#otp: pulling strings

[morganlefaye79]

(���� by @breezypunk) otp: pulling strings

(📸 by @breezypunk) otp: sing for the moment

Part 3 and unfortunately the last 😔 one of @breezypunks magic.

I love my boys, all of them, Kerry included of course, no fun without the old man. I wanted a pair protrait for both my otp, I rarely give directions since I want to see what others come up with, giving their ideas and creativity enough room.

Did you notice the bird in the first one? I didn't at first, it is blurred due to the dof but when I saw it, I squeed like a little girl. 🤗 Since both, Kerry and Val are workaholics and are always working on something this is actually a rare occurance that they take some time for each other. Love it! 💜 I'm not sure where the picture was taken but it looks to my like it might be in Kerry's garden or at least North Oak, which would fit perfectly. Although Val knew what he signed up for, and has to show presence at Kerry's side, he never enjoys it. Even more so since he is mostly referred to as "Kerry's husband" instead of saying his name. So he avoids it to go into the public if he can.

Now we're coming to my very special babies. I just always had a knack for rare and OC pairings 🤷‍♂️. What other can I say than complete harmony? I adore the soft- and tenderness in this one, it teared me up the first time I looked at it. I don't think I ever mentioned it, but Joris tends to flee into the badlands every now and then when he needs some quiet. It is also one of the rare cases that he will leave his cyberdeck at home. I have also a fun fact about this picture: Vicco is more the bike type, but they possess this thornton, and they hate it, everytime they have to use it (bad weather) they hope this rust bucket will finally break down, but it doesn't somehow. This one is just perfect it made me go from "awww" to "ohh" to *giggle*.

Thank you again @breezypunk for those lovely VP's! 💜 You can find her comm detes here.

[morganlefaye79]

Thank you so much for this incredible art @elvenbeard! 💜

I'm still somewhat speechless to express every impression of this piece. The dept of detail is insane. Some of the things you can't even see if you're not zooming in enough. I'm so happy how this art came out since I put those two through a lot of angst in my fic. I f you have the means I absolutely recommend commissioning him and you'll get lost in all the beautiful details of your commissioned art.

How this art came to be:

The last chapter I wrote for my fic took me 6 months to finish bc RL was a bit bitchy. The previous and also this chapter are high on angst and hurt with little comfort and even my melancholic, depressive aro ass needs some fluff sometimes.

Valaire learned to play the piano while staying with his foster parents and he enjoys doing it. It is stress reducing and in general soothing to him. Kerry loves to listen when he plays and can fall asleep while he plays.

(Credits to Elvenbeard here because I loved the idea) Valaire is not fully accustomed to his new cyberarm and needs much of practice to play as before, so he will sometimes miss the notes. With Kerry blocking his arm (fully unintentionally of course 😉), Valaire who is kind of a perfectionist hits the wrong key and gets upset, Kerry takes the blame on himself because "Ya' couldn't hit the right one 'cause I'm snoozin' on your shoulder."

Had the absolute pleasure to work on this piece for @morganlefaye79! Valaire and Kerry enjoying a moment of peace (and playful teasing) at the piano in the early morning.

Thank you so much for commissioning me :D

[kyraxyrespace]

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

[slickver-draws]

✨Precious🌃

My contribution to #SliceofCybertronzine , finished this up back in spring but overall had so much fun and will probably be my best and fav piece of the bois

(Also scene-wise, it references Orion's room from my fav fic "Contact" by auri_mynonyms on Ao3)

[breezypunk]

Random moments between Vaughn & Goro that make them fall in love with each other a little more 7/?

Sometimes it's about letting your person know that wherever they are, you're the safest you've ever been. ♥

[nanobawn]

{{ ☆ Goddamnit I l i e d alright, ONE more thing I promise:

AAAAAAAAAAAA OK TWO THINGS TECHNICALLY, ABOUT THIS PICTURE I JUST CAME ACROSS:

THE POSTER? FREDDY'S POSTER?? FREDDY'S POSTER HE SIGNED FOR BONNIE????? 'LOVE' HOLY SHIT HE USED L O V E, HONEY THAT'S GAY THEY'RE SO GAY I KNEW IT 😭 AFTER ALL THIS TIME IT'S CANON, FRONNIE'S CANON, I'M SO PROUD OF THEM FR,,

The star glasses!! The headcanon that Monty's glasses belonged to Bonnie first is REAL and I love it ok, he absolutely passed them onto Monty OR Monty started using them as a tribute to Bonnie once Bonnie was out of the picture, no I won't be taking any constructive criticism at this time I said what I said,, ;u;

[simonxriley]

What form of love does your ship embody?

I was tagged by the wonderful @baldurrs, @voidika, and @nightbloodraelle to take this uquiz for some of my ships, thank you! 💜 I went with my two main ships, as per usual 😅.

Tagging @playstationmademe @nightwingshero @jinfromyarikawa @sstewyhosseini @shegetsburned @leviiackrman @kittiofdoom @corvosattano and anyone else that wants to do it!!!

Love as tenderness

[ love as gentleness after a lifetime of cruelty ] when ocean vuong said "sometimes being offered tenderness feels like the very proof that you've been ruined" and when pablo neruda said "like a jar you housed the infinite tenderness and the infinite oblivion shattered you like a jar" and when anais mitchell wrote "all i've ever known is how to hold my own, and now i wanna hold you, too”

Love as violence

[ love as bloodshed, crimson as a knife slipped between your ribs ] when ocean vuong said "to arrive at love, then, is to arrive through obliteration" and when franz kafka said "you are the knife i turn inside myself; that is love" and when ada limon said "how do you love? like a fist. like a knife" and when richard siken said "sorry about the blood in your mouth. i wish it was mine"

[tacticalhimbo]

fuck it i'm posting a snippet of the swtor fic i'm working on because i am obsessed with the energy i have given these two (left = kavrix; sith inquisitor // right = lyrijan; imperial agent).

The trip off-world was uneventful. Upon reaching the Spaceport, the pair took a brief detour to the Agent's hangar, with Kavrix lingering outside her companion's shuttle as she'd stepped inside to dispose of her belongings. A brief display of grace, for she knew having Sith security obtain these belongings could open a can of worms neither were in the position to bargain for. As promised, Lyrijan was quick with the disposal, stepping down the grated ramp and brushing past the Inquisitor.

"You're more than welcome to search me now. Part of me would almost prefer that to the alternative."

There was a subtle purr to the woman's voice that caught the attention of the other. She studied it for a moment, trying to sift through the potential meaning in her shifting tone. When she could not pinpoint it, Kavrix merely shook her head and raised a hand, beckoning for them to continue on their mission.

"That makes one of us. I personally would prefer simply putting you down, should you show your hand." The threat was spoken casually, the Inquisitor's tone steady as she simply looked ahead. Spoken with the cadence of someone merely observing the weather. To her, it required the same level of attention, even if the latter brought her leagues more satisfaction.

Lyrijan simply sighed and shook her head, gaze fixating briefly on the floor as she steeled her own nerves. A part of her knew giving the Inquisitor the reaction she'd sought would only fuel whatever thoughts ran rampant in her mind. A part of her knew that she was ill-equipped to deal with such a confrontation, should it arise, and that it would surely lead to her death. And, beyond that, a part of her felt a simmering intrigue at the amusement that hid in her tone. She enjoyed the idea, but why? What was going on in that dangerous mind of hers? The question made her heart race, brought her mind to equally dangerous places. Still, she couldn't help the way her eyes fell back onto Kavrix as they'd walked together again. Crossed the well-traveled paths of the Spaceport's lobby to join the Inquisitor on her own ship. There was just… something about her. And the Sith was more than attuned to it.

"You act as if you've never seen a zabrak before. Wouldn't be surprised given how the Imperials tend to view alien species." The observation was spoken casually as focused eyes scanned over the star map. Fingers worked deftly to input the coordinates to their destination—somewhere uncharted. Way within the depths of the Outer Rim. Had it not been for the comment, the Agent would find herself intrigued.

"It's… not that." A lingering hesitation as she dug for her excuse. There had to be something she could use to save her dignity. "I suppose it's just you don't often see an Imperial in blue, let alone a Sith. It… compliments your skin."

A pause from Kavrix as she set them on course. Hand lingering over the ship's control panel as her brows furrowed and an inquisitive expression crossed her features.

"Yes, I'm sure that's it." She didn't buy it for a second; her tone made that much clear. "And here I believed your kind were trained to be convincing. If it were genuine, I suppose a thanks is in order. I did tailor these robes myself."

[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! 🫡

[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! 💜

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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?

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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?

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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?

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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?

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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. 💜

[morganlefaye79]

Zombies don’t exist

I commissioned @genocidalfetus for a Helloween story. Yes, I know, I'm late. Nevertheless I'll share it with y'all and if you like it, consider commissioning her.

Valaire looked at himself in the mirror. He hadn't been thrilled that they were attending a Halloween costume party. Valaire didn't hate the holiday, but he also wasn't a fan of it either, at least not like others were fans. For most, Halloween meant dressing up and partying. It wasn't really Valaire's scene, but he could never say no to Kerry. And Kerry wanted to drop in on a party being thrown in some abandoned warehouse in Heywood. And so, that was their plan for the evening. And he also picked out their costumes. Valaire was dressed as a sexy angel, with white feathered wings strapped to his back, a halo on his head, and tight PVC white pants. Kerry had done his makeup too, dawning his eyes in white and grey eyeshadow.

Valaire looked at himself in the mirror. He hadn't been thrilled that they were attending a Halloween costume party. Valaire didn't hate the holiday, but he also wasn't a fan of it either, at least not like others were fans. For most, Halloween meant dressing up and partying. It wasn't really Valaire's scene, but he could never say no to Kerry. And Kerry wanted to drop in on a party being thrown in some abandoned warehouse in Heywood. And so, that was their plan for the evening. And he also picked out their costumes. Valaire was dressed as a sexy angel, with white feathered wings strapped to his back, a halo on his head, and tight PVC white pants. Kerry had done his makeup too, dawning his eyes in white and grey eyeshadow.

"If you say so dear," Valaire commented dryly. He side-eyed Kerry and smirked. "You got the better costume though."

Kerry chuckled and wrapped an arm around Valaire's waist. "We both know I'm the more devilish one. Sides, you look far better in white than I do, Val."

Valaire's smirk became a little grin, something he was trying to work on more. Smiling. He wrapped his arm around Kerry's waist. "So you're the devil on my shoulder?"

"And you're the angel on mine," Kerry turned and planted a kiss on his husband's cheek. Valaire blushed and traced the black lip stamp that had been left on his face. Kerry chuckled. "Leave that there. Will keep the other party-goers from trying to steal you from me."

Valaire gave a little laugh, something he was also trying to do more often. He wasn't much of a 'laugher' or a 'chuckler'. Not like Kerry, but he was trying to loosen up a bit, and let his emotions show a little bit here and there. The Corpo life left little room for emotions, and Valaire's past had not been one where emotions had a place in it. But the past was behind him, and his new life, his healthier life, still had some getting used to, even after all these months. He was grateful to Kerry, Vicco, and his other friends, both old and new, for being so patient with him during his recovery, both physically and mentally.

Kerry applied another layer of black lipstick on his lips, and after taking one last look in the mirror, he and Valaire declared themselves ready to delta towards the Halloween party. Valaire requested to drive, and they took his Rayfield. They drove the long way from their penthouse, Valaire taking note of the children running around in costumes on the sidewalk, the adults as well. Halloween, like Christmas, had a different effect on Night City. Misty would probably describe it with some new-age thing like 'the veil that separates the spirit world from ours gets thin on All Hallow's Eve', and she wouldn't be too far off. Valaire had woken up that morning feeling like things were odd, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why. It was just a strange sensation in his guts that was still tingling even now. But he ignored it. Tonight, he wanted to try to have a good time out with Kerry.

Valaire followed the coordinates Kerry had given him. It was pretty far out in Heywood, in the more abandoned areas. One of two things happened in such places. Parties, or organized crime. If forced to choose between the two, Valaire would prefer a party. His merc days were far behind him. And to be honest, he didn't miss it a bit. Being Kerry's bodyguard provided him with enough excitement these days. Valaire parked among the other fancy cars, admiring the other Rayfields, a few Porsches and a few random sports cars. They were all luxury vehicles, which meant that the rich and famous were the guests at this party. The two bouncers out front, large men chromed to the teeth also gave it away. An ordinary party would not have hustle out front. Valaire looked to Kerry with a nod and the two of them strutted over to the hustle, who looked them both up and down.

"On the list," Kerry stated. "Eurodyne."

One of the men's eyes lit up for a moment, and then he nodded, both stepping off to the side to let the two men into the building. The interior of the building was far better looking than the outside had looked. The dance floor was filled with moving bodies, strobe lights flashing among the red mood lighting and the music was loud and full of base and thump that made Valaire's whole body vibrate inside. Kerry grabbed him by the hand and led him over to the nearest bar, ordering himself a drink.

Kerry took a sip of his drink and then leaned into Valaire, mouth by his ear. "Try to have a little fun. For me?"

Valaire rolled his eyes but nodded. "I'm still your bodyguard," He reminded Kerry. "But I'll try to enjoy myself a little bit."

Valaire scanned the crowd, doing a sweep. He found nothing out of the ordinary, nothing that could explain the unease that was still settled in his bones, gnawing at his mind like an annoying little insect. He knew better than to ignore a gut feeling, but Valaire also desired a normal night out with his husband. So though he was on alert, he decided that he had done his due diligence and smiled at Kerry, gesturing for him to lead the way. Kerry grinned and grabbed his husband's arm as they ventured into the warehouse, every few feet stopping so Kerry could talk to someone he knew. It appeared that Kerry knew most of the guests at this costume party. Valaire watched his husband mingle, and drink some more. Valaire kept mostly quiet, letting his husband do all the talking, but chiming in when needed. Then, a slightly tipsy Kerry dragged him to the dancefloor. A slow song was playing. Valaire was a fan of thos kinds of dances. He knew how to dance, from your standard waltz all the way down to salsa, which came in handy in his previous life. Kerry wrapped his arms around Valaire's neck and he grabbed Kerry's hips and took the lead, swaying to the music, showing off his skills like he had at their wedding.

"Having a good time finally?" Kerry teased.

Valaire chuckled. "Any time with you is a good time."

"Could be the alcohol talking," Kerry leaned closer, his mouth by Valaire's ear. "But I'm getting a bit...needy."

Valaire knew what he was hinting at, but just in case he didn't Kerry licked his earlobe and then grinded his crotch against his. Valaire nearly lost his footing, but stayed upright, breath hitched in his throat. He felt turned on, but was it wise to get distracted like this? Valaire had to remind himself that he wasn't 'on duty' as Kerry's bodyguard tonight. He was out at a party with his husband. Plus, it was Halloween, a night of chaos.

And debauchery.

Valaire had never done something as risque as having sex in public or a public setting. It wasn't appropriate back in his Arasaka days and was even more inappropriate in general. But once again, he needed to remind himself that he was a new person now. Perhaps it was time to try something new.

"Let's find somewhere more secluded," Valaire whispered, voice raspy.

Kerry looked at him with surprise and a smirk. "Someone's feeling a little bold, huh?"

Valaire smirked back, keeping a confident front while within him he was a bit nervous. He grabbed Kerry's hand and they ventured further into the warehouse. The music had changed, going from slow 80's Nostalgia to dubstep. They weaved through bodies that moved like snakes until Valaire spotted a place where they could have some privacy, which happened to be the bathroom, which was in a wide hallway in the back of the warehouse. Surprisingly, there were no lines to either restroom, which was a relief. The two men slipped into the men's room, locking it from the other side. It was unusually clean for a restroom in an abandoned warehouse, but then again the rest of the warehouse had been made over for this party so it made sense for the bathrooms to get a little cleaning as well. Only the best for the wealthiest of Night City to take a shit or piss in.

Or a quickie.

Kerry took control, pushing Valaire up against the nearest wall, their mouths stuck together, tongues intertwining and dancing to the dubstep muted by the bathroom door. A rockerboy hand managed to slip down Valaire's pants despite how tight they adhered to his body, fingers coiling around his cock, stroking. He moaned as Kerry's mouth found its way to his neck, nibbling and suckling. There were going to be black smudges all over him, on top of love bites. And that thought made Valaire's cock twitch. Kerry was marking him, branding him as his and his alone. Any nervousness he had had for this new experience was replaced with complete elation, and confidence as he grabbed Kerry and brought him over to the sink, turning him to face it and brace himself on the porcelain. He bit Kerry's neck, his hands loosening the front of Kerry's pants and yanking them to mid-thigh, surprised he didn't rip them in the process. He reached around, stroking his husband's erection as he rubbed his own, still cruelly confined by fabric, against his ass. Kerry's moans were low in his throat, his eyes lidded. Valaire quickly undid his own pants with his free hand, sliding them down. He spat into his palm and applied the saliva to his cock. He lined himself up and looked at his husband. Kerry glanced back and nodded,  his eyes begging, clouded by alcohol and lust. Valaire plunged himself into Kerry's core, a slow pace to start before quickly speeding up, fueled by the sounds coming from his husband's throat. It started with a wince, then transformed into grunts and moans. Valaire looked at their reflections in the mirror, feeling the pleasure building within him as he watched himself thrusting, his husband's face painted with elation, his black lipstick smeared.

"Just like that," Kerry encouraged. "Fuck, I'm--"

Valaire got rougher, bucking his hips faster, knowing what it took to bring Kerry as well as himself over the edge. It didn't take long until both men were shaking against one another, sweat dripping from their bodies. Valaire pulled out of Kerry once his legs stopped trembling, pulling his pants back on his hips. Kerry pulled his own pants back up, able to stand upright again as he turned to his husband with a smirk, planting a satisfied kiss on his lips.

Valaire returned the favor, then frowned. "Weird that no one has knocked on the door," He stated.

Kerry shrugged, but then there was a loud and hard slamming against the door, followed by a blood-curdling scream. The scream turned into a gurgle. Kerry stepped back from the door, as Valaire took cautious steps towards it. He hesitated, but unlocked the door and let it slide open. Across from the door was a man lying against the wall. Valaire recognized him as one of the hustle at the door. His eyes were wide, but there was no life within it. hovering over him, covered in blood was a woman. Her dress was in tatters and one of her arms had been nearly ripped off from the shoulder, only hanging on by bits of muscle and flesh, dangling and swinging with her movements like a leaf in the wind. She was biting the hustle's neck, chewing on it. The sound of her teeth ripping the flesh and tearing at it was nauseating.

"What the fuck?!" Kerry exclaimed.

Valaire had been too shocked at the scene in front of him to stop Kerry's outburst. The woman stopped enjoying her meal and turned her head in their direction. Glazed-over eyes, indicating death, and yet she was moving. One whole cheek was missing, the muscles underneath pulsing and pulling with the movements of her jaw and the clanking of her very visible teeth. The skin around this missing hunk bore teeth marks. In between her teeth were the hustle's vocal cords and neck muscles, as well as flesh. The various meats dropped from her mouth as the rest of her body followed her head and she stood up, hunched over and wobbling on broken high heels. Valaire now knew what he was looking at.

A zombie? But zombies weren't real. They were a horror movie trope, nothing more. And yet, there one was, staring them down with gammy eyes filled with an animalistic rage and nothing more.  

The shambling corpse gurgled and hissed, lurching forward. Valaire still had his quick reflexes from his merc days and threw his leg up, kicking her and sending her flying back a couple of feet, colliding with the wall and falling on top of her meal. She got back up and lurched again, earning her another kick. Valaire noticed the hustle's gun on the floor in the hall and scrambled for it, keeping his eye on the zombie. He grabbed the gun, straightened up, aimed for her head, and pulled off a shot. Her legs collapsed under her, and she didn't get up again. Valaire could still hear the music from the DJ booth blasting, but he also heard something else. Screaming, hissing, growling, snarling. Kerry emerged from the bathroom and looked to the end of the hallway, his eyes widening and the color draining from his face. Valaire pulled him behind him and took a look himself. The dancefloor was a war zone. Blood, body parts, dead bodies. Some of the corpses were stirring, while others were merely feasts for the ones already turned. What had occurred while the two of them were busy in the bathroom? They hadn't been in there that long. And yet, it was long enough for utter chaos to have broken out.

Valaire backed up, pulling Kerry with him. He had to think of how they were going to escape. He took note of the doors into the warehouse being wide open, which meant that some of the party-goers had managed to get out. He quickly glanced behind them down the hallway, hoping for another exit, but saw none. Just a supply closet. He backed up, pulling Kerry with him until he was against the door, opening it, eyes still on the scene in front of them. The dead didn't appear to notice either man and he intended to keep it that way for now. He glanced back at the supply closet, surveying what was in it. Kerry needed to be armed with something. He spotted that something. In the corner of the closet was a shovel, a sturdy shovel at that with a rusted but sharp and heavy steelhead. Valaire quickly ran in and grabbed it, handing the shovel to Kerry, who looked from the shovel to him with a raised eyebrow.

"If any of those things grab on you," Valaire explained, keeping his voice low. "You swing on them. Aim for the head and swing hard."

Kerry looked lost, scared, but sober. Fear had a way of evaporating alcohol and drugs from one's system. He looked to his husband with trust and indicated he understood what was asked of him with a nod. Valaire checked the gun he had taken from the hustle. He had already fired a bullet, and the gun didn't hold many to begin with. He found a melee weapon for himself, a rusted wrench. It would have to do. He would only use the gun if it was necessary. He wanted to get out of the building without rousing the zombies. Valaire took the lead, slowly walking forward with Kerry behind him. They walked across the dancefloor, keeping their attention on the zombies, but also on the door several yards ahead of them. Kerry stifled a yell as a zombie lunged at him, but instinct kicked in and he swung the shovel, the shovel's head colliding with a skull and causing an audible crack to bounce off the walls as she crumpled to the floor. Another zombie lunged, meeting the same fate as the previous, only her head spun around so it was facing backward. Another one lunged and Kerry swung again, missing his mark but Valaire was quick with the wrench. The zombie's head split open like an over-ripened watermelon, spraying them both with blood and brains. The other zombies were starting to take notice of the two men and began to swarm, hissing and growling.  Valaire shot a few to clear a path, grabbed Kerry's arm and they ran the rest of the way for the doors, Valaire swinging the wrench wildly to keep fingernails and teeth away from their body parts. Valaire slammed the doors shut and Kerry used the shovel to barricade them. They heard vehicles approaching and saw tanks and trucks that came to a halt a few feet from the building, followed by an AV landing on the roof. A bunch of Militech soldiers piled out of the tanks, weapons drawn.

"Freeze!" One soldier shouted.

Both Kerry and Valaire put their hands up. "We're not infected!" Kerry shouted.

The soldier who shouted looked to the soldiers on either side of her and signaled at them with a nod of her head. The soldiers rushed forward, surrounding the two men, and demanded that both Valaire and Kerry get on their knees. They did as they were told quickly, then were told to put their hands behind their head. Valaire and Kerry were then kicked from behind, falling forward to the ground. As their arms were pinned behind their backs and then zip-tied, Valaire could hear rapid gunshots coming from the warehouse. It lasted barely a minute and then there was silence. Valaire and Kerry were pulled to their feet and dragged away, each stuffed into a van. Valaire didn't like that he got separated from his husband but had no intentions of fighting with Militech over it. He just hoped that Kerry would comply and not cause trouble.

What followed next was both men being brought to Militech's HQ, getting stripped down, and checked over for bites or scratches despite both insisting they hadn't been bitten nor scratched by anyone. Both were decontaminated, given basic sweats, and then were questioned for hours, separately. Valaire reiterated his story for the umpteenth time to yet another Militech agent. His eyelids were heavy, he had a headache and he was losing what little patience he had left in him.

"So you and your husband were getting busy in the bathroom while the zombie outbreak was happening," The agent asked. "And you didn't notice anything out of the ordinary beforehand?"

Valaire sighed but thought a moment. As they were moving around the party, talking and socializing, Valaire had been looking around. The only thing he had noticed was someone in the distance stumbling around. He didn't think much of it because it was a party after all. He thought he was seeing someone who couldn't hold their liquor. Was that drunk patient zero?  

"The only thing that comes to mind was some guy stumbling around, but I thought he just had too much to drink."

The agent sat back in his chair. "Well, you were wrong."

Valaire shrugged. "Can I see my husband now?"

"Okay. I'll take you to him. From what I hear, he hasn't been as cooperative as you have been."

Valaire got up from the chair, patting his ass to bring feeling back into it, smirking at the thought of Kerry annoying a Militch agent. He let the agent lead him down a white corridor, stopping at the third door. Kerry's yells could be heard behind the door. He sounded pissed off. The agent opened the door.

"---My fucking lawyers!" Kerry shouted. He was standing, body rigid, and hands gripping the end of the table. He looked to the doorway and his demeanor changed. His face softened and he rushed over to Valaire, wrapping his arms around his husband's neck. "Thank fuck, Val! These shitheads have been drilling me for hours!"

Valaire reciprocated the hug, relieved that Kerry was okay. "Me too," He then glanced at the agent still sitting at the table in the room. "Can we go? I think it's pretty clear we had nothing to do with what happened and were just lucky."

The agent sitting got up. "This was not an isolated incident," She explained. "There was an incident at BioTechnica involving an escaped rat that was injected with a--"

Kerry put up his hand. "Look lady, I don't give a fuck. I'm tired, I'm sober and I just want to go home."  

"If you're worried we're gonna go to the media about this, you don't have to be," Valaire chimed in, his arm around Kerry's shoulders. "We both know how important it is that people in Night City not know that a zombie outbreak nearly happened due to someone else's negligence."

The agents both looked at the two men and then at each other. Their eyes glowed for a moment, which indicated they were being given directions by whomever they answered to. The male agent then nodded. "You two are free to go," He stated.

"But we will be watching," The female agent added, glaring at Kerry. "So don't do anything gonk."

Kerry looked like he wanted to retort, but Valaire squeezed his shoulder and gave him a look. It was his way of keeping Kerry from letting his mouth get them into further trouble. Kerry glanced at Valaire and sighed. "Kay," He muttered. "Won't say shit."

The agents then led Valaire and Kerry out of the building, to an unmarked van with blacked-out windows so they didn't know where they were. They were driven back to Night City, the trip taking about a half hour or more. Valaire wasn't keeping track of the minutes. He was just as exhausted as Kerry was. They were taken back to their penthouse and once again given the riot act before the unmarked van left.

Back in their home, safe and sound, Valaire and Kerry settled down into their bed. They were face to face, arms coiled around one another, Valaire's leg draped over Kerry's.

Valaire yawned and kissed the top of Kerry's head. "Next year, we're staying in." He declared.

Kerry chuckled. "No arguments from me on that one, Val." He blinked sleepily. "Love you."

"Love you too, Ker."

The two men drifted off as the sun came up. It wasn't the worst Halloween Valaire had ever had, but certainly not one he wanted to repeat. Halloween was best spent in the comfort of their home, with some good wine, some good candy, and cheesy horror flicks from a bygone era.

I hope y'all liked it as much as I did. Thank you @genocidalfetus for taking Valaire out on a party. I just feaar he might like it even less now going out partying 😂.

[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

[lwh-writing]

I've been rewatching the Hunger Games movies with some friends, and I have many, many thoughts. I seriously need to reread these books because it's been years and Suzanne Collins is a literary genius, but I digress.

Anyway, there's a quote in Catching Fire where President Snow says "If head game maker Seneca Crane had any brains at all, he would've blown you to bits then and there." This is in reference to Katniss and Peeta almost eating the poison berries and getting out of the arena as co-Victors rather than them turning on each other, thus giving the rebels hope that they can stick it to the Capitol. It is Snow's belief that killing one and/or both of them would have solved the problem before it BECAME a problem.

But the thing is.... it really wouldn't have. If anything, it would have made the rebel problem worse.

Let's say Crane killed both Peeta and Katniss. For the first time in decades, the Hunger Games would have had no Victor. There would be no victory tour, no new kid to pimp out to the Capitol's highest bidders, and no new distraction until the next games roll around. And on top of that, it would have shown the entire world how little the Capitol actually cares about them. The game makers changed the rules halfway through to allow for two Victors, and then they took that away at the last second because two Victors emerging from the arena would have destroyed the very foundation of the Hunger Games. If Crane had truly shot down Katniss and Peeta, the fallout of the 74th Hunger Games would have been a wake-up call to both the Districts and the Capitol that Haymitch was 100% correct in saying that there are no winners of the Hunger Games, only survivors. The bright-eyed Capitols would have been forced to face the reality that the games were fundamentally unfair, and the Districts would have been shown that if even the Victors, the people guaranteed wealth and luxury weren't safe, that if their small beacons of hope could still be killed off without those in power batting an eye... then why even bother playing to the Capitol's tune in the first place? And the Rebels? They've got two new martyrs for their cause, and a newly discontent populous ready to fight for them.

Now, alternatively, let's say Crane did nothing. Let's say he let Katniss and Peeta eat the berries and they both die in the arena by suicide. Well, that won't be as drastic as Crane shooting them down, but the results are still mostly the same. The 74th Hunger Games still has no Victor. There's no one left to play distraction and convince the people of Panem not to look behind the curtain and catch a whiff of its political rot. And it's still the two-Victor rule change and the immediate retraction of such that doomed their favorite star-crossed lovers. It's still a wake-up call to the Capitols and the Districts that the Hunger Games are unfair, and that those in charge are willing to change the rules at their discretion no matter how it affects the general public. The people are still pissed, and the rebels still have their two martyrs.

Well, okay, what if Crane only killed ONE of them. Let's say Crane sees what's happening and decides to shoot only Peeta or only Katniss, it doesn't matter which. The 74th Hunger Games has a clear Victor, but that doesn't help a thing. Once again, it's still the rule change and retraction that got one half of Panem's OTP killed. It's still a clear signal to the people that those pulling the strings don't care. There's still discontent in the Capitol and the Districts because the Capitols lament their failed romance, and the Districts just saw an almost-should-have-been Victor get shot down on live TV. Not to mention it shows that the games are rigged beyond belief when the game makers, quite literally, chose the Victor. The Rebellion still gets a martyr. And on top of that, they get a mouthpiece stirring up shit.

You cannot look me in the eye and tell me that if Peeta or Katniss walked out of that arena without the other, the one that survived would have taken that lying down, consequences be damned. You cannot tell me that Peeta "If it wasn't for the baby" Mellark wouldn't have been playing the press and the political scene like a fiddle and knocking down Snow's regime like a line of dominos. You cannot tell me that Katniss "Girl on Fire" Everdeen wouldn't have been itching to take a quiver of arrows and massacre all occupants of the Presidential Palace. A Peeta without Katniss or a Katniss without Peeta would have Snow's worst political nightmare, and if he killed them after the fact, then the riots in the streets would have only gotten worse.

Seneca Crane's fatal mistake wasn't letting Katniss and Peeta live; it was allowing the two Victor rule change to happen. The SECOND that happened, the foundation of the games-- the image of the sole Victor shining above the rest --was shattered. Nothing could have fixed that, not even the hasty second rule change later on. There was absolutely no situation where Snow and company walked away the winners. Absolutely none. And Crane choosing to let Katniss and Peeta live was honestly the best choice in a string of horrible choices that could have been made. And the fact that Snow doesn't see that highlights exactly how out of touch he is with the human element that drives people to do the things they do.

Note: edited to fix "Capital" into "Capitol"

[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.

[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.