#mega family heroes

[spicyicymeloncat]

Crying about mao mao and how I’m never going to see that incredibly traumatised cat again

[tinisprouts]

The Façade of Happiness

Chapter 3 - She Wasn't Always Right

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Synopsis: Kel always seemed the happiest out of his childhood friends; back then and now, and maybe in a way, he was if he just didn't think too hard about it. But when he heard of Sunny's soon departure, Kel knew he had to try and reach out to him again. All is well, everyone had come back together again and Kel could say he was happy. Yet, it is falling apart once again after Sunny reveals the truth behind Mari's death. Kel wasn't there for his friends the last time, he didn't have the capability. It was different now, he would make sure he wouldn't lose his friends this time, not after finding real happiness.

Word Count: 3.7k+

Warnings: familial neglect, anyone that has family trauma proceed with caution! Mentions of blood/dried blood.

[Flashback]

The little boy sat by himself in a lonely area of the park trying to stifle his cries. He ignored the way his elbows ached, they were definitely bruised. Maybe he was getting on his mom's nerves this entire week but it wouldn't excuse the fact that she had blown up on him over a tiny mistake. He wondered why he was treated so differently compared to his older brother. He wasn't perfect, he made mistakes too, so why? He felt like he knew the answer deep down in his heart, but if he ever admitted it then it would fracture his family relations and he wasn't sure recovering from that was possible.

The boy was so lost in his own sorrow that he didn't notice the person that came up behind him till they tapped his shoulder.

"Kel, what happened? Why are you crying?" The voice he recognized was filled with concern. Kel whipped his head around.

"Mari," he rubs his eyes roughly. "I wasn't crying, I'm fine!" It was an obvious lie, not only had she seen and heard it, but his nose was runny and his eyes were red and swollen. Mari set the plastic bag she was carrying on the ground before plopping down next to Kel. She decided to play it off casually, okay, maybe they weren’t as close as she and Hero, but it made sense they had only met each other once about a week ago. A moment of silence passed and Kel's sniffling was heard loud and clear, he felt awkward, the girl that his brother obviously liked saw him crying; would she tell on him? Mari breaks the silence after thinking about what to say.

“You know," Kel turned his head towards her and he caught her eyes staring back at him. He felt paralyzed by her gentle voice and kind smile, he couldn't look away. "No one will give you a prize for not crying. You don't have to pretend to be okay, so just cry when you need to, there is no need to feel ashamed. When you cry your heart will feel lighter. I won’t tell anyone what I saw," Mari raised her index finger to her lips.

Kel thought he was done with crying, till he felt them spill from his eyes once more. He wasn't sure if he was crying from what she said or the way she looked at him, all he knew was that he felt safe with her. His silent tears turned to sobs and his head dropped, his tiny hands pulled at the grass underneath him. Mari suddenly felt an oncoming wave of tears, she was the type of person who would cry when she saw someone else crying. Mari reached out to pet Kel's head while wiping at her own tears.

"There there, you're okay now. Just let it all out." Kel was so engrossed in crying he didn't realize when he got so close to Mari till he claimed down, was it his own subconscious doing or did she pull him to her? Kel's head now lay in her lap as she continued to brush her hand over his head. He felt better and reveled in Mari's comfort, not opening his eyes till he felt her wipe away his tears with her thumb in the same way his mother tended to Hero when he got hurt. The way he wished to be loved when he was hurt too, but all he ever got was yelled at. Maybe his mother was right, it was his fault, he always finds a way to ruin things.

When Kel opened his eyes he saw Mari who was already looking down at him except, her face was wet from her tears. Kel's moment of peace was turned to guilt, for sure he thought he had done something to make her upset, of course, he ruins everything.

"Why are you crying?" Kel asks the question but is afraid of the answer he might receive. His fears melt away when Mari smiles.

"Oh, that's just me, don't worry. When I see someone else cry I can't help but cry too," she says while drying her face. "See? All better." Kel brings his hands up to his chest fidgeting with his finger.

"Really?"

"Mhmm," Mari held onto one of Kel's hands giving it a light squeeze and she thought about how adorable he is. His hand was even smaller than Sunny's. Kel squeezed back, accepting her answer. "...do you want to talk about what happened? It's okay if you don't, we can just lay here." Kel is silent for a long moment and Mari thinks he doesn't want to talk about it till Kel speaks in a quiet voice.

"I messed up…, again."

[Flashback]

Hero and Kel's mother was busy in the kitchen, preparing for her husband's birthday while he was away at work. She just needed to get started on baking a cake. What better helper would there be than her son Hero, he always showed an interest in making food. Hero stood on standby ready to help when his mother asked. Kel stood next to Hero, he wanted to be just like his big brother, to Kel there was no one cooler than him. If he can do what Hero does then he'll be just as cool.

"Hero, can you get the eggs please?" Their mother asked while taking out bowls and measuring spoons. At the same time, they thought this was their chance. Kel was the first to act stepping towards the refrigerator.

"I can get it!" Hero was thrown off, then a little frustrated, Mom told him to get it.

"No, I'm supposed to get the eggs!" Hero tried to maneuver his way past Kel, but his brother blocked him with his body like he was a point guard. Kel thought it was fun like this too, but Hero was not having fun.

"Boys stop messing around," their mother called out, not tuning from the cupboard. The boys did not listen, Kel kept the carton of eggs out of reach. Hero felt embarrassed, Kel was always good at these kinds of things, he just wanted to help bake, why was Kel trying to take this from him? Fed up, Hero didn't think much and pushed Kel. Hard enough to cause Kel to shout, enough to make him realize he could hurt him, enough to make him instantly regret it. Hero reach out for Kel but could only pull his shirt. It was too late and Hero was not strong enough to keep kel up, so instead Hero was pulled down along with Kel.

Kel knew he was falling before he could even make a quick choice of protecting himself or the eggs his elbow made contact with the floor and he screamed in pain. The egg carton flew from his hands across the kitchen floor making a mess. Hero was able to partially catch himself with a hand, but his knees skid across the wooden floor, peeling his skin. Tears filled both their eyes as they tried to be strong and hold in the pain.

Their mother turned around at the loud noise, shocked to see the eggs splattered on the ground and her sons on the floor. She heads straight for Hero lifting his small body from the floor.

"Henry, are you okay?!" She cups his face checking over his face and body quickly and before Hero can even answer, she interrupts. "Ay mi, your knees are bleeding." Kel sits himself up from the ground looking towards Hero, he felt bad for getting Hero hurt.

"I'm fine, mama." Hero tries to pull away from her grasp, he is worried about Kel. Hero manages to look at Kel and he can see he's tearing up. He hurt his baby brother. Their mother finally remembers Kel and her eyes turn sharp.

"Look at this mess, why couldn't you let your brother get the eggs?! Were you trying to ruin everything?!" Hero stilled. Their mother was scary when she was genuinely angry. Hero felt like it was his fault; if only he didn't push Kel.

"I ju-" Kel tried to explain himself but was cut off.

"¡Cállate!" Kel shut his mouth as she said, fearful. "Just go, I don't want to see you right now!" Kel bit the inside of his cheek trying to hold back the tears pooling in his eyes. He trembled; he was scared, sad, and resentful. Kel scrambled up from the floor, running away, the last thing Hero and their mother heard was the slamming of the front door.

[End Flashback]

Mari was silent, she only needed to go over to Hero and Kel's house once to see just how differently their mother treated her boys. Mari was surprised Kel didn't seem angry at his brother, judging from how he told the story. She could easily see how one would be mad at their sibling for pushing them, yet kel seemed to hold no bitterness for Hero. It was a testament to how strong their bond was, it made Mari think, …Could I push Sunny like that, would he forgive me? The thought made her sad and she thought about the situation reversed. If Sunny pushed me… he wouldn't do something like that…, but if he did I would forgive him because I love him.

Mari's lips turned ever so slightly up at her thoughts, she loved her brother no matter what and she thought Kel is the same. He would love his brother no matter what and he probably knew he never wanted to hurt him like that. She thought about what she knew about Hero and she could imagine him crying something terrible now. She had only met Kel recently, but maybe the reason she felt so comfortable around him was that Hero talked about him all the time like Kel was his favorite person in the whole world. Mari brushed Kel's bangs from his face the same way she would for Sunny, She finally thought of words to say.

"Even after all that, you must really love your big brother," more of a statement rather than a question, but Kel still nodded. Mari wanted to focus on the good and maybe the pain would be lessened. "He loves you a lot too. I'm sure he is crying like a baby right now, missing you," her smile grows mischievous. "I'll make sure to tease him about it at school, he'll never think about doing something like that again!" Kel laughed heartily and Mari laughed with him, "There's a nice smile," she couldn't help herself she had to pinch his full cheeks, they were just as squishy if not squishier than Sunny's.

Kel felt bashful, but he didn't pull away from her touch, instead being drawn to the feeling it gave. It was reminiscent of when Hero would give him noogies, loving but playfully aggressive. For a moment Kel felt at peace again, forgetting all the bad things that happened to him. The feeling was cut short when he moved his arms and his elbows ached more than before and he grunted in pain, stalling his movement hoping it would go away. "It hurts…"

"What hurts?" Mari sat up straighter wondering if she did something. Kel shows off his elbows, not sure if his wound was even visible but showing he felt like it emphasized his point regardless. Mari sees inflamed reds and frighteningly deep purples splayed across his elbows, tiny smears of dried blood crusted on his skin. Mari's face crumpled seeing the physical manifestation of Kel's pain, it was obvious and ugly, but it was ignored; he was ignored. Her heart broke and she wanted to cry for him again, but Kel needed happy thoughts right now, so she would hold back her emotions, even if it contradicted what she told Kel earlier.

"Does it look bad?" Kel saw the change in Mari's face but he didn't understand what that possibly meant, so he says the only thing that comes to mind. Mari's eyes flash to Kel and back to his elbows.

"It's a little bad, but nothing we can't fix." She tries to give Kel a reassuring smile, to ease the worry that crept onto his face. Kel's face relaxed, "Let's go patch you up!" Mari lightly pushed Kel's head up and he sat himself up turning to look at Mari.

"Where?" Mari stood up brushing anything that might be on the back of her pants.

"To the store! We need to get bandages, Neosporin, and maybe a few other things." Mari grabbed her plastic bag from the floor and offered her other hand to Kel. He took her hand without hesitation and she pulled him up from the floor. Kel thought she would let go of his hand but instead, she lightly tugged him forward, leading him out of the park. Kel was choked up, all he wanted was for someone to help him off the floor and hold him. Here Mari was almost a stranger to him, but she showed him kindness, kindness that asked for nothing in return.

"Mari?"

"Hmm?"

"Can I hug you?" Kel's voice shook. Mari stopped waking and looked at Kel, tears were streaking down his face again. Mari wished she wasn't so emotional as she felt her eyes well up again.

"Of course." She hugged Kel tightly before he could reach out for her. It was warm and welcoming, the way she held him tenderly, her cheek resting atop his head, he wondered how she was so good at giving hugs. They stayed like this for some time before Kel tugged on Mari's shirt.

"I'm okay now." Mari pulled away, drying her tears while nodding at his words. She took his hand into hers again and they continued their walk to OTHERMART. They walked in content silence all the way to their destination. Mari led him through the store to the aisle that had bandages and medications.

"Choose whatever you like." Kel stepped forward looking at the assortment of bandages, he saw the plain brown bandages, the only kind his mother bought. Then his eyes landed on the colorful character-based bandages, he thought about grabbing one but opted to go for the plain ones. Mari was counting the money she had left from what her mom gave her to purchase the goods she bought previously. She had $12.25 left, thoughtfully, her mother said she could use the rest of the money on whatever she wanted, she only bought a small snack for herself.

"These ones are good, right?" Kel showed them to Mari seeing if they got her approval. She put away the loose bills and change while looking at Kel's choice of bandages.

"...Are you sure? You don't want one of these?" She gestured to all the colorful bandages.

"We don't buy those." His mother didn't even buy the cool bandages for Hero, this is just what he was used to. Still, his eyes lingered on them, Mari noticed and smiled. Their parents didn't like to buy the character bandages since they were more expensive, but luckily when she and Sunny were out with their dad they pleaded with big innocent cat-like eyes. How could he ever say no to that; against his better judgment he let Mari get Hello Kitty bandages and Sunny got the Spider-Man ones.

"Well, do you want them?" Realistically these ones wouldn't do anything different, but she knew she felt better when wearing special bandages so what did it matter if she spent a little more money on them, if it made Kel feel better? Kel wasn't the type of kid that needed to be offered something twice, he put the plain bandages back in favor of the SpongeBob bandages. Mari gives him a thumbs up, "Good choice." She quickly grabs the Neosporin nearby and drags Kel elsewhere.

They stopped to grab a carton of eggs before heading to checkout. Maybe this would make his mom go easy on him when he came back, a sort of peace offering. Thankfully she had just enough to cover everything. The cashier recognized the little girl, they didn't expect her to come back much less with a friend in tow, what a weird combination of things to buy. Mari puts everything on the conveyor belt along with her money and flashes the cashier a big smile, they smile back.

After scanning the items the cashier recounts the money he had given the girl earlier.

"It's not enough…" Mari's eyes go wide in confusion.

"I thought it would be $12.10," she stood on her tippy toes trying to get a better look at the screen with the pricing information.

"Yes, but that's before tax." Mari's face heated with embarrassment, of course, how could she forget about taxes? What a stupid mistake. She instinctively grabbed onto a lock of her hair lightly pulling on it. She patted her pockets. Maybe there was some extra change in her pockets, nothing. She looked to Kel and he did the same, nothing. Mari tried to think of a solution, Maybe I should put the eggs back… no. She didn't notice that she pulled a little harder on her hair till she could find an answer.

"What about this?" Mari reached into the plastic bag she had been carrying the whole time and pulled out a snack pack of Oreo's "Can I return this? You remember I bought it earlier right?" She takes out the receipt as well to prove she wasn't lying. Kel tugged at Mari's shirt, gaining her attention.

"Let's put the bandages back, the normal ones are fine." She shakes her head, stubborn, she already decided she was getting those ones for Kel. The Cashier found themselves regretting even saying anything. What was owed didn't even amount to 50 cents, a negligible amount, so what does it matter if he lets them go?

"Actually, it's not that big a deal. Just a few cents, don't worry about it.” Before Mari could come up with a reaction Kel was the first to respond.

“Really?!” The excitement was ringing in his voice and he grabbed Mari’s hand.

“Yeah, go on ahead. I’ll take care of it.” The man hands the new bag to Mari and she takes it silently. Kel gleefully thanks the cashier while pulling Mari away. She turns around saying sorry, but the man waves his hands telling her not to worry. As they walk out of the store, gradually a frown was taking over her face. Kel wonders when the mood change happened, he wasn’t sure what could have made her upset.

“Mari, are you okay?” She snaps out of her thoughts, frown shifting to a neutral expression.

“I’m fine… I just- I shouldn’t have made that mistake.”

“But the man said it was fine.”

“Still. Do you know why I bought the eggs Kel?” he doesn’t respond but looks up at her. “When you make a mistake you should apologize. I don’t think you should have been treated like that, but you also shouldn’t have done what you did. Running away won’t solve your problems, you have to fix them yourself.” Kel tensed, she could feel it in the way he held her hand and she realized she was taking her frustrations out on him. “Sorry, I'm not trying to scare you… it’s okay if it takes time, if the apology is from the heart the others will feel that.”

The silence was heavy, would Kel even take her words seriously? Mari wouldn’t know for a long time how much of an effect her words would have on Kel. She led him to the fountain where they would sit on the edge. Mari sat behind Kel getting the bandages and Neosporin out, as she was preparing Kel broke the silence.

“What if Mama still doesn’t like my apology? If Mama hates me forever…” Hate he thinks his mother hates him, surely he was wrong. She gently applies the bandages with medicine to his elbow as she speaks.

“Your mom doesn’t hate you, she's just upset. It’ll be okay, Kel. It’s going to get better, I promise.” It should have never been Mari’s promise, the guarantee of a Mother’s love was not her’s to make, but Kel accepted those words as his truth. It’ll be okay. It’s going to get better. These words would give him strength when he felt alone. After that Kel couldn’t clearly remember the walk home, or how his mother reacted to him and his apology. The last clear memories of that event was how Hero had tearfully hugged him despite Mari being there, and the way Mari smiled at him like she was saying everything that happened today would just be between them, as he and Hero waved bye to her.

-̶-̶-̶-̶-̶-̶-̶-̶-̶

On the walk to Aubrey’s the midday sun shifted in the sky as evening drew nearer. Kel told himself that he wouldn’t ruin it, he wouldn’t ruin everything. He wouldn’t leave Aubrey by herself again. As Kel steeled himself he noticed a disgruntled-looking Kim pacing around the front of Aubrey’s house. Although he couldn’t say he was very close to Kim even after her apologizing to him and Basil, she was still Aubrey's closest friend, so he was concerned.

“Kim, what’s wrong?” She stops in her tracks and throws a venomous look at Kel, it was sour but she also seemed to be on the verge of tears. Kel throws his hand up in defense wondering why she was angry at him.

“I wish I knew, but Aubrey won’t talk to me! I know something happened at the hospital, but she said it was none of my business.” Kim gripped tightly to her sleeve frustrated. “She’s been hanging around you guys more and more,” she scoffs, “I’m sure she'll let you in.” Jealously laced her words as she decided to finally walk away. Kel reach out grabbing Kim’s wrist.

“It’s complicated, Kim. I’m sorry but I can’t tell you anything either… but, you are her best friend.” Kel wasn’t sure if anything he said would bring her comfort, but the look she gave him for a brief moment seemed to settle something in her. Kim snatched her arm away, giving Kel a curt answer.

“Just-! Make sure she’s okay….” Kim turns away once more, quickly walking away. Kel wondered if he could get through to Aubrey, she even turned away Kim. he’d be damned if he didn’t try though, so Kel opens the door.

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[viciogame]

🎮 Clan of Heroes (Mega Drive)

Complete Gameplay: https://youtu.be/6s7D4RAAtzw

#GeneralsOfTheYangFamily #ClanOfHeroes #YiMenYingLie #YangJiaJiang #YangWarriorFamily #一門英烈 #楊家將 #Gamtec #PikoInteractive #PixelHeart #BeatEmUp #FinalFight #GoldenAxe #StreetsOfRage #SegaGenesis #TecToy #MegaDrive #Genesis #メガドライブ #セガ #三協資訊 #Viciogame #Gameplay #Walkthrough #Playthrough #Longplay #LetsPlay #Game #Videogames #Games

[sugugasm]

୨୧ ˗ˏˋ OTAKU HOT GIRL ! | suguru & satoru x yn “i like a tall woman with a nice, big ass.” ꒰ 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑠 ! ꒱ this is me being delusional srry, but thinkin ab gojo & geto fucking tall, curvy! reader after she begs them to watch her favorite anime with her . . like ugh rn. also forgive me if this is pure degeneracy. i was bein a horn dog n’ there’s no plot rlly :/ inspired by the one n only stallion ofc, we luv u mama

꒰ 𝑛𝑠𝑓𝑤 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 ꒱ : blk fem reader, uses she/her pronouns, usage of pet names like cocksleeve, love, baby, babe, sweetheart, etc. positions included such as doggystyle, double pen, themes such as choking, bratty reader, dom! satoru & suguru, rough sex ??, oral fem recieve, oral male receive, dirty talk, mentions of a size kink, lots n lots of cum, mmm yum so gross — 5.3𝑲 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕

“hurry up, boys! m’ gonna’ be mad if you miss the intro. it ruins the whole experience of watching for the first time!”

“we’re comin’, woman. calm down.”

both satoru and suguru scurry around in your shared kitchen, gathering the rest of whatever horrid snack combinations they could find before jogging lightly to make their way over to you on the couch. with your feet positioned criss-crossed n’ a warm bowl of popcorn sizzling down in your lap, the only thing really missing were the two imbeciles of men you mistakenly decided to roommate with around a year or two ago.

you roll your eyes fondly as satoru and suguru finally plop down on either side of you, their arms laden with an assortment of junk food. satoru’s got a family-sized bag of cool ranch doritos tucked under one arm and a jar of peanut butter in the other hand, while suguru’s juggling a pack of oreos, a can of whipped cream, and what looks suspiciously like . . ew, a jar of pickles. what?

“are y’all for real right now?” you laugh, eyeing their haul with a mix of amusement and disgust. “ we’re about to watch anime, not enter a county fair eating contest.”

“hey, don't knock it til’ you’ve tried it,” satoru grins, ripping open the doritos and the peanut butter simultaneously. his gaze dips briefly to your chest, taking in the way your soft pink lace cami clings to your curves. “besides, we’ve gotta’ fuel up. you said this show is, and i quote, ‘a cultural reset that will redefine our understanding of feminism and body positivity in media.’ i don’t know man, that sounds intense.”

suguru snorts, unscrewing the oreo package. his eyes briefly lingering on the bare expanse of your thighs, the flimsy matching shorts riding high as you curl your legs underneath you. “pretty sure she just meant it’s got a lot of ass shakin’ and women empowerment. still, sounds pretty lovely.”

you chuck a kernel of popcorn at his head, giggling when it bounces off his nose. “excuse you, that’s a very tiny observation of ‘megan - sama : twerk hero for a new generation.’ s’ a journey of a woman’s adventure to self-love and confidence in a world that constantly tries to tear her down. she uses her sexuality as a form of power. she like, challenges the male gaze and double standards with, well . . every clap of her ass.”

satoru blinks at you, a glob of peanut butter sliding off the dorito he’s holding halfway to his mouth. “that . . was surprisingly deep, yn.”

“mmm, that's our girl,” suguru says proudly, throwing an arm around your shoulders. his fingers skimming over your skin, sending a shiver down your spine. “beautiful, brilliant, and able to find meaning in the most unlikely places. like a twerking anime.”

you elbow him playfully in the ribs, warmth blooming in your chest at the casual praise even as heat prickles across your skin at the contact. “you’re jokin’ but m’ serious,” you whine, “it celebrates a body type that’s so often shamed and or fetishized, like i dunno’ . . she faces some of the worst - but she never gives up, and that self-love is what ultimately gives her the strength to change the world around her in the end . .” you keep gushing, waxing poetic about megan’s badassery and the show’s powerful message. the boys listen attentively, nodding along, but you don't miss the way their gazes keep drifting south, tracing your figure with barely-concealed appreciation.

you hated to go on your fourth tangent of the week right now, but god, representation really did matter. it was practically rare to see your body type in entertainment — let alone that exact body type standing at a whopping 5’10. this was . . like you said, a real cultural reset.

a comfortable silence then settles as they finish taking it in, the low murmur of the anime’s opening theme — otaku hot girl, now filling the room. you sneak a glance at satoru out of the corner of your eye, surprised to find him looking thoughtful rather than skeptical like any other guy your age would.

“i can dig it,” satoru says slowly, popping a peanut butter dorito into his mouth. “more representation of different body types in media, s’ important. and i mean, objectively speaking . . .” he rakes his eyes over your form, lingering on the swell of your hips and ass. “i like a tall woman with a nice, big ass. ain't nothin’ wrong with a little extra somethin' to hold onto, y’know?”

you raise a brow, something playfully bold and a little reckless brewing in your chest. “is that so? didn’t know y’liked your girls thick, gojo.”

satoru swallows, adam's apple bobbing as his gaze snaps to yours. “no, yn. i love, my girls thick,” he says, voice pitched low. “well that and, exploring your sexuality n’ confidence in general is jus’ sexy . . as hell.”

“hmmm, i see. getou?” you turn to suguru, head cocked. “any thoughts?”

suguru’s smile is slow and devastating, dark promise in his eyes. “he’s not wrong. m’ sure you know that though. body like . . yours, s’the kinda canvas i could spend hours worshipping. takes an incel to not appreciate it, honestly.”

“oh please. all that bravado, but i can’t you couldn’t handle me even if you tried.” you shimmy your shoulders, drawing attention to the truly tremendous amount of cleavage your cami isn't concealing. “you'd probably bust in your boxers if you so much as touched this ass. thank youuu.”

but even as you say that with all the confidence in the world, you can’t help but to think . . ‘what if?’ what if they could? what if you were talkin’ straight out of your ass right now just to have it be thrown in your face later on? — no, never, couldn’t be.

and later on, as the end credits of the final episode roll, you stretch languidly, you’d forgotten about the thought, feeling pleasantly buzzed from two pretty drinks the three of you had earlier and the easy camaraderie of the night. satoru and suguru have been the perfect viewing companions, cracking jokes and providing commentary that had you in stitches more often than not.

but all in all, underneath the lighthearted banter, you can feel something else tiptoeing - a tension, an electricity that’s been building all night. it’s in the way satoru’s gaze lingers on the curve of your throat as you tip your head back to laugh. it’s in the heat of suguru’s palm on your knee, his thumb rubbing absent circles that inch higher and higher with each passing minute.

“so . .” satoru drawls as the autoplay timer counts down to the next season. “that was . . actually enlightening annnd i just followed megan on instagram. so, when will she be mine?”

“mhmm, told you,” you laugh, feeling loose and languid from the warmth of the alcohol in your veins and the solid press of their bodies on either side of you. “and i dunno, join the club. she’s a fuckin’ queen. knows what she wants and goes for it, she’s inspirational, and an overall bad bitch, duh — i want her too.”

“kinda like someone else we know,” suguru muses, a sly curl to his lips as he turns to face you. his eyes are dark, heated in a way that makes your breath catch. “ain’t that right, yn?”

you swallow, pulse picking up speed as you meet his loaded gaze. “oh? and who might that be?”

“you,” satoru says bluntly, shifting to angle his body towards you as well. the movement brings him close enough that you can feel the heat radiating off of him, the firm press of his muscular thigh against yours. “talkin’ all that shit earlier, bout’ how we couldn’t handle you. you think that, babe?”

oh . . so maybe you were wrong.

and they had planned on it proving that to you.

there’s a challenge in his tone, a dare that sends a frisson of anticipation skittering down your spine. you lick your lips, noting with a thrill how both their gazes zero in on the movement, “maybe i did,” you say, pitching your voice low and breathy. “what’re you gonna’ do about it?”

suguru makes a rough sound in the back of his throat, fingers flexing on your knee. “oh, well since you asked . . we can give a little demo - show you exactly what we’re gonna’ do about it. ain’t that right, satoru?”

“damn straight,” satoru growls, a wicked gleam in his eye. “whaddaya’ say, sweet thing? why don’t you go ahead n’ show us what makes you a hot girl, yn?” he finishes.

heart pounding, skin prickling with goosebumps, you lift your chin in clear provocation. “tch, whatever. bring it on then, bitches. show me what you’ve got.”

of course you’d challenge them. why wouldn’t you? you quite literally had the power of god and megan on your side.

twin groans meet your bold words, suguru’s hand tightening convulsively on your leg as satoru’s eyes blaze with intent. “don’t mind if we do,” satoru rasps, voice gone low and gravelly with want. “been fuckin’ gagging for it all night, watchin’ you all curled up and cozy in this tiny ass pajama set, lookin’ good enough to eat . .”

“gonna’ fuckin’ devour you,” suguru vows, already shifting to press hot, open-mouthed kisses along the column of your throat. “gonna’ put this bratty little mouth to good use, fuck, been dyin’ to feel these pretty lips wrapped around my dick.”

you moan, head tipping back to grant him better access even as your hands come up to fist in satoru’s hair, dragging him down for a filthy, biting kiss. he groans into your mouth, licking past the seam of your lips to tangle his tongue with yours, one large hand palming roughly at your breast through the flimsy lace of your cami.

“fuckin’ tease,” he pants when you break apart for air, fingers already working at the tiny buttons holding the top closed. “prancin’ around in this scrap of nothin’ all night, like a slut. y’knew we wouldn’t be able to stop thinkin’ about you, baby.”

“why don’t you tell me?” you breathe, emboldened by the blatant need in their faces, the desperate flex of their hands on your body. “c’mon, boys, use your words. what’ve you been thinkin’ about doin’ to me all night, huh? how’re you gonna’ shut me up, put me in my place?”

“jesus fuckin’ christ,” suguru swears feelingly, wrenching himself away from your neck to stare at you with wild, hungry eyes. “keep talkin’ like that and i’m gonna lose it, i swear.”

“then lose it,” you purr, hooking a leg over his hip and using the leverage to grind yourself against his straining erection. he hisses, hips rocking forward to press the thick line of his cock harder against your aching center. “c’mon, sugu baby, show me how bad you want it. show me exactly what this bratty little tease does to you.”

“fuck, you fuckin’ - get her naked,” suguru snarls to satoru, already fumbling with the tie of your shorts. “fuckin’ get her naked right goddamn now, i can’t - i gotta’ taste her, gotta’ get my mouth on this sweet cunt before i fucking explode . .”

satoru doesn't waste any time, practically ripping your cami open in his haste to get at your bared tits. you cry out sharply as he latches onto one straining nipple, suckling hard and grazing the sensitized bud with his teeth. “oh fuck, oh god, yes!”

your shorts and panties are yanked down your legs, the sudden rush of cool air on your heated flesh making you gasp. and then suguru is shouldering past satoru to find his way between your thighs, pushing them open wide and burying his face in your dripping cunt with a guttural moan of satisfaction, “i call first,” he mumbles into your pussy.

satoru scoffs an agitated, “not fair, but whatever,” and you can’t help but to giggle at the sheer fact that they were quite literally bickering over who was gonna’ eat your pussy first.

“shut the fuck up — ”

“aht, aht! hey, all my munches get along so . . y’all about to argue all day or what?” you mutter, and as if they were being scolded back in their early sourcerer days - they hush, and then, “holy shit!” you whimper, back arching clear off the couch as suguru goes to town, licking and suckling at your clit like a man starved. “o-oh my god, sugu, you’re s’good . .”

“mm, y’like that, sweetheart?” satoru husks, sucking and then pulling off your nipple with a lewd pop. his hand palms roughly at your other breast, plucking at the stiff peak, drawing high, breathy cries from your throat. “like the way he eats this pretty pussy, fucks you with his tongue? gonna’ make you cum so hard you scream, baby, gonna’ make you fucking flood his mouth.”

“y-yes,” you gasp, fisting your hands in both their hair as suguru goes even harder, slipping two fingers into your clenching hole and pumping them in time with the relentless suction of his lips around your throbbing clit. “yes, fuck, m’gonna cum already, gonna’ come on your face sugu, please, fuck, m’ so close . .”

“that's it,” satoru coaxes, pinching your nipple viciously, making you yelp. “give it up, yn, fucking come for us like a good girl, wanna hear you scream . .”

suguru crooks his fingers just right, rubbing mercilessly against the spot that makes stars explode behind your eyelids, and you shatter with a raw sob of their names. your cunt clamps down vise-tight on his thrusting digits as you gush around them, release flooding his chin and dripping down his wrist.

he works you through the aftershocks with hitching praises and soft kitten licks, only pulling away when you start twitching from oversensitivity. he rocks back onto his heels, wiping and licking around his mouth with the back of his hand and tongue, eyes hazy and satisfied as he takes in your wrecked, limp form. “fuckin’ gorgeous,” he slurs, words edged with wonder. “shit - look at you, jesus, all fucked out and dripping just from my mouth. i told you i could spend hours between these thighs, baby, i wasnt lyin’.”

“h-hours, huh?” you manage, breath still coming in shuddery gasps. “that mean you’re done with me already, sugu?”

his eyes sharpen, a predatory curl to his lips that sends a bolt of heat straight to your core. “not even close, pretty girl. m’ jus’ gettin’ warmed up.”

“why don’t you let her catch her breath,” satoru suggests, something dark and intent in his gaze as his eyes rove over your naked, trembling body. he palms his cock through his sweats, hissing at the contact. “still gotta put that mouth to work, remember?”

your cunt clenches weakly at the implication, arousal already starting to rekindle in your veins. “gimmie’ a minute to recover and i’ll put it to work all night long,” you promise, licking your lips. “wanna’ choke on it, toru. want you to fuck my throat . . please.”

“jesus, fuck, you’re so nasty,” satoru groans, fisting a hand in your hair and dragging you up for a brief, brutal kiss. “gonna’ wreck you, baby. gonna’ fuckin’ ruin you for anyone else, mark you up inside n’ out until all you can think about is us, all you can feel is us stretching that hungry little pussy wide . .”

“oh please,” you whimper, already halfway there just from their words, their roving hands, the hot press of their bodies caging you in on either side. “god, please, i want it — fuck me stupid, i don’t care.”

“and we will,” suguru vows, fingers dipping back between your legs to circle your slick, twitching entrance. “gonna’ pump you so full of cum, baby, shit, gonna fuckin’ breed this cunt.” you keen high in your throat, the images they’re painting sending heat licking through your veins like wildfire. you want it, want them, with an intensity that’s scarce.

“so what’re you waiting for?” you rasp, disentangling yourself from their groping hands to shimmy off the couch and drop to your knees between their splayed thighs. you rest your palms high on their legs, thumbs teasing at the straining bulges tenting their sweats. “i believe i was promised a face fucking . . and y’know i hate broken promises. don’t make me beg.”

“brat,” satoru husks, eyes practically black with lust as he lifts his hips so you can tug his pants down his thighs. his cock springs free, thick and ruddy and leaking at the tip, and your mouth waters at the sight. “let’s see how cocky you are with your mouth full. won’t be able to sass when you’re chokin’ on dick.”

“choking? you promise, daddy?” you purr, shuffling closer on your knees, hands running teasingly up and down their thighs. suguru makes a strangled noise, hands clenching into fists at his sides like it’s taking everything in him not to grab you.

“open,” satoru demands hoarsely. “open that smart fucking mouth. lemme’ feed you.” you part your lips obediently, tongue darting out to swipe at the swollen head of his dick. he jerks like he’s been electrocuted, a guttural moan punching out of his chest as you proceed to lave at his cock like an ice cream cone, all kittenish licks and teasing flicks that have him cursing up a storm above you.

“gonna’ kill me,” he grits out, hips flexing like it's taking everything he has to keep from fucking up into your mouth. “yn, jesus, quit teasing and suck it, shit — suck it baby, please . .” deciding to put him out of his misery, you open wide and sink down, relaxing your throat to take him as deep as you can. he shouts, hands flying to your hair as you set up a steady rhythm, bobbing and sucking and swirling your tongue until he’s leaking a steady stream of precum down your throat.

suguru is panting harshly on your other side, fisting his own cock with short, rough strokes as he watches you work over satoru. “look so fuckin’ pretty with a dick in your mouth,” he praises raspily, thumb collecting the bead of moisture at his tip and reaching down to smear it across your lips where they're stretched wide around satoru. “made to be a fuckin’ eater, weren’t you sweetheart? made for us, made to take what you’re given, aren’t you?”

you whimper around your mouthful, the degradation making your cunt clench up hard. you redouble your efforts, relaxing your throat and sinking down until satoru’s cock is nudging the back of your throat, your nose pressed against his pelvis.

“holy fucking shit,” he wheezes, fingers tightening in your hair to hold you there. “oh my god, oh fuck, your fucking throat, m'gonna come, gonna come right down your slutty little neck . .”

“do it,” suguru growls, hand still fisting his own cock, the wet slap of skin on skin obscenely loud in the otherwise quiet room. “feed her that load, man, fucking paint her throat, make her gag.”

satoru cums with a hoarse shout, cock pulsing on your tongue as he empties himself down your throat. you swallow it all, working your tongue along the throbbing underside to draw out every last drop until he's shaking and pushing you off with an overwhelmed grunt. and you pull off with a gasp, lips swollen and spit-slick, chin wet with drool and the remnants of his release. before you can even catch your breath, suguru is grabbing you by the hair and dragging you over to his waiting cock, the head an angry purple and weeping steadily.

“looks like s’ my turn now, hm?” he grits out, tracing the seam of your lips with his cock, smearing the slickness around like obscene lipgloss. “back open, c’mon.”

you let your jaw drop wide once again, and then he’s pushing in, stretching your lips wide around his girth as he feeds you every thick, throbbing inch. he sets a punishing pace from the start, one hand cupped under your chin to feel his cock moving in your throat as the other winds tight in your hair, holding you still for his thrusts.

“oh fuck yeah,” he rasps, eyes fever-bright as he stares down at you, taking in your glazed eyes and drool-slick chin, the vulgar bulge of your throat. “takin’ it like a champ aren’t ya’? so pretty like this, baby. y’like it, like daddy’s cock buried in your throat like this?” you moan around him, looking up at him through your lashes as you hollow your cheeks and suck viciously — vacuum technique doing absolute wonders by the looks of it. he curses, rhythm faltering as his cock throbs warningly against your tongue.

satoru is suddenly there, pressing up against your back, arms banding around your waist as clever fingers find your aching nipples and pluck at them roughly. “your face is so pretty,” he husks in your ear, stubble rasping against your neck as he mouths at your throat. “it’ll look even prettier painted . . c’mon make him cum, you’ve earned it.”

the filthy words combined with the sharp mix of pleasure pain of his fingers on your nipples has you shuddering, cunt clenching down on nothing as a bolt of heat sizzles up your spine. suguru’s is close, you can tell by the way his thrusts are going erratic, his cock pulsing faster against your tongue.

“f-fuck, oh fuck, m’gonna cum,” he warns, high and tight, hips snapping forward once, twice more before he's pulling out abruptly, fisting his cock with desperate strokes. “open your mouth, fuck, stick out your tongue baby, wanna’ see it, fuckin’ shit!”

you obey mindlessly, tipping your face up and extending your tongue, a lewd, pornographic presentation. suguru loses it at the sight, shouting brokenly as his orgasm crashes over him, cock jerking in his grip as he paints your face with ropey streams of pearlescent white.

you moan shakily, back arching as some of his release hits your waiting tongue, the salty-musk taste of him flooding your senses. you feel debauched, utterly wrecked and still desperately turned on, your cunt a throbbing mess of need between your legs.

“holy shit!” suguru pants, slumping back against the couch, chest heaving. he takes in your cum - streaked face, the way you’re panting and squirming, still perched on your knees between them. “you’re a fuckin' vision, you know that? prettiest thing i’ve ever seen, all messy and marked up, fuck.”

“mmm, but she’s not finished though, are you baby?” satoru purrs, fingers drifting down to tease through your soaked folds, making you gasp and buck your hips. “look, she’s still hungry for it, so ready for more like the insatiable little slut you are. tell us what you need, sweetheart. tell us how you want us to wreck this pussy.”

“both of you,” you manage, voice a needy rasp. you reach down to circle your swollen clit, putting on a show for them. “want both you in me, filling me up t-til’ i can’t fuckin’ take it.”

“fuck,” satoru swears emphatically, cock already twitching with renewed interest. “yeah baby, we can do that, no problem. so sorry if we make you cry.”

“we gotta’ get her on the bed,” susguru demands, pulling you up and herding you towards satoru’s room. “need you spread out for us, wanna’ wreck you properly.”

you go willingly, eagerly, practically trembling with anticipation as they usher you into the bedroom, tearing their clothes off as they go. they descend upon you like men starved as soon as your back hits the mattress, hands and mouths roving over every inch of bared skin until you're writhing and keening beneath their attentions.

suguru pushes your thighs open and buries his face between them, groaning at the taste of your arousal. he licks into you like a man dying of thirst, tongue delving deep and curling just right to make you see stars. “fuckin’ drenched,” he mutters, pulling back just enough to circle your entrance with one long finger, gathering the slickness. “absolutely soaked for it, aren't you baby? dripping for our cocks, greedy little pussy desperate to be stuffed full.”

“please,” you whimper, back arching as he pushes two fingers knuckle-deep, pumping them lazily. “oh fuck, g-getou, more, need more!”

“ive got you,” satoru rasps, rolling on a condom and slicking himself up with lube. he shifts up the bed until he’s bracketing your head with his knees, the thick jut of his cock bobbing mere inches from your face. “gonna’ give this filthy mouth something to do while sugu opens up your hungry cunt, yeah? gonna’ fuck your throat while he fingers you sloppy, get you nice and ready for us both.”

you open eagerly for him, relaxing your jaw as he feeds his cock past your lips. he groans at the wet heat of your mouth, at the way you hollow your cheeks and suck, working your tongue along the throbbing underside.

“there you go,” he praises roughly, grabbing a handful of your hair and giving a shallow thrust. “just like that baby, fuck, feel like heaven around my dick . .”

you moan around him as suguru works a third finger into your dripping cunt, scissoring and curling them just right to graze that spot inside you that makes your toes curl. the dual stimulation has you shaking, the obscene sounds of satoru’s cock gliding through the slick clutch of your throat and suguru’s fingers pumping wetly into your pussy filling the room.

“she’s good to go,” suguru declares after a few endless minutes, pulling his fingers free and wiping them clean on the sheets. he slicks himself up, shifting into position between your spread thighs. “gonna’ wreck this pussy, baby, you have no idea how bad i’ve wanted this, wanted you. i think about you while i dream . .”

how could something said be so blended with both degeneracy and sweetness.

he pushes in on one smooth glide, the breath punching from his lungs in a guttural moan as your walls clench down greedily around him. “mm, what a tight fit. shit. gripping me, yn, goddamn.”

you sob brokenly around satoru’s cock as suguru bottoms out, hips flush against yours. he gives you a moment to adjust before he starts moving, rolling his hips in deep, devastating grinds that have you seeing stars.

satoru keeps rocking into your mouth, hands fisted in your hair to hold you in place for his thrusts. you take it eagerly, gagging a little when he hits the back of your throat but relaxing to let him push deeper, until your nose is pressed against his pelvis with every pump of his hips.

“m’ gonna’ cum down your throat again,” satoru grits out after a few minutes of spit-roasting you between them. “gonna’ get you all warmed up, honey.”

you moan helplessly, tears leaking from the corners of your eyes as you struggle to breathe around his considerable girth. just as spots start to dance in your vision, satoru stiffens and curses, hips jerking erratically as he spills into your mouth with a hoarse shout. “there you go baby, breathe for me — agh fuck yes. choke on daddy’s dick, thas’ good girl.” he then pulls out carefully, cradling your jaw as you cough and gasp, chest heaving.

suguru is still working into you from below, the drag of his cock against your fluttering walls almost unbearably good. you’re so fucking full of him, stretched around his thickness, but you still feel so empty, aching for more.

“please,” you rasp, looking up at satoru with wet, pleading eyes. “need your cock inside me too, need both of you fucking me, filling me, please.”

“such a needy little thing,” satoru marvels, eyes dark and hungry on your face. “gonna’ give it to you, baby, don’t worry. want me to stuff that pussy, hm? confuse you on whose is whose,” he laughs.

he slides down your body, shifting to kneel behind suguru between your lewdly spread legs. slicking up his fingers with more lube, he circles your stretched rim where suguru is steadily pumping into you, dipping just the tip of one finger in alongside his thrusting cock.

you keen high in your throat at the added stretch, the slight burn as he works you open further. suguru groans at the increased tightness, at the filthy drag of satoru’s fingers around his pistoning cock as he meticulously stretches you out. “god, look at you,” suguru pants, sounding absolutely wrecked as he stares down at where you're taking them both, hole straining wide and shiny-slick with lube and your own arousal. “pretty, little cunt all desperate for it, practically begging to be stuffed full. you want that, baby? want both of us crammed up in that pussy, wanna’ be our fuckin’ cocksleeve?”

“yes,” you sob, past the point of shame or restraint. “please, fuck, want it, want you both so deep in me, wan’ it to almost hurt . .”

“holy shit,” satoru swears feelingly, pulling his fingers free and lining his cock up alongside suguru’s. the blunt pressure against your already stuffed hole has you nearly hyperventilating, squirming down onto them eagerly. “okay, baby, deep breaths. gonna’ put both of us in, yeah?” you nod, and he pushes in hard, forcing his cockhead in alongside suguru’s with a devastating stretch. you wail brokenly, back bowing as you’re split open on their straining cocks, the burn of it so intense it borders on both pleasure and pain. but then suguru is rolling his hips and satoru is grinding into you and oh, oh it’s fucking perfect, the drag of them against your walls, the way they throb and pulse in tandem inside you.

“fuck,” suguru wheezes, sweat rolling down his temples. “o-oh fuck, fuck, fuck!.”

“m’ not gonna last,” satoru warns, voice absolutely shattered as he starts to move, drawing out only to slam back in, forcibly creating space for himself in your overstuffed channel. “yn, o-ooh, pussy’s stranglin’ me, baby — m’gonna cum.”

“do it,” you demand breathlessly, rolling your hips up to meet their thrusts, taking them impossibly deeper. “cum in me . . claim m-me.” with twin shouts they comply, snapping their hips forward one, two, three more times before they’re cumming hard, cocks pulsing in tandem as they empty themselves into you. you moan brokenly at the feel of it, of their release flooding your cunt, marking you up from the inside out.

they collapse against you as they come down, chests heaving and skin slick with sweat. you whimper as their softening cocks slip free of your abused hole, a river of come slipping out after them to soak the sheets.

“holy f-fuck,” satoru rasps after a long moment, pressing a reverent kiss to your shoulder. “that was fucking crazy . .”

“and incredible,” suguru adds, sounding just as dazed. “yn, baby, fuck. we wrecked you, jesus.”

“mmm, you did,” you agree, feeling utterly boneless and fucked-out in the best way. “absolutely ruined me for anyone else, jus’ like you promised.”

“good,” satoru growls, something fiercely possessive in his gaze as it rakes over your limp, satisfied form. “because this pussy? this filthy, perfect pussy? it belongs to us now. you belong to us now . . .”

you glance briefly at the tv, dick drunk and pleasure high. part of you thinks you should probably pay your respects to the anime that facilitated this unexpected but very welcome turn of events, but the rest of you is preoccupied with trying not to black out as satoru and suguru keep their attention on you.

megan-sama, you think muzzily, just before suguru starts to nip at your shoulder again, bless your ratchet heart. you the real mvp.

and then coherency flees completely as your boys descend on you once more, cutting off anything resembling higher thought.

the last fleeting thing you remember is a deep, unshakable gratitude for your beautifully crafted body and the incredible dudes about to spend the foreseeable future worshipping it.

thick thighs save lives, indeed.

there’s only one you.

we love you meg.

[she-who-fights-and-writes]

MASTER LIST OF INSTRUMENTAL PLAYLISTS FOR WRITING (OR FOR STUDYING, MAKING ART, ETC.)

I find that the perfect writing playlist can GREATLY enhance the writing experience. Even if it doesn't make your writing "better" (which it can, since it helps writers with visualization, tone, and mood), it can definitely make your writing flow easier!

Personally, words distract me when I'm writing, either by breaking my train of thought or by getting me too into the music so that I'm jamming out to my favorite tunes instead of writing.

Therefore, I've amassed a vast knowledge of instrumental music across a variety of media over a course of many years. Now here I am, deciding to share all of them with you!

Maddy’s Favorite Instrumental Songs

Just like the title says. All of the best pieces of instrumental music I've ever heard, compiled together with no regard for genre. It can be a bit of a whiplash playlist, but some amazing recs in there that I just like listening to in my free time, not just for writing.

Maddy’s Ultimate Instrumental Playlist

A mega compilation of 550+ fantastic instrumental music from a variety of media and genres. Kind of a whiplash playlist if you put it on shuffle, but is a great start for anyone looking to find what kind of instrumental music they like! Playlist Groupings in Order: Independent instrumental songs, live action movies, animated movies, animated tv shows, live action tv shows, video games.

Maddy's Instrumental for Sleep

Some more chill vibe instrumental for people who either A) want to sleep or B) want a relaxed playlist that won't distract you with loud volume and sudden changes in tempo or melody.

MISC PLAYLISTS:

you're a haggard adventurer discovering worlds beyond your wildest dreams

Music to inspire wonder and wanderlust, the kind of feeling you get when you finally reach the end of a mountain hike and see the world stretching out before you.

you're a hero who's just lost everything

Basically the most sad instrumental music I could find. A playlist for grief and revenge.

more beneath the cut :)

you're a cowboy in the great American West

Cowboy instrumental for all of your ambient and writing needs. Or if you just really want to feel like a cowboy.

you're a divine witness

Epic choir music (no English). Most religious, some not, but all kind of have that eerie sacred vibe. I listen to this while writing my book about angels and demons.

you’re a scholar uncovering the secrets of the universe

Great chill study playlist! Has the kind of same exploratory/discovery type feel as the haggard adventurer playlist, but more dark academia.

you’re a villain plotting to take over the world

Villain-coded instrumental! Sinister, dark, and/or unsettling.

you're an academic weapon

HIGH BPM STUDY PLAYLIST! Keeps me focused, hyped, and helps me work faster!

you're an ancient god

Playlist that gives an ancient/eerie vibe. But some ancient gods are merciful- so there are some upbeat songs for wonder and awe!

you're falling in love

Music that encapsulates what I think falling in love feels like. Very beautiful, tender, and uplifting instrumental.

you're fighting the final battle

Intense and epic battle music for all of your fight-scene-writing needs! Good for getting shit done, but isn't necessarily restricted to high BPM like the academic weapon playlist.

you're having a tea party

Refined instrumental for a tea party, including classical, big band, and some miscellaneous goodies.

you're in a chase scene

Music for writing chase scenes. Pretty good hype music, too. Includes soundtracks from classic chase scenes in popular media!

you're in the medieval times

Medieval-sounding music for all of your ambient and/or writing needs.

you’re in your childhood room. the door is open a crack. people talk softly downstairs.

A playlist dedicated to nostalgia, to the feeling of lying in bed with your nightlight on after being too tired to stay awake at your family get-together. Could either make your day or break your heart lmao

you're the happiest you've ever been

Lighthearted instrumental meant to lift your spirits! A playlist dedicated to the joys of the little things.

[wemlygust]

wait why are we not crossing Danny Phantom over with Jack Frost (Rise of the Guardians)? Or importing Jack along with Danny into the DC verse. Tbh I don't really care about adding any of the other Rise of the Guardians characters, nor the Christmas themes, but Jack Frost would fit so well as just a random imported character into DP x DC fics. Consider: 1 - they're both cartoon dead kids, even of a similar age.

2 - Jack Frost's "belief creates/grants power to/allows living humans to see spirits" cosmology fits neatly into the ghost zone cosmology (at least for fanon versions, idk enough about canon), especially considering that one kid ghost that adults can't see in DP, and the Guardians all having "centers" that sound a lot like "cores". In this context, Jack Frost is perhaps a cross between a regular dead-human ghost and a neverborn? Like he died under his lake, and when his ghost formed it got all tangled up with the concept of winter/a nascent winter neverborn's formation, with the result that he's sorta the ghost equivalent of an irl human chimera (the result of twins merging together at an early developmental stage, resulting in the final human having different DNA in different cells/body parts but still being a single person). 3 - they'd make for fun friends or maybe frenemies or rivals I think.

4 - they both have ice powers.

5 - they both have a mega big bad enemy with a stupid/blatantly evil name - Pariah Dark and Pitch Black. They're so similar!! Like why not just chuck this third dead kid into the dp x dc mix? We could have, like, a triplets Danny & Damian & Jack Frost situation? Or a "both Danny and Jack Frost independently show up in Gotham at around the same time for different reasons, resulting in lots of confusing rumors and maybe a spider-man pointing meme" situation, maybe with extra "Dr. Freeze is concerned by the sudden influx of teens with ice powers into Gotham" situation. Heck, maybe also throw in the Todoroki family kids (My Hero Academia). Maybe Dabi and his sibs form a brand new Gotham mafia. Or just add the kids with ice powers only, and have an ice powers mega-crossover with all the fandoms featuring ice powered-characters you can think of. Freeze Gotham! I'm losing the thread here but anyway. Jack Frost x DP and/or DP x DC x Jack Frost. I want it.

[bunnelbaby]

Here’s yet another list of miscellaneous children’s media to enjoy while you’re regressed or dreaming:

𐐪𐑂 Wow Wow Wubbzy

𐐪𐑂 I Spy

𐐪𐑂 Fifi and the Flowertots

𐐪𐑂 Bananas and Pyjamas (1992)

𐐪𐑂 Maisy Mouse

𐐪𐑂 Mofy

𐐪𐑂 Sherlock Hound

𐐪𐑂 Magic Adventures of Mumfie

𐐪𐑂 Toot and Puddle

𐐪𐑂 The World of Strawberry Shortcake (Miscellaneous Specials) (1980)

𐐪𐑂 Strawberry Shortcake’s Berry Bitty Adventures

𐐪𐑂 Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure

𐐪𐑂 The Last Unicorn

𐐪𐑂 One Stormy Night (English Sub)

𐐪𐑂 Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! (English Sub)

𐐪𐑂 Ico, The Brave Little Horse (English Sub)

𐐪𐑂 Cinnamoroll the Movie (English Sub)

𐐪𐑂 Lamb Chop’s Play Along

𐐪𐑂 The Doodlebops

𐐪𐑂 Jack’s Big Music Show

𐐪𐑂 Between the Lions

𐐪𐑂 The Big Comfy Couch

𐐪𐑂 Fishtronaut

𐐪𐑂 Mega Minimals

𐐪𐑂 Bunnytown

𐐪𐑂 Fraggle Rock

𐐪𐑂 Wilbur

𐐪𐑂 Oobi

𐐪𐑂 It’s a Big Big World

𐐪𐑂 Pinky Dinky Do

𐐪𐑂 Polly Pocket

𐐪𐑂 Popples

𐐪𐑂 Pecola

𐐪𐑂 Boo!

𐐪𐑂 Rainbow Brite (1984)

𐐪𐑂 Moondreamers

𐐪𐑂 Muppet Babies (1984)

𐐪𐑂 Happy Monster Band

𐐪𐑂 Maya the Bee (1975)

𐐪𐑂 Count Duckula

𐐪𐑂 Sylvanian Families (1987)

𐐪𐑂 The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin

𐐪𐑂 A Pup Named Scooby-Doo

𐐪𐑂 Madeline (1989)

𐐪𐑂 Postman Pat

𐐪𐑂 Rescue Heroes

Previous lists: x x x

[savanir]

DP x DC prompt [17]

Tucker meets Danny (no not that one, Danny Temple)  through a Reddit about being a reincarnated important person.

They bond over a period of several weeks over their struggles with sudden positions of power and the responsibilities that come with that and surprisingly also over having a vigilante friend.

Danny Temple laments the fact that he hasn't seen his vigilante friend in a long while and his cult is keeping him busy so he can't just go out there and meet up

Tucker figures he could do his new buddy a favour. Kidnap some vigilante as a show of... friendship? General approval? To Signal that are allies or something. Drop him in egypt or wherever Danny's cult is at so they can catch up without anyone getting suspicious or whatever.

Shouldn't be too hard...

Though, wait, maybe he should keep kidnapping more as a last resort kinda thing. He should first just try to get the vigilante to act on their own by simply leaving an anonymous tip about their hidden, secret, possibly nefarious meeting. That seems less risky than full on kidnapping.

Tucker plans on asking his Danny, the Phantom one, on how he might get lured into a situation like that. Tucker doesn't really want to involve him in the actual action though... he'd feel bad if Danny took a hit on his reputation for this.

On that note. Tucker should ask his other Danny who exactly his vigilante friend is.

"Oh! It's Red Robin" he looks so proud about it.

Tucker realises he's going to have to step up his game a bit more cause he's sure tricking one of the Gotham birds is going to be a bit harder than your average teen hero (the kidnapping plan is starting to look even less appealing now...). But let it never be said he backs down from a challenge!

---

During a video chat while team Phantom is at Nasty Burger;

"Hey Danny come meet Danny"

Danny looks up from his food to see what Tucker is doing, "You're having way too much fun with our names being the same"

A voice pipes up from Tucker's PDA with laughter,  "it's very confusing sometimes"

"Anyway, hi Danny, I'm Danny"

Danny T can be seen grinning on the screen, "Hello Danny I'm- oh damn, that's even weirder"

Now Tucker and Danny are both confused.

"You look just like my buddy Tim"

Danny seems to find the whole thing funny so Tucker leaves the two of them to it and focuses on his own extra mega beef burger until he overhears Danny T go "oh he's in Gotham now sadly so-"

"Hm? Who?" Tucker asks and Danny distractedly goes "Tim" before going back to his conversation with other Danny and Tucker's brain is slowly putting a few pieces together before tossing it aside.

Massive coincidence that this Tim guy and Red Robin both are in Gotham, and besides, there are a gazillion Tim's on the planet. So without a last name there is no way he-

"-and last time I heard he's majority shareholder in WE and works closely with the CEO Lucius Fox. So we're both in like, leadership positions"

Oh his friend is Tim Drake.

"You're friends with Tim Drake!" Tucker butts in

A startled "woah" can be heard from both Danny's.

Meanwhile Sam finished pulling up Tim's latest news article that has a photo attached. "He's right, you two do look alike"

Danny T makes a little surprised noise "oh he stopped wearing glasses"

But really, it's probably just a huge coincidence that both are in Gotham, his friend, haven't been in touch in a while, Tim clearly has the money to do vigilante stuff if he felt like it.

... Tucker figures he could keep an ear out for any drama in the Wayne family before he makes his move. It might actually keep any other bats and birds from getting involved, and isn't that insane to think about?

[reallyromealone]

Hello there, I was wondering if we can get a part 2 of the alpha Kirishima x alpha Bakugo adopting to mega pup reader and the reader is meet most of their aunts and uncles?

Title: adoption part 2

Fandom: my hero academia

Pairing kirishima x Bakugo x male reader

Type: platonic fluff

Warnings: omegaverse, child reader

Notes: none

🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘🌑

(Name) was an absolute precious little guy, always following one of his dad's when he could and trying to help in the best way he could with such little hands as the two adults tried to include him in their day to day, currently on maternity leave to acclimate (name) better.

"Yaaay! Good job!" Kirishima congratulated (name) as the babe put his plastic bowl in the dishwasher, (name) beaming at this and hugged his dad's neck for comfort "were getting ready to meet some people, they're your aunt's and uncles and are very excited to meet you" when their friends learned if their tiny pup they practically exploded with excitement, mina taking everything within herself to not bust down that door to see the pup.

(Name) held the Dynamite toy close, either that or an old sweater of Kirishimas that the babe saught comfort from, a quick Google search showed Omegan pups saught comfort from their parents items it was early stages of a familial bond settling in.

Bakugo was the one to collect the little one after his nap, the aunts and uncles sitting in the livingroom to meet him "hey squirt, it's time to wake up" they changed the crib to a toddler bed when (name) tried climbing out, the little one starfished with a cute pair of pajamas on "nnh" the boy grunted as Katsuki huffed and gently lifted him "come on you" the boy nuzzling into his dad's shirt as he was brought out to the livingroom "(name), can you say hi?" Katsuki was surprisingly soft with the pup who looked confused and face had marks from the sheets "awww he's so little!" Mina gushed as she stood up and (name) clung to his dad nervously "slowly mina, he's shy" Eijiro said watching his sons movements.

The itty bitty pup looked nervous as Katsuki spoke to him "this is your aunt, she's a bit annoying but she's not gonna hurt you"

Carefully he set (name) down, the boy fidgeting before running to his other dad for protection, the redhead holding his stuffed doll "awww he has a dynamite toy!" Ochaco cooed and they watched (name).

Eventually everyone began chatting and (name) grew more comfortable and began wandering around as he normally did as he noticed the snacks on the table, things the others brought "oh look he's staring at the (treat)" denki snicked as the babe reached out and grabbed a handful, little hands getting messy in the process "well at least he likes it" Momo said as the dad's looked at each other and Katsuki cleaned him up and Eijiro got the boy a small serving "so how's being a parent?" Iida asked as he sipped his tea, glancing at the pup "he keeps trying to make nests everywhere, we don't think he knows what he's doing though" Eijiro chuckled as he let (name) get comfortable in his lap.

Later on came his former teachers + Eri and Shinsou, the two tagging along.

Katsuki saw the two as his own parents, his real parents and him had.. a hard relationship.

His mom and him never got along and when he showed up with Eiji... That went bad fast, he was seventeen at that point.

He hadnt even graduated yet.

His dad loved him but being an Omega, he couldn't really go against his alphas word but did send letters to him in secret.

After that Aizawa stepped up, using his custody over Bakugo and taking care of him and by proxy so did Yamada, the men treating him like a son.

"Hi little listener" Yamada was soft with the pup as Aizawa looked at the two fondly, Eri chatting with kirishima about her classes and her plans to join U.A under recommendations by not one but multiple heroes.

"Oh? Thanks..." Shinsou was awkward around children and when (name) handed him a Cheeto he wasn't expecting it to be so...soggy "you don't gotta eat that, just walk to the kitchen and toss it" kirishima whispered and the other man nodded and did so.

"Hello there" little (name) reached to the black haired man who had the forethought to have his hair put up "you can smell I'm an Omega" Aizawa smiled softly as (name) sniffed his face and bounced slightly "omegas feel calm with other omegas" he explained "safety in numbers sort of deal"

(Name) smushed his face, a silly baby attempt at scenting "I think he thinks I'm apart of his pack"

"Well you are" Eri said simply and everyone smiled at the interaction.

"Minas gonna be pissed that he's getting this and she's not"

When everyone left, (name) was tuckered out "he sure enjoyed those snacks"

"He's so sleepy" kirishima gently traced the boys face "let's get him to bed yeah?"

[cobbleztone]

Opinions on DC comics things:

Superman should not have a no kill rule, but should avoid killing unless it's the only option.

Gotham City should have little to no metal buildings with Wayne tower being one if the only ones, it should be mostly brick and concrete and a bunch of older buildings made of stone that look like cathedrals. It is called Gotham, it should be a place that is a goth esthetic Also every Gotham tower should have Gargoyles. Gotham should look different from every other city on DC, it should not look like New York City, Metropolis, Star City, or Central City, but like an amalgamation of different types of citys and town that always looks erie at night no matter where you are.

Batman should be a lot more brutal when someone he is working with gets in trouble, especially if it's one of his kids. When Joker killed Jason, Batman almost broke his one rule and only didn't because of Superman. If Clark didn't get involved, Bruce would have probably ripped off Jokers head. Batman should be willing to kill when it comes to his kids.

Batman should have trauma from Jason's death and never let anyone work alone on a case, including himself. Batman should make a rule where you always have at least one other person at all times in case something goes wrong.

Billy Batson should be someone the league respects the opinion of because he has the wisdom of Solomon.

Dr. Fate should never be a member of the league as he is technically a parasite who takes control of people's bodies.

Batman and Green Arrow should have a friendly rivalry and drive each other to improve, with each of them sharing areas they are proficient in that the other isn't.

Bruce Wayne and Oliver Queen should be constantly working together for the betterment of people as they are both mega rich.

The Flash Family should be heroes who volunteer to patrol another city when a hero is out of commission as they can with ease.

[yuri-is-online]

Happy Holidays! I’ve been on a bit of an angst fix lately, so if you don’t mind, I’m going to brainrot in your inbox about it.

I’ve been thinking about a scenario where Yuu just finally snaps. I mean, an entire school year of being trapped in a foreign world with no certain hope of seeing your family again, being forced to contend with (at least) 7 life-or-death scenarios, the massive egos these teenage boys have, and probably at least a little bullying from the NRC students for being magicless. I mean come on, I love our boys and all, but a lot of them are kind of awful people. There’s no way a regular person’s mental health survives that.

And maybe Yuu, tired of it all, packs up what little they have and leaves. Surely their prospects couldn’t get any worse than at NRC. Maybe Yuu tries their luck at RSA in finding someone to help them go home. Maybe Yuu just wanders until they find somewhere where they can be something. Would they even leave a letter behind explaining what happened to them, or would they just assume no one would care anyway?

I just want some more Yuu angst lol

Do you have any thoughts on this?

Happy Holidays to you too annon! Everyone is welcome to brainrot in my inbox, especially about Yuu. And I do have some ｢(ｰﾍー;) but I might be a bit nicer to the NRC boys than they deserve.

notes: they/them used for Yuu, more fleshed out fic can be found on my masterlist here. SPOILERS FOR UNRELEASED CH 7 CONTENT. CW for abandonment issues, ptsd, bullying, and just general ignorance on the part of the OB boys. Heavy on the angst, this is a mega oof tm of a post.

I want to start off by saying that, in my personal opinion based off of the in game voicelines and vignettes, that the various NRC boys do like Yuu and enjoy having them around. They think of them as the same of any other freshmen student at NRC, which is sort of the problem.

The average NRC freshmen has magic, a dormitory with a housewarden responsible for "guiding" them, and a family they can fall back on if things get rough. The average student has a basic understanding of the history of the world they live in, of it's pop culture, it's food, it's clothes, and a bunch of other things that they might not think about because of how ingrained it is in their very being. Yuu has none of those things. They don't even have a cannon club which I think is more meant to allow players to have head cannons, but since we are talking angst I have wondered if since Yuu and Grim are one student, any club Yuu wanted to join would have to take Grim as well and no one wanted to deal with that. So Grim started his own "club" and Yuu just takes pictures of birthday celebrations and events they aren't able to fully participate in for the school at Crowley's request.

Ace's first reaction to Yuu is to bully them for not having magic. Deuce admits to having done the same thing as when he was a child, and is very embarrassed by it. We don't really see Yuu getting outright bullied outside of this, but given how the faceless students reacted to Deuce being excited for Starsending, yeah I think Yuu has had to deal with some bullying. And while I do think Adeuce (and the rest of Heartslabyul really) would stick up for them, it wouldn't make it stop. If anything it just gets sneakier and Yuu, not wanting to cause any problems, does their best to cover it up. Something about keeping a stiff upper lip or a smile better suiting a hero and all that.

The overblots is a whole separate issue. We get two real apologies, one from Riddle and one from Vil, who again do not take Yuu being magicless in to much thought. They think of Yuu highly! They are a housewarden of their own little dorm! And they take such good care of Grim and the others, not to mention all those overblots you survived! Not many mages can claim that but you can! What could you possibly have to be stressed about?

As if that isn't the entire problem. As if anyone understands where Yuu is coming from. As if they even would care if they did.

They might be just as capable as any other freshmen, but when school ends, hell even when it goes on a break, they have no where to go. They were stripped from their friends, family, and especially their belongings, including money and autonomy! I have some thoughts about my own Yuu wanting to be nurse in her world, but given how much of even basic medical care seems to rely on magic in Twisted Wonderland I wonder if that would even be a career path any magicless person could take. We know a lot of them work at Styx because they don't risk blot accumulation, but even cooking is done with magic (if it can be) in Twisted Wonderland! How would you feel if you had your heart set on being a doctor, worked really hard to get good grades and took up a part time job to save for college/university only to be transported to a different world with different laws of physics completely against your will. A world where all that hard work is meaningless and you might not be able to accomplish those dreams of yours. And! AND AND! If you get upset about it, that will be seen as a weakness on your part and no one will care.

Because hey, they had to work for what they have. Why can't you? They didn't ask to be born with magic (even though they would have probably) so there is no use crying about things you can't change. Ruggie and Jamil do seem to feel a bit of sympathy to Yuu's plight, but neither of them think twice about exploiting Yuu for their own gain. Sure it might be unfair, but life is in general! It's not their fault, they aren't to blame. And that's really how all of NRC sees it, they aren't to blame for Yuu's circumstances, so they aren't owed any special treatment.

How Yuu snaps and what they do because of it would really come down to how you hc your Yuu to be. My own personal thoughts come back to personal autonomy a lot; I don't think Yuu has much of it and that would grate on me constantly. I could see Yuu hearing their friends talk about their plans for the future, and though Ace and especially Deuce try to include them in the conversation they can't add much. Ace applauds them, says "we need to take things easy! We're still freshmen..." and drones on about how he just wants to enjoy school life. And maybe Yuu does too, but they have no concrete answer about whether or not they can get home. They don't have the support system that their classmates do, so there really isn't anything waiting for them after the school year ends. Yuu feels so helpless, and they don't have the words to explain how they feel, because how could they?

If Malleus's overblot ends without any real repercussions (which I doubt it will but hey, I am like 65/35 on whether or not he apologizes to Yuu specifically for almost killing them I will be so pissed if he doesn't) I could see everyone else making fun of Malleus for loosing while Yuu just. Stares off into the distance, trying really hard not to cry in front of people they are convinced will make fun of them. This has all been scary, things like this just aren't possible in their world and they aren't mentally prepared to face death again.

And they are convinced they will. You can say overblots are rare all you like, but Yuu has practically seen one once a month ever since they arrived in this world. It is normal to them, and who should they trust? The lying headmaster or their lying eyes and ears?

If Yuu decides to run away, I think that the Ramshackle ghosts might try to stop them. Sure the headmaster sucks, but your ghost buddies really love you! And want to support you in anyway they can, so does Grim! He wants to be together for the next 100 years, and while he does really want to stay at NRC so he can be the world's greatest mage... I think he might love Yuu more. Just a tiny bit. He would play it off as him being too good for the school, or that he and Yuu are only one student after all so he will be expelled... but really he wants to come with because he will be worried about Yuu.

While going to RSA does sound nice on paper, Yuu doesn't really have a reason to go there. They aren't exactly on first name basis with any of the students we've met so far, and there is always the risk of Che'nya snitching to Riddle and Trey. Better to try and find a place where they can be something and maybe send letters to all the magical academies they can get contact information for to see if they can help. And also, to see if they will accept Grim as a full student, got to make sure he isn't sacrificing his dream for nothing!

The ghosts, realizing they can't convince Yuu not to leave decide to help. They already sell things at the markets downtown, so maybe they chat with some of their clients and convince them to let Yuu rent a room for a while. You have the option in Portfest to mention you have been to Craneport before, and I like the thought of Yuu having a part time job there. Maybe the ghosts explain that Yuu has no real family to go back to and Yuu's part time employer agrees to give them a full time job while Yuu figures out where they want to go.

Another thing related to personal autonomy, Yuu wouldn't have government documents if they just got isekaid out of the blue. I could see that being a huge issue for traveling to different countries and trying to establish a life. I also wonder if Crowley even did anything about that... but assuming he did since he (allegedly) talked to the school board about what to do with Yuu I think the ghosts would get them for Yuu on the condition they still come visit sometimes.

As for the note, I think Yuu would leave one simply because they feel like they didn't have the words to explain themselves out loud. And because they don't want to face the fight they know will come where everyone tells them to just suck it up and get on with it. These are teenage boys they are dealing with, their brains just can't fully comprehend the situation Yuu is in and they have given up expecting them to.

Just so we're clear, I think this would devastate Ace and Deuce, maybe to the point of destroying their friendship, at least for a while. Ace does think about Yuu not having magic, he wants to protect them. He says so when you level him to max, that protecting you will be easy, but clearly it wasn't. Clearly he failed you, and what does Ace do when he feels bad? He takes it out on everyone else and in this case especially Deuce. Deuce just feels stupid, which he already does a lot, but he really saw you as being around for the rest of his life. And now you aren't, and not for a happy reason like you got to go home. You aren't there because they failed you.

The others are a bit of a mixed bag I could do a separate post about but to hit the other big one...

I have no real idea how Malleus would react. I can see him thinking this means Yuu is afraid of him now, which I don't think he would react well to, but assuming this is post ob then he might be willing to take responsibility for it. It would certainly make him think, but how that thought would manifest? Outside of the obvious weather changes I do not know. I could see him being slightly resentful to his mother for cursing him to be hated by humans and loved only by fae when he so desperately wanted to be loved by one specific human. They were his first real friend, and he didn't treasure them in a way they found meaningful.

idk Yuu dropping off the grid isn't something I can see Crowley letting happen, but I can see why Yuu would want to try.

[bookiezzz]

FOR THRICE I HATH RETURNED❗️❗️ Hope you're doing good :3 for this request, I wanted to see if I could get some Headcanon's of OMORI's Kel, Undertale's Asriel (in young adult years if you don't mind writing him as if the buttercup tragedy didn't happen), & Dungeon Meshi's Laois with a younger brother reader! My thoughts were that reader's been getting very invested & skilled at painting recently, & he's made a spectacular portrait of his brother that's incredibly shy to show to him.

a/n: of course! im sorry this is so late, its been a super rough week for me, but i hope you enjoy!

Kel, Asriel and Laois with a younger brother reader

(who is particularly into painting!)

Kel

— Kel is like the #1 funnest older brother ever real

— He would love to hear you’re getting into painting and art! He would paint and draw with you, and always ask about it.. he’s pretty involved with all your activities.

— Always asking “any new paintings? any new drawings”, and always responds so positively to them, he truly loves them!

— he’ll compliment you on them and then give you a big hug !

— He would also encourage Sally and Hero to look at them as well :)

— So when you come to Kel, saying that you made a painting of him, he gets WILDLY ecstatic.

— in all honesty he would probably cry happy tears, so happy that you like him THAT much that you would paint him.

— But when he sees you’re a bit shy to show him, he’ll put his hand on your shoulder and tell you that he always loves your art! You’re so good at it!! and then you, cautiously, show him your painting of him.

— He smiles ear to ear and hugs you, just repeating thank you, and how good it is, and how he loves it <3

— If you let him, Kel would absolutely, 100000% hang it up in his room.

— He really loves this hobby and all of your paintings, and your talent!

Asriel

— im going to go a bit deltarune-esque on this one lmao

— Asriel is in college, but he still comes home very often to see you, his little brother, and Toriel <3

— He loves his family and doesn’t really like going long periods of time without seeing you both.

— So one day, he comes home and learns you’re into painting, when you excitedly show him a painting you’re working on in the common room!

— He laughs and smiles, saying it looks great. He never really knew you were that into painting; though you were always artsy.

— Asriel asks if you have any more paintings, and you take his hand, bringing him to your room to show him multiple paintings!

— he loves them, and he’ll talk to Toriel about them too!

— The next time Asriel comes home, you hug him and tell him you have a little surprise for him.

— you painted him! you just hoped he’d like it, as you worked really hard. Nonetheless, you were super nervous, trembling as you led your older brother to your room to show him.

— He just puts an arm around you, kneeling down, and telling you that he’s so excited, and that’s… weirdly soothing?

— You open your door and show him the amazing portrait, sitting on an easel.

— He gasps and blinks, a smile creeping onto his face as he kneels down to look at it intently.

— You’re watching nervously as he just looks all around it…

— he suddenly turns around and hugs you tightly! “Thank you.. I love this. This is a great way to come home!” Asriel whispers into your ear. You smile and hug tighter. “Please keep painting.”

Laios

— autism brother

— Laios is literally bouncing off the walls when you tell him you’re into painting. He’s super mega uber x100 excited.

— “THATS SOOOOO COOL”

— He would marvel over your paintings like no other, just admiring them!

— For the next few weeks, you’re working on a particular painting, and are very strict when you say Laois CAN’T see.

— He’ll just say, “Okay…”

— Until one day, you nervously blindfold him and take his hand into your room. You’re very nervous, but Laios’s goofy smile and excited laughs put you much more at ease.

— “1,2,3..” you untie the blindfold and Laios squeals and smiles, rushing over to the painting of him, in his armor.

— He starts talking about how much he loves it, straight up ranting, he says he loves you, and hugs you, multiple times!

— He’d show Falin and would be shaking her, saying: “THAT’S ME!!! ME!!!”

— he loves your paintings and you <3

[whinlatter]

sirius and ginny: a meta (part 1)

“Excuse me, but I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do!” said Ginny, her jaw set so that her resemblance to Fred and George was suddenly striking.’

are you a very brave, very reckless, very hot self-destructive rebel with a treacherous sibling and a flair for christmas decoration, harbouring complex feelings about your mother, close ties to crookshanks the cat and spend your days plagued by the memory of your worst mistakes and dark past? do you find yourself constantly being begged to stay in a state of protective confinement to save your life by a young man with a lightning scar, bad hair and crippling abandonment issues? if so, congratulations! you might be one of harry potter's chosen family members, sirius black and ginevra molly weasley! 

basically - i want to talk about sirius and ginny. these are two characters who don’t share a lot of scenes in canon but who, i think, have some clear (if overlooked) parallels: stubborn, fiercely protective of harry, self-sacrificing, admired, principled, haunted (in different ways) by traumatic pasts and betrayals, with complicated relationships with their families and entirely uncomplicated devoted relationships with someone else’s cat. their narrative arcs are successive, with ginny ascending in significance in the series during sirius’ period of decline and ultimate death. and ultimately, they’re also the two people who become, over the course of the canon series, family to a protagonist desperately seeking to build one. sirius and ginny are the two people harry in canon most worries about, wants to protect, and thinks of as someone who embodies the promise of family and home.

sirius and ginny aren’t mirror images of each other. ofc, ginny also has parallels with the only other family members harry claims in the series, lily and james (i mean, especially james - she’s literally a cocky funny flirtatious chaser with a years-long debilitating mega crush who can also catch a snitch like a champ. come on now). it’s also clear in canon that sirius means more to ginny as a hero/role model/ally against her mother than ginny ever means to sirius. nevertheless, the text puts in work to let the reader know we should think about these characters together as somehow aligned. from the beginning of ootp, there are clues and signals in the text that foreshadow ginny’s emergence as someone important to harry, and that subtly let the reader know that the baton of being harry’s ‘person’ is about to be passed from sirius to ginny, two kindred spirits, after sirius’ death. so that's what this meta is about! (consider this my 700th attempt to show that, as the popular fandom complaint/all of reddit still insist, ginny as a character, and especially the harry/ginny romance, did not ‘come out of nowhere’.)

the following meta is part one of two (and yet it's still too long! sorry about it). o in this part, i look at the period from the end of goblet of fire thru the start of half blood prince, exploring how the text sets up the sirius and ginny parallels as a way of foreshadowing ginny’s emergence as harry’s main love interest and place as a family substitute. the second part (tbc) will be what the memory of sirius does for harry’s view of his relationship with ginny, and the kind of positive - and negative - ways this shapes harry’s ideas about love and what family do for each other. i wrote this meta as a way of thinking through some characterisation choices for my current WIP, beasts. if you're following along with that fic, this meta can be seen as a companion piece especially to my thinking behind chapters ten and eleven, so hope proves helpful for some of my thinking behind the sirius and ginny friendship that appears in that project. it's also dedicated to @ashesandhackles, queen of metas, who has reminded me to post this meta precisely 9 million times because she is a long-suffering saint.

ok - sirius and ginny. let’s goooooo!

sirius and ginny before ootp

before OotP, ginny is absent from any plot connected to sirius. ginny doesn’t know the truth about sirius’ innocence, nor does she know that harry, her brother and her friend are in regular contact with sirius and that harry now as a surrogate father/big brother figure to confide in and seek comfort in.  in fact, in one of ginny’s few appearances in GoF, the narration is unusually insistent that the reader knows how little ginny knows about sirius:

“And have you heard from — ?” Ron began, but at a look from Hermione he fell silent. Harry knew Ron had been about to ask about Sirius. Ron and Hermione had been so deeply involved in helping Sirius escape from the Ministry of Magic that they were almost as concerned about Harry’s godfather as he was. However, discussing him in front of Ginny was a bad idea. Nobody but themselves and Professor Dumbledore knew about how Sirius had escaped, or believed in his innocence. “I think they’ve stopped arguing,” said Hermione, to cover the awkward moment, because Ginny was looking curiously from Ron to Harry. “Shall we go down and help your mum with dinner?” 

the only other tiny crumb of sirius and ginny we get is the news that the owl sirius bought in PoA and gifted to ron as a replacement pet for scabbers has been embraced and named by ginny. sirius gifting a tiny little spitfire of an owl that annoys ron? it's giving foreshadowing, your honour.

the reader, though, knows who sirius is to harry by GoF. throughout this book, for the first time in the series, harry has a person he can claim as something like a family: someone to worry about, someone who cares about him,who can advise, guide and mentor him, as well as offer him support and consolation in difficult times (‘someone like a parent…’) although sirius has not been able to offer harry a stable alternative home to the dursleys due to his status as a wanted man, he’s still filling a role that previously had been vacant in the series: he’s harry’s person, the surrogate parent chosen for him by james and lily. he’s close by, either by the floo or eventually living (at great personal cost) as padfoot in hogsmeade, and he’s present emotionally for harry in ways that prove incredibly meaningful to his young godson. in times of great of distress, sirius is there for harry to meet emotional needs that ron and hermione (understandably, no shade to them) can’t always meet. the floo scene early on in GoF, during harry’s row with ron, is a particularly good example of this:

“Never mind me, how are you?” said Sirius seriously. “I’m —”  For a second, Harry tried to say “fine” — but he couldn’t do it. …Before he could stop himself, he was talking more than he’d talked in days — about how no one believed he hadn’t entered the tournament of his own free will, how Rita Skeeter had lied about him in the Daily Prophet, how he couldn’t walk down a corridor without being sneered at — and about Ron, Ron not believing him, Ron’s jealousy . . . Sirius looked at him, eyes full of concern… He had let Harry talk himself into silence without interruption’.

harry derives enormous comfort from sirius’ presence in his life during GoF. he writes to sirius, he repeatedly turns to him for advice, he worries for him more than he does any other person. sirius fulfils harry’s desire to be kept abreast of important information about voldemort and death eaters, doesn’t sugarcoat news for harry, and makes him feel important, cared for and understood. (harry even shows off to sirius telling him about how much of a slay the first task was. ugh). by the time of the third task, sirius is sending harry daily owls, a constant flow of reassurance and concern (‘He reminded Harry in every letter that whatever might be going on outside the walls of Hogwarts was not Harry’s responsibility, nor was it within his power to influence it. If Voldemort is really getting stronger again, he wrote, my priority is to ensure your safety.’) when harry returns from the graveyard at the novel’s end, it’s sirius who races to his side to advocate for him and offer him both words of comfort and physical affection as he processes the traumatic series of events that constitute the climax of the book’s plot. (my personal favourite part is where harry says ‘wormtail cut me with a knife’ and the text says sirius made a ‘vehement exclamation’, which i can only assume is children’s book speak for ‘fucking hell’.) harry goes to bed: sirius stays with him, a literal guard dog as he recuperates. after the most traumatic events of the series to date, the reader is at least consoled that harry potter has a person now, someone he loves for him to worry about and to worry for him, who catches him on the other side of traumatic events and makes them that bit much more bearable.

sirius and ginny during ootp

with sirius' role in harry's life established in GoF, OotP begins with harry, cooped up and restless at privet drive, angry with ron, hermione, sirius, and dumbledore for abandoning him at privet drive and keeping him in the dark. harry arrives at grimmauld place to find an anxious ron and hermione, with whom harry is angry and frustrated for having left him out of their summer hangs and having neglected him, by his assessment, in surrey. it’s the most conflict we’ve seen in the trio in terms of harry vs ron and hermione, and sets up one of the important themes of the book, which is harry no longer being solely emotionally fulfilled by the people he is closest to, including his two surrogate parents best mates but also his godfather. when he encounters sirius for the first time after the order meeting, he finds him surly, bitter, and depressed, furious that he is confined to his childhood home, and (understandably) much less able or willing to offer harry much in the way of comfort, apology or cheering words (‘Harry, who had expected a better welcome, noted how hard and bitter Sirius’s voice sounded.’) in this sense, the book opens with harry disappointed and/or more distant from all the people on whom he most depends and is usually closest to, and that there therefore is already an absence of a certain kind of emotional support in harry’s life that the plot demands be filled.

fresh off the back of harry’s row with ron and hermione is ginny’s reintroduction to the reader. after years of being so shy in harry’s presence she was often nearly mute, the reader finds that ginny is not only now speaking, but that her presence turns out to be remarkably refreshing. from her opening scene where ginny enters harry’s bedroom at grimmauld place, the reader discovers the new ginny is confident, up to no good, in cahoots with her most troublemaking brothers trying to intercept the order meeting, enterprising in her mischief (and very happy to lie to her mother’s face about it). she’s thoroughly unfazed by harry’s great display of rage that has just startled and upset ron and hermione. (side note: in both ootp and hbp, ginny’s opening scene is her entering harry’s bedroom, which is the kind of foreshadowing i personally find delicious). everyone else is behaving pretty much as they have been up to this point, but it’s ginny who is showcasing behaviours new to the reader, a signal that she might be about to play a different role in the series than she has done up to this point.

cut to the dinner scene. sirius and ginny are in the room together for the first time. sirius is moody: though he’s still able to laugh, enjoying displays of mischief and humour (the twins and the knife), he’s more bitter than harry and the reader have seen him since PoA. it’s an important scene for lots of reasons (not least the sirius v molly beef), but it’s also one where sirius and ginny are repeatedly drawn into mental association in the reader’s mind. it’s also a great scene because the behaviour of crookshanks the cat literally serves to foreshadow the behaviour of harry james potter in ways that are frankly extremely fun.

so! the sirius and ginny hints start small. from the start of the scene, ginny is amused by mundungus the crook (a man, we will learn, so disdained by her mother):

“Some’n say m’ name?” Mundungus mumbled sleepily. “I ’gree with Sirius. . . .” He raised a very grubby hand in the air as though voting, his droopy, bloodshot eyes unfocused. Ginny giggled. “The meeting’s over, Dung,” said Sirius, as they all sat down around him at the table. “Harry’s arrived.” 

sirius and harry, sat at the end of the table, are both greeted by crookshanks, sirius’ old accomplice from PoA:

'​​Harry felt something brush against his knees and started, but it was only Crookshanks, Hermione’s bandy-legged ginger cat, who wound himself once around Harry’s legs, purring, then jumped onto Sirius’s lap and curled up. Sirius scratched him absentmindedly behind the ears as he turned, still grim-faced, to Harry…

when fred and george’s levitation goes awry, flinging a knife at sirius (now that’s how you foreshadow a death), crookshanks bolts: 

‘Harry and Sirius were both laughing… Crookshanks had given an angry hiss and shot off under the dresser, from whence his large yellow eyes glowed in the darkness…’

during the meal, ginny’s with hermione, having a laugh with tonks, a character harry has just met but whom he has already decided to both admire and like. after the meal, when harry’s cheered up a bit and had his crumble (the man loves dessert), crookshanks finally emerges from his hiding place, having been coaxed out from his sulk by - you guessed it - one g. m. weasley:

‘…Ginny, who had lured Crookshanks out from under the dresser, was sitting cross-legged on the floor, rolling butterbeer corks for him to chase.’

a grouchy character, initially drawn to sirius, but prone to lashing out and locking himself away, only to be lured back out into comfort and safety by ginny weasley? wow………. radical

after dinner, the argument between sirius and molly kicks off. sirius is arguing hard for harry’s right to know, though he makes no attempt to advocate for any of the other weasleys or for hermione. ginny’s noticeably singled out in her reaction to this scene, the text highlighting that she is particularly struck by this conflict as if it is of particular personal resonance, including someone standing up to her famously overprotective mother for once:

‘Ron, Hermione, Fred, and George’s heads turned from Sirius to Mrs. Weasley as though following a tennis rally. Ginny was kneeling amid a pile of abandoned butterbeer corks, watching the conversation with her mouth slightly open. Lupin’s eyes were fixed on Sirius.’

of course, molly loses the argument: harry gets to stay for juicy order deets (‘Sirius was right, he was not a child.’) after the row, ginny is the only person forbidden from hearing information about the order’s activities. suddenly, the roles are switched: it’s ginny who’s now furious and bitter to be kept out of the action:

‘“Fine!” shouted Mrs. Weasley. “Fine! Ginny — BED!”  Ginny did not go quietly. They could hear her raging and storming at her mother all the way up the stairs, and when she reached the hall Mrs. Black’s earsplitting shrieks were added to the din. Lupin hurried off to the portrait to restore calm. It was only after he had returned, closing the kitchen door behind him and taking his seat at the table again, that Sirius spoke. “Okay, Harry . . . what do you want to know?”’ 

it’s not just the parallels of confinement between harry, sirius and ginny that are so revealing, it’s also the dual maternal conflicts. ginny loud raging at her own mother sets off the howling relic of sirius’, serving to underline two characters who continue to grapple with maternal relationships that are complex and full of conflict, though by no means solely negative (sirius i see you sleeping in your mother’s bedroom babe. don’t think i think your relationship with walburga is just one of straight hate ok). when ginny later gets knocked down the stairs by fred and george, there’s more direct mrs weasley/walburga parallels, with the two of them literally shouting over each other during the ordeal lol. as such, the readers see that the conflicts being set up for sirius’ character in this book - frustration at confinement, conflict with a mother figure, drawn to more reckless and arguably irresponsible characters (mundungus, the twins) and courses of action - are also conflicts subtly playing out with the new ginny we’re meeting, too.

as the rest of the summer at grimmauld wears on, there are more examples of sirius and ginny foreshadowing. the scenes where the two characters interact serve to place ginny and sirius firmly in the same camp of people harry admires and has fun with, the troublemakers and the rebels. over the prefects issue, ginny not only is sat chatting with the troublemaking adults harry likes most, but actively draws sirius into conversation on the issue, likely knowing the answer will comfort harry, but also showing a curiosity and interest in sirius that suggests she admires him:

“I was never a prefect myself,” said Tonks brightly from behind Harry as everybody moved toward the table to help themselves to food. Her hair was tomato-red and waist length today; she looked like Ginny’s older sister. “My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities.”  “Like what?” said Ginny, who was choosing a baked potato. “Like the ability to behave myself,” said Tonks. Ginny laughed; Hermione looked as though she did not know whether to smile or not and compromised by taking an extra large gulp of butterbeer and choking on it.  “What about you, Sirius?” Ginny asked, thumping Hermione on the back. Sirius, who was right beside Harry, let out his usual barklike laugh…’

ginny’s choice to try and draw sirius into the conversation bears fruit: sirius confirms james was never a prefect, and harry’s sour mood is suddenly lifted. (‘All at once the party seemed much more enjoyable; he loaded up his plate, feeling unusually fond of everyone in the room.’) ginny is thus beginning to provide harry with subtle comfort and reassurance, especially as sirius, struggling with his own confinement,  is taking a less active role in trying to cheer harry up. what i also like is that we have evidence of how ginny views sirius - she’s curious about him and his past, she clearly thinks he and the other new rebellious adults are cool as shit, and she’s drawn increasingly away from her mother’s cautious overprotective approach towards these resistance fighters who prioritise the fight over safety. (it is noticeable to me that ginny does not become a prefect in HBP, suggesting sirius' example proved instructive).

we see more small parallels between sirius and ginny during the cleaning scenes. the battle against grimmauld place is an important symbol of one of the important themes of OotP as a book: a battle over past traumas and their persistent and unwieldy symptoms that are seemingly never-ending. while it’s harry’s experiences that, of course, take centre stage, sirius’, too, loom omnipresent throughout the text. it’s significant, then, that ginny’s own past gets brought up for the first time in three books here, albeit briefly: 

'They found an unpleasant-looking silver instrument, something like a many-legged pair of tweezers, which scuttled up Harry’s arm like a spider when he picked it up, and attempted to puncture his skin; Sirius seized it and smashed it with a heavy book entitled Nature’s Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy. There was a musical box that emitted a faintly sinister, tinkling tune when wound, and they all found themselves becoming curiously weak and sleepy until Ginny had the sense to slam the lid shut…'

in this moment, we see sirius and ginny singled in the larger group as quick-thinking, shrewd characters, with a good instincts and common sense (if a bit of a tendency to get scrappy). their respective dark pasts are subtly alluded to. sirius whacks a spider trying to attack harry with a book that might as well be entitled my big book of family trauma. ginny, meanwhile, steps in when everybody present starts to be enchanted by a mysterious object luring them into danger by whacking it shut (gee i wonder why!) given this is the book that will see ginny mention the events of CoS for the first time in errrrr three years, it’s significant that the text is careful to draw ginny into this broader theme that unites sirius and harry, the constant reminders of traumatic pasts at every turn. we also see here the revelation that regulus black was a death eater. coming after news of percy weasley’s betrayal, sirius’ bitter dismissal of his younger brother deliberately mirrors ginny and the other weasleys’ attitude towards percy, this sense of pureblood families split over wizarding politics, often fatally. 

while harry fears his expulsion from hogwarts prior his hearing, he continues to fantasise about coming to live with sirius at grimmauld, and about being with a family member and finding an alternative home to hogwarts. sirius, as hermione astutely observes, tries to manage harry’s expectations and not to get his own hopes up: still, when harry is exonerated, sirius is visibly depressed, showing the beginnings of an emotional dependency on harry that harry feels great guilt over.when leaving grimmauld for the start of the school year, sirius, as padfoot, accompanies harry to king’s cross: unlike in GoF, though, he is spotted, and harry begins to worry much more actively about sirius’ vulnerability to capture, about his recklessness and about his judgement. concerned for sirius, and absent ron and hermione, who are in the prefects carriage, the person who stays with harry and offers him company is ginny. she sacrifices her own train journey (presumably with her own boyfriend) to find a carriage with harry and make sure he’s not lonely, bringing him to neville and luna and sorting him out after his embarassing cho run-in. it’s not a coincidence that once again we see ginny here taking care of harry crookshanks:

'“Where’s Crookshanks?” “Ginny’s got him,” said Harry. “There she is. . . .”  Ginny had just emerged from the crowd, clutching a squirming Crookshanks. “Thanks,” said Hermione, relieving Ginny of the cat. “Come on, let’s get a carriage together before they all fill up. . . '

once harry’s back at school, having left sirius behind to languish miserably in london, we see he's more isolated and alone than ever. he’s tormented by umbridge, endlessly (though often unfairly) frustrated with ron and hermione, ghosted by dumbledore, yet absent the more stable, reassuring sirius he came to know in GoF, unable to write candidly to him and faced with a much less well sirius in the opportunities they do have to speak face-to-face. as sirius’ mental health declines as he is shut up at grimmauld, his ability to support harry and comfort him starts to falter, and he becomes a much more uneven source of advice and support, particularly during his car crash floo appearance, where he’s much ruder than he has previously been (cutting off, ignoring their pleas for him to be more cautious, the infamous ‘the risk would have made it fun for james’ moment). this new sirius, clearly struggling, is much more happy to do up guilt trip to his godson than we have seen him to up this point (‘I’ll write to tell you a time I can make it back into the fire, then, shall I? If you can stand to risk it?’ - you petty little shit, padfoot). all of this serves to increase harry’s anxiety about sirius’ wellbeing and reinforce harry’s sense of emotional isolation. even sirius’ encouragement on the DA is, as hermione points out, partly bound up in more selfish motivations (‘I think he’s really frustrated at how little he can do where he is… so I think he’s keen to kind of… egg us on.’)

ginny’s largely absent in this section of the novel. in the brief moments she does appear, it’s to inject humour (eg. her impressions at the DA meeting) and in little reminders that she now has a boyfriend, no longer harbours romantic feelings for harry, making sure the reader continues to hold her mentally apart from harry. harry, meanwhile, misguidedly tries to seek out a relationship with cho chang, who is showing clear signs of her own emotional distress and inability to meet harry’s emotional needs given her own grief. still, among this, there’s still room for some small subtle sirius/ginny parallels. once the DA plot picks up, we have another little sign that ginny weasley and sirius black think somewhat alike:

“Yeah, the D.A.’s good,” said Ginny. “Only let’s make it stand for Dumbledore’s Army because that’s the Ministry’s worst fear, isn’t it?” 

“Trained in combat?” repeated Harry incredulously. “What does he think we’re doing here, forming some sort of wizard army? “That’s exactly what he thinks you’re doing,” said Sirius, “or rather, that’s exactly what he’s afraid Dumbledore’s doing — forming his own private army, with which he will be able to take on the Ministry of Magic.” 

with harry's isolation and need for more emotional support established in this first term, christmas at grimmauld offers more opportunity to subtly develop the sirius and ginny parallels, as well as to highlight ginny’s ability to fill the gaps left by sirius’ decline. after the attack on arthur weasley, the group arrive back at grimmauld:

‘Sirius was hurrying toward them all, looking anxious. He was unshaven and still in his day clothes; there was also a slightly Mundungus-like whiff of stale drink about him. “What’s going on?” he said, stretching out a hand to help Ginny up. “Phineas Nigellus said Arthur’s been badly injured —” 

could this be sirius literally lifting ginny up into plot significance? why yes it could

ofc the weasleys then argue with sirius about their right to go see their father. despite his own frustrations at being trapped at grimmauld, sirius proves the voice of reason and rational decision making against both ginny and the twins’ hotheadedness (ginny asks to borrow cloaks to go to the hospital: sirius: ‘Hang on, you can’t go tearing off to St. Mungo’s!’) crucially, though, when sirius points out that there are bigger things at stake - the work of the order and the resistance movement - it’s ginny who listens:

“Your father knew what he was getting into, and he won’t thank you for messing things up for the Order!” said Sirius angrily in his turn. “This is how it is — this is why you’re not in the Order — you don’t understand — there are things worth dying for!”  “Easy for you to say, stuck here!” bellowed Fred. “I don’t see you risking your neck!”  The little colour remaining in Sirius’s face drained from it. He looked for a moment as though he would quite like to hit Fred, but when he spoke, it was in a voice of determined calm. “I know it’s hard, but we’ve all got to act as though we don’t know anything yet. We’ve got to stay put, at least until we hear from your mother, all right?”  Fred and George still looked mutinous. Ginny, however, took a few steps over to the nearest chair and sank into it. Harry looked at Ron, who made a funny movement somewhere between a nod and shrug, and they sat down too. The twins glared at Sirius for another minute, then took seats on either side of Ginny.  “That’s right,” said Sirius encouragingly, “come on, let’s all . . . let’s all have a drink while we’re waiting…’

there’s a lot going on here: ginny’s willingness to follow sirius’ orders, but also her willingness to accept an argument based on some idea of the greater good before any of her brothers. she and sirius are aligned here, and it’s her decision to accept sirius’ reasoning that proves the catalyst for her brothers to follow. we see here how ginny has come to see sirius: someone she looks up to and admires, an adult whose judgement she trusts and whose worldview she subscribes to. (as a character prone to hero worship - see her view of her big brother bill - i think this is noteworthy, and is behind a lot of my characterisation choices for ginny towards sirius in beasts). but we also see that ginny agrees with sirius' worldview. there are some things worth dying for, and self-sacrifice is part of that.

when harry goes to sirius for reassurance about witnessing arthur’s attack, he finds sirius unable to properly console him and convince him that he was not to blame for arthur’s attack. the reader gets the impression of sirius withholding information from harry (‘He could only see a sliver of Sirius’s face; the rest was in darkness’), and the scene ends with sirius clapping harry on the shoulder and leaving him ‘standing alone in the dark’. while sirius throws himself into christmas preparations, obviously delighted to have company, harry shrinks from the cheer and isolates himself. in the end, ofc, the only person that manages to pull harry out of his dark, brooding thoughts is ginny. the text is careful to note she’s sitting beside him on the tube back from st mungo’s, when he looks very unwell. then, in the ‘lucky you’ scene, she showcases some of the same skills harry first came to appreciate in sirius in GoF. she tells it to him straight: she’s sympathetic, but not overly gushing, and she reminds him of her own intensely frightening experience which she endured alone, something harry can relate to, even if the experience of possession is not.  it’s an important scene for lots of reasons, but it’s also, crucially, the intervention that causes harry’s mood to lift, and he gets to enjoy a christmas with his godfather, the thing he had most wanted in the run-up to christmas, and which becomes the only holiday period harry and sirius ever spend together: 

‘I’m not the weapon after all, thought Harry. His heart swelled with happiness and relief, and he felt like joining in as they heard Sirius tramping past their door toward Buckbeak’s room, singing “God Rest Ye Merry, Hippogriffs” at the top of his voice.’

of course, once christmas is over, sirius slips back into a depressed, gloomy state. harry wants a better goodbye than he gives him, merely giving him a quick one armed hug (there’s a real theme throughout harry and sirius’ relationship of very sparing physical contact on sirius’ part, which is obviously a hole in harry's life ginny will fill in - er - a big way). back at school, harry returns to umbridge’s increasingly draconian rule, maks a disastrous attempt at forging a relationship with cho, and continues to feel lonely, paranoid, and angry. unable to speak to sirius properly via letter or floo - and unwilling to open the present sirius has given him to communicate directly with him, the two-way mirror - harry is increasingly sullen, a mood that only worsens after seeing snape's worst memory.

the easter egg scene is obviously important for hinny for lots of different reasons. but here i just want to highlight how the scene serves to show ginny as both the conduit to sirius for harry, and someone whose behaviour echoes that of sirius in GoF when harry first began to open up to and seek comfort in him. harry is distressed by his now complicated feelings both towards the father he previously revered and towards sirius, who seemed to encourage james’ bullying behaviour. ginny hands harry a chocolate easter egg covered in snitches: chocolate, a canonical source of comfort against dark thoughts, and an egg that reminds him of the love of parent. the act makes him suddenly emotional, though he at first denies he’s upset. ginny presses carefully and sensitively, asking the right questions to get him to confess the source of his worry, waiting for harry to take his time to speak - all behaviours that echo sirius’ own effective listening techniques. ginny’s acquaintance with sirius, and knowledge of how significant he is to harry, is important here, too, and a subtle sign to the reader that he trusts ginny with knowledge about sirius after a long time of having her in the dark about his godfather.  the reader leaves the scene having seen ginny breakthrough to harry emotionally in a way for the second time in the novel, in a way no other character has done (‘he felt a bit more hopeful…’) 

of course, the course of action ginny has set in motion is itself risky and reckless (‘anything is possible if you’ve got enough nerve’ is very marauders as a philosophy). the decision to go ahead with the plan the twins come up with is one harry sees as a decision on whether to be more like james and sirius - a risk taker - or to abandon the hero worship for the marauders he has lived with for so long. in the end, of course, it’s a win for the reckless troublemakers: he chooses to go ahead with the plan the twins have crafted and that ginny has set in motion, and to speak to sirius.

and yet. sirius is still alive - there is not need for ginny yet. for the remainder of the book, ginny has to beg to be included in the trio's plans and to be allowed to be a part of the plot to rescue sirius. she’s is often in conflict with harry, showing a lot of sirius’ bitterness at attempts at containment and to keep her out of the fighting. she grates against harry’s insistence that she is too young and inexperienced, and having to remind the trio that she, too, has come to care about sirius and wants to see him safe: 

“I’ve got a broom!” said Ginny.  “Yeah, but you’re not coming,” said Ron angrily.  “Excuse me, but I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do!” said Ginny, her jaw set so that her resemblance to Fred and George was suddenly striking. 

of course, it all ends in tragedy: sirius, desperate to go to harry’s aid and absolutely gunning for a fight after months of confinement, is killed, leaving harry alone. there a subtle clues that something has shifted in ginny’s relationship to harry and the trio in the scenes after sirius’ death, including ginny positioned as the mirror image to harry in the hospital: 

‘Harry was sitting on the end of Ron’s bed and they were both listening to Hermione read the front page of the Sunday Prophet. Ginny, whose ankle had     been mended in a trice by Madam Pomfrey, was curled up at the foot of Hermione’s bed…’

despite this, in the immediate aftermath of sirius’ death, harry is extremely alone. he is unable to work out what he needs (‘Whenever he was in company he wanted to get away, and whenever he was alone he wanted company.’) he tries to go to hagrid’s, but regrets it (‘He was starting to wish he was alone again’), leaving after hagrid reminds him of sirius’ core traits, an inability to stay out of the fight when he believes in the cause:

“But still, Harry . . . he was never one ter sit around at home an’ let other people do the fightin’. He couldn’ have lived with himself if he hadn’ gone ter help —” 

unlike at the end of GoF, harry is isolated by his grief and the revelation of the prophecy's contents by the end of this book. he goes alone to a secluded corner of the lakeshore, ‘sheltered from the gaze of passersby behind a tangle of shrubs’, and ‘[stares] out over the gleaming water’, and cries alone. there is no sirius or other person to catch him and console him in his grief. his person has died, and there’s a gap in his life again, just waiting to be filled: 

‘Wanting to impress Cho seemed to belong to a past that was no longer quite connected with him. So much of what he had wanted before Sirius’s death felt that way these days. . . . The week that had elapsed since he had last seen Sirius seemed to have lasted much, much longer: It stretched across two universes, the one with Sirius in it, and the one without.’

ginny and sirius parallels in HBP and DH

after sirius’ death, the parallels between sirius and ginny become more important as ginny moves into the centre frame as a character. at the start of HBP, harry arrives at the burrow and discusses his grief over sirius’ death with dumbledore in the burrow broom shed, acknowledging how profoundly the loss of a family member who cares singularly about him is affecting him. ('He felt stupid for admitting it, but the fact that he had had someone outside Hogwarts who cared what happened to him, almost like a parent, had been one of the best things about discovering his godfather . . . and now the post owls would never bring him that comfort again. . . .' beasts readers: there's a reason harry clings to letters!) of course, having reminded the reader of the gap in harry’s life that now needs to be filled, harry goes to sleep, the active reflection on his grief for sirius put to one side so the novel's plot can get underway. he'll go to bed mourning sirius and wake up in a sunlit bedroom. of course, ginny will walk into this bedroom too, only now things will be different: harry potter is back to the search for a loved one, for a family, and he's about to realise ginny is the one he wants to fill it. thus the start of the plot of ginny stepping into the role vacated by sirius beginneth.

so much of who ginny is in HBP is reminiscent of sirius. she frequently leaps into battle as harry’s protector (‘You’re taking orders from something someone wrote in a book?’, ‘Give it a rest, Hermione’), she’s scrappy (RIP zacharias smith), she’s funny and laughs easily in a way that less recalls sirius in the time harry knew him than sirius as harry sees him as a young man, in photographs or memories. she's the one who commits to the insane christmas decorations, determined to cheer everyone up over the festive period as sirius did the year before. she even enjoys the widespread admiration and lust of her peers, a trait that directly recalls sirius being eyed up by his peers in snape's memory. by the novel’s end, after dumbledore’s death, it will be ginny who goes to harry’s side after the climax of the plot and catch him in his grief just as sirius did in GoF, this time over dumbledore’s death: 

‘He did not want to leave Dumbledore’s side, he did not want to move anywhere. Hagrid’s hand on his shoulder was trembling. Then another voice said, “Harry, come on.’ A much smaller and warmer hand had enclosed his and was pulling him upward. He obeyed its pressure without really thinking about it.’

their breakup has sirius all over it. taking place at the lakeshore, the place where harry wept alone over sirius a year prior, harry draws on the circumstances of sirius’ demise as a reason he must break up with ginny (‘Voldemort uses people his enemies are close to.’) the breakup does little to shift what ginny has become in harry’s mind, though, and he spends all of DH thinking of her as he once thought of sirius: the person whose safety he most craves, the person he misses, someone he claims as his, and whom he associates with (now banished) hopes of a home and a family:

“It’s not a problem,” said Harry, sickened by the pain in his head. “It’s your family, ’course you’re worried. I’d feel the same way.” He thought of Ginny. “I do feel the same way.”

of course, echoes of sirius will also come into play during open war. it’s now ginny, not sirius, who is the one left behind for her own protection: in the run-up to the battle, harry finds himself once again faced with the prospect of confining his loved one for their safety, despite their desperation to fight and do the right thing. but these are thoughts for part 2…….

[layraket]

THERE WAS AN UPDATE YOU KNOW THE DRILL SLEEPING BE DAMMED

theres so much going on jokes that i will deffinetly take advantage of theories of the meaning of things the goddamn art everything

first of all apparently Malo Mart turned to a mega corporation???? well sorry twi no 60% of discount for you that sucks

thats rough buddy

i cant take it seriously poor Four, look at that face

thats the face of someone who will be grounded for some time after all this madness and is totally not happy about this

Sky was waiting letters from Sun, maybe she couldn't write something for him? either way poor guy look at his sad face :( the heart makes it better

baby? baby??? smol???? smol hylian???? tiny cute litol hylian????child????

ahhh Time dont just say yes and left it like that! i need to know!!!

Twilight my man at this point you will be grounded dont test the old man's patience

Time knows the dangers of excesive courage, yes it can keep you going and maybe make you win the battle, but can also kill you if youre not careful. This is what almost happened with Twilight, this almost might have happened to Time too

He's scared that for this reckless courage he might loose his descendant, the one who brought hope to him and his wife to form a family and live happy

(also he saying this makes me think more about the posibility of Malon being pregnant, too much mistery please old man just tell me i will not say anithing ur secret is safe plweas)

HERO'S SHADE HERO'S SHADE

not much to say here, it might be a wrong translation that im doing but hey! it reminds me that Twi already knows that Time is the Hero's shade but like. with flesh and eyes. alive.

OKAY HERE I HAVE THINGS TO SAY

When Wild asks Twilight's face changes inmediately, he doesn't want to look down, he still feels the need to be strong in front of the younger heroes, worrying them is the last of his desires

Four is not stupid, he notices the actual mood of Twi and ask again, but with different words. It looks like it really made Twi reconsider things

doesn't exactly talks what was having him a little down moments ago, but at least it seems to calm them, again, they shouldn't be worried after what happened

Twi for hylia who were you thinking he was talking about????

no really i have that question who was he thinking that was asking for him?????

"who kicked the fuck out of that bad lizard??? who did that???? yes you did!! you did it amazing!!! im so proud my beautiful exterminator of dumb lizards!!!"

HE JUST

FUCKING ROLLS

YEAHHH WIND FLIP

Hyrule 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰💛💛💛💛💛✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

hes so badass jumping off heck yeah stairs are dumb

also Wind thats a cool move you too legend jumping and rolling are so cool love you guys

Wars dont ruin the fun nono guys keep doing it i'll even give you chips if you do that

oh they really think that Wars is broke and has no money alright

im glad that this bit kept going i love the boys teasing each other (Lege and Wars specially)

hey listen

listen

i dont want to ruin it

but

it would be funny

just

just listen

would be very funny that

it just

breaks

hey it would be funny cmon

andddd theyre off!

Hyrule learns from watching, from the actions and movements that he sees in the enemy, and uses it to make a plan to attack, learn patterns and be ready for anything

yep hes gonna play an important role in the next arc i have a feeling

now buildings art aprecciation cuz holy shit theyre so pretty

gorgeous

fantastic work i feel blessed

(all art credits obv goes to @linkeduniverse ! )

[wavesrollin]

37 Sonic and Tails

movie verse

37. “You are not a burden.”

“What?” Tails asked, looking up from where he was working on his latest invention at the workbench Tom and Maddie gifted to him when they realized he had been using a cardboard box as a desk from where he worked on inventions in the shed.

He had chosen the shed as his workplace a few weeks into living with Tom and Maddie. It is about the size of his old workshop back on Mobius. And even though they used it for storing all kinds of things, it also had a lot of tools Tom had inherited from his father that the man was happy to lend to Tails.

“You are not a burden,” Sonic repeated, enunciating each word very clearly as if he was talking to a five-year-old as if the problem was that Tails didn’t hear him the first time rather than that he didn’t know what he meant or why he was saying this to him.

“I know…” Tails said, fiddling with the wiring for his mega transmitter device. Its goal would be to snuff out any upcoming G.U.N. Agents, warning his family before they came knocking at the door.

“Do you?” Sonic asked, snatching the invention away from him and looking it over curiously.

“I do.” Tails said, snatching it back.

“Buddy,” Sonic sighed, “You’ve been in here for two days straight.” He spun around in the old rolling stool Maddie used as a chair when she was a struggling college student then happily stuffed in here when her career took off. “You should take a break, and do something fun.”

“I am having fun.” Tails said as he connected two wires, he had to get this done by tomorrow, then he could rest, he told himself for the tenth time today.

Sonic kicked off an old heavy box of Christmas ornaments, rolling over to Tails’ right, studying his little face as the kit’s tongue stuck out, deep into concentration. “You don’t have to do this you know.”

“Do what?” Tails asked, biting at his tongue. He’s only trying to help, he told himself. But it was getting really hard not to snap at the hedgehog.

“Prove yourself worthy of being here,” Sonic said, sitting up straighter. “Believe me I know, I used to do this whole vigilante thing. Saved the city and all that, no big deal I was just a bit of a hero.” Tails rolled his eyes; he knew all about that, he heard the city was still paying for all the ‘collateral damage.’ Sonic poked at his little brother's cheek lovingly as the kit picked up a red screwdriver. “But one day I realized I didn’t have to. Because I had a family that would take care of me, even when I didn’t save the city.”

Tails put down his screwdriver and sighed. “Fine. I’ll take a break.”

Sonic jumped up, smiling as he wrapped an arm around his little brother. “That’s the spirit. Come on buddy, let’s go watch Flash.”

The kit groaned. “We always watch Flash.”

Sonic pinched the kit’s cheek, “Fine, Paw Patrol it is then.”

[vladdyissues]

anon from before. i feel like jazz is the odd one out because vlad doesnt hate her like jack but also isnt really interested in her like he is maddie and danny.... i could see him genuinely wanting to be a mentor to her though, based on canon interactions. just. at an arms length. hes not Obsessed with her but if he wants maddie and danny she'll inevitably be tagging along as well. i can imagine him daydreaming about dong questionable domestic things with maddie and danny all day while he sends jazz off to university. jazz is a bright, ambitious young woman! Surely she won't take offence of my treatment of her family if i bankroll her education!

I've actually been meaning to make a post about this point for some time.

Realistically, or at least in accordance with canon, Vlad should be more interested in Jasmine, who is the next best thing to Maddie, instead of Danny, who represents Jack and most resembles him.

But having the chief (male) antagonist of the series obsessed with the protagonist's teenage sister 1) detracts from the hero vs enemy dynamic, and 2) is honestly too creepy and predatory to get away with, even in a funny joke-around way. No way would Nickelodeon allow a middle-aged cartoon man to be obsessed, romantically or otherwise, with a sixteen year-old girl. The power disparity between them is too great, and that's just as humans. Vlad is also a mega-powerful half ghost completely capable of attacking and subduing a teenage girl. It pegs the red on the Uncomfortable Implications Meter.

But Vlad being obsessed with a teenage boy who happens to have his same powers is acceptable because they're more equally (narratively) matched. Ergo we get the soft "Uncle Vlad" side when it comes to Vlad's interactions with Jasmine. (I mean. Apart from that bit in Secret Weapons where he threatens to "waste"—TV Y7 lingo for "kill"—her with injected nanobots should she betray him.)

Speaking of which, she never got those nanobots out of her bloodstream.

But ignoring that last detail and focusing on when things were still somewhat amicable between Vlad and Jasmine, I could definitely see him trying to mentor to her, being invested in her future and her education. She represents all the things that Vlad admires in Maddie, specifically her intellect*.

* In order to maintain his delusion that Maddie is a genius who could never make a mistake, I think Vlad has convinced himself that Jack must have lied, duped, or otherwise "tricked" Maddie into marrying him, because there's no possible way she, such a remarkably smart woman, would ever marry such a bumbling idiot. He had to have deceived her. It's the only explanation.

Vlad has Maddie on a pedestal—which is also part of his objectification of her. He worships her, the goddess who could never (willingly) do wrong... the prize he can only ever admire from a distance, never to have or hold.

Anyway, I'm starting to get off track. I love this Badger Cereal equivalent of Vlad & Jazz. (Cheese Therapy?)