#this is not me coming up with conspiracy theories. this is the third time this has happened in like two years

[maddy-ferguson]

another connard de macroniste has just come out as gay

[whateverloomis]

🩸Red🩸 >> Poly!Ghost face x Killer!Reader || Scream 1996

Part 1 >> Part 3

About: While the Casey Becker and Steve Orth killings were taking place, a third kill happened as well... Billy Loomis and Stu Macher can't risk having someone else around that could ruin their goal of killing Sidney Prescott. What happens when all 3 killers get a little bit too close?

Warnings: SMUT in next chapter, cheating, making out, reader is AFAB, reader is a killer, reader is short, reader is alt and has tattoos and piercings, Randy is a bitch (lol,) tension, big reveal. Revised June'24

Reader: They/them pronouns that are highlighted in bold so it's easy to identify | AFAB

Word count: 2.2k

-

"You're a freaky one, huh?" He whispered and you laughed softly, standing up and straddling him. Billy immediately placed his hands on your hips and squeezed the flesh. You continued kissing and biting each other. Moaning and groaning quietly as you ground your hips against his crotch. Billy could've come right then and there with the sight of your tits bouncing while you moved against him.

You could've fucked him at that moment without a care, but before things could escalate, you heard footsteps.

Climbing off his lap and fixing yourselves, you moved far enough so it didn't seem like anything was happening.

•

A week. It had been a week since you and Billy had your little make-out session. Since he cheated on Sidney, with you out of everyone.

It's not like you cared about Sidney or liked her much, but there was still a hint of guilt. You did just what Katherine did with Steve. Of course, the relationships involved and circumstances were different but you couldn't really help feeling somewhat guilty.

Every day since then, whenever you were around Billy there was tension and it was slowly building up. Stu obviously knew what happened. Why would you be with Billy alone under the bleachers? It obviously wasn't just a casual smoke session, Stu knew best.

That same night, he asked Billy about it and of course the boy didn't hesitate to tell him everything. About how you guys conversed for hours and ended up talking about conspiracy theories. About you being too high to make any sense, which wasn't really convenient because the point of everything was for Billy to get information out of you, but of course that didn't go as planned.

"So you're telling me that instead of getting a confession out of them you ended up practically dry fucking under the bleachers, man?" - "Stu, that's not the fucking point here I-" - "Oh c'mon! Was it good?! Tell me the deets!" Stu insisted and Billy sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Of course it was good, I mean c'mon." - "I knew it! God, what I'd give to get a piece of that." Billy chuckled at his friends comment and bit his bottom lip in thought. "Maybe you can... And then we'll both have opportunities to get information out of them." - "That's fucking genius, man."

It was a plan.

•

"I fucking swear I saw it." Randy said, agitated as usual.

"I mean, look. I doubt it, but I don't think it would be weird for them either like, it's baddie persona standard I'm sure." Tatum said and Sidney looked at her, doubt written on her face. "I don't know Tate, it would be kinda alarming if they do carry a knife around like that."

"It could easily be self-defense. Like pepper spray!" Tatum countered and Randy scoffed. "Please, you're defending them because you guys are friends." - "Who'r we talking about?" Stu said behind Tatum and hugged her from behind.

"YN." Sidney answered simply, before continuing, "Randy said he saw them putting away a knife in their bag."

"So? I mean, that doesn-" - "Listen! It fits the description of the knife that has been talked about multiple times in the news." Randy interrupted and Billy appeared next to him out of nowhere. "Nobody knows what the knife looks like, it's all rumors." - "Wh- I'm done with you guys! They're the new one in the group and you guys trust them?!" - "Nobody said that Randy, we just have to look at all the possibilities." Sidney said and everyone agreed, however Billy and Stu gave each other a knowing look. They needed to confirm. Get YN alone and try to see that knife somehow.

•

You figured it wouldn't be so bad if it was just a movie night, it didn't have to involve much talking since the point was to pay attention to the film.

"A movie night, at my house! My parents are out for the weekend so it'll be extra fun, we'll have drinks and pot. C'mooon." Stu tried to convince you for the second time that day. You had denied because of the attachment promise you had with yourself. The less accessible you were the better. However, it did sound very fun, and you couldn't remember the last time you had a casual hang out with friends, even if you wanted to keep them at a distance.

"Okay, fine. I'll be there." - "Fuck yes! My place at 7pm, bring snacks!" Stu said excitedly and you stood still while he skipped away. His energy could be quite overwhelming at times, yet you couldn't help but find him amusing and funny.

•

It was finally night time and you arrived to Stu's house at around 7:30pm. Fashionably late at it's finest. The door to his house was already open so you walked in and entered the kitchen, putting your selection of snacks on the counter.

You looked around and didn't see anyone. It instantly alarmed you, so you pulled out the knife from your hidden boot holster and kept it in your hand, hidden between the fabric of your short black dress. As you walked around slowly, the silence grew louder.

Even if you could gut someone without hesitation you still got paranoid at the thought of you getting killed. How selfish.

The living room was closest to you, so you walked in as quietly as you could. Suddenly, you felt strong arms wrap around your waist and lifting you off the ground. You yelped and dropped the knife, eliciting a loud thud.

"Get off!" You protested and tried to reach for a vase that was near the TV, but before you could you heard Stu's familiar voice.

"It's me, it's me!" He screamed and put you down.

"What the fuck Stu?!" You questioned angrily before smacking his arm.

"Ow! Hey, I was kidding! Just trying to scare you a lil." The boy replied and laughed.

You sighed and let out a long exhale, attempting to relax a bit.

"Who does this belong to?" You heard Billy ask, walking in the living room with your blade in his hand. Stu looked at you, a shocked expression painting his face.

"Mine. I thought I was getting killed so y'know, self defense." You explained, casual as ever before glaring at Stu.

Billy nodded in understanding before giving Stu a look you couldn't quite read. You walked past Stu and grabbed the knife from Billy's hand a little rougher than intended, and adjusted it in your boot again.

As you bent down your dress rode up a bit, exposing your ass momentarily before you rose up.

"Cute dress." Stu commented after you unintentionally flashed him. You turned around to look at him and gave him the cutest smile you could achieve. You weren't sure how innocent you could look after the boys saw the weapon you carry around, but you weren't about to break character because of it.

"So, is it just us?" You asked and Billy smirked behind you. "Yeah, the rest were too busy, or whatever." Stu said, not even trying to hide the fact that he was lying.

You honestly didn't mind being alone with them. If being alone with Billy got you a good make out session you couldn't help but wonder how far you could get with both boys.

•

Two Halloween movies and some alcohol consumption later you guys were on the couch talking about the rules of horror movies once again.

"All I'm saying is that Randy should be the number one suspect because c'mon, how does he even know all this stuff?" Stu said and you laughed. "Well, it's clearly a hyper fixation of his so it makes sense why he knows so much about it." You replied and Billy sat back as he stretched his arm behind you. "He keeps insisting that it's you though. Maybe he's right, considering his knowledge..." Billy said, his voice sounding closer than you expected.

"Are you accusing me now, Loomis?" You asked, looking at him before taking a swing of your beer. "I never accused you, I was just saying-" - "It sounds to me like you're pretty convinced." You countered, a smirk adorning your face. Stu shifted next to you, paying careful attention to the tension that laced your comment.

"Maybe I am... Maybe not. I mean, everyone is a suspect after all." Billy answered smoothly and you chuckled, looking down and biting your lip in thought. "Well, it could be any of us then, or all three of us." You suggested and looked at both boys. They visibly tensed and looked at each other, the slightest hint of fear adorned their handsome faces.

"I mean... If that were true then... Who killed who and with what motive?" Stu said and you shifted to face him. Did he really think you were that stupid as to answer with a confession right then and there?

"Okay, enough of that." Billy said, attempting to change the topic. He leaned forward to grab the beer bottle on the coffee table in front of you and rested his hand on your lower waist while doing so. He was slowly getting touchy and you couldn't deny that you wanted more contact.

"Why? You scared the truth will come out?" You asked him with a flirty tone, shifting on the couch, facing him, and scooting closer so your thigh touched his. Stu was amused at the whole exchange, sitting quietly next to you guys which was rare of him, considering his usual loudness.

"Are you challenging me, YN?" Billy asked, sitting up straight and placing one of his large hands on your thigh. "Maybe I am." You answered and he chuckled, looking down momentarily before looking at Stu over your shoulder. "Well, I think we have a pretty good idea of who's who, considering..." He paused and slid his hand down your leg all the way to your boot where you kept your knife hidden. Billy grabbed the weapon and waved it in front of you; "The fact that you carry this around, and it fits the descriptions of the killers knife perfectly..." He continued and ran his finger over the blade, feeling the sharpness. "And this is nice and sharp, too. Well taken care of." Billy finished and rested his hand on your thigh again, knife between your thigh and his palm.

You looked down at your leg and then back up at him. His eyes were piercing and you were left speechless. How were you supposed to dodge that one?

"He's right, isn't he, YN?" Stu said behind you, peeking at your face over your shoulder.

You were cornered. No answer went through your head that could save you from their interrogation. You took a deep breath and closed your eyes, ready to confess before you felt a hand on your waist. Startled at the feel, you opened your eyes and Billy had the biggest smile on his face. He looked crazed. "We can all be honest here, right Stu?" He questioned the boy that was resting his chin on your shoulder at that moment. "Of course, nobody has to know, right YN?" Stu spoke softly and you were at your breaking point.

You rested your head on Stu's and smirked at Billy. "We? I thought it was me we were talking about here."

Gotcha.

Billy's smile disappeared and his hand twitched against your skin. "Steve and Casey." You said and looked at him straight into his brown eyes. "Two murders like those done by one person is nearly impossible, especially since she was on the phone with the killer while Steve got killed. It's a two man job and the cops are too stupid to realize it." Billy looked at Stu and his smile grew again. "You're good, babe." Stu said and laughed softly, close to your ear.

"Katherine. Same night. Similar ghost mask but in red and, I heard small red horns?" - "Cuutee" Stu said and you shifted away from him. "Oh, shut up! That doesn't mean it's me!" - "YN, you and that girl were close, and after you magically stopped being friends she got killed that same day? That's no coincidence, plus we all know she was going behind Casey's back, rumors go around quick and get confirmed even quicker. You had a shit show with those two sluts and had enough of it." Billy interrupted and you sighed. He was right and you hated him for it. You hated how he could read you and put the puzzle pieces together. How observant he was.

You stood up from the couch, the boys following your every move with their eyes. "Well, now that we're all out and about, what now? Hm? We gonna report each other? Kill each other? What's the plan, Loomis?" You spoke louder than usual and the boy stood up, towering over you. Stu followed behind and looked at you over Billy's shoulders, a wicked smile on his face.

"Now, we team up or someone gets killed, and it sure as hell isn't going to be us." - "And you bet your ass it's not going to be me either." You spoke quickly and he chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "Relax baby, here's the deal... You join us in our next kill. We team up. We'll get away with whatever we want. Do whatever we want..." He whispered the last few words and placed his left hand on your hip, pulling you closer to him. You couldn't deny that it sounded perfect. If it went wrong you could easily frame the two idiots. If it went well you could get the satisfaction of getting anyone out of your way, relish in the sweet screams and the thrill of getting revenge on whoever the fuck messed with you. Hurt you.

You bit your lip and scanned his face with your eyes. Curiosity getting the best of you; "Who's your next victim?"

"Sidney Prescott."

[icyg4l]

PAC: Romanticize the Fall 🍂

Hello beautiful people! Welcome to the season of fall! I hope you all are having a wonderful start to this season. Today's reading will be all about how you can improve your fall by adding simple things to your routine. If you would like to book a reading, go to my pinned post and check out my guidelines and then click on my booking website to confirm the details. So without further ado, select the pile that resonates with you.

Top Left-to-Bottom Right: (1-3)

Pile One: As I was pulling for this pile, I heard the word "pathologize". It basically means to treat someone as abnormal or unhealthy. You guys may be Vitamin D deficient or are prone to depression/anxiety. You may even struggle with OCD or BPD. There is nothing wrong with acknowledging this properly. The best form of action may be for you to get diagnosed in order to fully enjoy this season. It feels like you need something to look forward to when it gets cold. Try to get out of your house and see what's going on in your community when it comes to fitness. If you're trying to save money, look out for some free fitness sessions. Go attend a pilates session if your school has one. You give me 2000s soccer mom vibes. Just show up and you will see how quickly your life changes! Your health will become of utmost importance to you. Treat it as such. You only have one body so treat it with kindness while you're still here. Lock in and you will see the world more clearly.

Cards Used: 8 of Swords, Prince of Cups, King of Cups, 10 of Discs

extras: ibs symptoms. seasonal depression. freedom. jimmy fallon. attachment issues. snoring. pleasers. mirror by the bed.

Pile Two: Pile Two, I can tell that you have a playful side to you. You're someone that is tapped in with you're inner child. I am seeing a kid run in front of their tv in their pajamas and admiring what's on it. You should get back to doing that. Make it your goal to watch something that you loved to indulge in as a kid. For some of you, it was Spongebob. For some of you, it was Hannah Montana. For others of you, it was Henry Danger. Grab a snack after work or after school and just watch whatever your childhood self loved! Another thing that you could do is bake cookies to welcome in the fall season. I am seeing those pumpkin sugar cookies that Pillsbury makes in my third eye. Eat some pumpkin/chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream! Buy some fall chips from Trader Joe's. Engage with your senses, lovely!

Cards Used: The Moon, 4 of Discs, 6 of Discs, The Emperor.

extras: italiano. foxy brown. vic mensa. doughboy. fallen branches. freezer burn. retired partier. wintrust bank. forman mills.

Pile Three: This diva! Baby, if you are feeling lonely, then you need to open up your mouth! If you want some company, then just say that! You're way too prideful and it's costing you in human connections, whether it's romantic or platonic. Some of you could be into ghost stories or conspiracy theories. There is someone around you that is into the same shit. By refusing to make connections with other people, you are rejecting a part of yourself. Some of you may be traumatized by past experiences. Others of you may be in a codependent relationship. It's time for you to branch out, babe. I am channeling the movie 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' (hopefully your experience is nothing too similar like this movie lol). I am seeing two people walking through the leaves, talking enthusiastically to one another. You don't have to dream about it! Actualize it, love!

Cards Used: 2 of Cups, The Devil (RX), 5 of Discs, 3 of Cups.

extras: brass kunckles. humming at night. spooky season. pride events. hamptons. labor day. simon says. comic book nerd.

[peachie-kittie]

I love 'The Post-Traumatic Manifesto'

It's a small project made by the creator Weevildoing, and I've been obsessing. And considering I'm. Experiencing. I'm gonna force my love for this series onto everyone else.

Various headcanons be upon ye all:

There are two girls who could be considered "early risers" - Caliber and Irreverent. Caliber because she works a 9-5 on top of going to the gym, and Irreverent because the religious sermons co attended has influenced her sleep schedule. Co, however, prefers them nowadays to watch the sunrise :)

Also Caliber wakes up that early to either make coffee at home or splurge on fancy coffee - fancy coffee is saved for holidays, rough days, or as a littol treat. She will never admit to that third one though.

Girls with the most FUCKED sleep schedule include Splitter (to no one's surprise), Disposable, Fainant (<- hear me out-), and Caliber.

Splitter is splitter (/affect i adore her). Disposable likes to stay up late playing bideos games, watching anime, scrolling tumblr (ILL GET BACK TO THIS LATER), or researching conspiracy theories. Fainant WOULD have a normal sleep schedule in their ideal life but due to their ME/CFS and many other disabilities and chronic issues they kinda just have accepted her sleep schedule will always be a bit fucky. And Caliber, despite being an early riser is prone to working late. Go to bed at 2 and wake up at 6 kinda lady. This is why she needs coffee.

Chocobo would LOVEEE to work as a barista. Not at fuckbucks but like. If he could get paid properly and be considered a Cool Barista:tm: it'd be THRIVING.

Adding onto that; if it were a barista she'd work at the same coffee shop Caliber visits and Caliber describes him as "the sweetheart who writes nice notes on her cups and can make a killer hazelnut latte."

Splitter and Disposable are friends - semi-long distance, like an hour - and they bond over anime, games, and all the out-there shit they both like/believe (conspiracies and such). They keep each other up watching anime or gaming over discord its amazing. They also both confide in each other about violent or s/h related urges, just kinda listening and going along. They're both SEVERELY mentally ill so they dont really try to give advice; theyll just mutually acknowledge it and be like "yeah that shit sucks. ill hate it/them with you tho."

^^^everytime they meet up they spend at least 3 days together.

Chocobo and Fainant are also friends. Specifically, Chocobo loves to bake sweets for Fainant and Fainant will invite Bo over for frequent movie nights, tea parties, and general hangout sessions lot. Chocobo is one of few people Fainant will willingly go out with because he is willing to leave as soon as they say theyre getting tired.

Chocobo and Irreverent are the UNLIKELY DUO!!! Chocobo is excitable and sociable and anxious and Irreverent is aloof and a lil socially detached but a good logical counterpart who isn't as worried about what others think.

To that end, Chocobo is an age regressor (between ages 10-14 usually) - it won't do it in front of many people, but he trusts Irreverent to caregive. Co makes sure to be extra careful with Bo's boundaries during these times.

Taxidermy and Chocobo don't know eachother BUT Fainant knows Taxidermy and has been intending to introduce the two.

Taxidermy and Fainant never go out. Unlike Chocobo, Taxidermy is the friend Fainant will scroll on their phone with and occassionally send memes for hours then go out for McDonald's at 2 am.

OH ALSO. Splitter and Fainant are work buds. They work at the McDonalds mentioned above. They talk over discord and also send each other memes.

Im not sure how many of you follow Weevil on instagram but. there was a post where Bo very clearly has a crush on Disposable and honestly. Yeah.

For context, there's a skate park near the cafe - and Disposable skateboards there and practices moves on railings and shit. One time Chocobo saw Disposable successfully pull off a kickflip coming off a rail and it's heart went doki-doki.

Splitter has met Chocobo in person a total of two times - the cafe is a rare safe place for Splitter and Disposable to hang out in a dark corner - and both times she could SEE Chocobo staring.

She has tried to get Disposable to talk to him. It is VERY hesitant. Next time Splitter visits she plans to drag Disposable over to Chocobo.

Okay so anyway hard pivot back to Caliber and CHEMICAL!!

Chemical canonically loves rhythm games and fitness - what I'm saying is that she attends the same gym as Caliber and they share a Zumba class.

Whenever Caliber is there Chemical is lovingly on her ass - making sure she drinks water and always inquiring about her home life. Caliber spares details, not wanting to worry a LITERAL TEENAGER, but takes her advice to stretch and drink water.

Caliber admires Chemical's high energy and boldness - and constantly tells her to use those strengths to her advantage. Chemical doesn't seem to fully believe her but appreciates it anyway.

Chemical sees Caliber as an older sister figure for sure.

Chemical is another friend of Fainant! They don't hang out as much as Taxidermy or Chocobo but Chemical helps Fainant stay as active as they can with all their disabilities.

Same for Splitter. She got Splitter into rhythm games. They also geek out about figmas, gundams, and garage kits together.

A decent chunk of the girls deal with feelings of nonhumanity btw - not even just in a trauma way. Fully convinced Disposable is a dog therian and is trying to unlearn its inner cop.

I have more but this feels excessive. Weevil if you see this I hope they vibe. also hi i love this series sm

[tinydefector]

My favourite thing while writing the Marine Centre fic is they fact its Based in Australia. Not a lot of fics are based over here, so I take the opportunity every time. Plus, it's fun for me to think about people in other countries willingly coming over here to work.

Holding my hand over my heart In honour of Priminister Harold Holt. He'd be cheering MC on from the depths of the sea. Bet he disappeared chasing Oceanide pussy. That's a Priminister I can appreciate. For those who don't know who Harold Holt is enjoy his wiki page.

But all I can think is MC gets carted off by the Pods and ends up in a somewhat underwater city and this mother fucker is just living it up after finding the fountain of youth. " They got you too huh?"

"'Yea accidentally adopted one of their pups and it imprinted on me. Now I have a harem you?"

" buff Mermaid woman"

" we named a swimming pool after you"

In December 1967, Holt disappeared while swimming in rough conditions at Cheviot Beach, Victoria. He was presumed dead, although his body was never recovered; his disappearance spawned a number of conspiracy theories. Holt was the third Australian prime minister to die in office. He was succeeded by Country Party leader John McEwen on an interim basis and then by John Gorton. His death was commemorated in a number of ways, among them by the establishment of the Harold Holt Memorial Swimming Centre in Melbourne.

[au-wannabe-the-very-best]

I wanna chew on your Misplaced Super Train AU like it's got the texture of perfectly toasted potato bread. I wanna squeeze it like it's a triple-overstuffed squishmallow and wrap it around me like a silken weighted blanket.

This has got to be my single most favorite AU of yours so far, and I feel it with such intensity that all the All Caps and exclamation points in the world could not help me express it.

Feed

Me

More

Please

Like, does the group do anything about Volo, or does he manage to avoid them/avoid giving them Rancid Vibes? I feel like they would have a pretty good mix of people/pokemon able to pick up on individual little things that come together to make a Concerning Picture.

And how are the people (Emmet et. al.) back home doing? How do they feel? Because a whole group of people disappearing launches people straight into conspiracy theories rather than just ("just") the concern a single dissappearance would generate.

Would the group show up in history books? Would Ingo & Co know they were gonna disappear (a lá Stable Time Loop) or is it more like they don't show up in history until it happens (if at all)? (Time is weird.)

I think because of the fact that they just accidentally came through a space-time rift, Volo's operating under the assumption that they weren't sent to stop his plans or anything, so he just avoids them. As for the group, I think it would be super funny if they have like. An instinct for people who wield legendaries. Because they're so used to passengers trying to sneak them into the battle subway. They're BANNED for a reason.

So, like, they KNOW Volo's got legendary voodoo all over him but they don't particularly care? Not their passenger, not their problem.

As for the family back home, Emmet and the others aren't really handling this very well. Interpol gets involved immediately, but their lack of results is very discouraging. See, before this, there has been things disappearing throughout history that logically shouldn't just disappear! Things like a whole fridge or a washing machine, for example. But it's always been attributed to a thief who's got a really well-trained psychic type, or something like that. Nobody is going to connect these random disappearances to a whole ass train vanishing off the tracks, despite the fact that they're both connected to the space-time distortions. Up until this point, all previous disappearances were low-level and weren't given much investigation.

So there's really... no precedence on how to handle this. Not even "fallers" are as bizarre as this. Plus, there's no ultra wormhole energy, so that's ruled out fairly quickly. Interpol has got no leads. And the internet is getting wild with the conspiracy theories, much to the dismay of the family and friends of those who went missing.

Emmet breaks his phone against a wall when some tabloid claims it's a publicity stunt.

Anyways, no, I don't think Ingo or the depot agents had any clue they were going to disappear, but I DO think this is going to be a "stable time loop" scenario— while in the past, they're going to have the caution to not reveal much future info, and keep their identities generally a secret. Not to mention, in the future, the "secret third alien clan in Hisui" is considered a conspiracy theory, regardless of the evidence of their existence. It doesn't really reach the ears of the Unovan subway workers, outside of lesser-known memes. There's no photos of them, and the only person in their group who has much a reason to be interacting with anyone native to Hisui would be Ingo. And that's just because Lady Sneasler's taken quite the liking to him. There's the added plus that with Ingo's amnesia, he actually doesn't run much of a risk when it comes to revealing things, so they're not as worried about him interacting with the locals as they are of Big Mouth Cameron who told people they were FROM ANOTHER WORLD.

I also think, when they return, a lot of the proof of their existence is going to be taken with them... Which doesn't leave much for the historians to find.

When they come back, though? Oh, the historical community is going to have a field day with the goodies they brought back.

[renamusing]

just watched today's hour long ep and im leaving my thoughts below:

putting aside the fact that the current writers can be complete nonsensical idiots most of the time, there is something pretty suspicious about this whole rebecca plot twist.

first, why kill her if ross says they had split up for a while before she died? if this twist was only to serve ross's comeback story, then they had no need to kill rebecca at all. ross said today that after they split, rebecca had already moved to bristol with seb to stay with her aunt so that would have been that. ross would still have been stupid enough to get into illegal fighting and other criminal activities on his own without the added grief of her death.

second, people are panicking because robert apparently signed the papers so seb could stay with this supposed aunt of rebecca. im sorry, but what else did you expect robert to do? since the moment he went to prison, robert made it a priority to sever himself from aaron. he handed himself in so aaron could have a life of his own, and seb a dad he could one day be proud of, instead of a father on the run for the rest of his life. so i don't believe robert would EVER put seb on aaron if he could avoid it. can you imagine, robert thinking aaron has settled somewhere with a guy living a life of his own just how robert wished, only for robert to saddle him with his kid? yes, for us fans, that wouldn't be selfish because we know aaron would be great with seb, however, the prospect brings up so many questions to me personally, like does robert even know liv died? does he know aaron went to live in italy for a time? does he know aaron came back? we can't even trust victoria to have told robert anything because according to ross victoria hasn't been in contact with robert recently! she hasn't even been in contact with bex and seb, for years! even aaron said they didn't get in touch because they thought rebecca, ross and seb were "happy". which brings me to my third point.

according to today's episode, rebecca died around 3 months ago. who also showed up just around that time? john sugden. im not trying to build a conspiracy theory here—could john's army medic past allow him to perform surgeries in liverpool?? lmao im kidding—what i mean is (and correct me if im wrong), this seems like the time the "new stories" overseen by iain macleod started kicking in. which means they had to cover plot holes from past stories in the least limiting way possible, especially considering the show wouldn't want to spoil robert's return (if ryan does come back) or the fact he isn't coming back at all.

so we don't know if rebecca died before or after victoria called robert to tell him about john like she said she would. we don't know if it was robert who decided not to mention bex's death to vic, or if vic even spoke to robert at all after meeting john.

what im more and more certain of, though, is that seb will play a big part in the story going forward. his predicament as an orphan could:

give vic a plot - because why didn't her brother trust her with his son? could it be because robert thought she already had her hands full with her own kid? or did he think seb would be happier and more comfortable with people he already knew and was familiar with? now that vic's dismal plot with jacob is done, i can see her trying to get some offscreen visiting rights with the bristol auntie, or, in the best case scenario, onscreen seb visits.

give aaron a plot - unfortunately another one that involves john, because being a father is something that aaron always wanted and, depending on who writes this sl, it could have him opening up to john about his and robert's surrogacy attempts. i don't mind it at all, because if robert comes back it will be much juicier if aaron and john are as settled as possible (good luck with that nonexistent chemistry lol), yet i refuse to watch those two bring up seb. period.

an emergency exit to ross - michael parr's interviews have been vague at best. he has talked about doing a short stint and not knowing what the future holds for his character, so if seb doesn't return in the foreseeable, he could well be the reason ross goes away again.

speed up robert's release - yes, robert signed the papers for seb to stay with his aunt in bristol, but i don't doubt he has thought about attempting a new appeal so he could be with his son. legal matters take time and with the lee/luke plot loophole from a few years back, it would only be a case of waiting for ryan to be available.

this seems to be the gist of it to me so far. but i have to mention the one thing that stood out to me today and which i really enjoyed was how calm aaron was through everything except the one moment ross threw the 'slept with his brother' comment in his face. i need 10 more of those, ross. keep them coming!

[prettyoddfever]

I used to think that Spencer had a specific vision for the cello part of IWSNT that was inspired by Eleanor Rigby. This was just my own random conspiracy theory back then btw so it doesn't hold any actual weight. But hear me out...

So a big part of AFYCSO was created in the studio in summer 2005. The band talked a lot about how they bounced ideas off of each other and the fact that they had such varied musical tastes helped the album become what it is. Ryan wrote most of the lyrics, but the whole band was involved in creating the songs & music.

Ryan told East Coast Rocker in spring 2006 that “We all had so many ideas, and we were so excited that the songs just came out. The first half of the record is comprised of the first set of songs we wrote as a band.

Brendon said in summer 2006 that "For the first half, we wrote the music first and then [Ryan] wrote lyrics to sort of fit the feel. For the second half, the songs, Ryan would write lyrics like this storytelling kind of picture. We would write music based around that."

Brendon told Hearts & Sleeves in early 2006: "The way it comes out I guess is just a product of everybody in the band having huge similarities in music but we also listen to a lot of different stuff.... A lot of that was Ryan would pop up and be like ‘I think it could do this’ and Iʼd be like ‘whoah’ and Iʼd add some pop to it. Itʼs just a mix of different combinations of where we come from."

Ryan told PlayMusic in August 2006: “Between us we had a lot of influences so we just thought, ‘let’s use them all!’”

Ryan talked to Helio at the end of the Fever era about the songwriting process for the first album: “when I had a little bit of the music and lyrics finished, I would bring it to Spencer and Brendon and we would all finish the songs together.”

The point is that they were all contributing to creating the songs (ok Brent not as much lol). Moving on...

The band said that they mostly worked on the songs in the order that they appeared on the album and that they tracked all of their music parts separately (ex: they said they started tracking drum parts in late June, the bass parts were done by early July, and then they moved onto guitar). The verses for IWSNT were written a few days before they finished recording around the third week of July, but they worked on other parts of IWSNT earlier that month too.

Brendon's livejournal post on July 3rd had the title "i look at all the lonely people…"

Ryan mentioned several times over the years that Spencer introduced him to The Beatles while the band was in the studio. Ryan specifically picked Eleanor Rigby as a "song that changed my life" for Kerrang Magazine and said “I started really getting into The Beatles when we were recording [AFYCSO]. Our drummer, Spencer, started playing me some of their stuff."

I used to like to think that Spencer played Eleanor Rigby to point out the cello and then that was where a tiny bit of the inspiration for the sound of IWSNT came from. Obviously Spencer could have played Eleanor Rigby for any number of reasons, sooo I guess the only actual solid takeaway is that that song *possibly* inspired the band while they were in the studio (and then they went on to cover it during the NRWC tour).

[arabian-batboy]

you do realize that jill stein basically is in with the russians and is in putin’s back pocket? she’s practically a russian asset. it’s so obvious that she doesn’t truly understand or cares about how the us political system works and opts to speak political misinformation. if she truly wants to be a good candidate she needs to start at the local governments rather than jumping into the presidential ballot every four years to basically steal votes? she’s just appropriating the current movements that would potentially give her some votes without an actual plan for anything. she’s “anti war” but takes money from lockheed martin? be so fr rn now.

what’s her plan for a ceasefire? a two party state does she understand how the government would come to that? she’s antivax and spreads conspiracy theories - one of the reasons why we even lost in 2016 is bc of people like you voting for her.

it’s unfortunate, believe me, that we even have a two party system. i hate it but that’s simply how the government works and there’s nothing we could do to change that right now, but if you’re voting for hee then you’re voting against women and the lgbt and poc in the us as well. if trump does end of winning this election bc of voters who vote third party, like how he won in 2016, the us is going to be so much worse than what we could possibly ever imagine. there’s so much at stake this election cycle it’s mind boggling.

if she really wanted to be president, she’d start at local elections and work her way up rather than just jumping onto certain states ballots every four years for the presidential election tbh.

You got proof that she receives millions of dollars from Russian lobbies? Because there's proof that Kamala, Biden and Hilary all received millions of dollars from Israeli lobbies in the form of AIPAC publicly announcing that they use lobbying money for them without any shame, they literally don't try to hide it. Yet I don't see you rushing in to call them or any other AIPAC's recipients an 'Israel's asset" or accuse them of being in Bibi's back-pocket......even though they are.

Here's a video of Stein's fundraiser director debunking her receiving money from Lockheed Martin: X

Trump was the first person to become a US's president without any political or military history, people thought it was just a joke when the funny old man from Celebrity Apprentice ran for office yet he won and there's a chance he will win again, so I don't see why holding any local government should be obligatory for 3rd party before jumping straight into the presidential ballot.

I already said everything I wanted to say about voting for 3rd party here X, frankly I have no interests on putting Stein on a pedestal or convincing others that she's a morally good person, all I care about is that she does the bare minimum of "doesn't unconditionally support a genocide against my people" and is the only 3rd party candidate who has any chance of winning, so that's more than enough for me.

But back to you, everything you said is so fucking narcissistic, telling people that are dying that its "simply how the government works and there’s nothing we could do to change that right now" must be easy for you to say because you're not the direct victim of the US's imperialism, but its not our fault that you're such a spineless complicit who believes the US simply can not exist without genocidal war-criminals running the government at all time and everyone who suffers from it should shut up and stop being an inconvenience because things will not change for them and instead they should put your needs and wants before their very lives.

Through-out human history many empires that were considered the strongest in the world came and went, the US empire isn't an exception and if it can't change from within then eventually it will be forcibly changed from the outside and its mostly likely the latter, since asking you to grow a conscious is asking for too much.

Also I just don't understand why you people talk about women, people of color and gay people as if they only exist in the US or that them living in the US while Republicans are in office is somehow worse than living in a country that is currently being bombed by the US? Democrats' bombs kills women, Democrats' bombs kills people of color, Democrats' bombs kills LGBT community, matter of fact Democrats' bombs kills as many people as Republican bombs do, so explain to me how things will be worse for women/PoC/LGBT exactly if the Republican win? Because Republican were in office from 2017 to 2021 and I didn't see minorities in the US being indiscriminately killed by the thousands in day-light without any repercussions for their murder, but they are being killed overseas, both by Republican and Democrats while you are here busy making up cartoonishly-evil scenarios about how the things that are happening to them will happen to you if people vote 3rd party and the Republicans win because of that.

Spoiler Alert: No it will not, you will continue living a safe peaceful life in a developed nation without having to fear 60,000 tons of bombs being dropped on you while you're hiding in a tent in a refugee camp or searching for food among rubble regardless of who wins, whether its the red, blue or green party. So at the very least vote for a 3rd party so that other people from other countries will enjoy the same privilege as you instead of making up ridiculous stories about how all of your human rights will be stripped away if the blue war-criminal wasn't in office so therefore those annoying victims of war should be quiet and not dare suggest the heinous crime of voting for a 3rd part.

[georgiapeach30513]

I know you’re past your post limit tonight but you are an unwavering ray of strength and sunshine on here. So calm so chill. That cookie jar though…😏

That being said…are yall not entertained????

For those of you who screamed PR for months (I’m talking about the crazy ones who freak out every five minutes about something new even though they claim they know PR and they know people and have sources (in their own heads LOLOL)) - you want it? YOU GOT IT. It’s been in your face for months and yall still can’t see it?

An article comes out every time ramen breathes. And soba must be inserted. Soba gets articles for IG posts…when does that happen to a third rate noodle brand who can’t even hit 1 million followers after buying bots for two years and marrying the sexiest noodle brand alive? (Just to be extra petty, Jenna Ortega got ten million new followers in a week after Wednesday launched on Netflix (same month someone’s else season two show launched and then got canceled but whoops) and she didn’t marry anybody famous. Soba isn’t even a notable brand in their home country. Soba’s name gets misspelled even in her own movie promo posts. Yet she’s getting us weekly and people articles written about her every movement now? Oh and she’s getting a square on us weekly about celebs who adopted pets - with ramen’s dog even though she didn’t adopt the dog? LOLOLOLOL ok!!

Nobody thinks that’s odd?

I’ll have to admit, I didn’t really want to believe in conspiracy theories for a long time. It felt too delusional and too qanon for me. But after ramen returned to IG and made a post about dogs - a people mag article pops up and inserts a line to make it about soba, unprovoked. Why? Almost like it was intentional to shoehorn soba in. Almost like that’s basically been the MO since this all started. The tabloids have changed but the narrative has not. The rumors turned to confirmation turned to more rumors to more confirmation but never really really by the horse’s mouth except kinda two ceremonies maybe yeah go physical therapy!!

The way that “wedding” announcement launched as an unconfirmed source from page six. Then went immediately viral. After a weekend of extreme social media breadcrumbing…it was almost like watching a puppeteer orchestrate a show in real time. I can’t be the only one…right?

They have continuously gone the route of most resistance repeatedly, for two years - and nobody thinks this is just inane? They are doing this on purpose and the more you overthink it, the more crazy and unsense it will make.

Like you mentioned many times before, people just have to wait and see. And be patient. Try not to overreact over every little thing. (Hard for some, but seriously!)

Fact is: ramen has publicly endorsed soba (well maybe not the name) and they are linked. So until this changes, why wouldn’t you expect soba to be around lurking? Ramen can’t be an investor in a brand and then not show up with it.

Though it would be funny if he was caught eating banza pasta while toting the soba brand, like Britney getting caught ordering a coke while she was a Pepsi girl. 😆

I’m totally half kidding about most of this. But I think you get what I’m trying to put down. Nobody has to agree with me. But the longer this goes, the easier it’s been to look back on how it all started and string the pieces together.

First off are the same anon who has been doing amazing with the pasta analogies?? Because if so can I call you, Mrs. Pasta??

This is what PR looks like. Articles upon articles over nothing. Pushing a name out there for what? You make some excellent points, completely. Now, I’m not confirming or denying anything. Just that this is pointed. The timing is interesting and the entertainment is amazing.

Banza past is an amazing option. Top ramen needs to add a little spice and change. Soba noodles on the regular isn’t good for everyone.

I’m just here ready for the show. I told y’all to keep your eyes open 😉

[centrally-unplanned]

I played Needy Streamer Overload, which was a lot of fun, with an asterisk. NSO is a Lifesim Management game for a batshit up-and-coming streamer, where you as her 'boyfriend' allocate her time between streaming, resting, and content inspiration/development to hit 1 million followers. The writing is very on point for actual streams culture;the topics and comments and all that are very true-to-life, while its zany edgecore presentation is hilarious. And the UI is full kino:

Vibes - and also, spoilers, not just a cutesy aesthetic, as the player is not in fact a real person so the digital viewport is ludonarratively cohesive, +1 point.

However, it also pissed me off for specific me reasons!

So, these games tend to go into two buckets. One is the engine builder - managing the lifesim is both involved and The Point of the game. You work hard to optimize and achieve the goal. The second is narrative device - the lifesim elements are more about narrative choice than challenge, and either can't be failed or are trivially cleared. You approach playing those 2 game types differently.

NSO presents itself like the former - its mechanics are pretty involved. Managing Followers, Stress, Affection, & Mental Darkness, all on a clock, while unlocking ~10 different streaming content topic progression trees, its a lot to track. Not saying its crazy hard or anything, but its what you spend your time doing. You will be asking yourself questions like "yes I could have sex with her for the third time this week to lower stress and boost affection so I can burn that affect buildup on the Sexy Stream lvl 2 to sync my highest topic bonus with my streaming streak bonus before I need to end it for a rest cycle, but I can only play that card so many times, is day 13 too early?". That is fun, and where your focus lies. On my first playthrough I tried to hit the 1 million target, barely succeeded, but burned out Ame's stats so much I got a short, pretty-much-failed ending.

So on my second playthrough I tinkered around and stumbled on a soft infinity engine, where I could push Ame's stress to the limit in the opening days to get her follower count to the point where she would unlock "follower milestone celebration" streams that I could bank, that did not increase stress but would count towards a streaming-every-day streak bonus, and never take a rest day to get that bonus insanely high. I got several million followers with low stress, low darkness, I thought I did a good job.

And I got a short, pretty-much-failed ending.

Turns out this game has 30 endings, and the lions share of the long, involved ones are from you completely fucking up. You will get a way more interesting ending if you make Ame-chan overdose on LSD and she trips her way into breaking though the illusion of the internet. You want to raise her darkness high as hell for half of them. You can found a cult, you can induce all sorts of violence against her or others, whatever you want. But the game didn't tell me!!

It instead presented me with a solid optimization puzzle, which I spent like 10 hours doing. I shouldn't have bothered! It doesn't really tell this partially for surprise, but if we are being honest its because they expect you to google it, and they expect you to watch streamers unlock 25 of them after you do 5. Which is how modern games are made, but personally I don't love relying on that. I do think games are at their best when they self-teach a player the right way to engage with it.

But I respect that some people would see the discarded scraps of a tryhard faildaughter that is Ame-chan and immediately push her into doing conspiracy theory streams while smoking weed. I am just not someone you can plunk an engine in front of and expect me not to try to tinker with it. This is 50% on me.

[danganronpadedication]

Request: Yasuhiro Hagakure x s/o general Headcanons

Yasuhiro Hagakure x GN! S/O General Relationship Headcanons -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wow, I'm so surprised to see yet another Hiro liker! I think he's awesome, he's very good comic relief and he's got a heart of gold. Which apparently a couple shady individuals are after, but hey. Sorry about the wait on this one, I'm an active uni student lol. - Mod Tsumugi --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Hiro is a very laid-back and relaxed person, and that carries over into your relationship. His easygoing nature helps balance out any tense situations you two might encounter. He doesn't get stressed over small details, and will often try to calm you down if you're feeling anxious. Granted, he's not the best when handling comforting other people, but he tries his best.

2. Hiro isn't the most reliable person, he's very scatter-brained and disorganized, so it's up to you to keep him on track most days. He doesn't often think things through all the way, but his heart is in the right place. Expect a sense of spontaneity in your date plans, as he'll try and surprise you at every turn. He might forget to text you back, but he'll make it up with a silly apology, and a heartfelt gesture.

3. As the Ultimate Clairvoyant, he'll always offer to do readings for you, especially when you're uncertain about something coming up. Though his predictions are pretty hit or miss, it's amusing to see how much he believes in his own fortune-telling abilities.

4. Hiro might not be the type to fight, but he is surprisingly protective of you. He would try to diffuse conflict with humor or by “predicting” the outcome to avoid danger. He’d do anything to keep you out of trouble, even if it means running away from danger together.

5. He believes in following your dreams and will always encourage you to pursue what makes you happy. He might not have the best track record with his own schemes, but he’ll always be your biggest supporter, whether you're trying something new or struggling with a big decision. Expect him cheering for you the loudest.

6. Hiro often ends up in ridiculous situations, which provide plenty of entertainment in your relationship. Whether it’s getting scammed by someone for the third time this week or showing up with a new “get rich quick” scheme, his antics definitely provide you with some entertainment.

7. Expect random hugs, silly compliments, whatever he can do to show you he cares in minimal ways. He's very casual about it, he won't be calling you over the top pet names, but you will definitely know he loves you.

8. He's a conspiracy theory nut, especially the outlandish ones, and will frequently go on rants about whether or not the moon is hollow or if lizard people run the government. He gets really excited when you humor him, and let him talk your ear off about it. While you may not always believe him, his enthusiasm is contagious.

9. He’s the kind of guy who thinks he's being cool, but in reality, he’s a bit of a lovable dork. Though he'll probably get pretty defensive about it lmao. Be nice to him <3

10. His love language is probably either acts of service, or words of affirmation. He's also a bit of a momma's boy, you will be hearing him talk about Hiroko (not me projecting cause I love Hiroko). In the rare case you get into a disagreement, Hiroko will probably be the one talking some sense into him lmao.

------------------------------------------------------------------- You sat on the park bench, watching Yasuhiro fumble through his deck of tarot cards with an exaggerated sense of importance. He was determined to give you a "perfect" reading, even though his last attempt ended in him predicting that you'd somehow bring the dinosaurs back to life?

"Alright, babe, this time it's gonna be 100% accurate," he said, shuffling the cards like a pro—or at least trying to. One slipped out and fluttered to the ground, and he quickly bent down to retrieve it, grinning sheepishly. "Whoops. Just the universe messing with us."

You couldn't help but laugh. "I don’t think that’s how the universe works."

He shot you a playful wink. "Ah, you just don’t understand the mystical forces yet." With a grand flourish, he laid out the cards, and after a dramatic pause, his face lit up. "Oh, wow! It says here you're about to have a sudden adventure with someone incredibly handsome."

"Really?" You raised an eyebrow, playing along. "Who might that be?"

"Obviously me!" He shot up from the bench, grabbing your hand with a grin so wide you couldn’t help but smile back. “C'mon, let's go somewhere fun. I don’t know where yet, but the cards say it'll be awesome.”

"Hiro," you started, laughing as he tugged you to your feet, "You didn’t even finish the reading!"

He waved a hand dismissively. "Eh, it was probably just gonna say something cheesy like, 'You're destined to be with the best fortune-teller ever.'"

You rolled your eyes, a wide smile on your face. Hey, who were you to tell the cards they were wrong?

[fireflysummers]

Final Thoughts on GO S2

I'm probably gonna pull back on discussing S2, at least publicly, after this. I did actually like a lot of the season, but it's triggering some of my religious trauma and also the fandom is already stressing me out. So here, let's have some final thoughts.

First and foremost: I am not a Gaiman simp. I've read a decent amount of his work: comics, short stories, essays, and novels. Aside from Good Omens, I've liked Coraline and The Graveyard Book the best by far, whereas American Gods just. Did Not Connect with me, even though it's should have, given the stuff I tend to enjoy.

However. Regardless of whether I like a given work (or even like how he adapted it, a la parts of The Sandman TV series), he is a veteran writer who has proven that he does, actually, know how to write a story with consistent characters.

Beyond that, I do actually believe that he's trying to do right by Pratchett, and loves and respects the story and characters they created together. He's generally shown up as an ally to a variety of social causes, and directly and respectfully responds to fans on Tumblr. While no saint, I feel that there is cause to give the benefit of the doubt that things will resolve satisfyingly in S3, and that there is Intention about some of the things in S2.

This, of course, does not absolve it of being "bad," but even here I think we need to articulate better the different types of "bad" that people are reacting to. There seems to roughly be three camps here: 1) People who thought it was "bad" because of how it ended, with the breakup and a lot of unresolved plot threads; 2) People who thought it was "bad" because it struggled on a technical level with its set, lighting, directorial choices, editing, etc; 3) People who thought it was "bad" because they felt the characterization was significantly off and that the internal logic of the series had been violated.

With regards to Point One, the only solution is to Wait and See. Judgement should be reserved until the story is properly finished--easier said than done, especially considering the current media landscape, and the number of series or franchises that fail to live up to their promises.

Point Two isn't something I understand well enough to contribute meaningfully, except that I suspect the pandemic affected this aspect the most and am willing to give it a bit more mercy. That aside, I for the most part I don't find it bad so much as not as good as S1. Except for the parts with epilepsy warnings, surely there could've been a better way to do that.

Point Three... that's the stumbling block for me, and I find it interesting that most of the folks who struggle with this point in particular are long time fans of the book.

I trust that instinct.

There are two different directions to go from here. The first is the assumption that these problems are a result of ego, carelessness, or lack of skill from the showrunners/writers/director. It's cynical but not unjustified. The second is the belief that the breaks in lore or characterization were intentional, building towards a much grander conspiracy. Of course, even in this case I don't think it forgives the lack of signposting that would indicate that this is a choice rather than an accident. It just makes it feel clumsy and poorly constructed, a major risk on a show that hasn't had its third season confirmed.*

However, regardless, it still feels salvageable. I've enjoyed reading a lot of meta on all this, and I've pulled some things from others (particularly That Theory by @ariaste), but I don't really want to put forth a single, defined theory myself. Instead, here's some questions I've got, why those questions are important (to me, at least). Actual theorizing comes after, and anybody who snidely mentions Sherlock in the comments or tags is going to get auto-blocked. Like seriously, I'm aware that some stuff is a stretch, but it's fun??? To theorize????? And I'm here for me and my peace of mind rather than trying to argue a point.

*I have some suspicions here, particularly with Gaiman stating that the decision from Amazon would come much faster than The Sandman's second season (which was four months). I don't know enough though to say if that's actually significant.

Questions

Who the fuck is telling this story?

This is the most important piece, in my opinion. There's this assumption when reading books (or research papers, newspapers, etc...) that the narrator who is writing the words is a non-presence, Neutral and objective. That's not the case, and an important part of literature critique is figuring out who the narrator is, and what their goals are. Oftentimes, the narrator and the author are the same person, but with Pratchett's work, particularly on Good Omens and Discworld, the Narrator was its own unique character.

This is why people struggle adapting Discworld to live action--that medium requires a Reason for having a Narrator, and especially in the age of method acting that's often considered immersion-breaking. Good Omens worked so well because they not only kept the Narrator, but they made Her God.

This added some really interesting new dimensions, such as the scene where Crowley speaks to God about his fall and the destruction of humanity. He doesn't receive an answer, but we're watching from God's perspective, so we as the audience know that She's listening.

Another advantage of making God the Narrator is that it justifies all the goofy little asides we get into the lives of minor characters (i.e. Leslie the Mailman), without losing focus. It helps the world feel like it’s full of people, rather than characters and plot contrivances, and the theme that individual people and their choices are important. The Narrator is such a central character of Good Omens that without it, the story struggles to stay focused.

It also highlights a key difference in the writing styles of the two authors. Pratchett’s work tends to introduce four or five totally unique plot threads that feel completely disjointed until the last act (if not even later), when it turns into a Chekhov’s Firing Squad. Plot twists around secret identities and backstabbing and schemes are relatively rare, as the omniscient Narrator doesn’t lie about the intentions of people or their actions.

Gaiman’s writing is typically not like that, to my knowledge. He buries characters in misdirection and hints, and you never know the true identity or motives until all the chips are down. It’s a perfectly valid way to approach storytelling, but it makes it jarring to see it in S2. The lack of a Narrator is a huge reason why S2 doesn’t feel like Good Omens to some folks.

My gut feeling is that the decision to shift from the original Narrator was highly intentional. It helps to obscure the thoughts and intentions of people, and it also muddles the insights that we’re supposed to take away. (I would have loved hearing God monologue about what’s going on in Jim’s head. I think it’d do a lot to make him seem less.... obnoxiously stupid.)

More than that, it brings up a reasonable potential plot point of: Where did God go? Why isn’t She present in the story? Even in her early appearance in the Job flashback, she doesn’t sound like the narrator for last season. After the first part of her speech (which Gabriel later quotes), her tone turns casual and condescending, which might line up with her being a bit of an asshole, it doesn’t line up with the whole “dealer of a mysterious card game who is always smiling”).

Also, I don’t think it’s safe to assume that nobody is telling the story either. Just because they’re not making their presence known doesn’t mean they aren’t there, and in a story like Good Omens, that’s concerning.

Wait, where's Satan?

Another person I saw while scrolling the tags pointed out that Satan is nowhere to be seen this season. He's really only mentioned in reference to a bet God made in Job, but then Crowley is the one on the ground causing mischief. There's no Hail Satan among demons (like Hastur and Ligur did at the start of S1).

That's might be because the writers didn't want us to think it was important (a la Hastur), but that feels off. Given that Satan speaks directly through the radio to Crowley in S1, complimenting him on his work, it's safe to say that he was at least aware of and involved in the goings-on in Hell. The fact that he wasn't even an worry for Beelzebub in abandoning their post? Feels weird.

(Also if you know where that post is, I'll happy credit + link)

What is Maggie?

Look, I love cute lesbians in love as much as the next queer, but I don't like Maggie. I don’t think she’s a person. Contextually, she’s a plot device, but I agree with That Essay that she might be an actual Plot Device.

Her characterization is simple and relatively shallow—a bit of an airhead, ray of sunshine that’s supposed to remind you of Aziraphale. When she describes her past to Nina, it’s almost robotic (also, her story implies it was Mr. Fell who first rented to her ancestor, not Mr. Fell’s great-grandfather like Nina implied). Her emotions are over-dramatic and seem to be turned on and off at random (scenes with her crying to Aziraphale about her woes had my “manipulator” senses going off for some reason).

When asked about a song, she not only IDs the song, its singer, and its year, but how and on what it was distributed. (Honestly thought this would’ve been something interesting, because she’s been pretty ditzy so far, it’d be interesting if she had like... an insane memory for music history.) And then she’s the one that sets Aziraphale on his little investigation by giving him the transformed records, while also planting the seed about her love troubles with Nina. Later, her advice to Crowley is... not awful, but feels insincere and a bit too forward, given her own self-proclaimed lack of relationship experience.

I don’t know what she is (a demon, hastur with amnesia in disguise, a literal plot device inserted by the current storyteller, etc...), but there’s something not right with her.

(Also the joke of “who listens to records anymore, it’s so old fashioned” just doesn’t land, lots of people buy records, and I’m saying this as somebody who has worked at a record store before.)

What's going on with Aziraphale?

There’s something Off about Aziraphale, and it’s not his choices at the end of the season. That makes total sense if you read him as somebody with severe religious trauma getting dragged back into the abusive system because other people need him and he’s been promised the ability to change things.

But I do think something is happening to his memory. Nearly all the flashbacks are from Aziraphale’s point of view and retelling, which means that they’re less reliable than God’s version of events in the previous season. Many of them don’t make logistical sense (post-church scene in 1941), depict Crowley as meaner or more sinister than we know he is, or frame events... weirdly. The scene with him trying food for the first time feels Really Bad, especially when the series has previously established that he’s a) prim and proper and b) his interest in food is one of the beautiful things that connect him to humanity, not some kind of gluttonous sin. Also he turns down alcohol.

Their meet-cute at the  start of the universe also doesn’t line up with their reactions to each other in Eden, or the fact that knowing each other Before has never come up or been hinted at anywhere ever. I don’t know what’s causing this to happen, only that Aziraphale repeatedly looks pensive when coming out of flashbacks, and Crowley is never there afterwards to corroborate said memories.

His actions also seem pretty inconsistent with what we know of him—i.e. I refuse to believe he would ever mistreat his books, even if they’re just old encyclopedias. Also, he feels a bit too...forceful in trying to get Nina and Maggie to fall in love? I mean, he didn’t exert that much direct influence on even Warlock, when he was actively hoping that the boy would turn out angelic rather than neutral.

I don’t think this removes his agency in that last decision, so much as explains how he was in such a vulnerable place at all. He still needs to apologize and fix things, because he messed up, and even if he hadn’t he still seriously hurt Crowley.

What's going on with Crowley?

There’s something Off about Crowley. The most obvious thing, of course, is his memories. At multiple points in the present day, characters state that they remember him or have met him before, only to be met with confusion. This is especially concerning given that he has a nigh photographic memory for faces (something mentioned in the book when he immediately IDs Mary Loquacious, 11 years after a 30 second conversation).

Overall, he seems to be better known by other supernatural entities this season, in ways that often tie him back to his angelic identity (i.e. saying they fought together in the war, Aziraphale stating he knew the angel he used to be, etc...). This doesn’t feel right, because S1 we see that Hell is largely apathetic towards his schemes, and definitely does not defer to him at any point in any capacity.

Then there’s the issue of his power level. It’s always been speculated that Crowley was a powerful angel prior to falling, when he mentions in S1 his involvement with star making, his seemingly unique ability to freeze time, and creating a pocket universe for Adam before the confrontation with Satan. He also has a tendency of breathing life into inanimate objects, like his plants or car. He also has the regular demonic skillset: miracles that can adjust physical appearance; the ability to change inanimate objects (like paintball guns into real guns); the ability to manifest clothing and similar items; and summon hellfire to his fingertips. This, plus the way he monologues to God with a degree of familiarity rather than reverence seems to indicate that he was Somebody Powerful and Important Before.

But in S2, his skills are significantly expanded upon. The miracle he and Aziraphale summon sets off alarms in heaven and hell, and it’s powerful enough to mask Gabriel from the Archangels. He summons a miniature sun to rain fire on Job, which is way bigger and flashier than anything we’ve seen him summon in S1. (If he needs fire, he alters the course of a dropping bomb, without creating one himself.)

Yet he’s able to cloak his presence so well he goes wholly unnoticed in heaven, or in front of heavenly agents on earth (i.e. the Job flashback). Muriel can’t clock him as a demon, or even as another supernatural being, despite their auras usually being pretty significant, such Aziraphale immediately sensing the archangels when they arrive.  He’s able to interfere with files that Muriel claimed required clearance (although I feel like that might just be a snark about Obeying Without Thinking? I would really need a Narrator to know.)

I might be misremembering, but I don’t think we’ve seen angels or demons transmogrify living beings before either. In the book, Crowley brings Aziraphale’s dove back to life after the failed magic show, and occasionally sinks ducks, but he doesn’t alter them? Not even Adam demonstrates that skill in S1. But he has no trouble turning Job’s children into lizards, however temporarily. Boy that would’ve been convenient during the flood. Or when the guard stopped then from getting to the air strip.

I might be misremembering, but I don’t think we’ve seen angels or demons transmogrify living beings before either. In the book, Crowley brings Aziraphale’s dove back to life after the failed magic show, and occasionally sinks ducks, but he doesn’t alter them? Not even Adam demonstrates that skill in S1. But he has no trouble turning Job’s children into lizards, however temporarily. Boy that would’ve been convenient during the flood. Or when the guard stopped then from getting to the air strip.

I don’t have any real issues with his characterization in the present day parts of S2, but there’s something weird happening with Crowley.

Where's all the people?

I really like a lot of the new characters, but how were there only like, 2.5 new humans named in the present day? Flashbacks don’t count bc the humans are all dead and can’t affect the story.

As much as I like Nina, she and Maggie don’t drive the story beyond being an occasional and awkwardly inserted plot contrivance? Both are actively robbed of their agency at several points, forced into situations that they could not have avoided or escaped. I’m not really sure what growth they’re expected to experience other than deciding not to date each other after everything. I literally can’t tell you anything about Nina other than that she remembers her regular’s orders, runs a coffee shop, and has a textbook abusive partner we never see. The only meaningful interactions they have are between those two, or in conversation with Aziraphale and Crowley.

Compare that to S1, where Anathema gets hit by Aziraphale and Crowley, but her primary relationships are with Newt, Adam, and Agnes Nutter (I think that counts as a relationship). We know that she’s got a wealthy family back in Puerto Rico, and that she was literally raised to save the world, and that she isn’t happy under all that pressure. Newt on the other hand is connected to not just Anathema, but Shadwell and Madame Tracy. He never even directly interacts with Aziraphale and Crowley. We know about his hobbies, his struggle to hold down a job, and his almost supernatural ability to destroy any electronics he touches. I don’t necessarily like how their relationship came together, but they were both very, very well fleshed out characters with unique backstories and goals. They weren’t just... waiting around to give Aziraphale and Crowley a new questline.

And while there’s no requirement to include a large cast of human characters that are exerting influence over the story, the lack of it is another aspect that makes this season feel not like Good Omens.

Also, it's just. Really weird to me that the events of S1 aren't really referenced at all? Like, Adam isn't mentioned, nor is Warlock. I don't expect them to keep track of the humans they met on the airfield for 20 minutes, but none of it is ever specifically referenced as far as I can tell, beyond Crowley threatening Gabriel. Like, I get that it's been a few years, but the pair caused a big enough disturbance that you'd expect some kind of ripples in their supernatural communities.

Promised by the Narrative (Obvious Chekhov's guns that I will be legitimately upset over if they do not go off)

A sincere apology from Aziraphale to Crowley that doesn't come with the expectation that Crowley will come back to him, but because he deserves an apology, even if the choices Aziraphale made were done with good intentions. Aziraphale does not expect forgiveness, and is shocked when Crowley grants it without hesitation.

A clear declaration of love from Aziraphale, which can't be rationalized away by either of them.

An "I'm Sorry" dance between Aziraphale and Crowley, but with greater sincerity and gravity. The most important piece is that they end up dancing together, which signifies a mutual apology and dedication to come together.

Since kissing is on the table, I expect an actual joyful, mutual kiss between these two assholes.

A shared cottage in South Downs.

Predictions/Theories (just some fun thoughts I've had)

When Adam declared that Satan was not his father, he didn't make himself not the antichrist, but accidentally crowned his human dad the King of Hell. Nobody knows this, because Adam doesn't have a good measure for "normal" supernatural situations, and Mr. Young because he's so "normal" that he explains away all the magical bullshit that's started going down.

When Adam declared that Satan was not his father, he erased Satan altogether. However, this left a vacuum in both power and reality. The defection of both Gabriel and Beelzebub only widens that crack. In an attempt to Fix things, reality is warping the story. Crowley has become leagues more powerful between S1 and S2, as the narrative is trying to force him into the role of his previous boss. Aziraphale is unknowingly being pulled into a similar version on the Other Side, perhaps to replace Gabriel or perhaps to replace God herself, who has been fairly absent in all this. The alterations to their memories or past have come about to keep the narrative running smoothly.

When the Metatron asks Nina whether anybody has ever asked for death, he was actually referring to Death, the sole remaining rider of the apocalypse.

If Maggie is indeed a Plot Device, it would be a fascinating exploration of Free Will to see her become aware of this (cue existential crisis), and then fall in love with Nina on her own terms, rather than because she was written that way.

Hastur will be back. Somehow.

The reason why S2 focuses so much on the supernatural characters is because S3 will be about how the events in S1 have changed the political landscape of heaven and hell. Angels are questioning their roles, demons are yearning for something more. It's scaring upper administration, and then the two most reliable folks in employment run away to alpha centauri. Recruiting Aziraphale and getting him back in line prevents him from becoming a martyr, control the range of his influence. The series reasserts its theme of choice and agency by highlighting that Aziraphale and Crowley aren't that special, they've just had the chance to live and grow, and that the others have free will too, if they want it.

The reason why they wanted to separate Aziraphale and Crowley, is not to get Aziraphale on his own, but to get Crowley on his own. He literally stopped time and made a pocket universe in front of Satan last season. He's powerful and dangerous and somebody wants to see that reigned in.

Wishlist (stuff I desperately want to see)

Crowley getting an audience with God and an opportunity to ask his questions, only to refuse to do so because he's found his own Answers and he no longer needs hers

Aziraphale and Crowley growing more into their book incarnations. Aziraphale becomes confident in his sense of morality, which he developed the hard way through millennia on earth besides humanity. He slowly learns what it means to be loved, unconditionally, but also is better at asserting and maintaining his boundaries. Crowley, still anxious and unwinding, works through his fear of abandonment, providing him opportunities to be kind and gentle and nurturing--all traits that he's aggressively hid since being a demon.

Hand holding. I know that Gaiman was referring to Ineffable Bureaucracy, but I still feel like we'd benefit from meaningful hand holding, especially since that got cut from the adaptation of the book.

Shifted focus away from the supernatural shenanigans, and back onto the humans that actually drive the story.

Cameos from S1 characters (if not a more substantial appearance).

The Four Other Riders of the Apocalypse.

Cursed Thoughts (why I shouldn't be allowed a social platform)

Ineffable Bureaucracy turns up in season 3 because Beelzebub got Gabriel pregnant somehow.

[fatuifucker]

third stream: desire for approval

[art cr: kuroume_1024 on twt]

bratty trans! streamer! scaramouche x dom fem-sex reader (they/them pronouns used for reader)

SUMMARY = how far would you go for attention?

WARNINGS = please view the sucker series masterlist for the full warnings! smut, penetration (reader giving), brat taming, asphyxiation, boobplay, use of the word “cunt”, use of pet name "angel" + "cumslut" + similar language, scara has nipple and navel piercings, womb tattoo, lingerie, self-sexualisation, codependence, unhealthy relationship, suicide ideation, self-harm, gender dysphoria, transphobia, attempted self-mutilation, implied domestic abuse

W/C = 2.6k

A/N = my word count is getting higher and higher be proud of me!! i was actually intending on writing a valentine's fic instead but uh ig you can take this as the late valentine's day fic instead lol. this may be my last x reader for a while for i would like to focus on more character x character. there are some zines im interested in participating and i want to have fics that i can use for my portfolio bc i don't think character x readers do good for zines lol oh yeah also little shoutout to the usernames featured in scara's stream!!

TAGS = @midnxght-sweet-time, @barbatosfavouritenun, @edenialucas, @huboi, @nejibot, @yumixxn, @teallapril

P-chan should be cute, pretty, handsome. Appearance-wise, they are perfect. Their gender doesn't matter but I want someone with a body like mine. I don't like nuisances so they have to be calm and collected. They have to be rational so they can comfort me and stop me from making impulsive decisions.

I want them to be independent but not too independent. They'll need me to command them like a pet. Maybe like a bunny? They could be that innocent-looking type but is secretly horny for me hehe. I'll have to work out the details later. But it's fine even if they are unsure about their personality. People like that tend to rely on the self-assured more. Maybe I could even dress up in the clothes I can't wear.

They won't be able to live without me.

—

“Ohh…it’s soh gud,” Scara moans, her tongue trailing up the melting popsicle before sucking on it. “Mmm…I might get addicted...”

The stream chat floods with comments; majority of it being provocative remarks. Just the reaction she intended. Although Scara hates to be sexualised by her fans, she knows that suggestive content rakes up the viewer count the fastest.

Almost halfway to a month, yet she hasn’t even reached half a million yet. She doesn’t have much time so even if that means that she has to whore herself like this…

“Mmm it’s sticking all over my fingers…” Scara licks the vanilla cream off her fingers, exaggerating her noises as she continues sucking on the popsicle. “It’s a good thing I took off my gloves. Or else it would have been allll over me.”

cauldron-of-anon: you know what else is creamy and drips all over

eunchaeluvr: I LOVE ICE CREAM

bubiblossom: god Im so happy I was born

cinshaberu: big…

leefrfr: that looks good

yourmomsucksme: YESYESYESYESYES

vermillionbun: THANK YOU SCARA

Scara giggles as she licks a strip up the popsicle. Hm, but it’s about time she ended the stream. All this sugary sweet stuff is cloying…ugh. She finishes the popsicle sensually and cleans her hands with a wet wipe.

“Thank you for the meal, it was delicious. I have to meet up with a friend so I’ll respond to the superchats another time.” Scara blows a kiss, mouse hovering over the ‘end stream’ button. “So long suckers!”

—

You’ve reached another milestone today. It’s funny how the other day, both you and Kunihiko were worried about his stagnancy. Today, he has surpassed 50k subscribers. Since this genre of streams garners the most viewers, maybe it’s okay to ask him to do more sexy streams. Probably not too much though. You don’t want Scara to come out as just another female streamer selling her body for clout. Conspiracy theories seem to do well…that goes for her ‘Scara Tries Things’ series. You’ll have to make her work harder these upcoming days, especially since she’s been slacking off lately. You’ve been trying not to push Kuni too hard but—

You blink as your phone is snatched away from you. “You’re still doing work?”

“Yes, that’s my job as your producer.” You stare at Kuni.

Your boyfriend scowls, grabbing your forearm. “Right now I need you to do your job as my partner.”

You don’t make any effort to resist as Kuni drags you like a ragdoll, grunting when he tosses you onto the bed. You sit there, waiting for Kuni to finish changing and give you your orders for the night. In the meantime, you occupy yourself by looking around.

Kuni didn’t have any requests for a themed room so you chose a classy one. The room was laden with rich reds and blacks, a jacuzzi and a drawer stocked with condoms, lube, all the essentials. In truth, it looked like any expensive hotel room, except that the fee for this one was much cheaper that any 5 star hotel. The good thing about love hotels is that they are soundproof — meaning Kuni is going to make you fuck him all night so he can savour the experience of moaning as loud as he wants without alerting the neighbours. Speaking of which, he wanted you to wear something, didn’t he? It should be the one on the table…

Unveiling the contents of the paper bag reveals an angel-themed lingerie set. The bodysuit is made out of fine white satin, decorated with ribbons at the shoulder straps, tulle around the hips, and etched with cloud patterns. Matching the set of white ribbon garters are sheer cloud-covered unattached sleeves that look like it extends past your elbows, looping around the middle finger to partially cover the top of your hands and leaving the rest bare. Without batting an eye, you shed your clothes off and dress yourself in the gifted outfit.

“Are you done?” Kuni calls from the bathroom after a few minutes.

“Yes.”

You sit on the bed, watching as your boyfriend exit the bathroom. A devilish grin rests on his carmine-lined lips as he sashays in black stilettos. He’s dressed head to toe in black leather — from the bodysuit, to the arm sleeves and stockings — but the bodysuit specifically emits a sort of polychromatic glow, shifting to a shimmering purple under the fluorescent light. The whole outfit hugs his body tight, squeezing his body in certain areas that pulls attention to the exposed skin spilling out his thighs and his chest… Your gaze darts back to his eyes, heart thumping upon realising that he is right in front of you.

Kuni chuckles. “What? You embarrassed?” He takes your hand, placing it on his chest. “Don’t be. I wore this just for you, you know?” Entranced, your eyes follow the movements of his other hand, watching as he unzips the zip on his waist, pushing down the waistband to display the pink, heart-shaped tattoo on his pelvis; resembling those typical womb tattoos you see in hentai. “You’re my sweet, obedient angel. And you’re going to reward this naughty succubus for working so hard for the both of us.” Kuni shoves you down on the bed, letting you sit in your state of shock as he purrs into your ear. "Get your toys. They are on the bedside table."

Sure enough, there's your bullet vibrator and buttplug; the ones Kuni asked you to bring today. You turn the motor to its maximum speed, goosebumps all over your skin as it makes contact with your sex. Next goes the plug, which you make sure to lubricate before inserting it into your puckered hole. When you lift your head, Kuni’s stinging violet gaze is locked upon you, a smirk on his carmine lips as he plays with his covered clit. You immediately turn your attention down, removing his underwear with hurried fingers and latching onto the swollen bub.

Soft thighs wrap around your head as your tongue switches its focus on his leaky cunt. Juices drip all over your tongue as you dive into him, eating him like a gourmet buffet. The whir of the vibrator reverberates off the insulated walls, rousing the fire in your groin that stupefies you into shaking your ass, savouring the sensation of your hole squeezing around the plug. Your eyes flit back up to your lover, his lust-filled eyes fixed onto you. His cunt oozes with ambrosial nectar, and you lap it up like a starved creature, goaded by his saccharine moans. A squeal reveals the arrival of his high, manicured nails digging into the sheets before vitality deserts him, leaving him laying limp on the bed.

The strained, rapid breaths becomes the only source of sound in the room once the motor is turned off. What fills the space of silence is rustling, followed by a click and then followed by a wet noise of viscous liquid. Kuni spreads his legs as your body hovers over him, a tired look on his face. He senses your hesitation.

“Don’t give that look,” he sneers. “I already gave you permission to ruin me. Unless…” he juts his bottom lip out, eyebrows lowered in a display of mockery. “you’re backing away now because you realised you can’t do it. No matter how cool, calm and controlled you think you are, I’m the one who holds dominion over you. Without my orders, you’re hopeless. You don’t know what to do because I’m the one who holds the power. Without me, you’re— ah!!”

His back arches into a crescent as the strap spears him without warning. Without giving him time to adjust, you’re grinding your hips against his, slamming the cock in and out while he cries in pleasure.

“Yes, yes, yes! Use me! Break me! Fix me! Oh god, please, please, please—!”

The force of your thrusts jostles Kuni against the bed, incandescent light shifting the polychromatic purples of his collar that just beckon you to wrap your hand around the thin neck. The added pressure around his neck makes him mewl in delight, hands guiding your free hand up his hips, past his navel piercing, and landing on his chest.

“Touch my boobs…” he rasps.

“I don’t recall giving you permission to order me around,” you say with a bite in your voice, tugging on one of his nipple piercings to make him squeak. “Do I have to punish you for your insolence?” Nonetheless, you turn your attention to his chest, peppering it with kisses and hickeys, suckling on his nipples, all to make the little brat writhe under you. 

“(Name)...” he whines. “Punish me, ruin me, I don’t care! I don’t care about anything as long as you need me— aah…think of me and no one else! Want only me, love only me, love me, love me, love— haaah~!! I’m cumming, I’m—!”

His orgasm is signified by a shower of translucent strings streaming out of his soaked cunt, essence staining the floor and sheets in splatters. Kuni wheezes for air once you release the hold on his neck, arms wrapping around you as he basks in the momentary peace.

“Are you okay? Was I too rough?”

“I…I can do it again…” he says in between breaths, pushing himself up with his elbows. “Come on, I’m your…I’m your succubus, aren’t I? You…you have to punish me…”

You shrink back. “Kuni, I really think you need a break—”

A sudden weight thrown onto you interrupts your monologue. You blink, seeing your smirking boyfriend has switched positions with you; with you now underneath him while he’s on top of you.

“Oh I’m much stronger than you think. This body is curated for you…for all of your desires and wants. So, do your worse,” He cusps your cheek, lips covering over yours. “and dig in.”

Kuni kisses you with fervour, determined to infect you with his lust. An unwelcome sense of unease churns instead.

—

The sharp pain makes Kuni's body tingle with adrenaline, foggy eyes watching scarlet sanguine spill out the wound. His chest rises and falls as he pants, shaking fingers bringing the bloodied blade to slash an untouched portion on his wrist. He lets the high consume him, a penumbra that suppresses the emotional turmoil threatening to boil over the messed up pot that is him. Yet that high is all-consuming, and it begs for more. Cloudy indigos flit up to the mirror, a blurry figure reflecting back his ugly existence and that ugly chest that proves of his inferiority as a man.

"Cut your hair? But you’re the most beautiful with long hair."

"Where did you get those shorts? A pretty girl like you should wear dresses."

"Why does she dress like that?”

"Huh? But…you’re a girl."

Shut up, shut up.

”Kuniko, do you really think that anyone in this world will accept you as a boy?”

Shut up, shut up, shut up shut up shut up—

"Do you want to bleed out?"

Kuni ignores the way his raised hand trembles, grumbling as he glares at the person standing by the door. "Wasn't intending to. But if I die from blood loss, it wouldn’t be a bad thing either."

"I would be upset." You take a step forward, stopping when he inches the razor closer to his chest. "You know, if you wanted to get rid of them, we could always visit a professional. Surgery would be safer–"

“Do you think I give a shit about my safety?!” Kuni screams, beads of tears pouring like a waterfall. “I want to die! I don’t want to exist anymore, why don’t you get it?!”

“What makes you think that I don’t?”

“You…you…” Kuni swallows, his dry mouth making speech a burden.

“Maybe I don’t want to live either," You say. "but I still want you to survive.”

Kuni laughs dryly. “How selfish of you.”

“How ironic of you of all people to say that."

He doesn’t respond to that.

“I need you just as much as you need me. We can’t survive without each other.”

“I know.”

“I’m here because you want me to stop you. You want me to make you feel better.”

“...Yes.”

“How do you want me to do that?"

“...Hold me."

A trace of warmth swathes him; barely there but still enough. Kuni leans against the cold wall, quiet sobs echoing through the tiny room, caged in this claustrophobic space. The air is cold and suffocating, but he knows it will be okay because you’re here. It will be okay, because (Name) is here. (Name) is always with me. (Name) can never leave me. He closes his eyes, letting your gentle scent waft into his nose. He takes apart the scent: an amalgamation of lavender, sandalwood and sage, like the aromatherapy candles he lights. If he focuses, he can feel your warm, calming breaths brushing against his ear, reminding him that you’re there. You’ll always be there for him, and nothing will change that. It takes a while but slowly, his breaths even out, settling into a steady cadence.

You let go of him. His eyes are fixed on the floor.

“Are you okay?” You ask, caressing his dishevelled locks.

His gaze doesn’t leave the floor. “I can handle more than this.”

The sound of muffled shouting interrupts the quiet conversation. Kuni winces, looking at the direction of the disturbance. He recognises the voices but tunes out the repetitive string of words, palms cupping his ears while his back slides down the wall. The voices get louder and louder, accompanied by clashes of porcelain and the collide of wood against other household objects. He doesn’t register that he’s shaking until the familiar warmth surrounds him again.

“Let’s watch KAngel.”

—

[You received a text from Kuniku<3!]

Kuniku<3: (name)

Kuniku<3: ur asleep right?

Kuniku<3: couldnt sleep so i went out for a walk lol

Kuniku<3: i brought along the switchblade u bought me

Kuniku<3: in case a perv wants to catch a case hehe

[Kuniku<3 is typing…]

Kuniku<3: hey

Kuniku<3: you know i hate being alone right?

Kuniku<3: whenever you leave me for too long

Kuniku<3: im afraid that you realised you dont need me after all

Kuniku<3: i have to rely on you

Kuniku<3: but do you still need me?

Kuniku<3: or do i have to make you depend on me more?

[Kuniku<3 is typing…]

Kuniku<3: i want to disappear

Kuniku<3: i want to die

[Message Deleted]

Kuniku<3: hope my favourite cumslut got a good rest <3

Kuniku<3: i’ve been doing a good job right? sooo u will give me a break right?

Kuniku<3: i took the liberty of picking date ideas so what do u wanna do??

[Your answer]

[louisupdates]

[Translated from Portuguese]

LINK TO VIDEO INTERVIEW

Former member of the British boy band One Direction, Louis Tomlinson will perform, in May, three shows in Brazil. It will be the third time that the musician will perform in the country, an experience that, according to him, is always chaotic - and "in the best possible sense". This is what the singer said to g1, in an interview held at Allianz Parque, where he will play in São Paulo, on May 11.

The shows are from the "Faith in the Future" tour, in which Louis returns to his latest album, released in 2022. The setlist also involves songs from the album "Walls" and, of course, One Direction hits.

Fever among children and adolescents in the 2010s, the pop group was formed from the TV show "The X Factor" and lasted six years, breaking up in 2016. Since then, the musicians have followed a solo career. A fact that, in Louis' eyes, is inevitably competitive.

"Your only reference is to compare yourself with the other members," said the Englishman. "You start to think, 'If they're getting this, why am I not getting it?'"

On Spotify, the number of monthly listeners among artists differs a lot. The most popular star of the divorced boy band, Harry Styles has about 58.2 million. Next are Zayn Malik (27.3 million), Niall Horan (17.3 million), Liam Payne (5.7 million) and Louis (2.9 million).

But if success meters like this were once a burden for the musician, today they are no longer, according to him, who also made a point of reiterating that he has always been proud of his friends.

In the interview, the musician also commented on subjects such as the conspiracy theories that describe him as a partner of Styles, the changes of concept between his albums, a Brazilian remix of his "Kill My Mind" - from the funkeiro FP of Trem Bala -, and his interest in fashion

g1 - What is the main difference between the Louis Tomlinson of the X Factor, 2010 and the Louis Tomlinson of today?

Louis Tomlinson - There is a lot of naivete in the boy who appeared in the X Factor. I really didn't know what I was getting into. I didn't know how that would put me sitting here. I definitely had no idea what I was acquiring.

I think I feel much more fulfilled. More confident. It took me a while to have enough courage to say: 'I'm creative, I'm a singer, I'm a composer

Now, I'm just internalizing all these feelings. When you grow up in a place like Doncaster, where I grew up, it takes a while to believe in all these things. Because you only watched it from afar, on TV or on the radio. So, when you become one of these people, there is a whole process until you believe and understand everything.

g1 - And what is the greatest similarity?

Louis Tomlinson - Probably my appearance (laughs). Well, I hope my fans don't correct me here. I like to think that I've always had a very lovely relationship with them. I think that's the only constant thing.

g1 - Do you know any Brazilian singer or band?

Louis Tomlinson - We were talking today about Anitta. And hm... Fresh? Fre? Fresno? I'm learning. I hope [the confusion with the band's name] didn't sound disrespectful, it wasn't my intention.

Do you have any recommendations for me? I got some tips today. What do you have for me?

g1 - There is a Brazilian musician called FP do Trem Bala. He made a remix of 'Kill My Mind'...

Louis Tomlinson - That's cool! So far, you were the one who made the best recommendation. Definitely.

g1 - Can I show you?

Louis Tomlinson - Of course!

g1 - What's up? Did you like it? Is there anything you would like to say to the FP of the Bullet Train?

Louis Tomlinson - Yes, it's a vibe. Fun. Very fun. Thank you for making a remix of the song.

g1 - This is your third time in Brazil. What comes to your mind when you hear things like 'doing a show in Brazil', 'Brazilian tour', or simply 'Brazilian fans'?

Louis Tomlinson - Chaos. And in the best possible sense. I totally love it.

Live experiences are defined by the most chaotic moments. And coming here and always feeling this energy is as if from the first drum beat, the fans were already there. It's a really triumphant feeling.

g1 - In musical terms, how was the experience of creating 'Faith in the Future' compared to 'Walls'?

Louis Tomlinson - I felt much more fulfilled, confident. I had more understanding of what I wanted to do and how to do it.

[On the first album], there was the factor that I left One Direction. It was as if my head was a mess and there was so much to think about... It didn't have a clear direction. I had to go through the experimentation phase to, in fact, understand who I am as an artist. That took time.

Throughout my creation of 'Walls', this was happening, but I was in a clearer, more concise place going to 'Faith in the Future'. And I think that made [the second] album better.

g1 - Recently, you created 28 Clothing, a fashion brand. What is your relationship with this sector?

Louis Tomlinson - I've always had a very funny relationship with fashion. Without a doubt, I'm interested in clothes, I've always been. Since I was young. But there is a level of haute couture that goes far beyond my understanding.

You know, I like to dress well. The brand is something I've always wanted to do. It is also intertwined with one of my [greatest] passions, football.

Football and fashion have been connected since the game was a game. People's fashion in the stands and everything else...

I think it's a very interesting thing and, for sure, a culture in which I was already inserted when I was younger. So, the brand helps me tell my story.

g1 - You once mentioned that you felt a little uncomfortable and more competitive at the beginning of your solo career. You said you were a little upset because you kept comparing your level of success with that of the other members of One Direction. Do you still feel that way?

Louis Tomlinson - No, I don't feel like it. Really. But I think that anyone - and obviously, there won't be many people who can identify with it - but anyone who has gone through a similar situation...

Being in a band and leaving on your own will always make your only reference be to compare yourself with other members. That's literally all you have.

I think it's a matter of maturity, actually. It took me a long time to look at it for what it was. Because that's where petulance begins. You start to think: 'If they're getting this, why can't I do it?'. And that becomes a little toxic.

Unfortunately, this is the nature of the music industry. It is naturally competitive. We are all competing for spots.

But now I see it in a very different way. And as I said, this requires maturity. I also needed to succeed on my own to be able to get through this. To overcome this.

Now, this comes back as I feel a confidence in saying these things.

Oh, and just to reiterate, because it's important: while I felt competitive, or more competitive than I am today, it wasn't like I wasn't immensely proud of everything the boys were doing.

It was more about reflecting on my own situation. Just about thinking: 'Oh, I wish I had a little of that'.

Now, I feel in a very, very, different place. And it's a nicer thing to feel, because being very competitive isn’t always the nicest feeling.

g1 - I imagine you hear questions like this all the time, right? Does it bother you?

Louis Tomlinson - Yes, it's okay. As I mentioned before, I understand the obvious public interest in One Direction. That's obvious. And you know, I appreciate that these things are interesting. I suppose [that they are].

g1 - Louis, many fans believe in the conspiracy theory that you’re dating Harry Styles, even though you describe this story as ridiculous. Why is this conspiracy so famous?

Louis Tomlinson - What I realized a few years ago is that there is nothing I can say, there is nothing I can do to stop those who believe in this conspiracy. They are so connected with what they believe they will not see the truth for what it actually is. I'm sure many people look and find all these little conspiracies that happen in life interesting.

I would be lying if I said it doesn't annoy me a little, but it's the nature of the work.

There are times when it gets very personal. I have my son, Freddie. He's the most important person in my life. And occasionally, [these theories] end up addressing things that are kind of unfair.

That's what we have now. There's nothing I can do about it. Nothing I can say to stop people from inventing what they want to invent. So, so be it.

g1 - Finally, what is your favorite song at the moment and why?

Louis Tomlinson - My favorite album is Paolo Nutini's last. It's great, amazing. He's an amazing singer, maybe he's my favorite singer. It's indeed an inspiring album.

And favorite music... I can't remember the name, but it's from The Libertines, a band I've liked since I was young.

[plothooksinc]

For the WIP meme: 🗣️ 📄 ❔ 🤔

🗣️Talk about your favourite WIP

This is actually super hard. Like I love all my WIPs! (Nobody ask me which WIP I hate b/c the answer is "lol none"). Picking a favourite... well, Infinite Ricochet is the easiest to write currently and I'm looking forward to making readers scream dropping the actual plot, but.

But.

I just finished a reread of The Zaibatsu Project and honestly, cyberpunk samurai? I have so much going on in this and I'm proud of myself for taking a bunch of 19th century characters and going "nope you're all from 2029 now" and realising just how much plot I had on the go and that, actually, the last chapter I put up wasn't so terrible or poorly received after all (and I'm struggling to work out why I ever thought that.) It reminded me where I was going with it and I am very encouraged, and it is by far my most ambitious WIP and if Watsuki hadn't taken a sledgehammer to everyone's motivation to do anything with the Ruroken fandom I might actually write this a lot faster than, uh, one chapter every three years '_' Anyway, yes. Cyberpunk samurai, choc full of The Cure references, chess references, and conspiracy theories that drove people nuts on LJ back in the day back when I was writing it in serial installments. <3

📄What’s a WIP you never finished that you would like to go back and revisit?

All of them. But as I've been asked this one multiple times, let's go with Snowblind. It's the closest to being finished out of all of them, and the last time I updated I got a reviewer in her 70s going "Please don't take another 13 years to update, I probably wont' be here to read it," sob. So I whittle away some time on this one. (On them all, actually. While I'm focused mostly on Infinite Ricochet, I have indeed written 1-2 pages on everything else on my way through.)

❔Choose a random WIP and talk about it.

Infinite Ricochet, unlike its predecessor, is a sprawling take-your-time fic wherein there is a plot and I'm slowly going to keep ratcheting up the tension until people are screaming on the rollercoaster all the way down, but I wanna take time to explore relationships along the way. Like I set up certain dynamics in NRFTW that I want to play with. Literally reconstructed one of the main characters. Gave them all even more trauma! I sort of left off with one open plot thread on NRFTW deliberately which could have been left open ended, but then I thought of a bunch of other stuff and went "...hey, what if." And it's messy. It's so messy here at the start because I'm trying to lay the foundations for everything that comes later, and there's a lot that comes later. So sometimes I'm like "...is this scene really necessary" but also "no I can't jump straight to the plot because pacing let's let them breathe first" but also "oh god, the characters are talking again and I can't get them to shut up." And then trying to get from these personality/foundation-laying scenes to pick up speed with actual plot relevant stuff is surprisingly hard?

My outline for Infinite Ricochet is 8000 words long. And it's only two thirds of the fic, because at that point I went "...and by the time I get to this point the plot will look entirely different" so I stopped. Safe to say I have a lot planned. And if I can get it to work I (and hopefully everyone else) will have so much fun (for a given definition of fun), but it feels a little right now like trying to herd cats so. Wish me luck. 8|

🤔Do you have an WIPs where you wish you had chosen a different fandom/character?

Nope! I'm not a hugely prolific writer, so any time I do start publishing a fic I've already thought long and hard about my choices. Places, everyone.

Thank you!

WIP meme questions here.