#my mp3 player is about to die

[youraveragemiscellanyenjoyer]

The last 30 seconds of A Day in Falsettoland where everyone is singing together all joyfully is making me want to start ugly sobbing. I love this musical so much. It's hitting me right in the soul.

[restinslices]

Hi I’m the anon who asked about the popstar one! (Loved what you did btw) If it wasn’t too much of a problem I love if you could do the Lin Kuei boys + Syzoth too!

Me finally getting to my requests?! Who would’ve thought. Everyone got around 300 words besides Syzoth, who got 400. Why? No further questions.

Bi-Han

You can change him? Well I can accept him as he is! You don’t like the murders? Grow up! The atrocities are a part of him and I’ve decided they’re funny :D

I know the Lin Kuei are a part of Earthrealm but are they allowed to have technology? 

For the sake of this, imma say technology is very very limited 

With that being said, what do you mean you're a pop star? It's not that he doesn't know what it is, he just doesn't get why. All the things you could be doing and popstar is where you landed 

I don't wanna make it seem like everyone is supportive but him but this is Bi-Han. He's going to judge 

He's the Grandmaster so he's always busy. Going to concerts isn't happening and honestly? He doesn't give me the vibes of someone who's a fan of concerts 

He doesn't hate your job, he just genuinely doesn't get it 

Remember how I said Kung Lao will give you brutally honest advice? Same goes for him. You can always trust the truth to come outta him (unless it's about the father he let die but anyway)

I don't see him doing anything special. I don't see him buying posters or tickets or streaming or concerts. He cares for you but doesn't see the need to do all that. 

If he did stream he'd probably just put the video on repeat on his phone and go do other shit. At the same time though, do they even have cell service? Where is Lin Kuei HQ??

Absolutely refuses to add ice or snow to your set for an MV. Be a team player. Damn. Stop thinking everything is beneath you.

“That is entirely beneath me” “aight, I guess you don’t want me beneath you”

He apologizes for his outburst (I was making that joke happen by any means necessary)

I just think he's the most nonchalant about dating a celebrity. Probably forgets you're a popstar

Loses a piece of his sanity everytime a Lin Kuei ninja loses their mind over you. Actually wants to join his father in the afterlife. How y'all even seeing these performances? Y'all sneaking off?!

You're disturbing his peace but hey, it is what it is 

Kuai Liang

Also doesn't understand why that job, but he's less judgmental than Bi-Han. Not everyone can defend Earthrealm. 

I also don't see him doing a lot. He's busy and also he's just not interested in being around a bunch of sweaty ass fans. Nothing against you 

If he did buy your merch I think he'd set it in like, a box. He only bought it to be supportive. He's not gonna hang it up or anything. To be honest, he might give it to the rest of the guys (Johnny, Kenshi, Kung Lao, Raiden and Liu Kang)

I see the Lin Kuei as private and not really interactive when it comes to normal citizens so I honestly don't know what to say for them 😭

I don't even know if Kuai Liang likes pop music. Him and Bi-Han give me the vibes of someone who listens to white noise to past time 

Like Bi-Han, he's nonchalant about the whole celebrity thing. 

Probably doesn't even have a phone. He probably got an old ass mp3 player. What are you doing with that?

If your songs are more calm and chill, I can see him liking it when you sing while he does something 

Popstars wear dramatic ass outfits and this is definitely when he starts judging you 

“How does it look?” “It… looks”

He's used to practical outfits so I think he subconsciously spots all the ways your outfits could injure you 

“You could be easily spotted” “That's the whole point”

Will he add fire to an MV for background effects? Possibly. He has to have nothing else to do and be absolutely bored out of his mind to do so. Bi-Han says no out of spite and “this is beneath me”. Kuai Liang initially says no and has the same “this is beneath me” thought process, but he folds easier. There's certain things he is absolutely not doing though

“I am not saying 'get over here’ for you” “You're so not fun”

This relationship feels like a hostage situation but oh well

Tomas Vrbada 

He wants to be as stern and serious as his brothers but we all know I babygirlify him so it's not happening 

He doesn't have a phone but he asks Johnny to use his and have your shit on repeat for the views 

Idk why but I feel like he's a Twice stan so he's no stranger to pop music. I have no reliable sources for this 

I could see him buying pins and keeping them in his pocket since he can't have it on his outfit 

I don't think for any of the brothers, your fans would know you're dating which is something they'd want. They're assassins. They can't be all over the internet. 

Doesn't go to concerts because he can't. Such a sad life 

Gives background smoke for effects cause he's a team player 

Wants to be the first to hear anything you're working on 

Gives you honest advice but nicely 

I think he has conflicting feelings about you always being in the spotlight. He loves that you're happy but is also worried because that comes with danger and if smth were to happen, there's a good chance he wouldn't be there 

I feel like Tomas can lowkey sing (once again no reliable sources present) so karaoke? karaoke. 

You could talk him into doing a collab but it'd never be released. It'd just be for you two 

He wants to keep up with everything you're doing as it's happening but once again, no phone. Instead he just checks in with you whenever he sees you 

The most aware out of the brothers that he's dating a celebrity. 

Probably the brother you'd feel the most supported by because he's the most expressive (?). He makes his support very known and doesn't question why you're doing what you're doing 

He doesn't give me as much Ken energy as Johnny does, but he still gives me “Ken only has a great day if Barbie looks at him”. Like I said for Johnny, you're Barbie regardless of gender 

Syzoth

Does Zaterra or Outworld even have popstars? For comedy sake, imma say not exactly 

He was ran out of Zaterra and he was working for Shang Tsung, so even if they do he had no time to actually enjoy music 

So when he hears you're a popstar, he has no idea what you're talking about. You have to genuinely explain what your job is, what you do, what's a tour, what's merch, etc. etc. 

Like the Lin Kuei Bros, he has no phone. He doesn't understand technology at all. He's like a grandpa fr, so his interactions with your music is slim to none when it comes to music videos 

Explain it to him as many times as you want. He doesn't get it. 

You have to actually show him the video on your phone. You have to show him any merch you have so he can pick whatever he wants and you can sneak it to him 

Prefers you singing for him live rather than watching a music video but he watches them anyway because you're really proud of them 

Like Tomas, he likes little pins or other little trinkets 

Since he was in a traveling circus, he knows what performing is but you're getting paid and treated fairly which he finds fantastic 

He is slightly worried tho from his time being in said circus. You have to explain that they're two different things (sorta, not really) and you're ok 

Has no idea what's going on but is supportive anyway

He tries really hard to understand Earthrealm customs and culture to better understand you. Is he successful? Probably depends on the subject 

He doesn't get merch at all or why it's so stupidly expensive. If you weren't giving it to him for free, he probably wouldn't buy it to be honest. He likes that you're proud of how it looks but why is it necessary for success? He just doesn't understand it 

Concerts he somewhat gets. The idea is cute but once he sees videos of people fainting, he swears he's never going to one of those 

Does not want your fans to know you're dating him. Does not want to be in any of your videos as himself or a lizard. Wants nothing to do with the spotlight. He has trauma with being known. 

It'll take awhile to explain to him what fan culture and memes are, but he's ready to learn for you. 

Idk if I wanna write more silly shit or angst shit. I guess we’ll find out next episode

[pearl-the-artist]

(You called for me) Gabriel / Reader Oneshot

Ok please be patient with me on this. I spent over 24 hours in a car on a trip to Russia a few days ago and it made me do something I've never dared to before: write a fanfic. On my humble Samsung notes.

If this isn't a total flop I might make more? I dunno? Maybe hop on ao3?

Criticism and feedback is appreciated ok thank youuu have fun

Another restless night, another hour spent lying in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling above you. The room was shrouded in the comforting night air, more illuminated than usual by the soft glow of the full moon outside.

You look at the clock on your nightstand; precisely midnight. Two hours after your drunken father came home again, letting his pent-up frustrations and anger out on you in a one sided yelling match. Of course, as usual, neither was your mother of any support; only giving you that same disapproving, disdainful glare. You were never really welcome, not even in your own home- your parents biggest mistake lingering around only to weigh them down, and remind them of what they could've had. Or so they've told you, many, many times before. Tonight was no exception.

When the broadcasts first announced the new threat infesting the county, "alternates" they called them, you were, admittedly, both terrified and somewhat relieved. You were never really one to believe in the supernatural, but who knows, your parents were just superstitious enough to maybe fall for their schemes.

The first announcement had been around, what, a year ago now? Not much had really changed admittedly, although the population had begun falling drastically since then.

Your parents had of course used this opportunity to also confiscate your phone, the CRT TV in your room and old little MP3 player gifted to you by a relative, god forbid you let an alternate in to potentially threaten them, your own safety not even really a point for consideration to them.

Living with your parents was already hell, but getting by without your favourite albums and shows? Torture.

So tonight when you lied in bed unable to fall asleep, your mind wandering as usual, it may have wandered a little too far.

You recalled something you overheard your parents talk about. A friend of your dad's, a man of unwavering faith, who had been found dead in his own home a few weeks ago, seemingly in the middle of his usual prayers. Even though his family mentioned having seen an odd, ghostly figure outside their home that night, the doctors seemed to blame the cause of death on a brain hemorrhage.

It made sense, come to think of it. When you first saw the emergency PSA, it explained all kinds of methods to protect yourself from alternate attacks, one of which being avoidance of religion, faith, and philosophy.

So then, the alleged "ghost" that visted that poor man just might've been... Well.

This gave you a bad idea, but you weighed the options available to you.

Either you would die in a similar way as the old man, or... you might just get lucky and bargain with it. Alternatively, nothing happens, and you remain stuck with an unhappy married couple that hates each other as much as they hate you.

It was definitely stupid, but at this point it seemed like you had nothing to lose anyway. You weren't really much of a believer yourself, so you didn't exactly know how to pray, but you gave it your best shot. Sitting up in your bed, hands clasped together with a bowed head and closed eyes, you tried your best to focus.

If there was a god out there, may it hear your pleas. Wordless whispers called for help, begging to be heard, while you did all you could to try to concentrate on any spiritual connections. All the while you knew you may as well be praying to a literal demon.

A few minutes passed as you racked your brain for what to say before you stopped, your hands falling back into your lap.

What the hell were you doing? Yes you hated it here, and you couldn't even run away if you wanted to, but inviting an alternate to your house just like this? It was a death sentence, and not a pretty one, that much was certain.

You shook your head. It probably wouldn't have worked anyway. Right, this was all just some silly superstition, not that different from those "send this to 5 other people or you'll die tonight" chain e-mails. You laughed internally at how silly it was that you even thought this would work to begin with, and, admittedly, felt a brief sense of relief. You decided that you were ready to just go back to sleep, and just as you pulled your blanket up to crawl back underneath it- you almost jumped.

It was a voice, faintly audible outside your window. You didn't even process it until a few seconds after, a barely legible, strained whisper.

"I heard you praying."

You froze. A cold wave shot right to your stomach. Slowly, agonisingly so, you turned around to face your bedroom window.

A tall figure stood outside, its hands clasped together similarly to how you just had a few minutes ago. With long, flowing white robes and silver, wavy locks that reached down to his shoulders, he looked... Ethereal. Not to mention the massive, pure white wings folded neatly behind his back. His head blocked out the full moon, the light creating something almost like a halo around him, making him appear even more angelic.

"Woah."

You couldn't help the little gasp of awe. He seemed to find it amusing, his grin spreading a little too wide for comfort. Admittedly, you almost doubted if he even was an alternate at all. Maybe you'd come out a person of faith yourself, after this.

"Are you... An alternate?"

You whispered hesitantly, quiet enough to try to conceal the trembling in your voice and also not alert your parents sleeping upstairs, though you weren't sure if he actually heard you at all.

He didn't respond for a moment, tempting you to ask again, before that inhuman whisper was heard again.

"You called for me, and now I am here."

Avoiding your question, huh. Suppose he was an elusive sort. You quickly glanced around your room, eyeing the door in particular just in case; you really hoped your parents were asleep.

"May I... Come closer?"

You couldn't even recall the last time you were this polite to someone, though it was your best bet not to piss him off while he was still friendly, if you could even call it that. You had no point of reference, though he wasn't actively trying to harm you, so it was a start.

The angel, his smile unwavering, simply nodded, waving his arm in an invitation to approach.

It took a moment for you to will your body to move from the initial shock, but with slow, careful steps you moved to open the window to properly speak to him, a pleasant cool breeze inviting itself into your room.

"So... What's your name?"

Did alternates have names? Suppose they just took on the name of whoever they were trying to mimic. You leaned onto the window frame, trying to catch a good look at his face; and for the first time in god knows how long you were met with eyes that, albeit a bit creepy and lifeless, looked back into your own with an unfamiliar lack of hostility.

"You may call me Gabriel, child."

Gabriel? That name sounded familiar- Oh! The Saint Gabriel's church at the edge of town. Suppose that made sense, given his angelic appearance, if it wasn't just one morbid coincidence. Your thoughts and scrutinizing stare dragged on for a bit longer than you were aware of, though, as his voice pulled your attention back to him.

"Are you lost, my lamb? I can save you. Let me in. Let me into your mind."

The last bit seemed a bit more... Pushy than the rest, making your stomach feel just a little heavier. You gathered your thoughts anyway, trying to push that feeling aside for now. You did do this for a reason, after all, though now that he was actually here you were starting to second guess things.

Gabriel seemed to take note of your hesitation after a while of you not responding.

"Open your eyes, my lost little one. Look at me. I can grant you anything you wish for. You just need to let me in."

An odd mix of dread and comfort you'd never felt before settled in, and the feeling was almost... Refreshing, in a way. You quickly glanced back up at him, and he was still staring at you, ever so patiently, eerily.

"Uhm... I was just- well, it's probably kind of silly."

No backing out now, not when he was already here. Even if you wanted to, you don't think he'd let you go so easily. As you verbally stumbled over your own thoughts, he simply waited, his unblinking eyes staring into you, gouging out your soul. Or so it felt.

"I just thought... Is it possible for, well... Is there a chance for humans to be able to ally with alternates? Can I join you?"

Surprisingly, that got his smile to falter, if only a little bit. A flicker of emotion you couldn't quite explain showed in his eyes- surprise, perhaps, or consideration.

"What for, my child?"

That uncanny whisper of his never gave away any emotion, monotone and unfeeling, yet not unfriendly. Admittedly, his question made you pause; you hadn't exactly thought of how to explain this to him. You hadn't even expected him to show up at all.

Fidgeting nervously, unsure of whether to tell him the truth or not, you tried to think of what to say. Despite your rationality screaming at you for being an utter moron, you knew you were in too deep at this point.

"I don't think I'm any good to these people at all anymore, I just... don't know what to do anymore. With myself. I have nowhere else to go. And, maybe..."

You weren't sure if you should say it or not, you already let more vulnerability slip than you wanted to. But your spite driven words were quicker than your brain, and man did it feel good to open up for once.

"...maybe for revenge, also."

Gabriel listened to you surprisingly attentively, very interested in your words. At your last statement, he perked up with an almost malicious twist to his grin. Before he could respond, though, you suddenly heard the sound of your parents creaky old bedroom door and footsteps from upstairs. And you could tell by the sound of them that it was your mother. And she was pissed.

For a very panic filled moment you weren't sure what to do, your thoughts racing- instincts called for you to jump into bed and pretend you were asleep like you usually would... but with Gabriel here, you couldn't- and that's when you realized you really only had two real options.

Stay here, and continue living this miserable life, and also deal with the imminent outburst of your mother.

Or go with him, and then... Well, nothing and no one could possibly guarantee what would happen to you then.

"Choose wisely, my dear lamb."

Your dilemma seemed to be rather palpable to the "saviour" as he pulled you out of that mental spiral, and you were rather grateful for it. As much as it made you nauseous with uncertainty and anxiety, you finally snapped out of that paralysis and turned towards the window.

"Please, help me. This is the only favor I'll ever ask of you. I will do anything you want in return, I promise."

You began to plead in an urgent, hissed whisper, practically leaning out of the window, causing him to take a step back.

Desperation and panic shook your words as you glanced back at your bedroom door.

"Get me out of here."

He chuckled, an amused sound mixed with something you couldn't quite explain that made you feel more fuzzy than you'd care to admit.

"Come. Come to me, my child. Step outside."

For the first time tonight hesitation became a foreign concept as you practically leapt out that window. Your bare feet felt the cold gravel beneath, just in time as the door to your room swung open.

The angered yelling of your mother were drowned out by the feeling of suddenly being lifted off the ground, Gabriel taking you up into his arms like your weight was akin to a feather.

He was cold, lifelessly so. And yet the soft silken robes, the way he held you in his arms, and his deceitfully promising whispers were lulling you into a sense of security you hadn't felt in a long, long time.

"A lost little lamb, asking their shepherd for guidance..."

His eerie, yet strangely comforting laugh filled your ears once more over the noise of your mother not yet realizing you weren't in your bed. You're surprised she wasn't hearing him at all. Maybe it was another mind game of his.

"You made the right decision. I knew you would. Such a smart, yet scared little thing you are, are you not?"

You leaned your head against his chest, sighing deeply, beginning to forget what you were ever doubtful about during the start of this whole fiasco. Your weight began to sink into his arms as you relaxed. He held you a little tighter in turn.

"Of course I shall guide you, my child. Come with me; you will be mine. You will be safe."

Just as the furious woman realized to check the opened window, Gabriel vanished as swiftly as he appeared, leaving behind the sight of nothing but an empty garden, peacefully quiet, as if you were never there.

[itzkawaiiduh]

*crawls into ur asks* any Will headcannons?

hello there my guy!! So sorry for the late response, I don't use tumblr that much and I had to refresh some of my headcanons for William. But here's a few I am fond of! Warning for some regarding angst, graphic descriptions of shapeshifting, and Monty mention.

-gay man

-he can bake really well!! sometimes he duplicates himself to help bake in the kitchen :)

-i have this hc where will remakes his days in his room because he doesn't have a roommate, like a sitcom! He clones himself and his clones do the voices. Think of it like a play. I intend to create more about this lmfao

-He can draw a little!! Most of the time he draws monty in the margins of his work, or even his journal. And it's always beat up because he throws it behind him at the speed of light (like his poor toothbrush)

-buddy also journals. you may call it a diary perchance

-he and berenice are frienemies!! inspired by a fic I read :D

-will and monty both reciprocate the action of leaning their heads on each other's shoulders.

-Will would have a hyperfixation, but because he didn't really have anyone to tell to, he writes it down or if Monty asks him 'whats up' that's will's signal to go off a long tangent about his thoughts

-he cracks his fingers whenever he's nervous-he has like a kajillion nicknames for monty and sometimes tells him to stop "mon-stressing." Montresor hates that.

-HE GOT THAT NEURO DIE VIRGINITY ‼️‼️WHAT THE HECK IS NORMALITY RAHHH 🗣️🗣️🗣️‼️(neurodivergent)

-when will is in his "spectre form", he is 5'10" while montresor is 7'0. so you see this average man fight with a hot red demon guy who's like a whole few feet taller than him in the manor.

-Inspired by the original work, William doesn't really like mirrors or being fixated his appearance much-- he likes to keep it simple.

-When Will transforms into someone, his body physically contorts and bones snap, extremities move until he looks like you. It's fucked up and perfect for the wax bit.

-When he's transforming into his spectre, his body melts and contorts until he becomes this spectre. If y'all seen The Mandela Catalogue and know of alternates, you know what I mean!! (I haven't seen it but I love the concept of alternates, I don't know the lore behind TMC nor have I seen it. I like to draw horror, not see it. I'm weird lol)

-Because Will doesn't have a roommate, he duplicates himself to play charades or even go fish with himself. Unfortunately it's hard because he is himself.

•Speaking of which, whenever Will has an off day, he clones himself and the clone gives him hugs. Unfortunately, the clone is blank so will can feel all the empty hugs-- it does nothing, but it replaces the feeling of closeness. he just wants to feel some form of physical love

•Additionally, Will is touch starved (this may just be confirmed) so he always looks at when ada and monty are together and that gnawing feeling of jealousy comes back.

-Will had considered disguising as Ada so he can get hugged by Montresor. Had he done it before, who knows?

*Cheers so loud* he LOVES sufjan stevens and glass animals!! (me too William) we need to get this man headphones and a mp3 player!! He just loves any indie music or something mellow and just speaks to him. 80s music is also cool.

I may update these or even add some! But yeah! Sorry it's so long guys he's been living in my head with NO rent. Let him live there for free and don't even charge him rent.

[rapid-artwork]

After honing my cartoon-ing skills a bit further, I've moved on to making some new characters for a secret project. Studying the Cartoon Network™ style has paid off.

Names subject to chance, but for now let's meet Charlie and Penny.

Charlie (Lee to his friends, Charlie to his teachers, Charles to his parents whenever he is in trouble.) He is the ultimate big brother. He just turned 13 and is convinced that he is the coolest person to ever exist. He even has his own Palm Pilot Handi-Man™ 20X6! He definitely didn't steal it from his dad's office, so don't even ask!

His RCA-Lyra Portable Music Player™ is filled to capacity with all the hottest MP3s. (Literally just the Kingdom Hearts OST and nothing else.) He knows all the cheat codes to every Sega Dreamcast game, and just last week he got to see his first PG-13 movie! (Jurassic Park 2: The Lost World, he hasn't seen the first one and probably isn't aware it exists.) He was very brave and only cried a few times!

He spent all of his allowance on a pair of ripped jeans but his mom made him sew patches on the knees so his legs wouldn't get cold.

He can and will die for Penny at the drop of hat.

Penny: (Short for Penelope, but she tells everybody that it's short for "Dollar", exactly 99 cents short. She's very proud of that joke and tells it everybody.)

She is the ultimate little sister. She is 10 years old and is very nervous about what happens when you are too old to count your age on your fingers. She loves playing with her dolls, and listening to her favorite death metal band, 𝕲𝕺𝕺𝕱𝖄 𝕺𝕮𝕿𝕺𝕭𝕰𝕽 (Goofy October; the most intense PG rated death metal band in all of Canada.)

She has a bad relationship with the local dentist because she refuses to stop chewing on the cool rocks she finds in the woods behind her school. She has destroyed multiple retainers with great prejudice and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Literally everyone loves Penny and finds it impossible to say a bad word about her no matter how hard they try. Every single person in town is terrified of what might happen if she gets too sad. It is foretold in the ancient scriptures that if Penny cries for more than 60 seconds the entire world comes to a violent end.

These two are gonna be protagonists in a fun little video game I'm pitching. It will be very weird.

In process sketches I made in designing their character below the cut:

Charlie had Johnny Bravo energy from the beginning. It was pivotal that he wasn't just "cool" but specifically what a 13 year old THINKS is "cool"

Penny's design was nearly perfect from the get-go, but I had to get the hair just right. She feels like a mix of every single KND character and I like that.

[nero-vanderwolf]

It seemed like ages passed in the hospital, eons spent waiting for results.

Akihiko’s knee bounced incessantly, even after Makoto put a hand on it reassuringly. Akihiko looked over at him, noted how pale he looked, noted the blood that had dried under his fingernails from the desperate attempt to staunch the bloodflow from Shinji’s wound.

“He was still breathing when we brought him in,” Makoto pointed out, his voice barely above a whisper. His hands shook, the one on Akihiko’s jumpy knee and the one clenched into a fist around his mp3 player.

“I’m scared,” Akihiko confessed, his voice shaking. “I’m scared that I’ll end up losing my best friend. I can’t- I can’t lose him too...”

He was aware of Mitsuru looking at him, of the worry that furrowed her brow, but he ignored it. He was busy throwing up his heart.

“I know. ‘There’s nothing we can do right now,’ that’s what they always say in movies. But it doesn’t take away the fear. I’m scared too, Akihiko. I’m terrified that I’ll lose a guy I never had the chance to know better beyond a few gruff words in the lobby. I don’t want to lose him either.” Makoto really did look scared. His lower lip trembled, his eyes shone with unshed tears. He was pale and shaky and looked like he was about to throw up.

The telltale click of a door shut everyone up. All eyes were on the doctor as he walked out, bearing a clipboard and a grim face.

That expression made Akihiko’s blood run cold. His skin turned to ice, and he froze. Please, he silently begged. Please, let Shinji be alive.

“He’s in a coma. Thankfully, it isn’t a deep one- he’ll most definitely wake up. However, we are looking at about two to three weeks before then.”

He was alive. Despite being shot, despite losing so much blood, despite those wretched suppressants that Akihiko now knows he was taking, Shinji was alive.

Akihiko should have known better than to doubt him.

“Can he have visitors?” Yukari asked tentatively, and the doctor nodded.

“Yes. Whenever you all are ready. Though, I suggest only one at a time for the first week or so. After that, it is up to you how many you deem fit to visit.”

After the doctor turned on his heel and strode down the corridor, all eyes turned to Akihiko.

“You should visit him, Akihiko. He’d want to see you first,” Makoto murmured. Akihiko knew he was right, and had to admit that the kid knew Shinji better than he gave himself credit for.

“Yuki. You can visit him next. After all, you helped save his life,” Mitsuru said.

Akihiko didn’t linger to hear Makoto’s arguments. He made a beeline straight for Shinji’s door, the dried blood on his hands itching the entire way.

There he was, Shinjiro Aragaki, laying on the bed. He was hooked up to a number of machines and wires, like some kind of speciman from his shitty sci-fi movies.

And yet, he looked almost peaceful. There was no scowl on his lips, no furrow to his brow. But he was still pale, his cheeks were still gaunt, his eyes were still darkly circled and sunken. Some things couldn’t be changed in a few hours.

Akihiko sank down into the chair beside him, sighing. “You’re a dumbass, Shinji. You know that? I mean, what were you thinking!? Did you think you deserved to die? Did you think at all?”

He knew it wasn’t fair to Shinji to unwrap all of his rage and grief and sorrow right there beside him, but he continued to anyways. He figured Shinji wouldn’t mind.

“We care about you, Shinji! Did you think we wouldn’t miss you? Did you consider the grief you’d cause us? Mitsuru can’t handle another heartbreak! I can’t handle losing another person!”

He was crying now, sobbing at Shinji’s bedside, clutching his hand and clinging to it.

“You’re selfish, Shinji. You’re a selfish asshole and I’m so fucking glad you’re alive because I don’t know what I might have done if you weren’t,” Akihiko whispered, breath catching with a new wave of sobs.

“...God, when did I get so soft, huh? Probably sometime around when Makoto arrived. Guy’s got a knack for that sort of thing, doesn’t he? Even Mitsu likes him... Do you think Miki would have liked him? He’s pretty quiet, so she might have tried to get him to talk more. Probably would have driven him crazy asking about his mp3 player. But I think... I think they would have been friends.”

Akihiko glanced at the clock, cursing quietly when he saw how long he’d been in there for.

“I’ll visit you tomorrow, okay? I’ll bring Ken along. Bye, Shinji.”

The ride home seemed to last forever, but it was forever spent in relieved silence. Makoto and Fuuka were sharing earbuds, Mitsuru, Junpei and Yukari were talking quietly, and Akihiko was hugging Ken as tightly as the kid would let him.

Ken was trembling with sobs, his tiny hands shaking as they clung to Akihiko’s vest. Sometimes Akihiko forgot how young he was, how young he had been when the incident happened.

“It’s okay, Ken... He’s okay. I’ll bring you there tomorrow after school and you can talk to him all you want. We can get ice cream after, even, if you want. Does that sound okay?”

Ken didn’t move his head from its place against Akihiko’s chest, but he nodded slightly. Akihiko rubbed his back, holding him close.

Shinji was alive. And somehow, just the fact alone was a comfort.

Because that meant that one day, he would wake up. And everything would be okay again.

RAYAGGGYHG JUMPING OFF WALLS RN of course aki would be mad at shinji. them insulting each other is how they always talk. its like a love language. also AKI COMFORTING KEN!!!! THE FATHER FIGURE AKI!!!! shinji lives... the tension in waiting to hear if shinji would live or not is so..... ghhhrghrhhh eatjng this fic like a tasty snack

[nyrasbloodyclover]

summer games (pre-death!tate langdon x reader)

summer series pt.2 (1)

cw: mentions of violence, misogyny, jealousy, tate is such a baby i love him

a/n: let's pretend tate had game and didn't hate every single person in his school. this isn't exactly a series since there is no specific plot, but it is the universe where reader is possessive/obsessed with tate and tate is a simp with very visible mommy issues.

I wasn't a violent person, not really. Other ghosts went around and killed people who dared to enter the house, but that wasn't something I was intrested in.

I liked to spend time with Tate, talk to him, listen to his music, but he wasn't always available. And it made me miserable to watch him every day and not be able to spend every second of it with him.

He had a life outside this house. I didn't.

So, I wasn't a violent person until Tate brought home a bitch from his high school. They were holding hands, laughing, talking about whatever shit friends they shared... It made my blood boil. I wanted to rip her apart. And for what? Like he couldn't have a normal life.

He could, but with me.

But I couldn't just kill her, you know? If she was to die in this house, she'd be trapped with me. And Tate. And besides, Tate would be the first and only suspect—I didn't want police looking for him for something I did.

I wanted to start something. A fight? Drama? My death gave me courage to do things I wouldn't dream of while I was still alive. I wanted to see her heart crush and hope leave her eyes when she sees me, I wanted him to yell at me and then forgive me so we could go back to our normal relationship without anyone coming between us— Him listening to Kurt Cobain and me just laying on the floor of his bedroom.

An idea came to my mind. He was going to hate me for it, but It'll pass.

I went to his room and sat on his bed, after changing into the tightest top I had and the shortest skirt I could find in my old bedroom (that was still untouched, for some reason). I unbuttoned it until fair share of my cleavage was visible.

I took his MP3 player and played with it, skipping songs, acting completely casual. Voices became louder. He was able to talk like that since Constance was out, probably getting her nails done or talking shit.

I heard the girl laugh at something Tate said. The door opened. I looked up and saw his smile fall, his face completely shift as he scanned my whole body. I felt satisfaction because he came home with a girl, but was still checking me out. I didn't mind him, she was the one I was intrested in.

The bitch stood there with her mouth open, not saying a word. I interrupted the silence.

"You brought a friend, I see." I continued to look at his MP3 player and I squeezed my chest between my arms, making it look unintentional.

"Tate, who is this?" The girl asked, her voice low.

"What the fuck?" He didn't provide her with an answer. Tate just stared at me like he'd seen a ghost. (Yes, I think I'm funny)

"Really?" She clasped her hands together, "I'm leaving."

"No, no, she is going to leave," Tate grabbed her forearm, but she pushed past him.

"I'm not going anywhere, actually." I just shrugged. She was ready to jump at me, but it looked like my whole appearance was too much for her.

"Finally," I mumbled as she shut the door behind her. Her footsteps faded.

"Care to explain?" He took the player from my hands, stopping the song that I chose.

"What exactly?" He almost rolled his eyes at me. God, was he pretty.

I smiled innocently. How should I phrase 'You don't get to date anyone because you belong with me and if you so much as think about someone else, I'll destroy your relationship with them as soon as you get together.' ?

"You are unbelievable. You just ruined my chance with her." He sounded like I broke his favorite toy. I stood up, almost shoving my whole chest in his face. Not intentionally, of course.

He was mesmerized, forgetting about our little fight. "See? She is no one. Nothing. You don't care about her."

"Don't act like you know how I feel—"

He forgot the other half of his sentence as I grazed his shoulder with my fingertips and went down to lay on his floor. His mouth was left half opened, eyes following me the whole time.

"Sit," I gestured to his bed, "Don't ever try to replace me again."

[oshinohoshi]

Oshi no Ko Chapter 155 Thoughts

The chapter title is Happy End! Well, not for Hikaru. He's so broken we don't even see his face

The framing of this as the end of Ruby's revenge is interesting but um... what revenge? We haven't seen Ruby thinking about revenge since she lost her black hoshigan. This would hit a lot harder if Ruby had done anything lately to show she cared about revenge

It's a real shame because Ruby's lines in Ch 115 when she was doing the impromptu audition with Frill and Akane gave me chills

I still dream about the day my mother died, even now... will everyone I love end up dying?... I want to go to where everyone is. I want to die too. That's powerful stuff! Of course she would want revenge. But then she realizes Gorou is alive and everything is fine again (??)

As for Ruby's forgiveness, unfortunately that happened off the page (sadly that's become a running theme lately with how rushed things feel to me). Her conversation with Hikaru in Ch 147 is the closest we got to seeing her make that decision

And what exactly did she do in her acting to deliver that forgiveness? I'm tired of being told about it, I want to see it

I'm not sure why Ruby was chasing after Hikaru in this chapter with double black hoshigan if she was all set to forgive him but  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway, none of that matters because Miyako is back, hugs are back, Aqua is crying in his mother's arms and... OK BUT WHERE WAS MIYAKO UNTIL NOW? WHY DID YOU FORGET HER, AKASAKA? Never mind, sorry, this was an adorable moment

Someone finally remembered Yura Katayose. I really hope it's shown how Aqua realized she had anything to do with this

Nino jumpscare! I am obsessed with Nino's obsession with Ai. The toxic yuri is off the charts and I'm eating it up

Look at this poster. Nino could have simply cut her and Ai out of it but no, she took the time to cross out and scribble over the other B Komachi girls, presumably for daring to breathe the same air as Ai

If you have not, you need to read 45510 (translated by aihoshiino) which is not only the basis for the lyrics in Idol but a deep dive into Nino's psyche. It was obvious by this point, but we now canonically know that Nino is the narrator in 45510 because of the panel in this chapter where she hits the delete button

Wait, hold up, Nino is using an mp3 player? My god, she really is stuck in time isn't she

She has trash bags all over her house because this woman is a shut in who does nothing but watch videos of Ai, listen to old B Komachi songs, and stare at her poster. Honestly? Same. I see you, Nino, and we can be delusional together

I believe in another life that Nino healed herself with a lot of therapy and a yoga retreat, stopped putting Ai on a pedestal, embraced her sexuality, and confessed to Ai. They're now living with the twins in a small house on the outskirts of Tokyo. Nino writes a mommy blog called "My dream life with precocious twins: me, myself, and Ai"

Get it? See what I did there? Okay...

[itslouisan]

Well, short post on Urahara as a vocaloid fan

Okay so, I said how I believe Urahara is a vocaloid fan in my last post, so I thought why can't I elaborate? Hell maybe expand it to what I think other characters would listen to

Urahara:

• He'd like Miku, Vflower, Fukase, Len and Kaito songs.

• His first ever vocaloid song would be strobe light, world is mine, triple baka or rosary pale; (even though I'm sure there's others songs he'd like and I'll talk about it in a second)

• He'd love the idea of virtual singers, probably nerding out to ANYONE about how he thought it was a great technology for musicians who didn't want to expose themselves, were beginners or just wanted to experiment something new, and how he thought this source could be the future of the music industry or even idol industry, having so much potential to evolve and change (which he was correct)

• He would probably try his best to go to a magic mirai show, would get the light sticks, everything.

• About producers, I think he'd be into Kikuo, Materu, Wowoka, Kanaria, Aira, Pinocchio, Akka and Deco 27 (perhaps Ichika too), but there's millions of producers, and since I'm not fluent in japanese, I can more easily list songs than the producers unfortunately since searching about the producers takes time and has a language barrier, specially considering vocaloid is all over the place and in theory everyone who makes music using vocaloid, even covers and small stuff, could be a producer, so ehhhh-

• Collects figures. I think he would be more into the complex figures and looks rather than the prize ones that are simpler

Some examples of figures I think Kisuke would like:

Songs I think Kisuke would relate/like more than others:

1- Strobe Light

An underrated song, in my interpretation of strobe light, it talks about breaking the routine, a girl who's so stuck in it she craves for something new but doesn't have the courage of trying. At the same time could talk about the line between life blurring and becoming gray, boring, with nothing interesting easily, it talks about how everyone around you seems to move on while you're stuck in a point of your life trying to change and try, still people move on, die, give up, and you can't do anything about it, yourself wanting to give up and feeling lost.

My take is that Kisuke would like it since he'd find it in his early months of exile, feeling lost, that everyone moved on, that he'd have to fight to adapt and survive in this new life, together with guilt of his friends being stuck with him now and losing their lives due to his own mistakes. He'd be stuck in a lifeless hopeless situation and routine, trying hard to break free but unable to, after all the situation wouldn't allow him to. He'd crave for freedom, for giving everyone comfort and rest, yet he couldn't rest, stop, live comfortably for a long time, everything blurring out, I think he'd listen to it a lot in his first MP3 player.

2- Cinderella

Okay urayoru moment, in my view, Cinderella is about 2 people leaving everything behind, their lives, their expectations, just wanting to be with each other and trusting that despite the odds of their situation they can be together and happy having each other's company even in dark times with a great love and trust to change their lifes

WHICH IS SO KISUKE AND YORUICHI??? Yoruichi giving away her status, her expectations as a member of the Shihōin clan, her old life, everything to save her friends BUT SPECIALLY Kisuke, trusting that he could pull it off and make a better life for them.

3- love trial

A song about someone who had such a terrible experience in love and relationships, that lost the trust completely in others, judging a partner who had previously liked and had affection for, and in the first place trying not to warm up to them and liking them again.

Another urayoru take, because we all agree Kisuke has trust issues, but I say maybe he always liked Yoruichi, but, because of his issues, when Yoruichi WAS ready to show and give him affection, he wasn't ready in the first couple of weeks or months because of previous events in his love life and life in general (which I hc Kisuke never got the handle of emotional romantic relationships and his first time doing sex with someone was terrible so yup, poor thing) but eventually melting this resolve and accepting he wanted to be happy with her.

4- Plus boy

OKAY HEAR ME OUT, he IS a pervert, no matter what you think, SO A SONG LIKE THAT FROM LEN? Hell he eats it up, plus, plus boy is about a teen boy (or teens in general) and the first signs of sexual attraction and leaving the childhood innocence of stuff, I hc Kisuke became more perverted around 14 years old, so it matches. Plus it's fire.

5- Copy cat

So, Kisuke definitely can't get the handle of social interactions and social cues, I view him as the nerd cast out kid, so, I imagine due to my hc of him having autism, he learned with time to mask all his "undesirable" and "unlikeable" traits that pushed people off, taking this facade for so long he copied the behaviors of other kids, teens, colleagues, liked people, viewing himself as someone with no essence or real personality, that is, he said "fuck it" at some point stopping the masking traits but still having personas, which is progress I guess when we're talking about Kisuke and the fact Shinigami are ageless so this could take centuries of evolution :v

Honorable mention:

In one of the asks kon made, we can see the door of Kisuke's room in the shōten, which translated to "Kisuke's castle", FIGHT ME BUT THIS DOOR DEFINITELY BLASTED WORLD IS MINE INSIDE THERE SOME POINT AND HAD LED LIGHTS CHANGING COLORS TO IT, WEARING A PRETTY DRESS AND CROW.

[slashfuhrer]

the more I watch The Killing of a Sacred Deer the more I'm convinced that it's actually a comedy

"See? My example, it's metaphoric, it's symbolic" says Martin after having literally ripped a piece out of his arm

"We could order food if you're hungry" Kim tells Martin right after he asks her whether she's on her period (saltburn vampire scene premonition strong)

"I won't let you go until you try my tart" Martin's mum tells Steven right after coming onto him by basically stuffing his hand in her mouth (tart is a euphemism, right? also what is it about this fam where they all want to put Steven in their mouths, is this shit hereditary like Martin's dad's heart condition?) "Can I have your mp3 player when you die?" Kim asks her brother matter-of-factly. Deadpan delivery fr

"You'll say, but I only shot one person! How come four people are dead? So if you're gonna dig a hole in the yard, better make it a big one" - a line that could be delivered in all sorts of ways, but Barry does it in a "ur so stupid its kinda hilarious steven" way

"Bob, aren't you gonna come over and give me a hug?" Martin asks knowing full well (and probably being responsible) that Bob cant walk, while himself tied to a chair with a gunshot wound to his leg

Kim throwing things at Martin because he's not "trying hard enough" to heal her is just slapstick honestly That bit where Steven bangs at the door of the Lang house threatening to fuck Martin's mum and Martin himself "just like" he [Martin] wants it? Pure comedic gold The fact that Steven believes Martin can cause direct harm while being tied up and beaten in a basement ("What did you do to [Kim]")? Hilarious actually

[fur-claws-and-eyeballs]

How do you think the Lost Boys would handle technology if they reach 2000s? Like cameras -- would they get caught sooner because of it? Or cellphones -- would they even have one? Would they even be able to use it/charge it if they did?

(Assuming that vampires in this universe specifically don't appear in mirrors or film because of silver being used in the production of both...)

I think, once the digital age is alive and well and suddenly they can appear on camera, it's going to be a love-hate relationship.

On one hand, Santa Carla has one hell of a security camera sabotage scheme going on. Every time a new camera is installed, its cord is either sliced clean through or the lens is spray-painted black, and no one is ever seen doing it! Eventually, the shopkeepers learn that outside cameras are just not viable in this town, so they leave the damaged ones up as deterrents for the tourists and only keep functioning ones pointed directly at their cashiers.

Cellphones, at least at first, are a novelty. The boys have telepathy, who needs a phone? But occasionally Paul and Marko get ahold of two phones and play around, calling each other back and forth, telling stupid jokes, or pretending to be important businessmen until the batteries run out and they toss them like trash.

When GPS gets introduced to cellphones, Max gets a little nervous about them. (He has always got the latest model, but only keeps it with him between work and home.) He worries that tracking the phones will make it easier for police to find bodies or evidence. So now the Boys are told, "No mucking around with cellphones, especially the ones you pick up off victims. In fact, destroy them immediately and toss them in the sea."

Now, I have no doubt that these rascals have Max-flavored Demand Avoidance, and suddenly cellphones are a forbidden fruit. David may insist on tossing victims' phones, but now Paul, Marko, and even Dwayne are lifting phones off people on the boardwalk.

The first time they realize they can order pizza delivery to just about anywhere is a revelation. They get a blood bag delivered, the pizza they ordered for free, any other pizza that may be in his car, and all the cash that he's received that night. Max loses his mind when he finds out.

But THEN, camera phones become widespread, and suddenly they can take photos and record videos of each other. Even David can't resist this. So there are photos of Paul jumping off cliffs, and Marko records the pigeons cooing and strutting and David is checking his hair, and there are photos of Dwayne modeling his new jacket...but they still don't have electricity, so eventually the phones die, but these they keep. Like an old archive, there's a cellphone graveyard in the cave that they can't really use, but can't bring themselves to get rid of. Maybe on occasion, they pull one or two out and find a public outlet in a diner or something to charge them. The service has long been canceled, so they can't call or text, but the photos are still there.

I remember back when I had an old Nokia phone, I had a bejeweled trial on it, but my parents didn't even pay for texts, much less games. So I just played that bejeweled trial over and over, anytime I got bored. I can see Dwayne or David fucking around on the games, even the trials when they're standing by their bikes, having a smoke, waiting for the other two to return.

The availability of porn steeply increases the local cellphone theft rates.

When MP3 players become widespread that's an entirely new revelation. Suddenly they don't need all these tapes and CDs, or this bulky CD player. It's just this neat little device that fits into their pockets. Suddenly the need to keep a device charged is stronger than their short attention spans. Sure they keep the boombox around for the cave, but the personal players are so useful. Now when David's in a mood and they can't use the stereo, they can go to their little corners and still jam. When someone is feeling broody, they can take their player and go for a walk (or a flight). This may prompt them to work out a generator setup with outlets in the cave. Or maybe they just include a stop by some public outlets in their nightly activities.

I don't think computers or laptops will really hold their interest too much. They may enjoy grabbing one at the library every now and then to look something up or add music to their players, but otherwise, that just seems like a waste of time. I think portability is the name of the game for their technology usage.

Kindles and eReaders though, I think that's going to be a hit with David and/or Dwayne. They keep books in the cave, they may even prefer to read physical books, but there's probably some difficulty keeping them from molding in the wet sea air and getting damaged from repeat readings. Plus the eReaders can fit just so many books into such a tiny space. (The image of David reading on a tablet in his wheelchair is just so vivid for me, rn.)

But also consider: some types of touch screens having difficulty picking up on their touch, lmao

[streatfeild]

i‘ve been tagged by @thethickofitt 100 years ago to do a thing (making my own post pc the original one was getting too long lol)

Last Song: Ryuusei by Mucc

Favourite colour: all of them, preferably at the same time. if i have to choose one i‘ll say (neon) pink.

Currently watching: Naruto (ugh yeah i know), started another Santa Clarita Diet rewatch today bc i miss that show. badly

Spicy/Savoury/Sweet: mmmmm savoury

Relationship status: single

Current Obsession: Izumo/Kotetsu (i KNOW), Adam/Fergus, that procreate brush set i bought that i can‘t get enough of

——————

he also tagged me in a shuffle playlist meme that i‘ll put here as well. just because

Rules: you can tell a lot about a person by the music they listen to. Put your mp3 player, iTunes, Spotify, etc. on shuffle and list the first 10 songs and then tag 10 people. Rules: No Skipping!

1. Epilogue from Les Mis in Concert

2. Horrible Theme from Dr. Horrible‘s Sing along Blog

3. shi shite katamari by Mucc

4. The Ballad of Sweeney Todd from Sweeney Todd

5. Live and never die by The Rasmus

6. It‘s not unusual by Tom Jones

7. Ragnarok V: End of the line by The Mechanisms

8. All God‘s People by Queen

9. Angels by Robbie Williams

10. Art Hoe by Call me Karizma

Tagging @witchkingofanmar @captains-clever-goose @ktsphere @spineless-lobster @keldermans @jammydormouse @captainsclevergirl @james-wilsons-mommymilkers @darkmistandodddreams @summerpoison and anyone who wants to do either of them 💚

[randomgooberness]

This is in reference to the one post where Gordon gets all embarrassed for talkin like a kid (and maybe I missed something) But does Freemind sign "sorry", or say it out loud? I'm so curious if ya'll have a reason for how or why Mind signs, or the fact that Gordon can even UNDERSTAND it !!

(ask is referencing this post)

TYSM FOR THIS ASK! WE HAVE A LOT TO SAY ON IT LMAO. @shineyfish 's answer: MIND SIGNS IT HE LOVES LANGUAGES!!! there's lots of points in Freeman's Mind where he speaks in different languages or references shit to do with that so it's a big hc of mine that he knows how to speak a bunch of different languages. Can't have prior potentially talking shit about him, and you can't talk shit about him if he always knows what you're saying! Hilariously to me though is that he Canonically doesn't know Morse code. Sign language in particular I feel like he'd know because it's a language where you don't need to speak to use it. That's perfect for anything where you need to be silent, for example, being in Panama with your buddy Eddie and you don't want to get caught.

My answer:

From Gordons POV, in my headcanons, he grew up learning sign language because of his autism- it made it easier for him to communicate nonverbally, especially because he was mostly mute for the first few years of his life(to which when he was like 7 or 8 he switched to never shutting up LMAO). Gordon couldn't actually understand that specific moment where Mind signed, because he wasn't facing him and was moving, so he didn't really see it- just a bit of movement(hence why he's confused in the comic). However, there IS a scene that took place a day or so prior(in act 1, that comic is in early act 2) that had them using it. I shared a small screenshot of the scene because it was really funny to me, but Ace agreed to let me edit it up and post the full segment here! Have a treat :D

This takes place after they get outside for the first time and run from the airstrikes- and go into the vents with the skeleton and the sweet voice.

WARNING FOR: ableism(internalized and external) and (technically)self-harm

"It can't be THAT hard to fly a fuckin plane!"

Mind laughed, half joking with that as he moved forward. 

It didn't take long until he was whining again.

"Why are so many people trying to kill me?? I'm awesome! Are they jealous?"

He didn't have enough bullets for all of them at the rate they were going at. The military should give peace a chance, or at least stand still.

"I'm calling dibs on the med station."

"Go ahead," Gordon chuckled. "Yeah, I think they're just jealous of you. They uh. They think the Science Team is too sexy to live." He wheezed.

"YES!"

Mind hooked himself up the the med station, silently begging the thing for what he wanted.

The med station, checking his vitals and seeing he wasn't mortally injured, did not give him any morphine.

"NO!"

He rested his head against the thing as it appropriately treated his more minor injuries. He didn't want to say he was getting desperate, because he wasn't, and if you thought that you were wrong, but... It was hard to be sober around this place.

He laughed joylessly.

"They've got it all wrong. We're actually too sexy to die."

"Exactly!" Gordon laughed, clapping his hands. "Let's uh, c'mon, Bubby I- dude what are you charging in the HEV suit station." 

"My MP3 player." Bubby said.

"What?" 

"Don't tell anyone~!" 

"...Okay," Gordon wheezed. "Is that what's playing the Russian speaking?" 

"The what?" Bubby looked...genuinely confused by that question. "No?" 

"What speaking?" Dr. Coomer tilted his head. Gordon sighed. 

"...Nothing. Let's move on." 

Whatever the fuck Gordon was talking about, Mind was a little concerned about it. Being overly Paranoid that you're seeing things can be good when you need to look for enemies, but hearing things that aren't there? That could be a problem.

Whatever. It wasn't too much of a problem right now, and they still had hallways to go through for a second time. He never wants to look at a hallway ever again. His headache was a little worse, and now that the noise was muffled he had a ringing in his ears. 

"Why do you get an MP3 player?? And why does the HEV station charge it??"

"I want to listen to my tunes," Bubby said. "The HEV station charges anything." 

"I use it for my bionic body!" Dr. Coomer nodded. 

Gordon rounded over to a vent nearby. From it, odd humming and whistling could be heard- alien sounding. Like the Sweet Voice. He pulled out his gun and headed inside. Mind heard it too, flinching. 

"...No. no, it's dead, we watched the bitch get torn apart by the doors, there's no way it survived that. I'm either just imagining that, which is concerning, or mistaking the sound..." 

He didn't seem to be talking to anyone, although kept his gun ready as he spoke. 

If nothing could kill that- that thing, then... "We really are fucked."

"No...No, I'm hearing it too, man," Gordon muttered. He was shocked that this vent was big enough to stand in, and walked cautiously. "...Maybe there's more like him here? I mean, it's called the Black Mesa Sweet Voice- it might...I dunno. We'll see. Maybe it's friendly."

"I doubt that, if Mall-cop was anything to go off of, it'll be irritating at best."

Following close behind Gordon, gun at the ready, he could feel his heartbeat. Something about the mere thought of seeing that thing again sent a spike of fear through him.

"At worst? I don't think I want to know."

"Yeah," Gordon laughed. "I'm tryin' uh. To be an optimist. Sucks." 

"That's the problem, optimism gets you nowhere in the long run. At some point, you need to cut your losses and start breaking shit."

"It sounds, friendly," Tommy spoke up. 

"Oh, right- you can read it.” Gordon perked up, looking at the taller scientist. “What's it saying right now?" 

"Umm..." Tommy tried to focus. "I-I dunno, I can't really tell without the- without the colors." 

"Oh, okay. We'll see in a bit, then." 

They rounded a corner, and Gordon noticed a figure. 

"Wait for my word, do not shoot." 

A flash from a camera behind them. 

"Don't take pictures flash photography scares him."

They got a little closer, and the figure was still hard to see in the dark. 

"...Hello?" Gordon called. 

A small buzz emitted from it, and then a few lower ones, purple. Gordon got closer, and sucked air between his teeth when he noticed it was a fucking skeleton. 

"...Do you know what that is?" He whispered to Tommy, who shrugged.

As they turned the corner, Mind kept his grip on his gun, assuming it to be an army recruit. He couldn't make out a weapon, but he wasn't taking any chances on that. 

He didn't believe his eyes when he saw it properly.

Option one, he was hallucinating. This was bad for the obvious reasons, but he was skeptical on that because the others were clearly seeing it too.

Option two, there was a real, living, sweet voice using skeleton in front of him. This was almost worse, because it immediately made him worry about Benrey. He watched him die. Now he wasn't so sure.

Option three, group hysteria. He wasn't certain on this one. 

"... I'm not seeing that. There is no way I am seeing that."

"...I think we are," Gordon stammered, eyes huge. 

The skeleton made a few more noises, sort of like a guitar plucking. 

"Stay back- stay back staaay back-" It was hard to tell if Gordon was talking to the skeleton, or to The Science Team. "...You guys have any ideas?" 

"...I could always punch it," Dr. Coomer tilted his head, though he didn't seem so sure. 

The skeleton whistled a few times, a soft, odd noise, before it made a honk noise. 

"...Okay, on three, we rush it," Gordon muttered. "God, I'm scared-"

Tommy perked up. 

"Wait, no!" He cried.

"What?! What?! Do you know what it is!?" 

"That's green!" Tommy asserted. 

"What does green mean!?" 

"Green means he's not mean!"

"So-" 

Gordon was interrupted by repeated whistling and buzzing, a flail of colors appearing. 

"What does that mean-" He choked. "What is he saying?!"

And then, suddenly, the skeleton reached a high pitch that continued on and on, and it was deafening, bouncing against the metal of the vents they were in and stabbing into their ears.

Mind almost dropped his gun, rushing to cover his ears. Too LOUD. Too MUCH. 

"SsHHHHUUTT UP SHUT UP, BE QUIET!!" 

"OW- FUCK-!" Gordon yelped, now covering his own ears. 

It hurt. It hurt. Mind felt like his brain was melting, and without thinking he started shooting blindly at the thing, eyes squeezed shut and ears awkwardly pressed between his free hand and his shoulder. 

He needed this thing dead... Again. 

Unfortunately, he didn't think about the current location they were in, and the gunshots only echoed in the vents alongside the creature. He really should have brought his earplugs to work, but they might not have done much for whatever fresh hell this was.

"JUST KILL IT I CANT HANDLE IT-!" Bubby screeched. Gordon, as if he were an attack dog, started bolting toward the thing with a shout- leading the way as the rest of the team followed. 

The skeleton, who didn't react much to the bullets, started running as well.

Mind squinted his eyes open, tears pricking at the corners of his eyes as he did, and saw the group running. Unbearable physical pain be damned, he ran after them, not wanting to be left behind.

He needed to make sure that thing stopped existing, even if the process of doing so was going to make him want to commit atrocities... More than usual.

Bubby raced ahead of Gordon and took out-  ...oh god that was an RPG.

Before anyone could say anything, the trigger was pulled, and a rocket blasted through the vents before exploding against the metal, sending a blast of heat and deafening ringing toward everyone.

...And, not only did it not break the vents they were in, but Gordon and the rest seemed to not even care, locked on their target.

Mind, who had uncovered his ears, deciding to just grin and bear it until the thing was dead, caught the full sound of the explosion. 

In almost an instant his body decided enough was enough, and he screeched, falling to his knees and covering his ears, gun forgotten beside him. His palms were pressed hard enough to hurt, and he was almost certain that when he took them away, the imprint of the gloves would be on his face. 

He didn't care. He just needed the ringing to stop. 

He didn't even notice the tears falling until he took a breath, shaky and broken, and heard himself sob. What filled his chest at that was a red-hot shame. What kind of idiot couldn't handle a little bit of noise? Even at that, he didn't need to cry at it, he was being pathetic. He was sure of it, nobody else could see him like this.

The gunshots were muffled and distant, still ringing through the vents as they got further and further away- much louder than a scream, a loud, panicked conversation, and then a bit of talking. 

The first thing Mind properly heard was footsteps and Gordon's voice.

"God, where is he- shit I hope he's okay-"

The large man turned the corner, and perked up, before racing over and sliding on his knees- he immediately put a hand on his shoulder. 

"Woah- heyheyheyhey- are you alright!?"

Without thinking, Mind HISSED at the guy, immediately scratching and pushing the guy away. Space, he needed space, don't look at him-

"GGET THE- GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" 

His voice is rough from sobbing, but there's a significant growl to it. 

"IF YOU COME ANY- A-ANY CLOSER I WILL NOT HHHESITATE TO BITE YOU." 

For a split second he looked Gordon in the eyes, and his own were full of fear. It wasn’t for long though, as he very quickly covered his face, scratching at his eyes with a screech in an attempt to make everything less.

"Woah-! Hey-" Gordon backed up, eyes huge. 

He didn't know what to do here- granted, he barely understood what was going on, but he had a feeling this might be related to all the noise from earlier. He himself fucking hated it, but he went into a tunnel vision trying to kill the damn skeleton as a way to cope- and regretted it, because it meant he left Mind alone. Not to mention, his ears were still ringing. 

He backed up a bit more, and sat down across from Mind, face twisted in worry. 

"Hey, keep your- don't touch your face, man."

"I'LL DO WHATEVER THE FUCK I WANT!"

There was too many people looking at him, he could feel it-

He hated these stupid gloves and their protective rubber, dragging them over his face just left a dull ache. If he didn't have them on he'd be able to be done with this, the sting from his nails usually tipped it over the edge for him and his stupid brain would start to calm down again. Sure, he normally had to hide the marks until they faded when he was at work, but it's the middle of an alien apocalypse, was he not allowed ONE source of relief in this hell?

After another attempt, he sobbed again, taking his hands down and looking at Gordon with a tear-streaked face. He looked tired. He felt tired. He didn't want to be here anymore.

Gordon frowned, shrinking a bit as he watched him. 

He was a little scared, honestly- he didn't want this guy to suddenly snap and decide he was an enemy. He didn't...entirely trust anyone here, but that trust was building, at least a little. 

He didn't know why he was starting to trust these people, despite how fucking stupid they all acted, or how mean to him they tended to be. He already sort of considered them friends, and hoped they could all still talk after all this was over. 

Naturally, this was scary to see, because of that. But he decided friends should trust and support one another- that's what he heard all his life.

He swallowed, fiddling with his hands and looking at the ground. 

"It's- you're alright, dude, we're. I dunno if we're safe right now but we're...you can breathe, I'm here, alright?" 

Was that what you were supposed to say? He wasn't sure.

Mind felt weak. He felt so weak. Useless, pathetic, there was no way in hell these people will be able to look at him the same. He needs to get out of here. 

As he tried to move though, he was shaking too much, that annoying tremble in his hands from earlier now a full-fledged tremor.

He only distantly heard Gordon's words but he laughed at it, hollow. What, did he think he needed help? Did he think he wasn't strong enough? He would have snapped back at him if the exhaustion wasn't so strong in him. Whatever. He took a deep breath, or tried to, curling in on himself.

"Hey- dude, please sit down- please?" Gordon put his hands out. "You're- you need to calm down, first, alright? Can you-" He paused, looking him up and down. "Auh, fuck, okay gimme a sec." 

He paused, thinking- when he was little and had basically daily meltdowns, not long after he became verbal, one of his old teachers used to give him a cup of water so he'd be distracted and stop crying- he later used this technique on Josh all the time. 

After a bit, he went through their collection from the vending machines and took out a bottle of water. He opened it and set it down in front of Mind.

The guy looked between the bottle and Gordon. Trying to think of any tricks, any ulterior motives, anything. 

He came back with nothing. It registered as a discrepancy to him, why was there no trick to this?

Suspicious, he took the bottle, slowly raising it and taking a sip, eyes on Gordon practically the whole time. 

Taking a sip felt gross in his mouth, and he cringed slightly, but drank a little more.

He didn't like admitting that it did make him feel better, and his brain was still shot with panic about what that was as he sat the bottle back down in between them.

Gordon didn't look at him very much- though the guy already avoided a lot of eye contact unless something stupid was said. He continued to play with his gloves a bit, nervous, and when the bottle was set down, he looked at Mind again, studying his breathing and making sure it was slower. 

"...Are you able to talk?" He asked, softly.

Mind opened his mouth to say something sarcastic back at him, Yeah of course I can talk, I'm not a toddler.

... Only to find that he could not talk. 

The shame was back, he hated this. 

Shaking his head no, he brought his knees closer to his chest, practically death-staring Gordon. This is your fault, somehow.

"...Okay, that's fine- I-I go nonverbal sometimes, too," Gordon said. "Do you know sign language? Or would you rather, would you rather we have uh. Fuckin. Would you rather we have quiet time?"

Quiet time. Just hearing the words made Mind want to hurt someone. It felt childish, and he wasn't a child. He was just as damn capable as the rest of them, voice or not. 

Luckily for him though, he did know sign language. Unluckily for everyone else, his hands still shook, and he was absolutely going to get snappy if he had to repeat himself.

"Sign."

Gordon perked up. 

"Okay-! Great! That's- that's great, uh," He  looked back over to the charred vent nearby, and then to Mind. "Do you need anything in particular right now? I-I'm uh, k-kinda scared to leave you alone, cause...I mean. Aliens." He gestured. "But if you want um, me to be quiet, or me to uh, talk? Or distract you? I-I can do that-"

Mind shifted, snapping his fingers.

"Shut up. Pay attention."

He took a second, and another sip from the water, before continuing.

"Don't like this any more than you do. I can still handle myself, not useless."

He paused.

"... I don't like noise."

"...That's...fine. I don't, either." Gordon said. "And I know you aren't useless, you've- I mean, you've kinda been the most normal guy here- and uh, you're smart." 

He curled his knees to his own chest, looking at the ground, before deciding it was important to make sure if he knew Mind was signing or not.

"...I-I've kinda needed you as a source of grounding this whole time, man. It's...everything else is fucked and these people, I-I care about them but they're fucking...confusing." 

The other guy had started signing something, before it died on his hands as he processed that.

Mind wasn't expecting at all to be told he was wanted, let alone that he was smart and helped ground the guy. 

Some weight eased itself off of his shoulders, and he finally looked away from Gordon with such scrutiny. 

"... Thank you. This place is fucking insane," another pause, "doesn't surprise me that you need me here just to make sense of everything."

Gordon let out a wheeze. 

"Oh, it is fucking insane, I don't- the rest of the gang is exploring up ahead, but uh...yeah no. Today fucking sucks. And...I dunno what that skeleton was but- that noise and us shooting shit in the vents? Dude, I thought I was gonna throw up," He straight up laughed. "It- my ears are ringing still. And I'm still hearing weird fucking Russian."

Mind laughed, silently shaking before snapping his fingers again, a smile on his face.

"What is with the Russian?? I'm surprised I didn't throw up if I'm honest."

His expression dropped, and he looked down the vents to where the skeleton went.

"Did you kill it?"

“…I dunno, uh- the vent suddenly dropped off, into uh. Fan blades. Bubby fell in and didn’t get hurt, somehow,” Gordon said. “Uh, they all started to figure out how to get through when I realized you weren’t with us, so I came back here to see if you were okay.”

Mind paused, going over the words in his head.

It occurred to him that he hasn't tried to find a secondary motive or worry about any aliens spawning in beside them for a bit now. He didn't know how he felt about that.

"...Thank you."

“Oh- yeah, man, of course! I-I want us to get out, leaving you would be shitty, you don’t deserve that.” Gordon said, and then started feeling a bit of his Dad Mode instincts kick in again. “You feeling better? Need food? I have more uh, more chips.”

Mind smiled weakly, exhaustion from his breakdown still flooding his system. 

"I'm good for now. Don't think I could eat even if I wanted to. Finishing this water though." 

He picked up the bottle, tracing over the side of it.

“Good- good idea.” Gordon chuckled softly. “You uh, you do that. Then we can see if we can catch up with the team, alright? Or wait as long as you need.” 

He pauses, hesitant. 

“…Uh, there have been a few times where I’ve forgotten earplugs for heavier experiments, and uh. Got overstimulated and shut down, a-and I always locked myself in my office when that happened, cause I was…I didn’t want to be judged. So…I uh. I can kinda get…if you wanted to wait a bit longer. I-I’m pretty sure the Science Team is chill, I know for a fact Dr. Coomer is autistic- Bubby and Tommy haven’t told me themselves but they’re. I dunno. I don’t think they’ll be shitty. But we can still wait.”

Mind’s grip on the bottle tightened slightly, and he put it down again to sign.

"I'm not autistic. I just... Can't handle too much noise. And it isn't my fault that other people can't do things the right way."

If the only reason Gordon was being nice to him is because he thought he was Autistic, he didn't want it. He wasn't broken. He didn't know why his chest hurt at the thought of that. 

He looked away.

"I can move in just a second."

Gordon raised an eyebrow at that- it wasn’t in any offense, it was…well, it looked sorta like he doubted him, kind of a sure buddy, whatever you say expression. 

“Take your time, man. I don’t mind waiting.”

Bite, chomp, kill. Mind let it go, for now, not having the energy to argue. 

After another minute or so, he started to move, grabbing the bottle. He went to check for his gun as well, before realising it wasn't holstered, and looked around frantically, panic rising.

He spotted it close by Gordon, and practically lunged at the thing to put it back where it belongs. 

"Okay, now I'm ready."

Gordon gave him a smile, and with a grunt, he stood up, stretching. 

“Houghman, Alright, let’s-“ 

He was interrupted by footsteps, and turned around, noticing Bubby turn the corner. 

“Dead-end.” He grumbled, Dr. Coomer and Tommy following behind. 

“Huh!?” Gordon gestured. “Wh- why?! Really!? How big is this place!?”

...

TYSM FOR READING :3 SORRY IF IT'S A BIT MESSY, AGAIN THIS WAS ORIGINALLY AN RP BETWEEN ME AND @shineyfish !

[fantasyinvader]

I think, ultimately, here's the major take-away from Lollipop Chainsaw.

Fanservice and sexual comedy isn't bad by default, but when it crosses the line into objectification and misogyny, then it becomes a problem.

Juliet is sexualized to hell and back, there's even an achievement for angling the camera to look up her skirt. But at the same time, her friends openly refer to her dad as a DILF and a zombie outright tells her “LET ME FUCK YOUR FATHER!” It's not like women can't be guilty of the same thing towards men, and the game actually shows this with Juliet's boyfriend Nick.

He gets bitten by a zombie, decapitated, and brought back to life as just a head. He has lost his body and autonomy. Juliet treats him like an accessory, even talking about how great it would be if he had an MP3 player attached to his forehead, a combination boyfriend and ipod. In gameplay, his main use is acting as a special attack whenever Juliet uses a Nick ticket, much like how she heals by using a lollipop. These attacks include shaking his head around to spill money, using him as a projectile either through shooting him out of something or kicking him at the enemies, or by attaching him to a string and swinging him around. Her sister's don't treat him much better, showing no empathy for his plight and at one time putting makeup on him without his consent.

It's this treatment that causes Nick to want to die as the game goes on. Compare this to how Juliet began dating Nick. They got to know each other and fell in high school love.

The game may play up Juliet's sexiness, but the game never stops treating her likc a person. We get to know about her as the game goes on, how she's been killing zombies since she was a baby and may be messed up because of it. She also gets better grades than Nick despite seeming like a ditz, so there's that. And when it comes to femininity, she says that her and her sisters “wears there vaginas on the outside” because of their mother. Juliet is not one of those female leads that in order to appear strong has had their femininity removed. She embraces it, as it's not a weakness.

(Take notes Druckmann)

The point it goes too far is when you stop treating Juliet as a person like Swan did. They never talked after she stood up for him, but he just expected Juliet to ask him out in spite of that. All he had to do was pine away for her like he's Hinata and she's his “Naruto-kun,” but when she got to know and began dating Nick Swan went full incel. He started the zombie apocalypse on her birthday to get back at her for betraying him, someone she has never spoken to, killing a bunch of people in the process. Oh, and the male boss zombies all make misogynistic comments to Juliet.

So, that's my take on the game.

[nitrozem]

Hi! For Juni 🗨🎶

Thanks for the ask!!

💭 THOUGHT BALLOON — what is your oc's MBTI, enneagram, and/or other personality aspects (if known/interested in)?

Hmm I think she has the most ISFP vibes!

🎶 MUSICAL NOTES — what type of music does your oc like? do they listen to music very often?

She listens to a whole bunch of genres but she has a specific love for music from the 50's (Think the songs you hear on the radios in the Fallout series games) She's also ride of die and keeps using mp3 player with wireless headphones. 😂

She has an appreciation of older/vintage things, probably from her Dad since he tends top hang onto older stuff. That being said she's had to drag his ass to the 21st century a couple time like convincing him to get a smart phone (with Val's help)

...a common site is seeing him and Val try these funny apps together and having "in awe old geezer moments" She'll be in the kitchen and suddenly she here...

Val: ITS A PIKACHU, CATCH IT, BABE!!

Tony: GET THE BALL YOU LITTLE RAT BASTARD HA!

and then she's ugly laughing about it for an hour 😂

Ah mildly off topic but my brain seems to do that when it comes to talkin about OCS lol 😬

[kuri-crocus]

A list of songs I associate with Good Omens now but it is random and mostly not that deep

Me (an elder Gen Z) found my MP3 Player I got in 2010 and GO-fyed serval songs in my head. Others that aren't from the MP3-Player are songs I listen to to while browsing GO related stuff. For some of them it's just buzz words and vibes because I don't understand all lyrics word by word, sometimes I don't speak the language at all... Some call to action before I start with the list: Tell me which songs you did or didn't knew before if you like :) Anyway here is it:

Halo by Beyoncé

Sweetest Poison by Nu Pagadi (Engl. Translation but Nightcore)

Natteravn by Rasmus Seebach

Bloody Mary by Lady Gaga

Wretched And Divine by Black Veil Brides

Fallen Angels by Black Veil Brides

Lost by Linkin Park

Reich mir die Hand by Blutengel

Shut Up And Drive by Rihanna

Telephone by Lady Gaga ft. Beyoncé

Crush by Jennifer Paige

I Gotta Feeling by The Black Eyed Peas

My Heart Skips a Beat by Olly Murs

El Amor, El Amor (Zumba Fitness) (Note: A silly one I just know Amor means love in spanish...)

Beautiful by MARA, Robert Taylor & Beto Perez

Bailando Bachata by Chayanne

Somebody's Watching Me by Rockwell

I Feel Love by Jeanette Biedermann

Ready for Love by Cascada

Herz an Herz by Blümchen

Magia by Kalafina (Note: I consider this as my fav song ever, it has apocalyptic vibes, so it has to be here!)

Crucified by Army Of Lovers

They Don't Care About Us by Michael Jackson

Daylight in your eyes by No Angels

Do you like what you see by Ivy Quainoo

My head is a jungle, jungle by Emma Louise and Wankelmut

In The Dark by Dev

Angel Of Darkness by Alex Christensen ft. Yasmin Knoch

Destiny by Vanessa Mae

There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) by Eurythmics

Licht und Schatten by Super Moonies (Note: I know this is a sily one)

Can't Get You Out Of My Head by Kylie Minogue 

Kiss Me by Rea Garvey

Don't know what to do by Blackpink

Ahsoka Ending theme by Kevin Kiner (I don't care if it's Star Wars, now it's GO!)

Spice up you life by Spice Girls (Also don't care if it's DW related now it's GO related as well!)

Brave Enough by Lindsey Stirling ft. Christina Perri (Original / Nightcore I listen to)

Love's Just A Feeling by Lindsey Stirling ft. Rooty (Original / Nightcore I listen to)

Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush (Note: This one is only here because of @thesherrinfordfacility 's amazing edit! Thanks for that!)

Cheers when you read until here!