#the vibes are immaculate is what i'm trying to get across

[sionisjaune]

A short Nico/Jenson ficlet for @penaltyboxboxbox's girlcedes ballet AU... the last image made me insane...

Afterwards, he always asks about Lewis. The sweat on Nico’s back hasn’t even begun to dry, and her knees ache from riding his cock, and her back aches from practice, and he flops on his back, slides one of his disgusting cigs from the crumpled pack on his dresser and asks about her, absently scratching the scruffy hair on his chest. 

“She’s fine,” says Nico. Today, Toto announced that Lewis had made prima after stringing them both along for weeks. Everyone knew he would pick Lewis in the end, just like everyone knew that Lewis really was prima material, even with her tattoos and her piercings and her muscled quads and thick torso. 

Jenson sucks on his cigarette for a moment and then turns his head to the side to exhale in the direction of the window. Nico wishes he would blow smoke in her face, if only so that she could have something to yell at him for. 

“She still remember me?” says Jenson, wrapping his lips around the cigarette for another drag. “Wouldn’t kill her to come around…” 

Nico rolls her eyes and climbs off of Jenson’s lap to hunt around for her panties. Jenson must have tossed them somewhere in his pigsty of a room sometime after he stuck his hand down her jeans. Eventually, she finds them dangling from the bedpost, beside Jenson’s foot. She tugs them on only to discover that they’ve ripped along the seam where elastic meets delicate lace. Monstrous, soul-sucking rage swells in her chest and bursts like a party balloon before it can become anything real. Instead of ripping her own hair out of her head, she locates Jenson’s boxers and lobs them at his face.

“What would you even do?” Nico says. 

“Huh?” says Jenson, lighting another cigarette. He cups his hand around the end to shield the flame from the draught gusting in through the window. 

“If she came around. What would you do?” Nico crosses her arms, but it only serves to draw Jenson’s attention to her tits. When his eyes widen, she swallows and purses her lips to keep the bile down. 

“Dunno,” says Jenson, folding one wiry arm behind his head. “There used to be a band. We were Mick Laren. You, know like the—” 

“I know,” says Nico.

“Then we were Downforce. And then Lewis and the Mechanics.” Jenson chortles. Nico is going to be sick. She scoops one of Jenson’s dirty shirts off the floor—an embarrassing band tee going threadbare at the collar—and pulls it on over her head. She tiptoes back to Jenson’s bed and slides back in beside him because she has nowhere else to go, really. Jenson folds his arm around her and pulls her into his chest. At least he’s good for keeping her warm. Nico slides her leg over his while he puffs on his cigarette.

“Give me that,” Nico snaps. Jenson hands her the cigarette obligingly, and Nico plucks it from his hand with two fingers. It’s too short to hold onto properly, but it feels good on the way down, stinging her throat and curling poisonously inside her lungs. Toto would fucking kill her if he saw. She hands the butt back to Jenson, and he squishes it out on the nightstand.

“You can’t even fucking sing,” Nico sighs. 

“Sure I can,” says Jenson, pinching her in the side. “You wanna hear what I’m working on?”

“No,” says Nico, into his chest. 

“Some girlfriend you are,” says Jenson.

“Not your girlfriend,” says Nico. 

Jenson snorts. “Tell that to the panty collection in my underwear drawer.” 

“They’re probably not even mine,” says Nico. “Slag.” 

Jenson kisses the top of her head and tosses the sheet over her body. She might as well stay the night, now. The alarm clock on the nightstand reads 2 AM in forbidding analog digits. Waking up to whatever shit breakfast Jenson cooks up is marginally better than waiting pantless on the street corner for a cab. God only knows where her jeans ended up.

“Sweet dreams, princess,” says Jenson. Nico squeezes her eyes shut tight.

[224bbaker]

I came here to ask if there was even a small chance of Hampton one day being canonically aroace because his vibes are immaculate and hearing him flourish as the live in bestie made my year, only to then get the dopamine hit of my dreams when I saw your pinned character bios. keep doing what you're doing for forever please 🧡🤍💙

Thank you so much for sending in this ask! It's a question we get fairly often and we're always happy to answer.

First of all, speaking for the entire production team, as far as we've always been concerned, Hampton is aroace. That's been the intention since the beginning of production and that has never changed--we wrote him that way, Jeremy (his fantastic voice actor) plays him that way, it's in our show bible, etc. We try as much as possible to make this explicit in how he views the world/relationships (his supportive disinterest in his friends' sexual/romantic lives, the fact that he misses those cues when they come in externally, James and Madge knowing instinctively to loop him in when it happens) without him saying "I'm aroace," which is modern terminology he frankly just...wouldn't have in the Victorian era.

It's always tricky in period pieces, making identities that really we've only come to have labels for in our lifetimes explicit. James and Madge are relatively easy to "canonize" romance/sexuality-wise, because they're rather forthright with that part of their lives and are in (and out) of relationships. Madge doesn't have to say "I'm a lesbian" because her exclusive pursuit of women and disinterest in men seems to make that clear enough. Hampton is similar in our minds, though the context clues are just a little subtler to get across.

All that to say, there will be more references to it in season 2, and he is aroace. I think if you went back in a time machine and gave him the term, he'd be like "Oh yes, that's me. Anyway, back to the murder you witnessed, please." I don't think he spends a ton of his life thinking about it, or having any particular angst around it. It's a part of him, it's something he just is.

All that typing, and I'm not sure if that answered your question re: "canon." If you're asking if Hampton will ever say "aromantic" or "asexual," probably not because Victorian era. But if you're asking if the show will ever delve into that side of him a bit more, probably yes!

[bilbao-song]

ulterior motives: an unnecessarily elaborate guide & review

okay literally no one asked for this but here is my full synopsis of the ulterior motives album. i wish more secret time capsule-ish albums from past decades would be released so i can start doing this type of thing more often

🐬 disclaimer: i think only like two? three? people who follow me are (currently.....) interested in this as far as i'm aware. therefore it's going to be sooooo self indulgent and tbh partially just for my own satisfaction <3 but hopefully someone will find it useful/enjoyable/etc.!! also it's super long but like...idk it's a Review. also if ur interested but otherwise have no clue what this is about, i'm putting some useful links at the veeeery bottom :-)

🐠 relevant introductory notes: im not rlly a lostwave person actually. like as a concept i think it's very cool, but this is litcherally the only one i've come across that appeals to me thus far. i was somehow exposed to it like a year ago and went bananas bc i enjoy funky little 80s songs and i desperately wanted that song in particular. i think some people have kind of dismissed this as like, a ~tiktok thing~ and well <3 i don't care. tiktok didnt exist in the 80s but this music sure did. anyway i would urge you to ignore that entirely at this point and just enjoy the funky 80s bops no matter how they got here (actually that's like part of why i'm even making this post. consider this like...a guide. forget tiktok exists and learn to love this album full of 80s music w me)

🐬 preliminary assessment of vibes: half cute 80s synthpop and half things that make me want to pretend to be really elegant on a cruise ship somewhere between like 1987-1992, a period of time in which i was not alive but enjoy pretending i have some kind of experience with anyway. sometimes it kind of feels like music that someone would put over an old video of people walking around a mall, which is probably really appealing to a lot of people tbh. that seems to be a well-liked vibe recently. *not* an album to listen to if ur looking for something deep/poetically meaningful/super serious, 10000000% an album to listen to if u want something catchy/fun/zesty/poppy/very 80s!! it is very muchly unpretentious music for a good time

also may i just say that throughout this album there are like, random elements that remind me of like 68769376386896 different other artists who are varying degrees of wildly unrelated to this album. i mean like, there are brief moments that give me michael jackson vibes (tangentially related!), and every once in awhile something reminds me of frankie valli (??????????). that's only the tip of the iceberg tbh but if i made an exhaustive list i feel like it would just look like me listing off every third thing i have ever heard of. also a lot of people have made comparisons to wham! and i can definitely see why, soooo if that’s your type of thing!! ur in luck

anyway:

🐠 a track by track analysis & review:

to preface this: if ur skeptical...the sweet spot for me is like, tracks 8-11, and if you like those, try 4 as well. i like the album start to finish tbh, but if you just want a little sampling for now, i suggest starting with those. beyond that, upon putting this together i have noticed that you can kind of break this album into categories vibe-wise. tracks 1-4 seem like they wanted to be long lost singles, 5-7 = Vibing Music. smooth and pleasant sounds to have on in the background. not the sort of thing you’d probably sing along to but the vibes are immaculate. a calm moment before things get zesty again, 8-11 = back to back hits. cream of the crop. exquisite cuisine. all pretty upbeat and poppy and i genuinely cannot imagine not enjoying this at least a little. 12-13 = very nice closing tracks to put a neat bow on it <3

pink titles = my top recommendations (i'm trying to be selective here)

here is the full album on youtube and here it is on spotify. individual youtube links next to each song title :-)

#1 - chemistry - [x] - excellent choice as a first track bc the quality is very Crisp and it kind of encompasses both the whole 80s synthpop vibe and the smooth, kind of classy thing that a lot of these songs have going on. this one is very popular among those of us who have been eagerly waiting for this album to be released and it’s super nice to have a full version available now!! we had like a minute long sample of it there for awhile and i kept listening to a three minute looped version on youtube bc i was desperate. anyway!! there’s a LOT going on here. it flows well, is super catchy, and i really like it. would probably be fun to dance to if ur into that sort of thing

#2 - your guy - [x] - smooth and snazzy!! makes u want to light some candles. spoken portions in songs are always kind of funny to me for some reason but i can lean into the overall vibe and embrace it. very cute. one of my favorite things about it are the moments where the backing vocals are like, drastically deeper than the lead vocals (around 1:42ish). love that

#3 - ulterior motives - [x] - this one needs no introduction i guess lmao. tbh i feel like i still kind of need more time to absorb this version as compared to the old version — being entirely honest, if i pay very close attention, i CAN pinpoint a few little odd things going on with it quality-wise. idk what that's about (definitely doesn’t seem to be a skill issue lmao these guys know their shit) but it also doesn't ruin it for me or anything. i feel like a major part of the issue is just down to being sooo used to hearing one particular version. any difference good or bad is going to stand out. whatever, it’s still a delicious song (and there are pleeeeeenty of different cleaned up versions ripped from the movie to be found on youtube if anyone is just fully unsatisfied w this one)

#4 - man needs love - [x] - THIS is one of the best ones hands down. once again we are monologuing in the middle of a song but imo it works pretty well here. it feels veeeery of the era and i definitely feel like this could've been tremendously popular if not for the whole Never Got Released thing. it is super fun and catchy. if u came for the wham! comparisons this should be ur starting point

#5 - so in love - [x] - the beginning to this one is soooooooooo exquisite to me. my overall take on this one is that it's kind of...well. Vibing Music. like i would never choose or recommend this for karaoke night but it is excellent for having on in the background while you do basically anything else. smooth and snazzy yet again. definitely creates some kind of vibe. also i really like a lot of the vocals on this one

#6 - you turn me on - [x] - when i first saw the title i did not expect to enjoy this one quite so much, BUT it's actually pretty great.......visceral subject matter notwithstanding (that's just rlly not my thing usually but i think i'm the odd one out here so disregard this lmao). very chill vibes; kind of in a similar category to the previous track re: Vibing Music status. lots of interesting sounds and things, very very VERY of the era. importantly, it contains that instrument that i can only ever think of as "lizard noise thing" (apparently that's a vibraslap), and that appeals to me immensely.

#7 - rock me to sleep - [x] - more Vibing Music. initially i wasn’t sure how to feel about the whole whispering thing but i’ve concluded that they pull it off well. it reminds me of something but i really can’t place what it is — some kind of particularly funky and vibey 80s background music type of thing. late 80s/early 90s fashion show music!! for sure

#8 - think i'm gonna cry - [x] - back to the more upbeat vibes. another one of my favorites!! possibly THE favorite for me. seems a little underrated among fans thus far imo so allow me to champion it here. kind of similar vibe-wise to man needs love, so if u liked that one then you'll probably feel positively about this one too. definitely another one that should appeal to anyone for whom the wham! comparison sparks interest. i honestly think this is like...one of the best tracks. if i didn't know any better you could have easily convinced me that this was popular in its era bc the overall quality is there and it reeeeaaaaally has a poppy vibe that feels almost universally appealing. it feels like a fun song for summer. also pretty short in length, so v approachable to anyone feeling impatient <3

#9 - potion of emotion - [x] - another one that i thought i wouldn't be a huge fan of when i saw the title lmao but i was wrong!! i love the deeper vocals here and just ?? well. basically everything about it. not to bust out a technical term but i do just absolutely love the synthiness. there's something kind of satisfying about the lyrics...i mean they're not like, deep elaborate poetry lmao it just sounds neat from like, an auditory perspective. anyway, it’s smooth yet fun. i want to be hearing this on a cruise ship

#10 - one last look - [x] - deliciousss. i feel like this one is almost a sssslightly different flavor of 80s vibe but i have no idea how describe it. maybe ummm idk more pop-rock than just straight pop. feels pretty summer-y. very 80s classic rock-sounding guitar parts (delicious). if i had heard this on the radio at some point i would've wholly accepted it as just like. idk a normal popular 80s song i just never happened upon before (this applies to a Lot of these tbh)

#11 - nothing lasts forever - [x] - another solid favorite for me!!! suuuuuper catchy, has been stuck in my head for like three days!!!!!! i love it!!!!! fun horns!!!!!! idk what else to say but it's fun, upbeat, and ummmmmm. one of the best songs here imo

#12 - language of love - [x] - actually probably my least favorite, but it's still fine. from what i've seen it seems pretty popular though so who knows!! i feel like putting it second to last was a good idea because it does kind of seem like…idk, calming down after four very zesty ones in a row.

#13 - lie school - [x] - if u feel dissatisfied with the new ulterior motives, this is like...the next best thing. very similar vibes both in terms of theme and sound, but not in like, a repetitive way. i actually rlly like that it's the last track bc it kind of feels like sort of a callback to ulterior motives, and i looooooove when albums do that kind of thing. anyway i definitely feel that it’s a little……hmmm. idk the whole school thing is just such a highly specific theme and they really stick with it. but i like it >:-)

🐬 closing thoughts:

i just really really like it tbh. i hope i have converted at least a few people not only bc it's a worthy cause but also bc i spent literal hours spread across two days writing this. shoutout to christopher and philip booth, thank you for this whole entire album and also for inexplicably moving to my town in the midwestern usa despite being from the uk. idk why you did that but i think it's very cool and learning that information after a year of hoping somebody would find ulterior motives made me feel like i was living in some kind of weird dream. also. vinyl release when?? <3

additional links:

rolling stone article that pretty thoroughly explains what this is about

my tag where i've been putting relevant posts thus far

album on youtube

album on spotify

[misc-obeyme]

YEAHHH JOIN THE SOLOMAMS TRAIN !! I am here to ramble, they make me crazy. I'm brainrotting so hard about coffee shop AU. Vibrating with ideas.

I never thought about Mammon owning the cafe, but hell that would be so cool!! Okay, okay, here's my thoughts. Mammon owns the cafe and works there, and also has an apartment directly above it (trying to decide WHY he owns it, maybe took over from Lucifer?? Bought the cheap building impulsively bc apartment, deciding it was a problem for future him to decide what he'd make out of the lower space).

People go mostly for him because the vibes are immaculate, everyone always leaves in a better mood. The college campus down the block has a rumor that if you buy a coffee, leave a good tip (specifically dollar coins or two dollar bills), and have an exam the next day, you'll always get a passing grade no matter what. Mammon works overtime during midterms and finals, business is booming.

Solomon is a college student (need to decide on a major) and comes at the exact same time every weekday morning, buying a danish (sometimes strawberry, sometimes ham and cheese) and a coffee before class, except on Wednesdays because he doesn't have classes. Mammon knows his order by heart after a month, but pretends to ask him what he wants while literally typing it into the kiosk. Mammon will squint at him, somehow knowing which danish he'll choose that day before Solomon utters a word. "Ahaha, why do you ask when you already have a danish boxed up?" "Who says that's for you, eh? I don't know everyone's order around here." "Not everyone. You're right. Just mine :]" "O-OI, SHUT UP BEFORE I CHARGE YA EXTRA!"

If I'm including my mc, I'm definitely working at a record shop a block down the street (my dream job)!! Records, CD's, small music sheet collection, buying services (trading and hunting down records is available for repeat customers, AHEM, Lucifer and Solomon.) Took over from the old owner because I visited so much as a teen, was hired as soon as I was old enough, and took over at say 22 ish.

HEAR ME OUT, Solomon who still uses a walkman. I think it'd be nice. He visits the store occasionally after class to browse, getting lost in the CD's. I'm imagining him having a massive collection, and having some rare items. He once showed up with a copy of something I had only ever dreamed of owning (once saw it secondhand for $800, he also had other stuff with him), and I almost jumped across the counter when he said he was looking to sell or trade for credit. "You look like you're simultaneously about to faint or attack me." "I can't decide which to do."

Lucifer loves collecting records, so he visits a lot, and uses it as an excuse to check up on Mammon (won't admit it). There's a collection of records kept up front that are deemed 'cursed' because they always skip the first track (Lucifer will buy one every month). Lucifer became a regular after I accidentally came across a rare first press edition of a record online and presented it to him because he mentioned it was a dream to own. He brought me a coffee and a croissant from his brother's coffee shop the next day to show his gratitude, mentioning it wasn't too far either.

Suddenly I'm visiting the cafe the next day, waking up early to have time before opening up shop. Almost die trying to order, because Lucifer did not mention his brother was hot. Successfully get my hands on another croissant, and a sandwich that was recommended. I don't visit every day, but when I do, it's always at the same time. Mammon grumbled something about trying to have my order ready before I got there, only for me to not show up some days. "N-Not that it means anything! I'm just tryin' to be more efficient!" "Well, I'm sorry I don't always wake up early! Getting out of bed is hard. If I had your number, I'd text you saying I was on my way, y'know?" "Y-YOU'RE ASKING FOR MY NUMBER?" "WAIT WHAT, N-NO, I MEAN- well.. actually, that wouldn't be... so bad? F-FORGET I SAID ANYTHING IF THAT'S WEIRD, UM, UH, SORRY, CAN I PAY NOW?" "... It's on the house. And uh, look inside the cup sleeve whenever you leave."

HELP I NEVER MEAN FOR MY ASKS TO GET THIS LONG, I JUST CAN'T STOP RAMBLING. The fact this isn't even everything, this is just the backstory. The lore, if you will. There is a plot !! Everything is connected.

- ✨ anon

✨ anon, tell me you're writing this story. This sounds exactly like what I do when I'm brainstorming a story before I write it.

And it's so good!!! I love every part of this!! I mean, okay, you don't have to write it if you don't want to obviously lol but I think it'd turn out really good if you did!!

I mean, you have fully converted me to the solomams train now, I'm so invested!!

I love Lucifer's role in all this and I LOVE that you work at the record shop down the street!!

Definitely living for the poly vibes, I wanna see what happens when you and Solomon show up at the same time. Poor Mammon might just have a whole heart attack about it!

Anyway, I love this. Please feel free to tell me more. I love coffee shop AUs so so much.

[lokimobius]

Seven Sentence Sunday

it's that time again, folks! i was tagged hours ago by @elodiah, who lives in the future.

i'm FINALLY getting back into this fic!!!! i'm currently in the "just get everything out on to the page and change it once you know the vibe" stage of writing. but i'd like to finish it soon!

also, this is nine sentences. screw the title!

“Hey, look at you go,” Mobius said, strolling back with another bucket full of water. “It’s amazing! How are you working so fast?” Mobius’ eyes were wide in astonishment as he placed the bucket down and bent down to admire Loki’s work. Loki watched as he trailed his fingers across the immaculately sculpted battlements. “I’m a god, Mobius, and a very smart one at that.” Mobius hummed, reaching out towards Loki’s head and patting him gently, “Very smart, indeed.” Even though he was boiling from the sun's rays, he shivered under the weight of Mobius hand. There was something about Mobius’ touch that made time feel like it slowed down. If he weren’t so used to the feeling of time flowing through him, one might assume he was using magic in these moments. It was, however, only his mind subconsciously trying to stay in the moment for as long as possible. There was no magic needed when it came to Mobius.

no pressure tags to: @thosegayoldmen @impulsemuppet @kcscribbler @in-my-loki-feels

@loki-is-my-kink-awakening @silentxsymphony @devilbearingtrouble @andthekitchensinkao3

and anyone else that reads this!!! i'm tagging you!!! pls share what you're working on with me!!!

[undiscovered-horizon]

I’m planning on getting a small tattoo of the word Endless on my arm (mainly for the sandman lol) and I was wondering what you think Morpheus’ reaction would be seeing it on me after I got it for him? (I think he’d be obsessed/fluffy and I want to see this scenario so bad). PS. If you decide to write this thank you so much!!!

[MASTERLIST] | [Sandman-inspired playlist]

A/N: This has immaculate dark!Morpheus vibes, so I'm going to stick with that. On a side note: I've scarcely updated lately but I'm making the most of my break before the next term starts.

The tattoo feels itchy. You move around your arm a bit trying to ease the uncomfortable feeling. It doesn’t work as well as you’d like it to. Maybe putting on more Tattoo Goo will help but that is going to have to wait.

“I’ve got something to show you,” you announce cheerfully. Morpheus raises his eyebrows curiously. If he did notice your strange fidgeting, for some reason he is unwilling to mention it, yet.

You pull up your sleeve and his eyes hungrily glide across the now-bare skin. The typewriter-like letters spelling ‘Endless’ are easy to overlook if one isn’t specifically looking for them. It’s similar to a tag on a piece of clothing: silently informing the onlookers about the garment’s proper owner.

Studying his focused expression, you can’t quite tell what impression the surprise made on him. As an entity unbound to one corporeal form, does he even understand what it means to a person to get a tattoo? An uncomfortable tension appears in your abdomen, growing in strength with each second Morpheus stares at your arm without saying anything. “Do you like it?” you ask hesitantly.

Of course, he likes the tattoo - it’s as if you were branded as his property like a sigil burned on a crate of goods. Whatever creature will lay its eyes on you from this day forward - deity, human or anything in between - shall know that there is someone else, something else, constantly looking over your shoulder; whatever they do against or for you, they do it for or against something much bigger and sinister in its nature.

He can’t quite name the sensation residing in his viscera - excitement? Blossoming malice? In any case, it made his old, weary bones burn. Yes, there was an inexplicable, yet-to-be-named frenzy being born in the dark abyss of his soul (if the Endless even have a soul, that is). Wherever life leads you, even if you get horribly lost and leave him for another hairless ape, Morpheus’s name will still stain your skin - he’s going to remain part of you forever. Like devouts wear symbols of their god around their neck, you’re wearing your proclamation of subjection to him. What makes Morpheus even happier is that it can not be undone: you have sacrificed yourself on the altar of the only god that has ever loved you and he is much too fond of your immolation to ever give it up. For the first time in his too-long life, the object of his desire can not free themself from him. Not really.

What a strange world, where loyal dogs put on their own collars and leashes.

“I think I do,” he answers after a moment of silence.

[boxwinebaddie]

NINAAAAAAAAAAAA? DO YOU HAVE ANY MORE KYLEYB CONTENT? I LOVE HIM

nOOOOOOOOOOOONICA!

-- and do i EVA, dollface!

( edit: the spelling across the board is non-existent. so sorry. you are morally obligated to be nice to me; i have a tumor. also, my apologies for yesterdays post -- it is gone now *shudders at memory* --

i was very manic and upset and the jerseykyle in me that gets angry, really, really is convinced she can kill god...i do think that's still true, but it was very chaotic and embarassing to be like that on the dash.

but if you are worried about the tumor i am trying to have a ( bad ) sense of humor about, again, it’s benign, noncancerous, very, very small, to the point where it requires no surgery or radiation treatment at this time ( i do have a radiology appointment for another brain scan on the 26th so please keep me in ur thots if you can ) and i just have to cope with a lot of gnarly side effects.

i love you and hope you heal. <333 -the u.n.

so...i wrote this weird ~'thing'~ ( i'm not sure what else to call it ) because i was having a very loose and silly-goosed ( but as always, wonderfully and graciously soul-warming ) converslaytion in the dms

with dearest, darlingest teria ( whose work you should not only read and whose art is not only more immaculate than the piss-and-moan-a-lisa, but whose advice, council and conversation i enthusiastically urge you to enlist because she is truly, a little bit of heaven on earth )

and, i don't know, i was doing the silly kyley b voice for shits and giggles in my texts and...it never...left my brain ( is THAT what gave me the brain worms? ) and i had to write my weird ~'thing'~, which is my boy, THE BUOY, kyley bi-atch! talkin’ to the new kid and givin’ them some street-wise, beat-the-shit-out-of-you-poetic advice.

( if you want it...it's down at the VERY BOTTOM -- everyone say hoooola cuervostan ;) xxx -- of this post...i got weirdly passionate talking about kyley b and jersey in general, so you can read all of that if you WANT...but i'll leave the screenshots after everything, so you can scroll down easily and reach it; also...gender neutral, i promise, just girl-scout-squirrely-whirly nicknames, haha. )

cue a future me leaving this here where i left off:

*unfreezes tv screen and a feral past nina springs to life*

also, i am...so sorry in advance for this, bc, okay, look...

-- does he sound like ball bustin', good fa' nothing pauly d, soprano mobstaH? yeah...yeah he sure does, aND WHATTABOUTIT, BETCH?! ( i'm just kidding, you guys; mwah ) but like...is that not The Vibe?

like? he is not supposed to give your rough and tumble ol buddy nino down at the jewish-italian pizzeria who looks like he would rather fkn blow his brains out that take 'ya ordah' ( but loves his ma and his kid brother, and the counter guy got fkn shived, so there he is baby baby;

-- the worst man on planet earth...

…and The LUVH Of My Loife! )

...who repeatedly calls you 'toots', but he's not really hitting on you, he's just trying to size you up ( also, i love you pre-(ed)isordah jersey, the BIGGEST and the baddiest, baby! ah-baddabingbaddaBOOM! )

and he...( quite literally ) wants you to stay the fuck away from him and get the hell out of his shitty city, and, he is THE KYLEY B, BAY-BEE! he's the curliest, cuntiest, coppa'-ist ( do naaaught, howeva, group him in with the bootlickers, or he'll make you lick his...just so HE can call /YOU/ one...like...he is my BF, do you understA-- )

hooOOoo

( i am sorry; he is...my favorite mwob-buoy-bawhss xx )

but...on the inside, underneath it all, really is...just...a fine and truly beautiful specimen, the meaner he is to you, the more you like him...and...you accidentally fall in love with him ( oooY geVAULT! )

that is...in fact, what sweet, sweet stanley marsh did ( he is a genius and a visionary and I RESPECT THE FUCK OUT OF THAT SCARY BOY CRAZY CRUNCHY KALE SALAD KIIIIIIING; like, he really played The Long Game...AND WON!!! HE FUCKING WON, BABEY!!!! like

i have this pre-rm, childhood headcannon, that ( because he was trying not to say stan's name or acknowledge him -- very interesting to me because that is the Same strategy stan employed when he publicly gave kyle the jersey nickname, bc he knew he could not remain detached/unemotional if he said kyle's name --

that babyjk when he lived in south park regularly just called stan 'bambi' or 'sug' or 'masug'; short for 'masugganah' or crazy in yiddish

because rm!santanastan...

( which is what sharon called him, for the band and just to respect his chosen name, in spanish, without alerting randy's suspicions...i will start crying, i should talk abt the south park era of the rm fbs more )

was just this insane boy with gigantic fucking goldfish, cartoon dear eyes who would approach him when no one else would even DARE, was freshly obsessed with him and thought he was the bees knees.

so, because the reader, reminds him a lot of stan...he starts using those little nicknames and i wanted you to know the rm!origin. yes, he does still call stan 'bamb' and 'sug' ( which is cute, because as a nice pet name he likens it to 'sugar' sometimes, aw ) to this day

and i think, almost did it or actually one time with raven of crimson dawn and stan's gigantic fucking sugar glider eyeballs lit up and kyle was HORRIFIED because oh my god, that was a Stanley Marsh ONLY nickname and i used it on this fucking CELEBRITY MAN...like y'know actually bestie, you are a fucking genius…

— that's Your celebrity man.

BUT BACK TO BACK TO KYLEY B, BAAAAAAAAABEY!

who is the red-(H)ead-BIC of NUEW JOISEY, kid!

like my best description is that he's this fast-twalkin, street rat, night life, mortal ( but not really; he basically thinks he's god ) kombative, fucking feral, ruthless palooka-pummeling, curbstomping, pavement leveling, street-fighting piesa' literal gutta trash, or sort of like if luffy from one piece was a mad swole ( emphasis mad, he's pissed and humungous, holy shit ) scary freckled ginger new jersey pirate king

who ( bc i love a visual ) is typically out there, rocking:

a way too tight ( to the point of it almost being threadbare and rolling paper thin; he looks good tho; he's my lil diamond in da ruff ) worn out, extremely stretched out, skin-tight, faded/distressed

( that's fraying and unspooling in several along the mom-mended and barely held-together seams --sounds like a metaphor for something -- with the distracting curly font almost nearly peeled and cracked off ), probably heavily stained ( with blood...and whatever meager, worm-infested brain matta splattered on his shirt when he was bashing some bigshot's stupid head in with a tire iron -- rip; sorry ma -- sunbleached from scorching nj summers that it's almost...brown ) black affliction tank top

some huge, torn-up, baggy, aggresively rhinestone-studded, heavily sequined ( k.b, it's already so hard to see and street hardened, police siren, rough around the edges radiance is already blinding me, please have mercy [ never not once ] ) mike 'the situation' influenced, super quintessentially 2012 jersey shore adjacent ( in that they're very loud, vibrant, in your face, tacky and obnoxious ) faux americana, tattoo parlor-popularized, badly screenprinted, ed hardy jeans ( eyeconick! )

the M-o-s-t ( sigh ) hideous ( and i do mean fucking hideous, sheila broflovski is fashion blind; but she is so beautiful and kind, she is forgiven in every way ) men's size thirteen ( jersey has frighteningly large, monster-sized clown feet ) highlighter green-orange-purple basketball shoes you've ever seen

-- purchased, with love, from the sale rack of ross for dress for less ( where they were collecting dust; no one wanted those things ) and her widely amassment of store credit from...numerous previous returns ) by none other than, my favorite beehive-styling, cherry-red, new jersey hauswife, legendary broflovski matriarch ( she rlly runs that whole fkn house like the navy; choke gerald )

Miss Sheila Broflovski...

the only person who is not scared of the notorious k.m.b. kyley b and routinely, while they're out in public, ft. a baby-faced, mean-mugging kyley b jersey acting all big and bad, will pull him down by the tag of his tank top, go 'you've got some schmutz on your face, bubbula!'

hold down this gigantic, vicious, snarling, menacing, thick as brick, hard as titanium, six foot tall, juvenile detention center frequenting, frightening concrete wall of an eighteen year old boy who looks like he could gut you with his stare alone, like he's a cute, cuddly teddy bear, hawk the loudest, wettest, gnarliest lougie into a schmatta she fished out of her purse and proceed to volently scrub a tiny spot of 'sahwasce' her son's face while he squirms like a feral cat; i love her. )

and the crowning jewels ( or jewels really; not sure if they're real, but they're big and shiny, which is what matters ) duel-ery, which i call that because…

he literally weaves his way through the back-door inner-city system of crime in new jersey through info he mercilessly squeezed out of a coupla peabrained Gabbagoons, uses what little information he could decipher out of those fkn weasel's pathetic wheezes to deadpool square to wherever their bosses lair is…

makes them regret they were even born, beats them with in AN INCH of their sorry life, leaves them lying in a pool of their own gross blood, stamps a big, blingy 'B' on their forehead and browses the shattered, blood-soaked display case and five-finger discounts ( but really, if you just won a major battle or boss fight; clearly, you deserve kind of reward or compensation, right, guys? and by his logic...you're not rlly stealing what quite morally wrong, but rightfully...belongs to you )

...whatever the largest and most impressive ( or not, tbh, sometimes he's like 'ugh, really...a toe ring? that's your big come up?' ) piece of jewelry they're wearing is, sterlizes it, and flexes it it on his body and on the streets as a silent, but deadly warning to all other 'so-called' king pens and 'unstoppable' underground crime lords that

'oh, that guy YOU were scared of? i beat the piss outta him, he cried like a fucking baby, he bled like a stuck pig and is lying in the fucking sewer like a half-dead rat. and if you fuck with me; you'll be next ) and scare legit 60 y/o robert deniro level frightening men, who have been running the game since the crimson dawn of time…

-- Into SUBMISSION.

...at like...seventeen or eighteen years old.

LIKE HE IS A FUCKING LEGEND IN NEW JERSEY. they still whisper about him TO THIS DAY and have to look over their shoulders before they do...like he was that fucking Terrifying when he was out there.

and i need you to know that he is H-U-G-E. like the incredible hulk HUGE. he's not like, this scrawny, gangly, sniveling little ginger vanilla wafer cookie rolling up on you...he is like, this six foot two, gigantic size thirteen shoe wearing, slim-jim-ripping, gum and fist snacking,

NFL FOOTBALL FIELD PLAYER WIDE, like not just some measly, tiny-itsy bitsy football player -- oh, no; you wish -- he is STACKED AND JACKED, he is ten times wider than the widest receiver...he is the WHOLE DAMN FOOTBALL FIELD BITCH, fkn might-o-chrondia ( because he is the new jersey powerhouse of the concrete and hard titanium juvenille deliquient cell, which shakes when he walks, bro. )

tldr; KYLEY B IS FRECKLY, JEWISH, GINGER, NEW JERYSIAN 'THE THING' FROM THE FANTASTIC FOUR, COULD VERY EASILY BODY YOU, OR VIOLENTLY DISMEMBER AND KILL YOU AND MAKE THAT SHIT LOOK LIKE L-I-G-H-T WORK. AND I MEAN THAT.

but...he actually, believe it or not, does NOT...Kill People?

which, i honestly want to say, is stanley marsh's gentle 'post-mortem' pacifist influence still lingering around him like the sweetest ghost.

because, honestly, i think a lot of those people deserve to fucking die, not just for being extremely fucking cruel to jerseykyle for literally just existing, for how he looks of all things, his fucking APPERANCE!

( it's the teacher in me, but child and adolescent bullying, particularly in school settings, really makes me viciously angry and very, Very fucking sad because it causes soooo much psychological damage to the victim, who most likely did nothing to warrant such incessant and merciless taunting -- that was probably perpetrated because he was whip-smart, and therefore a fucking nerd, significantly larger than other boys, wore glasses, has a 'funny', loud, cartoonish voice...

( which is simply...a dialect and manner of speaking that he literally developed from growing up in new jersey and from his mother teaching him how to talk -- that shouldn't at all diminish the weigh his words carry or the meaning behind them; which, minus...a little...or a lot, of potty-mouthed sailor swearing -- which, again, only fucking happened because he was so viciously bullied, he had to adopt a harsh, slangy, malicious vernacular -- is often extremely profound, academic and reflects a very introspective perspective )

and because he's immunocompromised, had to report to the nurse's office frequently throughout the day to prick his finger and check his blood pressure for his diabetes and is often, very, very sick -- which i guess makes other kids view him as weak, but most damningly was that...he didn't fit into the mold ( or, uh, most traditional size ranges, sheila only bought him clothes from the 'big and tall' men's section of most department stores because he was so Large in stature,

like he could not squeeze into child-sized...anything; meanwhile ravenstan has itsy, bitsy baby feet and could probably slide his non-existent ass -- you are so sexy king, i love you, you needed a flaw -- into a pair of the largest sized black pair of skinny jeans they got on the racks of the junior girls section of target...like, he could and he would look damn Good too! like go AWHFF king!

HES SOOO BAD! i need to focus, but before i do~

btw; rs definitely sent jk a picture to laff. he was like damn, i am sorry it won't load; will you send five more from different angles? HELP )

but, anyways, my lifetime horny writer girl max security prison sentence aside ( and pending ), he just wasn't traditionally thin or tiny or conventionally attractive or healthy like most other boys or children and general were..so the other kids, probably ring-leaded by the most convention of the bunch, othered him, dedicated making every single day of his life miserable and made his life a living hell...

...just to have a little 'fun' at recess and laugh.

FUCK. THAT.

because, i don't know, bullying like that, creates what are usually painful lifelong feelings of self-inferiority, very difficult to remedialize through therapy and selfcare, social emotional issues with expressing yourself/emotions in healthy positive ways, militant self-isolation

and ALL of that happened to jerseykyle...and on top of just never hearing 'i love you' from his father, that hate he received from the outside world, forced him the keep everything inside and it's why he couldn't tell ravenstan he loved him, because basketball is just a game,

...but it never FUCKING ended and he could only alternate between being defensive or offensive, there was never a bell that sounded to tell him he could stop playing and that it was over, and return to 'normal', that was his normal, because, from all his overwhelming negative experiences with vulnerability, if he stopped treading water, every shark on planet earth would smell his blood in the water...

and spill it everywhere. :(

NINA, DID YOU HAVE A POINT? AND WERE YOU EVER GONNA GET THERE? i...think so? i think the point is that, these are bad people that kyley kg fucking b was putting the hurt on...and the point is that, because, like i said, he considers himself a 'debt collector' and appears villainous bc of his vicious disposition,

is really more like...

a misunderstood antihero than anything?

he's kind of like a red robin hoodie, if you will, because he goes after rapists, child molesters, guys who hurt women/animals/the weak, power-hungry bastards in suits who use that power for evil and take it out on those who are stricken with poverty, like, he is a violent criminal...but he takes out even More violent criminals.

hot boy shit!

and yeah, he does do it sort of vaingloriously sometimes, for street cred, to wear people's status symbols on his hand and placate that hurt place in himself by being scary and ferocious and making motherfuckers pay for what they did for him and how they treated him...and with all that blood in his eyes, he gets blind to the ethical portion of what he's doing...but, subconsciously...

he's doing it...

— For GOOD.

and killing people, the notion of it, not only made stanley marsh, punk rock pacifist prince, violently, violently sick, but it's also, one, too messy, a lot on his hands ( already quite heavy with his heisted and thieved jewels and video game loot ) but...i don't know? he really loves his mom, you know? batshit insane as that woman is, he loves her to death...and does spare bad-guys because of it. because everyone has a mom and not everyone's mom is kind and lovely like his, but they could...and he's sending their kid back home to them...

...in a [ BOX ].

it just...it didn't sit right with him ( he acts unbothered by the idea of murdering people...but, unless he had to, like if it was going to kill someone else and the only way to fix it would be to kill the thing about to kill them, he could do it, and again...he could do it easily. )

he also acts simultaneously above the 'laur' and studies it in school, but ultimately...what happens to this fuck-ups after he fucks them up...is not up to him. whether they live or die, that is. he gave them what was coming to them...and the rest is up to someone else.

and i won't get into it too much ( A LIE; but i have like 74937403 other blurbs about this in my drafts, i should not ferally release all that insanity in here ) but it's interesting...because rm!jersey, loses a lot of that subconscious 'good' in the process of being 'bad'.

because, after his drastic kyley b transformation into ivy league jersey, he, for the first time, is being noticed in a 'positive' way by people on the outside and he's getting 'positive' attention from them, and he feels...for once, powerful — even though, really, he's essentially rendered powerless and is chained to the approval of these people and destroys himself every moment of everyday...to be in a pretty, and small, and palatable package for them...

( yes, i want k*ll myself. )

but he BECOMES the very EVIL that he was hellbent on destroying and starts doing EXACTLY what those people did to him. and because he is so unhappy and morose and hurt and devastated, he finds outsiders, weak people, but mostly, just looks...happy? :((((

…unbothered, merely existing...and decides

to psychologically debase and torture every drop of happiness from that individual, to make his self esteem better and make him feel like, good, i am so much better than that miserable worm, squirming away, squinting at the light it once basked in...

now it can be as insufferable and small...

— As I Am. </3

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH. BROTHERS, THIS SHIT MAKES ME SO SAD. I AM SOOOOO UPSET LOL.

NOOOOOO--

and they're both brutal, kyley b and jerseykyle ( who, really, do need that distinction because they are...VERY different ) jersey, one, is far worse than kyley b, i don't CARE if he could twist your intestined into rope and hang you with them...the things that jerseykyle can say, as the most beautiful man EVER, Using That Voice,

looking at you with the most disgust and contempt and unworthiness you've ever felt and completely debase you in a couple crisp, dififnued, academic words...and not touch you a single time, bc you're pathetic and beneath him...you can heal a broken bone in a couple weeks...but your mind? your heart? your self esteem?

your once…wealthy, healthy feelings of self worth?

when jerseykyle reduces you into ash with his eyes, when your body was a temple and he burns it down, like somehow, it will make his stronger where he feels weak and helpless or like it will some how vindicate stanley marsh...it is very, very, very difficult to make that rubble into a city again. like...that man will RUIN YOU LIFE.

( pleaaaAasee kiss me!!! pICK ME CHOOSE MESHSJ )

but jersey is scary in a very...bone-chilling, below-freezing, self-pleasing, self-destructive ( but in a more subtle, seemingly artistic, less 'unhand me, you big brute, ya no-good palooka' kind of way...

and, instead, it's this twisted, muted, shadowy…

...oh wow, you...really are the devil in a fresh pressed suit, college student siren who leads boys to their untimely demise, and drains them of their lifeforce in his bedroom they way he would a dry glass of wine or a cheap bodega cigarettes like in a tasteful, snake charmer kind of way...a dark academic, sleek, chic, fuck-and-succubus way )

like jerseykyle is a very pretentious, jane austenatcious, bond villian type of self-destructive...that revolves around mentally preying on the weak/innocent...because he hates himself and wants literally everyone to hate themselves more than him...so he can like himself.

and when he guts you its, in a mentally incapacitant, poisonous, cruel and insidious way, in a...classically trained, philosophical, fashionable, was...in the way a thorn on the most beautiful rose you've ever seen would gut you...or a delicate antique letter opener...might slash your palm open, gash you and bleed you dry...

whereas kyley b was a faaaar less tasteful or restrained ( in that sense but jersey is still unhinged ) destroyer of worlds...he was very hands on, ( jerseykyle will not touch you unless he has to, he'll only punch you if you will not shut the fuck up and touch you as little and impersonally as possible to sleep with you…which is ironic, i know )

kyley b is a very fast and loose, wild animal, loose canon, carnivorous 'i'll slice ya and dice ya and put ya on ice ya' and beat you until you are bloody and unrecognizable...but on the inside...

he's just this...Frightened Little Animal. :(

who hurts you because he is scared you will reach for him, and when you put food in your palm, bites it because he's scared it's a trick.

aaaaaaaaaaaaah....idk he is my special little man.

okay, shutting the fuck up now HERE IS YOUR SNIPPET:

( edit: LAMBORGHINI MERCY, ITS LONG; LO SIENTO! )

GOOD LUCK, BAMBI. </3 ;-;

( just a...branch in my eye. ) i also was worried about the nicknames being a little too...'fem...inine-ish?' which, i glawhSSED on earlier, but wrote this little extra dialogue as an example using all the little satana stan nicknames ( aw ) because i am gonna be honest, it's gender neutral and not personal, he'd tell you, straight up -- my man always keeps it one-hunna and 100% kosh, ketzele; --

something like:

'ya can throw daisy chains ova a pile of cowshit aaaaaalll you want, masug; but no matta how ya dress it up, when alls said and done; and all those pretty flowers keel ova' and die...all your fine exteria design... fuck: what's cityslicka for 'useless, fancy schmanchy holy crappola' uhhh...your...dainty lil'tle 'floral achootrama' or whateva';

gesundheit.

...means fuck awhll in new jersey, 'cause the freakin' se-wer systems! ( manure, really ) like all the people, are all totally wasted, loaded and gunked-up with broken needles, instant spray tan and crushed up cred cans; wow, golly gee whiz, dory. so...you mean to tell me...my whole life...is all a buncha crud, huh?

o-oh, no, shit i might cr--

HA! gotcha, sensodyne! cause one man's trash...is another man's treasure...and you better get comfy and rest your goddamn laurels on a street corner where a prostitute isn't going to give you freakin' hepatisis mauling ya for struting your stuff on her turf...

cause this, outta townie...

— is your new home sweet home. ;)

...wonderful little joint, ain't it? you should see when it's all lit up with gang violence...that'll really jumpstart your heart, sug. it's, uh, kinda like fireworks...if they were fucking HORRIBLE and KILLED YA.

so...and i'll talk real slow, because i'm not sure i speak malibu freakin' barbie: h-e-r-e....in...hoebroken, ( that's where we are...in case you forgot, bamb; don't look so scared, honey; the junkies will only give ya little nibble; not too many teeth there otherwise. or, uh, oxygen flowin' to the ole cranium, they're basically harmless! uh...not him. staaaaaaaaaay, the hell away away from him, sug. aY, YOUSE! SNAP CRACKLE POP! KEEP YOUR FKN DISTANCE OR I'LL CAP YA BI--

basically; v.i.p., between you...and me, there's crap...on crap...on --wait! could it be--oh no, just more CRAP lined from the rock bottom of nj all the way up to the ny-sea to shining sea skyline ( might be our fault, but the fuckin' big city biddies and hoity-freakin-toitys out there can hoof it a little; by that, i mean horse shit; fuck 'em. uh, no offense, bam. ) i shot that one outta the park a little,

ball-point is:

it's backed allllll the way...TA HELL. which, might even be kinda, uh, nice...well, compared to this fuckin' trash compacta. so take a good, long, whiff sweetheart; ‘cause here? everybody's shit stinks...

— even yours, princess.

which—OOH.

es-Specially, yours.

ever heard of a shower? you r-e-e-k."

hEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP THATS MY BOOOOOOOOOOOYFRIEND! look at him!!!! I MISS HIM EVERYDAY; KYLEY 'IF YOU AIN'T MAKIN' MONEY, TAKE! YA! BROKE! ASS! OUTTA! HOE(BOKEN)! BEFORE I BREAK IT SOMEMORE, BREAK IT SOMEMORE...(B)-I T C H!"

like and suuuuuuUUubSCRRIIIBE~

-uncle nina, the gay kyley lGBea(t)in'theshitouttayaBETCH agenda

[isekai-crow]

Delicious in Dungeon / Dungeon Meshi Episode 1

WOW the pacing on this is great. That was my first major impression of this entire episode.

Overall Score so far: 8/10

Dungeon Meshi hits several sweet spots for things I like in a manga/anime - cooking and well drawn food, and fantasy and dungeons. But I never took the time to try out the manga. Maybe the art didn't stick out for me? I tried reading it before the anime came out, just to get a feel for it, but it couldn't keep my attention.

The anime however.

Episode 1 handled all of what I could get through in the manga, and ITS. SO. CUTE.

The food is gorgeously drawn, the characters are adorable, the D&D vibes are immaculate, and the monsters and the food they become are fascinating!

I've only given it an 8/10 because it remains to be seen just how many hooks this might snag in my heart if what I've overheard about the manga being 'soul healing' is true.

The first think I can tell is that this is from a slightly older manga, with Marcille being a very classic/traditional tsundere (and/or possibly tsukomi character?). She is the tsundere type that future tsunderes were based off, and so TO ME she's both somewhat annoying and also more bearable than today's tsunderes.

Sorry Marcille.

I actually didn't like her all that much in the parts I read of the manga, and while her reactions are realistic and serve a purpose to counter balance Laios' nonchalant ability to eat the monsters that try to kill them, her reactions also annoyed me. The 1st anime episode made them much more bearable, and I grew to like her! I hope future episodes do her justice and that she's not delegated solely to being the one to dig in her heels when they eat something new.

Laios is adorable and just really really really wants to share his special interest with his friends, and I love him. He is a cinnamon roll that most be protected but can probably protect himself. I love that he has a cookbook and has just been WAITING to try out some of these recipes.

Chilchuk is Liam O'Brien from Critical Role and you can't tell me otherwise. Specifically his halfling character, Orym of the Air Ashari, with a bit of Vax'ildan thrown in for good measure. I'm excited to explore his story.

Senshi is goals. I wanna but a tough old dwarf roaming a dungeon for food.

I know it will likely get compared with what Capybara and I jokingly call "The Amazon Anime" -- Campfire Cooking in Another World -- and that will always hold a special place in my heart because I stumbled across the light novel when the manga only had about 2 or 3 chapters scanlated online, and never in a million years thought it would get an anime. Where as this is a big name manga that's been running since 2014 and finished last year in September 2023.

They're both cooking animes that deal with fantasy food, but Campfire Cooking is an isekai and all the animation budget went into making the food look D E L I C I O U S, and Dungeon Meshi is going to be far more well rounded story even while being a gag anime.

It's also got some fun Voice Actors!!

Laios, our hungry knight is voiced by Kumagai, Kentarou, who mostly plays supporting roles in a few popular anime and lots of smaller animes, but has spent most of his career voicing BL Drama CDs >o>

Marcille, our elven mage and tsundere, is voiced by Senbongi, Sayaka - Shuna from TenSura, Mumei from Kabaneri, and Haru from Beastars!

Chilcuk, our cute little halfling rogue, is voiced by Tomari, Asuna who, I IMMEDIATELY HEARD GOBUTA FROM TENSURA. She also play Kyou Souma from Fruits Basket. She has a very cute voice.

Senshi, our fearless dwarf, is voiced by Naka, Hiroshi who is best know as Garp from One Piece, Luffy's Grandpa, as well as Gamabunta, Naruto's giant frog.

Anyways, I'm excited for the next episode! Episode 1 was a good introductory episode, with cooking, hunting, and laying out their goals for the coming journey.

ep2 ep3 ep4 ep5 ep6 <- these will eventually become links, I hope.

[variousqueerthings]

so ok, having finished rodeo, a movie I've been excited to watch for over a year, lotta thoughts

definitely worth the wait for me

the ideas explored in this movie are so very very complex, it's almost difficult to fit plot around them and yet it does so pretty immaculately

my biggest downside i think would be that it had space for a longer runtime. there were definitely bits that were rushed and the ending seemed to come... not out of nowhere, but faster than i think it needed to. some of the character dynamics (especially mr crime boss) felt a little underbaked

but. BUT: it doesn't really matter to me so much for several reasons - the story trajectory was fucking solid (I saw some people say not enough happened/that it was purely a vibes-based film, which was odd to me. i thought this film careened forward plotwise, it was very easy to see the direction it was going in, it wasn't trying to trick us or slow us down to get there) - the acting was great across the board. read that they were non-actors, and that naturalism really did come across, but i also don't think there was awkwardness or a lack of direction in the acting that can sometimes come from working with non-actors. probably because they were in their element - obviously, especially the lead -- can't tell if she's a non-actor or a newcomer, but either way she was amazing. every time a movie creates a female character who is SO SO off-putting and abrasive and angry and unwilling to give an inch an angel gets its wings, and she really commits, but also i thought she was incredibly vulnerable, it was simply that the language for who she is is completely impossible to access so what has she got left as a girl-who-may-not-be-a-girl from a rough estate, multi-ethnic, desperate to access a macho environment? like. of course she's got her hackles up near-constantly - the haunting???? THE HAUNTING?????? THIS WAS A GHOST STORY???????? HELLO????????????? what if you were a girl-who-was-an-incorrect-girl-who-wanted-to-be-like-a-boy-but-mainly-you-wanted-to-go-fast! and this man who helped you start getting your wings haunted/possessed you and you knew the only thing that mattered was being on the bike, that moment when you're going as fast as you can, that's who you really are, and you get it via the ghost of this dead man who comes to you in your dreams and claws his way inside you and gives you sage advice (and is also stunningly beautiful) - the gender, obviously. the overlap of trans/non/agender/dyke-gender/boy/boi/girl-not-girl coming-of-age explorations in there and the thing is, the beautiful beautiful thing is... i was expecting this film to go in the direction of "ah yea, and then she discovers her innate womanhood via this straight romance clearly being established between her and this guy" OR later on "she discovers her innate lesbian womanhood via this romance possibly being established between her and this woman" and neither of these things happen!!!!!!!! - this movie is for the aroaces, is what I'm saying. the triple-a's even. heck possibly the pentagon a's tbh: she's giving us aro, ace, aplatonic, afamilial, agender, she's giving us "all that Matters is the bike, stealing them, riding them, cleaning them up, going fast" she even sleeps with the bike at one point (literally sleeps, not sexually), that's who she is! - for the objectums too i just realised. the bike is the most important relationship here - and all of that Lack Of Romance that gets established is kind of at the heart of untangling a lot of her gender as well. she never does have a traditional coming-of-age, because to her all that mattered was getting to ride bikes, getting to steal those bikes, being the baddest bikerider, becoming something mythological and she did that! - so the ending is probably not for everyone, but i did see it as a positive. she wasn't in it "to be accepted" in the end (that was her first need, but really it was a means, and while she did take the kindness and give it back at times, esp to the wife, and i think one can read it as subtextual lesbianism, i do think there are textual moments to suggest she feels mostly sorry for her and her solution is: BIKES!!! like she wants to get her away from her husband, and she likes her kid, but it's not necessarily about getting her to herself, it's about offering freedom), she was in it to ride bikes forever and she does get that - fucking. it's a ghost story!!!! about asphalt pirates!!!!!!!! it invokes cowboys and pirates and highway men!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

so in the end ok yeah, maybe the movie is a little bit about The Vibes, but I'd say more about The Themes and i can imagine a lot of people are seeing setups and expecting certain directions and feeling let down when that's not what the movie does. i did that at one point, specifically related to either having a heist go wrong or the crime boss guy acting out, and neither of these really happen, she's like. very good at what she does, consistently, and the only thing that goes wrong, every time, is that her innate being -- her Otherness (she calls herself Unknown arghhh) -- gets her into trouble with the guys (later just one guy who can't let go) who cannot square that with their reality of how the world Should Be, which is very very interesting. the plot doesn't come for her, her own hubris doesn't come for her, it's simply that Who She Is is threatening

but also that "Who She Is" is never totally spelled out -- it could be dykery, gender (which is also dykery in many ways), aroness, and really it's a mix of all of these because these things overlap in a multitude of ways (AND the movie definitely lends deliberate credence to all of them -- at one point someone disputes that she's "a tranny," at another point she's playing house with a married woman for a day and is warned away from her, at a third point a guy asks her if she "has a pussy" it's all "wrong gender/sexuality/relationship-structures")

which is. very very queer of this film

anyway. so. queer asphalt pirate haunting. but not as a series of tropes, if you expect tropes you will be disappointed. as an exploration and a kiss towards subculture and a feminist coming-of-age that's not about love for once

also this as double-feature with titane, although i wouldn't call this eroticism of the machine, because crucially julie in this film does not want to fuck anything or anyone, she just wants to be spiritually connected to a motorbike forever, unlike ofc alexia, who is consistently very very horny for the cars/trucks

spiritualism of the machine, if you will

[melkintoyou]

friend 😌🤲🏼 i am not into feet at all but i love the idea of teasing mark sitting across from you under a table whether it be like at a dinner in public or even just at the dorms around other members who have no idea how much he’s struggling to keep his cool but he doesn’t want you to stop either!! 🥺

oh my gosh. so imagine being in a friendship group with mark and you both end up kissing. not being comfortable with telling your friends yet, you decide to keep it a secret. until the secret turns into a thrill of getting caught which gets you both off just from the though of it. it would be a hot day where you and your friends would hang out at a park. football, skating, music and weed. the vibes would be immaculate. it would be evening time when everyone would decide to go get something to eat. at the restaurant, mark would try to run and get a seat next to you but haechan would beat him to it. he would have to settle to sit opposite you in frustration. now everyone is catching joke and conversations are flowing as the wine comes out and everyone starts drinking. your and mark's interactions turn from subtle glances and smiles to him gazing at you every now and then. you kick his shin from the under the table to get him to snap out of it. "YO" he jumps up at the sting from your foot to his skin. "you good bro?" johnny asks, laughing at his reaction. "yeah uhh just almost dropped my fork" mark laughs trying to play off your bratty behaviour. "oooookay weirdo.." you chime in, making everyone laugh but then going back to their conversations. this is when you have a light bulb moment.

you slowly slip off your right shoe and run your foot up and down his calf ever so gently, making his body stiff. "mark, can you pour me some more wine please?" you ask with innocent eyes and he struggles to keep a straight face. pouring wine into your glass, he looks right into your eyes, trying to hold eye contact. until you move your foot further up into his inner thigh, slowly caressing him over his sweats. mark almost drops the bottle as you very light graze his dick before swiftly going back to his thigh. now, evidently growing hard, he puts the bottle down and pulls out his phone. a mess.

*buzz*

Mark 19:45 pm keep playing with me and watch what happens. Y/N 19:45 pm ew why you so obsessed with me Mark 19:46 pm i'm gonna fuck this attitude outta you. watch. Y/N 19:46 pm oh i can't wait :) love to see you try. you tease him further and he pokes his tongue to his cheek to display his annoyance. you zone back into the conversation about how everyone's doing at university and you take this opportunity to fuck with him even more. "oh yeah mark, how did your presentation go? what was it about again?" you smile at him, as everyone's attention is now directed to the boy, slowly starting to look flushed from the wine and your antics. "umm yeah aha" he scratches the back of his head, and you continue to move you foot up and down his leg. "to be honest, it went well. i have been very.. uhh focused.. yeah focused.." he looks to you and loses his train of thought. he looks down and laughs to himself, raising a couple eyebrows. "yo mark's been acting weird all night. when did you become such a light weight? chenle pokes fun at mark. mark starts to feel cornered by his desperation for your touch but the pressure to do this without getting caught. the thrill of it all making him so hard that his head is now spinning and breath a little heavy. "whatever man i'm just tired but uhh, my presentation was on the history of jazz and we had to uhh.." his mind completely empty at your contact with his dick and his sweats being the only barrier between you both. you slowly start to rub him as you watch him intently, leaning in. "yeah? carry on.. what did you talk about?" beads of sweat now forming around his forehead. mark almost whimpers as he catches himself and clears his throat instead. "yeah so uh, i spoke about the trumpet and how emotive it cAn bE" 'FUCK' he thought to himself. his voice cracked. "cAn bE" "cAn bE" " "cAn bE" all the boys take turns copying his slip up like a bunch of parrots as the girls join in and laugh. "hey! hey! guys don't be so mean." you say sweetly, "its okay small baby" the words come out mockingly but mark knows, you meant the pet name. he rests his elbows on the table as he holds his head in defeat before rising up, he clears his throat one last time and grabs your foot and giving it a hard squeeze. "yeah fuck you guys, i thought we were friends" he joins in the joke and everyone laughs. *buzz* Mark 20:01 pm oh you're so going to pay for this.

[scopophobia-polaris]

Sorry if this is overstepping bc using social media as a Social Platform gives me anxiety so bad i will throw up but like. Oh my god, youre such a creative inspiration??? To me??? Like okay ive been following your zelda stuff for a While and just aaaaa its so good. Like. 1) I love your worldbuilding??? So much??? Your version of Hyrule is the only one I've seen that makes me feel like its a real place where people live and that has a breathing ecosystem and folklore and society and I get so excited whenever I get to learn more about it?? And you made me really emotionally invested in OOT which was just a zelda setting I never thought too much about but now Timey is so near and dear to my heart like. Love their immaculate vibes!!

And just. If youll allow me to gush for a second. You're really good?? At comics??? Like you inspire me to try and work on comics myself bc you're just really good at dialogue and general page pacing and your paneling is so fun like. Idk . i just really like comics as a storytelling medium and you do really fun stuff with your panel composition and how you convey your ideas in illustration and i wish??? I was better at describing it but the world youve built and the story youre telling is just so so impressive to me I think its cool as shit. Also ur OCs rock even as somebody who p much just knows them from Memory of Younger Days I think they are very cool and interesting and I wish I could read a bajillion books about them.

Just like. I love your work a ton!!! And wish i was better at social media use and literacy to better convey it but just. Ur a big inspiration for me to work on my own projects and i think youre pretty amazing at what you do! So. Keep up the good work with whatever youre wanting to do, and also sorry if this comes across as weird!!

NO NO NO there is not an overstepping of boundries!!!!! Honestly thank you a whole bunch like 🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️🙇‍♂️ I don't know how to explain but I get very worried all the time that stuff isn't going right and it's nice to know when people do like this....thing???? I'm doing??? And I just like knowing....is that weird? But seriously thank you I don't know how to say this in proper words but, I really do genuinely appreciate what you guys reach our and say such kind things and are just so nice😭‼️ and it gives me a billion warm and fuzzy feelings and It's like ah yeas keep working someone is watching you are wanting to keep working so keep going!!!! Its...it's not over stepping at all and thank you 🥺

[queenlua]

What drinks do you recommend? What's best for just relaxing at home, chilling with friends, hardcore partying, etc.?

relaxing at home: bourbon or white wine. generally bourbon, b/c there's less pressure to Finish The Bottle or anything like that; bourbon is shelf-stable and there for me whether i want a half-shot or, uh, lots of shots

(if someone's with me or it's a very cheap bottle of white wine, i'll tend to opt for the wine)

but yeah Eagle Rare is my fave bourbon; it's bottled close to where i grew up. shame it's gone up so much in price lately but it really strikes the balance between scotch-style subtlety/complexity and bourbon-style still-tasting-good-and-sweet-and-not-like-dirt

partying: if you asked me in college this would've been a vodka-cranberry lmao. i have ascended to the realms of Better Taste now; i'd probably go for a decent rum cocktail if i'm trying to throw back a lot. i mean if i REALLY want to get messed up i can also just throw back rum shooters in the bathroom but. i rarely am in such a situation

in between: they're kinda pricey, but there's a lot to be said for a fancy cocktail bar where the drinks come slowly but are immaculately crafted, the food is cute lil small plates, no one's hurrying you and you can just chat a long time. some of my favorite times with friends have just been shooting the shit in a cozy booth & catching up on shit & trying out that BIZARRE looking cocktail we see across the room because is that a MARSHMALLOW on top??? & oh shit is this place serving ramen, i had no idea, i love ramen & also hey why don't i point at that tiki mug and just ask the bartender to make me something that tastes like that. it's like one of my bougier indulgences but it's legitimately really nice; you always leave buzzed-but-not-drunk, just vibing and feelin good

when budgets have not allowed for said bars then i'd stick with bourbon at home. woodford reserve double oaked or angel's envy is really nice. i have to be careful not to accidentally drink anyone under the table (do NOT try to keep up with my bourbon consumption) but a good bourbon served out in teeny portions with nice glasses can have a similarly good vibe

[nightcall99]

Dreams from 27.1.24

Dream 1: I want to get my nails done. This'll be the first time I've had a proper manicure, save for one other time many years ago. It's never really been my thing but I guess I'm trying to find a distraction. I enter a nail salon. The nail technician gets to work, trimming my cuticles. I tell her about my friend who often gets it done in the fancy Japanese nail-art style, with jewels and charms glued on. She always looks like a princess. I'm just making conversation, I don't actually expect the lady to do a manicure in that style. I had just walked into a local nail salon. You usually have to find people who do that kind of niche art style on places like Instagram.

The lady kind of goes for something similar anyway, without me saying anything. Or maybe she usually does it like this all the time. She paints Maleficent's horns (from Sleeping Beauty) on my thumb nail. I'm surprised, yet very happy with it. I love fairy tales. On my pointer finger, she paints some whimsical-looking strawberries and on the third, a cake design. She is coming up with these on the spot, one by one. I'm so excited that by the end I will have such a unique full set of nails.

When I entered the shop, it had been daylight but now it's the evening. It's dusk. The shop is now empty, basically closed. No one is here except me and this lady. I don't know why she is continuing to work on me without saying anything or why she even took another client on in the first place, if she knew it was going to take this long. She is working on my ring finger, and has already laid down a base colour when I say, Aren't you tired? Didn't you want to go home? She does. She starts to pack up immediately. But I got the feeling she would have kept going if I hadn't said anything. Never would have shown any differently. Or perhaps even known differently. I am going to come back tomorrow to get the rest finished.

I exit the shop and I see my mother across the street. I don't know if she happened to be walking down the street and this is just a coincidence, or if she was waiting for me all along. The two seem to blend together as one. She takes me home. I take a closer look at my nails. They don't look so impressive actually. If I don't focus on them, they look great, but I start to realise that it looks like a child did them. The closer I look, the worse it gets. I don't know if I'm going to go back.

Dream 2: I'm in a shopping mall and I walk into a bookshop. The shopkeeper looks very familiar, in fact it's somebody that I know. It's you, bro. Or some other incarnation of you, I don't know. Auburn hair, pale skin. Very beautiful. You have on the coolest witchy outfit. The whole vibe is immaculate. You're 'there' and that seems to shock me, because everybody else is just nothing. You’re so familiar, the energy I mean. It’s like my energy.

But then I start to get upset. I feel lied to. Once, not long ago, we had planned to meet in person but you never showed up. Made up some excuse. But it seemed like you came to Australia after all, and now I find out you’ve been living in my city this whole time? We could have been friends. It feels like such a lost opportunity, for no reason. But then I realise nothing is as it seems. I knew you must have had your reasons. Life does what it does to us. No decisions are made in isolation. I must have agreed too, that it wasn't time. And if everything is always as it should be, I wonder, why do we meet now at this exact moment?

[miatsai]

update to the sky!

I dropped a mailing letter recently! It has some of my fated lovers playlist in it! Plus a rundown of what I've been doing in my time away from socials, like . . . writing. And more writing. And life stuff. Here's the archive: https://buttondown.email/miatsai/archive/

Speaking of the fated lovers, I went back and reread my nano from last year and I like it. Oh my God, I like it. it needs a lot of work, but still. I think I like the worldbuilding just as much as I like all the sex, because yes, this is a romantasy, but it's also my love letter to government and civics and politics, so there will hopefully be some good Game of Nations-type stuff in there. I'm also flirting with POV; I've got omniscient present, but also third past and maybe, maybe, even second past.

And, really, who can resist reincarnated lovers? I know it's gauche to drop snippets, but I think I'll put a tiny one under the cut. This is nowhere near final, just vomit draft stuff, but the vibes are pretty immaculate, imo.

This is the ending where they live.

That’s what Teya thinks as she lies beside Isi, her eyes closed, careful to put a small pause at each end of her breaths so Isi won’t suspect anything. She repeats it to herself even as she considers the mostly empty glass of water beside the bed and how easily she could break it, drag its transparent fineness across Isi’s neck before the other woman could finish flinching herself awake. Just as easily, Teya could slash that edge down her forearms and join Isi in the spiritual cloud beyond the physical world, waiting for the dual comets to once again light the sky, heralding their return.

The pain wouldn’t even register. It’d be a small thing, a speck against the unfathomable, infinite hollow that would be a life without Isi. Teya can imagine herself doing it: two movements, efficient, fast, driven by the conviction that the only anguish worse than learning your loved one is dead is the knowledge that you delivered the killing blow.

But this is the ending where they live. Isi, too, is thinking this as she reaches out for Teya, her pale, theorem-tattooed arm coming to a rest on Teya’s sun-darkened shoulder. Isi’s apartment is thirty-four stories up, with a big picture window that overlooks the carved dunes of the Sea of Sand bordering the city. The theorem she etched into her left arm speaks of space and time and gravity, of how simple a task it would be for Isi to divert the ground’s pull from Teya so that she could be lifted, how Isi could hold Teya in her arms, then crash through the window, manipulating mathematics so intricate as to be magic to triple their weight and streak swift and final to the ground before Teya can call the wind spirits to her and fly.

Teya opens her eyes and turns her head to face Isi. She skims her fingertips across Isi’s skin, following the line of her arm to her shoulder, then her collarbone, then to the thin, single-link hoviren chain on which a coin of skyglass is strung. Teya takes the coin between her fingers, watching as the glass brightens from space-black to azure. She remembers it: the old magic and how Isi wielded it so many lifetimes ago, reborn each time with her like a breath upon an ember.

“We live,” Isi whispers. Her chest aches. “The stars have seen it.”

Once a diviner, always a diviner. Teya returns the coin to Isi, pressing it against her skin, where it darkens to a star-speckled black. “I want you to be right.”

Isi threads her fingers through Teya’s, squeezing hard enough for it to hurt, bone meeting bone. “The sun is almost above the horizon. If we don’t get a call in the next five minutes . . .” She doesn’t have to finish the sentence. Teya already knows: Peace will have been brokered. Teya won’t be called to the front lines to be a hammer for Onorria. Isi won’t become the Farundian anvil Teya will strike, over and over and over again until they’re both ruined and left to try again in the next life. Until they lie beside each other, much like the way they are now, eyes locked on eyes, watching the other’s life gutter and fade.

“Five minutes.” Teya doesn’t disguise the hope in her voice. She brings her hand, still entwined with Isi’s, to her lips, and kisses their knuckles. “Watch the sun rise with me.”

As they did thousands of years ago, at the turn of the new year, sitting in the doorway of their tent as the river of stars that swept away the Cloud grew thick and drew the Mare, her head tossing, toward the heavens. As they have done in all their lifetimes since, each time waiting for the signal that spells their mutual doom.

[kara-is-a-cutie]

Hi there 💕 I just want to say I really admire what you do. I'm trying to get to a place where I have as much love and appreciation for my body as you do, and you're a real inspiration. I've never seen someone with a body like mine share love for their body before I came across your page. I've started checking in most days just for the vibes (for they are immaculate). I never share original things on my blog but one day I'd like to be in a place where I can do what you do with love. Thank you Kara ❤️✨

Aw this is so sweet, thank you!