in combating the deadbeat dad. But when I grew up, every family I knew was held together by the mother. My father worked. He did not do anything else. He didn’t cook, clean, play with or watch the kids, do yard work, make doctor appointments, meet with teachers, shop for the family, chauffeur the kids around, any of it. He didn’t even buy Christmas presents for his own parents, my mom had to do that for him. Most of the households I visited seemed to function the same way. I know my husband wouldn’t do that; hell, as it is, he does more than I do, often in the 90 min per day that I spend commuting. But my understanding is that, when it comes to raising kids, women still take on more of the work on average. And I’m not even sure if I want one, lol!

And the other huge concern is the political scene. If Trump wins in November, or just… Idk, stages a coup or whatever, I… Probably won’t reproduce. As I understand, his proposed administration/Project 2025 is looking to defund public education, continue destroying the planet for the profit of a few people, and generally dismantle everything. I don’t think the country would recover within my childbearing years.

Basically, I don’t know what the hell I want. I suppose I can get another job if I lost the one I have, although I’m told competition is stiff. Once you have a baby, though, you uh… You have a kid, lmao! I admit that I’ve spent a lot of time trying to figure out why one would want a baby. The ‘ol pro/con list isn’t looking too great! Like, babies, okay? The good things (in my mind): as we age, we lose more people. It’s common and understandable to want more people to call your own, especially as we age and as life pulls us further apart from people we knew when we were younger. Some people experience reproductive drives, so there is a driving force. Cons: Pregnancy is body altering and life endangering, children produce a horrific and varied array of fluids, they’re sick all the time and make their parents sick too, daycare costs are a second mortgage for five years in my area, taking them to and from daycare and school around work is next to impossible, they make noises and run around (aka, incompatible with my stimulus issues), and I personally don’t have fond childhood memories or warm feelings about family, thanks to my own difficult upbringing.

This is one of those decisions that doesn’t logic on paper. I’m sure most people would say, “Oh, you don’t use logic for this sort of thing!” But then, like. Uh. What are you doing? I have a coworker who is maybe 15 years older than me who talked to me about people my age not having kids (uninvited, I might add, lmao). She was like, whenever I ask someone your age, they give me all these reasons about money and daycare and the difficulties of navigating work around a family where both parents have full time jobs. You just make it work! You’ll figure it out!

And I remember thinking, Ma’am, your youngest is 12. Daycare didn’t cost $2,000-2,400 per month per kid back then, and mortgages and rent were less. Like, sure, yeah, I’ll just have a kid and feed them hopes and dreams, no problem! Mm, delicious.

I don’t know, man. Sometimes I think about all the folks who will never have kids because they can’t afford them, and I feel so enraged. Or the rising infertility rates as our environment and foods become less healthy and our stress increases. Or I think about the people who have kids but can rarely spend time with them (and desperately want to) because they are trying to get the money they need to take care of them. And then there’s people like me, who are so goddamned tired and overwhelmed by their job that they have no brain space to even… Like… Figure out if they want a kid!

Well, there will be no changes until I see how the election and the possible coup go, so I need to put this down for now.

What a fun sentence.

[omnomnomdomcaps]

What are your top 5 fetishes and associated kinks?

This is a great question, and I'm sorry it's taken me so long to answer. I had to really think about how I wanted to divvy things up, and decided to go with some broader fetish categories, including a #1 pick that you'll never guess! Let's dive in:

#5. Desperation / holding - I don't talk about it a ton here, but I do enjoy me a good old fashioned bit of desperation in my smut from time to time. It's a wonderful way to get the heart pounding, the blood flowing, and the intensity rising, all as our heroine (or hero) teeters on the edge of ego-crushing humiliation. And depending how the episode ends, it's also a lovely way to tie into a number of other kinks on this list! #4. Ageplay - There's a joy to playing pretend, and it never really goes away, does it? Scenarios involving ageplay give us an opportunity to explore fantasies by playing them out together, and the results can be wondrous.

Some people may actually be surprised to see this relatively low on the list, as it is quite closely tied to my #1 kink - which again, you will never guess. But the entries ahead (as well as the one below) occupy hold particular interest because they require no pretending and no voluntary regression to have our dom dominating and our sub reduced to whimpering mush. So let's get into those, shall we? #3. Language play - this one holds an obvious soft spot for me because I've been championing it for a long time in the community. Admittedly, it's not something every couple can try without a fair bit of prep work, but if you do get the opportunity it's a wonderful way to instill a feeling of littleness in your little and a unique sense of control for your big.

Like everything else on this list, it's also a lovely compliment to other fun things! The speaker / non-speaker dynamic could be because the latter is too little to talk, sure, but it could also be because they're a pet (who needs to learn commands in the target language, of course), or because they're a kidnappee in a strange land. The sky's the limit, and the uncharted territory of this kink makes it uniquely fun to explore.

#2. Hypnosis - The true hero of so much of my forced regression fiction and the stuff of many a fantasy, hypnosis wouldn't be this high on the list if it weren't at least a little real. And yes, while irl hypnosis doesn't quite instill the same magical transformations that its literary counterpart does, it can genuinely affect behaviors over time, and can do quite a number on an entranced individual in the short term.

Is it a little bit scary when it works? Oh, heck yeah, but that's what makes it just so much fun. Just don't go too deep alone - stay safe, kiddos.

#1. Asphyxiation - Ha! Bet you didn't see that one coming! Okay, okay, fine, it's not actually on my list (no disrespect to the choking aficionados out there - you do you)

My real top pick is...

#1. AB/DL - Ha! Bet you didn't see that one coming!

Okay, okay, fine, maybe you did. But AB/DL is the tapes that fasten this crinkly world of kinks here together. Diapers, incontinence, pacifiers, baby toys, or some sort of regressed state offer a symbol of submission that clicks hard with so many of us. It allows for the assertion of power without pain, for a total release of responsibility and worry and an incredible ego-boost of control for the respective players, and for the ultimate trust fall between two loving partners (or more - again, I don't judge).

Where you go with that, and what else we incorporate, is up to you. Just be sure to share all the juicy details after.

Keep it kinky, y'all

[mewmaru]

Masters of All Time Breakdown

I wrote all this in my notes, I’m gonna do two parts: this, then a rewrite which is gonna take a bit.

So I decided to watch Masters of All Time. My thoughts will be below. First, I noted everything I liked, and everything I didn’t. I did this as I watched the episode to try to get details as accurately as possible. So now here are the notes I took during the episode, and my thoughts afterwards.

Also before I get started, I want to make this clear: no hate if you like this episode. I’m glad you’re able to enjoy something that was legitimately painful for me. It has a really neat concept, and that’s part of where my disappointment comes from. This isn’t a personal attack on people who enjoy the episode, just me explaining why I hate it. Let’s get into it!

Everything of note that either makes no sense, or points out a writing flaw in other points of the series

Why would clockwork even let Danny do this? Yes, he’s hesitant but Clockwork has been shown to only interfere if absolutely necessary, and seems to think most things happen for a reason. This is one of the things you could excuse though because erasing Vlad’s powers I guess seems like a good idea? But Clockwork should know that something big will happen in result, that fuck Danny himself could not be a ghost or stop existing at all, like yeah Sam and Tucker won’t be infected but they may not even know him at all? At least Clockwork is like yeah you’re gonna learn thing the hard way but eh. Idk you could excuse this one but still doesn’t make sense to me.

How the fuck didn’t Danny realize how big of a difference one small change was gonna make. Like, his parents being ghost hunters and like, still together? Did he not realize that Vlad not having ecno acne was going to change a lot? The incident separated him from Jack and Maddie so him actually still being in their life could change a lot???? Like idk I get Danny’s just a teen but did he learn nothing from The Ultimate Enemy

Twenty years later Jack still has the ecno acne; we don’t have an exact say on why Vlad’s went into remission but it likely had to do with ghost powers and years of hospitalization, was Jack not hospitalized? Wouldn’t he be dead from it?

Okay this one is a big gripe for me. WHY DOES JACK PLASMIUS LOOK LIKE VLAD PLASMIUS? Was that specific strain of ecno acne the vampire inspired strain or something because Vlad’s design is very intentional with his specific character, its personal to him. Jack would most definitely not have made himself look like that, especially with how he tried to do good at first. Like????

Jack hating ghosts makes sense in this world, honestly I wish Vlad shared more of a hatred for ghosts in our current timeline cause that would make a ton of sense “if it wasn’t for ghosts I wouldve never lost the love of my life” where’s that anger with Vlad?

VLAD BEING A FARMER DOESN’T FUCKING MAKE SENSE. Okay so like, you take from Bitter Reunions how he says “I didn’t have any old moves, all those years in the hospital robbed me of that” after being tackled holding a football implies he may have wanted to play football. That’s a stretch? Well his entire house is decked head to toe in packers memorabilia, and in the college photo we see HE’S WEARING PACKERS COLORS!!!! He couldn’t do an active career like football after being hospitalized, but if that never happened, why fucking. FARMING? DAIRY FARMING? HUUHHHH. WHERE DOES THIS COME FROM?

“I didn’t destroy the past, I destroyed the present!” YOU FUCKING THINK? WHAT DID YOU THINK WAS GONNA HAPPEN that like nothing else would change except Vlad not having ecno acne? Okay this one’s just a nitpick and I’m aware of that lol, Danny’s just a teen I know he wasn’t thinking about the consequences

WHHYYYYY does Vlad still live in the same castle? I know he’s the new dairy king whatever he owns that castle in the present cause he’s rich as sin, how did he become the dairy king? Maybe its explained? I’m writing this as I watch

Why does Vlad have grey hair? It became grey because of the incident. Speaking of, why does Jack have black hair? Make it make sense

Yeah this is a complaint because you’ll see. Vlad is clearly in love with Maddie, truly. He seems to genuinely care for her. I know later they just make him controlling for no reason which I’ll get into but like, it’s nice to see him actually care for her and her care for him too.

Why is Vlad super anti ghost? One of my “compliments” is how I think Jack hating ghosts makes sense. And tbh in the true current, Vlad having a hatred for ghosts for the same reason would make sense, he was disfigured, hospitalized, and he never got to confess to the girl he loved the most. In this world, Vlad has no good reason to hate ghosts unless he for some reason knows Jack is a ghost? We see that before any changed to the timeline are made, Vlad was a bit annoyed with how Jack and Maddie got along, maybe it has something to do with that? I dunno. I feel like this choice was made just so they gave Vlad a reason to be controlling. But Vlad is only the way he is because of the incident bitter and resentful of a life he never got to have, so why the fuck is he just controlling and mean? Why when he has everything he wants, is he still a dick? Because he’s just like that no matter what because the writers didn’t want to add anything thought provoking about how Maddie and Vlad could’ve actually been good for each other. No, Vlad’s evil no matter what blah blah blah

AND ANOTHER THING. Maddie is shown to have other personality traits then liking ghost hunting, like, Jack is the one super obsessed. She’s the one that gets annoyed that Jack makes it his everything. Who knows, if she had a life without Jack, would she have continued her thing for ghosts? Thought provoking questions this episode won’t answer. This was again just a choice made so Vlad could be controlling.

Vlad immediately forgives Maddie because he doesn’t wanna doubt her oh gee maybe its cause he actually loves her. Nahhh we can’t have that.

How did Maddie build an entire underground ghost Lab that Vlad didn’t notice. Also how does she still have the suit

Whyyyyy would Vlad slander Jack to Maddie? Is the personality they wanna give that Vlad was always jealous of Jack and Maddie’s relationship? I mean, I guess so? I guess this one could make sense but it makes me wish we knew more about their trio’s relationship in college besides what we see and how Jack describes it; Vlad did always seem like a third wheel, I guess this one could happen but as I said, just makes me wish we had more context as a whole, could make this action make more sense

Why is Vlad in his suit all of a sudden. Did they forget what episode they were doing. Did they just straight up forget. Also it’s the middle of the night why isn’t he in pajamas or something. Huh.

I just hate the narrative Danny Phantom has as a whole with how some characters are just meant to be together so other pairings have to not work or be bad in some way. How about thought provoking stuff about how the relationships that seem destined to be actually good have some solid rivalry? No? All other parings don’t work just because even if it means mischaracterizing? Kay.

I had a thought here about Vlad’s anger at Danny not making sense but I don’t remember what it was. Maybe relates again to the ghost hating thing making no sense. Idk my brain cells are dying.

“None of this should be happening” “I like it this way” what this way? Being with Maddie? I mean yeah? I mean did the writers forget that Vlad doesn’t have the knowledge of his baseline current self here?

Because I hate it so much just another point to say I hate Vlad’s behavior here. He’s just evil and manipulative no matter what? Why? Just because? Because that’s Vlad Masters? Are we forgetting that his usual behavior is very much a product of his rage and bitterness about a life that was robbed of him? Or am I just giving the “evil villain” too much credit. This is pissing me off

Things I liked about the episode:

I think the bit at the beginning with Danny’s parents embarrassing him was silly, entertaining

I like Vlad’s attitude of like “oh you’re giving me chills” just his sassiness lmao

I like getting to see more insight into the day of the incident, Vlad trying to confess but being stopped by Maddie, that was neat

Seeing exactly what caused the incident was neat, too, that it truly was Jack’s fault

It’s kinda funny that we can tell Jack didn’t name Danny cause he thinks the name is dumb

I do like we get to see Jack chose the name Jasmine, as he mentions having a cat named Jasmine

I liked seeing Vlad say like oh Danny I knew you could do it, neat to see him acknowledge that Danny can be pretty smart, even if he kinda forced his hand here

I’m too tired to go into detail, so I’ll do it later but Jesus Christ this episode sucked. It had good things about it but so much shit just didn’t make sense and was just a blatant mischaracterization of Vlad

Alright I’m finally back to this after a couple of weeks, the episode seriously drains me that much, wish I was kidding. As stated in a previous post this episode makes me so angry that it has the power to make me dissociate and feel physically ill. Some of my comments are nitpicks, and I’m aware of that. I hate the episode so I’m just angry about even little things, I know that’s weird, lol. But, I thought I’d share these nitpicks anyway.

The notion that Vlad would be evil no matter what just doesn’t make a single lick of sense considering how Bitter Reunions builds him up to show that his anger and well, bitterness stems from being robbed of the life he never got, and his desperation to have that life now. Maybe I’m just biased but Jesus. Some people will try to claim that Vlad would still be evil therefore deserves no sympathy on like, posts and videos about him and if someone starts their comment with “but in masters of all time”, the rest of the comment is immediately static to me.

I do want to make it clear the things Vlad does due to his anger is not acceptable (I’ve even got an analysis of his character in the works that addresses this further), I just see so much potential for him to be better, and Masters of All Time could’ve been that episode. To show that he’s truly a victim of circumstance that is overwhelmed by his anger and jealousy, that these events truly shaped him into the not so great person we see in the show, but that he didn’t /have/ to be evil, that if given the life he wanted, the one he felt he deserved, that he could’ve been better.

I also think this episode missed the mark to be more creative design wise. Jack could’ve had his own ghost form! That would’ve been so cool! I also would’ve LOVED to see more of the college trio’s dynamic. Were Vlad and Jack truly best friends, or was that just Jack’s rose tinted glasses? I know it’s a kids show from 20 years ago but damn they could’ve done more here. I think this episode could’ve benefited from being another 40 minute special, although I know that’s unrealistic. Just a sorta, how I’d do things thing.

That’s basically it from me in terms of the episode. But, only for now. I plan to rewrite the episode, soon! Including some of my own HCs about the college trio, and who Vlad could’ve been if the incident didn’t happen, and how Jack and Maddie could’ve been! How this could’ve been a more thought provoking episode as a whole. I may even do some drawings :3 I’m excited to share my thoughts on what we could’ve had. But, keep in mind they will simply be my ideas, and not a definitive “the writers should’ve done this instead”, just my hcs and such. This is my first sorta DP writing post, but hopefully not my last. I enjoy sharing my thoughts like this, and I know some of my YTTD ones have reached a good bit of people, so I’m curious as to how this’ll be received.

Again, yeah, I’m biased, I hate this episode, I nitpicked. This is not at all a defense of every single bad thing Vlad has done, just my opinions on why the choices made here don’t make sense.

[justagalwhowrites]

Holly Jolly - Ch. 2: It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

You and Joel get the girls together for a playdate. A continuation of Holly Jolly, a modern no-outbreak TLOU fic found on Tumblr here.

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader

Warnings: None really!

Length: 4.1k

AO3 | Main Master List | First Chapter | Next Chapter

Sarah, it seemed, had become president of the Sharon fan club. 

She talked about her the whole ride home. She talked about her as Joel got Sarah ready for school the next morning. She talked about her all through dinner. 

“Hey Dad,” she said as he read her a story and tucked her into bed. “Can I play with Sharon tomorrow maybe?” 

Joel sighed. 

“Wouldn’t you rather go play with Mackenzie?” He asked. “Or maybe we can watch a movie, just you and me?” 

“But I like Sharon,” she said, whining a little. “Please?” 

He sighed again. 

“I’ll see what I can do,” he said. “But you have to go to sleep, OK?” 

“OK!” She said quickly, snapping her eyes shut. Joel laughed a little. She opened one eye ever so slightly to make sure Joel was watching and closed it again. 

“Alright, Kiddo,” he laughed again. “Sleep tight.” 

“I’m trying to, Daddy, but you keep talking,” she scrunched her nose. 

“Sorry,” he smiled and kissed her forehead before turning out her lamp. “Goodnight, Baby Girl.” 

“Night, Dad!” 

He closed the door quietly behind him and went to the living room, all but collapsing on the couch and pinching the bridge of his nose. 

Joel really didn’t want to text you. He wasn’t exactly eager to talk to you just after meeting you let alone after you saw his card get declined and decided to take pity on him to buy the fucking picture. And then he was a bit of a dick about it. Something else he wasn’t exactly proud of. 

But he didn’t want to disappoint Sarah more. So he gritted his teeth, found your text from yesterday, and typed out a message. 

Hey, it’s Joel, Sarah’s dad. She’s been talking about Sharon non-stop, would you like to try to get them together this weekend? 

He almost hoped you didn’t respond. If you didn’t, it wouldn’t be Joel’s fault that Sarah didn’t get to see Sharon again. She’d be disappointed but she’d understand and Joel could feel like he’d done his job as her dad. 

But you responded almost immediately. Because of course you did. 

Hey Joel! Sharon’s been talking about Sarah a ton, too! Does tomorrow work? There’s a playground at our apartment complex and I can make lunch. 

Joel gritted his teeth. Were you trying to feed them because you didn’t think he could feed his kid? Or were you just being nice? He sighed. Sarah liked Sharon. He had to at least try to be nice.

Sounds great. What time?

Again, an almost instant reply. 

Noon OK? 

You added your address. 

Sure. See you then. 

Sarah was damn near giddy when he told her the plan the next morning. He’d never seen her run to brush her teeth quite that fast and she immediately went to her toy box to start trying to find things she wanted to bring over. 

“You can pick three things,” Joel said. “And it has to be stuff you want to share, OK?” 

She nodded seriously. Joel put her curls into springy pigtails and let her pick her clothes for the day - Sarah carefully selecting pink pants and a purple shirt with a lot of glitter before insisting on adding the ponytail holders with the pink, plastic balls to her hair. 

Joel stopped at the HEB on the way to your place and picked up some juice boxes and some cookies so he wasn’t showing up empty handed. The check and finally cleared so he pulled out cash to give you, too. There was a bright green wreath on your door and a doormat with a snowman and Joel tried to not cringe as he knocked. 

You answered quickly, smiling like you had been before but not completely covered in Christmas shit this time, at least. 

“Hi,” you said. “It’s good…” 

Sharon careened around the corner and almost fell into Sarah, eyes wide and excited. 

“You’re here!” She said, giddy, before grabbing Sarah’s hand. “Come on, I want to show you this sticker…” 

The two girls tore into the apartment and you laughed a little before stepping to the side and holding your arm out, welcoming Joel in. 

“Come on in!” You laughed a little. “Lunch is almost done. I decided to do something pretty basic, I hope that’s OK…” 

“Sure it’s great,” Joel said, holding out the juice boxes and cookies like an offering. “Thought we could contribute.” 

“Thank you,” you took them and headed inside, Joel trailing behind you. 

“Also, here,” he held out the money. “For the picture.” 

“Oh,” you looked at the cash for a second and then back up at him. “Really, don’t worry about it. Lord knows people have helped me out enough over the years. Just pick up the tab for someone next year or something.” 

He wanted to fight you on it but you were already headed to the kitchen, putting the juice boxes in the fridge. 

While you weren’t covered in Christmas stuff, your house sure as shit was. Paper chains hung from every doorway he could see, a Christmas tree in the corner twinkling with a small pile of gifts below it, a collection of wooden snowmen on your coffee table. It definitely made the four foot tree that was older than Sarah with nothing below it seem lacking. He tried not to resent that, too. 

You pulled something out of the oven as Joel hovered awkwardly in the entry to your small kitchen. 

“Oh, you can have a seat if you want,” you nodded to the breakfast bar. “We’ll give them a few minutes to check out the new stickers. Sharon’s school holiday party was yesterday and the kids all got goodie bags and she traded like everything in hers for as many stickers as she could get her little hands on. I don’t know what the obsession is…” 

“Thanks for havin’ us over,” Joel said, watching as you cut up the bread you’d just pulled out of the oven and he realized that you’d made little sandwiches. “I appreciate it, especially since I wasn’t exactly the friendliest the other day.” 

You looked up at him from the pan and he realized he could see your cleavage down the v-neck of your impossibly soft looking sweater, a sweater that looked like it was made to play off the color of your hair and skin and eyes. 

“Oh, it’s fine,” you waved him off and went for the fridge. “I’m sure you just had a long day. Why else would you be in line to see Santa at 8:30 on a Thursday night?” 

Joel laughed a little. You weren’t wrong.

“Yeah,” he said. “Fair enough. Still. You were being nice and I should’ve been nice back.” 

You shrugged and pulled some cut up vegetables and fruit out of the fridge and put them on the counter. 

“The holidays are hard,” you said. “Really, it’s OK.” 

“Don’t look like they’re hard for you,” he said, looking around. 

Your eyes looked a little wide. 

“Really?” You asked. “Oh, thank God. This is the first Christmas I’ve had a kid in my house, I keep worrying I’m not doing it right…” 

“Looks like you’re doin’ good to me,” Joel said. 

“Thank you,” you said. “Really, that means a lot.” 

Joel looked at a picture on a nearby wall, you with Sharon and a woman who looked a little like you. 

“Is that Sharon’s mom?” He asked, nodding at the photo. You leaned over the breakfast bar to see where he was looking and he resisted the uncomfortable urge to get a better look below your sweater. 

“Yeah,” you nodded with a sigh. “My sister. She was a single mom and she died in February.”

“Shit,” Joel said. “I’m sorry, that’s… that’s hard.” 

“It really is,” you said, eyes a little wide. “Don’t get me wrong, I love Sharon. That kid is my whole world. But I was only ever supposed to be the cool aunt who took her to Europe when she turned 16 and went with her for her first tattoo because her mom would hate it and she wanted support. I’m not supposed to be a mom.” 

“Is it just you?” Joel asked on impulse before he realized that he was prying into the life of a virtual stranger. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer…” 

“It’s fine,” you waved him off. “And yeah, just me. Before wild child in there I wasn’t really interested in much tying me down so I haven’t had a real boyfriend or anything in years. Our parents died a few years ago and we didn’t have any other siblings so it’s just me and Sharon. She’s a great kid, though. So much like her mom, it’s all so worth it. I just hope I’m doing right by her, you know? 

“Her mom would go all out at Christmas,” you continued. “Like that house looked like Buddy the Elf went to town on it every year. Meanwhile, I had like three ornaments I’d gotten as gifts before this year. I always went to her place for the holidays, it seemed silly to decorate mine.” 

“Looks like you’ve got it down already,” Joel said. “Just bought a house a few months ago, haven’t had the chance to really decorate anything yet. I just keep hoping she doesn’t really notice.” 

“Seems like you’re the kind of dad who spends a lot of time with her,” you said. “That’s the important part.” 

You called the girls over for lunch and you and Joel just watched as the two of the chattered about Frozen between bites of carrot sticks and sandwich. 

At one point you made eye contact with Joel when Sharon talked about trading for all the stickers yesterday at school and Joel had to fight not to laugh when he realized that he actually liked you. When he wasn’t in a shit mood and having his card declined by the mall Santa, you were just a kind person who, for some reason, wanted to be kind to him. Even after he’d been rude to you. He hadn’t thought you’d be his kind of person but he liked you.

“So ladies,” you said as plates were cleaned and leftovers put in the fridge. “Playground?” 

Sarah’s face lit up and the two of you got the girls into their jackets before walking over to the park, the kids immediately running for the slide, giggling manically. You sat on a bench and Joel joined you, the two of you silently watching them play for a moment before you glanced over at him. 

“So,” you said. “When you’re not shepherding a five-year-old girl through the mall Santa line, what do you do?” 

“I’m a contractor,” Joel said. “Mostly small to mid-sized jobs, just wrapped up one and I’ve got something small to run through the holidays before the next bigger one starts… You?” 

“I’m a teacher,” you said. “Physics, at the high school down the road.”

Joel smiled a little. 

“I went to that school.” 

“Really?” Your face lit up. “It’s a small world!”

“Or I just never made it far from where I finished school,” Joel said, looking back at the girls. “You like it there?” 

“I guess,” you shrugged. “I’m still getting the hang of it. I never planned to be a teacher, I was an architect before but I needed something that would work better for Sharon schedule wise so I got my teaching certification.” 

Joel frowned. 

“That’s a hell of a sacrifice.” 

You shrugged again. 

“She’s worth it. Besides, the kids are really fun. I have juniors and seniors and they’re so dramatic at that age, it’s like every little thing is the end of the world, and they care so passionately about things. It’s like living as an extra in a soap opera. That’s actually why I was dressed so crazy on Thursday, we had our holiday parties for the a-block classes but one of my kids was having some issues so I just stayed late and the next thing I knew I was late getting Sharon from daycare and everything was a mess… Anyway…” 

“You’re doin’ a good job,” Joel said, watching you, and you looked at him. Actually looked at him. 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah,” he said. “Trust me. Been doin’ this on my own since Sarah was four months old. You’re doin’ a good job.” 

The girls played for almost two hours before they wore themselves out and you all walked back to your apartment. 

“So, I hope I’m not overstepping by asking but… where are you at with Christmas shopping?” You asked. Joel just blinked at you for a moment but you kept going. “I’m only asking because there’s a thing some of the other teachers do where we take turns watching each other’s kids so we can run errands or go Christmas shopping and I’m dropping Sharon off tomorrow afternoon. They’re cool if I add another kid to the mix so if you need to get out for a few hours and cross some things off the to do list…” 

You looked worried and Joel, for a moment, wondered just how much of an asshole he’d been to you that you thought doing him a favor would piss him off. 

“That would be great, actually,” he said. “You’re sure they don’t mind?” 

“Not at all,” you smiled. “I’ve covered for some of the others a few times when stuff comes up with their other kids like sports tournaments and things, it’s really no problem. Besides, something tells me that Sarah’s a good kid. Don’t think she’s going to give them much trouble. If you text me your address, I can pick you up around 10 tomorrow morning? Drop the kids?” 

“Uh… sure,” Joel said, surprised that he was actually looking forward to it. “Thanks.” 

When he tucked Sarah in that night, he told her that she was going to see Sharon again the next day. She was giddy, kicking her little feet under her blankets. 

“I really like her, Daddy,” she smiled, that gap in her teeth one of the cutest damn things Joel had ever seen. “And her aunt is really nice.” 

“Yeah,” Joel said, tucking the blankets around her. “Yeah, she is.” 

***

“But can we ask them over to make cookies?” Sharon asked as you French braided her hair. 

“Maybe,” you said. “But it’s the holidays, girlie pop, they might already have plans. It would be very rude to try to monopolize their time.” 

“But I really like Sarah!” She said. “And she said they only do the cut out cookies and I told her about the peanut butter ones I made with you and mom last year and…” 

You still got a little choked up at the thought of your sister. You didn’t know it was going to be her last Christmas at the time but, in hindsight, it was like part of her had known she was going to be gone a few months later. 

It had been a picture perfect Christmas, filled with movie marathons and cookie baking and a Christmas light drive with a thermos of hot cocoa and extra marshmallows. You’d loved every second of it, loved that it felt like the three of you against the world. 

And now it was just you and Sharon and you were trying desperately to fill the massive shoes your sister had left behind while not replacing her. 

“We can make the peanut butter ones again,” you said, swallowing the tears that tightened in your throat. “And it will still be fun if it’s just you and me and not you and me and Joel and Sarah. Right?” 

“Yeah,” she sighed dramatically. 

“I know,” you tied off her braid and kissed the crown of her head. “I’m such a let down.” 

You made a face at her in the mirror and she giggled. 

“Come on,” you said, giving her shoulders a squeeze. “Let’s go get our new friends.” 

You tried to not be nervous about spending at least part of the day with Joel without the girls. You were pretty sure he didn’t like you much. You’d been positive about that at the mall. You knew you tended to come on a little strong and you’d been so flustered when you’d met him that you were sure it was worse than usual. You hadn’t expected him to actually reach out and you certainly weren’t going to text him unless Sharon was particularly eager to see Sarah and you felt like you had to. 

And then he texted you. 

Yesterday had gone better, at least. He was kinder than he’d been before and you’d enjoyed talking with him while the kids played. He was clearly such a dedicated father. Sarah fell off the play structure at one point with a small shriek and he jumped to his feet with a look of sheer panic on his face. But he stayed by the bench, giving her a second to get herself up before Dad rushed in. She did just that, brushing wood chips off her knees before immediately climbing the ladder to the slide again. 

It wasn’t something you were used to seeing from men. Sharon’s father hadn’t been anything like that. He’d stuck around for a few months after he’d proposed to your sister when he knocked her up. But by the time the baby shower rolled around, you could tell he was getting cold feet. Sharon wasn’t even a day old yet when he pulled you aside at the hospital and asked you to tell your sister to leave him off the birth certificate. You didn’t even get a chance to respond before he turned and left and that was the last time you’d seen him. 

Joel, clearly, had done the opposite. 

When you rang the door bell at the small house with peeling paint on the trim, it took almost a minute for Joel to answer the door. 

“Sorry,” he said quickly. “Come in, we’re havin’ a bit of a morning… Sarah didn’t sleep great so she didn’t want to eat breakfast and now we’re behind and…” 

“It’s fine,” you smiled. “We’ve got time.” 

You nudged Sharon in ahead of you and followed behind Joel, his dark curls wet. You sat down in the living room and peered around. There was a small artificial tree in the corner that looked a little threadbare and stockings held by push pins by the fireplace. A chunk of drywall had been cut out near the back door and there were some tools in slightly organized disarray on the floor nearby. 

“What’s that?” Sharon frowned, looking at the exposed pipe. 

“That is the current project,” Joel said, guiding Sarah into the room. “Some stuff in the house doesn’t work quite right…” 

“Hi Sharon!” Sarah waved frantically and Sharon’s face lit up. 

“Hi Sarah!” She waved back. “Sarah, I brought my favorite Barbie! The one with the red hair, it’s in the car!” 

“Cool!” Sarah said. “I asked Santa for a Barbie Dream House for Christmas! When I get it, you’ll have to bring your dolls over and they can be friends, too!” 

You caught a glimpse of Joel’s face at the mention of Barbie Dream House, almost like a wince. 

“You promised to sit still if you got to sit in the living room while I did your hair,” Joel said. “Sooner we do that, sooner you can go see that Barbie, let’s go.” 

Sarah sighed dramatically and flopped on the loveseat. Joel stood behind her and quickly gathered her hair into several small buns while Sarah did her best to hold still while talking animatedly to Sharon. 

It didn’t take long and soon, the four of you were piling in your SUV, Joel putting Sarah’s carseat in the back alongside Sharon’s. 

“I really appreciate this,” he said after you dropped the girls off and headed to the Target in town with the biggest toy selection. “I had no damn clue when I was going to try to get any Christmas shopping done…”

“Tell me about it,” you said. “If it wasn’t for this whole kid watching exchange, I was going to have to take a day off work. I’ve never had to try to do this before, it’s her first Christmas without her mom and I really can’t mess it up, you know?” 

“Can I ask what happened?” Joel asked after a moment. 

“Car accident,” you said. “On her way to get Sharon from daycare in February. Thank God she wasn’t in the car, too, or they’d both be gone…” 

“Jesus,” Joel said. “I’m sorry, that’s… that’s hard. Seems like you’re handling it well, though. Sharon seems to adore ya.” 

You shrugged. 

“I think I’m still just the cool aunt in a lot of ways,” you said. “Part of me thinks she still expects her mom to come back eventually. I don’t know. This isn’t how life was supposed to go for either of us.” 

Joel just nods slowly. 

“I get that. S’not what I expected for mine, either. It’s all worth it for Sarah but if you’d asked me what I was gonna be doing at 27 years old, shopping for a fuckin’ Barbie Dream House wouldn’t be it. Oh shit… crap, sorry. I try not to swear in front of Sarah or people I don’t really know, I don’t…” 

You laughed a little. 

“Don’t worry about it, I’m a big girl. Think I can handle a little adult language.” 

You parked at Target and the two of you headed inside, each grabbing a cart. 

“Did you want to split up or…” Joel asked. 

“Well, if you wouldn’t mind me tagging along?” You asked, a little sheepish. “This is the first Christmas and her birthday was just before her mom died, I’ve never done a big gift day with her. I could use some help. If you’re up for it, I don’t want to impose, it’s totally fine if you just don’t want…” 

“It’s fine,” Joel smiled just a little. “At this point, know a lot more about little girls’ toys than I have any right to. May as well put it to use.” 

The two of you started in the girls’ clothes section before heading on to the toys. Joel went straight for the Barbie aisle and he stopped in front of the Dream House, just staring at the box. You picked a Barbie for Sharon and stood next to him. 

“That thing is huge,” you said after a moment, glancing his way. “No way there’s room for it in my place. No one has room for something that big…” 

You chewed the inside of your cheek a bit, hoping that giving Joel some kind of out wasn’t too awkward. 

He didn’t take it, though. 

“It’s just outta my price range this year,” he sighed. “Keep tryin’ to do the math and I want to get it for her. I want to get everything for her. But shit, I’ve got maybe that much for all of Christmas. Can’t spend that on one toy.” 

You saw him tense his jaw for a moment when you had a thought. 

“What if you made her one?” You asked, looking up at him. He took his eyes off the box for the first time in more than a minute to frown at you. 

“Make a Barbie Dream House,” he said, skeptical. 

“Yeah,” you shrugged. “I mean, it wouldn’t look just like that but… I’m an architect. Or I was. You’re a contractor. I bet, between the two of us, we could come up with something that would cost like $50 in materials. I’ll design it for you and then you can build it and…” 

“You’d do that?” He asked, brows raised. “Just plan out a toy for my kid?” 

“Sure,” you shrugged and smiled. “I mean… it’s Christmas. Besides, it’ll give me a chance to practice at drawing up plans again. I could use the excuse, I miss it.” 

Joel looked at you for a moment and you thought - not for the first time - that he was one of the most beautiful people you’d ever seen. You’d thought it when you first saw him in line for Santa, you’d thought it when he’d showed up at your door the day before, you’d even thought it as you watched him style is daughter’s hair earlier that day. 

You looked at the box for something else to focus on. 

“We can do that,” you said. “Piece of cake.”

Next Chapter

[crazyf0rswayze]

Johnny Cade: School Project

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Y/n, I want you to work with Mr. Cade for this group project". 

Johnny looked up when he heard his last name from the teachers mouth. He looked around to see an awfully pretty girl looking at him with a small smile. She waved a small hand at him. She seemed like a nice girl to work with. 

The teacher continued calling names, and pairing people up for the group projects. 

"You will begin your projects in class tomorrow, and continue work on them at home" the teacher said with an annoying smile on her face. Sometimes Johnny wanted to smack it right off her .

"Hey, Johnny right? I'm Y/n, I'm working with you on the project!"

"Mmmhm"

The pair of teens continued walking down the hall. They had one more class together, and Y/n decided to walk with him.

"Do you plan on responding to me?" Y/n said after she realized she had been rambling and he hadn't answered once

"I'm not the most talkative guy your gonna meet, ok" Johnny said finally before they walked into class.

"Oh, sorry...I didnt mean to make you upset, I guess the way I worded it wasn't the best" Y/n said with a nervous laugh. 

"Don't worry about it Y/n" Johnny said looking up and smiling

              TIME SKIP TO PRESENTATION DAY

"And that's why we chose to study the Civil War for our history project"  Y/n said with a pretty smile. Johnny was blushing a little. Y/n did most of the talking and Johnny pointed things out

...but he was staring at her a lot. Ponyboy nudged Johnny when he sat back down

"I see you've got the hots for her" Pony said smirking

"No I don't Pony" Johnny said defensively.

"Hey man, whatever you say" Ponyboy said as he walked up to the board so he could present his project. 

               TIME SKIP TO THE END OF THE DAY

Y/n was at her locker, packing up when Johnny walked up to her, his beautiful brown eyes coved by his hair. 

"Hey Johnny!" Y/n said happily.

"Hey Y/n! Uh...I was wondering if maybe you wanted to hang out after  school?" Johnny asked very shyly.

"Gosh no need to be so shy Cade. Of course I'd wanna hang out with you!"

"Yea...yea, great. Awesome!" Johnny said with a wide smile. Y/n kinda stared at him. Everything around them stoped. She had never really seen him smile, but he was absolutely beautiful when he did. They started walking out of the school when they saw Ponyboy. 

"See ya Pony" Johnny said 

"Yea I'll see you Johnnycakes" Ponyboy said in an attempt to embarrass Johnny. As Johnny and Y/n walk out of the school Johnny looked back at Ponyboy. We was raising his eyebrows up and down and up and down. Johnny rolled his eyes at the brunette. 

"Johnnycakes?" Y/n questioned. 

Johhny smiled and chuckled a little 

"Yea...yea it's pretty stupid. My buddy Dallas gave the little name to me. I don't really know where he got it from" he chuckled again

"No, no...it's kinda...I don't know...cute" Y/n said blushing. 

"You really think?" Johnny said looking at Y/n with heart eyes

"Yea, I do" Y/n said as the two teens sat down in an empty lot. 

The pair started talking a bit, and sharing experiences about life. They had laughs and all.

"Hey...um I get if we're not close enough for me to ask this...but um...how'd you get the scar?" Y/n asked softly

"Uhhm i-"

"You know what, never mind! It's uh...it's fine don't worry about it" Y/n exclaimed.

"No its ok I swear! Uh...I got jumped by some socs a little bit ago. One of them...Bob had a crap ton of rings on and...split me into to two" He chuckled a little as he said 'split into two' 

"It makes you look pretty tuff" Y/n said looking down as she blushed. 

"Ya think?" Johnny questions

"Yea...I don't know Johnnycakes, it completes your face" 

"R-really?" Johnny said as he looks down blushing.

"Yea"

"Hmmm" 

Y/n looks from his eyes to his lips...and back. Johnny watched her as she did so.

"Johnny..."

"Yes Y/n"

"Ever since Mrs. Brown paired us up as partners for the project...maybe a bit before that...Ive really, really liked you. I just didn't know how to tell you, but I've caught you looking, and I heard Pony tease you about looking at me during the presentation...and I though 'wow, maybe we have mutual feelings'"

"Mmmhm"

"Is that all? 'mmmhm'...do you not like me?"

"I do. I swear...I just...I though you were gonna say more so I wanted to let you know I heard you... and I was listening... you know?" Johnny said quickly

"Yea..."

"..."

"Can I...can I kiss you" Y/n asked very very softly

"Yea..."

They embraced each other in a passionate kiss but suddenly Johnny pulled away

"Did I do something wrong?" Y/n asked worriedly

"No actually...I wanted to really make sure this is ok with you"

"It is Johnny....I promise" 

"Ok..."

The pair started kissing again and then after they stopped they silently looked at the stars and Y/n wound up falling asleep, using Johnny's chest as pillow.

[highwaytothedangerzone502]

Foxtrot Alpha Alpha - Chapter 38

Pairing: Hangman x Female OC

Word Count: 2104

Warnings: Swearing, insinuation of sex

Summary: Hangman learned his lesson a long time ago to never show his true feelings when someone's words or actions hurt him. To do so showed weakness that could be exploited, and Seresin men couldn't show weakness. Of course, there was an exception to every rule, and Jake's always came in the form of women, three in particular: his mom, Juliette Kazansky, and the girl whose name he could no longer bring himself to speak. She was the girl that got away; she was his biggest 'what if' and his biggest regret; she would forever be the ghost that haunted his dreams. Jake believed that's where she'd stay, for he would surely never see her again after what he did.

Or so he thought.

Notes: This is the sequel to India Lima Yankee; I'm using the same callsign for the Female OC as in Ghost Story because I just really like it, but they are different characters; chapters in italics are flashbacks.

Chapter Songs: Exile The Last Time

****

Ghost

When Ghost finally returned to her own apartment later in the day, she ended up going back to Hangman's with a bag of stuff and stayed overnight.

And the next night.

And the night after that.

This happened for the next couple of weeks, but she hardly minded. Ghost had missed having Hangman around, to be able to tell him immediately when something funny happened or when she just needed to be around him because his presence calmed her frayed nerves. They played guitar and sang songs together, and posted them on her Instagram account. Only Jules, Jackie, and Wolfie recognized the new companion in the blurred videos as Hangman, and all of them texted Ghost demanding answers about her new relationship with the Texan aviator. Ghost realized that she and Jake had probably confused their friends and family by covering Taylor Swift's 'Exile' and 'The Last Time,' which weren't exactly happy love songs.

Ghost continued to shield herself from the outside world, ignoring her mom's phone calls and only texting Charlie to declare that she needed space. This was a partial truth. The other truth was that Ghost ached to detach from the chaos around her and spend her days with Hangman in his cozy apartment, relishing the bubble of peace and happiness he brought her before confronting her next challenge.

"What are the plans for tomorrow?" Hangman asked while he and Ghost scrubbed the dishes from dinner. "Should we go for a drive? Head to the beach? Maybe we could visit Princess and-"

"Oh, speaking of Juliette," Ghost remarked, glancing at the buzzing phone on the counter beside her. She answered it and put it on speaker, letting her friend know as such.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Jules's chipper voice sounded forced, causing the two pilots to share a concerned glance.

"I'm good. How are you? You sound like something's wrong," Ghost replied casually in hopes her gut instinct turned out to be incorrect.

"Honestly, I've had better days. Can I ask you a huge favor?"

Hangman turned off the faucet and braced himself on the counter to hear better while Ghost said without hesitation, "Of course. What's going on?"

"Rooster and I are going to head to the hospital after we return home with the dogs because my blood pressure spiked and won't come down. Would you and/or Hangman be able to watch Raptor and Lightning for a few days until we return?"

"Absolutely. We'll finish the dishes, pack our bags, and head over."

"You're both saints. Rooster and I will drop off the keys to the house on the way to the hospital. Also, we have a ton of food, so help yourselves to anything you'd like while we're gone."

"Sounds good. We'll see you in a bit."

Ghost hung up and chewed her lip, mind racing over Juliette's health. Hangman slipped an arm around her waist and kissed the side of her head, saying, "I'll finish up here. You go pack."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, besides—" he nipped her lip playfully— "you have more to pack than I do."

"Yeah, because I don't immediately look like a god rolling out of bed like someone I know."

"That's because you look like Heaven, which I would argue is ultimately more beautiful than a god."

"You really need to get your eyesight checked if you think I look like Heaven in the morning." Ghost patted his cheek and started walking off, but Hangman grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him, pinning her against the counter. His green eyes pierced hers, devouring her soul and breath. He leaned next to her ear, kissed the sensitive spot below it, and whispered huskily, "You look and taste like Heaven to me."

They had somewhere to be, things to do, and Juliette to worry about, but feeling every inch of Hangman against her body, despite having felt him as such every single night since they reconciled, Ghost's mind could focus on one thing, and one thing only.

"Fuck," she breathed before dragging her hand into his hair to pull his head back just enough so she could crash her lips onto his. Hangman reacted instantly. His hands slid down to the backs of her thighs and effortlessly lifted her onto his counter. Ghost had always been curvy and self-conscious of her weight, and she had never had that perfect body like the models and actresses in magazines and Hollywood, but the man before her made all of that doubt disappear.

The doorbell rang, and Ghost groaned in annoyance at the interruption. "Oh, fuck me."

"Ignore it, and I will," Hangman replied between kisses to her chest. Deciding his idea better than answering the door, she obliged and continued the makeout session with her man, knowing it would inevitably lead to more until-

"Hangman? Is Ghost with you?" The voice shattered the passion between the two aviators as Ghost stilled, her eyes locking with Hangman's.

"What's Maverick doing here?" she whispered.

"I don't know," he said, and judging by the crease between his brows, Ghost determined he meant it. "He won't leave until we answer, though. If you don't want to face him-"

"I'm going to have to at some point. I'd rather have support when I do."

"Then let's continue this later." Hangman gently pulled Ghost off the counter, and she took a deep breath to steady herself. Kissing Hangman once more, she tore herself away from him and, plastering on an expression that feigned indifference, opened the door. 

"Hey, Maverick," Ghost greeted. Her voice came out steadier than she expected but also quieter, exposing her true feelings about the situation at hand.

Relief flashed in his misty green eyes. "Hey, Ghost. I, uh... your mom called me. Said you weren't talking to her and wanted me to check on you. Make sure you're alive."

"Honestly, I'm surprised she didn't ask you sooner," Ghost admitted shyly, moving aside. "Would you like to come in?"

Maverick hesitated, then stepped inside, taking in the scene before him: Ghost's shoes next to Hangman's, her jacket hanging on the hook beside his, and Hangman himself still standing behind the kitchen counter where Ghost had left him. She wondered why he remained there but quickly deducted after their brief but intense makeout session that he probably had a particular reason for staying there lest Maverick figure out what activity they'd been engaging in before he arrived.

"Hey, Pops," Hangman said casually, shifting back to the sink and scrubbing the remaining dishes and pans. 

Maverick nodded in acknowledgment. "Hangman. I'm assuming you know about-"

"That my girlfriend is your daughter?" 

A small thrill bubbled in Ghost's chest at the sound of her title to Hangman. She'd been wondering what they were now that they'd crossed that line with each other, had wanted to assume they were dating, but hadn't been able to bring herself to ask the question even after all these years in fear she'd find herself dreaming up false fantasies.

Maverick's head cocked. "You two are dating now? Since when?"

"It only just happened," Ghost said with a shrug, regaining her ability to speak. "Uh, we have to pack, but if you'd like to continue talking, you're welcome to."

"Are you up to it?"

"I don't think I ever will be, so no time like the present. Come on." Ghost motioned for Maverick to follow her, and Hangman said he'd join them shortly. Ghost shot him a knowing grin, which he flipped her off in response when Maverick wasn't looking. Having Jake here, even if they weren't in the same room, brought Ghost a tremendous amount of comfort. 

When they reached the master bedroom, Ghost pulled out her duffel bag from under the bed and began grabbing her clothes from the closet and dresser drawers. An incredibly awkward silence fell over the Captain and Lieutenant, both trying to formulate some sentence to break the tension between them until finally, Ghost quietly asked, "How long have you known?"

"I received confirmation about it around the same time you did, but I'd started suspecting it before then. Your flying in the air reminded me a lot of myself when I was your age, not to mention your age aligned with when your mom and I met in California the second time. When did you-"

"Started wondering the night you found me on the beach. Some of the things you said made me question things, so I had Jackie help me with the investigation."

Maverick sat in the chair in the corner of the room, his eyes swirling with so many emotions that Ghost couldn't determine a single one. And, rather than have the awkward silence envelop them again, Ghost did what she did best in such situations. She rambled. "Outside of you and obviously my mom, no one else knows about my newfound heritage except my sister and Hangman. I'll tell Jules and Rooster at some point, but maybe after she gets out of the hospital."

Maverick stiffened. "Juliette's in the hospital?"

"They're heading there tonight. Depending on how long you stay, you might see them. They're dropping off the keys to their place so Jake and I can watch the dogs." Ghost swallowed the slight pang of jealousy at the relationship between her best friend and her father. She had no right to feel such a thing. Ghost had no idea who Maverick was to her until recently and had had an amazing dad growing up, whereas he'd been like a second father to Juliette since she was a toddler. They would always have a bond that Ghost doubted she'd ever have with him. Still, she wanted one like it. It's not like he had ignored her all these years. Maverick hadn't known about her. Then Ghost realized something, and the question burst from her before she could stop it. "What would you have done? If you'd known about me sooner?"

The Captain hesitated, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly. Ghost regretted asking the question despite being unable to stop it from escaping her lips, but Hangman—whether he knew of his impeccable timing or not—entered the room and said, "Bradshaw and Princess just got home and are packing some stuff before swinging by. They should be here soon."

"Oh, good. I should be done shortly, so we can leave after they do, if not at the same time as them," Ghost replied nonchalantly, praying to whatever gods existed that Hangman wouldn't notice the tears rimming her eyes. If he did, he mercifully refrained from pointing them out. Still, Ghost had to get out of the room, if not simply to catch her breath and steady her racing heart. "I'll be right back. I left my phone in the kitchen."

It was a blatant lie, but Ghost could pass it off as forgetting that she'd put it in her pocket earlier. Enough had happened in the past few minutes to warrant the memory loss of such an insignificant event.

Deep breaths, Annalise. Deep breaths... She repeated the mantra in her head while she walked purposefully to the kitchen, only to sag against the kitchen bar once she rounded the corner and out of sight from Hangman and Maverick, unwilling to let either man see how horribly the whole situation affected her. Ghost hated showing weakness. It was one thing in front of Hangman. At least, now it was. But Maverick... she could see him struggling himself, but Ghost wouldn't let him pity her or, even worse, act on that pity.

Get it together. Stop crying and get your shit together. Juliette and Rooster need you, and the last thing you want to do is make them worry about you again when they should be focused on Juliette's health. Ghost furiously wiped the tears from her cheeks and huffed an annoyed sigh at herself. Easier to be mad at herself than sad. 

After checking her reflection in her phone's camera to ensure any evidence of her mild breakdown was erased, she went to the front door, where her backpack lay nearby.

Ghost had just started bending down when the door flew open. She barely jumped back in time to avoid being struck in the head, but not the calloused hand that firmly grasped her elbow and yanked her to him.

Ghost let out a short scream before the man clapped a hand over her mouth and snarled, "Shut up. This is what you get for not talking to me when I asked."

Ghost's blood ran cold at the words and at the man she now recognized before her.

Kyle.

****

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[donut-cloud]

Lifesteal incorrect quotes

Spoke: I took a calculated risk but boy I am I bad at math

Vitalasy: Wow, all of lifesteal lost power.

Subz: You know, I’ve always kinda liked blackouts. Listen to how quiet it is. It’s so peaceful.

[ Lifesteal being Lifesteal. ]

Subz: Nope, it immediately turned into a purge. Way to go, Lifesteal.

*Everyone blowing up and killing everything in sight*

Life-stealers : LETS GOOOOOOOOO

Clownpierce: If there is such a thing as true love, I’m sure I’ll never find it.

Branzy: Oh don’t worry! I’m sure that you’ll find it someday. Maybe you and I can find it together.

Clownpierce , under his breath: I think I just found it.

In circus...Branzy wanted to surprise Clown for his anniversary...

Clownpierce : What is one thing I told you not to do?

Branzy: Don't burn the circus down...

Clownpierce : And what did you do?

Branzy: Made you dinner~

Clownpierce*Raises an eyebrow at him*

Branzy:...

Branzy:... and burnt the house down

Poafa: Can I share a hotel room with someone else? Zam has a really weird alarm.

Vortex: What do you mean?

Poafa: It’s a recording of him going, “Come on Barbie, let’s go party” over and over, but he just gets more terrifying each time.

Zam: Tell me a single time you didn’t sing along.

Poafa: …

Vortex: He has a point.

Poafa: Goddamnit.

Subz: Do you think he's the one for me?

Woogie: Vitalasy? Oh, yeah. He's tons of fun and you're no fun at all. He completes you.

Ro: Mappic… Did it hurt?

Mappic: What? When I fell from heaven? 

Ro: No. when you died.

Mappic:

Mappic: What the fuck do you think? It was a damn crowbar and a bomb. You tell me.

Things said out of context

Leo: You know, everytime we have to say "technically it's not murder" it doesn't sound as great as we hope it so.

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

Branzy, very tired: I suppose I shouldn't ask about the Bomb flying of your window this morning?

Zam: I'd really hope you not.

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

Spoke: I'm JUST SAYING, that IF "hypothetically" WE both showed up in battle  wearing  parrot onesies, hood down and then lifted up the hood just to show matching mowhawks we could both have the joy to see everyone  pissing on their pants.

Parrot putting his book down: I'm listening.

----------

Rekrap: Just- Just be nice about it, for once in your life okay?

Pangi: Hn. (lying)

-----------

Branzy: I'd like to remind all of you that I have a terrifying death clown.

Vitalasy: The fuck you mean by that????

Branzy: No reason. Just saying. In case we all forgot.

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

Ashswag: We are all aware that Spepticale isn't fond of violence *loads glock*.

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

Spepticale, 10 years old talking about Ashswag to Clutch : Yeah, he just comes here, eat all our food, argues with Reddoons for 45 minutes and goes away.

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

Pangi, 15 years old, also talking about Ashswag to his school friend: He just comes here-

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

Branzy, very, very tired: So... a bomb.

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

Terrain: Do it.

Cube: Dude what the fuck.

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

Zam, 7 nights awake in a roll: Do you think if I just scream loud enough Clown will come here and put me out of my misery.

Mid, 12 nights awake in a roll: He won't.

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

Mid  at 3 am: I'll pay you fifty bucks if you pretend you never saw me here

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

Zam, 17 years old: The fuck are you doing here.

Clown, with a shitty ass grin showing the engagement ring on his finger: I live here.

Zam:..

Branzy: Listen-

Zam: Some of you still don't eat the crust on your sandwich like absolute fucking cowards. It's just bread. Are you a toddler? Does your mommy tuck you in? Eat the crust, you stupid baby.

Also Zam

Zam: BRANZY THERE'S CRUST ON MY SANDWICH

Spoke: Clown, can I have a silenced pistol?

Clown: Shouldn't you ask Branzy?

Spoke: He said no. 

Clown: Then why're you asking me?

Spoke: Because he's not the boss of you.

Clown: It's a trap, it's a trap, it's a trap.

Bacon: how do you ask someone out?

Vitalasy: Well, first-

Subz: Don't ask him, he asked me out in a McDonalds parking lot.

Bacon: …And you said yes?

Clown, to Branzy: We had a date!

Branzy: *aggressively points to Spiderman Coloring Book*

Ro: Hey guys what’s up?

Mappic: Silence! this is a debate I intend to win.

Ro: huh?

Clown *eating popcorn* : You’re gonna wanna see this 

Jaron: BY FAR IT IS ONLY LOGICAL TO ASSUME- 

Mid: LOGIC HAS NO PART YOU’RE JUST BIASED

Clown: They’re fighting over who was the one which caused the most chaos 

Ro: 

Ro *reaches for popcorn* 

Clown *slaps his hand* : Nuh-uh Ro only the one with the title of MOST CHAOTIC lifestealer gets to eat popcorn 

Spepticale: YOU ARE A LITERAL ASSASSIN WHOS TRIED TO MURDER SEVERAL PEOPLE 

Clown: REMIND ME OF YOUR BODYCOUNT?! 

Ro: what now-

Clown: THAT WAS BARELY ANY  

Spoke: I was literally broke ALL the rules in lifesteal AND SUMMONED THOUSANDS OF MOBS

Clown: You’re all just competing for second place 

Ro: .. wait what about me? 

Everyone *stops and stares* 

Mappic: Ro, this is serious

Parrot: Yeah dude I remember your reputation and you haven’t changed 

Branzy: .. are you all done? 

Zam: BRANZY! Just who we want to see! So.. tell us, who was the most chaotic lifestealer ever 

Branzy*without hesitation* : Ro 

 Rek: Yeah it was Ro

Everyone:………

Ro*steals popcorn* : Y’all better start putting respect on my damn name

—————————

Behind the scenes

Ro: 2 hearts for you to say me 

Branzy: deal

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

I attempted  to write angst but kind of gave up in the end 

Momento mori = remember you must die (learned this in my arts class)

He stood near the cliff as the sun was setting. The wind blew his black hair left and right. The sun in front of her created a golden lining almost too faint to see. He watched him not wanting to disrupt the incredibly angelic scene in front of him.

In hopes of replicating his feelings, Branzy took a deep breath and walked towards Clown. As he turned around, he expected to see his bright red eyes almost gaze into your soul, you stared at them for long enough. Clown's head had turned around by the time his head was out of the clouds.

Branzy gaped in shock as he backed away, Clown’s eyes had been gouged out, and his lips, as well as his skin, had been ripped off of his face, blood was dripping down from everywhere, and the blood gushing from his eye sockets made it look like he was crying out blood, The bacteria in the air had started to rot away at his muscles. The blood continuously dropped on the green grass, turning a deep shade of maroon.

Branzy stared at him in shock and horror. He tried to run but couldn't. No matter how hard he tried something in him wouldn’t let him.

*************************

Branzy jolted awake as sweat dripped down his forehead. His breath became shaky as he tried to calm himself down from his nightmare. 

It had been years since Clown had passed away but even to this day, he couldn’t escape the guilt. Clown died because of him. It was his fault. If he had never taken the job, Clown would be with him. 

But life gives no second chances.

[textingaboutprometheus]

Went crazy = tons of thirsty pics on IG and sleeping around A LOT. He was also very angry for a looong time, but that’s normal after a divorce breakup like that.

The breakup is the big mystery lol. I don’t know for sure and none of our mutuals also know, I doubt they asked or would receive an answer if they did. But there’s an accepted version based on several rumours that most gay people believe, so I can share that.

So, the version is that sometime in 2021, L gave R an ultimatum about their wedding. R was postponing it with ridiculous excuses and L was angry/depressed about it, that’s also when he started therapy. Anyway, they agreed to a compromise, he would keep his NY place and would travel when needed but his base would be in LA. That’s why they bought the new big fancy house together, R would start living there full time and travel to NY for work only.

However, when it was was time to move, R couldn’t do it. And my opinion on this is that, although R loves NY and would prefer to continue in the city, the reason he couldn’t move was because of his lifestyle. I said this many times here, L is not an innocent virgin, he was certainly not monogamous, but he would NOT be ok with the lifestyle R wanted while living in the same place and after getting married. Moving to LA was going to be a huge change to R, so he tried to get out of it like he did many times before.

The thing is, this time L didn’t fold. He was prepared (therapy) and he called R bluff and did not accept his excuses anymore, so L flew to NY for the final “come with me now or don’t come anymore” (Covid excuse) but R still said no. Maybe R tried to convince L to wait a little more, maybe do a  50/50 division between LA/NY, whatever, but it didn’t work obviously. I don’t know if R changed his mind later and L didn’t accept him anymore or if both were firm in their decisions. But I can say 100% that R was caught by surprise with L decision, and he did go nuts in the beginning. Revenge party was the least of it lol.

Also, I always believed R never really wanted L to move back to NY as well. If L was like RG, then yes, but R knew he was not, so the only way to work for them was with L in LA and R in NY. Of course, it was not really working for L, but I don’t think R ever saw that or even considered it. And I highly doubt they never discussed it, so in the end it was really a deep incompatibility between people who loved each other and wanted to be together no matter what (although I believe L had checked out already at the end).

Like I said, R is a very complicated person. I have no doubt he deeply loved L but at the same time he seemed to not care that L was not fully OK with the level of openness they had (and this was very clear, we all knew lol). R admired L intelligence and what he had accomplished in life but also thought Crooked was nothing compared to his work. He was very clingy and obviously needed L attention all the time but was also OK being weeks and weeks away from him. I don’t know how supportive R was when L was building Crooked, but the Weinstein story would’ve never happened without L. And again, during all this, he was fully deeply in love with L all the time.

This is all opinion of course, I cannot say I know for sure the reasons they broke up. But it does make sense to me based on what I know from both of them, their personalities and how they behaved during and after the breakup.

I accept this as the Canon answer. Well done.

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1170: Odin the Dark (Super Smash Bros Ultimate X Fire Emblem)

12:00 p.m. at Big Bang Burgers.........

????: (Holds his Food Up While Having Thoroughly Examine) By the Elder Pope's beard......Of all of the fonest meals I've encounter and consumed over the years, I have never seen one that looks unfamiliar yet so delectable and pleasing to the eyes and scent. (Looks Over to the Trio Couple He's Sharing a Table With) Say, my three newest companions, what is this creative looking meal I am holding in my hands?

Dark Pit: It's a burger.

Misako: Double Cheeseburger to be exact.

Kyoko: (Place her Hand on her Chest and Stick her Other Habd Out in an Elegant Like Fashion) A Double Cheese rich with two beef patties, melted gooey cheese, fresh tomatoes, lettuce, onions, and toasted buns all mixed together to create a heavenly meal before thee~

Both Pitto and Misako raised both their eyebrows at Kyoko in silence.

Kyoko: What? I'm only trying to give it a great impression to our new friend here. (Turns to The Blonde Haired New Guy Beside Her woth a Bright Smile) But seriously though, you should really try their burger, they're super yummy!~ (Went Back to Eating Her Own Burger)

????: If you're certain.....

The young man slowly takes one bite of his burger for the very first time. It wasn't long before his own eyes starts to widened and sparkle up in pure delight.

????: Remarkable......(Continues Eating his Burger) This is a phenomenon handcrafted from the heavens above the rich, clear skies! (Takes Something Out of the Red Basket in Front of Him and Eats It) ('Mm') And these......Appetizers you speak of, are divine worthy!....What are they exactly?

Kyoko: (Giggles Softly) Chili Cheese Fries~

Dark Pit: They're fries all covered in chili and cheese combined. The name's self explanatory really.

????: (Eyes Starts Sparkling Some More) Genius. (Starts Eating More of the Chili Cheese Fries From the Basket)

Misako: Hey, save some those fries for the rest of us, magic boy. We're sharing remember?

????: (Abruptly Stops his Eating) Oh. Uhh...(Chuckles a Bit Lightly and Awkwardly) Apologies for the rude manner. I've been traveling on my own for so long that I forgot to control my hunger there. (Picks up a Niptack From the Table and Dab it on the Both Sides of his Lips)

Kyoko: Oooh~ So you've been a wandering traveler this whole time?

Dark Pit: That would explain why you were taking a sidewalk nap.

Misako: And why you dress like some kind of glamerous jester.

????: (Let's Out an Offended Gasps Before Glaring Misako) Excuse you!? This is no mere jester costume! This is an attire worn by one of the powerful dark mages of the century. Like yours truly before you: ODIN THE DARK! (Sticks Out hus Hand Creating a Small Purple Fire on his Palm)

Kyoko: (Rapidly Clapping at the Display of Magic She and her Boyfriend and Girlfriend are Witnessing) Oooooooh!~

Dark Pit: Odin the Dark, huh?

Misako: (Snickers a Bit) What? Are you like a God or something?

Odin: (Put his Magical Fire Out Before Lowering his Hand Down Letting Out a Heavy, Tiny Bit Dramatic Sigh) I wish! But no, I'm not a God sadly. (Quickly Points Up) B-But I was appointed to be one of the two retainers to serve under the Great, Intelligent Prince Leo of Nohrian Kingdom.

Misako: So like his errand boy?

Odin: No!.....Well.....I mean....('Sigh') Okay, so maybe I did do a few errands here and there, but I have also helped him venture through toughest quests and trials imaginable! We traveled through many lands, villages, and summits, fought and slayed tons upon tons of deadly, mystical monsters and evil forces we've encountered thus far, defeated and dethroned the kingdom's former king who turns out to be a diabolical scumbag from the very beginning, I even saved his and our troops' lives from a man eating serpent once by obliterating it to ashes with my dark sorcery!

Kyoko: (Rapidly Clapping While Her Eyes Starts To Sparkle) Ahhhh!~

Dark Pit: (Starts Nodding to Odin's Journey) Hm, is that right? You did pretty well for a prince's retainer.

Odin: (Politely Bows at Pitto a Bit) Why, thank you, my good man. It was a long, challenging journey for each of us to endure in those days, but it's a blessing to know that we had enough willpower to persevere until our victory was finally seized that day.

Misako: Cool story. (Takes a Sip of her Drink) So how did you even get here to begin with?

Kyoko: Yeah. (Takes a Chili Cheese Fry From the Basket and Eats It) That travel of yours must've been REALLY long if it got you sleeping on the sidewalks.

Odin: ('Sighs Heavily') Ohh you have no idea......After the war came to an end and the truce between Nohr and Hosido was made, I decided to part ways with my prince and comrades as I started my anew journey of my own. It was a long, superly long and exhausting road ahead, so much so that I ended up crawling at one point, which was terrible by the way, would not recommend for traveling sake.

Kyoko: (Raises an Eyebrow in Curiosity) Where did you started crawling at exactly?

Odin: In the desert. An extremely hot one.

Dark Pit/Misako: Yeesh.

Misako: That.....Couldn't be pleasant.

Odin: Not. In the slightest. But luckily, before I was close to preparing for my potential demise, lady luckily was gracious enough to bestow Pitt on me as a giant gold ring suddenly appears before my eyes.

Misako/Kyko/DP: (Eyes Widened at What Odin Said) Giant Gold Ring?

Dark Pit: The hell was that doing there?

Odin: I'm not sure......I just saw it twirling around out of thin air for a few seconds before gaining me it's access. I was too hot and dehydrated at the time, that I didn't try and question what was going on. I just crawled my way inside and before I know it, my entire body was traveling across time and space in a speed of light, as if I was being taken into another world. And load and behold, I was sent to this....."Local Smash Beach" I awoken from. I started roaming around the town shortly after until I eventually passed out on that spot on sidewalk, where I was found by you three: (Extends his Habd Out at the Trio) My new faithful, companions!.......Er.....Question. Do you mind telling me your names are please? It seems I've forgotten to ask.

Kyoko: (Giggles Softly) Not at all!~ My name is Kyoko. A fashion connoisseur, social media geek, and very pretty all around~

Misako: (Points at Herself) The name's Misako. Tough as nails and the last bitch you wanna pick a fight with. (Points at Pitto) And that cute, moody dork of an angel over there is our boyfriend, Pitto.

Dark Pit: I go by Dark Pit, but.....(Rolls his Eyes) Pitto's fine too I guess. (Takes a Sip of his Drink)

Odin: (Smiles Brightly) Ah, so you all formed a trio of romance? (Starts Nodding in Approval) Truly remarkable indeed. By the looks of it, I can tell you three have been happy with one another for quite some time

Dark Pit: (Forms a Proud Smirk on his Face) ('Hmph') Damn right. They can be pain sometimes, but I still love those two dumb-dumbs to ends of the earth. They're practically my everything at this point.

Kyoko: (Heart Begins to Melt in Pure Happiness) We love you to the ends of the earth too, Pitto-Kins!~

Misako: (Smirks Back at her Dark Angel) Expect some loving and cuddles later on tonight, will ya, babe?~ (Winks at DP)

Dark Pit: You got it. (Hears Odin Snickering Before Turning Back to Him) What got you laughing?

Odin: Your nickname is Pitto-Kins?

Dark Pit: Yep. (Glares at his New Friend While Pointing his Bow at him) Call me that and I will end you in a millisecond.

Odin: (Immediately Cease his Snickering While Looking Away) D-Dully noted. (Starts Clearing his Throat Before Notices and Pointing at the Two Portraits From Afar) Say, are those two are the king and queen of this establishment?

Misako: ('Sigh') Sort of. They're only named that because they've completed the Big Bang Burger Challenge in record time.

Odin: (Raises an Eyebrow in Curiosity) Big Bang Burger Challenge?

Dark Pit: It's a challenge where you have to eat this giant burger the quickest. We've done it multiple times already and we ended up losing in every single one. It's impossible at this point-

Odin: (Immediately Got Up From his Seat) Challenge Accepted!

Dark Pit: (Turns Back to Odin) What?

Odin: (Turns to Dark Pit Beside Him) Is your hearing having difficulty there, my angel friend? I said I-

Dark Pit: Oh no, I heard you perfectly. I'm just wondering how stupid you are and how quickly you'll fail.

Odin: (Gasps Before Glaring at Pitto) I beg your pardon!? I'll have you know that I participated in multiple trivial challenges over the years and have accomplished a few of them without breaking a single sweat!

Dark Pit:(Already Unconvinced) A few of them. Really.

Misako: (Raises an Eyebrow) You sure you wanna go through with this, new guy?

Odin: Absolutely! It could try and intimate me all it want. I will persevere this so called challenge without fail and let it be known by all that Great and Powerful ODIN THE DARK has seized the throne of this establishment with his head held high!

Kyoko: (Immediately Gets Up From her Seat as Well All Fired Up) I ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE TOO!~

Dark Pit/Misako: (Gives Their Girlfriend Deadpinned Looks) Seriously?

Kyoko: (Pouts at her Boyfriend and Girlfriend) Yes, seriously! This is a brand new year and I'll be damn if I'm gonna let that dumb challenge get the better of me now! (Turns to Odin) You have room for one more in that throne of yours, Odin?

Odin: (Smiles Brightly) Why, of course! My throne will be shared by all who participate with me!

Kyoko: HELL YEAH!

Dark Pit: (Watches the Duo Firing Themselves Up Along with Misako) We're gonna have chime in on this too, aren't we?

Misako: (Turns to Dark Pit) Well, we can't let 'em do that challenge alone. They'll get destroyed out there.

Dark Pit: ('Sigh') True. I really don't wanna go through this shit again......

Misako: Neither do I, babe, but who knows? With the four of us combined, we could have more chances of winning than we ever had before, right?-

Thirty Minutes Later.........

Everyone: (Groaning in Failure and Fullness)

Misako: I take it back. This challenge is fucking impossible!

Odin: ('Groans') B-But....We've tried so hard.....And got so far......

Dark Pit: In the end, it doesn't even matter. Nothing matters anymore.

Kyoko: My poor tummy.......

Employee: (Walks By the Group's Table) Failed the challenge yet again I see.

Misako: (Glares at the Employee) Yeah. No shit.

Employee: (Gives the Gang a Reassuring Smile) Hey now, keep your head held high. It's like I always say-

Dark Pit: (Rolls his Eyes in Annoyance) "There's always next time". We know. Just.....leave us wailing in our failures in peace already.

Employee: (Casual Shrugs) Okay, buut if you really want my advice, i suggest you-

Pitto/Misako/Kyoko: LEAVE!

Employee: (Finally Walks Away)

Misako: ('Groans in Pure Annoyance') I swear, if I wasn't this full, I'd punch that jerk to kingdom come right about now.

Kyoko: Same. (Stares Smiling a Little) But you wanna know what will make us all better after we leave outta here?~

Misako: (Smirks at her Girlfriend a Little) You know it.

Kyoko/Misako: Shopping Timeeeee!~

Dark Pit: ('Sigh') Can't believe I'm saying this, but sure, why not. (Points at Odin Beside Him) The new guy's in desperate need of a new wardrobe anyways.

Odin: (Eyes Widened by Pitto's Comment) H-Hey! What's wrong with the clothes I'm wearing right now!?

Dark Pit: (Turns to Odin) No offense, man, but it's like Miski said: you look like some jester that's trying way too hard to look glamorous when it's anything but.

Odin: Y-Yeah, well.....(Turns Away While Crossing his Arms and Pouting) Lord Leo says he likes it......

Dark Pit: Well, your lord isn't here now, is he? You're in the modern time now, Odin. It's high time blend in with the crowd like the rest of us.

Odin: (Slowly Turns Back to Dark Pit Before Sighing in Defeat) Very well. But can we stay here for a bit longer? My stomach is killing me way too much for me to stand back up right now......

Dark Pit: Sure thing.

@cyber-wildcat

@albion-93

@caleb13frede

@theweebmaster31

@ma-lemons

@bestpony666

[letsberealgenz]

Shoe Dog

“Let everyone else call your idea crazy…just keep going. Don’t stop. Don’t even think about stopping until you get there, and don’t give much thought to where “there” is. Whatever comes, just don’t stop. — Phil Knight

A couple of days ago, I made one of the best decision by picking up a dusty gem sitting on the shelf. Maybe it was meant to be dusty when I picked it up. It’s like a treasure that holds an encoded message specially written for you with an aim of shedding light on your journey.

The gem is none other than a book composed of 405 pages where every word is written with utmost wisdom by the one and only, Phil Knight, better known as the creator of Nike. That’s the thing about being an avid reader, you know exactly when you’re reading a really good book!

I know there’s tons of books out there where founders share their journey of starting up but the main “make or break” moment happens when the book gives you a lot of “AHAA” moment and this is exactly what Shoe Dog brings you! I am going to share with you some key moments that truly impressed me and I hope this provides value into your life. The real key is at the ending (make sure to read) till the very end.

1962

“Before running a big race, you always want to walk the track.” “You cannot travel the path until you have become the path yourself.” — Buddha “You are remembered for the rules you break.” — Douglas MacArthur “The main who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” — Confucius “Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results.”

1964

“A tiger hunts best when he’s hungry.” “The art of competing, I’d learned from track, was the art of forgetting, and I now reminded myself of that fact.” “Happiness is a how, not a what.”

1965

“He looked at numbers the way the poet looks at clouds, the way the geologist looks at rocks. He could draw from them rhapsodic song, demotic truths.” “Running track gives you a fierce respect for numbers, because you are what your numbers say you are, nothing more, nothing less.” “Inspiration, he learned, can come from quotidian things. Things you might eat. Or find lying around the house.” “But everyone’s athlete, he said. If you have a body, you’re an athlete.”

1966

“Someone somewhere once said that business is war without bullets, and I tended to agree.” “Wisdom seemed an intangible asset, but an asset all the same, one that justified the risk.” “But my hope was that when I failed, if I failed, I’d fail quickly, so I’d have enough time, enough years, to implement all the hard-won lessons.”

1968

“I told her that I flat-out didn’t want to work for someone else. I wanted to build something that was my own, something I could point and say: I made that. It was the only way I saw to make life meaningful.” “Alcohol and time worked their magic.” “The single easiest way to find out how you feel about someone. Say goodbye.” “By nature I was a loner, but since childhood I’d thrived in team sports. My psyche was in true harmony when I had a mix of alone time and team time. Exactly what I had now.”

1969

“Penny and I were learning to live together, learning to meld our personalities and idiosyncrasies, though we agreed that she was the one with all the personality and I was the idiosyncratic one.” “Life is growth. You grow or you die.”

1970

“No news was bad news, no news was good news — but no news was always some sort of news.”

1972

“If we’re going to succeed, or fail, we should don so on our own terms, with out own ideas — our own brand.” “No matter the sport — no natter the human endeavor, really — total effort will win people’s hearts.” “Like books, sports give people a sense of having lived other lives, of taking part in other people’s victories. And defeats.” “The cowards never stared and the weak died along the way — that leaves us.”

1974

“More than a product, we were trying to sell an idea — a spirit.” “But when we did fail, we had faith that we’d do it fast, learn from it, and be better for it.”

1975

“No brilliant idea was ever born in a conference room.” he assured the Dane. “But a lot of silly ideas have died there,” said Stahr. — F.Scott Fitzgerald, The Last Tycoon

1976

“Whatever happened, I just didn’t want to lose. Losing was death.” “Money wasn’t our aim, we agreed. Money wasn’t out end game. But whatever our am or end, money was the only means to get there.” “I no longer simply made Nikes; Nikes were making me.”

1977

“Beating the competition is relatively easy. Beating yourself is a never-ending competition.” “But I liked the idea of acting as if things were going to work out.” “It didn’t focus on the product, but on the spirit behind the product.”

1978

“Obsessives were the only ones for the job. The only ones for me.” “Maybe the cure for any burnout, I thought, is to just work harder.”

1980

“I never knew that numbers could mean so much, and so little, at the same time.” “Any building is a temple if you make it so.” “You measure yourself by the people who measure themselves by you.” “To study the self is to forget the self.” “Oneness — in some way, shape, or form, it’s what every person I’ve ever met has been seeking.” “Change never comes as fast as we want it.” “Because mothers are our first coaches.”

Because here’s the real gift:

I’d tell men and women in their mid-twenties not to settle for a job or a profession or even a career. Seek a calling. Even if you don’t know what that means, seek it. If you’re following your calling, the fatigue will be easier to bear, the disappointments will be fuel, the highs will be like nothing you’ve ever felt.

Put it this way. The harder you work, the better your Tao.

Yours, Asrajjit Kaur