#then he's like well I guess I didn't need that anyway

[gyeomsweetgyeom]

[9:43 pm]

(cw: f!reader, Mark is drunk)

"Fuck yeah! Keg stand champion!" You hear someone yell as you make your way into the crowded living room of the NXT frat house.

You hadn't planned on being here tonight. You had some assignments you wanted to get a jump on, you hadn't been in the best mood all day, and you didn't feel like spending your night around a bunch of drunken, bumbling idiots.

So how did you end up here? Your drunk, bumbling boyfriend fratboy!Mark. Well, not him directly. He'd been a little whiny when you told him you weren't going to come to the party tonight, but he understood your reasoning and didn't push. You'd actually gotten a call from Johnny about 20 minutes ago asking you to come help with Mark.

Mark was a lightweight, like a featherweight even. If he even smelled alcohol, he got tipsy. For the most part, during parties, you put yourself in charge of making sure Mark didn't get too drunk. When he got too drunk he got messy. Without you being there, there was no one to be in charge. You should have guessed you'd be getting this call at some point in the night, but not less than an hour after the party began.

You elbow past some drunk party goers and make your way upstairs toward one of the bathrooms that's always off limits during parties. You knock, hearing a muffled, "occupied! Use a bathroom downstairs!"

"Johnny," you reply, "it's me."

You hear a retch and cringe, listening as Johnny pulls the door open. He let's out a sigh of relief, "I'm sorry, he just wouldn't stop crying because he missed you. I don't know how you deal with this. He's fine with you, right?"

"Of course he is. Thanks for calling, enjoy your party," you nod with a smile.

Johnny leaves you and Mark alone in the bathroom and you take to helping Mark out. You rub his back and give him the water bottle Johnny had left on the counter for him. Mark is groaning the whole time, eyes shut as he curls in on himself. After about 15 minutes you know that he's done.

He's slumped against the toilet bowl when you pat his cheek, "come on, babe. Let's get you back to bed."

He doesn't even open his eyes as he whines, "not goin' to my room wi' you."

"We need to get you to bed, babe, come on," you prod.

His eyes snap open as he lifts his head, "Stop callin' me babe. Look, I have a girlfriend alright. She won't be happy if I bring another girl to my room."

"Mark, I am your girlfriend," you explain.

"No, you're not," Mark shakes his head like a child, "my girlfriend didn't wanna come out tonight, and she said— she said she's not comin' tonight." He's looking up at you with tears in his eyes, "I really miss 'er."

You crouch down beside him, cupping his cheek as you coo, "baby, I'm here. It's me."

"No, you're not you!" He squints at you, rubbing his eyes and grumbling about needing his glasses, "if you're my girlfriend, tell me something only my girlfriend would know."

You stare at Mark blankly, as his girlfriend since senior year of high school, there's a lot of things only you would know. You shrug and answer anyway, "when we lost our virginities to each other you cried."

"My mom knows that too, pick something else!"

"Mark, why would you tell your mom about that?" You ask incredulously.

"She loves me!" He cries, "just like my girlfriend! I miss my girlfriend!"

"Oh my— Mark Lee. It's me, I'm your girlfriend. You text me every time you need to wash your sheets because you forget how much detergent you need, you like it when I kiss below your ear, you keep snacks under your bed for midnight snacks, and you have a crush on the librarian on the third floor for some reason," you list off.

"Oh, my snuggle muffin! It is you! I missed you!" Mark exclaims as he throws himself into your lap, embracing you tightly.

You laugh, brushing your fingers through his damp hair, "I told you. Can we get you to bed now?"

"You're staying right?"

"Yes, Mark."

[karikarasuno]

part one

law is handy. well, he's good with his hands. he's a surgeon after all. so when he sees you struggling to push a box that's nearly twice the size of you into your home, he's out of his car in seconds.

sure his arms are sore from working all day and he feels the beginnings of a headache prick at his temple. but he can't help himself when he sees the box you've managed to wrestle upright almost topple over and onto you.

"fuck," you whisper yell, but it's loud enough for him to hear as he quickly approaches you. his hands somehow wrap around yours where they grip the cardboard. the sudden contact startles you and you yelp, jumping back in fear.

"shit, sorry," he's apologizing immediately, pulling the large box away from you and towards himself. "you looked like you needed some help."

"oh so you came rushing over to rescue me?" you smile when you realize it's just him and not someone attempting to rob you.

"i guess you could say that," he chuckles, shifting the box that was clearly too heavy for you to carry alone to one side so he could see you. "do you want me to bring this in for you?"

he watches your cheeks form a pretty blush which satisfies him in a way he doesn't really understand.

"that would be nice actually," you say, your eyes sliding from his hands up his arms. he appreciates the attention even though he won't admit it aloud. "you're probably stronger than me anyway."

"yeah, probably," he laughs through his nose, hiking the box a few inches from the floor as he follows you inside. he didn't think his offer through first, though. because stepping into your home is like stepping into another world entirely.

his house his clean. organized. marie kondo'ed to a tee. and that's not saying that yours is a mess. it's just cluttered. every place has a thing but every thing has a place. its the definition of organized chaos. yet it feels lived in. and comfortable. and nostalgic almost.

and the smell. it’s smokey like bourbon, but with a hint of something sweet. vanilla. oddly enough, it reminds him of his brother. now he’s craving a hug. how weird.

“you can just set it there,” he hears you say, pointing to an empty space in your bedroom. chopper comes bounding out, friendly and excited. you had to hold him back by his collar so law had enough space to put the large box down.

“thanks,” you say as law straightens, “it probably would’ve taken me twice as long to lug that in.”

“it was no problem,” he says wiping his hands on his scrubs, and trying not to cringe once he remembers he’s still in his work clothes.

“yeah yeah yeah you’re big and strong, I get it,” you wave your hands around. he blushes. hard. “but you don’t gotta rub it in.”

he drags a hand down his face to settle the burn in his cheeks.

“you know, i can build it for you too," he offers, realizing that if it was too heavy for you to carry, it might be a struggle for you to build.

"no, its fine," you dismiss him, gesturing for him to follow you out the bedroom. "if you keep being nice to me i'll eventually fall in love with you."

you say it so casually. so flippantly. and he knows you're just kidding, but it still sits in his chest in an uncomfortably full way. but he laughs to cover it up.

"alright then," he says walking towards your still open front door, "the offer still stands if you ever need it."

****

cora is over. he's decided he needs to use law's grill. not that law really uses it. but he conceded to cora's request, because he promised to cook dinner. and law is very much tired of eating grilled chicken and rice since it's the only thing he has time to make these days.

"i have steak, veggies, and a tray of shish kebabs i found at the store that looked interesting so i bought them," cora says, organizing the food on an aluminum platter to take out to the lanai.

he forgets the tongs, so law grabs those from his utensil holder before following cora outside. he's just excited to get a home cooked meal to be honest.

but what causes him to pause-- to stop fully in his tracks-- is the sight of you, downward dog on a yoga mat in your backyard. directly in his line of sight. he's not sure when you took up yoga or when you started doing it outside, but he can't help but stare.

"hey," cora snaps in front of law's face, "gimme this." he steals the tongs from law's loose grip.

you've now moved into child's pose, chopper slumbering peacefully beside you. he has to force his eyes away from you, regardless of how flexible you appear to be.

“who’s that?” cora asks, fiddling with the grill to turn it on.

“just my neighbor,” law says, trying his hardest to maintain nonchalance. but you make it harder for him when he looks up again and finds you standing beside your mat and stretching your arms out over your head.

you’re in a sports bra and shorts. and that’s it.

“right so i gathered that much,” cora responds, clicking the tongs together, “but what i meant was do you know her?”

“as my neighbor, yes,” law says like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. cora rolls his eyes and directs his attention back to the grill.

and maybe, in an ideal world, cora would’ve left it at that, but that’s before he sees you approaching. chopper is running enthusiastically in front of you, tongue hanging outside his mouth as he runs straight up to the screen.

“chopper, down!” you scold as he places his front paws on the door.

“i’m sorry,” you continue, grabbing chopper by the collar and tugging him down, “we’re currently working on his over friendliness.”

“it’s ok,” law says, glancing over at cora who’s staring at the interaction with a little too much interest for law’s comfort.

“hi,” you greet cora, saying your name and smiling politely.

“cora,” he replies. “this guy’s older brother.”

he tilts his head towards law, busying himself once more with the grill. and law’s pretty sure it’s not even on yet.

“Y’know,” law starts as he approaches you, “you apologize to me quite often and you really don’t have to.”

“ugh, I can’t help it,” you complain, exasperated but your lips are stretched with a coy grin. “it’s a bad habit i picked up because of my dumb ex.”

law’s surprised. he wasn’t expecting you to be so open or forthcoming. so casual about your life as if you don’t mind sharing it with him. a stranger.

“anyway, i’ll work on it,” you chuckle, letting go of chopper’s collar now that he’s calmed down again. but now that your hand is free your cross it over your body to hold onto the yoga mat that’s propped on your opposite hip. he knows you don’t do it on purpose, but the gesture presses your breasts together in a way that accidentally draws his attention.

his neck grows hot.

“speaking of, did you ever get around to building that…” he trails off when he realizes he has no idea what was inside the box.

“oh! my dresser.” you shake your head. “turns out you need tools like a drill and not just the flimsy screwdriver I have in my junk drawer.”

“i could have told you that.” he finds you endearing. which is a problem because he knows he’s starting to like you. as more than just a neighbor.

he can also feel cora’s gaze burning holes into his back. nosey son of a bitch.

“yeah well, i’m working up the courage to go to the hardware store to buy one. the men in there are just always so fucking pushy, i hate dealing with them.”

“i have a drill,” he says plainly, trying not to show his annoyance about how offhandedly you refer to the weirdos that seem to lurk in every aisle of that place. like this is just a normal occurrence for you.

“can i borrow it? that would actually save me so much time and sanity.” your eyes light up, hopeful.

“i think it would be easier if i just did it,” he offers again. it’s obvious to him and maybe to you, but most definitely to cora, that this is law’s attempt at trying to spend more time with you.

“i’m starting to think you don’t trust me,” your eyes narrow playfully, and you purse your lips at him skeptically. “and after all we’ve been through.”

you pout. feigning hurt, but your eyes are alight with something else entirely. law’s stomach flips.

“it’s an expensive drill,” he shrugs, stuffing his hands into his pant pockets, silently praying that he looks unaffected by your antics; that are absolutely working on him.

“fine, when then? i’m free tomorrow evening.”

“that works for me.”

the smile you give him is sly. knowing. and completely disarming to him.

“perfect, it’ll give me enough time to think of how I’ll return the favor.”

before he can contest to let you know that you don’t have to return anything to him, your back is facing him and chopper is following happily behind you.

he watches you leave. mostly dazed from speaking with you. and enjoying it more than he probably should have.

but his bubble bursts when cora says, “hm, next time just invite her over for dinner. maybe that’ll make it less obvious that you’re trying to get in her pants.”

[nightbutterfly09]

Surprise!!

You were walking home when your phone started ringing. 'My loveee 💕' displayed on the screen. You pick it up with a slightly wide smile. "Hii what's up?" "Want me to drive you home mi amor?" You could hear the flirtatious tone coming from him. You couldn't help but laugh. "Stop joking, you are all the way in Spain."

"Wrong, I'm home, arrived an hour ago" he smirked and you could hear it. "What?" Shock formed on your face and your legs couldn't move an inch.

"You heard right, I am here, anyway I don't need your answer I already have the keys just wait for me." "But S-sae!" You couldn't make anything of the situation. "It's cold so I'm going" with that he hung up. No further words needed.

The hand that was holding your device lowered still trying to process the situation. Time passed while staring at the cars. Each car that looked like his (not that there is a lot) caused your eyes to fill with anticipation. You definitely looked like a teenage girl with some kind of separation anxiety, or at least who was deeply in love.

Not that it was so far from the truth.

Finally the car you've waited for turned inside the parking lot and you ran towards it. You opened the passenger door with a big smile and dropped your bags.

Arms nestled around his neck as he leaned away from the steering wheel. "Someone missed me" he chuckled into your neck, reciprocating the hug. "Why didn't you tell me you're back!!" Although that was more of an excited statement than a question. "It was better this way, no?" He smirked. "Well.. I guess I like this version too." You grinned against him.

He pulled away and raised your chin while looking into your eyes. "I'm back." His gaze softened and wandered around your figure, staying a minute more on your face. He missed you so much that he just couldn't admit that. His days were so poor and emotionless with just those nightly video calls. He does often thank the world that scientists have discovered them. Without those he'd surely die. And he isn't exaggerating.

"I've missed you Sae." And you know very well he did too. The feel of his lips on yours made this moment electric. Dancing together at a fast pace but still not forgetting the passion behind it.

Your love, and his amor. The feeling couldn't be described even by a poet who is famous worldwide. Never in this world could someone find the right words for this feeling. Something out of this world. Bigger than planet Earth.

Something ethereal.

“Let's go home.” He chuckled against your lips finally pulling away. He threw your bags in the backseat. “Oh and I got you something.” He gave you a bag.

A bouquet of flowers towered out of it while it also contained your favorite sweets. “Thank you!!” You giggled happily. Leaning into him again. “I love you.”

“I love you too, mi Vida.”

[ficsinhistory]

Gun and Stones

So, I was thinking about Stone these days and some small thoughts came to mind, especially thanks to @shitposting-for-the-soul

Many people think that Stone will become the big villain of Sonic 4 and while I want this man to go through the very valid crash out that he needs to have… I don't believe that this will translate into villainy.

Not against Earth and the team of heroes at least.

Stone is evil. But he also has standards. Are they only relevant to him? Yes, but he does. We've already seen that he's not xenophobic, not caring about Shadow's world domination because he considered him an ally and treated him as such, regardless of the hedgehog being an alien. He took control of a café in Green Hills through shady means, but only because he followed Ivo's manifesto and it didn't even cross his mind to dominate the world without the Doctor.

And that's the thing, Stone wanted to dominate the world with Robotnik. To be his right hand man.

And with Eggman presumed dead, I don't believe any plan to enslave humanity would even cross his mind.

You ask me: Stone has already started a posthumous plan for Ivo once, why not start over?

And I answer: Because of the way Ivo died.

Robotnik sacrificed himself to save the Earth, since he couldn't save it. Not only that, he made that very clear in his final message. And I doubt Stone would want to attack humanity after the most important person in his life sacrificed everything to keep it.

Taking over the Earth would not only be empty without Ivo, it would tarnish the Doctor's ultimate sacrifice. And Stone would never act against Eggman's wishes.

But Stone is also grieving, and that pain and sadness needs to go somewhere.

And I believe it will be directed in two ways, although both end up on the same target: GUN.

The first is that Stone's anger and sadness is directed at GUN from the beginning.

He was once part of this organization and Stone knows how insidious it is. It was because of them that Gerald went crazy and built the Eclipse Cannon. It was because of them that Ivo was discarded without further ado. All this chaos happened because of them.

And Stone wouldn't let that go unpunished.

Maybe he plans to act against GUN alone or when Sonic and the others inevitably face them - especially since Rockwell will probably be the new leader - they need Stone's help, who will be more than happy to help.

Add to that the possibility that Stone will become Shadow's new guardian and this man's anger will triple.

The second is more complicated: Stone will try to get revenge on Sonic and company… because he thinks they were responsible for Ivo's death.

Yes, yes, we know that Tails and Knuckles saved Eggman from his despicable grandfather… but not Stone. Sonic already tried to kill Ivo once and was disappointed when he realized he hadn't succeeded. He has no reason to think that this wasn't what happened again.

Stone would blame them…and that's where GUN would come in.

With Rockwell in charge, the Wachowskis are already on thin ice. With Metal Sonic and Amy Rose showing up? Nah, they're going to be on a witch hunt for all the aliens. And they took advantage of Stone's grief by claiming that it was Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles who killed Robotnik in an attempt to bring him over to their side. Is that a blatant lie? Absolutely, but it's not like GUN plays fair and has any morals anyway lol.

Of course, this would only work if Shadow isn't under his care.

But assuming he isn't, that's quite likely. As is the truth coming out.

My best guess is that Amy would bring Stone to his senses with a speech like she did with Shadow in SA2, perhaps using her temporal powers to show him what really happened (Amy and Stone would get along well in general in my opinion since both characters have caring and unconditional love as a big part of who they are).

We also have the possibility of the team or even Shadow himself telling what really happened.

And Stone would be livid with GUN using him. Again. And tainting Ivo's memory and wishes.

Anyway, I can't wait to see Stone back and terrorizing GUN! Thanks for reading!

[beef-brisket]

Adam groaned. Luckily, there wasn't much traffic on the road, so they weren't holding anyone up- and their in no danger of getting hit.

Climbing out of the car, Adam walked around and carefully took Lucifer out of the driver's seat.

The king groaned and mumbled something Adam didn't pay attention to.

Adam: Alright, you're officially the passenger princess.

Lucifer: Fuck... you...

Adam: You already have~. Don't have any wet dreams of me, shorty. I can only focus on a few different things at once~.

Putting Lucifer in the passenger seat, Adam shuts the door and walks to the drivers side, hopping in.

Lucifer goes in and out of consciousness. He feels exhausted, but like he can't fully fall asleep. But, as he sees Bel's house getting closer, he finally gives in, and the world goes dark.

Adam pulls up to what he assumed to be Belphegor's house: Alright. That was easy. Lu, no offence, but this place is waaay prettier than Pride and the demons are way fucking hotter.

If Lucifer was awake, he would have argued tooth and nail with Adam.

Grabbing the invitation, Adam hopped out of the car, and walked around the passengers seat.

Adam: I'm going to carry you, bitch. Hopefully, this... bitch, doesn't think I murdered you or something. Although I wouldn't mind being kept here, this place smells and looks amazing- I thought Gluttony was great, but it's nothing compared to this shit.

The first man picked Lucifer up and rested him on his chest, the kings head flopping onto his shoulder. Lucifer would be embarrassed by the fact that he's being held like a baby.

Strolling in, Adam found who he assumed was Belphegor: Holy shit. She's badass looking. Lu? Have you seen her? Shit, babe.

Lucifer growled weakly making Adam chuckle.

Adam: Yo! You Belphegor?

The tall, sheep Sin slowly turned to face Adam: Yes? Oh, is that- Lucifer?

Adam snorted: Oh, yeah. This guy. Definitely Lucifer. King of Hell, sin of Pride, you grt the gist- I didn't hurt him, alright? He's not handling Sloth very well- sick Ring, but the way, it's fucking great here and I've only been here for like... ten minutes, tops.

Belphegor smiled: Why thank you. I'm glad you like it. Does he need medical assistance?

Adam: Nah,He's fine. He needs the sleep. If he was awake, he'd just be complaining my ear off the whole ride back, so I'm taking advantage of this.

Belphegor laughed: And you are?

Adam: Oh shit- I'm Adam.

Belphegor: Thee Adam?

Adam smiled: Dick and all, bitc- I mean, lovely lady.

Belphegor: Well, it's a pleasure.

Adam: Oh, yeah. I know~. I feel like I'm forgetting something... oh shit! This is for you! The kid has a party at the hotel.

Belphegor slowly took the invite and red the letter.

Belphegor: Very interesting. Tell the princess I'll be there with bells on!

Adam: Oooh, because you're a sheep. Got it. Alright, well... uh, I guess I'll be off. See ya, bitch!

Belphegor: Oh! Wait! Congratulations!

Adam: Huh? What for?

The Sin smiled and pointed to his stomach, making the first man blush: Oh- that's... you won't believe it anyway, but uh- thanks, I guess!

Bel laughed as Adam carried Lucifer out. Poor guy hadn't stirred at all.

Once he got his king settled, Adam hopped in the driver's seat and took off in a random direction. Surely, he'll find the highway eventually.

Destination Redemption!

@beef-brisket

Pride was one of if not the largest ring in all of Hell. So when the population of sinners started to really take a toll from the paused exterminations Lucifer had no choice but to open up the other rings to fan them out.

So for the time being until they got word back from heaven about how to handle all the sinners they were all over Hell's creation. Literally.

Charlie, wanting to redeem more sinners now that it's possible thought it would be a great idea to spread the word to the seven rings of Hell to help all of the sinners reach the pearly gates!

Lucifer: You want me to do that? But sweetie it's your hotel.

Charlie: Yes! Buuut, if you succeed in getting people to come here they'll want to meet the "big boss" of the hotel herself. Pretty good huh?

Lucifer snickered, okay that was cute.

Lucifer: Okay, I guess I can just zap-

Charlie: No! You gotta take your time dad. Do it right, use the Jeep! Please, for me?

She wants him to go on a literal road trip?

Lucifer: ..... Can I bring Adam?

Charlie: Sure! It'll be good to get him out of into the fresh air for a while!

Lucifer nodded, him and Adam have been working on their...... Friendship? Relationship? Situationship more like it but it is what it is.

He went and knocked on Adams door, the fallen angel answered.

Adam: Yeah?

Lucifer: I'm going on a road trip, wanna come with?

Adam thought for a moment: Sure, if it means I get out of here for a while.

Lucifer beamed: Great! Pack a bag and meet me in the lobby in one hour!

[castlekriegler]

Hello everybody! :D

Master Eckhardt, I have a confession! xD For the past two weeks I've been trying to get used to the remastered Kurtis. His new looks has been bothering me. Yes, me, one of the most obsessed people with Lartis and AOD. :( :( :( It makes me feel sad and confused. I was not sure if to write anything because I didn't want to be spoiling the ongoing party! Plus I didn't want to criticize in public too much because that would feel like back-stabbing all the people involved…

Luckily yesterday I realized that with some minor adjustments and rather small changes made here and there, he could be close to perfection and way closer to the original. ;D

Just to make myself clear: I have NEVER meant to bother or attack the creators and/or fans of the remastered version of Kurtis. I'm happy that many people love the new Kurtis' face. And I'm glad, grateful, excited and enthusiastic that TRAOD has got another chance to shine. (Even though we all know that there have been some quality and other issues mostly caused by the lack of time - which is unforgivable! by the people who caused it - AOD has always deserved more and seems to be cursed by the time restrains…)

Anyway I wasn't sure what exactly was bothering me about the new face in Kurtis' case, but something was definitely off to me. I couldn't put my finger on where the problem was, but yesterday I figured it out. At least I think. ;) I made these rough edits last week and et voilà - Welcome back, Kurtis Trent! :D (Sorry for the bad quality. I had only a very simple rectangular selection tool at hand, but you get the picture - I'm planning to make 'clean' versions as well when I have more time.)

(The pictures on the right are the edited ones.)

(The original picture posted by @angel-in-shadow: https://angel-in-shadow.tumblr.com/post/776308000718716928/soooooo-i-might-have-some-remastered-kuris-mesh)

The jaw and chin

The bony face shape from some angles (not visible here) makes him look much younger and even a little bit starving. xD But more importantly, PLS, get rid of the protruding (hag's xD) chin. It doesn't suit him IMHO. It changes a face a lot; it's completely different type of chin. I have a problem with the fact that the original face didn't have even a tiny hint of that face trait. Also his upper lip is does not stick out anymore and the lips are not so uneven now.

(The original picture posted by @minis-gaming: https://minis-gaming.tumblr.com/post/776146302680596480/the-demon-hunter)

The hair and his lips

I'd personally prefer his hair a little bit darker (not visible in the dark pictures in general) and the front hair shorter. I would also add more hair to the front - like overgrown bangs of a sort - more of it getting into his eyes (and covering his forehead more). I also flattened his hair on the top of his head. It looked almost like backcombed xD. Also the strand of hair thrown into the back the remastered Kurtis has - I have no idea how it could stay in place like that. xD The fringe-like haircut seems to be more practical and 'free' and without a need of adjusting it every minute. xD

The shape of his upper lip looks really weird in some angles. I made the upper lip narrower in the second pic. That was it. But to me the difference is HUGE. (The model seems to be okay though, so I guess it's more like a matter of textures or something… Sorry, I'm not very familiar with the 3D terminology.)

(Again the right picture is the edited one - I only made the original on the left lighter.)

I can recognize him now. I wonder if anyone agrees with me?

Of course, the original graphics (lacking in some ways for today standards) was leaving more space for imagination, so I admit we all could see the characters a little bit differently. ;)

Do I like the new remastered face? Yes - with some reservations. All in all, he has always been more than just a pretty face. ;) His appearance is important to me of course, but I especially LOVE his character. On the other hand, like seriously, look at the difference the edited pics make… *drolls* :D AWWW!!!!!! *crazyfangirling* I NEED THESE CHANGES! :P :D :D :D

Many people won't probably agree with me on several points in this post (PLEASE LET ME STILL JOIN THE PARTY!), but I'm just sharing some of my thoughts here. And wondering about your opinions. ;) And I'm also writing this to let the fans of the original model of Kurtis know that they are not alone. ;) :P Either way, the original is still here, so we all can be happy. A WIN-WIN situation, isn't it? ;D

PHEW! I have SO needed to get these thoughts out! You have no idea… I guess I'm too much into the issue; well, it's been a while since my obsession with AOD started, so please have patience and bear with me. xD We have spent a really long time with the original game… ;)

[daily-beau]

Day 16: My saviour

[alecflynn]

Alec had not only grown up an only child, but he was often left parentless as well. As a result, he'd come to loathe any form of authority, finding it as a challenge to his independence rather than someone offering some guidance he probably desperately needed. But he couldn't imagine having siblings that controlled his partying like she was describing. Felt kinda... he didn't know, like olden days? But it wasn't in his wheelhouse to judge, especially if she was only using it as an excuse not to drink with a stranger. Which, again, more for him. He'd earned it, anyway. He'd just been trying to be nice and spread the joy.

In the end, he only flashed his palms in surrender. "Touché!" he exclaimed like a cheers before shooting back most of his first drink and inching the other to sit in front of him.

But music. He could talk about music until his very last breath. "Violin?" he asked, quirking an impressed brow. Piano was one thing— standard starter instrument— but violin. "Okay, Lindsey Stirling. You any good?" He did love a moment to brag, though, so he continued, "I can play the piano a little bit, but guitar is my thing. Drums I've given a try, too, but I don't know, it's too organized for me. I like the chaos of an impromptu guitar solo. Just kinda let it take you wherever it wants to go." He sat back in his seat a little, his grin turning a little devilish. "Guess I'm good with my hands."

Amara caught the flicker of distaste on his face before he could smooth it over, and it was enough to make her laugh. “It’s okay, you can judge. My brothers are way worse if I drink when they’re not around, so really, this is nothing.” She waved a dismissive hand, eyes glinting with amusement as she sipped her own drink —alcohol-free, as promised. “They seem to think I need a chaperone if I’m going to have more than one. But hey, that just means I get to enjoy watching everyone else make bad decisions while I stay in the clear.” A teasing smile tugged at her lips. “Besides, if free is your favorite flavor, then I’d argue responsible is mine.”

His question had her tilting her head, considering for a moment. “Musically inclined?” She echoed, a small, knowing smile settling in place. “Not much of a singer, I’m afraid.” That much was certain, she was more than happy to leave that to people with actual talent. “But I play piano and violin. Had lessons growing up.” That was the short answer, the easiest way to explain it without pulling back the layers of expectation that had shaped so much of her life. “What about you? I mean, you earned those drinks —so what’s your musical weapon of choice?”

[camellcat]

stray thought but why didn’t they just let giles die in spiral? like... other than make buffy miserable what does he even do in the later seasons? I feel like it would've been better to just let him go out on a good note than waste away as a character

[girlivealwaysbean]

can someone tell me how to keep going if your hardwork does pay off but you don't feel anything when you achieve your goal just relief and numb again

[nyanwrites]

✦•······················•✦PART TWO✦•······················•✦

The young woman laid in the back seat in front of Randal, still looking dazed despite how Luther had stitched her head up. Randal stared at her with a wide grin, his hands shuffling a little from his apparent excitement.

She finally turned her gaze to him and blinked. "Do you... need something?..." She asked, tilting her head to the side. Luther had taken her cigarette away as he felt that it would harm her as she was healing but it did fit her, at least it did to Randal.

Randal didn't answer her question, rather he interrupted her and excitedly questioned- "You're a zombie, aren't you?!" He pointed at her, his whole body trembling a little from the excitement he felt.

The lady paused before looking off to the side. "I think so, yeah..."

Randal heaved a little before asking again, leaning forward a little. "How does it feel being a zombie? Do you feel yourself rotting away?" He questioned, eyes still wide with crazed excitement.

The woman blinked before shrugging. "I mean, sort of... My body kind of feels numb but doesn't at the same time..." She leaned back, staring at the roof of the truck with half-lidded eyes. Randal let out what she assumed was a mix between a laugh and a shriek of excitement. He rubbed his hands together in an oddly comedic way.

"I wanna try being a zombie one day. Having a zombie smell and a feeling of rotting..." He grinned, a bit of blood dripping from his nose as he thought about it. The woman didn't think too much about his strange behavior.

Randal questioned again. "Anyway, what's your name?"

The woman blinked and began to scratch at her chin with her head tilted up. "It was something.. Ca... Ca?..." She didn't seem to remember her own name. Typical of zombie humans.

"How about Calypso?" Randal added excitedly, pointing his finger up. "You can't name an unknown human. They probably already have a name-" The lady paused and thought for a moment before speaking with a small smile plastered on her face. "Yeah... Calypso... I like that!.. Not sure if that's my actual name but I like it!"

Randal chuckled to himself and licked up the blood dripping from his nose. "Thanks! I'm really good at this naming thing, heh." Calypso nodded slightly, almost as if agreeing with a small smile.

Randal and Calypso stayed quiet for a few minutes before Randal spoke again. "You really stink of cigarettes and alcohol... It's like you lived off of nothing but that. Did you?" He said rather bluntly. "Don't be rude to guests, Randal." Luther scolded his younger brother.

Calypso lazily lifted her hand and waved it dismissively. "Nah, it's alright... I think I might've, honestly..." She mumbled.

"Well, that couldn't have been healthy," Luther remarked. "Probably wasn't but it felt good." Calypso said, "But after a while, things felt sad again so I had another cig or drink."

"Well, be careful what you eat or drink next time," Luther advised, his eyes still on the road. Suddenly, the vehicle came to a halt right next to a forest. Calypso turned to the window next to her with a hint of confusion.

"Aw, is she leaving already?" Randal asked, a smile still plastered on his face. "We can't possibly keep another pet with Sebastian. Besides, she probably has her own home." Luther said. "I guess you're right." Randal murmured.

"Go on, then." Luther snapped his head to Calypso, waiting for her to get up. Calypso nodded and sluggishly stood up from her seat. She began to walk all the way to the door as it was opened and stepped out.

"Stay safe," Luther said with a still expressionless face. "I will... Thanks for the ride..." Calypso replied, waving as the door closed and the van sped past her. They had just left her in the wilderness. And she didn't even remember that ginger boy's name but she had some idea of where she had to go, sort of.

She turned and walked off, looking through the forest carefully. Her movements were still sluggish. She stared for a moment longer before she noticed something a little deeper in the forest...

She squinted her eyes a bit, which were already blurry. Was that a... cabin? She thought to herself. "I feel like I should go there." She grinned a little before beginning to walk towards the cabin slowly.

When she finally reached it, she noticed a few things. It was purely wooden and already seemed pretty old. She opened the door slowly and smelled something weird inside but she didn't mind too much. She sat down in the corner of the cabin and glanced around.

"Guess this is where I'll be sleeping for now..."

✦•······················•✦ADDITIONAL/EPILOGUE✦•······················•✦

Nyao, who was sleeping in the backseat next to Randal the whole time finally woke up and let out a small yawn, stretching her arms out. She paused for a few seconds before smelling something strange and somewhat putrid.

Nyao turned to Randal and asked. "What happened?" Randal giggled a little. "There was a zombie lady in here." He replied, still giggling as more blood dripped from his nose.

Nyao tilted her head. "What?" "Yep, you totally missed out!" Randal exclaimed, sitting with his knees close to his chest and his back a bit hunched.

✦•······················•✦END✦•······················•✦

A peculiar zombie person!

(A RANFREN OC FANFIC)

✦•······················•✦PART ONE✦•······················•✦

Luther sat quietly in the passenger's seat, feeling quite a bit excited. They were going camping after all. Nyen was quietly driving them along and Randal, Nyon & Nyao were sitting in the back. It was fairly nice and quiet until-

"Hou~" Randal cooed.

"Hou?" Luther said in a questioning tone. "When you say things and make noises, make things we can make sense of, please. Thank you."

"I think I see a woman with her brain exposed up ahead!" Randal replied with a small laugh. Luther turned with a small snapping sound.

"Her brain exposed? Well, I heard that some could die if their brain is exposed for too long. We should help her, shouldn't we?" Luther said with a tilt of his head. Randal gave him an indifferent shrug. "Your choice, not mine." Luther quickly snapped his neck back to the front and noticed what Randal was talking about...

A fairly tall human woman, with pale skin and blonde hair, and standing on the sidewalk with a dazed look. And as Randal said, her brain was exposed, and blood was dripping down her face. She made no effort to wipe it off. She also stank of alcohol and smoke.

"Poor woman..." Luther sighed, his face still expressionless. He turned his head to his pink-haired catman and ordered. "Stop in front of that woman. I heard humans could die if left like that." Nyen let out a small grunt before reluctantly stopping in front of the woman.

The human blinked before raising her head a little, still dazed. Luther noticed she had a cigarette in between her lips. Well, that just wouldn't do.

"Humans can't teleport, brother," Randal muttered suddenly, interrupting Luther's thoughts. Luther didn't shift his eyes away from the woman. "As long as she's not rude, I'll help her. This trip is about self-improvement and bonding. It's okay."

"Rightt.." Randal said in a sing-songy voice. "And if she's an asshole?" "Then I'll make sure she's never seen again." Luther replied simply. "That's the spirit!" Randal responded in a giddy tone.

Luther noticed the woman was still standing still, making no effort to even tap on the door. Poor thing. Luther snapped his head back to the others before speaking. "Now, because I'm allowing someone on, I want everyone on their best behavior, alright? Just be as normal as you possibly can."

Luther turned back to the woman, who was still standing still and quietly. He kicked the door open before speaking again. "Out of the goodness in my heart, I'll give you a ride. So, please, come in. You are in horrible condition." He stretched his hand out expectantly.

He had heard that humans would act quite dazed and wobbly when their brain is exposed.

The woman stared at his hand for a moment, her dark, eyeshadow-covered eyelids twitching quite a bit. She slowly but carefully lifted her hand and kept it in his much longer, skinny one. She let out a small chuckle.

Luther then spoke again. "Before you enter... Hmm..." It would be rude to give a human with their brain exposed such a stern lecture, especially since they probably wouldn't even get it. "How about you just be good, is that clear?" He tilted his head to the side, a small cracking sound emitting from his neck.

The young human stayed quiet for a moment, eyes half-lidded before finally speaking. "Alrighty... Sir." Her voice was low and raspy, as expected from a human who smoked. "Then welcome," Luther replied, pulling her into the truck carefully. The human clumsily got in as followed along with Luther.

Randal stared at the woman curiously, taking a close look at her. The woman was peculiar but what he found most peculiar was that her brain was exposed for likely so long and yet she was still alive! He heard that that was impossible for humans. Or perhaps...

"SHE'S A ZOMBIE!!" Randal yelled out, not with fear but with enthusiasm and excitement. The dazed human giggled a bit at how he yelled but didn't say anything.

"Randal, watch your manners. She's a new person."

✦•······················•✦T.B.C✦•······················•✦

(yeah uh sorry gang I was too busy to complete it but I still wanted to post SOMETHING here so yeah :,3)

(Hope u guys likes it tho :])

[eschynite]

Maybe I'm projecting and being hopeful but I mentioned to M that I don't even get to shit by myself in peace lmao and I feel like something clicked for him. Bc I was like hey, at least you get private bathroom breaks at work (noncombative). And since then he's been a lot more acquiescent when I ask if I can nap and stuff

[sysig]

Totally unaffected by this gesture of affection, definitely (Patreon)

[regular-lord-reckoner]

i am so glad this week is finally (almost) over

i had an appointment with my pcp on monday to see about this possible kidney stone situation

they did a urinalysis on me and sure enough i do have some blood in my urine so that plus the pain means it's likely there's a stone, but i'm in a situation again where i haven't had any pain for days so it's like...that's not good !! (especially since this has been going on for a few months at this point !)

they ordered me a ct scan which i had today so i'm hoping maybe sometime tomorrow i'll get the results of that and we can maybe figure out what's going on

i also had a dentist appointment on wednesday but it was just a cleaning and my dentist said everything looks good. it is kinda funny because i was actually supposed to have this appointment months ago but decided to reschedule because i had too much going on that week and so it got pushed out until now and then i end up having even more shit to do this week than i did back then so...oh well !! it's finally done

and tomorrow i've gotta do some of my usual errands (mostly taking the garbage off and getting a few things from the grocery store) and then i think i'll finally be done !! hopefully !!

hope you have a good, restful weekend coming up if you're reading this !! <3

[hsslilly-blog]

source

[starrysmiling]

my theory on jax's parents

i've been sitting on this one for a long while and finally got the push to write this up. i want to write about this in the future, but there's bits here that have got to wait until cube corp releases, so... i'm just going to talk about it while i'm here.

anyway. as we all know, jax seems to be raised by arthur, and neither of them ever mention his parents.

so where. the fuck. are they.

spoiler alert: just between you and me, i think they're dead. not that it's confirmed or anything...

so... let's begin with a preword. the jax in my canon is 22, since unlike ace and the player, he doesn't have a canon-implied age. (this did not stop me from making fern 21.)

this makes him just slightly older than the meteorite strike on crater town, which happened 20 years ago. it's important to note this, because he needs to be alive for his parents to die in the aftermath of the meteorite strike.

whoops. did i just say that?

let's just change tracks for a bit.

arthur is training jax to be the next champion. that's quite obvious from the story, he says it outright, there isn't any question about that. but i think that originally, arthur wanted his own child to succeed him. it's also something to think about if you consider that he stepped down from the champion's seat before the events of the game, which prompts me to think that he wanted a successor before he stepped down, but he couldn't train jax in time bc jax was still too young.

so let's go with that: arthur intended for his child to succeed him as the next champion after he steps down. thus: arthur's child, and one of jax's parents, would likely be a ferociously strong trainer.

i'd like to think that they met someone while they were training or journeying, fell in love, eventually decided to marry them, and have a child. why didn't they decide to become champion? this is just a hc, but considering elias is Still there and the league hasn't found a replacement and arabella is working there because her dad doesn't make money... yeah, i think the league is kinda understaffed. hell, i make fern struggle with his champion duties, but even if arthur is a better fit for the role, being the champion's child means they would be able to see how harsh the role is on arthur. and maybe they don't really want to be the champion just yet, when arthur still can do his job well.

and they're still young, after all. they want to have a bit of fun in their life, journey around as a trainer, raise their kid with lots of care, then maybe go get that champion role once arthur's done his term.

so now, little jax is two years old. the meteorite has just been shattered over valley city, and the residents have been transported back to help clean up the town. volunteers and volunteer pokemon from nearby cities, like dresco town, are called to help with the restoration efforts.

and jax's parents are part of those volunteers, naturally. they're both pokemon trainers, after all.

and here's where it starts going to shit.

remember that two pokemon came down to earth with the meteor? jirachi was sealed away after the residents realised its power, but another pokemon landed a little to the northeast.

and deoxys is powerful. pksp red, one of the strongest trainers, if not the strongest in the series, is almost powerless against deoxys when he first battles it. it takes him a bit of a bond with a rogue mewtwo and several tough battles, some difficult enough to shatter his mentality, to defeat it, and even then, it's an uphill struggle for him.

that's the pokemon that jax's parents find: a ridiculously strong pokemon from outer space that nobody's seen or recorded before. remember, it immediately fights you if you talk to it, so i suppose... they fight. and if they can see the utter destruction that could come out of deoxys's power, there's no way they're letting that pokemon get to the town, where unarmed people are working on clearing the rubble. so they fight, and they fight, but deoxys is strong, and clearly not even two people are a good enough fight against it, and soon their pokemon are worn out and deoxys's attacks are injuring the pair themselves.

they put together a plan. one holds off the strange pokemon from outer space — for the sake of my canon, this is the stronger one, arthur's daughter — and the other runs back to the town to alert the guardian of borrius, who is overseeing the restoration efforts. if anyone can beat this pokemon, it's the legendary aros.

and so jax's father flies back to crater town. he'd been persuaded to go, being more heavily injured by the fight, and desperately searches for aros, explains the situation, and immediately brings him to the crater where they found deoxys.

but it's too late by then.

they find jax's mother, barely conscious and mortally wounded, being fiercely protected by her pokemon who are only barely standing. aros thanks her, and with their combined efforts, barely manage to defeat deoxys and seal it in sleep. jax's father returns to his wife's side, only for her to sigh her last breaths before they can treat her wounds.

aros notices that jax's father's wounds can still be treated, but though aros hurries him back to town... perhaps the loss of his wife weighs too deeply on him, and he doesn't make it.

and jax, still only two years old, is left in the care of his grandfather.

his parents are called heroes — they fought so that crater town would not suffer a second disaster in quick succession, and that's why jax in my canon is so set on being a hero. his admiration for aros is also partly from seeing how he handled the incident, making sure that he didn't take the credit for holding off deoxys and ensuring that people wouldn't forget that jax's parents died in order to keep the town safe.

and, also, aros is basically the local superhero. he's cool as hell. no wonder he's kinda jax's idol.

anyway. i really want to write more about this concept, and there's a scene where i want jax to meet aros and for aros to tell him, properly, about his parents. that'll be the first time that i've ever written jax crying in canonverse, because hearing aros, his idol, apologise to him for not being able to save his parents and recount that they genuinely were heroes in his eyes is a lot to process. (it's also really funny considering that jax hasn't cried in front of fern, but he has cried in front of fern's dad.)

as a way of finishing this arc of jax's life, i really also want to suggest that after fern captures jirachi, jax tags along with him to fight deoxys.

and this fight — this is jax's fight. fern can tell that this jax is different from seeing him stare down deoxys across the crater. there's something twisted about the fact that jax is now facing it with his own partner, twenty years later.

jax, heightened by raw emotion, seems to fall back into his more reckless, daring tactics. he plays fern's hyper-offensive role, actually, and fern plays jax's support, making sure that jax doesn't run himself ragged, following up after his strikes, covering when they're in trouble. it's not like they made a name for themselves as an unstoppable duo for nothing.

the conclusion of this arc is jax's capture of deoxys, after a grueling battle that whittles at his strength and mental state. in a way, earning deoxys's respect, being able to capture it in a ball, and being able to say that he finally, finally defeated the pokemon that killed his parents, is a sort of closure that he probably didn't know he needed.

did you see that, mom, dad?

i beat it. you can rest easy now.