#posted this a lil later than i originally wanted to but i forgot/wanted to make some tweaks to it so-

[starry-sophrosyne]

for @sopping-wet-cat-wizard you stinky bastard man- D:< /j /nsrs /ref :

(as per usual this shit got WAY too long on accident so here you go swizard, enjoy XD) (not but this fr got super long, lengthy ass shit under the cut below)

After you said this, I actually struggled to decide between which idea I liked more, bc I hadn't really thought about it too much but their dynamic was def one of the two that you had brought up-

HOWEVER, you know how I was talking about that "community" that Brent introduced Sophist too? That gave him the confidence that he could start a new life, even without a perfectly clean slate, and letting everything hang out because not all but some people would be willing to accept him despite his previous lies and hidden past? Vern is the main player in that-

I wanna say he works at the cafe (omg cafe au reference- /j) that Brent and Sophist frequented when they first started hanging out more casually, with Brent being on good terms with Vern having come to this cafe for so long. Vern is the first person to openly approach him with this pure kindness and the two become good friends, with Brent and Eevee continuing to come here after they break off their respective abusive/toxic relationships.

As for Nick, I'm still really torn. I like the idea of him being a close/the closest colleague of Brent's, working at the same company as him and also being the person to suggest Sophist to Brent.

In the company, he's known as a bit of a slacker, but is very charismatic and popular with everyone, esp the ladies, and he somehow always seems to have luck on his side regarding making business deals, known for his ability to smooth talk his way into lucrative deals that make him favorable to the company (and overwrite his idleness). Outside of work though, he is a frequent client to the "business" ran by Leo. He has hooked up with Sophist atleast once but said it wasn't his thing, and prefers girls over guys, although he doesnt care that much to be honest. He's also a lot nicer than most of the clients, who otherwise stereotypically demand that they get straight to business, and will get to know the workers a little bit. This is what led to his connection with Sophist, as they're good friends and he's one of the only people Sophist talks about his job to outside of the industry (Nick was fucking SHOCKED when he found out the "rich sheltered boy" Sophist was talking about was in fact, Brent, and not another one of his regular vip clients. He did NOT have high confidence in even Sophist to "woo" over Brent, neither did he believe that they had actually done nothing lustful until he asked Brent himself.)

Either this, or as I mentioned earlier, he's one of Sophist's coworkers, although I have less to work with because I don't know how he'd "get out" of the business too without it feeling like a repeated version of sophist's journey, literally start to end- I DO think it would be funnier conceptually though, and better for plot if I did want to make a part two to this au focusing around tcvern3's relationship and the conflict i.e Nick being similarly being trapped, albeit less than Sophist, in the escort business.

At the very least, I definitely see this version of Nick as somebody who's more carefree and lax about his clients, and has definitely pissed a few of them off enough (he's DEFINITELY laughed at someones dick size to the point that they left i don't even care you're never taking that hc away from me- /hj /silly) to receive "punishments" but honestly? Fuck does he care? He's been in the industry less than Sophist has, so he doesn't really know how bad it can really get, but Sophist takes care of his junior regardless. If anything, maybe he can get him out of this life, unlike himself, and while Nick does have some moments of insecurities, he's currently not popular enough to know just how debilitating it can be. In return, he helps Sophist get out a little more and enjoy his life when not with clients, as he's grown so dependant on them (explained in a drabble i have coming up). His client was probably also the one who recommended Brent to Sophist, courtesy of him.

With either version of Nick, I can imagine him pulling up to meet Sophist a few months after he's left the business, genuinely happy to see him all healed and comfortable, wearing casual clothing and a genuine smile.

"So.. It's Eevee now, right?" He asked with a smirk on his face, but there was pure and evident happiness for his friend in his eyes, and that was enough to make Sophist laugh.

"Yeah, it is." He chuckled, a genuine smile spreading across his face. It was nice to see a familiar face after the whole fiasco. He hoped Nick hadn't suffered Leo's wrath after he had left (as a client or a worker). While eyeing him up and down and making sure he was ok, Eevee heard the soft patter of footsteps against the ground behind him. He hadn't even managed to look over his shoulder when-

"Eeevee! It's so good to see you again! Oh, and you brought a friend? Hi!! Nice to meet you! My name is Carnig, but you can call me Vernias!" The man excitedly stuck out his hand, his personality as bright as his pink hair. There was a sparkle in his eyes and a sweet smile on his face that always made him pleasant to everyone else. Meanwhile?

"... Oh!- Uh- Nice to meet you too Vernias, uh.. yeah.."

Sophist had to hold back his giggle at the faint flush that had appeared on his friend's cheeks, clearly more than surprised by Vern's bright personality, not to say that it was a bad thing. He instead settled for giving Nick a comical wink, his smile morphing into a smirk as Nick gave him a dirty side eye, for just a second, before snapping back into his normal self (or as normal as he could find himself) and began to chat up Vern. In no time, he'd put his charismatic personality to use, making Vern let out a bubbly laugh that turned the tips of his ears warm at the sound.

Also/In fact, with either version of the au, I think Nick's struggle would parallel either Brent's or Sophist's respectively struggle in his relationship with Vern/plot conflict. I could imagine for Office-Nick, that he was also born with a rather well off/rich family who has been in good kahoots with Brent's family (actually yes, i now decree that in this version, they're family friends but not in a childhood friends kind of way bc Brent was prevented him from even playing with the son of a well off family as a child bc damn his parents-). They run their own business but have let Nick work with Brent's family's company due to it's success, their animosity as family friends, and their desire for him to get more experience in the working world. However, they meet up with him one day and tell him to quit his job, as seeing his success, they've decided he's finally ready to take over their own company. This would also result in his parents engaging him with somebody, aka Nicole (YOOO STARRY FINALLY REFS NICOLE /hj) who's family also well off/has a high status, for the sake of public image (and MORE company optimization babyyy-/srs /lh), leaving him distraught about his blooming relationship with Vern because he can't just leave. His parents have treated him well his whole life, nothing like Brent's parents (whose toxicity he finally understood to the fullest extent after the whole fiasco), and they haven't given him a reason to actively break everything off to go chase this- this cafe worker. It's painful to admit, but he doesn't have the heart nor the right to just do so just like Brent has. It drives him into this state of turmoil, maddening and insane.

I'm also so fucking tired that I can't conceptually think of Escort-Nick's struggle in detail rn (also bc of what i said and it being repetitive of sophist's struggle-) uhm yeah thats all i can give you lmao im so genuinely burnt out rn- /srs /gen

this got so fucking long bro even for my standards istg- ╥﹏╥

[synthshenanigans]

woah hey a year has been passed wowie :0

First two weren't posted here cos they were too long ago & not CJish related but love the way he took up 70% of the year lol

[ Full images + templates below :} ]

[TW for Bright Colors, maybe blood & very very vague themes of depression/suicide for like 2 drawings I believe]

Long text about the arts if anyones actually curious!!

January: An old OC I completely forgot about until making this. He's based on old radio like things :}

February: Played Person 5 Royal last year & drew Joker cos idk he's neat. Fun fact, the same day I fully finished the game was the day Storm & a Spring came out. Also while grinding in the game, I had his Bidding & VoaC covers on repeat. Which was a bit annoying to do since they weren't on Spotify yet & YT on mobile didn't have looping then.

March: The Hawaii Part ii album cover :} I did post that eventually but that's the time I actually made it. Had listened to TME a couple of months before then which got me into the album, so months later I drew it cos why not? [Also the month Vol.1 fully released on everything. What's funny is my gallery for that day was a handful of memes I saved at 4am before I fell asleep. And then the next image saved is when I woke up which was a screenshot of the whiteboard in TfaR lol]

April: First main Jash art !!! And its not even with any of the songs from Vol. 1 lol. I had his Moss cover on repeat again & now that all of Vol. 1 was out, I drew Heart in some moss. Or really in the image from the video.

May: Lil animation I made of Heart with the song Don't Hit the Lights! Link to my post & the song can be found here :}. Still really like the song & even the drawings. Might remake em eventually idk

June: Sky/socialc1imb's Clue AU! I like murder mysteries & this one was real interesting so I drew it a lot lol. Might remake that one or one of the others I made at somepoint? It'll be a bit later if I do but ye

July: A redraw of a HMS piece I originally made back in May, based on the Three Wise Monkeys thing. I like the idea of it so I keep wanting to remake it.

August: I honestly can't remember if I posted that art or not. Actually yea I don't think I ever did PFFT. It's one of the few drawings I did of myself this year & its from CJs Not Perfect cover [as you can tell by the lyrics on it]. Also one of the very very few vent-ish arts I made. I like the background more than anything but its still neat ig?

September: Art for one of the best songs ever. I love Fine, I'm Fine its so good & I listened to it for like 70% of the 20+ hours it took me to make the drawing. Still proud of it so there's the sketch I drew on paper, the one on my tablet & then the final versions.

October: There was a lot from this month due to Jashtober. I still like this one lot & it wasn't insanely rushed so I picked this one to show lol.

November: I have no idea why I made a fun lil soul. I was having an identity crisis over my art style & ig decided to draw the guy who is a walking identity crisis/j

December: Same as September. One of my favorite songs ever was covered & released, so I made a drawing like everyone else lol.

[x0x0josephinex0x0]

jungprom | jungwon

This post was inspired by that one tumblr user whose bff forgot to ask her to prom. Since Jungwon is a literal baby this is just cute and fluffy. There is a kiss at the end but it reads like a Disney channel original movie. Also I know nothing about prom or dress shopping except for what I’ve seen in movies so sorry for any inaccuracies. Jungwon, as always, is the most precious lil bean. Jake and Sunoo feature and Sunoo goes full Tan France. Hope u enjoy!!

You are staring at your phone, trying to decipher the text you just got from Jungwon.

“Hi! What color is your prom dress?”

As far as you know, you are not going to prom. You never have been going to prom. You never even got asked to prom, you think to yourself, amused.

“I don’t have a prom dress,” you reply back. “Why do you ask?”

His reply is prompt. “Prom is this weekend, right? Why don’t you have a dress yet?”

“Because I’m not going?” you reply back, more confused than ever. “I didn’t get asked to prom.”

The typing signal appears -- Jungwon is texting back. “Did I forget to ask you” is all it says.

You gape at your phone. Pressing the call button, you hold it up to your ear, and Jungwon answers almost instantly.

“Uh, hi,” he says, his voice sheepish.

“Hi,” you say, trying to hold back a laugh. “You have some explaining to do.”

“So, I thought I had told you that I was planning on taking you to prom,” he says hesitantly. “But then I realized about thirty seconds ago I never asked you. I literally told everyone but you,” he adds, exasperated.

“Well, that sounds fun. I don’t have a dress, though,” you say.

“You’ve still got a couple days!” he pleads. “Please, I think it would be really fun if we went together.”

You try to ignore the butterflies that erupt in your stomach as he says this. As a distraction, you pretend to deliberate for a moment before agreeing. “Okay, I’ll be ready to go. What time are you picking me up?”

“Six!” he says. “Don’t forget to ask your dad.”

You roll your eyes, knowing full well that if your dad could trade you for Jungwon as a kid, he’d gladly do so. “Okay, I will. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

“Bye,” he says cheerily. “And sorry again!”

The call ends and you run downstairs to talk to your dad. “Hey,” you say as you enter his office, and he looks up and smiles at you.

“Hey, stranger,” he teases. “What’s up?”

“Jungwon called,” you say. “Apparently he forgot to ask me to prom, but I’m gonna go with him on Saturday if you’re okay with it.”

His jaw drops. “I absolutely love that idea. In fact, I think you should date him, go to college with him, and then marry him. Actually, I think I’m gonna tell him he can only take you to prom if he’s gonna marry you later.”

“Dad!” you shriek, blushing.

Your dad laughs at your discomfort. “So, do you have a dress?” he asks.

“No,” you admit, your cheeks still hot.

“Well, give me ten minutes and then we can go. Are you going to bring Jungwon with you to go dress shopping?” he asks hopefully.

“That might not be a bad idea,” you say. “Isn’t that bad luck, though?”

Your dad rolls his eyes. “No, that’s for when you get married. Jungwon shouldn’t see you in a wedding dress before then.”

You glare at your dad. “You keep making jokes, and I’m not even going to invite Jungwon to come.”

Your dad immediately sobers up. “Okay, okay,” he says, his tone placating. “I won’t do anything bad. Just call him.”

You do, and he answers promptly. “What’s up?”

“My dad wants to go dress shopping in like ten minutes,” you explain. “You could come and get your matching tie at the same time.”

“Great idea,” Jungwon says, “except I have Jake and Sunoo here right now.”

“Dress shopping?” you hear Sunoo say in the background. “We’re coming. She’s going to be the best-dressed person at prom or I’m not the person I say I am.”

There is a long pause. “Apparently Sunoo wants to come. Is that okay?”

“Bring them both,” you agree, smiling. “It’ll be way less weird than hanging out with just you and my dad.”

“I love your dad!” Jungwon says defensively.

“You love my dad, and my dad loves you, a little too much,” you sigh. “See you in ten.”

After collecting everyone, you head to the mall, and into a store that boasts a large selection of dresses that you had to look up on the internet to find. Jake’s eyes get wide as he takes in all the options, organized by color on seemingly endless rows of racks. “It’s so much harder for girls,” he realizes.

“Not if you do it right,” Sunoo instructs. “Now, darling, stay away from anything beige,” he tells you. “Or cheugy.”

You salute him, heading for the light blue rack. Jungwon follows you while your dad hangs back, talking with Sunoo and Jake. “I think you should look for something vintage-inspired,” he says, helping you look through the racks.

You look at him, impressed. “I didn’t think you’d have an opinion,” you tell him.

“Well, you’ll look pretty in anything,” he says, and he blushes a bit. “I just think that the vintage things you wear suit you really well.”

You can feel your face contorting into a shy smile against your will, so you pretend to concentrate on finding a dress. A shop worker comes to help, and within minutes you have a queue of dresses to try.

Sunoo is by far the most vocal critic, and as you step out in the first dress, a yellow number with daisies and tulle, he vetoes it almost immediately. “This is prom, not a garden party,” he insists.

He does the same with a green dress that hugs you tightly pretty much everywhere. “How are you expecting to dance in that?” he asks scathingly.

“I liked both of those,” Jake says, bewildered. “You looked really pretty in them.”

“You did,” Jungwon says, grinning. “There’s still a lot to try on, though. And I think Sunoo’s right that that dress will be hard to move in.

You roll your eyes and continue trying on dress after dress. You have it narrowed down to an emerald green dress with intricate pearl embroidery and a lavender dress with rosettes along the neckline before Jungwon sticks his hand underneath the changing stall with a frothy, floaty, light blue gown with a full skirt and puff sleeves. It is light, delicate, and poofy, and it has a slight shimmer to it. As you slip it on, you know -- this is the one.

You step out, and Jake starts clapping almost immediately. Your dad’s eyes are getting teary, and you almost start laughing. Sunoo is nodding in approval, but Jungwon is looking at you, and his eyes are wide and his mouth is slightly open and he is smiling in apparent awe.

He is the first to speak. “Wow,” he says simply.

“Wow is right,” Jake says. “This dress was made for you! You look incredible!”

Sunoo stands up. “An easy winner,” he declares. “I think we deserve ice cream after all this.”

“Thank you, guys,” you say. “I love it.”

You keep stealing glances at Jungwon. He cannot keep his eyes off you.

* * *

Prom night has finally arrived. You are a tiny bit nervous, but mostly excited -- but your dad is pacing around the kitchen, full of anxiety. Jungwon is two minutes later than he said.

“I told you, Dad,” you say. “He texted me five minutes ago that he was on his way, and he lives across town. He’ll be here.”

“What if something happens to him?” your dad whispers in horror.

“Dad, please,” you say, shaking your head. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

It’s less than five minutes later that the doorbell rings. Jungwon stands there, holding a bouquet of flowers, in a suit with a tie that matches your dress perfectly. His eyes go wide again as he takes in the sight of you -- hair done, makeup on, smiling at him. He impulsively takes your hand and twirls you right there on the doorstep. “Wow,” he says again, shaking his head. “You look...magical.”

“Magical?” you laugh.

“Beautiful,” he breathes. “Absolutely gorgeous.”

“Doesn’t she?” your dad interrupts. “I did her hair myself.”

“You did?” Jungwon asks, turning his wide eyes on your dad. “You did amazing! This is for you, by the way,” he remembers, handing the flowers to your dad. “You really earned them.”

“Thank you,” he says, proudly taking the flowers. “It took me three hours.”

“I’ll be back by midnight,” you tell him. “Have fun at home!”

“Have fun at prom! But not too much fun,” he says sternly.

As you leave the house, Jungwon takes your hand. “I’m really excited,” he says, his smile contagious.

“Me too,” you say. “You look amazing, too.”

He looks down at his black suit, complete with pearl cufflinks and white gloves. “Sunoo helped.”

“I figured. Where are we headed?” you ask.

Jungwon nods at the corner of the street. A limo is parked there. You look at him, aghast. “That’s for us?”

“Yes,” he says, and starts to jog with you over to it. He opens your door and makes sure your dress is all inside before climbing in next to you and sitting beside you.

There is a bouquet of small white flowers in the limo. Jungwon hands them to you. “I wanted to bring you flowers too, and I actually think they’d look kind of nice in your hair.”

“Really?” you say, touched.

He nods. “May I?”

You nod back. Jungwon plucks a couple, and places them carefully in your hair, giving you goosebumps. He turns you back around when he’s done. “They look pretty,” he says, folding his hand in yours again.

The limo ride is full of easy conversation between you and Jungwon, although you are trying to be normal about the fact that your best friend since childhood has grown to be so handsome, and here you are sitting beside him looking like this, and he is holding your hand. After about half an hour, the car stops.

“Where are we?” you ask, looking around. Unbeknownst to you, you’ve driven to the top of a small mountain, and have stopped at a restaurant.

Jungwon helps you out, places your hand in the crook of his elbow, and you walk into the restaurant, where he says, to your shock, “I have a reservation.”

You are seated on an outdoor terrace, overlooking the valley. The food is amazing, and as you eat, you enjoy the view -- although you’re much happier just because you’re with Jungwon. You talk and laugh and compliment the chef, and Jungwon pays for everything, making your eyes wide.

Then, it’s finally time for the dance. It’s loud and fun, and you see plenty of friends there. But your favorite part is when during a slow song, Jungwon takes you outside, to a quieter spot where you can just barely hear the music, and pulls you in close for a dance.

You rest your head on his shoulder, but you’re near enough that you can feel his heart beating. He has long since ditched his jacket and gloves, and the feeling of his bare hand in yours has the butterflies in your stomach going crazy. How did you end up feeling like this with someone you’d known so long?

The dance ends, and you load back into the limo, exhausted. Feeling brave, you lean your head against Jungwon’s shoulder again and close your eyes. To your surprise, he wraps his arms around your waist and leans against the side of the limo, closing his eyes, too. You drift in and out of sleep together on the ride home from prom.

When you finally arrive back home, Jungwon nudges you gently. “Wake up, sleepyhead,” he teases softly. “It’s time.”

You get out slowly, walking hand-in-hand, and he spins you one last time before you arrive at the porch. “I had a great time,” he says shyly, looking down at you.

“So did I,” you say, your smile so big your face hurts.

The silence that falls between you is heavy and fraught with unsaid words. Finally, Jungwon blurts out, “I have to tell you something.”

“Me, too,” you say in a rush. “You first.”

“No, wait, you first,” he says, confused.

“You first,” you insist, shoving his shoulder playfully.

“Okay, well, um,” he says, nervously playing with his cufflinks. “I don’t really know how to say it. I’m not great with words. But I guess I just wanted to let you know that I like you. A lot. Like, I like like you.”

You just look at him. He continues, looking a bit distressed. “I know we’ve been friends forever, and I know this might make things weird, but it’s almost our last year of high school, and I don’t think I could live with myself if I never told you.” He finally meets your eyes again, taking your hand. “I really like you, and I’d like to see if we could possibly work as something more than just friends.”

You touch his cheek. “You took the words right out of my mouth,” you say seriously. And he beams.

Taking a step closer, he leans in slightly. “Would it be okay if I kissed you?” he asks softly.

“Please do,” you say. He laughs quietly before closing the distance between you.

The kiss is sweet, soft, and perfect. When he pulls away, you cover your mouth with your hands. “I can’t believe we did that!” you squeal.

He laughs, full-bellied this time. He puts his hand on the other side of your face and kisses you again, deeper this time. “I can,” he says happily, brushing your noses together and kissing your forehead before putting his hands in his pockets.

Turning to leave, he stops at the bottom step and looks up at you on the porch. “Goodnight, my princess,” he calls to you, his voice just reaching you like the music of the slow song you’d danced to with him.

You go inside, watching him surreptitiously from the window. Before he makes it down your driveway, he does a fist pump. You laugh, and go to tell your dad what you’re sure he’s dying to hear -- that you and Jungwon are officially together.

[fireboltsystem]

ok this is going to be an obnoxiously long ask jsyk ahead of time, i have a lot of little things to say/ask aoejrof. 1. this is our-library's main blog!! for context, since im sure youve seen us in your notifs lmao 2. related apologies for digging through so much of your blog we were really curious about you because weve been following you on sonicaspeed for a long time and we wanted to know more about you! 3. related again im about to ask a LOT of questions that youre totally free not to answer if theyre too invasive, but theyre all things were genuinely curious/confused about, so wed like to at least take the opportunity to ask! 4. i really hope you dont mind us jabbering at you like this too much alejfkfn we tend to yap ^^'

first thing were really interested in is how exactly an endogenic system works, talking as a traumagenic did (as far as we know) system, especially one thats partially endo and partially traumatic as you seem to be. in the past weve gone from negative (due to being around people who were very bitter about endogenic systems when we were first figuring ourselves out) to supporting it and knowing full well they exist but not understanding it, and wed like to go to understanding and supporting it, but thats really hard when we dont really have an example and looking things up, as always, leads nowhere.

this is of course a little more personal, but we wanted to ask about your subsystem a little, partially due to the fact that weve begun to form our own and arent totally sure how to handle them yet; i noticed a mention of a satellite subsystem within the solar subsystem? is that a nested subsystem? im both very curious, baffled, intrigued, and wanting to know in case it comes up for us, but either way, id love to know exactly how that organization works exactly!

and, um...oh, that might actually be all the questions. woopsie. overestimated that a lil, hehe. think we mightve answered some of them for ourselves as we were scrolling through your blog and then TOTALLY forgot that we didnt have as many questions as we did when we first read your pinned post. we did still manage to yap for a While though apwkrjgh hope this finds you well and all that and that you dont mind the long ask and all the notifs!!! were gonna go raid your sonic blog using our main blog to rb now lmao

🌪 - Oh snap hey! No worries about 'spam' it doesn't bother us at all lol.

Response got LONG so I'll throw it under a cut!

Endogenic systems have as wide a variety of experiences as traumagenic systems do, so describing how they "work" generally is kind of impossible KWNFWK. The only thing to keep in mind is that endogenic systems and system members form for reasons other than trauma - maybe they were born that way, maybe it's neurodivergence, maybe it's spiritual beliefs, intentional formation, or any number of other reasons! Not all endogenic systems lack trauma or even disorders - You can be a system and then experience trauma which causes problems for you later on. Or you can experience trauma that doesn't cause plurality in you, and then discover or become plural later, too! If you don't know yet about Pluralpedia, it can be confusing to navigate but has tons of info about different system origins, traumagenic and endogenic alike. Plus lots of other info about plurality as well!

We consider our system to be primarily traumagenic, but with many individual endogenic members. Most of our endo members exist as introjects and come from the process of creating or experiencing art - our brain is just naturally inclined to make headmates out of characters we connect with qkdnskcn.

As for our subsystems: Yeah, the Satellite subsystem is nested within the Solar subsystem. Team Solar consists of me (Zephyr) and everyone from my world, including my own headmates from back then. The Satellite subsystem is the Shadow I know from my world and all of his headmates that basically got carried over with him. That includes Mia - his protector and introject of his sister - and some of the Black Arms that hitched a ride. The Satellite subsystem is a classic "system-within-a-system". They experience shifting fronting patterns and stuff like that just like we do generally, sometimes cofronting/coconsciousness too. The Satellite subsystem is traumagenic, and Shadow is considered the host for them. They have protectors, persecutors, trauma holders, etc that revolve around Shadow, rather than the system as a whole or any other particular member. We think this is because they are his alters specifically!

For the most part, we use subsystems as organizational labels first, just to communicate and remember who is related or connected to who. Shared sources is usually the deciding factor for whether we lump headmates together in a subsystem or not. Headmates that are 'related' in some way tend to be more likely to be close to front for us at the same time, if that makes sense? Like loose package deals. The Satellite subsys is probably the closest thing we have to a traditional Subsystem as described by the general plural community, probably because they were a system before entering this one (and so was I actually!).

In another ask, you added the question "What are 'exomemories'?". Sometimes known as 'pseudomemories' (we don't like that term personally for reasons we'll get into), they're memories of things the body didn't experience. "Memories from outside", exo-memory. For us these can manifest as traumatic flashbacks to source moments, or positive memories of our lives before being in this system, or just basic facts about who we are and our home worlds. I have a TON of exomemories. I'm very close to source and care about it a lot! Since you follow our art blog you probably already know how much of our work is based on exomems akdnwkfsnci. We don't like using the term 'pseudomemory' for ourselves because there's nothing 'pseudo-' about them. They feel just as real as any of my memories of this life and shape who I am even more!

Hope this was interesting and/or helpful! Feel free to send more questions our way if you have any.

-Zephyr

[modern-inheritance]

WIP Game Response

Buckle up buttercups!

@demiaseranmage tagged me in the game below, and I didn't want to clutter up the thread it was in so I've plopped it all here. And when I said it's gonna be messy, I just meant there would be a lot. It's actually really a good thing for me to scroll through everything and see what's been left on the backburner! So thank you for the tag!

Rules: Make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! Then tag as many people as you have WIPS.

Here we go. In NO particular order, but grouped by the variety of docs I contain them all in…

Shorts 2:

Denial (requires a better title but I enjoy thinking about Egypt when I tinker with it)

“We’re finding workarounds, focusing on healing things to the state they are now rather than a full renewal. That’s not caused problems yet, but it’s…trial and error.” “Oh?” “...He thought he killed me the first try. Both of us had a bit of a breakdown.”

Short Shorts:

Again! (a frequently revisited concept that has never born actual full stories or shorts)

Voluntary Recall

Vanir

Nerves (kinda abandoned ages ago)

Standalones/Standalone documents w/ a single concept:

AXF First True (the spicy!) DONE!

Wardbreakers

Invaders Story Bits (the animatic which had to be abandoned due to file loss!)

EXA Attempts (continuously revisited as the fancy strikes)

For a Future Story

Debrief

Escape pt 2

MIC Gil'ead Bits (frequently revisited, where I keep all the actual Gil'ead stuff and concepts rather than the flashbacks and Recall episodes)

Short (this is just a random collection of bits and pieces of the time directly before Arya leaves, drawing in Brom, Oromis and Glaedr and later Rhunön to the family drama)

The Meadow (I’m not sure I like the direction this was going now that I’ve looked at Arya and Fäolin’s relationship again, but it’s a concept I will revisit I’m sure)

Fireside (holy shit I forgot about this one it’s just bits and pieces of dialogue from what I wanted to do for the MIC version of the fireside chat Eragon and Arya have in Brisingr surrounding Fäolin, her experiences in Gilead, etc. and I’mma have to look at this again later.)

Things not yet in a document:

Arya vs Unkie KiKi

The origin of Arya’s stomach scar, and the potential issues it brings up with a LOT of things but I need to do more biology and healing research

The joke of how Arya got her eyebrow scar, because hell if I know where she got it, and she ain’t tellin’ ME either!

Glenwing’s encounter with the Forsworn trained group that left him his facial scars

Eragon’s first facial scar and him wanting to keep it

Haircuts. Soooo many haircuts. 

What happened in Thornwell/Brom’s rages

So. Many. Magic system. Concepts!

The Wolfcats/Squaddies and the adventures Arya has learning to adapt like the humans do

Arya, Squaddies and The Tank

Sabotage Runs/No Man's Land Hauntings

A subset of dwarf music that is musically similar to our Bluegrass but with a bit more rough Appalachian style (thinking ‘Devil Wears a Suit and Tie by Colter Wall) and the pop of a lil bit of rough swing (‘Old man of the mountain’ by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy) and instead of being called ‘Bluegrass’ it’s a genre called ‘Slate.’ Because blue slate, bluegrass, slate is commonplace in some metamorphosed areas in the mountains…. Look I have a geology degree, I need to use it for bad jokes sometimes, and I’d love to see if this wild mix of styles would fit together musically one day.

So many interactions between Arya + Fírnen and Murtagh + Thorn. 

JEsus chrIST, Arya’s buried self hatred and guilt issues, especially surrounding Selena’s boys and their dragons

Brom’s own feelings of guilt around Arya’s imprisonment despite both of them knowing full well that he couldn’t have done anything but put himself, Eragon adn Saphira in danger if the ‘rescue’ went any other way.

‘Suffering’ from EPIC the Musical being inspiration for Arya having an induced and influenced hallucination by Durza ending with a similar vein of ‘[Arya] Fine, but only if you answer a question or two/ [Durza!Glen-Fäolin mix]: of course!/  [Arya, with a bared tooth smile] What’s my name?’

THERE ARE SO MANY MORE I PROBABLY CAN’T EVEN REMEMBER I HAD

There is so, so much of MIC that is never shown to y’all because it is never developed past the concept or in-the-brain stage, or it just falls apart, or I hit a wall, or the mojo disappears and i’ve lost the spark for that idea and can’t bring myself to just word vomit it out into the blog because I had/have a decent story set up and waiting. 

I don’t really have anyone to tag really. Not right now, but I’m definitely saving this for a new thread one day to ask all my friendly chatty people. Y’all can ask me about these, literally ANY of them. Because if you don’t there’s a fair chance they won’t ever be completed lmao.

[catboy-majinya]

Makin' an infodump post for Umi!

So first things first!

I work on the reincarnation headcanon for Ishin and Kenzan stuff.

Umi is a version of Miyumi from my Heian Period AU that I've been working on. (It's still WIP so I don't have any specifics.)

Her name was not originally 'Umi' (that's more like a nickname tbh), but I will be calling her that for ease.

And with that, everything else will be under the read more! Note: Some images may contain blood and/or are disturbing imagery (namely the very last one)

The Lady from the House of Flowing Water

Umi is a court lady, thoouuugh I am unsure what rank she is. She can't see very clearly due to cataracts, but that doesn't stop her from trying to write poetry. (it's illegible, but the guy she's writing to can't even read so it works out I guess) She lives alone and doesn't really interact with the outside world at all, not even through her attendants. Poor thing even convinced herself that the world forgot about her. She doesn't remember much about herself, her family, or even of her status. She even forgot her own name, thinking that is was just "Lady" for quite a few years. Overall, Umi's very subdued and withdrawn, she only leaves her room at night so she can stare up at the moon from her garden. Even with the cataracts clouding her vision she thinks the view is really pretty :)!

Umi used to enjoy learning about weapons, fighting techniques, and other similar topics, but she lost interest after her father's death. The brutal death of Umi's father was also the starting point of her memory problems. She doesn't remember the event at all, but her attendants do. They try their best to not remind her of it, so she assumes he died in battle. He didn't. Her father was assumed to be a decently high ranking general of some sort. As for her mother? all she remembers was that she enjoyed the sound of running water from the garden. Her mother died of natural causes btw. Anyways-

So there's this guard.... and he's kinda cute... and has a cool hat that he wears...... and he is so fucking tall that he bonks his head on the door frames..... I honestly have no real idea on how they met? My current running theory is that Mr. Majima here was injured and just so happened to be outside of Umi's house, so she had him brought in since she felt bad? And they started getting to know each other and swapping letters (if you can call them letters. they are illegible. both of these people cannot read-). And later on they start sneaking out and going on little adventures before Umi needs to be returned to her home and Majima has to go back to work.

He even gives her the name Umi!! She liked the nickname so much that she just kept it :)! He gave her that name while out on their lil ventures out to the beach. Y'know. Since she liked the ocean.

While out on one of their beach trips, Majima took her up on one of the cliffs so Umi could get a better view of the water. He told her to stay where she was, and then went to go tend to the horse (I never mentioned the horse, but there is a horse. We love the fun horse). Umi has a bit of a bad habit with not fully listening to what she's told, and tried to get closer to the cliff side. She had more confidence in her fading eyesight than she should've, and stepped on a loose rock that was just out of her sight. Just like that, in split second she fell off the side. Majima tried to catch her, but she was just out of reach.

aaaaaand That's all I really have for now! Other than that tragic end, I like to think she had a smile on her face since she wanted to make sure Majima saw her smiling. Oh I love tradegy-

[rurifangirl]

chile, could ya explain the magic system in yo oc world more? im kinda confused w how it works👁👄👁

Oh boy, here we go bitches.

So as an intro to this, I said bout last oc post in Qiran's part that their fam was full of mages n shit, but also some of em weren't, n since they do have magic istelf Imma do more parts (3 parts)

First part- how does It all work (Humans/Mages)

First of all, not all of em have a connection with magic, for example Evelyn doesn't at all while Lyva does but only through a magical item so It doesn't really count.

Other then that, if you're born you can either be born with some kind of magic, or simply not. It all depends from your family's lineage, for example If you come from a family of mainly rougues it's hard to get some kind of magical power, while if your parents have both some kind of power or even if it's only one of em, it's more likely you'll end up with something really similar, or a mixture of the two. (In case both of your parents have magical powers of any sort.)

It also depends on where you're living, for example If you'd be born from a cold place it's unlikely ya'd have magma magic rather than snow magic.

Between humans/mages the system Is kinda the same, but that does change for Hybrids/Demi gods/anything that isn't born between the same species.

Between humans/mages it's more of how their ancestors managed to treat its powers, as some got even destroyed for not being worthy of its usage, so If anything at this point and time they're lucky about getting somethin.

Mages are far more cautious about It, having both a lot of hidden knowlege about spells or even origins of some types of magic, though that being the most "common" ones, (for example fire, water ect.), because it's not only them of course, there's far more variants and all are different from eachother.

They can also get stronger by the worshipping of certain gods, which I don't think I will really talk about, at least in this post. (And also because they're still a wip of mine)

But the gang until now really never relied on any of them, or at least Lyva/Rui n Naexi never really did, while the others absolutely did. This Is also why I will do another post as a sorta of a part 2.

Anyways back on topic, most people in all parts of my oc world aren't used to worshipping anymore, or at least a great part of It, mainly because of a loss of knowlege about anything about them.

It's kind of taboo even mentioning most gods names, as they fear something will go wrong if they would (*ahem*being suspicious n allarmin the cult*AHEM*). In fact it's hard to get on most religions because the only remains of It are extremely either hidden, or destroyed in the meanwhile.

I wanna say that another reason because the worshipping stopped Is also because of Rui's cult. Yes, remember that?

It's gonna be talked about on its own post, but let's just say that for them, it's a safe way to restrain anyone knowing far too much about how everything works.

They're the only ones owning most stuff about different coltures to avoid having them against their side,

If there's no worshippers, no knowlege, n more weak magic because people don't strengthen them, who's gonna go against em? (It'll turn out to be the shittiest idea they've ever had but that really did work for the longest time.)

Oh I think i forgot to mention this, but since magic goes lineage to lineage, It also weakenens as generations pass by, as THAT'S the reason they absolutely need those texts.

That's also the reason most humans struggle w keepin magic. Mages can manage, though it's a small portion, since sometimes not even what they've learned over generations works anymore.

Second part- how does It all work (Hybrids/Demi gods n stuff)

Oh boy, so, I'm also gonna use Shou n Naexi a lot here, so bear w me. As I said earlier, it's different from em, since it's not about lineage at all.

Apart that the union between different species Is both a taboo n seen as something "ashaming",so even if they had a child It was more likely they'd Hide It or leave It behind. So it's already a really, god-awful situation for them.

The magic works kinda randomly, in the sense that since the hybrid's nature is seen as unstable to begin w, there's no real critere to handle how the child born Is gonna turn out to be.

Sometimes it's really hard to notice, having yeah some features but can be hidden really easly, but other times Is just, a real mess between the two species, n the magic Is also uncontrollable, especially during their first years of life.

For example, in Shou's case he used to really switch a lot between em, that being the reason he later on prefers not to switch, n havin to learn as soon as possible how to learn how his magic n form would work w It, having again a lot of preassure comin from people he knew.

This Is unfortunatly a really common situation between most hybrids. And there's also no choise.

If you as an hybrid can control magic w/o anything to rely on then you can live, while if you cannot do It, it's a matter of time before you'd get zoned out by everyone and everything.

This Is a big issue, other than having everything fucked by the cult but that's another story.

Aight now bout demi-gods, they're also really not seen well. Most of them prefer not to interact at all with anything that Is not godly related, and in fact, most of em even refused to adknowledge their mortal parent, since they all have resentment over the sudden disappereance of all belivers.

If anything Naexi Is a weird one at that, as they did have a suddent interest in humans and ungodly creatures, though still recognized about how cruel any of them could've been, especially she's a demi-god and has a bad reputation at that.

The magic system Is relatively simple, they just get a certain amount of power from their god parent and are actually pretty capable of controlling them in confront of Hybrids.

That mainly comes from a special connection w their god parent's power, so in theory they're sort of devoted to them.

I wanna expand this when I'll do the gods post n finnaly introduce some of em (And potentially Naexi's mother👀), so I'll not go beyond this atm.

Third part- Magical items/weapons

Aight onto another important part, which Is basically how tf would that work. We have that comin from Qiran's sword n Lyva's earrings, so they'll also be later on disscussed bout.

Even though it's a tough and long procedure, you can transport some of your own magic onto somethin as ordinary as an hat or as sharp as a dagger.

This Is being mainly used in emergency situations, as that energy can eventually be re-used later on by its user.

The user can be changed as long as there's a deal between both parties, whether that being a gift, buying It, or anythin up to them really.

It can also be a great way to hide mage's power, since there are some parts where they arent exactly that respected, so they could blend in with normal humans.

In fact, Qiran does that continiously thanks to their sword, daggers and other lil weapons, and they keep a big part of It there, to seem rather a normal knight/adventurer rather than havin somethin supernatural goin on.

They have a great holdo it since their father did make them learn to fulfill their request to be freerly goin round.

With Lyva it's not really different, even if she kinda stole It n there wasn't really a deal at that moment, but before runnin away from everyone n everything she convinced her mother to give her something that she could use to defend herself, since they were never around and when they were, they would've kinda avoided her.

Oh, and to add this, you could also curse an item. It's a way to mainly punish since ,well, it's a curse,

and makes the user either completely obsessed with the object itself or makin them do somethin w/o any type of consent, whether physical or emotional.

In some cases It can also be a torture tool. Though, as some recent stuff happened, they're somewhat hard to find.

If you still have somethin unclear lemme know cuz idk If I covered everythin or if somethin ain't clear enough😭

Tags undercut:

@a-chaotic-dumbass @spoopy-fish-writes @dopesaladlady @damnfoxx @audre-falrose @nadi-117

(If you want your tag removed/added either dm me/go in the ask thing or do the tag thingy in the pinned comment‼️)

[phantom-curve]

find the strength, find the melody pt. 9

SURPRISE SHAWTY! I literally made a post yesterday about how this wouldn’t update until the weekend but then I drank some wine at noon and now HERE WE ARE. I love this chapter and I haven’t felt that about my writing in WEEKS. man, these middle of the night chapters are just absolutely my favorite thing. hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. (and yes, I did cry while writing Julie’s lil rant about Rose. what else is new?)

taglist: @blue-hat-girl, @lwhoscribbles, @bluefyoto94, @5sosmukefan, @moonlightxnder, @leahthewonder​, @kat-maybe-not​, @lukewearingbeanies, @imastrugglingartist​​

Julie should have expected this.

When the boys had left earlier, she had seen the telling glances between Alex and Reggie going back and forth from Luke to the studio and occasionally skipping over Julie herself when they thought she wasn’t looking. She had waved to them from the steps leading up to the house from the studio as they made their way to the van. She knew the moment she had been blocked from their view by the way they started playfully shoving Luke around, hooking thumbs behind them to point at the spot they didn’t know she was still lingering in. She watched Luke duck away from their teasing, opting to climb in the back of the van where the instruments would usually be stored. No one chose that spot in a band van willingly. It was clear he was trying to hide from Alex and Reggie. She caught a quick glimpse of that damn hand rising to the back of his neck before he was lost in the darkness of the van’s interior. The other boys exchanged a knowing look, twin grins stretched across their faces, before they piled in the van as well and took off down her street.

So, the boys knew he had spent the night before sleeping in her mom’s studio. Whatever. She trusted them not to spread it around the school or make it into a bigger deal than it was. Whether or not they cared about her reputation, they would want to protect Luke. Julie firmly believed they would keep that knowledge to themselves, unless they decided she was fair game for teasing as much as Luke was. The fact that they hadn’t brought it up during rehearsal or in front of her made her believe the worst of the ribbing would be reserved for Luke. She figured that would be the end of it. Luke would have some explanation to give them, and Julie had gotten pretty good at dodging conversations she didn’t want to have, so on the off chance they tried to talk to her about it she would simply deflect. No biggie.

What she had not expected was for Luke to reappear several hours later, caught red handed sneaking back into the studio. She probably should have expected it, but she had spent a few hours away from his overwhelming presence, and the quiet time had been enough for her to convince herself that all of those fluttery feelings passing between them earlier were simply in her imagination. So, when she climbed out of bed at midnight to jot some lyrics down and tuck them into her dream box, she had been surprised to see a small light on outside. Her first reaction was panic. That studio held every important memory Julie had of her mom. If someone had broken in or caused any damage to the space, she might not be able to survive the emotional fallout. Not to mention, she had promised the boys she would keep their instruments safe, and she wasn’t about to break that vow. Which was how she found herself standing in the open doorway in her fuzzy monster slippers and mismatched pajamas, the heavy cross from the dining room wall held in front of her like a weapon, jaw on the floor.

“Luke, what the hell?!”

Julie couldn’t stop the exclamation, even as she cringed away from the defensive look in his eyes. She dropped her arms immediately, the cross dangling limply at her side.

“Julie! I...uh...forgot my pick?”

His voice was rough, rising to a squeak on the last word, and Julie couldn’t help the way her eyebrow rose questioningly. He wasn’t even holding a pick. A fact he seemed to realize as he dropped his gaze to quickly scan the area they had left the instruments set up in. She didn’t even have to guess that his next move would be to reach for his neck. Without thinking about it, she took three quick steps forward to grasp his wrist with her free hand as it started to rise. He startled slightly, turning back to meet her eyes. Her breath caught in her throat at the raw vulnerability swimming in the stormy ocean depths of his eyes. There was a tinge of red around his irises, and she could just make out the sheen of drying tears on his cheeks in the low light.

“Are you...” She swallowed hard against the butterflies swirling in her gut. “Do you need a place to stay tonight?”

Julie kept her eyes locked on his, even as they flickered with some kind of internal conflict. She didn’t push farther than that, leaving him the space to decide for himself what it was he wanted out of this interaction. He had come here for a reason, even if he had originally intended to keep that reason a secret. She fought against the desire to pull him close for a hug. They hadn’t breached that barrier just yet. She did allow her fingers to slip from their hold on his wrist and travel down to entangle with his. That kind of comfort was safe, still tiptoeing the line of being just friends. His eyes searched her face for a moment before he squeezed her hand, pulling just enough that she had to step closer to him. Just like earlier, the world seemed to shrink down to just the two of them.

“I didn’t mean to wake you up. I can go...”

Julie tightened her hold before he could pull his hand away. Queen of deflection that she was, she saw right through what he was doing. He might want to give into her on a subconscious level, but there was a part of him that he was holding back. She thought back to the whole dinner debacle and his fears over disappointing her family. His fears over disappointing her. He was trying to reject himself before she got the chance to, not realizing that ship had long since sailed for her. She was firmly a passenger on the SS Luke now, having jumped ship mere hours ago in this very same garage. To reject him in this moment would be like rejecting a part of herself.

“Luke, no, please don’t leave. It’s okay. You can stay here.”

She made sure to keep her voice soft. Luke’s conflicted gaze flitted across her face, like he didn’t fully believe it would just be that easy. She gave a tug of her own, stepping backwards so he didn’t topple her as he moved forward. She placed the cross on the floor, moving around it with Luke’s hand still glued to hers until they were in front of the couch. He didn’t fight her, following her lead willingly even as he avoided the concerned look on her face. She dropped onto the couch, curling her legs underneath her and reaching out with her empty hand to wrap around the one that still held his. It wasn’t the hug she wanted to give him, but it was as close as she was willing to get at the moment. He glanced at their hands, a slight smile playing at the edges of his lips before letting out a bone deep sigh and sinking down into the space next to her.

“We don’t have to talk about it,” Julie murmured, her fingers stroking over the bumps of his knuckles and the rough calluses on his fingertips, “but my mom always used to say that the studio was the one place where I didn’t have to hide. You don’t have to hide here either. It can be your safe space, too.”

She didn’t look up from where she was drawing patterns on the back of his hand. It still hurt, to think about her mom, to talk about her knowing that she would only exist in memories from now on. But something about Luke made it a little bit easier. Her mom would have liked him, she realized somewhat ruefully. It was a shame they wouldn’t ever get to meet, but maybe that was part of what made him that much more important to Julie. He helped her remember those bits and pieces of her mom that she would have otherwise locked away. They sat in silence for a long moment, but it was more comforting than awkward. Julie tried not to jump when she felt Luke’s head fall to rest on her shoulder. His breath ghosted along her collarbone, sending goosebumps rippling across her skin.

“What was she like?”

It wasn’t a question she had expected him to ask. She could tell by the way he said it, whispered into the chilled air on a soft exhale, that he wouldn’t ask again if she chose to pretend she hadn’t heard him. All at once, she wanted nothing more than to tell him everything.

“She was...she was everything.”

The pain that was always under the surface when it came to talking about Rose Molina threatened to choke her, but a stronger feeling of needing to share this with Luke overpowered it. Julie cleared the emotion from her throat and pushed on.

“She was like the sun and the moon and the stars all rolled into one. An entire universe in one single person. No one loved like she did. It was all-encompassing. My dad told me once that he knew from the first moment he saw her that she would change his life. I thought that was just for us for a long time, just for our family. But I was wrong. She was like that with everyone. I remember one time I asked him why we couldn’t ever go somewhere without Mom making a new friend and he looked at me with so much happiness and whispered like he was sharing the secret to life itself: ‘Everyone falls a little bit in love with your mom when they meet her, mija. She’s magic like that.’ And she was. She was absolute magic. She had the biggest heart and the sweetest smile, and she always knew exactly what to say. When we lost her, it felt like my world collapsed in on itself. It still feels like that sometimes. Like, how can I exist somewhere that she doesn’t? Sometimes it feels like it has to be a dream because a world without my mom? A world without the very light that created existence itself? That shouldn’t be possible.”

Julie didn’t realize she was crying until one of Luke’s rough fingers was brushing the tears from her cheeks. She finally looked up from where their hands were still clasped together. His eyes drilled into hers, silently communicating that he understood, and she couldn’t fight against the need to be close to him any longer. She launched herself into his lap, face curled into the pocket of warmth where his neck met his shoulder, hands twisting into the fabric of his cut up tank-top like he was the only thing anchoring her to the world right then. He caught her without question, strong arms locking around her waist and one hand rising to rest on the back of her head. Julie let the sob that had been building in her chest explode.

“I miss her so much. She was the best mom, and it’s not fucking fair that she isn’t here anymore.”

The words were muffled against Luke’s skin, but she knew by the way he tightened his hold that he had heard them just the same. Julie didn’t know how long they sat like that. Being with Luke made time feel meaningless. He didn’t say anything, just tangled his fingers into her curls and nuzzled his nose against her temple until the tears finally subsided. She could feel the wet stain she had left along his collar against her cheek. That same smell that had drifted off of his towel earlier tickled her nose, foreign and yet comfortingly familiar all at the same time. She inhaled deeply, letting it seep into her bones until she knew she would recognize it anywhere. He swallowed and she felt the way his neck flexed, but she didn’t move from the cocoon of his arms.

“You’re like that too, ya know.”

Luke’s voice was so gentle she thought she might start crying again. The hand that was wrapped low around her hip traced feather light swirls against the thin strip of skin exposed there. Julie released a shuddery breath, pulling away just enough that she could look at his face, their noses almost brushing at the movement.

“The sun and the moon and the stars? That’s you, too. You’re just as magical, just as all-encompassing. All the best parts of your mom live on in you, Julie.”

His voice dipped, eyes blazing as they lowered to her lips for a brief second before rising to meet hers again. Julie felt her mouth fall open slightly, allowed herself to drown in the clear blue-green sea of his gaze. She gulped and watched him track the movement before he spoke again.

“I think I know exactly how your dad felt. I think I’ve been a little bit in love with you for years.”

His cheeks blazed bright red on that final quiet declaration, Julie’s warming to match. Neither one of them broke their stare down, and Julie thought she could feel the physical shift in the universe that was the two of them snapping into place together. The final piece of her soul being righted after a year of feeling lost and alone. Luke shifted impossibly closer, closing the last few millimeters of space between them so every part of their bodies pressed against each other.

“I wish you could have met her.”

The confession was wrenched from the softest part of her heart, meant only for Luke’s ears in this quiet moment that felt both infinite and precious.

“I do, too. But I’d like to think that a part of me did get to meet her. When I used to listen to you two play together, sometimes I would pretend I was right there with you, practicing scales and vocal warm-ups. You mom loved you so much, and I could hear it every time you guys were out here. I read that song so many times that even though I knew it was yours, it felt a little bit like mine, too. She might not be here physically, but her spirit is. I know you can feel it out here, and I can too. Nowhere else has ever felt as safe and loving as being here does.”

Luke’s voice had trailed off until it was nothing more than a breathy whisper on the last few lines. Julie felt her chest squeeze and burn, a fire lit within her soul for Luke and Luke alone. He was so right, and it was almost scary that he seemed to understand her so deeply after just a few days. And yet, at the same time, nothing else had ever felt so right.

Julie had never really believed in signs from the beyond before. She had begged for even a scrap of something to prove that her mom was still around for a year and had never received anything. But that had changed since the day Luke quite literally knocked her off of her feet. Now it was like everywhere she looked she could see the little parts of her mom that still lingered all around. Here, in the middle of the night, surrounded by the same four walls that her mom had infused with so much love, Julie felt like Luke was the ultimate sign. He had been the catalyst that led to her finding herself again, and all of that came down to her mom’s song. The song that Luke had rescued and protected for a year. The song that was the last love letter from her mom was also the first love letter from Luke. Everything had fallen back into place when he entered her life, and Julie couldn’t help but think that was her mom’s doing.

“Will you stay? The whole night? I meant it when I said this can be your safe space. She would have liked that.”

It wasn’t quite the same as Luke almost declaration of love, but Julie knew that he saw it for the serious gesture that it was. The way his pupils dilated and his hand flexed against her waist told her that he was reading in between her words, seeing everything she was leaving unsaid because it felt a little too big just then. He felt it just as strongly as she did, this thing between them that seemed to grow stronger with every passing second.

“I’ll stay.”

Two simple words, one simple statement. But Julie heard what he really meant. This promise wasn’t just for the night, it was eternal. The weight of it pressed against her like the baby blanket she still sometimes curled up with at night, strong and secure and never ending in its comfort. Two words that were a stand in for the three he couldn’t say just yet. Fire burned low in her belly, licking a path up to her heart and searing across her chest. Their eyes locked, a million emotions they weren’t ready to express flowing back and forth between them like a river. Overwhelmed, Julie pulled his head close and pressed her lips against his for the briefest moment before leaping from the couch. Stunned by her own boldness, she raised her fingertips to her lips and caught Luke doing the same. Like they could each feel the lingering phantom of the other.

“Okay, so, uh...I’ll see you in the morning?” 

Julie’s voice cracked and she fought hard to steady it before continuing. 

“My dad will leave at the same time so just, uh, wait until you hear him go and then come up to the house? Okay, yeah, okay...goodnight!”

She made a beeline for the studio doors, taking full advantage of Luke’s shocked silence to escape before she could embarrass herself even more by kissing him again. The sound of his melodic voice stopped her before she could make it outside.

“Hey, Julie?”

She turned, cheeks burning red hot and heart on fire. He was looking at her like she hung the moon, eyes bright and face shining with unbridled joy. Some of the jittery nervousness leeched from her limbs at the sight of him looking so at her so softly. Not trusting herself to speak, she tilted her head and waited a beat for him to continue. A smile broke across his face like the dawning of a new day and Julie found herself momentarily blinded by his shine.

“Sweet dreams.”

It was a gentle hum, his way of sending her off to bed with the sweetest lullaby imaginable playing in her head. It took everything she had to resist the urge to fling herself into his arms again. Instead, she bit her lip with a smile, turned on her heel, and fled back inside to the relative safety of her room. It was an hour and an entire ballad composed later that she was finally able to close her eyes and sleep, the memory of the way Luke’s lips felt against hers playing out in every single dream she had that night.

[ellewords]

hey elle!! i hope you’re feeling a little better :} i’ve been busy finishing up some of my final assignments and exams but i’m hanging in there and i hope you are too^^

i came across this post and it was so SOFT AND LOVELY and it had me thinking about how the haikyuu boys would probably say stuff like this about their significant other—the specifics would be different (for instance there’s one comment in which op mentions having psoriasis) but the sentiment is the same

the first picture makes me think of osamu, though it would probably apply to a lot more than just a cup of coffee or tea! his s/o’s been immersing themselves in their work and hasn’t had a break in several hours? not on his watch!! he’d make them tea/coffee, just the way they like it, along with a snack and he’d insist that they take a break and referesh their mind, and what better than to do so with their favorite pick-me/ups! i wish i had an osamu to remind me to eat...a couple of days ago i was as so busy with schoolwork i forgot to eat lunch and kept on putting it off “until later” and didn’t eat a full meal until dinner ;;w;;

the third photo is SO oikawa it hurts....it may not have been from a bike accident like in op’s comment but i saw “knee injury” and i just ;;w;; it gives me the image of oikawa and his s/o sitting together on the couch, his leg on their lap as they massage it and sing softly to him and he looks at them with so much love in his eyes as he thinks about how lucky he is to have met such a beautiful person, inside and out

the fourth to last photo with the hand squeezing contest gives me hinata vibes!! it’s a fun little friendly competition between him and his s/o but they would never hurt each other ofc. i think he’d also be the type to slightly swing their interlocked hands as they walk somewhere!! as the op of the comment said, it’s the little things. i like to imagine that he tends to lift them up a bit in his arms when they hug each other—something he picked up (heh) from bokuto

the next photo makes me think of iwaizumi, ushijima, or aone!! at first they’d probably fumble a bit, trying to find the right words to say to comfort you. they wouldn’t want you to make you feel worse if they say the wrong thing, but what if saying nothing at all makes it worse? but to their relief, no words are needed. just their presence alone is more than enough to make you feel better, to feel safer

AND THE LAST PHOTO???? THAT’S EVERY BOY!!!!!! THEY LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!! i want to find the original post(s) for these comments so bad, i bet there’d be a lot more heartwarming and brain-rot inducing stuff. there were a few other pics in the linked post i didn’t touch upon but i really recommend reading those too, they’re just so cute!—🌸💫

aaa I am feeling better,, thank you !! <33 but aaah I'm glad you're hanging in there !! these were so soft I'm actually going to scream (I'm writing this after a v stressful Italian class so I needed the fluff and comfort lmao),, thoughts and additions under the cut mwah <33

1 : osamu is pretty much a given on this,, like the amount of pure giddiness this man gets when he sees you finish what he's made you is actually unmatched... the first time you said "it tastes better when you make it", he probably excused himself to go to another room to just scream !! lowkey feel like tsukki would be like this and he'd act like it's not a big deal but he's zooming over the kitchen whenever you ask him to make you tea >:) (also this is your reminder to eat grrrr I know acads is super stressful and all but pls remember to eat something,, even if it's just a lil snack to hold you over until your next meal)

2 : please softie sakusa would melt when you do reach ?? and could you even imagine the lil chuckle that would leave him when you make contact,, just lying awake thinking about it aaaah,, he’d never let anyone know tho, esp. not you :<< it’s gonna be his lil secret

3 : yeah, this is oikawa. 100 percent. ngl did he make this post ??

4 : kuroo !! pls this mf would purposefully get lost just so he can see you smile when you find each other... will ask, “miss me, babe?” and if you answer yes, he’ll dramatically hold a hand over his heart

5 : this is something kageyama thinks about everyday. even if he wakes up earlier than you, he will pretend to be asleep so you can fix the blankets for him.

6 : can’t think of an hq boy for this one, but I do think this was very sweet like aweee <33

7 : pls hinata ???? that’s so him and so cute i'm gonna scream,, imagine “trash talking” each other during these lil competitions... “ ‘m gonna hold your hand so hard bec I love you sm” / “I love you more so ‘m gonna hold your hand tighter aaaa”

8 : I'm going to cry ??? all three of these boys are just so damn huggable like where are they when I get nightmares ??? pls imagine them rubbing soothing circles on your back or the lil “shhh, I'm here” <//33 peak devastation I tell you

9 : ngl for me this radiates strong kenma energy and idk why,,, like the first time you do it he is v confused but when you rest your head on his shoulder he just goes !!! and now he looks forward it every time and he makes him so happy and relaxed bec aaa you love him that much ???

10 : true, they’re all simps for their s/o. <33 hehe

[mickadamz]

michael facts?? plz???

Michael "Mick" David Afton, 1969-???

be warned it gets kinda sad :(

mentioned this in the henry post but fredbear plush was originally custom made for him!! it was given to billy when he was born (mick was 7) because michael was 'too old' for toys like those. this sparked his aggressive behavior towards his siblings

mick went through a lot of mild neglect because his parents were caught up in either work or his baby siblings, so he acted out a lot :(

he's actually very sensitive and gets embarrassed about things easily! 80% of the art i made for him are just him looking shy or embarrassed/being flustered over something

he used to play baseball in high school and has a metal bat with his team's signatures on it :) he also did wrestling so he's not weak

mick is actually built for endurance more than anything. he doesn't always win physical fights but he does tough it out until he physically can't anymore or until the ohter person gives up/surrenders

he's very forgiving and apologizes a lot :( he doesn't want people to hate him. this came after 83 when his parents (especially his mother) blamed him for everything

speaking of 83, michael felt very isolated and alone between then and somewhere in the fall of 84. he developed guilt nightmares after the accident. more about his nightmares here. edith took billy and divorced william in june 84 before father's day and mick's 15th birthday. the only gift he got was edith sending the fredbear back (either because billy passed away [main au] or he didn't want to look at it anymore [survives!AU]).

abandonment issues

michael was known as the kid who killed his brother in sophomore year :( foxy bully mike but at what cost

pierce (see here for michael's friends at the time) took advantage of mick's forgiving nature a lot in high school and is a main reason michael's very embarrassed about things and feeling how he feels abt things

HE LOVEB....JEromey

jeremy's his best friend and michael loves him 2 death. theyve been each other's biggest support systems.

jeremy also helped mick become confident and comfortable w himself (mick dealt w a lot of int. homophobia despite being friends w/ a number of lgbt people in HS— always scared his dad would find out)

the goonies and bill & ted's excellent adventure are his favorite movies!!!!!

he replayed mario brothers on NES quite a few times and got his dad into it (see here)

he rly loves the beatles too :-)

henand his father actually. kinda reconcile in the later 80s. michael forgives him a little too quickly. unfortunately this is when william's mental health began to decline rapidly. he confessed everything to michael before disappearing suddenly in 1995 and becoming springtrap. michael wants to find his father.

michael moved out of the house in 1990 and lived with jeremy in his apartment from there on

he got scooped in maybeeee the mid-late 90s im not sure yet

rarely smiles, but it's one of those shy, soft ones. it's still an afton smile, but a lil crooked. he gets that from his mother

he also doesn't laugh much. he's just shy and quiet

mick painted his nails black as a teenager 👁👁 gayass

he can play bass guitar!! he was taught by jeremy. he retaught jeremy after they found out he forgot how to play as a result of the bite

CUDDLESLUT. HE'LL HUG THE SHIT OUTTA YOU. big arms. big heart

slaps michael's head. this bad boy can fit so much fucking love in it

i have so many drawings of him that i made for michael afton university LOL

APPARENTLY PPL IN THE MAU DISCORD RLY LIKE HIM AND IT MAKES ME CRY HAPPY TEARS 🥺

[thelastspeecher]

D&D AU - Elf Kid Adventures, Pt. 2

Electric Boogaloo

I actually have two more scenes planned to tie up this little story arc in my D&D AU where Stan is half-orc and half-elf.  I originally was going to include those scenes in this post, but then these two scenes on their own were much longer than I expected.  So, uh, here’s some awkward stuff, some angst, some “aww” moments, and most importantly, a whole mess of Stan being head over heels for Angie.

Enjoy.

——————————————————————————————

              Stan couldn’t decide whether the expectation he did chores was the worst part or the best part of staying at the McGucket farmstead. On the one hand, he had to get up when Ole Tinbeak – the earliest rising rooster – crowed.  On the other hand, the praise from Mr. McGucket never seemed to end.

              “Excellent!” Mr. McGucket said cheerfully, watching Stan lug a bale of hay twice his size.  “I must say, Stanaximus, yer the strongest elf I’ve ever seen, and yer only a child right now!”  Stan grinned despite the straws of hay poking his face.  “Would ya consider employment as a farmhand?”

              “Thanks,” Stan said, slipping into the manners that Mrs. McGucket had insisted on drilling into him.  “But I like being a ranger with Angie and Lute.”

              “Fair enough,” Mr. McGucket said.  Stan set down the bale of hay.  His vision now unobscured, he spotted Lute standing a few feet away.  Lute had never seemed that intimidating to Stan before, and his new age (and matching immature wardrobe with many pairs of shorts) only served to hinder his continued attempts.  He was in his thirties, according to Mrs. McGucket, which made him like a human five-year-old.

              “He’s only bein’ nice to you ‘cause yer a guest,” Lute hissed.  Stan snorted.

              “If you could see through all that hair, you’d know that’s not true,” he replied.  Lute lifted the dark bangs that covered his eyes to glare at Stan.

              “I can see just fine,” Lute snapped.  Stan grinned.

              “Aw, is someone grumpy ‘cause he’s overdue for a nap?” Stan teased.  Lute blushed fiercely.  The McGucket parents had insisted Lute have at least one nap a day at this age.  Something about the extra rest being particularly important for growing elves.  “Maybe you should go sleep.”

              “You-” Lute started.  Mr. McGucket came over.  He took his youngest son’s hand.

              “He’s right, Lute.  Stan, think ya can finish the chores if Angie helps?”

              “Uh, sure.  But I don’t know where she is,” Stan said slowly.  Someone jumped down from the barn’s loft, landing lightly in front of Stan.  Angie beamed at him.  “…How long were you up there?”  Angie shrugged.

              “It’s startin’ to get a bit dark, so ya best check the fence fer breaks first, ‘fore night falls,” Mr. McGucket said, leading Lute out of the barn.  Stan and Angie nodded.  Once Mr. McGucket was gone, Stan turned to Angie.

              “We’re supposed to check the fence?” he asked.

              “Yep!  Follow me.” Angie walked out of the barn. Stan followed.  They went to the enclosed cattle pasture and began to follow the fencing.  “Luckily, breaks ‘re pretty easy to spot,” Angie said cheerfully.  “And easy to fix, too.  Just a quick Mending.”  Stan nodded silently, trying to ignore how the setting sun made her golden hair turn a fiery orange.  They continued to walk in silence for a few moments.  “Don’t let Lute get ya down,” Angie said in a low tone.

              “Huh?  Oh, I’m not.” Stan shrugged.  “I actually kinda like being a kid again.”

              “Really?”

              “Yeah.  I’m-” Stan rubbed the back of his neck and laughed awkwardly.  “I’m not in that big of a rush to get this curse removed, to be honest.”  Angie came to a stop, leaning against the fencing. Stan did the same.  His hands gripped the wooden slats.  Angie turned her head to face him.  A few long golden strands of hair loose from her braid bounced with the movement.  The sun cast her form in a brilliant halo.

              “Why’s that?” she asked.  Distracted by how she looked in the fading light, Stan didn’t hear her question.

              “Huh?” he mumbled.  Angie rolled her silver eyes.  As dusk encroached, they began to glow with a faint foxfire.

              “Why are ya not in a hurry to be back to normal?” she asked.  “I thought ya missed yer tusks.”  Stan sighed.

              “I mean, I do.”

              “Then what’s goin’ on?”

              “I…”  Stan trailed off.  Angie scooted closer to him.  Her hand rested next to his, their skin touching.  Stan’s heartrate picked up.  Unable to stop himself, he blurted out the truth.  “I forgot how much better people used to treat me.”  Angie’s eyes widened.

              “…Pardon?” she asked.

              Shit.  Way to go, Stan.  This is what you get for being so easily distracted by pretty girls.

              “I grew up in a mostly human settlement,” Stan said quietly.  “The only elf who lived in town was my mom.  Looking like her, I got attention.  But it was good attention, ‘cause a lotta humans are obsessed with elves. Even travelers passing through would sometimes stop and talk to me and my twin brother.  I think…”  Stan furrowed his brow.  “I think my mom said that, if we had grown up in a proper elf environment, we wouldn’t be allowed to interact with visitors.  I guess elf kids are considered really important, so they get kept away from outsiders.  At least, that’s how it was where my mom grew up.”

              “Ma says things were the same way where she came from,” Angie said.  “She ‘n Pa had some disagreements ‘bout it when we were little.  So it’s probably a high elf thing, not a specific place thing.”

              “Yeah.”  Stan took a breath.  “I liked getting all that positive attention.  But then my tusks started growing in, and my hair got darker, and I got bigger in a way that elves just aren’t.”  Stan looked down at the dirt.  He nudged a clump with the toe of his borrowed boot.  “I stopped looking like my mom and started looking like my pops. And I don’t have a lick of human in me, so I don’t look like a proper half-orc.  By the time I was sixteen, I looked full orc.”  Angie made a strangled sound.  Stan looked at her.

              “Sixteen?” she choked out, shocked.

              “Orcs don’t live that long.  Until I became an adult, I aged close to the same rate humans do. I think I was about twenty when my elf side kicked in to slow it down.”

              “Oh.  Right.” Angie nodded.  “You told me ‘fore that you were in yer sixties.”

              “Yep.  Haven’t aged a day in the last forty years, thanks to Mom.”

              “Yes.  Okay, continue yer story.”

              “Well, I dunno how much there is left to tell. I looked like an orc, and you know how people treat orcs.  Visitors stopped giving me treats and started putting their hands on their weapons when they saw me.  Since that’s how it’s been for the last few decades, I forgot that people didn’t always look at me like I was about to kill them.”

              “Even if you don’t get the curse reversed, you’ll start agin’ on yer own,” Angie pointed out.  Stan’s stomach twisted into a knot.  “Sooner rather than later, you’ll look like yer father again.”

              “Yeah.  I know.” Stan’s head drooped.  “It’s just-”

              “No need to explain.  I understand,” Angie said firmly.  She placed her hand over Stan’s.  Stan’s heart skipped a beat.  “It’s easier to be an elf than an orc.”  She quirked a half-grin.  “Though, just so’s ya know, I prefer yer orcish self to yer elvish self.”

              “R-really?” Stan stammered.  Angie nodded.

              “Tusks ‘n all.”

----- 

              Stan had just finished his breakfast when Mr. McGucket entered the kitchen.

              “Stanaximus?” he said.  Stan looked over.

              “Yeah?”              

              “Walk with me, son.”

              “Um.  Okay.” Stan deposited his plate in the sink and followed Mr. McGucket outside.  “Did you need me for something?”

              “I just need to have a lil chat with ya,” Mr. McGucket said airily.  “But I think you’d prefer the chat happen where there aren’t ears to listen.” Dread began to build in Stan’s gut. The two walked off the main, cleared area that constituted the farmstead, and into the surrounding woods.  Mr. McGucket moved through the trees like he was one with his surroundings, effortlessly silent and graceful.  It was actually almost difficult for Stan to keep track of the man, as he blended in so well.

              I mean, he is a wood elf.  Makes sense.

              “What did you wanna talk about?” Stan asked. Mr. McGucket smiled.

              “You courtin’ my youngest child,” he said simply. Stan stumbled over a root.  Mr. McGucket caught him.  “You all right?”

              “Yeah, I’m- I’m-”  Stan swallowed.  “What makes you think I wanna court Angie?”

              “I see the way ya look at her.  Like she’s the sun, moon, ‘n stars.  There’s no mistakin’ what that means.”  Mr. McGucket looked at Stan.  “You can deny all ya want after this conversation, but I want ya to be truthful durin’ it, okay?”

              “…Fine,” Stan mumbled.  He clenched his hands into fists and ground them into his eyes.  “I…I really like Angie, and being a kid again has made it a lot worse.”

              “Makes sense.  Children have lesser control over their emotions, after all.  Thank you fer bein’ willin’ to talk blunt with me.”

              “Yeah, whatever.”

              “Now, I encourage ya to court Angie, once you’ve all been returned to yer proper ages.  But I needed to warn ya that a courtship with her won’t go without difficulties.”

              “What- what do you mean?” Stan asked.  Mr. McGucket sighed.

              “Politics.  Yer a noble, and my wife, she…she was somethin’ sim’lar ‘fore she left her home to be with me.  I don’t know whether she still has her title or not, and our children certainly don’t have any titles, but they do technically belong to a very powerful sun elf house.  If you were a wood elf, or even just a reg’lar sun elf, I doubt it would be a problem. As it is, it might not be.  But it could be.  So I figured I’d warn ya.”

              “But I’m not noble,” Stan said.  Mr. McGucket frowned at him.  “You guys keep insisting I am, but I’m not!  Maybe my mom is, or was, but my pops, he was about as far from noble as you can get.”

              “Was?”

              “…Pops passed away a few decades ago,” Stan said quietly.

              “My condolences.”

              “I don’t need ‘em.  He was a kinda shit father.”

              “Hmm.”  At Mr. McGucket’s thoughtful, though noncommittal, sound, Stan looked up.  There was a troubled look on the man’s face.  “Would that be related to the scars on yer back and arms?”

              “How- how do you-”

              “Harper saw when he took ya to the lake to swim last week,” Mr. McGucket explained.  Stan stifled a curse.  The oldest McGucket son, Harper, had showed up unexpectedly with his adopted children, then insisted on them all doing activities during his visit.  Harper was an incredibly odd person, but Stan thought he was at least tolerable.

              At least, I used to think that.  Now that I know he’s a snitch?  Nah.

              “I want to revisit this at a later time,” Mr. McGucket said after a moment. “Right now, we need to talk about you courtin’ my daughter.”

              Do we?

              “There’s no doubt you have noble blood, Stan.  Just yer full name is one that’s indicative of high status.  Even if ya don’t have a noble title or upbringing, ya have it in yer heritage.”  Mr. McGucket cocked his head thoughtfully.  “Though not havin’ a title will prob’ly make it so Angie’s own royal blood ain’t a factor.”

              “Did you say ‘royal’?” Stan croaked.  A twinkle entered Mr. McGucket’s eye.

              “Yes.”  Stan’s jaw dropped.  “Now, I will say- wait.”

              “What?” Stan asked.  Mr. McGucket now looked at him with visible concern.

              “Open yer mouth, son.”  Before Stan could comply or refuse, Mr. McGucket carefully pried his jaws open, looking at his teeth like he was determining a horse’s age.  “Oh, no.  Are these…fangs?”  Instantly, Stan broke into a cold sweat.

              Fuck!  My tusks! They started coming in!  Mr. McGucket released his hold and took a step back, worry etched on his face.  Stan closed his mouth.

              “It’s okay,” Stan said quickly.

              “Son, you have two teeth what shouldn’t be there, and what look awful dif’rent from yer other teeth.”

              “It’s, um…”  Stan’s mind raced.  “My pops, he got cursed when he was younger, and it got passed down to me somehow.”

              “Really.”

              “Yeah.”  Stan rubbed the back of his neck.  “It’s not a problem.”

              “Maybe.  But when we get this main curse off ya, we’ll take a look at this one that made ya grow fangs.”

              “Maybe…”

              Gods, no, there’s no way in any of the planes that I’d let some elf take my tusks away.  Stan and Mr. McGucket entered a large clearing.  Stan blinked at the farmhouse before them.  Without him realizing, they’d walked back to the McGucket farmstead. Mr. McGucket put a hand on his shoulder.

              “Yer a very interestin’ young man,” he said.

              Damn, and he doesn’t even know I’m half-orc.

              “I’d like to have many more conversations with ya.  But since yer likely to woo my daughter, I have no doubt I’ll have plenty of opportunities to chat.”

              “I might not court her,” Stan said quietly.  The second he spoke, he knew it was a lie.  There was no chance he wouldn’t shoot his shot.

              “It’d be a shame if ya didn’t, since ya have not just my blessin’, but that of my wife, too.”  Mr. McGucket squeezed Stan’s shoulder.  “And not to mention, we wouldn’t push ya to court if we didn’t think it would go well.” Stan swallowed.  “All right, ya can go back to denyin’ now.  I have to go run a few errands, and you have some chores.”

              Recognizing the dismissal for what it was, Stan headed for the barn. As he approached, Angie emerged from it. She caught sight of him and waved. Stan’s heart did yet another backflip upon seeing her.  She came over to him.

              “Were ya in the woods with my pa?” she asked.

              “Yeah.  Don’t worry, he didn’t try to hunt me or anything.  He just wanted to talk.”

              “What were you talkin’ ‘bout?”

              “How you’re actually a long-lost elven princess,” Stan said casually. Angie gasped and punched his shoulder. “Nah, it was just weird stuff where he called me ‘son’ a lot and wanted to know about my family.”

              “He called ya ‘son’, huh?”

              “Yeah.”

              “Sounds to me like he was askin’ ‘bout yer fam’ly ‘cause he considers ya part of ours.”  Angie winked. “Good luck with that.”  Stan grinned confidently.

              “I think I can handle your family.  I mean, I handle you all right,” he said.  Angie threw her head back and laughed.

              “I’ll let ya continue to think that.”

[hongism]

Hello caly/calypso/hongism/author of one of the best (of THE best, perhaps?) Ateez fanfics to grace the internet! This is gonna be long af dream stuff but

It is I, the poly of the roly, here to tell you:

Last night or sometime recently (it's hard for me to keep track of the days because I work 12 hour shifts overnight) I'd checked your blog as I do every couple days to a week depending how busy I am and saw the ask that was about the moc update and you were all sure let me put my life on hold real quick no BIG ! (BTW I haven't checked yet but if you've still got all that work ahead of you I hope you're taking GOOD care of yourself and getting plenty of rest 😤 and I will send good vibes to wherever you are so if you find random money or a stranger buys you a sandwich or something then I'll pretend it's because my vibes so good vibes so strong) so anyway I had seen that right after I got home from work and then passed right out so in my dream you ended up uploading the next chapter because a bunch of people had been hounding for an update and you were v v upset and didn't want to answer any asks understandably but THEN. then. Moc got turned into a TV show and it was fuckin COOL caly, way cooler than I'd ever imagined. And then because dream things it shifted from me watching it as a TV show to it being the reality i was in and at first I was y/n until I was like wait but I'm not a girl and then y/n was you (kind of, she was called Calypso, Caly for short and I don't really remember what she looked like besides brown hair which is what I've always pictured y/n with so she was you? But like your online persona I guess lol) and we were preparing to go rescue San and there was a LOT of tension between y/n and Seonghwa (also when my dream supplied you as y/n I remember thinking like o shit now we're gonna get a LOT of tension between her and joong lmao). I don't really remember what my story was like how I ended up there, I think I was just enlisted randomly for help like someone knew of my status and sought me out? But originally I was pretending to be a spectre when I was actually a normie who was very good at rogue-esque shit. Jongho was my first friend because y/n wouldn't talk to me cause I guess I was a lil too sus for her. Later Yunho and I became friends through constantly making faces at each like we were on the office whenever anything awkward happened between seonghwa and y/n trying to skirt around each other (I think seonghwa and hongjoong were together....? I don't remember!) and eventually there was some *other* stuff between Yunho and I at WHICH POINT. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT I WAS APPARENTLY A SIREN BUT HAD LITERALLU NO MEMORY OF IT BEVAUSE *serum thingz* AND had no access to the dreamscape or didn't realize I was there when dreaming once again I do not remember. But basically it's my dream so it had to make me special lmfao also I don't remember anything about the actual mission but we got San back and there was a really cute reunion with him and all the crew but ALSO a very long awaited SMOOCH between San and y/n with hands squeezing each other's faces as if to make sure they'll never disappear again it was so cute. And then I realized I had a lot of shit to work out since I had a whole life I needed to figure out so once it was all over, I left without much of a goodbye and it stopped showing it from my pov and more like I was watching it like a show again and so for a few episodes of the moc TV show yunho had a short lived but very fiery romance with a normie-pretend-spectre-actually-siren who slipped quietly off the ship with little more than a pat on Yunhos shoulder v.v thank you for reading my dream fanfiction moc TV show sorry it was so long and BASICALLY WENT NOWHERE

-- rolypoly (also I forgot to mention but in my dream when I saw that you'd updated because you were tired of people bothering you about an update I was very bummed for you and didn't even read it. But I did watch the TV show. Although I didn't really have a choice because my eyes were basically a camera at that point. Dream stuff fun stuff)

BESTIE THIS WAS A WHOLE TRIP AND A HALF?!?!? ngl im pretty tipsy rn so it's even more of a trip than the first time i read it goodness im in love with this concept tho like yunho deserves it moc needs more drama as we all know it doesn't have NEARLY enough drama as it is!??! altho i must say,,,,,, an ? a ? for some reason saying a moc outloud sounds really wrong but anyways that's not even important at all just a tv show after moc would be so fun i would watch it i would love it i love that idea but don't you worry im not posting that chapter until i'm happy with it, so sadly that means everyone has to wait a little while longer for it to be up to my standards 😔💔

[pahsmina]

Wardrobe post 2021 part 1 - dresses (image and text heavy)

For years I have wanted to tag along the trend in the EGL community to make a wardrobe post. But I just never took the time and effort to go through with it. Perhaps it’s because I’m so used to writing about merchandise that I sometimes feel a little lost what to write when it comes to clothes? 

So let’s go 2021, let’s do this! 

In this post I will focus on dresses, so get ready for a lot of pictures, along with my endless ramblings. 🙏

Rabbit Circus by Zhijinyuan - Release unknown

Now this dress is a walking mystery for me, which most offbrand dresses often becomes for me. I first saw this on google image search while checking out different circus cords, and I fell in love with it instantly. 

However every site I managed to find it on seemed to be a bit shady, so I was a little bit cautious if I would end up with something similar to the stock photos of it, or a nightmare of cheap fabric. 

At the end I stumbled across it on a Japanese lolita store called Alice Doll, which seemed to be a reseller of some taobao dresses. The price was around 4000 yen, which made me think “at least it’s not a too good to be true deal” and placed an order. 

And I’m so glad I ended up ordering it! 

Yes the skirt part of the dress does feel a bit cheaper in the fabric than my other brand ones, but there is such a lovely attention to details in it! Plus I’m a big fan of the jacquard texture in the fabric. 

Jewelry Print Chiffon JSK by Alice and the Pirates - 2007

Being an adult means I can purchase old dream dresses I used to have as a teenager. And this is one of them!

Funny story, I used to own this print in another model and colour. But sold it because I mostly bought it as a compromise for not finding this specific model. 

So here I am, years later and owning that exact dream. It fits wonderfully, and the asymmetrical cut is even more beautiful in person. 

Sadly mine is missing the pearl chain in the front, so I replaced it with a navy coloured bow instead. 

Twinkle School Tartan JSK by Angelic Pretty - 2007

This feels like a piece of Swedish lolita history. 

Over the years I have seen several people in the community all over Sweden own this dress, and also bought it secondhand from a Swedish lolita. 

I wonder if this is the same dress that all those people have owned before, or if there are more Twinkle School Tartan jsks floating around here? 

Titel unknown by Mary Lolita -  Release unknown

I’m a really big fan of balloons, especially hot air ones. It’s just something about them that always makes me smile. 

So when I found this dress I immediately had to get it, despite not knowing too much about the brand. 

It’s easily one of my most comfortable dresses, and works perfect for more casual, yet colourful outfits. 

Miracle Rabbit by 由纪的八音盒 - 2020

My absolute favorite theme for lolita dresses are circus and rabbit prints, so I was overjoyed when I found out the existance about this dress. 

And not only that, I was quite lucky since it was sold out in almost every model, except my most desired cut, colour and size. A match made in heaven 🐰

Holy Night Story Switch JSK by Angelic Pretty - 2010

Another old dream dress of mine!

I bought this after my last breakup to cheer myself up a lil bit, but despite being purchased during such a sad time I never feel sadness whenever I look at it. 

Except for circus themes, I’m a huge sucker for anything reminding me of marching band outfits. And also rats, rats are very important too. (Yes they are probably mice but let a girl dream) 

My favorite detail on this one is that it’s missing one of the original buttons, and the owner before me replaced it with this crown button instead. I don’t know why, but I just find it super cute haha. 

Dot Jacquard Circus JSK by Innocent World - 2008

More circus dresses! 

I ended up loving this dress so much that I am actually on the hunt for the black one as well. 

Bertille OP by Mary Magdalena - 2009

Despite often dressing in OTT sweet lolita prints, this dress often makes me feel a little bit too overdressed sometimes? It’s just so elegant that I feel a little bit out of place sometimes haha. 

But I don’t have the heart in me to sell it, because when I do end up wearing it I just love the silhouette way too much to even consider parting with it. 

(I do have the bow for the front, I just forgot to dig it up from my accessory boxes) 

Dressing Up Bunny-Chan Corduroy JSK by Angelic Pretty - 2006

Time really has taken it’s toll on this dress. 

I love it to death, but it makes me a little sad to see how much the blue has faded to more of a grey colour. The zipper is also broken and have to be replaced.

Sadly it’s not a hyped enough old school dress to ever see a re-release. So I will continue to care for it till the day it finally gives up. 

...and then buy a new one , because boy oh boy, I love it so much. 

Sugary Carnival OP by Angelic Pretty - 2009 or 2011

I was SUPER lucky when I purchased this dress last year, even if it arrived to me in a condition that is unacceptable in my eyes. 

Always imagined myself buying the JSK version of this colourway, but I ended up liking the OP more than I thought. 

The fabric is quite faded over the years, and I’m a little bit worried it might not match too well with the 2020 re-release of the headbow, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take. 

Tiara Rose Tiered JSK by Angelic Pretty - 2009

My very first Angelic Pretty dress, and it’s still with me. 

Originally purchased to wear to a wedding I was gonna attend, and kept ever since. 

Dreamy Dollhouse Switching JSK by Angelic Pretty - 2009

Another dress from my breakup phase. 

Purchased this while I was hospitalized as a “Bitch you’re gonna get though this”-gift to myself.

I was quite lucky with this find, since I managed to get the JSK and headbow in a set for 5000 yen. 

Frederick Party Picot Lace JSK by Innocent world - 2007

I used to own this skirt in pink many many years ago, but sold it when I was getting into figure collecting and desired money for that instead. Big regrets on my part, since I ever since then desperately wanted it back. 

Since then I have not managed to decide on which cut I desire for the pink one, but I was 100% about the blue one. And luckily that exact cut and colour is hanging safe and sound in my closet 💖

Milky-Chan the Fawn Ribbon JSK by Angelic Pretty - 2009

It’s kind of funny that for SC my plan was to get the JSK, but ended up with the OP instead. And it’s the complete opposite with my Milky-Chan. 

This is another dress that I might not use too much, but it’s mostly because I’m a big slob and terrified of spilling something on it. Plus it’s a nightmare to iron with the ribbons on the straps and the pearl details haha. 

Lyrical Party Going-out JSK by Angelic Pretty -  2011

My love for bunnies of course includes loving Lyrical Bunny. The design of this lil bun is just so cute and I can’t get enough of seeing it. I want to get more items such as accessories and novelties, but there’s always something that stops me from getting them. Like when they do pop up i’m out of cash for the moment, or sell out super fast. 

So I feel lucky to at least own the Lyrical Party JSK. At first I planned on getting this in lavender, but I’m quite happy I ended up with the pink one instead. 

Melty Chocolate High Waist JSK by Angelic Pretty - 2010

My pride and joy, my absolute dreamdress. 

I was on the hunt for this colourway for so long that it drove me crazy. It popped up secondhand on sites not quite perfect for my timezone, so it often sold out while I had been asleep. 

But a few days after Christmas in 2019 it finally showed up while I was still awake, and I purchased it with no hesitation. 

Sugary Carnival JSK by Angelic Pretty - 2021

Not yet in my wardrobe, but I want to mention it anyway. I can’t wait till October😭😭 

[mechanicalinertia]

What’s next for Divine Patronage?

So my Ranma / Ah My Goddess! / other miscellaneous anime that take place in 1990′s Tokyo fanfic has become more popular than anything else I’ve ever written. I may have classes but this is my designated ‘leisure activity’ now for sure.

Anyway, I have a rough idea for this initial ‘arc’, and how it’ll end. Fine. Whatever. More importantly, though, I have continuing ideas about how to cross over more and more mid-90′s anime and other things into this mishmash where Urd and Ranma have to ‘problem-solve’ things. Christ I wrote like 9 possible arc setups last night; it’ll take me years to make good on them if I do at all.

That’s why I’m a-posting brief summaries of them here, so if I give up on these people can just steal em’.

1. CRIMES OF THE MISHIMA GROUP AGAINST GOOD TASTE

Sayoko Mishima and her zaibatsu god-nap Keiichi and in doing so royally piss off Belldandy. Urd has to snatch the poor kid, who is now a minor god, out from Sayoko’s clutches before Belldandy just loses it and nukes earth in silent rage. Ranma can’t beat the compound alone, though, so Urd turns to Akiko Natsume - the actual head of Mishima - and her all purpose combat android for some help. Unfortunately, the android has a cat brain. Cue Ranma struggling to confront his fears to save the world.

Crossover with: All Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku Nuku, a medium-obscure OVA from the 90′s starring Megumi Hayashibara as the wacky cat-bot-girl with Saeko Shimazu (Kodachi’s voice among others) as Akiko. Good fun.

2. FATE / STRANGE; DAYS

Remember Lind, the Valkyrie from the Angel Eater Arc of AMG? Well, she back. She intervened in Fate / Zero’s Holy Grail War (assumed to take place around 1994) and contracted w/ Kiritsugu the way Urd did with Ranma. Now Kiri may have lost all his lady companions, but he gets Illya back from Germany and is raising her alongside Shirou with the help of Illya’s wacky maids. Maybe lil’ Rin and Sakura are involved, too, I dunno.

Anyway, Lind considers the Sailor Senshi a threat to the divine order (they do appear to predate human civilization) - especially since Saturn’s Glaive of Silence is believed to be the Norse Gungnir, Spear of Destiny, Odin’s superweapon that could (even in the OG myths) rewrite reality itself to render enemies nonexistent.

So Lind gets Kiritsugu, Arturia Saber, and Prisma Illya to go to Tokyo and track down Sailor Saturn with Ranma’s help. Then they end up teleporting to the distant past of the Silver Milennium, back when the Senshi’s magic rendered the other planets of the Solar System inhabitable. Cue a string of John Carter references.

Crossover with: Fate / Zero, Fate Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya. Might even separate the Fate story from the whole Saturn / Gungnir subplot - they’re just hunting Kirei and Gil, then. Sure. Fine.

3. THE FUTURE IS HERE AND IT SUCKS

Skuld time travels into the future, only to find that almost every single timeline ends with humanity being wiped out before the 22nd century - perhaps by SM’s Great Freeze, perhaps by other factors. Unfortunately, she forgot to close her possible-future-timeline portals properly, which leads to various cyberpunk futures bouncing off one another for supremacy in 1996.

(Look I wanted to just fuckin do BGC or GITS crossover. Couldn’t decide. Why not both?)

Crossover with: BGC 2032 (Or my 2069 rebot), Ghost in the Shell, Silent Mobius (maybe)

4. GAMES OF THE GODS

The obligatory ‘gang plays an RPG’ sitcom episode, only a) it’s Cyberpunk 2020 because I’ve read that system’s books, and b) the goddesses all bring their boytoys along to be sucked into the game world as their player characters. (Urd gets Ranma, Bell gets Keiichi, Skuld is the GM, Peorth gets Ryoga, Lind gets Kiritsugu) (I guess I better do an arc where Peorth patronizes Ryoga to screw with Urd...)

5. GUNS, BOMBS, ROCK N’ ROLL

Ranma gets dragged along by Urd for a vacation, theoretically to LA. But then after getting bored of the Obligatory Beach Episode, Urd rediscovers that she has a daughter in Chicago - Rally Vincent. She and Ranma rush off to screw up the events of the manga and protect her daughter from the brainwashing of a lesbian rapist crime lord. (I wish I was making that last bit up). Maybe Priss of BGC tags along to really hammer in the WACKY KENICHI SONODA CROSSOVER thing?

Crossover with: Gunsmith Cats, Riding Bean, maybe BGC

6. HEISEI BLOSSOMS BLOOMING

The Japanese government decides to reactivate the Teikoku Kagekidan project, this time using idoru as the mecha pilots instead of the Takarazura Revue thing they had going on in the 20′s. The K-on girls audition, the Love Live girls audition, someone in the Ranma cast or something tries out as well. Mecha are now nuclear-powered instead of steam-powered (whatever that means)

Crossover with: Original Sakura Wars franchise, Tite Kubo iteration non-involved. maybe K-on and Love Live

7. RANMA’S LUDICROUS EXCURSION: STAR-DIAMOND DUST IS UNCRUSADERABLE

Ranma gets a stand. Urd thinks it’s like her angel. Yare yare daze.

Crossover with: What do you think, genius?

8. ETERNAL SUMMER

Ranma gets trapped in a temporal anomaly centered around Tomobiki Town. Now it’s August 1982, Ataru and Lum are about to get married, and unless he can stop the total breakdown of the pocket reality within the seven days before the time loop resets he’ll become part of it forever. Trippy New Wave Existentialist Bullshit - Screwball Comedy meets Body Horror. Also see: Higurashi.

Crossover with: Urusei Yatsura

9. TRICOWBOYOUTLAW BEBOPGUNSTAR: EFF YOU, SPACE COWBOY

A valiant attempt to crossover all three of the late 90′s ‘Cowboy shonen’ anime of the time in one universe. A shared universe? Nah. We’re probably just gonna transplant all the characters into 90′s Tokyo again and watch the body count pile up.

Crossover with: Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, Trigun. Oh, and maybe one of those ‘robo-maid’ shows from the aughties (Hand Maid May, Mahoromatic, Steel Angel Kurimi), just to fuck with everyone.

10. COPS AND ROBOTS

Ranma gets in trouble with the police for sneaking onto the Babylon Project, forced into community service, and then ends up blackmailed into the long-running grudgematch between the SV2 Labor Squad and the Tokyo Highway Patrol.

Crossover with: You’re Under Arrest, Patlabor (original OVA mostly)

11. SUPERIOR AUTOMATRONIC DISPUTE RESOLUTION: GO NAGAI EAT YOUR HEART OUT

Skuld gets in a fight with some deities from some rival pantheons, and as a proper grudgematch resolution they all resolve to build Giant Robots and then Battle Royale them. Ranma has to pilot one.

Crossover with: NOTHING.

12. THE HOUND OF ULSTER BARKS AT MIDNIGHT

Cu Chullain, husbando of Ex-Valkyrie and turncoat Irish goddess Scathach, teams up with Ranma in Dublin to stop IRA extremists from resurrecting the Tuatha De Dannan, specifically the Morrigan. A teenage Bazett (from Fate) shows up and gets all fangirly.

13. TALES FROM THE OOPS

An abandoned particle accelerator built in the 80′s near Stockholm may or may not cause Ragnarok. Ranma and some edgy Swedish Teenagers have to deal with 90′s recession bullshit and clean the place out

Crossover with: Tales from the Loop, Things From the Flood

That’s about it, honestly. I have other things I’d like to crossover with, tbh, mostly mecha stuff. Among them:

- Cannon God Exaxxion

- Eva

- Gundam UC

- Muv-Luv

-Negmia / another Ken Akumatsu trashpile (and I mean that in the best possible way)

Shit this is fun. Imma make another one of these posts with even more ludicrious crossovers later. Peace out.

[wethepixies]

Welcome to the third and final part of our staff interview series! This set of interviews focus on some of our most social staff members - our Discord moderators and our social media team. Once again, these pixies had a lot to say, so we’re tucking all of it under the “Keep reading” link!

WTP’s Discord server is the main place for the community to come together - in fact, we just passed 6,000 members! It’s extremely important to keep the server as safe and friendly as possible, and that’s where our beloved moderators come through. Without them, we wouldn’t have the loving WTP community!

Our moderators are Lila Almondpetal, Gloria Flutterflower, Daphne Moonflower, Anastasia Foxheart, Rose Morningmist, and Kassie.

What are some of your favorite memories about the original Pixie Hollow? And what are some things that you’re excited to see again in WTP?

Daphne: If I had to choose only one favorite thing then it would be shopping in Pixie Hollow especially those GORGEOUS gowns from the Queen's Boutique. It was the luxury store of Pixie Hollow, and the gowns they had were on a whole different level. I used to play Pixie Hollow every day as a kid and I even convinced my dad to get me the annual membership. I was able to make a lot of friends from different parts of the world because of the game. My best memories of the game are of Camp Pixie Dust! As for what I’m excited to see in WTP, I am exhilarated about the Tearoom and Animal Derby coming back since those were the only places you could play with other players. They were always packed with other fairies and sparrowmen and I used to hang out in those two places the most.

In her interview, Daphne sent us some pictures of two of her favorite things in Pixie Hollow - a couple of screenshots of Camp Pixie Dust and her favorite gown from the Queen’s Boutique.

Anastasia: Honestly? As a kid, I spent most of my time attending the parties. The minigames there were always so addicting! Gameplay wise, I loved baking and tailoring! I wasn't as invested in it as other Disney MMOs because I never was able to get a Pixie Hollow Membership, but I still loved to play it! It influenced my decision to play the DS games, as well as the Fashion Boutique mobile game! I will say that my love of the original Pixie Hollow has benefited my life in many ways as without it, I wouldn't have so many memories with friends I've made along the way. Also, I would've never found WTP! I think one of my best memories from Pixie Hollow has to be from the one party where I won almost all of the party games. I was pretty young when I was really into Pixie Hollow, so although it's a bit silly, I just remember feeling super proud and feeling like the queen of the party, haha! As a kid, I never really appreciated the quests (although I did do them), so I am excited for those to come back & relive that experience. However, since WTP will not have a paywall for any of the experiences from the original Pixie Hollow, I am incredibly excited to explore The Wilderness for the first time!

Lila: My favorite part of the original game was honestly how open and free it was! There was always so much to do in the game, but I never felt pressured to do any of it if I didn't want to. I could go crazy one day playing games and doing quests, and then I could spend the next day flying around, just admiring the scenery and doing absolutely nothing in terms of progress. There were no obligations at all - I think that's why I remember the game so well. I was also really invested in it - I actually kept a journal about what I did in the game, can you believe it? I would say it's made my life better in a couple of ways - when the game was still open, it was a fantastic stress reliever, and even now I love thinking about it (plus, it led me to WTP!). As for my favorite memory… well, there are so many! I'd have to say my favorite was the time a Sparrow Man and I flirted in the Tearoom using nothing but those preset Speedchat phrases. I don't know who started it, but I'm pretty sure we were both non-members at the time - maybe we were drawn together by those Arrival Day outfits. We ended up drawing a crowd; I remember seeing a lot of clapping emojis and hearts. It was insane! Sadly, we forgot to add each other as friends, so we never saw each other again. I just got out my old journal to check if I wrote down his name - and I apparently did! Figfig, my guy, if you’re out there, I was either Twilight Olivemist or Karina Lightningflame at the time. As for what I’m excited for, I'm super excited for all of the meadows to come back! I loved just flying around and seeing all of the gorgeous artwork. And multiplayer, of course - Pixie Hollow was such a social game. I loved those little things like sitting on a branch and chatting.

Gloria: My favorite part of the original game was definitely the community aspect! I made a lot of friends in Pixie Hollow that were really special to me. It was so much fun to play games and throw parties with other pixies in the Hollow! I played the original game from January 2009 to its closing in 2013. I was really invested in the game and played very often! It definitely helped me embrace my inner child and hold onto magic longer than a lot of my peers, something I am grateful for. One great memory I have of the game was the events. I specifically loved the Silly Days Event, which allowed users to access the Mermaid Grotto. And Camp Pixie Dust, of course! For WTP, I am super excited for questing! It was a really unique experience every time and led to neat storylines which allowed players to unlock some cool items. I really liked the added structure of quests in game.

Rose: I was mildly obsessed with Pixie Hollow for a good majority of my childhood. I was picked on quite a bit when I was younger, so Pixie Hollow became this sort of safe haven for me, where I could express myself without fear of judgement. I spent a lot of my time roleplaying with online friends, pretending to be waitresses in the Tearoom, or secret agents fighting crime and protecting the Hollow – it was a lot of fun. Some of my first ever story ideas came from some of those roleplays, which lead to me starting a blog and later pursuing a career as an author, so I actually owe a lot to the game and the friends I made there. My favorite thing was probably decorating my home – I loved creating different settings with all the furniture I had, from cafés to ice palaces. It was a lot of fun. I'm super excited for multiplayer – I’ve made so many friends through the PBC (Pixie Blogging Community) and WTP, so I can’t wait for when we can hang out in-game.

Kassie: I played Pixie Hollow starting in late 2008 until it closed! Every day after school I would grab my snack and head to the computer to play for at LEAST an hour. Narrowing down my favorite part of the game is so hard!! But if I had to choose I would say getting creative with outfits and color combos! I loved going to fashion contests and seeing other people's creations- that's actually how I met a lot of my friends. I think Pixie Hollow benefited me as a way to escape from the stresses of the real world. Middle school and early high school were difficult seasons for me and it was nice to venture into a mystical land where I felt people truly cared for me. One of my favorite memories was when I met my friend Strawberry. We were mutual friends with someone and we both went to her house at the same time. However, our friend was asleep (remember the lil z's?) and so we started talking and suddenly we became the best of friends! Over 10 years later we are still friends and catch up with each other once in a while. We don't live far from each other so we hope to meet each other someday! Honestly, I’m most excited to have house decorating in WTP! I remember people would spend HOURS decorating their homes and doing the coolest designs- I always concentrated more on fashion so I'd love the chance to redeem myself and design an awesome home!

How did you first find out about the WTP project and what inspired you to start working as a moderator?

Kassie: A lot of my close friends started up the project and eventually invited me to be a part of it as a moderator! In our friend group I tended to be the one to mediate conversations, so I think it was a no-brainer to ask me to moderate.

Daphne: When I got to know about Club Penguin rewrites, I thought there might be a rewrite for Pixie Hollow as well and I stumbled upon a YouTube video which mentioned WTP. I really wanted to help out with the project in any way I could so that really motivated me to become a moderator.

Anastasia: I actually found out about the WTP project through Teresa, on another Pixie Hollow site where she first posted the Bubble Bounce demo! She even DM'd me about potentially helping out as an artist, which I've always wanted to do! However, due to my schedule being a bit too busy to consistently help out with game art, I never felt like I could apply. However, I've always tried to help out in other ways, such as when I was an Event Manager & hosted movie nights! When it was decided that movie nights were going to take a hiatus, I really wanted to continue helping out in the community, and thus, I became a mod!

Lila: I first found out about We The Pixies when I joined a Club Penguin rewrite. I hadn't thought about Pixie Hollow in years, but then I wondered if someone else had rewritten Pixie Hollow, so I looked it up and found WTP! As for joining the moderation team, I'd been pretty active on the server when the application opened up, and I really loved the community. I figured I'd give it a shot - worst they could say was no, right? Well, I ended up getting the role! It’s been a really great job ever since.

Gloria: I found out about We the Pixies while doing some Google searches and checking out the Pixie Hollow community this year. I definitely jumped at the opportunity to apply to be a moderator because I have so much passion for the project and wanted to help out and connect with others who also had interest. 

Rose: I found WTP through Phoebe Bumbleflip’s blog – she published a post promoting the remake and the Discord back in October last year. I don’t have any skills that can really help with the recreation of the game itself, but I wanted to contribute in any way I could, which is what inspired me become a moderator.

(Phoebe is a member of the WTP Hype Squad, you can find her blog here!)

The WTP community is mostly positive, but have you ever had instances where you felt like server members weren't being the nicest? If so, how do you deal with it?

Anastasia: Since I'm new to the staff team, I've only ever come across a handful of issues involving the members, and most of them resolve with ease. Typically, directing people to the rules and giving them a warning is enough.

Lila: With so many people in the server, it's not unusual to see something that isn't so friendly - usually, if an argument starts up in the chat, reminding people of the rules or starting a new conversation fixes things. If things are really bad, I might talk to someone individually and ask them nicely to be, well, nicer.

Gloria: In my time on the staff so far, we have had a couple trolls and people who haven't complied with the rules, and in that situation, we generally like to calmly message the person and ask them to comply with the server rules. In my experience thus far, this usually sorts out the problem. However, if the issue persists, the moderation team would consult each other and figure out how to deal with it further based on the severity of the behavior.

Rose: They’re very rare, but we have had to deal with some disputes with upset or angry members. Usually us moderators will talk and discuss the issue and then decide the best course of action together.

Kassie: There's always going to be someone unkind who comes across the server every now and then. I think the best way to handle it is to tell them what rule they're breaking and WHY it's important that they adhere to the rule. Ultimately, our rules are about respecting everyone in the community. If we can help them empathize and understand respect I think that's making strides not only in the WTP community but hopefully in EVERY community that individual is a part of.

We've had a few events in the WTP community, how does creating one come about and how do you plan it?

Anastasia: Excellent question! As a former Event Manager, I'm the right Pixie to ask!

It all starts with the approval of administration. Once the admins approve of it (and other staff have no issues with it), you can go forward and begin scheduling a time. We typically don't do events without having a proper schedule or time frame. We also try to accommodate other time zones as best as we can, since we know that WTP has Pixies from across the globe! Then, you need to designate certain responsibilities to people. This was the purpose of the Event Managers, since we were in charge of hosting Movie/Game Night. I have a lot of good memories hosting movie nights with Alchemist (Lavender) and Asteria! With other events, staff members are chosen to have either a leading role or a helping hand in making sure the event goes smoothly. Even if they aren't in charge, it is important to note that all events typically require staff supervision. Now, planning it typically involves a discussion among the staff (and any other WTP players that may be involved in helping out). We usually try to make sure that the community voice is heard, and that they can get involved! Our main goal is always to bring everyone together while having fun, and that is the foundation of all our events.

Daphne: The Hype Squad is the creative mind behind all the events we have. Since we can not have in-game events (which we definitely will once the game is fully developed), the Hype Squad tries to come up with flitterific events to keep us in the pixie hollow spirit while we wait. Our former team of event managers was behind the shorter events such as the numerous game nights and movie nights.

Lila: Starting an event is absolutely a team effort - no matter where or who the idea comes from, we like to talk about it for a while first. For example, I had the idea for Meadow Madness one night out of the blue, and I made sure to run it by the staff and Hype Squad before I started anything up. It ended up being a huge success - we had an average of 200 respondents per round, which was pretty neat for something I came up with in ten minutes.

Rose: There’s quite a bit of planning that goes on behind the scenes for events – a lot of events are actually planned by the Hype Squad (which I am a part of) or our social media team. An idea will be presented by a team member, and then we’ll all discuss it – what our thoughts are on the suggestion, and how we’d go about holding it if it were to become an actual event. If everyone on the team agrees and the staff are okay with it, we’ll then start deciding dates for the event and preparing things like banners and announcement posts. Sometimes we’ll also have one of our members act as coordinator too, to make sure everything is running smoothly during the event itself.

Kassie: I'm personally not one of the head honchos who puts events together, but it comes down to listening to a bunch of ideas and trying to figure out which one best fits the needs and desires of the community!

How do you fit working on WTP into your schedule?

Daphne: I finished high school in April and I can't really start college until quarantine is over, so I pretty much don't have anything to do at home right now so it's easy for me to make time for WTP.

Anastasia: I try my best to moderate whenever I can- usually in my spare time. We get a lot of newcomers each day, so there always seems to be someone who needs help getting verified, or a Pixie who needs some other sort of assistance. That's the thing about having such a large community: we always seem to have some moderating to do!

Lila: I actually have the apps I need for moderation (and social media work) on my phone - now that I'm not in school for the summer, I'm traveling a lot, so I don't sit down and use my laptop very often. I think I use Discord on my phone more than my laptop, actually. Using mobile lets me check the server whenever I have a spare moment, so I can keep up with things wherever I go.

Gloria: I have a really flexible schedule in general as school and life goes, so I am able to make time to moderate and spend a lot of time online.

Rose: Mostly by multitasking – I’m almost always online, even if I’m doing other things, so it’s not too tricky to keep an eye on the server throughout the day.

Kassie: It's hard sometimes, but the easiest way for me to stay connected is to keep my notifications on when I'm not busy with the mandatory things in life like my job, planning my wedding, and investing in relationships outside of the community. Giving myself the chance to walk away here and there leaves me refreshed for the next time I log on!

Two of our moderators, Kassie and Lila, also serve on our social media team, so we asked them a special question:

How do you use social media to grow the community?

Lila: Social media is a great place to post about game updates and community events. I've found that few posts get people more excited than posts about new game features. Update posts also let people know that, yes, we are still up and running! Sometimes people think we've shut down already, and social media helps us keep the project alive.

Kassie: Social Media is all about messages. I think what attracts people to join a community is to send a message they resonate with! In WTP's case, nostalgia plays a huge part in growing our community- we are trying to attract people who are excited about something they wish they had again.

One final question for all of our moderators: what’s your favorite part of your job, and is there a way it’s benefited you?

Daphne:  Definitely talking and getting to know so many people from across the globe. I'm always down for making new friends! For me, the most impact moderating for WTP has had is on my people skills. As a moderator, you have to ensure that everyone is following the rules and sometimes people need convincing to follow a rule. It also involves solving any issues related to the game/Discord server and communicating with the members in general, which really develops your people skills.

Anastasia: Honestly, my favorite part of being a mod is being able to interact with the other staff members. They're a really lovely and creative group of people, and it's fun bouncing ideas off of each other and figuring out what's best for everyone in this community! I wouldn't quit WTP for the world! Working for WTP has benefited me a lot as so far, it's helped me work on the ways I can help organize a community. Also, it is helping me work on my time management skills, as well as my ability to work in a team.

Lila: I think my favorite part of my job is, as corny as it sounds, watching this community grow! When I joined, we had maybe 500 users in the server, and we're well over 6000 now. I never thought that so many people would remember the game, but they do. It's remarkable, really. Working for WTP is probably the best volunteer position I've ever taken up. Moderating has really helped me learn how to think things through and get help when I need it. Working on social media has also been great for my writing and graphic design skills - I've got to say that I've gotten pretty good at color combinations!

Gloria: My favorite part of moderating is helping people in the player server and sparking interest and discussion among users. It's so much fun to reminisce about the hollow with other fans. Though I haven't been on the team for a very long time, it has already been lots of fun and I have really enjoyed connecting with the community even more and getting others interested in the revival project. And the other staff members are very cool people that are really rad to work with.

Rose: My favorite part of my job is welcoming new people to the server! Being a moderator has definitely helped with my problem-solving skills – working out ways to handle situations on the server.

Kassie: Being friends with the staff is my favorite part. It is always a joy to log on to laugh and learn with friends. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Asteria and I have created a pretty strong friendship (hopefully she agrees, haha). We've known each other for about 4 years now. She makes me laugh out loud and we've been there for each other in our victories and failures. Her friendship is one I deeply cherish and I hope we get to meet sometime in the future! I care a lot about connection, community, and friendship, so for me, being a part of this team is a way for me to foster those things and be a part of it! I think I've benefited from WTP by learning how to guide hard conversations and disagreements in a respectful manner. Many people think moderators just manage the community, but a huge part of our job is to aid staff in having constructive conversations. There are definitely ruffled wings here and there, but we always get through and I've really grown through those processes!

__________________

Thank you all so much for sticking with us during our interview series! We had a lot of fun answering your questions, and we hope you had a flaptastic time reading them.

[goodguydotmp3]

hi i came across ur answer about harry/his music, there was this -- "I also really hate that one song that Zayn did with Usher and Chris Brown, because you have these awful men completely misunderstanding what it means to write a love song, and then you have Zayn at the very end all like “actually I really am in love tho…” I thought the same bcz his verse is so different & feels like it doesn't fit can you explain more about it if you'd like plz? thanks :)

SO I had to re-listen to the song for this ask and it was just as uncomfortable as the first time <3

Alright lets break this down.

I. General Feel

Okay so this song is. It’s just not a good song let me put it like that. It’s an pop R&B song, obviously meant to be at the very least sexy. You have three men that are known for their sexy pop/R&B lyics and/or songs, and somehow two of them forgot how to be sexy? make it make sense. Where is the romance? the ambiance? the vulnerability? No not like that Chris Brown. 

And yes there were three other writers, but that just means there is even less of an excuse for this nonsense. It literally makes my skin crawl.

II. Lyrics

Girl bye. 

a. Usher, what is you doing? He starts off the verse with

Come and ride on me like the waves I flip the pages 'cause I wrote the book On the way how to sex you up, sex you up We can do it like I'm on the stage, we'll have an audience Baby, I'll show you the way that I sex you up

When I tell you I could fucking scream. Who let Usher Raymond do this? I want names, phone numbers, and addresses. 

This sounds juvenile. If someone rapped this over a Nitti Beat back in 2012 I would have thought this was fire. That’s how fucking childish this is. This can’t be the same man you used to sing stuff like “if you didn’t know you’re the only thing that’s on my mind, cause the way i’m starin at you makes me wanna give it to you all night” or “I’ve been waiting all day to wrap my hands around your waist and kiss your face” or “I’ll get you hot I know you oh so well”. now are those groundbreaking lyrics? No. But they sound leagues better then whatever the hell he was doing here, Especially in context, especially when he sung them but I wanna talk about that later.

Next point of contention is:

Or I can lick you up and down 'til you say You love how I eat on that pussy You just might go put a tat' on that pussy That says Usher, Usher There's no other, other (Yeah!) Damn girl, yeah, you got that juicy Love when I make you cum, I make it gushy One without the other I'm the champion lover, lover Fuck you to sleep, wake you up again (Oh) I go so deep, beat it up again (Oh) Girl, come and sit on my tongue again 'Cause I love to taste you, yeah

Would someone be so kind as to let me know when 2010 lil Jon possesed Usher? Or maybe it was 2008 Lil Wayne? 2012 Pitbull? Either way, 2016 Usher just aint got it like. Truly if this was being rapped in a club with the bass all the way up and the melody loud enough that you couldn’t hear it, I would be like “ okay maybe horny people wanna shake they ass” but this is supposed to be sexy? Who is this seducing????? Are they okay? Can they name the current President? How many fingers am I holding up?

Last of his verse is what really gets me heated like

I can tell you been eating your pineapples (Mmm) Girl, your pussy taste like pineapples (Oh) Girl, when I hit your G, you feel like you gon' pee Baby, cum for me

First off, pussy taste like pussy you fucking coward. Second, stop god modding you clearly don’t know all that if you still think pussy taste like pineapples. And this is that immaturity coming back into play I feel like, who is this song for? Not adults. Not like this.  I feel like I can’t over emphasize that this man had been putting out original music for 26 years. 26! Not only are your fans too old for this nonsense, but you should be a master song writer! I know this song came out in 2016 but that’s still over 20 years of experience.

b. Chris Brown

Huh, now where you been? It's been a year Baby, I ain't seen you, you know I miss you (Oh, woah) Baby, let me love you back to sleep once more And I know we don't speak no more (Oh) But I just wanna tell you I'm sorry (Hey!) For fucking 'round with Keisha and MaKayla (Huh) For all the Georgia peaches in Decatur For all these bitches in the elevator I just want you to love me (Yeah, yeah) Yeah, baby, don't test me (Huh), you know I'll do it You want me to say your name, girl? Okay, Karrueche

I Just

What...praytell...is sexy or romantic about...anything said there.

See this is what I was talking about in my other post, He completely misunderstands what it means to white a love song , but more than that, to be vulnerable. Saying you’re a cheating whore and begging for forgiveness in this manner is not actually apologizing for your actions, it’s just airing your dirty laundry. 

If he wants to do that then fine I guess?? But I feel like he wasn't. Like, the idea totally reminds me of Charlene, Wherein Anthony Hamilton name drops his lover and begs her to come back to him. The thing about Hamilton’s song is that he doesn’t sound like a manipulative ass for one. Hamilton makes it clear there were several places he knows he fell short in the relationship, and in the end, he doesn’t make it out to be a callout post, but he does let her know that he intends to wait for her should she come back, and then promises to change his behavior. This is not that at all. When Beyoncé and Alicia Keys said Say you love me and  Put it in a Love Song, This is not what they meant.

ALSO DON’T REFER TO WOMEN AS BITCHES

c. Zayn

Baby, just stay comfortable, I want you as you are Baby, just lay there naked waiting for me Let's not get emotional, let's be who we are Can we do that? Can we do that? Can we? Know it's been a long day, it's 'bout to be a long night So keep your eyes closed 'til I roll through So, baby, when you're feeling like a woman in the sheets Somebody splitting your knees, don't worry that's me I'm over here putting work in Baby, you ain't gotta tell me what you want

Am I Floored? No. Is this his best work? Also no. Is it a helluva lot better than whatever the fuck Usher and Chris B thought they were doing here? Hell yes. The vulnerability! The pleading! The fucked up headspace! This verse has it all!

III. The way the song is sung

terribly Let me start there. Wtf was usher trying to do here. The lyrics were chringy, and so was the delivery. It felt choppy as hell. Like who is fucking to this? Asking for a friend. WHo is aroused by an usher vulva tat 

we need to have words.

second Chis Brown sounds like a whiney piss baby I really hope no one actually paid for that song thinking they were getting a sexy R&B hit and got that.

Zayn sounds fine on this song, like the tone is overall bittersweet, but it matches the lyrics.

okay the last thing I want to talk about is the chorus. after hearing the verses It really doesn’t match. It’s a really basic premise I feel and Usher and CB felt like they were on another song in between the chorus. Like In Sex Room, Ludacris talks a really big game, and the chorus is really simple, but It’s literally all about what he plans to do in said “Sex room”, Usher like someone told him he was gonna be singing a sex song and then went back and put a line that tied to the song at the last minute if that makes sense?

and then CB....okay.

The last thing I wanna say about Chris Brown is I actually listened to the original song, thinking maybe the original was also trash. No actually? It’s not the best, not even by Chris B standards but its not bad like?? Who let him but out this remix monstrosity?

Anyway, I actually have a Sexy R&B playlist if you’re looking for something...better. Don’t get me wrong, they aren’t all romantic, but they’re damn sure sexy, and way better that wtf this song has going on