#so if i want to say it that way then I'd have to attach possibly dansk rotte to it too?

[jaxrants]

So uhhh, little update on how things are going..

TW: slight vent, m*th mention, drug use, bad mom, bad guardians, age regression, jealousy, I think that's it, please let me know if not

So for those that don't know, I'm living with my grandparents on my stepdads side now because my mom had m*th in her system (again) when we went to court, I'm going to school now, but I sit in a computer room all day, so there really is no sense in me going when I can just do the work at home. My anxiety shit is getting a little better, then immediatly getting worse. My case worker has to give me a full psychological exam, sign me up for therapy, and just it's a whole lot of shit and the damn trauma assessment person is the one that's demanding all of this, so apparently I'm a whole lot more traumatized that I had originally thought.

Onto some things about me and Val:

I am getting more and more attached to her. I can't sleep unless we're otp, and most of the time, unless she hums to me I can't fall asleep. I might be a bit more of an age regressor than I had originally thought. I fully regressed to just baby talk a couple nights ago after a really rough anxiety attack. I'm so fucking happy she loves me. If she didn't, I don't know what I'd do. I'm so fucking happy with her (when my anxiety isn't being a bitch and causing questioning and shit) and I couldn't imagine my life without her. She graduates soon, and she's planning on finding work so that hopefully soon she'll be able to buy us a place and get me out of here. I plan on trying to help as soon as I possibly can. I have also realized just how jealous both me and Val can get too. She doesn't like any of my friends, and I don't like how she talks to one of them. Kassandra is someone who's been super nice to me, but I don't like her and Val talking. I worry Val will end up preferring her over me, as her and Kassandra are close, if not the exact same age, and I'm younger than both of them.

The whole sich with my dad:

He's still trying to get partial custody of me. He and my stepmom send me lots of gifts and stuff. He got me a computer and gave me 50 bucks for my birthday and miss sam just keeps buying me things. She just recently got me a whole lot of nail polish, a Cirkul thermos, and some other stuff. They're really cool.

Living with my grandparents:

It's honestly not all that fun. They constantly force me to go to school when I don't feel well (my voice was completely changed because of some sort of sickness and the still forced me to go), and I had a really bad panic attack at school, they still forced me to go back the next day. When we first got here, grandma had a TV from my uncle mike (from before he passed) and she stuck it in my sisters room at first, then gave it to me. Well, she took it last night because I don't leave my room often and because I don't let my sisters in here to watch it often. Like damn, I'm not being stengy, I'm just having a rough time and want to be alone. So I can no longer watch tv or listen to music when I'm playing like roblox and yandere sim on my computer (it makes the games laggy if I play it from my computer, and I use my phone to text Val, so I can't use it to listen to the music) and it essentially fucked up my entire system of listening to music/watching TV on it, playing/doing school work on my computer, and texting Val using my phone (or using my computer to text Val if I'm playing something on my phone)

School:

So far, I've made around about 10/15 "friends" (I don't know them all that well but say "Hi" if I see them) and lost 1 close friend that I made. (He was really creepy and touchy when I was going though that panic attack at school. At first, I thought that was just how he was with his friends, but it was later determined by his other friends that he was being really weird as he usually doesn't like being touched. He was like rubbing up and down my spine and my side but going just a little too far down. And he grabbed my face [in a way I'd only be comfortable with Val holding my face] and glanced down to my lips one time. I was honestly terrified he was going to try to kiss me. Both me and Val found it weird, and she no longer wanted me talking to him, so I don't).

I'm quite sure that's about everything. OH!! And I'm supposed to be being taken to get my hair cut and dyed here soon. We're doing black with like lilac or lavender, I haven't decided how I want the colors split yet, so if y'all have an idea or something, please lmk.

@purpleeggyboi @salem-the-puppet @blooming-skeleton @luciluck2046 @beecha @caretaleandotherstuff @evry1h8s-me

[somedaytakethetime]

He's literally obsessed with kicking the ball at this kid in this fashion lately... show off..

Bonus of my favourite, precious dansk rotte:

[corkinavoid]

DPxDC Ignorantia Neminem Excusat [part 2]

[Ignorance excuses no one, lat.]

[ <- part 1 ]

Now that Tim thinks about it, it does look ominous.

A seven feet tall, cylindrical glass tube that emits a soft, slightly pulsing green glow, countless cords and wires plugged into its base. It made sense at the moment — a giant space station needs a giant power source — but right now, when Tim knows what that entitles, it's... he bites on his cheek and looks back down to the tablet he is holding.

"Ten more minutes," he says, his words echoing off the walls of the room. Tucker nods, not taking his eyes off the battery — or, rather, a containment device.

Tim doesn't look at him either. The twisted, nagging sense of guilt is eating him alive: it's been almost two weeks since the legally nonexistent boy demanded a meeting with Batman. Two weeks since they've learned that the Watchtower's shiny new power source is just a fancy name for a cage holding an interdimensional being.

If it was up to Tim, he would have broken this glass the moment they've got their hands on the extensive, irrefutable proof that Tucker all but threw in their faces. Unfortunately, that would have resulted in the whole Watchtower losing power and possibly going off-course, and they couldn't risk it.

Tucker, with his pale, eerily still eyes, understood it. He said a week or two won't make a difference at this point, and the one held inside the capsule would have been gravely offended if his rescue ended up in malfunction of a whole space station. He said he'll wait, and he kept his back straight and his head high as they've spent those two weeks tracking and locating various other batteries and setting the souls within them free.

The seconds tick by so slowly that Tim feels like all three of them — him, Tucker, and the ghost inside the tube — are stuck in amber. He looks down to his tablet again.

Nine more minutes until all the main systems are safely switched to an emergency generator.

"Tell me about them," he asks, surprising even himself with it. Tucker turns to look at him, his eyebrows raised, the green light of the battery making him look like something out of a horror movie. Specifically the zombie apocalypse one.

"About who?"

Tim nods to the capsule in front of them.

"You're not exactly subtle," he shrugs when Tucker just keeps silently staring at him. "The way you spoke about this particular cell sounded like, whoever is inside it, you know them personally."

The silence stretches for a few more seconds, clogging Tim's ears like someone poured honey inside them. Then, Tucker looks away, his gaze returning to the capsule.

"He was my best friend since kindergarten," he says, and the air gets stuck in Tim's throat. "And I watched him die."

The other spirits that they've freed, they were all ghosts, souls of the deceased, Tim knows that. Some of them looked like blobs — emotional imprints, Tucker said — others took forms of animals or plants. They've seen a few humanoid ones as well, but it was easy to distance himself from them, to not get attached or involved. They were just faceless civilians, in a sense, however morbid that sounds.

And now, the sudden reminder of the fact that all of them were living beings once, that they've had friends, and families, and maybe their whole lives in front of them, feels like a punch to the gut.

"It's a bit ironic," Tucker continues, a humorless smile on his lips, "He wanted to be an astronaut. He wanted to go to space," he almost laughs, and the unnatural light of the tube makes his features look sharper than they are, "Beware of what you wish for, or something like that, I guess."

Tim stays quiet, forgetting to pay attention to the timer on screen.

"He was- he still is kind of a hero in our hometown," Tucker continues, "If I had to compare, I'd say he's a mix of Superman and Flash — heart of gold, but his mouth runs faster than his brain sometimes. And he kept somewhat of a nice relationship with most of his rogues, you know. Friendly banter and occasional team-ups and stuff." He takes a deep, steadying breath, his sad, bitter smile fading.

"It's what got him in here," he adds, the words falling into the silence like a rock in a pond. Tim blinks.

"Being nice to his rogues?" He clarifies, and Tucker snorts.

"No, I meant the heart and the banter, but, in a sense, you're not wrong either. As far as the agency's records go, he was captured while he was rescuing one of them." Tucker turns to look at the tablet in Tim's hands, "How much more?"

Tim looks down, abruptly reminded of the reason they are here.

"Uh, three more minutes," he says, but then grimaces and changes his mind. Bruce and the rest of the League can go fuck themselves, honestly, "Actually, you might want to start now. Disconnecting it would take time anyway," he shrugs, as nonchalant as it's possible in these circumstances.

Tucker stares at him, his eerie eyes looking almost grateful for a moment. And then Tim blinks and finds him on the other side of the room, kneeling on the floor with his fingers dancing over the battery's control panel.

Tim breathes out and looks at the ticking timer on his tablet. Two minutes and forty-five seconds. Tucker is a tech genius, they've all had time to see and appreciate it in the last two weeks, so he is surely going to finish working on the capsule sooner than two minutes. Yet, Tim can't bring himself to really care — he knows Bruce has probably set the timer with a few minutes of delay, just to play it safe. But even if he didn't, it's not like Watchtower will fall down from the orbit after a two-minute blackout, so-

A loud hiss interrupts his musings, and when Tim raises his head, he sees the glass wall of the capsule opening slowly, reluctantly sliding to the left. He only has a brief moment to be surprised — he knew Tucker worked fast when he wanted, but not that fast — before some kind of thick, green substance starts pouring out of it. Yet, instead of spilling on the floor, it glimmers and fades into thin air like fog.

This hadn't happened with any other batteries, Tim thinks, but then the capsule finally opens completely, and-

That's a person.

A person who looks the same age as Tim, his skin and hair lacking any kind of color to it like it's all bled out. A faded picture of a human being.

The toxic-looking liquid around him keeps leaking, turning into clouds of greenish white, ice cold steam. It's kind of pretty; it would have made a great picture, or, maybe, a painting if you ignore all the implications that brought it to life.

When the colorless boy starts falling, Tim doesn't even notice how he drops his tablet. He steps forward, reaching his hands out to catch him.

A moment later, he is holding a ghost in his arms. He is surprisingly — or maybe not so, considering his species — light; it's like holding something that's only slightly denser than air.

The boy sluggishly moves, shifting in his arms. His white, floating hair gets into Tim's nose, and he huffs, trying not to sneeze.

There's a quiet, almost sleepy moan that feels like a vibration on Tim's skin, and the boy lifts his head.

Tim's heart skips a beat.

His eyes are bright green, and they hold the whole universe within them.

Tags:

@thewisperwitch @yassjr @calisto112 @failedbimboinstem @yesdangerpls @restedenergy00 @tf-wildstrike

[moonchild9350]

Before You Go

Summary: you’d give or do anything for your boyfriend, especially if he pouts cutely at you.

Pairing: established relationship Han x fab!reader

Genre: smut-18+ MDNI

Word Count: 2.1k

Warnings: teasing, masturbation, handjob, oral sex (m & f receiving), clit play, clit slapping, dirty talk, unprotected sex (don't), squirting, creampie, taking nudes, thick cock Han lol

Notes: Jisung's pouts, that's it that's the post. I'd do anything for him if he pouted at me lol

Divider by: @cafekitsune

If you enjoyed please reblog, comment, or like ♡

Please do not copy, translate, modify, use, or repost this work elsewhere without my permission. ©moonchild9350 (2024)

“Babe, lemme fuck you.”

These four words stopped you in your tracks, your head snapping to look at your boyfriend sitting on your bed. You eyed him as he lounged on the bed, his hand placed behind his head as he smirked at you.

“What?” You responded you voiced laced with disbelief.

You were packing your suitcase, preparing for a trip with your girls in three days. You would be gone for one week and your boyfriend Jisung had much to say about it. He’s been nagging you nonstop, saying he’ll miss you and what will he do when you’re gone. Every chance he’ll get he attaches himself to you in some way…not that you cared much.

“Lemme fuck you!” He repeated, this time with a little desperation in his voice.

You stared at him, watching as he squeezed his thighs together, his bulge very much present in the gray sweatpants he was wearing.

Taking a deep breath you said in a sing song voice, “No.”

You walked away to gather more clothes as Jisung whined, his bottom lip jutting out like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

“Well what am I supposed to do about this?” He inquired, gesturing toward the tent in his pants.

“Go jerk off babe…without me,” you added as you noticed his eyes get big and bright as he probably thought of some grand idea to get through this slump.

“You hate me!” Jisung said as you walked out the bedroom, to go grab a snack.

“Whatever you say babe!” you teased as you smirked.

The next two days passed in a similar fashion with Jisung flashing his boba eyes at you and begging for sex, claiming he’s had blue balls for the last two days. You knew the last part to be true, but that just made him more whiny and desperate which you loved.

He tried everything from cooking you a nice dinner to even helping you pack, his little brain thinking you’ll give in and have sex. However, you were steadfast in your task, not budging in your decision.

The afternoon before your departure, you needed to make a quick drugstore run, picking up some last minute supplies. You pressed a chaste kiss to Jisung’s lips, chuckling as he chased after you hoping for more.

“I’ll be back babe!” You said as you shut the door, a little whimper from Jisung reaching your ears last minute. — — Once you were done with your errands, you made your way back to your apartment. You made it in record time, wanting to finish up packing as soon as possible so you could relax.

As you unlocked the door, you heard a low moan, the sound drawn out and laced with frustration. You tossed your keys on the hallway table, kicked off your shoes, and made your way towards the sound.

It seemed to grow louder as you neared your bedroom door. You smirked, knowing exactly what was going on behind the door, the thought causing your pussy to clench.

Taking a deep breath, you opened the door, your eyes zeroing in on your boyfriend laying spread eagle on the bread. His head was tossed back as he rhythmically stroked his cock, lewd wet sounds echoing in the room from the copious amounts of precum that was leaking from his tip.

“Fuck! Y/n, please!” Jisung whined as he canted his hips upwards as he picked up the pace.

You decided to stop his fun, walking over to the bed and slapping his hand away. He let out a loud groan in frustration, his wet eyes snapping to yours.

“Why’d you do that?” He whimpered, his cock twitching pathetically as it lay against his stomach neglected.

“Awww, are you having trouble babe? Hmm?” You teased, rising your eyebrow at him.

Jisung nodded his head, his lip jutting out as he wiggled on the bed. He was so hard it was almost painful, his length seeming to grow with each passing second.

“Answer me babe,” you cooed, crawling onto the bed as you shucked your top off.

Jisung’s eyes widened at the sight of your tits, the flesh all but spilling from your bra.

“Mmm yes baby, need- need your help…please, please,” he whimpered, his words trailing off to a whisper.

You chuckled as you approached him, licking your lips at the sight of his chubby cock.

“Poor baby,” you hummed, as you wrapped your hand around his length.

Jisung let out a hiss as you slowly stroked his shaft, your wrist circling around the head to gather more of the leaking pre cum. With your other hand, you fondled his balls, squeezing them gently as he thrashed around, high pitched moans leaving his lips.

“Mm close baby,” Jisung panted as he thrusted his hips up into your hand as you matched his pace.

“Already?” You smirked as you squeezed his cock causing him to yelp. “Aren’t you just desperate.”

Jisung whimpered as his breathing increased, his words a jumbled mess as he chased his high. You chuckled before leaning down to take him within your mouth. You bobbed your head once, twice, three times before darting your tongue out to press into his slit.

“I’m…I’m coming!” Jisung wailed as he shot ropes of his cum down your throat.

You suckled the head as he came, moaning around his length at the taste. Once he relaxed, his body going limp, you continued to suckle his cock, teasing his slit again and again until he was whimpering from the overstimulation.

He tugged on your hair, attempting to get you to stop, mumbling that it was too much. You released his cock with a pop and licked your lips, grinning at the man below you.

“Help me out babe,” you said as you popped your bra off and rid yourself of your sweatpants and panties.

You laid down and chuckled as Jisung eagerly laid on his belly, grasping your legs in the process. He spread your legs, moaning as he laid eyes on your wet folds, your arousal glistening in the light of the bedroom.

He leaned forward and licked a stripe up your folds and pressed a kiss to your clit. Jisung repeated the action again and again, grasping your legs tighter as you thrashed around.

“Mmm love your pussy,” he mumbled before sucking your swollen clit between his plush lips.

You moaned as he alternated between licking and sucking, his nose pressed flush against your mound as he ate you out like a man starved. You ran your fingers through his hair, grasping some of the strands as you rocked your hips against his tongue.

Jisung relaxed the muscle so you could get off as you pleased, the vibration from his moans sending little shocks through your core.

You were close as he was at your mercy, your belly tightening with each thrust of your hips.

“So close Sungie, so good, lemme just use you,” you said as you grasped his head harder and pulling him further flush against your pussy.

Jisung wrapped his lips around your clit once more before sucking hard, the sudden switch causing you to tip over the edge, your orgasm racking through your body. You continued to ride his face, coated his nose and chin with your arousal.

Once the last ebs of your high faded away, you released your hold on Jisung and tried to focus on your breathing. Jisung sat up with a huge grin on his face, his chin glistening.

He brought his hand to his hardened cock, stroking the length a few times before pinning your legs down to the bed.

“Can I fuck you?” Jisung asked as he looked down at you desperately, his big boba eyes traveling from your tits down to your pussy and then to your face.

You pretended to think for a moment, your eyes on his face. You thought about saying no once more, but you needed him just as much as he needed you. Your pussy clenched around nothing, your slick continually leaking out and dripping down your ass.

Jisung smirked, his eyes trained on your core. He brought a thumb to your clit and gently circled it, biting his lip as wet sounds echoed in the otherwise quiet room.

“Let me fuck you baby,” Jisung cooed as he continued to tease your bundle of nerves. “Your pussy needs me, listen to it, she’s talking to me.”

You whimpered as a wave of pleasure settled in your pelvis, the need to be filled by his thick cock on the forefront of your mind.

You gripped your thighs and held them open as you looked your lover in the eyes.

“Yes, fuck me Sungie,” you said in a sultry voice.

Jisung smiled and pushed the head of his cock through your folds, the flesh parting at the intrusion. He dragged his length from your clit down until the tip caught your entrance.

With a breath, he pushed in, your little hole stretching as it accommodated his length. You moaned at the pressure, loving how he filled you so good, so perfect.

Jisung thrusted his hips slowly, fucking just the tip within your entrance, mesmerized at how you took him so well.

Your walls were warm and wet, the sound your pussy made driving him insane. He needed to be within you and he needed it now. With a powerful thrust, he sheathed himself fully within you, letting out a loud groan as he settled within your thighs.

“Ahh!” You whined at the sudden intrusion, your eyes rolling back as he begin to pummel into you, his balls slapping your ass with each thrust.

You gripped your thighs, his biceps, the sheets, anything you could get ahold of as he fucked you deep and hard, his cock massaging your walls just right.

Jisung adjusted his hips so he could fuck into your sweet spot, sending little waves of pleasure through your core.

“Faster Sungie!” You begged as you took him in, watching as he fell apart above you.

His eyes were trained on his cock, watching as your entrance stretched around it, leaving behind your cream assisting with the glide. He let out a groan as you clenched around him, trying to keep him snug within you.

“Look at this mess baby,” he said as he watched your arousal mixed with your cream drip down your ass, coat the little hairs on his pelvis and your folds.

You groaned as his words, clenching your walls again and again as your pleasure built within. Jisung brought his thumb to your clit and flicked it, his cock twitching at how you responded, your body jerking at the shocks of pleasure he was giving you.

“Don’t stop,” you mumbled so close to your high, the warm feeling slowly spreading throughout your lower region.

“Gonna come? Come for me baby, give it to me,” Jisung growled as he slapped your clit.

You yelped at the sensation as he chuckled. Jisung loved your pussy, worshipped it, would do anything to make it cum, cream his length, and milk him for what it’s worth.

“Damn, im gonna miss this pussy,” Jisung whined.

He was close, your pussy too much for his sensitive cock. He thumbed your clit in earnest, needing you to reach your high so he could fill you up.

You began to pant as your pleasure mounted, coming to a crescendo as Jisung continued to fuck you and finger your clit.

With Jisung’s name on your lips, you let go, squirting your release around his cock. You moaned as you listened to the lewd sounds, so wet and filthy as your arousal dripped onto the sheets.

“That was hot, so hot. Gonna cum, gonna…” with a strangled moan Jisung came, filling you up with his cum until it dripped out of your hole mixed with your slick.

Jisung looked down once more before grabbing his phone off the table.

“What are you doing?” You asked as you watched him search through the device.

He didn’t answer but instead you heard a shutter click as he took photo after photo of your pussy, his cock still buried within your warmth.

“Gotta have something to remember you by while you’re gone,” Jisung said as he tossed his phone to the side.

“And you thought to take photos of my pussy,” you chuckled.

“Mmhmm, I love her just as much as I love you baby,” he said as he withdrew his now softened cock.

“You’re unbelievable,” you said as you waited for him to clean you up.

“Maybe, but you love me!” Jisung shouted from the bathroom.

That you did. And how could you not with that adorable cute face and pout of his.

taglist: @jehhskz @jeonginsleftcheek @simpforleeknaur @armystay89 @palindrome969 @slut4hee @ivydoesit23 @amarecerasus @kaysungshine @fun-fanfics @baby-stay92 @velvetmoonlght @baby-stay92 @possum-playground

[northopalshore]

So me and my gf met really young and haven't been together for so long and I know it is unrealistic to think that she's the one but astrology and destiny matrix call us soulmates all the time and even tho I know soulmates doesn't need to mean the one I end up with so I wonder, what are signs that you met the one young or in synastry or composite chart, what are indicators that they are "the one"?

𝄞⨾𓍢ִ໋ For this question, it is a bit difficult to answer. Although there are many possible "the one"/ true love indicators in synastry & composite, I'd still say that the future is vast and we never really know until we get there for the most part. Still, here are:

"The One" placements

in romantic synastry & composite astrology

:¨ ·.· ¨:⠀Juno persona chart masterlist, Union persona chart masterlist

`· . ୨୧⠀Note that overall synastry & magnetism aspects outside of these are also necessary, but these placements are more like additional driving forces which can make you feel like you belong together or are literally a match made in heaven. Still, try not to be fully dependent on these aspects alone. Most of the context here will be in relation to marriage/long-term commitment.

⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.☾⋆

♀ Personal planets in the 6th house (preferably Sun, Moon, Venus, Mars & Jupiter)

Shows that a couple is always together, and may continue to be together in the long-term. Quite common within married couples.

♀ Personal planets in the 7th house

Having a tie to them both romantically & contractually.

♀ Ascendant conjunct Juno/ Briede(19029) /Groom(5129)

Your partner embodies a lot of what you are attracted to in the long-term, the type of partner you want to have in your life.

♀ Boda (1487) conjunct Venus /Neptune

It can give you both a sense of completion where romance fills the room everytime you're with them. You reflect each other's ideal marriage life.

♀ Boda (1487) conjunct Boda (1487)

Having the same ideals when it comes to marriage, i.e on the same page. It can act as a booster for those already in love with their partner.

♀ Boda (1487) conjunct North node

In some way shape or form, this person will change your

♀ Moon conjunct/Trine North Node

Life with them feels natural. This is a very valuable synastry aspect in my opinion because your partner is able to understand your sense of destiny or see you for you. You will both feel like you were fated to meet.

♀ Vertex conjunct Boda (1487)

Can mean fated marriage, or at the very least they help form your idea around marriage

♀ Alma ( 390) conjunct Jupiter/Venus/North Node/Boda/Juno/Briede/Groom

This is more of a soulmate placement, but it can also contribute to feeling like you belong with your partner.

♀ Boda (1487) conjunct Jupiter

Marriage or commitment can feel natural with them, or it will make you feel like you're over the moon. It can often indicate a happy marriage with your lover too.

♀ Juno conjunct Jupiter

Jupiter is also a common form of commitment or the "husband" in most cases, but I think it works with any sexual orientation. A common indicator or marriage or at least feeling like you're just each other's type. It makes you more willing to commit.

♀ Juno conjunct Juno/Saturn

Being each other's type is one thing, but this is a placement that can show you being tied to this person through an invisible bond that only grows stronger with time.

♀ Sun conjunct Juno/ Briede (19029) / Groom (5129)

The sun often embodies the very traits that Juno/Briede/ Groom is attracted to (whether they realize it or not) and thus may feel strongly attached to the Sun person.

♀ Venus conjunct Juno

This placement can make both parties feel very naturally drawn to each other, both make great romantic partners and share the same ideals when it comes to love & expression of art. Can indicate long-term compatibility between the two of you.

♀ Vertex conjunct Briede (19029)/Groom (19029)

This is quite self explanatory. A fated marriage. At the very least, again with this placement you partner will change help solidify your desires in a spouse (or as a spouse).

♀ Vertex conjunct Juno

A contractual lover, often can indicate a long-term relationship & has that soulmate flair between you and your partner. This relationship has the ability to both stand the test of time but at the same time help solidify your view around marriage.

♀ Vertex conjunct Venus

Fated romance, love interests, feeling like this love is meant to be.

˚₊‧꒰ა paid readings available ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.ೃ࿔*:⋆⋆°.☾⋆.☾⋆

For those of you reading this & haven't met their long-term significant other (and is seeking them), you'll never truly know the next cluster of people that may walk into your life until you meet them. So keep an open mind about your future love interests & set aside that tunnel vision. The love that is mean for you will come when it's time.

Try not to attach a face to the "love of your life". As much as you may love them and they you, it's not your purpose to have them consume your every waking hour. You still have much to do, & much to learn don't you? Love will never be separated from man no matter what happens. We always yearn for it no matter what form it takes. It's just not healthy to plague yourself with their image, trust me I've been there.

"The one" to me, translates into an amalgamation of different details that somehow fit right beside you no matter how wonky it may look at first. Don't blame it on the stars, let the stars guide you.

Hope this helps ♡

@northopalshore

[buddierealm]

NOW I SEE DAYLIGHT — e. buckley x reader

Wordcount: 2.4k Summary: You come across something you weren't supposed to. You have mixed feelings. Warnings: tooth-rotting fluff, a lil angsty, mentions of the lightning strike incident of 2023 (rip). A/N: based off of this! request. p.s. this request was tewww cute. tim, give this man a life partner PLEASE.

The key to your loft turns in the lock with a click. You sigh, as you stand at the door for a moment, unable to fully open it. You've been giving yourself a pep talk ever since the nurses at the hospital informed you that you'd have to leave and come back the next day, and you'd immediately decided you'd use the free time to bring Buck back some clothes and anything else he might need from home.

You try your hardest not to hate the State of California for making you leave his bedside, simply because you aren't married, as you slowly crack the door open. You step inside and breathe in the scent of mold.

Your face scrunches up as you walk into the kitchen. He'd left a pizza box on the counter before he'd gone on his shift. He's never been a fan of eating reheated pizza so it makes sense that he was saving the slices for later. It almost makes you cry to think about. Alas, you have to persevere and get the hell out of this loft.

So, you clean up around the kitchen and the living room, pulling the trash outside. It's all you can bear to do. You're sure you'll hire someone to clean around before he's discharged. Even though you love your boyfriend very much, there's no way you're taking care of this place alone. Pointedly ignoring the mess downstairs, you make your way up the stairwell and into the bedroom.

The mess of clothes on the floor makes your heart ache. Buck almost always left the house a mess before a shift, but he'd always been back to put everything into place again. You make your way into the bathroom first, packing a toiletry bag with all of the essentials. After a little bit of acrobatics, you manage to pull a bunch of hangers down from his abnormally high closet space and pack a few outfits into the bag you're preparing.

As you make your way around the room, grabbing anything that'll remind him of home, you realize you almost forgot one of the most important things: Socks. Of course you'd forget something so necessary, and instead focus on all of the trivial things he could want.

You make your way to his sock drawer. You pull out his favorites, and some of the most comfortable-looking pairs. As you turn to close the drawer shut though, you spot a small, velvet box. It looks incredibly out of place. It definitely isn't supposed to be there. What's he hiding? You begin to think of all of the different possibilities, and now you can't leave without opening it up and looking inside.

You grab the box, and after neatly placing everything into the bag, you sit down on the bed and contemplate opening it. It's okay, he won't mind, you tell yourself. You two have never kept anything from each other. Really. You're attached at the hip, and when he isn't around, you're constantly texting to talk about the most insignificant things. There's no way he's intentionally keeping whatever's in there a secret.

You're not sure you have the willpower to deny yourself the knowledge anyway, so you go ahead and click open the box. Your breathing stops for a moment, and if it were possible, your heart would've skipped a few beats too. Evan isn't even in the room, and he's managed to render you completely stock-still. Technically, you'd done that to yourself, but, still.

In the box, is a perfectly cut diamond ring. It's the kind of ring you have plastered all over your Pinterest board, in private sections named things like 'dream ring,' or 'rings i'd say yes to.' The kind people propose with, you note. Any other day, you'd be absolutely soaring with happiness. Today, though, the ring leaves a bittersweet taste in your mouth. It feels like the universe is playing some kind of horrible trick on you.

The man you love should be on one knee, and you should be screaming a very definitive 'yes' at him, as you catch sight of this ring for the first time. Instead, you're in your shared loft, alone, packing a hospital bag for him. The tears that threaten to stream down your face are an accumulation of the stress you've been experiencing for the last few days. You wish it were different, you wish he was awake, and you wish you could run up to him, kiss him, completely ruin his surprise, and tell him he needs to find better hiding spots. But there's still absolutely nowhere else you'd rather be.

You've always known that if you picked every piece of yourself apart, took out every trace of him and then glued yourself back together, you'd still love the hell out of Evan Buckley. He's an irremovable part of you, and the indescribable way you feel every day as you walk into his hospital room is a testament to that. You wipe your tears with the back of your hand, because you notice they've started staining the gorgeous box he chose, and stare at the ring a little closer.

Once the shock wears off, you rise from your place on the edge of the bed and put the ring box back where it was. You fix yourself up in the mirror quickly as you realize visitation's about to be open again. You pick the bag up and make your way out the door, but not before sneaking a quick glance at the ring again.

Damn, it's perfect.

When he wakes up, it's like the world's started spinning again. You're pretty sure the sun glows a little brighter, too. You almost cry, but you hold it together pretty well for him. He wakes up to you sitting beside him, his hand in yours. You don't leave his side as he eats, even when he's bombarded with the 118's demands that they had to see him immediately after.

An hour later. when it's only you, Eddie, Chris, and Buck in the room, you bring your chair as close as possible to his hospital bed. You place your hand onto his cheek and give him a quick peck on the lips. It serves to ground you both, reminding the two of you that he's still alive and well.

When you pull away to take a seat, your hand still where it was, he turns his head to bring your palm to his lips in a kiss. Then, he returns his head to the original position, a delirious smile on his face. You rub your thumb along his cheek.

"You breathing okay?" you ask, a little concerned.

"Yeah, I am now," he flirts, his smile never leaving his mouth.

You roll your eyes, "You're so corny."

"I never win with you, do I? Do I have to actually, permanently die for you to cut me some slack?" he complains.

Your eyes narrow, you smack him gently across the head. He just gasps dramatically, almost immediately falling into a fit of laughter.

"Don't ever say anything like that to me again," you warn him, your voice growing a little wobbly.

"You'd think she'd be used to my sense of humor by now," he jokes, looking at Eddie.

You shake your head and press a kiss to where you'd smacked him a few seconds ago. God, you'd missed him. Always so childish, and always, always exactly what you need in moments like these. When you're barely holding yourself together and even a wince in pain from him could send you off the edge.

You bring over his bag and start setting up the bits and pieces you brought him from home , as he makes conversation with everyone who comes by to visit. When you leave for a coffee and come back, you can hear him ask Eddie a quiet question.

"Hey, who packed that bag?" he says so quietly, it's almost a whisper.

You drift quickly into the room and respond before Eddie can.

"Eddie did," you lie, and make sure to shoot him an intimidating look so he plays along.

Buck sighs loudly, and he looks a little less tense. "Okay. I thought with my luck you'd have packed it," he blurts out.

"Why would that be unlucky?" you ask pointedly, and you catch Eddie snickering in the corner of your eye. Because of course, he knows.

Your eyes narrow. Of course you know too, but you wanna see him squirm a little anyway. And squirm he does. He tries his hardest to lie to you, too. He's always been so painfully bad at it though.

"Uh, uhm," he says, clearly flustered, and then turns to Eddie for a rescue.

"He just means he didn't want to stress you out any more than you were probably stressed, y'know," Eddie responds for him.

"Ah, of course. I'm sure that's what he meant," you tease, sharing a knowing look with Eddie.

You can already tell this is going to be a very difficult secret for you to keep.

Buck dying and coming back to life is definitely not the easiest thing your relationship has had to endure. Your home has become an endless revolving door of visits from everyone you and Buck know.

In the grand scheme of things, though, this isn't the most difficult part. The most difficult part is knowing he's had that ring in the house for God knows how long, and now you both have to wait even longer for it to be taken out. It gets to a point where you contemplate proposing to him yourself, but that's just insane. The guy's barely holding himself together. It actually feels like he isn't even sure he's alive somedays.

When it gets bad, you do your best to ground him. It's a gesture he's eternally grateful for. It just seems like he might need some time to get it together before you take any big steps. Somewhere along the way you figure out that you just have to tell him what you saw. It'll ruin the surprise element, but that's probably better than the way this secret is eating you alive.

So, five days after he's been discharged, you break the news as gently as possible. Which turns out being a little lacking in that department, considering you've needed to get this out since he woke up.

"So, how long have you had that ring that's in your sock drawer?" you ask casually, as you both rewatch a sitcom on the couch.

He nearly chokes on his beer, clearing his throat loudly.

"You saw that?" he asks, incredulously.

You nod pointedly, and he turns around fully to look at you. You don't back down, though, narrowing your eyes at him. He sighs in defeat, grabbing the remote to pause the TV.

"I just...I bought it a while before the hospital," he confesses, "I bought it when I realized I wanted to marry you."

You bring your hand up to his cheek.

"Really? Wow, I'm impressed. I didn't know you could keep a secret for a few days, let alone a few months," you joke, watching him grimace.

“The ring actually isn’t that new,” Buck clarifies.

Your sweet, caring boyfriend looks down at the ground like he’s about to confess his deepest, darkest secret.

“Well, I hope this doesn’t freak you out, but I bought it a month after we started dating. It’s been in my closet ever since,” he whispers so lowly, you almost can’t hear him.

Your eyes grow wide in shock, but your mouth twists into a wild grin. He’s known he's wanted to marry you a month into dating?! It’s a terrifying thought, but it’s also equally exhilarating. You think you have too, maybe you’ve even known since you met him. You just haven’t fully embraced it until now, at least not as palpably as he has.

“I, uh,” you sigh, “I mean…how were you so sure?”

“I wasn’t,” he responds, and you deflate slightly.

He shakes his head, and continues, “I didn’t know exactly. But I did know a couple of things. I knew that I’d already had so many different relationships, with all kinds of people."

"I knew that no one had ever made me feel as warm as you," he grabs both of your hands, "I mean, meeting you was like finally seeing light after so many years of living in the dark."

He pauses for a moment as one of his hands dips out of your sight, "I also knew I wanted that feeling forever.”

He pulls something from his left pocket. It's the very same velvet box that's been on your mind ever since you'd opened it. You're too stunned to speak, too stunned to react in any way at all. You can't believe you'd ruined your own proposal twice now. Your eyebrows are scrunched up so hard, so you can't bring yourself to cry.

He looks down at the box in his hand, “So, I walked into the pawn shop across the street and bought this right away.”

"I was going to do this a little later in the night, when we both had a few glasses of that expensive wine you like in us, and everyone was about to arrive, but..."

He gets on one knee in front of you, "you seem very eager to become the next Mrs.Buckley. I won't keep you waiting any longer."

A/N: evan buckley u are so wifey material, let me wife u up pls.

[jaal-ama-daravv]

dissecting the emmrich romance scene (lich path)

dissecting the graveyard scene dissecting the alternate romance path dissecting the argument scene (lich path) mortal vs lich romance path emmrich x rook cinematic

Emmrich Volkarin - Dissecting the Lich Romance Scene fair warning you're in for an emotional rollercoaster

first, i wanna touch on this from our previous dissection (argument) -

"What if I can't bear that for eternity?" Oh, Emmrich. his entire soul aches over the inevitable future that awaits rook. i think this line is so important for emmrich because 'bear that for eternity" implies Emmrich will either, a) go rogue trying to bring rook back c) live with so much grief over his lost love it changes his soul forever in a dark, yet unknown way. and quite frankly, all of these are incredibly sad, and that just hurts. i thoroughly, full heartedly believe that there is no concievable way that emmrich just 'moves on' and 'accepts' the death of rook as previously stated in the lichdom scene. sry bioware, but youre wrong on that one as if he was 'fine' with it, he wouldn't of had a massive panic attack over rooks death and his grief. COUGH, the eternal flame. i could rant for hours and HOURS about how emmrich in the lich path is absoloutley devastating if rook were to pass on, because he is so compulsively, irrevocably in love with them. and not only is he in love with them, he has the love he has yearned for, for over 20 years. its huge for him which is evident given how both romance paths have him terrfied of how much he loves you.

Additionally, Emmrich grew up poor. This would impact his view on society and love. But more impactfully, it would impact his view on himself. His self-worth. Emmrich likely thinks he doesnt deserve this type of love. Hence the attempt to push Rook away and act over-suave at times.

anyway, to the SCENE -

immediately we are hit with this, to which Emmrich replies stating that he did it not to scare the citizens. what a load of huff. youll see why thats a straight deflective lie soon -

don't you worry handsome man, youre not alone emmrich expressing his fear of losing rook, and/or losing eachother, continues to be a major dynamic between these lovers

oh rooky, im so proud of you for opening up about your feelings. (remember the argument they had prior, it was fort knox up in here)

rook expresses clear fear and gratitude that they were able to escape the fade. I do believe that the line "I was afrad I'd be there forever" is a parrelle to emmrichs lichdom - as they would of spent eternity without eachother. hence why this next line, hurts so much -

the raw emotion, the crack in his voice when he says this line tells you everything you need to know. he is so grateful to have rook back with him. I do believe in this moment that emmrich has a moment of realisation of his love for rook, and just how immensed and attached he is with her. which is why he later vows that nothing will part them ever again, "not in this, nor any other world" (cough, soulmates). idk man, i have a feeling that emmrich would find rook's spirit in the fade (or any other world) if they passed on, and he'd never leave.

key point back to the lichdom decision scene -

man would go full blown rogue, scarlet witch rogue, i see it now.

I also want to touch on the "you're here with me" line. this, this is important considering what happens directly afterwards - remember how i mentioned desire a few posts ago? lets break it down, "you're here with me." Emmrich has held a consistent view throughout the whole romance that "its gratifying a fresh-faced adventure took any notice in me at all", does emmrich also possess the belief that the love he so dearly desired may not of been possible in his life time due to his age? i think so. which is why desire and the "wow, you're here with me" is so, so important. Now watch closely -

he looks defeated, ashamed - "why would someone like her be with someone like me? let alone, desire me."

the pose, how he is holding his chest and his body up against the coffin, the disbelief and sadness that is pained over his face. he is heavy with angst. this man wants rook, body and soul. he is SO in love with her. god my heart breaks typing this. he is so in love with her, but is so afraid that she doesnt want him now that he is undead - I will add in here to think back to when he was mortal, 3 flirts lines in total were regarding his looks. UGH, just stab me - ps the music in this scene rips out my heart, stomps on it, and shoves it back into my chest bloodied and bruised.

when rook touches him, his face unstiffens and his body relaxes. he looks at her nervously, but before he can address her or admit his pain, rook has NOTICED (YAY - take that argument scene rook) what is bothering emmrich, because she loves him so much, maybe even more, regardless of his undead figure. "You don't have to hide your face from me" is just a perfect way of phrasing that you are made for eachother. rook reassures emmrich of her undying love for him.

its that gomez and morticia dynamic, unwavering, obsessed dedication to eachother. a bond that strengthens the other. for emmrich and rook at least, theri dynamic is so strong I wholeheartedly believe the death of one, would break the mind and soull of the other.

there is so, so much emotion in this scene and most of it is written into the facial expressions and movements of the characters. watch how the fear of death becomes easier now that emmrich knows that rook loves him truly -

im not crying, you are -

this WRECKED me. because there is a slimmer of hope in his voice and particularly the words he chose. "I will let nothing part us again, my love" emmrich is a lich lord, with powers we dont understand just yet (cmon sequel with rook & emmrich), it is safe to say though that emmrich and rook would fight for and protect eachother to the death so that they may not be parted. This also takes me back to my original point of not letting anything part them, nothing - not even death. hence my belief that emmrich would do anything to find rook in the fade or any other world.

"Not in this nor any other world" - do i need say more? the hope seeps through, its not alot, but its there. don't get me wrong, he still has a crippling fear of death, but its, different. different in the sense that if rook was to pass or trapped somewhere, he would get them back and find his way to them, at all costs, one way or another.

the rest of the scene is very, very sweet and shows them being happy for the extra few hours they have together before facing untold danger - by either rook being able to see the fade through emmrichs eyes, or them boning again. actually i think both lead to boning.

this scene has me in absolute tears everytime I witness it because it is so powerful. it is hopeful. it is pure committment of their relationship and bond to eachother. combining this with the knowledge of the argument scene and having played through the mortal romance path, this - is extremely emotional.

Both romance scene are emotional and touching in their own regard - however, I do think the lich romance scene is more deep due to the dynamic. It is not about simply coming to grips with mortality, it is coming to grips with mourning your lover for eternity, and if you cant bear it for eternity, (which he wont, cmon) he is afraid. afraid of losing, rook. his heart. his dearest heart, and of losing himself because rook is, and I quote, "the most magnificent thing to ever happen to me."

mourn watch rook and emmrich are on a whole other level, and that level is something that is told in the minute details, the edging looks. the tone of voice. there is hope in this scene and a sense of overwhelming love and acceptance, but, there is also impending grief. which makes this story so real.

you can feel emmrich yearning for rook throughout the entire romance path because of the fated connected they share, in this and any other world. you can feel it. but this, in the lich scene? there is yearning, acceptance, hope, grief, joy, and melancholy all in one. without a doubt in my heart, these two, are made for eachother, in every world.

I shall break down the mortal romance scene next ♥ see you soon

[vincentbriggs]

@once-a-polecat replied to your post “My uncle's friend asked if I wanted this machine...”:

So do Whites have the same parts availability as Singers? I see them around for a fraction of the price, I’ve just been holding out for a Singer because the parts are relatively easy to source. I’ve seen some really lovely White machines tho! I bet yours is going to look stunning when it’s cleaned up. That cabinet is {chefs kiss}

​I don't know, I haven't looked into it because mine's not missing any pieces and still has all 6 bobbins.

I think that as long as you can verify that it has all the parts, and at least one or two bobbins, it probably won't need any new ones.. ever? The little rubber ring on the bobbin winder and the treadle drive belt degrade after a few decades and need replacing, but you can easily buy those, and everything else is highly unlikely to break from regular use.

The one thing I was worried about was accidentally stripping the screws while taking it apart for cleaning, and there was one screw that I didn't quite have the right size of screwdriver for and it started to look a bit ehhhh so I just didn't take that part off. It wasn't one of the really gunky ones anyways, and I did my best to clean around it, and may try again someday if I get more sizes of screwdriver. So I'd advise making sure you have all the right tools before starting and slathering all the stuck bits well in kroil (what the guy in a video I watched yesterday used) or wd-40 (what I used) or some such loosening thing.

It seems like it's very hard to find new bobbins, especially since there are different styles of shuttle and the bobbins are not interchangeable. Mine's a boat style and my bobbins wouldn't work in a bullet style from a couple years later.

While cleaning this thing it hasn't even crossed my mind to wonder where I'd find replacement parts because, well, what could possibly break? Nearly every single piece is cast iron or steel, and it's already been used SO much that the decals on the bottom are almost completely gone just from the amount of fabric that's run over it.

As mentioned in the previous post it's about 140 years old, was owned by a woman who made her living sewing on it for many decades, and it still works just fine! I haven't got the bobbin winder cleaned up yet and it's still off the cabinet, but I couldn't resist trying it out with just the hand wheel (using one of the bobbins that was wound long before I was born) once I got all the bits back on and yeah! Perfect stitches right away!

As long as it's kept well oiled it's just gonna keep on chugging along indefinitely.

Are you seeing these White machines in person at secondhand stores and such? If you can check to make sure they have bobbins and that no pieces are missing, I'd say grab one! Maybe keep some reference pics of working ones so you can look and see, or even better see if you can make a stitch with it before buying it, and presumably if it can do that even slowly and gunkily then it'll just need cleaning like this one did.

By all accounts they're REALLY good machines! I'm super excited to try mine out properly, and to post more about all the features. It has a lip around the bottom of the needle bar so that if some oil drips down it won't get on your needle! Genius!! Why doesn't every machine ever have that?! It's also fairly quiet AND you can adjust the bobbin tension right in the middle of a seam without disturbing the sewing or taking the shuttle out. Incredible.

The manual for mine says "The Best in the World" on it, and while that's just a normal Victorian thing to say about a product, I'm not about to argue with them. There are a few little things that I like better on Singers, such as the quality of the hinges that hold the machine to the cabinet, and the way the presser foot attaches, but all in all this White VSII is extremely goddamn good so far and I have no doubt that once I get the bobbin winder cleaned up it'll also work perfectly!

So yeah, GET ONE!

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Hi! Re your post about Harry not really viewing the Weasleys (apart from Ron) as his surrogate family, I reread the series recently and that's definitely the impression I got as well! Something that really stood out to me was that Harry felt like an outsider after Arthur was attacked:

“Fred fell into a doze, his head sagging sideways onto his shoulder. Ginny was curled like a cat on her chair, but her eyes were open; Harry could see them reflecting the firelight. Ron was sitting with his head in his hands, whether awake or asleep it was impossible to tell. And he and Sirius looked at each other every so often, intruders upon the family grief, waiting . . . waiting.”

Like, Harry is worried about Arthur, but primarily as Ron’s father – he never thinks, “I’m scared of losing Arthur because he what he means to me personally”. Harry is also a lot calmer and rational here as well, in contrast to his sheer terror when he believed Sirius was captured.

Similarly, in Deathly Hallows, when Ron is relieved about his family’s safety after the wedding:

"Harry," [Ron] said over Hermione's shoulder, "I -"

"It's not a problem," said Harry, sickened by the pain in his head. "It's your family, 'course you were worried. I'd feel the same way." He thought of Ginny. "I do feel the same way."

When Harry says that he feels the same way, it’s specifically because of Ginny (who I don’t ship him with at all, but who is his endgame love interest in canon), not the rest of the family as a whole. He cares about them and wants them to be safe, but he never feels like they’re “his”.

When Harry is wistfully imagining the life he could have had if his parents survived, he says, “it would have been his mother [instead of Molly] who had made his seventeenth birthday cake”. It’s interesting because Harry never does this with Sirius, he never says, “oh, I wish it was my mom/dad doing this instead of him”. Sirius exists alongside Lily and James to Harry just as he did when they were alive, and Dumbledore also identifies Harry with all three of them: “spoken like your mother and father’s true son and Sirius’s true godson”.

And there’s everything about Sirius, who is canonically “the closest thing to a parent" that Harry has ever known. There’s no way Harry would have become attached to him so quickly if he viewed anyone else in his life (the Weasleys, Remus, Hagrid, Dumbledore, etc) in a parental capacity.

I would argue that when push comes to shove, it’s maybe possible that Molly and Arthur don’t instinctively think of Harry as their family, either. Like you said, they never write to Harry (to the point where Molly writes to Ron to invite Harry to the Burrow for Christmas in OotP rather than send a letter to Harry himself), nor does Harry ever even expect them to. And when Ron is injured in HBP, Arthur says:

“Half our family does seem to owe you their lives, now I stop and think about it,” Mr. Weasley said in a constricted voice. “Well, all I can say is that it was a lucky day for the Weasleys when Ron decided to sit in your compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Harry.’

Imo, whatever Molly says about Harry being as good as a son to her, they ultimately do sort of differentiate between “our family” and Harry. Which obviously doesn’t change that they love Harry deeply, and vice-versa.

Idk, some of these quotes just stood out to me during my reread after seeing your answer. What do you think?

Anon is referring to this post and really I don't have anything to add, you got it spot on and this is great analysis! I really live the quotes you brought up here and you're 100% right. (I'm gonna ramble more anyway because it's what I do here).

Sirius is the only adult Harry really sees as a parent, and not only that, a parent he can trust (which is so so important to a kid who grew up like Harry). He doesn't have that kind of bond with any other adult in the series. When he has worried while Sirius is alive, he goes to Sirius, and when Sirius died (or before they met), Harry kept these worries to himself for the most part. He loves the Weasleys, but it's only Ron that he really sees as family.

(I agree he cares about Ginny in the final books even though I don't ship it either, but she isn't family to him the way Ron and Hermione are:

He spotted Ginny two tables away; she was sitting with her head on her mother’s shoulder: There would be time to talk later, hours and days and maybe years in which to talk. He saw Neville, the sword of Gryffindor lying beside his plate as he ate, surrounded by a knot of fervent admirers. Along the aisle between the tables he walked, and he spotted the three Malfoys, huddled together as though unsure whether or not they were supposed to be there, but nobody was paying them any attention. Everywhere he looked he saw families reunited, and finally, he saw the two whose company he craved most.

(DH, Ch36)

He likes her, he cares about her, but she's not at that family level by the end of DH. At the end of DH (pre-epilogue), Ron and Hermione are those he wants to see most, Ginny is an afterthought in the same paragraph with Neville and the Malfoys. His family he wants to reunite with once it's all said and done is just Ron & Hermione, not the Weasleys, not Ginny)

And regarding Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, they 100% can tell the difference. There are their children, and there is Harry. I think they really do love Harry, but they don't quite see him as their own. The magical watch 17 birthday gift shows this a little too:

“It’s traditional to give a wizard a watch when he comes of age.” said Mrs. Weasley, watching him anxiously from beside the corner. “I’m afraid that one isn’t new like Ron’s, it was actually my brother Fabian’s and he wasn’t terribly careful with his possessions, it’s a bit dented on the back, but-”

(DH, Ch7)

Ron gets a brand new watch, Harry (who honestly has money to buy his own) gets a used one.

I don't think it was done out of any malicious intent in the Weasleys part, I think it was more that they didn't really consider that they have another son they need to buy a watch for in their budget (which they are bad at managing anyways) and so scrambled with the gift sort of last minute — because they don't really see him as their son, as much as they love him.

(Added note because I was reading through OotP, I think Sirius' relationship with James' parents was similar to the one Harry has with the Weasleys. James is Sirius' best friend, his family who he is closer to than his actual brother. He lived with Harry's grandparents, and yet:

Yeah, I camped out at your dad’s during the school holidays, and then when I was seventeen I got a place of my own, my Uncle Alphard had left me a decent bit of gold — he’s been wiped off here too, that’s probably why — anyway, after that I looked after myself. I was always welcome at Mr. and Mrs. Potter’s for Sunday lunch, though.”

(OotP, Ch6)

They are Mr. and Mrs. Potter, not their names. It's "Your dad's place", not his own. And it's why I don't think post-DH Harry would stay in the Burrow. I don't think he'd feel comfortable to intrude — because that's what it'll feel like. Same as Sirius got a flat the first chance he got — so he won't intrude)

[amerricanartwork]

Look at that! The little creatures are back! And there's two new ones this time!

Hey, what brings you guys around here—

Oh. My. God. This little blue one is so cute!! And those little frill things are so pretty!

What's it carrying, though? Come here so I can get a closer look!

Whoa! Calm down, purple one! I wasn't gonna hurt your little friend here!

See, it's alright!

Though I must say, you two are quite the interesting pair! I'd love to get to know you more! Both of you, feel free to stay as long as you'd like!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

At long last, a new update to Rain Wool is here! And to hopefully compensate for the very long time it's been since my last addition to this project, I've decided to showcase TWO new figures this time!

First up is everyone's favorite little wet goober, Rivulet! And I must say, this one's been the hardest so far! Like I mentioned in a previous ask, it was quite hard to find a suitable blue color for Riv, in the sense that it both matched the in-game sprite as closely as possible and looked nice with a pink color that fit for the gills (which was also a bit hard to find). Then, on top of that, actually felting all six gills and attaching them to the cheeks was rather tedious. However, the end result was definitely worth it! Rivulet's gotta be my favorite Rain Wool figure so far; it's just so cute, I wanna hug it every time I see it!!

And next up is the quiet yet deadly messenger, Spearmaster! This one was a bit easier to make than Rivulet, though dark-colored slugcats are always a bit of a challenge for me. Visually, it's the same as Nightcat in the body, with the main difference, of course, being that thick spotted tail. It was a bit of a challenge to gauge just how thick I wanted the tail to be, but once it seemed satisfactory, placing the spots was pretty relaxing, and I like the way they came out in the end!

And, like my last two figures, I made little props for these guys as well! Again, I tried to make things matching their characters and stories. Using the same mini bamboo skewers with some hot glue and white ink, I made three of Spearmaster's special white spears, while some black and blue wool was used to make a little rarefaction cell for Rivulet.

That's about it for now, though. I hope you enjoyed seeing these two new figures! I'm pretty excited myself, not just because they both turned out great, but because I now only have two more slugcats to make!

Stay tuned for more Rain Wool: Downpour! I'll see you next time!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Hello, Raven! I have a question I'd like to ask: if all these dreams are supposed to be where everyone gets their happy ending, why's everyone having dreams about things that they aren't happy with?

It just feels like Malleus is looking at those build-it-yourself toys and he didn't read (or ignored) the instructions. Does that make sense?

[You can read my full thoughts on the book 7 part 12 Cater and Deuce update here! My thoughts on the book 7 part 11 Leona update is here!]

I've been receiving many asks expressing confusion over how the dream worlds in book 7 work, so I figured I'd try to dump all of my thoughts on this topic down in one place. In truth... I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW IT WORKS MYSELF. Like, I thought I understood how it worked at first??? But then with each new update, it feels like a completely different team of writers worked on it without communication with one another, so every update adds new lore that either contradicts what was said in the previous update or just piles on new details that overcomplicates our understanding of the dreams. I think the first ask is right in saying that this feels like "looking at those build-it-yourself toys and [the writers] didn't read (or ignored) the instructions."

So instead of attempting to explain how the dreams work, I'll lead you through my own train of thought (starting from the beginning of book 7 all the way to part 244, which is about where we are at the time of posting):

So Malleus promises everyone happy dreams (something that Silver later states) and that they will "become the protagonists of [their] own fairy tales" before he sends them off to slumber. That makes sense; he thinks that, by banishing them to a convenient false reality, they can avoid the sadnesses and injustices of real life.

... But Malleus doesn't know his peers and the residents of Sage's Island well enough to tailor happy dreams for each of them. How's it possible that he can manufacture happy dreams for thousands of people, most of whom are complete strangers to him???

... Oh, okay! So the game tells us that Malleus's dream magic is autonomous, meaning it operates on its own (by pulling from each dreamer's wishes and desires) and he's not making the conscious decisions as to what's happening in each dream.

... But wait, then why did Malleus offer Lilia a new dream once he's able to intrude into Lilia's dreamscape? Malleus literally starts listing options as though he can manipulate the dreams, should he wish: "What manner of dream do you want? Perhaps one where Mother and Father are alive? Or one where you live quietly with your son? [...] I shall grant any wish you ask of me."

... And speaking of Lilia's dream, why the hell is it so needlessly complicated???? Malleus promised "happy dreams", didn't he?? But Lilia's happiest moment is when Malleus hatched... yet his dream "begins" SEVERAL HUNDREDS OF YEARS PRIOR instead of beginning right at the moment of hatching. What the heck is the logical explanation for this other than "oh, it HAS to start here so that the player and the other characters can witness and experience this tragic history themselves"???? Is this implying that Malleus hatching wouldn't be the happiest time for Lilia had Lilia not experienced the canon events of literally losing everything else in his life to get to that point???? Would it not just be easier to give him one of the more simplistic dreams Malleus later suggests to Lilia???? Why set the dream so far in the past if it takes place in a period of time Malleus isn't familiar with, and thus cannot imagine, and thus cannot enter and enforce control over???? THAT'S JUST NERFING YOURSELF ON PURPOSE. Wouldn't Malleus want to grant Lilia's dream extra attention because he's so attached to him????

At one point, Idia shows us a video explaining how the dreams operate. He explains that Malleus's magical realm is like a server host and each dream is managed individually by Malleus copies while the OG Malleus serves as the server administrator. The server administrator has the ability to both operate and manage the server, while the copies crack down on ruler violators (attempts to "wake up") in each dream. (A Malleus copy tries to keep both Sebek and Idia under the influence of their dreams.) This logic holds, but it doesn't really explain to us what exactly shapes the dreams. Something else that really bothers me is how we keep wasting so much time in each dream when, in reality, we should be on a considerable time crunch, especially since we DON'T want any of the Malleus clones noticing that we're messing with things. How convenient that not once have we had to content with a clone noticing something is off or coming to hunt us down.

In Rook's dream, Idia states "'Happiness' the way it's defined in the dreams Malleus makes, is kinda superficial in nature. It's low-res. No real in-depth understanding." The only reason Rook's dream is so detailed is due to the efforts of the dreamer and their imagination. Ortho adds that "Malleus unilaterally judged some sad events and adverse experiences to be 'tragedies'... so he locked away [...] memories of them. It doesn't mean [the dreamer] wants to erase the days he spent with you guys [...]" This seems to imply that both Malleus and the dreamers impact the outcome of dreams, but the dreamer doesn't exactly get to choose what sad or bad things are eliminated??

In Floyd's dream, Idia remarks that "Malleus-shi has a shallow understanding of what happiness is", which explains the limited scope of the dreams they come across. This... seems to imply that Malleus (or at least his autonomous magic) can only pull so much from the dreamers and seems to manifest dreams from the most superficial aspects of each dreamer.

But wait, these dreams are supposed to be "happy", right??? More specifically, Malleus promised "No longer shall you shed tears over sorrowful goodbyes. [...] Today, you shall all be reborn. Into a world without sorrow, where you will never lose a single person—not friends, not family." SO WHY IS LEONA'S DREAM DEPRESSING... He literally lost several family members and is clearly pissed off or at odds with himself. You'd think the least the dream could do is... I don't know, try to course correct to satisfy him, similar to how Floyd's dream constantly changed??? Like maybe make the people love him or no real negative repercussions for nature. There is inconsistent logic from dream to dream.

Idia tries to explain the sad state of Leona's dream away by likening the dreams to sandbox games where the dreamer has free reign to play however they like and explore possibilities. He suggests that Leona's dream is "too realistic" because Leona, the dreamer himself, decided to make the settings this way. So... doesn't that imply that the dreamer has more influence over how their dream manifests than Malleus's magic does???? And somehow a dreamer can still make a depressing dream even though Malleus promised the dreams would be happy?????? ISN'T THIS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE???? DOESN'T IT GO AGAINST EVERYTHING ELSE WE KNEW UP UNTIL THIS POINT... Shouldn't the Malleus clone in charge of overseeing Leona's dream be cracking down SUPER hard on his????? HELLO???????

But wait!! It gets even more inconsistent and weird!!! In Deuce's dream, he gets upset with himself for dreaming of a school full of delinquents and where fists solve your problems instead of words. He thought he had put all of this stuff behind him, but he guesses he hasn't changed much at all. So???? Even if the dreamer doesn't consciously desire something, the dream could still pull from outdated or subconscious desires??? Or did it make a convenient reality where Deuce's delinquent side can more easily thrive??? How come Deuce gets this instant gratification scenario but Lilia didn't???? What is the explanation for us getting delinquent Deuce instead of honors student Deuce in a school with far easier curriculum (which would be the more realistic option for his dream) other than "oh, it would just be really cool and funny to see bleached hair Deuce and the school doing gang wars!!"?????

And how about Cater's dream??? He claims he doesn't want to be dorm leader and never did (it’s too many extra responsibilities), so how come that's what his dream showed us???? Is that supposed to imply Cater's lying to us??? But we have no reason to believe he is other than Cater being a character that tries to hide his true self. Cater has no reason to lie to us about this though???? At least none that the dream hints at or tries to indicate. Are we just supposed to assume he doesn’t know what he wants himself because he masks so frequently? But if we believe Cater, then that creates another contradiction: how come the dreams can seemingly also manifest as things the dreamer never actually wanted to begin with???? Is it because the devs thought "oh, it would be really fun to show dorm leader Cater!!!"

*LOUD GROAN OF PAIN* But then Ortho tries to hand-wave this away by claiming that dream outputs can be distorted or change quite a lot??? And this information in of itself is fine and true--dreams are loosely defined things without absolute rules. The problem is that this doesn't hold up when Twst has been trying to do nothing BUT define the dreams and establish rules for how they work. Why are they trying to walk this back now???? You shouldn't have tried to explain it in the first place if you weren't going to commit to the logic you attempted to clarify.

So how much of is the dreamer’s own doing (ie not fully understanding themselves or what they truly want), how much of it is Malleus's will or autonomous magic at work, and how strictly the “this dream must be a happy one” parameter stretches??? NONE OF THIS IS CLEARLY DEFINED. Why is the nature of the dreams so… noncommittal???? Even though they keep trying so hard to explain it???

Result: me, a pile of brain mush on the floor

D-Do you understand where I'm coming from???? OTL It feels like so many of the writing decisions made revolving around the nature of the dreams was not done for any reason other than for convenient fanservice and novelty. Several decisions ring hollow or like they make little to no sense in-universe and were clearly made just to justify showing the audience/player base an interesting "what if" scenario. The efforts made to explain away problems only creates more problems in the long run or pushes the onus to explain the future problems on the fans... and that's not necessarily a sign of good writing.

In some cases, less is more. However, that only works if you've actually dropped enough breadcrumbs or clues for the players to come to their own conclusions without the characters having to explicitly spell out what's happening. It can very rewarding to get payoff for a bunch of small clues and details you noticed along the way. But no one in the fandom can agree exactly on how the dreams work despite multiple attempts to explain them so it feels like the devs didn't leave a good enough trail of breadcrumbs (ie the writing quality is poor). It shouldn’t be the fans’ jobs to fill in for writing so vague you can come up with a million interpretations to justify the dreams being the way they are. “Leona’s dream is sad because he doesn’t believe in himself!”, “Cater’s lying to us about not wanting to be dorm leader!”, etc. Maybe that was the intention (to promote unique ways of thinking)??? But it doesn’t feel intentional due to how numerous the plot holes are. Refer to Occam’s razor: the simplest explanation is probably the correct one, and that simple explanation is the writing is just messy and overly reliant on fans to fill in for what is lacking.

When the foundations of the dreams are shaky in the first place (despite magic having rules and even formulas that govern it), it does NOT work. Unless… is this intentional and there’s going to be a reveal at the end that magically patches up all the dream plot holes??? I really doubt it 🤡 At this point, it’s 2+ years of book 7 and far too many issues have cropped up to be feasibly explained by the end. It doesn’t feel like saving for a big reveal, it feels like they accidentally wrote themselves into a corner and are trying to write themselves out of it.

I actually really like the third Anon’s telling of how the dreams work; according to them, the dreams allow people easy ways to indulge in the worst aspects of themselves (ie they’re the ultimate escapist fantasies) without allowing them a chance to improve/work toward a future of their own design. It’s simple and suits most (if not all) of the dreams and falls in line with Malleus’s own stagnation and refusal to accept change. Had the dreams been explained this way early on, we could have avoided a ton of the issues we are now facing. Unfortunately, the way the dreams have been presented is so confusing that it’s difficult to come to this conclusion on one’s own, even if it was or was not the writers’ intent. Alternatively, you seriously could have just said “it’s a dream, anything could happen” and leave it at that; it would have been a simpler and all-encompassing explanation than what we got 💦

Needless to say, I think you can tell I have a lot of gripes with how book 7 has been going 💀 I’m so sorry if this post didn’t help you at all, I tried my best to summarize the flow of explanations offered by the game… but I just couldn’t piece together something that makes total sense myself 😭

[dragon-watcher03]

I like when ppl write their own version of mk intros, so I shall request those. I don't have any specific idea for reader's backstory so I'd love to see what you come up with o/

Thx for the motivation, you gave me a brilliant idea-

Mk1 x Gn! Doom God! Reader

Note: Reader uses mini scythes connected via chains as a Krucible and has armour more like those from Halo. Implied Doom Slayer x reader.

Ft. Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, Raiden, Kitana, Shang Tsung

Liu Kang: You are a God in your realm?

You: I'd rather go with Slayer, but yes.

Liu Kang: The fact that your realm's Seraphims see you as nothing but a weapon... doesn't sit right with me.

You: Why? It is my sole purpose.

Liu Kang: Slaying demons for many decades must have been challenging.

You: Less challenging, more soul-draining.

You: I do not intend to stay here long, Lord Liu Kang.

Liu Kang: At least grant me one last spar?

You: There is another like me, but he is a lot less talkative.

Liu Kang: I have no doubt that he is as honorable as you.

You: The humans in this world are very different than the ones back at home...

Liu Kang: How so?

Johnny Cage: So, what exactly are you the God of?

You: I am no God, but people have no better words to describe me.

Johnny Cage: C'mon, you and your buddy would totally fit in a first-person shooter!

You: I have better demons to fight than Paparazzi, Cage.

Johnny Cage: So, this buddy of yours, he anything other than just your partner in crime?

You: Even if we were, I wouldn't tell you.

You: I have no time for trivial things like "love".

Johnny Cage: Sheesh, talk about workaholic.

You: I know what you're going to ask, and no, you can't hold my Krucible.

Johnny Cage: Y'know if you weren't such a buzzkill, I'd totally tap that.

You: Do you get anything out of flirting with me?

Johnny Cage: The possibility of courting a Goddess/God.

Raiden: Your people see you as a God?

You: Yeah, they even made a whole religion based on us.

Raiden: This other "Doom God" you speak of, he sounds like a ruthless man.

You: Oh trust me, he is.

Raiden: Is it foolish of me to request a spar with a demon-killing God?

You: Don't worry, I'll be gentle.

You: That amulet you have is fascinating...

Raiden: As is that weapon of yours.

You: Ashrah is a Demon? She looks so human compared to the ones back at home.

Raiden: Whatever monsters you deal with at home, I can assure you she is nothing like them.

You: Are you sure you want to meet him?

Raiden: When you speak so highly of him, how can I not?

Kitana: The war you fight sounds worse than Outworlds.

You: I pray this universe will never experience such a war...

Kitana: I feel like you and my sister would get along well.

You: I take from the way you say that, that it's a compliment.

Kitana: The humans of your world call you "Ruin God"?

You: They are so creative, aren't they?

You: I must say, you were right about getting along with Mileena.

Kitana: The blood coating your armour seems to prove so.

You: I have been alive for so long with the mind of a human, that I started to forget who my parents were...

Kitana: I'm... sorry to hear that, Ruin.

You: I hoped to not get attached to any of you to make my departure easier.

Kitana: laughs Guess that didn't work out so well, did it?

Shang Tsung: Well, aren't you a fine specimen.

You: Back off you cretin, or you'll see why we are called Gods.

Shang Tsung: I could set you and your partner free from the shackles of being weapons for your world.

You: And be yours instead? I'd rather serve the Seraphims.

Shang Tsung: We could have been such a powerful couple, you and I.

You: I already have a stronger and better suitor, sorcerer.

You: You are worse than the demons back at home...

Shang Tsung: Oh~ feeling feisty now are we?

You: You are playing with forces beyond your power, sorcerer.

Shang Tsung: Then let's play~

You: You look horrible. Did you finally meet him?

Shang Tsung: Tch, how you two have such power for mere humans is beyond my comprehension.

[thegoldencontracts]

ONE OF MY TWST OCS IS A TOTAL TSUNDERE WHAT THE HELL

Make twst tsundere content, I DARE you(I'd say I'd match you with content of my own, however it is drama and science finals week and I'd rather not burn myself out on more than one front bc my english final is next week. So I will not guarantee that lmao BUT STILL THAT SOUNDS AWESOME MAKE THAT CONTENT I WILL EAT IT UP)

- thoughtlessdesires

THANK YOU SOMEONE ELSE WHO UNDERSTANDSSSSS

Hello, you there, yes, YOU 🫵 can help make tsundere twst by uhh... idek man it's tsundere twst,,, it's cuteee i swearrr imagine THIS:

I-It's Not Like I Like You!

Summary: The Housewardens deal with their affection in the oddest of ways.

Notes: This is a taste of what we can make possible GUYS tsundere!twst is cute and it's not ridiculously ooc or smth like that i SWEAR- Also the last sentence in Azul's part is literally ripped straight from the third part of his dorm vignette (the tsundere potential of this man is so understated guys PLEASE let me yap here I have a point-)

Night Raven College; a place of raw meritocracy. Sentiment is rarely found, and affection is often mocked. Logic and strength are meant to take priority, and discord between students is common.

So what happens where these students find someone who treats them with kindness, understanding.

...Completely flounder, of course.

The housewardens, during one of their meetings, even discussed the dearest Ramshackle Prefect, so odd, so understanding. Kalim had brought the topic up, of course.

"...Why's this important?" Leona had said, a bored look on his face.

"I-Indeed," Riddle said. "The Prefect isn't particularly relevant to our current topic of discussion, regardless of accomplishments."

Azul sighed in his typical, overdramatic manner of his.

"How cold!" he said. "Kalim was merely doing his duty to discuss the needs of all students, regardless of how-"

His nose wrinkled.

"Talentless."

"Well, the Prefect's not that bad." A lukewarm praise. Even Kalim wasn't speaking highly of the Prefect? Just what was going on here?

"A total normie," Idia had said.

"It's true, the potato could use some work," Vil said,

Wow. These housewardens sure did hate you, didn't they?

Wrong! At that moment, all of the, were lying! They liked you. And no one in that room had any clue how to deal with it.

Riddle hasn't ever really got to experience relationships due to the stifling pressure of his mother. Thus, he has absolutely no clue how to handle the sudden affection for you he feels. He'd often stop by Ramshackle to help you with your homework. Just because you happened to need it way more than the others, of course. N-No ulterior motives here. What do you mean 'his face is red'? You're just imagining things!

Leona's always been treated like a cold, uncaring individual, and that's what he's used to. That leaves him completely flabbergasted when you suddenly start making him lovesick. He happens to "accidentally" drop money and the like while you were near. Not that he wants to help you, of course! He just doesn't really care about the money that much. Why're you looking at him like that? He's not that kind of sap!

Azul's childhood's left him used to rejection. After so long of being mocked for any desire of love and companionship, he's shunned it. Love's just business to him, an easily exploitable emotion. So he'll never be able to admit it now that he's the exploitable one. He gives you stuff... for free? Since when did he do that? Ask him about it and he insists he's just doing it for business' sake. What kind of business? Is he sure he doesn't just like you? W-What sort of foolish questions are those? Do you honestly think him capable of such an illogical sentiment as "attachment"?

Kalim, of course, isn't immune. Even he doesn't understand this. Someone actively returning his kindness? He's absolutely in love, and he doesn't know how to handle it. Although he won't be quite as abrasive as the others, he'll definitely struggle to admit his feelings. He might actually be less nice to you than to others. Not in a rude way, of course, he's just a bit quiet because he's always so flustered around you! Can you blame him?

Vil, too, despite his normal mentality of being candid and mature, struggles to handle his affection. He'll buy you skincare and the like. B-But, he'd do this for anyone, of course. There's nothing particularly special about the way he feels for you! Once again, though he isn't particularly defensive, he'll definitely struggle to admit his feelings, and it causes him boatloads of internal conflict. Why's he being so immature all of a sudden?

Idia doesn't get you. Why'd some normie suddenly have to start talking to him? J-Jeez, it's not like he enjoys your company or anything! Idia can vaguely recognize the word 'tsundere' in his head as he mulls over his interactions with you, but he denies it. Denying his feelings? U-Uh, what feelings?

"Looks like you have some competition, huh?"

"What competition, Lilia?" Malleus's face twisted in displeasure. "The Child Of Man- they're merely a friend."

Malleus doesn't know how to feel. He's never really had these sorts of close relationships before, so when his heart pounds around you and sparks seem to fly, he has no clue what to do. He's so deep in denial, partially due to his obliviousness when it comes to matters of sentiment and partially due to how he's used to being intimidating, and blushing like a schoolgirl around one's crush is the opposite of intimidating.

[writingdevil]

I LOVED the last ParaCold fic you wrote, it was so so good -- if you have any ideas for writing for them again, I'd love to read it! Consider this a request? :D

Though if you would rather, I'd also be happy to read anything you wrote for Broken/Paranoid or Contrarian/Hero~ Take your pick, I love everything you write!

(I WILL NEVER SAY NO TO PARACOLD! Thank you, because the paracold fics are some of my favorite, and I always seem to get possessed when it comes to them and also Skeptunist, so I hope this one is good as well! Enjoy!)

"I'm sorry."

Cold spoke into the darkness of their bedroom, staring at a wall for so long that his eyes were beginning to burn, his brain refusing sleep to him.

On the other side of the bed, there was the sound of light and hesitant shuffling, but nothing else.

Cold sighed, gripping the pillow that he was clutching desperately to his chest with even more strength, as if it could actually replicate the touch that he was so used to.

"I'm sorry," Cold repeated, louder this time, and the shuffling grew louder as well, until it stopped as Paranoid spoke up, "You're not sorry."

"I am," Cold replied, feeling an urge to roll around and look Paranoid in the eyes, but he knew nothing good would come from that, nothing that Cold hasn't experienced before.

Cold wouldn't have considered himself an apologetic person, but then again, he also wouldn't have thought that he would actually feel something for someone else.

He couldn't believe that Paranoid was the one to keep Cold's attention for long enough that he began to grow attached to him.

Cold thought the fluttering feeling would go away once he realised how pointless emotions like that were, and it wasn't like Paranoid, of all people, would feel the same. He kept trying to ignore how much calmer and lighter everything felt when Paranoid walked into a room, or spoke to Cold about anything.

But it only got stronger, and Cold was experiencing emotions that were maddening and exhilarating at the same time, and he wasn't sure how he could possibly numb this type of attraction.

He didn't want to, was the simple answer. Cold didn't want to get rid of these feelings for Paranoid, and the memory of Paranoid almost breaking down at the sight of Cold falling gravely ill, was enough to let Cold know that some emotions didn't need to numbed, no matter how confusing they were.

Cold remembers Paranoid never leaving his side as he nursed him back to health, and the second that Cold had opened his eyes, Paranoid had leapt with joy, throwing his arms around him and rambling how he was scared that Cold wouldn't make it.

The only thing Cold really cared about from that day, was taking Paranoid's face in his hands and seeing if kissing him was as good as he imagined.

It was better.

But right now, Cold couldn't have imagined how awful he would feel in this moment.

"I wouldn't lie to you, darling- you know that." There was the faint sound of feathers bristling against the sheets, and Cold's lips twitched in amusement, at still having this effect on Paranoid even when they were fighting.

Cold didn't really care about petnames, but they evidently had an effect on Paranoid, so he liked to see those reactions whenever he could.

Paranoid sighed, sounding heavier than Cold wished. "I know that but-"

Cold waited for him to continue, but instead, he heard more aggressive rustling, feeling Paranoid squirm and inch away on the other side of the bed. "But I'm still mad at you, so I'm not ready to forgive."

The small kernel of hope quickly died within Cold, and he became more and more aware of how much he hated this situation.

Cold was used to silence. He was used to doing things solo. He was used to the others not really understanding or indulging in his interests. That was all fine by Cold. It was usually better that way.

Cold was used to being alone. But Cold was not used to being lonely.

He wasn't used to feeling this creeping darkness drowning him, making him feel so far away from the rest of the flock, even when he was physically next to them, and right now, even when they were barely five feet apart- Cold has never felt more lonely and lost.

He hugged the pillow to his body tighter, but it should've been Paranoid he was holding onto.

"My intentions are never to hurt you," Cold tried, and was met with a curt, "I know."

He sighed, burying his face into the pillow, imagining it was Paranoid's small but soft feathers, and with the scent of lavender that constantly followed the anxious bird.

"It's just-" Paranoid began, and then he sighed sharply, "I don't want you to think that I'm mad about you discovering something, because I'm not. I'm mad because you took it too far this time."

"How did I 'take it too far'?" Cold asked, a hint of annoyance in his voice, even if he knew that would only make things worse.

"Because you left for days!" Paranoid snapped, his voice getting dangerously loud for the middle of the night. "You left without a word and I had no idea where you were or if you were even safe!"

"I was looking for something," was Cold's explanation, one that didn't mean much to Paranoid, apparently.

"I don't care what weird thing you were looking for this time! You need to tell me!"

"Would it have changed anything?" Cold quietly asked, and Paranoid had no response for that.

Cold sighed again, wishing that this argument never happened in the first place. It was getting in the way of Cold feeling the emotions that he much preferred, along with filling his chest with a warmth that he hadn't known he needed.

"I'm sorry for yelling," Paranoid mumbled tiredly. "I'm sorry that we're fighting."

"We fight all the time," Cold pointed out, and it was true. Most of their time was spent discussing topics and trying to get the other to see their point of view. Other times, it was either Paranoid berating him for being reckless or getting hurt, or Cold scolding Paranoid for not telling him that he was about to have a panic attack.

"I know but I never like it," Paranoid said, and there was the sound of him wrapping the blankets closer to him. "I never like getting mad at the people I love, no matter how often it happens- especially not you."

Cold hummed in response. He would say that arguments were something he enjoyed getting into, but when it came to Paranoid, his chest began to ache at the thought of them, and their most recent one had been bad.

'You don't even care about how others will feel! Not even me!'

'Maybe you need to stop being such a smothering mother hen to me all the time.'

Usually Cold welcomed any and all emotions that caused something to shift within his heart, that gave him something new to feel. But this feeling-this feeling of frigid loneliness when his partner was physically right there-

Cold couldn't take it.

It was torture.

He looked down at the pillow he was holding. He was using a pillow as a substitute for where Paranoid should be in his arms. Was a fight really worth being this pathetic? Was it worth this distance and pain?

No, Cold decided.

Slowly, Cold lifted his head, looking over his shoulder to try and catch a glimpse of Paranoid-and his eyes widened in shock.

He had assumed that when Paranoid took the blankets, he had cocooned himself in them for comfort, like he usually did.

But Cold was surprised to see that instead, Paranoid had taken the blanket, rolled it up, and pressed it against his back-almost as if trying to replicate someone pressing up to him from behind.

"Love," Cold whispered, twisting around to face his partner. Paranoid flinched, before glancing over his shoulder, and his eyes immediately went to the pillow in Cold's grasp.

Their eyes locked.

Then the next thing they knew, they were scrambling and grabbing for each other.

Cold pulled Paranoid flush against him, sighing at the warmth he provided, as Paranoid frantically cupped his face and brought him into a desperate kiss.

Cold's entire body relaxed as he clung to Paranoid, tossing the pillow to the side. They kissed with an urgency, as if this was the last time that they would embrace like this. It reminded Cold of their first kiss.

When they separated, Paranoid kept his arms wrapped tight around Cold's neck. His feathers were a mess, and there was a wild spark in his eyes that Cold couldn't look away from.

Paranoid took a sharp breath in, ducking his head as he whispered, "I don't want to fight with you."

"I don't want to, either," Cold agreed, and then after a second or two, he nervously added, "I don't like how it makes me feel."

Paranoid sighed tiredly, then hugged Cold as if they had been lovers separated for years, and not two hours. He rested his head in the crook of Cold's neck, nuzzling into feathers that were constantly freezing, like they were the only thing to provide comfort to Paranoid.

Cold closed his eyes, focusing on the way that Paranoid felt, how his breathing evened out, and how all the tension left his body.

"I'm- sorry for worrying you," Cold said softly, his hands running up and down Paranoid's back. "I truly never like being the reason you panic so much."

"I know," Paranoid mumbled, then leaned back to look Cold in the eye. "I meant what I said though-I don't mind if you go off and look for whatever- I just wish you'd tell me so that I'm not just running around and losing my mind over where you are."

That was fair. Cold often forgot about the rest of the world when his mind fixated on one thing, but Paranoid had to be that exception. Not unless he wanted to feel that loneliness again.

"Or better yet, just ask me to come with you," Paranoid added, and that made Cold observe him in surprise.

"You would do that?" Cold asked, and Paranoid was confused for a moment, before Cold continued, "You would follow me to whatever dark corner of the world that I find myself in?"

Paranoid looked worried for a split second, before steely determination replaced it. "If it meant keeping you safe, yes. I'd follow you wherever."

A rush of excitement and warmth was bubbling up within him, along with a wicked grin that was reserved only for Paranoid's eyes, and he brought his love into another kiss, gently resting against the pillows, sighing as sleep finally began to catch up on them.

He gently laid Paranoid's head on his chest and whispered, "Then follow me into slumber, darling. I won't be far from you ever again."

[butterfly-ribbon]

thinking about the kamikou festival event again and how it conveys the tone and atmosphere of the school while showing the constant transmisogyny microaggressions mizuki lives with every day so well, and this phone call with an drives me insane bc even though an is genuinely well-meaning and is trying to ensure that mizuki knows that today is a safe day for her to come to school due to the circumstances of the festival, the way she words this is very discomforting bc she's basically saying "nobody is going to notice that you're dressed as a girl today bc everyone is wearing wacky outfits!" which carries the unfortunate implication that the way mizuki presents herself is equally wacky in a way that reinforces everything ppl say about her, but this isn't easy for her to push back against bc she doesn't have a good enough 'excuse' to do so when this is one of the few ppl who go out of their way to accommodate her even if they don't fully get it? it's thoughtful of an to want to reassure her but also it's another little thing that others fail to understand. she's trying to be kind but even then mizuki feels somewhat pushed into a corner. she's very bad at actively saying No. and an has removed her ability to misdirect here bc an is speaking with ambiguity.

mizuki also being too anxious about the idea of changing her clothes in school bc she's terrified of the possibility of being caught and thus having her body perceived by others... that's also another reason she'd hate being at school. gym and changing for it … i'd wager mizuki skips almost every gym class bc she can't stand the idea of being forced to change amidst boys, but she's also not allowed into the girls' locker room… literally only has the option to go to the roof if she wants to change. she's so hyper cognizant of her body and being seen … and the worst part is, she likes to be seen under her own circumstances and control (which is one of the many reasons she's very passionate abt fashion, and a lot of trans ppl in fiction tend to have an attachment to fashion and styling which makes a lot of sense bc of the element of control over one's appearance and making a self one can love). she really does. it just … happens that she knows she has so little control.

i've read the vbs main story (and a bit of their events but i need to continue whoops) and this makes me appreciate mizuki's brief interaction with kohane and an here more, bc it's obvious in this moment that kohane is just being her usual self—anxious around other ppl she's not familiar with and this is something she wants to improve upon (which as far as i can tell is the conceit of her character arc as an underdog of sorts compared to the others in her group). but mizuki assumes that she has to be uncomfortable with her specifically (presumably due to her transness) bc of her experiences, so she immediately feels bad about 'taking up space' and decides to make up an excuse to get away from the situation to give kohane the chance to comfortably hang out with her friend. and the fact that mizuki goes out of her way to say that she's going to find a place to hide alone is interesting bc the way it's framed it doesn't sound like it means much, but it feels deliberate on her part, like she wants an to know... mizuki's internal world and where we see she has internal bias and how she blames herself or assumes she herself is the problem if she can't make others comfortable, and she takes so much upon herself all the time bc she's used to constant microaggressions and either can't say how she truly feels or has to divest what she feels from its context to make it palatable. but of course kohane is not transphobic, she is someone who has trouble socializing with strangers bc of her own anxiety that has nothing to do with mizuki herself, but mizuki doesn't have access to this perspective like the reader so it's easy for her to assume that she's the problem. it's paranoia but it's understandable considering how she's treated by almost everyone...

[deathpactagainn]

Pencil and Pen, two sides of the same coin.

My personal analyses of Pen and Pencil

I wanted to take a crack at looking into these two's back to back lash out's. Firstly, I'd like to cover these two's obvious parallels seen in both the writing and visuals. As seen in the picture, they both have very similar scenes of which they both respectively begin to lash out at someone, both due to built up anger. They both share the similar mindset of "I can't lose this challenge", however, for completely different reasons.

Pencil is very clearly traumatized by her 6 years in the exit, being mortified by just the presence of Four. She sees challenges as no more than obstacles she must get through in order to win, but not just to win the game, but for immunity, for her guaranteed survival. She disregards her teammates and have little to no care for them due to this fact, but also due to her 'isolated' mentality. She believes she has no allies in this game and that people don't care for her, even when she quite literally has people shouting otherwise in her ear. All of this combined just drives her further to do anything to win, and that is where she is similar with Pen.

Whilst Pencil has (arguably) selfish motivations, Pen has selfless ones. He believes he needs to win the challenge's to guarantee his friends are safe, not him. After losing his closest friends (Blocky, Eraser, Needle) he is terrified of the possibility of losing more. He see's it almost as his responsibility to keep his friends safe, and it leads to so much repressed anger inside of him (but we'll get back to that later). Pen is angry at Pencil due to believing she was the reason Eraser got out (at the time his only friend in the game), and once he finally finds something to put his anger towards, he snaps. We quickly see how even when he's mad he tries to keep his cool, like how he still tried to save Pencil, but I think his anger is a new side of him they should touch on more (again, we'll come back to this).

Now, I also would like to touch on the topic of friendship between these two, because I think their respective relationships with other characters are very important to them as individuals. This is mainly prominent with Freesmart and the Blocky, Eraser, Pen trio.

Pencil still tries to hold onto Freesmart, despite everyone else (for the most part) letting it go. It's her only sense of normalcy in this game, especially considering how she was a late joiner in TPOT. She cannot bear the idea of someone else caring for her due to her character, so she chases after people she already knows, however, these are people she's actively hurt. Book and Ice Cube actively try to leave Freesmart in the past, seeing it as a toxic environment (and rightfully so) but which how much Pencil is attached to the concept of Freesmart being back in their prime (example; her getting back the freesmart supervan) she can't let the two go, even if they've already let her go. Pencil is not evil, of course, but that doesn't mean she isn't flawed. She's careless to the people she loves until it's too late yet turns away any sort of care from other parties. She's almost stuck in her ways, what with how badly she want's Freesmart to come back despite the ways in which she's hurt them.

Now, juxtaposed to how Pencil chases friendship's she actively diminished, Pen chases relationships diminished by others. I would like to preface this by saying that I don't inherently believe Blocky or Eraser are bad people or even bad friends, but rather they've done bad things. Moving on, we see in TPOT 1 that Pen doesn't even know Blocky is gone. Isn't that a little.. strange? Considering how close the two are, it's so weird to me that Blocky left without saying a word, even knowing that they'd be separated for not only months, but years. It's such a small detail but something I can't help but point out. Onto Eraser, I think their relationship is a little more complicated. Again, this isn't to say that Eraser doesn't like Pen, but it's always so obvious who puts in more effort towards their relationship, and it's not Eraser. Pen is always giving 110% with his friends whilst he just doesn't get the same in return, which I believe should be turned into somewhat of a plot point. And now Pen's anger is back (told ya). I think it'd be interesting if rather than Pen turning his anger into something to mourn his friends, he'd turned into something against them. I feel like he lets them off the hook too easily just for simply being his friend, and I'd like to see this be brought up in an episode rather than just throwing a plot point of Pen being mad at Pencil for whatever reason.

I might've gotten a little sidetracked but whatever. My point is that Pen and Pencil have many parallels with their relationships and the way they're almost obsessed with their friends, with them obviously differentiating with how they treat their friends and also with the way they treat new possible friendships, such as how Pencil turns away Cloudyay to protect herself but Pen instead embraces BAGGED and tries to protect them.

That's all I really have to say I guess. Sorry if any of this doesn't make sense, I'm just spitballing here lol. Feel free to share any thoughts of your own of gaps in my writing :p thanks for reading