#the idea that anywhere was better than there

[hgab13]

The thing has told me to say something again. I guess this is how things are gonna go again. I want to make a break for it before it says anything stupid, but my feet are glued to the rollercoaster's silvery floor. It's not like I have anywhere to run to, anyway. As I'm opening my mouth, the syllables that come out register before they leave my lips.

"Sure, I'll joiN YOU????????."

I had to say it with a wheeze. The very idea of teaming up with Berdly, when this is supposed to be our adventure, is so silly that I don't even consider it. Susie and... Ralsei are still counting on me, and I'm just gonna up and join the side of the enemy?

Then there's the weirdo thing that just told me to say that. I guess it's focused on being stupid stupid this time around.

That's better than last time, though.

more kris + soul shenanigans heh

[khunwriting]

[Pretty Little Baby]

Synopsis: Grim thinks back on how he got to NRC with you next to him.

Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort (?), Songfic: Pretty Little Baby by Connie Francis

Notes: Spoilers for book 1 through 6. Doesn't go into specifics, but it does say who overblots. GN! Yuu! Reader

Pairing: Platonic! Grim x Reader

Grim doesn’t remember where he came from or much about anything from his past. It wasn’t something he liked to dwell on, cause, frankly, it was rather uncomfortable and it made his stomach churn at the little he did remember. 

After all, who would like remembering being all alone, starving, and freezing?

Instead, Grim wants to find something to fill in that gaping void in his memory. And what better way to prove his worth than by being a great mage, and the best way to do that is going to Night Raven College, one of the most prestigious schools for mages! 

So he waits, patiently waiting for the day the black carriage picks him up. Though as days turned into weeks, he can’t help but feel antsy. Perhaps the carriage got lost on the way to him! No matter, Grim the Great can wait. 

Then the weeks turn into months and that bad feeling creeps into his body once more, and he doesn’t feel too good anymore. 

Pretty little baby Pretty little baby

But no matter! He wasn’t going to let that get him down, so he’ll just have to find a way to get to Night Raven College. 

It took a while to figure out how to get to the school. For starters, it was really far away and there was no mirror he could jump through. So he had to physically walk there. It was hard getting anywhere with his small legs, and he found himself getting tired a lot.

Sometimes he tried to ask for directions or for some food, but most people either ignored him or were scared of him. There were more times than not that he had to dig through the garbage or snag some treats when a vendor wasn’t looking to get some food in his belly.

Those days where people caught him in the act and chased after him were the most exhausting. 

It wasn’t too bad though. He could find an occasional car to hitch a ride on, and some days, he’d find some really good food lying about. The canned tuna he grabbed from that little shop in that small town was one of the best finds he had during his journey.

And though it took a very long time, he did find a ferry that took him to Isle of Sages. Slipping off of the ship, he could see the school in the far distance. Grim would never tell a soul about how vision grew watery at the sight. 

Pretty little baby, you say that maybe You'll be thinkin' of me, and try to love me Pretty little baby, I'm hoping that you do Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh, yeah

It was rather easy to sneak onto campus, not that he had to sneak in! He was going to be a student after all. Now all he needed was a robe to blend in, and the rest should easily fall into lap. So off he went to find where all the new students were at. 

It was a massive school, and Grim did find himself turned around a few times. Eventually, he found himself in a room full of floating coffins and he knew he had hit the jackpot. Now, all he had to do was pry open one of those bad boys and he’ll be set!

Though he never anticipated meeting you. 

Right out of the gate, you were jumpy and wide-eyed. Almost as if you had no idea what was going on, but Grim didn’t have time for theatrics. Time was ticking and he needed to get the robes that adorned your body. 

Yet you didn’t give in so easily. Instead, you ran and ran until the headmaster, Crowley, caught the both of you and treated him like some random house cat that had gone astray. It was ridiculous and insulting to be treated as such, but the older man was quick to silence him before he had a chance to really lay into him.

Then the whole fiasco at the orientation ceremony happened. All he did was try to show that he deserved to be at that school, but it only ended up getting kicked out of the school and shooed away like some troublesome animal. His stomach started to hurt at this point, and the bad feeling felt worse the moment it started to rain.

So he ran back onto campus cause he wasn’t gonna give up so easily, you know! He’ll find shelter for the night and he’ll continue showing them that he deserves a spot in their classrooms. Just you wait!

You can ask the flowers, I sit for hours Tellin' all the bluebirds, the bill and coo birds Pretty little baby, I'm so in love with you Ooh-ooh-ooh

Though that’s when Grim saw you again in that dingy building outside of the castle. You looked just as surprised as he felt, but he wasn’t going to admit it. You were just a magicless human anyways.

Yet you kept surprising him. You were actually helping him out. When the ghosts came, you told him where to send his spells. When Crowley showed up, you did the same thing again. You convinced the headmaster to let him stay. Granted as a janitor, but that was a work in progress! 

When that jerk of a redhead called the Great Grim a weasel, you were quick to scold him for his rude words—Weirdly, that had left a different feeling in his tummy.

But since meeting that kid, Ace, things spiraled. The Great Sevens statues were scorched, they got assigned to clean windows, Ace tried ditching and with the help of another freshman, Deuce, the chandelier in the cafeteria shattered, and they were on the verge of being expelled. 

By some miracle, Crowley promised them a chance if they found a magestone from the dwarfs’ mine. It seemed like an easy job, but the four of them were quick to find that it wasn’t.

There was a terrifying monster lingering behind, guarding the key thing that kept him at Night Raven College. The monster was big and scary, and it had Grim shivering as it loomed over his small body.

But again, you surprised him. You swept him up, ran out there, and somehow managed to get the two idiots to work together to defeat the monster. Maybe you really were a beast-tamer or whatever Crowley called you. 

Because of what you did, you somehow got all four of them to not get expelled. And most importantly, you managed to make yourself and him actual students enrolled at the school.

Perhaps, it wasn’t so bad to keep you around as a hench-human. 

Now is just the time, while both of us are young Puppy love must have its day Don't you know it's much more fun to love While the heart is young and gay?

You weren’t from this world. That’s what you told the three of them the next day, and it would explain the panic you had the first time Grim met you. He’s quick to push that thought to the back of his mind as his stomach churned at the memory.

You didn’t get a chance to adjust once you became a student. The both of you were thrown into classes right off the bat, and it was awful. As first-years, they don’t give you a lot of chances to use actual magic, not that you could, but it was still incredibly boring.

Despite that, you took everything in stride, even when he tried to run from classes, and soaked up all the new information like a sponge. You were checking out books in the library to learn more about Twisted Wonderland and read it in the little time you found.

Unfortunately, Ace wrapped the two of you in his problems again. Stealing a slice of a tart had landed him with a collar from the Heartslabyul housewarden, Riddle. So many things happened in such a short amount of time, but it ultimately ended up with Riddle overblotting.

That day was terrifying. Blot oozed everywhere like sickly black ink and clung onto the ground where the housewarden stood. His attacks were strong and harsh, nearly hitting Grim a few times. He was lucky you were there to warn him and guide him and everyone else. 

Because of you, they beat Riddle and he went back to normal. And as much as Grim wished it was the last of it, trouble seemed to follow the two of you like a shadow. 

Cause there was another overblot with Leona, the housewarden of Savanaclaw. 

Then, the next overblot was Azul, the housewarden of Octavinelle. 

One more overblot with Jamil, vice-housewarden of Scarabia.

Again. It was Vil, housewarden from Pomefiore.

Yet there you stood, helping everyone by telling them where to send their spells and calling out incoming attacks with each overblot. You never got angry and you didn’t shun anyone out after that. You treated every person you met with kindness, even those who overblotted or those that put you in harm's way. You never blamed them.

You never blamed him. 

You didn’t yell at Grim for signing a contract with Azul to get a good exam score. You didn’t shout when you had to give up Ramshackle to try to set him free. You didn’t scold him when he was exhausted from walking to the oasis and you had to silently scooped him into your arms, even when he was sure you were tired as well. You didn’t chase him away for scratching you after the events of the VDC.

Even after Idia from Ignihyde overblotted and you both went back to the privacy of the broken-down Ramshackle dorm, you didn’t do any of those things.

Instead, you bent down and wrapped your arms around his small body and sobbed. You kept saying things like, “I’m so happy to see you again!” and “I was so worried about you!”

Grim couldn’t help but wept right there with you. And he vowed to try not to make you worry anymore.

Meet me at the car hop or at the pop shop Meet me in the moonlight or in the daylight Pretty little baby, I'm so in love with you

Among those hectic days, you sometimes talked about your home. Sometimes you talked about it at great lengths, telling memories of your previous life or about something that isn’t familiar in Twisted Wonderland. Other times, you sneak in a reference or a word that isn’t in the common language—That especially gets Ace, Deuce, and Epel trying to get you to teach them slang or jokes, most of which goes over Grim’s head.  

Though sometimes, you don’t bring up memories. You don’t bring up funny jokes in your world or neat little facts that could only exist in your world. No, you don’t even speak at these times.

Instead, your world comes out in little songs. The songs you sing vary in style. One moment you could be singing a pop song about partying, then the next a ballad about a loved one. There are few you come back to often as they were your favorites.

He doesn’t know if you notice it, but your voice easily carries out in the broken-down dorm. For example, he could be downstairs, playing with the ghosts and he could hear you singing upstairs as you clean up some of the abandoned rooms in case any guests decide to stay over. 

Funnily enough, there are other students that do take up some rooms. Mostly it is the first years, though other students from the other years come and go. Grim has seen Leona sneak in occasionally and Silver when he can’t quite make his way back to Diasomnia. The nights that the look-alike brothers decide to crash in the dorm for whatever reason makes his fur stand on edge the most though.

But he likes it most when it’s just you, him, and the ghosts. You don’t sing when there’s other people around.

Now is just the time, while both of us are young Puppy love must have its day Don't you know it's much more fun to love While the heart is young and gay?

Luckily, today was one of those days where there was no Ace, no Deuce, no housewarden, no vice-warden or any in between. It was just you, Grim, and the ghosts—And you were singing one of your favorite songs. 

Grim had just finished an assignment from Professor Trein and the smells from the kitchen were wafting up the stairs with your singing accompanying it. His stomach was already grumbling and he caught the scent of tuna in the air. Nearly drooling, Grim bounds out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

Your singing grows louder, your voice bouncing with a cheery lilt. Grim can’t keep the smile off his chubby face as he peeks into the kitchen. The rice cooker has 10 minutes left on the rice, there’s shredded cabbage washed and draining in the sink, there’s a pot of hot soup simmering on the stove, and you have a jar of pickled veggies that are ready to be plated once the food is done. 

In the midst of it all was you, dressed in an apron that Trey gifted to you. You’re standing in front of the stove with a spatula in hand and looking down at a pan of sizzling oil with half-cooked tuna patties you promised to make for Grim. Your mouth moves to form the lyrics and you’re doing a little dance in your spot, never keeping your eyes off the pan. 

Not wanting to hide away anymore, Grim steps into the room and your eyes easily tear away from the stove to meet his gaze. There’s a bright smile adorning your face as you turn to face him while setting down the spatula. He jumps into your open arms and you hug him close to your chest, still singing sweetly.

There, you nuzzle into his furry cheeks, cooing, “Pretty little baby!”

Grim thinks this one is his favorite song too.

Meet me at the car hop or at the pop shop Meet me in the moonlight or in the daylight Pretty little baby, I'm so in love with you Ooh-ooh-ooh

The food was delicious, and, though he ate a lot, you always made sure to make extras in case he wanted more tomorrow. Sometimes, you bring it with you so he could snack on it between classes. Ace says you spoil Grim too much, but you always disagree.

Still, now that it was late and his tummy was full, he was getting really sleepy. But he couldn’t sleep just yet because you always made him brush his teeth thoroughly while you were getting ready for bed. Even though he groans about how tired he was, he waited for you every night. 

Why? He realized he didn’t like sleeping without you since he was by himself at S.T.Y.X.

When you stepped out of the bathroom in pajamas and freshly brushed teeth, Grim was quick to usher you into bed. You only giggled in response, making sure to turn off the light before following him into your shared bed. You slipped underneath the cover, and, like every night, you pulled Grim in and curled him against your body.

“Goodnight, Grim,” You said softly, pressing a kiss against his forehead. With a small purr slipping out without him meaning to, Grim could feel the sleepiness seep into his mind. With your humming a soft lullaby in his ear, he can’t help but snuggle closer to you.

Compared to his quiet and sad life that he lived before…This life in Ramshackle was different. 

Better, he would say. 

Pretty little baby I said pretty little baby Oh, now, pretty little baby

Here, with your arms wrapped around his smaller body, Grim can feel the coldness slip away and turn into warmth.

Here, with your cooking filling his tummy with amazing and piping hot meals, Grim can feel his hunger fade away. 

Here, with you at his side, Grim can feel his loneliness disappear.

He can’t wait for tomorrow to come. 

[absolutekillswitch]

Okay but I have an idea and I know someone much more talented than I could execute this so much better than I would (and probably already had tbh??? I just haven’t seen it myself, if it has)

Idea: established Bob x reader where yn wakes up one night to see Void standing at the foot of their bed (‘mom I frew up’ style) and they just sigh bc void is on his bullshit, being all ominous and trying to scare them n shit (which is NOT working btw, yn is just like ‘boy be quiet n get ur ass in this bed’) n they just corral him into bed n have a conversation with void which is SO PROFOUND (and probably soft and emotional and Gross™️) that it manages to bring Bob back to the forefront and bobs all worried bc he does NOT like the idea of the void being ANYWHERE near his person but yn politely informs him that, like it or not, the void is a part of him, and that they love all of him, and not only that, but that void does NOT scare them at alllll lmao. I can imagine yn not being freaked out or unnerved (and if anything kind of annoyed/exasperated with the void being the way the void is) tripping bob the fuck OUTTT

And honestly there’s so many ways this general idea could go— just yn being faced with the void when they’d been expecting Bob and how they decide to deal with that + Bob trying to hide the dark parts of himself and the emotional turmoil that comes with that.

Anyways if anyone writes this TAG ME I wanna read it

[spoonfulofmilo]

Contestant Number 2's Introduction

updates will be tues, wed and thursday my time at 7pm aest!

love y'all

the bachelor masterlist is here

part 1 is here

---

my masterlist can be accessed here

Please keep requesting - y'all have awesome ideas we agree on a lot of stuff :) - my guidelines are here, and if you want some prompts, they are here.

also feel free to come in and start chatting to me in my asks, would love to get to know y'all better

and if you want to be added to my taglist lmk :)

The moment the next guy walked around the corner, Y/N could already feel the difference.

Less brooding intensity. More... golden retriever energy.

Kimi walked up like he was here to ruin his life. This guy? He looked like he was about to ask if he wanted to grab a smoothie and throw a frisbee.

He wore a cream-colored striped short-sleeve shirt, tucked into relaxed, high-waisted navy trousers. His hair was a little messy in a styled-on-purpose kind of way, and he had that clean, sun-kissed Florida glow that screamed I grew up near a beach. Blue eyes, boy-next-door smile. He looked like a day off.

“Hey! I’m Logan,” he said, offering a handshake.

Y/N leaned in for a hug instead. Their bodies pressed together just slightly longer than necessary. When they pulled back, Logan’s ears were a little pink.

"He's sweet," Y/N thought. "Not my usual type."

“So nice to meet you, Logan! I’m Y/N! Do you want to tell me about yourself?”

“Yeah, totally. I’m 23, I’m from Florida,  Fort Lauderdale, and I’m a DJ,” he said with a slightly nervous smile, rubbing the back of his neck like he wasn’t used to talking about himself.

“Oh cool, I’m an F1 driver.”

Logan perked up. “Wait seriously? That’s awesome. I mean, I mostly follow Indy and NASCAR, but F1’s sick. You guys are going, like, what, 220 kilometres per hour? I can't even imagine.”

“Yeah, so, faster than your car. So what’s got you here? Love, or just the free food and fancy cocktails?”

Y/N smiled as Logan laughed, but tilted his head, waiting.

Logan glanced down, then back up, just slightly shy. “Honestly? I figured love’s always a risk, right? Might as well take a shot.”

Y/N blinked. “A shot on what?”

Logan looked right at him. “You, I guess.”

“Oh, I, um…”

There it was. A flicker of something real. Then Logan’s face flushed and he laughed it off.

Y/N laughed too, trying to catch his balance.

“Where, um, where or rather, what would you do for a first date with me?”

“I’d probably take you to a rave, teach you a little DJing if you’re up for it. But I get it if you’re not big on crowds. We could do something chill. Honestly, I’ve seen clips of you in clubs post-race, don’t think you’d hate it,” he grinned, a little smug, a little playful.

“If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?”

“Ibiza,” Logan said immediately. “It’s got the beaches, the energy, the music. Reminds me of Miami a bit. I like that vibe. It’s kind of home, but with a Spanish twist.”

He turned to leave but paused, then reached into his pocket. “Oh, right, before I forget. I got you something.”

Y/N blinked as Logan handed over a small box.

“I know it’s kinda dumb,” Logan said, scratching his neck, “but I saw you still use wired headphones. These are noise-cancelling. Figured they might help when you’re traveling or trying to block out the chaos.”

“Oh, thanks so much!”

Y/N tried not to side-eye the cameras, knowing exactly what the producers were going to do with this.

Bachelor Y/N gets headphones from DJ contestant. Will sparks fly, or will he get noise-cancelled?

God. They were gonna milk this for weeks.

(cut to Y/N’s interview)

"Okay, okay. I know I said I wasn’t going to get distracted, but... he’s adorable. Logan’s got this kind of… what’s the word… golden retriever energy? Like, he’s sweet and bashful and clearly trying, but not in a forced way. And that little headphone gift? Are you kidding me? I wasn’t expecting to get emotional over headphones on night one. But he actually noticed something about me, like really noticed. That doesn’t happen a lot. Especially in this... circus. He’s not my usual type, and that’s what scares me a bit. But maybe that’s the point, right? Try something new. Let it surprise you."

(cut to Logan’s interview)

"I don’t really know what just happened. Like, I had a whole plan, I was gonna be chill, keep it casual, just vibe… and then I saw him. And I forgot all the words. He hugged me. And I think my heart just... short-circuited. He’s really cool. Like, really cool. And funny. And fast, apparently. 220 km an hour? That’s wild. I gave him some headphones. It felt dorky, but I thought maybe he’d appreciate something useful. And honestly, I just wanted to show him I was paying attention. I dunno, maybe that’s dumb. But yeah. I took a chance. On him. And I’d do it again."

taglist: @barcelonaloverf1life, @leosxrealm, @tallrock35, @wolf-knights, @janeholt3, @badblondebisexualboy, @ghostking4m, @fate-posts, @evelyn-4034, @jupiter-je-taime, @redcrescentmoons, @youraveragebritishamerican, @v3lnys, @thatonesblog, @bangbangdevotee, @annegrey, @pear-1206, @alchemxx, @koalapastries, @saucy-apples, @milessunflowers, @dramaticpiratellamas, @bunnisgreen, @jamesiesposts, @tammyfortis, @sleutherclaw, @blazecosplay

[hashimasims]

~When Alaina went home~

Transcript Below the Cut

Alaina: COME ON EVER OPEN UP! DID YOU SERIOUSLY CHANGE THE LOCKS ALREADY?

Ever: What do you want Lain? Alaina: I want to come home Evs. OOOH Xena! Hey baby girl mama missed you!

Ever: AH! Don't touch her! I just watched the newest episode, at the animal shelter. Alaina: And? Ever: You hate animals huh? Then why did we go to the shelter ourselves to adopt Xena and Snuggs? THAT VERY SHELTER! Hell, you thought it was the greatest idea when I suggested it as "practice" for children of our own!

Alaina: I didn't mean it Evs. Ever: Clearly, so there will be no visitations. Xena is mine and I don't want you anywhere near us.

Alaina: I didn't mean what I said on the show Ever! I wanted to get far but I wanted to drop reasons that she didn't pick me everywhere! I wanted the audience to hate me. I was always going to come back to you. I never once kissed her Ever, never anything physical. Yeah I flirted but that was the name of the game, how was I supposed to know she was going to catch feelings so quick, THERE WERE THIRTY OF US!

Ever: Why did you do it? Alaina: I already told you: So I could cover our wedding.

Ever: I CAN COVER OUR WEDDING! I already told you to quit your job and focus solely on acting or find something else you're passionate about and I would take care of everything.

Alaina *voice small*: But I'm the one who asked you to marry me, how is it fair that you have to pay for it? Ever: It's a lot better than what you did to Deanna. Why didn't you just tell me Lain? Alaina: You would have tried to stop me.

Ever: I would have. But do you know what else would have happened when I undoubtedly failed? I would have supported you, I would have watched every episode and when anyone asked me what was going on I would have told them that things weren't working out and you left. I wouldn't have been blindsided by my friends heavily suggesting I watch the show but not telling me why.

Ever: And then when you came back we would have realized how much we really loved each other and had gotten back together. It's not ethical and I would have hated it but we could have been a team Alaina. Instead I was betrayed and made to look like a fool. Alaina: I didn't mean to Evs and I really am sorry I hurt Deanna, not that she'd ever believe me anyway. Please forgive me Ever, I love you so much. There's no other person in the world like you. I'd be the fool if I let you go.

Ever: You're right, there is no one like me, and I'm not going to be manipulated by you. You're not going to give a substandard apology and expect all to be forgiven. I am going to forgive you but for me not for you. It's a good thing I already made you a fool because I don't think we're going to get back together after this. I don't think I can trust you again.

Alaina: Ever, baby - Ever: No. Full stop. You need to give me space and if we can even maybe be friends again you need to respect that. If you truly lied about what you said during your "Cast Day" then when you get a new place I'll bring Xena to you but for now she'll remain here. Now leave.

Alaina: Ok Evs, I'll go, just . . . just don't close the door completely on us, yeah? Don't . . . I'll earn your trust back no matter what it takes. I do love you and I don't think I'll ever stop. Ever: Just be safe Lain.

[boundwithpurple]

i post all this stuff bc i think there are a lot of people who are not self-described antis and would not personally harass people who do to various degrees think that people identified as like straight women or basically straight women adjacent het shippers/dark romance enjoyers/whatever continuum of corny/tasteless/suspect erotic expression kind of like, maybe don’t deserve it, but they are so corny and it’s purportedly hard to defend them on feminist grounds bc of radfem inflected ideas about sexual representation being the most important political ground, they are embarrassing, so their participation in communities devoted to “regressive” sexual expression makes the fact of the misogyny they face for this that ranges anywhere from sneering condescension to active sexual harassment not really matter and i think that sucks and i think people should have to sit with how venomously real women and i guess people labeled woman-lite are treated even if you think it doesn’t matter bc they have hegemonic interests or whatever. every straight lady who loves dark fuck prince porn is literally better than you.

[writingmyheartsout]

Castle of Glass

(Chapter 1)

_______________

Hi, hello <3

So this is my contribution to the Congressman Bucky fic trope. Kinda same, kinda different, as I wanted to focus on his campaign, or rather, all that comes before he is elected.

My train of thought was simple.

How did he get there? Did he have a whole campaign behind him? Who were these people, and how can I write it as a fanfic? Basically, I wanted to imagine this whole scenario.

Also, yes, Nobody's Soldier and Church are still ongoing, just my brain decided to focus on this one now (ADHD at its best)

_______________

As always, this is cross-posted to Ao3 and Wattpad

CW: Anger, anger issues, arguments, fighting, smoking, curse words, Bucky Barnes is a warning himself, enemies to lovers trope, angst with happy ending, female reader, politics, congress run, lots of talking and thinking, no major warning in this one apart from arguments and curse words.

(chapter is 2k long, wanted to keep it short)

_______________

Chapter - 01

It was right in the middle of the election season for Congress that Bucky came up with the idea, or rather, was pressured into running for the position. 

It wasn't exactly a safe scenario for him, as it could either go terribly wrong or, on the contrary, spectacularly right.

He wasn't known to be a very positive person per se, so in the run for the seat he was in dire need of help.

A lot of it. He wouldn't let this go, he had made a promise after all. A promise to himself, first and foremost, a promise to do it right with what he had at hand.

That's where he decided, with the connections he already had, to hire a whole team. It should have been an easy task, right? It was indeed not.

It was actually the worst thing he had ever done in his life, and he had done a lot of things, very bad things.

On top of that, he had a reputation, something that didn't help with what he was trying to achieve.

That's when you came in, a field expert, someone who had already managed multiple campaigns and won quite a few.

You had been assigned to him, he didn't choose you directly, and it was obvious he didn't want you there, barely speaking to you even though he was required to do so. 

It was the worst part of it all, even if his anger issues were doing much better than in the past, he despised you there. Your confidence, the way you ordered him around and telling him what to do, it was triggering to him in a way, bringing back memories he wanted to put behind him. And he hated every second of it.

And yet that's where you were now, on the building floor you had rented to use as headquarters for the duration of the campaign, in his office, while trying to reason with him yet again.

"Mr. Barnes, we need more interns to hand out flyers, then there's another meeting this week, even though you repeatedly stated that you didn't want to attend any" you said, your tone firmer now with a slight authoritative edge to it, as you read out of the list in your hand.

But as you were about to add more, you heard him mumbling under his breath, causing you to glance up at him with an exasperated look.

He was sitting behind his desk, a few books and files around him, clearly annoyed. His fingers massaging his temple as if he would rather be anywhere else but here.

“Can you stop talking for a moment?” he said, his blue eyes fixed on you with a slightly irritated expression.

'‘There's no need for more for this goddam campaign,’ he then stated with a huff, crossing his arms over his chest as he now leaned back in his chair, avoiding your gaze.

At that, you sighed, rolling your eyes in annoyance as you tried not to start another argument. Not right now, at least.

"Trust me, I'd prefer to be anywhere else than here.." you replied, your tone dry as you now straightened your back, your own arms crossing over your chest as you held your clipboard tighter.

"But I can't just stop asking, believe it or not, your approval is needed with every move I make.." you bit back. 

"You told me to help you, and that's what I'm doing, James. It’s your campaign, after all, " You added, calling him by his name. It wasn't the first time, you were the only one allowed to do so, or at least the only one he seemed to accept it from.

When he looked back at you, a slightly intimidating gaze crossed his eyes as you continued your bickering. He was tired, annoyed and slightly in need of nicotine, even if he wasn't allowed to, as you told him it would be bad for his public image and his health. 

It was clear in every small detail, from his slightly furrowed brows to the hint of tension on his entire face, that he was tense, irritated even. 

"Then help me the way I want " he snapped back at you, his tone harsh as he leaned a bit forward.

"I could have gotten any other person on board, there’s plenty out there, “ he added, his tone slightly mocking, “but no, I’ve been told you were the best, that you knew what you were doing,” he added almost sarcastically. But his tone and mannerism were far from being amused as he nervously looked around, then down at the folders on his desk, before his eyes were back on you.

“But all I hear are complaints and useless requests, do your fucking job...” he grumbled as he ran a hand through his hair “...do what I’m paying you for”

"In case you didn't notice, that's exactly what I'm doing since this nightmare of a campaign started" you reacted, both your arms now along your sides, as your voice raised a bit while your hands clenched tight, still holding that damn clipboard.

"Have you ever wondered why you never had to give an interview or why journalists avoided you? No? That's because I took care of it," you added, taking a deep breath to calm yourself down as you closed your eyes for a moment, pinching the bridge of your nose in the process.

You waited a few moments more after that, just to be sure to set your mind straight and not overreact, not this time.

It was an everyday occurrence by now, whenever you had to refer to him, for anything really, you both ended up in a fight.

But especially today, you already had enough as there was still so much to do and you didn’t want to spend another minute being made fun of.

"Alright, alright... never mind…I'll do it myself then.." you then stated, opening your eyes and glancing up at him before exiting his office.

"But start answering your phone, I won't accept another missed call from you"

With that, you closed the door behind you, slamming it hard, walking back to your own office to make some more calls as sponsors waited for no one. 

He didn't move from where he was, his gaze fixed on the door to his office now closed, his jaw slowly relaxing as he slowly let out a breath.

He knew he was being difficult, making your and everyone else's job hell, harder than it needed to be. 

He also knew you were trying your damn best to maintain the campaign afloat while dealing with his stubborn ass. He knew that if it wasn't for you, everything would have collapsed around him sooner rather than later.

But he couldn’t help himself sometimes, he trusted very few people, despite everything, and right now he didn’t trust you.

"Shit..." he muttered, his fingers running through his hair again, tugging at it in his frustration.

He knew that he couldn't just snap back at you as much as he wanted, not after you did so much already. 

The last thing he needed was you walking out on him, he had made that mistake before, you already quit once when he started questioning your work, at the very start of this whole shitshow and he wasn't going to repeat that.

He stayed like that for a few more minutes, until he decided that he needed some fresh air.

Slowly, he got himself to stand up from his chair and exited the room, walking over to where he knew was the way outside.

On the other hand, when you were once safe in your own office, you let out a loud sigh, stopping for a moment against the door before walking over to your desk, not really looking at the chaos that you left on it between documents and half-written statements that you needed to finish..

You were angry, mad, even as this man was probably the most annoying and stubborn you had ever met in your whole career.

To be fair you met a lot of different and weird people, from serial cheaters to straight-up assholes. You've met almost anything that existed on the face of the earth..

In comparison, he was a really good person, and apart from his past, which he was pardoned for, he had an impeccable life.

A lonely one that is, but still, he literally had no dirty secrets that you didn't know of.

And you always knew everything about the people you worked with and for.

Even when you sat down, you kept rethinking about the whole argument while you started busying yourself again, a stack of documents still needing signing, and there was already a list of people you had to call before the day was over.

You sighed at that, looking around for a moment, figuring it out what to do first before starting with the long list of calls.

But then when you looked up, after a minute or so after the first two calls, you noticed him walking down the corridor and out of the building, but you didn't think much of it, as it was a regular occurrence when he was nervous. 

Bucky inhaled deeply, the cool air filling his lungs as he took a look around. 

He wasn't a fan of city life, he couldn't say that New York was his favorite place, or even one that he appreciated. It used to be his home once, but now he felt trapped, to the point he couldn’t breathe sometimes, reminding him of the time he lost in captivity.

Still, it was good to get some air, to try and clear his mind, even if he knew that his thoughts would stay occupied by the same thing that was bothering him.

Bucky leaned against the wall next to the entrance and pulled out a folded cigarette from the pockets of his jacket.

And while he was lost in his own thoughts he lit the cigarette, taking a slow drag as he looked up towards the evening sky.

He had to deal with the campaign - that was something he promised and he was going to do it, but the part he was loathing was you.

You were a constant on and off thing, either he wanted you around or he didn't want to see you anywhere near him. It was honestly frustrating.

Everything really was right now. He couldn’t choose, he couldn’t run away or hide, and he couldn’t fight it. He just had to learn to deal with it, and he didn’t know where to start. 

Bucky took another drag from the cigarette, keeping the smoke in his lungs for a few moments before letting it out, his gaze dropping to the ground as he closed his eyes. 

He was frustrated as hell, and even the cigarette alone couldn't relax him.

He was getting himself worked out over this whole thing, over you, and that made him even more tired. 

He wasn't used to being the one who snapped and couldn't get things done, but here he was, in a damn campaign that he initiated for a promise he made long ago.

Meanwhile, as you were still in your office, you started to feel the heavy weight of the day on your shoulders, your eyes started to hurt the more you looked between the file you were reading and your computer.

You didn't want to go home yet, even if you knew almost too well you had an early rise the next morning, mostly to contact the major news channels.

Then you had a fundraiser to program, and new interns to hire.

This was getting even more complicated than usual, your actual boss not helping you in any way, as he was mostly uninterested in the whole thing and the ex-assassin allegations you had to fight off in order to make it look good in front of the people.

There was a lot in your head, too much to spend another night here.

So you just decided to go home, taking a few documents with you.

_______________

Hello again <3 If you're reading this, thank you.

Kept this one short as i wanted to test it out if people like it or not. so if you like it, feel free to comment or give any advice.

Next chapter will be up soon.

[scootersscooter]

Something about Lex being so certain she was going to die in Toy Zone and her dying wish being that her sister never needed her the way that she had needed her, that Hannah would be strong enough to escape the mall and still make it out of Hatchetfield to California even if she had no one by her side when she got there

[blackjackkent]

Ask prompt fill for @thedarkstrategist from this ask meme: Lord Huron Lyric Prompts

Shadowheart - "I had a name but they took it from me."

Some more Shadowzel for you, friend. :D Low-key kinda proud of this one.

-----

Shadowheart sits on her bedroll next to the fire, slowly working her way through one of the larger bottles of ale from the camp supplies. She squints tipsily at Buddy, who gives a slow blink back at her and gives a sleepy hoot. 

Lae’zel, sitting nearby, looks up from the dagger she is sharpening. “You should rest, fynh duj,” she says with a touch of muted, dry amusement, having watched her lover’s slow progression into inebriation over the course of the preceding hour. It is, perhaps, not the best use of her time given that they make for the Wyrmway in the morning - but on the other hand, it’s the most relaxed Lae’zel has seen her since the House of Grief, so it’s hard to protest too much. 

“Hmph. Not yet,” Shadowheart grumbles. She takes another swig from the bottle of ale next to her. Then, with a grunt, she squirms off of her bedroll and across the ground, until her head butts up against the owlbear’s feathery flank and she can settle in against his side. “There. That’s better…” she mumbles contentedly. 

Buddy has grown considerably in the weeks since he joined the camp; Jaheira says he is almost full-grown now. This causes some trouble, for he still sometimes acts as if he is still the size of a cub, which has led to more than one crushed tent in the times they’ve camped in Rivington and the Lower City. But he’s grown mellow overall, enjoying nights curled up by the fire with whoever happens to be awake latest - which, tonight, is Shadowheart and Lae’zel. 

He still, sometimes, touches that fear of wolves and wild things that Viconia drummed into Shadowheart’s soul. But she is learning to move past that, to push it away, and to find comfort in the rhythm, muted chirp growl of his breath when he allows her to snuggle against him like this. 

She takes another overlarge gulp of ale and leans back into Buddy’s bulk, turning slightly so she can stare at the owlbear’s massive head with sudden intensity.

Lae’zel sets the blade aside slowly, curling her legs under her. “What are you thinking about?” she asks.

Shadowheart starts, as if she’d forgotten anyone else was there. “Names,” she says, slurring only a little on the end of the word. “Mine. And his.”

As if he can tell she’s talking about him, Buddy lifts his head slightly and gives another drowsy, questioning hoot.

“Yes,” she murmurs. A long silence. “I had a name,” she goes on after a little while. “But they took it from me.” It’s loud enough that Lae’zel can hear it, but seems to be directed more towards herself - or perhaps to Buddy, who has dropped his head back to rest on his paws, watching her with his beady, dark eyes. “They took it from me. And they gave me a new one. Jenevelle. Shadowheart. First one… then the other.” 

She frowns. “And you - maybe you had some other name, or no name at all… but now you’re Buddy. We gave you that.”

Her eyebrows knit worriedly and she looks towards Lae’zel with a flash of uncharacteristic anxiety, inner struggle stripped bare by the coating of alcohol. “D’you think,” she asks unsteadily, “he’d rather be called something else?”

Lae’zel raises one eyebrow slowly. It doesn’t even occur to her to laugh, despite the rather pathetically soppy nature of the question. Nuance is sometimes lost on her, but even she is well aware it isn’t really the owlbear they’re talking about. “Perhaps,” she says slowly. “We could speak to him and see. Jaheira has magic for this purpose. If he wishes to be called something different, something he was called before - he has only to ask.”

Shadowheart squirms uncertainly. “Yes,” she mumbles. A pause. She fidgets with the ale bottle, turning it restlessly in her fingertips “He had a mother… and she’s dead now, but maybe she called him something, in some owlbear way… That’s important, right? It matters…” 

She swallows. There’s a subtle dampness around her eyes, flickering where the firelight catches it. “But maybe he likes Buddy. Because… because that’s what he’s called here. With his-- with his friends.” She flushes, her eyes flicking to Lae’zel and then rapidly away into the fire. “With people who love him now… that’s important too.”

“Perhaps,” Lae’zel agrees placidly. She shifts a little to one side so she can see Shadowheart more clearly, silhouetted by the flames rather than masked by them.

Shadowheart nods slowly. “It’s a good name,” she says, her voice lowering again until it’s almost inaudible. “He doesn’t have to be ashamed of it. Even if he had another…”

Lae’zel lets the silence stretch for a long time before she speaks again. “Who are you, fynh duj?” she asks, the rasp of her voice low and surprisingly gentle. “Who do you want to be?”

“Shadowheart,” Shadowheart whispers. “That’s my name. That’s who I am here, with you.”

[restlessthio]

An idea for a print, or maybe keychains/acrylic charms =) (which would y’all rather have??)

I rewatched a bunch of Conan eps (and made my parents watch it- they loved it!) and I really like how much Heiji helps out ☺️

[beatcroc]

alright kids we fuckin did it

and even managed to first try s-rank the final boss somehow. crazy. im pretty sure that's the only s rank i got in the entire game.

so why did i do it? how do i feel? most of the experience of playing 06 is stuff that really only matters being experienced in the moment, but i took a shot at trying to quantify why i went out of my way to play sonic 06 anno domini 2024, with some subsequent thoughts about each after having finished.

1. silver is there. i like him. it seems most people do these days; no doubt largely due to the comics, but that was absolutely not the case upon his debut. i wanted to see where the character started and if there was truly Anything salvageable from his initial appearance, or if there are any throughlines to his current characterization. verdict: yeah, like, way more than i thought there was going to be actually. it solidly exceeded my expectations here. obviously, i was will to be EXTREMELY lenient about him because hes my special little guy and he is SUCH a gift in idw; but even so he never really did anything like, wrong. like as a character i mean. he's a little annoying sure, but so are most of the characters in this game. i know this would have been infinitely worse back when it was his only appearance, but UNLIKE most of the characters in this game, he is at least also consistent. all in all he's still just kind of a hasty little fuckup here, which is much of why i like him in present.

2. the general notoriety of it. everyone knows sonic 06 is bad. you hear lots of insane stuff about all the various ways in which 06 is bad, but they all feel like such disconnected points by now. you need to get the whole picture you know. the full breadth of it. i think cultural significance for being dogshit is just as interesting as cultural significance for being brilliant. verdict: its so bad. its fascinating. there really were quite a few cool ideas in here but the execution of them all is consistently so, SO baffling. there's the utter lack of polish and functionality yeah, but even underneath that in its base design it there is just so much that's so inherently unintuitive. one really does have to wonder about it. i must, however, stress that poor execution on decent ideas [or in some cases decent execution on bad ideas like, say, omega's fucking bizzare characterization here, and really most of the plot in general especially wrt to elise] is far more forgivable to me than no ideas [most of the boost-era games If I Am Being Frank], or cool ideas with No execution [sonic forces. [i played through it about right in the middle of my 06 journey and it's amazing how that game is like the exact opposite kind of bad from 06. that one is the kind that really pisses me off, as it turns out! you would not believe how hatermoded i got during forces' short duration.]

3. it had a lot more going on than i'd realized. i'd kind of always just held 06 as "the sonic and silver game and sometimes i guess shadow is there also?" but the more i heard about it it was like "wait blaze is in this game? how does that work??" "omega is in this game? AMY is in this game???? PLAYABLE????? how does all that fit together???". in more recent years i've heard people refer to 06 as 'the last sonic game where they really tried', and now that i know my own disdain for boost era games and gameplay was NOT just me being a shitty teen, i figure it would be interesting to see what all that was about. now that the series has returned from its, shall we say, prodigal son arc, i'm in general a lot more willing to explore where things went awry. verdict: turns out it did not in fact fit together very well at all, but again, i respect a blundered attempt at something like this far more than the subsequent several years of "sonic and his one wacky gimmick partner" games that followed. i think anyone genuinely praising this game and its Quite Frankly Pretty Damn Bad characterization is insane, but i do understand the respect for its ideas; and i definitely understand the 'this game could be so good if it was good'-type obsessions. it's certainly a type i am prone to but fortunately it did not get to me with 06.

4. hubworlds. this isn't a full point in and of itself, but it's why i decided to just play the damn game as it is instead of playing project 06 and/or watching the cutscenes on youtube. it feeds largely into the second point of just wanting to experience it as a whole package; but also i just generally like the idea of hubworlds in sonic, and i like that they have missions in them here. verdict: there's not a verdict for this one as it wasn't a question or a curiosity i had. naturally, they're also not good, but i didn't go in expecting to enjoy the sonic 06 hubworlds. i just think they're nicer than only having a map screen or level select.

all in all i think it's kind of impossible for me to hate sonic 06. like at this point you know what it is. you know what it's known for, its reputation far preceeds it. i've dealt with my fair share of janky games, and it actually wasn't nearly as uniquely unplayably nonfunctional as i was expecting. it's bad but it's the amusing kind of bad, and though there's certainly no laughing with it, if you aren't laughing at it you're laughing a yourself for deliberately choosing to play this stupid fucking game 18 years later.

[justablah56]

they should invent a job that I can do and I don't have to drive super far to get to

[quilleth]

Write the incredibly self-indulgent fluff you want to see in the world, even if it will never see the light of day xD

[cheriekos]

🫠

[blackwaxidol]

A second bug ass drawing has hit the dashboard...

Her metasoma has a sort of raised petiole structure comprised of muscles you would find at the base of an animal's tail; sacrocaudalis, coccygeus, levator ani, rectococcygeus, et cetera.

It is fairly flat, sort of cockroach-esque. Doesn't hold any reproductive structures beyond a shallow bursa copulatrix and such.

Without the metasoma—

[britneyshakespeare]

what is incredibly annoying about the internet is that someone's argumentative-toned political vent post can circulate to a few hundred or thousand people and be generally agreed with by people seeing their broader point, and then be screenshotted and circulated again by ppl who mostly also saw it the first time around, but it's vituperatively disagreed with while picking apart the original post's wording to imply that the original poster meant something particularly stupid or wrong when what is being attacked is not the actual point.