#the way Becky talks about her is so cute too like

[jamethinks]

Anya liking space because she thinks it’s cool while Ewen loves it for the engineering stuff and it’s just sooo cute like it’s my favourite mini comic ahhhhh

[yumeka-sxf]

Japanese Linguistic Observations in Spy x Family - part 3

Part 3 - Yor's keigo

I discussed in part 1 about the different levels of speech in Japanese, particularly how Twilight changes his speech depending on the persona he's donning. He uses keigo, the standard polite form of speech, when he's acting as Loid Forger, but uses casual speech as Twilight. Yor, however, uses keigo all the time, to a degree that some would feel is excessive, but also makes sense for her character.

Keigo is the most basic form of polite speech in Japanese. It's the speech that's taught in pretty much every beginner Japanese learning course because it's the "safest" for most situations. Without getting too technical, it basically involves using the polite conjugations of verbs. All verbs in Japanese have a "polite" conjugation form that's used in keigo. For example, the verb "to go," 行く (iku), will change to 行きます (ikimasu): change the く(ku) to き (ki) and add -ます (-masu). -masu itself is then conjugated further to show past tense, negative tense, etc. Likewise, one would use です (desu) as the "to be" verb instead of its casual equivalent だ (da). For example, saying 車です (kuruma desu), which means "there is a car" instead of 車だ (kuruma da). It's even more casual to leave out the "to be" verb altogether.

Unlike Twilight, who changes his speech depending on who he's talking to or which facade he's using, Yor consistently uses keigo, whether she's talking to an adult like Loid, a child like Anya, and even an animal like Bond. She uses keigo with strangers as well, even those who are antagonistic to her, like the other assassins in the cruise arc.

Even at times when using polite speech isn't warranted, like in her own thoughts, she still uses keigo regardless.

In addition to using keigo with pretty much everyone, she also uses the polite -さん (-san) honorific with everyone's names as well. It's not unusual to do this with fellow adults like Loid, Camilla, and Franky, but when it comes to kids, especially when they're not your own kids, other honorifics are also an option. For example, adults can use the honorifics -ちゃん (-chan) for little girls and -くん (-kun) for little boys, both of which denote endearment to someone young/cute. Loid calls Damian "Damian-kun" and Fiona calls Anya "Anya-chan" for example. But Yor uses "-san" for Anya, Damian, Becky, and probably every other kid she hasn't met yet! She uses "-san" with animals as well, which isn't nearly as common. She's the only one who calls Bond "Bond-san" and she even called the cat Kopi from chapter 43, "Kopi-san."

She also uses "-san" for people whose names she doesn't know, and in some cases, probably shouldn't show respect to. She calls the terrorists from the doggy crisis arc "terrorist-san", bad guys that she takes out on her missions "warumono-san," Olka's group "mafia-san," and the other assassins from the cruise arc "koroshiya-san."

The only exception to Yor's excessive use of keigo is Yuri, which makes sense since it's standard practice to be more casual with a younger relative than an older relative or someone outside the family. He's the only person she refers to without "-san" (she just calls him "Yuri"). And while she does use the informal verb forms with him, she still uses "desu" and its conjugations. So overall, she's more casual with him, but not completely so.

When talking about herself, Yor uses the standard, gender-neutral, polite word for "I"/"me," 私 (watashi). However, when talking to others, she never uses any form of "you." Like I mentioned in part 1 about how there's different ways of saying "I" and "me" in Japanese depending on the speech level, the same is true for "you." But it's always more polite to say someone's name or title instead of "you," and Yor does that all the time. Just like in part 2 how I couldn't recall any instance where Anya says "I" or "me" since she always refers to herself in third person, I can't recall any time Yor called someone "you" instead of saying their name or title.

While Loid uses the casual "you" word お前 (omae) when talking to Anya, Bond, Franky, and anyone else he doesn't have to be polite with, he doesn't use any form of "you" for Yor. He speaks to her the same way she does to him – saying her name plus "-san" instead of using "you."

Unlike English, Japanese is a language where you don't have to say pronouns if it's understood by the context, which is why something like this is difficult to convey in a translation.

I think it's an interesting contrast that Twilight is constantly changing how he speaks depending on whether he's acting as Loid Forger, as a spy, whether he's conversing with a fellow spy like Fiona, a casual friend like Franky, someone he respects but can't be fully open with like Yor, and even how he talks to himself in his head…yet Yor is the total opposite. As I've discussed in this post, she's extremely consistent in her speech, never straying from being polite no matter who she's speaking to or whether she's in her Thorn Princess role or not, or even whether she's speaking to herself in her head or not. This just further proves that, while Yor has to keep her assassin job a secret, she doesn't have to create a fake persona for it. Unlike Twilight, who acts one way as a spy and another way as Loid Forger, and perhaps another as his "true" self, Yor doesn't feel the need to hide anything about herself other than her job as an assassin – Thorn Princess and Yor Forger are the same person who shows respect for others no matter what her relationship is with them.

Such excessive use of keigo is odd for a fluent speaker, but it's not unheard of. There are plenty of examples of characters from other anime/manga who use keigo all the time too. I think it gives us an interesting, subtle look into their character. In Yor's case, I think her constant use of keigo comes from a combination of her sweet personality that never wants to offend anyone, but also her poor self-esteem. After all, keigo and other polite forms of Japanese speech are meant to elevate the listener while humbling the speaker. Yor speaks politely to everyone because she simply wants to be kind to everyone and make them feel comfortable, even those she has to kill, but at the same time, she often feels inferior to others.

However, there are rare exceptions where Yor stops using keigo which are, appropriately, during very suspenseful, high-stakes moments where politeness would be the least of her worries. For example, during her fight with Barnaby when she realizes she's holding back, she starts using casual speech. But she goes back to keigo before too long.

But probably the most notable example of her completely dropping keigo is near the end of her big battle against the assassins on the cruise ship, where she finally comes to realize what she's fighting for. During her whole epiphany scene – starting from when she thinks of Yuri and herself as kids until she stands up and says she won't stop fighting – she switches completely to casual speech.

There are many ways to interpret this, but I think it shows what an emotional revelation this was for her: she remembered that the suffering in the world is what caused her to want to protect Yuri from any kind of tragedy, and now the same can be said for Loid, Anya, and Bond. She remembered the words of acceptance she heard from Loid when they first met, words no one else had likely ever said to her before. She realized that she didn't care what happened to her as long as she could stop anything bad from happening to her loved ones – in that moment, no formalities were necessary with such intense self-reflection.

Continue to Part 4 ->

<- Return to Part 2

[hauntedwitch04]

Hi 😊

Could I ask for a Castiel Novak x plus size reader smut, please??

Castiel seems like a cute puppy by the way he looks.

Reader is super insecure about her body but she wanted to do Sam and Dean a favor and went to a bar/club with them. Some skinny chicks come up to reader and bully her cause of her body, when Castiel arraived and protects reader. They are talking outside, go to the Motel and castiel praises her body from head to toe

A/n: Hiii! I'm so sorry to be this late, but uni is killing me and I had litterally wrote it between train stops :) I hope you like it and respect your idea, with love Becky

Angel

Castiel Novak x plus size!reader

Words: about 1.7k words

Warnings: a bitch (she is a vamire so literally a monster), hating about your look and just a super cute and fluffy Cas ;)

Requests are open I Ask

My masterlist-Join the Taglist-Buy me a coffee - Patreon submission

You knew that this choice of yours wouldn’t have brought you anything good, but no one could say no to Sam’s puppy eyes. You cursed the entire friendship with the Winchester brothers the moment you sat at the bar. 

They had a new case, a vampire it seems, that seduced women at this bar where you are right now, brought them home and then killed them. And obviously the second they understood that they needed a decoy turned to the third resident of the bunker with soft eyes and a question on their lips. Now you are sitting on a very uncomfortable chair, in a little skimpy dress that leaves little to none to the imagination of who you have near. You always had a bad relationship with your body, and when you saw the dress that Dean bought for you to go on the hunt you just wanted to run away and hide in your room feeling the little confidence that you have dissipated. Castiel on the other hand, felt your discomfort and didn’t really understand why you felt like that and decided to ask you about this feeling. “Why do you feel this bad? Dean has a great taste in dress, with all the porn videos-” Said the angel looking at you, while you felt your cheeks become red with embarrassment. 

“Yeah Cas we have understood.” Blocked him Sam, while he turned to look at you, with a concerned look. “Hey, by the way you don’t have to do this, you know it right? We can always find another way to hunt this vampire down.” 

You tried to find the courage to say what you felt to them, but the feeling of letting them down was too bad so you put a fake smile on your face and just lied another time to them: “Don’t worry, it’s not that. It’s just, I don’t think that this color suits me, you know.” You responded, and within a second, with a snap of his finger, Cas changed the color of the dress to your favorite, while still looking at you with his eyes, of a light blue that the same sky was jealous of it. 

“Thank you, so much better now.” You said, taking the dress from Dean's hands, and going to your room to change. After you arrived, you closed the door behind you and took a deep breath, thinking of how you will find the courage. 

You are lost in your thoughts when a man comes near you, and asks if you know where the bathroom is . You smile at him and give him the direction to find it. He smiles back at you, and thanks, before going where you told him. You return your attention back on the drink you have in your right hand, since you decided that there is no way you are doing all this shit sober. Dean and Sam are close by, just a few meters behind you, looking for signs of the monster you are hunting. You feel the phone buzzing near your hand, you look at it and you see a message from Sam. 

<<Everything ok?>> 

<<Yeah, he just wanted to know where is the bathroom.>> You texted back at him. You are about to ask him how long you have to stay, since you are starting to get really uncomfortable, when a hand takes place on your shoulder, and makes you turn in the direction of who is touching you. You see its owner is a young and pretty woman, with long blonde hair on her shoulder and a fake nose. You are concerned if you can even breath from how small the little dress is, her fake boobs look like they are gonna explode from the pressure. 

“What do you think are doing?” She ask you, and you look at her, while you don’t really understand what she is talking about. 

“Sorry, I think you are talking with the wrong person?” You say, trying to go back in the comfortable position you found moments before her arriving. 

 "No, bitch, I'm really talking to you. What do you think you're doing, hitting on my man? Well you are so wrong. Do you really think someone like you could ever be interested in anyone, I mean have you seen yourself in the mirror? The poor guy would certainly get crushed if he tried to sleep with you. And don't you think this dress is a bit too much for you, you certainly have a lot of nerve to put on something like this showing everything that is wrong with you.-" The girl is interrupted by you, who quickly grabs your things and runs out of the club. Dean seeing this abrupt escape calls you on the phone to find out if everything is all right, not having heard, but having seen that a woman, not very kind in her own words, had approached you in a threatening manner. You, as usual in these cases, lie to your friend saying that you merely couldn't stay inside the freaking club anymore and would be back inside in a few minutes, trying not to let him hear through your cell phone the urge you have to cry.

Once the call with Dean is over, alone, you finally burst into tears, releasing the tension you had been building up for the past few minutes.

You spend a decida of minutes sobbing in the farthest, darkest corner of the parking lot, hoping no one sees you, when you suddenly hear a rustling of wings.

Turning around, you see Castiel, looking worriedly at you as you try to wipe away the tears left on my cheeks.

"Dean and Sam found the vampire; she was the woman who attacked you. Her victims must have been girls she had seen at the bar, and taken in a rage of anger and jealousy, she killed them." He explains, not immediately asking why you were put that way.

"Great, I would say case closed. Come on it's time to go home." You say then walk to where the Impala is parked, but Castiel rests a hand on your arm and stops you.

"The guys sent me to see if I was okay."

"I'm perfectly fine. That woman did nothing to me while I was at the bar."

"Maybe physically, but I can feel that you are in pain. Can I help you in any way?" The angel asks, and you can't help but melt at his words. You've always had a slight crush on Castiel, ever since the first times he helped you and the brothers, unable to deny that he is a charming man, but since he's been spending more and more time with you the simple attraction has evolved into much deeper feelings. Feelings that you are afraid to externalize to the beautiful angel in front of you.

"Yes quiet Cas, everything is fine. Only you know what they say, the truth hurts." You comment as you give a fake smirk. Castiel looks at you confused as he bends his head slightly to the right.

"What do you mean the truth? What did that woman tell you?" The angel asks, suspecting that there is much more to it than you try to hide.

"Nothing, really, never mind." You repeat, but this time Castiel is not fooled by your matter-of-fact answer, and laying two fingers on your forehead, he sees the events that took place just before: the painful words of that girl and all the sadness you felt at hearing them.

When he pulls away from you, you couldn't tell if the angel is more angry or pained as he looks at you. Quickly and without warning, he wraps his arms around you, and you can almost imagine the feel of his wings wrapped around your body: soft and fragrant, like his clothes.

"Sorry, I know you shouldn't look inside other people's heads, however, you were lying to me and you are hurting, and I couldn't leave you to suffer, but I had to know why you were suffering so." He tries to explain, before holding you tighter in his arms, and moving his head from the crook of your neck so he can look you in the face. "Don't believe a word that woman said. You are the most perfect living being I have ever seen, and believe me I have seen many throughout history, but nothing I have ever known compares to you. If I didn't know what angels are, I would say that you are one, in fact if they asked me I would say that you are my angel." She confesses at the end in a whisper so light that you could swear you were imagining it, but confirming her words are her eyes looking at you with such adoration that you feel you could almost catch fire.

"Cas...I don't know what to say I-"

"Don't say anything then." He tells you, smiling. "For once try to take a compliment without saying anything in return." He continues, and you can't help but blush and lean your forehead against his chest to hide the blush that had appeared on your cheeks.

"In fact maybe you know there is one thing you could say." He says a few seconds later, as you stood in silence for a moment enjoying that moment of calm.

"What?" You ask curiously, as you raise your face to look into his eyes, not realizing that your lips are extremely close.

"You might say yes when I ask you in a little while if you would like to go out with me tomorrow night, to eat at that restaurant you like so much." He proposes, as he looks intensely at your lips and with difficulty pulls away from them to look into your eyes. You can't help but giggle.

"You really do spend too much time with Dean." You comment, shaking your head.

"Maybe, but at least it taught me how to tell the girl I love how I feel." He says, before leaving a kiss near the corner of your mouth and then untying himself from your embrace and walking toward the car, leaving you shocked standing still in the same spot for several minutes.

"Hey, are you okay?" Dean asks you, who without your noticing had arrived next to you. You simply nod. "Well then it's time to go unless you want to have a romantic date with the cop at the station." He comments, winking. You blink and realize that you really need to get moving.

After all, a date tomorrow you already have. 

TAGLIST

@harleycao @supernatural-lvr @evansstan-akya

[swanimagines]

Hii! Could you do a F6 with Pin Hawthorn? Thanks!!

Prompt: F6. Clumsy kiss

The sun painted the sky red and pink as it descended, the colours mirrored from the water as you sat there at the beach with Pin, having found a cosy place to sit and eat your sandwiches and muffins. That particular beach rarely had people as it wasn’t friendly for swimmers due to sharp rocks near the shore, so you were able to sit there in peace, away from the prying eyes that would comment on how cute you two are. 

Honestly, when Pin first asked you out two months ago, you didn’t think much of it. You did like him, you weren’t sure if your fondness was romantic but you did enjoy his company. Becky and Jade insisted that the way you looked at Pin was most definitely romantic, whether you acknowledged it or not. So, you gave in and said yes, and you had gone to a basic dinner date, which had ended very well and feelings had bubbled up.

That had given way to another date. Third, fourth. And soon, you were pretty much attached to each other, texting all the time, having movie nights, hanging out. But even after all this, when you were face to face, it was timid and awkward for the most part, especially in public. It was the first relationship for both of you, you didn’t know how to act, how to show affection - even cuddling in public felt embarrassing somehow.

And of course, you hadn’t had your first kiss. Becky had been absolutely flabbergasted when she learned it some weeks ago – she started ranting about how you still act like you’re dancing around your feelings. Jade had tried to calm her down, telling her that you and Pin can take your time, that it’s all still very new for both of you. But it had definitely created some tension between the two of you.

You even wondered if it had been the right call, to accept his date invite. If you weren’t able to do much more than hold hands in private due to awkwardness, how would the rest of your relationship work out? Your head screamed at you to hug him, have him hold you, ask him for a kiss… but everything just felt like it was awkward to ask. You were ready, but was Pin ready? Would you just ruin everything if you jumped into his arms so quickly?

The view to the sea was beautiful, the horizon’s vivid colours slowly deepening. You and Pin sat close to each other, talking softly, giggling and sharing shy glances. It felt more comfortable now when there was no one around, just the two of you.

And maybe that’s why Pin’s eyes lingered on you for longer periods as you ate together, his eyes roaming your face, and you turned to look at him too.

“What?” you asked, your voice muffled as your mouth was full of sandwich.

Pin blinked a few times, and you saw his cheeks turn slightly red as he turned away. “Nothing. Sorry.”

You frowned and quickly ran your hand across your chin and cheeks. “Is there something on my face?”

Pin shook his head, rubbing his neck. “No, I just… I got lost in thought.”

You nodded slowly before leaning back slightly, turning your gaze back to the sunset. You were quiet for a moment again, before you abruptly leaned forward to grab your bottle of water - and then you felt something warm and damp on your ear, which left it as soon as it came. You turned to see a very red Pin sitting up, looking at you with wide eyes.

You touched your ear, frowning. “Did you just… try to kiss me?”

“Sorry,” he mumbled, looking away from you. “I should have asked first.”

Your heart jumped at that, and you froze, staring at Pin, who shifted under your gaze.

“I should go,” he then said, starting to stand up but you lurched forward, grabbing his hand.

“No, don’t go,” you squeaked. “It’s… it’s okay, I… you wouldn’t have to ask.”

Pin’s eyes widened for a second, before he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. He then lowered himself on the blanket again, grasping your hand hesitantly. “I… I’ve wanted to do that for a while, but I didn’t pay attention and ruined it.”

A smile tugged the corners of your lips as you gave his hand a squeeze. “Me too. I just… I haven’t found the right place or time to ask if I could kiss you.”

You both chuckled a little at it, at your own shyness, foolishness, how you had been dating for weeks and still acted like you were scared of each other somehow. As if you were afraid of it not working out.

“Well…” you mumbled, scooting closer to him. “Do you want to try again?”

Pin blushed again at your question, but he eagerly nodded. “If you’re okay with it.”

You nodded in agreement, biting your lip. And with a faint exhale, he slowly leaned in, before his lips finally found yours. It took a few seconds, but a surge of warmth immediately ran through your whole body, and you raised your hand to rest on Pin’s shoulder as you kissed back.

It wasn’t as passionate as you see first kisses be in movies, it was simple and soft. Fitting for you. And when he finally pulled away, you leaned your forehead against his for a moment, breathing in sync with him.

“Wow,” Pin whispered, a grin forming on his face.

“Yeah,” you chuckled, raising your other hand to cup his cheek. “I didn’t expect it to feel like that either.”

You sat back on the blanket, now huddled closer as Pin wrapped a throw blanket over both of you and wrapped an arm around your waist. You sat there, your head on his shoulder and after a moment, you felt him pressing a kiss on top of your head, making you grin. The sun had set below the horizon now, and it'd soon be dark. But you didn’t want to stand up, to go home. Not yet. Something had shifted in your relationship with Pin, and you wanted to bathe in that feeling for a moment longer. Elvis and Pixie seemed to snicker to themselves at the edge of the beach, seeing their owners finally cuddling like that.

You lifted your head from his shoulder and bit your lip, a question stuck in your throat for a moment before you forced it out. “Can I… can I come to stay the night with you? I feel like I won’t be able to sleep without you by my side tonight. I’d have too many thoughts.”

He chuckled, running his hand across your back. “If you’re okay with my cold room with humid air, then yes, you can stay the night at my place. I don’t think dad has anything against it either.”

You smiled at it, and then sighed. “The girls are going to lose it once they find out.”

Pin chuckled. “No doubt about that.”

You fell silent again for a moment, before Pin shifted, pushing you away gently. “We should probably go before it’s too dark to ride safely.”

Your body protested for being pushed away from Pin’s warmth, but you endured it, knowing that you would be able to sleep next to him through the whole night. Something beautiful was put into motion tonight, and suddenly the day when you first agreed to go on a date with Pin felt like the best day in your life.

---

Requests are open! FANDOM LIST | PROMPT LIST(S) | RULES (READ!!!)

[wormwoodartemisia]

Sweets

(1st part)

You are pretty convinced that you can’t compete with your stunning companions. However, you guess you make quite a decent friend. Find out how much more you can be.

Ghost x civilian afab!reader, their first meeting [developing relationship to come], Reader being unspecifically taller and bigger than her friends, slight self-doubts and partially low self-confidence (regarding how attractive you could be for a man), appearances of Soap and Gaz

About 1,400 words

Warnings: No smut, yet, Reader drinking whisky

GIF

When you finally show up at the pub - about 20 minutes later than originally planned - you can’t help but feel your heart sink a little.

It's not because your friends Becky and Jules haven't waited for you here on this girl's night they invited you to, but because this wouldn't be a girl's night anymore...

(At least this pub is close enough to home for you to comfortably walk the way back anytime.)

You immediately see them propped in a booth in one corner - or better said, you hear Becky's one pitch too high laughter directing your attention to them the very moment you step through the door. The girls haven't seen you, yet, for they're way too distracted and busy talking.

Therefore you opt for ordering a drink at the bar first. You're lucky the place is not too crowded so that it doesn't take long for your drink, some nice whisky that burns away the unpleasant feeling in your throat when you take a first sip right where you're standing at the counter. You carefully practise the small smile that you want to try at the table before you turn to the booth in the back.

Neither Becky nor Jules take notice of you slowly approaching, but the pretty guy comfortably propped between the two of them does, so much resembling this one actor that Becky finds so hot. What was his name? Elliot Knight? Nevermind. He smiles at you and you must admit that your friends have a talent for hooking up with attractive men.

Now you also see the man to Jules' right, a wide grin letting his perfect teeth show while he's bowing his head to her so that he can hear her better as she speaks to him. He's got a mohawk and you think to yourself that you probably haven't seen anyone before who this hairstyle suited more.

Of course Jules and Becky find spending the night with them better than a girl's night with you. You understand that, you truly do - they just shouldn't have talked you into this and instead simply leave you be...

("Oh, come on, don't be like that. You need distraction." - "We'll have some drinks, listen while you pour your heart out and have some girls fun!")

No, it’s your own fault. You simply should have kept declining their offer...

I'll just finish this one drink and leave in 30 minutes.

By then they'll definitely be busy enough with Hairstyle-model and Cute-actor-lookalike as not to stop you. The moment this decision settles, you walk more lightly, feeling more relaxed, and carefully return the smile Becky's actor greets you with.

It's then you notice the fifth person in the darkest part of the booth. Normally you wouldn't think you could overlook someone so tall and massive, but his all-black silhouette completely fled your attention. He seems relaxed, leaning back, stretching out his right arm, comfortably resting on the back of the bench.

Now that you're closer, the figure in black, a guy with dark eyes and a black surgical mask covering the lower half of his face, turns a bit to look at you. The mask is not too unusual these days, but you wonder why he's keeping up the hood of his shirt in a pub. Maybe to blend in with the shadows. It did work, actually.

The seat to his right is not taken, but you even hesitate to simply take the missing two steps to drop down by his side. Though his face doesn't show any such indication, you bet that he would have expected someone else, more like your fetching friends. You bet he's disappointed. Wingman for his two friends, keeping you entertained, so the others could have some fun...

Finally Becky looks your way as she follows her handsome's viewing direction. "Sweets!", she squeals in delight, jumping to her feet and manoeuvring you next to the stranger in black, halfways into his arm, with a surprising amount of force. She almost pushes you - much taller, much bigger than her - into his side as she ushers you to make place for her as well. Patting your thigh, Becky offers what little introduction she deems sufficient. "Boys, this is our Sweets." She giggles and has probably already had one or two drinks more than you, "And since it's now one for each one, we can let the fun begin, right?"

"1 for 1, eh?", Jules' Mohawk repeats with a mischievous, tight-lipped smirk, but you don't get why Mr. Pretty-actor grins as well - and perhaps even the Man in Black, judging from the subtle crinkles around his eyes.

Jules and Becky laugh along - though you doubt they really have a clue what that bloke refers to. When Becky moves back to the other side of the table, you still don't know how to call any of the three men. That's the moment Becky's Knight leans forward, flashing you a breathtaking smile: "Hi, Sweets, I'm Gaz, and these", he nods towards them, "are Soap and Ghost."

Strange nicknames, you want to reply, but being just 'Sweets' for them yourself, you decide against that.

Now Jules chimes in: "You must guess why they've got these nicknames, Sweets! We've already had our turn!"

You look at the five of them and shrug. "Some bro-thing, I guess?"

Becky laughs out: "Not like that, silly! What's the meaning of their nicknames?"

Gaz offers an example: " Mine is simply a short-form of my name. Soap - " - "Don't tell her!", Jules interrupts with what she believes to be a cute pout, "We didn’t have any help either!" Then she turns to you: "You must guess why Ghost is called Ghost, Sweets!"

All eyes are on you, his as well, as you take a lazy swig from your whisky, before you state indifferently: "Undead and lurking, maybe?"

When he answers, you can hear the mocking grin in his deep voice: "Would be 'Zombie' rather than Ghost, eh? That all you got, sweet'eart?"

It's the first time you hear him speaking - and there's something in his voice that catches you off guard, the way he chooses a different petname for you, so that you give your full attention to the broad man next to you, accepting the challenge.

You wordlessly turn towards him, face him frontally, and it only takes a second before he mimics your body posture. Now your legs are not only touching, but his right knee is casually pushed beneath your left leg on the bench. You don't even register this re-arrangement because you're so focussed on his eyes boring into yours, this liquid amber you feel glued to like sticky, dark honey.

It's him who breaks the spell by simultanously lifting an eyebrow and shoving back his hood to reveal his short blond hair.

You take him in, Ghost's big hands, the long fingers, the broadth of his shoulders, the outlines of his muscles underneath his all-black clothes, before your eyes return to his face. You think that you see the fading lines of scars extending under the mask and into his hairline. In the dim light of the pub you're not fully sure. Neither are you about his haunting stare. Have you ever felt more seen in your whole life?

Ghost watches you watching him. You realise: The intensity of his gaze could soon become a literal weight on your heart causing it to beat faster in order to work against the grave heaviness - and he would probably be able to notice your pulse quicken... Not once does he blink under those long, bright lashes.

All of a sudden you know what you want to say and you're quite satisfied. You are aware that it will be far, far away from the truth, for sure, but you nontheless like your answer-to-come well enough. You smirk. Some educated guess...

"Unfinished business. Returned from the dead to invisibly haunt the living."

You are so focussed on Ghost's reaction that you don't notice how Gaz and Soap exchange a look and go completely silent while gauging the two of you. You see the crinkles around Ghost's eyes deepen.

He slightly tilts his head. "Much better."

[goddessxdivine]

i need Danai and Andy to confirm that there’s gonna be some kind of continuation of TOWL because all I do is spend time thinking of what richonne might be doing now that they’re reunited with their kids and i need a real answer.

my current Richonne obsession: the future richonne baby that is undoubtedly on the way

i can understand why some people want richonne to have time with their kids then choose to have another child. it would be beautiful and intentional which is something that matters when it comes to richonne. however I’ve come to like the idea of michonne being pregnant already. so my solution to this to get the best of both worlds is that michonne doesn’t know that she’s pregnant yet …

most women don’t know that they’re pregnant until about 8 weeks (more or less since it depends). let’s say michonne is early stages like 2-3 weeks by the time that they get back to Alexandria and doesn’t know yet. richonne spends some time with their kids and they go on dates and they get caught up on what they missed. one of these dates they talk about how much they love their family and how it would be nice to experience being parents together from start to finish. and since we know rick is a romantic, who is very madly in love with michonne, i can just see him already have it all planned and pictured in his head. he expresses to michonne that he wants to be there to get her whatever she’s craving, to see the baby on the sonogram and hear the heartbeat, read /talk to her belly, see their baby be born this time, hear their first word, first steps, and just all the things they didn’t get to do together with rj. michonne agrees (of course) and says she’d love for them to experience that too. they both agree though that as much as theyd love to have another baby, they can wait a little on actively trying so they can get more settled in since they’ve only been home for about a month. a couple weeks go by and michonne is realizing it may be time to take a little pregnancy test.

i can’t decide what I’d prefer in terms of the reveal. on one hand, I think it’d be cute for michonne to include rick every step of the way. she tells him she thinks she’s pregnant and he’s there for them to see the results of the test together. on the other hand, I think it’d be cute for michonne to take the test herself and then plan some kind of special way to tell rick. i’ve loved the idea of surprising your partner with the news since I was a kid and saw becky from full house try to tell jesse she was pregnant by making him a dinner that was baby themed (she had baby carrots, baby corn, etc), if i remember correctly becky was nervous to tell jesse cause they hadnt planned it but with richonne that’s obviously not the case. I think it’d be cute for michonne to excitedly plan something intimate for just her and rick so she can tell him they’re having a baby.

or maybe even a secret third option idk lol but either way i think almost any execution of a richonne pregnancy reveal that is trauma-free is what they deserve and what we deserve.

i need amc to throw soooooo much money at Danai, Andy, and Scott and promise them everything they could want to continue this story. alternatively maybe amc can contract the three of them to write romcoms outside the twd that stars Danai and Andy. just saying anything at this point 😭😭 but i just need them back on my screen happy! and i need it real bad. real real bad

[piracytheorist]

So with that out of the way, I'll share some screenshots and my experience from the little I played from the Spy x Family game.

Note/reminder that I openly don't recommend buying the game for a computer, as the controls are clunky, and since that version is half-baked it's not worth your money, even if you plan on using a controller. Different case if you buy it for a console, though.

So the graphics are actually pretty cute, and I think they translate the feeling of the 2D characters into a 3D game environment pretty well! The music stands between an inspiration from the original anime soundtrack and typical day-in-the-life simulation game soundtrack, though mostly the latter. I wasn't impressed that much but it wasn't something that annoyed me. It's just a bit of a pity because they could definitely get some inspiration from the original soundtrack, but oh well.

Playing the game, Anya starts at Eden College, and you get a tutorial showing you how to move and interact with other characters and objects. First it instructs you to talk to Becky, then to Damian.

And as I saw that I was like "... Do I have to?" XD Luckily, he wasn't annoying that time, just distant.

Then Anya comes back home to tell her parents about her Diary project, and I had her explore the house a bit.

In the manga and anime there's this small separate space on the hall right by the entrance, and I actually just realized that, but in the game's version of the house that area doesn't exist.

From what I remember, in the game there is just a wall where the opening to this space is. Since this space is rarely used in the manga/anime and it would have taken memory space, I understand why they didn't add it. From the little I played Anya could only move around the main spaces, kitchen, dining/living area and hall, but those parts were pretty accurate.

And according to my post about the Forgers' kitchen, here it looks accurate to the anime, though with a two-door fridge instead.

I mostly took this because I found it funny how atrocious his posture was XD he's probably tired, the poor man.

One of the few minigames I tried was bowling. I like how each characters game traits actually fit their characters XD

Like, Yor is Strong™ but with the least dexterity, Anya is the luckiest but also the weakest, Loid is the most dexterous... and also the unluckiest. I'm telling you, I can find opportunities for angst like it's my job.

Anyway, that minigame was actually nice, it took me a bit to get the hang of the curveballs but I'm sure I could get better at it if I trained more. I played as Loid, too XD

I liked the characters' responses to their throws, either going like "This is hard" or "This is harder than it looks" (even Loid, lmao, with me controlling him he actually became bad at something) if they threw only a few pins. Funny thing is, when Loid was first about to throw his ball, he said something like "Child's play" but then because it was me controlling him he only threw a couple pins and was like "This is hard" 😂 Poor Yor said "Was this good?" a few times right after throwing her ball, then Anya did a strike, and Yor and I as Loid did a spare (when you throw the remaining pins on your second go). For each of those, the other characters cheered for the one doing the strike or spare, and that was cute. Funniest responses was when a throw wouldn't get a single pin, Anya did her "Shock" face, Yor looked embarrassed, and Loid cringed back with a drop of cold sweat on his face (I was the reason for that, sorry man XD) Loid ended up winning and even though he had missed a couple of throws, at the end he was once again like "Child's play" like, my MAN, stop embarrassing yourself and me.

Anyway. Back to the story. There were some cute moments of banter, I feel they captured the characters pretty accurately!

Then I could go into character customization and. Some interesting choices there.

"Just going to work". Yes. That work XD

And then this... item.

MAXIMUM CHARISMA

I'm still laughing about it XD

Then it was ooting time, and I actually really loved the loading screens!

They have a cute feel to them :)

One of the few pictures I took for Anya's album. Whatever is happening on that Spy Wars issue Anya was reading, it must be interesting!

Anya later mentioned she'd sleep with Agent Penguinman that night, and Bond did not like that XD

When I FINALLY managed to hit the required score for Yor's fruit chopping minigame, Anya looked very smug about it 😁

As I mentioned, it took me a lot of times to get the gist of when exactly to swing to cut the vegetables, and every time Yor missed a vegetable she would say something... but there were no subtitles for those lines XD judging by a few lines I've picked up from the anime, I think she was just saying things like "I missed" or an exclamation of disappointment, and one single "I'm sorry, Anya-san". I wanted to hug her!

Then it was back to school the next day.

I'm right there with ya, girl XD

Then Anya asked Yor to train her, and Yor started giving her some advice on how to throw punches... and then Loid slipped in and was like uhm wut O_o

This next part was a little weird, because Anya was supposed to be drawing (like she did in Episode 3 in the museum kids room) and Loid was going like "Oh this is Bondman and a princess, right? That part is a little graphic, though" but... she wasn't drawing? Loid was just standing in the kitchen and I approached him to talk to him and they just said lines similar to the scene I mentioned above from episode 3. It didn't seem like it fit, and only added it so they could have Anya do that expression, which, okay, fair enough XD

This was Anya's expression when she realized Loid had completely misjudged what she was drawing and her powers weren't at risk of being exposed XD

A quick Handler cameo!

That was the intro for a minigame of Twilight sneaking into an art gallery and having to swap paintings for forgeries. I just found her appearance quite cool!

... This, however, was the minigame that proved this game doesn't work well with a keyboard. Controlling the character AND the camera with keyboard buttons is very tricky, and while I could manage moving Anya around, I had a lot of trouble moving Twilight around while I was on a timer and I had to avoid the guards seeing him.

So yeah. It could have been fun but for a computer user it can be frustrating. I tried twice and failed to complete the minigame, and at that point I was tired; it was more stressful than satisfying that way, so I just quit the game, uninstalled it and had it refunded.

Anyway, as I said, it looks like a fun game, but one that can only be appreciated through a console that already includes controllers with joysticks. Computer users shouldn't have to need external controllers to enjoy a game for the computer, so I definitely don't recommend buying it for the PC, if nothing else, for the moral of it. They could have optimized it to move the camera with the mouse, which is how the grand majority of such games work, but they half-assed it and as such I don't think they deserve anyone's money, especially at the price it's at (50 euros for us to need an external controller? no thanks).

[misty--nights]

It’s time for episode 6. I always start these thinking I won’t find much and it’ll be a short one, and then I’ll just keep finding details and the posts get pretty long

The recap editing strikes again. Immediately after Edwin tells Monty “I wasn’t talking about you” we get a shot of his hug with Charles

There are some colorful glasses up on the division between the spaces of Niko’s room (I don’t know the name of that thing) and I can just imagine Niko asking Jenny for a ladder to put them up there. Also there is a blue butterfly glued above her closet door

The sign with the name of Tragic Mick’s shop has a little fish jumping over it, which is really cute

When they first arrive at the shop and are talking with Mick, there is a figure on one of the shelves that kind of looks like a polar bear with a red dress

Niko’s card is pink and has like a cute bunny thing decoration. All of her things are adorable, I love her

It’s really funny just how terrible at lying all of these kids are. They are almost implausibly bad at it, and it’s always hilarious how the others just shrug and go with it

Speaking of, Monty flipping his hair and putting on a dramatic tone to tell them that his good friend has a problem is just peak. This boy is amazing, and his lying abilities fit right in with al the others (to his credit, none of the main kids realized he was a crow before the Cat King reveals the truth, so I guess it’s working for him)

The names for their potential cases are hilarious: Phantom Yodeler, Undead Milkman, Doppelganger Gang, Sentient Pants, Restless Piano Syndrome. (Can’t really make out what the last 2 say, but I can make out the words Cricket Wicket in one, and Gargoyle in the other)

Edwin has a little smile after Niko tells him he looks nice <3

I just realized that the reason Crystal’s attempt at pretending to read the tree is so bad is because she cannot tell that her eyes go white every time she uses her powers

Monty is immediately concerned when Charles says the elemental consumes ghosts. I love how clearly you can see the different emotions on his face, how you can tell the instant he starts to have second thoughts about this plan, even if he is still going to go through with it for revenge (for a little while at least)

Edwin’s science glasses are just for the drama/aesthetic, right? All of the others are standing right there by him without any glasses, so it’s not like they are for protection. Also you have to love the fact that he passes Charles the vial to throw it even though I’m sure it would have been the same if Edwin himself had done it? Charles doesn’t throw it too far, so it’s not like it required a lot of strength or anything. It’s just the way they do things, I guess. Edwin creates the potions, Charles throws them. Brains and brawn

I could be wrong, but I think that when the Night Nurse and Kashi are talking you can hear Angie’s heartbeat in the background

After Charles breaks all of David’s mirrors, the ground of Crystal’s mind place is full of glass (I think it wasn’t before, but my memory isn’t great so I could be wrong about this one too)

I’ve been thinking about since the episode 1 rewatch, but I think it’s interesting that none of the kids (minus Niko) made the connection between Monty the boy and Monty the witches familiar, given the way Esther yells Monty’s name after that first confrontation when they rescued Becky Aspen. I know it’s a wild connection to make, but Monty isn’t that common of a name, and they all were very much there when she yelled “Monty, shut up” at the screaming crow inside of her house. I don’t know, I think it could have been funny for Charles to fixate on Edwin’s new pal having the same name as Esther’s crow, and then for the others to dismiss it as jealousy. It would be hilarious, and it’d give Charles a chance to be all “I told you so” after the reveal

All of the chairs around the table by Crystal’s tree are a little different

Petition to make Crystal part of the Brawn team in the agency, because the way she fights Esther is vicious. She should get to beat the shit out of more enemies next season

Charles sounds like he’s been crying right after Crystal rescues the two of them. His voice is all watery and broken even though he’s smiling

One of Niko’s cushions on her windowsill has an octopus on it

Ghosts don’t have reflections, but they do have shadows. I guess shadows would be harder to remove irl? I noticed the shadows during the scene where they’re thinking of a name for Crystal’s move

The Night Nurse says she’s been working at that post for over two million hours, which means (according to google) that she’s been at the Lost and Found department for almost 230 years. No wonder she’s so done with everyone’s bullshit. Imagine working the same shitty job for over 200 years

[gcantread]

July 2024 reads

[loved liked ok nope dnf bookclub*]

^borrowing this format from @ofliterarynature—hope that's ok!

The Blue Castle ��� The Metamorphosis • A Reaper at the Gates • And Then There Were None • I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons • To Be Taught, If Fortunate • The Mysterious Affair at Styles • Till We Have Faces • This Ravenous Fate • Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch • Dragonhaven • [title withheld; SMP] • The Name of the Wind • Better Left Buried • The Body in the Library • Rose Daughter

My biggest reading month so far in terms of quantity, though only third-biggest in terms of "pages" (which I think is a bad metric anyhow—you can typeset them so differently! I wish every book told me its word count.) I read a lot of books in order to see if they're worth reading in @bellasbookclub for the 2024-2025 season, plus I was doing the BBC summer reading challenge! I also devoured my way through several ARCs coming out in August.

The Blue Castle ★★★★★ - I reread this once or twice per year at this point. This time around I read it to @flowerslut and we had a blast! Still the ultimate comfort read.

The Metamorphosis ★★★☆☆ - Also with Shannon (we listened to the audiobook on the way to and from San Diego!) Figured it was high time I actually read this if I was gonna go around calling things "kafkaesque." Somehow exactly what I expected.

And Then There Were None ★★★★☆ - Pre-screened for book club! So I don't wanna say too much other than "I liked it."

I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons ★★★☆☆ - Disappointing. Plot was a bit all over the place and it was difficult to sympathize with the main characters. A shame, because I like the premise!

To Be Taught, If Fortunate ★★★★☆ - Read for the BBC 2024 Summer Reading Challenge. Fun and reflective! This was my first time reading Becky Chambers, and I liked the writing style and themes.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles ★★★1/2☆ - Another book club pre-screen. A solid mystery.

Till We Have Faces ★★★★☆ - Yet another book club pre-screen. My best friend's favorite book and now I can totally see why.

This Ravenous Fate ★★★☆☆ - An ARC I got signed by the author after seeing her speak on a panel about YA and romance. Unfortunately a huge letdown, possibly because I had such high hopes for the premise of "queer Black 1920s vampire x human." Alas, it had some cool vampire lore but was overall a convoluted mess and not nearly 1920s-enough!

Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch ★★★★☆ - Another ARC I got from the same event and liked much better. Cool Jennifer's Body-esque premise, snappy voice, and a fun protagonist in the murdered and vengeful Annie. Perfect Halloween vibes!

Dragonhaven ★★★★☆ - Also pre-screened for book club so I shouldn't talk too much about it but I can't help myself (@ book club LOOK AWAY) I wasn't expecting much from this book because I've heard Robin McKinley fans voice their disappointment in it, but it turns out I'm the exact niche target audience for this. National Park politics and conservation science struggles and zookeeping?? I'm seated. I can see why others didn't like the pacing, but I was nodding along like "Yes, the difficulty of procuring grad students to come study dragons, of course. Do go on"

[title withheld; SMP] - I didn't realize this was an SMP book until I was halfway through it. Oops. A shame they still don't have their act together, because I'd love to talk about this one.

The Name of the Wind ★★★★★ - A title I've heard raved about a million times by a zillion people, so naturally I picked it as one of my BBC 2024 summer reading challenge books to see if it lived up to the hype. IMO it does! Fun, poetic writing style, cool framing device, and interesting worldbuilding and magic system. Curious to read the sequel.

Better Left Buried ★★★☆☆ - Another ARC. Cute queer YA murder mystery that I honestly don't have much to say about other than "it was cute."

The Body in the Library ★★★1/2☆ - And another book club pre-screen book. My first Miss Marple! Mostly elevated by having an interesting ending twist and class themes.

Rose Daughter ★★★☆☆ - And to no one's surprise, my final book of the month was also pre-screening for Bella's Book Club. Very pretty writing and it was fun to read while wearing a bit of rose oil (smell-o-vision!) but I didn't loooove the pacing and overall prefer Robin McKinley's other Beauty and the Beast retelling, Beauty.

DNF

A Reaper at the Gates (50%) - I sprinted through book 1 and walked sedately through book 2 of the Ember in the Ashes series, but this one (book 3) was taking me forever to read (and is almost 700 pages), and I was impatient to move on and read other stuff. Reaper at the Gates was decently interesting and I still care about the characters, but the timing just wasn't right. Will probably pick this series back up later.

July superlatives

[thatonesongyouretryingtoremember]

DBD rewatch notes!

episode 1

Why was Charles making that face before offering Crystal to stay at the office?

Why are they not supposed to interact with the living? clearly Emma has no such qualms.

Crystal speaks up to make sure Edwin hears when she says thank you for taking her in

Why is David a surprising name for a demon? Why IS David called David, if it isn't a demon name?

HOW did I watch the show this many times without noticing the septum ring??

"The living are messy. If she had died last night, I'd have no issue with her being here." OKAY EDWIN. I guess this and the 'no living people' rule must have to do with the Infamous Puppy Debacle of '94. In this case, Edwin is not insulting Crystal specifically, but is being very literal that he would not be worried about taking care of a dead person.

I love how they NAME everything from cases to moves to incidents.

Charles teases Edwin for being jealous, but does he actually think that? Edwin is just overly cautious, and yeah that's causing an issue at the moment, but does he have, like, a record of being jealous of girls Charles likes?

Charles immediately tries to seperate Edwin and Crystal to stop them arguing, and Crystal is like "wait what??" like she's SO surprised. Also kinda love the not-subtle dig at Edwin's behavior. That does not go without retaliation ie: you weren't here when the mail came

WAIT they're going on a walk and taking, like Edwin and Monty. that's cute.

Did Crystal actually thin Edwin was in hero for being evil? I feel like that is surprising to hear regardless. Is it common for Charles to explain to people that his bf was only sent to hell on a technicality??

I think Crystal must have learned about hell from David, because if the ghosts she has met haven't moved on yet they have no way of knowing about hell.

The focus on people staring at Crystal is kinda weird. Does she even realize yet?

What did she used to feel like when people got mad at her for being mean?

What does Charles think about the way Crystal talks about her anger? He says it's cool that she is still alive, but does he admire her honesty too?

The up-and-down when she asks if that line used to work. He didn't even tell her what decade he died. Read him.

Aww she wanted to get Edwin some coffee to cheer him up. She even says hi to him as soon as she's inside. Crystal cares whether Edwin likes her or not. At the very least, she is trying to be nice to him.

How DOES the ghost post work? also the sheer incredulity of Crystal's voice lmao. Why exactly does the mail carrier sneak up on them? is he also dead?

Why does he care who the client is? they already know what the mystery is.

'keep your voice down!' bestie you already flirted at her, she knows.

'it's happening too quickly' Edwin doesn't wanna screw up his routine

good on Crystal for getting straight to business. Becky's ALIVE, boys!

Why do they think Death will come back to the office?

more people stare at Crystal. Dies she really not notice before the malt shop?

I can't help being reminded of that textpost about putting Crystal in the bag and going through a mirror.

Edwin thinks he is so clever with the agency name joke. He is so proud of that one. same thing with his journal of opinions joke. he's having so much fun rn.

I love that every time there's a Jenny scene the soundtrack changes to goth or rock music.

Why is the red LED neat diagram briefly orange and why is Edwin so fascinated by it?

She's scary for all of two seconds before becoming awkward and weird and mean. Jenny, ladies and etc!

Edwin is so menacing here FOR WHAT

Crystal gets the room as is, then never decorates it during the following weeks.

Can those ghosts teleport?? I noticed the dragons so it too, is it a shirt distance thing?? wtf?

pictures of guys, huh Charles? Is there anything else notable about the pictures?

Edwin jesus fuck lay off her. He is looking for just ANY excuse to talk shit.

Charles trying to help out Crystal is nice. I wonder why she doesn't like reading minds though? During the course of the series, she totally volunteers to read minds and it's a go-to solution for her. What happened to put her off it that she doesn't remember anymore?

What'd he do to get burned by the iron?

I guess after knowing ghosts for however long, none of them must have told Crystal about iron.

how does that alarm system via possession even work??

After that silence I kinda thought Edwin went to hell for possession when I first watched LMAO

Esther must have put the shoes in the woods as a distraction. I wonder if the boys would have ever found out if it weren't for Crystal.

they know cats talk and have human personalities and yet Charles sees one and is instantly like "aw fuck off man :((" bro chill

Why is the cat voice so. echoey?

what would happen if somebody tried to sit on the stools that the boys are already on?

Do we ever see anything like this door entrance in a mindscape scene after this? Does she ever walk around while in a trance again?

holy crap Edwin

I guess she takes a while to figure out it's her own brain. mecore.

of course there's an argument now. how could there not be?

then they never follow up on the "our demon" line

poor old Edwin has Charles taking such good care of him that he isn't used to the guy trying to take care of TWO peoples' feelings. Man I know that they don't talk about feelings in your time but at some point you've got to learn that everything you're saying is a fear reaction and not a moral stance.

I love the high contrast in this scene!

Simon's lil smile and Edwin walking away looks SO different with Context.

why tf is the sacrifice named "Mary Ann" and WHAT is Simon's brother into?

"don't do that!" and a breath of relief followed immediately by a jumpscare is SO GOOD. like I get scared by jumpscares but I love when they do it like this.

"It's not that bad" *hoovers the boy* *sells him to a demon*

THE TRANSITION. WITH THE SCREAMING

Why is the same cat here? is he following Edwin? W H Y

you're such a whore 🙄 (cat voice)

What if I offered you a sardine out of my gloves hand and bound you in a magical leash and you were a cat🥺 (and we were both boys)

The cat's mannerisms are pretty convincing IMO. my cat does the same ear thing when she wants me to leave her alone. And the tense shoulder/neck scrunch combo just adds to the effect.

I wish Edwin got to use more magic in the show.

not the apathetic eyebrow raise

me when I dump blood

I love this scene. Jenny is so awkward but also she remembers what Crystal says here. She remembers hearing about Crystal's ex like three times ever and ends up going after that boy with a cleaver. but it all starts with Jenny not knowing if she's allowed to show that she cares.

oh and her shield of cynicism

and the way she asks for more information!!

Charles with the questions! detective-ass.

it's interesting that Jenny and Charles both try to help Crystal while looking through a lens colored by trauma (specifically parental flavored) but Charles is so gentle while Jenny is abrasive.

Crystal! With the self-awareness!!

if you what? finish the sentence, Crystal.

Also she says "didn't you see that" like those pink lights were not symbolic they were real in-universe. Crystal and Niko were still acting hella gay tho. ofc, Crystal was under a spell and Niko is just Like That.

FAIR QUESTION

he doesn't answer whether or not it's weird. He also doesn't wait for an answer of if she'll tell Edwin. He trusts her.

Aww poor kidddsss

Edwin walks in and out of rooms like God sent him

Crystal with the self-awareness once agaiiiin 😎

TRANSITIONS

if she was in that relationship since three months ago and we don't know how long she was possessed for before Emma figured out how to find the boys, she may have already been missing for weeks at this point.

The way she is dressed and the way she's acting is risky different from the memories she gets from the marbles. Is this a real memory? Why would she dress like that, or hang out with those people?

Is the possession paralelled to any of this scary movies that was playing in the theater they go to? bc it looks really familiar.

Edwin is really focusing on the wrong details here, man. Also comparing a scared person to their abuser is not fuckin cool.

YAY! FEELINGS TALK!

I love the sound of his voice in this scene.

I mean I thought it was already clear that neither of them wanted David involved but if Edwin needs clarification that's fine ig

the description of Esther is line a spoken word poem

you know he doesn't get out much when he doesn't know about the internet

Jenny is iconic

absolutely ZERO emotional response to "Like kind of a sexy witch who smokes alot but in a cool way" like maybe they didn't hear Charles. maybe their minds were blocking it out because what the fuck /j

and her coat gets caught in the door and she can't drive. Perfect.

The fuckin twirl. Thank you costumes for cutting the vent stitch because the swooshy coat adds to the effect 🙏

Esther leaves the stove on when she's out of the house? does she want her bird to DIE!? It must be an accident because Edwin has to take it off :o either that, or she wasn't planning on leaving for too long, or knew there'd be someone to take care of it 👀

Also Edwin is EXACT in his reading if the floor plan. Like that is SPECIFIC

is that a sink cabinet? no basin??

an empty cabinet like that is sus anyways. who has that little stuff??

Edwin volunteers and Charles knows he's scared but makes sure he does it anyways. I wonder if there are any more examples of this behavior.

Monocrome; floor littered in bones and shoes. Edwin is 'weighed down'

it's not a void, there's a floor.

Wait Has Esther been planting shoes for the cops to find, then re-stealing them for her snake's nest??

Also how often does she kidnap forms because I feel like she'd either have to run out or get caught at some point.

"bag of tricks" they name EVERYTHING

technically they didn't break in

what did she THINK they wanted?

COLLECTOR

I've already said this but Esther loves things she *consumes*, so her love of birds is kinda bad news for Monty. He's just there to use in her plans.

Also the first time I watched this I thought Esther was trying to kiss Crystal. like that shot is. weird.

Why does Charles want the bird to be his friend and why is he not concerned about its living conditions

rope+ magic weight= OW

technically, since everyone else is only going off of Edwin's (and later Cat King's) word, they might think the snake is huge but realistic. do they know it's like fifty feet??

interesting that they show it takes multiple puffs of smoke to paralyze someone but later when she gets power from that rando ghost she does a whole ranged spell with the pipe because she is more powerful.

that is some weird and impractical snake jewelry on her hand.

MUSIC

appearance ONE of the BAT! he DOES NOT get to use it!

Edwin looks to be MORE bothered by the iron burn than Charles now that nobody is looking.

Do people normally get incapacitated when Crystal does her trick?? or is that special for this time?

I wonder what Crystal thinks watching this possession, since she just got possessed recently.

bag of worms?? not a thing

MONTY im tryna threaten some kids🥺

MUSIC

I guess the woods thing was believable bc she's a girl scout.

Also now that Becky's mind is wiped, she can't see the boys even though she has been close to the supernatural. I guess it would have worked on Jenny too if she chose that.

is now a good time to mention: I LOVE Crystal's weird-ass jacket. and she's wearing overalls again today, like in episode (six? I think?)

so now are they on David's case? I guess not lmao

The Night Nurse's hair is so funny to me. She is the only person who would ever think to wear victory rolls with a microfringe.

why are those photos so low-quality and why is the Afterlife Lost and Found a liminal '50s office building full of women?

[thatbanditqueen]

I just reread No One Walks Out and there’s little moments you could totally see Elvis starting to really fall for Becky and it’s so cute especially because he’s always telling her to cover up and change but like he still loves her

Awww, I know, he is such a big little baby boy big daddy. I think Elvis had a romantic opinion of himself, and enjoyed having long term girlfriends, even if he didn't do monogamy, I don't think he had as much sex as he said he did or acted like he did. So I've been trying to build this up from the start, beginning I suppose with the way he tracks her down. Even though, in real life, he probably would have had Joe do it and bring her back to the hotel, I am making him a slightly less of a diva in this fic.

I cannot believe you reread this, I reread it because I write for myself, and I think I am getting closer to getting good but ugh, I still have work to do. But the ultimate plan is to have Becky push Elvis out of his comfort zone rigidly controlling relationships. We'll see!

Thanks for chatting with me love, I always enjoy talking about E and my fic and other fic too!

xoxox

norahhhh

[south-of-heaven]

Hi! I really enjoy reading your work and I was wondering if I could request a Bayley/Reader where the reader had been a fan of Bayley since before joining the company and is still really nervous around her (and Bayley thinks it’s really cute). Someone eventually points out to Bayley that the reader has a crush on her, so Bayley tracks down the reader and they confess their feelings for one another and then they make out?

No worries if not, thanks for hearing me out!

Crush || Bayley x Reader

Summary: You have always admired Bayley, in more ways than one. When Becky points out your crush to Bayley she's very happy.

A/N: Thank you so much for this sweet request, I loved writing this so much.

Being signed to the same brand as Bayley was a dream come true for you. You had been a huge fan of hers even before joining WWE, and now you found yourself in situations with her more often than you ever imagined. It was both thrilling and nerve-wracking, especially because being in the same room as Bayley always made you blush and feel a little flustered.

You couldn't help but admire Bayley's talent, charisma, and charm. Every time she spoke or wrestled, you couldn't tear your eyes away. And whenever she spoke to you, you found yourself stammering and stumbling over your words, feeling like a clumsy mess.

One day, as you were sitting with your best friend Becky in the locker room, she couldn't help but notice your obvious crush on Bayley. "You really like her, don't you?" Becky teased, a knowing smile on her face.

Your cheeks turned a deep shade of red as you tried to deny it. "I-I don't know what you're talking about. She's just, you know, awesome and stuff."

Becky laughed, seeing right through your attempts to hide your feelings. "Come on, it's so obvious. You're adorable when you get all flustered around her."

Before you could protest further, the locker room door swung open, and there stood Bayley, looking as stunning as ever. Your heart skipped a beat, and you couldn't help but glance away, feeling your cheeks heat up.

Bayley raised an eyebrow, catching the tail end of your conversation with Becky. "What's going on here?"

Becky grinned mischievously. "Oh, nothing. Just discussing a certain someone's obvious crush on you." She said before getting up and leaving the room.

Your eyes widened, and you tried to hide your face behind your hands, but Bayley was too quick. She gently pulled your hands away, revealing your blushing cheeks.

"Aww, you're blushing," Bayley cooed, her smile softening. "I think it's cute how nervous you get around me."

You bit your lip nervously, not sure how to respond. You were torn between wanting to confess your feelings and fearing that it might ruin any little bit of friendship between the two of you.

Bayley stepped closer, her hand gently resting on your cheek. "You don't have to be nervous around me, you know. I like you too."

Your eyes widened in surprise, and you looked up at her, hope flickering in your heart. "Y-you do?"

Bayley nodded, her gaze intense. "Yeah, I do. And I really want to kiss you right now."

Before you could respond, Bayley closed the gap between you, her lips pressing against yours in a soft, heated kiss. Your heart soared, and all your nerves seemed to vanish as you kissed her back, your hands finding their way to her waist.

The world around you faded away as you lost yourself in the moment, finally confessing your feelings and sharing a passionate kiss with the woman you admired and adored. It was a moment you had dreamed of, and it was even better than you could have imagined.

When you finally pulled apart, both of you were breathless and flushed. Bayley smiled at you, her eyes sparkling with affection. "So, do you want to go on a date with me?"

You grinned, feeling like the luckiest person in the world. "Yes, definitely."

From that day on, you and Bayley became inseparable. Your crush on her had blossomed into a beautiful relationship filled with love, laughter, and some heated kisses. And every time you found yourself in the same room as her, you no longer felt nervous or flustered – you felt at home in her arms.

[rhondafromhr]

Ships for the ask game!!

I probably should have just done one but oh well

Barnroe (Becky x Linda)

Holloweane (Mrs. Holloway x Duke) (I think that’s how you spell the ship name lol I could be wrong)

Holy Bastard (Ted x Mark Chasity)

Nerd Polycule (Ruth x Pete x Richie, Steph and grace can be included or not you can pick :P)

Oh dang that’s a lot :D/lh, thanks for the ask! Putting my answer below the cut because I ended up rambling a little bit lol

Barnroe - don’t ship it (but I still think it’s neat!)

1. Honestly nothing about them, I just never got as invested in BF as I did in the other musicals (still love it so much though!! And the soundtrack is easily my favorite of the 3) and didn’t feel as compelled to make or seek out fan content so Barnroe just wasn’t on my radar I guess.

2. Idk honestly, I feel pretty neutral leaning towards positive on this ship so I’m not sure what would get me invested?? Maybe if I read a really good fic of them that would get me into it (there’s a good chance that’ll happen honestly, catch me becoming obsessed with them like next month probably)

3. I have stumbled across some really cool fanart of them and I can definitely see the potential for a really interesting dynamic

Holloweane - ship it

1. Everything about killer track and their dynamic there.

2. I just love how much they seem to care about each other and the way the narrative keeps them apart and the whole thing where she’s told Duke her life story multiple times even though she knows he’s inevitably going to forget…it hurts so bad I love it

3. I don’t think I have any unpopular opinions on this one

Holy Bastard - don’t ship it (but again I think it’s neat!!)

1. Mainly because I’m not that invested in Ted as a character. Don’t get me wrong, I think he’s complex and interesting and I do find him entertaining, but I’m not invested enough to seek out fan content where he’s the focus, shipping or otherwise.

2. Maybe if they have more interactions in NMT3 and I can get a clearer picture in my head of what their dynamic might be like it would get me more interested in them

3. I do love the potential family dynamic it could create. I feel like once Grace found out the interactions between her and Ted would be especially hilarious. And could honestly be kind of cute and wholesome too if Grace slowly comes around to him and they bond. I think they have more in common than they realize (“I can’t believe Ruth’s in a show about hookers!” vs “this show’s about hookers!”) Plus Pete and Grace being stepfamily would be fun!

Nerds polycule (I’m going to go with Ruth/Pete/Richie) - don’t ship it, but again still think it’s neat!!

1. As much as I love reading and writing fic where they’re all really good friends and care about each other, solely based on their interactions in NPMD I get the impression that Pete doesn’t like them all that much and he’s really only sticking with them as a safety in numbers thing, so I have trouble picturing that kind of relationship with them. Then again I can’t really talk, I’m a crack ship enjoyer that regularly ships characters who have literally never interacted lol

2. Maybe if we get to see more interactions between them in NMT3

3. I do think they have the potential to be a really fun, chaotic trio so I totally see the appeal! Also Ruth having 2 boyfriends and bragging to anyone who will listen about the fact that she pulled not one but two bad bitches, I do really love that for her and I think she deserves it <3

[heavencasteel420]

I was talking earlier about what I think is lost when people kind of lose sight of Steve as a pretty typical teenage boy (for better or worse), and another thing I've been thinking about is how Nancy says "you're an idiot, Steve Harrington" during their study scene. People who like their relationship or feel neutral about it tend to see that as cute banter, while people who don't like Nancy think she's being mean. I think it's pretty cute, even though I don't ship them outside of Stoncy, but I also think there's an interesting power dynamic going on. To be specific:

Although they are two close-in-age teenagers and it's totally appropriate for them to date, Steve has nearly all the leverage in this relationship. He's slightly older, he's much more popular, his family appears to have a little more status in town (the Wheelers have money, according to both Nancy and Jonathan, but everyone calls the Harringtons rich), he's an athlete with some talent in a small town, he has more sexual experience, and he's a boy.

Nancy wants to have sex with Steve, but she doesn't want to feel like or be regarded by others as a conquest or a slut (a real danger, as we see almost immediately after they sleep together). So she has to keep him at a distance for a while, and one of the ways she can do that is by downplaying how impressed she is by him. And one of the few things that Nancy has that Steve doesn't is being really smart at school stuff. And that happens to be a thing he's obviously kind of into. So calling him an idiot when he acts goofy is a way of reminding him that he has to impress her, too.

Trying to maintain some kind of power in the relationship is also at least part of why Nancy distinguishes herself from Amy/Becky/Laurie when talking to Steve (he cleverly flips it back on her by making the subtext text--"you're not a slut"--so he can redefine the terms of engagement) and why she persuades Barb to come with her to the party (if Nancy decides she doesn't want to sleep with Steve after all, Barb provides both a safe exit physically because she has a car and a safe excuse socially because Nancy can say "I need to go home with Barb" instead of "I don't want to sleep with you right now").

Of course, the power dynamics shift another way entirely after they sleep together, because Nancy is never quite as engaged with him again. It's not that she totally loses interest, but she's preoccupied with Barb's disappearance, her initial sexual curiosity has been satisfied, and Steve's BMOC persona looks increasingly distasteful to her. He reforms, but they're never quite on the same page re: the UD stuff and by then she's already more into Jonathan. Steve still has more social power, but he can't use that to impress her anymore, just punish her (something he loses interest in quickly). In matters of the heart, he's always on the backfoot.

[susandsnell]

Bonjour! I wanted to thank you for sharing more of your Jonathan/Becky thoughts! I found some of your posts last year and I found them very cute! && Yesterday I found you sharing more stuff about her and it makes me very happy! Thank you very much for sharing and giving love to Becky! I love Rebecca so much that I haven't stopped writing and thinking about her since 2021, she deserves a lot of love!

Bonjour bonjour! (Or bonsoir, where I am!)

It's so exciting to get a message from you; I always smile when I see your Becky art at the top of her tag on tumblr! Thank you so much for reaching out; I'm so glad you like my rambles about the ship that unexpectedly gripped me when I got into Batman, and I'm even gladder they make you happy. <3

Scarecrow was always my favourite Rogue after Harley and Ivy, so I was digging back into comics and popular stories when The Batman 2022 was released last year and sent me on the brainrot train, and that was how I came across New Years' Evil and Miss Rebecca Albright. Her design was super adorable, and she was such a badass in her one-off, a real 1990's gothic heroine with some dashes of final girl which fits perfectly into Gotham City. And when I saw she was a law student (I'm a law school graduate, seriously, I've got too many lawyer blorbos as a result haha) the rest was history! She's such a strong, lovable character, and it's so lovely talking to someone so passionate about her!

What definitely also helps is that I've been obsessed with Phantom of the Opera (and similar stories after that) since I was 12, so I've definitely been primed for Jonathan/Becky, and what their dynamic is and has the potential to be. Having a 1990s' gothic romance available like that in the already operatic Batverse that could be set to this song? Yes please!)

I've been digging around for as much Becky content as possible since then, and I love the various ways people have fleshed her out. (Is it just me or are there so many characters with such great potential confined to single appearances?) I've only written those two oneshots for her in my asks/on my ao3 so far, but I've definitely tossed around some headcanons of my own for her, and it's so fun to see how people shape her! Can't wait to see more of your writing/art for her, too — your interpretation of her from what I've seen are already so lovely!!!

I couldn't agree more — the law student who stood up to the Master of Fear and sought to overcome her bullying on her own terms, but never sacrificing her own scruples, is so so important to me. And the relationship between a girl and her monster is something that can be so personal, actually!

Thanks again for reaching out and sharing in the Becky love, this ask really made me smile. <3 Please feel free to say hi or shoot a message any time!

[mlobsters]

supernatural s8e11 larp and the real girl (w. robbie thompson)

expectations, subterranean. i think, on the whole, cringe levels peaked in the early seasons (tall tales? that the one with the purple nurple [and Becky 😬]). but i don't want to raise my expectations accordingly, rather be pleasantly surprised.

DEAN Yeah, well, Kevin's on it. And when he finds something, he'll call. So we wait. Look, we have both had a rough go over these past couple of weeks. And, uh… I know what you gave up wasn't easy. Maybe we ought to take the night off – go see a flick, hit a bar or two, have some fun. You remember fun, don't you, Sammy?

no fun allowed here! least you can do after you break up for each other, show him a good time

SAM Working a case. As long as we're waiting on Kevin, that'll be our fun.

barrel o' laughs

DEAN Well, the FBI is all work… [he looks at SAM] no play.

cute

SHERIFF These kids today with their texting and murder.

the way he delivered it made me laugh i will admit

playing this dude's grief for his friend dying for laughs, i know it's a thing, and it still makes me ragey

i do like that dean is starting to get into the idea, earnestly, as he should. just like playing cowboys

her hair color and makeup are gorgeous, especially in this lighting. and i kind of love seeing her hair be frizzy and not perfect? it's very smooth in the next scene which is, while very pretty, also a bummer :p

if i saw this out of context i would 100% assume it was photoshop.

dean's favorite, dress up time! handy they had a nice looking spare costume all ready to go

CHARLIE You sent Sam a phantom text from his ex? Dick move, sir.

tell him, charlie

CHARLIE So he found some normalcy with this chick, and now it's gone... again. Thanks to you. DEAN Yeah, well, now he's more committed than ever, so there's that. But, trust me, this life – you can't afford attachments. You just got to... let go. CHARLIE Are we still talking about Sam, or did you break up with someone, too? DEAN Me? CHARLIE Yeah. DEAN No.

even if we're no homo-ing benny, a breakup with a close friend can be just as/more devastating than a romantic breakup. also always funny the way they throw around the no attachments type talk, when sam and dean are fused together

the bonding and the little bits with her flirting with the ladies, all very sweet. they mesh nicely

how uncomfortable i am embarrassment-wise could probably be very nicely graphed with how many times i need to pause. this hasn't been the worst, but there's been a lot. probably 10-15. onward

queer ladies kissing, yay! cutting to dean for his reaction every time, boo

DEAN So, what's, uh... what's next? 'Cause no fun, right? Look, before you say anything, I get it. No amount of fun is gonna help you get over what you gave up. You just, uh... you need time, right? SAM Yeah. Thanks. And you're right. Having fun won't help me. It'll help both of us. Shall we?

now that's love right there

also, the little ponytail is adorable

made it through. that was a little rough but a variety of redeeming moments to help ease the way. i thought the fairies were going to be like.. the type you do not want to mess with. deals and such. the magicians had those kinds of fairies, for reference, even though sera's not with the show at this point now :p