#so far I only have a charm and sticker it's not enough

[tmgmrk]

[hypnagogics]

before you read ▪︎ loose continuation to THIS

ultra loser!ellie x teasing(slightly sadistic tbh)!reader. reads fine as a standalone!! no fr sex, but still nsfw!!! loads of teasing, ellie's shy and flustered (also gave her glasses and piercings muahahah AND HAPPY TRAIL MENTION YAYYY), reader's a little insistent (but it's ok), mentions of masturbation, discussion of sex, REALLY horny making out at the end lol, heavy petting, they almost do it, tiny abby cameo, buildup AS PER USUAL YALL KNOW THE DRILL, kinda cliffhanger ending (its on purpose HAHA), different layout bc i cheated n looked at the poll oops...NGL TS HAD ME SWEATINGGG WRITING IT LMFAO don't think i have ever written something more horny....ok enjoy! + 2.2k wc

apparently both of you missed the professor's class cancellation email on this fateful day… other students showed up too, but they left quickly after seeing it was empty. ellie stayed to catch up on some work, enjoying the silence and typing away on her laptop, which looked like one of those beefy gaming computers.

covered in stickers and the keys changing color, you thought it was interesting she'd lug that thing around campus with her, instead of opting for something light and sleek. and now that leaves you. you had no other plans for the day, and had already mentally prepared yourself for this class, totally unaware it was canceled.

you realized it wasn't a bad idea to copy ellie, and catch up on some of your own work. however you were more intrigued by her, to be totally honest with yourself.

watching her from a distance, she captivated you. she never seemed to notice your stares, too absorbed in her thoughts. you watched her type, efficiently and quickly, pausing only to push her glasses further up her nose with her slim fingers.

the truth is, she's hot. but no one was hearing you out on that, unfortunately. they'd say to you, “what a loser! i don't think i've ever heard her talk.”

you felt overwhelmed by the urge to strike up a real conversation with her—more that simple greetings or coursework questions— and it was the perfect opportunity to do just that. so you got up, sat yourself down in the empty spot right next to her, and put on the most charming grin you could muster up. she abruptly snapped out of her focus, almost flinching at your presence.

“hey! you're ellie, right? whatcha working on?” you got close to her to see, being met with a bunch of hieroglyphic-looking strings of symbols on the screen. woah, smarty-pants. “um, it's just…some project, i dunno. how d’you know my name?”

she finally looked at you, her eyes round, wider than the ufo saucer stickers on the back of her computer. they were so green, the hazel ring reminded you of a polished agate stone. the scattered freckles on her face were so pretty too, you'd never been close enough to her to really take notice. she nervously scanned your features, blotches of pink blush decorating the apples of her plump cheeks.

she was so cute, and noticing her evident shyness flipped a switch inside you, what if you messed with her a little?

you shrugged at her, “just seen you around. you're so mysterious.” you lilt, manipulating your tone to make it smoother on the ears, even containing hints of seduction if you dared.

she blushed a deeper raspberry shade and looked down at her hands, fidgeting with her rings. she was somehow getting more attractive by the second, your heart felt like it was about to burst.

“am i? never thought of it that way, you're funny.” she mumbles, her antsiness obvious. but you didn't wish to let up so soon, you were having a lot more fun flustering her than you'd ever care to admit, even wanting to see just how far you could push her.

“ooh, i love your rings. where did you get em?” “just…places. why are you asking me so many questions?” you sighed and rolled your eyes, “well, ellie. we both don't have anything else to do, gotta pass the time somehow. i wanna talk with you, is that okay?” she took a deep breath and nodded, visibly relaxing. she stretched out her arm to get rid of the tabs on her computer, close it, and put it in her bag, which is when you got a look at her forearm tattoo.

“also i'm obsessed with your tattoo, you have no idea how cool you are, how are girls not all over you?” you question, taking her wrist in your hands and examining the tattoo's intricate line work, tracing your fingertips over the pigment in her skin.

you heard her breathing change in tempo, quickening ever so slightly. but she didn't move her arm away, and let you continue. she took a second to respond. “um. thanks, i guess. i don't really know what you mean.” her voice cracked when she said the last part, igniting a flame inside you, one that you didn't know existed.

your mind wandered, you began wondering what she sounds like when she whimpers. was she really so starved of human contact you could mold her like putty, just with your fingers and tongue? you wanted to find out so badly, wanted to hear how she'd cry your name out if you fucked her into oblivion. was she a squirter or a creamer? you hoped to the heavens above you'd get to find out someday. maybe it was too much to fantasize like this, considering you formally met just now, but you weren't hurting anyone if it all never left the confines of your mind.

you were lucky you hid your own arousal well, nothing out of the ordinary showed on your face whatsoever. ellie wasn't so lucky—to her dismay, but to your delight—everything played out on her delicate features so clearly, it was nothing short of delectable. 

your eyes bore into hers, the intensity of the eye contact making her shiver, and attempt to break it. “ellie, ellie, ellie, may i call you els?” you didn't wait for an answer, and continued, “do you have a girlfriend?” you pouted your lips at her, feigning sadness as if her response was something you didn't already infer.

she was stuttering now, stumbling over her words, making less and less sense as the conversation went on. she was anxiously bouncing her leg, you could see her chest rising and falling, and her face had turned a lovely crimson color, it was so strong, the flush had spread down her neck and reached her ears, making her piercings stand out. good lord. 

“ahem- no, i don't have a girlfriend. actually never have, shocking i know.” she chuckles at her self-deprecating joke, and while her smile was enough to light up a room, you wanted to slap the doubt out of her. or rather, fuck it out of her. 

you exhaled loudly, “hahh, well isn't that a shame. you're so pretty, i'll just have to snatch you up for myself then.” she swallowed audibly, greatly taken aback. “sorry, what?” “oh, don't you know how much people love losers like you? tsk tsk tsk, you're so much hotter than you realize, i mean it, els. look at you! you've got these piercings, this tattoo, you're smarter than this whole class combined, seriously.” 

she just gaped at you, unable to process what she was hearing. no one had ever talked to her like this, it was only something she read about. and coming from you? this ethereal person who starred in all of her most intimate fantasies? she rubbed her eyes roughly, convinced she was hallucinating. her mouth opened and closed dumbly, her voice box failing to produce any sound. but you were affecting her so much, especially because she lusted after you to an extent she could only take to the grave.

flashes of her midnight escapades flickered in her mind, of her shoving her hand down her pants like an animal in heat, orgasming so intensely she'd black out, abusing her hole with nothing but images of you playing in her mind, and your name on her tongue. her cheeks burned with the embarrassment of her wild actions, and she shook her head to clear the thoughts away. 

you groaned and leaned back in your own seat, exclaiming, “god i'm so bored. and pent up, fuck. it's been so long since i had sex…” that was true. in any other situation you'd never say something like that aloud, but because you were alone with the clueless idiot you wanted so carnally, you let it slip. 

“...maybe you should take care of that.” you heard her cough out, her voice coming out strangled. “i could. but that's boring.” you opened your eyes again and smirked devilishly her way, poor girl looked like she was about to go on a trip with the ferryman. 

you grabbed her hand, examining it some more, commenting, “you play guitar, don't you? guitarists are very good with their hands, i will say.” you played with her hand, pressing it into a fist, then extending her middle and ring finger. gosh, what's gotten into you? “i bet you're sooo good.” 

you've never seen a person look more flustered than she did right now in this moment. her voice was impossibly quiet, barely above a whisper, “cut it out.” “okay, fine.”

some beats of silence passed, but a thought crossed your mind. if she really hated this interaction that much, she could have got up and left eons ago, yet she stayed here and endured it all. hmm. you blurted out, “els, have you kissed anyone before?” 

and again she stayed silent, even after you waited patiently for an answer. she kept looking away, her jaw tense. 

you decided to quit the teasing just for a moment, and speak to her gently, genuinely. you shifted to sit a little closer to her and asked, “do you want to?” her gaze locked onto your mouth, she licked her lips, then muttered, “if you're really offering and not just fucking with me, sure-” 

your patience broke and you didn't wait for her to finish her sentence before swiftly leaning forward and connecting your lips with hers, relishing the tiny gasp she made as soon as you did it. she tasted like a dream.

after a split second she kissed you back, it was inexperienced and clumsy, fueled by adrenaline, but she got into a rhythm soon enough. you took the lead and deepened the kiss, absent-mindedly tugging on her bottom lip with your teeth, coaxing eager whimpers out of her, pure music to your ears.

you succumbed to the sensations and increased the pace, your tongue dancing against hers. you felt her hands fumble by your waist, and she pulled you closer to her. your hands clawed at her chest, the beautiful symphony of panting, the wet smacking of your lips colliding, and her uncontrolled moans filled the empty room.

she gripped your waist so tightly, fingertips surely leaving small marks in their wake, you couldn't wait to find them later, and you shamelessly felt up her chest, your thumbs finding her nipples—perky, hard, and poking out through her thin shirt. you caressed and rubbed and squeezed, feeling her jolt under your magical touch.

she was fully whining now. spilling needy, high-pitched sounds, this was better than you could've ever imagined. neither one of you breaking the kiss for even a second, your hand trailed lower and landed on her stomach, slipping under the bottom of her shirt. you felt her defined abs tensing, and the whisper of a happy trail—now it was your turn to moan.

she got even louder and her kisses got sloppier, and you were about to venture inside her waistband before a sudden sound startled you both. 

your phone vibrated aggressively, and with great effort you separated yourself from ellie, long strings of spit connecting you to her still.

she whimpered from the loss of contact, chasing your lips, then huffing and quietly groaning while you took out your phone, her hands not letting go of your waist. when you checked it, it was a message from your friend, abby, just saying: URGENT. COME HERE NOW. ASAP.

fuck her. fuck her and her timing, was all you could think. really, now? you wanted to kill her.

trying to slow your breathing and racing heart, you explained apologetically, “ugh, it's urgent. im so, so sorry ellie, i gotta go.” she stared at you, speechless, but nodded meekly, reluctantly retracting her arms. you didn't want to leave, and stayed gazing at her for a little longer, and brushed a loose strand of soft hair out of her face. what a cutie, she looked all disheveled and dazed. you were about to look for a paper to scribble down your number to keep in touch, until your phone buzzed again, and started ringing with abby's repeated attempts to get ahold of you. couldn't she wait a minute?

you gave ellie one last devastated look, getting up and rushing out of the classroom before abby called you another seventeen times. 

ellie was left in the classroom, reeling from the encounter and what it had turned into. she was utterly bewildered at the events that transpired, her blood rushing in her ears, mind spinning, lips still puffy, glasses fogged over, hands trembling, and of course a sticky, uncomfortable damp spot in her boxers. she leaned forward to rest her head on the desk in front of her on top of crossed arms, to take a moment to cool down before escaping back to her place. 

“holy shit.” 

im horny🧍‍♂️just like ellie after that. as soon as she got home, u best believe she came so hard she saw literal angels and deities LMFAOO (this is my favorite thing ive ever written gawdDAYUM)

yall who wanted more, hope this suffices as a continuation! @stonerzdaze420692 @womenlvrrr

[gunkbaby]

All Of The New 10th Anniversary Expo’s Shuu Merch/Merch Appearances I Guess

I’ll be honest chat, I am not a happy bunny abt most of this, but i love my beautiful princess no matter what and besides, what is my life without documenting Shuu Tsukiyama merch?

(This is all the merch from the TG expo - not including the merch released beforehand, which I have covered in other posts. Some of the merch was similar so I grouped a few of them)

Holographic Sticker/Acrylic Stand

Not enough Shuu stickers out there, I think. Whilst this illustration is not my favourite, I am glad to have another Shuu Sticker for my scrapbook.

Metallic Keychain/Postcard

(He’s top left for the postcard.)

Can Badge

Badge is 57mm - I only note this bc it’s quite a Large size! I’d put this on a tote bag or in my Ita if I weren’t paranoid about it falling off

Scene Badge

3rd image is the :re scene badge. 2nd image is just how the badges stand (?) for reference.

Famous Quote Magnet

I can’t find the exact translation but it’s roughly the ‘I want to feast upon sweet Kaneki, whilst he feasts upon her!’ quote.

Postcard Book

Shuu Appears four times in the postcards shown thus far - i am unsure as to whether there is more to come. I don’t think so, but idk.

This merch feels notable as it is also the only Kanae appearance so far in any of the merch drops. Unsurprising but it still dampened my bonfire a bit - i was hoping for a crumb of new Kanae merch.

Clear card

Mini Sticker

Another sticker - yay for my Shuu scrapbook!

Leather Charm

Shuu Wine Opener

This is the only piece of merch solely dedicated to Shuu from the expo so far. The piece of art used here could be new, but it appears similar to a different piece of art I have seen for him before, so I’m not sure exactly. I will need to compare.

If I am honest, I find the wine opener a bit lacklustre disappointing. It’s not colourful, which I’m aware is a personal gripe but like. Idk it looks like this thing is hot off the 3D printer. It’s a such a cute idea to have his kagune be the corkscrew itself - like that’s hella cool, i rly rly enjoy that idea, drillyama my beloved - but idk. It just doesn’t look quite right?

Also, just to indulge myself in a little vent: I have huge personal beef with this wine opener bc i was on the edge of my seat, waiting for the Shuu merch and the one thing we get is a fucking wine opener? It feels like an attack on me personally. (For context: I am a recovered alcoholic.)

But anyway. The rest of the merch is okay, I suppose. I’ll never turn down new Shuu merch, but I didn’t really like the new illustration of him, and it’s on a lot of this new merch. The new chibi illustration of him is cute, and I do prefer it, but idk. I’m feeling quite meh about the whole thing.

Regardless, I’ll still be buying whatever I can, because I’m a sad little freak who’s only purpose in life is to think about this fictional man, but let it be known; my credit card will be used begrudgingly with contempt for the people behind the TG anime expo merch.

[fulgurbugs]

another doll post… this is the one i’ve been talking about

today i managed to remember to bring my wallet to the walmart, so i decided to go ahead and grab one of the decora girls

my walmart only had these two, celestia and decora. i decided to pick up decora because she’s the poster girl. also, rainbows.

here’s her in her box, as well as the box art on the back. i wish i could’ve seen luna and sweetie in person. don’t know why every walmart ive seen have them only has decora and celestia.

unboxed! i have to say, u do like her much better out of her box. the hair feels like nylon, to me and not poly, which i was thinking it might be.

here’s what she comes with. one doll, three hairclips, two sticker sheets, a doll comb, and a stand. i was pleasantly surprised to see that she comes with a stand! she is not capable of standing up herself whatsoever, and even with the stand you have to balance her a little. i also was not able to get her hairclips to stay on her bangs, as they are very loose and her bangs do not have enough hair for them to sit nicely.

she has articulation at the shoulders, hips, and neck, as well as a turnable waist. her legs are rubbery and have click-joints, giving them a little bit of motion, but her elbows are unarticulated. her arms are rubbery as well though, so you can get a little movement out of them, but it won’t hold.

her clothes. she actually comes with a lot of pieces- a bodysuit, a jacket, a skirt, two mismatched socks, leg warmers, shoes, and a purse with a little charm on it. i do particularly like these colorful platforms and the leg warmers

here’s her face (i did decided to try out one of the band aid stickers just to see how it looked. her eyebrows are super far under her bangs.

now, one of the biggest complaints (that i agree with) is that the faces on these dolls are not really that great. they look very baby-doll ish, but not in a way that’s quite cute enough to fit the mold. not particular a fan of this open mouth smile, or the detail-less eyes.

i did buy this doll with the intention to repaint! this is my initial mock up, i’d love to know if people like or hate this idea, or if they have any ideas for directions to take her face. i wanted to go for a kind of rainbow-maximalist look, with lots of asymmetry, because i feel like that really sells more of the decora style than her inital look.

here she is next to some of my other more rainbow-ish dolls. i put her next to core lagoona 1 and sunny’s 2-pack look, so you can see how she’s proportioned compared to a monster high and a rainbow high. she’s about the same height, but obviously has a much larger, massive bobblehead.

obligatory .5 shot

and that’s decora! i like her much more unboxed than i thought… i’d love to play around more with the sticker gimmick, but i don’t want to waste them before i give her her repaint. i will definitely update you guys as i work on her, though!

[misslavenderlady]

MONSTER MANIA CON POST!!

This weekend was an absolute dream come true! Everything I had hoped and dreamed for my very first convention. And I'm incredibly grateful that I got to be there with @ghoulgeousimmaculate @bloodsuckingfiends & @silvermaplealder (and his friend Jess). Everyone was so kind and fun to be around. I'll give the rundown of who I met in this post and I'll add another post later on with more pictures!

💜💜💜

The first day Ghoulie and I checked in early and got all dolled up to meet Alex Winter first. I got both an autograph and a photo op with him. He seemed a little tired/out of it and I assume that's because he JUST got back from the U.K. and went straight to the convention. His photo op was super quick and I was only able to pose next to him, not with him.

But still, he was super cool and was very happy when I told him how I introduced my fiancé to the Bill & Ted trilogy. I also showed him an art commission I requested of Ricky Coogan! He was a nice dude overall 😄

The second day Maple and I dressed up as David and Michael! I even got the honor of doing his makeup to make the cosplay extra authentic. He gave me some of his amazing, homemade stickers as a "thank you"! He was hands down the best looking David cosplayer in the whole convention.

I got to get an autograph from Heather Langenkamp before doing a selfie with her. I was the last one to see her before she left for photo ops. She was an absolute delight! I talked about listening to her episode on the Dead Meat podcast and we had a bonding moment over that. When I posed with her, I did a peace sign and she copied the pose.

Then she said "that's such a coincidence because I wear THIS every day!" and she pulled out a necklace with a peace sign charm. She was just so delightful 😊

Billy was an absolute dream. He has the most warm, caring look in his eyes and was very interested when I talked about how The Lost Boys got me back into writing. I was getting a little emotional, and I could tell he was on standby if I needed some help.

I had a photo op with him later, but I paid an extra $10 for a selfie with him. My hand was trembling from my nervousness and he was kind enough to hold it steady so I could take the picture. He made sure I was comfortable the whole time I interacted with him. 🥰

Also, I picked out a picture of Paul and Dwayne to be signed as a way to honor Brooke. When Billy saw it he said "awww I love this pic! 🥺" I was fighting tears ngl.

Kiefer was an incredible guy!! I decided just to do a photo op and not an autograph because people were lining up at 3 IN THE DAMN MORNING and I wasn't about to do that lol. He loved the outfits that Ghoulie and Maple wore, and it was such a delight seeing his smile. He was so kind with me. Very welcoming and didn't hesitate to shake my hand or wrap an arm around me for our picture! I think he was still is a great mood after seeing Maples perfect cosplay lol

The last celeb I met was Jason, and I gotta say, I think he was my favorite. Jordyn wasn't exaggerating when she said he was so nice. He was by far the kindest person I met at the whole convention (and that's saying something considering everyone was a delight to meet). I felt like he truly cared about meeting every single fan and was genuinely listening with interest when I told him the story of how @michael-after-hours got his name from Michael Emerson.

When I tell you his face LIT UP when he saw my cosplay. He was so overjoyed and it made me even happier to be dressed as Michael. The joyful energy was just so infectious. 🥰

I'm so incredibly lucky to have met all of these wonderful icons in horror. They truly did care about their fans and made the whole experience extra special. I would do it all again in a heartbeat if I could.

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

TAG LIST

@hypocriticaltypwriter @ria-coolgirl @fallingthruspace @silvermaplealder @britany1997 @leiasolo77 @starlahuskyz @vampirefilmlover @charlizekkelly @charlottieellis @ghoulgeousimmaculate @michael-after-hours @legal-lost-boy @unethicallysourced @auntvamp

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

heya, i have to wake up in three hours but! here's another lil human au snippet! ft. lightly implied Laughingstock! disclaimer i am so so tired so don't come at me for typos or strangely worded sentences or missing info <3

~

Before heading home, Eddie swings by a charming little store he’s been to once or twice before. He usually goes to the chain store by his house, but he doesn’t feel like dealing with the hustle and bustle and the endless aisles. This little store is quiet, nice, and strangely has everything anyone could need. 

The lot is mostly empty at this hour, so Eddie claims a spot right at the front. As with the other times, the windows are littered with displays and stickers - half off on this, sale on that. Eddie enters Howdy’s Place with the chime of the door’s shopkeeper’s bell. He’ll get what he needs and get out, quick and easy and peacefu-

Boisterous laughter slams into Eddie like a hammer, so sudden that he jumps in place. An employee stocking cans nearby glances weirdly at him. Eddie clears his throat and hurries into the nearest aisle as the laughter tapers off. The silence barely lasts a second before loud chatter starts up. It’s too fast and muffled for Eddie to understand, but he can pick out two distinct voices - one deep, one less so but still decidedly masculine. 

Eddie tries to tune it out as he gathers what he needs. Toothpaste, some paper towels, shampoo. For the hell of it, he nabs a box of classic bran muffins from the spacious food section. He lingers for a moment, enjoying how far-away the conversation seems at the other corner of the store. Unfortunately, theft is illegal, so Eddie is forced to move towards the noise.

A strange thing about the store - it’s a combination general store, antique shop, and diner, complete with a miniature gift shop separating the two. One long checkout counter stretches from the open store area, behind the gift shop, and into the diner, where the conversation is coming from. An interesting setup, but an understandable one. It allows anyone behind the counter to move fluidly between customers and sections.

As Eddie approaches, the conversation becomes slightly clearer. 

“-said, no wonder you didn’t get her number!” the deeper voice barks, and the two dissolve into that almost-too-loud laughter again. 

As it tapers off, the other voice says, “Sounds like a real charmer! But really, you oughta be careful, Barn. One of these days someone’s gonna throw a right hook at ya.”

Eddie’s eyebrows shoot up. A transatlantic accent? He hasn’t heard that anywhere outside of real old movies and a queen he once knew. It sounds natural too, like the man was born to sound like he belongs on a 1920s radio show. It nudges something in the back of Eddie’s mind. He’s started to get really sick of that nudge.

“Oh, this guy did.”

“No kidding? I don’t see a shiner.”

“Well, yeah. I went left.”

Both of them laugh again, and Eddie feels a tiny tug at the corner of his mouth. That wasn’t funny enough to garner an actual laugh in his opinion, but it wasn’t unfunny. 

Eddie steps up to the counter and quietly puts his acquired items on it, not wanting to interrupt. He chances a glance to the side - walking space in front of the counter’s length lets him see right down into the diner.

A large man with dyed-blue hair and an interesting fashion sense is at the bar, talking to an employee leaning against the other side. The employee doesn’t really catch Eddie’s gaze, but the other man… Eddie swears he’s seen him before. He studies him from the corner of his eye, not wanting to be rude but unable to mind his business. 

“Our bouncer didn’t even get a chance at the action - the idiot knocked himself out tryin’ a second swing!” The customer says. His deep voice, wavering with humor, only adds to the sense of familiarity. Metal glints in his right ear. Eddie knows this man from somewhere.

The employee shakes his head, tutting. His busy hands polish a vintage pitcher. “I swear, you get all the crazies.”

“Makes for a good story, though.” The customer takes a sip from his tall milkshake and scoffs. “Though if it wasn’t all well-ending, amusing bull, I doubt I’d be so tolerant.”

Minutes drag by as the two keep talking. Eddie goes from patiently waiting to awkwardly trying to get the employees attention. If only there was someone else behind the counter, but the only other staff member is elsewhere, likely still stocking shelves. 

The two men are too absorbed in their little world, even though both are facing Eddie’s way. The customer has both elbows on the counter, one of them bent to prop up his chin. The employee has his hip leaned against the edge as they chat. They’re obviously very familiar with each other, and clearly deeply enjoy each other's company. 

Still - and Eddie is sorry to say, but it’s bad customer service. He’s not in a rush, but he’d still like to be on his way home. He could be fishing out the complex keys right now. He checks his phone - he’s been here for nearly fifteen minutes. Picking out the items took less than five. 

Eddie sighs, staring at the various cigarette packs displayed behind the counter. He’s never seen the appeal in smoking, but as the laughter starts up again, he almost wishes he did. He’s going to treat himself to a very long shower once he gets home. 

The store’s other employee walks behind the counter, carrying a box. Eddie lights up. Finally - she pointedly clears her throat and heads into the back. 

The constant conversation stalls for the barest moment, and he looks over. The customer grins at him for a second - lord he’s handsome - before turning that grin towards his friend.

“You’re losin’ your touch, Howds,” he teases, bringing his shake straw to his lips.

“I resent that statement. You’re just distracting.”

“Lil’ me? Distracting? C’mon, you can just tell me I’m pretty to my face. I’ll take it like a champ, I swear!”

“Ha, good try.” The employee sets the pitcher down and starts to mosey in Eddie’s direction. “Your ego is big enough for the both of us as is. One more compliment and your head’ll pop like a balloon.”

“Well, given that most balloons don’t really pop, they just kinda deflate slowly-”

“Sorry for the wait!” the employee says loudly in a glaringly obvious customer service tone. He stops in front of Eddie with a cardboard smile. At the other end of the counter, the familiar man snickers and hides his grin behind his drink. “I trust you found everything you did - and didn’t! - need.”

Eddie just stares up at him for a moment. At six-one, Eddie hasn’t felt small in a very long time. He usually stands at least a full inch above other people. This employee - Howdy, his name tag states - has several more on him.

“Uh, y-yes, I uh, I did,” Eddie stammers, glancing at his items. 

“Wonderful! And again, my sincerest apologies for the delay. My friend makes a game out of keeping me from my job.” Howdy shoots his ‘friend’ a glare with enough heat in it to make an ice cube sweat. 

“No worries.”

Howdy scans the items at an almost frightening speed. Beep, into a paper bag. Beep, in. Beep, beep - “Oh, no.”

“What?” Eddie says, dread plucking at his ribs as Howdy holds the bran muffins and shakes his head. “Is there somethin’ wrong?”

“Indeed there is! You’re making a mistake with these. They’re absolutely horrible, I tell ya - and bad for you, too!” Howdy tuts and puts the box to the side. “No, no, you don’t want those.”

“I… don’t?”

“Not if you knew better! Lucky for you, I’m here to set you straight. What you need is-” he snaps his fingers, “Barnaby, be a pal and-”

“Already on it,” ‘Barnaby’ says, appearing next to Eddie.

If Eddie weren’t already paralyzed, he’d jump right out of his skin from how Barnaby towers over him. He has to be a scant inch or so shorter than Howdy, but he still makes Eddie feel tiny. Unfortunately, Barnaby is even more handsome up close. 

“Here ya go.” Barnaby hands a plastic container to Howdy and taps it, smiling lazily down at Eddie. “I’d take his advice on this one. Those bran-named muffins may sound fancy, but they’re pretty crumby! You want muffins of quality. Real breadwinners!

Eddie can’t help a soft laugh. “Breadwinners, heh, that’s a good one.”

“Are you selling these or am I?” Howdy says, raising a bushy eyebrow. 

“Hey, I’m just doin’ what you asked! I’m bein’ a pal.”

“And I - I’m sorry," Eddie interjects, "but you’re awfully familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?”

“Eh, I’ve been around, but uh… you ever been to [INSERT GAY BAR NAME HERE]?”

Howdy clears his throat. “I’m trying to make a sale here, Barn. You can flirt on your own dime when you’re not costing me mine.”

“Didja know your nose gets redder when you’re jealous?”

Howdy rolls his eyes and shoves Barnaby in the diner’s direction. Barnaby goes with a hearty snicker. Despite the joke, Eddie thinks it has some merit as Howdy scans the final item and rings him up, considerably frostier than before.

Belatedly, Eddie realizes that he didn’t actually agree to the different muffins. Too late now. “Say, what kind of muffins are those?”

“Poppyseed-lemon.”

Eddie relaxes - that is a lot better than boring bran. “Y’know, my mother loved poppyseed-lemon muffins.”

“Did she now,” Howdy drawls.

“Like you wouldn’t believe! If baking was so much as mentioned, she’d jump right on houndin’ us to whip some up for her, or send us to go buy some. We’d never even get a taste! They’d be gone the moment they hit the air, I tell ya.” Eddie chuckles. “Took me a while to understand what all the fuss is about, but man was she right. They are good!”

“Uh-huh. Well, we have a fresh batch delivered every morning. They’re not the same type every time, mind you, but I can promise that they’re all of the highest quality.”

“Breadwinners, right?” Eddie jokes. Howdy doesn’t blink, but Barnaby snorts. He’ll take it. “I might have to come by more often, if that’s the case! Thank you kindly, sir.”

“Mhm, have a good day.” Howdy hands him the bag and strides away without a glance. The dismissal is clear as day. “Say, Barn, did you hear about the racket one of those cult crackpots stirred up at our dear friend’s tearoom?”

Eddie doesn’t catch the tail-end of the sentence as he hurries away, but he frowns. Cult? What cult? There’s a cult? He certainly didn’t hear of one before moving here, and none of his background checks had turned up anything of the sort. He hopes it was just a figure of speech. 

The door chimes again as Eddie leaves. It isn’t until he’s in his car that the embarrassment of that whole exchange catches up with him. If he had a nickel for every time he’d made a fool of himself in front of a gorgeous, strangely familiar man, he’d have three nickels. At the rate he’s going, he’ll either be rich, or he’ll have to move. 

Eddie subtly tries to peek around the store’s window displays from the safety of his car. He catches a scant glimpse of blue hair - come to think of it, it’s a similar shade to Wally’s. But where Wally’s had, to Eddie’s memory, been uniformly dyed right down to his eyebrows, Barnaby’s rich brown roots were obvious. His beard and eyebrows weren’t dyed, either. 

As Eddie relaxes back into his seat, he re-reads at the store’s name. The color drains from his face and he barely restrains himself from slamming his forehead against the steering wheel.

Oh, of course. Of course he made a fool of himself in front of the owner. Eddie can never come back here again. And it was such a nice store…

[undreaming-fanfiction]

Play It Out (1)

Eddie Munson didn't have the best track record when it came to predicting what would happen to him. He hadn't expected to be wanted for murder. He'd had no clue that he'd heroically swim to another dimension to save the reformed asshole Steve Harrington. He'd never would have guessed that he'd be nearly nibbled to death by flesh-eating vampire creatures from the said dimension, only to be carried home and brought back to life by the said ex-jock. Finding himself in the middle of a telekinetic fight with a knife taped to a broom handle and a spiked trash bin lid was also pretty far away from what he'd assumed his life would be. So yeah, as far as Eddie Munson was concerned, life could no longer surprise him.

And yet, when Steve greeted him in the Family Video and calmly told Eddie that the VHS tape in front of him was supposedly haunted, he once again had no fucking clue what to say.

"Haunted," he repeated and licked his lips. The scar running through the corner of his mouth was still somewhat foreign to him, but the discomfort faded in comparison to having yet another supernatural bullshit on his hands. Maybe. Robin wasn't there, she was taking her first baby steps in college, and so Eddie was allowed to panic.

Steve just nodded in that bored, bitchy way that Eddie secretly adored. "So the lady said. Haunted. Cursed. She also said she no longer needed it."

Eddie scrunched his eyebrows and poked the tape with his cigarette box. "...the fuck. Doesn't look haunted to me."

"How'd you even tell that the tape is haunted, Munson? It's not like it's printed on the box or has cursed stickers on." But Steve wasn't too keen on touching the thing either, keeping a respectful distance from the counter.

Snorting, Eddie leaned against the counter - but still far away enough from the VHS tape. "Aren't you the expert on supernatural shit? I'm practically a newbie here. An...occasional paranormal enthusiast to your bat-wielding badass monster slayer."

"Flatterer." Oooh, there was a wink. That flirty wink. That stupidly flirty wink of those stupidly pretty eyes behind the stupidly pretty eyelashes. Why stupidly? Because all of this had been making Eddie stupid for months - weeks of constantly being watched over by Steve in the hospital, more weeks of learning how to walk on his own again in Steve's house and then months of hanging out together, hopeless flirting and inevitable falling for his straighter-than-arrow friend. Such a typical Munson thing to do.

Shifting his focus away from the way Steve's hair fell to the side and touched those stupidly pretty moles on his cheek, Eddie poked the tape again. "Dunno, maybe it should float or something? If we threaten to...um. Exorcise it?"

Steve, the brave soul he was, finally reached out and grabbed the tape. "I don't think I can survive the embarrassment of sprinkling holy water on a collection of short and poorly animated fairy tales," he smirked, showing Eddie the sticker on the tape - prince Charming on a horse, wooing whichever unlucky princess found herself in his way. "I'll just rewind it. Shame, it's so boring today I'd take a curse object over another..." he glanced towards the clock, "five hours in this land of boredom."

"Well, Stevie..." Eddie should have known this was a stupid idea. He should have been older, smarter. But he was also bored out of his mind, Wayne was working and everyone was busy with something or other and Eddie's job wouldn't start it one more week. "If you're so sure, why don't we watch it?"

Steve's smirk grew even more, but there was no malice in it. "You want to watch fairy tales with me?"

"Can it be worse than the endless stream of romantic comedies or worse, romantic tragedies that you've been watching throughout February and the flower and chocolate filled hellscape of a holiday?" he sniped back, batting his eyelashes at him. "I don't think so. Besides, Vecna is dead and with his flair for dramatics, I hardly think he'd choose Beauty and the Beast as his revival movie. And if it has some genuine demons. Well. Nothing your big bat can't handle."

They were still laughing and chatting about what kind of a malevolent spirit could be haunting an animated tape with princesses, dwarves and glass slippers.

They were still snickering when they pressed play on the remote and a sickeningly sweet theme song announced the first story.

Their amusement slightly faded when they started feeling dizzy and like something was pulling them into the screen.

And they absolutely didn't find it funny when they suddenly found themselves in a weird castle, all dark and menacing, and why the fuck was there a teapot scurrying around and a candle holder whispering to it?! Steve's hair was suddenly much puffier and wilder and Eddie really wanted to comment on that, except-

"Hey Eddie, why are you wearing a corset?"

Part 2

[atalossofwords]

YOU TASTE THE SILVER - IvanTill WIP (Part 5&6)

And we have two more POVs on this one! I was posting just one at a time to give myself a buffer to posting on AO3, but I wrote more than I expected haha.

That's right! The first chapter is now up on ao3 on this link. Please come by and leave some kudos!!

part one - part two - part three - part four

Things move on smoothly for Till. He's used to his new apartment, his set-up is pinterest-worthy if Hyuna has anything to say about it, and he's even opened his PO box again, warning his fans to only send letters and small packages, since he really enjoyed reading what everyone had to say.

(He's actually working on a collage of sorts, decking out one wall of his office with the letters. He always feels warm, looking at them. Kirby sent a really cute letter full of mongmong stickers, Bonbon's kid drew a really cute crayon rendition of his dad peering at his phone while vacuuming, and Jaewoon sent about 5 different drawings he treasures greatly.)

Leaving his PO box open, however, also means Navi has been sending a never-ending stream of little gifts. Almost none of them come with letters, or if they do, they're brief and printed from a computer. Apparently, since Till only comments on the contents of the gifts if he happens to wear them on-stream and said viewer comments on it, Navi decided that's the perfect excuse to spoil Till without making him lose his composure on-stream.

So far, Till has gotten; a new sweater, a varied collection of rings, a bundle of cellphone charms after he commented the string he looped through the case to hold his phone in case it falls frayed away.

Apparently, Navi also managed to walk around the "small package" limitation by sending gift cards for several stores. Till had no idea furniture stores even did gift cards.

He felt… sort of warm. If it was just an old man looking to spend his money or lure Till in, they'd probably insist on more diamonds or expensive stuff, right? Or insist Till comment on the gifts live, if it was some sort of sasaeng looking for attention.

Navi never did any of those things. After the diamonds, the gifts were never something Till would consider super expansive, unless you counted the frequency of them. The rings were silver, but none had jewels, the phone charms looked like something Till himself could get online, except the tags on them showed they were bought in Taiwan. The gift cards were weirder, but nothing more expensive than what Navi would donate over the course of one or two streams.

That is, until this latest gift.

Till stares at it, feeling the bottom of his stomach give out. He's in his kitchen, back from a supermarket run after he picked his latest batch of letters. He was going to read them while he ate lunch, but he feels 0 interest in his food right now.

He's holding two tickets for Mizi's concert, in the VIP section. One of those that comes attached to a meet-and-greet.

Clipped to them in an inconspicuous pink paperclip is a note.

I don't know if you got tickets for yourself, but I won these and will be out of the country at the time. I hope you can enjoy them with someone else. If the staff needs any information about the VIP status, here's my number. (xx) xxx-xxx. - Navi.

It is a handwritten note, written with a black pen in a hurry, so much so Till has to squint to make some of it out. The handwriting looks like someone who's not used to writing, with lots of places where the pen left marks as it hovered over the page without gliding, except the signature, which looks practed and neat.

Till has no idea what to do about this.

He calls Hyuna.

"Hi, I'm live." She answers, and he swears. He forgot to account for her streaming hours. He must sound agitated enough it worries her, because there's the sound of a few buttons being pressed, probably muting herself. "Till?"

He takes a deep breath.

"Sorry, I can call later." He says, putting the tickets down carefully and taking his lunch to the sink. He won't finish it.

"It's fine, what happened?"

"Navi sent in another gift." He can practically feel her rolling her eyes equal parts exasperated and relieved.

"Till, if you called me to fawn over your potential sugar daddy–"

"It's two tickets to Mizi's concert, VIP, with a meet-and-greet. And a number to contact if there's problems getting in." He says quickly, interrupting her. He runs one hand through his hair, starting to get stressed. Is this a trick? Is Navi going to be waiting on the seat besides these, corner Till in the show? No, they wouldn't send two tickets if this was the case.

"Holy shit." Hyuna says, entirely surprised. He makes a little agreeable noise. "Holy shit, Till, these aren't just expensive, they're like, hard to get. Did you message them yet?"

Till shakes his head, then realizes she can't see it. "No, I didn't call or message. Should I?" On the other side of the line Hyuna makes a tsk sound.

"No, don't call or message it. Let me finish the stream normally, and then we can look into it, okay? You said two tickets right? If you decide to go, take me or Isaac, and it should be alright." Till hums his agreement, and lets Hyuna go to finish her stream. It's a good plan, Hyuna can and has punched guys who harassed her, and Isaac is built like a brick house, no way a weirdo is getting close to him with Isaac there.

Dewey is probably a bad idea, he's more likely to punch first and ask questions never.

Till sighs, puts the tickets back on the envelope and goes take a bath, hoping it'll help him relax and maybe bring back his appetite.

Ivan is taking a water break from rehearsals when his phone chimes with a notification from an unknown number.

He immediately feels dread, did his number get leaked? He sits up, putting his water bottle down and opening the message.

Unknown [ 3:24PM ] Is this Navi?

Ivan blinks at the message, not understanding it for a long second. And then he is hit with the memories of staying up at night some days ago, reviewing the footage from the day's shoot and going over the script time and time again, because his performance was horrible and the whole scene had to be scrapped and he was so frustrated, and…

And Sua sent a message asking if he'd meet her for Mandated Lunch Time before Mizi's concert next month, and he remembered he couldn't make it since he'd be shooting that day, and he thought.

Till likes Mizi. Ivan has Mizi tickets.

He doesn't even remember what he wrote on the damn letter, oh god, did he sign with his name? Plaster his address on it??

This is fine. Ivan is fine. He asks one of the fight coordinators for five minutes and heads into the bathroom.

You [ 3:25PM ] Yes, who is it?

Better to see what they know before saying anything incriminating.

Unknow [ 3:25PM ] This is Till. Did you really send me Mizi tickets? How did you even get them?

Okay. Deep breaths, Ivan. You can do it. Say this is Navi, you really sent the tickets and that it's no big deal, and you got them… How did you get them? You can't say your real name, and saying you bought them for Till would sound weird, these really are expansive.

Ivan takes a deep breath, and sits on the toilet's lid, crossing his legs to rest his elbows on his knees.

You [ 3:26PM ] Hyung, you always said you liked them, and I happened across these as a job perk. I'll be out of the country, so it was no problem to give them to you.

Unknow [ 3:26PM ] A job perk? Even if that's true, they can't have been cheap. I've already told you, there's no need to keep wasting money on me.

You [ 3:27PM ] It's not wasting money, hyung. I really enjoy your lives, and it makes me happy knowing you're enjoying yourself. I work in the industry, so I know some people who are much less talented than you with a lot more opportunities. I just wanted to give you something to enjoy.

Ivan's fingers are flying over the keyboard before he's even conscious of it, indignation flaring up in his chest. Till works so much, he produces and sings and plays the guitar and drums, he writes his own lyrics, he's so incredibly talented and it makes Ivan furious to know he doesn't see it.

Ivan's been in the spotlight since he was a child acting on toy commercials, met even more people when he and Sua acted together as the twins of a famous singer on a period drama, and there's so many of these so-called "idols" that have a pretty voice and body and nothing else to give. So many actors bank on their looks and have 0 dedication to the craft. It makes Ivan livid.

You [ 3:27PM ] Hyung is so hard-working, and I really wish you'd see it. Your music deserves to be sold on albums and people should praise you so much more for how good your lyrics are. The people I work with don't put half the effort Hyung does, and they get to go to shows and afterparties all the time. I just want to let Hyung see his Idol and have a good time, since I won't use the tickets anyway. Is that bad?

Ivan is… breathing hard. He's somehow lost his cool. He watches as the three dots appear and disappear, and decides to get up. He exits the stall, splashes some water on his face, combs his hair back. Does a breathing exercise his mother taught him and Sua when his father and Sua's mom were fighting, and looks back at his phone.

Unknow [ 3:28PM ] Thank you. I'll enjoy the show.

Unknow [ 3:29PM ] Can I still message this number after it?

Ivan lets out an entirely undignified squeal, and almost does a little victory dance, all previous frustration wipes clean. Till wants to keep talking! Till isn't rejecting him!! Ivan has Till's phone number!!

You [ 3:29PM ] Yes! Hyung can message me whenever <3 I'll do my best to answer!

Unknow [ 3:30PM ] Great. I'll let you know how the show goes, then.

Ivan may be getting ready for a heart attack at the tender age of 22, but he's never regretted anything, in his life, ever.

part seven

[liiontai]

✨🦇 SCOOBY SNACKS CHARM INTEREST CHECK 🦇✨

hello scooby tumblr!! i am running an interest check for this charm design through the link above. if i can hopefully gather enough interest, i will open a preorder form for these sometime in the future!!

how far into the future depends on how big the response is to this post (and other posts i will put across all my socials). if i get enough interest to fund production i can launch the preorder almost immediately after christmas :) so if you want this charm to make it to production, please consider sharing this around or showing your friends who are also into scooby!!

please only fill out the google form if you would legitimately place a preorder if/when they open. if you would preorder this, please please fill out the form above so i know the rough demand. this would be a very limited run of charms, i likely would not buy much excess stock. *please note the advertised shipping is for untracked postage. upgrading to tracked is possible but would be more expensive.

this is my first time doing anything like this, so it's a bit of a learning curve, please bear with me! if this does well i have a few other ideas for scooby charms/stickers/standees i would love to make a reality

[theonetruegnome]

Was thinking of slowing down, but my self doubt just suddenly vanished, so imma do TWO things today!

Next in line for the shifted critters, representing the cyan section of the rainbow and taking crafty's job, we have our best care-bears reject girl...

Leah Lensbear!

Leah is the group artist, a bit short for her age, shy and fidgety. Whenever she has to meet new people, she often ends up hiding behind her bigger friends until she feels brave enough to say hi, and she is always afraid of showing off her work to other people. Speaking of, rather than drawing, sculpting or baking, Leah takes up a different art form, photography!

She always has her camera bag on her at all times, poised to snap a shot of anything she thinks would look nice in a wallet or scrapbook. Birds, herbs, landscapes, derelict buildings, anything! Seriously, it's uncanny how fast she is with a camera. Her favourite subject is large landscape photos. The way she puts it, "this is the only time I feel big, capturing a massive cliff and forcing it onto a polaroid!" She also enjoys photographing moments with her friends. Her room walls at home are barely visible under all the shots pinned to them, and several shelves are full of scrapbooks and binders of cherished photos of all seven of her friends. Sometimes she brings them all over to model for her and they have a day trying on silly outfits and just goofing around her studio.

Her artistic skills are also transferrable to paper as it turns out! She considers herself to be no good at sketching but likes to trace out some of her photos to try to get better. She is also trying to take up carving wood, but so far she has only whittled a bar of soap into a slightly lumpier ball of soap, and is too nervous to ask her teacher on how to get better.

Her family and friends are her most cherished thing in the world. She loves them all and would do anything for them, though she often doubts she'll be any use in their plans or schemes due to her physical weakness compared to people like Dandy. She actually met her friends by accident while she was taking photos in the park, but that's a story for another day!

And now for the requisite trivia!

She sometimes buys sweets and lozenges for coughs and sore throats and just eats them, plain. 'h-hey, I like the taste, alright!'

Her uncle got her her first professional camera for her eighth birthday and she still hasn't stopped thanking him.

When the critters had a turf war with another group, Leah was sent in as an espionage agent and spy. She lasted two days and took on the persona of a charismatic German woman (Dandy and a certain elephant's idea).

She often has a knitted cardigan on, even during the summer. She says she just wants to look nice but there's another reason she won't tell. Don't look into it!

Her scent is valerian flower and her charm is the side view of a camera with a sticker of crafty's charm on the side.

[fourseasonsfigs]

Building Block Figs - Beautiful Fight Scene in the Middle of the Lake (Part One)

Figthusiast friends, it's time for a little something different! Today we have the first of a series of building block Word of Honor fig sets.

I first saw these sets earlier this year when I was browsing for figs on Xianyu, my favorite secondary market app. I stopped my scrolling in total surprise when I first saw a picture, and was like wait...are these actually Lego-type Word of Honor figs??? I zoomed in, and lo and behold, they sure were.

I absolutely loved Legos when I was a kid. My family didn't have enough money to be able to buy much in the way of expensive toys, but I did save up my babysitting money so I could buy a few of them myself. It took a long time at $1.50 an hour!

So, of course when I saw these, the nostalgia factor combined with my fandom fig obsession made these a must buy.

Today's fig is that the first set I found. It's called (via MTL) "Beautiful Fight Scene in the Middle of the Lake", which I must congratulate for being extremely descriptive and 100% accurate.

As soon as I saw this, I did an immediate search on Taobao and Weidian to see if I could just buy the set vs. pick it up off Xianyu. For two reasons. One, I can buy directly off Taobao (vs using a third party purchase agent for Xianyu), and two, I was hoping there was more in the series than this one figure. However, they were no longer being sold on either platform, so Xianyu it was.

I browsed around and was lucky enough to find a seller on Xianyu that did, in fact, have other sets in the series, and who was clearing them all out, brand new and unopened. She noted that she was still a fan, she just had never had the time to put these together and realized now with her workload she probably never would. I bought all three of her sets, including this one, for about $37 total, which is about half off the retail of 179 yuan per set they originally went for (about $25 each). I thought this was a great deal considering the actual costs of specialized Lego sets these days, even non-branded building block sets.

As far as I can tell, there are four big sets that are famous scenes from the show, and three small sets that are just our two favorite leads only. I was able to buy the three big scenes off that one person, and one of the set of figs-only, but I'm still missing some (too many!). I keep checking Xianyu. I was actually surprised to see the other day there was another set I didn't know existed - but sadly it ended up being sold out. I'll keep looking.

Anyway!

The Beautiful Fight Scene in the Middle of the Lake is a 1,236 piece set, measures 8.4 x 16.8 x 12.4 cm, and it's rated about 8 hours to complete. It's the fastest of the big sets (the remainder of which are rated 10, 10, and 11 hours respectively). In retrospect, should I have started with the smaller figs-only set (rated 2 hours)? Probably. But I was just so charmed by this set, and I only have one lake fig set to date, so this seemed like something very fun. Plus, as you will hear about later, I did not fully understand the specs until well after I was almost done assembling the very last set.

I had a surgical procedure that was scheduled this month (and is why I've been out of commission for a while), and I had specially saved up these sets as fun projects to make while I was recovering. I figured it would be nice to have something to look forward to.

So, post surgery, once I felt up to sitting up, I made myself a comfy little nest and settled in with my little boxes of treasures.

This is the pic from the seller - you would never know these were Word of Honor sets. They're just generic boxes from the manufacturer, with a small sticker on the top to indicate what set it is, along with a QR code.

I excitedly opened up the box, to find a bag o'bricks, a small black plastic piece and another sticker with QR code.

It turns out the little black plastic piece is a super handy little tool to quickly and easily break assembled bricks apart. Which is great if you accidentally assemble any steps incorrectly, as I would soon find out.

The QR code was for the directions, which were, in a quantum technological leap forward from my admittedly decades ago Lego experiences, online and fully 3-dimensional.

Pretty cute! I decided to go in order, and indeed start with the simple looking raft.

As a side note, I will tell you that I started this completely sure I was going to be able to assemble this set in an afternoon. I had somehow completely missed the MTL for the estimated assembly time until literally just now, as I was translating pics for this blog post. The set seemed fairly small in the picture, and while it has indeed been decades since I put together a Lego set, I'm (literally) an old hand at it. I felt extremely confident. Overconfident, you might say, given that my exact mental words to myself as I clicked on the raft image was, I'm gonna knock this thing out in no time.

Doesn't look like much, does it?

I figured that before I did anything else, I would sort by colors and shapes, so when I was ready to get started, I could move really fast. So I sorted. And sorted. And sorted some more. The bag doesn't look like a lot of bricks, but let me tell you, there were a LOT (1,236, which once again, I only realized until I was researching for this very blog post). Unlike Legos, these were all thin single-brick height, so there were no 4x4x4 type bricks, for example. It made it easier to sort, but as I was sorting (and sorting some more), I realized that it might take a lot of building to get significant height going.

Eventually, after about an hour, I got them all sorted, and felt very accomplished, if a bit tired. I took a little nap, and then settled back into my crafting nest, and then got ready to, and I quote myself once again, bang this sucker out.

The directions started with an image of the final product, which was helpful.

I will say the online direction interface was pretty amazing. I could zoom in, spin around, go upside down, view it any which way I wanted to by pinching and pulling at my phone's screen. It was fantastic, and certainly made it much easier. That little circle on the right side is the "next direction" button, and helpfully the number in the circle tells you how many steps you have left. There were 34 steps in this raft, and you can tell by the number here I'm not too far along.

Here's a little further as I gamely plug along. I got momentarily confused early on by the colors - there's a dark blue, a medium blue, and a light blue, and I had started assembling the raft with medium blue instead of dark blue. I got to figure out how useful that brick de-assembler was real fast, let me tell you. I also started screenshotting and translating the colors until I felt I had a good handle on what exact colors I should be picking.

You can see here how I can zoom in to figure out exactly where to place the bricks. You can't tell by the screenshot, but the bricks you are laying in each particular step blink, and are outlined in dark black like you see in the shot above. It's very handy.

I got into a groove pretty quick. For each step, I'd count and select the bricks shown in the little legend at the bottom, and put them in a little pile next to me. I did this to make sure I used up all the bricks each layer, as early on I was just following the directions and not realizing that some steps you had to put the brick underneath other ones, which would not be visible on the blinking screen unless I pinched and pulled the model to flip it around on the screen. If I got to the end of the step and still had bricks left, I knew one (or more) were hiding, and I could rotate the image around until I found where they should go. Yes, I did learn this the hard way, naturally.

After a good long time, I finally finished the raft! I will say, I was a bit puzzled that the raft is green and blue, as we well know the raft in the show is just bamboo.

Did I re-watch the scene just to make triple sure? I sure did!

So there's actually two rafts, this simple one here in the foreground, and then the bigger, sturdier raft there behind the boat. It's this first raft that this set is capturing, and more or less this moment, if not at such an acute angle.

I may actually rearrange the figures to be in this particular configuration later. Stay tuned!

It turns out that the raft is these colors because (now that I've put a lot of them together) the company doesn't appear to make many brick colors. The blues are unusual in the sense there are actually three different shades. The red bricks I have have only ever been one fire engine red color, and the brown bricks only one medium brown. So, rather than make the raft uniformly all brown, they made it colorful with the blue and green, perhaps to simulate the water. I admire the colorful nature of it, but I have to say, I'm contemplating re-doing the raft when I finish all the kits. Each kit has leftover bricks, and I seem to have a lot of brown bricks left over. I think I'm going to try remaking this with a brown raft base and black for the lines instead, with some blue and more of the transparent bricks to simulate water. Stay tuned for that, too!

So, by the time I finished the raft, I was beat. Super tired, and surprised it took as long as it did. BUT, I reasoned it only made sense since it was the very first piece I did, so naturally it would take longer than most. It was time to sleep.

The next day, I woke up bright and early, on a mission. On to Wen Kexing!

I started confident (confidence is never my problem, unfortunately, but it is sometimes A problem) that now that I had experience, I could in fact, bust this bad boy out.

I was merrily assembling away, and I happened to take a closer look at the directions - specifically, the little number in the bottom circle.

I don't know if you can see this number, but it is two of Gong Jun's favorite number 88. That's right, EIGHTY-EIGHT. I was like, what?!? How many was there in this figure? I've been going for a while (answer, as I scrolled back through the directions, is 111).

Remember how I said that these are all single-ply building bricks? Yep. Takes a bunch to turn them into a tall, yet humble philanthropist. Well, the only way out is through, right?

The directions kept having me assembling parts, and then having me set them aside for later. It looked nothing like a mild and gentle scholar, but I've found that, similar to life and perhaps also Ikea assembly instructions, sometimes you just have forge ahead and take it on faith that things are gonna work out.

Ah ha! Suddenly it IS starting to make a little sense. I recognize that costume!

(Sidebar to say, we all recognize this costume! And we know this gorgeous pale green outer robe is not, in fact, blue. I was slightly taken aback by this until I realized later the thing about the factory's lack of colors. The bright, intense grass green of the only green option (other than neon green, ahahaha) would have been even less suitable for our peacock's fine feathers, so actually this is a very good choice).

MAY I also note that number in the bottom right hand circle is 55. FIFTY-FIVE.

I'm gonna fast forward through the naps and the breaks, and just take one quick other picture break:

I just about cheered when I got to this point! I was like, oh there he is! You can also tell by the quality of light and the shadows that it was late at night at this point. On a different day.

Anyway, we arrive at the glorious conclusion:

Hooray! I was so happy and tickled at this point. I was just so charmed by him. His little rosy cheeks, his side wispies on his hair, the motion of him standing on one foot. The back of his hair is fantastic too, although you can't see it here yet.

On to our beloved A-Xu...

May I just say how DELIGHTED I am that this is indeed hobo-Xu? His little beard and goatee combo in brick form just made me giggle.

First thing, I checked to see how many steps our reclusive hobo had. 115, which I appreciated for Zhang Zhehan's birthday kadian, if nothing else.

You can tell by the colors and shadows that once again this is a different evening, here on step 77 and about to graduate to step 76:

Once again it looked pretty unrecognizable, except that now I had done one fig, I was starting to understand kind of where they were going.

Plus, Lao Wen got to watch this time. In the daytime, as you can tell by the nice bright light.

Annnd it's night time again. Ahahahaha, I love this fig! I really like how they did his bangs. You can see here too some of his glorious black hair streaming out behind him.

By the way, at this point the tips of my fingers were quite sore in a stingy kind of oversensitive way. Sadly, typing away at a keyboard all the time (also for decades!) at my desk job has in no way toughened up my fingers. I did not think snapping bricks into place and pushing down on them to squeeze them tightly together would tax them so much. Sitting here typing this, actually, my fingers are still sore (I am admittedly working my way though the last set, the 11 hour one).

It's yet another (different) evening, and at last, A-Xu is here! I was so happy to get to this point!

Annnnd I'm out of picture slots to do the full beauty 360 degree spin of these two. Sorry to make you wait (although you may be tired of such a massive post already!), but come back tomorrow for Part Two!

Material: Plastic building bricks

Fig Count: 500 (I'm gonna wait to count these until tomorrow)

Scene Count: 32 (same)

Rating: Lots of fun, actually. I'll give the in-depth low-down tomorrow!

[link to the Master Post Index]

[javertafterdark]

Sending the datables a love song (+bonus Luke overhearing)

Hi this is my first time writing one of these, please let me know if you enjoyed it! Brothers version here

GN!mc, singer!mc, sfw, mostly fluff, some silly at the end

Everyone knew singing was one of your favorite hobbies. You even had your room soundproofed so you could practice without bothering anyone - not that you were a bad singer, just who really wants to hear thirty minutes of lip trills and “red leather yellow leather”? One day when you have some free time, you’re going through your sheet music to find a new song to work on. One in particular speaks to you, a love song that perfectly describes how you feel about your special someone. You decide to record your own version of the song. You only had your DDD mic to record with, and a free karaoke version of the accompaniment you found online, but it would have to do. Once you’re satisfied with the final product, you send the file to your sweetheart, saying to listen when they have a free moment.

Diavolo-

It was a good thing Diavolo had silenced his DDD before having an audience with a few of the Devildom’s nobles; he might have played the audio file for all of them to hear just because it was from you. He saw your message once he returned to his office and pulled it up immediately. Surely whatever work he had could wait just a few minutes? 

Oh he absolutely had the biggest grin on his face as he listened to you sing. Even if you sounded like a dying toad, he would have loved it all the same. It was such a bold and risky gesture, sending someone a song you recorded yourself, especially when you sang with such raw honesty. You trusted him enough to put yourself in such a vulnerable situation, even if you were far away and this was already recorded. The flaws of the recording itself just added to the charm. He loved it so much he thought he might explode right there. After the song ended, he sent you his reply.

I apologize, I was in a meeting when I received this. But I must say…

And then he proceeded to send every sticker of excitement and approval multiple times.

I can’t even begin to express how I feel properly over text. Will you join me as soon as you can?

Barbatos-

Barbatos was in the middle of preparing dinner when he got your message. Unfortunately, this step required a lot of focus and he had to ignore his DDD for a few minutes. He grew antsy as he worked. The moment he got to a stopping point, he wiped off his hands and grabbed his device. An audio file from you? How curious. He could give it a quick listen as he continued his cooking.

As your beautiful voice filled the kitchen, he found himself so charmed. You had such a lovely sound, and of course the song itself was so sweet. Those simple words brought a smile to his face and an indescribable feeling, but it was pleasant. He felt like an ingenue in a film being wooed for the very first time; who would have known you could have brought out those feelings in such an ancient demon? The song ended just as he brought out the seasoning and- oh, he grabbed your favorite seasoning and not the one the meal called for. Chuckling to himself, he exchanged that bottle for the proper one. He played your song on repeat until he finished dinner, and each time it played those feelings only grew. Just before bringing the plates out, he sent his reply.

Are you trying to distract me from my duties with your siren’s song? If so, I fear I must admit that it’s working.

Solomon-

Solomon was working on a new potion, though his progress felt more like a fly trying to break down an iron door. Setting aside another failed attempt, he let out a heavy sigh and rubbed his temples. The ding from his DDD broke the loop of trial and failure that he found himself trapped in. After seeing your name, he pulled up the message, grateful to have the brief distraction. Curious about the audio file you sent, he quickly pressed play. At the same time, he noticed the untouched, sad, and lonely sandwich that Simeon had left for him. Upon realizing how hungry he was, Solomon grabbed one of the halves and ate as he listened.

A smile spread across his face. You sent him a love song you performed yourself? How absolutely precious. Alone in his room, he let himself melt completely. How long had it been since anyone so thoroughly disarmed him? You had so much power over him, and you didn’t even know it. As the last notes faded away, he realized he didn’t want the song to ever end. An idea struck. After rooting through his supplies, he found an inert crystal ball, one that fit in the palm of his hand. He brought it back to his desk and set it beside his DDD. With a quick spell, he played the song again. The crystal burst into various colors and patterns in time with the music. At any time, he could replay the song with the accompanying light show. With the spell complete, he sent his reply.

You should come over, I have something to show you.

Simeon-

You caught Simeon just as he was doing his wrist stretches after a lengthy writing session. Just the sight of your name on the screen made him smile. He pulled up the message and tilted his head at the contents. So you sent him a recording or something? Okay, he could probably get it to play if he just tapped here. His face fell and heart sank as the file disappeared before his eyes. Before a cold sweat could break out, he sent back a reply.

I’m sorry I think I may have deleted it! If you could send it again I would appreciate that very munch!

He feared he might ruin things more if he tried to correct his spelling mistake. A few moments later, another message from you popped up with another copy of the file.

It’s okay! Just press the little sideways triangle to play it

He pressed the sideways triangle and immediately set the DDD down so he didn’t ruin anything else. The moment he heard your voice, the stress from his technological incompetence melted away. He’d heard his fair share of beautiful voices, but yours hit differently. Even through the slightly crackled recording, it felt like you were in the room serenading him. He put his hands over his chest as if that would keep his heart from soaring away. What had he done to deserve someone like you singing such sweet words to him? Did he really inspire such strong feelings in you? Did you really love him as much as he loved you? The song ended and he sat basking in the moment. After taking a deep breath, he finally replied.

Oh my, I always thought you were my muse, but perhaps it’s the other way around as well. Could you meet me for a picnic dinner in an hour? I would like to hear you sing in person.

Bonus: Luke-

Solomon was due for another sandwich, and Luke decided to bring a freshly baked cupcake with it. As he approached the sorcerer’s door, he heard a faint music coming from inside. Still, he knocked.

“Solomon, I assume you’re not joining us for dinner so I brought you something,” he called. “That other sandwich better be gone or I’m gonna be mad!”

A chuckle drifted through the door. ��Come in!” Luke opened the door and entered, and he was greeted by Solomon’s smile as he traded the new plate for the empty one. “I really appreciate it, Luke. Thank you.”

“Well I can’t have you wasting away under my watch,” he said with a shake of his head. “Also, I tried something new with the cupcakes so you better tell me how you like it.” In the pause between them, Luke focused on the music. It sounded like a cheaply recorded song with a stock accompaniment, but the voice singing was beautiful. And familiar? “Solomon, what are you listening to?”

“Oh, this.” He set the plate down and picked up a small crystal ball that displayed bright colors and patterns in tune with the music. “MC sent me a song, and I thought it would be nice to have a visual beside it.”

“MC?!” Luke’s eyes widened and he shifted on his feet as he listened again. “Wow, they sound really good!” He felt his face turn red. “Do you think they would ever sing a song with me?”

Solomon chuckled. “I’m sure they would if you asked.”

The angel couldn’t help but grin at the thought. “Alright, well… don’t overwork yourself, okay?” Before Solomon could reply, Luke left to go find his DDD.

Secret bonus: The Newcomers (not serious because I don’t have too much of a grasp on them yet)

Thirteen tells you she appreciates the ballsy move but it’s a bit too cringe on main.

Raphael just replies with “Thanks.”

Mephistopheles doesn’t reply, but there’s a scathing review of your performance in the RAD newspaper the next day.

[btbigelow]

OtakuFest diary

OtakuFest was great!!! Probably the most fun I've had at a convention so far, and it was my personal best in terms of sales. (Keep in mind this is only my fifth convention overall and I'm still small potatoes, so that is some very necessary context.) Met loads of nice people, participated in my first stamp rally - the decision to join the stamp rally was EXTREMELY last minute but it worked out fabulously. Met loads of kind and appreciative people. Picked up some commissions, which was unexpected. Made new friends. Can't gush enough about the experience. Miami Beach traffic is a fucking mess though. Thanks 2 @neopetting for getting my fragile ass through it and for also helping me learn how to be an Instagram hashtag gangstar because I still LOATHE Instagram Below is a picture of my table. I have a few adjustments to make in the future: in particular, next time, I need to make sure that my posters are better elevated. The crossbar I utilized is still much too short. I'm still waiting on a new honeycomb acrylic charm display in the mail but it's trapped in customs. I think in the future I'll move the A5 prints to the magazine rack and then hang the letter sized prints up with the posters, in order to accommodate other merchandise like lanyards, pillows, etc. I'm also going to get rid of the center table runner so the bumblebee tablecloth is better displayed, and so the bright yellow table runners on the left and right lead the eye up to the other merchandise.

Up next is the second Goblin Market!!! Peace Some statistics, because I enjoy sharing them: Top selling poster: Rowlet cake

Top selling letter print: Vespiquen

Top selling miniprint: Op-Op Fruit

Top selling sticker: Honey toast

Top selling button: Edgelord Warning

Top selling charm: TeddyTiel/Pukei-Pukei (tied between the two - didn't sell many acrylic charms)

Prints, particularly the mini-prints (and even more particularly the Akuma no Mi), constituted the majority of my sales. I sold comparatively fewer stickers, buttons, and charms. Which was really, really weird, but that's probably because I didn't have many charm or button designs in comparison to the other stuff.

[vampstel]

Hi Nick! I'm wondering what's your current opinion on Royale High now that the new Campus is out?

Ouh… I have a lot to say so bare with me lol

I’ve been enjoying the new campus a lot but I can’t deny there are still many flaws within Royale High that should be addressed. The biggest issue I have so far are the dorms. The dorms are not at all beginner friendly OR free-to-play friendly. I spent well over 500,000 diamonds on my dorm which is a ridiculous amount... And not only that, my game crashes if I join a public dormitory server.

You could argue and say it’s faster to level up now but that doesn’t negate the fact you only get 300 diamonds per level without gamepasses. That is not enough to get anything and it makes grinding way too tedious and painful. This is an opinion I’ve had ever since and it’s upsetting that they aren’t doing anything about it.

The level up rewards are great but I do believe a lot of them are unnecessary or simply not worth it. I have gained around 500 levels so far in the new campus and half the rewards I’ve gotten are save slots for lockers. I recently got the award to resize stickers and considering stickers are a gamepass, some people won’t even be able to use it. I was expecting the rewards to be diamond multipliers to make grinding easier for free-to-play players but nope!

The realms look beautiful though and the graphics are great. Animations incredible, the voice acting and the beginning cutscene make Royale High really stand out in comparison to other Roblox games. However,, the main campus/lobby itself looks very unpolished and has peculiar parts to it that make no sense but you could say it’s just apart of Royale High’s charm. The other campuses make no sense either lol

Overall, I think the new campus is wonderful but it’s not as good as people hyped it up to be. It’s not perfect, there’s a lot of flaws but It is a BIG improvement. There’s a lot of potential for the game to flourish if the developers play their cards right.

Hopefully the last few phases make the new campus feel more complete and polished. As soon as the game’s out of beta I’m definitely making a video reviewing it :P

[skyler10fic]

Love at First Snowfall

By Skyler10

Summary:

Daisy's grumbling about having to share a snowy family vacation with another family in their cabin ends suddenly when she meets their gorgeous daughter. Love at first sight might not be real, but this is making a believer out of Daisy. Luckily for her, Carol is a confident woman who goes after what she wants. And what she wants is Daisy. Like the snow outside, these girls are falling hard and fast.

Based on this image prompt from @ficwip

Read on Ao3

--------------

Daisy pulled her parka tighter as she trudged through the snow behind her parents. She was 25 but felt like a teenager, grumbling that snow was stupid and family vacations were stupid and blizzards blocking the driveway up to their cabin were especially stupid. It was cold, dark despite being only 6 p.m., and the groceries she was carrying from the convenience store in the village were threatening to break through their plastic bags. Plus, another family from the Air Force Officer’s Club was coming and sharing the cabin with them. Technically, the Coulsons were in side A and the other family was renting side B of the split duplex, but that side didn’t have any heating, so the three-bedroom three-bathroom side A half of the cabin would have to do for all six of them. 

“Ughhhh,” Daisy groaned as they approached the cabin and discovered the other family had arrived. A burly man with a snow shovel was clearing the driveway for his wife to pull in their giant SUV. Another “ughhh” sounded from the driveway as the door on the far side of the SUV opened and slammed shut. 

“Let me help!” a blonde young woman insisted to the burly man, who could only be her father. 

“I told you to wait in the car,” he insisted. “Young ladies don’t need to be out in this weather.” 

“Dad!” 

The two stopped bickering long enough to notice Phil, Melinda, and Daisy approaching, likely given away by the sound of their boots crunching on the icy snow. 

“Hey! I can grab some of those bags! Oh.” The blonde walked over, then exhaled a puff of white air as she saw Daisy up close.”Hi. I’m Carol.” 

Her rosy cheeks, soft smile, and bright eyes charmed Daisy immediately. “God, please let her be queer,” Daisy prayed to the rainbow gods. 

Carol’s mom turned off the SUV and got out to greet them, and introductions all around set the snowy week in motion. 

“And here we are,” Daisy concluded the short cabin tour for Carol, who plopped her duffle bag on the unclaimed bed. Daisy’s bed, with a view out the window at the snow-draped forest, was already rumpled from the night before. “Um, I hope that dark pink duvet is okay. We washed both when I arrived yesterday, and I took the navy.” 

“I like it.” Carol winked in a way that Daisy didn’t understand. “It suits us.”

“Sorry, what?” Daisy furrowed her brow, not following the reference. 

Carol nodded to the bi flag sticker on Daisy’s laptop, sitting half-open on the bedstand. She then pulled out her phone and lit up the lock screen. A stylized lesbian flag appeared, complete with a stripe so dark pink it was almost maroon, just like the duvet Daisy pulled off the shelf.  

So the sapphic goddesses did answer prayers. 

Daisy cleared her throat. “Oh! And do you have a girlfriend who is going to be jealous of us rooming together?” 

“I don’t have a girlfriend,” Carol answered with a wry smile. “And do you have anyone who—?” 

“No! No,” Daisy clarified hastily. “I’m free. Free as a bird. Single as a … jingle? ANYWAY!” Daisy rushed to make her bed and sat down on it, then got up again abruptly, eyeing the door. 

Carol strategically leaned against the doorframe, casually blocking Daisy’s escape. “My mom tells me you work at Stark Industries too? Shame I haven’t seen you before around the office. Then again, I’m up on the 10th floor with the rest of aerospace.” 

“I… I mostly work from home, or, well, until recently I was in the New York office, but now, I’m not. I mean, I just moved back to Colorado. But I could be in the Denver office now more. Maybe visiting the 10th floor?” Daisy finished and blushed. She wasn’t used to being the flustered one. Usually she held all the cards, batting her lashes and pushing out her cleavage or wearing the perfect dress to make a man putty in her hands. But Carol Danvers was no man. This time it was Daisy fighting desperately for her cool-girl life. 

“I’d like that. That is, if you’re not sick of me after this week,” Carol laughed in self-deprecation. “But I already know you’re a lot nicer to look at than any of the sweaty dudes up there. It’d be a nice change of pace.” 

“I think there was a compliment in there?” Daisy laughed. “Thank you.” 

“Welcome.” Carol gave her a cheeky once-over to make the flirtation clear. 

Daisy’s heart skipped. “You know that officers’ dinner gala thing our parents have to go to on Wednesday night at the ski resort?” 

Carol rolled her eyes and her smile fell. “Ugh, don’t remind me.” 

“What if we stayed here instead? Made dinner together and got to know each other better?” Daisy held her breath as she waited for an answer.

“Hell yes.” Carol sighed in relief. “I hate those things.” 

The night of the gala, the girls got dressed up anyway after the parents left. They ate dinner by candlelight, after lying to their parents that they were too tired from skiing and just wanted a “cozy girls’ night in.” While their parents assumed they were watching trashy TV and heating up a frozen pizza in their PJs, they were really having their first date. 

Though they had only known each other a few days, their chemistry was instant. Love at first sight might be a myth, as true love grows over time with emotional intimacy and investment, but desire at first sight is as real as the sudden blanket of snow on a winter morning, fresh and sparkling with possibility. 

Sometimes that pure desire is tarnished with exploration, but for Daisy and Carol, it grew with each moment. By the end of the week, they were waking up with limbs entangled under the navy duvet, watching the snowfall replenish itself to brave the light of a new day.  

[risu5waffles]

EXCUSE ME? No one was gonna tell me it was TEN yesterday?

Honestly, y'all just left me hangin' out to dry there. i still love you, but i'm holding on to these cupcakes. [ed.'s note: risuko has no cupcakes]

It's like JplusK made this level expressly for me. Just look at that puppet! Look at it! Seriously, tho', the level is cute wivout being twee, and quirky wivout being overbearing. It's got that over-large, heavy angled build style i love so much. It's expansive, but moves along quickly enough it doesn't feel like it was overstaying its welcome. The power-up introduces a fun gameplay mechanic that can be a little challenging, but not so much you find yourself questioning why. i could have maybe done wivout the fart jokes, but that's just 'cause i'm such a classy gal. But that's really my only complaint, and it's not so frequent as to be too off putting. i tried another of JplusK's levels to see if this was a one-off, or their general idiom, and unfortunately that one, while it looked neat, was heavily focused on doing... clever things wiv jetpacks that may, in fact be clever if you're good at it, but mostly wound up being frustrating to me in the end. There might be a physics difference in there too, but i'm more than willing to say it just didn't click wiv my skill set.

We talked about this last week, and it continues to be what it is, tho' as of writing it continues to be what it is wiv the addition of a pink ribbon. It's nice to know i called it in my review.

This is just a giveaway level for some logic bits we got screwed out of in LBP3, because someone at Sumo forgot (i'm being charitable here) to enable the tutorials that would unlock them. It leaves me pretty salty, tho', seeing as they were part of the DC and Move Pack DLCs; like if you spent money on those, you should be able to get the lot of it, you know? Not that Sumo seems to really care.

We took a play through chairoCAT's CAT RESTAURANT way back in LittleBite-sizedArchive #137, but this one is a very different kettle of fish. Instead of a tightly contained series of minigames, we've got a quite expansive pseudo-underwater platformer that is a lot of fun (even if it gets a touch long in the tooth by the end). But the red thread between the two is the presentation. Highly detailed, wiv a lot of charm. All the little fish you interact wiv are just cute as buttons, and it really elevates the whole affair. Those porkypine fish, tho', gods but i could die. This one's really, really good.

i played this one for the old review show waaaaaay back in the day, and just fell in love wiv it. The gameplay really isn't much of much, but it's far more interested in showing off Kimuko's chops in environmental design and custom stickering. Seriously, the art here is just something else. i wish i could say the same about the music selection; i get what they're going for, and i don't not appreciate it, but gods i just hate every single one of the 50's pop tracks. Easily (personally speaking) the worst part of LBP3's story mode. Which is a total shame, because the Manglewood levels have some of the nicest level design in the game. Not directly related to anything, but i've played this level a bunch of times at some very different periods in my life, and not once have i been able to not make friends wiv the AI. It's just impossible. i challenge you to do it. Go ahead and break her poor heart. You monster.

This one'd actually been suggested by a viewer ages ago, and it just slipped my mind, and would have continued to slip my mind if they hadn't reminded me. i'm glad they did, 'cause i had a blast wiv it. Some really inventive mixing of gameplay and simple, physics/mechanics-based puzzles. This was definitely an unexpected gem for me.

Oh my gods, you can hear me coughing, because i didn't realize the PScamera had a mic on it. At least i wasn't swearing or anything. There were a couple of neat ideas in this one; the time slow-down was a cool effect, but ultimately it was just kinda ok? Like, not a bad level, i don't want to give that impression; but there's not much in the presentation to really sink your teeth into, and the gameplay is, for the most part, pretty standard for an LBP2 level. i certainly don't regret the time i spent wiv it, but i don't really think it's going to stick in my memory all that much.

i adored this level. There's just so much great detail work going on. The gameplay can be a bit fiddly sometimes, but it should be pretty clear at this point that a strong presentation will win me over almost every time. i hate that you can hear me coughing again here. i must have recorded this right after the last one. Also, holy crap, but am i loud on the controller. Like you can hear the button presses, and that can't be good for hardware longevity.

No matter how long it looked in the mirror, it remained Taser Temple.

It is super impressive that tyrew12 managed to pull off this animation in game, but it's such a shame that LBP's audio compression just takes a steaming turd all over the actual song. That's been a problem since 2, so i can't throw shade on Sumo for that for once. Still it's worth a watch because the level is quite a feat.

-----------------------------------------------------

And that's our ten this go about. Some real good ones in the mix, that's for sure. i am so, so tired tho', and i need to sleep. Before i crash, some fun(?) useless trivia. i made some subplaylists for folx who're interested in stuff from just one game, and it turns out the 226 levels we've played so far 48 have been from LBP, 92 from LBP2, and 86 from LBP3. The LBP2 numbers don't surprise me much, but i honestly thought LBP and LBP3 would have been flipped. It just felt like i was spending a lot of time wiv the really old school stuff, but clearly that's not hardly the case. i'm going to have to do a binge it seems. Anyhoot, i really am beat, it's Sunday, and that's always my chores and errands day on top of a full day of work. Didn't even get my curry made, it's gonna have to be tomorrow morning, 'cause i just have nothing left in the tank, and i still got to get my head shaved up. Hope you're all taking care of yourselves out there and staying safe. Love ya!