#nice shiny keys... (my art)

[paozudraws]

I got lots of art to share should I just speed blitz em all or spread em out

[peaterookie]

I made some designs of the lupgang if they were in the world of kirby, and attempted to draw them in the style of the KSSU's key artwork!

More tidbits about their story and design will be revealed after I show the art

beware it is very long

LUPIN DEE THIRD

Lupin, or Lupin Dee Third as I call this character, is a Key Dee, a class of Waddle Dees you commonly see in KRTDL carrying a key as part of a puzzle. The reason I chose this guy over the typical Waddle Dee is because he has the monki-est design out of all dees, and I find that the fact it holds a key for any gate is pretty fitting for Lupin since he can surpass any challenges, no matter how impossible it seems.

His jacket color can be any of the ones in canon, but I chose green to be the main color he sports since it's a good reflection of the Kirby series. A lot of the locations are taken from nature and the peaceful and joyful themes lends the green jacket fitting very nicely. Red is too much of an aggressive color, while pink and blue don't seem as fitting either. Also, I wanted the jacket to share the same color as the money in the illustration, it's much less work if there's less color...!

Lupin Dee Third is a famous thief that travels across different planets to steal whatever he pleases. Often it is extremely valuable objects belonging to very pretigious or powerful people, which makes him become one of the most wanted criminals in Gamble Galaxy. He stores all of the things he's stolen in a secret place where nobody has found yet.

His combat capabilities is not much to be desired, so he relies heavily on the other members of his team to fight for him. However, he has the special ability to take an ability from another person and use it himself. It is not to the extent of Kirby's ability where he can use it as long as he likes and has full mastery over it, but it comes in the form of short bursts such as pouring a stream of water using the Water ability, or propelling himself into the air for a short moment with the Jet ability. He has an arsenal of these abilities kept in his backpockets at all times, so whenever you think you've cornered him, he always has a last minute surprise for you.

MR. DOOMENSION

Jigen, or Mr. Doomension, is a Waddle Doo with a goofy beard. There wasn't much thought behind my decision to make him a Doo iirc, I saw that it would fit to have him be a species that is a counterpart of Lupin's, since in canon they have pretty similar designs. The one eye makes him more menacing and mysterious anyway so it kinda just works lol

Since I wanted his body to be black, his clothes had to be a different color to appear striking. Thus, I've chosen blue, since its a rightfully common color to use for Jigen, and the accent as orange, the complimentary color for blue. Lastly, the shoes being black and shiny makes him appear much more professional and cool than Lupin, which he totally is.

Mr. Doomension primarily fights with his gun instead of using his eyes to fire his beams. He's always had an affinity to them when he was young, as he claims it allows him to focus and fire more accurate and powerful shots. Though he does load bullets in them, he is able to channel his beams through these guns as well. I'd like to believe that Waddle Doos can channel their beams through other body parts or objects (like Kirby) but choose to use their eyes since it's the biggest part of their body, thus more convenient. Mr. Doomension is built different however.

Much like in canon, he first met Lupin during an attempt to assassinate him for money. In Lupin fashion he ends up befriending the person that tried to kill him and they became close partners in crime, with Jigen always backing him up even in the toughest situations.

COMET RONIN / GOEMON

Goemon Ishikawa's kirby design has multiple names. He is commonly referred to as the Comet Ronin, since a famous story told of him cutting a giant comet into pieces to save a town. His real name is Goemon, but few know this name- or anything about him for that matter. He travels alone from town to town, fully cloaked so no one can see his face, requests food and shelter for the night, and disappears the next day. It was like that for years, until Lupin stole something that caught his eye.

---

ayeee its goemon time. He has two versions of his design because he is that cool.

When first thinking of concepts, I knew I wanted to design him in a way where he is able to resemble one of Kirby's multiple knight characters, but also still be able to look like his friendly and cute manga design. I decided to lean much more into his ninja-ronin-like inspirations, since the kirby series very often likes to be straightforward with their designs. I gave him the straw hat that he wore in Fuma Conspiracy to cover his head, and made his hakama into a cape that he can use to cover the bottom half of his body. The rest are typical japanese stuff. The artwork I drew for his cloaked form tries make him look as imposing and mysterious as possible. You know nothing about him, you have no idea what he is capable of.

---

Lupin recently stole another priced object: The Ryusei, a sword forged by meteorites, an heirloom from a family long forgotten from history. It seems like an ordinary sword at first sight, but if a member from the family wield it, they would unlock the power to cut anything. It ended up being sealed away due to the fear of that power being end up in the wrong hands. Goemon's life mission was to reclaim that sword for his family for the greater good, and now that blasted thief has gotten it!!! From then on Lupin and Doomension were always being chased by the Comet Ronin for reasons completely unknown for them, and eventually the ronin succeeds in taking back that sword, along with taking out the thieves for good... or did he?

The two thieves thankfully survived, but their car did not!! It was sliced in half by the ronin, and now they will be the one coming to him with vengeance. Taking the opportunity to take back the sword while Goemon's guard is down, the two get to see his real face and both sides fight it out, unbridled with anger. Thankfully after pummeling each other with their little nubs, they talk it out and come to an understanding. Goemon gets his sword back and the gang gets some money to repair their car, and they become friends yayyyyy

---

So for Goemon's real form, I decided to have his body purple to match the color of Ninja Kirby from KSSU. His hair is a little nod to Discarded Character-kun (the hairball MP draws), and the eyes are much different than the usual type you see from puffball characters. I wanted him to still appear youthful and cute but have a determined look in his eyes, so I used the eyes that Bronto Burt and Burnin Leo has to better show that.

Also, he is supposed to have white wings with black tipped feather, but I sorta forgot to draw that so I might upload future sketches that go further into little details about their designs, where I'll draw his wings then.

If you read the entire thing- that's fucking wild dude this is so long, but thank you!!! and I hope you enjoyed it!! byebye

[firefly--bright]

ur so pretty.

jean kirstein x fem!reader, modern a.u.

summary ; jean liked to drive alone, to sit in his thoughts for a while. it's getting harder to think when he can't stop himself from thinking about you, though.

warnings ; jean is canonically left handed (yes this is a warning)

taglist ; @mrsnobodynobody , @hopeless-anti-romantic , @holding-infinity-and-a-book , @berrijam , @jeanscremebrulee , @kivernova , @imgayandshesanime , @potaho3frog , @katestrophes , @cherrypieyourface , @xakilicious , @moonmalice shoot me and ask or fill the linked form to join!

✿ masterlist is in pinned post! ✿ enter my taglist! ✿ requests are open! ✿

middle tile art creds - @nahoiya on instagram!

✿

jean liked to drive alone.

even before he got his driver's license, he'd made a plan of being the designated driver, researching different car models and gushing over the sleek designs, shiny coloured metal, and all of the features they had to offer. of course, he'd never actually buy the more expensive ones no matter how attached he was to them when he was a young teenager.

no, instead he drove comfortably in his mother's sedan that had gone through too much. there was a particularly harsh dent on the passenger side - the paint slightly chipped from when some asshole tried to park dangerously close to his car.

regardless, his first addition to the car was now long weathered under the uncontrollable temperatures - a bumper sticker he had bought when he first got his learners license, reading "LEFT-HANDERS HAVE RIGHTS TOO!"

not his wisest decision. Connie never let him live it down. speaking of, his friend also gave him a car hanger he had made himself, consisting of a lego version of jean that was messily glued onto a hoodie string. marco commemorated jean getting a drivers license by getting him a keychain of a mini lucky 8 ball, and Sasha had presented him with what he was sure was a lifetime supply of the little tree air fresheners.

despite all the years jean had put that poor car through, it drove as good as new - something you always praised him for.

getting into the driver's seat, he strapped on his seatbelt, turning the keys. the car started with a tremble, and jean threw his bag on the backseat before taking off to marco and his shared apartment just a little ways off-campus, providing for a nice, quiet ride that jean preferred after a long day. he liked to think about the day, mentally note everything down before having to open the door to his house again.

he bopped his head to the tune of the song you had introduced to him, thinking about how you had called him in the middle of the day after your classes had ended, in disbelief of how incompetent your classmates were.

"i mean, I'm not doing all the work, and I'm not going to take credit for it either, but I'm just annoyed that no-one even tried to participate. we're all doing this for a grade, at least act like you deserve one!" you rambled, and jean could hear you speed-walking through campus, your voice being carried away by the wind. he could hear each huff you took, and tried not to smile to himself as he sat back in the library, getting comfortable.

he hummed. "who are these people?"

you breathed out an annoyed laugh, "I'm sure you know them. this guy named Floch and this girl named Virginia?"

jean cringed, "I hate people that name their kids after states. be more creative-"

"exactly!" you said, and jean swore he saw the way you were smiling, a mental picture of your eyes bright and the apples of your cheeks pressed up against the corner of your eyes, smiling widely.

jean stopped at the red light, the song playing through his car, and he tried not to think about how you had come to him one night, almost in tears about it, claiming you put too much baking powder in your cinnamon rolls to the point where they had a "weird pineappley bite-back kinda taste," in your words, which he surprisingly understood. and then, how when it was just the two of you later that night, you admitted how much you missed cooking for Sasha after she had moved, and jean took you in his arms.

"wanna shit-talk about niccolo?" he had asked with a grin, resting his cheek on your head with one arm around your shoulders. he could feel them move as you laughed.

"no, I'm good. I'm glad he gets her," you said.

he paused to let you complete your thought, but your voice never presented itself. "but?" he pushed, knowing there was an answer.

he tried not to think about how well he knew you altogether, as he accelerated, his hands on the steering wheel. but he couldn't help himself and his mind seemed to like how hot his cheeks grew when he thought back on it.

"but...I don't know, I guess...I feel kind of lonely? i mean, I love sash-"

"mhm"

"and I'm very happy for her-"

"of course."

"i just, feel like the place is too empty and I'm just reminded that I'm alone."

he pauses again. "you're not alone, though." you lift your head from his shoulder, resting it on the back of the couch, your eyes looking at his and he feels himself shudder under the warmth of it all. youre looking for an answer in him and he gives it to you without even having to think about it, and he tries not to think about how he'd give you all the answers to all the questions there are to ask if you were the one to ask them. he tries not to think about how you wouldnt ask him, though, because he knows you too well to know that you wouldn't ask much of him other than that he should be himself.

"you're...well, you have me. can't get rid of that."

you laugh, settling back into his arm, and jean tried not to think about how your hair smells like vanilla. "i don't want to get rid of you," you admit, shrugging, like it's an easy thing for you to say.

no matter how hard jean tries not to think about it, he can't stop. he can't stop thinking about you and how his ears went red over when you gave him coffee from your own mug and he thinks about how even then, he had tried not to think. not to think that you had drank the same coffee from the same cup and your lipstick stained the rim of it and how his own lips grazed it as well and then, before he could stop himself, he thinks about kissing you.

another red light and another shift in the music, playing the soft tunes that he now knew by heart. he shifted in his seat, trying to get more comfortable, and his thoughts went back to you.

he tried getting them not to, though. he tried thinking about how he'd have to call his mother tonight because he hadn't done so since the night before, and then he though about how marco had told him that groceries needed to be bought, and then he thought about how you had said you liked those off-brand marshmallows and he had made fun of you for liking them.

but you defended them with your life and he ultimately gave in, buying you a pack, and tried not to think about how you got excited over it.

dammit. he turned the familiar left, switching his indications on and off, checking his rearview. he cleared his throat when he tried not to think about how you had used the mirror to apply some lipstick on your lips before heading into the party Reiner was throwing for his birthday. he tried not to think about the domesticity of it all - marco, Connie and sasha had already piled out and you wanted to help jean park into a tough spot. after parking, however, you climbed back into your seat and fixed your hair in the mirror as jean turned his keys to the side, removing his seatbelt and grabbing his phone from the dashboard fully prepared to get out the moment you were done.

he looked at you. he tried not to, but he couldn't help it - the tip of your ring fingers wiped off the excess lipstick from the corner of your lips, and then you leaned back, making no attempts to move.

jean had cleared his throat, trying to get your attention.

"y'know," you started, still seated comfortably in your seat that he was sure you had claimed since the beginning of college, "when I was small, I would always get motion sick in the car on roadtrips. it was uncomfortable, and most of the times I had to sit and try not to complain to much about my mom's driving," you said, breathing out a laugh.

jean blinked, confused. "do- do you feel sick right now? i have a bag, i think, you can th-"

"no, no, I'm fine. I'm okay. i was trying to say that you make me feel comfortable. comfortable enough to complain and take my time, ask for help if I ever need any." you say. he tried not to think about the way your words shape him, about how if he could give anyone the power to build himself back up again should he melt under your gaze - it would be you.

and then you got out of the car before jean could open the door for you, and he was left in his seat, with a storm in his heart as you opened the door for him, nodding your head for him to get out with a smile.

and jean tried not think about how his hands are shaking slightly as he pulls into a familiar street lined with familiar apartment buildings and neon orange street lights as he stops infront of an all the more familiar gate. he stops only for a minute before his hand is reaching for his phone and he doesn't think - this he can do because his mind shuts off when he hears your voice, your smile, your-

"hey, jean."

the way your say his name makes his shoulders relax. "hey. I'm downstairs."

it's familiar. all of it - the way you smile and open your curtains a little to take a peak of his car, turning around and saying "I'll be there," into the phone before keeping it, how jean's heartbeat lulls to a softer version of itself, relaxing completely as he waits for your company to climb down the stairs. the only thing he can think about is you.

maybe this is what his mother meant when she told him stories about love, about how when she met his now step-father, she never felt like she had to keep an act up. about when sasha told him how niccolo made her feel like she could act without permission, without limits as herself. and then he thinks about himself, and how thats all he's ever felt with you, because thinking about you comes so naturally to him and being around you makes him feel more familiar to himself than he's ever felt before.

and before he can stop himself - not that he'd want to - he thinks, hes in love with you.

three familiar knocks find their way to his ears and he looks at where you're bending down to meet the window of the passenger seat. if he wasn't so busy thinking about you, he'd have opened the door for you, but your smile is so blinding that all he can do is open the door from the inside with a smile of his own.

it's too familiar, he thinks, as you slide into your designated seat again, strapping yourself in and turning your head to him.

and he doesn't stop himself when he says, "I love you." out loud into the silence of his familiar car.

your smile turns softer and jean notices everything about you, really, but in this moment notes how your shoulders also relax, how you breathe out softly and rest your head on the seat.

"i love you too."

[xxsycamore]

COOLDOWN

╰┈➤ 🖤You're feeling hot, and Ellis worries that it's a result of overworking yourself again. It's too bad that his methods of helping you have the opposite effect of cooling you down.

Ellis Twilight x f!Reader • rating: E (MDNI) • tags: Semi-Public Sex; Temperature Play; Oral Sex; Cunnilingus; Sexual Tension • wordcount: 1,927 • masterlist

a/n: A BELATED BIRTHDAY GIFT FOR @nightghoul381 !!! Happy birthday dear Ghoulie!! This is just a small thank-you for all the wonderful art and fics you've blessed us with, they're always living rent-free in my head. You know which ones I'm talking about. Wishing you many more fun moments on here, gacha luck, all the Ellis content... you deserve it all <3

Part of my Sexy Ikemen Summer Creation Challenge. Prompts: At the festival booth you're volunteering at + Go down on them with a cold tongue

"We're having a lot of customers! I had no idea running an ice cream booth can be so hectic!"

You place your hands on your hips and let out a sigh that does little to erase the liveliness off your face. Ellis finishes restocking one of the containers and gives you a look charged with just a bit of worry. He knows you've been enjoying yourself, but at the same time, even you are recognizing how tiresome this whole ordeal has become.

"You know we can close the booth now… Jude and Roger already took care of the thieves." Ellis reminds, his hand on your shoulder managing to startle you - it's only proof of how tiredness has dulled your reactions.

The mission given to you tonight revolved around catching the culprits behind the latest jewelry heist, expected to make their next big hit here, on the festival, allured by the shiny first-place reward for the competitions held during it. It turned out to be an easy job for your Crownmates, as the other pair consisting of Jude and Roger already reported to you and Ellis that the target had been neutralized.

While you ended up playing a key part in the mission, being on the lookout for the target the whole time from your strategically situated ice cream booth you volunteer at, you couldn't help but be a bit skeptical about, it in the beginning. While you fully understood that this was the safest option for you to help them out, it just sounded a bit ridiculous to remain here and sell ice cream…

This all changed when you realized how good of an opportunity this is to spend more time with your lover Ellis, especially since you both have been busy lately.

The booth's cramped interior keeps you in close proximity at all times, so much that Ellis' scent fills your head completely. He doesn't need to raise his voice more than a whisper for you to hear him, despite the noise of the crowd outside your little shared space. It's like there's a barrier separating you from the rest of the world, so you can't help but jump every time you snap out of your assigned crowd-watching between taking orders, by Ellis' hand accidentally bumping into yours.

You'd joke and say that the only reason your booth is so successful is because Ellis is quite popular with the town's people. He'd shake his head and argue that it must be you who lure them in, because of the happy smile you're able to put on their faces.

"It's alright! I can keep going a little longer. It's close to the end of the festival, might as well try to make it! Here, I'll have some nice cooling ice cream and replenish my energy in no time, just watch!"

Ellis smiles at your stubbornness, readily passing you the ice cream scoop. You feel his eyes on you, and it brings heat to your cheeks knowing that he's probably taking note of the flavors you mix, wanting to know your preferences as always. It's all the more reason to have your cool treat faster, before this heat can get the better of you.

"Mmm, it's so good. No wonder we have so much business! Here, try it too, Ellis!"

You lift the little spoon to Ellis, fully expecting him to take it from your grasp, but instead, he leans down and puts the end of it in his mouth. Your heart skips a beat at the unexpected dose of cuteness, and you barely survive it as he takes a moment to properly sweep it clean with his tongue and savor it thoroughly.

"You're right. It's delicious."

You nod and hurry to put some more ice cream in your mouth just as an excuse to remove your gaze from Ellis' dazzling smile… but you still feel his eyes on you.

"Are you feeling hot?"

Your eyes widen, spoon still in your mouth, as Ellis suddenly grasps the sides of your face, bringing himself closer to you.

"Here, let me. I'm worried that you overworked yourself and got a fever."

Before you know it, a pair of lips is pressing to your forehead ever so gently.

Ellis' lips are so cold… They feel good against your overheated skin.

"I'm afraid I can't judge properly. Should we get Roger? I think he might still be around."

"No, I'm fine! It's just…"

Despite being done with his little examination, Ellis doesn't stop holding your face in his large, roughened hands. There's no escaping from that twilight gaze, shimmering in question from your sudden protest.

"I'm feeling hot because… You're too close…"

In another second, Ellis' mouth opens in a small o-shape.

"Oh."

He removes his hands from you, taking a step back. "I'm sorry that I put my lips on you, then. I didn't realize."

"No, they were chilled from the ice cream and felt so good, actually…"

You said it without thinking, worried that you pushed Ellis away. It's the very truth but you'd rather keep it to yourself because…

"If that's so… Then it might help you cool down."

Because he'll never turn down an opportunity to make you feel better.

Ellis leans in close to you again, but slowly, giving you all the time to reject him. Heart hammering in your chest, you only turn your cheek to Ellis to receive his 'help'.

He plants a kiss on it, gentle as butterfly wings, and cooling as the air they're fanning into it.

It's only temporary however, because as expected, it only makes your blood pump hotter in your veins, receiving Ellis' attention after being in his presence for hours on end and not being able to be lovey-dovey with him.

He withdraws again before you can properly recover, and you see him retracting the poles that prop up the booth's shutter.

"Ellis…?"

"You're in need of a proper cooling down, so…" Ellis returns to you, and suddenly the room inside the booth feels as if it's shrunk drastically. He barely needs to encage you in his arms, but his scent flooding your lungs is so welcomed. The sounds of the crowd outside are a backdrop to Ellis' soft whispers, a sharp contrast between the intimacy and the reminder of where you are. He claims your lips next, and denying him is out of the question. Sucking on his plush lower lip, you want to rob him of all the sweetness and coolness lingering on it.

Once you're out of breath, Ellis lets go, taking in the expression on your face. He's smiling but his eyes are marked by a shade of lust now, and you're surprised to find him still playing along with the little game, taking another spoonful of the cold treat which has somewhat started to melt.

"Ah!"

Even if expected, the difference in temperature startles you when those mischievous lips find your burning nape.

"Here too… Let me kiss you."

His kisses begin littering the exposed surface of your skin, and once he runs out of it, he begins tugging down on the hem of your cleavage to cover more and more with his lips. Little shivers of shame run through you as your breasts spill out, but they're soon replaced with shivers of pleasure as soon as Ellis tongues at your nipples, just briefly enough to turn them into hard pebbles.

Quickly growing unsatisfied with his limitations, Ellis opts for finding the end of your dress and lifting it up instead, practically shoving himself underneath it just to kiss your belly.

The tickling sensation makes a few breathless chuckles escape your mouth, and you put your hands on Ellis' shoulders, though you're not even close to pushing him away.

"Hehe… Seems like we're closed for the day, actually…"

You come to the conclusion as soon as you realize Ellis is sliding his fingers under the waistband of your panties from both sides and dragging them down. There's no going back now, and despite the embarrassment lingering at the back of your mind, you're desperate to feel Ellis when you need him most.

"Ahhh!—"

"Does it feel good? You're being so loud already."

He doesn't have to ask - the combination of his skilled tongue and the enhanced sensation from the clash of the different temperatures makes your legs weak. Your back rests against the wall of the booth as Ellis is seemingly hard at work to make you lose your footing. The hands that caressed his shoulders are now clinging to the fabric of his jacket, each flick of his tongue making your nails sink deeper.

Ellis switches to sucking at your swollen nub, only letting go when he notices your legs beginning to tremble. He laps at the new flood of juices he coaxed out of you, and the hotness of your heat has already erased every memory of the chillness he brought to you.

You don't have the heart to tell him his little plan of cooling you down was doomed to fail from the very beginning, as every place touched by his mouth has only been lit in flames as a result. Or maybe he knew all along.

"Ellis, I'm—!"

"Don't hold back. Come now."

His calm yet sultry voice echoes in your ears along with the thump of your own heartbeat, and soon your vision is overtaken by hot-white. Ellis works you to a powerful peak, not pausing his ministrations for a second. His strong hands keep your legs open, and they're your only anchor keeping you upright. A broken cry of his name comes out of you in a series of moans that you're barely able to keep low in volume.

In your dizziness, you don't realize when Ellis raised to his feet again, carefully arranging your disheveled clothing, sliding your panties back in place. He holds you in his arms for a moment until you can catch your breath, even if his sweet kisses are slowing the process.

"We can open the booth again if you want to. There's still ice cream left."

You blink into Ellis' arms, considering his offer for a second, then letting out a chuckle.

"I wonder if it would cause chaos if we were to bring it back home?"

You certainly don't imagine yourself bribing the rest of Crown with sweets, that's Victor's job. You wouldn't want to take it from him. Though there's something else worrying you.

"But Ellis…What about you?"

He gives you another smile before busying himself with opening the booth once again.

"Don't worry about me. It was enough to see you enjoy yourself."

Despite his reassurance, the air in your lungs escapes you in a sigh. While looking at Ellis, you notice that he's doing a repetitive motion of swinging his arm back and forth, flexing it, sort of as if it's gotten stiff.

Oh.

Feeling the heat return to your cheeks, you feel very guilty about giving Ellis a boner he can't tend to at the moment, even if both of you knew it was gonna happen.

Still, the image of him having to do that instead of waiting it out is somehow terribly hot to you. Along with the show of his well-toned arms, with shirt sleeves rolled up. Blaming it on being lightheaded from what he just did to you, you know you too should focus on anything but the newly formed arousal that pools in your already damp panties.

You just can't wait to make it up to Ellis, once you return home tonight.

Taglist: @arsnovacadenza @kimi00twin @g-kleran @thesirenwashere @devonares @galaxyprison @sadshaxk @starshards26 @thewitchofbooks @acethephoenix256 @ikevamp-shrine-2 @nad-zeta @crystal13unny @lordsister @ikemen-banshou   @themysticalbeing @otome-scribbles @rhodolitesrose @coornn @kpop-and-otome @queen-dahlia @kisara-16 @chaosangel767 @ikemenlibrary @queengiuliettafirstlady @aurora-morning @ikemenlover24 @mcofthemansion @joy-the-reader @katriniac @ikemen-writer @tele86 @lovely-bubb1es @aria-chikage @babyblue0t7 @rhodoliteschaos @shrimpy-kitsune @nightghoul381 @xbalayage @lucyw260 @kittygrimm88 @lokis-laugh @natimiles @completelyshatteredbrokenmschf @groovylita @justpeachyteastea Let me know if you want to be tagged/untagged!

[selineram3421]

🎵🎶*and again*

You're Off-key

Part 4

Part 3

Reader X Gravity Falls

Warning ⚠

⚠ everyone is aged up, nap interrupted, dream realm, toxic old man yaoi mention, mention of demons and ghosts, Ford being weird again, food mention-eggs, cussing, Italics= thoughts ⚠

You opened your eyes to a view of a familiar place.

It's a place you'd always go to when you had the chance to see a nice view of the sunset. Which was at a park, and your favorite spot was on top of the slide. The funny part was that the sunset was facing away from the slide, so you were sitting backwards.

"Not too shabby kid."

"AH!", you screeched and slid down the slide, slowly coming to a stop at the bottom with an upset face. "I didn't want to slide down yet."

"Haha!"

Looking back towards the planets, your neck at the edge of the slide making your head hang, and you see a very bright and shiny floating cool ranch dorito. Maybe you were just hungry for chips now.

"Whoa, I know I look like a snack but keep your thoughts under control.", Bill says with a back off motion.

"Oh, ew.", you cringe. "You're not my type at all."

Sitting upright and facing the right direction, you noticed that everything was different from the Dreamscaperers episode. Probably because it was Stan's mind and you are more into weird art. Explains the melting park clocks and the sky being all space like.

"Oh yeah, your type is more-"

"Nope, shutting you up now! What do you want?", you say quickly and cross your arms.

"Just here to see how you're enjoying Gravity Falls! How's Sixer doing? Still doesn't understand social norms? Haha!"

"Still into the nerdy old guy?", you smirk. "Also, knock next time you try to get in here. I'm not Ford, so you can't just do anything you want."

"I somewhat regret putting those pages in the book.", Bill says and then shrugs. "Whatever kid, I'm practically a ruler of dreams."

"Nope.", you stand up and pop the P. "You're in my head and I am the master of the dreaming realm.", you point your thumb at yourself. "You know how many ghosts and demons try to crack this baby? It's impenetrable."

"Look kid."

"I'm old enough to drive an actual car.", you counter.

"And I'm older than you.", Bill snaps his cane into existence and twirls it. "Never mind that, I really want to know how the Pines family is doing. Can't exactly find out unless I have you! So, let's make a deal here.", the triangle holds his hand out. "Let me have access to your mind and I'll let you stay in this little town for longer, what do you say?"

"Pfft-", you start laughing. "You think-hahahaha! You think I'm gonna make a deal with you for something as dumb as that? Hahahaha!"

"Well, when you say it like that-"

"I didn't even put my thumb on that bloody thumbprint in the book! What makes you think I'm gonna fall for more of your tricks after the spaghetti? Hahahahaha!", you continue laughing.

"STOP LAUGHING!", Bill starts turning red.

"Aw, sorry Billy-oop.", you immediately stop. "That slipped out and I apologize."

The way Bill started at you was creepy, he was zoned out and slowly transforming into something terrifying. His limbs growing longer and a mouth with sharp teeth forming.

"Time to wake up."

Bill charged at you.

"NOW!"

⯅

"No more triangle chips!", you shout as you wake up.

Something is weighing on your head and you find the headset on you again. The wires were longer than before and led out of the room, downstairs.

"Seriously?", you sigh and take it off. "Ford! I said wait till I'm conscious!"

You get up and head to the bathroom to clean yourself up, washing off all the blood and putting new bandages. After getting dressed with the clothes Mabel left, you open the bathroom door to find Waddles the pig sitting outside, holding a little note.

"Oh hey oinkers.", you greet and take the note to read. "Breakfast is ready downstairs. Hope you like eggs."

It takes you a second.

"Wait, what? Breakfast? How long was I asleep?", you asked no one. "Was I out all day? What kind of bullshit?", you huff. "Damn nacho chip. Not cool."

You make your way downstairs and hear talking coming from the living room. Leaning against the wall, you listen in on the conversation.

"I can't understand these readings! It's all static and weird noises. None of it makes sense!", Ford says and you hear paper shuffling around.

"Grunkle Ford, I think you're going too far with this.", you hear from the living room, Dipper. "They are a normal person. Mabel did her whole question thing! You know that thing is unbelievably long!"

"What? Like her strange dating quiz? They finished the whole thing?", the old man asked.

"It was only two hundred questions this time.", the younger twin reassured.

Ford is trying to read my mind! I fucking called it! You pointed up at the air and then silently sighed. Time to face the music.

Taking a step into the living room, you point at the nerds with a serious face.

"You!"

"AH!", Dipper screeched and hid some papers behind his back. "Hey! We were just uh-"

"I was going over some math problems with my nephew to win a board game.", Ford says quickly.

"Baloney! I woke up to the helmet thing on my head again!", you crossed your arms. "If you really wanted to get into my head, then ask me questions! I'm only bound to lie twenty percent of the time!"

"That's a really low lie rate.", Dipper whispers.

The older twin sighs and rubs between his brows. "Fine, I confess. I've been trying to read your mind with the headset but all I've been getting is static noise."

"Why though? You said it yourself, I'm not much of a threat with my concussion.", you ask. "Unless there's something you think I'm hiding?"

I mean, understandable but jeez. Ask me like a person.

"I...apologize.", Ford says as he avoids eye contact and adjusts his glasses. "I'm still getting used to being around people and being out at sea with just my brother isn't really enough social interaction.", he turned away from you.

"But why try to read my mind? What could possibly lead you to do something like that?", you ask.

Ford's eyes were hidden by the glint of the light coming from the television. He was eerily stiff as he faced you completely. Then he pointed behind you like someone was standing there.

"Bill's shadow follows you."

You felt a chill go through the room.

"Who..", you gulped and hugged yourself as you panicked on the inside. "Who is Bill?"

Hehehehehehe...

~Seline, the person.

Part 5

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[hannahssimblr]

Seven on the button, and the doorbell rings. I hear it from the garden as I empty the contents on the lawn mower into the bin, grass stains on my new shoes, sweat on my brow. Dad comes to the back door. 

“Bell,” he says. 

“Is it someone for me?”

“I assume so. A young woman.” 

“Didn’t you let her in?”

“No. I spotted her from my office window.”

I scoff. He’s so weird. Why wouldn’t he just answer? I wipe the grass from my hands onto the sides of my shorts, kick my dirty shoes off on the patio, and head down the hallway to the sounds of Ivy plonking on the piano. 

It’s Evie, in her usual denim shorts and a thin green cardigan, hair straight and shiny and wearing a shy smile. Despite seeming slightly frazzled, she looks so nice, like she’s put in effort, unlike me, all grass stains, sweat, and hair that is no doubt sticking up at some wild angle. I run my fingers through it. 

“Oh, hi,” I say. “I didn’t think you’d come so early. I… still have to shower.”

“Oh, God, sorry, am I the first one here?”

“Yeah, but come in, anyway. My sister is just practising for her piano lessons. She hasn’t played all summer.” I roll my eyes as the door clicks behind us. “In case you can’t tell. She’s a bit shite.”

Evie doesn’t respond, but looks around her with those big green eyes taking in her surroundings, skating up the panelled walls to the Georgian coving, the ceiling roses around the lights, all restored, faithful to the original house. It occurs to me to wonder, for the first time, what her home looks like, and the differences between our upbringings that didn’t matter an ounce on our little escapist slice of the beach.

“Do you want tea or something?”

She nods, and I take her through to the kitchen. There, she perches on a stool at the island and rests her elbows, trying not to be so obvious to her gawking. This time, she takes in the kitchen, this bespoke, perfect show-house-like kitchen with all of its integrated appliances, the state-of-the-art hob that’s barely used, the skinny cupboard made specifically for all the herbs and spices that still have the plastic wrap on them. It’s nice, sure, it’s like something from a magazine, but I would prefer this was the type of house that had magnets on the fridge door instead. 

“I’m sorry I’m early,” Evie says with a rueful smile. “I thought you said seven.”

I drop a tea bag into a mug for her. “Yeah, I said seven in the text, but I suppose I should have been more specific.”

“More specific about…?”

“That seven doesn’t actually mean seven, you know? That it means, like, sometime after eight.”

“Oh, sorry. I didn’t know you expected me to decode your text.”

I laugh. The misunderstanding was my fault, really, and if I’d thought about it for even a minute, I would have known that Evie, a girl who likely doesn’t go to a lot of parties, wouldn’t know the procedure. I don’t mind that she’s here at all. I am happy to see her, but the fact that she is in my house at the same time as my family is awkward. Every time I hear someone moving about in another room, all my muscles tense up. I cannot bear for her to meet them, and be able to make some kind of judgement about who I truly am through the encounter, or worse, expose herself to their judgement and scrutiny. 

As though on cue, my mother’s heels clack through the hallway, increasing in volume until all I can do is mentally prepare myself for her entrance. I curse under my breath while I fill Evie’s cup with boiling water. 

In freshly pressed trousers, she strides into the room. All jangling keys, and an air of busyness about her, so self-absorbed that it takes a moment for her to realise we have a guest. She stops dead, and surveys Evie in dull surprise. She’s like some kind of wild, feline predator, and witnessing her interactions with people who don’t yet know her ways is excruciating. 

“Oh, hello.”

“Mom, this is my friend Evie. Evie, this is my mom,” I say. 

Evie fidgets in her seat. “Hello missus Turner,” she says, and it’s so polite that I squirm.

Mom lets out a short, percussive laugh. “Oh, no, darling. It’s just Colette. Are you one of those girls from the Holy Faith school?”

“No, actually, I’m not. I’m from Tullamore, in Offaly.” 

Mom’s eyes glaze over so immediately and obviously that I cringe. 

Pulling the tea bag out, I clarify, “She’s one of my friends from holiday.”

“Ah, Shane’s sister.”

Evie picks the mug from the counter and cradles it in her hands. “No, um… No, I’m not.”

“Ah.” She’s already rifling through her handbag. “Jude, have you seen my reading glasses? I haven’t been able to find them all afternoon.”

“Did you check the office?”

“Why would they be in there?”

“I’m just asking, did you check?”

She huffs. “Why would you suggest the office? Why on earth would I have left them there?”

“Because this is your house, and you can go into any of the rooms you like. Sorry if that’s an outrageous suggestion.”

“You know I’m never in there.”

“Well, maybe dad mistook them for his and took them in. I don’t know.”

Evie stares into her mug. I am aware of the atmosphere we’re generating here, my mom and I, but it’s hard not to descend into this childish bickering every time we speak to each other lately. Even seeing her ignites this rage in me, as she is a reminder of the injustices thrust upon me, and every time I see her smug face, I think about the position she has put me in. Dad too, obviously, but I mercifully don’t have to see him outside of occasional mealtimes, and whenever someone makes a noise that disturbs him.

Eventually, mom struts out of the room and flings open the door to the living room, curtly calling on Ivy to get ready to leave, and I thank God. I won’t relax until they do. 

“How’s your tea?” I ask Evie, and she responds with a grateful smile. “It’s lovely, thank you.” I know she’s lying. I don’t know how the nuances of creating drinks I don’t enjoy. There are rules about the correct amount of milk, and how long to brew the tea bag. Maybe I shouldn’t have bashed it around in the cup with such vigour, as though transferring some of my contaminated energy into it. I wonder if she can taste it. 

“That’s good,” I say, and we lapse into a long silence.

Beginning // Prev // Next

Corresponding LG Chapter

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

iirc I think you said you don’t like Trey and Malleus’s hair but somehow excuse Rollo’s hair 😨 so where does everyone else stand if you were judging them based only on physical appearance?

Disclaimers: I'm not including any Yuus (like, from the manga), mob students, reused assets (ie ghosts and pixies), or characters that we've only gotten the silhouettes for (that means no Mrs. Rosehearts, no Farena/Falena, no Zigvolt parents, etc.). I am only giving my thoughts on the looks of named characters with fully realized designs. If there is a significant variation of their hairstyle I like, I'll make note of it. Additionally, I will be commenting on general style rather than on individual outfits. This also involves official in-game artwork only; it is NOT inclusive of merch artwork or fan art since those can vary widely.

These are my opinions, please don't take them too seriously. I think all the designs work as is to convey the background and personality of each character, but everyone will have different tastes and preferences in terms of visual design; these are just mine! (And remember, just because I may like how a character looks doesn’t mean I like the character overall!!)

***PLEASE NOTE: This post contains spoilers for the main story and events that have yet to be released in EN!!***

Pretty

Jade - I'll admit that it took me a while to get used to his haircut (I typically don't go for the super short bangs), but it grew on me! I really like his face in particular; it can be very calm and pleasant but also mischievous and sinister. When he's angry or upset, it's much more subtle and hard to read in his face. That's something I can really appreciate. It all works very well with his neat, tidy, and unassuming appearance.

Jamil, Najma - THE VIPER FAMILY HAS SUCH GOOD GENES, just look at their luscious hair and mysterious, dark eyes... They dress so well too, I love all the hair accessories and flowy fabrics the Viper siblings have.

Meleanor - Malleus's mom has got it goin' on 🙃 She really kills the warrior princess look! Very imposing, yet elegant. I can totally understand why Lilia used to crush on her.

Fellow - Not usually a fan of gingers (and nor do I simp for fox man), but there's just something so charming about Fellow's face. I think it's the eyes and his self-assured, fun-loving smile. His outfit's snazzy and he makes it work so well! I especially like the cravat, spats, and the cape hanging off one shoulder.

Cool

Leona - OKAY FINE I'LL ADMIT HE'S HANDSOME, ARE YOU HAPPY NOW????? 😭 As much as I want to wrestle Leona, I have to admit that he has a very striking face (especially when he smirks) and powerful presence. He knows how to command a room (and he’s just about the threshold of muscle I’m willing to accept). I'm not really into hair past shoulder length or how he usually dresses, but what I think is the coolest about him are his eyes. It feels like they'll follow you everywhere. Ponytail Leona is the best Leona, in my opinion.

Ortho - I was debating between putting Ortho in "Cool" or "Cute", but ultimately went with "Cool" because he by far has the most unique look of the entire cast. I love learning about his different Gears and their functions, each one different than the last. I don't find the pale skin and blue hair as off-putting on Ortho as I do on Idia, and I think that's because Ortho's more child-like.

Crowley - His aesthetic is nice! I find the bird mask really goofy and his hair a literal rat's nest (DON'T @ ME, IT LOOKS LIKE LIMP SEAWEED), but his suit and cape are so dapper! All the keys and mirrors would look gaudy on any other character, but they fit so well for Crowley. The extra shiny details give him an air of mystery, like threads of light peeking through the dark.

Trein- Trein's robes and cravat make him look so classy and regal! The colors also remind me of Edgeworth from Ace Attorney-- He looks very stern at first glance, but when he gives his little smiles you can tell how much he really cares.

Sam - He's way overdressed for running an on-campus school general store but hey, it works for him. There's lots of little details I enjoy in his design, from the stitching on his top hat to the locs he sports.

Cute

Lucius, Grim - LIL' KITTY CATS 🥺 I especially think Grim is adorable whenever he gets a new themed bow or a whole ass outfit like in the Halloween events!

Chenya - His haircut is so uneven but I commend his style. Chenya's look isn't too busy; his jewelry and decorative patches are spread out so they don't crowd for your attention. Gotta love those callbacks to Alice in Wonderland! This might sound weird, but there's power in his plain white shirt half-buttoned and loosely tucked into his pants; it gives the right amount of casualness to feel "accidentally stylish". There's also just something really whimsical about how cat-like his facial expressions and gestures are. It's quite endearing!

Ruggie - His hair looks perfect for ruffling! The fact that he often dresses in hand-me-downs and Leona's oversized clothing makes him appear "small" and even cuter. Pair that with Ruggie's crooked little smile, and it's perfect. I like that his build is lankier than those of the other Savanaclaw students; it makes him appear less intimidating on an initial evaluation.

Cheka - Have you SEEN Cheka?????? How does your heart not melt at the sight of him 😭 I adore his little :3 face and how he shines when he's innocently asking Ojitan to hang out with him...

Floyd - I feel like I kind of have to put Floyd in "Cute" since he's Jade's twin. Floyd just places lower because I find his eye shape less cute and his personal style doesn't really align with my tastes.

Kalim - This type of hair isn't usually my jam, but Kalim dresses it up well with a headband/scarf (?) and jewerly. When he moves, I imagine that the jewelry is jingling its own song. Kalim always seems to be smiling, so just looking at him puts me in a good mood too. His fashion choices tend to be extravagant and not very viable for everyday wear, but it's fine as long as Jamil stops him from making impulsive decisions.

Rook - I actually don't like his bob (I prefer it in an awkward little ponytail), but his face--especially the mouth--is beautiful. I BEG OF YOU, LOOK AT HIS CEREMONIAL ROBES GROOVY. Rook can be so expressive, it's like he's a one-man play. Alas... He looks naked without a hat :(( but I appreciate the mystery of covering up his limbs for the most part so we can’t see how truly muscular he is.

Lilia - Peepaw really stands out from the rest of Diasomnia; he doesn't come off as scary right away, he just relished in how adorable he is and is confident in that. Lilia's shorter stature and more experimental style certainly plays into that uniqueness too. It's fun to see what he comes up with! I especially love that he wears more traditionally feminine things like tulle skirts and gathered fabrics, and even dyes his hair and paints his nails in various colors. The cut itself is a bit of a clusterfuck when I first saw it, but I've really grown fond of it over time. It's such a bright expression of who Lilia is. I can't say if I prefer his long ponytail or the shorter trim; both are good!

Sebek - Like Jade, Sebek is also very well-put together. I like him with both his hair up and down; each has its unique appeal! With his hair up, Sebek appears much fiercer. With his hair down, he reminds me more of a puppy drenched from the rain. I feel like even though his face can be menacing, his smile overpowers how scary he can be. It feels so pure, clashing with his usual attitude... (His pathetic/sad expressions are also cute, but don't let him know I said that.)

Marja - Sweet granny... She looks so kind and cozy, I just wanna give her a hug.

Rollo - I’m a bowl cut apologist, what of it 😭 I like how he's so straight-laced and proper in his dress. It goes together with his face very well. Moreover, the dark eye bags and pinched, stern mouth only add to his charm. Rollo can go from neutral to devious smirk to a flash of anger--it's so interesting to observe how his face contorts.

Gidel - He looks like a mix of Ruggie and Cheka, so by default Gidel goes in "Cute". His oversized sleeves, patchwork pants, and mismatched socks give him such character!

Dylla - ANOTHER ATTRACTIVE MOM!!! Her clothing is more on the tomboyish side, but she still wears them well. Dylla's face in particular is really stunning; I get a mature big sis vibe from her.

Mid

Ace, Deuce- The most generic hair styles of the entire cast. I don’t have much else to remark on. What I will say is that I prefer Deuce’s hair slicked back (which happens in a lot of gan arts) more than his standard hair.

Azul - I don't know how else to say this, but I think Azul is handsome but in heavily regulated manner... to the point where it doesn't feel natural?? Like yes, he obviously cares about his appearance, it just feels "too" controlled of a narrative to me. The same goes for his smiles. Like Eliza says, he does it too much, so it feels fake.

Crewel - His hair and mostly monochromatic color scheme with splashes of crimson is cool, but I'm not into his clothing. It's very jarring to see his hair and vest color blocked, and I don't find his big flashy fur coat appealing.

Neige - He's wearing such an ugly sweater, but the innocence of his face evens things out. I find Neige cute in that generically sweet way, and for that I cannot place him higher than "Mid".

Epel- Same "generically sweet" cuteness as Neige. I do like his colors though.

Silver - Also has very generic hair. Silver just looks like Some Guy to me (although I will say his lopsided smile is cute). I’m slightly put off by the super muscular arms in his PE uniform too.

Eliza - I think Eliza could be a lot more appealing if they hadn't presented her to us in such a different style. Like the generic ghost NPCs, she's drawn more like a western cartoon rather than like an anime so she feels "off" from the rest of the named cast. Because there isn't unity between her and the characters she is shown with, Eliza sticks out like a sore thumb. I gotta hand it to her though, she still slays in that tattered wedding dress.

Fairy Queen - Love how the buns in her hair resemble roses, and how her entire body looks like it's golden and glowing from within. I wish her dress was more detailed though, more fitting for a queen.

Don't Like, but Could be Worse

Riddle - ROACH ANTENNAE........ . .. ... . . .... . ...... . .. . . . .. .... . .. Oh, and he looks so funky when he gets all red in the face.

Vil - For as much as we're told he's beautiful, I don't find Vil's brand of beauty to be digestible. He comes off too strongly, if that makes sense??? 20 cm heels, face beat to the gods with makeup, carrying himself at all times like there's a camera pointed at him and he has to pose 24/7 (look at most of his groovies)... It's hard for me to get behind that, it feels too overwhelming.

Eric Venue - My guy has the same sort of severe-ish facial structure as his son. Also not a fan of facial hair.

Seven Dwarves - I find most of the dwarves way too cartoonish, and not in a cute way. I think the only design I genuinely find okayish is Timmy (the timid dwarf).

Ambrose - He's an older gentleman in his wizard Halloween costume. I find his design sort of... generic??? But I'm knocking him down a little because I also find his overall appearance to be goofy and unflattering.

Idia - I DON'T CARE WHAT THE MAGICAL ARCHIVES OR ELIZA SAY, MAN LOOKS LIKE A WALKING CORPSE AND THAT AIN'T CUTE 😭

Shroud parents - Cool helmets, but I wish we actually got to see their faces.

Baul - I find Sebek's hair color more pleasing to the eye. Baul has a lot of other elements that Sebek doesn't (due to Baul being full fae and Sebek being half), and I find that they overcomplicate his design. It's hard for me to focus on his face because there's just so much to take in, from the scaley beard and more voluminous hair to the fangs and pointed ears.

Dawn Knight - This is the "bro, can I copy your homework" / "sure, but be sure to change it a little so the teacher doesn't notice" meme. I wish the Dawn Knight wasn't just long-haired, recolored Silver (with the exact same voice actor too). I would place the Dawn Knight in "Mid", but that armor is not doing him any favors. It's way too excessive with all the wings.

Kifaji - The big brows and the really long goatee make me go "???"

Actively Dislike

Trey - His hair reminds me of a freshly mowed lawn. Trey's design is otherwise inoffensive to me, but that hair color and cut are bringing him down so much. The only memorable thing about how he presents are those rare moments when he whips out his one brow raised smirks, and even then I think he looks slightly silly and it's hard to take him seriously.

Cater - Again, it's the hair for me. I like it better when it's all down (like in his Club Wear card). In his usual hairdo, there's a middle segment that's weirdly pulled back from the rest of his face in a... scruffy ponytail??? That really bothers me. I don't vibe with his usual style of dress or how he presents himself either, it's a bit too... lax?? (I know I said the same thing about Floyd, but he looks similar to Jade and therefore gets a pass).

BURN WITH FIRE

Jack - He commits the sin of having a confusingly styled mullet and has a muscular physique which don't bode well for my tastes. I guess he does have those "looks intimidating, but is actually a softie at heart" vibes going for him, but I just cannot look past the haircut I'M SORRY.

Malleus - I'm not into super pale emo/goth guys, and Malleus somehow presents as even more of that than Idia. He dresses in mostly black (and while there is a lore reason for this, that doesn't make me like the color any more or less), has a sort of mopey face (I guess it's supposed to be elegant, but I don't perceive it as that), and dear god that haircut and the ashy grey lips… It doesn’t help that the expressions he makes (particularly on his birthday cards) give really strong “are u lost bby ghorl” energy and that weirds me out 💀 So many things about him just don't work for me.

Vargas - Too muscular. Also not a fan of facial hair or athletic wear. Vargas doesn't seem to have a very keen fashion sense either, judging by the outfits he put together for his camp events.

Heinrich - His face is very grotesque and twists into making some of the most comedically evil and smug expressions I've ever witnessed in all of TWST.

[shewasverynice]

Cow *space* Boy - Part 2

((image temporary until I find some sweet Suguru cow boy art ❤️))

Enjoy Suguru! Nanami is next!

Fandom: Jujutsu Kaisen

Rating: Explicit

Content: Cosplay, Overstim, Established Relationship, Fingering, Creampie, Multiple Orgasms, Piercings, soft domming

Pairing: Suguru Geto/Fem!Oc

"Suguru," Boe whined, her arms outstretched and reaching. She grasped onto the back of his now untucked and disheveled white dress shirt, tugging at it incessantly. "Baaaabe! Carry me? Please?" She whined again, probably for the fourth time? Fifth? It was hard to say.

"You are perfectly capable of walking," Suguru grumbled, holding up her shiny purple heels in his hand, "I already gave you my shoes. At least let me keep some dignity."

It was kind of a whole thing -- when isn't it a whole thing with life as a sorcerer -- but the long and short of it was: Sarah threw a huge party at her and Satoru's home and everyone brought alcohol. Literally everyone. Even Satoru drank, which was incredibly rare, and it all degenerated pretty quickly. 

Boe and Suguru were the last two to leave, quickly making their exit as Satoru slurred his way to his wife and tried to yank her skirt down in the living room. Sarah had politely, if not a bit sloppily, ushered them to the door before Satoru could solve the puzzle box that was his belt. And off they went, too drunk to drive but sober enough to use a flying curse to get closer to their own home before walking the rest of the way.

Suguru fumbled through the pocket of his slacks, prying out the keys and struggling to focus on the lock. He couldn't miss it when his own shoes shuffled up behind him, the wearer giggling despite herself.

"Suguruuu, baby..." Boe hummed from behind, standing on her toes with her mouth up close against his ear. Suguru's fingers stumbled, tipsy, as he tried to jam the key into the lock. "You wanna put on that thing? You know... The one we borrowed? Hmm? Wanna try it, please?"

"Again with this," Suguru huffed, laughing despite it. Boe slid her palms down his chest, getting a hand beneath his shirt. It was all stuck to his body with the sweat of the hot July night, but that just made him smell even better if she was being honest. Her long manicured nails scratched hard across his pelvis and Suguru's head fell back near her shoulder.

"C'mon now," she purred, all smug, "Won't you do it for me, SuguBoo? Please? My big handsome man. You'd like it, hmm? Yeah? Please?" 

"You must still be drunk. That's the only time you ask me so nicely," he teased, then raised an eyebrow, "You seriously want me to put on that ridiculous cow thing? I'm pretty sure that Satoru didn't realize it was made for women when he bought it. It's already stretched out after he washed it."

"You're not much smaller than him anyway," Boe pouted, "C'mon be cool. Put it on for me, please?"

Suguru sighed, turning his head to look at her, "You're going to make me do it anyway, when I clearly don't want to?"

"Yes," she nodded enthusiastically, her eyes practically sparkling.

"You're fucking awful," he mumbled, turning around. 

Boe couldn't help it. In the darkness right in front of their home she stood up on her toes once again and kissed his pretty mouth. He tasted like beer and something sweet, probably all those mixed drinks someone attempted to make with the last of the fruit punch. 

He was just as drunk as she was, real happy. All sweet and pliant for her as she walked her fingers higher under his shirt and pinched one of his nipples. She laughed, low and sultry, as it hardened in her touch and pressed herself closer to him.

"Absolutely shameless," Suguru reinforced, breathing hard. Then he hummed with a barely suppressed smile, his own hand snaking its way into her purple hair and holding the back of her head. "Mmm, the absolute worst," he murmured.

 "And yet here you are, all red and shit," she accused, "Why's that, huh? What's got you all worked up?"

"Not sure," he said. He grinned into her neck, and when she pulled back her eyes were all bright and dazed, chewing at her bottom lip. "You're being awfully sweet. Maybe it's just the alcohol, but..." his voice trailed down to a whisper right into her ear, "I think you deserve something sweet for being a good girl for me, don't you?"

"I'll make you fuck me out here if you keep talkin' like that," she warned, her nails raking down his chest just sharp enough to make him hiss. He'd ask for more later. She could already tell he was in that kind of mood.

"You think I won't," he purred. His hands were on her hips now, rubbing his thumbs into the fabric of her silky dress over the curves he loved so much. He smiled and laughed to himself, his dark eyes glinting in the porch light. "And what if I did? Would you be able to get me into that costume then? All your leverage would be gone."

"Shit," she bit out, just before she smashed her mouth back into his, pressing him hard against the outside of the door. Suguru moaned out loud, parting his legs enough for her free hand as it glided along the outline of his cock. The other rolled his nipple between her thumb and forefinger and Suguru's head fell back against the door with a dull thud. Boe took her opportunity, kissing his neck while she palmed his cock head.

"You want me to come out here?" Suguru breathed into her hair, "Mmn, Boe --"

"I'm the worst, right," Boe mumbled into his throat, stroking faster while her other hand grabbed at his ass. "I'm the worst, he says to me, I swear to God --"

But now Suguru's hands were feeling greedy too, huge and clutching hard at her hips now, holding her in place while he spread her legs and jammed his knee right up against her heat. Immediately she rolled her hips, feeling his dick hot and hard through his pant leg. She was already working herself up, just how he liked it, eyes shut and mouth gasping.

Suguru could barely keep his composure. He watched her, transfixed and pressing his thigh harder into her, flexing his muscles to give her something solid to get herself off on. Fuck, he wanted to see it. Boe always wants it, she can't help it, she's just honest with herself about it and it makes Suguru hot under his skin every time. Hot enough that he forgets about everything but holding her down and driving her crazy until she's had all that bratty attitude fucked out of her.

He sunk his teeth into her neck, pawing at her breasts through her dress, feeling the hard metal of her piercings and shivering.

“Suguru,” Boe whined.

"Yes? Go on," Suguru murmured, tugging her earlobe between his teeth. He whispered, his breath hot, "Tell me what my good girl wants. Maybe you'll get it?"

He bounced his thigh just a few times and she came, laughing and groaning into his neck, gasping through it. It sent more shivers all up and down Suguru's spine and he pulled her bottom lip between his teeth. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, making a whole slew of noises that no one would ever have expected him to make. Especially not on his front porch, still wanting more and more and more from her.

Finally he detached himself, quirking up an eyebrow in mock-sternness. "Now, are you going to let me open the door? I can't become the cow boy of your dreams unless we go inside."

Boe clapped her hands, bouncing on her toes and nodding. "Yes! Yes, let's go!" She giggled, tugging on his arm.

Sweet fucking lord, Suguru thought bleakly.

Keys in, door opened, and finally he shoved Boe's stumbling ass inside. "A headband with little ears," Suguru mused, shutting the door. "Pink too. Why'd it have to be pink? He couldn't have picked at least brown or black? This is absolutely ridiculous. I can't believe how into this you girls are. Which one of you is the pervert who thought of this first?"

"Well it was supposed to be like... Yeehaw cowboys," Boe told him, setting his shoes by the door. She reached out once the door was bolted, tugging Suguru in by the belt loops. "But he fucked it, and now here we are."

"So I assume Sarah liked it anyway?" He asked, letting her pull him along.

"Oh, yeah," Boe answered with a smirk. She planted a little kiss on his lips, then pulled away smiling softly and just a little fuzzy. "C'mon now, Buttercup. Let's get you all decked out."

Suguru groaned, "Don't you dare call me that during."

She smirked at him again and he sighed. 

Into their bedroom they went, her kicking the door behind them and sitting expectantly on the end of the bed. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap, her back straight as if a nun with a ruler was going to slap her wrist if she didn't sit properly. Her eyes followed him, wide and excited. He really couldn't let her down now. 

Suguru smiled at her as he flicked the button open on his pants. He let them fall, then reached up to unbutton his shirt while her eyes followed every movement of his hands. Silky black hair fell down in waves over his shoulders as he bared his toned chest, then folded the shirt over his arm. 

On the dresser was the accursed little white bag with the costume inside. He sighed placing his shirt down and opening the bag with a second more dramatic sigh. 

He had been at least a little hot under the collar since the party. Watching all the girls drunk and shaking their asses to the music. He was trying to hide it since he'd made the mistake of looking sideways at Boe with her face all flushed and smiling as she grinded her ass on Sarah and Rin. Only now was he truly and honestly aware of how badly he wanted her, how badly he wanted to be inside her and how pretty and bright her green eyes were.

"Close your eyes," he said, waving his hand her way, "It'll be a nice surprise, right?"

"'Kay!" She chirped, closing her eyes and smiling like a dope.

Suguru snorted, reaching into the bag. The cow bell inside clanged and he grimaced while she visibly shivered and giggled. He rolled his eyes, setting it down to keep pulling out the rest of the blasted thing.

Straps on his thighs first, then up went the little thong. He looked at himself in the mirror, the heat rising to his cheeks before he looked away with a scowl. On went the tiny top, clearly meant to be a tank top. It would have been one on a woman probably, but his broad chest stretched it into a tight little crop top. Straps next, but they didn't fit around his pecs so he chose to just put it around his waist and let the rest of it hang down.

Finally he sighed as he picked up the headband. Turning it over in his hands he narrowed his eyes at a set of tally marks made on the underside along with a crude marker drawing of Gojo and Sarah. Twenty-three? For what?

"Ugh," he cringed, realizing Satoru must have been tallying how often they orgasmed wearing it.

"What?" Boe asked, her eyes still closed but her grin widened.

"Nothing," Suguru sighed, slicking back his hair and placing the ears on his head. 

Taking one last cautious glance he saw himself in the mirror. Absolutely ridiculous. He looked away again, inhaling through his nose before he moved closer, stopping right in front. The clanging of the cow bell certainly didn't help calm his nerves, but then he cleared his throat. "Okay."

She opened her eyes and he closed his as she squealed with joy. He heard her footsteps as she walked around him on her toes, felt the fucking giddy vibrations in the air too.

"Oh my god," she barely contained her giggles, "Holy shit. Suguru this is so amazing!"

She flicked the cowbell and cackled at the loud TING!

Suguru cleared his throat, then tipped his head back. She instantly took a step back, trembling. That look in his eyes! Real dangerous. That's the one. That's the one that always straightened her out quick. 

Her hands glided up his chest, her lip caught between her teeth again and her eyes half-lidded.

"I saw you watching me dance, Buttercup. You want me to take care of all that milk you've made for me?" She purred, fiddling with the bow on his chest, trying so hard not to crack up and ruin the effect, but it was a lost cause.

"Boe," Suguru said, seriously, "Do not call me that again."

Boe's face changed. Suguru knew that look. Oh, shit. Oh fucking Christ, did he know it. He tried hard not to grin. "Oh-hoh? You mad?" She continued, egging him on further. "What are you gonna do about it, Buttercup? You won't do shit. You're just gonna sit there and let me--"

Suguru gave it just one beat, maybe two, but suddenly his hand was on her upper arm and dragging her. She yelped out, "Hey!" But he got her up and onto the bed.

"I get it," he murmured in her ear, his hand on the back of her head. He shoved right up tight against her, his cock hard and grinding against her ass, and oh fuck, he's not surprised to feel how hot she is too. "You like pissing me off. You like a little trouble, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're--" Boe started, but it's a shitty protest. Even she can't deny it, because okay, she does like it when he's mad. She fucking loves it when that composure breaks and he gets real mean. Shatter that calm persona. Bring out the real Suguru who doesn't give a shit about being dignified and just wants to tear her apart.

So of course she doesn't want him to think she'll just roll over. She struggled up onto her arms, pushing back with a devilish laugh, "Ooh! You can't deal at all, huh?"

Suguru pushed his thigh between her legs, hard, and slipped one hand up her dress and onto her hip. The other kept its grip on the back of her head, forcing her back down. "This is me dealing with it. This is exactly what it looks like when I'm dealing with it. Do you want me to show you what I'll do if you keep it up?"

She winced as the rim of the metal bell dug into her back. Then rolled her eyes with a huff, "Oh, yeah, tough guy, fine--show me what you'll do."

Suguru paused, tilting his head, shrugged-- and then grinded his knee between her legs. Hard enough to make her yelp and gasp, her ass lifting off the bed when her toes pushed her up. 

He grabbed a fistful of her hair on the back of her head and caught one of her hands, locking it behind her back. His mouth was right against her ear, panting, which was so fucking hot Boe could barely stand it. He's hard and he's panting; he's getting off on just the idea of what he's gonna do. Fuck, fuck, fuck, that's just-- Boe couldn't even see straight, it was so hot. 

"Spread further," he growled.

"Make me," Boe whispered.

Suguru groaned softly, grinding his hips forward against Boe's. "This was fun," she huffed, "But it's over now."

He blinked. She snapped her wrist out of his grasp, rolling over onto her front and pushing him back with her knee. Fuck, he's strong, but she's quick when she wants to be. Sitting up, she had him by the waist and pushed him back one step, closer to the wall until her back was the one that hit. 

Her back?

Suguru's whole solid body pushed up tight against Boe's. He had his arm not just around her waist but blocking one of his arms too, right against his side. That does leave one of her arms free and she pushes back at his chest.

God damn she loved it when he got this way! She could have just given in and just let him do anything he wanted, but sometimes the struggle was just too much fun. She's not weak by any measure, her shove pushed him back a few inches, but he locked in harder and braced. He snatched that free wrist once again, pinning it to the wall above her head. 

"Now look at you," he murmured. He nuzzled her cheek, lips skating gently along her jawline; Boe shivered hard despite all her best intentions. "You don't get to put me in this stupid costume and then tell me no. You don't get to run away from this."

She smirked, swiping her tongue across her teeth. "Oh yeah, Buttercup?"

Suguru bit down hard on the side of Boe's neck. She grunted, thrashing against him, but he had her pinned too well. "Maybe I should rephrase that since you didn't understand," he breathed, "You're not going to leave." He dragged his tongue across the shell of her ear, swirling a slow circle around it. "Not until I've gotten what I want from you. Not until we play this stupid farmer game, got it?"

Her knees buckled-- damn it! She's not ready to give in but that hot breath and his cock grinding into her thigh and that grip on her wrist, and how the fuck is she suppose to stay upright? "Suguru," she moaned.

"Come on."

Arms around her waist he guided her back to the bed and forced her to sit back down. He pointedly ignored the sound of the cowbell before he spoke again, his voice low and gravelly, pure sex and sin. "Stop playing hard to get, bitch. This is what you spent the last few days begging for."

Yes yes yes yes yes yes yes, Boe thought dizzily, but no, that's a line that should really piss her off. Bitch? Begging for? "Fuck you," Boe hissed, with a smirk, "I won't beg for you, Buttercup."

Suguru just grinned at her. "You will."

He didn't give her the satisfaction of back-sass, because he was on her. He was on her, kissing her and thrusting his tongue deep into her mouth. She moaned, clutching at him, because she can't not, but fuck! Was she really gonna give in this easy? What was the point of the cow costume if they were just gonna play their normal games? 

Suguru drew his tongue back to lick around her lips and suddenly she surged forward. Her hands slid down his body, down miles of toned muscles to the hem of that little spotted thong. His breath hitched as she fondled him, cupped his balls and tilted her head to meet his gaze with their foreheads touching. 

"I think I'm due for some vitamin D," she purred, stroking and teasing just around his shaft, "Think you got enough to satisfy me?"

He huffed, his breath growing ragged faster than he planned. She started to get up, but he spun her around and traded their positions. Sitting down, he pulled one of her legs over his and forced her to straddle his hips. She twisted on him for a moment, but his hand clapped down on her shoulder and the other grabbed her wrists and held them behind her back. So much for going anywhere. She wouldn't run now anyway, he could see it in her eyes. She always let him win in the end.

"You're gonna milk this cow completely dry," he whispered, smiling despite the darkness in his eyes, "Understand? All of this milk?" His hand lowered between them, cupping his heavy balls, "You're gonna take it. And you're gonna thank me for it."

She bit her lip, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Am I? Are you sure I can drink all of that?"

"You can and will," he insisted, his hand stoking back up her body, a hot breath escaping when his thumb caught against her clit ring through her dress.

He chuckled when she shuddered, biting at the curve of her neck and shoulder. "Every last drop," he whispered, biting down hard and sucking a deep bruise into her skin. "You won't stop until I tell you to," he continued as he drew back, "Understand?"

And oh, oh god, that blew her fucking mind. The combination of such a ridiculous outfit but her boyfriend's absolutely stellar domming was pure ecstasy.

She turned her head in time to see him conjure a curse to reach out, picking his belt up off the floor and into his hand. For one split-second he left go of her wrists, but the realization hit her a moment too late. The belt wrapped around them and cinched tight, and she was done. 

"Don't really feel like going anywhere now, do you?" Suguru murmured, "I'm guessing you'd much rather stay right where you are."

Boe squeaked, shrugging half-heartedly. She twisted her shoulders, looking up at him through her eyelashes, but didn't dare say anything. Her toes curled against his calves and she chewed at her lip again. 

And then he finally did it-- both his arms went up and  his hands grasped at her dress. He tensed and tore, the zipper snapping and ripping down with a bunch of satisfying pops. Up it went, over her head and into the floor with a Thwap! 

Wasting no time, the bra was next and his teeth were on her right nipple ring. She cried out as it clicked between them, his tongue teasing and swirling it. Then to the other, his other hand splayed out on her spine and dug his fingers in.

"You should have been the cow," he mumbled, "It would be more fun if I was the bull."

"Aah!" Boe's head tipped back, her eyes squeezing shut. His fingers joined his tongue, both of her nipple rings being tugged and teased and making her hips roll against his. He thighs bounced with impatience, his cock throbbing and already pushed out of that tiny thong. 

"You know how to milk a cow, don't you?" He whispered, pointing his tongue to flick at the ring once before he looked up at her. "Some cows need a little more help to get it done. You think you've got what it takes?" He paused for a beat, waiting for her answer. Nothing came so he smirked, tugging on a nipple ring once again and repeated, "Do you?"

"I-- I--" she panted, her eyes barely open enough to see him. 

"I'm going to use you like a milking machine," he chuckled, "I'll slide this big cock right inside you. Make you scream. And then I'll fuck you until I feel lighter."

"I want you so much," Boe whimpered. 

Suguru took a few unsteady breaths to collect himself. He growled, "The hell with it." And shoved her legs apart. He pushed his fingers into her, hard and deep, watching her arch and moan on his lap. She panted as he curled his index and middle, but when his thumb brushed her clit ring she actually cried out. 

"Oh god," she whined, "More, please... Just fuck me already! Please!"

He rocked his fingers in, good and deep, pressing and rubbing. His thumb kept brushing over her clit and she shivered. Her head was spinning. Mind going hazy. His hand brushed her hair back and he let his cheek brush hers as he leaned in to whisper, "Come."

The coil snapped and she moaned. Hips jerked against his, wrists pulling at the belt, gasping for breath and head whipping. His thumb kept flicking, dragging it on for ages and ages. Her eyes felt like they did a full 360 in her skull before she could focus on him again. 

He kissed her forehead, kissed her eyebrows-- when she closed her eyes he kissed her eyelids too. "Good girl," he breathed, "You're so beautiful when you come."

Suguru brought his mouth to hers, tongue thrusting into her mouth. It's sloppy, a hard one, and after a few seconds of his tongue filling her mouth she stopped to focus on breathing. Near as she could tell, Suguru was trying to fuck her mouth with his tongue and he wanted her to hold still and take it.

Eagerly she did, letting him in. He pulled back for a split-second to look into her eyes and whatever he saw there made him hiss out "Yes" before coming back to kiss her again. This time it was slower, easier, more seductive. Suguru licked into Boe's mouth, coaxing her tongue forward, and she shuddered and shook and finally, finally let herself give in and kissed him back. 

It set off fireworks for Suguru, or at least it felt like it. He moaned quietly against her lips, pulling her closer by her hips and squishing his cock between their bodies. One rock of his hips and his piercings clicked against hers down below, both of them moaning into each other's mouths. The cow bell jostled just enough to make a few soft clinks.

Boe could only breathe heavily through her nose, trying to stay conscious as he suffocated her with his mouth. She had to wait. Had to be good or else he'd make her wait longer. Arms under her ass, he tilted her hips into position and dropped her onto his cock. "Oh fuck, oh yes, Suguru..." She breathed, settling in as he shoved her into position and exhaled with relief.

"Move," he commanded, his voice calm and even, "Get to work. Make me come and take all my milk."

She nodded meekly, biting her lip. Then she drove her hips down, twisting and grinding for a moment. Suguru's head slowly tipped back as she went up slow and then back down, a rumble deep in his chest. "That's it," he praised, "Good girl... That's it..."

"Suguru, Mmn, oh fuck... Suguru!"

"That's it, that's it," hips steadily rising to meet hers, balls pressing against her ass again and again, "Tell me--you want it. Tell me."

"Fuck oooh fuck," she panted, head lolled back and eyes squeezing shut.

Suguru reached up, fisting her hair and pulling. "Answer me, slut. Answer me," He growled.

"Fuck you," Boe moaned, trying her damnedest to rock her hips down against his thrusts now. "Fuck--fuck you, fuck--oh, God--"

"You're gonna come," Suguru panted, dragging his lips up her neck, "You're gonna come and milk me dry. Because you--" his last three words were harsh and low, matching his heavy deep thrusts, "You--love--it." 

Boe sobbed out a breath, shaking as Suguru took over completely. Thrust after punishing thrust that wouldn't let her hide from the truth even if she wanted to. The cow bell rang at full force, clang clang clang! "Ohh fuck," she moaned, "Yes! Oh, yes, love it so fucking much, Suguru... Fuck me, fuck me .. fu-fuck me!"

All he could do was pant, losing his mind. Eyes closing, gasping, shaking. She grinded down hard, tilting forward to catch more friction, and her clit ring caught just right. Gasping, she was coming with loud broken moans. He fumbled for the belt buckle-- twisting it and throwing it off. He needed her hands free, needed her to touch him too.

Her arms wrapped around his neck, her fingers gliding through his silky hair. One hand wrapped a healthy amount around and with one hard tug he was coming too.

"Boe!" He shouted. His hips stuttered fast, knees bouncing and toes curling. Her nails dug into his scalp and he gritted his teeth as the pleasure and pain dragged it out further and further. With one more groan he dropped his head to her shoulder. His hand moved to stroke up and down her thigh, slowly and lazily, soaking in every twitching aftershock.

"Love you," he murmured into her shoulder, feeling the tremble in her chest of her soft laugh before she whispered, "Love you too."

Their breaths slowed, still heated and mixing together as they kissed in gentle pecks. Boe tensed her core, feeling him throb once again. She blinked, then glanced down at where he was still nestled inside.

"You're still hard?" She asked, "You usually need a little break in between. I'm surprised."

He was beginning to pant again, his eyes almost glazing over and a little smirk pulling at his lips. He tilted his head and whispered, "I'm not sure what's come over me, but let's not let it go to waste."

She snickered, "Well, you won't hear me complaining."

The bedframe creaked dangerously and she huffed, "If this one breaks I'll be really pissed." But already she was bouncing slowly, her hands resting on his shoulders with her long nails sinking in.

"I'll fuck you on the floor then, Miss Farmer," Suguru purred, sitting back on his palms and enjoying the view of her riding him, "It may be just the alcohol, but I feel like I could go all night..."

"It's the costume," Boe breathed, chuckling breathlessly. Sinking down on him again, moaning high on her throat, she was already feeling it as he grew to his hardest once more.

Suguru wasn't fairing much better -- she was so warm inside, so wet. His hands were gripping too hard at the comforter, he could feel his nails tearing a few loose threads, but he just couldn't find it in himself to give a shit. And then Boe moved her hips in low swirling circles. He sat up, grabbing two healthy handfuls of her ass and grinned up at her.

"Let's turn this into a rodeo, cowgirl," he rasped, "Better hold on. This cow likes to buck hard."

"Oh shit!" Boe swore, knowing her eyes were huge in her face. Shocked at that wild look in his eyes just before he's planted his feet and really fucking giving it to her. 

Loud heavy slaps of skin echoed in the room, both of them losing themselves. The cowbell clanged loud, bouncing off his chest and nearly hitting his chin. 

“It’s so fucking good, you’re so, you’re so, God, Suguru!!"

He was gone. She was glistening with sweat and the bouncing of her tits was hypnotic. Whatever was left of his mind tapped out entirely and he wrapped his strong arms around her hips with his hands spread over her ass. His mouth caught a nipple and his tongue ring clicked against her own ring, making his already unstable rhythm stutter.

"Ah! Ah! Aah!" Boe held on for dear life, wiggling and grinding around him, all the muscles in her stomach clenching up. Her hands tangled into his hair and her back arched, pushing her breast more into his mouth. "Ohh, God, more, please I --" And so Suguru did. He swirled his tongue, letting his ring catch her nipple ring as his teeth gently massaged as well. One of his palms glided up her back to drag his nails down her spine. "Suguru, yeah -- yes -- oooh!"

"That's a good girl," Suguru laughed, breathless and panting between words, "Ride this cow. Hold on tight."

"Gimme it all," she cried out, "Oh fuck yes! Oh fu-fuck yes! I want it! Come inside me again!"

Suguru was pretty sure his mind completely whited out. She was riding him just as hard as he was thrusting, making all kinds of sounds with her mouth open. The bedframe was really taking a beating, but if they broke another one he knew he'd still brag about it.

"Good girl, good girl," he chanted. He swallowed hard when she squeezed up around him just to make him feel good. She always had to have an attitude first, always wanted to piss him off, but the truth always came out. And his truth was that he fucking loved it when she was a brat. He loved putting her in her place as much as she loved being put there.

“Yeah,” Boe panted. “Ah, Suguru — yeah —” 

“Like doin’ all the work. Like getting fucked? You like getting fucked, slut?” 

“I love it, I love it, it’s so fuckin’ good, baby, it’s so, God, fuck —“

"That's right you do," Suguru managed, "Damn right you do. This pussy is mine. All fucking mine."

Boe's moans cracked and shuddered in her throat, and Suguru felt it. He knew she was about to come, but her weight felt just right and so good crashing into his bucking hips. He held her hips in his big hands, fingers bruising the top of her ass, manhandling her like a doll and forcing her down balls deep with every push. He took a moment to smack her ass hard, reveling in the yelp. She'd give him shit about it later and he couldn't fucking wait. The cow bell was so fucking loud!

"S-s-su-suguru-- m'gonna-- M'gonna-- !!" Boe gasped, coming while grinding her clit against his belly, squeezing up around him so hard inside that Suguru thought he might pass out. Her head fell back, fisting Suguru's hair in her hands, shoving her face into his flushed pecs. It's too much, all way too much. The smell of his skin, his hot satisfied love sounds; those long silky luxurious gasps and moans in that deep voice.

"Boe, fuck," Suguru grit out, and when Boe finally shuddered back down, he held her in place so he could once again fill her with his come. Hips jerking and head nodding. "Fuck-- Boe, that's it..."

It lasted for-fucking ever. All Suguru could do was let his toes curl in the carpet, sweating and groaning and riding it out. Boe made soft little noises, little sweet whimpers, and even as Suguru was coming down he still couldn't handle it.

"Keep moving, cowgirl," Suguru mumbled, delirious and happy, "Every last drop of milk. Just for you. Hold it for me. Don't let any slip out."

Obediently Boe rolled her hips again, breathing hard and scratching her nails at the base of Suguru's neck, the muscles in her legs twitching. It felt so good Suguru couldn't help the sound he makes. “Mmn, you’re good to me,” he murmured, “Milked me pretty good didn't you, cowgirl. Feel it? All of that?"

“Mm-hmm,” she hummed, dreamy. She dipped her head, hoping for a kiss, and Suguru gave her one. His mouth moved wet and soft against Boe's when she gives one of her lusty sighs. “Suguru,” she mumbled, rolling her hips slower and slower, drooping with satisfaction. 

"Darling,” Suguru whispered to her, “Baby doll. My beautiful girl.” 

She shifted, lifting off of him slowly with her nails gliding up his chin. With a sly smile she stretched, giving him a little show as he looked over her body. His eyes lingered on her breasts, then hips, ass and thighs. He chuckled, low in his throat, and sighed.

"I'm going to love you all night," he murmured, missing her already. Boe smirked at him as she tied her hair back.

“Guess I can suffer through it,” she teased, then tilted her head, "But more than twice in one night? Are you sure?"

He grinned, flicking the cowbell, "Well, maybe Satoru was onto something, mm?"

Want your own custom smut fic? Check out my Ko-fi!

[sugar-omi]

Omg I love your mermaid!Cove! Can I request some more please? 🩵

surprisingly i have many ideas on mer!cove lol, i didnt think i did but this is so long!! so enjoy<3 tysm for the ask anon, im glad you liked my mer!cover hehe<33

tags : Fluff, headcanons

eta a bit on cove w sharp teeth <3

mmm... merman cove is so pretty even in human form

in human form, he has scales in a few places

down the side of his hips to the top of his thighs and a few straglers on his ankles

his scales are blue and green. they're iridescent as well, super pretty

the closer to his chest, the lighter his scales are but there's still some dark ones around his hips that are more like a navy blue

his fins are probably on the greener side as well, and im thinking more translucent too

i looked at some fanart, i think his tail would be more on the "capey" side as well

and if i can go as far as you link you to this beautiful kokomi fanart by nataliadsw on twitter: here

in fact i'd even say the fins are like in the art! very sparkly and pretty

how do we feel abt a purple to light blue gradient?

i was thinking abt his ears too n yk how some ppl draw mermaids with fins for ears or whatever?

i think his ears are long like an elf, but the tips have a blue-to-flesh gradient. maybe even

lots of pretty piercings!! has gold and pearls in his ears.

ETA BC I TOTALLY FORGOT ABT THIS

BUT COVE HAS SHARP TEETH <333

well, sharp canines anyway

kinda like this photo: here

imagine his lil sharp smile..... i love him

also don't ask me how he shifts. bc i have no idea

as far as I'm concerned he's like a fucking Dino capsule that you drop in water and inflates

LIKE A FUCKING ORBEEZ

okay that settles it, that's what we're going with LMAO

oh my god

before i forget.. mer cove is Big

know how i said orc!derek was like 7 foot?

cove is like 7 foot 2 or some shit

idk, but derek has competition!!

i don't think that's the normal height for mer-people either. well. not mermaids anyway. orcas and whales? for sure

he has claws as well!! he tries to keep them short bc he's clumsy but he has em

ykw i didn't considered webbed hands.... is that an idea?

...nah. i think his tail makes up for it since i imagine cove is missing some key mermaid qualities due to being part human

in his human form he has the claws as well

back to the big, 7 foot thing!!!

cove has big hands as well, of course in his mer form but also in his human form

even in his human form he's still over 6'5

lots of piercings in his ears. has studs in his ear lobes and has a chain connecting his helix and his stud on one of his ears

a chain of pearls on his wrist!!!!

oh. my. god.

waist chains.

of course he doesn't wear these nice shiny all at once lol, he's not into being blinged out like that, but wears any jewelry he's gifted all the time <33

wears waist chain's mostly when he's in human form, since he doesn't have any fins getting caught or evil pirates to worry about

!!! i almost forgot

he brings you many many gifts

he's like a puppy this way

you have jars of shells and sand, some sand different colors from certain beaches he's visited.

cove even brought you your own string of pearls, and you have mini towers of different colored sea glass

so many gifts that you have a whole book case for them and even then some things spill into other areas of the house

whether or not you met cove at a young age, i think you start to understand what all his different chirps and sounds mean

like a few quick chirps are a sign of happiness

i even imagine he purrs like a cat so he'll put your hand to his heart and let you feel the rumble of his chest

or he'll nuzzle your cheek and you can hear it in your ear <33

[bowlzone]

Today's cereal is South Korean Oreo O's!

Initial Impressions: Ever since I heard murmurings from the wider cereal community that the South Korean Oreo O's are the superior take on the concept, they have been at the top of my review list. This review is a chunky one, so the rest is under the cut!

Before we get into my thoughts on the box, let's take a detour back to the ancient history of the 90s to understand why these Oreo O's hit different. The original US run of Oreo O's happened between 1997 and 2007, when Kraft (who own the rights to Oreos) and Post (who own the rights to the cereal recipe) had an acrimonious break up. Both unwilling to give up their respective half of the Oreo O key, Oreo O's ceased production in the US. However, this was not the end, for another Oreo O was made. Kraft acquired a Korean food company, Dongsuh Foods, who had the rights to distribute Post products and so a perfect loophole was found. As of 2017 you can get Oreo O's in the USA again, but they are not the original recipe. It's my understanding that the closest you can still get to the 1990s Oreo O is the Korean version, which is still based on that classic recipe, or close to it. I have no nostalgia for Oreo Os as, despite living in the US during at least some of that time, my parents outlawed the consumption of sugary cereals with an iron fist. Now, as an adult in charge of my own sugar consumption, I have never been so excited to eat something. They start strong with a box that is truly a piece of art, featuring what can only be described as a milk elemental in cool shades. The interior, a shiny silver bag that comes with an immensely appreciated re-sealing sticker, is a lot hardier than the clear cereal bags I'm used to and tests my feeble upper body strength in opening it. The chocolaty aroma already promises a sublime cereal experience.

Post bowl thoughts: poring these into the bowl I immediately noticed that they are much more restrained with their marshmallow pieces (or marbits) than American cereals typically are, perhaps because they know the cereal pieces themselves can carry the bowl. The relatively tasteless marbits instead add a nice textural component to the bite, instead of being a main flavour. The cereal itself is truly the star of the show here, with a rich chocolate flavouring and a satisfying crunch that lasts the whole way through the bowl, resisting any kind of sog. It's interesting as the main grain used here is corn, but it avoids all of the disappointing hollow nothingness of other modern corn cereals. Combined with the milk they really are reminiscent of an Oreo, if slightly missing the texture of the the cream. The milk left in the bowl is fine, but its main contribution is to the texture of each spoon here, so I'm not left disappointed that the final slurp is missing a certain allure. These have immediately unseated American Oreo O's from my top five cereals list. Without the slightly over the top sweetness that the US ones have, it feels like you could keep eating these for hours and never get sick of them. Despite the almost unreasonable excitement I held in my heart for this bowl, it did not disappoint. A fantastic cereal.

[marabarl-and-marlbara]

mara… how do i enjoy reading more? is it simply done through exposure? have a nice day.

anonymous.... hello....

that:s a tough one, sometimes reading is just not enjoyable; what i find helps me is to immerse myself in an environment passionate about reading: it:ll sound a little simple, but i get a lot of enthusiasm just from reading/listening to other people gush about books or stories that really moved them, whether it be on /lit/ or some youtube video review or some tiktok list of so-and-so or, just learning about an author; it:s a lot easier to get in-to the mindset of wanting to read when you are actively and presently excited to read, and act on it (versus: just picking up some book you have no strong feelings about but heard from others its good, but to you presently it:s just a book);

looking at cover art helps me a lot, too; as dumb as it is: i really do judge books by covers and ugly covers suck out most excitement i have to read something; conversely: sometimes i just want to read purely because the cover is so immediately magical looking to me (like that one version of shirley jackson:s we have always lived in the castle, or the hardcover shiny versions of tad william:s otherlands books);

but the biggest thing is to just be willing to sit down and do it, and, (and i think this is super key) to permit yourself allowance to not understand things, or to not immediately get into an authors writing, or to just find yourself daydreaming for several paragraphs without really comprehending much -- and to (the important part) just let that go and move forward with your reading; FORCE it into your skull that you don:t need to understand every sentence and every paragraph and it:s fine to glaze over entire pages with zero comprehension -- you:ll pick things up later and nagging worries about having missed detail will vanish after awhile, and maybe you:ll find out you:re now actively reading and enjoying it (or not, dropping books is fine too);

but the other biggest thing: consider reading easy and fun stuff; if i:m ever burnt out on reading sometimes i:ll just read easy-genre stuff that flows easy, comprehends easy, and is just fun (like that web serial worm! i recently also read what moves the dead by kingfisher which i thought was total trash but binged through it in two nights, and it was like a little foot-in-the-door to make me want more satisfying reads).

take time with a book, and time with yourself, anonymous; or just don:t bother reading too, cause you read enough as is with the internet -- but read books cause you really want to :-))!

my last read was "the wedding album" by david marusek, was good;

take care

[moonchildreads]

small town

Chapter 16 - Let's Hear It for the Boy

IN THIS CHAPTER: Science fiction double feature, rotten eggs, and Eddie turns 20 [12.2k]

WARNINGS: bullying (mentions of racism and fatphobia), childhood trauma (hair trauma, child neglect, toxic masculinity), one use of a homophobic slur (f-word), mild spoilers for The Rocky Horror Picture Show and The Exorcist (specific mentions of the crucifix scene, if you've seen the movie, you know what this is about)

A/N: shout out to my one and only @gutterratt for helping me figure out my way through old horror movies! i'm a wuss so i relied heavily on her opinions to make this work (also read a few entire scripts and scared myself lmao). thank you for being the best teacher i could have asked for. 10 more days until i get to hug the shit out of you &lt;3

masterlist - prev - next | playlist

We always have a real good time And maybe he sings off-key But that's all right by me, yeah

Thursday, May 15th - 1986

On Eddie’s 20th birthday it rained cats and dogs. There was a light shower during the early morning which stopped at around 10 only to come back with a vengeance after lunch, and by the time the school day had ended, the weather was warm and humid with a sky-obscuring fog that made it seem like it was much later than it actually was. Eddie, as he always did when it rained, offered to take Gareth home so he gave his friend his keys and asked him and Dottie to wait in the van while he finished up a private conversation with Mrs. Vaughn, his Drawing teacher. She was quite impressed with how his portfolio was shaping up, and wanted to know more about the subjects he’d chosen to portray in his art. Some talks were meant to be kept behind closed doors.

Gareth left Dottie at her locker where she was fighting to fit Eddie’s birthday present in her backpack without absolutely destroying the muffin she’d baked for him during Home Ec and headed towards the parking lot to wait for his friends in the safety of the van. Dottie had barely managed to zip up her backpack when a pair of pink sneakers came up to where she was kneeling.

“Do you need help?” a warm, melodic voice asked.

Dottie looked up to find Chrissy Cunningham, the current Queen of Hawkins High, smiling at her like they’d known each other for years. She wasn’t wearing her full cheerleading uniform that day; instead she had chosen cuffed jeans and a lovely cream blouse, her strawberry blonde hair cascading down her shoulders. Wow, Dottie thought without an ounce of shame for ogling. She’s gorgeous. Realizing she had been staring up at the kind (almost) stranger, she quickly stood and threw her backpack over her shoulder.

“Oh, no, thank you! I’ve got it,” Dottie said, and Chrissy smiled even wider if it was even possible.

“You’re Dottie Burke, right? We’re in World History together, you sit with Jeff Patton two seats in front of me?”

“Yup, that’s me! And you’re Chrissy Cunningham, you sit with, um, Melissa?”

“Yes, Melissa Levine,” the blonde’s eyes brightened up, pleased that this conversation was going smoothly. “I know you’re best friends with Eddie so could you give this to him for me?”

Chrissy presented a shiny green gift bag to her. It was carefully sealed with a big transparent sticker from the store where it had been purchased from and a huge silvery bow was tied to the handles. Of all the things she had been expecting her to pull out behind her back, a birthday gift for Eddie hadn’t been in her Top 10 List at all.

“Are you sure? He’ll come back in a sec if you want to give it to him yourself, he’s just talking to a teacher.”

“Yeah, I think he already knows what it is,” Chrissy waved her hand like it wasn’t a big deal. “I’d wait for him but my boyfriend is in the car already so…”

“Oh, yeah, totally. I can give this to Ed for you, don’t worry.”

“Thank you, you’re so nice!” she said, beaming at her. “I’m sorry if I’m coming off too strong, Eddie said we’d get along so I thought “well, what am I waiting for”, right?”

“You’re fine, seriously,” Dottie laughed; Chrissy’s bubbly energy was contagious. “He told me we’d get along too. Something about you liking Queen and owning all the records?”

“Yes! Gosh, I love Queen! Do you? We should hang out sometime, we can listen to them together.”

“Absolutely, yes. I’d love that.”

“Okay, cool! I’ll see you around, okay?”

“Yeah, sure! Have fun on your date!”

“How did you know I’m going on a date?” Chrissy said, mild intrigue on her face.

“You just look really pretty and you mentioned your boyfriend so I thought you might be going on a date with him,” Dottie explained like it was the simplest thing in the world. “I like your makeup.”

“Oh,” she said, stopping for a moment.

Chrissy wasn’t a stranger to people telling her she was pretty. She had grown up going to pageants and being paraded as a doll by her mother but the compliments were always the same and regarding things she didn’t care about, like how big her Mom had teased her hair, and how thin she looked like in that formal gown. No one had ever told her something she did for herself, like her daily makeup, was pretty. She gave Dottie a big toothy smile, genuine and warm.

“Thank you! I like your dress!”

“Thanks, it was my Mom’s. It has pockets!” the brunette said, shoving a hand inside the left pocket of her short black jumper dress to demonstrate.

“I love that! Not enough dresses have pockets, it’s a shame.”

They said their goodbyes again and Chrissy disappeared down the hallway, leaving Dottie to consider that maybe she really did need more girl friends. She loved her Hellfire boys, and of course Erica was great, but she had missed the kind of special warmth female friendships gave - the gentle toughness she’d always admired in her Aunts’ actions. Now that she knew what a real friend was supposed to look like thanks to the guys, she realized that whatever she had thought Jeannie was during her life in New York hadn’t exactly been a good example of true friendship. Dottie wondered if, given enough time, Chrissy could become a real friend. She was, after all, good friends with Eddie already and he seemed like a fine judge of character so far.

“You ready to bounce?” Eddie asked, hurrying down the hallway to where she was still standing.

“Yeah! This is for you, by the way,” Dottie said, giving him the gift bag. “It’s from Chrissy.”

“Chris- damnit, I told her not to do it,” he shook his head, a fond smile gracing his face. He accepted the bag and shoved it inside his backpack to protect it from the rain; he had a pretty good idea of what it was but he’d look at it once they were home. “Come on, let’s go.”

He guided Dottie towards the parking lot with a hand on the back of her bag, keeping her close as they ran out into the rain and towards the dry seats of his van. They were almost there when Eddie noticed someone curled into themselves near the furthest column that supported the overhang roof at the entrance, a figure huddled up on the floor wearing what looked like Gareth’s red plaid shirt. He looked at his van and saw instantly that his friend was not sitting inside waiting for them, and the vehicle wasn’t even on. What the fuck, he thought bitterly, taking note that the door on the driver’s side was covered in what looked like a runny viscous liquid. The rain was washing it away, but the white and light brown shells on the floor were enough to confirm his suspicions. Switching gears quickly, he pulled Dottie under his arm and guided her towards Gareth.

“What’s going on?” she asked, looking up at him, arm up trying to keep the rain out of her face.

“Gareth!” he yelled for an answer, and the younger boy lifted his teary head up from his knees. “Jesus Christ.”

“Oh my god, what happened to you?” Dottie exclaimed, rushing to their friend.

“They were waiting for Eddie. Said it was a birthday present,” he sniffed, lifting his arm to wipe his face with his sleeve and putting it down instantly when he saw it was filthy. He smelled like rotten eggs.

“I’m so sorry, man,” Eddie said, crouching next to him.

“Not your fault,” Gareth shrugged. “You always cover for me so… guess it was time I covered you for once.”

“This has happened before?” Dottie asked, and both boys looked at her like it was common sense. “Who- who did this to you? How many times?”

“It isn’t always eggs,” Gareth sniffed again. “One time they threw mud at Donny, called him a pig. Gave Dustin a swirly a couple of times but they don’t touch Mike anymore since they found out Nancy Wheeler is his sister. Andy is the worst, he, um-” he interrupted himself and looked at Eddie.

“Andy Humphrey,” Eddie sighed. “He put a bunch of racist notes in Jeff’s locker for a couple of months last year. We saw him doing it but Higgins didn’t do shit about it. He’s on the basketball team, always wears that stupid hat.”

“Yeah, I know him,” Dottie said. “He’s in my AP Spanish class, he’s barely passing. He cheated on our last pop quiz, he knows I saw because he winked at me like he was trying to get me on his side.”

“Almost everyone on the basketball team sucks,” Gareth said. “I don’t know what Lucas is doing with them.”

“Lucas?”

“Lucas Sinclair. Erica’s brother?” Eddie explained. “He used to play with us before he decided being a freak wasn’t good enough for him.”

“I mean… I don’t blame him. I smell like a sewer,” Gareth grimaced.

“Okay, come on, let’s get you home,” Dottie said, patting his knee to get him to stand up.

“I’ll just walk, I’m gonna get the van dirty.”

“No way, man, not in this thunderstorm. Get in the back,” Eddie instructed.

The three of them headed back to the van, the rain not relenting for a single second. On the bright side, Eddie’s door wasn’t dirty anymore, clean from the constant water streaming upon the metal. On the other hand, Gareth was soaked and shivering by the time he sat himself on a plastic crate at the back of the van, keeping himself away from the blankets and pillows, windows cracked open to let cool air in and rotten egg smell out. They drove to Gareth’s house in silence, only the occasional sniffling coming from the dirty boy wallowing in his own misery could be heard under the vehicle’s rumbling.

When they arrived and pulled up to Gareth’s garage, Eddie wasn’t expecting Dottie to get out too, leaving behind her backpack tucked under the co-pilot seat. He followed the pair to the front door, heard the keys tinkling against each other as his friends walked inside and hurried up to get out of the rain. In the foyer, Dottie peeled off her cardigan and sneakers before directing Gareth to his bathroom.

“Eddie, can you get a chair from the kitchen?” she asked, already pushing Gareth down the hallway.

Eddie complied with her request, bringing one of the aluminum chairs with pleather seats into the Jack and Jill that connected Gareth’s bedroom with his sister’s. Gareth was peeling his dirty sleeveless shirt and sweatshirt off his body, Dottie kneeling near his feet helping him take his rain soaked shoes off.

“Thanks,” she said, smiling softly at Eddie before looking up at Gareth. “You sit.”

“Why can’t I just take a shower?” he complained, but still sat down on the chair.

“Because you’re not only covered in gunk, there’s eggshells in your hair. Let me get them out and we’ll leave you to shower in peace, okay?” she pulled back the bath curtain and got his shampoo and conditioner, coming to stand next to the sink.

The birthday boy watched her work, carefully picking all the shells out of Gareth’s hair and throwing them into the pink waste bin that was hidden next to the toilet. She got rid of the knots in his hair with a glittery blue plastic comb that clearly belonged to Gretchen, wetting it with warm water between each pass. Eddie could feel something bubbling up his chest, but it wasn’t anything like the usual jealousy he swore he had stopped feeling days ago. No, this was something different, much more deep seated, clawing up his throat and threatening to tear his insides apart leaving no prisoners behind. This was something he’d been ignoring for a very long time, from before he even knew a Gareth Coleman or a Dorothy Burke. This padlock had been sealed shut with rust ages ago, the key long forgotten somewhere no one, not even Eddie, would find it anymore.

Dottie poured water on Gareth’s scalp with her hands, making him shiver once and then giggle at himself for his reaction. She worked the shampoo into his curls, pulling his hair once to make him wince when he made a stupid comment that Eddie wasn’t listening. He watched the suds fall into the pure white porcelain of the sink bowl as she washed them away with the utmost patience and care.

“You should be a hairdresser,” Gareth said, eyes closed while he relaxed into her touch.

“I could never. You know that smell when you walk into a salon? I fucking hate it,” she said, snorting at the end.

When was the last time Eddie had gone to a salon for a haircut? Not since living with Wayne, that’s for sure. The last time he’d had a haircut he hadn’t given himself in his own bathroom was back in middle school, when a neighbor buzzed all his hair off during that horrible lice outbreak he’d told Dottie about. He remembered that before he turned 12, before she passed away calmly in her sleep, his Grandma kept his hair rather short, like it had been that summer he’d spent in her care when he was eight. And before that… Eddie didn’t like to remember before that.

Dottie shook the bottle of conditioner until a small blob hit her palm and began weaving her fingers into Gareth’s curls. They were still chatting quietly, their long haired friend hovering in the hallway near the door. Eight years. Eight years since anyone had touched Eddie’s hair, since anyone that wasn’t himself had run a brush through his curls and snapped the damaged ends off with a pair of sharp scissors. He hated getting haircuts from his Grandma - not because she was bad at doing them, but because she always pulled at the knots a little bit too harshly, muttering about how boys with longer hair were unkempt and unruly. And Eddie loved his Grandma so much, and she loved him so much in return, but in those moments there was no denying that she was his father’s mother, and getting haircuts from her only reminded him of Wyatt Munson calling him a faggot because his curls reached the collar of his school shirt before he dropped him off at a cheap salon and returned five hours later, smelling of booze and nicotine and regrets.

Eddie used to feel so guilty whenever he went to the salon. Wyatt would treat him like absolute shit, and then he’d sob quietly in the chair while a middle aged lady told him things like “boys don’t cry” and “it’s just hair, kid, don’t be a brat”, only for Wyatt to return and ask her if she’d turned his little girl into a proper boy. A while back, when Eddie first got his driver’s license, he drove past that salon on his way to Donny’s family restaurant and felt like he’d won the damn lottery when he saw it had been closed for several years. Fuck that place, he’d thought and promptly sped up.

“Hey,” a hand touched his arm, making him jump lightly. “Where’d you go?”

“Sorry,” he said quickly, blinking a few times and focusing on Dottie’s worried face in front of him. “I think I fell asleep for a second.”

“We’re done so… we can go now,” she said, not pushing him for an answer.

She’d seen that face on him before, back when they were arguing about his moldy ceiling, and immediately decided they weren’t going to have this conversation in front of Gareth. The younger boy had a small towel on his head like a nun’s headdress to stop his curls from dripping all over the floor as he gathered his dirty clothes and walked past them towards the laundry room.

“Sorry about all this,” said Gareth, standing under his front door’s frame.

“Wasn’t your fault, man. Sorry you got caught in the crossfire,” Eddie reassured him, waiting for Dottie to finish putting on her sneakers.

“Better me than you.”

“Tell you what, why don’t you pick the movie tomorrow? Anything you want.”

“Anything?” he asked, mischief glinting in his eyes.

“Just… don’t pick anything stupid, okay? The Boogey Man sucked ass.”

“You have no fucking taste,” Gareth complained, rolling his eyes.

“Wait, hold on, are we gonna watch a horror film?” Dottie asked in the direction of the younger boy.

“It’s tradition, we always watch horror movies on our birthdays.”

“Can we not do that this time? You know I hate horror. We can do a thriller, that’s like… horror-adjacent, right?”

“Horror-adjac… Dude,” Gareth turned to Eddie, seeking an ally.

It’s not that Eddie was dying to watch a horror film, he really wasn’t. He was happy to watch whatever most of the time, like when Jeff had insisted on watching Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone for some weird reason and he’d gone along for the ride because, well, any movie was still a movie. Eddie loved stories, the more outlandish the better. He wasn’t about to complain about two hours of mindless entertainment, regardless of the subject of the VHS tape in the player. Caught between his two friends, one who looked at him with exasperation at even suggesting a change of plans and the other one with the cutest goddamned pout and rounded eyes he had ever seen, well, he was only human. If Jesus had stumbled, why wouldn’t he do it too?

“Maybe we can skip the horror this time,” he said.

“Come on, man, don’t let her peer-pressure you!”

“Peer-pressure? God, you’re such a little-”

“Okay, okay, calm down, Jesus,” Eddie lifted his hands, getting between them. “How about this? We do a double feature. You each pick one movie and you can’t complain about what the other one chooses, alright? It’s my birthday, don’t make me uninvite you.”

“But-”

“Take it or leave it, Gareth, it’s my final offer.”

“Fine,” Gareth grumbled.

“Thank you,” Dottie said, still looking apprehensive but not wanting to push the argument further.

This was a tradition she hadn’t been a part of since its inception and she wasn’t going to fight her way in when they were so graciously holding the door open for her. Friends do stuff they don’t enjoy to make other friends happy sometimes, it’s okay. They’d do it for me. I’ll just… suck it up and watch the floor for two hours, she thought as they said their goodbyes and ran under the rain to get to Eddie’s van. He was excitedly going on about the cake Wayne had gotten for him on the way to the trailer, and Dottie couldn’t find it in herself to care about what horrifying movie Gareth was gonna subject her too when Eddie looked so happy to spend his special day with his Uncle and her.

“Wayne, we’re home!” Eddie yelled, trying to put his key in to open his front door.

Dottie was standing very still in front of Eddie, his chest to her back and arms on either side of her while he wrestled with his keys, shielding her from the storm with his body. The copious raindrops falling on them pinged off the leather jacket that was keeping him cozy and dry, soaking his hair that curtained Dottie’s head from above. She was holding both their backpacks against her chest, trying to protect them and their contents from the rain.

“Wayne!” he yelled again, hitting the door twice with his fist.

“Hold on, I’m coming,” the older man replied from the inside, hurrying up to let them in. "Where were you?"

"Got held up at school," said Eddie, guiding Dot in and closing the door quickly behind his back before shedding his wet jacket. "Talked to that teacher I told you about last night. She said I have talent."

"Coulda told you that myself," Wayne smiled at him, pulling his big boy into a hug and patting his back. "Happy birthday, Ed."

"Thanks, Wayne," Eddie melted into his Uncle. They didn't hug often, less so now that he wasn't a little kid anymore, but if you asked him, his Uncle Wayne gave the best hugs in the entire world because whenever he gave you one, he definitely meant it. "Can we have cake now?"

"Get the candles," Wayne jerked his head towards the kitchen where a set of barely used birthday candles were waiting in the bottom drawer ready to grant a new wish.

While Eddie busied himself putting the candles on a small chocolate cake, Dottie cleared the coffee table, setting his gifts on the floor. There were three presents: Chrissy's shiny green bag that had gotten a bit smushed in Eddie's backpack, a thin rectangle in bright blue paper, and a little package smaller than a hand. Wayne added two to the pile wrapped in the same red paper; one looked soft, the other one was a square box. Dottie's funfetti muffin ended up with its own candle next to the cake.

"Light me up, princess," Eddie said, pointing to a BIC lighter that had been abandoned in the coffee table bowl at some point.

"I can't," Dottie admitted, looking embarrassed. "I don't know how to use that kind of lighter, the flick thing scares me."

"The flick thing?"

"You know, the thingy you have to roll with your thumb? That scrapes something inside and sparks up?"

"The sparkwheel?"

"I don't know what it's called!" Eddie held back a grin. "Don't laugh at me, I don't like how close the spark is to the finger. It's a perfectly reasonable fear, I don't want to burn myself!"

"No, yeah, absolutely. You're totally right" he said, fighting a chuckle. God, she's so fucking cute. He reached into a kitchen drawer and retrieved a small matchbox. “Here, use these.”

“The Hideout,” she read aloud on the front of the box. “That’s where you guys play on Tuesdays, right?”

“Yeah, they have a big bowl of these on the bar. I grab a couple every few weeks, haven’t bought real matches in years.”

“Very smart,” she said, lighting the two candles at the same time Wayne found his old camera tucked away in their storage closet.

Eddie knelt in front of the coffee table, closing his eyes with only one wish in mind. Dottie and Wayne sang to him and he smiled, the sudden flash of the camera in his Uncle’s hands painting his eyelids pink for a brief second. His 19th birthday had been tainted with the knowledge that he was going to be held back for the second time in a row. Wayne had taken him to a diner that night; they’d gotten pancakes for dinner and Eddie had cried and apologized for being such a goddamn failure. The eldest Munson had simply let his tears dry before he’d said, very matter-of-factly: I didn’t finish high school, do you think I’m a failure? What’s important is that you keep tryin’ and see things through even if they get hard. Are you a quitter, Ed?

Please, let ‘86 be my year, Eddie thought as hard as he could, sending his prayer to the universe before he opened his eyes and blew both candles out with one single breath. Dottie clapped and hollered, making them laugh. Wayne nudged her side with his elbow, nodding once in his nephew’s direction.

“Come on, you two. Gimme a nice smile,” he lifted the camera again.

Dottie hurried to sit next to Eddie and he didn’t waste a second pulling her to him, cheeks pressed against each other’s. She smiled brightly, the muffin she’d made for him in her hands like a delicate flower, and his arms around her waist, tongue out in a funny face. Wayne committed the memory to film before Dottie lifted herself up onto her knees, making grabby hands at him, Eddie still holding onto her.

“I’ll take one of you two, Mr. Wayne!” she offered.

“How about we take a group picture?” he said, sitting on the couch behind them and turning the camera around.

The two teens huddled up at his feet, his nephew giving him instructions to frame everyone better (“You gotta go higher, Wayne, half your head will be out of the picture!”). After the flash went off, Dottie went to find a knife to cut the cake while Eddie tore into his gifts, starting with Wayne’s packages. He seemed to already know what the soft looking one was, but still ripped the paper with gusto, a childlike glint in his eyes.

Wayne’s gifts had clearly been picked from a thrift shop, but that didn’t damp Eddie’s excitement in the slightest. He thanked his Uncle profusely for his two new shirts and boxy jean shorts for the summer before moving onto the mystery box which turned out to be a thermos flask with a slightly faded Snoopy print.

“No way!” he said, gleefully. “I’ve been trying to get one of these for ages!”

“I know,” Wayne said, proudly. “Heard you yappin’ about it so I asked Loretta to hold one for me if she ever saw them. Said they got a few of them a couple of months ago so I went and snatched one for you.”

“A couple of months ago? Where did you hide it all this time?”

“Under the seat in my truck,” he laughed, and Dottie was reminded once again of how similar the Munson men truly were.

“Gonna start checking down there around Christmas,” Eddie said, narrowing his eyes. He passed the flask to Dottie to examine who traded it for a plate of cake.

“This is really cute, Mr. Wayne. Wish mine was pretty like this one.”

“You got one of these?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah, my Grandpa gave me his old one a few years ago. It looks so ugly, it’s like… plaid? But it keeps water cool in the summer so I can’t really complain. He got it for his fishing trips but he never used it so I got it instead. The perks of being his only grandchild,” she waved her fingers.

“You don’t have cousins?” Wayne asked, digging into his own piece of cake while Eddie picked a new present to open.

“No, both my parents are only children. All my Aunts and Uncles are their friends. I’ve got a big family, but I’m not blood related to any of them.”

“Oh, shit,” Eddie muttered, his attention on the long thin box in his hands.

Chrissy’s gift had turned out to be a red tie. The fabric was soft and silky, slightly shiny, and the tie itself was on the thinner side. There was a simple white card in the bag, it only said “For: Eddie, From: Chrissy” but she’d dotted the I’s with tiny hearts. He caressed the side of the box lightly, staring at it in wonder. He’d never owned a tie, much less one that looked as expensive as this one. When he’d asked Chrissy for advice on what to wear for prom, he’d never imagined she’d take it upon herself to make sure he was presentable. He’d have to figure out a way to make it up to her for her birthday, maybe Dottie would know how to help.

“That’s nice,” Wayne said, craning his neck to see into the box. “That one yours, Dot?”

“No, this one’s Chrissy’s,” she replied.

“Who’s Chrissy?”

“Chrissy Cunningham,” Eddie said, realizing he’d never talked to his Uncle about his most unlikely friend. “We’re in Sociology together.”

Dottie knew he was lying; Eddie only shared Sociology with Jeff but it wasn’t like he could tell Wayne he’d become friends with a cheerleader by selling her weed, could he? She noticed how suspicious his Uncle was by his statement and decided to help him out.

“I’m in World History with her, she’s really kind,” Dottie said, making Eddie look up at her too. “We were talking about Queen when you were with Mrs. Vaughn today, she said she liked my dress.”

“She did?”

“Yeah! She liked the pockets,” she smiled at him. “You gonna wear this for prom?”

“I think that’s why she got it for me,” Eddie chuckled. “I told her we’re all wearing Hellfire colors. Gareth got a red bowtie the other day.”

“I still haven’t found a dress I like or that fits right,” she huffed. “Dad said we’re gonna have to go to Indianapolis, we’ve been to every shop in Hawkins already.”

“A lot of shops closed last year ‘cause of the mall,” Wayne said, clearing up the cake plates. “Never reopened after the fire. Damn shame.”

“Can I open these ones?” Eddie interrupted, excited about the two other presents he had left on the pile.

“Sure!”

“Any special order?”

“No, they’re separate from each other.”

He decided to open the bigger one first, fairly confident about it being a book. He tore the paper to find a hardcover notebook, black with an elastic to keep it closed. It looked fancy, but not particularly special, at least not until he opened it. It was sheet music, 14 five-line staffs on every off-white page, binded and with a pocket on the back. He turned to the first sheet, blank, no lines but with a note written in familiar black ink. For my favorite rockstar, from your darling Dottie. With a little daisy at the end. He stared at it for a minute that never seemed to end and looked up at her, big rounded eyes pushing his eyebrows under his fringe.

“You were talking about wanting to write more songs for Corroded Coffin last week at practice, so I thought you might need a place to keep everything organized,” she explained, voice shy and a little soft.

“Dot, I-”

“Open the other one.”

Wordlessly, he grabbed the small box, instantly recognizing it as a cassette case. He removed the paper, aware that Wayne was watching them from behind the kitchen bar while he brewed some coffee, and turned the transparent case in his hand. 1986 - E&D was written on the front, colorful stickers decorating the plastic. The song list inside only had one entry: Hot Patootie - Meatloaf (RHPS).

“Just one song?” he asked, confused.

“I thought we could fill it up together. See, I wrote 1986 on this one, but we can make a new one for every year we’re friends so when we get old, we can remember what we were doing that year by the songs we chose. Like a musical scrapbook.”

“Fuck, I love you,” Eddie said, launching himself from the floor and tackling her to the carpet, dissolving into giggles as she fought to sit back down.

“Stop- Jesus, Ed- I don’t like tickles, stop!” she pleaded, writhing on the floor like a worm, thankful that she was wearing colorful leggings under her skirt.

“Who doesn’t like tickles?” he lifted himself up onto hands and knees above her, ceasing the attack but still caging her under his body.

“I get nervous if I can’t breathe right,” she explained, hair fanning out like a halo around her head. Eddie felt his knees go weak. “Also, it makes me feel like I’m gonna pee myself and that’s so embarrassing.”

“Okay, gotcha. No tickling,” he pulled them both into a sitting position and smiled, wrapping one arm around her. “Thank you, I love my gifts. And I already know what song I wanna add next to the mixtape.”

“Do tell.”

“Nope,” he shook his head dramatically. “You’ll find out when it’s done.”

“Fine,” she rolled her eyes, turning to where Wayne was watching them, hiding a smile behind his mug.

“Happy birthday, son,” he said, raising his coffee to his mouth, and Eddie thought it might have been the happiest of them all.

After dishes had been washed and the rest of the cake had been put away until a certain birthday boy got the munchies at midnight, Eddie and Dottie decided to sit on the porch just outside his bedroom and leave Wayne to his devices. They lounged side by side on the old ratty couch, him working on his portfolio and her reading Pride and Prejudice out loud in an attempt to get him to finish the last book left in their compulsory reading list before finals week was upon them.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounded families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

“My dear Mr. Bennet,” said his lady to him one day, “have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?”

The heavy rain hitting the tin roof provided the perfect ambiance for Eddie’s limbs to start feeling heavy and his hand to begin missing the lines he was trying to stay between while he shaded his latest piece. He closed his sketchbook and slid it through his open window to keep it dry in the safety of his bedroom, quickly returning to the couch to continue hearing the tales of the Bennet sisters. He laid down on the cushions, legs hanging off the armrest and head comfortably pillowed by Dottie's lap.

“Come, Darcy,” said he, “I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. You had much better dance.”

“I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this, it would be insupportable. Your sisters are engaged, and there is no another woman in the room whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with.”

“I would not be so fastidious as you are,” cried Bingley, “for a kingdom! Upon my honour, I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life as I have this evening; and there are several of them, you see, uncommonly pretty.”

“You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room,” said Mr. Darcy, looking at the eldest Miss Bennet.

What a lovely voice, Eddie thought about Dottie, closing his eyes and letting his impressive imagination create Austen's lavish world behind his eyelids. It wasn't too high-pitched, nor too low, with the cadence of someone who already knows the story they are reading and is aware of where to pause for dramatic effect. This Bingham fellow seems nice. Is this a love triangle-angle?, he wondered. Dottie's voice turned sweet when reading Jane, demure when reading Charlotte, and bratty when reading Lydia. She would be kind when she read Bingham, disdainful when Caroline and solemn when Darcy. But Eddie's favorite so far was her Lizzie voice, which turned sensible and self-assured, yet playful and naïve. He supposed it was because she used her own voice for her most preferred Bennet sister.

“Pride,” observed Mary, who piqued herself upon the solidity of her reflections, “is a very common failing, I believe. By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed, that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or other, real or imaginary. Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves; vanity to what we would have others think of us.”

“If I were as rich as Mr. Darcy,” cried a young Lucas, who came with his sisters, “I should not care how proud I was. I would keep a pack of foxhounds, and drink a bottle of wine every day.”

A page was turned, and Dottie’s hand that had been propped up on her armrest fell onto her lap, where it began playing with Eddie's hair. She had touched it before, albeit briefly, but never had she had the opportunity to absent-mindedly run her fingers through his curls like this. They were so much softer than she had expected. She continued this soothing motion, and Eddie kept his eyes closed, leaving her to wonder if his unusual stillness was due to him falling asleep under her touch. She stopped, not wanting to disturb him when his arm shot up and his hand curled around her wrist.

"Please," he muttered in a broken voice. "Keep going."

Eddie couldn't remember the last time he'd gotten a haircut at a salon, but he also couldn't remember the last time anyone had brushed their fingers through the strands that had grown exponentially since middle school. He couldn't recall anyone helping him wash it, blow drying it for him, pushing it out of his face. And now Dottie was showing him the type of affection and care he'd craved for since before he learned how to tie his own shoes, and the rusty padlock with the missing key was beginning to break with the slightest amount of brute force applied to it.

"Please," Eddie pleaded, and Dottie closed the book, pulling her wrist out of his hand.

"Wait here," she said, moving her thighs so he'd let her get up and promptly disappeared into the trailer.

I've finally done it, he berated himself. I finally scared her off. But she reappeared quickly carrying a cushion and a rounded brush, sitting once again on the ratty couch. She opened her legs and put the cushion on the floor between them, motioning for him to sit down. Eddie complied without questioning it, his shoulders grazing against the colorful nylon leggings that covered her inner thighs while he faced the trailer park currently plunged into darkness by the storm. The first gentle but firm pull of the plastic bristles on his scalp made him shiver. The second one broke the dam.

Dottie brushed his hair in silence, being extra careful when she encountered a knot, undoing it slowly and patiently. Eddie sobbed without fear of judgment, because even though they weren't talking about it, he knew that she understood. How could she not, growing up with a single father who had never once in his life styled long hair before hers began to grow past her shoulders? So she brushed, and he cried, and they let go of yet another invisible weight together. When she put the brush down on the cushions, Eddie expected her to say something to ask him about what was happening. Instead, he felt her fingers running once, twice through the entire length of his hair, parting a small section near the top to his left on the third time. Dottie began braiding the strands into a thin plait, securing it with a small colorful plastic hair tie, the kind Eddie knew she always carried in her bag and had used a couple of times to pull her short curls into low pigtails.

She finished the braid, and moved onto the next one, right below the first one. Dottie wove strand with strand until she had three braids on either side of his head, all thinner than her own pinky. She pulled them back into a ponytail with the rest of his hair and brushed the ends for good measure one more time before dropping her weight on the floor between Eddie and the couch. Her arms curled around his waist, his chest to his back, her hands finding his curled into tight fists on his lap.

“You look like a viking now,” she said, softly.

“Thank you,” he replied, voice frail and small but full of meaning. She leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to the base of his neck, just above his shirt, and he bit back another sob.

“Happy birthday, Ed,” she muttered, lips still pressed to his skin like she wanted to get the words permanently etched into it.

Dottie did not go back to reading out loud and Eddie didn’t fish his sketchbook from his room for the remainder of the evening. They simply sat together on the porch, tangled with one another as usual, and watched the rain fall and heard the thunder rumble until it was time for her to go home. They didn’t say anything about what had happened, but there was no need. Another padlock laid at their feet, and they weren’t afraid of busting them open anymore.

Friday, May 16th - 1986

“Fred? Fred!” Dottie called, pushing the doors to the Hawkins High newspaper room in a hurry. “Fred, are you here?”

“N-no, he’s- he went to see the nurse!” a familiar voice came from under the stairs.

Sitting on the floor and hiding between a few boxes that contained blank bundles of paper, was Nancy Wheeler. Her pretty calf-length pastel rainbow skirt covered her bent legs, concealing her feet from anyone who walked by. She had been crying, brown mascara staining the skin under her eyes but she clearly wasn’t anymore, face dry and eyes only slightly swollen. When she noticed Dottie coming to kneel next to her, she quickly hid the paper she was holding in her cardigan pocket. They didn’t know each other very well yet, were friendly at best, but Dottie knew that Nancy didn’t have many friends in school. She was highly regarded as a good student, on track to being the valedictorian with a bright future ahead but she could be a bit of a loner when she wasn’t being followed around by Fred Benson or another newspaper club member.

Nancy often chose to spend most of her time in the library studying or working on something for The Weekly Streak, building her journalism portfolio to parade around in search of internships when she left Hawkins for college in Boston. Dottie wasn’t one to gossip with anyone that wasn’t named Gareth Coleman, but Fred liked to talk. On one occasion when the junior was assisting Dottie with an urgent task, he’d babbled on and on about Nancy, her late friend Barb, the fact that she’d been considered Hawkins royalty for a period of time while she dated some popular guy who was captain of the swimming team, and how she’d dumped him rather publicly at a Halloween party and gotten together with known weirdo Jonathan Byers. She tried to steer Fred away from the topic at the time, but he was undeterred: it was clear the boy held some sort of candle for the pretty senior, and who was Dottie to tell him to snuff it out? She’d only known them for less than a month. Still, with the knowledge that Nancy was a bit of an outcast after the tragic death of her best friend, and coupled with the fact that she was Mike’s sister, Dottie couldn’t pretend like she hadn’t seen her distress.

“You okay?” she asked, giving her editor-in-chief enough room to answer however she wanted.

“Yeah, it’s… it’s nothing,” Nancy rolled her shiny blue eyes, waving a hand around. “Everything’s fine.”

“I was dropping by to leave these for Fred,” Dottie explained, showing her the stack of papers she was holding. “Is he okay?”

“Yes, he was just complaining about a headache. Nothing serious.”

“Good, okay. I’ll leave this on his station and we can go get a soda. Would that be alright?”

“You want to get a soda with me?” Nancy said, a soft smile gracing her lips.

“Of course! We can share M&Ms if you want too. I’ve known you for a month and all I know about you is that you’re going to Emerson and that Dustin thinks you’re a badass.”

“He called me badass?” she laughed, getting to her feet and wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

“God, the kid loves you. Mike says he had a crush on you when they were younger.”

“Ugh, he did,” Nancy said, remembering the moment fondly. “Dustin is probably my favorite out of all my brother’s friends.”

“He’s so nice. His Mom did a great job with him.”

“Have you met Claudia? She’s quite the character,” she confided as the two girls climbed up the stairs and headed into the empty hallways side by side.

Nancy was funny. That was something Dottie hadn’t been expecting. She was polite and reserved, yes, but funny in the way people who notice things others don’t are. She carried their conversation well, asked Dottie questions to get to know her better while she answered the ones directed at her with ease. Her favorite color was pink, she liked all her classes except Math, was really excited about the release of Top Gun and was going to go see it with her Mom, Karen. She preferred Sprite to Coca-Cola, and in her opinion, the best M&Ms were the red ones, even though they all tasted the same. They sat on a bench just outside the cafeteria and talked about trivial things until they ran out of topics to explore.

“I wish we would have done this earlier,” Dottie said, popping a green candy into her mouth. “You’re really cool, Nance.”

“Thanks,” she said, chuckling shyly. “I think you might be collecting Wheeler siblings at this point. Should I let my Mom know you’re available to babysit Holly?”

“I actually have a lot of experience with babysitting. Give me until finals are done and if you need me, I’m there.”

“Speaking of babysitting, Mike mentioned you’re tutoring Eddie Munson.”

“I’m not really tutoring him, just… helping him keep his focus. We’re good friends.”

“I know. Mike,” Nancy said, like that explained everything and it actually did. “Actually, he… he mentioned you gave him advice a few times. About his girlfriend?”

“Yeah, I remember. Why are teenage boys so scared of their own feelings?”

“Tell me about it,” she scoffed, but immediately turned shy and rigid. “Could you… would it be okay if I asked you for advice too? It’s just- you are impartial in this situation and I think that’s what I need right now.”

“Sure, how can I help?” Dottie turned to her.

Nancy explained that she’d gotten a letter from her boyfriend, Jonathan. Ex-boyfriend, actually, but neither of them were good at the ex part. They had had a big argument over the phone after Spring break when post California-visit, Mike had accidentally let it slip that Jonathan didn’t want to go to Emerson with Nancy and had chosen community school instead. She hadn’t been upset about him changing his plans, but it definitely had hurt to know he’d been lying to her all this time, telling her he’d applied when he hadn’t, stringing her along for months on end. Dottie listened to Nancy retelling how she’d broken up with him, worried about if there were maybe other things he’d been hiding from her, and how Jonathan hadn’t tried to argue back once. He’d called two weeks later from a payphone outside the pizza parlor his new best friend worked at, high off his mind, crying and begging for her to take him back. Nancy had firmly said no, but that she was willing to talk more when he wasn’t on drugs.

This had happened mid-April, and Jonathan hadn’t called since. Instead, a letter addressed to Nancy had arrived that same Friday - four full pages of him not exactly asking for forgiveness, but explaining his reasoning in regards to his lies. Nancy didn’t share all the details, but the essential part was that as the eldest son of a single parent, he felt a sense of duty towards his siblings and didn’t want to move away so soon after they started high school in a new town where they had virtually to no friends and were getting bullied just for daring to exist. She did mention that his new sister Jane, Mike’s girlfriend, was still dealing with the loss of her adoptive father, so that situation on top of the move wasn’t helping in the slightest.

“I just don’t know what to do,” Nancy said, at the end of her long monologue. “If he’d told me all of this before, I would have understood him. He’s right, they are all having a hard time but did he have to lie about it for an entire year?”

“I think both sides are valid,” Dottie said, offering her the last candy in the package. “He’s not wrong for wanting to help his Mom and his siblings out, but he went about it in a really shitty way and you’re allowed to feel betrayed by it.”

“Am I?”

“Yes! Nancy, he lied to you! It was with the best of intentions, but he still lied. If you feel like that’s a hard limit in your relationship, you should tell him that, and he should respect it. And you. He should always respect you.”

“He does, he’s… I love him.”

“You can love someone and be upset with them at the same time. Just tell him how you feel instead of avoiding each other because you don’t want to get into a fight. Trust your instincts on this one.”

“You’re right. I’m gonna call him this weekend, and if we’re done, we’re done, but at least we handled it like adults.”

“That’s the spirit!” Dottie cheered her on. “Everything will turn out okay, I have faith in you both.”

“Thank you,” Nancy said, smiling. “I really needed the pep talk.”

“Anytime. I gotta run now, but I liked hanging out with you.”

“Me too. It’s been a while since I’ve done the whole… girl talk thing.”

“Can’t imagine Mike being into that, no,” Dottie said, and Nancy laughed. “See you on Monday?”

“Yes. Monday. Good luck with Hellfire!”

“Good luck with Jonathan. Fight for your love, girl!” she declared dramatically while she sped away.

Nancy watched her go with a curious smile on her face. She’d have to keep an eye on Dorothy Burke from now on, but that could wait. It was Friday, Fred might be down for the count, and she had a newspaper edition to perfect before Monday morning.

Dottie had been to Family Video only twice since moving to Hawkins, once with her Dad and once with the boys, both times during a weekend. When Donny pulled into the parking lot that Friday night after Hellfire, she was fully expecting to see the same greasy dude that smelled like Cheetos she’d seen the last two times but saw instead a pretty tall girl that had her eyes glued to a black and white movie playing on the overhead TV. Gareth immediately ran to the horror section in search for the first part of their double feature, and Dottie approached the girl timidly while Donny smoked outside, waiting for Eddie and Jeff to arrive with warm pizza and fresh ice cream.

“Hi, welcome to Family Video, how can I help you?” the taller girl smiled with tired eyes, the kind you only got if you worked retail.

“Hi! I wanted to rent The Rocky Horror Picture Show if you have it?”

“Yeah, of course, follow me,” she said, lifting the counter and guiding her towards the Musicals section. Another boy was restocking shelves labeled as Comedy next to them.

“Hi there,” he said, waving a VHS case in the air.

“Hi,” Dottie said and turned to where the girl was moving movies around, a frown on her face. “Did someone else beat me to it?”

“No, no, I know it’s here… Just can’t figure out where I put it.”

“What are you looking for?” the boy said, coming to stand above the girl, craning his neck to see the stands.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The cover’s a mouth with red lips.”

“Oh, yeah, I moved it to the Horror section,” he said, brows bunching in the middle.

“Why did you move it? It’s a musical, dingus.”

“How would I know? It says horror in the title!”

“God, you’re hopeless,” the girl shook her head, and Dottie snorted at their antics.

They bickered all the way to the Horror section, Gareth looking up with a confused expression at the scene in front of him. The tall girl moved around him with ease, finding instantly what she was looking for.

“Here you go, sorry about that,” she said, giving the VHS to Dottie.

“You picked a horror movie?” Gareth asked.

“No, it’s a musical.”

“We’re not watching a musical.”

“Why not? It’s really fun, it’s about-”

“Dot, we’re not watching lovey-dovey bullshit on movie night. Come on, pick something else.”

“No!” Dottie put her foot down. “Eddie said we both got one pick and we couldn’t complain about what the other person chose. Jeff hasn’t seen Rocky Horror and I want him to know where Hot Patootie comes from if he’s gonna be singing it for me every week!”

“It’s from a musical? Eddie said it was a Meatloaf song!”

“It is!” the tall girl interrupted with a bright smile. “Meatloaf plays Eddie in it, it’s his only song in the whole movie but it’s a classic.”

“You’ve seen it?” Dottie asked, eyes lighting up at the discovery of a kindred spirit.

“Y-yeah, it’s really good. I love how it constantly breaks the fourth wall, I mean, talking to the audience through a narrator must be one of the most well known resources in theater but it must be so fun to experience in the stage show-”

“Oh my god, yes!” Dottie interrupted her, turning her entire body to face her newest friend. “The stage show is so cool, I saw it twice at, like, the shittiest community theater ever but they killed it every single time. The material is just so good!”

“You saw it live? Where?”

“New York, I used to live there.”

“That’s so cool,” the girl said, her eyes wide.

“Okay, so maybe you two can have your own movie night and watch your girly musical together,” Gareth said, getting back to the topic. “-but we’re not gonna watch that tonight. Birthdays are for horror movies.”

“It says horror in the title, dude,” the other boy said, making Dottie chuckle. Gareth looked at her like she was betraying him.

“Come on, it’s really not bad. You’re gonna like it, I promise. There’s… there’s sex and boobies in it!”

A tense silence spread through Family Video, Dottie painfully aware that she had said something extremely weird in front of people she didn’t know. It was okay that she was using the tantalizing idea of breasts to lure Gareth into saying yes to her movie choice, but she didn’t need to make it so damn obvious she was excited about the prospect of seeing them too. The taller girl was staring at her with a wild blush spreading from her chest up to her ears, but perhaps the other boy’s reactions were much more disconcerting. He lifted his eyebrows in surprise, stared at the back of his friend’s head, and then turned to Dottie with a huge grin on his face.

“If you don’t rent this movie, I will. We’re definitely watching it tonight, right, Rob?” he said, and the girl began giggling, her face in her hands.

“You’re such an idiot, Steve,” she gritted out through her laughter.

“Really, man, you’re a dumbass if you miss some boobs because you don’t wanna watch a musical with friends.”

“You’re gonna like it, G, I swear. It was made for the freaks,” Dottie insisted, sharing a grateful smile with the boy who was now known as Steve.

“Ugh, okay, fine! But if you’re picking a dumb musical, I can pick whatever I want and you can’t say no because you’re scared.”

“Those were the rules, we don’t complain about each other’s picks.”

“Not even if I pick The Exorcist?”

“Well… No, it’s- it’s okay. You can pick whatever you want,” she said, but looked very daunted by the idea.

“You sure?”

“She said yes, man,” Steve said, putting his hands on his hips like a suburban dad. “Are you gonna rent these two or do you want one more? You can rent up to three every time.”

“Two’s okay, thank you, Steve,” Dottie said, grabbing The Exorcist off the shelf and taking both VHS cases to the counter.

The four of them moved to the main area and Steve busied himself checking them out, asking Gareth for his information to enter into the computer. Dottie was distracted while she looked at the small selection of candy they offered, the tall girl following her movement with her eyes. She knew she’d seen her before, probably at school but who was she? She mentioned she lived in New York…

“You’re Dorothy, right?” she said suddenly.

“How did you know?”

“People used to talk about you a lot back in January. Then you kinda dropped off everyone’s radar.”

“Yeah,” she grimaced. “Kinda joined the outcasts so…”

“I’m in band, I get it.”

“What do you play?”

“Trumpet. Been playing for twelve years.”

“Wow, that’s impressive,” Dottie said, thinking that she hadn’t done anything in her life with that kind of consistency. “It’s really nice to meet you, Robin.”

“Wha- oh. Oh! My tag!” Robin laughed at herself, looking down at the pins on her vest. “You know, I heard there’s a place in Indy where they do Rocky Horror showings once a month if you ever want to go. I don’t drive b-but I bet Steve can take us.”

“That sounds great, yeah! Is he cool with, y’know, nudity and stuff?”

“Oh, yeah. Absolutely! He doesn’t mind. He’s cool. Yeah, Steve’s… really cool.”

“Aw, you actually love me,” Steve said, giving away the fact that he’d been eavesdropping, and Robin hit him with a magazine.

“You two are really cute,” Dottie said, smiling at them. “How long have you been together?”

“We’re not-”

“Ew, that’s not-”

“We’re friends,” said Steve.

“Best friends,” added Robin.

“Strictly platonic.”

“With a capital P.”

“Oh. Well, I guess retail bonds you forever,” Dottie laughed, and Steve chuckled.

“You have no idea,” he said, looking over at Robin with a knowing expression.

“Okay, can you stop flirting with King Steve now? You’re grossing me out,” Gareth deadpanned, making Dottie frown.

“I’m not- I’m sorry, I wasn’t-”

“It’s cool. We’re all friends here,” Steve said. “Enjoy your movie night!”

“Thank you, bye! Bye, Robin,” she waved at the girl, who waved back before Dottie grabbed Gareth’s arm and pulled him towards the door. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“Ow, you’re hurting me,” Gareth said, when she shoved him outside, Donny holding the door open for them.

“Don’t know what you did, but you probably deserved it,” he said, letting the door close behind them, muffling their voices from inside the store.

Steve and Robin watched them get into Donny’s car and pull out behind a beat up brown Chevy van, both vehicles disappearing down the road together. When the tail lights were no longer able to be seen, they turned to each other with curious expressions.

“Was she-” Robin asked.

“I think she was, yeah.”

“Huh.”

“What did I tell you?” Steve said, going back to where he had been restocking before all the commotion. “Boobies.”

“Stop saying boobies!”

When Dottie asked to sit next to him to watch The Exorcist, Eddie imagined a scenario where she’d be a little bit scared and seek him out for comfort. After all, cuddling on a couch wasn’t something they’d never done before, blurring the line between friendly touches and something more every day that went by. She suggested eating first, putting the movie in later, and no one complained about the request, eager to stuff their faces after a long day of school and extracurriculars on top. Jeff’s basement was a cozy hangout spot with a door that led to a side entrance, perfect for sneaking out for a smoke between his mother’s carefully manicured rose bushes. The tan carpet and wooden walls were welcoming, if not slightly tacky, and the space had been filled in with a big couch and two armchairs, a huge TV where Jeff’s dad liked to watch football, and a great sound system that had probably been top-of-the-line ten years prior. They gotten their fill of cheese and soda, Whitesnake and Black Sabbath playing in the background, and then retreated to their seats for the movie: Eddie, Dottie, and Jeff on the couch, Donny to Jeff’s left as far away from the TV as he could sit, and Gareth on the remaining Lay-Z-Boy to Eddie’s right, bowl of popcorn for himself on his lap.

As soon as the movie started, it was clear Eddie’s expectations had been sorely mistaken. Dottie started stiff as a board between the two boys, slowly sinking into the couch as the minutes ticked, head hidden behind her knees. Jeff had a bit of success in getting her to relax when he attempted to tell her every time it was safe to look up, but after a miscalculation of the length of a scene involving various medical procedures, her eyes never went beyond the coffee table again. Gareth and Donny’s constant commentary helped ease the uncomfortable air in the room, but it was clear to Eddie that Dottie was not enjoying this situation one bit. Forgoing any ideas of romance, he pulled her into his side, letting her bury her head into his shirt as she tried to ignore the sounds coming from the TV while Regan thrashed on a hospital bed calling for her mother.

Donny looked at Eddie pointedly during a quiet moment, but he pretended not to see it, choosing instead to rub big circles on Dottie’s back in an attempt to calm down her heart rate, beating wildly against the side of his chest like it was trying to get out of her body. Progressively through the 122 minutes that the movie lasted, she pressed more and more of herself against Eddie trying to shield herself from the horrors on the screen, and truthfully, if he hadn’t been so distracted trying to comfort her, he would have been terrified too. By the time Regan was gilding down the stairs on all fours, Jeff was covering half his face with a decorative pillow. When she began hurting herself with a crucifix, even Donny who had been somewhat unaffected until that moment let out a perturbed “Jesus Christ”. By the time the actual exorcism had began, Donny looked like he desperately needed a cig, Jeff was threatening to throw up if Regan threw up again, and Dottie was shaking so much that Eddie straight up manhandled her into his lap like a child and covered the ear that wasn’t pressed up against his chest with his own hand. Credits rolled, and Gareth was the only one that moved out of his chair to stretch and turn on the lights, face pallid when he saw the angry faces of his friends.

“Uh…”

“Are you fucking serious, Gareth?” Donny said in disbelief, knees cracking with the sudden movement of standing up after two hours. “That shit was so fucked up!”

“Please don’t fight,” Jeff said tiredly, letting his pillow drop to the floor.

“Oh, I’m fighting,” Donny doubled down. “Look at Dot! You know she hates horror movies and you get this one? Couldn’t you get fucking Gremlins instead?”

“It’s not that scary, it’s so obvious everything’s totally fake! You can see the tube stuck to her head when she throws up!”

“That was so fucking gross,” Jeff added, still looking a little green himself.

“It’s okay-” Dottie began, wiping under her eyes with the sleeve of her red cardigan, but Donny interrupted her again.

“This is what you were giving her shit for in the video store?”

“Okay, shit- I get it. I fucked up,” Gareth lifted his hands. “I honestly didn’t think it was that scary the first time I saw it.”

“Man, you need to see a shrink if that shit didn’t scare you,” Eddie said, no longer all cozied up to Dottie, but still keeping one arm around her for support.

“I’m sorry,” Gareth looked at Dot, who was the most affected out of his friends. “Didn’t mean to make you feel like ass for two hours. I thought we’d have fun with it.”

“You’re mean, and I hate you, but it’s okay,” she said, grumpily pouting but lifting her arms to ask him for a hug which he immediately gave her. “Just don’t do it again. And you have to go with me to the bathroom now because I’m gonna pee myself and I don’t wanna be in there alone.”

“I’ll hold your hand while you pee, you big wuss.”

Gareth and Dottie climbed up the stairs, him cracking the stupidest jokes to get her to relax while Jeff busied himself going to grab the ice cream so everyone could cool down before the second movie. Donny got his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and nodded at Eddie to follow him outside. They pressed their backs to the cold brick, the lights spilling out from the glass panel on the door illuminating their faces with warm yellow tones. They smoked for a few minutes in silence, looking out onto the fenced-in backyard.

“That shit was wild,” Donny said. "Can't believe they made a twelve-year-old pretend to stab her own pussy with a fucking cross."

"You think that actress was really 12?" Eddie mused.

"Well, she looked like it."

"Yeah, but... maybe she was like 16 and just looks really small? Dunno, but that was crazy. Was she really telling that priest to fuck that other priest?"

"Yeah," Donny chuckled, throwing a bit of ash to the ground. "Saw you, by the way."

"Saw me?"

"You two. Dottie sitting on your lap."

"Oh, fuck off," Eddie scoffed.

"I'm not saying anything weird was happening. Just that I saw you."

"She was terrified, man. Never seen her shake like that, and I've seen her scared before," the eldest said, bitterly.

"Yeah?"

"I'm telling you, I could feel her fucking heartbeat and that shit didn’t feel healthy. She's gonna sleep with her lights on for a week."

"Shit. Didn't realize it was that bad or I would have said something. Honestly thought she was playing it up a little bit, getting cozy with you."

"Nah, she's not like that."

"How do you know?" Eddie shrugged, and Donny narrowed his eyes. "What's been going with you two lately? You're like, attached at the hip."

Eddie took his time to answer, letting the smoke in his lungs leave his body slowly, savoring the peace and quiet of the Friday night. Donny had been his first friend in the group, and if anyone deserved honesty after showing him so much loyalty, it was him. Maybe he'd have valuable insight to share with him in return.

"I'm whipped, Don. That's what's going on," Eddie said.

"Tell me something I don't know, dude."

"Is it that obvious?"

"To me, yes. I don't think the others have noticed yet."

"Yeah, well, it's bad. Like really, really bad. Like I'm one more pout away from dropping on one knee and asking her to be the new Mrs. Munson bad."

"Jesus."

"Yup."

"So it's not just a crush? Are you, like, seriously in love with her?"

"I'm gonna go to prom and wear a tie for her. Take a wild fucking guess."

Donny stared at Eddie for a few seconds before smiling and shaking his head. The long haired boy lifted an eyebrow, questioning.

"Why haven't you asked her out yet?"

"I don't deserve her."

"Ed-"

"I just don't want to drag her down, y'know? She has all these plans, she’s gonna go to college, do cool stuff. I want to ask her when I have something real to offer. After graduation, once I get a job."

"Eddie, has it ever occurred to you that she really fucking likes you right now? You know, without all that extra shit?"

"I know she does."

"You do?" Donny looked at him like he'd grown two heads.

"I'm stupid, not blind. Dunno when she started to like me but yeah, I know she does."

"When did you figure it out?"

"We spent Mother's Day together."

"Oh."

"That's when I realized, damn, she must really like me to spend such a big day like this with me. And then her Dad gave me a manly talk so I just kinda put two and two together."

"Does she know you know?"

"I don't know if she even knows herself. She was telling me the other day that it's stupid boys and girls can't be friends without people reading too much into it. Maybe she’s in denial. I was.

“You were?”

“For like two days, yeah,” Eddie admitted.

"I'll ask Gareth about it. I bet he knows."

"You think?"

"They act like siblings all the time, if someone knows, it's him," Donny assured him, putting his cig out against the brick wall. "Hurry up though, she might get tired of waiting."

"Just a couple more weeks. Until I know if I graduate or not. It's the bare fucking minimum but she deserves it."

"Alright. I'm rooting for you, man. Go make me proud."

"Thanks, dude."

They returned to the basement after their smoke break, Donny giving him an encouraging pat on the shoulder when they saw Dottie and Jeff back on the couch, heads together over a big tub of vanilla ice cream. Gareth was sitting on the floor in front of them scooping chocolate into a bowl that already had strawberry and vanilla in it. She was explaining the basics of the movie they were about to watch, warning them that things weren’t what they seemed and that it was about to get weird. Jeff looked terribly excited about the prospect of some lighthearted fun, and whatever talk Gareth and Dottie had had while they were in the bathroom (he’d apologized again while he stood in a corner, back to her and his eyes closed for good measure while she peed) had left him equally curious. The boy heard the words “boobs” and “murder” and decided he was all in for the experience.

Once everyone was back in their seats and had a cold treat in their hands to enjoy during the movie, lights went off and bright red lips filled the screen. Michael Rennie was ill the day the Earth stood still, but he told us… where we stand, Dottie mouthed following the lyrics, spoon resting on her lower lip. It was a complete 180 from the previous feature, her eyes now glued to the moving images, only rousing from her hypnosis to fill her spoon with more ice cream when Jeff prompted her to do so. She encouraged the boys to participate, instructing them to say “Janet” or “Oh, Brad” in a bored tone along with Riff Raff and Magenta during Dammit Janet or teaching them the steps to The Time Warp. Donny and Jeff, ever the performers, immediately jumped to action when Hot Patootie - Bless My Soul began, and Eddie twirled Dottie around proving himself to be quite the capable dancer when he put effort into it. Even Gareth got into the festivities when the pickaxe came out.

“Okay, that was awesome,” Jeff said while the credits were still rolling. “Didn’t know musicals could be, y’know, not Grease.”

“Take that back, Grease is legit,” Donny threatened him with his spoon.

“Less boobs than I was promised but still pretty good,” laughed Gareth, and Dottie chucked a pillow at his head.

“Looks like movie night is a success all thanks to Dot,” Eddie said, grinning at the girl that couldn’t sing for shit, but still knew all the lyrics to every beat of the musical. “Gareth, you’re banned from picking movies for a month.”

“I’ll take it,” he shrugged.

“Are there more musicals like this?” Jeff asked, and Eddie could see Dottie’s eyes glinting in the darkness.

“Well, there’s one about a demon barber…”

Eddie’s 20th birthday had been nothing like he was used to, but as he sat in Jeff’s brown-looking basement, his crush resting her weight against his shoulder as she animatedly explained to their friends the plot of Sweeney Tood: The Demon Barber of Fleet… Street, his spoon full of strawberry ice cream, and a pre-rolled joint in his backpack they were definitely going to sneakily smoke in the back of his van at some point during the night, he felt truly lucky for the first time in years. Everything was going to change for them in a few weeks, but Eddie really hoped that his 21st birthday would be as happy, if not more, as his 20th had been.

taglist (comment below or shoot me a dm if you want to be added!): @munsonology @kurdtbean

[mousyjay]

Sympathy Kiss Review

I’m finally playing Sympathy Kiss, I bought it about a week after it came out but didn’t end up playing it right away. But I’m excited to get started, from what I know it’s an office romance and more slice of life. Which honestly I’m stoked for, I’ve really been in a slice of life mood lately, so I’m excited for a more grounded game (hopefully). Not to mention I just started my corporate job, so I can fully immerse myself in the game. When she describes her daily routine, that’s me right now, only enough time to really work and the bare minimum of life (eating, chores, hygiene, and sleeping).

My initial thoughts after playing the prologue, is that it was much shorter than many of the others I’ve done. Cafe Enchante, and Bustafellows had VERY long common routes. So this shorter one was a welcome change of pace. I like the art style and how there’s animated bits, plus I love the looking over the shoulder sprites, it feels very dynamic. One thing I’m not sure how to feel about, is that MC doesn’t actually have dialogue. So it feels like this game is heavily catering towards people that self-insert (which I do), since you can change her first and last name, she doesn’t have a sprite, and even to the extent she doesn’t have real dialogue. Which I’m not sure how to feel about, especially after playing so many games with MCs that have very defined personalities. Maybe it’ll be different once in a route, and maybe I’ll like it after a bit, but it’s definitely throwing me off that I don’t actually know word-for-word what she’s saying.

Just off of the intro I think I’m most drawn to Mistuki, Kohei, Nori, and Rokuro. Mistuki reminds me of Mineo from CxM, just very outgoing and bubbly, low-key puppy vibes. Kohei has probably my favorite out of looks, although I think Nori is a close second. Rokuro I’m mainly interested in because he reminds me of a cowboy lmao, he wears a bolo tie and rides horses, I know the girls say “prince type” but to me (as a Texan) it screams cowboy and that intrigues me. Overall pretty excited to play, although I’m still not 100% sure on what to except lol.

Mitsuki Saotome

Up first is Mitsuki for two reasons, first being as I previously mentioned he’s caught my attention, second he was the first guy I met in game. Like I said, he gives me similar vibes to Mineo, so I think I’ll enjoy his route. He just seems so upbeat, a little eccentric, and kind of puppy-like. I also tend to like LIs who are close in age to MC/me, and he’s about my age and only a year older than MC. The prologue being short means I don’t have much else to say, but I think it’ll be fun.

Honestly after playing I really don’t know how to feel. I think the game is pretty easy to play, and it’s pretty short (probably the same length as a Voltage game). But I just kinda felt like something was lacking, I’m not sure if it just because I ended up not liking Mitsuki that much or what. I thought I’d really like him, but he was just okay. I didn’t really have any moments where I was giddy or felt anything really. I think the MC having no dialogue is making it really hard for me to get invested. I also feel like the writing just isn’t the best, like some scenes it’s really good, but others I just feel like I couldn’t get into it. But maybe it really is just that Mitsuki wasn’t the best fit for me. I really want to like this game, so I hope I like the next route, but this one just didn’t do it for me.

Yoji Kobase

I’ve decided to do Kobase next mainly because I’m kinda of unsure how I’ll feel about him. I kind of think his route will be fun, although I’m not sure if he’s my usual type. I think from what I’ve seen of him he seems to at least be a considerate and kind person so hopefully his route will be a nice change of pace from the first one I played. Also I know all the guys in this game are shiny and have extra-shiny lips, but his in particular keep catching my eye 😅 so idk what that says about my subconscious, but he’s got very glossy lips I can’t look away from lol.

Okay, so thankfully I actually really enjoyed this route! I think it was super interesting and much more fun to play than Mitsuki’s route. Yoji is your classic serious guy, with a heart of gold. He’s just a very sweet and considerate person, very reliable and loyal. This route also had a semi forced proximity trope which is nice. I also enjoyed the plot of this route a lot more. Overall it was very good, and gives me hope to play the rest of the game.

Kohei Minato

Next on the list is Kohei. I really like him looks wise, and from the prologue he seems to be a kind person. He’s definitely more reserved and quiet, but I think he’s one of those characters that just takes time to open up to others. He’s probably the kind of tsundere I like, kind of like Ryuki from Cupid Parasite, where he’s not excessively mean he’s just passionate and reserved. So I’m looking forward to his route, hopefully they do him justice and it’s not boring like Mitsuki’s was.

Kohei, my beloved 🥹💕. This route was so up my alley, oml. I think I really related to Kohei’s character in a lot of ways, like the way he loves and wants to support his family. Not to mention I also have a very large age gap with my two youngest siblings so I could relate to his relationship with his. I think my initial thoughts were kind of correct, but he also really reminded me of parts of 707’s route, where it’s very self-deprecating and he tries pushing her away. I feel like him and 707 share a lot of character traits in that aspect and how they care and protect their families. But honestly this route had a lot of stuff I’m a sucker for. Not to expose myself too much, although I’ve mentioned these in past reviews, but I love that he’s a little possessive, I love the teasing, it had a scene where he licked her wound, plus he’s into biting, I mean really say less, matches my freak ngl. I also enjoyed the plot for this one, and I liked getting to see his family and their dynamics. I think the ending was also good, I’m glad they didn’t totally force him to forgive his dad, because I know in other games I’ve played that’s been a problem, but I know it’s partially a cultural thing. But overall I really loved this route, and Kohei is definitely my favorite by far right now!

Shuya Usui

To be completely honest, I think is the route I’m looking forward to least out of all the main route. I just really don’t like the older characters or ones with large age gaps, typically. Which is twofold, one I’m in my 20s and I’ve never really been super into older guys, secondly I feel like most “older guy” routes make it really weird. Like instead of making the age gap feeling like it’s not a big deal, it’s usually all both people think about which weirds me out. There was also a whole scene in Kohei’s route where Usui talks about how young Kohei seems to him, and Kohei is two years older than, MC so I just do not like it. Plus looks wise he’s not my favorite. I really worry this is just going to be like a non-supernatural version of Rindo’s route 😣.

Okay, as I suspected, this was not the route for me. I’m so sorry, but I’m not a DILF girlie. Sure, there are attractive older guys, but I’ve never been romantically drawn to older guys 😅. Not to mention Usui is 45 years old. 45. The MC is 23. Yes, they are both consenting adults, but I’m 23 and my mom is 45. That’s literally all I could think, he could actually be her dad. To make it worse the age gap was THE MAIN CONFLICT. Like their age gap was the focus of the game. Like I already don’t like large age gaps, but I especially don’t like when the older person constantly talks about how young and naive the younger one is, and how inappropriate it is. Because if you think she’s not mature, or is too young for you, THEN DONT DATE HER, LIKE WHAT?!?! I just hated this one, it was not for me. I really like him as a mentor supporting character, but as a LI I cannot get behind this relationship. I will say I did kind of like the ending, but I was definitely speed reading it at that point because I just wanted to be done 😭. So sorry, if you love Usui, or want a DILF, go for it, but I just can’t, so sorry.

Nori Tainaka

So I took about a week off playing this game so that I could crochet my (irl) husband a birthday gift. Plus, after that last route I just needed a little break lol. But I’m back and excited to play!

Up next is Nori! I’m very excited for Nori’s route, he’s so cute. I love his hair, beauty mark, piercings, and his tattoo. He seems really sweet, plus I personally love the house husband trope. I think if I played this game blind, I probably would have gotten him first, solely because I’d feel bad leaving him alone 😅. But I think his route will be very interesting and I’m very excited to learn more about his past.

Oml 😭 I love him💕. Genuinely he is so cute and so sweet. I absolutely adore him so much. Like he’s such a puppy, it kind of reminds me of my husband is some ways. I think this route was one where I love him, but MC made me sooo mad at times. Like she should treat him better lol. Like he can do no wrong. Nori is perfect. The world has wronged him, but he’s an angel who deserves better. I don’t think the plot for his route was as strong, but my love and adoration for him kept me going 💕💕💕💕. Genuinely not sure if I love Nori or Kohei more, they are both tied in my heart rn.

Rokuro Yoshioka

I’ve said it before and it’ll say it again, they may call him a prince, but to me he’s more like a cowboy. He wears a bolo tie and rides horses, that’s some western country boy energy lol. I think his route will be fun, I hope there’s the trope where everyone sees him as a prince, but in reality he’s the opposite (but hopefully not mean since I don’t usually like that). I also hope the horse and horse riding plays a role in the story. I think this one has a lot of great potential!

Shut up 😭 why was this route so cute. This literally had me kicking my feet and squealing. I’m so sorry to my other boys, but I think Rokuro just shot up to my favorite so far. He’s just such a sweeting and such a genuine and kind person. He also gets blushy so easily, and him and MC have such a sweet and wholesome relationship. He’s also maybe the first guy that actually respected her wishes and boundaries. Oml I literally love him so much 🥹💕. His route has some tropes I didn’t love, but I think it did it in a way that it was still fun to play. Honestly some of his route reminds me a lot of Ray from Empherial, although he’s a lot nicer than Ray lol. But yeah, I adored this route! Super cute!

***SPOILERS AHEAD - SECRET ROUTES***

Oops, I stopped playing for like a month 😅 I had full intentions of playing it sooner, but I started streaming again, had my birthday, and overall life got crazy. Plus Otome games are just one of my hobby and I was reading and crocheting more lately, so it kind of fell to the way side. But now I’m going to finish it! Secret Routes here we go!

I already know who the two guys are going to be. It’s pretty obvious from the prologue and other routes. One will be YOFY the program guy who is most likely also Rokuro’s younger brother. And the other, will be Higa, Rokuro’s co-worker. With that said, let’s play secret route 1!

Secret Route 1 (YOFY/Soh Yoshioka)

I was pretty excited going into this route, since I liked his brother’s route a lot. Plus mysterious programmers are always fun. But I’m definitely glad I had a break between him in his brother, because otherwise I’d feel a little weird about going from one to the next so soon lol.

Not going to lie, I have no idea how to feel about this route. I really liked YOFY as a character, he’s very cute and I don’t mind the “younger guy”/ “little brother” love interests. I think the story was engaging and fast paced (as well as actually being shorter). But *spoiler alert*, he’s kind of a yandere. Which don’t get me wrong, I LOVE yanderes. I think they are super fun, and I love exploring the unhealthy obsession and possessiveness of yanderes in a fictional setting. But I think it just feels so jarring because his route is shorter, and it all happens in the last chapter, so there’s not enough time to really resolve things naturally. Plus with this game being more slice of life, it feels kind of out of place. I think honestly, I would have enjoyed it more if his route was longer and they made him a main route, not bonus route. Also I think seeing the younger guy/cutesy guy he a yandere is a more interesting approach, I personally haven’t seen done very often (other than Yandere Yoosung). I think I did enjoy the route, but I just wish it was longer so it could have been even better. As a character I really love YOFY.

Secret Route 2 (Tsukihiko Higa)

To be honest, going in I wasn’t sure what I’d think. Higa seemed pretty nice the few times we see him. And he kind of looks like an older version of Makoto from Free. Going into now, I’m quite excited as it seems he has a kid, which is totally new to me. Not only that, but I’m definitely a pretty maternal person, I love kids, and want to be a mom, so getting a route like this is very exciting. I can’t wait to see where it goes!

Well, I won’t lie, I didn’t really like this route. I really wanted to like it, but something about it just didn’t work for me. Not sure if it’s just because I was tired, or what, but it just wasn’t that good. I feel like the story was too all over the place and the ending really dragged. It kind of feels like a waste, since the single parent idea has so much potential. But it felt like they rushed and slacked on the romance part, just to shove in a story B plot that wasn’t even that good. Definitely disappointed.

Overall Thoughts

I think this game is a real mixed bag. I still don’t think I like that MC has no dialogue, it’s really weird and can make parts of the story confusing. You do adjust to it, but I really feel like it takes away from the story.

I think a lot of the routes were fun to play, and had a fun plot. But honestly not sure if I’d recommend the game, I’d say this is one that’s better to get on sale if you can. The music is okay, and the visuals are great, voice acting was pretty amazing, but the stories weren’t great. A lot of the plots struggled in some aspect which sucks.

I think if you like slice of life games, and you’ve played a lot of mobile and self insert games, you’ll probably like Symapthy Kiss. But if not, this would probably be a skip.

Overall if I had to rank the guys I think I’d go Rokuro as my favorite for both plot and character, followed by Kohei (plot and character are great), Nori (love Nori, the plot is just okay), then Yoji (really fun plot, and good character). The rest I could honestly do with out. The two other main guys just were not fun at all to play, and the two secret routes both struggled with pacing but for opposite reasons. I think the game might have been better if they just stick with my top 4 guys, and gave them a more detailed story.

I think I did enjoy the game, and might even replay some routes again, but it’s not in my top games. I’m pretty disappointed given how much I’ve been wanting a good slice of life game, and I feel like this just kind of missed the mark. I almost feel like I would’ve been better off getting the Oops! I Said Yes?! on the switch 😅. But no hate, I think this fans has some good points.

I hope you enjoyed this review, so sorry it took me so long. Now that I’m working full time, it’s definitely hard to find the time to juggle all my hobbies, and binge games 😅. I think I’ll probably be play a bunch of Voltage games and Love and Deepspace for a bit since they are easier to fit in my schedule. So I may do some occasional posts about them. I also finally got Amnesia, so I may do a less detailed post on that. Not sure yet when my next big post will be, but it will most likely be on Olympia Soirée. Until then bye!

[plscallmeeren]

P E R S O N A L P T 2

Jessica Jones x Reader

Request: yes

Summary: you're a natural born fighter (martial arts, fire manipulation) who fought for money and enlisted in SHIELD to avoid jail, then got kicked out again. You now reside in Hell's Kitchen

Warnings: s mentions ig; unedited

Word Count: 1.3K+

Jessica stared at her phone. Your name was almost as daunting as the numbers beneath it. She didn't really need help. She never did, though. And somehow that would be worse.

(Y/n) (Y/l/n).

Her lips barely moved as she shaped your name once again. What a strange curve that one syllable was, what a sharp point, just like your tongue.

She groaned. This wasn't helping. Maybe she needed to remove you from her system? Entertain the possibility once, so that you could be forgotten forever?

Jessica dismissed the tempting theory, as she had so far. Too good to be true. Far too good.

But what else could she do? Her concentration wavered in every respect; she couldn't help but wonder whether you would judge her for her late-night drink, what sleeping habits you might have as she took notes of a case's.

(Y/n) (Y/l/n).

Damn it.

She picked up the phone.

•••

You stared at your phone. One missed call from Jessica Jones.

How could you have missed it? Such an important thing, such a reverent moment. And why had she called? Had she needed help? Had something happened, and it was your fault not to have shown up?

"If you're ever in a jam even you can't handle - or don't want to handle - give me a call."

You picked up the phone.

It rang.

It rang again.

And again.

You cursed; the majority unheard of. You picked up the keys you had just put down and headed for the door, not one glance back.

Her business card crumbled in your hand, though you hardly noticed.

•••

The door that advertised her agency was broken, clouded glass held together by stubborn duct tape. There were no signs of a fight from the outside, but who knew where she had even called from...

You pressed a palm against the lock, pushing with all your might so that the door spring open.

"Hello? Are you here?" you called, adamantly refusing your voice to waver. Where else would you look if she wasn't here? You had no idea where she went...

"How did you get in here?" a voice behind you asked, and before you knew what you were doing, you had spun around, hands outstretched as if to fight.

Jessica.

The name sounded so right, so fitting now that you knew it. Every inch of her screamed it - she was her name, nothing else.

"I- You called."

"Yeah, that doesn't answer my question."

"No, I- I called back, and you didn't pick up, and considering I told you to call me if you were having any problems... I guess I got worried." You stared at her, subconsciously checking to see if she was alright. Her cheeks flushed.

"Well, sorry, no need to save me," she said cruelly, inspecting the lock on her door for damage before turning back to you. "But I guess now that you're here..."

"Yeah?"

"Well. I don't know. I've been thinking about you," she whispered, trying to sound seductive and coming across far too needy. But surely, that would have you stripping in no time, right?

You didn't budge, and just like last time, it was her who did the familiar approaching, the brush of the hand against an inch of your body.

"I've been thinking, too," you said slowly. "It's quite the distraction."

"My thoughts exactly."

"What do you propose?" you husked, and a shiver ran down her spine when you placed a gentle row of digits against her hips, almost as if to keep her at bay.

"Get it out of our system, how does that sound?"

"It sounds good," you chuckled. "Too good."

She blinked slowly, then walked away. You were far too difficult to convince. And yet... and yet no one-night-stand made her feel the way she did when you came bursting in like some brute, just because she hadn't answered the phone. That was pretty nice.

You couldn't stop staring at her, feeling more and more ridiculous at having broken in as you did. Her shiny black hair curved around her shoulders, face pale but shining beside those dark eyes.

"I should go," you said steadily, though it seemed suspiciously close to a question, that traitorous intonation.

"You should," she agreed, and you told yourself five lies so that your feet would move. One, you would see her again. Two, she didn't like you. Three, she was playing, and you refused to be played. Four, there were others like her. Five, (the biggest one,) you didn't care either.

She waited only until the door closed behind you to pull the liquor bottle closest to her even closer. She stared at it. Maybe you would come back, bursting in again. She stared a little longer, then put it away. Not today, she thought, never wondering how long today could be.

•••

Thursday night.

You wondered whether she would be there. You didn't care, though. Yes, she was beautiful and clever and mysterious, but those were just words. Nothing that couldn't be projected into nearly anyone.

She wasn't there. You couldn't hide the disappointment from yourself. You sat down, shoulders slumped and height stolen, beer for once not just for fun.

You closed your eyes. There she was again, Jessica. Jessica. Jessica. Not like you knew her. Maybe someone else did. Here, behind your lids, in a private theatre, she wore a summer dress and a big hat, and she was smiling. Laughing. Laughing like there was nothing else to do. Occasionally, the image shifted, and she would once again be wearing her leather jacket and grey pants, but always she was laughing.

She was laughing even, when your mind undressed her, at first not sensually, only exposing some cherished vulnerability. Not for long, however, as you imagined waves of her body, the mould of your palms holding her...

"Didn't see you there," her voice erupted nearby, and it took you a moment to understand you were not dreaming it. "Didn't take you for a daydreamer."

"Only when there's something worth daydreaming about," you replied easily, opening your eyes. She licked her lips, unsure whether you meant what she hoped.

"What's that? Your man-cave?"

"Oh, so I strike you not as a dreamer, but as someone who has a man-cave? How flattering."

"I give you only the truth."

"Now that, I believe." You held each other's gazes, for a moment, until you couldn't stand it. "Okay, admit then, that you secretly enjoy watching Next Top-model or whatever and listening to Fleetwood Mac."

"I'm not ashamed of Fleetwood Mac."

"I'd hope so, but thought I'd give you an easy one. What about the other."

She glared at you, proceeded to mockingly play with her nails. "Well, at times, I enjoy trash talking..."

"Knew it." She laughed. It was better than you imagined.

Beers came and went, and all the while conversation was good, fun. You didn't spare too many thoughts on what had happened last week.

"I'll be right back," she said eventually, taking off to the barely existing bathroom.

You sat silently for a minute. It was unbearable, knowing she was nearby, and yet not near enough. You sprang up, headed to the bathroom yourself with no eligible reasoning.

You opened the door, and there she stood, yet again. Surprised, slightly, but not really, just drying her hands.

You were practically cornering her in the tiny space, looking down at her; the dim light from the old glove highlighting only the accents of her features. You could have swooned for the first time in your life. Your hands found her waist - a lifeline, you told yourself.

"We've gotta stop meeting like this," she whispered, the smile audible in her voice, even if you couldn't see it.

"Yeah, we've got to."

Your lips were on hers and her hands were in your hair and every part was better and still.

Still it wasn't personal enough.

[girluninterrupted11]

For our first installment, I’ll be covering the first decade of this blog, the 1920s. When I I think of this era, I envision the roaring twenties, full of flapper dresses and glamorous time in fashion. A period full of parties in a world seen through rose-tinted glasses. I think of overindulgence and socialites. Of course, art is a representation of culture, they go hand in hand. Fashion reflects the times, and if there is one thing about this era in fashion, it reflects its optimistic and almost carefree culture. Now, enough of my rambling, onto my favourite parts of 1920s fashion.

This is when Coco Chanel made the flapper dresses we all associate with the twenties especially popular. This dress style can be seen above worn by Joan Crawford, a Broadway icon of the times. During this decade, the go-to party dress was straight with a dropped waistline, low cut back, square neckline, and was often decorated with strings of shiny beads and jewelry. 

Oddly enough, the hemlines were not as short as you'd expect in a dress like this. Honestly I think the longer hemline fits better with the dress because it already has such a low cut back. It would be too much otherwise. I think the hemline fits with the dress, the best advice in fashion is you don't want 20 dresses in 1 dress. I remember my mother's tailor saying this just about every single time she was getting a dress made. That is something that will always stay with me. An outfit has to be harmonious, and harmonious the flapper dress is. The beads and decorations are flashy, but not too much. I really cannot stand overly flashy clothing, it just ends up looking tacky. It's fun and it's free but not too crazy, just like the lifestyle. Although they’re not very fitted (straight cut), I still think they’re very stylish and elegant. If I lived during this time period, I would absolutely be wearing flapper dresses on a night out. I'd honestly pick them over a lot of the styles we have today. Simplicity is key. 

 Of course, no party dress is complete without a decadent shawl or coat, which they definitely loved to wear during this time. I completely adore this idea. I think it adds an additional dimension to the look and really just makes it that much more glamorous. These coats never fail to remind me of a book that I absolutely love, entitled Tender is The Night by Scott Fitzgerald because of how rich they are. I remember reading it for the first time in grade 9 and thinking what a time the roaring twenties must have been. Oddly enough, I also get reminded of the third season of The Vampire Diaries where the characters revisit their time in the 20s.

Now, the important thing to note about the 1920s is this is when fashion started becoming more accessible. Clothing was no longer a status symbol. I for one love this idea, and I think it's nice to see a time where everyone was presentable all the time because that was the standard. Personally I love the feeling of being put together. Otherwise, I feel like a mess, and I think overall everyone just looks better when they're in a proper outfit. At this time, women wore dresses at the time, with lots of accessories, whether it be hats, purses, jewelry, or whatever else. It's strange now to see people wearing hats all the time, and quite eccentric ones at that, but I truly adore the idea. It makes me think of the one scene in Breakfast at Tiffanys (yes, I know it takes place during the 1960s) where Audrey Hepburn is walking down the street in a red coat with a matching hat. That outfit will forever be iconic to me because accessories take an outfit to another level. A simple straight-cut dress becomes a fun look with the right heels, hat, and jewelry. That is the key to the 1920s look. That’s what I believe to be the best fashion tip out there. And of course, don't be afraid to make it a little fun. We'd all do well to remember that sometimes.

Until next time, xx.

[jaesrri]

So idk if anyone cares much, but I just gotta throw this out there-

DND Tumblr, send us some luck. I beg of you.

We open session tomorrow with initiative rolls and the facts are these:

We are level 8

Our playgroup is insane-we have a fully homebrew world, run Valda's Spire of Secrets from Mage Hand Press alongside most official 5e content and any other shiny bits that suit us

No really we're nuts. We have 1.6 conlangs (one full, a dialect thereof, and a few extra phrases) This campaign has already spawned a prequel novel, two prequel one-shots, thousands of words of prequel and concurrent text roleplay, an in-universe romance novella, and at least the threat of a prequel detective fiction-of-some-length. Plus assorted art, and an intro and an outro vid, and many, many playlists

The party consists of:

a 13 year old half drow necromancer who isn't exactly an orphan. Raised by the third of her mom's poly triad (terrorist cell leader, jealous AF, sus). Recently chosen as high priestess of Drow goddess of Death we.... May have released/awakened.

A playboy human guardsman (short king, twink, disaster bi) witch/fighter with two souls and royal blood. Also a very good loving mom and stepdad and lotsa excellent (vulnerable) siblings. Recently discovered blood dad and niece rather more questionable

A big (very strong, bit fat, busty) human Magani (oppressed desert culture- the conlang is theirs) fighter/cleric (battle master/twilight) and reluctant Prophet. Her boyfriend (secretly husband (secret wedding 4 in-game days ago)) is Magani by blood but not culture and also a state official (now rogue but not yet officially caught) ((Me!!!))

A Magani amethyst dragonborn aberrant mind sorcerer with a taste for gossip and a successful shop (girlfriend is half-orc craftsman smith- super sweet n talented, shit at finances). Incapable of minding her own buisness

Fairy mad bomber alchemist with a history as an expert fireworks maker and family back home in another country. Here investigating/troubleshooting fuckery in the Dreaming (existential threat to our world). In over their head (we all are)

Human warmage rebel/spy with serious history and beef with the imperial establishment. Recently reunited after 10 years with her sister. Things are rather tense, since said sister is now a warlock of a powerful member of the government (not quite as bad as it sounds, but very awkward)

We have 2 allied NPCs for this encounter, our fighter/cleric's boyfriend (husband), an eloquence bard (9th, poss 10th lvl), and one of the two high government officials that's been trying to make nice with us (sus, but we're pretty desperate) (sister's patron) who is a 20th level Wizard

Our opposition:

one equivalent government official who is absolutely opposed to everything we care about, is genocidal (Magani are probably next), and may infact be some sort of planar horror stuck here for reasons not yet understood. Also a slimy bastard.

And his pet horror who is strongly theorized to be our necromancer's dad, transformed and magically leashed. TBD if there's any of him left

Also of interest

None of us are full up on spells, including our npcs

Being caught doing magic by anyone but our friendly govt guy would be bad

I, (fighter/cleric) gave our witch/fighter my steel sword to hold onto, for I am in possession of the hilt of my ancestor's Thoughtblade which was broken in his last stand. I have learned that in order to reforge I I must simply (not easy) believe. So if I don't believe sufficiently I have no weapon

My steel sword is the only weapon our witch/fighter has, having given his rapier to his younger brother on parting and accidentally left his whip hanging in the coat-closet of the burlesque club we just left.

Our warmage is low-key actively plotting to throw the govt wizard NPC to the creature

Once again, the creature might be our teen necromancer's long lost dad

We have no idea what the super villain govt guy is packing. Wizard? Sorcerer? Horrible abomination? We just don't know

Things we (meta) know

The Dm has said the creature's statblock is unfair

That we should remember running away is an option

That the 20th lvl Wizard would find this challenging

There are five battle maps prepared "In case you do the smart thing and run"

"If you guys play this smart, you may all live to escape. If you guys are very smart, you may even defeat it. If you guys run in like a bunch of idiots, you *are* going to lose PCs. Maybe even permadeath, or very hard to cure death at least."

My character's whole deal is protecting people

We are *not* smart

Several of us are very adverse to allowing collateral damage. Others don't care much

This is a big city. Most of us don't know it well.

We should remember running away is an option

Thank you and I'll update on the fallout after. Hopefully without a blank character sheet in hand.