#still feeling sad so let’s draw Julien also being sad

[taborc]

“Eventually it has to…right?”

Julien belongs to @felsicveins

[spinchip]

Should I Be Happy Too?

Words: 1300 Warnings: Dr. Julien was not a good dad. Discussion of Neglect, abandonment, and repeated Memory alteration, nothing graphic. ask to tag

“There you are.” Cole climbs up on top of the roof carefully, rolling over onto the wooden slats on his belly, balancing on top of the Destiny's Bounty cautiously. He could have used airjitzu, but he has a feeling Zane doesn’t want everyone on the ship figuring out where he was- the hunch to his shoulders reason enough to make him think he didn’t even want Cole to find him.

The tiles below them were domed, and one wrong move could send him sliding off the side, not that it would affect him much. Can’t kill a ghost twice, right? unless you had water- but Cole didn’t much feel like testing out his ethereal resistance to splattering on the pavement. Zane jolts a bit at his voice, sitting up a little straighter with a tired expression on his face, “Hello, Cole.” He holds his hand up in a still wave, before letting it drop back into his lap. He’s sitting criss-cross just below the mizzenmast, almost completely hidden unless you climb up on top of the roof to look.

Cole squashed down the swell of pride at guessing Zanes' hiding spot correctly, trying to focus on the more pressing problem- Zane’s need to hide in the first place. The ice ninja's voice was faded and soft too, sad and contemplative. Cole shuffles over to him while Zane watches with a little smile barely curling his lips, reaching out and taking his hand when he got close enough to draw him closer to the mast and even ground, “So,” He starts once he gets rightfully situated, “What are you doing up here?”

Zane sighs, smile dropping off his face and eye sliding closed as if that were the hardest question he’d ever been asked. Cole can see his eyelids flicker as the nindroid tries to put together the words to answer him, expression pinching.

“...Is it Echo?” Cole prompts softly, touching Zane's shoulder.

“No.” Zane opens his eyes, leaning just out of reach (Cole respects that, letting his hand fall back,) “Echo is my little brother, he is not a problem. However…” there’s a long pause as Zane gathers his words, “He is making me… realize some things.” His face twists, as if he’s unsatisfied with his answer. Zane is meticulous with his words, each one chosen carefully, so to see him so mixed up with his phrasing makes Cole worry. Something is really bothering him.

There was no doubt that his weird mood started when Jay told them about Echo Zane, trapped away in the same lighthouse that had been a prison for Zanes late father. (Jay wouldn’t speak about how he knew, shaking his head mutely when they had tried to pry, Nya shooing them away.) It wasn’t that Zane was weird around Echo, no, they took to each other like a moths to a flame. Echo was smart, a fast learner, and with a little TLC he was no longer losing limbs or locking up all the time. Zane adored him easily, and loved to teach and train him, talking to him about everything and nothing at the same time. Yet in the spaces in between, when Echo is absent and his presence can no longer distract the Ice master, Zane is quiet and contemplative and...strangely sad. (And, Cole notes with surprise, angry. Zanes eyes flicker with a deep frustration that seems so foreign on his face.)

“Do you want to talk about it?” He’s good at being there, for other people. He can be there for Zane, even if it’s just to lend an ear.

“No.” Zane says honestly.

Well, if not an ear, then at least a steady presence. A rock.

“Well, do you mind if I stay? The view is amazing.”

Zane blinks, looks out across the forest and land stretched out beneath them, stars like twinkling fairy lights hung in the sky, “I hadn’t noticed.” he admits faintly, softening at the beauty.

As the silence stretches, Cole just tries to appreciate what he can. He may not be able to feel the cool breeze that flutters at Zane’s gi, or taste the crisp night air, but he can drink up the scenery. He wasn’t joking, earlier, it’s beautiful out tonight. They’re faced away from the mountains they’re anchored at, staring out across wide expanses of earth, the tree-top from the forest swaying and undulating like water, rippling out across the floor. Just beyond the edge of the trees are rice fields, catching stars in their reflections, the crescent moon just barely brushing the surface. Everything is always moving so fast that there’s barely any time to take it all in. This is what they’re fighting for.

“My father left Echo behind on purpose.” Zane says suddenly, never looking away from the place where the star and land divide.

“What?”

“That is why i’m up here.” He cuts his eyes away from the sky, pining Cole with his calculating gaze, “I can not stop thinking about it. It bothers me.”

Cole stays quiet, unsure how to navigate this.

“I have run the logistics, I have gone through the scenarios, I have tried to understand what he was thinking- but there was no reason for it.” Zane clenches his fist in his lap, frowning unhappily, “I will never find the justification for abandoning him because there is none.”

He turns away, and when he speaks next his breath comes out in a cold puff, “And now I am beginning to realize that my father may not have been the man I thought he was.”

“What do you mean?” He doesn’t mean to pry, but this conversation is unexpected and he can’t stop the question from slipping out.

He doesn’t respond right away, and Cole is worried he pushed too far, opening his mouth to apologize when Zane starts to open up, “He erased my memory more than once.” Cole’s mouth snaps shut with a click, “I knew there were gaps, things I didn’t remember, missing time… I thought they had been damaged from the final memory wipe, but Echo has the same gaps, and why else would he install a memory switch? Why else would he refuse to remove it when I asked?”

Zanes' face is carefully blank, meticulously controlled, “And what gives him the right to erase my memories at all? He said it was because he loved me, and I think that's true for part of it, but… I can’t help but think it was also control. I spent years inside the tree lab, I was supervised outside only a handful of times, unallowed to leave. He kept Echo locked in the basement.” Zane’s head dropped, and he exhales harshly even though he doesn’t need to, “There were so many good times- all I was allowed to remember were the good times, and I loved him so much. I still do.” The words rankle, Zanes mouth presses into a thin line, complex emotions flashing too quickly across his eyes for Cole to decipher.

“...but..?”

“But he did a lot of bad things. Things that I don’t know if i can forgive him for.” Zane admits, eyes dulling, “Echo was not faulty or broken. He should not have been treated that way.”

Cole frowns and scoots closer, “You shouldn’t have been treated that way either,” He reminds him. “You don’t have to forgive him.”

The nindroids shoulder slump, and he leans over to rest his head on Cole's shoulder as if a wave of exhaustion has rolled over him, “I know. I am sorry I've been weird, I am just… processing.”

“It’s okay, this is a pretty heavy thing to realize. Take your time.” Cole focuses on staying solid for him.

“Thank you, Cole.”

“Anytime.”

It gets a bit colder and the sky twinges a bit darker before Zane finally straightens up, looking a lot less upset than he had when Cole had first struggled his way up onto the roof. They watch the stars for a bit longer before they’re both ready to return to solid ground.

[shelli-gator]

May I request some Willie headcannons?

Haha, yes! I love that boy! Here's a long hc post, sorry!

1. Willie loves to collect and look after plants. His hut is full of plants, from succulents to weeds that he took an interest in. It helps him relax, and he takes great pride in nurturing them.

2. He loves to collect things. He harbours more feral tendencies than his friends, and if he sees something that interests him he simply has to look at it and take it home. Hence he stole the boom box in One More Cup, and with Mort's drawing he just had to take a look at it. He has collections of things like cool shaped rocks, sea glass, and seashells. Just anything that grabs his attention. If he brings you gifts like these, he probably likes you very much.

3. Willie has mentioned that his family is always fighting amongst themselves, and that his parents are emotionally distant. I hc he has anxiety from years of being caught in the crossfire of their arguments, with constant yelling and violence that would make him retreat in on himself. Now, when people argue he tends to do the same thing, going quiet and fearfully curling in on himself. He does this when he's scared/upset too, and tends to hug himself/his tail.

4. Willie is a bit of a sad and lonely lemur. Like he has his friends, and he loves them, but their lack of understanding and empathy towards his anxiety makes him feel very alone. Julien picking on him in particular also makes him feel alienated. So he doesn't have the greatest relationship with King Julien. He respects him and likes what he does for the kingdom, but resents him for the way he treats him and people like Mort.

5. When he is happy, he can be super excitable and all over the place. His excitement can be infectious, and if anyone is going to get his friends running around chattering on all 4s like feral leems, it's Willie. For someone as sad/scared as he is, he can find joy in anything, like sacrificing.

6. I hc that Willie is the one who found Pancho when he showed up in the village, with no memories and his Julien doll. Willie is in highschool at this point, and already living alone to get away from his family. But it's lonely living on his own, and he finds a kindred spirit in poor lost Pancho. Pancho ends up living with him and going to lemur school with him, and Willie takes care of him a lot. But in spite of his best efforts, Pancho still feels lost and out of place, and takes out his frustrations by being a rebellious delinquent. He ends up taking it too far, and is imprisoned before he can graduate from lemur school, much to Willie's chagrin.

7. Similarly, Willie is the person to collect Pancho when he's released from prison 3 years later, and reintroduces him to the village and their old friends. Pancho ends up staying with Willie again for a while, and that's how the cycle of homeless Pancho moving from couch to couch starts. (I need to do a hc post like this for Pancho can someone ask please ahdkwhfjr)

8. Willie rather likes Mort (platonically or romantically whichever you prefer). He sees a kindred spirit in Mort, who is bullied and misunderstood a lot. Mort is also lonely, but not lonely enough to take up Willie's numerous attempts to befriend him. But I like to think eventually Willie wins him over with his kindness and compassion, and eagerness to do all the things Mort liked to do with Hans.

9. Willie is an excellent danger, which often goes unnoticed. This is actually canon though, as seen here. He throws a lot of himself into his dancing because it distracts him from his anxiety and everything.

10. He's friends with Dorothy, as she's one of the few people patient enough to deal with his anxiety. There's potential for it to be a ship, especially if he feels like she should be appreciated more. (Maybe he secretly brings her shiny gifts) Willothy has a nice ring to it too.

11. Since we're talking ships, I hc Willie is bisexual. And this lemur in particular feels like Willie's ex boyfriend. He's seen in a bunch of scenes with him, and by the events of Sinking Feeling, he's hurt Willie and they've broken up. Hence Willie takes so much relish in slapping him not once, but twice.

I also think Willie has the potential to become angry enough to lash out when pushed too far. Like it builds up to the point he'll just explode and attempt to bite whoever is pushing him. Tail up, teeth bared, he will fight and probably give you something to remember him by. But this is super rare, as he tends to just let people walk over him.

12. Willie likes an eclectic range of music, and he likes to support small bands that play music at little fireside art gatherings like This is the Kit. This one makes him think of Pancho, and how he lost him in lemur school.

"It happens, it happens, almost every time. I try to hold onto things that aren't even mine."

"Coz we used to be brothers, but people leave each other, don't they? Now I've lost you, I've lost you. We floated away." (God it hurts my heart)

13. And lastly, I hc Willie is a Collared Brown lemur! Though the chances are he is a mix of something. But collared brown lemur is in there.

And that's that! Sorry it's so long, feel free to ask me about any of these in dms or asks. :) hope you like them!

[peppersjam]

My Top 10 Albums of 2020

Ok, it's nearly February. Let's do this.

Revisiting the 2019 list, I'm struck by how my taste hasn't really changed. All of those albums are still in my regular rotation. This might be the first time that's been true year over year. The only one that has sorta fallen off is My Finest Work Yet but that's just because it's up against Andrew Bird's entire oeuvre.

Runners up: - Fleet Foxes - "Shore" (I got into Fleet Foxes pretty heavily in the Fall when this came out, but I found myself gravitating to their older albums. It's hard to disentangle that) - Caribou - "Suddenly" (It's good) - The Avalanches - "We Will Always Love You" (Also good) - Four Tet - "Sixteen Oceans" (Yes, good)

The pre-2020 albums that should've ranked:

Sharon Van Etten - "Tramp" (2012)

Sharon Van Etten - "Are We There" (2014)

Sharon Van Etten - "Remind Me Tomorrow" (2019)

🙃

10. Fiona Apple – Fetch The Bolt Cutters

I didn't listen to Fetch The Bolt Cutters many times, but it was one of my most memorable listens of the year: I took a day off of work for the first time since COVID protocols began, and I went on a long walk around Pittsburgh with FTBC in my ears. It's hard for anything to live up to a Pitchfork 10/10, but for one afternoon, at least, I agreed.

9. Sylvan Esso – WITH

A live album? But Sylvan Esso dropped a new new album this year. And wait, I've never even had any Sylvan Esson on my year-end lists before!

I miss live music so much. I didn't know that I would, though. Lately I've found myself (like many 30-somethings, probably) having a little bit less fun at concerts than I used to. They're too loud and you have to stand still for too long if you want to have a good view of the stage, and people don't dance as much as you wish they did, etc. etc. The last show I went to was Big Thief at The Fillmore in late November 2019. I stood up front like I used to (sore legs and all), but thank god I did.

WITH is not just a live album but a concert film. They formed a band of their musical friends and performed as a large group rather than as a duo, and the result is, surprisingly, my favorite Sylvan Esso album.

Ugh, and the crowd singing on "Coffee," "my baby does the hanky panky... my baby doessss..."

8. Perfume Genius – Set My Heart On Fire Immediately

This is yet another spectacular entry into the Pefume Genius catalog. Shrug emoji.

7. Taylor Swift – folklore / evermore

CHEATER ALERT! Two albums for the price of one! If I had to pick one of these to keep on a desert island, I'd probably pick evermore. It might be recency bias, but Taylor sounds like she's having more fun on that one. Regardless, Taylor delivered on (a) making TikTok go absolutely bananas trying to decipher hidden messages and (b) giving us the ultramainstream National(Dessner)-produced pop we didn't know we needed.

6. Charli XCX – how i'm feeling now

This album was a perfect palate cleanser to 2019's underwhelming-to-me Charli. She managed to capture the essence of being in COVID lockdown without losing sight of what makes her Charli XCX (i.e., all caps EARWORMS).

5. Adrianne Lenker – songs / instrumentals

CHEATER ALERT PT. 2! I talked a lot about Big Thief on my list last year because of their double whammy of U.F.O.F. and Two Hands (for which I did not, mind you, cheat). Adrianne's 2020 albums were released on the same day, so they're basically one album (right?). Adrianne spent some time with a binaural mic in a cabin in Western Massachusetts and recorded - complete with diagetic birds and windchimes - the most intimate indie rock/folk album I can recall. That entire sentence is Steve catnip.

4. Waxahatchee – Saint Cloud

I had a big Waxahatchee phase in 2018, so I was looking forward to 2020's Saint Cloud, especially after seeing glowing reviews. But I bounced off of it hard after a couple listens.

Sheep that I am, I decided to give it another shot when it started showing up at the top of end-of-year lists. And of course, I loved it.

3. Andy Schauf – The Neon Skyline

This is the only album on this list that I listened to pre-COVID. So there's something special here, for sure. It hooked me with its storytelling, which is smaller in scale than a lot of "story" music. But the smallness is key because it makes everything plausible. There are a bunch of "sad" albums on this list, but none of them wrecked me quite like this one.

2. HAIM – Women in Music Pt. III

Pt. III improves on the HAIM formula in every way. The choruses are catchier and the experimental bits are weirder. I think HAIM may have blown up this year if it weren't for gestures broadly. Not saying they aren't successful as is - but this is an album full of should-be festival hits.

1. Phoebe Bridgers – Punisher

Phoebe's Punisher arrived at the perfect time. Me and everyone on TikTok (at least the TikTok that I was algorithmed into) needed a sad album to lose ourselves in. A lot of these people didn't know Phoebe before this album. I'm jealous of their getting to discover this and Stranger In The Alps and boygenius (and BOCC, I guess) at the same time.

When I saw boygenius in 2018 (HOW was it that long ago?) I came away stunned by Lucy's performance and Julien's raw emotion (mirroring my thoughts from her captivating Outside Lands set in 2016(?!)). But I didn't know exactly what I thought about Phoebe.

I figured it out though! It was very obvious and I am very dumb for not realizing it until Punisher. Phoebe is a brilliant writer. She captures everything with a specificity that that simultaneously draws you into her brain and ejects you out into space.

So it wasn't just that we collectively wanted (needed) a good cry, it's that we were asking (begging) to be ejected from Earth completely, to return when everything was some facsimile of normal again. Phoebe delivered - not just with her patented ballads but with the hilariously uptempo "Kyoto" that asks us to dance alone in our apartments to I wanted to see the world / through your eyes until it happened / then I changed my mind. Yep, this was the perfect year for the equal parts earnest, funny, and sad 2nd Phoebe album.

[sibillascribbles08]

Blow It Out

Echo’s birthday feat. clone universe. A bit of angst but good feelings in the end.

Apologies if you have no prior context, main things to note, Zane isn’t around and Gizmo is now 8ft tall.

    Typically the factory was an empty place. Only select people even dare tread into it, much less actually climb the tower. 

    That’s why, when Echo heard footsteps, he reacted to his instinct to draw his pistol.

    “Who’s there?” He pointed the gun down the hall, letting the cameras in his eyes adjust to the low light.

    Cryptor stood there, hands up. “Only me, Echo. You may want to refrain from being so quick to draw a weapon in the city. You’d get an alert if there was a threat.”

    Echo snorted but put his gun away. “What do you want?” He turned his gaze back to what he was staring at earlier. A worn out frame. The corner of the glass chipped. Underneath was an aging picture of his father and Dr. Borg. It was some commemoration of yet another technological advancement made under their collaboration. A collaboration that only lasted a short while, he had read, as his father passed away less than a year after the two started working together. 

    “Gizmo was looking for you. Said you wouldn’t respond to your messages.” Cryptor came closer, tucking his arms behind him. His pink eye glanced at the photo on the wall. “I didn’t expect to find you on this floor.”

    “I hardly have any other reason to come in here.” Echo crossed his arms, trying to look as annoyed as possible. He certainly felt that way the longer he stared at the picture. It was just one of many, too. There were dozens more in the hall. An entire hallway committed to his father, celebrating his achievements, the things he’d done.

    If only they knew. 

    But even if they did, would they have cared?

    Cryptor stood beside him. “Gizmo mentioned your birthday. Is that why you came out here?” 

    “Sure, whatever.” Echo shoved his hands in his pockets now. “I know he likes to celebrate it, but I’m not sure I do.” He kept staring at the photo. “Just reminds me that I woke up to an empty lighthouse and an empty promise.” 

    “It’s understandable.” Cryptor took a step back. “I can tell him you wish to be alone right now.” 

    “Don’t speak for me.” Echo sighed. “And don’t tell him I won’t show up cause I will just...need some space to think.”

    Cryptor stopped walking away, but didn’t say anything. 

    The silence drew on for too long. It made Echo nervous. “He gets so excited about it that it helps, sometimes. Makes it feel a little less terrible.” He made his way down the hall. None of the lights worked, but the sun from the windows was more than enough. It amplified the dust in the room. 

    He kept looking at the photos and the plaques, some of which showed signs of tarnish. Eventually he reached the one with Dr. Julien and Zane. 

    Echo narrowed his eyes and ignored the temptation to throw it out the window. “Why do we even keep this place around?”

    “I imagine if you wanted to clear out this floor then–”

    “No, not just this floor.” Echo gestured around him. “This whole building, the factory, the tower. Why not just torch it and replace it with something else?”

    Cryptor let out a long sigh. “Echo I can’t count the number of times I’ve had this conversation with others.” 

    Echo turned to look at him. “Doesn’t that just prove that we’re all in agreement.” 

    “But that doesn’t prove you’re right.” Cryptor frowned, staring down at him. “Maybe one day, farther in the future, we will take this place down and replace it with something else, but doing so right now won’t help any of us recover from what happened.”

    “Oh bull shit.” Echo rolled his eyes. “How is keeping such an awful reminder around good for anyone?” 

    Cryptor kept his gaze firm. “It reminds me to keep myself humble. And for a lot of the kids, erasing all of this would be an expression that their past means nothing.”

    “What? Are you telling me the kids want to keep this place around?”

    “They do, if you ever bothered to speak to them you’d know that.” Cryptor turned his gaze to the pictures. “It’s a hellish memory to them, yes, but in their mind they conquered it. The empty building serves as a reminder that they overcame it.” He shifted his stance, folding his arms behind his back again. “If you wish to clear out this floor, I don’t see how it would be a problem, though you may want to ask Pixal if she wants that picture of Zane.” 

    Echo glared at it. Part of him didn’t understand what Pixal saw in Zane, but he also knew his hatred toward his sibling was mostly because of their father. Zane was probably fine, just as kind and heroic as everyone said. 

    Not that Echo would ever find out. His anger tried to latch onto the fact that it was Cryptor’s fault Zane was gone, but he squashed it back down. 

    Ultimately, outside of Gizmo, Cryptor had made the most effort to be kind to him. Despite the time Echo shot Cryptor over that time machine idea. He regretted the fight not long after, when Gizmo gave him a long lecture. 

    Maybe life right now wasn’t ideal, but there was no proof going to the past and changing things would actually make it better. 

    Echo shook his head. “She has enough pictures of Zane. Maybe I’ll let Jay have it instead.”

    “Oh?” Cryptor tilted his head. “Are you two friends now?”

    “I mean, he’s cool, even if he’s super jumpy.” Echo shrugged. “I work with him enough, and he doesn’t tell me to stop talking.” 

    “It’s just good to see you socializing in some form.”

    Echo glared at him. “Hey, I’m not a hermit or anything, unlike you Mr. Security Office.” 

    “I have quite a lot of work to do.” 

    “Yeah, well so do I.” He spun on his heel and began to head down the hall again. “City won’t rebuild itself.” 

    “That’s why you’re spending time up here.”

    “Hey, it’s my birthday, I get the day off.”

    Cryptor chuckled. “Of course. I’ll leave you to it then. Don’t leave Gizmo wondering for too long.”

    Echo looked back to see Cryptor leaving, but didn’t say anything. Being alone in this hallway wasn’t entirely wise, but he didn’t want to force Cryptor to stick around either. He probably should just head back to the apartment. 

    He began to head to the stairs when a glint of bronze caught his eye. He stared up at the plaque on the wall, reading the text engraved on it. 

    Dr. Edward Julien. Brilliant Inventor and Loving Father–

    Echo snatched it off the wall so hard the nail came with it. He tossed it on the ground and tried to stomp on it, but of course it didn’t do any damage. He once again thought about throwing something out the window, but that may end up causing more damage than it was worth. 

    He stared at it, jaw clenched, begging for his anger to recede. At least for the time being. 

    When it finally did, he moved his foot and picked the plaque back up off the ground. He stomped down the hall toward the staircase with it tucked under his arm.

    He had an idea of what to use it for. 

۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵

    Pi-ting! 

    Another bullet bounced off the bronze surface, leaving another harsh mark. Echo narrowed his eyes and opened his gun to add more bullets. 

    “Echo?”

    He looked over to see Jay peeking around the building. Echo thought he picked a spot far out of the way, tucked behind one of the buildings they were still repairing. 

    “Wh… what are you doing?” Jay glanced at the gun and then the plaque. 

    “Target practice.” Echo finished reloading the gun. He snapped it shut and fired off all six rounds.

    Jay squeaked and ducked as the bullets ricochet around the area. “Hey! That’s dangerous.” 

    “Maybe for you.” Echo muttered but still put the gun away. “Did you need something or were you just curious?”

    Jay slowly stepped out. “Ah no, just curious when I heard the noise.” He looked over at the plaque, squinting. “Um… where did you get that?”

    Echo answered flatly. “The tower.” 

    “Where in the tower?”

    “On the floor with the rest of the stuff about my dad.” Echo pretended to study his knuckle joints. “There’s a photo of Zane up there, by the way, if you want one.” 

    “Oh.” Jay almost looked frightened. He pulled his hands closer, one of them rubbing his wrist. “Would probably be weird to see that, to be honest.” 

    Echo raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

    “Just, you know, it’s been so long.” He gave off his usual nervous laugh. “Um, to be honest I’ve almost forgotten what he looked like. How sad is that?” His gaze fixed on the ground before he blinked and straightened up. “Oh, sorry, haha.” He waved his hands. “Didn’t mean to go on a tangent there.” 

    Echo shrugged. He wasn’t much for sympathy, couldn’t even understand Jay’s position, but he was on friendly enough terms he didn’t want to leave him upset. “If you forgot maybe the photo would be a good idea. Your other friends might appreciate it too.”

    “Yeah.” Jay sighed. He walked over to the plaque and picked it up, trying to read the text that was left. “Ah, yeah, your father. Should have guessed.” 

    “It’s a decent substitute for punching him in the face.” Echo glared at it. 

    “Aha, well, I’ll leave you to it.” Jay put it back down. “And I’ll see you later. Try and watch the bullets though, don’t know who else might be around.” 

    Echo didn’t reply to that. He watched Jay leave with an awkward wave. He knew he shouldn’t be this bitter or cold, but his irritation made it hard to act otherwise. 

    He looked at the plaque, wanting to deface it more, but knew Jay was right. He should find somewhere safer to do this. 

    He sighed and went over to pick it back up. He checked his messages. Ten of them from Gizmo. 

    No sense in avoiding it anymore, he really should get back. 

۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵

    Echo headed up the steps to the apartment and tried the door. Locked. He pulled his I.D. card out of his pocket and scanned the door. It opened with a click and he pushed it the rest of the way with his knee. It was dark inside. Was Gizmo out? Echo extended his free hand to flip on the lights.

    POP!

    Echo screamed from the sound, and would have gotten ready to fight if the colorful confetti didn’t cross his vision.

    “[Surprise!]” Gizmo beeped, party popper in the claws of his vacuum tubes. 

    “G-Giz? What are you doing?” Echo stared at the confetti that was now on the carpeted floor. 

    “[Surprise party.]” Gizmo put the empty popper away as one of his vacuums already worked to clean up the confetti. “[I was told that was how it worked.]” 

    Echo let out a long sigh, now that his panic was subsiding. “I suppose, but it’s not like I forgot it was my birthday.”

    “[I will have to try harder next year.]”

    He snorted. “Okay big guy.” He glanced around Gizmo into the small living room. Even from here he could see a pile of wrapped gifts. “What are all those?”

    “[Presents!]” Gizmo’s beeps came out as a pleasant chime as he walked over to them. He pointed at them one at a time with one of his hose arms. “One from me, Cryptor, Mindroid, Pixal, Jay, and even Toby.” 

    “Oh.” Echo wasn’t sure what to say to that. He didn’t expect this many people to even send him presents. “Were you advertising my birthday?”

    “[A bit. These people are also your friends, yes? It would make sense to invite them to celebrate if they want.]” 

    Echo wasn’t sure if he could call them his friends, but they went out of their way to do this, so it was something. 

    He was silent for a while, lost in his thoughts, so lost he wasn’t aware that Gizmo was reaching for the plaque until it was snatched from his grip.

    “Hey!” Echo protested and made a dive for it, only for Gizmo to hold him back with one of his hands. 

    “[What is this?]”

    “I know you can read Ninjagian, you know what it is.”

    “[Why are there such violent scuff marks on it?]”

    Echo sighed. “Target practice.” 

    Gizmo let go of him and handed the plaque back. “[Do you really think it wise to keep holding onto your anger toward him?]”

    “I have plenty to be angry about.” Echo snatched the plaque. “You know as well as I do. I’m not sure why you don’t hate him more. He left you on the island to rot too.”

    “[Yes, but he is dead, and we are not.]”

    “We would have been if Toby didn’t learn we existed from another universe.”

    Those blue eyes stared through him. “[Things worked in our favor. However lucky you want to call it, we are able to live our own lives out here. Why is that not satisfactory to you?]”

    “I don’t know.” Echo admitted. He ran his thumb over the dents in the metal. He couldn’t feel the texture, just the rises and dips. “I don’t know how to stop wishing for something I can’t have.”

    “[Which is?]”

    “To ask him why he thought it wouldn’t matter if he left us there.”

    “[And would an answer actually satisfy you? Or make you feel worse?]”

    Echo didn’t have an answer to that either. He didn’t know. Either their father admitted he was just as terrible as Echo thought or it was played out as some kind of accident. That he intended to come back but died before it happened. 

    Gizmo walked toward the kitchen. “[Well, you know what they say, sometimes wishes you make on birthdays can come true.]” He came back with a small candle. His two hose arms lit a match in order to ignite the candle. 

    Echo snorted. “What, you think I should waste a birthday wish on that?”

    “[It is up to you.]” 

    Echo took the candle, pondering it. He could wish for it, he already did after all, but Gizmo was right. An answer wouldn’t satisfy him. 

    He needed something else. He needed something to better anchor him in the life he had now. If only he had a clue where to start.

    Regardless, he reached out and pinched the flame, putting it out. 

    Gizmo’s hand rested on his head, ruffling his hair through his hat. “[Happy Birthday, Echo. I understand being made isn’t an entirely fond memory for you, but I am glad you are here.]”

    Echo couldn’t keep himself from smiling. “Thanks, Giz. Glad you’re around too.” He headed over to the coffee table and tossed the plaque aside onto the sofa. “So, which of these should I open first?”

۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵۵

    Mindroid hummed as he worked on cleaning up all the dishes from breakfast. Always a lot to go through, but worth it. The kids ate so much more these days than they did when Mindroid first started caring for them.

    The ping in his head caught him off guard for a moment, even more so when he saw who it was from. 

    Unusual for Echo to send him a message.

    >Hey, tell the kids I said thanks for the present. Though Gizmo’s griping just a bit about the glitter cards. I probably should come around and see them sometime, huh? Is there a good time for that?

    Mindroid couldn’t keep himself from smiling as he went back to his dishes.

    >Almost anytime is fine, though afternoons are best. Just let me know before you show up.

    >Yeah, no problem. I’ll swing by in a few days. 

    >I look forward to it. 

[chilling-seavey]

Passchendaele - XV

A/N This chapter is dedicated to all you lovely people who have sent me lil messages these past three days 🤍

T/W None...just a little sad

The rain didn’t let up by morning, the lighting and thunder keeping Daniel and Zach awake most of the night, their uniforms soaked through until they were shivering, huddled together in the muddy dugout for warmth. Zach still wasn’t doing well, keeping himself cuddled up against Daniel as if he was his mother, arms tucked around him and head on his shoulder. Daniel didn’t dare push him off. He kept an arm around the younger boy’s back, his eyes focussed on how the rain seemed to tear up the earth like small shells.

Daniel didn’t sleep for even a minute that first night at Passchendaele, praying that someone could just win the war and they would be able to go home. He felt guilty for not even caring who won, as long it would just be all over. Then he could be back in the garden with Elizabeth, starting their future together, and Zach could be safe at home with his mother instead of crying himself to sleep in Daniel’s arms on the muddy and cold Belgian ground.

Zach cried a lot since they left St. Julien, not even bothering to hide it half the time, and it seemed as though his cheeks were more consistently pink than usual, stained in tear streaks. Corbyn and Daniel never brought it up, not even making a move to comfort him when he would burst into tears over lunch or let tears trickle down his cheeks during Stand To; they just bit back their own feelings and turned away. Daniel found himself as Zach’s permanent safety blanket, the younger boy clinging onto him every night, his nightmares waking him most of the time and Daniel would pull him closer as he cried himself back to sleep against his shoulder. It was a torturous cycle for everyone; but Daniel had promised Elizabeth that he would take care of Zach so that’s what he made sure he did.

Daniel was raised to believe that men shouldn’t cry, so he forced himself into silence, preferring to bite his cheek and focus on writing his letters to Elizabeth. Corbyn seemed to be the same, silence often settling over their group of three. There was really nothing to speak about anymore.

The battlefield was silent for a while after arriving at Passchendaele, the soldiers busying themselves with rebuilding the duckboards and the trenches the best they could in the meantime. The rain never stopped. The trenches were flooded soon, the murky water reaching well over the freshly lain wooden boards until the water reached their ankles. Daniel forgot what dry clothes felt like.

Five days after they arrived at Passchendaele, a truck pulled up to camp to deliver mail, dry socks, and new uniforms. Lieutenant Colonel Seavey ordered the men the line up as he stood with the driver under an umbrella. The rain was down to a light mist that day, but the men didn’t even notice, having suffered five straight days of torrential downpour. Daniel gently pushed Zach in front of him in line as they waited their turns. No one spoke except for the Lieutenant Colonel and the driver who were handing out supplies and mail. When it was Zach’s turn, he recited his name shakily and Christian checked him off on his parchment in his hand as the driver shoved a folded uniform and a letter into his arms, a round metal helmet topping the pile.

Zach stared at it.

“Keep moving, Private Herron.” Christian said.

Zach shuffled off and Daniel stepped up next.

The brothers stared at each other expressionlessly for a moment before Christian looked down at his list and crossed of Daniel’s name. The driver handed Daniel his own stack of fresh clothes.

“Sir, there’s a letter for you here as well.” the driver said to Christian.

“Get rid of it.” he replied without looking up from his list, tapping his pen against the paper impatiently. Daniel glanced at the envelope in the man’s hand, recognising his mother’s handwriting on it.

“But, sir-”

Daniel turned on his heel with a scoff without another look at his brother and followed Zach into the trenches again. Zach was changing into his fresh uniform, standing up on an empty shell crate to stay out of the water as he buttoned up his jacket when Daniel found him, giving the older boy a quick glance before he bent down and grabbed the new helmet, placing it over his brown hair. Zach’s face faltered as he adjusted the helmet on his head, his lips in a pout as he stepped off the crate back into the water, instantly soaking his clean socks and trousers. Daniel took his turn to undress on the crate himself, pulling on the new uniform that was slightly warm from actually being dry, the feeling being the best thing he had felt in a while. The helmet was slightly heavy compared to the soft cap they were expected to wear before, and Daniel took a few tries to feel comfortable with it on. He looked down into the murky water and sighed before setting one foot into it, the cold water filling his boot and sloshed around his calves right away.

Corbyn approached them, already dressed as well, muttering a lighthearted, “Looking sharp, boys.”

Zach glanced up from where he was leaning against the wall of the trench reading his letter. He looked back down without a word.

“Did you get any mail?” Daniel asked Corbyn softly.

“No.” Corbyn shrugged. “You?”

“Yeah. One letter from Elizabeth and one from Mum.” Daniel sighed, looking down at the two envelopes in his hand.

“Want to read them over lunch?” Corbyn offered.

Daniel nodded, giving Zach a nudge so he could follow them to eat. It was the most they had spoken in a while, but they fell into silence again as they got their rations from the mess tent and found the driest place they could to sit.

Daniel balanced his mess tin on his lap as he carefully open his letter from his mother first, feeling like he owed her that enough since his brother declined even touching his.

My darling boy,

I know it’s been a while since I’ve written you, but I have been busy here at home. Anna and I have been going into the factory every day to sew uniforms and socks for the men. Have you received any? If you have, I have made sure to send an extra hug with them…I hope you can feel it. Anna misses you a lot, as do your father and I. We are sending prayers and well wishes. We haven’t heard from your brother since you were sent over. I hate to put this on you but if he is with you, please ask him to write me. I would love to hear from him although I figure he is busy as an officer – he explained as much in his last letter. I read your words often as they remind me so much of you. Keep each other safe. I love you, my sweet.

Mum

Daniel sighed as he folded the letter back up and tucked it in his tin box from the inside of his jacket to keep it safe before unfolding the letter from Elizabeth.

Sweetheart,

It feels like years since Christian took you away from me even if it was barely a day. I miss you terribly already. I’m being taken good care of by the nurses here…they also seemed smitten by you when you were visiting me…I made sure to tell them your heart is already mine. No one is to take you from me that easily! They say I am to be leaving on Sunday the 2nd in the evening. I will make sure to clean up the garden as soon as I get used to being back home as spring will have been well into blossom by then. I can’t wait to sit with you among the flowers again; the sunshine always makes your freckles surface over your nose and your eyes to sparkle. Write me as soon as you get note to when you might be dispatched, and I will make sure my best dress is ironed in time for when I pick you up from the train station. I’m getting so very excited just thinking about it!

Fight bravely, my love. Remember that I love you. So much.

Yours always,

Elizabeth x

Daniel let a calm smile come to his face as he folded up her letter again and tucked it into his tin as well before sliding it back inside his jacket for safe keeping.

“Good things?” Corbyn asked.

“Lovely things.” Daniel couldn’t hide his smitten grin.

“How about you?” Corbyn turned to his other side where Zach had barely touched his food.

“My sister drew me a picture.” Zach whispered, handing over the small piece of paper. Corbyn took it gently to admire it, Daniel glancing over his shoulder. The crayon drawing was of four stick figures all with brown hair and big smiles outside a boxy farmhouse. A pink pig with a curly tail was drawn on the end. “It’s us. Me. Back home.” Zach bit back a smile as if he wasn’t allowed to show an emotion other than sorrow.

“Are you the pig?” Corbyn teased.

Zach gave him a small shove as he snatched the picture back and struggled to tuck it into his inside jacket pocket, “That’s Petunia.”

“Petunia the Pig?” Corbyn snorted, smiling at Daniel who chuckled.

“Reese named her when she was 4.” Zach glared at them before shyly breaking into a smile towards his lap with the memory, “Wouldn’t let father butcher her for supper. Threw a massive fit, made a hell of a fuss every time he would even go near it.”

“The pig could have used one of these against your father.” Corbyn chuckled as he knocked on the thin brim of the metal helmet Zach wore with his knuckle.

Zach’s smile faded quickly, and he kept his eyes focussed on the ground as they filled with tears and he let out a small sob, hiding his face in his hands.

“Christ, here we go again.” Corbyn sighed, closing his eyes and leaned his head back against the wall of the trench, rubbing his forehead with his fingers tiredly.

[undertaleheadcannonsfromagremlin]

Heya, Can I get a matchup? I'm 4'11, Aries, I suffer from Depression and Maladaptive Daydreaming... I dress up like Emo/gothic and listen to heavy metal... I love to draw, write stories, and sing...

I’ve been watching too much Jenna Marbles to because as soon as I read aries, I looked up a Jenna and Julien compilations, haha. And still, the keep reading thing refuses to work... Sad. Very sad... 

Boyfriend Match: Mal (Fellswap Sans)

Honestly, when he first met you, the whole Maladaptive Daydreaming thing was something he was rather frustrated with, he didn’t understand that it was a disorder you couldn’t exactly control. Though he had gotten over that with the help of his brother, and now... Now when you have daydreams about him and tell him about it, he can’t help but feel pride swell within his chest, because you loved him so much! He’s protective over you, and honestly, Rus is like a brother to you, which is a bonus to him, honestly. He will actually buy you clothes that suit you, and are in your style, mainly because he likes seeing clothes that fit you so well, that he picked for you. 

Romantic Interest Match: Boss (Underfell Papyrus)

He’s quite taller than you, and seeing how he is organized, prepared, and quite capable, he decides to take up the challenge that is your problems. Yeah, not exactly quite the start of a friendship between you and him, but hey, once he got to know you, he was drawn in rather quickly. And despite you having a boyfriend, he will tell you the benefits of being with him instead, but if you are insistent on not being with him, he will just let you be, begrudgingly. Whenever you’re in a depressive state, he will have you write a short story, or draw, its a healthy release to show how you feel, or get your mind off of things.

Best Friend Match: Clove (Horrorswap Sans)

You got the sweat bean, and honestly, he likes your style! The black goes really well with showing off your complexion, and you just look awesome! He’s also quite the strong guy, both mentally and physically, he also helps his brother out often with his problems, so he wants to help you with yours, even though yours are different than his brothers. He often loves hearing you sing, it gives him something nice to bring him from dark places that sometimes catch up to him. 

[seaquestions]

okokok im home from crj concert and it was Awesome!!! (if i wasn’t coming down with a cold, it woulda been better but gah my body sucks at timing what can ya do.) like... first of all. shoutout to the ppl backstage doing the lighting cos oh my god it made her look Radiant. A Being Of Pure Light (not that she isn’t already). bit too quick & flashy sometimes, made me dizzy, but still really cool! the whole time i just kept wanting to draw her.

i was Really happy that she put in b-side stuff like cry and store bcos i love those songs so much!! and julien!!! (is from montreal apparently! lmao she literally said “if you’re here tonight, i don’t have any real feelings for you anymore! julien, don’t call me!” Iconic.) but Man... when she said that julien was the heart of the album i didn’t really get it until now but Oh it really is! kept hearing it in my head on my way home...

and call me maybe!! has never been a particular favourite but oh, when it started it was like a burst of joy hearing those strings. and the saxophone in run away with me... magical.

the only thing i’m sad about is that she didn’t sing right words wrong time cos its my big favourite (right now anyways lmao it changes all the time) i woulda went Hard on that but oh well. i also had to leave a touch early so i didn’t get to hear let’s get lost, unfortunately.

but all in all, it was wonderful! 

[hellyeahrpmemes]

※ JENNA MARBLES SENTENCE STARTERS, PT. IX ※

here’s sentences from 10 more of jenna’s videos! feel free to change names/pronouns/zodiac signs/etc.! more jenna sentences

PANCAKE ART CHALLENGE

“I’m not very good at drawing things.”

“Yours won. Yours so won.”

“It looks like a feral cat.”

“You’re just pretending to be a chef.”

“I made your forehead in pancake form.”

“Don’t look at mine - don’t look at mine…!”

“She looks like a ghost of herself.”

“It looks like a tombstone walking a dog.”

“It looks like a can of silly string gone wrong.”

“That’s a bunny. You draw it every single time we’re at dinner and you find a crayon or a pen. That’s the one thing you know how to draw really, really well.”

“So it’s a flamethrower?”

“What the fuck is your problem?”

“I’m gonna put this on your bed tonight. On your pillow.”

“It’s an Ankylosaurus, duh.”

“Can you autograph my pancake?”

“I wonder if it tastes good.”

“It looks like a weird calculator.”

“If he can do it, we can do it, too.”

“In the end, we both lost.”

“It was a lot harder than it looks.”

CHILDHOOD STORIES

“There are some moths in my house, and I don’t really want to kill them, but they are driving me crazy. I swear to god, if they start chewing my clothes, it’s gonna be game over. I’m gonna burn this house down.”

“I have lost my mind a little bit.”

“Worship me, Pinterest.”

“I feel like I am now the queen of DIY.”

“We would just sit there, and maybe look out the window, and maybe talk to each other.”

“You really needed a friend, but I really liked to play with it alone.”

“What did you do? That looks so cool!”

“I forgot I had a rope, and I forgot this thing called friction happens, and I sawed it in half.”

“I didn’t say anything to my dad, because I knew that that would be certain death.”

“I am a really bad liar and I have a terrible poker face.”

“My brother wasn’t going to tattle on me, because he is not a snitch, and I appreciate that.”

“It was like top ten most angry moments I’ve ever seen my dad.”

“Shut up, my gerbil is not fat.”

“Dude, your gerbil is so fat.”

“It was the most disgusting thing I think I’ve ever seen.”

“Sometimes, if your mom can’t take care of you, she’s just going to eat you.”

“I took a pair of scissors, and I decided to give my cat a haircut.”

“Damn it, now the cat’s gonna get his head stuck in everything.”

“I’m fired, I quit, I’m fired.”

MY DOG CHASING A DRONE

“I got Julien a drone for his birthday.”

“He really just loves to chase it.”

“Why fight it when you can just work with it?”

“It really is completely hysterical.”

“This is what I want to watch on the Internet.”

“We love each other forever.”

“I would never do anything to put him in any sort of danger.”

“We work together to make fun things happen.”

“It’s just really cool and really amazing and I just wanted to share it with you.”

“You don’t even care, do you?”

UNPOPULAR OPINIONS

“Do you need a snack or anything? You good?”

“I think avocados are propaganda in Southern California.”

“You hate something as meaningless as an avocado, Jenna? Really?”

“If I was a ghost, I wouldn’t just help people when they needed me, I’d be there all the time.”

“What’re you doing? Cutting your nails? I’m gonna stand here and watch.”

“Are you ever truly alone? I say no.”

“Why am I turning? I hate this chair…!”

“I don’t think ghosts and/or spirits just limit their visitation hours to when you need them. I think they’re there all the time. Creeping on you.”

“I think parasailing is boring as fuck.”

“That looks intense, count me out.”

“It’s very boring. It’s not worth it.”

“Why are you so famous? It really bothers me to the core of my being.”

“I think almond butter tastes like blood. I think it’s gross, and it tastes like blood.”

“I think tonic water tastes like earwax.”

“I think that making a salad is way too much work for the end result.”

“I’m not really talented at hard manual labor, which I’m sure my grandparents would find as a character flaw.”

“I think Jenna is the best name ever. Sorry, all other names.”

“I would buy her a drink like the gentleman I am.”

“I have a landlord that says no, but I say otherwise.”

“Go check out the otters. You won’t be disappointed.”

“They’re literally just there to have a great time.”

“I mean, it’s cool to see you, man, but you seem sad.”

“I think curtains are way too expensive for what they are, and a waste of money.”

“I’d see that, like, four times in the theater.”

“I’m legitimately terrified of prescription drugs.”

“I don’t really care what anybody says. I mean, I do a little bit.”

“Think for yourself, use your own brain, it’s a fun thing to do.”

REVIEWING BAD APPS

“Guess what? This is life.”

“I think it’s funnier now that the song is two years old.”

“If I paid money for it, I’m angry about it.”

“This is the weirdest fucking app.”

“I think it’s genius. I think it’s great.”

“Does this not know that google exists?”

“Did that horse fall?”

“Is this porn? Is this porn? This feels porny.”

“This one makes me feel like I’m really there.”

“That’s pretty annoying.”

“It’s not the worst, but it’s also not not the worst.”

“One small tattoo for man, one giant leap backwards for mankind.”

“Oh my god, oh my god, that’s nightmare fuel.”

“It’s so stupid that it’s amazing.”

“Just that name is the funniest thing ever.”

“Oh, I hate this so fucking much.”

“Think of all the times you just needed a candle, but you don’t have one.”

“Whenever I find something really cool, I just tell Julien, and he never appreciates it, so I hope you appreciate it.”

GIRLS DAY

“It’s time to go.”

“This is the cutest shovel I’ve ever seen.”

“I got this on sale!”

“I feel crazy.”

JENNA’S RACHET FASHION BOUTIQUE

“I like to sew, even though I’m not very good at it. I just refuse to fail.”

“We used to have to take home economics, where you learn how to sew and cook and stuff, and, apparently, people don’t take that anymore.”

“I still am mediocre at it.”

“If shit ever went down at a zombie apocalypse, everyone’s gonna be butt-ass naked, and I’m gonna be over here, sewing, with electricity.”

“I’m just gonna try and sew myself a sick outfit.”

“I also don’t want to spend a lot of time doing this.”

“Fuck patterns, fuck all that shit, let’s just do it live.”

Everything that I sew is gonna be with navy blue and/or black thread, which, if you have a problem with, just go away now.”

“I’m gonna make a long maxi skirt, ‘cause those are overpriced.”

“I would do this drunk, but it seems really dangerous to sew drunk.”

“Something smells like burning.”

“It looks crooked, but you just pass it off as fashion.”

“Get your scissors, and cut whatever the fuck is bothering you the fuck out.”

“Backwards and forwards and backwards, it’s just like life.”

“The best way to learn is to just look at a shirt, and make it.”

“Just don’t even bother finishing anything.”

“Yes. Yes, cape, yes.”

“Somebody could have made something really nice out of this. Not me!”

“I’m literally wearing a tube of pajamas, and I love it.”

“When I was at the fabric store, I saw this, and just really couldn’t resist.”

“What lady going to a ball couldn’t fit this into her wardrobe?”

“A fun, exciting fabric to make a hat out of is denim.”

“Don’t laugh, it’s fashion!”

“If you saw this, you’d be like, that is couture.”

“I really should’ve just made my entire outfit out of this, but that’s for next time.”

“Looks great. I’m scared of you, but it looks good.”

“I feel like the outside matches the inside.”

“Yes, bitch, you fuck that outfit up.”

“Honestly, I’d wear this shirt. And this skirt.”

THINGS I WISH I COULD LIE ABOUT

“I’m also sorry. But not that sorry.”

“Most of it just stems from being terrified of authority. I’m scared of getting in trouble.”

“Whenever someone asks me for my phone number, I always give out my real phone number. I can never lie and give them a fake number.”

“I’m terrified of having that confrontation.”

“Yeah, I got it really wet. It’s soaking wet. Just fully submerged in water. It’s wet.”

“I just wish that I could lie, but I feel too bad, I have to tell the truth.”

“I could’ve saved myself a lot of money with just a couple lies.”

“Their dogs are not therapy dogs, and you can tell.”

“I know for a fact that, by saying yes to that question, I’m just gonna get a lecture for the next ten minutes.”

“I don’t need to hear the lecture. I know the lecture.”

“Eggplant? Ew! The fuck is wrong with — my god, no…!”

“I don’t need to violently argue with someone when they say they don’t like something.”

“I can never, ever, ever lie to a police officer or a cop, ever.”

“I wasn’t speeding that much, but I was definitely speeding.”

“I was listening to R. Kelly’s World’s Greatest, and it was just getting me so hyped up that I just, I went so fast, I didn’t realize how fast I was going.”

“He gave me a $300 speeding ticket.”

“That started the ‘do not play’ list in the car.”

“You’re singing with your eyes closed, which is not good for driving, at all.”

“I think this is a good look. I think we should make this a thing.”

“Some of you guys are fuckin lying.”

HOW I TALK TO PEOPLE AT PARTIES

“Oh my god, how’s it going? So good to see you!”

“Hey, thanks, I’m a catch.”

“It’s a conversation, we should listen.”

“I don’t wanna listen…”

“I’m gonna use my eyes and pretend I’m listening.”

“She just asked us a question — did you hear what she asked us?”

“So how’s, uh… how’s what’s his face?”

“I just don’t want her to tell the tree story again.”

“One time, I was climbing this tree in my backyard…”

“She can smell your fear, you know.”

“I can smell time. It’s 11:30.”

“I can rap. Quadruple threat.”

“Did you watch the baseball game the other night?”

“Are we drunk?”

“This is bad, we shouldn’t have said that, why did we say that?”

“Hey, we should get this pierced.”

“Do you feel like breaking something?”

“I really love you so much.”

“She’s already drunk ‘I love you’-ing.”

“At least she didn’t make any drunk plans yet.”

“We are not going to remember that. Not at all.”

“What do you think happens when you put a ton of lettuce into a woodchipper?”

“I fucking hate you guys. You guys are idiots.”

“My brain is a terrifying prison.”

WHAT’S IN MY MOUTH CHALLENGE

“Why are you laughing already? Stop laughing.”

“You put the heel of my boot in my mouth? What are you, insane?”

“This touches the ground?”

“I was mad, sorry.”

“No, this is not going to turn into you solving a Rubik’s cube.”

“Who makes appointments a year in advance? I do.”

“This is my inhaler, you asshole!”

“Did you just say scoff?”

“You sinus-blasted me?!”

“Do you have any idea the mental preparation you need to have before you take one of those!?”

“As soon as it hit my tongue, I knew I was fucked.”

“Open up, we are playing a game.”

“Julien, my mouth tastes like Christmas tree!”

“Oh my god, what the fuck is that? It’s wet…”

“Open up all the way.”

“You put yeast in my mouth. That was fucked up.”

“Wow… I hate you.”

[impossiblegeometries]

Julien- 1, 31, 43, H) ✿ Toni-2, 4, 35, 36, I) B) ✿ Alex- 5,11, 18, 40, 43 ✿ Adrian- 9, 33, 39, F) ✿ Liam- 7,27, 28, 41 J) ✿ Mrs.Rhys- 10, 13, 28,34 ✿ Andrej-11,18,31,41,

vv

Julien - What's the maximum amount of time your character can sit withnothing to do?Honestly, not long. He's always got to have somesort of noise (usually music) so, closest to that is probably if he'slistening to music, but that's still doing something. - Whoare they the most glad to have met?Probably Toni—the two had along friendship before formally dating, and the amount of supportJulien received from him was crucial to him. Also, a friend of histhat I've only barely started fleshing out—a tattoo artist who's,like, his best friend in CA, and was a huge support after his bigbreakup. - If someone asked them to explain their sexuality,how would they do so?Pan as hell. The strongest factor in hisattraction is confidence, so he's had a variety of partners.

-What trait of theirs do you admire most?Thisgoes in line with the previous question, and I gave him this traitspecifically because I admire it (and let's face it, in the firstiteration, Julien he was a douche, and I actually started to make himinto someone I enjoy) but his attitude of, like... surroundinghimself with people who exhibit a quality, to better exude thatquality (ie. confidence) is cool. (and Toni does it too, so, they'reboth into that) 

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿Toni-Howeasy is it for your character to laugh?Ifhe isn't laughing, he probably doesn't like you. He always loves tomake people laugh and laugh with them.

-Howeasy is it to earn their trust?Toniis actually kind of wary and doesn't have many very close friends.He's polite, and he's pleasant company, and certainly not hard tomake friends with, but that “inner sanctum” takes a little bit ofwork to get at.

-Howdo they treat the things their friends come to them excited about?Are they supportive?He'ssuch a mom friend. He's very invested in his friends—even if hedoesn't know much about a subject or whatever, he's happy to see thepeople he loves being excited.

-Dothey actively seek romance, or do they wait for it to fall into theirlap?Toniis hopelessly romantic. He is so into being in love that, a lot ofthe time, he gets a little insecure and second-guesses his feelings.So, he waits. But he's trying to work on that and actually chase itfrom the get go.

-Doyou prefer to keep them in their canon universe?See,his canon is kind of changing right now—the story I initially hadfor him is totally not what I want for him now, so I'm more thanhappy to give it a facelift. So no to the old, and yes to the new.

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿Alex-Howeasy is it to earn their mistrust?Quiteeasy. Admittedly, this was a real problem for him at a younger age,on account of his short temper. At his worst, Alex makes littlemental notes on, you know, “cardinal” deal-breakers for his trust(usually related to insulting a loved one, his insecurities, etc)

-Howdo they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend theyunderstand, etc)?Hetries to ask again and clarify. If, for whatever reason, that doesn'twork, he gets frustrated. The level of frustration and number ofrepetitions are absolutely correlated.

-Whatembarrasses them?Notunderstanding things. This goes well with the previous question:Alex's embarassment is usually hand in hand with frustration. Or whenhis parents call him out for PDA with Howard (oops)/

-Howsensitive are they to their own flaws?Hereally would never admit it, but his anxiety is a real insecurity.Despite the pretty positive situation he has surrounding histreatment (parents in the medical field, steady access to mediation),it cuts deepest when someone uses it to insult him.

-Ifsomeone asked them to explain their sexuality, how would they do so?Tomost people, he'd say straight. To maybe one or two people he mightsay he's “mostly” straight. He's had a fling or two with a guy,but to no great confusion or “crisis” over it—He considershimself attracted to women and femininity (and, yknow, he finds that inHoward, so he's beginning to unlink that convention of “femininity”in a gendered binary)

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ Adrian-Dothey swear? Do they remember their first swear word?“Allthe fucking time.” He tries to curb it around kids. He doesn'tremember his first swear word, but his favorite is probably “fuck.”

-Couldthey be considered lazy?Sure,but he grinds. He's in bands and trying to make art, which is enoughfor some people to think he's lazy.

-Howeasy is it for them to ignore flaws in other people?Thisis a case-by-case issue for him, usually. If he likes someone, heworks around them. If he's a fresh acquaintance, it's pretty hard(especially if they're obnoxious traits).

-Whatdo you feel when you think of your OC (pride, excitement,frustration, etc)?Ilove this boy so damn much. I feel like he was the first really superindulgent OC I had and kept around, so he's just consistently been(and continues to be) a lot of things I love or have a fond nostalgiafor. And I still love drawing him.

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ Liam-Whattriggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?Music.Absolutely. And he loves it. Music has a particularly “teleporting”quality for him, and he associates most of his favorite memories andfeelings with songs.

-Whatcauses them to feel dread?Uncertainty,I suppose. He's kind of an emotional guy, and he tries to deal withsad/hopeless feelings quickly so he can attempt to clean up the rootof it.

-Wouldthey prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth?Unpleasanttruth. When it gets down to it, he doesn't screw around, and hedoesn't take shit.

-Howdo they feel about children?Heloves his son so much. I'm not sure if it was entirely planned outthat he happened, or if it was a desire for a kid that got catapultedinto action when life happened, but he pretty quickly resolved to beready for things to change. Also, he was pretty fond of being theoldest out of himself, Adrian, and Alex when they were children,because it meant watching out for them.

-Didyou have to manipulate or exclude canon factors to allow them tocreate their character?Yes, technically. Originally, he and Adrian were in a plot where Adrian died and some fucked up stuff happened. But you know, then you just change the canon and your babies are actually happy.

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ Mrs.Rhys (Mia)-Whatlie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them?Probablysomething she didn't tell Liam and Adrian about their father, ortheir mother. Not sure. But she'd be one to justify a lie if she feltlike benefitted someone she loves.(In the other 'verse I'mworking on, her most frequent lies are if a certain someone isdead—but, as said before, she's willing to justify a lie to benefitherself/someone she loves)

-Whatcolor do they think they look best in? Do they actually look best inthat color?Shewears dark colors and blues, mostly. She thinks she looks best inthem, of course: she dyes her hair black to work with it.

-Wouldthey prefer a lie over an unpleasant truth?She'drather be told the unpleasant truth, but would rather tell a pleasantlie to others.

-Howhard is it for them to shake a sense of guilt?Inthis case, the guilt is contingent on knowledge: if she's lying tosomeone and can justify it, pretty easy. If they've found out, it's abit harder. 

✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿ ✿

Andrej-Howdo they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend theyunderstand, etc)?Youwould think he's better at this than Alex, but he does the same exactthing and worse. When he needs clarification (usually semantics), hegets frustrated. With semantics, he pretends he gets it. If he needsto ask an additional time, he's prone to dismissing the subjectaltogether.

-Whatembarrasses them?Gettingthings wrong (and, again, especially with semantics.) Obviously,English isn't his first language: his family and close friendsunderstand what he means to say and don't think anything of it, buthe gets embarassed when his verbal mistakes are called out.

-Whoare they the most glad to have met?Mia.I like to think they met in a busy metro or something, she waslooking fierce and noticed he had a uniform for the same med programshe was in (or maybe applying for) and they hit it off.

-Howdo they feel about children?Andrey always looked forward tohaving his own kids. A son was particularly amazing to him: when Miawas pregnant with Alex he was excited to even name him. Though hiscareer kind of over-stretched the fabric of the family dynamic hewanted with Alex, Andrey went back in and smoothed things over withhim.