#so i may not get back to you in any reasonable timeframe

[bitegore]

soliciting your favorite recipe using dandelions! any part of the plant works for me, i'm just eyeing the new crop this spring and thinking about what i can make that isn't salad

[plumbobpaparazzi]

Peek into my Mods folder...

This is dedicated to @alltimefail-sims or anyone who needs a little help with lag!

I have several mods I refer to as "efficiency mods" that are little quality-of-life tweaks that make the game smoother for me, either by reducing lag or reducing immersion-breaking hiccups. As always, your mileage may vary, but hopefully this is helpful to someone. :) List of mods under cut to keep your dash clean.

No Intro - Whether you are trying to 50/50 your mods, testing new CC, or just need to shave time off your game loading... get rid of the cinematic intro.

Free Will Delay - Do your sims curbstomp their queue and proceed to fuck off to something unrelated? Yeah, me too, until I got this mod. From the mod description: "[E]very time you tell your sim to do something, they will be forced to listen! …For 5 minutes. Then they get free will back again. This is probably why controlling Sims in Sims 4 feels so bad! Because you lose control the second they start doing what they're told. Even if you queue up actions, the total time is STILL five minutes- because it goes from the last direction you give your sim. So you can tell them to do 3 hours worth of stuff while paused…and they'll get control back after 5 minutes. This mod changes this timeframe to an option of your choosing, to make controlling your sims feel more rigid."

Simulation Unclogger - This is an oldie-but-goodie mod from Turbodriver that helps interrupt when Sims get stuck in an endless action loop.

Evolve/Fertilize All Plants - Kind of weird how we can Harvest All but you can't Evolve or Fertilize All, right?

No Empty Venues When Arriving - Helps with the issue of going to a community lot and waiting around for Sims to show up. May cause increased lag if you are bottlenecked by RAM.

Food Autonomy Overhaul - Stops your stupid Sims from eating ingredients, AND allows Sims who hate cooking to autonomously grab quick meals. Didn't know they wouldn't do that? Yeah. That's a thing.

Don't Do That! Version 1 and Version 2 - Removes autonomy on annoying actions that can't be affected by MCCC tuner, like reactions and some trait idle animations.

Less Obsession - Lowers autonomy for certain things without disabling entirely. I still want my Sims to paint, but I don't want them to start a new figure painting any time they are left unsupervised.

Smarter Self-Care - Makes Sims prioritize their needs better before they are uncomfortable. I only use the packages for NPCs and Pets.

NPC Relationship Autonomy Fix - Stops random Sims from breaking into your house to ask to be your BFF (and tunes the requirements so they actually have to be your friend first.)

Buy More Upgrade Parts - Allows you to buy a package of 50 upgrade parts for when you are grinding out handiness or robotics.

The following mods are all by Bienchen and don't have a direct page for each package. You can search by name pretty easily on their website. I recommend flipping through and grabbing anything you find useful - I have a total of 368 of their mods installed. Here are some highlights:

novisibleecoeffects - The aurora will nuke your framerate. I know it's pretty, but oh my god.

noautonomousbakewhitecake - Does what it says on the tin, keeps your house from being overrun by cakes.

harvestnogroupinteraction - Stops club members from autonomously harvesting plants. Those are MY death flowers!

lessemotionidles - Reduces unnecessary idle animations from emotions, great for preventing your Sims from looking flirty at inappropriate times...

lesspreferenceidles - Stops your sims from thinking about how much they like fishing/fitness/etc. when they should be doing things.

happytoddleridledisabled - Stops the idling from the Happy Toddler trait. SUPER useful for family gameplay.

laundry_buffsandsoloidlesfix - Stops or reduces idles related to laundry. It's just clothes, bro

eldertweak - Reduces elder animation idles.

hastopeewalkstyleforchildonly - Helps get your Sims to the toilet in a reasonable amount of time.

tinyhousebuffhider - I know I'm in a Tiny Home, I don't need a moodlet.

lottraiteffectshider - Hides the little floating lightbulbs around Sims heads from lot traits.

notraitnotifications - I know my geek likes video games, I don't need the pop-up every time I play.

noholidayoutcomenotification - Please don't rub my nose in the fact I forgot to celebrate.

nofestivalnotifications and nofestivalnotificationsound - Helpful when a pack is new, but years later... no thanks.

noenrollmentandscholarshipinfo - No more info screen about the two universities. I think most of us know it all by now.

nouprootplant - Never cry because of a misclick again

simschangeoutfitwhenhotorcold - Should have already been autonomous, but alas.

novisualpoliteintroeffects - I don't know if I am the only one, but the glowing really bothers me.

restaurantsittweak - Sit down and eat your dang food! No more wandering Sims.

longerprom - Takes 6 hours instead of 4 so you can actually do something.

I probably have other QoL mods that could be helpful, but these are my recommendations to start with. Love to all the modders that keep this game playable <3

[mywitchyblog]

Tarot Readings :

Greetings Dear Shifters,

I hope this post finds you well. I’m currently in need of funds to start a business, and as a broke college student, my money is—much like my heterosexuality, nonexistent!

To support myself during this time, I’ve decided to offer readings. Your support would mean the world to me, and I’m excited to connect with you through these sessions.

Rules and Conditions for Readings:

Provide Context: Please share the context behind your request. Why are you seeking this reading? Tell me about your shifting journey and any relevant details you can think of. The more information you provide, the more accurate your reading will be, as it helps me connect with you on a deeper level.

Spread the Word: If you’re satisfied with your reading, I kindly ask that you reblog or share this post along with a review. Your support in spreading the word is greatly appreciated!

How to Book a Reading:

Visit my Ko-Fi Page: Head over to my Ko-Fi page to make a donation corresponding to the reading you want.

Include Details in the Donation: In the description of your donation, please include the name of the spread you’re requesting.

Follow-Up: If you haven’t received your reading within a reasonable timeframe, (48 hours) don’t hesitate to send me a message with proof of your donation. I’ll make sure to get back to you as quickly as possible.

Please note that failing to follow these guidelines may result in an inaccurate reading or delays in service.

Available Spreads and Services:

Below, you’ll find the various spreads and services I offer. All prices are in Euros, as I’m based in Europe. Although we may be in different time zones, rest assured that I’ll complete your reading as quickly as possible.

Thank you for your support, and I look forward to providing you with a meaningful reading!

MasterList :

The Shifter's Compass: This 5-card spread is designed to offer insight and support on your reality shifting journey. 15

The Crossroads Compass: This 4-card spread is designed to connect with your spirit team (higher self, spirit guides, deities, etc.) and gain guidance on which reality to prioritize for shifting right now. Its the perfect spread for when you don't know which reality to shift to right now. 10

The Shifter's mirror : This 6-card spread helps you explore and understand the self you become in your Desired Reality (DR). It's perfect for those who want to dive deeper into their DR identity.18

The Reality Bridge : This 5-card spread is designed to help you build a stronger connection between your Current Reality (CR) and Desired Reality (DR), focusing on harmonizing these aspects of your existence.15

The Path To Shifting : This 7-card spread is ideal for those preparing to shift, providing detailed guidance on the steps and stages of the shifting process.20

The Shifter's sanctuary : This 4-card spread helps you create or identify safe spaces within your DR, providing comfort and security during your shifting experience.10

The Shifter's map : This 8-card spread is for advanced shifters who navigate multiple realities or wish to explore different aspects of the multiverse through shifting. 25

Custom Tarot Reading : If one of the spread i gave you isnt what you want ,i can give you a custom reading. It can be as long as you would like .The price is 3 per card if you want a 3 cards spread it will be 9 bucks a 8 card spread 24 and so on... You have to tell me what each card represents.

Here are the reviews for the readings i gave as proof :

[moonstandardtime]

OFFICIAL ART COMMISSIONS POST!!!

BASE COSTS

SKETCHES / SMALL DOODLES -- $10

BUSTS / PROFILE PICTURES -- $15

HALF BODY -- $20

FULL BODY -- $30

FULL PIECE -- $38

Communication will be over Discord, or Tumblr DMs if necessary. DM me here or use Ko-fi to start!

previews + more info under cut (blood/gore warning for one of the previews (its part of a screenshot, so not detailed))

WILL DO:

Humanoids

System alters

OCs

Fanart

NSFW (with limits)

Gore (probably not anatomically accurate)

WONT DO (with exceptions):

Super high detail designs (unless you have a detailed ref/are okay with less detail)

Animals

Complex scenes with over 3 characters

GENERAL GUIDELINES:

ALL OF WHAT FOLLOWS, AS WELL AS PRICES, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Payment via Ko-fi or Cashapp.

Costs are loosely based on an hourly wage. I'm open to minor negotiations, but don't expect discounts.

Payment is up front. If either of us needs to cancel at any point, I will provide (NOT FULL) refunds depending on where I am in the process.

Timeframe is around a week, give or take a few days, depending on the complexity of the ask. My ADHD is awful, so PLEASE pester me!

I need a ref! I'm not great at visualizing from text descriptions, so if you could provide references and a general sketch of what you want, that would be great! It doesn't need to be good at all--what I have in mind is really nothing more than a stick figure scribble. It just needs to get the idea across somehow.

I will work with you and talk back and forth as I work on the sketch! I will also check in throughout the process to make sure everything is going as you wish.

You can ask for a specific style! Simply provide an example of a piece I've done in the past. You can see my art on my tumblr -> https://moonstandardtime.tumblr.com/tagged/my%20art

PLEASEEE COMMUNICATE!! Thank you!

SPECIFICS:

REFUNDS:

- If you commission a piece and you cancel it, you will be refunded for what I haven't made significant progress on. For example, if you cancel a full-body with color, simple shading, and a simple background, and I've finished the lineart and started flat colors, you will be refunded $20 out of $55. You will recieve the unfinished piece.

- If you cancel a commission before I start it, you will recieve a full refund.

- If you cancel a commission before the intial sketch is finalized, you will recieve a 90% refund and the sketch.

REVISIONS:

- You can change as much as you want during the initial sketch. Anything after may come with a fee.

- If you want something changed late into the process, the fee will be increased.

- If it's too late, I may not be able to change it.

COPYRIGHT & USAGE:

ON MY SIDE:

- I reserve the right to cancel and refund the order at any time for any reason.

- I retain all copyrights over the commissioned artwork.

- I will NOT claim the intellectual property (IP) of the commissioned artwork (your characters are still yours, etc.)

- I will NOT profit further from the commissioned artwork unless you (the customer) break any of the terms.

- I reserve the right to post the commissioned artwork online and in my portfolio..

ON YOUR SIDE:

- You may upload the commissioned artwork on any website and social channels.

- You may NOT make profits from the commissioned piece (reselling, redistributing, uploading to POD-services, making prints for selling, etc.)

- You may NOT alter the commissioned artwork without my consent.

- You retain the rights to the intellectual property (IP).

- You may NOT use the commissioned artwork for commercial purposes.

- The following is considered copyright infringement:​

- Reproducing/using the copyrighted artwork commercially - means making money off it in any way not excluded from these terms.

- Claiming the artwork as your own.

- Altering the artwork without my consent.

[shunin-gumis]

Designs of Happiness - Track A21

L4mps Main Story Translation

Title: As a Human Representative

Characters: Daniel, Nagi, Netaro

Summary: Daniel finds Nagi collapsed in the lounge area. Although Nagi did not reveal the reason for it, he had discovered Netaro’s true identity… 

Thank you aca @463ce6, myun @/myuntachis Niri @/Niri_riri and jes @/arcanecrayonn for helping me with proofing!

Location: Hakodate - Hotel Lounge

Daniel: Phew… This is pure bliss~ Saunas really are the best… 

Daniel: Huh?

Nagi: …… 

Daniel: Nagi, what’re you all sprawled out on the ground for? 

Nagi: …… 

Daniel: I get that it was too hot for you, but you're just gonna end up catching a cold if you do that right after a bath.

Nagi: …… 

Daniel: You could at least— Wait, is he knocked out!? 

Daniel: Nagi, you okay!? Get a hold of yourself! 

Nagi: Ugh… Buchi-san… 

Daniel: Good, at least you’re conscious. Did you get dizzy? 

*Netaro pops out from behind Nagi*

Netaro: I believe this is a minor case of anemia. 

Daniel: Woah– Damn, you scared me. Didn’t know you were here too. 

Netaro: Mhm.

Daniel: At least help him out instead of just sitting on your ass with popsicles in both hands!

Netaro: Nyam nyam. 

Daniel: Nagi, think you can stand?

Netaro: Can you~?

Nagi: …Oh, yeah. 

Daniel: What’s wrong? Was it really just anemia? 

Nagi: …… 

~~~(flashback)

Netaro: Hm… So be it. I was inclined to hold back for a while longer, but now that it’s come to this—

Netaro: You’ll have to suffice.

Nagi: *fearful breathing*

Nagi: (I feel like I’ve been struck with sleep paralysis— )

Netaro: You’re unable to move, aren’t you~ It seems the heat from the sauna has caused me to glitch, you see. 

Netaro: I cannot even mimic the human form at this moment… 

Nagi: (M-Mimic…?)

Netaro: Would you like to see my true form? I’m right beside you. 

Nagi: !?

Netaro: Those retinae of yours cannot retain my image, so I’m Invisible Netaro now.

Netaro: In accordance with Article 1156 of the Interstellar Constitution established by my planet, any local lifeform that learns of my true form is applicable to receive necessary information and given the opportunity to make a choice.

Netaro: At the same time, exceptional measures are to be taken in the event of the endangerment of an official investigator, such as myself.

Nagi: (????)

Netaro: I, Netaro Yowa, am an extraterrestrial lifeform from the planet “Proxima Centauri b,” designated as such by you earthlings. I have arrived here for the sake of a certain mission.

Netaro: As this mission is top secret, you will not be made aware of the details, even if you choose to follow Article 1156.

Netaro: My main goal is to conduct an investigation on the primary lifeform on this planet, the human race, at a military-level secret operation. However, in the event of an emergency, my life is to be prioritized over that of the local lifeform. 

Nagi: (W-Which means…?)

Netaro: In order to maintain my continued activities on this planet, as well as my mimicry of the human form, I need to intake a specific amount of adaptive factors within a fixed timeframe.

Netaro: I would like you to act as my prospective donor. 

Nagi: (I don’t get what he’s saying…)

Netaro: This is all you need to understand—

*Netaro reveals a contract*

Netaro’s Proposed Contract

The following agreement is made and entered into by and between Netaro Yowa (hereafter referred to as “Recipient”) and Nagi Hachinoya (hereafter referred to as “Donor”):

The Donor is to provide the Recipient with a specified amount of his body whenever it is requested of him. a) The frequency and volume may vary, as long as it does not lead to the Donor’s loss of life.

The Donor must not reveal any confidential information about the Recipient to any other lifeform (including AI).

The Donor must cooperate with the Recipient to ensure that no confidential information is revealed to any other lifeform (including AI).

In the event that the Donor breaches any terms of this Agreement, the Interstellar Court will act as the court of instance with exclusive jurisdiction over the matter. The Recipient has the right to restrain the Donor until a resolution is reached.

Netaro: I’m certain those back on my planet will have no complaints in this case. 

Nagi: (This is getting more and more confusing… What does he even mean by “a specified amount of his body”...)

Netaro: As long as it is something produced by your body, anything is fine. I quite prefer blood, myself.

Nagi: !!

Netaro: To put it simply, if you refuse to act as my donor and protect my secret, you will die. 

Nagi: !?

Netaro: Local lifeform Nagi: You have two choices.

Netaro: To agree to this contract, or to be eaten whole by me; which do you prefer?

Nagi: …!

Netaro: Will you cry? Are you tearing up~? I enjoy tears almost as much as I do blood~

Nagi: …… 

Nagi: Will it hurt…?

Netaro: I could indeed compound a drug that could numb your sense of pain, but that will have to be for next time!

Nagi: I won’t… die, right…?

Netaro: You just read the Agreement, did you not!? I wouldn’t want to destroy a precious dispenser of adaptive factor!

Netaro: Though, I’m not entirely confident, as I’m far too hungry at the moment. 

Nagi: …… 

Nagi: Okay. I’ll do it. 

Netaro: Yaaayyyy~!

Nagi: Even if I did die, it’s not like it would affect anybody. 

Nagi: You might be an alien, but I don’t think it’s very nice to leave someone alone when they’re suffering… 

Nagi: I don’t want you to have a bad impression of earthlings… 

Netaro: Good. You are prepared, yes? 

Nagi: Huh, wait– Right now? Here!? Hold on–

Nagi: A-Ahhhhhhhhhhh………

~~~(end flashback)

Location: Hakodate - Hotel Lounge

Daniel: …Nagi, you listening? 

Nagi: *gasp* Oh, sorry… 

Daniel: You sure it’s just anemia? 

Nagi: Yeah. I’m okay now. 

Daniel: Alright, then sit down over there. You want a popsicle? 

Nagi: Oh, but I already had one so… 

Daniel: Then I’ll give you my share. What flavor do you want? 

Nagi: Thank you… Then, I’d like pineapple. 

Daniel: Got it. Netaro over there is just stuffing himself on these though, geez. 

Netaro: Nyam nyam.

Nagi: …… 

Daniel: Here. 

Nagi: Thank you.

Nagi: …… 

Nagi: (This is orange…)

Netaro: Delicious, is it not? Gii.

Nagi: Urk… Yeah, it is… 

Netaro: Shall I share some of my grape-flavored one with you? 

Nagi: …!

*Nagi bumps into Daniel*

Daniel: Woah there, what’s wrong? You just sprang out of your seat like some grasshopper. 

Nagi: It’s… nothing. Sorry. 

Netaro: Even though it’s so delicious… 

Nagi: …… 

Notes:

Proxima Centauri b is an exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, which is the closest star to the Sun and part of the larger triple star system Alpha Centauri.

<- Previous | Next ->

Masterlist

[newstedz]

snowfall ☆ kirk hammett

okay so i'm relatively new to this but i just was so inspired by @mustainegf 's prompt that I just kept writing and writing and you get the idea. basic gist is that kirk calls you over to watch an old movie with him, its all fluff (timeframe is around 1987, post damage inc. tour.) also sorry for the incredibly generic title I literally cannot think of anything else

exhausted was an understatement.

you'd finally gotten a day off, and god was it needed. you barely had any energy to get out of bed to grab a snack, much less go outside. besides, it was freezing, and as much as you loved the idea of snow, it loses its charm when you're stuck waiting at the bus stop in the middle of a blizzard.  the day is yours, and ideally it would have been spent alone, tucked into bed. but then, you got a call. your stomach instantly dropped. you anticipated it'd be your boss, fabricating some asinine reason for you to appear at work today, even though nobody in their right mind would be out in the cold just to go to some shitty retail store. you pick up the phone with a groan. however, you're met with another familiar voice. one you weren't expecting, and suddenly, that dread in the pit of your stomach is replaced with butterflies.

"hey!" kirk beams from the other end of the phone. "sorry- did I wake you up?"

"no." you reply. granted, you weren't fully awake, but you didn't have the heart to make him think he may have been burdening you.

"oh.. okay!" he says, not seeming to need much convincing. "anyways, i just got this tape, you've gotta see this. it's some horror movie from like, the 50's or something. I got the tape  from this guy, he- I mean, that's not really important, I guess." he says, his enthusiasm dwindling as his voice grows more shy. "but I was wondering, I mean, i'd really like for you to come over and watch it with me. if you want." he offers sheepishly.

you can't help but smile. if it were anyone else, you'd consider making up some elaborate excuse about how you caught a stomach bug or fell ill after standing in the cold for too long. but you've known Kirk since you were kids, and you can't remember the last time you guys got to really hang out. between you working and his touring schedule, things just never seemed to work. it was something special to him, too. you knew how involved he was in tape trading, horror, and all that stuff you couldn't quite wrap your head around. but for him, you'd do it in a heartbeat. you gaze out the window. it's still snowing, but it had slowed to flurries. a thin layer of snow coats the grass and branches of the trees. you can't pass this up.

"sure."

"really? nice! so um. I'll see you." he exclaims, abruptly ending the call before you could even ask when he wanted you to be there. you sigh, getting up and heading for the shower.  one long bus ride later, you arrive at his door. as soon as you knock he rushes to the door, trying (and failing) to hide his excitement. "hey!" he grins, showing off his adorable, crooked smile. he steps aside allowing you to enter. "sorry its a mess in here. i just got back.." he murmurs. you cant help but laugh. "its whatever, man. i've seen worse from you." you reply, earning a chuckle from him. as soon as you two get settled, the snow gets heavy. very heavy. seems like you made it just in time. kirk seems to notice too. "looks like you're stuck with me."

_

the next hour is spent watching the movie, though it seems like it was only used as a catalyst for the two of you to play catch-up and for him to infodump trivia about the film. though you can't focus on the movie, at least not now. you're too focused on the way the light shines off his face and curls. the way he incessantly giggles when recalling a crazy road story. the snow is piling up outside, and it's only now that you realize he was trying to talk to you.

"hey, did you hear me?" he asks, tilting his head. he figured he was talking your ear off, though you really could listen to him all day.

"huh? i- no, you're good. i'm just.. cold." you attempt to wave it off unconvincingly, only leaving you to be met with more of his concerns. "are you okay? you were kinda just staring. are you bored? we can do something else, if you want." he murmurs as he gazes briefly at you, only to shift his focus to the TV screen. it could be the lighting, but you could've sworn you saw the lightest tinge of color come to his cheeks. 

"what about you?" you ask. the whole time you've been here, you've gotten the basic stuff, yeah. but it wasn't as personal as it used to be between the two of you. you used to stay up for hours talking about your worries, your goals. you were the first one he told about anything, and vice versa. but now it seemed like he was nervous just from being the same room with you. 

"what about me? i'm fine." he shrugs, now trying to shift the attention back to the movie.

"then why wont you look at me?" the question sorta just slips out. you didn't mean to pry, today was supposed to be lighthearted, but kirk's reaction seems to confirm your suspicions of there being something more, as he begins to stumble over his words. you place your hand gently over his. "you know you can talk to me, right?" as your eyes meet, his face goes red. "it's stupid." kirk murmurs again, though he knows he can't hide this from you anymore. "i feel like.. i'm running out of time. I mean- you're not always gonna be waiting around for me, and it's like whenever i'm gone, i.." he trails off, shifting his gaze away from you yet again. he takes a deep breath, gathering his courage. "I like you. like really like you, and I don't wanna drift off from you or mess anything up-" kirk rambles on, but you've heard enough. you laugh, suddenly scooting closer to him. all you give is an affectionate "shut up" before your lips meet. you move away to see his shocked expression, but he quickly swaps it for a huge, dorky grin as he pulls you in for another.

a few more shared kisses later, kirk pulls away, staring back at the window. he turns back to you. "y'know.. it's pretty nasty out there. maybe you should stay the night." he grins, not subtle in the slightest. you can't help but laugh and nod. suddenly, the room feels so much warmer.

[greta-van-chaos]

I Will Possess Your Heart // Part 4

Oliver Reed x Reader

Part 3 < > Part 5 (wip)

Warnings |  Explicit sexual content, oral (m recieving), cursing

Word Count | 3.6k

Authors Note | I take a lot of breaks, I think you guys have caught onto that by now. I don't want to sit here and be like i'm really busy guys, sorry but truly i'm just so busy and my heart hasn't been in writing at all. I want that to change but I can't make any promises. For now, as a peace offering, here is the next part to I Will Possess Your Heart and hopefully the fifth and final part will be releasing very soon after.

The morning slides into the afternoon and the afternoon slides into the night and before you know it, once again you are beneath the covers of Oliver's bed, ear pressed to his chest as you listen to the slow, content beating of his heart. Although he denied his tiredness he has fallen into an easy sleep with you beside him and though anxiety pools in your stomach you refuse to deprive him of the sleep he seems to need so desperately.

You know you should leave, you can't stop thinking about it. Who in their right mind seeks a stranger out in the dead of night due to car troubles and then let's him entertain them for a weekend with sex and booze? It wasn't a normal situation and the guilt was truly getting to you.

For now, you decided, you'd sleep. At this point in the evening there wasn't much for you to do in terms of relieving Oliver of your presence and you weren't even sure he'd want you to go when the time came. So, sleep. It was a problem for future you to sort out.

~

And so, morning came, much faster than you'd have preferred but seeing Oliver still sound asleep, face beautifully calm in the morning light you knew it was time to go.

Reasonably, there is no way, no way at all that you have fallen so deeply for a stranger. You've known him for two days and already you felt an attachment that makes you shiver when you begin to even think of severing it.

Finally, you rise, peeling yourself carefully away from the bed and assuring that Oliver says sound asleep. Before leaving the room though, you move to stand on his side of the bed so you can brush a kiss to his hairline. You feel bad about what you're going to do but you know that if he woke and asked you to stay again, you may not be able to bring yourself to say no.

Once down the stairs, stepping as carefully as you can so as not to make much noise, you begin searching for your phone. You expect not to find it without a fight but there it is, perched on top of your now cleaned and dried clothes that lay folded on Oliver's desk in the living room. Miraculously it still has a charge to it and in an even greater leap of luck you now have cell reception.

Without thinking to hard on the money you're able to set up a tow truck and a ride back into the city where you reside, all things able to be neatly wrapped up before dinner time this evening.

You'd really feel unforgivable if you didn't leave something for Oliver, some sign of life, maybe an apology letter. After a small bit of deliberation you decide to scrawl your number on the legal pad you find at his desk and a short note. You don't feel the need to say much as you really aren't certain of your feelings yet but still, you make sure it's something substantial enough not to leave him with hard feelings.

With that, you gather your belongings, opting to keep the clothes he's lent you and call a car. Not a single sound alerts you that Oliver has stirred awake and for that you are grateful. You'd rather be out and gone without a word, like some specter or ghost, unseen.

The car pulls up within a timeframe you're certain is impossible considering how far out and into the woods you are. Once situated you take one more look at the manor house before your driver pulls away. You swear that in one of the windows on the top floor you can feel Oliver's form, standing, stoic. It takes all of your willpower to turn your cheek and leave without a single whisper of a goodbye.

You're doing what needs to be done. You can't live in a fantasy with a man you barely know. You hope he calls, of course you do but you know it's better for both of you if you're rid of the house now rather than later.

~

Days went by, days and days and days until the days faded to weeks and now, it's been almost three months since you left Oliver's glamourous home. Almost three months since you scrawled your phone number on a notepad atop his desk. Almost three months without a single call. Almost three months since you were forced into the realization that you won't ever be seeing him again.

Huffing you curl your body sideways, allowing your forehead to rest on the chilly glass of the train car you're sitting in. The world moves by in a blur and as you watch you wish the endless slew of city lights would swallow you whole. Ever since you left his house that night, you'd felt empty which almost made you laugh considering you had nothing to build upon apart from the strange situation you had found yourselves in and incredible sex.

An automated bell dings and your stop is called out by a voice that is equally as artificial. Gathering your bag and pulling your coat on a bit tighter you stand to leave. As you approach the doors, which are very slowly hauling themselves open you're robbed of all breathe.

With a dull thud your purse hits the floor, "Oliver?"

His eyes are tired and dim but when he hears your voice they seem to open wider and brighten. "Y/n?"

None other than Oliver Reed is standing at the very end of the train car, following a short line of people to exit the vehicle. The world stops around you and the overwhelming rush of emotions that grasps you keeps you glued to the spot. Hardly aware of people pushing past you to get off the train you take in Oliver's appearance and your heart aches. He's wearing a vest similar to the one he shrugged off after inviting you into his house on that fateful night and a pair of slacks. His hair is neatly brushed unlike the tangled tresses you were so used to. Even as the sky donned the night like a silky, starlit nightgown he wore a pair of oddly cut sunglasses that somehow looked perfect on him but would make anyone else look ridiculous.

Finally your brain catches up and before you realize you're doing it you rush towards him, belongings forgotten on the floor. You stop right in front of him, mere inches away from touching, your hands folded together at your chest, "I never thought I'd see you again."

He huffs out a breath and reaches for you, placing a hand on your cheek. "Neither did I."

As though you've been forced back into your body and made to see out of your eyes you blink away the haze of excitement just enough to remember that you're supposed to be exiting the train. He makes a noise of affirmation when you turn to get your bag and grab his hand, pulling him off the train and into a tight embrace once you're steady on your feet. Both of your hearts are beating fast and hard, as if to escape their confines and meld together, two halves finally whole. Oliver holds you against him and now that you're back in his arms you never want to leave. The cold outside does it's best to chill your exposed skin but the warmth of the man in front of you helps quell the bite.

When he pulls away you step back, blurting out the one thing you couldn't stop thinking about, "You never called."

"I didn't know what to say but--" He sighs and looks at you, forlorn "--please believe me when I tell you that I wanted to. I think I was just... confused."

"I do, I swear. I just wish that you did. I--" You pull yourself into his chest again, pressing your face into the crook of his neck to bite back your words, not ready to fully realize how deep your feelings run. "God, I missed you."

He smells the same as before, warm, sweet and slightly alcoholic. "I've missed you too, love."

You break away for a moment and just stare into each others eyes, the train leaving the station a blurry background noise to your occupied brain. The entire world around you has dimmed and all you know is Oliver, all you feel is Oliver, all you want is Oliver. Without really thinking you thread your fingers through his hair and pull his lips to yours, smiling at the softness of his mouth moving in sync with your own.

When his hands move to your hips and pull you flush against him you smile against his mouth and he hums. It feels perfect.

All of the questions, the worry, the unanswered want, they're all melting away and making room for this moment. You never thought you'd be reunited and now that you are it's sweeter than you could have ever imagined.

"Let me buy you dinner," He mumbles, words muffled against your lips.

"Please."

~

You both walk in silence, the streetlights illuminating the rain speckled road. Apparently Oliver is in town for a movie audition and plans to be around for a few days, the thought that you'll have him nearby for the weekend puts an immovable smile on your lips.

Hand in hand you make your way to a small pub and as soon as you enter you're warmed from the crown of your head to your toes. The lighting is dim and the bar is crowded with people but somehow you're able to find a little booth tucked away in the back. Everything is falling into place as if this moment is destiny. You truly believe that to be so.

Once you've ordered drinks, Oliver places his chin in his hand and gazes upon you with nothing but pure bliss and adoration in his eyes. "It's so fucking good to see you, love. I never thought I'd be able to again."

You look up at him through your lashes and smile bashfully, "I never thought I would either." You still can't shake the hurt of knowing that he was fully capable of contacting you the whole time but chose not to. Clearing your throat you lock eyes with him and press again, "I still don't really understand why you didn't call."

He sighs and looks to the side, avoiding the almost accusatory expression on your face. "I just... I was upset and confused and I really thought that your number may have just been a courtesy. I didn't know if you actually felt the same." The pained look on his face makes you reach out for his hands. You take them in your own and rub circles into the backs of them with your thumbs. His instinct at first is to pull away but quickly he melts into it and lets out a deep breath through his nose.

"I'm sorry."

Completely shattering in the moment the waiter walks over and places your drinks down. Oliver nods his head at the boy and then looks back to you. "So, do you come here often?"

A dumb grin pulls on your lips and you laugh. "I do, in fact. I live just down the street." You cock an eyebrow at him "What brings Oliver Reed to this neck of the woods?"

He looks surprised for a moment before you can see on his face that he realizes he hasn't explained his presence in your city. "I've got brunch with a director tomorrow, I was coming in tonight to stay and get my bearings before we met."

"Funny coincidence that you end up so close to me," you laugh, truly just so happy to be in his presence.

"You've got that right, love. What a surprise to see you on the same train as me, I thought I was hallucinating until you came right up and I could touch you."

"Well, I'm real and I'm right here and I am just as surprised as you."

You both sit in silence for a moment, just staring, taking each other in. What a situation you have found yourselves in, to being on the same train and now to knowing that Oliver will be staying a night in the place you've lived your whole life.

"What do you say we head back to mine after dinner?" You ask without thinking "You could even stay with me for the night if you want. Though I'm sure if you've booked a hotel you'd better stay there..." You trail off, slowly getting quieter and mumbling throughout the sentence but he shakes his head.

"How could I ever say no to you, darling. Let me worry about the hotel and I'll let you worry about leading the way." Letting go of one of your hands that you didn't realize he'd been holding he reaches to sip his drink. Taking the opportunity you run the toe of your shoe up his leg, you hope the gesture is sexy and not awkward. Guessing by the way his eyes darken and how he sets down his glass, you had the effect you were going for. Something about him makes you so much more playful and daring than usual. "I think I might take you up on that sooner than I had anticipated."

"Patience, Oliver, patience." You send him a flirty wink and he just smirks, a million plans of what he could do to you seemingly flashing behind his eyes.

"I'll show you fucking patience doll, just you wait." The look in his eyes has your pressing your thighs together.

You spend the rest of the night drinking and laughing and shamelessly flirting. It feels so natural and now that you've fallen into a rhythm with him you don't want it to stop.

You cash out and leave quicker than you'd anticipated, dragging him down the street. You truly do only live a couple blocks away and in this situation that is more than perfect. You're both itching to get inside.

The whole walk you're both giggling like teenagers and Oliver can't keep his hands off of you, the entire time his arm is firmly planted around your waist, effectively keeping you pressed into his side.

"This is my building, right here" You say, fishing out your keys as you walk up the steps and approach the door. Once unlocked you lead Oliver by the hand to the elevator.

Almost immediately the doors open and as soon as you step in Oliver is on you, pinning you to the wall and kissing your neck. He presses his leg between yours and grips your chin so he can give himself all the room he needs to suck and lick and kiss at your throat. You giggle and pull him off of you just enough to haphazardly throw your hand to the panel of buttons on the wall and hit your floor, all the while his hands are trailing down your top until he can slip them under your shirt and cup your breasts.

"So impatient" You breathe, the words holding the same cadence as a soft moan. Despite your words you thread your hands into his hair to pull him back and grind down on his thigh.

"Seems like you're the impatient one, you and your needy little pussy" He practically growls.

You can feel your cheeks get hot and when he looks down at you you almost melt. Every time your eyes meet it feels like an electric shock.

"I think you like it." You whisper, guiding his mouth to yours by a soft hand under his chin. He releases a content sigh when your lips meet, almost melting completely at having you this close again.

"Oh yeah? and what makes you think that?" His voices is taunting and his breath is warm against you cheek as he breaks the kiss to speak.

Instead of using words you slide the hand that isn't holding his face between your bodies, palming him through his pants. Usually it's him that does the smirking but right now you have the most smug look on your face and he does nothing to challenge it and regain control. A whimper-like sound shakes out of him and he leans into your touch, starting to press his hips harder into your hand as you rub your hand against him faster.

The elevator doors opening makes you both freeze, your bodies eerily still. He rests his forehead against yours and sighs. You're reluctant to break apart but force yourself to in favor of being able to indulge in the privacy of your apartment.

Once again, Oliver's hands refuse to leave your body and when you get to your door he presses himself against your ass, letting you know just how hard he is... as if you weren't already aware. "When that door opens... I'm going to ruin you" He murmurs into your hair.

"Oh I'm counting on it" You throw back, pushing the door open and stepping inside. Instantly following through on his threat he slams the door closed and spins you around, starting to unbutton your blouse. You might have assumed that he'd already been in your apartment by the way he walks you back to the couch without hesitation but you have a feeling that if there was no couch to run into he would've kept walking you back until you ran into something else. He just got lucky, apparently.

When the backs of your knees hit the arm you're almost forced to sit down which brings you level to his belt. You slide back so you can kneel on the couch and then pull him closer by said belt. He abandons any attempt at removing your shirt when he sees you unbuckle it and claw his pants down. You've waited for too long for this, you're not gonna waste any time with pleasantries.

As soon as he is no longer confined to the sleek black boxers beneath his slacks you put your mouth on him. First by flattening your tongue and dragging it along the underside of his cock, then by taking him fully into your mouth. He throws his hips forward at the feeling and hits the back of your throat. You recover quickly and hum around him, bringing one hand up to rest on his stomach.

"My god, you look so fucking hot like this" He mumbles, starting to guide your movements with the hands he's anchored in your hair.

Even after the short amount of time you spent with him you're relishing in everything that is Oliver. You missed it so... the feel of him, the weight of him on your tongue, his moans and breaths and the way his fingers feel dancing over your cheekbones to coax himself further down your throat. He's got you in a trance and you wouldn't have it any other way.

You tenderly rub your thumb over his hipbone, a far more gentle and loving action compared to the way you're lavishing him with your mouth. His hips stutter and you can assume he's already close by how desperate his thrusts have become. At this point he's controlling everything, holding your head in place and guiding himself in and out of your mouth at whatever speed he pleases. You don't mind one bit.

He lets up briefly, pulling away from you and stroking his hand over himself. Spit has managed to smear all over your lips and cheeks and you can feel that your makeup has fallen into a state of disarray. You wipe your mouth with the back of your hand and slide your eyes up his body "I've thought about this every single night since I left. I just can't get you off my mind."

That does something for him, maybe the geuninity in the admission or the soft look on your face, you'll never know but he pulls you up by your arms and kisses you deeply. His hands are back in your hair but this time, the way he's holding you feels so different, almost loving, like you'll break if he isn't gentle.

After a beat he pulls back and searches your face. The entire mood has shifted and the air has grown thick with unspoken words. You'd never guess what he says and when it passes his lips you feel so incredibly full of affection, "You're the only thing I've been able to think about. I spent so many nights just staring at that note. I really and truly am so sorry I kept you waiting."

"We're here now," You whisper and then you pause, thinking. "Do you think you would have called if we didn't run into each other today?"

Your arms are around his neck and you're still close enough that if you leaned forward your lips would touch. "I honestly... I don't know. I want to say yes but to be truthful, love, I was fucking terrified."

"Don't be... there's nothing to be afraid of." And that's that, any other words that could've slipped into the sliver of space between your mouths dies in the air as you pull him back in.

Slowly but surely you slide a hand behind you and lower yourself back onto the couch, bringing him with you. You're vaguely aware of him kicking off his shoes as he climbs on top of you, eventually making himself comfortable as your legs fall into place around his hips.

~

One more part left and then these lovebirds will have a complete story. Give me all your thoughts!!! Do we want part 5 and soon?

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[tigergirltail]

TIGER HRT CHAPTER 2 - MONTH 0 - EXPECTATIONS

FIRST/PREV - NEXT

---

It's been six months. Six months since that weird doctor and his inane little test to prove I'm ready, or at least, ready enough. Six months since I signed a stack of liability waivers forfeiting my right to pursue legal action for any reason up to and including untimely death. Only DAYS left before I can finally claim the entire reason I was there in the first place.

I came home today to find an information package in the mail - things I need to know before making my final commitment to the treatment. It's somewhat reassuring, really. By the sounds of it, this guy has to deal with all kinds of odd requests - I heard a rumour that someone went to him for a chimera treatment at one point - which means that he has to do all this research into side effects personally. …Although there's no telling how much of this is speculation. Concerning.

The information package is divided into different headings, roughly organized by risk factor and how outwardly noticeable they are, as if he's right here with me, trying to scare me off from it.

I decided before I even went to him that I wasn't going to let myself be scared again. Let's see what I'm in for. I sit down and start reading…

SKELETAL STRUCTURE

"Subject's height will noticeably increase. Increase of six inches is expected, increase of one foot is possible."

Huh. I guess I wouldn't mind being taller, but that's definitely going to affect what kinds of clothes I can wear. And I guess I might also get a bit wider proportionally? I'm already plus-size, maybe it'll just level it out.

"Subject may experience a conversion from plantigrade (walking on soles) to digitigrade (walking on toes)."

That makes me stop and think. I'd basically have to re-learn how to walk, and no doubt there's going to be an awkward intermediate period. Will my feet get bigger as well? They're big enough to make me dysphoric as it is. I wonder if I can get custom footwear made… I wonder how much that will cost…

"Subject will experience a reconfiguration of fingers to allow for retractable claws. Persistent soreness is to be expected."

Bluh. I've bitten my nails too close enough times to know how much it sucks not to be able to put pressure on my fingers without pain. I wonder how long that particular effect will last. Due to the lack of timeframe, I can only guess. Months, maybe. Years, I doubt it, but possibly.

"Subject's cranial and facial structure will experience long-term reformation. The effect this will have on brain function is unknown.

And here we get into "you signed a waiver" territory. I had accepted at the outset that death was a possibility, but I'm not sure how to feel about the risk of permanent brain damage. None of the other accounts of therian HRT I've heard seem to mention this, though, so maybe it's just speculation? I move on to the next heading.

DIET

"Tigers, like all felines, are obligate carnivores. Subject will be required to eat real meat (no substitutions) at every meal, or risk symptoms of starvation."

This had already occurred to me, to be honest. Part of the reason a white tiger is my fursona in the first place is because I am an unrepentant meat enjoyer. Heck, maybe a feline body will make meat taste even better.

"Lingering human characteristics may make it possible to digest other food, but the nutritional benefit to subject will be negligible."

…Ah. This was less expected. Does this mean I'll have to start thinking of things like bread and fruit as basically candy? Worse, will I have to avoid it? I love me a good grilled cheese, and poutine is basically an addictive substance, am I going to have to swear off some of my longtime favourites? Out of all of the effects so far, this is the one to give me the most hesitation. Yes, I love food, I'm not afraid to admit it.

"Subject is likely to lose cravings for non-meat food entirely."

I have to sit back and process this one. Back when I started human HRT, one of the things that gave me pause was the idea of decreased libido. That was one of the few things about my body that didn't make me dysphoric, unlike a lot of trans people whose stories I'd read. In the first few months, though, I found it settled into a pleasant sort of medium, where I could have it if I wanted, but it wouldn't show up out of nowhere. Maybe this will be the same way? Maybe poutine can still be a sometimes food? Cats eat weird stuff that's not healthy for them sometimes, but it's fine, right?

Some part of me considers holding a funeral for the abstract concept of poutine.

On to the final heading…

SENSORY EFFECTS

"Subject will gain heightened night vision and hearing. This will cause sleep to become significantly more difficult."

Trust a doctor to find the one downside to one of the coolest effects of the treatment… Do you even know how much I want to hear every beat of the world around me? Do you even understand how useful it would be to be able to see in the dark effortlessly? Having a tiger's eyes and ears would be almost worth every single downside by itself.

Besides, I'm a very heavy sleeper.

"Subject's hearing frequency range will become significantly more broad than a human's. High-pitched noises such as dog whistles will be audible and painful."

Well, I'm sure that's going to suck sometimes, but I don't think I'm exposed to such noises on the regular. Although… I suppose I wouldn't know, with my feeble human frequency range. It's something that might be fine or might suck, I guess.

"Subject's sense of touch will be strongly affected by fur growth."

Sure, that tracks, but I'm kind of looking forward to it. Maybe it's comparable to wearing a full-body fursuit? I've actually missed having opportunities to fullsuit, and I've thought about commissioning a new one if I saved up enough money, but I suppose that won't be necessary now.

Much of the rest of the document is a reminder that everything listed is Permanent and Irreversible short of Major Surgery, with some reminders of the various rights to litigate that I've waived. Ultimately, it sounds like I've got some big changes ahead, but nothing I've seen here is a dealbreaker.

It's slightly terrifying, but I'm excited.

I can't wait to hear the rain through a tiger's ears.

[sleepingdeath-sapphic]

hiiii i love how you’ve laid out your blog it’s so easy to navigate :)

could i request best friends to lovers with Gamora either a one shot or head cannons and possibly smut if you’re up for it ? thank you <3

friends to lovers hcs ; guardians of the galaxy

thank you for requesting anon <3

this includes gamora <3

reader is assumed as gender neutral <3

my account is 16+, please interact accordingly <3

note : i’ve never properly written for gamora before so this is quite short, i may eventually come back and rework this. in the meantime, i hope that you enjoy this sfw post lol <3

this is pretty much the only way to end up in an actual relationship with gamora — not just because her traumatic past has left her with plenty of trust issues and a strained relationship with intimacy and affection, but also because unless you two are something extremely casual she needs to know that she can (a) trust you to not turn her in for a bounty from her adopted father or anyone else who may have it out for her, (b) rely on you to have her back and help her out when things get difficult in general life or in the heat of a battle (yes she’s more than capable of defending herself, obviously, but having someone that looks out for her at all times massively lessens her burdens and makes life a whole lot easier), and (c) know that you’re looking out for her best interests and are willing to step in and speak out if she’s in the wrong or needs to adjust her approach for a particular mission (seeing feared and known as the intimidating assassin she trained to be is good for the ego and all, but having someone who loves her enough to stand up and correct her when she’s wrong just as much as they’ll stand by her when she’s right is really important), and having a background of intimate friendship would have more than given you the time to prove yourself to her in these ways and thus would make the transition to being romantic partners much easier for both of you

additionally, as her closest friend you were already gamora’s confidant — so trusted that you were the first one she came to about any and all fears and concerns and frustrations with the rest of the group, so trusted that she’d often reconsider her stance and approach if you advised her against it, so trusted that you were the one she’d seek out when she was more sober than she wanted to admit in order to vent about the difficulties she’d faced in her life before meeting you all, and likewise she was the one you’d go to for all the same reasons — and consequently you entered your relationship without any secrets left to keep and felt no need to hide anything from each other going forward because of this established routine (after all, why would you change what isn’t broken?)

the shift from strictly platonic teammates and (in quill’s words) besties to romantic lovers and bedmates would have been extremely slow — slow enough that neither of you would be able to, in hindsight, point to an exact moment or timeframe where things felt noticeably different — and would have felt so natural that there wasn’t really an awkward crushing phase for you both to experience because you didn’t even notice the shift happening until you were well and truly on the other side of it

it wasn’t as if one day you were just friends and the next you were kissing. no. more like you both continued to get closer and touchier and more relaxed around each other as time went on and gamora got used to casual physical intimacy until one day you just looked at each other, realised something had changed, and quietly acknowledged it without saying anything or putting a label on it because it just felt right

you never called her your girlfriend, but she was the person you’d give your life to protect

she never claimed you as her lover, but you were the person she couldn’t bare to lose

you never said that she was more than a friend, but you were always at your happiest and most relaxed when she was safe by your side

she never announced that you were dating, but she was always quick to scare off and threaten anyone who tried to flirt with you when you were out and about as a group

neither of you cared about naming what was between you because all that mattered was how you both felt, but everyone else knew that you two cared deeply and intimately for each other and were generally just happy for you both

but that didn’t mean that the other guardians didn’t (often very crudely) tease the living hell out of you both when one of you emerged looking exhausted from the other’s bunk or when they caught gamora admiring you from across the room, and it certainly didn’t stop nebula from picking up on her sister’s feelings and very bluntly interrogating you both about your relationship after she joined your ragtag travelling group

[tamamatango]

Unplanned character analysis I should’ve saved for 6/23 but I need instant gratification whenever I have a thought or I explode

Sup nerds, thanks for reading my master’s thesis completely overanalyzing what literal scraps we have in relation to the new anime. Unfortunately no updates yet on that front but I’m starting to go a little Cuckoo For Cocoa Puffs in anticipation so fingers crossed they drop something soonish. I have a couple of longer form posts in my back pocket that may or may not happen in a nearish timeframe, we’ll see what I get around to.

I was going to not do any more posts until one of those materializes but I’m detouring from that for a bit because I had an epiphany about Saburo now that I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this series again. Those if you who know me and/or were around for when I was most active here know he is my favorite character behind Kururu and that’s still true. So here’s like. A reading of him that I think completely changes the way you will look at this character. If you don’t see him like this already.

Saburo(/Mutsumi since this goes equally for the manga side) is not actually cool. Like this kid is totally cringe and a weirdo right. Literally thinks of the most unnecessarily extra solutions to things, wardrobe that gets increasingly bizarre over time, writes poetry that is usually either obnoxiously cheesy or just doesn’t make any sense. Spends his free time doing stuff like talking to cats and collecting shitty kids’ meal toys. His drawings aren’t even that good most of the time. Unironically Momoka has more swag than Saburo does (granted Momoka has more swag than most characters but that’s besides the point). Yes he is a super genius and athletically gifted and conventionally attractive to other people his age, and (for manga Mutsumi only) it’s later implied he was modified by the N326 in some way. But here’s the thing—a lot of his peers either think he’s a smarmy ass show-off little shit (manga) or just completely inaccessible to the average person so why bother (anime).

The reason why he’s such a celebrity is because the only people who think he is really cool are children and preteen girls (and secretly Giroro but the whole reason that’s a funny joke is because Saburo is totally not appealing to adults at all let alone hardened super serious soldiers). But this is a very profitable and exploitable audience so he is really successful. He is the equivalent of a Disney Channel teen star. He’s like what Justin Bieber was in 2010 or whenever. In the manga Mutsumi gladly eats up this attention, but the anime pretty heavily implies especially toward the (until this year tee hee) end of the series that Saburo kinda dislikes being under the celebrity microscope and having producers who want to milk their child star as much as possible; he just wants to create and entertain and express himself freely which is why he does everything anonymously.

I think the anime tried a little too hard to make him unironically cool and my guess is that this is for a couple reasons. One, he has Akira Ishida’s voice coming out of him which yes was obviously chosen primarily because lol Kaworu but also his voice is just inherently associated with “we want you to think this character is a mysterious ikemen” most of the time. Two, compared to the manga there’s a lot more fillery stuff revolving around Natsumi idolizing him and because so much of the show is from Natsumi’s perspective, that’s the perspective the viewers (who were also intended to be children then, though I think now that it’s a 20 year old series they’re going more for the nostalgic adult audience) get as well. Don’t get me wrong though the VERY few serious moments he had were fantastic, 229 best episode movie 3 best movie etc etc.

You could also argue Kururu thinks Saburo is “cool” but I think he respects him more in the way that he’s kinda like him but younger so they understand each other intrinsically and that makes Saburo more reliable in fulfilling Kururu’s specific needs than most other characters. Saburo’s a lot kinder ostensibly but unlike the rest of the cast, who recoils at Kururu’s mannerisms and psychological torment of everyone, Saburo usually just thinks it’s funny. Kururu is much of a freak as he is but is very particular about his image and actively micromanages almost every aspect of his personality to get people to see him a certain way and avoid showing too many of his vulnerabilities (it’s all but confirmed in the anime that his entire cadence and vocal tics are an elaborate act and his normal voice is totally different). We don’t see it much on screen but it seems he can kinda relax a bit around Saburo who himself is totally out there but in a more genuine and unabashed way, like even in the anime where the radio persona is a secret it’s not like he acts that much differently on the air than he does in his personal life. Besides maybe the early manga Kururu is not really a romantic and probably thinks Saburo’s sappy wappy poetry is cringe too, but he likes Saburo enough that he supports him being himself no matter what bullshit that entails (besides getting himself killed of course). Sorry had to shoehorn best partners talk for a bit longtime Kirb readers know how it is.

So there is actually a specific thing that made me decide let’s do a fucking character analysis for the first time in like 5 years or something, and that’s that I was browsing through raws of the one 4koma book I don’t physically own (shoutout to @kagender for those scans along with some other cool stuff like Keroro Land issues, storyboards and ref sheets!), and it was these strips:

This is a 4koma series in which Meru and Maru from Movie 2 hang around with the main cast for funny shenanigans. Not super relevant because these two strips don’t have them pictured but anyways. They’re having a beach day and Natsumi runs into Saburo who is there to “surf” but actually there are no real waves and he is just pretending. Because he’s copying the 1978 film Big Wednesday (it is Sunday in the comic). In other words teenager larps because he saw it in an old movie once. I know this is not really a pertinent example because the Keroro Land 4komas are all very silly and non-canon (a lot of the artists are actually former doujin artists) but look. This is peak, okay. This is my ideal Saburo outside of serious scenarios. I’ve seen the vision.

I swore I was gonna make this a short post but it’s not I guess. Can’t resist turning these into goddamn essays. So to wrap it up: Saburo is some dorky kid who thinks he’s way more of a hotshot than he really is and totally owns it with no shame. This is adorable. I will defend him with my life. I need Anikero The New to agree with me here. In like 85% of cases I prefer the anime’s takes on everything but Yoshizaki cooked with the ideas behind this guy so listen to word of god. Give us more Silly Saburo. The TikTok teenagers of today deserve this representation.

[yuzurujenn]

[2024.05.11] Quardruple Axel May Issue: Shinya Kiyozuka – A One-of-a-Kind Performer

Shinya Kiyozuka, who performed the exhibition number "Haru yo, Koi" and the competition program "Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso," is a close friend of Hanyu's. He was involved in the performance and arrangement of the music used in "RE_PRAY". From the perspective of a musician active in a wide range of fields, we asked him to talk about Hanyu's greatness as a performer. - Interview and text by Tatsuya Murao

Q: Kiyozuka participated in this Ice Story "RE_PRAY" by playing piano and arranging music. I heard that three songs were newly recorded, but how did you get the request?

A: It was because Hanyu-san said, "I'm going to do this kind of show (so I'd like you to do it)." By the time he contacted me, he already had a blueprint in mind, or rather, a plan of "I want to do something like this", and he gave me a fairly specific request to create an arrangement like this, so I went ahead with it. Q: "Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso" was re-performed in a longer version, right?

A: Yes, that's right. I thought it would be weird to just combine the previous part (with the new recording). I could have just extended it, but it was Hanyu's performance, and I wanted to reflect what I was thinking and feeling, and how I feel about him, so I went ahead and re-recorded it all. Q: It must have taken quite a long time to re-perform and record it, didn't it?

A: We were indeed pressed for time, so we had to complete everything quickly and precisely within the limited timeframe. Since we started collaborating on "Haru yo, koi," (in Fantasy on Ice 2018) I’ve become very attuned to Hanyu’s thoughts and understand more clearly what he wants to convey during our conversations. Additionally, as good friends, our professional collaboration has become more enduring, and our mutual understanding has deepened. It's similar to making a movie, but often, when we try to describe the shows or music we want to create in words, it falls short. Conversely... Q: You get pulled in by the words.

A: Exactly. It gradually deviates. When people try to describe something that doesn’t exist yet and can’t be described, this back-and-forth struggle can have the opposite effect—the more you try to explain, the more likely you are to produce something incorrect. Language is inherently judgmental and inadequate for expressing things that don’t exist. In the end, it’s about understanding what the other person actually wants to say and considering what lies behind their words. This is very important. In this regard, it’s about fate and how well two people can understand each other, which is crucial.

After all, we’ve been through many stages together since "Haru yo, Koi" and have produced numerous programs together. Communication is key; although meeting in person is very difficult, we often have long video calls late into the night. These interactions have enhanced our communication, made our interactions less constrained, and deepened our mutual understanding. He even described me as a “good friend”. So, this time, we didn’t spend any extra time on the work. When we worked on “Haru yo, Koi," we spent a lot of effort, but this time, we quickly completed the extended version of the Rondo.

Q:  This time too, Hanyu thought a lot about the overall concept. Did you find the concept itself easier to understand?

A: Since what Hanyu wants to achieve is inherently very philosophical, it could be said that there are aspects that shouldn’t be completely understood. I think this is why what he does feels more like art than sports. Even though Hanyu-san may have a clear answer in his mind, he often says that “the reason why piano performances and classical music fit well with figure skating is that they ultimately don’t state things explicitly.” Q: It’s up to the viewers to judge.

A: Yes. It's a very abstract and spontaneous expression, so I think the overall concept is like that. And I think Hanyu has that freedom of thinking, "It's fine if the audience takes it this way." Q: Considering that you imagined the overall concept yourself and had to adjust the new arrangements to fit in, it must have been difficult to think about various things, right?

A: Yes, but Hanyu-san had pretty much solidified the overall concept from the beginning. Almost everything, or rather, all the plots for the performances that I eventually saw (in the show) were there from the beginning. For the other programs as well, Hanyu-san had a very clear idea of how my arrangements would fit in. Because he communicated this to me, I had no doubts about it. Also, with his transition to a professional career and everything, I think Hanyu's skill in conveying these concepts to others has greatly improved. Compared to when we worked on "Haru yo, koi" he has likely put a lot of thought into how to communicate with others, and, knowing him, he has worked incredibly hard to expand his vocabulary and improve his communication skills. Q: While arranging, were there any moments of hesitation like, "This part should be a bit..."?

A: No. For the most part, I had an idea that it "should be done like this" so I just pushed forward towards that. "Messenger of Ruin" was a band arrangement, so I incorporated the sounds of other bands, played the bass on a synthesizer myself, and told the guitarist what kind of guitar playing I wanted him to do. With more parts compared to just using a piano, it took a bit more time in that regard. But, yes, we rented a top-class grand piano, a Yamaha CFX, used a top-class studio, and we called in top-class engineers, tuners, and musicians to record, so of course we could only record locally on that day and at that time. I also explained to Hanyu-san that we were approaching this as a "one-time-only" situation. So, it had to be finalized by that point. It was a gamble, but I believed that only top professionals could match the level required for Hanyu’s stage. I approached it with confidence, and in the end, he was very pleased with the final piece. Q: I think you must have enjoyed the once-in-a-lifetime experience, even though it was time-consuming and difficult.

A: Yes, there is a thrill to it. Also, as for "Messenger of Ruin," it is based on the game "Final Fantasy." Nobuo Uematsu is a world-famous composer whom both Hanyu and I respect. Both Hanyu and I love the game "Final Fantasy." We both play it, and we debate what we think about it. That's how passionate we are about it, so even as a game fan, I don't want to just mess with the song as I please. After all, if someone messes with something you like, you’ll think, "What the heck?" So I don't want to change the song completely just because it's Hanyu's stage. After all, there has to be respect for the game and for Uematsu.

On the other hand, the most difficult part of game music is that it is always looping (repeating). There is no “end” point, so you have to add new parts.  Also, the length of the program that Hanyu-san had in mind had to be twice as long as the original “Messenger of Ruin”. Looping the same thing twice would have left the audience unsatisfied, so how do you develop it without destroying the worldview? And since it’s a performance, it has to build up towards the end. So, half of the music was reproduced with the band as it was in the original, and the other half was my own creation. So, I hope that Uematsu-san will be satisfied with that, and I hope that “Final Fantasy” fans will be satisfied with it too. I wanted to create something exciting that would suit this stage. It was very difficult to gather all of these elements. Q: What were your impressions after seeing the Yokohama performance?

A: It's been a long time since I've had goosebumps. Also, after this was over, I told Hanyu-san directly that I was really worried he might collapse. From the initial planning stage, I was more worried about him than about my music, and when he said, "I'm thinking of doing something like this," I said, "You've got to be kidding me." "Can you really do that? A human being?" First of all, he's trying to do something difficult just by doing a one-man (solo show), and then after all those performances, this "Messenger of Ruin" comes. I was worried, like, "Isn't that just a dream?" or "Can one person do that with their physical strength?" So, when he managed to do it, I felt a sense of divinity, like I was witnessing a moment when a person really did something beyond human strength, and at the same time, I felt a sense of fear as a close friend, like, "Are you okay?" or "Has he collapsed backstage?" But in "Final Fantasy," there's a line that says, "Do you need a reason to help someone?" Hanyu-san quoted that line in response to me. I thought that was really cool. This time, the theme was "Pray = Prayer," and I think Hanyu’s own “prayer” from the depths of his soul was also reflected in the theme. It's not like the Passion of Christ, but I thought later that maybe there was a feeling that "I have to give this much of myself" within him. Q: Moreover, if it were a one-night show like "Gift," it might be okay to burn out, but since it was a tour, he couldn’t afford to burn out.

A: Yes, that's true. I've always thought that the things he thinks are different from other people, but coming here has made me realise that he's different from other people in terms of what he can do and his physical potential.

Q: He has also performed solo shows like "Prologue" and "Gift", and I think he’s constantly evolving.

A: That's right. I also thought that Hanyu approaches each moment by embracing the limits of what can be achieved as part of his aesthetic. After all, even with Hanyu’s abilities, there may be physical limitations and various other issues that could affect what he can do 10 years from now. So, I think he is doing the best he can in the moment. Q: Hanyu has been running non-stop since he turned professional, so I feel like it’s okay not to be in such a hurry.

A: I always mention that on video calls, but he always just laughs, like, "Hehehe." But, you know, the way he laughs, "Hehehe," makes me feel like the protagonist from a movie or game who knows they can never return. Maybe it's because he thinks it would sound trivial, but he doesn't really verbalize those kind of core matters in our conversations, intentionally. While he passionately talks about his thoughts on his performances, he tends to avoid putting concerns or heartfelt feelings into words. I’m not sure if he’s embarrassed or something else, but that aspect makes me want to support him even more. It’s quite cool. Q: Do you have any ideas for songs you would like to collaborate with Hanyu in the future?

A: There are many, but for example, in classical music, Debussy's "Clair de Lune". I’d also like to try some more upbeat and rhythmic songs. Additionally, pieces like "Haru yo, Koi" and "Rondo Capriccioso," which have original versions but have been arranged to give them a new expression specifically for Hanyu-san. Through this process, I hope to create new interpretations of classic masterpieces as part of the repertoire that only Hanyu can bring to life. Also, this may be something Hanyu-san is thinking of doing next, but I would really like to do an original piece. A piece made just for Hanyu-san. Hanyu-san has strong philosophical and emotional sentiments, and he always has them clearly in his mind, so I would like him to perform with the idea that "I turned those into a song." Q: Kiyozuka imagines what Hanyu is thinking, and the two of you create a program together.

A: Yes, that's right. It would be wonderful if we could gradually create something together and eventually produce an original piece. It's perfect, isn't it, for a figure skater like that to have a song. After all, only Yuzuru Hanyu, who has his own philosophy and story, can do it. Just having skill or popularity alone doesn't suffice. If you have a piece of music just for the sake of it, it becomes cheap. It would just be a gimmick or a marketing tool. But in his case, it makes sense. Q: Have you ever had such conversations with Hanyu?

A: Just a little. It's been mentioned in our casual conversation as one of my dreams.

Q: What did Hanyu say at that time?

A: He was very serious and said, "Actually I would have liked to have talked about it myself."

(※Up to this point, we conducted a joint interview. The following is from individual interview)

Q: I believe your first encounter with Hanyu was in 2018 when you collaborated on Fantasy on Ice. What was the biggest shock to you at that time?

A: I was really impressed that a figure skater could understand music so well and adapt to it so well. I don't remember how many times we did it in total, but during the tour, the performance time differed by about one minute between the fastest tempo and the slowest tempo. I was really shocked by how much he enjoyed and embraced such variation. Q: I think it's quite a big deal to change the length of a song by almost a minute, but did you have any meetings like, "Let's take it a little slower today"? Or was it just based on a mutual feeling?

A: It wasn’t something discussed in advance. Sometimes it happened based on the atmosphere of the moment. Since I’m human too, even if I intend to play the same way every time, there might be slight variations in tempo, or I might become more passionate during the chorus and play more intensely, or vice versa.

For example, if there’s a long note in the music meant to create a lingering effect, and I hold that note longer than usual, the length of that part extends. In response, the performance adjusts accordingly. That’s what’s remarkable. Specifically, at the end of ‘Haru yo, Koi,' the final 'Jaaan!' note expressed something like the scattering of petals, a sense of poignancy and transience, and I couldn't take my hands off the keyboard at the end. There was a lingering sound on the ice rink, and when I played the long 'Jaaan,' he added movement to that entire sound. We hadn’t discussed this in advance. Even in the demo performance, I didn’t play it that long. So I thought, 'That’s amazing.' It’s something a top-tier artist would do. It’s as if he thought, 'The other person is still playing. Great, let me add something here.' I think this is a musical skill. Even though the piece was over and applause had probably started, he kept adding subtle movements without stopping the performance. I was truly amazed by the level of musical sensitivity he had.

Q: When Hanyu appeared as a guest on Kiyozuka's music show, he said, " I adjust to the performance, not the song" That's exactly what it means.

A: That's exactly right. If you're performing according to the music, you'll probably end up with a pre-determined performance that says, "This is how it should end here." But in his case, he responds to what the performer is doing each time, which is a unique sense that he has. It's not something you can prepare for in advance, and I believe it requires a genuine skill to achieve. Q: In that program, he mentioned that in his competition program, "When I tried to match my spins to the music, the number of rotations was not enough." Is this a dilemma you feel from the perspective of placing importance on musical expression?

A: Yes, there’s definitely a dilemma when the music and the performance don’t align perfectly. However, in competitions, there’s a component in the artistic program score called 'musical interpretation.' For example, during 'Roncapu' he scored incredibly high, and I think his understanding of the music was likely a factor in that. On the other hand, I wonder how musical interpretation is actually judged. Personally, I think it would be better to have a musician among the judges (laughs). Q: When Hanyu turned professional, he said, "I finally became a professional." It seemed like he had always wanted to do it as a pro, and maybe he had too much to express.

A: Yes, I have mentioned this to him directly, but I felt that towards the latter half of his competitive career, he was feeling somewhat restricted. It felt like what he wanted to do was extending beyond the scope of competition. In competitions, you have to perform within the constraints of technique and time, and you have to score points. I felt that the dimension he wanted to explore was no longer fitting within that framework.

Additionally, there is a growing focus on jumps in the sport. I’ve felt in recent years that this trend has become stronger in figure skating overall. However, I believe figure skating is not just about jumping. Q: That’s true.

A: That's why I think it's amazing that Hanyu has turned professional and is now showing figure skating as a comprehensive art form. Q: I’m not sure if this analogy is entirely accurate, but in the world of classical music, musicians often compete in competitions aiming for top positions. Then, they go on to hold recitals as professionals and venture into new realms. I wonder if Hanyu’s transition to professional skating reflects something similar. He honed his skills in the competitive world and is now expanding into the realms of entertainment and art.

A: Yes, I’ve had similar experiences myself, so I think this is something in common. But I believe that figure skating tends to bring about more significant changes in its world. I think we have the potential to continue in a similar vein. However, just because you win first place in a competition doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll become popular or that you’ll be able to do interesting things. The performance from a competition isn’t always suitable for a concert setting. For the first year or two, there’s value in hearing the 'first-place performance' from a competition. However, new winners will emerge, and you can’t keep doing the same thing forever. I believe there needs to be a philosophy of 'what you want to express as a musician' behind it. Many artists reach an impasse in this regard. Determining what you want to express as a musician is a very challenging issue, and there is a clear divide between those who have it and those who do not.

In that respect, Hanyu-san seems to have almost too much philosophy. The competitive framework was just too small for him. As I mentioned earlier, when we were creating 'Roncapu,' I felt that constraint very strongly. In a short program of about 3 minutes, you can usually predict when the spins and jumps will occur. So, I planned arrangements based on the assumption of how the spins and jumps would fit. However, within those assumptions, Hanyu-san felt extremely constrained. I had a sense of this, and it seems he was aware that I was feeling that way (laughs). Recently, our conversations often touch on this topic, and it seems that Hanyu-san was in a similar mindset. It’s amazing how someone with such a unique perspective experiences their own particular struggles. It's as if the size (of what he thinks) doesn't fit anymore. Q: I’m sure Kiyozuka feels a great deal of sympathy for that too.

A: Yes, I really feel that way. Moreover, for those people, what they value most is rather the conventional aspects of technique. Bando Tamasaburo often says, "Breaking the form (being unconventional) is different from having no form," and what he means is that you must not fall into "having no form." Only those who have a form can break it. That's why he says you have to hold on to the form. After all, the more someone wants to "do something new," the more they will come to realise the value of that "form." I think he values that aspect. Perhaps he values the basic method more than he did when he was still comnpeting. I feel that way when I watch "RE_PRAY" now. It’s not just about being free; it’s because he has something he wants to express that he has come to recognise the value of these things anew. Q: He has solid technique and skates as if he is one with the music, as if he were actually playing the music. Where does that kind of performance come from?

A: It must involve an incredibly intense level of listening and focus. I think he is in a state where he can listen to the sound of the piece better than I can play it. Given his already exceptional concentration, I think he listens with such intense focus that it might even be exhausting for him. He’s not just passively listening; he’s analysing the music. This isn’t something that can be achieved without ability, but more importantly, it’s not something that can be done without passion. It really feels like he is devoting himself wholeheartedly. Q: When collaborating live, if he can fit the music so perfectly, I'm sure Kiyozuka also gets really into it and feels great while performing.

A: Well, rather than feeling enjoyable, it’s more like a challenge. "I've listened to this far," he would say in a very stoic manner, which can also be taken as a way of saying, "How much soul did you put into this sound?" and "Does it match my performance?" Of course, he himself wouldn’t say such things. So, if I don’t have a similar level of commitment, I can’t match him as a counterpart. Q: Everyone who works with Hanyu says the same thing.

A: That's because he doesn't just say it, he actually does it. It makes you think, "He's going to that extent..." It makes you question, "Am I a good match for him?" There are some aspects that make you nervous. Q: Is it hard to find someone like that?

A: People like that are quite rare. Especially these days, when the emphasis is on working with a sense of balance and ease. In that regard, the classical world also has a very stoic side, so working with him is incredibly rewarding and stimulating for me. Q: I imagine there were many difficulties, such as the rules for collaborating at a live show, but how did you go about aligning those aspects?

A: When it comes to collaborating, we examine what’s feasible and what’s not based on each other’s skills. However, we don’t always have unlimited time, and with performances coming one after another, his ability to pinpoint what needs to be discussed is exceptional. He’s incredibly sharp and highly knowledgeable about performing live. He quickly identifies the crucial points that need to be addressed. Once those points are determined, he stands firm and doesn’t compromise. That’s his style. Hanyu-san has specific goals he wants to achieve, and the challenging part is the work required to implement those goals as means. It’s not about bringing something particularly radical. It’s about expressing his musicality, goals, and philosophy. To convey that, there can be no compromise; it’s a fundamental principle for any performer. Hanyu-san reminds us of this principle time and again. Q: Thank you for sharing your valuable story. Lastly, please give some words of encouragement to Hanyu.

A: Until now, I've supported "RE PRAY" but also worried about whether it's okay for him to do something like that, but Hanyu-san has made up his mind, and has dedicated himself to it to the point that I feel it would be rude to even worry about him. I also felt the strength of his belief that "this is all I have." And rather than worrying, I'm determined to "follow him wherever he goes," and I hope that I can continue to support him, encourage him, and sometimes even fight alongside him.

Source: Quadruple Axel 2024 #羽生結弦 SPECIAL pg 82-87 Info: https://x.com/AxelQuadruple/status/1790025373582860575

[wildflowerluver]

HI I LOVE YOUR WORKS AND YOURE AWESOME !!! some of my fav hotch fics ever for real <3

if you’re still looking for ideas for the aaron hurt/comfort idea you posted about i thought i'd try to supply you with inspo ! maybe reader is an anxious overthinker (couldn't be any of us hotch stans wdym) and is feeling really anxious bc they feel like they made a friend mad/upset for some reason bc the friend seemed a little off + hasn't replied to readers messages. so poor reader is just so concerned and scared they did something wrong and on top of that they're tired, stressed, and overall overwhelmed so they just CRYYY and ofc hotch comes along and does his comfort thing and reasons through it with them. and then reader's friend texts them back like hey sorry i was really busy today but yeah! we should definitely go out more, i had a ton of fun today!! bc we need closure here LOL and then reader can cuddle and fall asleep with hotch to get out any lingering anxiety and take care of that sleepiness fr

THIS IS SO LONG IM SORRY MY BRAIN WAS TRYING SO HARD TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING AND IT TRIED A LITTLE TOO HARD I THINK LMAO hopefully this sparks something for you tho ! of course feel free to do what you wish with this, change it around, whatever it may be there's always no pressure !! happy vibes for you <3

(ria!!! thank u for ur request ily <33) fem!reader, anxiety, mentions of past friendship issues, hurt/comfort vibes, 1k words

��♡ɞ

you had a natural tendency to overthink.

every interaction, big or small, seemed to replay in your head for hours. had you said something off? did that person see something strange about you?

you were terrified to tell aaron about your struggles with anxiety and overthinking. it hadn’t gone well in the past several times and you didn’t want aaron to leave too. but, he didn’t. it never even crossed your mind.

aaron collected you in his arms, squeezing you tightly and thanking you for telling him. he asked what you needed from him.

“reassurance,” you spoke tentatively. not once had a previous partner asked how they could help. “and maybe a kiss.”

his laugh was full-body, lips upturning. “i think both of those can definitely be arranged.”

___

aaron hadn’t been home a lot recently.

he was away on a case down in texas, then swarmed with meetings and paperwork, another local case, and more paperwork. the absence of him was starting to impact you severely.

just in the way you were open about your anxiety, he was open about his job and the time aspect of it. he called or texted, reassuring (like he promised), that he would be home soon or the timeframe of the case. you just couldn’t help your intrusive thoughts from creeping up. 

you tried to fill his absence in a productive way, maximizing the time you had outside of work by reaching out to some friends to hang out. your friend B and you set up a lunch date. she was a close friend and you knew being in her company would help your mood.

usually when you’re with her, time seems to go by fast and conversation flows easily. this time was the opposite. you had met for lunch downtown and expected it to be like it always was. instead, it felt so forced it was almost uncomfortable. naturally, your brain had drifted into believing it was something you had said.

you were on autopilot going home, brain reeling at lunch. you wanted aaron. he always knew what to say or do and was your number one comfort. but he wasn’t here. 

you trudged into the house, haphazardly dropping your bag. you sat in front of the fireplace, it wasn’t warm but in your mind it was. 

it was the first time in weeks you felt like you had a moment to stop. 

the tears came hot and fast.

you buried your head in your knees, arms wrapping around your legs as your body shook. everything felt wrong and you were so terrified you had hurt B.

you were exhausted. 

the back door open and closed. you hardly took notice. your head was pounding.

“honey!” aaron’s voice rang through the home. “i’m home!”

his voice only made you cry harder, though you kept your sobs muffled by the fabric of your pants. it was early, he shouldn’t be home yet. why was he home?

“honey?” he called again. “i got off early today, sent the entire team home early too. figured we all-”

he stopped dead in his tracks when he entered the living room and his eyes fell on you. “oh, honey.”

in an instant, aaron was kneeling down at your side. the second his hand touched your back, you broke. you threw your body into him, needing to feel him close. he held you while you cried, hand rubbing up your back. he didn’t shush you or help you calm down just yet. you just needed to cry.

after a few minutes aaron pulled back, hands reaching up to cup your face. he thumbed away a few stray tears that continued to roll. 

“what’s hurting you?”

you took a deep breath before explaining. it was always easy with aaron to be honest. you rambled about his absence, how you missed him, how work had been a little tough lately, lunch with B, how you feel like you said or did something that made it feel off. everything.

though aaron had sat back on the carpet, your hands remained interlocked. he squeezed them occasionally throughout your words.

he collected you in his arms when you finished. “i’m so sorry about being away. i shouldn’t be going anywhere for awhile. i’m sure B is okay. you didn’t say anything off. maybe she was just having a bad day.”

your phone dinged on the table.

aaron picked it up, features softening at the text. perfect timing.

‘hey! so sorry if i seemed a little off at lunch today - work has just been super crazy and i got an email right before about a deadline being pushed up so i was distracted. it was still so so nice to get together, we should definitely do it again sometime soon!!’

he showed you the text B just sent. his hand fell to the small of your back again, finding the patch of exposed skin and leaving his hand there. 

B’s text eased your anxiety. you didn’t do anything wrong. she was just having an off day.

��do you feel better? about B at least?”

you hummed. “a little, yeah.”

you slumped into aaron’s side. “can we go lay down for a little?”

he kissed your cheek. “absolutely.” 

aaron guided you upstairs, stopping though to put his work things away though he motioned for you to head into the bedroom to get settled.

you kept the lights in the room off before crawling into bed. physical and mental exhaustion was clouding your brain.  

aaron padded in a few seconds after you, quickly changing out of his work clothes and into soft sweatpants and a shirt. he stopped at the edge of the bed, eyes peering down at you.

“how are we doing this tonight?” he motioned toward the bed with his hand.

“can you just hold me?”

he smiled softly. “of course honey.”

aaron slid under the covers beside you. he raised one arm, an open invitation for you to curl up. you did, sliding over and tangling your legs with his. he, in turn, tucked you under his chin and brought his arms to cocoon around you.

“it’s gonna be okay, i promise.”

he sealed his words with a strong kiss to the crown of your head. 

somehow you knew it would.

[choices-binglebonkus]

My Current CoP2 Murderer Theory

WARNING: The following theory contains spoilers for the chapter 14 summary as well as content that may be disturbing. This theory includes mentions of emotional manipulation, murder, fratricide, and incest. Go no further if you don’t wish to be exposed to either spoilers or disturbing content.

So. This theory is a little out there, but like I said in my last post, I think it’s crazy enough to actually have some merit. I wouldn’t be surprised if I’m at least partially correct here.

Let’s not get too wild all at once, though. I’m going to start out with the easy stuff.

The chapter 14 summary makes the claim that one of Queen Viktoria’s daughters is an illegitimate child not fathered by King Maksim. Kaspar, Emika, and Patryk are not female, and Trystan is gender determinant. This leaves only Lydea and Astrid as the two contenders for Viktoria’s lovechild. And, as the summary states, *ONE* of her daughters is illegitimate, so it isn’t both.

Let’s take a look at Astrid first. She’s spoiled, petulant, bratty as hell, and seems to have no positive relationships with ANY of the other Thornes, while everyone else seems to have at least one sibling or parent they’re close with (except Patryk. Sorry man.) And if the order of heirs includes the illegitimate Thornes, she’s fourth in line for the throne only behind Lydea, Vasili, and Trystan. However, even though she’s one of the older Thornes, her parents don’t seem to favor her very much. Her mother in particular has Lydea sabotage Astrid’s relationship because her boyfriend was “socially unbearable” with “risky” political leanings.

Needless to say, Astrid isn’t anybody’s favorite in the family.

Lydea, however, seems to be Queen Viktoria’s favorite. Sergeant of the Royal Guard eventually promoted to Captain of the Royal Guard, and before Trystan was reinstated as heir, she was the heir to the throne of Drakovia. She is described as a key player in international politics, and has extensive experience in combat and covertness to match. She’s the one Queen Viktoria sends to America to personally arrest Trystan and bring them back to Drakovia. In other words, she’s the Queen’s favorite, yes, but also her right hand.

Why would Queen Viktoria favor Lydea out of all her other children unless she were the secret lovechild?

That is the first part of my theory: that Lydea Thorne, Captain of the Royal Guard, former heir to the throne, is Queen Viktoria’s illegitimate child.

Now, the next part of my theory covers the events of chapter 12 in which Sebastyan Thorne, previously our prime suspect in the investigation, is found murdered. Murdered by having his throat slit, which is exactly how Nadja Zoric died. Now, I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but would it be a huge leap to assume that Bas was also garroted to death?

A little about the garrote. The garrote is a handheld weapon used to strangle a person, primarily for silent or stealthy kills. It can be made of chain, rope, hell, even scarves, anything that allows for strangulation, or at the very least, the crushing of the larynx to hinder the victim’s communication capabilities.

Let’s also take notice of the way Sebastyan is poised: he’s sitting in a private box, propped up against a chair and slumped over. Given the choice of wording when we first discover the blood coming from the box, “Blood leaks over the edge in a slow, thick dribble”, it’s reasonable to assume that Sebastyan was not murdered while he was sitting: the majority of the blood would have been on or around his chair instead. Rather, Sebastyan seems to have been positioned there, and that is WILD considering there was about a ~2 minute timeframe between Colette losing track of him and us finding his freshly murdered, still bleeding corpse.

But what was he doing in the private box in the first place? The fashion show was over at that point. What reason did he have to be up there?

We see Sebastyan constantly looking at his phone throughout the chapter, noticeably tense. He’s outraged, obviously, that the main character and Trystan have stolen his ledger, but notice how his aggravation flares up when you call him out about being on his phone.

Almost like he was hiding something. Hiding something like him being watched.

But who was watching him?

When he answers a call just before the runway, he seethes into the phone that the person shouldn’t be calling him and that their negotiation was final. He then asks if they’re sure they want to pursue “this”, and that it didn’t end well for the last person who tried.

Later on in the evening, he says he knows why the main character and Trystan were in his office, and that he was aware they had his ledger, then requests that the main character talk to him in private. If the main character tries to take him up on his offer, he grows visibly nervous and says, “Not now. There are too many eyes.”

He was most certainly being watched, and eventually, lured to his death.

But this all begs the question…what was Sebastyan’s final negotiation? What happened to the last person who tried to pursue it? And who were they?

Well, dear readers, I believe Sebastyan was alluding to one Nadja Zoric.

“But Binglebonkus,” I hear you ask, “Sebastyan and Nadja were in alignment with the Heir Act. If that’s what Sebastyan was referring to on the phone, why would he suddenly be so discouraging of it to his caller?”

In chapter 11, we see Vasili—previously unmentioned until this very moment, I hasten to add—leaning in while Sebastyan was arguing for the Heir Act in front of the Drakovian Legislation and whispering something that only his brother could hear. Almost like he was coaching him, instructing him, something of that nature.

It’s also mentioned that Sebastyan and Vasili were very close growing up, as Vasili looked out for him. By extension, Lydea and Sebastyan also got along because of the closeness she and Vasili shared. In addition, Lydea took Sebastyan under her wing and protected him from torment at the hands of Astrid, the twins, and Patryk.

Something else to note is that, despite Vasili’s desire to remain uninvolved with the Heir Act, he does support it, and as previously mentioned, he instructs Sebastyan as he argued in favor of it before the Legislation.

Lydea, however, hasn’t made her stance clear on the Heir Act. And this, right here, is very telling on its own. If we’re going based on my theory that Lydea is Queen Viktoria’s illegitimate child, it’s entirely possible that Lydea is aware of her illegitimacy, and that by not expressing her views on the Heir Act one way or another, she’s keeping any suspicion at bay.

But given her closeness with Vasili, and by extension, Sebastyan, as well as her ostensible illegitimacy, it’s likely she feels some sort of way about the Heir Act. And by “some sort of way”, I mean that, however covertly she can, she supports it.

So here we have Sebastyan growing up, tormented by the legitimate heirs. He’s got his mother who favors him, and he eventually has a little sister when Marguerite is born years later. His dad always turned a blind eye to the treatment of his illegitimate children and truly only paid Trystan any mind.

How much of a blessing is it, then, when he has Vasili, his protective big brother, and Lydea, the only one of the king’s legitimate children to actively defend and help him? How relieved must he have felt? How reverent of them was he due to their actions which, in his position, may as well have been deserving of sainthood?

More importantly…what would Sebastyan do to thank them? To prove himself worthy of all their kindness?

It might have started with a seemingly innocent statement on Vasili’s part. Perhaps he expressed how he wished he could have had the chance to be king conveniently where Sebastyan could hear, only to not bring it up again for some time. Just enough time, anyway, to have planted the seed in Sebastyan’s mind, to let it grow. Maybe he dropped a few more subtle hints, but then the subtle hints became less subtle the longer they went on. Maybe Vasili eventually outright told Sebastyan that he would have been a great king. And Sebastyan, already so fiercely loyal to Vasili, would have agreed. He was a great big brother, so why not a great king?

Here's where the theory gets fucked up. And I do mean REALLY fucked up. Disclaimer: at this point, this theory is almost entirely conjecture and speculation, but bear with me.

Vasili was the oldest of the king’s illegitimate children. While he was Sebastyan’s big brother and protector, he didn’t have anyone to fill that role for himself. While it may have been bearable at first, when more legitimate Thorne heirs were born, he felt isolated. Alone. Positively desolate. No one else understood. No one else felt what he felt.

Then, perhaps, Lydea, when she was old enough, learned the truth about her birthright. Perhaps, in a moment of her own vulnerability, she sought Vasili’s insights. He was older than her, and he was the only other person who could have possibility understood what she was feeling.

Vasili, of course, was in awe. He was equally incredulous that he, too, now had someone else understand his plight. This, if you’ll allow me to continue speculating, may have been the start of their tight-knit dynamic.

But now, the two of them shared knowledge that sat heavy in their minds, especially as they grew up together. They were raised as half-siblings, yes, but Lydea’s revelation changed everything. They didn’t share a mother. They didn’t share a father. They didn’t share a drop of blood in their veins.

Yes. I’m going there. Lydea and Vasili Thorne fell in love with each other unbeknownst to their parents, their siblings, anyone, and started a romantic relationship as they continued to be raised together as siblings.

I warned you it was fucked up.

They shared love for one another, and they shared a common goal: legitimize royal children born outside of wedlock. Most importantly: they shared a strong relationship with Sebastyan, Vasili’s full-brother and Lydea’s alleged half-brother. Of course, neither one of them informed Sebastyan of Lydea’s birthright: they both knew they needed to keep things under wraps lest someone get ahold of Lydea’s secret and scandalize them both.

Years went by. Vasili and Lydea groomed Sebastyan to be a shrewd politician with a campaign to someday change the rules of legitimacy. Politics became Sebastyan’s entire life. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Drakovia with a BA in Politics and Foreign Relations.

Sometime along the way, however, he met Juliana Georgescu and Nadja Zoric, who were both ideologically motivated to push for a change in legitimization. Between the three of them (with some instruction and supervision from Vasili and Lydea), they started the campaign for the Drakovian Act for Heir Equity.

Eventually, Sebastyan fell in love with Juliana. But despite all the heavy implications throughout the story about their relationship, they were just that: heavy implications. A romantic involvement between the two of them was entirely unconfirmed.

But do you want to hear something interesting? In chapter 12 if you present Juliana’s inscribed locket to Lydea, it surprises her. “Lydea raises her eyebrow the smallest amount, but it’s enough to tell you she recognizes it.” She thumbed open the locket and read the romantic inscription under her breath, visibly unsettled as she utters the words, “To my love…”

But just as quickly as her emotions appeared, they were gone. As if she were trying to course-correct herself.

While I do believe that Lydea and Vasili shared a covert romantic relationship, (yes, I know, it’s disgusting no matter how many times I say it) it’s entirely possible that, to subvert any suspicion, Lydea pursued Juliana. Entirely as a ruse, of course, but she could have chosen worse. After all, Juliana’s end goals did align with hers and Vasili’s.

But then her feelings changed. Lydea found herself actively seeking Juliana’s company. She found herself enjoying the time they spent together. She found herself truly admiring Juliana. She was conflicted, of course. She had Vasili, after all. But she couldn’t deny that she was starting to feel something genuine for the countess.

Their relationship continued long enough for Lydea to gift Juliana a locket, the inscribed locket we find hidden away in Sebastyan’s desk in chapter 11, and the Nightingale whistle we find in Juliana’s room in chapter 9, with a note that read “Should you ever have need of me, you know how to find me”.

Unfortunately, Lydea wasn’t the only Thorne who fell for Juliana. Sebastyan, in his time working with her, developed his own feelings. Perhaps the infighting the two developed that ultimately stifled progress on the Act stemmed from his feelings of betrayal that Juli would choose his half-sister over him.

That’s how Juliana “broke [his] heart”. And only when Lydea realized the distress it was causing Sebastyan (and by extension, the Act) did she think to truly end things with Juli, who was on track to be promised to Trystan, anyway. Despite still having her relationship with Vasili, those feelings for Juliana never truly faded.

But somewhere along the way, Lydea slipped up. She got a little too curious and a little too invested in learning about Juliana’s progress with the Act. Juliana was obviously a smart woman, so this aroused a little suspicion in her, leading her to speculate and write in her journal her suspicions that one of the Queen’s children was illegitimate, and though she suspected Lydea, she graciously left her name out of her diary, perhaps out of some small, unnoticed sign of respect.

But Vasili noticed something was amiss. He noticed the sudden quarrels between his brother and Juliana, the lack of progress being made on the Act, and Lydea’s sudden eagerness to sever her relationship with Juliana.

He realized Juliana must have uncovered something. Something was percolating in her mind, and with the lack of progress being made on the Act, something had to give.

Vasili pursued her for months, a shadow lurking around her every corner. But what could she do? She was only a countess. He was a prince of Drakovia. She only grew more and more paranoid, which trickled down into even more tension between her and Sebastyan. Things came to a head the night of Marguerite’s fashion show. Everyone of importance was in attendance, but Trystan approached Vasili asking him to cover for them, as they wanted to get away from it all with Juliana.

Dutiful brother that he was, Vasili covered for Trystan and Juliana. He gave them a head start, allowing them enough time to get their yacht out onto the water, to get into bed together. Trystan had been drinking quite a bit that night. Vasili knew they would be out like a light in no time.

And this, of course, was the perfect opportunity to get her alone once and for all.

Vasili crept aboard that night, luring Juliana to the main deck with a similar bird whistle to the one Lydea gifted her. She begged him to leave her alone, to which he replied…

“But I finally found a way we can get everything we’ve always wanted.”

And what’s the first thing Vasili did in his attack?

“The figure steps forward, a gloved hand reaching for [Juliana’s] throat!”

Did you catch that?

Juliana’s throat.

Nadja’s throat was slit using a garrote. Sebastyan’s throat was slit with what we assume was a garrote. And Juliana, though her cause of death was ruled to be a head injury, was grabbed by the throat.

Vasili killed Juliana. He needed to cover up his and Lydea’s tracks. He hadn’t meant for the countess’s death to shelve the Heir Act, but if he waited and played the long game? He could turn things around.

He could use Juliana’s death to garner more support for the Heir Act.

Trystan was quickly blamed for the countess’s death and exiled. Lydea, the second in line for the throne, assumed the role of heir. From this new position of power, she and Vasili would be able to have eyes and ears practically everywhere in Drakovia. Not to mention the influence it brought.

But then, of course, Trystan stirred up trouble among the rabble in America. They’d gotten tangled up in the investigation of a serial killer, and Queen Viktoria was not happy, claiming it “disgraced” Drakovia. She sent her lovechild and right-hand, Lydea, to personally arrest Trystan and bring them back to Drakovia for a trial.

A trial that Vasili facilitated by pulling some strings and planting evidence to convince Nadja Zoric of Trystan’s guilt.

Of course, Trystan was found not guilty, and Juliana’s death was ruled an accident. But Nadja expressed interest in resurrecting the campaign they had shelved all those years ago.

Vasili could use this. He urged Sebastyan to call Nadja to the palace courtyard to discuss the Act, conveniently leaving out his true motives: to lure her into Trystan’s chambers and murder her.

Two out of three of the proponents for the Heir Act unexpectedly dead had to garner some kind of sympathy for the Act. Didn’t it?

It did not. But Sebastyan, after Nadja’s death, only became more driven, more restless. He continued to push, continued to fight, continued to demand the passing of the Act. Two of his fellow committee members had died. He had to finish their work. And he had Vasili and Lydea to help him.

His mother always worried that his support for the Act would make him a target. Before, he couldn’t have cared less. He wanted this for Vasili. Vasili would be a remarkable king, an even better ruler than Trystan, who he still saw as responsible for Juliana’s demise.

But then, ambivalence set in. Just a dash of uncertainty here and there, but even as spirited as his arguments before the Drakovian Legislation were, Lydea and Vasili could tell he was faltering.

Something had to be done.

A few days later, Sebastyan found Juliana’s locket—the one she used to wear—planted on his desk in plain sight at his office. That’s when he realized someone was trying to frame him.

He was shocked. Horrified. Furious. How dare someone leave this here? How dare someone try to use this against him? He took the locket and hid it behind a secret panel in the back of the desk, not having the heart to get rid of it. Not yet, anyway.

Something tugged at his memory. He recalled Lydea—one of his most trusted confidants—and her relationship with Juli; a relationship that, out of seemingly nowhere, ended.

Lydea had given it to her. Lydea had given it to her, and somehow, it had found its way into his desk eight years after her death.

She had the means of planting it. She was the Captain of the Royal Guard, for god’s sake. But even if it weren’t her, someone had still planted this locket—this small remnant of Juli—on his desk in a public building.

But now? Juli was dead. Nadja was dead. And Trystan and their detective seemed to be especially leery of him.

Either he was their prime suspect, or he was about to join Juliana and Nadja.

He told Vasili he was going to shelve the Act again, that it wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, that he wanted some time and space. The world, it seemed, was closing in on Sebastyan, but he knew his big brother would understand.

But he did not.

Vasili was furious. He demanded Sebastyan reconsider his position, a plea delivered too late. Sebastyan’s mind was made up. It was better to be safe than sorry, after all.

If Sebastyan wasn’t going to be of any use to him alive, then maybe he’d be more useful dead.

The night of Marguerite’s second Drakovian fashion show rolled around. Sebastyan was walking that night at the behest of their little sister. But for days, he had been receiving texts that ranged from slightly unsettling to outright menacing. Tonight, they were at their most frequent, and their most threatening, but he did his best to ignore them.

Right before walking, he received a text that he was being watched, complete with a photo of him exactly where he was.

A second later, Vasili called him, and he realized exactly what was happening. His older brother—his guardian and faithful friend and protector—was coercing him into pushing for the Act. Vasili never had a history of blackmail or extortion that he knew of, but he was seeing a whole new side to him tonight.

Sebastyan realized Trystan and the detective had been looking at him practically all evening. Seeing little other option, he demanded to speak to the detective alone, but ultimately lacked the courage to do so since he knew eyes and ears were everywhere. If the world felt like it was closing in before, it felt like it was CRUSHING him now.

Eventually, as the night started to wind down, Vasili approached him in person, but there was no cold fury on his face. No, instead, there was regret; a deep sorrow behind his eyes. On his face was kindness, was genuine love and concern.

Vasili hesitantly asked Sebastyan for a moment to talk, brother-to-brother. He seemed so nervous and unsure of himself. It was clear he had something on his mind, but lacked the courage to say it outright.

Seeing the warring emotions on Vasili’s face, Sebastyan’s misgivings about him subsided. How could he think Vasili, his protector and confidant, would harm him in any way?

So the two of them went together to a private box overlooking an empty theater.

And only one came out.

Sebastyan’s death would carry more weight than it did Juliana and Nadja’s. He was a Drakovian prince, after all. Perhaps now, the Drakovian people would have to listen. The three of them, in the eyes of Drakovia, would be seen as martyrs who died for their cause. And in Drakovia, what nobler could a cause be if three young, brilliant minds had died in their quest to bring it to fruition?

Sebastyan was little more than a tool for Vasili to use, and once he stopped being useful, he simply discarded him. He had served his purpose. Now, it would elevate Vasili in the family. What’s his little brother’s death when it would make him King of Drakovia?

All he had to do was find some way to be rid of Trystan and the crown was his.

tl;dr—Vasili and Lydea, two non blood-related illegitimate children, formed a semi-incestuous romance in which the two of them groomed Sebastyan into a politician to push for what would become the Drakovian Act for Heir Equity. Vasili systematically murdered Juliana, Nadja, and eventually Sebastyan to garner support for the Act by turning them into martyrs.

[siphersaysstuff]

MAY MECH MARATHON

So for May's Patreon-backed @tfwiki toy picture batch, I got a wild hair. After last month's Exdimensions update, I realized that the wiki was missing Legend of the Microns (Armada) Exdimensions Twist (Makeshift), the only XD Emergency Team toy I hadn't done. So I did him up. Hooray!

Then the next day I was staring at the raw photos I took of Retro Hot Rod, which were in my Patreon "working" folder because I didn't have a "Retro" repository folder because I am almost certainly not going to get any others in this line, so I did his pic up... besides, it's the "flagship" toy of the line, it should get unique imagery. God he's gorgeous.

At that point I went " to hell with it" and decided that for each weekday in May, I'd do one toy pic from a random, whatever-I-felt-like selection. No overarching theme, and trying to hit a pretty broad swath of toylines and timeframes. Thus...

Not sure why I picked Universe Magna Stampede next. I actually had to dig him up to take these pics. I think I'd just chanced upon his stock imagery, which was craptastic and also showed the axe split in two, which I'm certain the toy is not supposed to do, and went "no, I'm'a fix this.

And this last week's updates...

I picked up Decoy Smokescreen for cheap at TFCon, and really, the wiki's Decoy coverage has been... lacking. Mostly in that they were sold in so many colors and different ways in Japan that the wiki barely touches on. Smokescreen's page is now the template for how Decoys should be, so I'll get to those in time.

There's not much story here with Animated Lugnut. Most of the wiki's Animated toy imagery is stock, and while stock quality had improved since 2003 (it'd almost have to), it's still not great. Taking pics of the real, final-release toy will almost always be preferable for a number of reasons.

Takara's Mega Super Collection Figure Starscream was part of the big early-2000s burst of G1 merch in Japan. A 5-inch fairly-posable soft-plastic figure with swappable parts, he and a handful of other big-name characters were made, plus several Legends of the Microns headliners.

Power Up VT6 is from the "Real Gear Robots" subline of the 2007 Transformers movie series, one of a large range of 1:1-scale toys that transform from personal electronic devices into robots. He's also one of the few whose altmode is not almost totally outdated. The Cybertron-based stickers on the early Real Gears led to the belief that these were canceled /re-assigned Cybertron toys, but nope! They were made specifically for the movie line, it's just that in order to get them into production, they had to get those decals out fast.

Remember Attacktix? No? Not shocking. Hasbro had an admittedly cool idea for an action tabletop game, started the line with Star Wars, and moved on to Transformers. Yes, officially, you could have Optimus Prime fight Darth Vader. Battle Ravage was one of the booster-pack common pieces (laughably officially "Rare"). You rolled his base forward a set number of "tix" (a clicky-thing in the base counted them off), then could use his spring-loaded waist to swing the mace-ball in the hopes of knocking over your opponent's pieces. There's other rules but that's the jist of it. Each booster-pack piece commonly came with a black base, but there was a roughly 1-in-8 chance of getting a silver-chrome base one, which had no gameplay differences but it was shiny. Sadly, the whole Attacktix line was cancelled after only one series of Transformers pieces were released, with several more based on Generation 1 shown off but doomed to never see release.

Next Saturday, I'll update with the pics done over the course of this coming week!

And remember, if you like these big pic jaunts, you can help make this bigger and better by tossing a tip via Patreon. Just look up "gregstfwikipics" at that site! You can even help pick a monthly theme!

[zoomingupthathill]

UPDATED - IF YOU PREFER THE PREVIOUS VERSE ; WE CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT DOING SOMETHING DURING THAT TIMEFRAME INSTEAD -- THIS JUST SEEMED TO MAKE A LITTLE MORE SENSE. Dead By Daylight Verse (work in progress, and if you know the game and the mechanics better than I do, please give me some pointers.) If you write a Billy, and are not okay with the changes I made, we do not have to write them that way -- This verse is completely open, and can be adjusted as needed. Any interactions for this verse will take place within the new worlds, after the entity has dragged her to their own twisted idea of a game. Unless plotted otherwise. Head canons will be added, and the verse may end up growing, or dividing into separate mini verses --depending on who/how we're interacting.

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

It had been a couple years after Billy's death, or what they assumed was his death -- little did she know he was actually taken by the entity... After Vecna, and once she wakes up from her coma -- the redhead never learns. Max is investigating something at The Hawkins Lab.. Trying to get to the bottom of The Upside Down, trying to get Hawkins back to normal. Fix the thing she still blames herself for.... She shouldn't have gone alone, but she didn't want to bring her friends into yet another dangerous plan. This one was on her, she would fix it, or die trying. Unfortunately things didn't go as planned, she didn't even scratch the surface on the reason that she went there -- the entity closing in on her. Snatching her up and delivering her to another dimension, or world? She isn't entirely sure.

This verse is a mixture of The Upside Down existing, but DBD taking over -- pulling her into that world instead. Facing an completely different kind of monster, entirely different challenges, and obstacles. Perks, and abilities found along the way, bettering her chances, but the idea of death, and failing loom extremely close.

In this verse she is eighteen, because the entity does not take children. So in respect to DBD, and the fact that it has been years of her being in a coma -- she's eighteen.

[mycroftrh]

Ao3 writers have I got a life hack for YOU

Do you want podfic* made of your fic?  Does that sound like the coolest thing ever?  Have you dreamed of it for years?  Now that you’ve read the footnote and know what podfic is will you be dreaming of it now?  Then boy howdy do I have just the trick for you!

First, you’re gonna go on all of your fics and smack on some of these bad boys:

[Image is of Ao3 tags reading "Podfic Welcome" and "Blanket Permission".]

Then you go to your profile and put up one of these suckers:

BLANKET PERMISSION:

Feel free to transform my transformative works in any way that pleases you! That includes, but is not limited to, podfic, fanart, fancraft, translations, and remixes.

Please link back to my work on which yours is based, but you don't need to ask for permission. (This is your permission right here.) If it's a podfic and you need to/want to edit it in order to adapt it (remove/add dialogue tags, change wording, etc.) I'd appreciate it if you included a note stating that you have done so. Also, sidenote, if you're reading this you're the best and it's important to me that you to know that <3

(The exact wording and details are up to you - you may have different desires regarding some of these things.  The important parts are “Blanket Permission” and “you don’t need to ask for permission”.  If you want to just copy-paste this that’s also chill.)

Now sit back and wait for your trap to snap >:)

If you have a reasonable amount of short fic (longfic is a lot less likely to catch podficcers statistically), you WILL get podficced or your money back!  [No timeframe guaranteed; patience will be required.  Some terms and conditions may apply.]

*Podfic is like an audiobook of your fic.  Someone narrates it, does voice acting, may do sound effects or voice effects, may make album cover art, etc.  It’s epic.