#otp: pulling strings

[kyraxyrespace]

Day Ten - Tai Kamiya/Sora Takenouchi, Taiora (Digimon)

[unabashedqueenfury]

Reign 2013-17/01-07

Mary and Francis

[harmoniouseclipse]

Woe fankids be upon ye

Doing a little series where I took some ship requests on my instagram to make them fankids, this one is for me tho (jeanlisa to kick it off whoo 🙌🏻) The lineup so far is Cytham, Kavetham, Lionfish (aka Freminet x Gaming aged up probably idk how old they are canonically), Cynonari, Jealuc, and Beiguang, and feel free to send me some other pairings you wanna see (as long as they are legal pls otherwise I will ignore it 👎)

I'm gonna ramble about some headcanons and lore for them under the cut, continue with caution bc I'm insane

These two are my brainrot rn, don't even joke lad. And I wanna tell yall their name meanings too bc I like them a lot 🥹 Zephra's means "west wind" derived from Greek, and it's the feminine version of Zephyr. Tyrian was a type of purple dye used by the Ancient Phoenicians, huge huge HUGE thanks to my pookie bear @miothefish for helping me out with his name!!! Also he has Lisa's butterfly earring and you can't see bc of the angle but Zephra has the rose that went in her hair holding her ponytail <3

I'm also making a massive family tree for the characters as a go along, and just the jeanlisa tree is taking up half of the canvas bc of the KoF and Sumeru characters since Cyno is their uncle and the rest of the gang are their honorary uncles 😭 I'll be posting that once the series is done/all the requests are finished/I run out of ships and otps I enjoy

Here's an alternative version with some more info on most of the characters I wanted to briefly mention in their relation to them; Tyrian likes calling Eula his aunt too even though she was never really considered one for them so it's kind of like her unofficial title she pretends to dislike but she loves it and dotes on Tyrian 🤭 She and Diluc also helped train Zephra with a claymore and Diluc kind of became a parental figure to her in her teen years after Lisa's passing 🥺 She also feels like she's outshined by Jean and that she's not smart or powerful enough to follow in Lisa's footsteps (something that Lisa wouldn't want anyways bc it led her to her death 😔) rip zephra she's just like me fr

And yeah some Kaeya angst bc he's still going thru it I fear, and Jean is single mombossing but she's worried for zephra which me too dawg, im afraid to say she might be cooked 😦 Zephra is also kind of like a weird mix of Lisa when she was her age and Jean, where overall she's well-mannered and kind but she can be competitive and feel the need to push herself too much and pull a few strings to get what she wants from time to time. Tyrian is a ray of sunshine tho, he has not yet witnessed the horrors 💔 I do think that Jean is also a lot easier on him than her mom was with her so that also helps. He's very shy tho and wants to stick with Zephra or Razor most of the time, and they both have some nasty tan lines from going out with Razor and Klee and Fischl a lot 😔 Cyno also freaking loves them and dotes on them and Tyrian is getting a TCG addiction because of it smh, Cyno is also one of Zephra's favorite people and when she's in Sumeru she stays with him and Alhaitham (bc in my universe they are married ough I love cytham)

And (I think?) Klee physically and mentally ages slower than humans so I think she'd be technically 9 or 10, and Zephra is left with babysitting duty most of the time if she's home on break or smth 😭 Klee really looks up to her tho

Also, I wrote Tyrian's last bullet point like he was super young when Lisa died, but I think he was around 7 so he actually remembers Lisa better than I intended it to sound, he was just younger than Zephra (who was 11 at the time) and just didn't have as much time with her as Zeph did, but his most fond memory of Lisa was reading with her and she probably taught them some potion-making skills too.

I think there will be some abyss angst in here too at some point, since I hc Lisa to be probably an Abyss Lector/Harold (I forget which is which) um so thinking that Zeph and Tyrian experiencing some not normal things happening and Jean doesn't know what to do since Lisa also didn't really know what that dog in her was until it was too late 😔 That's what Kaeya's for tho since he's like the heir of the abyss???? Go off king. Also some touchy ragbros angst bc Kaeya is scared for Zeph knowing how close she is with Luc and he doesn't want him to push her away because of her being from the abyss or smth (they mostly made up but it's still a fear in Kaeya's mind both for him and Jean's kids)

I think that's all I wanted to touch on for now?? Mainly just thinking about domestic fluff and angst all the time now 🥺 Zeph not being able to be open with Jean bc she feels like a disappointment but Jean would literally actually die for her and shes proud of her no matter what ough im going to lose my freak dawg guess who my favorite fankid is it's super hard ik

Send me asks or dms or whatever for more ship requests!!! I'm having so much fun with this dawg 🫶����

[exo-raskreia]

Its funny how Ichihime fans compare their pathetic ship with Naruhina to make it seem more valid. Honestly, those two ships have nothing in common. Naruto has always believed in Hinata's strength. He outright invites her to battle with him in the War. When has Ichigo thought Orihime was strong or encouraged her?? He has done all those things for Rukia, the girl he loves. When a boy truly loves a girl, he appreciates her strength. It honestly annoys me When Orihime fans compare her to Hinata when they are not alike at all. Hinata is more like Rukia than any other girl in Bleach. Orihime was an extroverted person who was shy only around Ichigo. Hinata was an introverted person like Rukia. Both Hinata and Rukia were royalties. Both of them had a lot of expectations and burden on them. Both had stoic elder brothers whom they really loved. Neji and Byakuya were initially indifferent or somewhat cruel to their sisters until they got sense beat into them by Naruto and Ichigo. Naruto and Ichigo fought hard to mend the relationship of their girls with their brothers. Only they understood how much the girls were suffering because of their brothers, no one else could understand them like their boys. Their stories are so similar. They grew closer to the Protagonists for how hard they fought for them. Seriously every time Hinata and Rukia are hurt or kidnapped Naruto and Ichigo show resilience they have never shown before. They became better persons due to the influence of their girls. Their girls encouraged them, pulled them out of darkness and became their light. They are also tied by Red String of Fate. When their girls left them, they became depressed. I can go on and on about how similar Hinata and Rukia are and How Naruhina is similar to Ichiruki not Ichihime. There's a reason Naruhina is so popular while Ichihime is bleh. Both Naruhina and Ichiruki are my Otps. When anyone compares Naruhina to Ichihime it just annoys the hell outta me.😒

THIS THIS THIS!!!

I've always thought IchiRuki & NaruHina have similarities! Glad someone else sees this! 😭 You even brought up some points I hadn't thought about!

They both also have Sun & Moon symbolisms & official titles. Hinata's colors are purple/lavender & white like Rukia. Ichigo & Naruto have orange & even black? Other similarities with Hinata & Rukia, as u mentioned, are being associated with "princess" like Hinata the Byakugan Princess & Rukia's zanpakuto is called Sode no Shirayuki (Shirayuki is the JP name for Snow White), the Hyuuga heiress & the Kuchiki heiress, & you're so right on the introvert part! Both so brave in the face of danger, willing to sacrifice themselves for those they love... I think they would've gotten along & even admired each other for their resilience & kindness.

Ori & Hinata may have some superficial similarities (pretty & nice big-boobed girl who likes the MC) but it doesn't go farther than that! Hinata & Orihime are very different people. Ichigo & Naruto are very different too. Their dynamics are completely different. NaruHina is very popular & beloved even to this day while IH isn't 🤷‍♀️. Hinata is very popular on her own unlike Ori...

I also can't stand when ppl compare Rukia & Sakura. They also only have superficial similarities; tough, small-breasted, & being the FL of a battle shounen. Their personalities & values are completely different, tho, as well as their dynamics with Ichigo & Naruto. While I came to tolerate Sakura & support SasuSaku, I've never been a fan of hers.

There's actually an amazing meta here in which OP compares Orihime & Sakura & their dynamics with Naruto & Ichigo. They're eerily similar...

It just gets on my nerves when ppl compare NH & IH. I once made a post on most of the major differences between them. I even mentioned how NH & IR could understand each other thru their eyes. I would've liked to elaborate further on these dynamics with manga panels, but I no longer feel like going over it. It's been years, I'm happy with NaruHina, so I'll just leave it at that.

When Bl3ach ended & ppl were comparing NH & IH, it ignited me to make my first written post on here, haha. I did a couple others like this added reblog & some silly posts. You can also explore the NH & anti Naru/Saku tag on my blog to find reblogs of similar posts.

Thanks for sending this, anon! Fellow NH & IR shipper! 🫡

[impala124]

I feel like I gotta let you talk about why you like Vegas now bc I had so little to say!

Vegas belongs to the list of fictional men I would never introduce to someone new. Like, if they get him, it's well and good, and if they don't, that too is fine. So Shan, I get having very little to say about Vegas.

I also understand not being that into Kinnporsche. Other than the fact that it was beautifully shot, my only reasons for sticking around (initially) were my beloved Tankhun and the rivalry between Kinn and Vegas. Kinnporsche, for all its faults as a series, not having a coherent plot being one of them ���, gave us very interesting characters and inter-personal dynamics.

How I feel about this character

I love him. Don't get me wrong, he is not a good person, nor does he pretend to be one. He is not a reformed person who will only do good deeds post-canon.

My (not so healthy) reasons for liking Vegas boil down to

His self-loathing tendencies

His filial piety towards his father, however undeserved it might be

His competence at being the head of a mafia family

Thinking about post-canon Vegas is so interesting because everything he thought he wanted out of his life is gone—his father is dead, Porsche is now the head of the minor family, and he has Pete, a romantic partner in ways he never imagined he could/would.

So, his character arc isn't complete; he has to figure out who he is as a person outside of his rivalry with Kinn.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

Only Pete!! I couldn't subject anyone else to be on the receiving end of my little manipulator's romantic affections, lol.

And people say that romance is dead!!! One of my reasons for shipping them together is the evitability of their relationship. It didn't happen because someone was pulling the strings behind a curtain or because one person had an agenda while pursuing the other. It's about seeing yourself in the other person and understanding them. In short, they match each other's freaks.

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Let's be honest, all of us wondered where Vegas and Porsche would go after the bike ride scene.

Love Vegas and Macau's relationship. There is a lot of love there and an instinct to protect him from their father's abuse. Love me a good protective older sibling ❤️

My unpopular opinion about this character

I wasn't active on this site when the show was airing, so I don't know if these are unpopular opinions. But, I do see a lot of fics depicting Kinn and Vegas as being almost friendly towards each other post-canon, and I'm like, how? I don't know; I just can't see that happening in a million years. Also, Vegas as a father? I know that this happens in the books, which I haven't read and never plan on reading. He has a long way to go before even thinking about fatherhood, and I don't believe he is someone who aspires to be one. So, yeah, I can't reconcile the image of Vegas as a father with the Vegas in my head.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

I wish we got to see him wearing more red, because he is a fucking vision.

I also wish we got more of Tankhun and Vegas. I could see them fighting over Pete a lot. Also, hours of footage of him just cooking, for my indulgence.

Give me a character ask game

[sitp-recs]

HP Rec Fest 2024

day 28: a fic over 100k

I’ve had a rec for Can't Sit Still by wilteddaisy (E, 193k) sitting in my drafts for so many months now (probably over a year? le gasp!) so when I saw this prompt I did not think twice. I rarely read anything over 50k these days, but I was (still am) so thirsty for some good Draco/Blaise food that I jumped right into a 200k rollercoaster, and what a ride it was! this will be a bit longer than my other posts since I’m using bits of my long-ass drafted rec, so please bear with me:

I’ll preface this by saying “this might not be the right fic for you - and that’s okay!”. yes, the story starts with Draco falling for his straight best friend and getting into an ill-advised but 100% Slytherin “friends with benefits” sort of arrangement with Blaise, who then marries someone else. oh, the devastation 🥲 this is not a sad fic per se, but Draco’s journey is bittersweet all the same. one thing I can promise though, this is most definitely a Drarry romance. there’s this… subtle sweetness and generosity in their dynamics, even before they start fucking, that made my heart skip a beat and go “yes yes yes, this is what I want for them!!!!”

flatmates, powerful Harry, pining galore, found family, hot & intimate smut, a story after my own heart! and once you jump in, it’s impossible to resist the pull of these witty, vibrant and complex characters. as a Blaise slut I was immediately seduced by this peculiar mix of arrogant, tender and nonchalant. it’s so toxic and complicated, I love it. as for post-war Draco, he’s a fascinating figure: snarky and melodramatic but openly soft and vulnerable in a way that caught me off guard, gosh I’m so tender for him. he’s quite similar to Harry in his yearning for physical and emotional connection, and I love how this fic explores the complicated entanglements between loneliness, attraction and dependency. I’m also so weak for a pining! Harry and here he’s dialed to 11: hungry, possessive, touch-starved, soft and infatuated all at once. the slow burn is superb with cinematic sexual tension and emotional catharsis. and don’t get me started on the smut! I could wax poetry about the morning after scene intense, hazy and self-indulgent sex with a starving Harry and a pliant Draco. absolutely breathtaking!

surprisingly, this is also a fun read! the humour is smart, subtle and permeates the dialogue in ways that made me giggle every now and then. this fic also benefits from multiple POVs and a fantastic supporting cast, including Aurors Ron & Pansy and Draco’s hilarious house elves who steal the scene every time they show up. everything comes together in a charming and immersive love story that will tug at your heart strings and make you cheer for Drarry, for Draco, like you’ve never done before. a love letter to all of us who have fallen in love with someone who couldn’t make us happy and had to embrace the grief of letting go, learn how to remake ourselves, and take a leap of faith to let someone new in. give this story a chance and find yourself falling in love with your OTP all over again 💜

for @hprecfest

[anotherbluesunday]

✨Moodboard Teaser: In Technicolor✨

With the release of the first chapter coming in hot with its expected release being this Friday at the latest or sooner (possibly as early as tomorrow) I wanted to take the time to acquaint everyone with the primary couples in this story. Usually I cap it at two couples and have auxilary couples and characters on the fringes. But because this is a crossover between two of my favorite shows, I have expanded it to three—possibly four—couples with auxilaries (secondary) on the fringes. These couples will include original characters i.e. Wynn Galpin who is Tyler Galpin’s younger sister. There is a crossover couple that joins the Wednesday group with the Riverdale group. This couple is where I expect to receive the most backlash but idc. Their my crossover otp and I hope you all trust me enough to keep reading and join me/the characters on this journey. I have also switched some things up with one of the Riverdale characters because the ship only got screen time in the last season and it did more for their character than their actual failed relationships did the entire season. Fight me. But don’t. Or do.

Anyway, here are the couples moodboards, as promised. The visuals were inspired by Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juilet because these past few months since January I have been on a 90’s and 2000’s kick and I am dying for how that movie captured the beauty, grit, grime, and excitement of LA. So enjoy and let me know what you think! 💜

.

.

We open with our crossover couple who are the star-crossed lovers—Cheryl Blossom, the queen of the Palisades and star tennis player and Pugsley “Lee” Addams, the king of Elysian Heights and leader of his grunge sleeze band Texca. Born second generation to a working class defense attorny and day-time caregiver to the elderly, Lee Addams has just wants to make it through his senior year of high school and hangout with his friends on the weekend. But when he and his twin sister Wednesday step a little too far over the line at their old school their parents pull some strings to have their three children—Wednesday, Pugsley, and Pubert “Bertie” attend Morticia’s former high school. There, Lee unwittingly comes face to face with the campus queen, the indomitable and untouchable Cheryl Blossom. Born into privilege with the face of an angel and the bite of a viper, she has everything and anything. Influence thanks to her parents name. Adoration by way of her beauty. And power because of her abilities to manipulate others. But what happens when a hurricane meets an immoveable force? Will they fold? Destroy one another? What happens when the pretty vicious face isn’t all it seems to be and the cutting confidence is stripped away? Who are the real people that lie beneath it all?

.

.

Next are our second pair of the four star-crossed lovers. While it is never a good idea to fall for your twin flame, for Tyler and Wednesday it isn’t so simple. Twin flames and soulmates fused into one as if it were a sick joke, their story begins at a party—the raven haired twin sister with her face painted like a Catrina (see: Dia de los Muertos symbols and iconography) and the Galpin golden boy dressed like Sir Lancelot with the sacred heart etched into his chest plate. Like her brothers, Wednesday grew up living a modest life where nothing was taken for granted and family sits at the heart of all major decisions. For Tyler, he has forgotten the importance of family and community after starting university where his life has evolved into an endless stream of parties and hookup’s. Never struggling but also never being challenged to be better or grow, he’s hit a wall. A mid-life crisis of sorts but at the already chaotic age of 18 with his 19th birthday right around the corner. But from the moment he lays eyes on Wednesday she is all he can think of. All he breathes and dreams of—a beautiful stranger that won’t free him. Yet when this silver tongued Casanova tries to approach the dark beauty he’s shot down. Challenged to question who he is and what he truly is doing with his life that matters. What is in store for the idealistic social revolutionist and her troubled admirer? Where will they land when the walls of his kingdom come crumbling down?

.

.

The youngest of three siblings each yet one is protected and coddled like a greenhouse flower while the other has flourished amidst hardship and bouts of poverty. Wynn Galpin is caught in a never-ending loop of compassions to her twin older siblings, Tyler and Enid. Both are straight A students. Both star athletes with Tyler winning championship after championship for swim and Enid earning a full-ride scholarship to UCLA for volleyball. Both are charming and charismatic. Both are perfect and Wynn can never compare despite how she tries. She doesn’t have the passion for swim or volleyball so she chooses cheer. “That’s not a real sport” she’s told. Her siblings get A’s but she can hardly scrape by with B’s while battling her depression and anxiety. At all times, her mind is screaming for her to just run off and disappear. And after the loss of her friend and pseudo-sister Polly, the darkness has become more persuasive. More invasive and vicious. But it is during a spiral that forces her out of the gym during cheer practice that she runs into the new kid. The brainiac junior in her senior level AP classes. Pubert “Bertie” Addams. A carefree class clown with a heart of gold and the virgin Guadalupe drawn in vibrant neons on the bottom of his skateboard. Where will this new path take them when the class clown and the beauty queen who seems to always be in tears meet to form an oddball friendship? And what happens when their hearts begin to long for more than just friendship but their worlds couldn’t be more different? How will things turn out for the greenhouse flower and her sidewalk dandelion?

.

.

What’s the worst that could happen when you fall in love with your best friend? What happens when you think they love someone else? When you think they could never see you the way you see them in return? Do you stand there and wait for them to turn around? Or do you walk away while piecing together your heart that will never know real closure? Reggie has asked himself these questions nearly every day for the past six years since his family moved to the fringes of the Palisades and enrolled him in the affluent junior high nearby. Archie Andrews was his first friend at his new school all those years ago. The first one to get up during lunch time and sit down next to him. The one who didn’t care that his parents weren’t from money and had only recently come into their fortune. The one who didn’t care that he didn’t have the newest clothes, phone, or hairstyle. Like a guardian angel come to save him from perpetual solitude, Archie befriended Reggie with a bright smile and a silly joke. And since that day, Reggie has kept his love for the redhaired boy wonder to himself. Has been the picture of what a bestfriend should be. Has supported Archie and defended him. Joined their high school swim team with him just so that they could live out Archie’s dream of being the one’s to break Tyler, the former captain’s, record and win more championships than him and his team did. Reggie has lived a beautiful but painful lie for nearly a decade and the cracks have begun to show. The devotion now agony. The love a barbed dagger twisted liettle by little every time he has to play third wheel on Archie’s dates with his girlfriend Veronica. But one night their eyes meet across a sea of moving bodies at a house party. Archie kissing Veronica but can’t stop looking at Reggie. There’s a spark. A sadness. Hope. But is there truth? Is there a willingness to be honest? To accept this attraction that has been there waiting from the start? Does Archie know what real love could be like if he just turned around? Or will the lovefool angel look away once again and leave the poor friend and saint in the dark?

.

.

.

Stay tuned for more because this is only the beginning. Next will be the auxiliary couples, characters, and family boards for the three main ones at play. But the next next post that will be following this one will be the official titlecard for Chapter One. Can’t wait to see you all again there. 💜

[yukidragon]

Sunny Day Jack - Some Things About Mary

You know, it occurred to me that my ideas about Mary Phoenix have evolved a bit since I first introduced her, especially since I decided to make the reincarnation storyline canon for Sunshine in Hell. Why don't I point out a couple differences that I referenced in some subsequent posts that talk about her?

Content Warnings: There will be talk of death, murder, chronic illness, fatphobia, toxic family relationships, drug usage, sex work, and other such heavy topics. There's also some good old spicy OTP fluff and smut to offset the darker stuff, and maybe a little writing if the mood takes me.

@channydraws @earthgirlaesthetic @sai-of-the-7-stars @cheriihoney @illary-kore @okamiliqueur @kurokrisps

As alluded to in this short fic - Grand Pas de Deux - Mary is the one who got Joseph the part of Jack in the SunnyTime Crew Show. Much like when Alice comes across Jack purely by chance when she finds the tape, Mary stumbled across Joseph while he was hitchhiking on the side of the road - as shown in this unnamed fic.

Instead of working with the art department of the show like the initial ramble about her, Mary is on the writing staff, though she did make drawings of characters for the show when developing the idea.

Sunshine in Hell's continuity differs from the game's demo in a number of ways. One of the biggest divergences is that Mary is the person who came up with the original concept of the SunnyTime Crew Show. In fact, the character of Sunny Day Jack was inspired by Joseph. Whenever she hears the nickname "Sunshine" she thinks of him, for obvious reasons, and he always managed to brighten up her day, so "Sunny Day Jack" felt like an appropriate name for the character.

Sure, Mary could've used a star motif to reference her nickname for Joseph - Starlight - but that felt too personal, in a way, too much like she was just writing about Joseph. Sunny Day Jack is a character based off of how warm and cared for her friendship with Joseph made her feel. The character isn't actually him.

Until, you know, she managed to pull some strings and get him the part in the upcoming TV show.

It sort of all fell into place when Mary came across Joseph again. He had nowhere to go, next to no money to his name. He was willing to do any sort of work he could get. Of course Mary wanted to help him out, so she encouraged him to try out for the part. It just so happened that they were working on the casting call, so the timing was perfect.

Despite Joseph's uncertainty that he could get the role and worries that he'll do right by the child audience, he nailed the audition. Sure he was nervous, but he was desperate to succeed. It wasn't just that he needed the job to survive, but he needed it to stay close to Mary. He couldn't let anything separate them again after he finally found his sunshine.

Joseph was a bundle of nerves before the audition, but Mary managed to bolster his confidence.

...

"Hey," Mary whispered, causing Joseph to flinch and the script to crinkle in his fist. She offered him a sympathetic smile as she placed her hand on his arm. "You're going to be great. I know it."

With that, Mary got onto her tiptoes to give Joseph a quick peck on the lips before throwing him a wink. "Knock 'em dead, Starlight."

For a moment, Joseph could only stare in wonder at Mary. It still felt like a dream that she really was there in front of him after all this time. He reached out for her, ready to pull her in for another kiss to reaffirm just how real and warm she was when he heard his name being called for his turn.

Well... his current name. It was going to take him some time to get used to being called James Haberdae.

But that was fine. Joseph, James, Jack... it didn't matter what name he used. All Joseph needed from his old life was standing right in front of him, beaming like a sunny day. Mary's smile lit up the whole world and gave him hope that things were finally going to change for the better.

"I won't let you down, Sunshine," Joseph said as he gave Mary his sunniest smile. Reluctantly, he let her go, but only for now. It was show time, and the world was waiting to see him as Sunny Day Jack.

...

Needless to say, Joseph nailed the audition. ;3

Mary wasn't the only writer on the show of course. It's common for there to be a lot of writers for a TV show, even if there's one writer who came up with the initial concept for the story and characters. I strongly suspect that this lovely lady to the left in this artwork Sauce shared with us is the show's original creator in the game. In Sunshine in Hell's telling, Mary befriended her as a surrogate aunt or mother figure after she and her family moved away when she was a teenager. This lovely lady who shall remain nameless helped Mary in a lot of ways that her own parents didn't, including helping her develop the concept and character ideas Mary had into a TV show pitch. The show wouldn't have happened without her help, so she's one of the head writers.

That's all say about that particular character in this post, or the blond in the picture with her on the right. After all, the current demo that has a scene about these two is in closed beta right now for kickstarter backers and members of the patreon. No spoilers here, folks!

Well, no game spoilers. I'm spoiling the heck out of Sunshine in Hell on this blog.

Another difference between the game and Sunshine in Hell is the factor of chronic illness in the narrative. Mary and Alice both suffer from the same unnamed chronic condition. While in the present it's for the most part manageable, aside from the occasional flare up, in the 1980's, it was entirely an unknown ailment. There was no name, and thus no real treatment.

Doctors aren't necessarily the best at dealing with unknowns. They can also be pretty judgmental, taking one look at a patient and writing them off. It's even easier to write someone off when they're chubby and blame all their woes on their weight. Just lose some pounds, and the pain will go away, they're keen to say, so they don't see why they should waste their time.

Needless to say, Mary hasn't had the best luck with doctors. Between being told she wouldn't live to adulthood when she was a child, painful tests and experimental medications, and doctors basically blaming her for being sick and in pain, she's for the most part had to deal with things on her own. That means gritting her teeth and forcing herself through the day, taking painkillers when it gets too much for her to handle.

It's hard enough doing work for an average job, but a studio like LambsWork works their employees to the bone. Hours upon hours of overtime, often without any extra pay to show for it. The actors aren't the only ones being worked to the bone. Scripts need to be written, details for sets, costumes, guests need to be brought in and catered to, and all sorts of things that force Mary to have many late nights.

It's too much for Mary, but she can't give it up. This might be her one and only chance to make it, to really share one of her stories to the world. She had dreamed of writing and publishing a novel, but this is so, so much more. If she lets this opportunity slip through her fingers, she'll never have another one like it ever again. She has to make this show work. She has to put everything into it, even if it costs her health.

But that's something Mary is used to at this point. She's learned to deal with the pain, to push through when she's suffering. Her parents always claimed she was exaggerating the pain, overplaying her illness, even faking being sick at all to get out of work, so she had to learn how to push through the pain.

That's another reason why Mary can't fail. She can't let her parents be right about her being a lazy failure.

Mary is low contact with her family, citing the show as reason for it. Her mom and dad are narcissists, so they're satisfied with her success, as it reflects well on them as parents. They're happy as long as they get something out of it, like money, reputation, connections, etc.

Really, it's the period in time when Mary has gotten the most "love" and approval from those two. It's another reason why she can't let the show fail.

Mary is aware her parents aren't very good people. She has been for a while now, but... she still loves them. It's so hard to let go of a relationship when there are some happy moments there, times when she can let herself believe the lie that this is simply how families are. This is what love is... or at least love of a family.

It's the connections Mary makes outside of her family that shake up that perception. First there was Joseph's friendship that blossomed into romantic love. Then there was her mentor figure I mentioned earlier who became more of a mother to her than her real mother. Now she has other friends she's made while working on the set of the SunnyTime Crew Show. The actors and others working on the show are all so nice and sincere, not just Joseph. They become like a big family... one that feels more like a family than Mary's ever was.

Though Mary still can't quite cut off her parents. It's not that easy.

It's that found family and not wanting to let any of them down that pushes Mary so hard. She winds up pushing herself too hard. She takes over the counter painkillers on the daily, knowing that it's not good for her in the long term. Least of the issues with taking them all the time is their diminishing effectiveness. They take away less pain over time as she pushes her body harder and harder to its breaking point...

Mary and Joseph do wind up living together and taking care of one another. He's aware that she's pushing herself too hard, downplaying her own symptoms and pain. He sees how often empty medicine bottles appear in the trash can and hears the whimpers she can't contain when she's struggling to sleep at night.

Joseph wants to protect Mary, but there's little he can do to take away her pain. He helps her as best he can with taking care of the house and the cooking, but he's overworked as well. There's promotional gigs, autograph signings, interviews, filming episodes, rehearsals... Their days are so busy that often times they're left exhausted by the time they get home late at night, too tired to do more than just lie in bed in each other's arms.

That isn't to say that they don't steal a moment or two in their busy lives to make love. Mary might be on the aroace spectrum, but the pleasure Joseph makes her feel allows her to forget the pain she's in all the time, at least for a little while. Joseph, with his high libido, is only too happy to show her love in the most intimate of ways.

Well... after he gets over a bit of guilt. Though Mary did greet Joseph with a kiss when they reunited, and they resumed their relationship right where they left off, it didn't erase the years that they were apart... or the things Joseph had to do to survive life on the streets.

As I mentioned in Jack's section of the big Love and Sex Headcanons post, Joseph had to do some pretty unsavory things in order to survive. Though he puts up a good confident front, even to himself, this man has many insecurities underneath his bad boy looking exterior. There's some guilt that he went looking for love in someone else when he was separated from Mary, and those relationships always ended badly. He also sold his body, exchanging sexual favors for as little as a roof over his head and a meal for a night.

Not to mention the other awful things he did in his past, such as the reason why he ran away from Haberdae High...

Joseph is unclean, at least in his opinion. He's been told he's worthless, not good enough, and other insults... and he embraced that out of spite. He hurt people badly, caused harm he can't undo, sold himself for cheap, allowed people to use him and then throw him away...

In a way, Joseph doesn't feel worthy of Mary... but damned if he's going to let her go ever again.

Things change for Joseph once Mary finds him. His life takes a turn he never expected, brings him hope and light when he struggled to find either. For all his fears that he won't do right by the kids after all he's done, he finds his groove right away, connecting with the children in ways that he never thought he could. He worries about hurting Mary again, losing her again, not being worthy of her after all he's done... he worries about letting her down and the friends he made, the children who admire him.

Mary shows Joseph love and unwavering faith in him that he never felt even for himself. She helps him see that there's more to him than he ever realizes, and he so badly wants to be the man that she believes he is.

Joseph didn't want to push his sexual urges on Mary at the start of their relationship, determined to take things slow and do it right. He had extra pressure from learning that she was still a virgin... and guilt because he was not.

They were each other's first kiss, but Joseph slept around with many, many other people while Mary did not.

Despite this internalized self-loathing, Joseph did his best to be better for Mary, and for himself. He wanted to be the man that she saw him as, the special wish come true that she always said he was for her life. He'd grant her every wish and make her the happiest anyone could ever be. He'd protect her from the world, from illness, and even from his own darker urges.

Joseph did his best to hold himself back, which led to plenty of awkward boners to hide before they finally progressed to the point of making love. More than once he felt as if he was going to go crazy with how badly he wanted her, while also feeling guilty about lusting for Mary like some animal in heat. He was extra careful and delicate about their first time, worshipping every inch of her body and making sure to repay all the love she gave him.

One good thing about all his experience was that Joseph knew how to pleasure his partner very well. Mary was surprised that her first time wasn't painful like she expected it to be (aside from chronic pain, but he made her forget about that for a while too). He practically turned her into a quivering pile of goo by the time he was through with her. He couldn't stop after just one round, not after how many times he had gotten blue balls waiting until they were both ready for this.

Joseph might not have the empathy powers that share all his horny feelings during this time period, but he can still encourage Mary's libido to increase the old fashioned way. Though he takes the lead most of the time, he's very happy when she initiates. He gets quite the guilty thrill when his sunshine gets a bit jealous and possessive of him.

What Joseph has with Mary is such a different feeling from the dismissive relationships he had before that only saw his body. He's not a piece of meat to her. He's not property paid for. She makes him feel irreplaceable, like someone worth waiting for, someone to miss and long for. She cares deeply for what he wants and is so tender and loving...

Joseph desperately wants to be someone worthy of all the love Mary shows him.

He is even more desperate not to lose his sunshine again.

The rumor that Mary died when they were in high school might have been false, but that memory of loss still haunts Joseph. It comes to mind every time she has a flare up. He's left helpless but to just offer comfort and do what little he can while she whimpers and cries, praying that the pain passes soon...

The doctors are useless. Joseph gets so frustrated by their condescension and bumbling. He wants to save up money to take care of the both of them, give them a better life, and actually find someone who can actually do something about this damn illness. They're just sticking their thumbs up their asses and shrugging their shoulders while giving gormless looks as they suggest another test, another specialist...

And the bills just keep racking up.

It doesn't help that so much of their time is taken up working. Joseph worries about how hard Mary is pushing herself, how her attacks are coming more and more frequently. He sees her pushing herself too hard even while she tries to smile through the pain. She tries to be optimistic, saying there's nothing they can do about it, so they've just got to push through. He can see that she's given up on finding answers or a cure. He can't give up. He won't.

Mary hates that she worries Joseph so much about her health, especially since it seems so hopeless. She tries not to acknowledge her own worries and fears. There are times when she nearly breaks down from the pressure of keeping the show together and her fears that her body might be dying and the doctors are clueless. Is this symptom a sign of something dangerous or more of the same? Are they missing something all this time? Can they really afford to throw away more money just to get more apathetic shrugs instead of answers?

Stress leads to vices. Joseph drinks more coffee and alcohol to make it through. He keeps trying to kick the cigarette addiction, as it costs a lot of money they need for other things, but every time he does, the withdrawal symptoms get bad, and he has to take a puff to feel normal again. He tries at least to not smoke around Mary since he knows cigarettes are poison to the body, and she's already in delicate enough health as it is. She's his biggest motivation to quit, while the stress of his job the biggest reason why he can never quite manage it.

It's not just Joseph who falls victim to vices to make it through. Mary hates the taste of coffee but chokes it down like medicine in the morning to make it through the day. She avoids alcohol to not mess with whatever medicine she's currently on to keep the symptoms down, and sometimes she has to drop the coffee too if it interferes with the medicine.

Coffee isn't Mary's biggest vice. She tries different medications, sometimes prescribed, but most often just over the counter painkillers. Taking them too much lessens their effectiveness, and with the job pushing her harder and harder, her health is only degrading, forcing her to take more than what is safe.

Eventually, the over the counter meds aren't enough. A "friend" at the studio, one of the higher ups above Mary who runs her ragged notices her struggling and offers some "help."

Mary was no stranger to trying new types of medicines. The doctors all failed her, often times giving her things that resulted in side-effects that made things worse for her. The pain was getting worse, and she was desperate to feel better... to keep the show going and to be a success.

Mary never thought she would ever take illicit substances. Drugs are bad for you and lead to a dark road, she knew it from all the warnings teachers and even television gave her while growing up, but... she was already starting to break. She was barely holding things together for Joseph, for her friends, the show, the people counting on her, her parents...

They're just some pills, she's assured. A pharmacist friend of the "friend" is certain they're effective. Just try it and see.

They help. These pills from a sketchy source work better than anything Mary has ever tried before. She feels good for once, better than ever. The pain disappears for a while, and she's energized, happy. Why the hell did the doctors never prescribe these to her?

Unfortunately, as what happens when taking pills regularly, it stops being quite as effective. The dosage needs to be increased after a while to get the same high. The side-effects start to cause further issues, particularly as the dosage increases. The body gets strained, and the withdrawal symptoms of going without are agonizing.

Joseph does find out about the pills eventually... and he's far from happy about it, or what they've done to Mary.

Yes, Mary gets addicted to drugs. Show business unfortunately has a habit of doing that to people. The "friend" took the drugs recreationally and shared the "fun" with Mary.

The sad thing is Mary likely turned down things like this before when they were offered as a "party favor" at some gathering. Doing drugs to chase a high never tempted her. It was suffering and desperation that pushed her to make one of the biggest mistakes of her life.

Between drug usage, stress, pushing her body to the breaking point, chronic illness, and other such factors... Mary's health degraded. It was only a matter of time until her body couldn't take it anymore.

Joseph's murder was the breaking point for everything. When he died, a part of Mary died with him, along with all her hopes and dreams. For all the struggles, they did hope for a future together where they could live happily together... maybe raise a family. Even when they were forced apart years ago, she always kept that little hope in her heart that maybe someday she'd find him again.

This time... there was no finding him again. Joseph was dead. He was gone. Forever. Her starlight, her other half, her wish come true...

As if to rub salt in the wound, the studio ended the show. Not only that, they buried everything about it. They erased it... as if it never happened. As if none of the effort and pain and sacrifices ever existed at all. All of her work, Joseph's work, her friends' work... all reduced to ash. LambsWork recalled merch, tapes, etc. and destroyed them, erased the very name of the show, its characters, and those who worked on it from everywhere money and connections could reach. There was no internet to allow for independent archiving.

LambsWork produced new shows, created new distractions. The world moved on to the next big thing. The coworkers Mary and Joseph had grown to love were silenced by NDAs and threats, and were forced to move on.

Mary hoped to create a story that would live on after she died. When she got that death sentence from a doctor as a child, it was her one goal in life, to leave something of herself behind. Now it was gone... as was the person who loved her more than anyone else in the world.

Her wishes, her dreams, her love... it was all dead.

What did Mary have left to live for?

Without hope, Mary lost the will to live. She stopped fighting. The damage that had been done to her body was too much, and the wound to her heart simply refused to heal.

The friends she made when creating the show came to see her. They offered what little support they could in her final days, but they couldn't help her. No one could.

Her parents never visited her even once. They distanced themselves from her the same way LambsWork did. What good was she to them now? Their child helped them get connections in the entertainment industry, but she could do nothing for them now. She could have done more for them to actually be useful to them for once in her life. They wouldn't even bother with her "theatrics" after that "hooligan" died. Good riddance, they say.

It's a tragic ending where good people suffered terrible fates while awful people lived on, pocketing their ill gotten gains as they moved on without so much as a backward glance.

Of course I'm not satisfied with this sort of ending, so I'm decreeing that karma does get all these assholes eventually. I'm not quite sure how just yet, but I like the idea that the Phoenix parents eventually learned the meaning of regret, even if they never learn what it means to actually love anyone else but themselves.

Trust me, I'm gonna make sure they get some form of payback, as well as Joseph's neglectful and abusive parents.

As for LambsWork and the people there... their karma will also come as I develop more details of the story and flesh out more characters. It's developing, though slowly, as I admittedly keep getting distracted by fluff with my OTP.

Naturally, karma comes back around for Joseph and Mary in the form of Jack and Alice. It won't necessarily be an easy road for them, but the two of them will make it work in their next lives. The game might have multiple different endings, with some probably ending in a lot of gore and guts, but Sunshine in Hell's ending will be a happy one where Jack and Alice get to have the bright and shining future that was stolen from them.

Yes, that future does include babies ever after. Jack worried he would be bad around kids, but he eventually becomes the best daddy a child could ever ask for, and the best partner Alice could ever ask for.

Alice might wonder if someone as good as Jack could actually be real, but he's going to remind her that he's always been her wish come true. This time, nothing is going to stop them from achieving their dreams and being happy, together.

Although, if you would rather see a kinder world where Mary and Joseph don't have to wait until their next lives to have their happy ending, here's an AU where they manage to reach their golden years together.

I think I'll wrap things up on that warm and fuzzy note. I hope you enjoyed reading a bit more about Mary and Joseph and their entanglement with LambsWork Productions.

[sephirthoughts]

for the character ask game! if you haven't gotten him already, how about tseng?

I HAVEN'T GOTTEN HIM

THANK YOU

TSENG MY LOVE

(this ask game)

How I feel about this character

i cannot explain how rabid he makes me. he's a stoic badass in a black suit, he's the guy pulling the strings, he's the super-slick corpo type BUT WITH LONG HAIR, and and and HE'S FUCKING CHINESE. i mean "wutaian" whatever but his name is tseng he is clearly chinese. i almost achieved orbit when i saw him.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

VINCENT VINCENT VINCENT VINCENT VINCENT

i have this whole web of headcanon involving tseng having heard all these stories about vincent valentine from veld, and thus growing up idolizing and hero-worshipping him (yes growing up tseng was a turk at 14) and basically being a secret vincent fangirl (and also it doesn't hurt that in all his file photos he looks like vincent looks). then finding out he's alive and meeting him but as enemies from a distance (cause hell yeah hot), and then they trade gunshots as flirting for a while and are all stoic and awkward about it and it goes on from there

reeve: i think their personalities are wildly different but different doesn't necessarily mean incompatible. i think tseng would admire reeve's brains and abilities because reeve is extremely competent and incredibly intelligent (despite the robot cat and the scottish accent) and i think tseng has a secret soft spot for adorable disasters. i bet he even smiled once (in the dark at home alone so no one will ever know) thinking about something reeve did. also tseng and reeve are both morally ambiguous/conflicted people and they have both seen some shit. they have a lot in common. i'd like to see tseng be reeve's hyper-competent right hand man/bodyguard rather than rufus. i don't think he'd baby reeve or be all that nurturing because i find nurturing/babying stuff to be boring and gross, and because reeve is a grown man and the idea is insulting to him, but i do think tseng might encourage the housekeeper to "misplace" reeve's work laptop once in a while, or he might accompany reeve to a corporate conference in costa del sol that gets mysteriously cancelled once they're already there and have the hotel booked for five days still

rufus. i'd like to see him dom the shit out of rufus and in fact i am currently writing a story in which he does that very thing, with cloud participating (as a hired professional). it's not romantic but it is highly sexual. which is how i think they'd be, realistically.

aerith. amazing personality dynamic, fucked up power dynamic, ambiguous stalker/protector tension, sexy assassin daddy vibes, enough of an age gap to be hot, and he clearly loves her. whether it's paternal or fraternal or romantic is up to interpretation but it's not even ambiguous in the games. he does love her. it's canon fact.

and pretty much everyone else except elena and cissnei for smut. tseng and reno casually fucking would be both hilarious and hot. i think tseng and barret would be SO hot but i can't stand barret so he'd have to have a shut-the-fuck-up curse on him or something. tseng and zack where they're both awkward and inexperienced but too embarrassed to admit it during the time frame of crisis core would be SO ADORABLE. tseng and veld mentor/student thing sexy and also sad. i will just keep going so i better stop here

My non-romantic OTP for this character

zack. i love their friendship so goddamned much. i can't even. Y'ALL HE KEPT THE LETTERS

HE

KEPT

THE

FUCKING

LETTERS

My unpopular opinion about this character

he is covered in tattoos from neck to wrists under that starched-ass white shirt and slick black tie.

he smokes but no one knows it and no one ever will.

he has a good relationship with his mother.

he speaks wutaian fluently but doesn't identify as culturally wutaian because he wasn't raised there

he's pan-demi-sexual a little on the ace side of the spectrum

his hair smells like an agarwood-oil based shampoo that he flies to wutai to purchase because he can't have it legally imported and they don't make it anywhere else

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

i wish he'd have SENT THE FUCKING TURKS OUT FASTER

THANK YOU FOR THE ASK FRIEND! I WILL BE REVENGED! 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

[spontaniousmusicalnumbers]

Year of the OTP 2025 February

https://archiveofourown.org/works/62837506

June 4, 1913

“There’s someone here to see you, Mr. Crawley,” Owens said, popping his head into Matthew’s office.

“I don’t have anything in my diary,” he replied, a feeling of dread and déjà vu growing in the pit of his stomach. “Please don’t tell me it’s Lady Grantham again.”

“No, it’s not Lady Grantham,” Owens said, not exactly meeting Matthew’s eyes. “It’s Lady Mary Crawley.”

“Mary!” Matthew exclaimed, upsetting his cup of tea.

“Should I show her in?”

“Yes, yes, of course,” Matthew grumbled, “but give me a minute to clean this mess up.” He gestured to the sodden pile of papers on his desk as Owens withdrew. He hastily shoved the mess off into a wastepaper bin and stood to retrieve his suit jacket from the stand behind him. He was just settling himself back in at his desk as the door opened again and Owens showed in Mary.

Mary’s eyes swept around the office taking in every detail. Matthew stood and gestured to the chair opposite his desk. “Cousin Mary,” he began, “how nice to see you. What brings you to Harvell and Carter today.”

“Don’t worry,” she smiled, “I haven’t come to trick you into looking for a way to give me your inheritance.”

“I—I didn’t think that’s why you were here.”

“Actually,” she said as she sat down and smoothed her skirt. “I came to give you something.”

“Me?” he asked. “You don’t have to give me anything.”

“It’s nothing really,” a slight blush colored her cheeks. “I was out shopping today, and I saw this and, well, it made me think of you.” She reached into her handbag and withdrew a thin box.

“You really didn’t have to,” he said taking the box from her.

“I know, but…” she paused, contemplating if she should continue or not. “It’s just, no one has ever said that I matter before. I was so awful to you when you first came here, and you have no reason to be so kind to me. I’m sorry I was such a pain.”

“Mary,” he said quietly as he turned the box around in his hands.

“Oh, go on and open it,” she said, waving her hand impatiently.

“You really didn’t have to do this,” he tried again.

“Well, if you don’t want it, give it back.” She held her hand out expectantly.

“I didn’t say I didn’t want it,” he said pulling it closer to him and out of her reach. “I’m very touched that you thought of me, you just didn’t need to get anything for me.”

“You haven’t seen what it is yet,” she smiled. “You might not be as pleased when you see what reminds me of you.”

“Well, now I’m very intrigued.” He turned the box over in his hands slowly. It was about six inches long and about one inch tall. He gently shook it gently and hearing nothing placed it carefully on the desk in front of him. He untied the piece of string holding the brown wrapping paper in place. He tentatively pulled on the paper and revealed a black case with a small brass buckle on the side. He flipped open the buckle and revealed a shiny tortoise shell fountain pen with gold bands and an oval plate on the side bearing the letters “M.C.”

“You…you had it engraved?” he asked, failing to hide the affection in his voice.

“Well, the shopkeeper assumed that it was for me,” she replied, not meeting his eyes.

“It’s beautiful, Mary,” he said taking it gingerly out of its case. “It reminds me of one that my mother bought for my father’s fiftieth birthday.” He pulled a blank sheet of paper to him and scrawled: thank you, I love it. He blotted it, folded the paper in half and handed it across the desk to Mary.

She took the paper, read it and Matthew smiled as he watched a blush creep up her cheeks. “I’m glad you like it,” she whispered. Then she smoothed her skirt and sat up straighter. “Well, anyway,” she continued, her voice returning to normal, “I’ll leave you now. I do hope you and your mother are still planning to come for dinner tonight.”

“Of course,” he said, rising with her and going to open the door for her. “I wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

[basu-shokikita]

Dethentines 2024 Day 6

OT3

As it has been made exceedingly clear by now, Skwistok is my OTP. My one and only, my endgame, the only pair I can see romantically in Metalocalypse, etc...

Even so, I have a number of ships I enjoy in very particular ways and I thought today would be a good day to dip on that. So, for day 6 of Dethentines you're getting a Skwistokface extravanganza because I like it and I think it's underrated! God bless!

It wasn’t everyday that Murderface felt inspired, but when he did, it made up for all the other days. He was overflowing with inspiration and creativity, stimulated unlike any other, capable of writing the sickest solos and providing the most important contributions to the…

“Gods damns it, Moidaface, dat amsnt hows you plays de F sharps.” Skwisgaar interrupted him for the upteempth time. “I tolds you, you gotsa be on de fours frets.”

Murderface frowned. He honestly didn’t know why he had to convince Skwisgaar for his idea to be approved. It’s not like he was his boss, was he? They were all equal in Dethklok, right? Except for Toki, obviously, Toki couldn’t do shit.

But Murderface was an original member, he should have a say, just like the others. It’s not like Pickles had to talk with Skwisgaar first before Nathan heard him out. So, why did he have to do that? What, so because Skwisgaar was fucking hot and talented that made him better than the others? Was that what was happening now? Was that the band Murderface joined?!

“Soes…ams you gonna plays ors?” Skwisgaar asked, raising his one particular and condescending eyebrow. “I gots stuff to does.”

Like what? Bang old ladies and fret the guitar all day?

He was going to say that when a Dethphone started ringing. Before Murderface had the time to check if it was his, Skwisgaar had already pulled his own from his pocket. “Hullos?”

God. Now he was going to have a whole conversation when Murderface was trying to show him something amazing. He started replaying his solo while Skwisgaar mumbled on the phone.

“Ja…Ja, I ams with Moidaface. In de studios.”

Murderface was really getting into this solo. This shit was fucking great! What the hell was Skwisgaar talking about?!

“We ams playi- whats? Rights nows?” Skwisgaar glanced over at Murderface and then at his bass. “...Shores. Byes.” A click indicated the end of the call.

“Who wasch it?” Murderface asked while still playing, trying not to seem too interested. Was Nathan asking how they were doing? Pickles, maybe? Were they secretly excited to know what he was cooking up?

“Toki.” Skwisgaar said in a deflated tone and Murderface cursed at the guy in his head.

Fucking…Toki. 

“...And what did he want?” 

“He wanteds- Moidaface you ams screwingks de F sharps again!”

“Okay, scho why don’t you teasch me how it isch, schinsche you know scho much!” Murderface said defensively. He was starting to get really tired of Skwisgaar’s attitude.

“Dats whats Is beens…” Skwisgaar leaned forward and pressed Murderface’s finger against the third string on the fourth fret. “Just stays- Just stays…” He pressed Murderface’s finger harder but Murderface kept pulling it off. “Just keeps pressingks deres!”

“It fucking hurtsch!” Murderface yelled.

“It wouldn’ts hurts if yous actuallies prascktiscked!” Skwisgaar countered

Murderface glared at him with disdain. “Your teaching schuschks.” 

Skwisgaar’s eyes went wide for an instant and then he got up. “Alrights, dats it.”

“What?”

“Ams gonna makes you plays dats notes.” Skwisgaar looked down at him. “Gets up.”

“Why?”

“Gets up!”

“Okay, fine! Jeschusch!”

Skwisgaar frowned at him before he started surrounded him. 

“Wait, what are you-”

“Just stays stills, Moidaface.” Skwisgaar said from behind him. “You mades me do dis.”

“Do wha-” Suddenly, Skwisgaar’s arms were surrounding him and, little after, Murderface felt Skwisgaar’s chest press against his back. “What the-”

“Just follows my fingers.” Skwisgaar said in a low tone, his face next to Murderface’s. This time, his fingers were gentle when they pressed against his. “Dere you goes…and dens you can does dis…” He moved Murderface’s hand with his own. “Ja, dats good…”

Unfortunately, Murderface could hardly pay attention to what he was playing, as good as it was sounding. The closeness, the almost intimate way with which Skwisgaar was touching him, his voice in Murderface’s ear... 

Murderface couldn’t think, he couldn’t think, and it’s like the room was getting hotter all of sudden. Like the temperature had dropped to hell-like levels. Did he have a fever? Was he getting sick? Was he dying?!

“Sees how easies it ams whens you listens to me?” Skwisgaar said so smugly but Murderface was already sweating, unable to come up with a retort, unable to move even. “...Moidaface?”

“Ah!” A voice shouted, and Murderface raised his eyes. It was Toki standing at the door in shock, eyes like they were about to pop out of its sockets, his jaw dropped to the ground. 

“Oh, Tokes.” Skwisgaar straightened up. “I was just teachingks Moidaface hows to-”

But Toki wasn’t listening, walking fast towards them, an expression of unbridled anger in his face. His guitar, hanging from his neck, knocked against his thighs with each of his steps.

“Toki?” Skwisgaar called him with confusion.

“You!” Toki pointed an accusing finger and Murderface began to flinch. “You rats!”

“Whats?”

The veins on Toki’s face were terrifying. Oh, shit, he was furious, and Murderface never wanted to be near that. He closed his eyes in fear, awaiting for the impact.

Yet nothing arrived.

Suddenly, there was a pull from his arm. “You ams tryings to steals Moidaface from mes!” Toki exclaimed childishly. 

He opened his eyes in surprise and saw it was Toki’s hand grabbing him from the arm. 

“Heugh?” Skwisgaar raised both eyebrows. “No, I ams teachingks him de notes.”

“No, you ams stealings hims from me!” Toki insisted with a pout. He pulled from Murderface again. “Let’s goes, Moidaface.” He was strong enough that he was going to drag him away from sheer strength alone.

“Noes.” Skwisgaar was now grabbing Murderface from the other arm. “We ams goingks to keeps prackstickings.”

“Noes!” Toki yelled. “We ams goings to plays! Comes on, Moidaface!” His grip on Murderface was getting stronger.

“I saids noes.” Skwisgaar was frowning now. “We ams prackstiskings.”

Toki turned to him, offended. After a few seconds glaring at each other, he asked. “Why you gots to copies me?”

“Seriouslies?”

“Ja! Yous always copyings me!” Toki argued. “Yous always doings whats I does! And nows yous tryings to steals my friends! Gets yous owns!”

“Toki, Is never once copies you, ams you kiddingks me?! Yous always copyings me! Yous! And yous copyings me right nows against! Goes gets someones elses, goes!”

“Noes, I wants to plays with Moidaface!”

“I don’ts cares! We ams goings to prascktice!”

“Stops copies me!”

“You stops copies me!”

“Stops copies me!”

“Stops copies me!”

“Stops copies me!”

“Stops copies me!”

Caught between the bantering and the pull of two different people, Murderface couldn’t think. He couldn’t process this. This was perhaps the first time in his life two people were fighting over him. And it was pretty flattering, he didn’t know Skwisgaar and Toki liked him so much. Could it be that he was underestimating his popularity all along? 

Nice.

“Fucks you, Skwisgaar, he ams comings with me!” Toki spat, pulling harder from Murderface.

“Fucks you, Toki, he ams stayings with mes!” Skwisgaar retorted, pulling just as hard from Murderface.

“Noes, he isnts!”

“Yes, he ams!”

“Ladiesch!” Murderface raised his arms, smugness all over his face. “No need to fight over me, there’sch plenty Murderface for everyone.” 

Skwisgaar and Toki stared at him, then at each other. Then, they got more aggressive.

“You ams just jealous Moidaface ams mines best friends and favorites evers!”

“Oh, ja?” Skwisgaar challenged him. “Wells, he ams my favor tits too, and he ams also mines new rhythms guitarists!”

“Whats?” Toki was baffled. “You cants do dats!”

“Oh, yes, I cans!”

“Wells, I loves him!”

“Noes, I loves him more!”

“Stops copies me!”

“Stops copies me!”

“Stops copies me!”

“Stops copies me!”

…

…..

……..

Skwisgaar stared at Murderface’s unconscious body on the floor. “You thinks he ams dead?” He glanced at Toki.

“No ways.” Toki said. “He ams laughings, sees? Totallies alives.”

Skwisgaar leaned in to inspect Murderface’s face. “Oh, ja, he is.” He straightened up. “Whats weirdos.”

“Ja, he alls be fines.” Toki sounded disinterested.

“Soes, eugh…” Skwisgaar gazed at the guitar Toki was still holding, almost apprehensively so. “Whys you knocks him outs whens you arriveds?”

“Oh.” Toki’s face turned inexpressive, though if Skwisgaar had been any closer, he would’ve been the pink tinge on his cheeks. “I don’t knows. He ams just pisseds me offs.”

“Eugh…”

“Wants to prackstice?” Toki suddenly asked. “I brings my guitars!” He lifted the bloodied guitar.

“...Ja, shores.” Skwisgaar followed Toki. “Since whens you wants to pracsticke?” He asked with skepticism.

Toki shrugged and smiled at him. “It ams a good days, rights?”

“Rights.” Skwisgaar reluctantly agreed. As Toki cleaned the blood and dust off his guitar with his shirt, he wondered. 

What were the odds that the two laziest members of the band suddenly felt like working on the same day?

[dontbelasagnax]

Hello there! I am loving the talk Abt ma space boys game :) if you're still up for it how about #s 2, 4, and 13?

Hi!! I'm definitely still up for it!! I also love talking about them (allllll the time) 🧡💙

otp ask game

2: What would they do if the other woke in a manic state after a nightmare?

(I'll be answering this as if op wrote "distressed" instead of "manic")

In the event Cody is the one waking up from the nightmare, Obi-Wan would wipe his tears, hold him tight, and press kisses to Cody's head as he reassures him. If it's a particularly bad one, he'll have Cody breathe with him while tapping the beat of their breathing exercises onto Cody's arm.

When Obi-Wan wakes from a harrowing dream, he'll be paralyzed with fear and anxiety so he needs Cody to cuddle and lay on top of him to ground and center him. Some tender lovemaking is also a great distraction.

4: Which one is more protective? Who needs to be ‘protected’?

They're both definitely protective of one another but they know when to stand back and let their partner handle the situation on their own. It's the deep mutual respect and trust they have, really. I don't think either of them need to be protected more or less- they know each other well enough to know when it's time to step in and do some protecting.

13: Who’s the bigger tease?

Oh Obi-Wan for sure. Cody is extremely straightforward with what he wants. Obi-Wan on the other hand loves the building tension as he pulls at Cody's strings, watches his usually composed commander become flustered, grow desperate for Obi-Wan, and ultimately feeling Cody's growing arousal in the Force is a special treat.

[little-shadow-club]

OTP Prompts: 5 and 11 for any ship of your choice ♡~

LOBYUUUUUUUUU thanks for the ask <3 sorry for the wait, the ideas started popping up and all the sudden the fic became long 😭😭😭. Anyways I have the snippets from some scenes.

5- Write about a casual kiss between your ship.

“Right here,” Tiel pulls him close, his lips touch where the horns sprout as the fragrance of Suho's hair washes over him. “And here.” He leaves for the ears that make Suho draw in a sharp breath as he feels Tiel's own grazing his skin. The small kiss leaves a sound deep enough to strike at Suho's strings, choking his heart. “And even here,” He raises Suho’s hand to his mouth as leans back to catch those dark eyes while the sun is caught forever looking back at his universe. “I’ll kiss you everywhere you’ll like.”

They say you can never see a black hole with the naked eye, they pull everything around them, even light. Then let his own be extinguished without care so that the one that holds the brightest rays when smiles are kept alive.

11- Write about your ship waking up together. 

Tiel's starting to miss the days where he could put his head on top of Suho's and wrap his arms around the neck. The moments where he would feel the horns poking at him, the tail slowly making his way around his waist. Even the heaviness of Suho's body upon his own held a level of frustration and and love at the same time, knowing full well Suho had no choice in the matter of his wings, and needed to sleep lest the damages on his physical health would affect the vessel even more. It's the little sacrifices that make him resonate a bit better with Suho's metamorphosis, but Tiel doesn't mind losing a few things as long as he gets to feel his warmth when the sun falls and the shadows start to envelop the world.

The prompt in question in case people want to reblog

[w1ld-wr1t3r]

norrix & #13!! (otp prompts)

This takes place in the Peanut AU. :)

13. Texting each other cute pictures

Martijn was waiting to board his plane when he heard a chime from his phone. He pulled it out, beaming when he saw Lando's name on the screen.

Quali was starting soon, but Martijn wouldn't get to there until later tonight, long after quali had ended. He'd get to see the race tomorrow, but his heart ached when he couldn't be with Lando throughout every second of the weekend. He always tried to schedule his shows around the races, but sometimes he just couldn't get out of a commitment and couldn't be there for the whole weekend.

Just because he wasn't there, though, that didn't mean he didn't know what Lando was up to. And as he opened the message, he was greeted with sweet words and a sweeter pricture.

Getting in the car soon, I'm gonna go and get pole just for you <3 Peanut's getting comfy, look at his cute little face!

Lando wasn't lying - Peanut looked absolutely adorable sitting on Lando's lap. His eyes were closed in bliss as Lando scratched his head, and someone had draped a headset around his neck as a joke. Two of Lando's mechanics were just visible in the frame, too. Martijn immediately saved the pic. Peanut always looked cute no matter what he was doing.

He messaged back, He sure is adorable! Oh, and Peanut's pretty cute, too.

Lando messaged back instantly. Don't make me blush, I'm gonna be on camera soon!

Martijn sent, You're lucky I'm about to get on my plane. I'll see you tonight, love, followed by a string of the most lovey-dovey emojis he could think of. He could imagine Lando's squawk as he tried and failed not to blush even more in response.

He queued up a Peanut picture of his own to send to Lando when he landed. A pic he'd sneakily taken at the last race, where, when he'd gone to look for Peanut to make sure he wasn't getting into trouble between practices, he'd found Oscar stealing a nap in a hidden corner of the garage, pretzeled into the tiny space with Peanut curled up in his lap. He'd snapped the photo and then scurried out of there before Oscar woke up. He could only imagine the noise Lando would make when he saw it.

If it made Lando smile, then a bit of Oscar's dignity was a sacrifice he was willing to make.

[13xwishes]

Adrien Agreste for the character bingo

Character Opinion Meme || { Accepting }

For @strcngered || Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir

Yes, I cheated. Do I give a fuck? NO!

Adrien... is a good character the show threw away. Demoting him to an abused sidekick/trophy boyfriend. I don't need to keep watching after season 3 to know how the route goes. I root for him as much as I can cause his personality is so unique and wonderful, not to mention you want to explore his unlooked background and perspective just because...

Adrien himself is a beautiful person with a way more interesting background as the protagonist. He's a celebrity with little to no control over his life thanks to his over-barring (if not abusive) father. Then becomes a superhero who is very much underappreciated and pushed alot to even physically abused by his spotted female fighting partner (she threw him in a trash can. That's abuse). Meanwhile, he still maintains the sweet personality of trying to be kind, courteous and selfless to people, even strangers. Even to the point of risking his life several times for the people he cares about. He also doesn't get enough support when he needs it because of the bias writing of the show and when it does happen, it get's taken away from him very quickly.

I don't even care about the love square anymore and will never ship it again after taking off the rose colored glasses to see the red-flags in SEASON ONE! (Presents till his 35 birthday and his private schedule is not love. It's STALKING and there's no fucking excuse!)

Marinette doesn't deserve him. Gabriel DAMN WELL doesn't deserve him. The SHOW doesn't deserve him. If I can take Adrien out of the show and put him in another, I'd gladly do so for his sake or just adopt him to treat him better. And i said several times I don't want kids but gods... this kid pulls my heart strings. The writing fucked up alot of characters, but Adrien takes the brunt of it. He is basically the Ken... WITH THE CREATOR ADMITTING THAT!!

There are only three people I can see with Adrien. Either Marc, Nathaniel or my OTP, LUKA.

It's hard not to rant when it comes to Adrien because you know they didn't do him right and you want to protest so much but you know he's never going to get it better in the show. That's why I'll love and support him even just through fanworks because he deserves it. I can't put it in any other way. Adrien is KENOUGH.

[katyspersonal]

Hmm... How about Izzy for Character ask meme? There isnt really any thing about them but if I am not wrong you liked them a lot.

You are NOT wrong :>

(Asks from this ( x ) meme)

Favorite thing about them:

I was already intrigued by the fact that this character tapped upon the thing of "the best way to fight the beasts is to become a beast yourself"! Just.. look at this:

Izzy gave me an impression of someone thinking too ahead of their time. But then, my FAVORITE favorite thing came with discovery of Bloodborne retranslations! They were said to be apostate, not 'irreverent'! So, straight up rebel to a Church, maybe even one once serving it but detracting, and I can see why! Izzy is the PUUUUNK.

Least favorite thing about them:

How easy it is to brush this character off with the assumption that they're just Suspicious Beggar т.т Not something I personally agree with, of course!

Favorite line:

Lol. Lmao, even. xD It is okay, though, I am writing a lot of her, so I'll grab a quote from my writing!

"When ya' sentence someone to die in the darkness... make goddamn sure they won't learn to SEE in it!"! That's her way to say "I lived, bitch" basically dfshhfsd After she got chased down into Loran Dungeons as a "beast and a heretic" when she snapped at Vicar Ashton! (My timeline of 'generation of Vicars' is: Laurence - Ashton - Norbert & Laura - Amelia, all names taken from cut content for Bloodborne).

Ashton is a PIECE OF SHIT and everyone knows he deserved it, and how he incurred it, but it was a good chance for him to... misjudge Izzy, to say the least. Healing Church has been waiting for a good excuse to kick Izzy out of the Hunters because of her uncontrollable nature and "dangerous" thoughts. Not only she lived, despite still having been not so experienced hunter, but also had quite a change of heart from simply misunderstood person with impulse issues to someone seeing succumbing into beasthood as "humanity regaining their true form again". 🙄 Having met Fauna was also a big factor.

....the worst part is that I wrote her before I touched Dark Souls with ten yards stick, but @val-of-the-north said that coincidences like this just prove that my creativity is on the same wavelength so I don't need to scrap and rewrite everything XD

brOTP:

Izzy and Archibald, without question! Yes, they both studied the Darkbeasts and were heretics for the Healing Church for trying to use beasthood powers for advantage! They think outside of the box!

But they also balance each other well! Archibald is very pragmatic and calculating man, and Izzy is open-minded and accepting. Both are slow to anger unless the right strings are pulled, and when one of them is ready to murder, it is another who can stop them! However, whereas Izzy falls into extreme about "forsaken civilisation and let the animal impulses guide us!", Archibald argues that there must be civilisation in beasthood as well, lest in this "future" everyone just eats each other into extinction. At the same time, Archibald can appear not daring enough, and Izzy helps the shared research progress with risky methods! Archibald can't step into the water without knowing its depth, Izzy jumps straight in it!

OTP:

Damn, I wish I knew which ship with Izzy is 1) more preferred than others and 2) is not on the hatefuck territory dshfdhfd Izzy's significant connections are either just friends, or people like Laurence or Ludwig who meet their match in him in the end and maybe at some point you just get tired of battling? -_-

I suppose Valtr, then! In my story, Izzy deceives him to join the League, especially with how they grew hostile to the Healing Church too! He wanted Valtr's secret of envisioning the human dregs, except... well, instead of destroying them, she studied them to benefit from this power and submerge stronger into it. 🙄 🤦‍♂️ But, they were rather passionate with each other while it lasted. As wrong and deceitful it was on Izzy's side. They have that awful bitter EXes energy where they still have tension between each other when they meet. xD

Izzy x Suspicious Beggar is "healthier", on the other hand! When Izzy learned of Loran curse still manifesting in him, he got jealous, true... but also, fascinated! Izzy gave him acceptance no matter what, telling him that dark impulses within him were not to be suppressed and uprooted, but divine? :p They'd play fight like actual animals often, Beggar would revel in the luxury of confessing a murder to someone and not be hunter, and she was giving him belly rubs!

^^^ (no face distortion slider jumpscare) Also, since Suspicious Beggar and Henryk 1) share the absolutely identical slider for that mole on the nose 2) both are connected with Loran and 3) just fucking Look At Them, my monkey brain started to headcanon them as brothers XD So, if Beggar and Izzy became a couple, Henryk would basically do this:

sdjfhdsgfgds Also, before I considered the obvious implication that the beast Yamamura chased from not-Japan was result of Cainhurst doing trade with not-Japan, I came up with the story that the beast he chases IS Izzy's beast form.... This is not a shipping matter, I just think it is funny how I ended up inserting her in League's story so much!

nOTP:

This character is basically an OC with a prompt! Ships with Izzy depend on how character is interpreted beyond studying beasthood and being an apostate to the Healing Church! How can I tell!

Random headcanon:

Yamamura's hat comes from being still attached to Izzy's spikes even when she became a giant beast! It used to be her hat. He was not able to murder her with the weapon that he had, just stabbing and stabbing frantically, until Valtr walked towards and casually lended him his Whirligig Saw to be able to finish the job. He then put the hat on still shocked Yamamura's head, as sort of a trophy, that Yamamura later cleaned and fixed from the damage to his best ability! Izzy wanted to make sure that the curse of beasthood could never die down, so... yeah, even if entire Yharnam got nuked, there is still a large ticking bomb in Yamamura's village now... :^)

Unpopular opinion:

There is a whole type of hostile NPCs, known as 'Successor of Izzy', or 'Izzy's Admirer', roaming Loran! Josef is simply a summon variant of these enemies, which respawn! So, my unpopular opinion: if there is a bunch of people who followed Izzy's footsteps into Loran to find whatever insight Izzy found, then Izzy must have been a significant person for the setting! Legendary Hunter, not just another Hunter!

Song I associate with them:

I will share two? They kind of contradict one another in what Izzy vibe they make me think of, but hey, associations with songs are very vague thing! :p One made me focus on the "sad" look at her story, as if she was corrupted there in Loran, as well as her previously grappling with her impulses. Another is..... well, the most punk shit I've ever seen. xD However, both will probably make you age at least 20 years fsdhfdh

Favorite picture of them:

Okay, by now I figured that this question doesn't specifically refer to fanart... but there are NO images of Izzy from the source material! So I have to share art of her that I like the most anyways: