#oohh fun stuff

[theautismgoblin]

Golden Acrobat in a Different Form a Different Time

Chapter 2

Mystery Shack

I wandered throughout the rest of the forest. I didn’t quite know where I was heading as of now, I had only seen this place on a screen before, so it was like wandering through the Backrooms, kinda, where I knew the place, but couldn’t figure out from where..Though in this case, I did know where but that’s besides the point. 

I’M IN GRAVITY FUCKING FALLS!!!

A show I’ve been watching since I was what, like 8 years old, granted I am a full-fledged adult now, but WHATEVER! As I walked the path I randomly chose, still dancing down the path, a stim I had developed throughout my younger years. I finally saw the main event, The Mystery Shack, I don’t know when I landed into the timeline. I'm hoping that this is before Weirdmaggedon and maybe the start of the summer. FOR I WANT TO JOIN IN WITH THE MYSTERY TWINS AND NO ONE CAN STOP ME!

But I couldn’t exactly tell when I hopped in the timeline, and until I hook my phone to a Wi-Fi signal of this world I won’t know either. So I ran toward the attraction, and immediately saw something that caught my attention, a Hiring flier, PERFECT!!

I breathed in and out for a few seconds, because my anxiety had chosen this moment to flare. But I really wanted to do this, so bracing themself, I opened the door. 

And immediately saw a red-haired girl lounging back at the cash register with a magazine. I never understood why people liked those things but whatever. 

“Umm, hi.. I'm here bout’ that flier outside,” Wendy seemed to jolt a bit, but quickly regained her cool. “Oh crud, which one you talking bout’. The boss puts up so many.. Most are just ‘advertising’.” I chuckled a bit at that, especially Wendy's eye-roll. 

“The Help Wanted one, I'm here to ask bout’ the job!” 

“Oh, wait just give me a sec,” and she stood and just yelled out, “HEY STAN SOMEONE'S HERE!” And plopped back in the chair and went back to reading her magazine. 

“Pfffff,” I had to hold in my giggles. As I heard a loud, “WHAT!”.. I might mentally call him Grunkle Stan though, just don't do it out loud, ALEX! 

I heard a ruckus as Stan came through the door, looking kinda mad. “WENDY! I thought I told you no customers while I'm busy!” I just stood there awkwardly and raised their hand, “Umm. Not a customer, I saw the flier.. The Help Wanted one.”

Stan stared for a sec, “WELL IN THAT CASE, WELCOME TO THE SHACK KID..You take food as payment right?” he said while pointing to me, and I had to hold in my laughter.. “Sir, I’d do anything for food.” I said with the most serious face possible. 

“HIRED!” And like that I now worked at the Shack. 

During that day, I mostly took after Wendy’s slack. I even convinced some folks to buy some random merchandise, and I of course got paid in food. It was mostly snack food, but I was okay with that! And then the end of the day came, I said by to Wendy and Stan and head out the door. I made it look like I was walking to town, but then veered back into the forest where I didn't think anyone saw me.

The forest again seemed.. not quite cold, but curious. There were still critters staring at me, I swear I keep seeing those gnomes too, which could very well be a problem for me, since I do look like a girl..

BUT WHATEVER, I'm gonna make the best camp ever!!!!

I pumped my fists up at my thoughts trotting through the forest. And then I found it the literal perfect spot. Something straight outta "Alice and Wonderland" honestly, well kinda.

Underneath the roots of a large birch tree in the deeper parts of the forest, you know that scene in "Alice and Wonderland," where Alice falls into the rabbit's hole, it's the same exact thing.

I found a small lush cave, covered in gemstones and moss. small holes in the cave’s ceiling allowed for light to stream in, yellow and green light coated the inside of the cave. The gems all shined with the sun's rays, adding in even more lights. Hell there was a little stream of to the back of the cave, the water was crystal clear from what I could see. The ceiling was just above my head by a couple inches. Luckily I'm short at about 5'2, so I don't need to crouch, at the ends of the cave is a bit different though, the ceiling starts to slope downward there.

I chose to set up camp here, I pulled out my phone and pulled up the menu, the tab on the screen saying Dimensional Box. The whole menu filled with names, ranging from different food stuffs down to camping gear. I went ahead and tapped all the camping supplies, and some food. The phone glowed brighter as the items surged out of the phone’s screen. 

“Hehehe, still fun!” I said to no one, Alphys made sure my phone could store literally anything as long as it was smaller than my body. 

And so I set up camp, setting up low-glow string lights, the same ones I used at home. My stuffed tiger, Tigey, was put on top of the sleeping bag. They come with me everywhere. I also pulled out the solar charger and magic battery, that one was for my laptop I bought. I also went ahead and pulled out my regular backpack, which was filled with food sketchbooks and regular books.

I spent the rest of my day organizing everything within the small space and pulling out stuff. Into the hours of dusk, which made the cave look even more gorgeous for those couple of minutes.... 

"Huh, I wonder.." No one's watching me .... So no one would know, I smiled. And pulled my hand out, remembering Toriel and Grillby's lessons, don't think too hard. Don't get way too excited. And just think of a nice fireplace, the fire contained but still helping to warm any nearby people.

I breathed in and out, then spun my hand around, activating my flames ... I was right it was even more gorgeous in the colors of dusk.. The two shades mingled and fused together as if one. The cave bathed in even more lights. I just stared.. I had forgotten why I came here... 

I'd find them, eventually. but I could have fun for a while longer. 

And now the cave was no longer a cave, but a home away from home. 

Chapter 1

Next Chapter

[yammoba]

"Transandrophobia discourse" really is just "ace discourse" all over again.

[aromanticasterisms]

the witches. investigating the irminsul. are the ones writing STORYBOOKS

[paint-music-with-me]

King I hope you enjoyed aawil, it looks excellent. Full review when?

omgg (king? 👉👈 you flatter me) yes I did enjoy it!

i totally agree with those execs who first read the script and said "this is too horrific to be a comedy but it's too humorous to be a horror" 🤣 honestly it's a fun comedy horror film that will be on my rewatch every year list

I will say the whole "kys david!" would probably not pass if the movie was made now, but bc its the 80s and it already leans into the camp, then it's somehow oddly passable (tho it's up to your discretion to judge I suppose 😅) - I mean it's a wild movie cuz right after THAT ending, it goes right into "bad moon rising" and I immediately cackled!

also gotta love that "lycanthropy means x!" it's truly excellent like does it mean david is a guilt monster or queer? the answer is yes, just yes thank you and goodnight

[unproduciblesmackdown]

skinamarble hornets, i was like i hope my favorite skinamascene has been uplomarinked on youtube....reminds me of that season one marble hornets entry that's the First House Visit and how i saw it described somewhere as like "absolutely nothing happens, & it's terrifying" & it reminds me of the torment of watching as the series was released & Every Time something came out, no matter what happened in like setting, atmosphere, plot, scares, there'd be someone going "ugh another Nothing entry" over the most crucial &/or enjoyable shit so long as it didn't feature [& he's cookin hot dogs on the stove???] & didn't feature it like every other minute for good measure. as though a format that is predictable, like the promise of the same kind of scene in the same intervals of timing, would actually be scary or at all interesting. shoutout to these the entries, or even intervals of time within entries, where "absolutely nothing happens" and it's called suspense in knowing it Could, tension in an unsafe, uneasy, unsettling situation in the meantime, & then also potential followup recontextualization that only creates more tension for later similar material. ("absolutely nothing" happens (of course, actually, things happen, but) in the skinamarink scene save for the literal last few seconds when the "jumpscare" is a very brief change in audio & visuals which is neither actually that loud nor like showing anything scary(tm) (technically a la marble hornets i think people say you can like see an arm extend for a nanosecond but i never catch it if so lol) but rather hits at all because of 8 minutes of suspense & tension & Nothing Happening But It Could) (also bravely standing up like "it's fine that skinamarink has some jumpscares, including the obvious few even jumpier than this" like who cares if it's "easy" necessarily & also that Knowing such startlement can happen ramps up the tension even when it didn't, but it could've. like so)

[raven0usravi0lii]

I do not like the terms canon and fanon when applied to creepypasta because. Nnnoooo. There is no canon Sorry. There's no end. It's just a bunch of stories YOU mash together. If people want to make Jeff a crybaby or something who cares. If people want to say toby loves waffles who cares. Masky is Incrrredibly off the mark? Guess what. Who cares. If people want to say oohh it's gritty and bloody and gorey who cares. That's why jeff (I only know his) and everyone else has so many different last names. Jeff Woods. Jeff Hodek. Jeff Mason. Jeff Blalock. Blackwood. Sure. The second you start hating on other peoples interpretations of Any character get OUT!!! OuT I SAY. OUT!!!! and this INCLUDES GACHA LIFE. AND THE BAD FICS. AND THE INCORRECT QUOTES. AND THE DEVIANTART COMICS. AND GRITTY SLENDERVERSE SERIES. AND THE DARKER STUFF. AND THE GOREY ART. AND THE CUTESY ART. AND THE FUN ART. AND THE STUFF THAT SAYS THE CREEPYPASTAS ARE HORRIBLE PEOPLE. AND THE ONES THAT JUST SAY THEYRE MISUNDERSTOOD. AND THE REWRITES. AND THE ONES THAT TRY TO STICK BY THE ORIGINAL MATERIAL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AND THE ONES THAT SAY EVERYONE LIVES TOGETHER IN THE MANSION HAPPILY AND THE ONES THAT DON'T. ALLLL OF IT. I LIKE ALL OF IT. I THINK ALL OF IT IS BEAUTIFUL AND TRUE. AND I LIKE THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS FOR HOW THESE GUYS CAME TO BE. BECAUSE THATS FLIPPING EPIC SAUCE DUDE. I DONT LIKE PEOPLE GOING "Erm that's fanon mine's better" BECAUSE IT HAPPENED TO ME LIKE A WEEK AGO. AND I'M STILL SALTY ABOUT IT. NO. WE ARE ON AN EQUAL PLAYING FIELD. WE BOTH LIKE CREEPYPASTA. WE ARE COMRADES.

[4rafe]

INNOCENCE || R. CAMERON

warnings; !!not proofread!!, drugs & using of them, alcohol, partying

୨ৎ drugdealer!rafe x innocent!reader

— masterlist

you danced the night away at the party at tannyhill that rafe was hosting with your friends as you held a cup of a red beverage, "fruit punch" that was given to you by a couple of rafes friends.

you had been away from him for too long so you stumbled your way through the crowds of drunk people and blinding lights that hung around tannyhill, trying to find your boyfriend, rafe.

you called out his name softly as loud as you could in hopes for his response, "rafey!!" you yelled as you stumbled and your dress started to come up, exposing the bottom of your ass while drops of your drink fell out of your cup.

when you yelled your voice echoed through the house, which ended up catching some of rafes friends attention especially barry. he hit rafes shoulder, getting his attention. "yo, your girl s’callin for you bro" rafe raised his head from the line of cocaine on the table that all of them had been doing.

he saw you stumble through the group of dancing people that stood a couple feet infront; basically pushing them out of the way on your hunt to find rafe. when he saw your doe eyes and pouty lip he knew you had been looking for him, "baby, c'mere" he yelled to you, voice trailing off as he brought one leg out and pat it signaling for you to come sit.

the sound of his voice calling for you made you gravitate towards him, every step you took you felt the cold hard floor ground beneath your bare feet. before the party started, you insisted on wearing your pretty pink heels but rafe told you not since he knew they would hurt your feet and which they did, hence why you walked around barefoot for the rest of the night.

you walked up to him, stumbling, "rafeyy! i missed you" you had said to him all giggly and smiley. as you sat your exposed ass down on rafes leg, he noticed your dress was sliding up so he adjusted it down; keeping you covered up. "well, looks like you've had sum’ fun tonight, baby." he said to you with a chuckle and you giggled at his response.

you noticed the line of white stuff on the table that they had been doing, you pointed at it, "oohh, is that sugar?? i want some!!" you said all excited, basically jumping on rafes leg. he wrapped his arm around your waist, protecting you from falling off so you dont end up hurting yourself. "’right, calm down a bit there, dear."

you had too much to drink of your "fruit punch", which made you really excited, giggly and smiley; doing everything all at once and one after the other. you continued to sit on rafes leg, turning to him and leaning down to wrap your arms around his neck, laying your head on his shoulder. "rafey, i love you" you giggled and smiled softly into his neck. a few moments you mumbled to yourself, and played with the ends of his hair as you started to slowly drift off.

rafe noticed your quietness which showed you were falling asleep so he picked you up, straddling both your legs around his waist for extra support and putting both his hands just beneath your ass. he stood infront of the couch that barry and the rest of his friends sat on, "wrap this shit up and get these people outta’ my house" rafe demanded of barry, and which he did.

he brought you up the stairs, bringing you to his bedroom so you could rest comfortably. he laid you down on the bed, moving his comforter out of the way so he could take off your clothes so you were comfy. he untied the strings that wrapped around your legs from the pink heels and took them off and from there he worked his way up to your dress.

rafe made you sit up as he untied your lacey bow on the back of your dress and brought your dress up over your head and face, taking it off for you. "there we go," he mumbled to himself, giving him the clarification that he got your clothes off so you could sleep comfortable through the night and wouldnt have to worry about it in the morning.

with your dress and heels off finally, he placed the comforter over you and tucked you in. rafe gave you a soft kiss on your forehead, "goodnight, m’princess" he said to you softly. as he started to walk away you opened your eyes and held out your hand, "rafey, please stay with me" you pleaded of him with a pouty lip.

hearing your plead, he turned and came back to you. he placed his hand on yours and kept a tight grip as he sat down on the bed next to you as he waited for you to fall asleep.

[soft-persephone]

A Fresh Start 2

Mother’s Milk x Fem!Reader

T // WC: 1.7k // pool day fun and one iffy convo // pt. 1

“TT, it’s going to be fun,” Momo did her best to comfort you, taking your hand she walked to in the to the entrance of the public pool.”

“What if no one likes me?” You grumbled. “I’m not as parenty as the other adults.”

The loss of your brother showed up in more ways then one in your life. The way the grief can creak into the everyday folds of your knew life with Momo was challenging, and on top of it all, you had to learn how to be a good parent on the fly.

The transition from fun aunt to mother figure had been challenging. Especially, when discipline had to come out to play. Momo wasn’t a bad kid, but she had been through a lot and her emotions ran all over the place, depending on the day.

So far, this summer has been such a relief for you both. As she relocated after her suspension, it was honestly a blessing in disguise. There was a community around the school district your brother was zoned for that you never knew was there. Momo made some new friends that she seems to love more and they loved her equally as much.

But youngest like a poser, that you’re pretending. You were constantly comparing yourself to other parents. What worse lace could exist for you to continue this new horrible tradition than a day at the pool.

The wholes are side of your swimsuit and how scrappy it was despite being a one piece felt too much, not at all something a mom would wear. You tugged the sleeves of the knitted wholey cover up you were wearing over your hands. It was made to give a dramatic end sleeve effect. Like very chic sweater paws.

“If you stay on your best behavior, you’ll have nothing to worry about.” Momo beamed up at you.

Despite being very cute, you took her bag off her shoulder with narrowed eyes.

“Go play.” You said in a deadpan tone.

“But what did i—“

“Now! Go play with your friends. Don’t make me tell you again.”

She huffed before giggling as Janine was already running towards her. Her soaking wet curls shining in the sun.

You whined as they started squealing at one another before skipping off.

“Hey!” A voice stopped them from your side, “don’t run around here or you’ll fall and bust your head open!”

You smiled your best polite smile.

“Someone’s looking rather fancy for a public outing at the pool.” Sheila looked at you over her shades.”

“What can I say,” you smiled, “I dress to impress.”

Being in with a group of parents really had its perks. They saved you a set and it was nice and cozy. Not too much sun and not too much shade.

“Hey hey,” look who it is.” Sheila introduced and everyone called out to you from their chairs.

“Someone’s looking all special!”

All the moms oohhhed and ahhed in appreciation.

You swallowed ignoring how hot your face felt.

“Hi.” You waved with a smile as you took your seat.

“Hey, I’m Monique.” She took of her shades, “Janine’s Mom.”

“Oh my god Hi,” you instantly perked up. “I’ve heard your name a lot over the last week.”

Janine and Momo exchanged numbers which were actually your number and Monique’s number, so you’ve only heard her voice several, several times, as she said, hold on let me get Janine.

“It’s nice to put a voice to a face.”

“Likewise.” You nodded with a smile and pulled your book out of your bag, just in case.

“What is it that you do again?”

It was nice to be able to talk about something like work and not.. your brother or how hard the transition is with Monice coming to live with you.

“Lawyer, started out with the criminal justice stuff and somehow ended up in the corporate conglomerate stuff, representing companies as they do who fuck knows with whatever they and such.”

“You know more than me, so I will not ask too many questions.” You both laughed.

“Heeheehee,” a strong voice mocked you from above, blocking the sun.

“You held a hand over your eyes and waved with the other. “Hey.”

“Don’t hey me and get your butt out here in this pool.”

“Why.” You scoffed and clipped the shades from your shirt, putting them on.

“We take turns chaperoning the kids.” He crossed his arms.

“Marvin please, give her a break. She just got here. It’s probably Sheila’s turn.”

He stormed off with a groan and waved Janine off.

“Sheila’s not getting in the pool is she?”

Monique tapped her nose with a smile and you laughed.

45 minuets or maybe one glorious hour into your book. A little voice broke your focus.

“TT can I have $20.”

“Why do you need $20.” You turned the page of your book not looking up.

“Because of the concession stand.” She huffed, giving her eight year old logic.

“But I packed you something.” You fake pouted back, grabbing the cooler bag.

“I mean, I brought these grapes,” you pulled them out and put them back in the bag, rummaging some more, “I cut up some strawberries and other fruit, making sure there were no stems or nasty bits because you hate that,” you put them back in the bag, “and then, I woke up extra early and made those ham and cheese balls you love so much.” You sighed dramatically.

“I packed all your favorites, but if you want to eat soggy fries drenched in a weird cheese sauce, I guess I can give you the money.” You put your hand in your purse.

“No-I’ll-take-these-thanks!” She eagerly snatched the goodies out of the bag, running off to be eat with her friends.

Victory.

You went back to your book.

“Nice one.” Monique said to you over her kindle.

You both read in silence.

Monique was pretty swell. She was the easiest to be around compared to the other mom’s.

“Thank you for the other day,” you were about to ask her for what but she explained further, “for keeping Marvin out of trouble at the cookout.”

“What.” You laughed. “I didn’t do anything. We just talked for a bit.”

She smiled at you.

“Marvin doesn’t just talk for a bit.” She went back to her book.

You were about to say something. To get some more answers, confront her, ask her to give it to you straight or interpret what she was implying, but Marvin plopped down between you both.

“Water.” He huffed.

Crushing the water bottle loudly in his hands, he pulled at the fabric of your cover up with his other hand.

“You need to take this off and get in the pool. It’s your turn.”

“Why do I have to go?” You smacked his hand away.

“If I have to drag you into the water I will.” He pointedly looked at you, “I already had to drag Sheila out there and I’m willing to drag you in too.”

You rolled your eyes.

“Fine.”

The water wasn’t too bad, the screaming kids not so much. But it was nice to see Marvin be around the kids.

“My turn!” A boy that was more hair than boy squealed as Marvin dunked him under the water and refused to let him go as he thrashed around for a minuet. He came above the surface of the water with a gapped grin, one of his front teeth missing.

He swam away back to his friends in glee.

“What a fun game.” You tried to be sarcastic but your grin was too wide and you were already laughing.

“You never went to the pool as a kid?” He splashed water on you.

You slammed the surface of the water back with both hands, getting way more water on him.

“Of course I did!”

“Well, I apologize if you don’t seem like the type, Ms Bougie.”

“I like to take care of myself, and I was raised by a woman who liked to take care of herself and her family. She had standards and she raised me with standards.” You defended. “Why is that a crime?”

He looked down at you with a smile, less mirthful than before.

“It’s not.”

Despite the chill from the water and the slight breeze every few minuets a warmth started to spread throughout you.

“When,” he started and quickly stopped, looking away from you for a second before putting a hand into a fist and pushing into the palm of the other. “You don’t have someone at home who takes care of you?”

“If that’s your way of masking if I have a boyfriend,” you started carefully, “then no.”

He looked at you as if he didn’t believe you. You would have laughed if it wasn’t sort of sweet.

“I did.”

His eyebrows rose, but he showed no other sign of suprise. Nodding in some sort of appreciation is what you guess what the nod meant.

“He doesn’t help you take care of Momo?”

“He left because of Momo.”

You started floating in the water, giving half of your attention to mindlessly floating in the water with a sigh.

He followed suit, crouching down in the pool, letting his legs flow at a bent angle so he could be at the same eye level as you.

“If he’s willing to leave you like that, with all your going through,” he locked eyes with you, then he doesn’t deserve you.”

You nodded giving him a silent thank you.

He made a step towards you.

“I just—“

“Daddy!” Janine jumped in her dads arms. Her face pulled taunt with a frown and her bottom lip sticking out.

“TT” Momo solemnly swam to you.

She rubbed her eyes as you pulled her into your arms.

“You tired?” You looked over to see Marvin murmur comforting words in Janine’s ear.

You gave him an apologetic smile.

He gave one back and made his way to the steps of the pool to take Janine home.

You kissed Momo on the head.

“Time to go home kiddo,” you moved her hair to the side to see her face. She was already fast asleep in your arms, giving her a light kiss on the head, you made your way out the pool.

[radioroxx]

Do you think Bonnie would ever try to teach Siffrin how to cook during that AU?

oohh i did not think of this,, but i like it enough that i think i will incorporate it lol!!

mostly likely sometime during act 3. siffrin whos more focused on figuring out more from the king, the country, juggling watching over bonnie- vs bonnie who. honestly? is bored. of the loops. and thats fair that makes sense (i do imagine they have a frustrated breakdown about it at some point by the way, just being Tired and Mad and wanting to Leave but not being able to and it all spills out at once. more detail on that another time though). that is to say bonnie is more eager to be running around trying new things than siffrin is

“new things” includinggg some of the stuff i mentioned in this post, like new recipes, or maybe talking to other people in dormont, whatever they can just to do something new. (in this au, bonnie would be much more focused on those smaller option tasks from act 3- like finding the cursing of chateau book for the fan, helping out the stylish one, etc. siffrin helps when they ask them to, but again. more focused on the king).

that is to say- yes!! i think bonnie suggests teaching him to cook at some point. maybe as repayment for them training them how to fight, maybe just for the fun of it, but! they do! this is also the point bonnie discovers loop cant eat when they try to bring them snacks. ohhh well

[nessieartss]

So did uncle Ryo use cannibalism as a “threat” to Yuuji and Suku when they were younger just to scare them for fun?? And Yuuji was terrified while Sukuna was like “cool!” ? I gotta know more about uncle Ryo too 😭

oohh that’s so scary tho lmaoo, the kids would be traumatized for life

i mean that’s canon, uncle ryomen loves to tease them with this scary and superstitious stuff, and little yuuji would believe them all and sukuna was reaallly into it like tell me more!!

I like to think ryomen and his nephews always have a movie night every Saturday that’s when yuuji’s love towards movie grows. and now since they can’t hangout often anymore, yuuji and sukuna still spend time together to watch movie every Saturday night in the dorm or with their family when they came home

[thelonelyshore-if]

oohh maybe something from when willow and mc were younger?? it would be nice to see stuff from willows pov, though their pov during the lake part when we were younger would just be them being in denial panic lmao. It would be really nice to see that.

Ooooh yeah this certainly would be fun!! The prologue flashback scenes from their POV would be very fun to write, though idk if I could manage it. Those flashbacks are the main reason the prologue took me as long as it did to release haha.

But a past interaction with Willow and MC from their POV is a really interesting idea!

[seirei-bh]

I just played the ep 5 of New Gen on my secondary account with Amanda and wow, It surprised me how different ep 5 is depending on whether you do it on Jason route or on route with someone from Devenementiel.

*This review and opinion contains slight spoilers*

In case anyone is curious: the general tone of the ep when you play with Amanda (and I assume with the other crushes in your company) is all more fun and relaxed and you get a win on your project since the first moment, while when you play on Jason route there is a constant feeling of tension, you did it bad with the project the first time and that's why you feel desesperate until the point to trust on Jason. The results of activities ib both proyects are also a bit different (because Jason has contacts everywhere and can get even more stuff) and the final feeling when all your cowokers congratulates you for the final proyect is very diffenrent too because in one of them is joyful and in the enemy route is unconfortable for the sense of betrayal.

I want to clarify ofc that I'm not saying one is better than the other, I mean those routes options about making the project alone (+ with your enemy/crush later) or with your fav cowoker/crush have very different things during the ep and that makes replaying the ep not repetitive or boring at all, which makes me very happy and it keeps me interested in the story about other different posibilities in future eps depending of your choices. I also love that in every Devenementiel route the final date is in a different place. Mcl University Life was my favorite mcl season but one complaint I had back then is that in some eps, when replaying the ep with another route, almost all the events were too similar.

And talking about differences, Amanda is really a totally different person depending if you're on her route or not XD She's rather cold if she's only your coworker, while she's the sweetest person ever if she's your crush. Besides that vibes "friends to lovers" of her route is so adorable! asaijkashashn!! <33 Me living my perfect The Bridgertons dreams with my enemies to lover kanthony as Lily and Jason and my friends to lovers polin as Bianca and Amanda, yaaaas!

Also it was so perfect to me Amanda said she was princess Sisi at her birthday party while I answered that my Sucrette dressed as a knight at her birthday. Yaaas let my woman be your knight, my princess! 💜💜💜 hahah, I'll live in a palace with this woman in the future, mark my words.

And the final date shooping the accesories was very cute. Amanda blushing!! And my Sucrette blushing too! They're so shy, caring and cheerful together. Their smiles, the little touchs, the complicity… And the music in the special scene was so soft, with piano and violin notes… I love it <3 OOHH Beemoov I'd love sm if you gimme a scene about them dancing at a fancy party in a future chapter ToT

btw, this ep with Amanda cost me 1450 PAs. I used 3 jokers and I found uncle Archi. Jason's route was 1769 PAs (I only used one jokers here though, but the price is always a bit more expensive on Jason's route anyway)

[spaceorphan18]

You said you saw Deadpool & Wolverine - how did you like it?

Oohh, thanks Nonny! I had been planning on writing my thoughts! :)

I liked it!

I thought it was a very apt bridge between the old Fox films and Deadpool coming into the MCU.

I'm not a huge fan of uber violent things but something I appreciate about the Deadpool films (and Ryan Reynolds' brand of 12yo humor) is that behind it all is a lot of heart. And this film retained that, through all the crudeness, the point is that ultimately, Deadpool/Wade is a really good guy. And I can respect that.

Getting into specifics... which are very spoiler-y

I thought the plot itself was very thin, and this whole thing probably works better as a bunch of sketches, but it's fine. I was never asking for a lot from this film, and it did the only thing I was really asking of it, which was provide entertainment and get Deadpool into the MCU.

I appreciate that they really didn't shit on Logan's legacy while bringing Hugh Jackman back. Jackman seemed to be having a good time of it, which I'm glad to see.

Btw, loved all the musical jokes we got in this! Loved it.

I LOVED the montage of various Wolverines -- I understood most of the references! Yay me for reading X-Men comics for so long!!

The Henry Cavill cameo? Perfect.

I'm not surprised we didn't see a lot of Wade's family and friends, but it is sad they got such a small amount of screen time.

Ooff, Vanessa continues to be the one really weak piece of this whole thing. Does the actress not want to be there? Does she have limited time? Why is her character always being reduced to love interest whom Wade does everything for but there's no development of her character? Idk.

The TVA stuff is fine. I feel like it's so convoluted now that it doesn't really matter that it ultimately doesn't make much sense. I do think the MCU needs to start moving away from the multiverse stuff. It's just getting too mucky and it's lost focus.

Oh, why is Thor holding Deadpool, I'm sure it was just a gag, but oh god would it be hilarious if they brought it back at some point.

The Happy stuff. It's always great to see him, but how did Deadpool end up in the main universe? Why am I even questioning this?

Cracked me up that they hid Peter's face in that picture. Can't give Sony any more money than necessary.

Oh, in general, I love LOVED all the fourth wall breaks. This is why I watch Deadpool movies.

Cassandra Nova was fine as a villain. The actress was great! She just feels... a little too seriously evil to be in this comedy movie. Idk.

All the returning c-list villains were fun!

Having Chris Evans return as Johnny Strom was a brilliant move and I loved it. Having him just be the opposite of Steve Rogers on top of it was hilarious. Perfect use of a cameo, film.

Wesley Snipes returning as Blade. Goddamn. I'm kinda surprised he agreed to do it!

Great to see Jennifer Garner return as Elektra. I'm kinda glad I made myself watch all those marvel movies (which I still need to finish...) I appreciate this cameo more (and the dig at Daredevil).

Yay Laura returning! Could have always used more of her, but she did what she needed to.

Okay. Okay, let's talk about it. Let's talk about Channing Tatum as Gambit...

The Pros : The accent was fun, the way they used his powers was fantastic and original, they didn't make him the butt of jokes or treat him like a joke, there was a general respect for the character overall and I really, really, appreciate that being a Gambit fan

The Cons : Look, I have nothing against Tatum personally. He just doesn't look right. He's too think in body shape (not meant in a derogatory way), and his face just doesn't work in the headsock. Not to mention the costume looked plastic and cheap.

I really hope Gambit is back, but can we have Tatum as Gambit here like we had JKras as Mr. Fantastic in Dr. Strange? Just a one time fun gag? Please??

Remy is having a really good year despite dying everywhere.

The Deadpool squad (or whatever) I'm afraid I haven't read enough Deadpool to really get it, but it was fun. The side scrolling action sequence reminded me of a video game. And honestly, Wolverine with his cowl on, just kind of loosely moving reminded me of a video game as well.

I'm super curious to see how Deadpool plays within the MCU now. Let's go for it.

The credits were a nice touch. I'm glad they could honor those films for what they did, and I'm glad we can now move on from them.

Tl:dr it was fun and I liked it! :)

[daflangstlairde-art]

A Catalog of Non-Definitive Acts — Chapter 1, 6167 words

Part 3 of DFL's Whumptober 2024

Work Summary:

Love was cauterized out of him young, because that is how you survive.  But coming back home with the Splintersons, Leo craved.  He craved and he ached and he hungered. Because the Jitsu family loves. They love ardently, fervently, they love in a way Leo has never, ever seen before, they love in a way Leo could never even conceptualize much less dream of. (She’s always taught him, by word but much more by example, to take what he wants and settle for nothing less.) 

“Three, two, one–” 

“TAA-DAAAAAA!” all the Jitsu siblings yelled in a chorus, Michelangelo doing jazz hands, Donatello setting off some sort of sparkler, April popping confetti, all as Raphael yanked the off-white curtain aside to reveal–

Oh.

...A cell. 

Leonardo—well, Leo, he supposed—shouldn't have hoped for anything different. He was new to their family, and he hadn't proved himself yet. It made sense!

“Wooowww!” he hummed, grinning, stepping forward with none of the disappointment he felt, to look around the cell. It was a nice cell, to be fair. Nothing like his old bedroom, but leagues better than Big Mama’s dungeons, eugh. Those things were a violation.

This cell had an actual bed with a bed frame, and a mattress, and bed sheets! Even a pillow. Wow. 

And it was all furnished! It didn't have a window—which made sense, they wouldn't trust him to not run off at first opportunity, and they probably wanted to keep an eye on him at least in the beginning. But really? Not even a window with some thick metal bars or something? But it had a ceiling light, and a night light on a nightstand by the bed. 

There was also a wardrobe, which implied he’d get to keep some of the outfits he would be given! That’s fun. He was looking forward to that. Well, if they were nice outfits. The Splintersons weren't really the “dressing” type... 

Even now, they were just... wearing gloves and socks and sashes and stuff. Only April had the decency to be in her usual fit. Leo himself was dressed decently. Not his favorite, but hey, he was in a rush, and he needed to be comfortable. Just a white button-up of a flowy material, and black slacks—not exactly comfortable wear, but it was better than the fancier stuff, and he hadn't exactly had access to his Nexus fits designed for movement. And he had to literally move, during his “moving out”. He took exactly zero accessories, too. 

There was also a desk, so that meant they had some studies planned for him! That could also be fun, maybe... depending on the studies. He usually preferred learning hands-on, not... hunched on a chair, but, he’s excelled at his teachings for years now. He was sure he could keep impressing even more. 

And there were empty shelves on the wall. For... he wasn't sure for what. Weapons? Gifts? Probably gifts. 

While he was doing his inspection, the Jitsus all had their hands clasped, leaning in, waiting for him to act out his part of the script.

“Soo?? What do you think???” Michelangelo– well, Mikey, since they were brothers now. Officially, that is. 

Oohh, that meant Leo was pushing it, if he was being nudged so obviously to reply. Had to play up his reaction even more then, to justify the build-up.

Because he was long, long trained in easily picking out the meanings of people’s words that laid underneath what they said. In this case: Where are your manners? We did this for you, now return the gesture and behave as we want. Be grateful.

He whirled around, a grin on his face (not too wide, so that he doesn't look manic or obviously artificial), and exclaimed “I love it!” 

“YAAAYY!”

“WOOOO!” 

The other four cheered and wooped, and it threw Leo off for a second. That wasn't the script he was expecting, but, okay! That was a lot of emotion, but he was starting to learn the Jitsus are... kind off... like that. In general. 

No wonder Mamá had tricked them so hard in their first meeting. If Leo hadn't interfered– well. 

...Oh no. He didn't know where the script went from here. Usually when it was Cell Time, he’d just... be left inside, locked, to endure his punishment or until he did better or something.

But they were just looking at him. They expected something–?

Oh, right! Leo was such an idiot, how could he forget? Years of classes on manners and how to do social interaction, and the moment he’s starting his own life, boom, fail.

“Thank you so much,” he told them, smiling. When receiving gifts, he has well learnt he needs to show his gratitude (even if he didn't like the gifts), and then work hard if he wanted to keep the gifts (even if he didn't want them) and to repay them. Big Mama liked giving gifts. And then taking them away. And then giving them again. Making sure the script stuck with Leo. “It’s wonderful,”

“I installed air conditioning,” Donnie pointed to a sort of vent close to the ceiling. So it was secured, then, if he was pointing it out so obviously. No escape from there either, emphasizing that it wasn't worth it to even try.

Leo, of course, read the meaning under the comment: Look how much effort this is. Your reaction isn't satisfying. 

Damn, what was he missing? He didn't know their specific scripts yet, but he was trained for this stuff! He should figure it out quick. For now, he’d just rely on the standard ones. 

“Oh, that is great, I love my air conditioned,” Leo said cheekily, and felt a little relief and satisfaction as Mikey giggled and Donnie rolled his eyes and all. 

Okay, not perfect, but he’ll figure it out. He will.

He wanted to stay here. He wanted to be with the Jitsus—they were nice, and not fake-nice, actually nice. Even when it was at their detriment. 

He’d gone through aaall the trouble of... hm, let's call it moving out, away from Big Mama to join them, because he really did think they could be worth it. 

And he was grateful, he was over the moon actually, that they also wanted him here. That they had not only accepted him, but helped him make his elaborate, arduous get-away. 

So he would put in the work. Learn their scripts and earn his place until they even allowed him to be in a room and not a cell. 

“Bathroom one is down the hall there, and bathroom two is next to it,” Raph pointed. 

Oh, was Leo even allowed to go to the bathroom whenever he wanted? Sick! 

“Wanna see my lab??” Donnie said, excited in a manic sort of way.

“Of course!” Leo voiced his dialogue, grinning.

“And then we can have dinner all together!!!” Mikey waved his arms around. 

And you can show us how well you behave now that you are in our territory.

“Sounds like a plan!” Leo agreed.

“Let’s go!” Donnie declared, whirling around to lead the way.

Leo followed. He couldn't help but note that he had no door. It was just a curtain. 

No lock, to keep him inside. But no privacy. It was the final confirmation—this was his trial period. They’d observe how he followed his schedule and behaved and they’d judge whether he was fit to earn a real, permanent place in their home.

He really, really hoped he would.

—

Dinnertime rolled around, and if Leonardo didn't have years of experience, he’d be drained. The last few days were already so close to leaving him a wreck—he had to not only spend weeks planning how to “move out”, the whole time not letting even a single sign that anything is happening; and then he actually had to execute that plan. With all the obstacles that had popped up. 

And let's just say—outplaying the biggest criminal boss in the entire Hidden City wasn't easy.

Good thing Leo was probably the one person who could match her. He was raised by her, after all, and she was thorough in teaching him her ways.

But it's fine. Leo could handle a dinner! Even if mealtime was always one of the most taxing slots in his schedule. He had to watch all tableside manners (which he used to really struggle remembering), while also keeping his perfect act. 

But he was good at the social events. He was a master at them, at this point. He could handle the underlying meanings of conversation like a professional handling a bomb. He could navigate conversational minefields in his sleep.

...

Even if the Mad Dogz evidently had no interest in, like, any of that. 

There was no order to the seating arrangement, because the table was circular, so Leo had no clue who was supposed to be the head. He was currently between Raph and Donnie, April next to the latter, face propped on her hand with her elbow on the table, and there was one seat left for Mikey because he was serving. Right, they didn't have servants, that's... weird to them, apparently.

It smelled really good. Some sort of soup. Fish stew?

Donnie had his feet up and was tapping away on his phone. Raph was already chewing on bread before any set of cutlery was even arranged. April was debating with Mikey... uh, which types of fish prep was better? Wait, was she also a chef? 

“Leo! How hungry are you??” Mikey asked in the middle of their argument(?). 

Weird way to ask, but Leo knew his lines. Like he said—social events are so his thing.

“Hungry as a turtle,” he said, cheeky. When uncertain, he could always rely on answering with a half-joke—it was just ambiguous enough to be inoffensive and charming, and therefore had a low likelihood of bring incorrect. Even if the lack of commitment and confidence showed, which made him look incapable.

But the Jitsus were highly receptive to his smartass responses so far—and again, Mikey giggled and April snorted.

“So, two ladles? Three?” 

No. Leo hadn't eaten nearly all day. He was hungry.

“Perfect,” he said easily. 

“We were gonna order pizza to celebrate, but Mikey wanted to do it with a homemade meal!” Raph chimed in, and Leo hummed in acknowledgment.

We're doing even more for you. You’ll have to pay it back. 

“Awe, Mikey, that’s so touching,” Leo commented, with the appropriate amount of heartfelt-ness. 

Mikey flashed him a grin, and then he started serving the soup.

And, insanely enough, he placed the first bowl in front of Leo–? Instead of... whoever was the head at the table???

...Oohh, right, he was like... an honored guest! Right? Yeah, that made sense. Like a special occasion.

The second bowl went to Raph, who immediately started eating. Third bowl to Donnie, then April, then, at last, Mikey, and he sat himself down as well.

So Raph was the head of the table. Got it. 

Well, he was eating, so Leo followed suit. 

...Even if... they had only one spoon per person, that's it, not even a napkin. And also... no glasses for water or other beverages–? Except for Donnie, who had a single regular glass cup???

Boy, Leo had a lot to learn. He's barely been here for a few hours and already everything was wildly different than his previous life.

“Man, Leo, can't wait to show you Jupiter Jim–!” 

“Oh we really gotta skate together–!” 

“Oohhh and we can show you our favorite spots around NYC–!” 

Leo nodded along and agreed to their enthusiastic ideas with a smile. Chipped in with a fun little comment or joke when there was a pause.

It really felt like the Mad Dogz might want him here.

Anyway. In the middle of the conversation, April just... got up, opened a cupboard, and poured herself water from the sink. Sat back down, continued like nothing had happened.

Aaaalright theeeen. Soo... there was a level of self-serve...? That– that made sense, Leo supposed.

Right, again, no servants. And they had insisted multiple times that they were all “equals”... he was still trying to understand that. 

Still, he didn’t risk it for now. Wouldn’t want to majorly goof it up on the first dinner! That would be humiliating. He’d save that for the thirddinner. 

Plus, they were being so welcoming. Making a nice meal just for him. He wouldn't want to be unappreciative and rude.

—

They were only waiting for April and Donnie to finish up their meals, and after that dinner would be–

“So, how ya feelin’ Leo?” Raph asked. “We can have a movie night! Or do you wanna head back to your room and rest? You gotta be pretty tired,” 

–oh, dinner was ending now, apparently.

Leo inwardly groaned. Damn, thanks Raph, giving him virtually nothing to figure out the correct response.

He knew what “movie night” meant in concept—they’d mentioned it, during that one conversation about Lou Jitsu and stuff, way back when they'd realized he was the current Battle Nexus champion. It was one of the ways they spent time together, like, bonding and stuff. 

I.e. it was their time. It was family time. Wouldn't that be intruding, if he joined? Or would it be rude if he declined the offer, instead? Raph had suggested it. But he’d also offered Leo go to his cell. 

...Oohh, or! Or maybe it was a weird way of saying, join us and behave, or do you WANT to go back to your cell? You know, behave or be punished.

All this figuring out, of course, happened in the span of a second, because not replying for long periods of time is awkward and rude. Man, all of this had become like second nature after years of practice—it was wild, being back to having to actually think about it.

“I’d love that,” Leo answered. 

“Watching movies or going to your room?” Donnie asked flatly, just looking at his phone, and Leo kept his reaction entirely internal. It felt a little like he’d been shot with a dart.

Nuts. He totally blundered that. Idiot. Get a grip, think. Be better!

Come on, he had to give an actual, clear answer now, commit. 

“You guys wanted to show me some movies, right?” he replied indirectly, still grinning, always grinning. 

“YEAH!” Mikey yelled, grabbing him by the arm, and wow the little guy was as intense as always with his reactions. It was a Mad Dog Thing™. It still took Leo off-guard, though, especially in tense moments like that. “You will LOVE Jupiter Jim, I JUST know it!!!” Mikey exclaimed. 

Leo exhaled unnoticeably. Great, perfect, he’d nailed it. Okay, more social time. He’d be introduced to something they love and to a nigh sacred familial ritual of theirs, he could not mess this up.

...

Easier said than done, because rules and structure at the Jitsu household were only getting more confusing.

In front of their projector, there was a couch and two beanbag chairs at each of its sides. Leo wasn't sure where to sit. Nobody told him. 

The three brothers were too busy squabbling over which movie to start with, which was a little funny. April was the only one who sat on the couch like a normal person. Well, sort of like a normal person, considering she kicked off her shoes and brought her feet up, stretched out, instead of just... sitting. 

Leo stared at the tussle happening while he tried to figure out his place in this arrangement. The couch? No way. He hadn't reached that level of... acceptance, yet. That'd be invading on their turf. Not his place. 

So, one of the beanbags? But which one? There were two, so probably, usually two of the Splintersons would occupy them? Which one belonged to who, however?

...Aaand then April noticed he was still standing and leaned over, patting the spot on the couch next to her. 

Okay.

So.

The couch then.

A clear invitation like that overrides previous structure. He was grateful to her as he moved over to the couch and sat. Normally. 

The brothers were still arguing which Jupiter Jim movie was the best, and Leo absentmindedly kept track of their conversation, as he did with all conversations. Well. Whenever he could. 

Paying attention wasn't... his strongest suit. To this day, he struggled with it, always a tiring fight. But! He really cared about figuring out the Jitsu ways and mastering them, so he paid attention to each specific word use and each preference stated, keeping a log in his mind. Memorizing their personalities. You never know what information could turn out to be useful, and if you're skilled enough, all information can be useful in some way, even minor.

Like, for example, if he was one on one with one of them, and they asked which movie was his favorite, he could say, well, I quite liked– and then say whatever their favorite is. One of his favorite cards to play, because it always worked well. It let him charm them by saying their favorite, while not explicitly marking it as his favorite, so if two opinions clashed, he could say I like both of them and please all parties.

“BOYS!” April finally cut off their arguing. Pretty sure all three had resorted to biting, hah! “Just pick the first one and let's start! We have loads of time, Leo will see them all!” she reasoned with them. Good compromise. 

They huffed and grumbled for a moment, but quickly moved on, inserting the first movie. 

Everyone sat on the couch. Luckily it was big enough. 

Everyone besides Donnie, who sat on the beanbag to the left, pulling his knees in. Actually, Mikey also sat with his legs crossed, right next to him. Okay, so, Leo was slowly learning they had... no care for how you sit. He was still going to sit properly, but, good to know.

Despite the movie not being their chosen favorite, all the Mad Dogz were full of energy as they watched it. Donnie sang the musical numbers and Mikey commented on the set design and Raph reacted to some scenes like he was seeing them for the first time, even though by the way they were able to recite the dialogue, Leo was sure they’d seen it at least a dozen.

And April seemed to be mirroring Leo’s own reaction—watching the goofs do their goofy thing, amused and affectionate. Even if she was far more open about it. 

She also seemed to have lower energy like him (she had school today), which made him feel more comfortable with not forcing himself to be... well, like the other three in order to fit in. 

It was... nice. 

Busy with the movie, there wasn't a whole lot of performing that Leo had to do. He could just observe, and occasionally react with the emotion that a specific scene called for. But he really could just... enjoy the others’ presence, the expectations for his behavior far lower than he’s used to. 

He hoped he would get to get used to this now. 

—

Leo kept his composure until he was cleared to finally leave to his cell. He kept his composure as he brushed his teeth with a toothbrush they’d gotten him. He kept his composure as Mikey and Raph hugged him for good night, although that had been a close one. It's not that Big Mama was never physically affectionate, it's just... it was just different. He didn't know how or why.

(“And don't hesitate to holler if y’ need anything!” Raph clapped him on the back.

“Will do,” Leo was smiling back, and made a mental note that he should go to Raph if there was a medical emergency. Weird, he would've thought Donnie was better at that stuff, what with his affinity for science stuff.

“Yeah! Even if you just wanna hang out!” Mikey beamed, and that– hm. Leo would decode that later.

“Thank you,” he said simply, and thankfully it was enough for them.)

He kept his composure even when he was finally alone in his cell, because first he had to check for cameras. He found none, which meant they wanted to observe him without him knowing it. Ugh, he always hated that. 

Only when he finally got in bed (a bed!), and almost completely covered himself with the blanket, facing the wall, did he let the act slough off of him just a little.

They didn't give him his schedule, which was unpleasant since he didn't know what to expect from tomorrow, but that's alright. Thinking on his feet and adapting are some of his best strengths. They probably didn't have time to quite organize it yet. He had a clock in his new cell (which, again, big step up compared to his old one), but he was not informed of when to wake up. 

Would someone come wake him? Or would it be safer to wake up early and just wait until they came to get him for his first slot, whatever it contained? Hh. 

Leo sighed soundlessly. All of this was kinda bringing back unpleasant memories from his early childhood. Before he got good. Before he started understanding how the world works. 

Back when a cell was his only room, and he didn't have the plush, spacious, beautiful-though-still-locked, real bedroom. Back when he’d go weeks at a time in there, months even, with barely any human contact, except for Big Mama and whoever Big Mama approved that’d work with him on his education and behavior.

He'd been such a... raw child, was the only way he could describe it. He’d expressed his emotions as they were, the moment he felt them. He hadn't understood a lot of things. He’d been desperate for an affection that just doesn't exist and would only ever be given to him as a manipulation tactic. Which always worked shamefully well on his stupid, stupid brain, always starving for even a shred of love, even fake love. Heck, he still sometimes fell for it to this day! That desperate, childish, emotional hope that he could be loved, actually loved, in the way that just doesn't happen.

Except when Raph picks Mikey up in a tight hug and spins him until Mikey laughs. Except when Mikey gets Donnie going on a real good infodump. Except when Donnie spends hours neticulously personalizing a gift for them. Except when they cuddle up and watch movies and share hugs and snacks and I love you’s, again and again and again–

Leo gritted his teeth. Curled into his blanket more.

...He wanted that. He’d learnt it would never happen with Big Mama, but... with them? 

Maybe. Just maybe, it could. He was almost actually grateful for all the lessons she’d commanded be branded into his bones, because now, when it mattered, he could prove himself. Could prove just how perfect he was, so perfect it was basically art. And maybe like art, he could be loved.

But for now, he went to sleep, dreaming of things he’d learnt to regard as nonexistent.

—

Okay, Leo was awake for three hours already. He'd managed to wake up at 7 a.m., which he would usually consider late. 

He frantically got dressed, luckily his one and only current outfit was simple. He made his bed—ages ago, he'd tried doing it even if he didn't have to, considering the staff usually did; but Big Mama had been pleased with him, so, trying to be a good son and impress, he kept it up. It was a habit now.

He’s checked everywhere for anything out of place, and everything was as it was the night before.

Aaand then nothing happened. 

He’d already waited, he’d already done some light exercises (handstand push-ups, some split stretches, the usual). And then he'd done some more waiting and exercises. 

Kept checking the clock. With each empty minute, he got more and more worried that he was doing something completely wrong. That he hadn't gotten the memo for what he’s supposed to be doing. 

He was doing his best to keep calm, but it was really building up, because he really, really didn't want to mess up on his first real day with the Mad Dogz. 

It was as the second hour passed to the third that it occurred to Leo, oh. Right. 

Cell. 

Of course. 

He relaxed once he remembered that. Duh! Of course he’ll be made to stay here! This is how cell time always goes! 

It’s like being told to stand in timeout in the corner, but, you know. For a few hours at minimum. A couple years at most, haha. He was deeply familiar with it. 

He could never decide which type of punishments were worse. Sure, Cell Time wasn't really... painful, like the other types, or emotionally awful. It wasn't boring like doing piles of paperwork. 

But Cell Time was its own kind of awful. It was fine for the first few hours, when Leo could take it as a sort of... break. Rest on the cot, take a nap, enjoy the relative quiet that differentiated it from his otherwise incredibly packed schedule (he hoped the Jitsus would give him his new schedule soon, and he secretly hoped it would be lighter, considering they weren't managing all of the Hidden City’s crime). 

He’d get to stretch, his wounds would get to heal more naturally, if he had any leftover from his most recent performance at the Nexus. 

But as it all dragged on, it really started dragging on. Despite the sheer amount of energy and stress that all social situations brought, Leo was a social kinda guy. He liked mastering social situations, he liked single-handedly manipulating the flow of it, he liked being charming. He liked talking to people, being in their presence. Most of all when it was someone... how could he say this... plain. People who weren't as educated as he was on manners and manipulation and whatnot. People who just said what they thought, who had sincere dreams and experiences instead of a carefully crafted life script. 

It fascinated him. He liked studying them. He liked being around them. Maybe they felt less threatening.

So being deprived of all contact for hours upon hours? It... it reminded him of a lonely and locked off childhood. As the boredom and isolation started settling in during Cell Time, he often wanted the worse punishments. Cell Time was way too good at wearing him down, because at least with pain, he could feel strong and active as he endured it. 

Cell Time always continued until Leo cracked and started saying exactly what was wanted of him to say. And especially in the past, that took a while.

But!

That wasn't happening yet, for now. Well. He was close to it. He really really did want the Jitsus to like him, so he was sitting at the desk’s chair, fervently trying to analyze all interactions he's had with them—before and after getting away from Big Mama—for the right things to say. Should he apologize? What for? Did he make a mistake? Or did they want him to ask politely? Beg? Promise to be better? 

He had to be careful, because whenever he got Cell Time and said the wrong thing, Big Mama would just chuckle or sigh, and say oh, turtely-boo in that condescending tone, it is more than obvious you have learned nothing, my dear, and are simply saying anything to get out, hm?

Which... he was, because he wasn't always sure what got him in trouble. He had to figure it out. But he couldn't show that he didn't know, that was the problem.

He got better at it over time. He was smart and adaptable like that. 

But he got smart with Big Mama’s rules. He was playing by different rules now. And it was like he was eight all over again, crying about how sorry he was and how he would be better, face pressed to the cold door. Because he didn't realize he was in timeout because of all the crying (it was loud and ugly and improper, and it broadcasted your weakness and emotions to everybody). 

He hated being reminded of all that. It was embarrassing, and it was tying his stomach in knots. But if he figured it out once, he could figure it out again. He will figure it out. 

So when there was a knock at– not his door, the wall beside the curtain, Leo shot to his feet. He appreciated the signal to let him know he should compose himself, that was nice.

He smoothed out his shirt and schooled his face into the same easy grin, standing to attention. Hiding away all the tension, because dammit, he still hadn't figured it out, and time was up.

“Heeeyyy Leeeooo–” Mikey’s hand pulled the curtain aside slowly, and then he paused and blinked with an “Oh! ...You're awake!” 

He was surprised? Didn't they see it on the cameras? ...Hm, no, the monitors had been in Donnie’s lab, he was probably the one who handled security. 

“Ready to face the day,” Leo said easily. 

“Nice!” the praise eased him a little. Okay, he'd done one thing right. He made a note to always be awake when they came to get him. 

“Good morning!” Raph also poked his head in, pulling the curtain further to the side, and oh, Donnie was also there. All of them looked to be in a good mood, so, that's good. And they weren't really... good, at hiding their emotions, not like him and Big Mama.

“Good morning,” Leo returned. 

“We have gifts for you!” Donnie declared.

“Yeah! Like... welcoming gifts!” Mikey grinned.

Wow, really? More gifts? Jeez, they were really hamming up the love bombing. Leo would have to watch himself, make sure he didn't get lost in it. He reminded himself it would be pulled away the moment he messed up or they wanted something. 

“Oh? That's so sweet of you, you didn't have to,” Leo said, humble. 

“‘Course we did! You're our brother!” Raph stated proudly, and something inside Leo twisted and lurched. An ache, a hunger, something grasping for that title—brother. Brother to them meant love and belonging and support and care and a myriad of other things that Leo has only ever gotten the fake, cheap version of. 

He wanted it so badly. 

And Raph said it so easily.

“That’s...” Leo said quietly, a little in awe, and then blinked, and caught himself slipping, and recomposed his act. Get it together, Leonardo. You can't blunder it now. “That means a lot,” nuts, too sincere, too genuine, reign it back in or it will be used against you–

“I drew us all!!!” Mikey was striding forward first, handing Leo a... drawing. Of the Jitsu family, all three turtles and April and their sensei Splinter, smiling and together.

All four turtles. Because Leo was there, too.

...First gift and he was already breaking. Damn, perhaps he underestimated them. Perhaps they were master manipulators, and they were actually so good Leo hadn't even realized it. 

Emotions were something he’d been conditioned for years to bury and hide and lock away, burn whenever possible. And yet here he was. Feeling... feeling... he wasn't even sure what. Just an overpowering emotion as he stared at the drawing, with him included. 

...There was... one detail that stuck out to him. Because, well, April and Splinter are a human and a rat, of course they’d be a little different to the rest, though they remained just as loved and just as accepted. 

But Leo was... the only turtle with a bare face. As always, Raph had his red bandana and Donnie had his purple one and Mikey had his orange one, and only Leo’s face was empty, save for his markings of course. He was grinning, neutrally smug, the way he’d been taught and the way he’d practiced in the mirror. To always look in control. Casual, easy, unbothered, unshakeable, intelligent, coy even.

All the others were smiling in joy or amusement, some of them with grins so big their teeth showed. 

Leo wanted to be part of that so, so badly. 

...Oh no, he’d lingered on it way too long, no no, dammit, now they knew it had affected him, oh no–

He wrenched his gaze away from the drawing and again recomposed himself, thinking up a response on the fly–

“And this is Boss Bearhug!” Raph declared, placing a... stuffed turtle plush in his arms. It was big enough to be called a tiny pillow. "'Cause he gives great hugs!"

Leo couldn't help but notice the red markings on its face. That looked exactly like his own.

Like... like the plushie was personally customized for him. 

“And I,” Donnie spoke up before Leo could process that emotional hit, because Donnie can never be too behind, hah, “thought I’d give you a more practical gift, to hopefully aid in the integration within semi-human society, because while I know you weren't entirely shut off from humans, you were mostly distanced from their—and our—way of casual living, and phones are–” he started rambling.

“It’s blue,” Leo whispered, staring at the smartphone in astonishment, and Donnie paused. 

“Huh?” he blinked, and fuck. Fuck. Leo has apparently completely lost his filter, huh? He's messing everything up, he had to get ahold of himself, he was going to ruin all of this– “Well, yes–? I– based it off the color of your mystic powers,” Donnie bulldozed ahead, unaware of Leo’s internal nervous breakdown (as he should be).

When he was little, Big Mama had taken one look at his face and immediately began building his brand around the color red. And Leo quickly caught on and began always claiming his favorite color was red, so when his red clothes or red make-up or red toys would get taken away as punishments, he could only act like it had an effect on him. 

But the truth is... well. When that whole fiasco at Laberinto de Muerte happened, and he was forced to save those dum-dums from “saving” him (he’d been training), things got a bit... heated, haha. And when that was the moment that his mystic ability decided to unlock itself after a lifetime of being a disappointing dud? 

Well. Secretly, Leo had been pleased. Because the portal was blue. 

Blue was his real favorite color. Like the pattern on his shell! But, well, red sold more. Red was aggression and passion and blood and attention and confidence, or, at least that’s what Big Mama and her consultants and Leo’s marketing tutor claimed. It was a great color for his stage presence in the Nexus.

Blue was always something he kept close to his heart.

The phone... case, he was pretty sure it was called. It was a light blue. It wasn't Leo’s favorite blue but it was blue. How did Donnie know to make it blue? 

“...I... I can swap it for, um, rrrred, if you don't like it...?” Donnie spoke up again, and was he hesitant?

No! Leo did not want that!

Okay, Leonardo, time to grab the reins of the conversation again. 

“Donnie, I adore it,” Leo said, smiling, hands too busy with the gifts to gesture with them but that's alright. Donnie’s eyes still widened and he still grinned with those sparkles in his eyes. “In fact, I love all of them, really,” he turned to the other two as well, and they were also smiling.

“We wanted you to have something for your room!!!!” Mikey was flapping his hands in what Leo had learned was excitement. 

“And to not be alone at night!” Raph added.

“And to feel less out of place,” Donnie nodded along. “And to have an easy, convenient way to communicate with us even when we’re not around, and to entertain yourself, and to learn about the world–” he once again picked up rambling about the greatness of phones. 

Leo nodded along, turning around to place the plushie on the shelves, the drawing on his nightstand, and... uh... where was he supposed to keep a phone–? A pocket? Yikes, he didn't have pockets on these pants– 

Wow. This cell... was really looking a bit weird. Like... a hybrid between a cell and a room. There was no window like the big-though-locked one of his old room, no plush carpeting, no fancy wallpaper, the bed was small and didn't have all the fluff and frill he was used to. Leo wondered if they'd keep the same furniture or give him new when he earned his own room here. 

He could hear the Mad Dogz losing their minds with excitement behind him over his enjoyment of the gifts, even though they were trying to be inconspicuous. It made his grin even more real, amused. Dang. These idiots are so charming. They're open like children. It was fascinating. It was endearing. He politely made no mention of it, because he didn't want them to stop. 

“Oh!!!” Donnie exclaimed. “Wait! I can show you how it works!” he waved his hands. 

So, bizarrely enough, that's what they did over breakfast. No manners, no behavior, no script, no rules—leaning over plates and talking with their mouth full, showing Leo how to use the phone. 

Insane. Leo was kinda loving it. 

[spearxwind]

hi alex! do you have any recs for songs that sound cheerful and upbeat but are about murder/violence/thrill of the hunt type stuff? kinda like the vibe of choke by idkhow?

OOhh I think I got some! It's not usually the type of song I add to my playlists so i probably have more saved than i know

I want you gone - cyan kicks (idk why I feel like this might fit. the jam is upbeat but the lyrics are sad/violent) insane - black gryph0n (listen i know its a hazbin fansong but trust me it slaps so fucking hardddd) Lights out (remix) - taska black/alioth/OSKI (I lost a dear friend and it was no mistake ?? sounds like murder to me. also this is a genuine earworm. The og version of this is more ominous this one is more upbeat) Praying mantis - FKA Rayne ( i fucking love this song <3333333333) Crazy fuckin robot body - snowblood (I mean. this one's niche cause. robot body. but hey if it works it works!) Another way out - Hollywood undead (we're hunting you down for sport sorry) Get jinxed - Djerv (Sorry for the league of legends but this one also slaps so hard and has for years) Killer - The ready set (A CLASSIC A CLASSIC THE MOST CLASSIC EVER) Kill[h]er - Stand atlantic (I think this one fits perhaps) Bruises - Fox stevenson (ANOTHER CLASSIC!!! FISTFIGHT!!) Fingernails - Don Broco (Idk if this fits but it feels like it does its a cool song and also the video is fun as fuck more bands need to do weird shit again) The blade chose me - rainbowdragoneyes (8BIT OMINOUS SONG ABT CONQUERING ITS GOOD!!)

EDIT: I FORGOT TO ADD THE BLADE CHOSE ME

And yeah as always if anyone has suggestions feel free to reblog/reply with them -w-

[shakingparadigm]

What if Luka expects Hyuna to come like she did in his round with Mizi and he is plotting something.He has the trust of aliens,the love of the public and no one would suspect him to do something outside the box,far from the image he created of himself.Hyuna made her appearence in round 5 when we didn't expected it. If the round isn't entirely dedicated to Ivan and Till,this may be an option.He may confront Mizi and Hyuna,they may not be able to rescue Ivan and Till and not make it in time. Luka may not appear at all.

(Me overthinking things: OMG Akugetsu will cover Hyuna's song this must mean something | The other me: OMG I can't wait,this song literally suits him!)

(I like the style of your drawings,the way you use colors and the way you phrase things! When something about ALNST comes out I just wait for your updates! I can't imagine what will happen on tumblr when round 6 is out. And then all of us will wait for the next one over again XD)

Till the end.

TILL... the end...

Ok this is the worst joke I could ever make.

Oohh. Luka appearing in ROUND 6 would honestly be insane. I thought about him making an appearance in the short teaser scene before credits, but if he actually confronted anyone himself that would be so interesting. Imagine all 6 of them in the same episode... the same room... no way... the Alien Stage would be real...

Luka attempting to sabotage Mizi and Hyuna is such an intriguing concept. I do think he's figured out that Hyuna will be returning, he grew up with her, after all. He's most likely aware of her penchant for protecting people. He probably expects Mizi to come back for the only friends she has left, too. He couldn't do anything the first time he saw Hyuna after ROUND 5, but he might be more eager to get his hands on her now. If we get our first adult Hyuna and Luka interaction during ROUND 6 I'd actually go insane. as much as I hope for it though, I'm not sure whether or not it will actually happen. ROUND 6 already has a lot going for it. A final confession of love already makes for a heavy episode, but with Till's newly revealed backstory added to the mix? Mizi and Hyuna's attempt at a jailbreak? The whole video would probably need an entire week to be processed and even comprehended, especially if they want to go into extensive detail on each aspect. Still, though, if Luka interfered... if Mizi and Hyuna were unable to save anyone and had to defeatedly return to the rebellion base carrying the weight of their failure, well, I DON'T THINK I'D BE REACHABLE FOR AT LEAST 10 BUSINESS DAYS I'd have to go into hiding in order to cope with that. But who knows! The fun part about VIVINOS videos is that they're always gonna leave you fucked up in one way or another!

AKUGETSU COVERING ALL-IN. TILL COVERING HYUNA'S SONG. I've posted so many times about this day holy shit its finally real. It really does suit him! Do you think AKUGETSU is

1) hinting that Till is joining the rebellion

or

2) giving us the All-In cover as compensation for whatever bad thing is going to happen to Till

(or a secret third thing: he literally just did it for fun and we've just gone insane.)

Ahh thank you so much for enjoying my stuff! I'm so happy, everyone's been really nice to me as of late and I don't know what to doooo hahaha I'm just really glad to share everyone's excitement for ALIEN STAGE :)

You wait for my updates??!! oh no I'm so sorry 😭 I'm quite late at times because I've had some stuff going on (I've barely said anything about the April Fools actor au 😭) but hopefully I'll be free to go absolutely nuts after the release of ROUND 6 tomorrow!! If you're ever in need of someone to scream about ROUND 6 with my inbox is always open!! Thank you for your kind words!!

Can't wait till I get to hear from you again! :)