#thank you finn! this was fun

[i-ideate]

frogs have so much spring within them

EVERYONE LISTEN TO A NEW BRAIN ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIKE FALSETTOS BECAUSE THEY HAVE VERY SIMILAR MUSICALITY (PRETTY SURE ITS BY WILLIAM FINN)

this is an underrated work of art

[aquickstart]

pls may i have some saltburn takes. i saw u liked my post abt oliver never having read the reading list and it made me giggle.

OH YES DUDE oh i Loved that post because it brings up actually something that for some reason i haven't seen discussed much. oliver's unreliable narration.

i have a brilliant, i think, genius four-question plan for making people understand saltburn, and it has worked before and i will maybe elaborate on it, but not right now. right now i'll talk about one of the questions.

who is oliver telling this story to, and why?

we've established that he's an unreliable narrator at least because it's the logical conclusion for a movie shot in a way that opens and closes with his narrative. but what does oliver being untruthful actually mean for what we know about anything and everything that happened. have you ever obsessed over this particular question. well. i have.

my hot take, first of all, is that oliver is not that smart. he's clever, but the point of the movie is that he's caught up in and driven by desire; desire, pointedly, in the moment, merging desire, adapting to circumstance and leading him on. his want is not concrete from the beginning. his want is insatiable hunger that grows.

so, okay, from the top. the whole meet-cute with felix? because of a punctured tire? eh. idk if that's true. the money thing at the bar, pretending to not have any while he actually did? eh, perhaps. chronologically he then lies to felix about his dad, and this is big, this is deliberate, this is what ties felix to him for good.

what if the first two instances were coincidences? like, felix genuinely in trouble then, oliver genuinely out of cash. makes sense to become attached and actually do something, something impulsive, drastic, when felix seems to be drifting away, and lie about his dad.

interjection: you might be saying, nadia, he lied about his family from the get-go. well of course. i didn't say he's not smart enough to clock what image of a damsel in distress felix would gobble up. i'm saying he didn't do it for the long game, because there was no long game to speak of, as narrator-oliver would have you believe. i think he wanted felix so badly in that moment of several months in oxford, i think he was so blinded that he would've said anything. and he did.

now, i've briefly talked about oliver's feelings about the invitation to saltburn, and i think this is very important here. in the moment, he couldn't possibly know what exactly this invitation could mean, in the long run, only that it is definitely the next step in progression of desire for felix. present-day oliver interjection, and i believed him, after felix said he could leave anytime, i read as a slip up, an admission that oliver didn't plan shit, or at least from the beginning he didn't. it lured him in as soon as he got there, gothic house driving mad-style. he held on to a dream of something elusive (felix as a friend? lover? forever-partner in whatever capacity? i want him so bad i don't care what he is as long as he's there? please? please?).

the other obvious hole to poke at is in the end. venetia very conveniently takes the razors he places for her, and while sure, it could be read as him just hinting at how he conveniently read her fragile state and took advantage of it, i don't buy it. (i'm honestly even tempted to suggest he met elspeth on accident, to then spin a pretty story for his own sake, but him keeping tabs on the surviving cattons all those years tracks with what we know about obsessive oliver; he's definitely known about her flat for a while.)

but those are all minor stuff. i get completely if you think i'm reading too much into it and this is all just a headcanon after all, to be fair. BUT. but.

my second big take is that oliver was/is madly in love with felix. i know, shocking. but you have probably seen people say he wasn't. i will elaborate.

i wasn't in love with him. i loved him. i hated him. what does this sound like. have you ever had a friend come to you after a breakup fuming and telling you how they'll never end up with this asshole for sure and then get back together with him and then break up and say the same thing again.

i loved him, but i wasn't in love with him. i know everyone thought i was, but i wasn't. have you never told anyone something of the sort, specifically the last part, to emphasize just how it's everyone around you that's kinda hung up on whatever it is, and you've moved way past it, actually. have you never told yourself that.

i have. i know many other people who have, too. so, who is oliver telling this story to, and why? there's no one but dead elspeth in front of him. there's no one but himself. fun fact: each time you recall an event, it distorts under the influence of the mix of past and present emotions. each time you recall, you mold memory (source, e.g., x). the way i personally see it, oliver, for whatever reason, retells the story in order to solidify his own memory of it in the way that he wants to remember it. whatever he says, this is his final word, and this is his final truth.

this is also why details slip through, like my beloved i believed him, like the emotional i hated him growing into self-convincing, misleadingly dismissive, definitely unsure i hated him by the end. those are the true emotions that he recalls, those are the times that are hard to rewrite, for whatever reason.

of course, he hated them all. but before that, he loved felix to the point of blindly following where felix's desire led oliver, at least the way oliver perceived felix's desire. it failed, crucially, when felix's desire brought them to the center of the labyrinth, where oliver could not be the desired anymore.

my third hot take in connection to this is that oliver did not know he would kill felix until the very night he did it. he didn't know it, i think, until the last hour, until felix refused to reconcile completely, until he made his blood run cold. i also briefly mention it here, specifically how farleigh is tragically connected to felix's death, in my opinion. this tracks with, again, my strong belief that oliver lies, lies and lies throughout this whole story about wanting to take everything from felix from the beginning; no, he fucking didn't. he wanted felix. he wanted felix to be his. that was number one priority. he wanted felix and whatever else came with it, undoubtedly, but not the other way around.

paradoxically, he also wanted to be felix; he wanted to be him and be with him just as us tumblr people can often relate and the tragedy is that you always have to choose. felix pushed him away, so there was no other choice but to take what was left of felix that oliver could take. hence the clothes wearing, the table scene talk, the refusal to leave.

felix chose not to choose oliver, so oliver became felix. it's his fault. felix promised oliver could leave. felix left instead. what was oliver to do.

but to your point about the books, i think it could be either way, actually. i think he could have lied about it because technically that's also in character for him, he was performing for an audience of his tutor. but i also think that he was, genuinely, a nerd before he came to oxford, and he didn't, and still doesn't, have any friends, and he hates his sisters and his mother and is miserable. he's the perfect profile of someone who'd read king james' bible over the summer, and then some, imma be honest.

so, yes. i think oliver lies about most things in saltburn and i think he's pathetic, lost, confused, grieving, angry, horny, down bad and in denial. and i fucking love him. i so fuckin do.

[moodmoodthecrabking]

finn hudson, son of ariel and eric moodboard requested by anon

[dont-open-dead-inside-25]

hi! let's not do this here 😁

[emily-mooon]

Omg okay can i expand on the ace attorney x stranger things thoughts— i love the idea of mike being Nancy's co-council lmao they'd be so snarky towards each other during trials 😭 i think Jonathan could be like a crime scene/forensic photographer but he's always letting Nancy and Mike into the crime scenes and relaying things he's heard from the officers while on the scene like he shouldn't technically be helping them but he does it anyway

YES TO ALL OF THIS

Nancy and Mike snarking their way through examining evidence is something I need (also presenting. Nancy: Why are you presenting MY badge and not the murder weapon?! Mike: IDK I PANICKED)

Also I’m living for forensics photographer Jonathan. I think he would also point out his own observations he made in his photos of the crime scene to Nancy and together (with Mike) they make deductions and present them in court

[liquidstar]

Regulus- 🎈 🚨

Kari-🧣🥀

Ceres- 🐞 🍎 🎒

(And bonus if you’re up for it I’m also curious who all three would have on their kin carrd in the extreme hypothetical they’d kin because that’s ALWAYS fun to think/hear about with OCs)

This one ended up being kinda long so I'm putting it under the cut :D!

🎈 (balloon) - What does your character do at parties? Are they a wallflower or a party animal? Do they go with friends or alone?

I don’t see Regulus going to, like, normal parties. Like, he’s going to galas and shit instead. He’s social, striking up conversations with people while swirling a glass of wine or champagne in his hands. HOWEVER the exception to this is guild parties, because, well, he’s already there. I think he’d try to act the exact same way but with a red solo cup filled with spiked fruit punch. It kinda works.

🚨 (siren) - What’s your character’s relationship with the law? Have they ever been arrested? What for? What are their opinions on law enforcement?

Well, Nova Stella as a guild does do some under-the-table stuff, so Regulus not against breaking the law. But he himself doesn’t really see a need to do it, so he doesn’t. He’s a rich dude, but he’s not corrupt, so he has no real incentive to do crime. General guild opinion is that knights have mile-long sticks up their asses, which he agrees with but he also doesn’t really have any more complex thoughts on.

🥀 (wilted flower) - How does your character deal with stressful situations? Is their fear response fight, flight, freeze or fawn?

Oh, if it’s an immediate threat, absolutely flight. I mean, Kari is a speedster for a reason. Her first instinct would be to run away, because that’s what she does most of the time anyway. But for a more personal threat, something wrt relationships or general hardship in life… She might go for fawn instead. She’s very much a person who wants to be liked by others, but is often seen as annoying for being too hyper. Luckily the Pandemonium weirdos accept her, but if not for that she may have ended up repressing that.

🧣(scarf) - What comforts your oc? Is it an item? An action? A person? Whatever it is, how and why does it comfort them? 

The most comforting thing in Kari’s life is several bottles of Manic Panic hair dye. Very important for the scene kid.

No, but in all seriousness, she just finds comfort in being with people who don’t mind her quirks. I think for all the members of Pandemonium that’s true- The comfort is the guild itself, the place with the people in it.

🐞 (ladybug) - What does a perfect day look like for your oc? What do they do? Who do they see?

On an ideal day, Ceres would just like to relax. A day where all the scouts are behaving, doing quiet activities, not arguing or causing trouble. This has yet to happen though, and most likely never will. A quiet walk in the woods will have to suffice for now.

🍎 (apple) - Does your oc go to school or take classes? Did they go to college? What was/is their favorite subject? Did/do they get good grades? Did/do they enjoy school? 

Ceres was a timber scout themself at one point too! It’s basically a program that trains you to be in a guild, though some people stay to work within the scouts too. Ceres working as a leader of their own unit means they must have done pretty well! Dealing with kids is a different story though.

🎒 (backpack) - What items does your oc usually carry? Do they have a bag or just keep everything in their pockets? Do they carry a lot or a little?

You can already see their weapon of choice is a large swiss army knife! It’s useful for any scout leader, of course. Beyond that they’ll carry things to be prepared for different situations, like first aid supplies, a sewing kit, sunscreen, bug spray, water, snacks, etc.

Who would be on their kinlist?

OMG LOL I’ve never thought about this before. I’m not sure!!! I can definitely say Homare A3 was a huge influence for Regulus’s personality, so he’s gotta be on there, but I also think that if you explained the concept of kinning to Regulus he’d be like “Then I shall be the Concept of Beauty and Grace” and you’re like. “OK” Kari is the only one here who would actually genuinely be into kinning. Gir from Invader Zim and other iconic scenecore characters would be there for sure. Pon and/or Zi from Pon and Zi mayhaps lol. As for Ceres… I feel like Ceres is too tired to keep up w the concept of kinning. They’d be like, “Fine. I’m Fluttershy. Can I go now?” but like they really are kinda Flutershy tbh

[agentsnickers]

for the ficaversary: anything tarfy or cctt? you’re literally my favorite writer ever and those two are amazing

"Hey, babe?"

"What?"

"Do you think we should get bunk beds?"

David rolls over to face Benny through the darkness across the room. "What the fuck."

"Something Les said earlier made me think of it," Benny says. "That we live like a fifties sitcom couple."

"So you'd rather live like eight year old twins?" says David.

"Nah," says Benny. "They make twin-over-full bunk beds, y'know? And I was thinking maybe we could share, and then Les could have a real bed."

"You thought the solution to giving Les a real bed was getting us bunk beds and not shoving him in with Leah?" David says. "Babe. Darling. Light of my life. What the fuck?"

"We don't have to," Benny says.

"I don't actually hate it," David says. "It's just weird."

"Nothing about our lives isn't weird," Benny offers. "Maybe if Les moves into our bedroom Sean will stop gently offering support for my broken heart."

David snorts. "You know, even with a twin-over-full I think we'd actually gain floor space."

"See?" says Benny. "And I wouldn't mind sharing with you, even if it's not, like, the biggest bed in the world."

"We can think about it," says David.

Benny laughs. "Nice!"

"You're ridiculous."

"I know."

David shuffles his blanket around until he's warm again. "Can we go to sleep now, or did you have any ideas for redoing the dining room?"

"I do, actually, but they can wait for the morning," Benny says. Then, softer, "Night, Dave. Love you."

David hums, content. "Love you, too, Benny."

[pardonmydelays]

perry wink, bublgum, orange, healthy grass, clay pot (but i don’t mind i promise agdkahdks), dusty curtains, not so healthy grass, bananner, orb <3

omg there's so many 😭

perry wink - once again PILLOW FIGHT LET'S FUCKING GO!!! YASSSS!!!!

bublgum - hdhdhdhe thank you so much for not thinking that i'm weird i appreciate it i love listening to you as well ❤️

orange - YES PLEASE MY KNIFE IS READY LET'S FUCKING GO 🔪

healthy grass - that would be so awesome, especially considering that we literally have one braincell 😭 it would be hilarious actually

clay pot - hdhdhdhdh literally same (not me checking my tumblr notes first thing in the morning because of you hahaha)

dusty curtains - yeah we can exchange actually, give me yours and i will give you mine ❤️

not so healthy grass - literally drinking water right now but hdhdhdhdh yeah same same same

bananner - same especially when you reblog one post 139 times in a row ❤️

orb - I KNOW I AM SHOCKED TOO CAUSE YOU ARE LITERALLY THE COOLEST SHHEHEHRHEB

[sickgraymeat]

Ooooh!!! 20 for the ask game :D

part of canon you found tedious or boring

I wrote most of this several hours ago and just barely edited it lol so hope it makes sense! Added some spaces which probably doesn’t help a whole lot lol it’s… very long. Thanks for asking!!!! You don’t have to read it all hshbdnnrns

This one is actually probably p nonviolent bc I don’t think this is a very controversial take round these parts! But definitely all of Finn’s romantic plot lines. I can sort of make an argument abt how they reflect the part of his character that’s really invested in the fairytale idea of being a hero which implies being the romantic lead

(I lean toward hcing him as aroace but don’t feel super strongly abt it, but that or gay or otherwise not into women also adds a comphet element— regardless it’s an interesting parallel with lots of characters but in particular Bonnie, who very clearly has lived her life according to rules she gathered and interpreted about who and what a princess is AND what a girl is. Very gendered so for Finn there’s a bit of toxic masculinity involved in his romantic pursuits and also his inclination toward violence in the earlier seasons. Plus the whole overarching theme of rebuilding society post-post-apocalypse and most of the characters kind of forcing themselves into a mold using what they know and don’t know about past societies combined with how their own has interacted w them.

Comphet also obviously parallel with Bonnie continuing to call Mr. CP her boyfriend etc etc etc, but also maybe more relevant— I hc Marceline as bi so I dont think being attracted to men is compulsory for her but still think heteronormativity is very relevant to her story & I think the same would be true for Finn regardless of orientation. Actually very similar for both of them subconsciously recreating heteronormative relationships which are so reflective of their own specific family structures— Marcy drawn to the Hunson in Ash and dare I say the Simon and the Betty AND the Elise in Bonnie? + Finn drawn to both the Minerva and the Margaret in Bonnie and FP and, to an extent, HW too. Caregivers who are also leaders and answer to no one. HW is a little less officially this but I’d argue that as a female character heavily associated with both nature and protection she is inherently at least a little bit mom-adjacent-coded or something idk what I’m saying but yeah that! Digression lol.)

BUT way overdone even if that was the intention. A lot of that time could’ve been spent on him and Jake and BMO doing silly shit or like expanding on his relationships with Jermaine and Margaret and Joshua and Fern and the humans etc etc. and/or more depth for the love interests themselves. Ofc I always want more Bonnie and there’s a lot more to dig into with FP (and the two of them together for that matter!) & also HW has such a cool design and she’s interesting but I feel like I don’t know much about her and had she and Finn had a different relationship there may have been more room for her to develop. It feels like fan service though I’m guessing now it’s not actually in service of most ppl who are still really big fans. Maybe more so network service lol.

Also sad that some of those songs (all gummed up slaps too hard) and episodes are really good/funny imo I wish they were about something else 😭 (too young is extremely important to me I refuse to discount it but I obvs understand why a lot of ppl want to it’s super frustrating/disappointing.)

Anyway!!!! Thank you for asking and thank you everyone who reads this!!

[i-will-physically-fight-you]

Going to therapy is great because you can rant to your therapist about the untapped potential of Star Wars Sequel Characters for ten minutes and they are a captive audience forced to hear your very reasonable valid points and you can do this instead of talking about your issues hope this helps <3

[thefourchimes]

THE MISADVENTURES OF RUTH AND ROSEEEEE i love not quite yet gfs committing crimes together 🫶 if you’ve got anything for that, i’d love to read it!

(also ur revenant slayers au snippet LITERALLY has me dead!!! SCREAMING!!! ITS SO GOOD!!)

LIVVV sorry this took a bit AHHAHAHA but omg YES THATS SO REAL, not quite yet gfs committing crimes together is on point

(AND THANK YOUU, cant wait to work on it when i have the time and motivation hehe)

here you go! hope you enjoy:

“You know I’d do this with you one hundred percent, Nance, but we have plans on making sure we don’t get caught and thrown to jail, right?” Robin laughed nervously as they walked into Nancy’s room. The girl in question nodded, holding the documents in her hands and shuffling through them as they settled down on her bed. “I have a few ideas, but we’ll discuss them along the way. We have to prepare some things before we can do it.” “Ooookay then! Sounds great.” Robin nodded back, biting her lips. This wasn’t really the first time they’re doing something like this—yay, life of kinda crime for the good of all, thanks Vecna and Upside Down—but was there anything they could do to lower the possibility of getting arrested? She was pretty sure they didn’t have the time for that anymore. Though, she was a little more nervous about what Nancy, considering quite literally everything Robin knew about her, would do if and only if they do get caught… Robin tried to wrack her brain for the possible scenarios on what could happen…before the realization hit her that made her immediately backtrack her thoughts. Wasn’t the first time…. “Since we’re doing this…” Robin couldn’t stop the small, sneaky smile that was forming on her face. “...what do you think about asking Ruth and Rose for help?”  Nancy frowned at her for a moment, confusion dancing in her eyes, before widening in realization. As said realization settled, Nancy mirrored Robin’s own smile, one that was admittedly really, really pretty. “Looks like they’re coming out of early retirement.”

wip weekend except it's one weekend after lol

[atlas-affogato]

(It me QuiteALotOfSodaPop): I 100% hc Finn as a trans man. Like pre-80s style shameless trans energy. I feel like his family didnt *get* it but they (esp his sibs) eventually accepted it. To Finn its not even worth bringing up in convo - "Why would I go around telling my coworkers about my junk?". The other Enforcers learned of it organically and accepted him immediately

YES yes yes yes 1000% yes

((Okay I'm gonna talk about some minor spoilers for my fic))

Oh my god I'm so glad we share this headcanon because it consumes my waking thoughts.

Yeah, Finn doesn't tell anyone unless he's gonna sleep with them, its not any of their business. He was already getting attached to Chow and Ratso so it was kind of nerve wracking when he told them, but they were both just like "oh. Well okay!" And it wasn't a big deal at all.

They were his number one supporters when he got bottom surgery, taking care of him out of the hospital and stuff.

Its my hc that Finn started working for The Dark Hand to pay for top surgery when he was working at a bar, his coworker asked him if he wanted to get into this more shady stuff after work and once he saw how much they were paying he was like 'oh my god hold on I can pay for surgeries now'

Finn doesn't tell anyone once he's got bottom surgery and The Dark Hand had plenty of money and resources to make the name and sex marker change process much easier.

Finn always passed really well, and most people assume he's a cis gay man and that is exactly what he wanted.

[hosannan]

Occhiolism!!!!

(obscure feelings) meme— drabbles. Occhiolism: The awareness of the smallness of your perspective.

               "Princess." He starts.

               "Nanna, if you're so inclined."

               "Kid." He finishes.

               Nobles. The lot of 'em weaving a cursory set of rules only to have 'em strewn on the floor—he doesn't really get the way they mount themselves on titles and the low beat of a distant drum. Mighty fuckin' convenient if you asked him. (But he's a sellsword— a mercenary. He'll march to this bedlam if there's a long enough pocket-string attached.) But, sure. Yeah. Fine. If she's Nanna, she's Nanna. Linus thinks the lass needs a second stool; she's so petite, he wonders if girls like her were made in the same place Nino was.

               (You know.)

               "Mister Reed." She makes him swallow on his finish with the way her smile reaches her eyes.

               (Where they crushed common sage and lemon balm and made girls of the same ilk as the sun.)

               "Ah, that ain't even how my ol' man would want to go by! Come on, kid, you're killin' me here!" His mug meets the unpolished table with a banal thud, the weight of his words notwithstanding that gaze of olive and emerald. She has no business with him, no, but sticks around thinking he's got enough bedrock to be shaken. "I'm usually the one hitting rounds 'round here. Talky sort, and th' like. And sure, right. We may have been strung int'a the typical pickpocket bullshit that comes with the turf, but I hardly think that's conversation worthy."

               Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. When a fiddlin' thief tried to slip his hands into Linus' coat, it was a test to see which finger got the firecracker treatment first. Except. That time mercy came with a swift twist of a wrist, and a cinnamon girl lifting the stranger's whole arm skyward in the middle of a busy street.

               "Hey! Is someone missing a hand? I found it in another man's pocket." She ends the fiend before he begins, enacting a will that felt so radically different from Linus' own. Piece of shit went flying by the seat of his pants, away from prying eyes and the saltiest condemnation à la judge, jury, and fanged execution.

               While Linus had had the best laugh of the day back when, now was different. Now was not some extraordinary day, just a card from the same ol' mundane. What could a princess make of the mundane?

               "I don't see why you're so opposed, but if it displeases you, I'm off then."

               Was she even old enough to drink? He doesn't mean to, but halts her by the heels with a question that's been boggling him to hell and back.

               "Listen, kid. What's there to talk about? What are you going to get from it?"

               "Do I need to get something from it to get to know you?"

               "You're never gonna get me, even if you tried."

               "You make yourself out to be a myth." She bats.

               "And you, a sage." He bats back.

               She releases an airy scoff from her nose. "Hardly. I would love that worldliness, but all I have is what I know."

               "And what do you know?"

               "That it's men like you living from day to day that make our world wider. You cannot bear witness to the horizon if you cannot listen to the pulse of the people."

               A snort. "Ah, so that's it, is it? I'm a pulse? You're the hand from above, trying to feel for me?"

               "I was born of flesh and grew up by the coast—with not much to come by besides my makeshift family. Reformed bandits, struggling off the lands because of the tariffs of my forefathers." There's a fondness, a regret, a nostalgia tinging her voice like a spritz of sea salt. It's that look in her eyes that makes even a distant memory feel so close he could share it. He sifts through the same sort of memory, as Bern's common folk made even a mad dog honorable. "There's no reaching from above when I was already at sea level to begin with."

               "Huh."

               "Huh." She smiles, matching his beat.

               In the back of his mind, he hears the low beat of a distant drum. And wonders if, of all people, it's actually his.

               He raises a hand to the barkeep, with a toothy grin gradually growing in peculiar amusement. Fangs and all.

               "Can we get this girl a drink? I wanna hear what she's got t'say."

—End.

[mrgoatman]

what does your heart look like ?

broken, missing pieces that once were there

Your heart has been torn before, chipped and maybe even shattered. Some pieces will never be recovered, and you are shaped by the loss. But it can still be shaped into something tangible, something good, even with its flaws and imperfections. You don’t have to do all the work of rebuilding by yourself. Allow other hands to leave their fingerprints on the new heart you create from the remnants.

a cage with iron locks

You are an enigma. You take care to remain that way. You aim to keep people guessing; your motives are uncertain even to yourself. What is it you truly want? You’ll never know if you keep your heart locked away like that. You deserve to be known, truly and fully. Stop being afraid of what you might find if you open your heart up to self-reflection. Stop thinking that no one will love you the moment they understand you. You are more than the facade you put on.

tagged by: @anarkissm <33

tagging: @rejsesende @mortul @batoushoujo @pxppinmolly @horrorface and whoever feels like snagging it

[tellwolves]

❥ finn!

✤ toby!

♘ june/greta!

memories, like the corners of my mind.

❥ -- a childhood memory

" no one will know, " mandel reassures.

finn chews on his lower lip, hesitating. he touches the back of his head, feeling for his kippah. he knows it's there, it couldn't have fallen off, he isn't as taken to roughhousing as some of the other children are, but it's something to do with his hands.

" you sure? " he asks. this is their spot, beneath the tree on the farthest edges of the synagogue's yard. the thought of it being taken away from them almost makes him feel nauseous.

(he thinks about tom and jerry. forced castor oil ingestions as punishment. running to the window and hanging half out of it as they vomited. that's what imagining that made him feel like.)

mandel nods, holding his pocketknife almost reverently. " cross my heart. "

finn inhales. holds it for a few seconds. " okay, " he exhales. " go. go. hurry. "

quickly, mandel carves G + W in the wood. last names, to preserve some privacy, some semblance of mystery. it's more romantic that way, finn thought. they both figured M + F would be too obvious.

" there's something missing, " he insists, tipping his head, squinting his eyes. a look he'll wear for many years to come. he takes the pocketknife from mandel, and carves a shaky heart around the two initials.

✤ -- a memory that involves romance/love

although they sit beside each other on the train, finn and toby make a pointed effort not to look like a couple. it's a situation everybody like them knows. finn talks to the passengers that sit beside him, he's preoccupied with jeremy poldark.

when they find themselves to be alone, waiting a few stops before they do to make absolutely certain, they slide closer. finn even takes his hand. he lifts it and kisses it, taking pleasure in the smile that elicts.

the train slows to a stop. nobody is on the platform, but the doors remain open, all the same.

" looks like-- " finn's observation is cut off by the sudden, rushed arrival of a young lady. she's dressed in the typical sartorial style of the punk subculture, and sits far away from them. if she notices their handholding, she doesn't say anything.

they're generally one of them, anyway.

the train begins again. he can hear sniffling coming from her direction. getting a closer look at her, he can see her face's streaked with teary makeup.

she looks at them, finally having mustered up the composure to speak. she directs her question to finn. " got a smoke? "

straight-faced, " only after sex. and only if it's good. "

he flushes. " jesus, finn -- "

the young woman is laughing. toby starts to laugh, too. all the while, finn's got that impish grin on his face. eventually, " but, no, i don't. he does, though. "

he digs into his carton, handing her a cig. he offers to light it for her, but she pulls out a novelty lighter -- shaped like a pistol -- and lights it herself.

they talk, after that, the three of them. her name is gail. she's twenty-one. from liverpool. tells them how she lost her job and got dumped in the same night, same hour. she takes a scrap of paper from finn that has an address written on it, something or another for a job at an outreach center. say you know finn weiss. she gets off, saying her thanks. she says she hopes she meets them again. see you around.

toby turns to finn. their stop is next. " -- so. "

finn faces him. " so? " he repeats. it's almost a purr. fuck, he's good.

" you feel up for a cigarette when we get home? "

finn scrunches up his face, humming something between you're cheeky and we'll see. his head goes on toby's shoulder, and they share a kiss.

♘ - a memory of their sibling

greta waves back at their neighbor, politely smiling. she watches him climb into his car, start it, and drive down the street. the way they'll be heading soon, once the school bus arrives.

she looks beside her, and panic fills her chest. where's june? mom and dad trusted her with her little sister's well-being at the bus stop, surely she couldn't have gone--

" june! " she says, not quite at a shout but not regular volume, either. she's careful not to let her voice wobble. it won't do her any good to cry about it. that might end up scaring june, little as she is. (sure, she's not much older, only by two years, but the responsibility has allowed her to imagine herself adult. after all, she is eight years old.)

the younger girl comes skipping from behind their neighbor's house. her braids are still tightly wound, and there's no dirt patches on her stockings. greta heaves a sigh of relief -- loud, theatrical, so her sister can hear the grief she'd put her through.

" why the heck were you behind mr. ableman's house? " she hisses, wrapping her arm around her sister's shoulders and holding her close, a deterrent from running off. those elbus girls.

june blinks. the bus appears as a yellow dot on the far end of the street. " i saw his cat. "

[writinginslowmotion]

and here’s a flip for you. If FINN could go anywhere in our normal, momsterless world, where would he have the most fun?

Lake Tahoe, which is in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Before the apocalypse, he used to go there a lot, but it doesn't exist in his world. It was always one of his favorite places to go because he loved to fish (I say "loved" as in past tense because when the apocalypse first kicked off, there were rumors that animal meat was tainted, and he was young and naive and didn't want to take any chances, so he stuck to mostly catching and eating fish. As a result, he hates it now)

Finn has always felt a kinship with the outdoors, and Lake Tahoe allowed him a chance to quiet the relentless, negative thoughts in his head.