#this might help me jive him...

[xxsycamore]

✨The Sunshine Syndrome

╰┈➤ 🎂 "Do you remember what you wished for, last night when you blew the candles?"

Sebastian x Reader; ft. all the mansion residents • rating: G • tags: Birthday Fluff; Humor; everyone being silly goofy • wordcount: 1,453 • masterlist

a/n: and again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY INKY!!!! 🎉🎉🎉@inkys-garden I was wondering what to tell you about Sebas celebrating your birthday, and it suddenly turned into fic plot so here we are :DD HOPE YOU LIKE ITTTT!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH ❤❤❤

It's another beautiful day of your life in 19th century Paris, in the neat little mansion up the hill that you call a home, just you and your lover and your 8 housemates who are reincarnated vampires and your sugar daddy landlord whose wealth you all live off. A day like any other, it might seem, except, today is the day you were born. Well, the day you will be born, if you have to take the time travel into account… your suggestion to place a minus in front of your age on the cake this year was met with disapproval by your lover Sebastian. "We can do the same for your age!" You said, but Sebastian wasn't really interested.

Content and excited for the day to unfold, you've already put your cutest outfit on, made a little spin in front of the mirror and exited your room to head downstairs. Strangely, Sebastian didn't wake you up earlier this morning, despite your wish to come help him with chores like always. He must have let you get some more shut-eye because it's your special day. He really shouldn't have to!

Huh. It's strange, you can swear you're hearing a cheerful melody coming from the dining room. Speeding up your step that already had a bit of spring to it, your curiosity makes you push the doors open without a second thought.

"YOU CAN DANCEEE!"

"YOU CAN JIVE!"

"Having the time of your lifeee!"

Wait, what! Why is everyone here, spreading jam on toasts, smiling at each other, why is Mozart smiling at all, and why on earth are they singing Abba?! "Oh, you're awake! We've been all waiting for you!" Sebas suddenly notices you, giving you the softest smile while gesturing you to come closer.

"There's the birthday girl. Heh, had a good night's sleep, cara-mia?

Previously, you thought you did. Now you're wondering if you're STILL sleeping.

"I, uh, I guess so? I did sleep very well… I thought I'd be awake much earlier though! But that aside, what are you-"

Theo interrupts you, thrusting a plate with warm pancakes into your hands.

"Good morning, kuiken, this is for you, I left some pancakes for you. Happy Birthday. Sorry I wasn't around to wish you a Happy Birthday last night, I hope you had fun with the others."

"Oh! That's- Theo, please, I understand you're a busy man- wait, how did you call me?!"

"A baby chick. I figured hondje might be a bit too rude so I'm switching to kuiken. It suits you more."

H-Huuuh!

"Okay then, thank you for being so considerate! But still, what are you guys all doing here, singing and all?!"

Jean of all people speaks up, pulling out the chair next to him so you can take a seat. You do so with curiosity, seeing his sincere little smile.

"It happened spontaneously, mademoiselle. It seems like we all had the same sudden idea to have breakfast together for a change. I was a bit reluctant about joining, but Sebastian showed me how easy it is to make these toasts with jam. I think I should consider joining you around the table more often."

You're utterly moved by Jean's sudden change of heart, and his face is so angelic in this moment. You've been waiting for him to take this step for so long, and here he took a leap!

"Amazing, isn't he?" Dazai startles you by placing a hand on your shoulder from behind. "I want to seal this version of our Jean in one of my future writings. I feel like writing something happy and light for a change, I wonder why is that?"

You understand Dazai's sentiment, as surprising as it is to hear the last part of what he said. With a mood like this, it seems like everyone's in good spirits.

"They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, yet here you are…" Isaac rolls his eyes at Arthur, holding up an apple in his hand as if to emphasize his point. Arthur blinks at him, not used to the physicist weaponizing the very same thing that has been used against him so often before. He feels inclined to ask, trying his best lighthearted but simultaneously teasing tone, without a real bite to it.

"You do understand that's just a saying, Isaac? It hasn't been scientifically proven."

Isaac smiles at him, shrugging his shoulders. "I was just joking."

You watch the exchange with the same bewilderment as everything else happening around you, and that's when the door opens again to reveal a yawning Napoleon. Oh, you didn't realize he was missing from the impromptu house meeting!

"'Morning. I don't remember the last time I slept so much…"

"Good Morning, Monsieur Napoleon! We all decided to let you sleep in for as long as you want to today. Your second life here is all about relaxing, after all. It seems like you've enjoyed it!"

"Oh, that's strange, last time I checked it wasn't my birthday today?" Napoleon smirks, running a hand through his unruly hair, and winks at you.

"Why did we stop singing? I need to remember the rhythm for my composition. Otherwise, I'll have to let you all in my music room later and… well, maybe if you agree to behave we can move our choir there actually." Mozart smiles behind his cup of tea, surprisingly considering the idea.

"Yay, I've been waiting for a chance to visit the music room!" Exclaims Vincent, just a tad louder than how he usually shows his joy.

Watching them all be so happy, to the point where even Comte cares little about keeping his chuckles in the usual gentlemanly tone and Leonardo barely bickers with him over it, you find yourself overwhelmed with the giddy feeling that fills the room. All you want to do right now is join in the good mood, enjoying this moment to the fullest, but you want one last grounding moment with Sebastian before you do that. So you pull him to the kitchen, away from the rowdy residents, and ask once again how did this happen.

"I taught them Dancing Queen because I thought it was fitting of the mood."

"I'm not asking about this!!"

Sebastian smiles at you, gently tucking your hair behind your ear.

"Do you remember what you wished for, last night when you blew the candles?"

The memory floods your mind at once, all confetti and the sound of several people singing you Happy Birthday. They quite literally bombarded you with wishes, compliments, telling you how big of a sunshine you are, how you're the most cheerful and bubbly person they know. In the heat of the moment, you said you wish they could all feel how happy you truly are in this moment. You wished it could stay like that forever; all smiles and fun and games.

You gasp.

"Am I… infectious?!"

"I'm afraid you are. Look around you. My dear, your sunshine syndrome could reach faraway kingdoms and melt the heart of any cold-blooded prince, turn the ruthless tiger into a playful little kitten. This is how you are."

"S-Sebas!! This could be very bad, what about-"

"Let's not think about the future. Things are amazing the way they are right now. We have to live in the moment."

"Sebas!!"

"You and I won't be doing any chores today. Or tomorrow for that matter. Or the day after. We should focus on enjoying life and partying."

"THE MANSION IS GOING TO CRUMBLE TO DUST!!"

***

"My dear, are you alright? Just what kind of dreams are you having? Why is the mansion going to crumble to dust?"

You wake up to Sebastian caressing your face, trying to shake off your dreams. Your…dreams?!

"Sebas… oh my god…"

"Was it a nightmare? It's over now." Sebastian leans down and places a kiss on your forehead, before standing to his feet. "You can lounge around for a little longer, but come to the kitchen when you're ready. It might be your birthday but we still have a long day ahead of us!"

You rub your closed eyes, still finding it hard not to mix dreams with reality. You're almost glad to see him so much… like himself, even if it means doing chores with him again. "Mm, I'll be there in fifteen minutes…"

"I'm supposed to keep this a secret, but… I want to be selfish and see your surprised and happy face while we're still alone. The residents all promised to come to breakfast today, and even help preparing it!"

You blink.

No.

This can't be.

"…Could we sing too?"

"Perhaps we can. If our masters are feeling up to it."

"YAAY!"

Taglist: @arsnovacadenza @kimi00twin @g-kleran @thesirenwashere @devonares @galaxyprison @starshards26 @thewitchofbooks @acethephoenix256 @ikevamp-shrine-2 @nad-zeta @crystal13unny @lordsister @ikemen-banshou   @themysticalbeing @otome-scribbles @rhodolitesrose @coornn @kpop-and-otome @queen-dahlia @kisara-16 @chaosangel767 @ikemenlibrary @queengiuliettafirstlady @aurora-morning @ikemenlover24 @mcofthemansion @joy-the-reader @katriniac @ikemen-writer @tele86 @lovely-bubb1es @aria-chikage @babyblue0t7 @rhodoliteschaos @shrimpy-kitsune @nightghoul381 @xbalayage @lucyw260 @kittygrimm88 @lokis-laugh @natimiles @completelyshatteredbrokenmschf @groovylita @justpeachyteastea Let me know if you want to be tagged/untagged!

[weeb-polls-with-pip]

Autistic Anime Boys Prelims - Propaganda Division - Group 7

Propaganda:

Ash -

"he just has those vibes ya know?"

Charce -

"Has a very hard time understanding the emotions of others along with his own emotions. Others claim that he acts in a very strange way before it's confirmed that most of the things others thought were weird of him were either because it had to do with biology, his special interest, or it was him acting like how he thinks normal people act when he doesn't understand the way neurotypical people act in the slightest."

Setsuna -

"recent scientific developments find that autism might just be stored in the hair."

Nicol -

"A constantly expressionless boy who does not show his feelings, Nicol is quiet and tends to be distrustful. He is fiercely protective of his sister, and though his pretty face makes him popular, he resents that it means that those outside of his friend circle only see him for his looks."

Galo -

"HIS SPECIAL INTEREST LITERALLY HELPED HIM SAVE THE EARTH FROM EXPLODING!!! HE STOPPED MID FIGHT ON TOP OF A BURNING HIGH RISE BUILDING TO SHOW A TRIO OF ARSONISTS A PROJECTOR POWER POINT PRESENTATION OF EDO PERIOD FIREFIGHTING!!!! HE COULDN'T PILOT THE ORIGINAL DESIGN OF A GIANT ROBOT BECAUSE IT DIDN'T LOOK COOL AND HE COULDN'T JIVE WITH IT! AND ON TOP OF EVERYTHING HIS REACTIONS AND MANNERISMS TO FRUSTRATING SITUATIONS (ANGRILY SHAKING HIS HAIR WITH HIS HANDS AND RUNNING OFF IN A SITUATION THAT UPSET HIM IN A MANNER AKIN TO SENSORY OVERLOAD, COMBINED WITH HIM ESCAPING TO A QUIET AND COLD PLACE WITH LITTLE TO NO OUTSIDE STIMULUS TO CHILL OUT) PLUS HIS INCREDIBLY BLUNT WAY OF THINKING AND ODD MANNER IN SOCIAL SITUATIONS!!!!! THIS IS PEAK AUTISM! THE AUTISTIC ANIME BOY WITH A BURNING SOUL!"

Yuuji -

"The entire manga is about the mc moving to a new school and getting helped out by Yugami and then being like 'hey who is that guy' and all her classmates are like 'oh that's Yugami. He sucks.' And then she's like 'oh how sad everyone's bullying this guy :( I bet he's actually rlly nice since he helped me out' and then she tries to interact with him and. No actually he just sucks. The title is a reference to the fact that. He flat out refuses to make friends. People try a lot and he just rejects them. He's the ace of the baseball team but everyone hates his guts, INCLUDING his battery partner, who is just. Totally exasperated all the time. Anyways Yugami has a special interest in rakugou and will just. Recite rakugou. He does it in order to calm himself down during baseball games and everyone's like 'what.' He also jumps interests quite a bit? But every time he gets OBSESSED. There was a period where he was obsessed with building furniture. He cannot read social cues and he does not care. Like at all. He really likes structure! He makes a list every day of all the things he has to do and then checks them off. They have a school festival and he goes to every single exhibit. Just to check them off his list. Not even an actual visit. He pops in and immediately leaves. Someone will talk about some relationship issue and he's like 'just like in [rakugou].'"

Yasutora -

"People think he’s intimidating, but he’s one of the kindest characters in the show! He comes across as having a fairly flat affect with few expressions, and he’s often misinterpreted as being scary by others who don’t know him. He used to be aggressive, but chose to never fight unless protecting someone due to his abuelo’s influence, and I think he’s a low empathy flat affect icon!"

Taiyou -

"He befriends the main character through the power of autism (being completely unaware of the social cues telling him to avoid her and being extremely straightforward when complimenting her). He’s able to inadvertently twist any conversation by misinterpreting what people say, often taking things literally. The idea that someone doesn’t like this girl just Does Not Compute in his head. He’s astoundingly hyperempathetic, just the idea that he may have hurt someone made him burst into tears; and yet he seems to have difficulty reading other people’s emotions. And he has no sense of personal space at all. He’s a sweetheart and he makes up for every shitty “neurotypical person proves how nice they are by befriending the autistic person” trope."

Kai -

"I don’t think I can explain this in a convincing manner, but trust me it makes sense. For an (ex)assassin he is so bad a lying, he brings up details no one was talking about and ends up getting himself into trouble because of it. This is a massive spoiler, but I do think it’s really important to the point; during the first main game the cast are discussing the kitchen incident and whether or not Kai actually threatened Nao, causing her to attack Sou. During which they ask the question why? Why would Kai want Nao to do that, what would he get out of it? They eventually come to the conclusion that it’s because he was trying to steal the computer that Sou had found, and this immediately dooms Kai to his unfortunate fate. But the only reason they are able to get there is because Kai himself says ‘to steal something perhaps?’ when being questioned why he’d have it out for Sou. At that point it’s not even being bad a lying, there was no attempt to lie there he just said what happens in front of everyone and doomed himself. I love him but he’s not always the wisest. There’s something about even the main character thinking openly that he’s a bit weird. One of his first lines after being introduced is him worrying about the laundry he left hanging outside. They’ve been kidnapped and put in a death game and he’s worried about laundry. There something relatable about his limited facial expressions. His face doesn’t really change much unless he’s showing really big emotions, which makes him come across as really aloof and mysterious. The classic ’are you okay? you look sad’ face. Kai also won the most autistic Yttd character - excluding Gin- poll, so there’s that."

Albedo -

"Poor boy does NOT know how to be social with people and spends most of his time drawing stuff on a freezing mountain so he can avoid any kind of social interaction. Also he eats spiders and it's funny."

[chaos-of-the-abyss]

Hello, it's ok to send another Nimloth ask? Since you were the one remembering me that Galadriel and Celeborn WERE married before the second Kinslaying (for some reason i thought that they got married later ... ): do you have some hc about Nimloth's relationship with Galadriel? Or with her uncle and aunt in general? I think that's interesting that Dior and Nimloth marriage got mentioned in the same line where we're told about Galadriel and Celeborn's one!

YES IT'S ABSOLUTELY OK TO SEND ANOTHER NIMLOTH ASK. and now that you mention it, tolkien didn't have to say that celeborn was married to galadriel when bringing up nimloth's relation to him. he could have just stopped at "nimloth, kinswoman of celeborn." hmmmm. realistically he might have just wanted to give readers a reminder of celeborn's position in relation to other major characters in the verse, but i say this is my excuse to hc that nimloth and galadriel are close!

so tangent here that'll be relevant when i talk about my thoughts on their relationship: i fully subscribe to the, ahem, non-teleporno version of galadriel's history (though i do like the name alatariel very much). imo in that version there's reasonable room to argue -- and is something christopher tolkien stated is a natural enough assumption, i believe -- that galadriel was present in doriath during the second kinslaying. in my books she doesn't stick around with elwing in the havens of sirion, but she alongside celeborn do help elwing and the other iathrim refugees escape menegroth and ruins of doriath.

anyway back to nimloth and galadriel. my hc as i mention in one of my earlier nimloth hc posts is that nimloth was born around the time construction of nargothrond and gondolin was completed, so ~f.a. 102-116. that means she's younger than galadriel by a significant margin, and in fact the house of finarfin has already been well settled in doriath by the time of her birth. nimloth and galadriel's earliest meetings happened when nimloth, still a pretty young child, visited and stayed in doriath with her parents. i don't see galadriel as someone who likes kids that much, so there wasn't too much meaningful interaction between them at that time. celeborn did love to dote on his niece though, so galadriel spent more time around young nimloth than she would have most children. and nimloth was one of those super friendly and inquisitive kids, so while galadriel would sometimes come away from interactions with her feeling a bit drained by her enthusiasm, she was definitely fond of nimloth!

they become a lot more meaningfully close when nimloth gets older and enters her late teen / early adult years. she has the same competitive drive that galadriel has, and she loves to learn and try new things. she's also diligent and hardworking -- all things galadriel finds endearing about her -- and has a very academic streak, which jives well with galadriel too. they spend lots of time together, one-on-one or with others (celeborn, melian, luthien, etc.), when they're both present in doriath. nimloth, for her part, admires how knowledgeable and competent her aunt is. i like to imagine she learned a good bit from galadriel! maybe some enchantments, and maybe about the history of ea and arda. nimloth doesn't go out of her way to learn about aman or valinor, as she's not super interested in the west, but she does pick up some tidbits of knowledge about it, and about the valar, while listening to her aunt. they also spar together, and nimloth -- who really loves hunting -- drags galadriel along on hunting trips. (galadriel doesn't dislike hunting, it's just not on her list of 'best ways to have fun' like it is for nimloth. she does enjoy the opportunity to spend time with her niece, though.)

last hc is that galadriel definitely recognizes that nimloth has ambitions, and is not at all surprised when she and dior step up to the task as the new ruling couple of doriath despite the difficult odds. she's one of the people nimloth turns to for advice during her tenure as queen. and while she's worried for her niece -- they first met when nimloth was a child after all -- she's also proud to see how well nimloth fills the role of one of doriath's two highest-ranking people in such difficult circumstances. galadriel having one of those "they grow up so fast" moments anyone?

anddddd you know since we talked once about how celrond parallels dior/nimloth... maybe galadriel got a sense of deja vu as she watched her silver-haired daughter take the hand of a dark-haired peredhel...

[billpottsismygf]

Rogue

Oh wow, I have some complex feelings to work through with this one. Up front, really fun idea and very funny script and performances. There were quite a few moments that had me laughing out loud (the shed, the OK exchange) and I love the whole set up of these aliens who want to cosplay as humans in the regency era. It also connects nicely with Rogue's love of DND. I feel like I might have missed something when they seemed to know that the Duchess was a Chuldur, but I'll see if I catch that on rewatch or not.

As always, I adore Ncuti here. He's so funny and charming as the Doctor, but I particularly loved that we got to see his darker side here. It was only a glimpse, but that line about 600 years being a long time to suffer was quite chilling and very reminiscent of the "he was being kind" speech from Family of Blood. Indeed, it is quite a ruthless end for the Chuldur! They're sent to a random "barren" different dimension! It reminds me quite a bit of the relocation gun from Rosa and how much it was shown to be one of the worst things you could do to someone (and Ryan uses it on the white supremacist guy). Brutal!

Ruby and the Doctor didn't get to spend much time together this episode, which is a shame because we haven't seen all that much of them together for three episodes in a row now. I can't help but think it's a sad consequence of the tiny episode run that we barely get to see this Doctor and companion interact, so although I loved the Doctor calling her his best friend, and I especially loved her giving him a hug at the end and making him deal with his emotions, I don't feel that connection as much as I'd like to. Equally, when he's devastated to think she's been killed, it would have hit so much harder if we'd seen them build up a real relationship. They have a lot of natural chemistry, so you still very much believe them as best friends, but it feels like we're missing a bit of the depth there.

Okay, now, the romance! I was quite apprehensive about this one because it looked like there might be something going on between the Doctor and Rogue, and that was further fueled by a comment Millie Gibson made in an interview about this episode showing a different side of the Doctor. The reason that made me apprehensive is entirely down to my personal preference, which is that I like it when the Doctor is more a-spec. As it turned out, this episode managed to be both better and worse than I worried. Better in that it was beautifully acted, had fantastic chemistry, and I loved the scandalous gay dancing (very reminiscent of the Torchwood episode Captain Jack Harkness). Worse in that it wasn't just something happening to the Doctor, that he's swept up in, but instead something he's actively pursuing.

Again, this is entirely down to my personal preference for the Doctor's characterisation, but the way that this pushes further than other instances of romance/kissing/etc. upsets me a little. It reminded me somewhat of The Girl in the Fireplace in places - inviting him to see the stars; the tragic ending - but the difference with that one is that she kisses him. I don't know, it's a relatively small distinction but one that matters to me. The Doctor has had romances before, and the more overt they are the more I dislike them (eg. all the River Song stuff), and nowhere has the Doctor more actively flirted with someone new, expressed attraction to them numerous times and deliberately kissed them than here.

On the other hand, it's very gay and I have to like it at least a little for that. It gives us a more obviously queer Doctor than Thirteen and Yaz and they had a whole arc! (Not to bash Thirteen and Yaz; I actually quite liked how that went down in the end, but again that's due to my preference for an a-spec Doctor, which jived very nicely with Thasmin.) Obviously, this doesn't invalidate any readings of the Doctor as aro and/or ace, especially as that can mean many different things, but it messes with my personal view of the Doctor's sexuality, and how I prefer them to be portrayed. For me, if the Doctor is going to participate in sex or romance, I'd rather it be understated and uncertain or unintended from the Doctor's end. Now I know what to expect from this one, I may become desensitized to it with time and enjoy it more for its merits. Still, I can't change the fact that it's just fundamentally not what I want from Doctor Who the character.

Misc

I love that the battle mode for the earrings came back. I wondered if it would when it was first mentioned, then promptly forgot about it entirely.

The comparisons between Rogue and Captain Jack Harkness are obviously numerous, and it's very funny to me that Jack would definitely be pissed off that he lost out on kissing the Doctor like that to someone who was basically a carbon copy of him.

More singing, since people are taking note of that. Love a bit of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!

I was cringing a bit while the Doctor was dancing to Kylie, but also glad he got to do that after the Master has had several camp pop dancing moments.

Speaking of Kylie, I wonder if the Doctor has ever noticed her uncanny resemblance to Astrid Peth.

We got a nice little flashback with Carla telling him to keep Ruby safe as well, which reminded me a lot of Jackie.

The faces of the Doctor's various incarnations looked a little strange. I couldn't actually tell who some of them were meant to be. Am I crazy or was one of them Richard E Grant, like from Scream of the Shalka (and the Great Intelligence)?

I said this already in another post, but it was dedicated to William Russell and I criiiiiied!

[randomthefox]

Why do some people dislike the characterization from Frontiers?

They will say stuff like:

"But Amy already shares love with the world! It doesn't make sense for this moment to be sad!"

Me: You don't get it. Amy is going to be own hero and not rely on Sonic entirely anymore. She will help and heal others, even if that means she won't see Sonic that much anymore.

"Knuckles HAS been off of his island to do fun things! It doesn't make sense!"

Me: You don't get it. He's struggling between duty, and happiness. How can you live your own life and not be selfish? He is the last of his kind, but does that mean he won't get the chance to live how he wants? This next chapter for Knuckles is going to be interesting.

"Tails did stuff on his own! He defeated Chaos and Eggman! It doesn't make any sense!"

Me: You don't get it. Tails is going to find out what he'll be without Sonic. He called himself a "burden" to his best friend; now he needs to find the confidence to let go of that pain by proving to himself he is amazing. Overcome the fear of failure he had in Forces, and realize he isn't a "side kick" but a best friend who is the coolest. He is going to find out who to be without Sonic, because there might be a day....when his best friend won't be there.

But nope. SEGA and Sonic Team and IIzuka are stupid. They wouldn't put ANY god damn thought into the story and characters, right? Why do they think this? BECAUSE THEY DON'T GET IT.

Yeah honestly the complaints about the writing in Frontiers always seem really stupid to me. Like they're inventing things to complain about for lack of anything genuine that's bad about it.

I can understand not really jiving with the way Frontiers is handling its story. The game is very slow paced and dialog heavy and introspective, it's characters mostly just talking about their feelings. If that's boring to you I totally get that. If you prefer the more story light and action oriented plots of Sonic Heroes or Sonic Colors, or if you prefer the more theme focused stories of Sonic Adventure and Adventure 2, or if you'd rather be along a roller coaster that's more about the situation the characters are in like with the storybook games or Sonic Forces, or if you're more down for the vibes of an experience like you get out of Sonic Unleashed. Then that's totally fair.

Personally I'm up for whatever Sonic wants to do regardless of what it is lol. And Frontiers being more navel gazing and dialog oriented is something I can be very engaged by. If it doesn't engage you then I get that - we all have different tastes. But when you say it isn't a matter of taste and start acting like the writing of the story itself is lacking, that's when I'm gonna be holding your reasoning to scrutiny and often the complaints about Frontiers do not hold up under that scrutiny.

Amy and Tails's character stories in Frontiers are about them wanting to set out on their own and figure out how to define themselves separately from Sonic. And you can't really argue against the fact that they're both very much satellite characters who are defined almost entirely by their relationship with Sonic. Realizing due to the experience of cyberspace that they kind of don't like that about themselves and wanting to strike out on their own to figure out who they are when Sonic isn't in the room seems like a reasonable character conflict to explore from where I'm sitting.

Knuckles' story as far as I'm concerned is addressing a hole that has existed with his character ever since the ending of Sonic Adventure, where his story concluded with him deciding ignorance was bliss and he was content with just living as a guardian for the master emerald without getting embroiled in the wider world around him. There was never really a direct in text explanation for why he's going and running around doing stuff with Sonic instead of guarding the master emerald after that. You could argue that them finally addressing that is too little too late but I say better late than never.

You could nitpick by saying that Tails and Amy spend PLENTY of time on their own without Sonic around so realistically this shouldn't be a question they're burdened by and that Knuckles obviously DOES leave his island to go on adventures so having him address the limitations of his guardian duty is a moot point. Obviously it's very meta writing, it's the characters sort of confronting their narrative roles rather than acting like three dimensional individuals who continue to exist whenever the camera isn't looking at them. But since when has being meta automatically been a bad thing? Sonic has always been meta from the very beginning. And going in a different direction with the narrative to have the characters confronting the way they're conventionally written as an in universe attribute of their characterization is a fun experiment for them to take to coincide with a video game that is experimenting with a new system of gameplay.

If that experiment didn't really work out for you, then that's okay

But that isn't a problem with the story.

[the-crystal-one]

Nicest Kids In Town

~Chapter 6~ As Sandra gained her detention for the day, this time for her hair being...rather larger than life, she gazed out of the dirty windows in the dimly lit hallways. She never did understand why blacks were seen as 'inferior' and whites were supposedly better. Heck. She could think of a few great examples where that logic fell through, but that was neither here nor there. When she finally reached the detention room, down the hall where the 'assistant principle's' office was, she heard a rather familiar voice.

"Yes do you know where I might find her?" A smooth, animated like voice echoed against the walls. Saucy's eyes grew to the size of dinner saucers, Corny! She couldn't believe he was here...why was he here?! Her hair had been picked to perfection yet she could not shake the feeling of embarrassment she was developing. Not embarrassed of her afro, that was never the case, embarrassed because she knew it was seen as unkept so people would stare. That. That is what she was embarrassed about. She quickly ducked into the detention room, her back against the door as her chest heaved with...joy? Excitement? Fear? She couldn't pinpoint it exactly but if she had to pick, it might be all three. "Why you all shaken up Saucy?" Her big headed little brother chuckled as he grooved to the jams on the radio. She shook her head, taking her seat at the "teacher's" desk. She tapped her nail along with the instruments.

"Sandra?" The melodic voice traveled to her ears causing her head to the door, seeing...Corny. "Mr.Co- Corny." She stood up from her seat, dusting her her dress off, "What brings you here? Oh you must be looking for Amber or Tracey, they are on the other side of the-" He quickly shakes his head, "No no, I'm actually here for you. I wanted to talk to you but I couldn't wait until the show. I hope that's alright." He grabbed her hand, looking into her eyes

Sandra couldn't believe it. He actually wanted to see her. "Well I- I don't mind at all, what is it that you need from me?" The man started but in walked Link Larkin and Tracey Turnblad, having their own little conversation. "You didn't have to do that, Link." He shrugged his shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal, "Hey, no prob." He surveyed the room, watching all of the teenagers dance and jive to the tunes, "Besides, looks like a cool scene down here." Saucy decided to hold off on the conversation and slowly but surely, let go of the man in front of her, walking over to Tracey and embracing her, "Hey Trace, I'm startin' to think you like coming to see us in here." They both giggled in sync and broke the hug. The bell rang and Seaweed, with Penny right behind him, "Listen, man, you ain't gotta stop now." As he spoke, Saucy made her way back to Corny, "How about you come with us? My ma is having a little get together at the store, I don't think she'd mind." A smile grew across his face accompanied with a nod, "I'd appreciate that very much Ms.Stubbs." Corny grabbed the eldest Stubbs' hand, laying a gentle kiss on the back of it.

Apparently, as Saucy was getting her groove on with Mr.Collins, Link, Penny, and Tracey had also been invited to this funky shindig, but if anything Link was worried about their neighborhood. Penny and Tracey on the other had were elated!

"I've never been to North Avenue before," Link scratched the back of his neck nervously, "Uh, well, would it be safe?" Sandra couldn't help but chuckle at him, she wondered if he knew that's how they felt everyday. Seaweed looked over at his sister, looking Corny up and down before smirking, "San, tell cracker boy to calm down. He ain't got nothin' to worry about." Saucy walked over to the blue vest wearing boy and pat him on the shoulder, "It's all cool, y'all will be just fine."

Right next to them, Penny made her way towards Tracey, a wide grin plastered across her doll like cheeks, "Wow! Being invited places by colored people!" The black and white haired girl reciprocated her friends emotions, "It feels so hip!" They squealed in excitement while Saucy and Seaweed gave each other a look as if they were communicating to one another. The boy started, "I'm glad y'all feel that way," His sister wrapped an arm around his shoulder, "'Cause, uh, not many people do, y'all know what I'm sayin'?" She turned her head around to her peers, the people she's know since childhood. Each and everyone of them were different, her brother included, yet to white people they were one in the same.

They all lifted their heads or nodded along, a strew of, "Yeah that's right." "Mhm!" "Don't we know it"'s rang through the class room. Saucy shook her head, turning back to their caucasian counter parts as her brother began, "Heeeeeeey! I can't see why people look at me and only see the color of my face!" Saucy nodded along with him patting him on the shoulder while stepping in front of him then extending her pointer finger up to the air, "Ah yeah, and then there's those who try to help God knows, but always have to put me in my place." She slid next to her brother so they could both address the group, "But we won't ask you to be color blind," They began to shuffle along the floor, feet tapping rhythmically. Sandra didn't notice it yet, but Corny's eyes hadn't let her since she began talking, how could he? The girl was just so..enchanting, but he also knew her and her brother's word were true. "Cause if you pick up the fruit child, you're sure to fiiiind." "The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice." Seaweed leaned his head on Saucy's shoulder in a playful manner, as if he wasn't speaking the truth, "I could say it ain't so but darlin' what's the use?"

Saucy jokingly pushed Seaweed off of her, now finally making eye contact with Corny, "The darker the chocolate, the richer the taste." She left him with a wink before returning to her sibling as the spoke together, "And that's where it's at! Now baby run and teeell that." The students behind the waved at them like church mothers do at the end of a Sunday server, "Run and tell that!" The began walking out of the class room because they knew in fact this conversation was going to take them longer than they had, "Hey, yeaaaah!" Seaweed strutted down the hallway, knowing that no one but the janitors was here. "I can't see why people disagree, Each time I tell em' what I know is true, oh no," Saucy turned around, grabbing Corny's hand, pulling him along with her as her brother broke in once again, "And if you come and se the world I'm from, I bet your heart is gonna feel it tooooo!"

Tracey began shimmying along with Seaweed while Link and Penny stood back, taking in all of the information being given to them.

Seaweed, turned to face Trace, his new found friend of many differences, yet she did not view him any different than her. "I could lie but baby, let's be bold, vanilla can be nice but if the truth be told!"

Saucy broke away from Corny, her brother embracing his sister as she addressed everyone, "Blacker the berry! The sweeter the juice!" The children began running out of the double doors, out to the "grassy" area where the bus came to pick them and Saucy began to shuffle in the grass, "I could say it ain't so but darlin', what's the use?" The Stubbs boy had made his way over to the slightly taller red haired girl, gazing up at her with a look all too familiar to Saucy, "The darker the chocolate, the richer the taste!" Saucy rolled her eyes, grabbing her brother by the collar, yanking him back towards her. Not because she disapproved of what he was doing, heck, she was on the same boat as him, but she didn't what him to get hurt, like she was fixin' to do. "And that's where it's at! Oh baby, baby, run and teeeelll that." Once again, the response was echoed amongst the teens who pranced around, right along with Saucy and Seaweed.

Finally they had arrived to the bus stop waiting patiently, still engaging in such a riveting conversation, in Sandra's opinion. From her peripheral vision, a brown skinned girl bouncing over to the two of them, the youngest Stubbs sibling. In the back ground, Amber Von Tussle could be heard yelling, "Link! Link Larkin!" Yet it was not acknowledged, not even by Link himself.

"Oh y'all this is our sister, Little Inez, say hey baby." Sandra kissed her sister on the top of her head, smoothing out her bangs then letting her go. "Mr.Collins? What are you- Hey! I know Tracey Turnblad! Good for you girl you got on the show!" Seaweed patted her on the back as Tracey pipped up, "Well you better be next!" Inez's head got a little higher as she thought about it, Saucy knew that she'd been dreaming of the day she could dance for a real audience, she just hoped she'd be there to see it.

"Ya got that right!" Seaweed broke in and ushered everyone to back up, all but Saucy moved because she knew exactly what was about to happen and she couldn't help but jump in. "You better show em' girl!" The eldest sibling got into ready stance, waiting for her sister to lead the way as the other began to form in the back of them.

"I'm tired of coverin' up all my pride!" Inez began to move in a way, not even Tracey had seen before, she was amazed! "So give me five on the black hand side!" "I got a new way of movin' and I got my own voice!" "So how can I help but to shout and rejoice!" Inez grabbed her siblings' hands, bouncing about like a rubber ball that had been shot out of a football stadium, passionately speaking, "Oh the people 'round here can barely pay their rent! Then try to make a dollar outta, fifteen cents!" The bus had pulled up and opened its doors, all of them including Link, Tracey, Penny, and Corny hopped on, intently listening to the young girl, "But we got a spirit money just can't buy, It's deep as a river and soars to the sky, to the sky!" They hadn't even taken their seats because of how excited they all were. Saucy help onto the chair back, stabling herself as she made eye-contact with suit wearing man in front of her, "Hey! I can't see the reason it can't be the kinda world where we all get our chance!"

"The time is now! So we can show 'em how, so turn the music up and let's all dance! " In this moment, Sandra took this opportunity to sit neck to Corny, her hand now on top of his and a soft grin on her face, "Cause all things are equal when it comes to love." Seaweed's hand came down on his sister's shoulder, startling her as his head came between her and the slick haired man next to her, "Well that ain't quiet true, when push comes to shove!" "The black the berry! The sweeter the juice! They say it so but darlin' what's the use. The darker the chocolate, The richer the taste!"

Seaweed grooved his way towards Penny, gyrating and shimmying in all the right ways that caught her attention. "And that's where it's at! Now baby, baby, baby, run and telllll that!" ~As the bus went through the suburban neighborhood, the scenery began to change significantly from wide houses, to tall apartment buildings that look like they have been in use for a while. Men, women, children, heck even dogs were out on the streets, dancing, singing, laughing, or just having a grand ol' time~ One by one they all filed out, some going home, some prancing to the store, others staying right there. As Seaweed hoped out of the bus, he gave Johnny some skin and began making his way to Penny Pingleton. Slowly, he took her blowpop out of her mouth, winking at her and putting a two fingered kiss on her lips as she fell back from excitement. Tracey and Link looked at one another before quickly rushing to her aide.

[imagining-in-the-margins]

Spencer POV Fic Recs [SFW]

Hey friends! Someone requested recommendations for SFW fics from Spencer Reid’s POV. I’ve collected all the fics me and the lovely people of my Discord could find. I hope this helps!

GN!Reader Fluff

Spoonful of Sugar by @reidgraygubler: Spencer stays home from work to take care of his partner, who’s sick with the flu.

Kiss Them, Or Keep Them by @/reidgraygubler: Spencer loses his best friend, but has a secret gift to bring them back.

GN!Reader Angst

Better Off Without Me by @sassymoon: This is the end of a relationship that was the best thing he ever had, and it’s time to say goodbye.

Week From Hell by @/reidgraygubler: Spencer has one hell of a week after he has nightmares and a close call on a case.

Fem!Reader Fluff

Java Jive by me: Spencer and Emily take a break at the local coffee shop and she makes an understandable mistake about barista Reader and Spencer’s relationship.

Pumpkin by me: Spencer can’t handle how cute Reader’s southern accent is.

Serendipitous by me: Spencer’s pretty sure Penelope mixed up his blind date.

Prickly Pear by me: Reader tries to hide her body hair from Spencer. It doesn’t end well.

Not Your Backup by me: Spencer!POV. Following JJ’s confession, Spencer admits she’s more like a sister to him. Spencer and JJ argue about JJ’s unwarranted jealousy of his girlfriend.

Impromptu 3AM Meeting by @andiebeaword: Spencer learns the woman he’s falling for has a teenage daughter.

Side by Side by @foxy-eva: Spencer is mesmerized by Reader on their first date and is surprised that she apparently feels the same way about him.

Different Dialects by me: Autistic!Reader. Spencer is trying to tell Reader he likes her, but it feels like they speak entirely different languages.

Funny Thing Fate by me: Autistic!Reader is tipsy and lost in D.C. when she spots a man she thinks might be able to help.

Porcelain by me: Autistic!Reader has a meltdown in the cafe. Luckily, there is a Dr. Reid nearby.

Baggage Claim by me: Autistic!Reader is having a hard time at the airport.

Act Your Age by me: Platonic. Reader was recently released from being held hostage for several years, and for whatever reason, she’s taken a liking to Spencer.

You are My Destiny by @/reidgraygubler: Spencer meets a girl at a club. She convinces Spencer to dance with her.

Look at My Son by @/reidgraygubler: Spencer has a heart to heart with his newborn son while his wife sleeps.

Buttercup Bakery by @/reidgraygubler: Spencer meets the woman of his dreams at JJ and Will’s wedding, but misses the chance to get her number.

Lonely Moonlight by @/reidgraygubler: Spencer left his partner and ends up regretting it.

Fem!Reader Angst

Rib Cage by me: Spencer realizes Reader is the one, but it might be too late. He has to find her.

Forbidden Fruit by me: When Professor Reid falls in love with a student, he learns why Adam choked on the Forbidden Fruit.

Passing in the Night by me: Spencer learns about Reader’s feelings too late and loses his own battle as a result.

I Won By Loving You by @sassymoon: Reader is terminally ill and is saying goodbye to her loved one.

If I Could See Me Now by @andiebeaword: Spencer hits his head. Next thing he knows, he’s talking to himself … from 15 years ago.

Handle with Care by @foxy-eva: Spencer tries to be there for his wife after a traumatic experience.

Partial POV

Defining Family by me: [Fem, fluff] Spencer finds out he’s a dad… to a twelve year old girl. Your twelve year old girl, who just broke into the FBI.

Dead Air by me: [Fem, fluff] Professor Reid is hesitant to be a guest on his old student’s true crime video series, but is surprised to find it’s not so bad.

Moonlight by me: [Fem, Angst] Spencer tells Reader’s boyfriend how she really feels.

Sleepless in Quantico by @/andiebeaword: [Fem, fluff] Spencer is a widower. His son wants him to be happy. Spencer’s son and his therapist conspire to get him on a radio show to talk through his grief. Reader is one of the listeners. 

A Lettered Confession by @/andiebeaword: [Fem, Angst] Spencer is in love with Reader. He confesses his feelings through a letter.

Everything I Want and More by @/andiebeaword: [Fem, Angst] Spencer believes that Reader is head over heels for another guy. He has no idea the guy she’s in love with is actually him.

No Expectations by @/andiebeaword: Reader is in love with Reid. He’s fallen for a woman named Maeve. While trying to save her, Reader makes a choice.

Wanna See Something Beautiful? by @/andiebeaword: [Fem, Angst] Spencer has been in prison for months now. After he chose to take her name off the visitor’s log, Reader decides to start writing Spencer letters. Eventually, he writes her back.

Wish I Could Take it All Back by @/andiebeaword: [Fem, Angst] Spencer gets his usual coffee, only to follow the girl to an NA meeting

[konigsblog]

Ma’am, thank you for the part 2 of Yandere Ghost 🫶🏻 👁️👄👁️

Am wondering, would this be part of a series or one-shots? 🥺

this is gonna be a series but im planning on making a few one-shots + headcannons!

yandere ghost x singer!f!reader

warnings: yandere behaviour, violence; gun wounds, stab wounds, simon is an abusive yandere when you misbehave, being chained and tied up, love bombing, reader does not like simon, and never will throughout this series (unless i make a separate oneshot about reader liking simon, but it won't be apart of the series.)

masterlist

-simon riley, is a yandere who lovebombs on you, he isn't clingy but makes it his goal to get you to love him, yet fails and fails.

you know this, you know what he's doing. ever since the day he met you, it seemed that he was obsessed. addicted to you. all the words that came out his mouth gave you shivers up and down your spine.

when you woke up, cuddled into him forcefully, you knew that your suspicions were right. you couldn't help but slightly blame yourself. would you have been better if you told someone? told security for another bodyguard? even throughout the guilt you felt for yourself, you made it your goal never to like him.

-punishments. oh boy, he has a list of them. from forcing you to kiss him, to cutting you up and breaking your nose. it mattered on the severity of your actions.

cried when he touched you? you're being forced to sit on his lap and kiss him, "be a good girl.' he whispered, low and husky in your ear as disgust filled your veins.

to attempted escaping, that would result in a more severe punishments. smashing your head against a wall, making sure to not go too hard so he could keep you as his pet, his doll.

you remember once, you slapped him, harder than you'd ever. you tried to kick him in the balls but he caught your leg and turned you around as he smashed your head against a wall. the blunt force causing blood to rush up your throat as you threw up blood. the ruby colour liquid dripping down your face and staining the wall. a reminder to watch your tone.

-i see him not calling you human. maybe he'd call you a doll, or his puppy, or his toy. why? if you were human you would be considered equal, and you are not equal to him.

depending on your attitude, he might lock you in a cage. forcing dog food down your throat, holding your mouth closed so you wouldn't be able to throw it back up. "if you vomit, i'll force you to eat your vomit."

he might drug you up, so you're nice and calm. or atleast calm enough not to feel him touching you up.

-thinking back to the day you first tried to escape. the pain you felt was nothing compared to the pain you felt as he shot two gun wounds in your fathers skull, and stabbed your mother countless times. forcing you to watch everything.

"stop, please! take me instead, please simon!" you begged, the guilt you felt afterwards. parts of you blamed yourself, you should've told someone, why didn't you? maybe simon thought you liked him like this? or maybe he just likes to see you suffer. "no, pet. you're mine."

-he loves seeing you cry, in a way it turns him on. he knows he's evil, he's not delusional. he wants you to be scared, scared enough to morph you into his toy.

you fight back against this, making sure never to fall that far. you know he wants this, you know what he wants, and you will never listen.

who knows? maybe one day he'll realise that there's no hope, or maybe he'll start to love how resistant you are.

-he'd let you call his friends, you could beg to them, "help me, simon kidnapped me. i need your help." but it's hopeless, they're friendship with simon matters more than whatever you're complaining about, it falls to deafs ears.

@lauraliisa

@bittersw33t-lotus

@thedevillovesflowers

@thriving-n-jiving

@kiruoris

@radishdoodles

[munacy]

Anticipation

@wolfstarmicrofic

A continuation for @stars-a-n-d-scars Part 1 (ignorance) Part 2 (duck)

There is no way this plan can go wrong. It was concocted by the ingenious James F. Potter himself, and James F. Potter does not fail, as a general rule.

"All we have to do, Wormy, is come up with a list of things that gay blokes like, and see if Remus likes those things too!"

Peter's eyes become as round as Galleons. "That's genius, Prongs!"

James is aware.

"Okay, so what goes on the list then?" Peter asks eagerly.

Well, alright, he's not thought that far.

"Hell, I dunno, Peter. How did we know with Sirius?"

"You mean besides the fact that he follows Remus around like a...well, like a puppy dog?"

"No, you're right, Sirius was too easy," James agrees grimly. Then he sighs. "Well, s'not like I'm some authority on queer culture; I've never fancied a bloke before!"

"...Not once?" Peter says slyly.

James tenses.

"...And just what are you implying?"

"That I know that you've given Regulus Black's bare arse a good peek in the lockers--"

"I WAS NOT CHECKING HIM OUT, YOU CRETIN! I WAS TRYING TO SEE IF HE HAS THE SAME BIRTHMARK AS SIRIUS!!--"

"--Okay, not helping your case even a little--"

"--AND I TOLD YOU THAT IN CONFIDENCE, YOU BASTARD!!"

-----------------

The following morning, they decide to wing it. Winging things has worked out well for them in the past, and the timing could not be better, as Madame Pomfrey has decided to keep Sirius in the Hospital Wing until she rules out a few magical maladies (although, not once has she let James skive off after being lovesick over Lily, which is a genuine illness). It's not often that they can get Remus alone without Sirius attached like a limpet.

"Watch this," Peter hisses, holding a peach in one hand and a banana in the other. "Gay blokes love bananas."

"By Merlin, Peter, I'm beginning to suspect there's a genius hidden under all of that blue-eyed naivety."

Peter makes a pleased expression before turning to Remus at the breakfast table. "Oi, Moony, I've grabbed two fruit, one for you, one for me. Which one would you like?"

Remus barely looks up from his book before selecting the banana with a muttered "thanks".

James and Peter share a look of unbridled glee, then turn to stare at Remus as he chomps away at the benign yellow fruit. His amber eyes finally drift up to meet their combined intense gaze, and he swallows, looking uncomfortable.

"Are you two alright?...You're sort of being… really weird, right now."

James breathes out a bit shakily. "You really like bananas, don't you, Moony," he says unblinkingly.

"Erm...No, not really. Actually hate 'em,” Remus scowls, clearly disturbed by their laser-focused attention.

"What!? Why did you pick it over the peach, then, why?!" cries Peter melodramatically and clawing the air with his hands.

"Because!" Remus yells back, brows furrowing with increasing bewilderment, "Pomfrey wants me to try to get more potassium in! Says it might help with the cramps around the full!"

He looks between James' and Peter's inexplicably devastated expressions, and scoffs, picking up his tray and leaving to go sit with Lily Evans and Mary Macdonald.

"Fuck," James moans.

-----------------

"Okay, okay, this is a sure thing," James mutters at rapid-fire. "Gay blokes love ABBA."

"Brilliant," Peter nods, face open and trusting.

"Quick! I hear him coming!"

As Remus enters the dormitory to exchange his Arithmancy book for Ancient Runes, his eardrums are viciously assaulted with the bouncy strains of "Dancing Queen", blasting from their record player with enough magically-enhanced volume to rattle the window pane.

OOH, YOU CAN DANCE!

"WHAT THE FUCK, GUYS!"

YOU CAN JIVE!

"ISN'T IT WONDERFUL!" screams James.

HAVING THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE!

"IT MAKES ME FEEL MY DEEP INSIDE FEELINGS ON THE OUTSIDE!" howls Peter.

OOOH, SEE THAT GIRL--

Remus casts a wordless spell that goes off with a bang, bringing the record player to a tenth of the volume.

"I fucking hate disco," he growls, storming out of the dorm and slamming the door on his way out.

Peter sighs. "Prongs, maybe he just isn't bent? Wouldn't that be such a shame for poor old--"

"PETE! P-Pete, mate, your foot!"

Peter looks down at his traitorous foot, tapping along—completely of its own accord—to ABBA. "Fuck!" he wails. "It's too catchy!"

-----------------

They have one last idea, but neither of them is enthusiastic about it.

"It's got to be you, Prongs," Peter whimpers panickily, "I haven't got the pectorals!"

And Peter, unfortunately, has never been so right.

But what if Remus falls in love with me instead? He's bound to! Doesn't that defeat the entire purpose? Poor Padfoot, he'd be so devastated.

"Don't think about the ramifications just now," Peter interrupts his internal monologue, snapping his fingers in front of his friend's gold-rimmed spectacles. "We've got no choice, Jamie. At this point, it's embarrassing we haven't been able to figure out this very basic thing about our best mate."

James nods reluctantly.

Into the breach.

That late afternoon finds James, alone in the dorm, exiting a gratuitously steamy shower once he hears that snick of the dormitory door shutting, signaling that Remus has returned from Charms Club.

Took the wanker long enough, I'm all pruney now.

"Oh, Reeemuuus!" James calls in a purr, very loosely wrapping a towel around his hips. "Could you come here a second?"

The door opens tentatively.

"Christ, Prongs, it's like a rainforest in here. How long did you shower for?" Remus accuses, his unruly tawny curls already protesting against the humidity. "And why are you showering in the middle of the day?"

James waits until Remus finally makes eye contact with him to take a few slow, deliberate steps closer, looking up at Remus (damn, but the boy just keeps shooting up) from under his dark lashes.

"And...when do you like to take long showers, Remus?" he murmurs.

"Eh? I dunno, sometimes I like to take a hot bath or two after the full." Remus' brows furrow in concern. "You feeling alright, Prongs? Maybe you've got whatever Padfoot has. Where is Padfoot, anyway?"

James steps ever closer. He could touch Remus. He's about to touch Remus. HIs mouth goes oddly dry with anticipation.

"Don't worry about Sirius. Worry about me for a second," he whispers.

Remus' intense golden eyes finally break their gaze as they subtly flick up and down James' body.

"Oh, is that why you called me in here?"

Gotcha, you lovely, queer bastard.

"Why, yes, Remus, I'm dying for you to--"

An exasperated sigh and eyeroll interrupt what would have been a surefire seduction.

"As I've told you nigh on a hundred times, Prongs, wizards don't get skin cancer. That mole on your lower back looks perfectly normal, as I've already said, and I'm not going to look at it again!"

James can only gape at Remus.

He tuts. "I don't have time for this; you're literally fine. I'm going to see if Pads is still in the Hospital Wing."

Remus exits in a whirl, leaving James reeling in the bathroom--wet, humiliated, and, if he's being completely honest with himself, just the tiniest bit aroused.

-----------------

"James! James!" Peter bursts into the dormitory with Sirius in tow, moments after James has gotten clothes back on. "Padfoot's out of the Hospital Wing and I've informed him of our mission!"

"Right, mate," Sirius follows breathlessly. "You lot are trying to figure out if Moony's gay, then?"

James moans and put his head in his hands. He feels this close to unraveling. "We've been trying to figure it out all day!"

"Really?? What have you tried?" prompts Sirius eagerly.

"POTASSIUM!" shouts James incoherently.

"Erm--"

"Disco, too, louder than eruption of Krakatoa," interjects Peter mournfully.

"Great--" James suppresses a sob--"Great, rock hard pectorals. Prize-winning pectorals. Boy's unflappable. I have no idea."

Sirius purses his lips, clearly between seeking clarification on the gibberish they've spouted and slapping them both silly. Fortunately for all involved parties, he does neither.

"Lads. Here's an idea. Why don't we just ask him?"

-----------------

Thanks to those of you that have stuck around! <3

Part 4: Thirst

[ripplestitchskein]

Brace yourselves Stolitz fans, I think it’s gonna get bumpy. We kind of already knew that but I think it might go longer than we hoped?

So last night I shared my Stolitz pic with my DnD group, I’m doing art for their characters and we have an art space in our game discord and a few of them watch Hazbin and HB. An IRL friend who is also an HB fan asked about the OC in the pic and I shared it was based on the rumor that Stolas is getting a new boyfriend, they could be a parrot potentially voiced by Harvey Guillen but that this was not confirmed or anything. He said “HMMMM that jives with what her assistant told us.”

I’m like “What! Tell me. “

I guess while waiting in line for her to sign for the person in front of them at Mega they were chatting with an assistant and said they loved Look My Way and were interested in where the Stolas and Blitzø story was going. The assistant said they had seen the rest of Season 2 and “You may not love the way it goes if you like the coupling”.

I spiraled immediately, like full on upset. Bitch I cried. I’ve spent hours analyzing this cartoon and that broke me a bit. I’m not necessarily concerned with my ships being “endgame”, I’ve shipped lots of couples that rarely interact just for interesting dynamics. Or couples where one half is literally dead in canon, where they are mortal enemies and not in an enemies to lovers way etc. It just seemed so final and is contradictory to everything the show has setup so far and what I’ve been enjoying about the show and it really fucked me up if I’m honest. I also have a really bad brain though and I know this. I’m not equipped to rationally think about it.

I hesitated to even share what was said because I dislike bumming anyone out but as a speculation and spoiler goblin I’d also like people to share with me so I can prepare myself?

Ive had some time to sit and process and cope a bit “is that information really that different than what we have already?” And the short answer is no, not really. It’s also like their job to tease fans. It was also one sentence I didn’t even actually hear with my own ears lol. My brain just did what it does and took it to the worst place. I took it as “they are killing it completely” and are about to destroy the only reason I enjoy this show so much. Which maaaaay have been an over reaction but I can’t like, help that.

I just honestly cannot fathom how they could so sharply pivot at this point and have it make sense? I can’t fathom why they even would. I don’t even know what role Stolas could possibly have in that scenario. I think that was what upset me the most, Stolas is my favorite and his entire character within the world of the show is completely dependent on his ties to Blitzø to be part of the narrative because he has no ties to IMP outside of it. The idea of him being shelved, even temporarily, is upsetting to me. The show so far is not setup to view characters lives outside of Blitzø and IMP so I can’t see them having Stolas go off and do his own thing without removing him from the narrative completely.

I’m just sad about it and I think I’m putting too much thought into it. Maybe they just meant what we’ve thought all along and that we wouldn’t be happy because of the boyfriend character, and as I’ve said before the split up absolutely has to happen for them to reconcile and come back together. It is actually a good thing story wise for that to happen but the phrasing (though second hand) just depressed the fuck out of me so I wanted to vent a bit and maybe get some outside perspective from people who’s brains work better than mine. It’s possible this is a situation where i know a thing “Stolas is getting a new boyfriend” because I am terminally online and gobble up every like react and ambiguous emoji and assign meaning to it, and the assistant was just talking about that same information assuming my friend didn’t know that (he didn’t) but because I already knew it I’m assigning new meaning to it as if it’s additional different information. That’s a distinct possibility.

Even if it’s the worst case scenario, I’m not a hate watcher, if I don’t like the direction something is going I bitch a bit in mourning and then remove myself completely. So I’ll see how it plays out and see if it makes sense narratively. Maybe I’ll love the direction, who knows. If it what’s we originally speculated based on the narrative setup so far, the boyfriend character is a catalyst to help Blitzø reconcile his feelings and to let Stolas do his own healing and character development but it all that leads to the completion of the story they’ve been telling up to this point that’s perfect. If it leads to less Stolas and a completely different direction than what we’ve spent 1.5 seasons on so far, I don’t know how I would feel about that. I want it clear though I wouldn’t be mad at the creators, it’s their story they can do what they want, and I’m sure others will enjoy whatever they offer up but I personally would just quietly move on to something else.

I’m interested in how others view the response. Just a tease about the boyfriend, and thinking we’ll be unhappy because of that but ultimately it’s going how its been setup? Or should I break out my violin and start up “Nearer, my God, to thee”. I just really need some better brains to give me some perspective,

[thistle-caster]

POINTS AT YOU. TALK ABOUT VAMPIRE AU

- @transgenderfabianseacaster

OMG YES THANK YOU I WAS WAITING FOR AN EXCUSE

this got very long very quickly so I'll put a post break

still trying to figure out if this is alongside canon, pre-canon, or a secret third thing and just a complete divergence. kind of leaning towards pre-canon or divergence. either way though, I want to draw a bit from d&d mechanics and alter it! one of my big things is trying to change their race mechanics might get a little dicey, and there's a lot I'd want to preserve regarding their races. so we'd have to see.

as for characters and what I know abt them:

adaine hails from a legacy of vampires. she's one of the "rare" ones where vampirism is passed down through biological means rather than receiving the bite. her parents were ruthless. they did not care about the lives they harmed, and they tended to use violent means for their "prey."

adaine hates being a vampire. she has so many pent-up feelings towards having to drink others' blood, and she absolutely does not jive with the way her parents handle vampirism. since she was able to form her own opinions about it, she devoted herself to searching for a cure, which her parents are unsurprisingly not happy about.

kristen goes through a very similar arc as tracker did pre-canon, in that she gets kicked out of the house when she gets the bite, probably in her freshman year. in this au, really not sure if she'd be taken in by jawbone's family, all things considering, but instead the thistlespring family takes her in (gorgug & kristen are siblings. to me.)

riz gets the bite when he's investigating — penny luckstone perhaps, if we're keeping close to canon. he's out late when it happens. he doesn't even notice that much of a change in his schedule at first, considering that he doesn't sleep usually, but his endurance is shocking to him. he's able to stay up for multiple days at a time without issue, and he honestly can see more benefits than disadvantages.

I'm still on the fence about how gorgug gets turned. but I do feel like if it was a canon divergence it would probably be him turning shortly after his death. it takes a bit for the thistlesprings to take in what happened to him, but they do so much research for him. they make a binder for Vampirism that is significantly thicker than all the other binders they've made, and it's a hefty one. gorgug doesn't like the idea of drinking blood from someone who's just died, and the thistlesprings get him (and kristen too, once she moves in) a fridge specifically for blood pouches.

fig gets turned shortly after her horns come in, in her rebellious phase. it's a lot for her to adjust to. her body's changing in so many ways — it's already a lot to adjust to the fact that she's not a wood elf, but getting turned immediately after she realizes her dad's actually a devil? she doesn't really take it well at first, but eventually, similar to how she embraces being an archdevil, she embraces being a vampire too.

as mentioned, Fabian is an honorary vampire. he doesn't get turned, but he hangs out with the bad kids all the time. I just think it would be really funny if he adopted like 5 vampires in one night yk. I think he'd also potentially help the 5 of them find blood sources too

anyways YEAH sorry that was so long I hope you enjoyed though

[mamawasatesttube]

YJ all living in the same dorm/frat house in college would be amazing. What do you think everyone’s majors/clubs/athletics would be?

assuming this is still like... main universe-adjacent and they all still have powers etc. yknow i think cassie has a giant existential crisis because she doesn't know what she's gonna do with her life other than be wonder girl and that will NOT fly with her mom bc helena absolutely wants her to have a normal life as much as she can. late-night conversations at the kitchen counter where she confides that she has no idea what she wants to do and helena sits with her and tells her she has time but she does expect her to go to college and do something, even if she doesn't have to have it all figured out right yet. all of this to say i think cassie goes in undeclared. also i think she should be on the volleyball team.

tim in college is smth i was actually talking abt with moss and britta just the other day. he of course is an insane engineering major who skateboards to class with a naruto-themed energy drink in hand only to fall asleep there 14 minutes into the lecture. also he's wearing a blazer and formal shorts bc he's like I Am Getting A Good Grade In Presentable Student :) and theres just something wrong with him. he has to join an engineering student study group bc its the only thing that actually gets him to bother doing his homework even if hes a whiz at the actual content. hes a disaster but he cant drop out he wants to hang with his besties plus lucius was like listen you can work at WE r&d and tinker with shit to your heart's desire but you do need at least a bachelor's of mechanical engineering to do that even if i know you know your stuff. and tim was like well i guess that's fair :/ hey squad i can sugar daddy us an apartment near met u lets all get an education

kon... well i think he also has a crisis (see also: sotm) but eventually i do like him going into teaching or stuff with kids in general. im always bouncing btwn him being a childrens librarian or a high school biology teacher. he WILL tell all these kids about star trek or so help him god. i feel like he wouldn't really go for most athletics bc he'd be too worried about making sure he doesn't excel too unnaturally BUT just for me, i think he and bart should join the ballroom dance team together. i think they would have so much fun doing jive in particular

as for bart. well the thing about bart is that he could literally do anything he wants to? the real question is what subject would hold his attention consistently over several years. i think the answer is either computer science or theoretical physics. possibly both i think he might double major. he's also terrible at remembering to do his homework etc but he flies through it when he bothers to. and he and kon join the ballroom team together :)!!!

[shadamyheadcanons]

Headcanon #292

Cross-posted on AO3.

So...I just finished the Zombot arc of the IDW comics. It’s incredible and heart-wrenching! Unfortunately, Shadow is...well, I’d heard he was bad in IDW thanks to Sega’s restrictive mandates on the character, but man, it hurts! Normally I just write him based on his best iterations, but this time, I wanted to see if I could make their dynamic work even while staying in-character with the worst. Something about Tails’ redemption in Frontiers working with his weakness in Forces--instead of pretending it didn’t happen and moving on, which is what many of us would’ve been content with--inspired me.

Spoilers through IDW issue #30. Also, I haven’t read any further than that, so this headcanon probably won’t fully jive with later issues.

--

Amy’s hand shook as she signed yet another piece of paperwork. She sighed and set it aside. Her heart stung as she looked back at the pile in front of her.

One hundred down, one thousand to go.

She gritted her teeth and picked up the next sheet. The words started to run together as she read. She shook her head and squinted past it to keep reading.

No time for complaining. If it needs to be done, I’ll do it.

She doggedly scanned the page, counting up the numbers and types of Wispons listed in their inventory and matching them up with any newly-recovered recruits they had available after the plague.

She heard whispering outside the door. She grumbled.

Great. A distraction. Just what I need.

Without lifting her head from her work, she snapped, “You know I can hear you, right? If you’re going to gossip, you might as well come in.”

A small, fluffy head peeked into her doorway, followed by a tiny blue Chao.

Amy’s shoulders relaxed a bit. “What is it, Cream?”

Cream shuffled fully into the room. She dug her toe shyly into the floor. “We’re just checking up on you, Amy. You’ve been in here an awfully long time.” Cheese nodded along.

Amy sighed. I don’t have time for this. “There’s a lot to get done, Cream. Even if there weren’t a ton of cleanup to do from the war and the plague, the Zetis are still out there. We can’t let our guard down.”

Cream started stroking one of her enormous ears, hiding halfway behind it as she protested. “But you haven’t left this room in days. You need to rest!”

Amy’s fingers tightened around the pen she was holding. She tried to go back to reading as she replied, “I don’t have a choice, Cream. We don’t have enough help. I’ll rest once things are under control, but I just can’t do that right now.”

She was forced to look up when Cream placed her hands on the desk, soft but insistent. “But...you have to!” Cream insisted, her face pained. “You need sleep, Amy!”

“I told you, I can’t!”

Cream flinched back, letting out a tiny whimper. Amy winced. She reached over the desk and took one of Cream’s hands. “Cream, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just...between everything that’s been happening...almost losing everything...and...with Sonic being...”

Her words died in her throat.

Cream gently squeezed Amy’s hands in her own. “That’s why you need to rest, Amy!”

“No, Cream, that’s why I can’t!” Amy argued. “If I give up now, then everything Sonic was fighting for could fall apart. He ran and fought for all that time with that virus in his system! I can’t let his work go to waste.”

“But what about you, Amy?”

“What about me, Cream?!”

Before their argument could escalate further, the sounds of another dispute from outside the office met Amy’s ears.

“Oh, no. Not yet. Not when I just found you again.”

A surly voice grumbled something in reply.

Rouge stepped in through the doorway, dragging Shadow along with her by the arm. “Morning, girls. Hope you’re having as much fun as I am.”

Amy’s eyes lit up. “Shadow! I’m so glad to see you!”

Shadow just stared at her. “Why?”

She let out a breath of relief. “I heard about what happened in Sunset City. I was really worried about you.”

He immediately hunched up his shoulders. “I didn’t come here for sympathy.”

She remained silent for a moment, feeling more tiredness set in.

What happened to you?

She crossed her arms. “Well, I’m still glad to see you’re safe, whether you like it or not. So there.” She nodded firmly.

He glared at her for several seconds. Evidently unable to come up with an effective comeback to her odd brand of stubborn compassion, he just rolled his eyes. “Hmph.”

Rouge gave him an unimpressed look.

Amy shook her head. “Do you two need something?”

“We’re looking for Omega,” Rouge explained. “There isn’t a huge rush, but once G.U.N.’s back on their feet, I’m sure they’ll have a mission for us.”

“Sorry, Rouge, but I’m not the one to ask,” Amy replied, skimming the document in front of her. “Tails said he’ll get to rebuilding him once things are a little more under control. You’ll have to find him.”

Shadow growled. “I told you, if you’d just let me...”

“We’re not doing this again,” Rouge snapped. “You just recovered from the Metal Virus, and then you immediately snuck off alone and tried to fight Metal Sonic.”

Cream gasped. “By yourself?!”

Shadow’s mouth was set in a frustrated grimace. “Did anyone else notice Eggman was getting away? No. Was anyone else there to chase him down? No. It needed to be done. And if I could just try another approach--”

Amy felt her heart soften, seeing herself in Shadow. He must be so frustrated. This isn’t the right way of going about it, but...I do understand.

Apparently, Rouge disagreed. “And then what? You’ll do something reckless and get yourself hurt again? Shadow, do you have any idea how...” She trailed off and grimaced. “What about the rest of us? We need you! Think about someone else for a change!”

“UGH!” Amy cried. She rubbed her temples. “No offense, but if you guys are going to argue, then can you take it somewhere else? I can’t work like this.”

Rouge looked down at her. She cringed, though she still didn’t let go of Shadow. “Now that I look at you, Amy, you look terrible. You shouldn’t be working like this.”

“She hasn’t slept in days!” Cream blurted. “She needs to stop!”

Rouge’s eyes bugged out.

Shadow had been averting his gaze, but now she could feel his eyes on her, though they remained unreadable.

“What I need is some space,” Amy spat, tapping her pen against her desk. “Someone needs to do the paperwork on weapons distribution, and I’m the closest thing to a weapons expert the Restoration has right now.”

“What about Miss Whisper? Doesn’t she know a lot about Wispons?”

“I had to send Whisper to Spiral Hill Village to do cleanup with Tangle,” Amy explained, trying to be patient with Cream. “I can’t separate those two again. You saw the state she was in when we had to leave Tangle behind.”

She tried to go back to the forms, but Rouge’s smooth voice cut in. “What about Tails? He’s the tech guy, isn’t he?”

Amy’s fists clenched, and she gritted her teeth. “He’s working on tracking down the Zetis. Everyone else is off fighting, rebuilding, or doing search and rescue. There isn’t anyone. It has to be me right now.”

“Cream’s right, Amy. You can’t keep this up,” Rouge argued. “You’ll burn yourself out at this rate, and then you won’t be any help to anyone. You need--”

“What I NEED is some peace and quiet!” Amy snarled, glaring back and forth between Cream and Rouge. “I’ll never get this done with everyone bothering me like this.”

She’d just gone back to the forms when she was interrupted again--but this time, it was a lower, more calming voice.

“You want peace and quiet? I can provide that.”

Amy blinked up at Shadow in surprise. “Really?”

He nodded and wrenched his arm out of Rouge’s grasp so he could join Amy behind the desk. “If this has to get done, then it has to get done. I’ll bring you somewhere quiet.”

Rouge choked. “Shadow, you can’t just--”

“Yes I can. Didn’t you want me to ‘think about someone else for a change?’” he sneered.

Amy glanced from Cream’s worried eyes, to Rouge’s disapproving look--and then to the pile of papers. She gathered them up and smirked at Shadow. “You know what? That sounds like exactly what I need.”

He nodded and took her hand. Cream and Rouge balked.

“Amy--!”

“Shadow--!”

“CHAOS CONTROL!”

In a flash, the two hedgehogs were gone. Cream sighed, and Rouge held a hand to her forehead.

“What am I going to do with that guy?”

--

Amy blinked her eyes open. “Where are we?”

“My place.”

He released her hand to turn on the light, decreasing the intensity shortly thereafter with a dimmer switch. She gazed around at her unfamiliar surroundings and cocked her head in confusion. “Did you guys move...? I visited you one time, but I don’t recognize any of this.”

Strictly speaking, Rouge had invited Knuckles over, but he’d been too nervous to go alone. Amy had pulled Shadow into the kitchen to help bake a cake with her to give Rouge and Knuckles some privacy at one point, and she’d had a nice, low-key talk with Shadow while they did so. He’d actually asked her advice on something.

That really was a nice visit...but it’s been a long time since then.

“Rouge and Omega still live in the same place, but I moved out,” Shadow explained, kicking off his air shoes. “G.U.N.’s been sending me on more solo missions recently. They moved me closer to HQ.”

Amy started to pull off her boots, then stopped. “Wait...you live alone?”

“Yes.”

A pain made itself known in Amy’s chest. “Doesn’t that get lonely?”

“I’m fine on my own.” He started walking farther into the house.

She dropped her boots off and jogged after him. “Why would they need you to be closer for that? Can’t you just teleport whenever they need you?”

“You ask a lot of questions for someone who wants peace and quiet,” he pointed out. Amy laughed tiredly, unable to argue with that.

Shadow walked past a couch with clutter piled high on two of its three cushions. He stopped beside a nearby desk and picked up the laptop and cord from on top of it to make space. “You can work here.”

“Phew!” Amy dropped the stack of paperwork on the desk and flopped into the chair. She smiled up at him, tired but grateful. “Thank you, Shadow.”

He gave a curt nod and walked off.

Amy watched him go. Her ears drooped sadly.

Poor Shadow. He can say he’s fine all he wants, but...

Shadow sat down on the one available spot on the couch and opened up his laptop. His face was set in the stalwart scowl he’d been wearing recently, a far cry from the solemn but relaxed expression she was used to.

I know he’s hurting.

Amy sighed and returned to her work. Not much I can do to help, especially not right now. I need to make the most of this.

She was only two forms in, but her eyes were struggling to stay open. She shook it off and bit the inside her cheek, hoping the pain would help keep her alert.

“Here.”

Amy jumped at the deep voice over her shoulder. “Huh?”

Shadow was placing a mug next to her on the desk. “Coffee.”

She looked back and forth between him and the mug blearily, then brightened up. “Thanks, Shadow! This is exactly what I needed!”

He brushed it off as he walked back to the couch. “I was making some for myself anyway. It wasn’t any extra effort.”

“I still appreciate the thought!” she sang, unperturbed by his lack of response.

She sipped the beverage, sighing in relief as warmth seeped into her bones. He makes a mean cup of coffee, too! Has coffee always tasted this good?

She signed off on a few more pages. Despite the coffee, she felt a headache coming on. She squinted at the letters on the page. “Shadow, don’t you think it’s a little dim in here?”

“I don’t like bright lights.”

He didn’t elaborate further. She pursed her lips and looked around, frowning when she couldn’t find a lamp. Guess this is the best I’m gonna get. Well...beggars can’t be choosers, I guess.

She yawned and continued with her work. She almost nodded off a few times but managed to hold it together for a while longer.

Eventually, the sound of Shadow shifting and standing up to leave the room made her jump, cluing her in that she’d fallen halfway asleep. She shook her head and blinked her eyes wide open. Keep it together!

She’d just finished another sheet when she heard footsteps from her left. A tantalizing smell wafted in under her nose as a plate was placed on the desk next to the stack of papers. She looked up at Shadow, baffled. “What’s this?”

“Turkey. It was taking up space in my fridge, so you can have it.”

Her eyes went wide. He looked away and crossed his arms insistently. “I’m not gonna cook anything. Don’t expect anything else.”

Her responding smile was gentle. “I wouldn’t expect that. Thank you so much!”

He nodded and returned to his laptop. Amy started in on the turkey. Her tail wagged happily.

I had no idea how hungry I was! It’s only frozen turkey, but man, did I need this!

She tried to keep working, but her gaze kept drifting back to Shadow. She watched as he lit up some incense and left it on his coffee table. You were always quiet and serious, but you were never prickly back when I met you. You let me hug you. You listened. You weren’t afraid of letting people know you cared. Did G.U.N. do this to you?

Amy’s eyes burned in anger past their lids. Her grip on the pen tightened as she filled out another form.

If I ever catch wind that G.U.N. hurt you, that commander will have a date with my hammer.

Once her anger died down, however, Amy started to lose focus. The dim lighting and Shadow’s quiet keystrokes didn’t help, nor did the calming scent of lavender from his incense. The letters blurred. The pen left extra lines on the paper whenever she dozed off in the middle of writing something. It wasn’t long before her consciousness faded out, coffee be damned.

The last thing she registered was a feeling of weightlessness as someone lifted her from the stiff chair, reassuring her in a low, calming voice.

--

Amy’s eyelids fluttered open some time later. She blinked and rubbed them a few times, then stretched and took stock of her surroundings.

The bed she was lying in was soft but unfamiliar. A bit of light shone in from around the edges of the heavy curtains on the window, illuminating the warm black bedspread comfortably swaddling her as she gazed around a room she didn’t recognize. Books were piled on the nightstand. She idly basked in the relaxing scent on the pillows, trying to place where she knew it from...at least until she noticed the digital clock.

1:00.

Her eyes shot open.

One? One pm or am? What day is it?!

Amy burst out of the room and dashed in what she hoped was the direction of the front door. “SHAAADOOOWWW?!”

She skidded to a stop in the first room she’d entered the night before, but no one was seated on the couch. She stayed quiet as she scanned the area.

“Walk of shame, huh, Amy? Thought you had work to do.”

“Eep!”

Amy jumped in surprise and turned around to see Rouge sitting on the counter in the open kitchen behind her, legs crossed. She winked at Amy.

Amy sputtered and straightened out her dress, the same dress she’d been wearing last night. “I-I wasn’t--!”

Rouge chuckled. “Just a joke, Amy. If you’re gonna sneak off with the guy I’m trying to keep track of, the least you can do is let me have a little fun with it.”

Amy tensed up, suddenly embarrassed by the memory of their hasty departure. “Ah, riiiight...sorry, Rouge.”

She uncrossed her legs. “It’s not a big deal. I at least knew he wasn’t doing anything reckless if he was looking out for you.”

Amy smiled wryly. “So where is he?”

Rouge sighed. “Your guess is as good as mine. He already left,” she said, nodding to where hers and Amy’s boots sat alone by the door. Rouge stepped around the counter to join her. “He was gone when I got here. It was just you, looking awfully comfortable in his bed. Should I ask what happened last night?” She snickered.

“Nothing like...that!” Amy huffed and combed her fingers through her quills to straighten them out. “I was getting work done. He was nice enough to make me coffee and give me food, but I still fell asleep. He must’ve carried me to bed after that.” She sighed.

Rouge just stared at her, baffled. “Really?” Amy nodded. “Huh. He’s normally a terrible host.” She stepped back into the kitchen and picked up a bag of coffee grounds. “I gotta ask, though; why’d you ask for decaf when you wanted to stay awake?”

Amy stopped. “What?”

Rouge held up the bag to show her. “See? Decaf.”

Amy squinted at it. “I didn’t ask for coffee. He just made it for me. He said he made some for himself and just gave me some while he was at it.”

But Rouge shook her head. “Shadow doesn’t drink coffee, he just eats the beans,” she explained, nodding to a plastic container full of coffee beans next to the fridge. “If he bothered to brew coffee, it was just for you.”

Amy’s eyes softened. “Really? So he...wait a minute...” Her eyes narrowed. “He gave me decaf coffee, fed me turkey, kept the lights dim, stayed quiet, burned lavender incense--” She gasped, scandalized. “He sabotaged me! He totally let me fall asleep on purpose!”

Rouge burst out laughing.

Amy turned on her. “What’s so funny?!”

Rouge wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and tried to hold back her laughter. “Oh, hun, I’m sure it wasn’t anything bad! He was just worried about you, like Cream and I were!”

Amy tapped her foot rapidly. “What do you mean?”

Rouge calmed down. “You looked like you were ready to collapse yesterday, Amy. Tell me: how much work were you actually getting done at that point?”

Amy averted her eyes.

Rouge placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “All Shadow did was spare you a stiff neck. He does have a sweet side, you know.”

Amy tried to remain firm, but after a moment, a light laugh escaped her. “Yeah. I do know.” She exchanged a meaningful nod with Rouge, then wandered back over to Shadow’s desk and looked around in confusion. “I thought I left the forms right here. Did you do something with them?”

“He probably brought them back to HQ for you with Chaos Control so you wouldn’t have to carry them all by hand.”

Amy found the pen she’d been using. She picked it up and smiled wistfully. “He’s very thoughtful. In his own way.”

“Heh. Don’t tell anyone, or he’ll never hear the end of it,” Rouge mock-whispered. Amy giggled and pocketed the pen.

Rouge walked her outside. “Do you know where you are?”

Amy squinted past the bright sunlight. She peered around, finding she recognized some of the buildings around her, even in their crumbled state from after the war and the Zombot plague. “Yeah. HQ should be...that way.”

Rouge nodded. “It’s not too far, but do you want a lift? I’m flying that way anyway,” she offered, extending a hand.

“Oh, thank you so much, Rouge!” Amy gushed, happily taking her hands. Rouge lifted her and took off in the direction of HQ.

Amy gazed down at the ruined city below her. It had clearly been hectic and crowded before the destruction. She frowned, remembering the time she’d spoken with Shadow about their mutual love of nature.

He must hate it here.

“Hey, Rouge?”

“Hm?”

“How long has Shadow been living by himself?”

Amy heard a sigh above her. She peeked up.

Rouge’s face was surprisingly weary. “It’s been about a year now.” Amy flinched, so Rouge added, “I insisted on getting a spare key immediately. I visit whenever I can, like this morning.”

Amy sighed. “Thank Chaos! He says he’s fine on his own, but...”

“He’s lying,” they spoke together. The two exchanged a sad smile.

Amy bit her lip. “Shadow wasn’t always...like this. He used to be different.”

Rouge just kept flying. Her silence spoke volumes.

Amy tried again. “Did something happen?”

Silence.

“Was it something G.U.N. did?”

Amy could see the way Rouge’s jaw clenched. Finally, she responded.

“Even if I knew the full story, it wouldn’t be mine to tell. You’ll have to get it out of him.”

“I’m going to.”

Rouge’s eyes widened.

Amy grinned up at her, determined. “I’m going to get to the bottom of this and make things right. I’ll never give up on him!”

Rouge’s surprised look softened into an encouraging smile. “I believe it. If there’s anyone who can get through to him, it’s you.”

--

Rouge dropped her off at the entrance to HQ. Amy thanked her and dashed down the hallway toward what remained of her office, waving to the other Restoration members along the way. She slid to a stop at her desk.

Just as Rouge had predicted, the stack of papers was waiting for her, with another pile already growing beside it. She sighed and sat down.

I guess it’s better that I got the sleep after all. I could never get through all of this without--

She stopped and stared at the first sheet from the previous night.

What?

The form was complete--and not in her tired, messy scrawl, either. She flipped to the next page, only to find that it, too, had been filled out with neat, decisive pen strokes.

She kept flipping pages, feeling relief and wonder fill her chest. Every form in the stack was blessedly complete--and properly, too. Whoever had done it possessed just as much weapons expertise as she did, if not more. They’d even included an extra sheet with suggestions and improvements for some of the defensive formations she’d laid out for HQ.

Amy knew that handwriting. It was the same penmanship that had written her an encouraging letter when she was sad. It matched the frosting calligraphy on the cake they’d baked together. It had spelled out a phone number for her years ago when she’d asked on a piece of paper right underneath the name “Shadow the hedgehog.”

All the emotions from the past few weeks rushed out of her. She held herself and wept silently in gratitude and relief.

I know you’re still in there somewhere. And I’m not going to give up until we get you back.

--

((I have more sympathy than ever for the IDW writers. I can’t stand writing him like this X_X))

[boy-gender]

Hi! You can answer this publicly or privately, but I figured maybe someone else might have a similar question? I just wanted to ask about your personal reasons for using it/its pronouns.

I ask bc I've come across two different characters, now, in media I enjoy, that use it/its pronouns. And I've enjoyed seeing it! They're both two of my favorite characters in their respective media. And i think im kinda questioning whether or not my excitement for these characters (particularly when pronouns are discussed bc they're both great characters outside of that fact) is just bc it's nice to see representation, even beyond they/them pronouns, or if maybe I should consider it/its for myself? I'm not sure, I just thought hearing other people's experiences could potentially help me figure that out. Thank you for your time!

Happy to answer!

First of all, whatever pronouns you want to use is entirely up to you! Nobody gets to tell you what to use and what not to use, or what to try out and change later if you don't like it. If you feel like you want to try a set of pronouns, try it! If it doesn't jive, just change it again. There is no limit to how many pronouns or labels you can use, try, drop, pick up again, or how many times you change it. If it sounds like it/its makes you happy, go for it, even if it just "just" because of characters you like. There's nothing wrong with being influenced by the stories that are important to you.

My reason for using it is mostly trauma-based. All my life I've felt a significant disconnect from my own body, but I didn't realize I had a dissociative disorder until I was like 24. A combination of child abuse causing the disorder, where I never felt like my body was/is me, just that I'm a thing inhabiting the body, possessing it like a spirit- and also lifelong bullying and ostracizing by my peers both contributed to it. There are many times I don't feel like a man or a woman, or a nonbinary person, or any type of person at all. I was dehumanized; I had my humanity stripped from me, including my gender. Fat autistic weird 'girls' aren't treated like girls, intersex tomboys aren't treated like boys, we're treated like monsters. Like kicked dogs. I existed only to be abused by the people around me- my parents and teachers who were supposed to protect me, and the peers who should have been my friends and community. Freaks don't have genders, those are for people. And I was constantly reminded that I did not count as a person.

I very much associate the bullying I endured with my gender nonconformity. I was an afab intersex person- I was a girl of age like 13 with a moustache and beard growing in. I was fat, and my fat never distributed to the 'desired' places for a girl (also, this was like 2008. There was no 'desired place' for fat on girls). Other kids knew or sensed things were different about me- that I was queer in multiple ways, that I had several mental illnesses, that I was fat and ugly and was friends only with other rejects, meaning nobody gave a shit what happened to us. There would be no one to come to our defense no matter how severely we were harmed. We didn't matter.

When I found out I was a system, it put a lot into perspective. The disconnect from the body, from my identity, from my own memories (which are all in third person) made more sense. My other is not human. At first I assumed the "it-ness" was because of this, but actually he doesn't like to be called it at all. It hurts him. It doesn't fit. The it-ness is from me. It's an expression of the gender experience I was denied, a reclamation of the othering I suffered. I don't count as human. I will never be worth being human, or having typical human experiences. I will never be allowed into the club. But it turns out there are other clubs out here- humanity and the cisgender binary are not the only options. I no longer see my othering as "be human or just die," but as "not human? Cool, come try one of these other myriad things." There are so many more things you can be besides human.

This makes a lot of people uncomfortable. Firstly, good. People should be uncomfortable with the cruelty I endured and the marks it left. People should be uncomfortable that they probably participated in othering people as children, and maybe even still do it as adults, and they should be uncomfortable that society is raising their children to continue to do this. It is, in a way, a little bit like my pronouns being fuck/you, or examine/yourselves. Some of it's shock value, and I like that.

Secondly, the shit I get the most is from other trans people, saying I'm somehow harming the trans community because other people call us "its" as an insult. If someone were to call me a she, that is incorrect, and could be used as an insult- they're misgendering me, they're trying to hurt me. This is not the fault of the word "she" and I'm not going to go up to a trans woman and say "this word hurts me, so you cant use it. No more she/her pronouns for you." We are not all going to have the same comfort level with words. I don't like being called a dyke, but dykes do. Some people don't like being called queer, but lots of us do. Some people don't like being called it, but I do. Either way, I get to decide what I am called, and other people get to decide what they are called, and nobody else gets to veto someone's identity. If someone doesn't like calling me it? Then they don't have to talk to me. If they won't respect my pronouns, they're not any better than people who would call me she or her. I don't need their input or validation.

If you do decide to try out it pronouns, I would say be prepared for backlash, but also don't let it effect you. Block people liberally, joyously even. Don't argue. Don't bother. You do not have to justify who you are. And, consider "soft launching" your pronouns! Maybe tell a couple close friends, or just the internet, and if it goes well, expand to other people, and then other people. Roll it out in stages while you get comfortable and try things and assess. You don't owe anyone a coming out; you can decide if, when, how, and to whom you explain yourself, if you ever do it at all.

As an aside, I want to make a distinction here- I'm not otherkin. I don't say I don't count as human because I am some other type of creature just in a human body this reincarnation. This is not a spiritual belief, or even a psych-kin thing. This is purely a product of trauma, something that was foisted upon me that I am now reclaiming, not something innate to my identity. I don't want people to conflate my experience with that of otherkin and be like "see? you're not really [whatever], you're just traumatized!" I hope people will not use my experience to police other people's identities. I am speaking only for myself.

Hope this helps. If you have any more specific questions, feel free to reach out!

[otakween]

Digimon Tamers - Episode 9

Omg Growmon was so cute in this episode 🥺 Guilmon is cute already, but something about a mon that big being all baby-like and innocent is even cuter. Wanna hug him.

All that aside, I thought the 2nd half of this one was kinda weak and had a weird vibe to it.

Notes:

Notably, this was another non-battle episode (which I think is great). I saw some lame-o in the comments be like "this is boring!" I kinda think people who can't enjoy slow moments in anime are...dumb. Like the shonen-only types who need an explosion, a punch, or fanservice every five minutes for a show to be "good." Whatever, more slice-of-life for me!

The scene where Takato was afraid of Growmon and they built up suspense like Growmon was going to do something bad felt a little redundant from the end of episode 1. The reaction makes sense, but my brain was just like "aight, we know the punchline already." That said, Growmon being so sad that he made Takato scared was really sweet. Poor baby :(

^Literally me trying to figure out how Digimon works lol

I'm kind of surprised that none of Takato's methods worked because they seemed pretty logical to me. It wasn't 100% clear what allowed Growmon to finally de-digivolve, but I guess it was just time?

I really felt for Takato in this one, he's just in a constant state of anxiety about where his digimon might be and if he's safe. It's like having a child! No way I could handle that stress in elementary school lol.

Okay, but when Takato was telling his crush "my friend suddenly got bigger" I thought they were going to make a boner joke...Luckily her mind is not as dirty as mine.

When they introduced Impmon I really thought he'd have a greater purpose. For now it seems like he's just being a dick to be a dick lol. I actually find that more interesting than "I want to help my master rule the world" tho...

We got a lot of cute Terriermon moments this episode, which is always a plus. There's something about his design that reminds me of Neopets...Oh and by the way, I only recently realized he's meant to be a dog (despite the name making it obvious haha).

Once they started camouflaging Growmon and Ruki showed up just to be a jerk for no reason, that's when I felt like the episode kinda went down hill. Ruki showed up out of nowhere and was just kinda bullying Takato and Jian in a way that felt out of place to me. Then the episode ends with an extended scene of Takato crying in the rain and then the gang stares at a rainbow as Growmon de-digivolves to Guilmon. It was supposed to poignant, but it just felt stilted and awkward to me. Like...I wasn't sure what they were really going for with that one.

I feel kinda bad that the end of the episode didn't jive with me. They even played an insert song to be like "FEEL SOMETHING," but I was just like "eh..."

[ekwolfwriter-blog]

🌹 :D

Thank you for asking! This is a fun game!

So for this one, it is for a different fandom than what I am used to but it is for an up coming chapter that I have been sitting on for a year now:

Still, Snow woke up to the sound of the hustle and bustle of the village coming to the morning light and tried to motivate herself to get up. Looking around, Snow tried to see if any soldiers of her father might have gotten away and could help her. Also trying to remember if Captain Jive had managed to escape before all of this or if his leave was a cover for his disappearance. Snow knew that the captain was also one of the few people who did not fully trust Regina and seemed to know something was going on.

   So her best chance was to find him and see what he knew. However, something had crossed Snow's mind as well: if there was a chance that Regina's forces could be out looking for her already. Or if there are people that would sell her out to Regina to protect themselves. She could not blame the normal citizens for protecting themselves, but Snow realized that this could have made her search for any supporters more difficult. She leaned against the wall and debated about how do to this. She pulled her legs up to her chest and tucked her knees to hide her face a little.

   "Excuse me miss," said a voice.

   Snow looked up to the voice, startled at first by them. But soon she relaxed as she saw a little green dwarf wearing a blue tunic and some black scruffy hair standing before her from the other side of the alley away from the street. Snow was confused as well and part of the reason she chose this alley was so that she could only have them come at her one way.

   "Are you alright miss?" the dwarf asked.

   "Oh, um… I am fine," she said as she looked away to avoid showing her face and using her hair to hide it as best as she could.

   "Are you sure?" he pressed on as he looked at her, curious about why she was trying to hide her face.

   "Yeah, you don't need to worry about me, I will be fine," she said. Internally hoped she would not be recognized right now.

    The dwarf raised an eyebrow as he noticed she was trying to keep herself hidden. While he was on a bit of a schedule for himself, he could not leave her as is or let her stay here. He looked around before finding an old cloak from a box that was tossed out. He pulled it and cleaned it up while discretely putting a talisman out to make the cloak.

    "Here," he said as he put it over Snow's knees.

    Snow looked shocked at the cloak on her lap. She hurried to put it on before looking over at him from under the hood. "Thank you," she said.

  "This has been enchanted, it will keep your voice altered and face hidden when you pull the hood over. Just don't tell anyone you saw me here, okay?" he requested.

  "Oh okay, but why?" her voice sounded distorted when she spoke. It was a bit strange at first for her, but it seemed to do the trick.

  "Just need to keep a low profile myself is all, think of it as an eye for an eye," he said as he looked on, admiring a bit of his handy work.

  "Oh okay, I can do that," Snow agreed and got up to begin her search. But not before turning back to the dwarf with a smile supported by the sun to make it shine brighter than before. "Thank you." Although the spell warped her face and voice, it seemed to have broken for a second to show her true smile and voice to the dwarf.

  As Snow left, she pulled the hood over her head again and began to make her way through the crowd, hopeful to find some answers.

~

  Stunned and confused by why his heart skipped a beat, Merlin - changed back to his true form - was gripping his chest a little to wonder why his heart went a flutter toward her smile. She was a normal girl, nothing special about her or something stunning from what he could see of her from the ground. He could not see her true face either as she kept trying to hide it from him.

  Even so, he wondered why he felt like the happiness of her voice was affecting him so much.

  The thought was broken when he heard a thud behind him and he turned back to Hansel who had fallen from the top of the wall that was keeping the alley blocked off and hit the stone ground on his butt.