#this resurgence really bringing back memories

[kaistarus]

I wish I could truly explain how I was back when the Hunger Games cast was announced. I'd been obsessed with the books, hoping they didn't fuck up the cast. Imagine my fucking shock, joy, stunned scream when Josh Hutcherson was Peeta.

I'd been crushing on this actor since I was a wee child. Since I'd seen fucking Zathura in theatres. I would watch movies specifically because he was in them. And now HE was PEETA!?!?!

I have never experienced that rush since and I don't think I ever will. I truly won life with that one

[chiliyue-archived]

Hiraeth

↬ he can't stop returning back to you

Includes; PM!Dazai

Entry; 💭 - thoughts not said outloud + ❛ i’m scared of ending up alone. ❜

[Event Navi | M.List] | [Bsd M.List] ♡

-

Dazai has been doing this far too often. And he knows it. Showing up to your living quarters rather than his storage container at the dead of night. Despite himself, it became a perpetual cycle that he had found to be powerless to break away from - acting as the puppeteer to his earthen desires that wilted with passing graces.

The crickets that usually filled his solitude came to increasingly accommodate you as a change. Unknowingly, you became a resurgence within his mind. And before he could even realize it, his legs had led him aimlessly back to you.

Pushing you away wasn't as easy as he thought - and the question if that was a good or bad thing hung in the silence.

Cotton Fingers peeled open the door, exposing his one eye to your slumbering figure. You were perched on the left side of the bed - it became a habit you acquired ever since Dazai has started to fancy your presence and found himself lying in that vacant spot beside you. However, he was never at the mercy of rest; his milky eye would gaze at the ceiling until rays of orange and gold leaked through the binds. That was always his sign of departure, leaving more weary and in search of an abstruse answer.

On the days he wasn't so hapless, his rest often came at the expense of nightmares; losing you to a power far greater than the demon prodigy. He couldn't really pinpoint when he became so attached to you.

Perhaps it was an accumulation of many things that gave sway to his blocked heart. The first time he let you dress his wounds, watching with catious eyes as you carefully nurtured him back to his second skin of gauze. Maybe it was in the way you didn't seem perturbed by the ugliness that was hidden beneath, punctuated by the soft feathery trailing of your fingertips against the molded scars.

Perhaps it was the kisses you pressed on his cheeks and creased forehead, bathing him in your attention devoid of the pain he was accustomed to. Not many escaped his touch unscathed, and yet yours was a drug he chased after incessantly.

Or maybe it was the first time the name 'Osamu' slipped from your lips in sincerity. Dazai almost hated the way he wanted to hear you say it again - to provoke that gentle tickle that became distinguished in his chest when he was with you.

But as much as he conjectured on the potiental answer, it had always remained to be an inquiry that probed the back of his head. Far too complex for even his great intellect, it was both vexing and equal parts a craving.

Dazai made work of shrugging off his coat, the article feeling unnecessary heavy on his taut shoulders. His shoes were already long abandoned, tossed in the genkan beside yours in a lax manner. He's done it so many times that it felt like second nature.

It was quickly followed by the pulling of his tie, the windsor knot becoming a peice of flimsy material and discarded on the small nearby table.

It was the same piece of furniture the two of you would cramp up together and eat cheap takeout or meals crafted by your hands. Regardless of the quality it was a change that filled up his stomach - unlike the cans of crab that littered his home acting as taunting reminders of his position.

He wordlessly slipped beside you, muscle memory coaxing him to curl around your body. His fingers instinctively took place in your hands. Limbs that were so accustomed to yielding instruments of death became fidgety against your own. His pinky mindlessly flexed around your joints, his thumb drawing out the contours.

For reasons he struggled to fathom, he couldn't quite bring himself to look at you. Not in a detested form of manner, but rather for the vulnerability that came if he risked a glance. To see you curled up beside him, dozing in your dreams and feeling secure even with the mafioso beside you. Selfishly, he pondered if you dreamed of him; perhaps immersed in an abstract reality far more promising than whatever this was.

" I'm back." His voice came out as a mumble despite knowing you couldn't hear him. Outloud, the words felt more like an indulgence to himself than anything.

His head leaned forward, his forehead making contact with your hair. The vacuous plaster of his lips remained; however, his eyes became glazed in a spur of intangible emotions. He chose to ignore the way his body hugged closer to you, legs sweeping over yours in a tangle of limbs. He didn't make an attempt to resist it either.

He allowed the silence to suspend the moment, nose nestling into the back of your head and absorbing your presence in silent fear of it being ephemeral. The weight of you being taken from him was always present, and he wasn't sure what he would do if that came into fruition. Just thinking of it rooted its probability deep within his mind and jutted a frown on his face.

Dazai felt his heart stutter when you habitually snuggled into him, light murmurs slipping from your lips. Even if your subconscious you gave him slices of your affection that made him gnaw in reproof yearning.

" Don't disappear on me, okay?" His voice was muffled against your skin, fingers weaving into your own properly.

Under normal circumstances he would have chastised himself for exhibiting such softness; cautioning himself to be more prudent even in your assuaging amity. But it felt terribly easy now to recite those words, even when doused in raw honest undertones.

" I'm scared of ending up alone." Again. He inwardly added, squeezing his eye shut. His voice was small, uncharacteristic of the teasing tone that laced his tongue. No snarky comment, flirty one-liners or fallacious words. He pressed a peck to the crown of your head as though sealing the daunting declaration with verdity.

He was unsure how much time passed but Dazai cradled close to you, whispering light phrases under breath, not yet prepared to voice them properly to you. Truthfully, he was addicted to you, and he briefly wondered what he did to find himself in this moment. Rummaging his mind did little to alleviate his pondering, but it did swarm his heart with an abnormal amass of warmth. A wistful expression would consume him the more he reflected upon your shared moments.

He wasn't some port mafia executive, he was Osamu Dazai in your embrace. And he selfishly desired for that not to change. For the sun to not rise just so he may soak in your attention with greed and rest his head against your shoulder. He wishes to hear your pulse in his ear, to remind him that you're very much real.

He almost can't stop the guilty grin that stretches on his cheeks when the familiar rhythm resonates in his ear. And contrary to the abode you provide him, it also makes his throat go dry and threaten to squeeze his breath away - unsure how long you will remain in his arms.

When you nuzzled your back into his chest, he couldn't help but squeeze your hands, his lips falling on that pulse point on your shoulder. Even if he wasn't able to sleep, his gaze inched closer to you, committing your small details to memory before flickering back to the ceiling. But more and more he came to immerse himself in your person both willingly and subconsciously.

He never meant to get attached, but maybe if it was you, it wouldn't be so bad.

-

Erm. I wrote this at 2am , idk if this even makes sense 💀

Event Taglist; @eynnwwyjth @himebwrries @seiiblue

If you wish to be added or removed, comment on this post !

[qfzeeph]

♡Kaito (Vocaloid) x Reader/Master HCs [4]♡

Hey guys! As many of you know, April is Sexual Assualt Awareness Month. I myself am a SA survivor with (ongoing evaluation, but and I quote "very likely") PTSD, and I take a lot of comfort in the idea that my favorites would take care of me since many people in real life who assured they would have failed to do so. I've been... kind of afraid to post these since they are very personal to me and I wasn't sure what kind of response this would envoke. If this doesn't really resonate with you, I appreciate the fact you're willing to read through it anyway. If it does, I hope it brings you as much comfort as it brings me.

So For the Fourth installment of this series, I'd like to write about Kaito taking care of a SA survivor with PTSD symptoms similar to mine.

I think this goes without saying, but CW for mentions of SA and talk of PTSD-Related things.

☆When you finally open up to him about what happened to you, it breaks his heart. He can't believe someone would even think about doing that to you.

☆Kaito is extremely considerate of your boundaries. He’s not one to push or try and “make you get over it,” if it makes you uncomfortable he wants no part of it.

☆ Kaito is also a fantastic listener. If you need to spill and cry out about things that have happened, he’s going to hold you close and give you all the comfort and love he can. Moving forward is not always easy, especially when memories plague you. He’s going to do his very best to comfort you and remind you that you’ll always be safe in his arms. And it doesn’t matter how many times he has to tell you that, he always will without fuss or question. He wants to make you feel as safe as possible and understands that the traumatic memories can and will come back to haunt you, oftentimes against your will.

☆Speaking of, you having flashbacks or resurgances of traumatic memories are never a “mood killer” or off putting to him. It’s something that unfortunately happens, and that’s okay. If you need physical space during these times, he’ll happily give it. If you’d rather have him hold you close and hug you until it passes, he’ll gladly oblige to that as well. Whatever helps you is what he’s going to do.

☆ If you’re the type who wants to reclaim what has been taken from you, he’s gladly going to do whatever he can to help you, on your terms of course. He understands how hard this is for you and how important reclamation can be. If at any point things go too far for you, he’ll gladly stop right away no matter what. YOUR comfort and safety comes before his enjoyment.

☆ If you’re completely sex repulsed, he’s 100% okay with that too! Kaito loves you for you after all. Being a part of your life is more than enough to satisfy him to begin with.

☆He'll always, always, always be there for you. No matter what. You could tell him anything about what's on your mind and why it's bothering and he'll sit there and listen and talk you through it no matter how in depth or graphic it is. Kaito loves you unconditionally no matter what. You'll always be his darling despite your battle scars.

☆Kaito thinks you're incredibly strong and brave at the end of it all, you're still here despite everything and he's so proud of you for continuing to push forward. And he'll never let you forget that he's proud of you either.

Well, that's about all for this post. Thank you so much for reading through to the end. Again, reiterating these are based off of things I personally have to deal with in terms of trauma-related memory resurgances and things that would make me comfortable and I understand that may not be the same for everyone who's gone through something like this. Remember to take care of your friends who are survivors, and to take care of yourself as well if you've gone through this hell as well. Stay strong out there, I believe in you and so does Kaito!

[natdeemma]

A small complaint...

To capture the attention of a fandom, is it necessary to conduct surveys or anonymous questions about the most controversial, morally questionable, and polarizing topics within it?

I have come across a group of people who say they want to "revive" this part of the TPN fandom in some way. I understand that they want to draw attention and reignite the love we have for REN and the story in general... But why do it in such a childish way?

What is the benefit of criticizing artists, flickers, and anyone else who dedicates their time and art to the fandom? I am aware that there are renowned artists who, in past years, have faced controversies due to their REN/TPN content, perhaps because it is +18 and that offends many (whether it’s a drawing or a written piece).

But why bring it back to "revive the fandom"? Is that what really matters? It doesn't even focus on what is truly intended, and personally, I find it annoying. Instead of attracting people, this type of action pushes them away. For heaven's sake, even creating a group to discuss it is one of the worst ideas.

What is wrong with those people? Where is their true appreciation for TPN? I know haters are going to hate, but there is still a limit.

Although I feel guilty for not trying to stop it, I just watched their comments to see how far they would go... I think I was wrong on my part.

Remember, if you want to revive a fandom, approaching it through hate and touching on the sensitive topics I mentioned to draw attention is not the best way. I have seen that there are people working on some very good projects with TPN, such as animations, a fan-made remake for fans, and healthy art that engages in the best way.

We want TPN to resurge because of the good memories, experiences, and moments it left us, not because of its "dark side"...

I still wonder if I'm wrong or if I'm just being foolish for thinking this way... :(

Anyways, I’ll leave a doodle of Emma made by me that represents my expression that day...

[cae-ruleam]

time's a ticking

rated G - basically a character study of immortal Danny word count: 4405 AO3 link

Danny's seen many loved ones come and go, and he has almost been beaten down countless times. But life goes on, and through the years, Danny's learned to live with that by making new memories to remember, and rekindling old ones.

“Mr. Leverton, it’s already past seven! I’ll be heading out in a moment, you can close up shop soon,” Danny heard a young voice call from the second floor of an old mechanics shop. He took off his gloves and wiped his forehead before mumbling, “Is it really that late already?” to himself. But it seemed that his apprentice still heard him once he started strolling down the wooden stairs.

“Yes, really! Now, please don’t continue working on that and just go home to rest, will ya?” Sawyer chastised the older man with slight exasperation; knowing that if he did not hound Danny, the man may stay holed up here all night and not even realize it until Sawyer returned the next morning.

It’s happened before. Several times too many, in fact. Danny chuckled, “Who’s in charge of who here?” he joked with a roll of his eyes. But he still did as told and started to put all his tools in their right places.

“Har har, you know you’ll get too invested otherwise if you weren’t already, Mr. Leverton,” the young man reiterated once more. He then went and shrugged on his winter coat before saying goodbye and walking out of the shop with a skip. Danny waved at him as he did so, of course.

“Well, he’s not wrong,” Mr. ‘Leverton’ said as he pushed himself up from his stool and cracked his neck.

It’s been a long time since Danny’s gone by the last name ‘Fenton’; it’s been roughly 170 years, in fact. After all, he didn’t have any family when he was a kid, besides his parents, sister, and aunt Alicia, of course. But Jazz and her wife never had any kids of their own, despite fostering many others. Aunt Alicia never remarried after her divorce, plenty satisfied to live her life ‘till the end on her own.

That left Danny, but given the … circumstances of his existence, he quickly shot down any idea of having kids, biological or adopted.

So the Fenton Family’s lineage ended with Jazz and him, some 350 years ago when Jazz passed. He’d faked his death for the public long before then. You could only claim you’re an exceptionally young-looking 40-year-old for so long, after all.

That was until he decided to bring it back briefly, about 200 years ago, for another run and go. He didn’t like the idea of disconnecting himself from his first identity forever, entirely. Even if he had to use a different first name that time.

The second name he’d decided to use was Nightingale. In a hilarious turn of fate, during that 30-year period, there seemed to have been a resurgence in interest in witchcraft.

A lot has changed in the over 400-year period he’s wandered the Earth, yet, not so much has changed at all. And that was why Danny nowadays preferred to keep himself under the radar, and people at an arm’s length.

While he technically retired himself from the superhero business several centuries ago, what, with the amount of his rogues mellowing out and there being less need for Phantom to be able to show up at any moment; he would still help out whenever necessary. Such as, when there were catastrophes from space threatening the entire globe and its attached afterlife, something he’d done before but no one remembers nowadays. Or, when the wrong people got a hold of the rapidly developed technology and weapons of warfare, ones so strong and destructive the humans themselves do not even have any preventive measures for. But that was neither here nor there.

He preferred it this way. He was getting old – albeit not physically, he definitely was mentally – and he’d never been too fond of being part of the superhero business in general. He was merely thrust into it at a ripe fourteen years of age due to a stupid mistake stupid kids made. He was thankful he could mostly part ways with that life, nowadays. Jazz also said that it had made him happier.

“Speaking of…” it’s been a while since he’s visited his sister. The only one from his immediate circle that became a ghost. His parents likely would’ve rather been burned to death than become ghosts in the afterlife, and Sam and Tucker … Danny supposed they’d lived a fulfilling enough life to not return.

He was happy for them, for that fact; even if it had hurt at first when he realized. Even when it still hurt, over 300 years later to know they’d moved on from him. But perhaps love was never meant to be, for a being such as himself.

Jazz, on the other hand, said that she would never be able to leave her baby brother to fend for himself, especially if this baby brother was some immortal semi-godlike being who’s made more than a few bad decisions in his then-normal-lifespan. Danny had laughed at that proclamation at first. Until she really came back to haunt him forever in the afterlife that is.

Danny went ahead and locked up the door of his mechanics’ shop before heading up the stairs to the second floor, personal belongings in tow. He’d rather not open a portal and disappear through it, right in front of the large windows the first floor had.

The halfa took a gentle breath and dipped into a bit of concentration before tearing a hole through reality – its veil was rather thin, all things considered. After all these years and so much experience, creating portals was like child’s play to him – hell, even creating duplicates was.

He then let his familiar transformation wash over him before flying through the portal and closing it off again with a wave of his gloved hand once he was on the other side.

Danny found himself in a familiar area of the Ghost Zone – some small spectral village that was built roughly 700 years ago, if he remembered his history correctly. He shouldn’t let Clockwork know that he’s already forgotten the lessons he gave him; he’d be so disappointed.

Danny looked around in the air briefly before slowly floating down toward the paved roads, and just when he came to a halt, a few inches off the floor, a shrill voice caught his attention.

“Phantom!” it happily called out, loudly – and before Danny was able to turn around he was tackled into a hug by some familiar weight. Once his eyes landed on his assailant, everything made sense. “Hi there to you too, Brianne,” he greeted kindly. The ghost child giggled and kicked her feet before she looked up at him again. “Aunt Jazz has been worried sick!” she continued.

Danny’s eyes widened momentarily, and he quickly tried to hide his shock again. “And why would she be?” he asked as he patted the girl’s head, even though he had several guesses for why Jazz could be worried to the point others would know about it.

“She’s been muttering to herself about how it’s been too long since you visited…” Brianne answered with a scrunched expression, as if deep in thought and racking her brain to remember the details. “Also something about … afraid that frostbite would get to you? Or not get to you? I don’t know why she would be though! You have an ice core,” she continued on.

Danny chuckled and patted her head once more, “She’s probably worried that Mr. Frostbite, chief of the Far Frozen-” “Wouldn’t be able to find this reckless uncle of yours when he inevitably forgot his check-ups again,” Jazz added.

“Jazz!” Danny remarked surprised, but also excited, “Did you really have to put it like that?” he asked sheepishly.

“It wouldn’t be the first time, now would it? It’s a valid concern; you haven’t visited me in two years!” she chided her brother, her always younger baby brother – no matter how old or powerful he’s gotten.

Danny’s expression became slightly pained. He huffed and motioned his head to the side briefly as if to tell his sister, ‘Let’s continue this at your place,’ and it seemed that Jazz agreed. His sister looked down at the girl standing confused between the two of them and quietly told her something or another – Danny didn’t quite catch it – and she immediately went on her merry way.

Jazz started walking once Brianne had gone off, and Danny made it a point to close the distance he had with the ground and walk alongside her. Despite being able to fly, as the skill was part of any ghost’s basic repertoire, Jazz was one of the few ghostly inhabitants of the ‘Zone who had always preferred to feel her feet planted on the ground, even after death. He saw no need to mention it and was always happy to join her; gently grabbing her hand as he did so.

“I’m sorry that it’s been so long,” he started after a moment of not-so-uncomfortable quiet, “It’s just … After all these years-” “Time catches up to you, and you lose track of it instead,” Jazz finished his sentence for him once more. She exhaled, revealing no emotion with that action, not really. “I know, we’ve been through this plenty of times before, I got that by the time you turned 320 well enough,” she continued.

“But that doesn’t mean I can’t still point it out. Who knows what would happen otherwise?” she added after a beat of silence. “What? You’re afraid I’ll forget to visit you for decades at a time, or something?” Danny asked with a chuckle, rhetorically, mostly.

Jazz halted in her steps, forcing Danny to a stop too, and making him turn to see her raising an unimpressed eyebrow at him. “Heh, maybe you’re right,” he said with a sigh.

“You’re the one who said you lose track of time, after all. And I don’t think it’ll ever really get better,” she said, her tone devoid of judgment.

When they continued walking, but Danny didn’t respond for a few moments too long, Jazz spoke again. “You know I don’t blame you, right? It’s not unnatural – it’s just – I don’t want to lose you also,” she said quietly.

“You don’t have to! Isn’t that why you became a ghost in the first place? So we’d never lose each other,” Danny responded.

Jazz sighed and nodded. “Yes, but when you don’t contact me for so long, it’s … hard to not get scared. And before you say anything about me joining you – you know very well that I can’t sustain myself outside the Ghost Zone for long like you can, now that you move around the globe instead of staying put in Amity. Not that you should ever feel compelled to do that, of course.”

Once they’d arrived at Jazz’s doorstep, she removed her hand from Danny’s to find her keys and unlock the door, before opening it and letting Danny through. Doors in the ‘Zone were very much Ghost-proof, after all. But not so much human proof. Danny quickly dropped himself on the sofa with a satisfied “Humph”, making Jazz shake her head at him as she locked the door again.

“Do you want something to drink?” she asked, already making her way to the kitchen.

“Some ecto-jasmine will do,” Danny responded.

“Do I even want to know if that’s a poor attempt at a joke, or not?”

“Why not both? And hey! It is not poor,” a beat went by, “Okay, maybe it is.”

Danny sighed as he watched his sister work, shaking his head, “But no, you’re … right. I should probably be putting more effort into this … relationships thing. At least for others, even if not myself.”

“Oh?” Jazz responded curiously from the kitchen across.

Danny noted long ago how her home in the Ghost Zone – her Keep manifested from herself – resembled the different houses she’s lived in in her human life. That’s nothing strange, not at all. Many ghosts’ Keeps reflected parts of themselves, or their mortal lives. What was notable however was just how akin to the Fenton house in Amity Park Jazz’s was. Despite everything, it meant that her memories tied to it were comfortable and strong enough to manifest like this.

Contrary, Danny’s Keep – besides the one previously belonging to Pariah – was a weird amalgamation of their childhood home from before they moved to Amity, his many houses since then, and hell – it even saw a bit of Sam’s home! And it still changed to this day, as every new house he inhabited for a longer period of time would shift it again, even if it had been happening less frequently or substantially than before. One thing stayed consistent, however, and that was that there was a distinct lack of their home in Amity Park.

Jazz had mentioned before that it likely meant Danny had separated himself entirely from that aspect of his life, and that that was okay. That it was a form of healing as well.

But Danny couldn’t help but feel like it meant he was running away from it. His life and experiences there were what made him into the man he is today, after all. But that was neither here nor there.

Danny nodded, even though he knew Jazz wouldn’t be able to see it, and responded, “Yeah … for you. For Brianne,” a child taken too soon. A young ghost Danny found wandering around, lost in the Ghost Zone, shortly after her death. Now in the care of the community here, “And I’ve … taken on a human apprentice.” Danny finally bit the bullet and admitted it.

Danny then heard some ceramic shatter.

He jumped up from the couch alarmed, “Is everything alright?” he asked hastily.

Jazz sucked in a breath of air through gritted teeth before responding, “Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

She then grabbed a new cup, poured the tea in it, and returned with two of them in hand to the living room. As she set them down, she continued talking, “I was just caught off guard. I mean, you? Of all people taking in a human apprentice? When your only answer to me goading you into establishing more relationships with people again was ‘Nah.’ for the longest time? Sue me for not believing it immediately,” she said sarcastically.

“Very funny, Jazz. But I really can’t blame ya,” Danny responded, accepting defeat.

Jazz’s expression turned softer as she pinned her brother down and sighed, “Of course you can’t. Anyway, care to elaborate?” she asked as she raised her cup of tea to her mouth, taking a gentle sip of the hot beverage.

Danny closed his eyes and shook his head as he picked up his tea as well, responding, “It’s not like you’ll let me out of here until I do so,” he said. “You know me well, little brother,” she teased.

“What caused this change in heart?” Or resurfacing perhaps, that’d be a more accurate description.

Danny pouted in thought for a moment. “I just met this kid, Sawyer’s his name, a few months ago. He has a talent for engineering, but I found out soon after that his family probably wouldn’t be able to send him to college for that. Even after so long, the world hasn’t really become more fair. If it hasn’t gotten worse, that is,” he explained.

Jazz sighed, disappointed but not surprised, “That doesn’t shock me in the slightest. Anyway, so you thought you’d teach him the ropes?” The halfa nodded, “Basically; and maybe he’ll be able to get a scholarship after that, if he wants to, anyway.”

“You saw a part of yourself in him, didn’t you?” Jazz said, seemingly out of nowhere.

Danny huffed, just barely amused, “What made you think that?” he asked with suspicion.

“A young boy with uncultivated talents, really, Danny?” his sister asked in return, unimpressed.

Danny quieted at that. He’s been a lot quieter in general, especially compared to his youth, Jazz noted.

It wasn’t a surprise to anyone, and not a secret for anyone, that Danny changed a lot when his loved ones started passing one by one, while he stayed young and living forever. Jazz wasn’t exempt from that either, as the only one who continued to stay by his side, even if that meant continuing without her wife and dear friends who happily moved on.

The two of them always knew it would come to this, and they’d both made peace with it now. But it didn’t take a genius to realize that Danny’s solution to not experiencing this heartbreak again, was to distance himself from humankind. He stayed close, residing more in the human realm than the ghostly one, but he detached himself from relationships just enough for them to not get too close. For him to not get hurt too bad once he’d inevitably see them for a last time.

Unfortunately, in doing so, Danny separated himself from both communities that he was a part of.

Now, Jazz felt that for the first time in over a century, she saw the care he once carried all around him, emerge once more. This Sawyer kid, no doubt has been a huge part of that.

She saw the need to point it out as such, “I think this change has been good for you, little brother.” At Danny’s puzzled face, she continued, “You seem more energetic, more comfortable in your own body,” she said with a smile.

She set her cup down on the lounge table and walked over to Danny who was on the opposite side, kneeling down and holding her hand on top of his knee. “It must’ve hurt, keeping a part of yourself buried for so long,” she whispered quietly, but without another sound nearby it was louder than clear.

It was this comment that broke Danny’s defenses down, an attack so gentle it wouldn’t even have left a scratch. First came one tear, and then another, before they were followed by many more soon enough until her little brother was sobbing uncontrollably. Jazz didn’t think twice before embracing him in a tight hug.

He hugged back just as tightly, if not tighter. If Jazz were still human, she would’ve had to beg for air soon enough. So it was a good thing she didn’t have to.

The siblings just sat there, crying into each other’s shoulders for Ancients know how long.

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

On a clear spring day, Sawyer was prepared to head into Daniel Leverton’s shop early in the morning as he’s done many times before, half expecting he may have to wake up his teacher again; an occurrence that had become quite familiar to him as of late.

Instead, he was met with a decked-out first floor, a cake at his workbench, and a very awake Mr. Leverton.

“Happy birthday, I hope you’ll like your gift!” the raven-haired man had exclaimed.

Sawyer barked a laugh at that. “I honestly didn’t expect you to have remembered,” he said. His tone wasn’t rude, not in the slightest. He was merely stating a fact.

“I didn’t either, but hey, seems like old-timers still run alright once in a while,” he said with a wink.

And that had always been a peculiarity to Sawyer. He knew that Mr. Leverton was older than he looked. Even if he didn’t always act it, he had way too much experience for that not to be the case. But other times he would sound like any of his slightly older friends. Yet on occasion, he sounded like so much more. Even his grandparents wouldn’t have compared when they’d been alive.

Sawyer pushed those silly musings out of his head before accepting his gift – some tools that he may or may not have been drooling over while he was out with Mr. Leverton gathering supplies a few weeks ago, as well as some chocolates he vaguely remembered noting he enjoyed once, offhandedly.

For someone so air-headed – or perhaps, appearing to be on another plane entirely, the elder was attentive like no other.

Daniel Leverton was a curious man, and he continued to surprise the young mechanic.

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

It was on a different spring morning, several springs after that birthday, that Sawyer received an important email.

It was an email of acceptance into college – one dictating that he’d be the recipient of a scholarship, no less.

Mr. Leverton was the first person he’d tell about this news. Instead of the immediate excitement that he’d expected of the man, he received a pondering expression.

“Y’know, I was about to ask if you were interested in taking over the shop,” he’d said after he left Sawyer to wander about in his own confusion for a while.

Before he could respond, however, Leverton continued, “I’m proud of you, you should definitely go for it, I know how much it means for you. Just know you’ll always have a place to return to.”

“What are you going to do then?” he responded.

Mr. Leverton hummed with his trademark smirk and grinned, “I was thinking of taking an early pension and traveling the world for a bit. I still have a lot of inheritance left from my too-rich godfather, too. And I’ll keep the building for now, but clients will have to find a new favorite mechanic. Oh, I just know how much it’ll pain them to not find me again though, truly tragic,” he explained dramatically.

“You know, Mr. Leverton, sometimes it really doesn’t feel like you’re the older one of the two of us anymore,” Sawyer teased.

“Oh, but I can assure you I am,” the other said with a wink, “But feel free to call me Danny. Seeing you call me Mr. Leverton to this day really does make me feel so old,” he continued, placing a hand on his heart with a pained expression.

“Heh, okay, Danny,” Sawyer tested the name on his tongue. “I’ll let you know about the shop when I get close to graduating, yeah?”

“We have a deal!” Danny responded as he theatrically shook his hand. “Those stuck-up academics won’t know what’ll hit them.”

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

Danny didn’t actually travel the world like he’d told Sawyer; he’d done that plenty of times before. Going on two world-round trips within a century sounded kinda overkill, even to him.

No, what he did in actuality was that he decided to reside in the Infinite Realms for a little longer again – while still returning to Earth on occasion to let the systems know that he had not, in fact, died yet. He didn’t plan on doing that for a few years yet.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Danny’s been planning on his new identity for a bit now. Or, well, old identity.

“Do you think the world is ready for the return of Danny Fenton?” he’d mused to Jazz on a seemingly random day.

“I don’t see why not,” she responded. “What brought you to this decision?”

“I just think it would be nice to revisit some old memories, friends, and places.”

Jazz smiled serenely at that. “I think that’s a great idea, Danny.”

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

“Heard anything from Sawyer recently?” Jazz asked him one day, a different random day. Danny shook his head.

“Nah, seems like he’s been living a good life. He hasn’t been updating me as frequently lately, but I like to see that as him broadening his circles,” he responded fondly. But then, his mortal phone rang – techniques to make them compatible with ghost-tech and the ‘Zone courtesy to Tucker, of course – and he laughed. “Speak of the devil.” He transformed into his human form before picking up the call.

“Hey there, Sawyer. How’s school been?”

“It’s … been very great, actually, Danny. I have met someone very great, in fact. But uhm – more on that later. Remember what you said about the shop?”

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

Danny returned to his cozy little shop for the first time in roughly four years, not so long after he’d attended Sawyer’s graduation ceremony. He picked up a few of his belongings he couldn’t miss, and threw them inside his pocket dimension for safekeeping.

It was as he did this, that Sawyer entered, and caught him in the act. He’d been planning for this to happen, really.

The young man looked a bit confused but didn’t see any need to press further. If anything, Danny figured this would answer some questions in the long run, once the other thought about it.

“Heh, that’s not something you see any day,” was the boy’s first comment.

“Really? I see it happen plenty of times,” Danny snarked back.

“Man, I’d so want to punt you if I didn’t know for sure I stood no chance.”

Danny hummed, “I think you’ll have to stand back in the line for that.”

Neither man said another thing for a while after that, until Danny’s eyes landed on a small ecto-ornament he’d put on his table when he left for the Ghost Zone those years ago. He picked it up and held it out to Sawyer.

“Here, keep this. If you’ll ever be gone for a while, put this out in the open and it’ll put the area into stasis. Nothing will age for the worse, and it’ll serve as a protective charm against burglaries,” Danny said in a light tone at the end, though he wasn’t joking. Attempted burglars will wake up more than a little dazed if they so much as dare touch upon the shop.

“I … Honestly, I’m not even gonna question that. I just saw you tear a hole in reality,” Sawyer responded.

“That’s probably for the best,” Danny said with a gentle nod of his head before putting the ornament into the young man’s hands.

“Anyway, I’ve got everything I need. You can keep the rest, or throw it out – whatever floats your boat. This place is yours now. I left my key and the spares on my workbench,” Danny explained with a tilt of his head.

“What are you going to do this time?”

“That’s a secret,” Danny replied. “But do come find me again, as a man named Daniel Fenton.”

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

Years pass by, with Sawyer finding no such man.

Until one day, into his later years, when his children had already taken over the shop, he heard a familiar voice he’d not heard in decades, but could never forget.

“Hey there, Sawyer,” Danny Fenton said, in the flesh; not looking a day older than their last meeting all those years ago.

…

“I’m proud of you.” And I of you.

[cebwrites]

grief and how (not) to process it

a/n: yeah i don't know what else to say other that my naruto era is making a resurgence 🤡

oc | gen word count: 1.3k

So, no one takes Jiraiya's passing well - Naruto's as he is in the series, Takashi isn't much better than Naruto but alot more emotional, Tsunade's just barely on the cusp of falling back into destructive habits if not for the fact that she's Hokage, Hyou's just trying to keep everything together as always, and Tae's currently in denial of his grief entirely, claiming that there's nothing TO grieve for a man he never knew. They're all miserable.

On top of his denial, Tae's also pushing people away and lashing out - nothing explosive, just small bursts he immediately regrets and makes himself spiral worse. Everyone else mentioned above has at least some support network to fall back on but Tae isolates himself and avoids anyone trying to reach out. It gets to where Shizune really wants to get through to him because no one else could up to that point, but when she gently reaches for his arm he yanks it away and tells her to just let it go.

Eventually Naruto pulls himself into a decent enough state to hand something over. They look at each other from a small distance away and they both look awful. Tae asks what it is, Naruto says he doesn't know but Jiraiya wanted him to have it in case anything like this happened. Tae asks what about his brother and Naruto says he doesn't know again but angrier, they part ways.

It turns out to be some kind of puzzle but Tae's in no state to decode it. He fiddles around with it for a few days, ignores it, then eventually throws it in the lake before he immediately jumps in to find the damn thing. He comes home soaking wet with it in a death grip. Parallels a scene when he was younger coming home from the rain after ditching a ceremony where Jiraiya was supposed to be given some sort of award.

When he does finally crack the code, it opens up to reveal coordinates. Tae requests time off to see it through and Tsunade grants it without a second thought, but Genma's out on a mission at the time.

Kotetsu and Izumo cut in and say that they'll go with him as he turns to leave, they all but beg Tsunade not to let him go alone - she agrees to these terms too and they're an official 3-man team for this temporary expedition. If Tae's disappointed or relieved it doesn't show, his face hasn't moved from the blank slate it's been since they were given the news that Jiraiya was killed.

The trip there is tense and quiet aside from the boyfriends trying their best to lighten the atmosphere to no avail, it's thankfully short. When they get there Tae recognizes it from one of the few positive memories he had of his father; it was very infrequent, but Jiraiya used to take him and his siblings to this waterfall in the summer.

What they're actually here for is behind the waterfall, a cave hidden by complex seals only two or more people could've undone. Kotetsu and Izumo stay near the entrance out of courtesy but they can see quite a bit inside.

It was almost like makeshift living quarters in there, only that everything was caked in dust and hadn't looked like there was a living visitor in years. Probably somewhere Jiraiya could hunker down and stew in his ideas for a while. Tae finds old manuscripts for his father's novels, notes for his travels, even plans for tracking Orochimaru's whereabouts to bring him home. This place was OLD old, then.

Just as he's about to leave, Tae spots something under the mess of papers and decades old empty sake bottles. He undoes the seal on the floor and a compartment reveals itself with a medium sized wooden box inside. In it, are two scrolls labelled "brats", and "mine".

Tae goes for the second one first, finding more of Jiraiya's unfinished drafts and cheesy writing - seriously, he doesn't know what appeal Kakashi sees in those books - but he also finds pictures of his father's youth, old photos of Minato and Kushina, of the Sanin Jiraiya couldn't quite bring himself to throw out even after all this time. It's all, predictably, very personal. Taeru puts everything back.

In the first, he finds yet more drafts - they're strewn in-between what seemed to be letters never sent and pages torn out of a notebook. The scene changes to Minato peering over his sensei's shoulder, jittery and giddy because he's just received news that he's going to have a baby. Jiraiya's almost as disbelieving as Minato is. The more Tae reads, the more scenes from the past we, the audience, get to see.

Kaoru didn't plan to have any more kids after Hyou but much like her first kid that's just how things shook out, Jiraiya was nervous but ready to dedicate himself to being a parent, he started planning to write a children's book for his nin on the way (and gets laughed at but it doesn't deter him), discarded manuscripts for this were among the contents in the first scroll. It sounded like Jiraiya really was excited for all of this.

After Kaoru's passing when the twins were just a few weeks old, the notes became scarce and haphazard. What few excerpts were chicken scrawl. Jiraiya was obviously in pain.

Tae read through his father's regrets, his fears, his conflict between staying with him and Takashi and potentially bringing more danger to their door or distancing himself to lessen the likelihood of another attack. The latter was what he picked but reading his father's thoughts at the time shifted his view on things a bit.

Finally, Tae got to the last untouched thing from the first scroll. A book with poorly drawn cartoon characters on the first page. It started out as a children's book, talking about how his father wanted to dedicate this to his unborn child, but eventually turned into Jiraiya apologizing for his missteps if the boys ever found this; regretting not holding them so much closer to heart and being too much of a coward to tell them how he actually felt. He couldn't bring himself to do it in person, but the least he could do was put down his feelings here.

Kotetsu and Izumo ran in at the sound of Tae's wail, finding him doubled over in front of that book and clinging to a picture of Jiraiya holding his newborn boys. Tetsu and Zumo stayed with him as Tae cried it out, rubbed his back while he screamed it raw and helped pack up when night fell and they needed to head back.

Tae was too exhausted to move but Kotetsu carried him on his back without complaint, Izumo guarded that wooden box and its contents like it held secrets to shake the five nations.

A few days later when Kotetsu and Izumo come to check up on him again, Tae's a lot more level headed and closer to what they're sure is "normal" for him; still flat faced and understandably upset, but no traces of that scary "autopilot" look he had the whole time. Tae invites them in and apologizes for his behavior properly with tea and cut fruit, the chunin tease him for being so formal, they're friends, aren't they?

Kotetsu does admit, however, that it was a little nice in a way since Tae hadn't needed their help that much since they were all the same rank. And even though he wished it could've been found through better circumstances, how he missed that. They both then resolve to be reliable friends that Tae could lean on more often again.

Tae takes a second to stare at his friends, then hugs them before either can get too skittish and change their minds or the subject. They're too busy fussing over the sudden gesture to comment about the smile Tae hides in their shoulders, along with more tear stains.

[landoom]

Thanks @twinkodium for the tag! And sorry for doing it so late!

Star sign:

Aries

Favorite holiday:

Christmas because I love the decorations, the lights, etc... And it's the only holiday where we really exchange gifts! I love gifting as much as receiving! And the food!!

Last meal:

Japanese takeout : salmon teriyaki + scampi skewers + cabbage salad

Currently favorite musician:

I don't really have one! At the moment I listen a lot to Martin Garrix, Maneskin and Passenger.

Last music listened to:

Chasing Gold by Passenger

Last movie watched:

Wonka. Saw it at the cinema on Tuesday

Last TV show watched:

Doctor Who Christmas Special : The Church on Ruby Road

Last book/fic finished:

La maison des lumières by Donato Carrisi. I love this author a lot but I don't think all of his books are translated in English! But if you read in French or Italian and love psychological thrillers, you might like him!

Last book/fic abandoned:

Too many!!

Currently reading:

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman

Last thing researched for writing/art/hyperfixation:

The F1 2023 calendar, of course! Apart from that, info about dom/sub healthy relationship!

Favorite online fandom memory:

I have many but taking part in Merlin Kinkalot is always a highlight because of the team challenge that always bring us together in a very healthy competition!

Favorite Old Fandom You Wish Would Drag You Back In/Have A Resurgence:

Saint Seiya! It was a big thing in French, Italian and Spanish but it never reached such a popularity amongst English writers/readers

Favorite Thing You Enjoy That Never Had an Active or Big "Fandom" but You Wish It Did:

Ski jumping RPF!

Tempting Project You're Trying to Rein In/Don't Have Time For:

In general : too many to lists! I want to try so many things!! Fandom-wise : I'd love to write a fic following a character or a ship for the whole F1 season and writing as the season goes on

Tagging (feel free to ignore) : @eneasbastianini @jolandax13 @grbambi63 @artemispt @artielotl @wisteria-wisteria @nnato @lottie1824

[avida-heidia-5]

I was tagged by @twinkodium. This was a lot of fun! Thanks for the tag! 😊

Star Sign:

Aries. 🐏 (I don’t believe in zodiac signs and their supposed meanings. I just know I’m an Aries as I was born on 22nd March. 🤷🏻‍♀️)

Favourite Holiday:

Easter! 🐰🥚🌸 Because chocolate. I’m ADDICTED to the stuff! 🍫 Also, Spring is one of my favourite seasons. I just love seeing nature come back to life and seeing more wildlife more often after a long winter period. It brings me so much joy every single time. 😌

Last Meal:

I’ve just eaten homemade toad-in-the-hole for linner (dinner at lunchtime). It was deeeeelicious! 🤤😋

Current Favourite Musician:

Depeche Mode. I fell in love with them ever since they released their latest album Memento Mori (2023). I pretty much binged the whole of their discography on Spotify last year out of sheer curiosity and I’ve now become strangely obsessed with them as a result. I’ve recently learned that fans of DM are called “Devotees”, soooo yeah. I’m a Devotee now! Whoopsie! 🌹🎹

Last Music Listened To:

Meet Me In The Woods by Lord Huron. I like me a good folk rock song to keep me going. This song was just so pleasant to listen to. Plus, it’s very catchy. I couldn’t get it out of my head after listening to it.

Last Movie Watched:

I watched The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) with my parents on Netflix a couple of weeks ago. For those who don’t know, it’s an anthology film of sorts containing many different stories centred around the Wild West. My dad recommended it to me as he likes watching films made by the Coen Brothers. I don’t have a lot to say about it other than I really enjoyed it. I’m a film buff and I usually have a lot to say about the films I’ve just seen, so having that happen to me was really odd. 🤔

Last TV Show Watched:

I don’t watch a lot of TV and I don’t keep up to date with any shows, so I don’t know if what I’ve put down counts.

I recently finished watching the Fernando (2020–) docuseries on Amazon Prime and I loved it. 🤩 It’s mainly about Fernando Alonso and the many adventures he got up to during his 2-year retirement from F1. It’s really interesting!

Last Book/Fic Finished:

The last book I read was The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum and the last fic I read was a Chalex fic called I Can Feel The Sun On You by mintchocolatechip97.

Last Book/Fic Abandoned:

The book I abandoned quite swiftly was a Dave Grohl autobiography my uncle and auntie got me for Christmas. I was never a Foo Fighters listener and I’m not a Foo Fighters fan. I still have no idea why they thought I’d like it. Sorry to the people who like them, they’re just not for me. 🙁

Currently Reading:

A Pocketful Of Happiness by Richard E. Grant. It’s such a sweet, tender, and heartbreaking autobiography that highlights how he got into acting and how he met and fell in love with his acting coach Joan Washington. ❤️

Last Thing Researched for Writing/Art/Hyperfixation:

“sebastian vettel mark webber 2010 monaco”. Just seeing pictures of these two smiling and hugging each other makes me smile. 🥰 I was also psyching myself up for this week’s F1 Watch Party on Discord, which, funnily enough, will be streaming the 2010 Monaco Grand Prix this Sunday. I can’t wait!!!! 🏎️💨🏁

Favourite Fandom Online Memory:

I love making friends through their interests in the fandom. The F1 community is massive, so it was easy for me to make friends online and in person as a result. I can feel comfortable being weird around them and in turn they can feel comfortable being weird around me. 🥰🥰🥰

Favourite Old Fandom You Wish Would Drag You Back In/Have A Resurgence:

I used to love the Merlin fandom when it was popular. I still do, but not as strongly as I used to.

Favourite Thing You Enjoy That Never Had an Active or Big “Fandom” But You Wish It Did:

Hmmm, this is a tough question. I’m not fussed with how popular my fandom choices are. If I had to choose one though, I’d say The Beatles. I think a lot of RPFs about certain bands and singers don’t get as much attention as, say, Formula 1 or Super Mario or Supernatural do.

Tempting Project You’re Trying To Rein In/Don’t Have Time For:

I really want to post some more fanfics on AO3, make some more banners on InShot, and do some video editing and gif making on CapCut, but I’m incredibly slow at doing all of them because college work keeps getting in the way of my plans. 😵‍💫 I hardly have enough free time to do any of them. Don’t worry though, I haven’t abandoned them altogether. I will get them done eventually! 🤞🏻

I tag the following peeps: @kaossbells, @hurricane-heatt, @racingliners, @formulaes5, and @wanderingblindly. Feel free to participate if you’d like to. No pressure obviously. 😊

[beelzebuddy-catan]

The Not Entirely Human-Human Exchange Student pt. 15

Summary: Cass and the brothers learn how Lucifer and Styx know each other and why Diavolo was reluctant to call Cate from the beginning. Warnings: Swearing, mentions of death and violence Spoilers: Up through Lesson 17 Characters: Cass (OC), Mammon, Levi, Satan, Asmo, Beel, Belphie, and various OCs. Notes: I always thought Mammon would be more upset about Belphie attacking MC than in the game. Plus, Diavolo definitely has over-reactions as a spoiled prince. Previous Part • Next Part

Beel was giving Asmo a piggyback ride as he carried a still sleeping Belphie. Levi had his arms slung over Satan and Psi’s shoulders as they helped him walk back. Given his state, Cass wasn’t sure how much help Satan actually was. Cass was tasked with making sure Mammon didn’t run off.  

“Hades and I used to go out just to challenge demons to drinking contests,” Psi laughed watching Cass. She’d hooked a finger in Mammon’s beltloop to pull him back since he kept batting her hand away from his arms. “One of the few benefits of being a Neph.” Cass didn’t miss the tinge of melancholy in his voice at the second sentence.  

“Is it strange being back?” 

“A little,” Psi shrugged the best he could with Levi’s weight on him. “It’s more hard than strange. It brings back some less than pleasant memories. Especially since I didn’t spend much free time down here without Hades.” 

He paused while Cass struggled to stop Mammon from getting his arm stuck in the sewer gate. No matter how many times she’d been around the brothers drinking, you were always surprised how much control over their sins they lost. Only after promising to give Mammon the coins in her pocket did he abandon the one he’s supposedly seen in the drain. 

“I probably should have asked before now,” Psi said once they had begun walking again. “But does it bother you that we’ve been calling you Kore?” 

“I guess I haven’t really thought about it. I’m not particularly attached to either name. Diavolo just happened to call me Cass when I arrived and since I didn’t have any memories, I went with it. I don’t really mind if you all call me Kore.” 

There was no way they’d be making it to class today. Why Cass thought they’d gotten to the end of the secrets hidden between the brothers, she’d never know. After Styx, formerly known as Aeshma, and Cate, or Hecate, realized Cass was the Nephilim in the exchange program, chaos broke out in the chambers. Finally, after what felt like hours, they were able to get to some level of mutual understanding.  

During the Great War between the Devildom and Celestial Realm, there was an increase in Nephilim births. While most were killed, the surviving Nephilim concealed their identities. Epi and Asclepius had remained on Earth, living amongst humans. Others, like Charon, lived outside the three realms, existing in places like a reaper’s home or the docks. Some, such as Moirai, were known to be alive, but had not been seen since.  

The Titan Project turned out to be something created by demons in an attempt to control Nephilim. After the first war, most members had died, and it was thought to have ended. Before the brothers fell, there had been an increase in Nephilim births once again.  

It was discovered that two of the Demon King’s former council had been part of the resurgence of the Titan Project. The two had been sentenced to the underworld but kidnapped a Nephilim in the process. Aeshma had convinced the Demon King to retrieve the Nephilim.  

Upon leaving the underworld, Aeshma’s spirit had been torn apart so violently she almost died. Apparently, when a demon was forfeited, it meant their spirit had been destroyed to a point near death. A forfeited spirit shouldn’t be possible to bring back, nor should it be able to pass on, leaving the fragmented pieces in a sort of hellish limbo.  

The Demon King laid the pieces of her spirit to rest in the river Styx, knowing it was the only place to bring her any relief from suffering. It was at that time Barbatos and Solomon were tasked with helping hide the identity of the remaining Nephilim, both to protect them and prevent additional unrest from the scandal on the Demon King’s council.  

Upon falling, Lilith and Lucifer had both fallen into the river when they entered the Devildom.  When Lilith had fallen, Aeshma’s spirit had apparently been able to summon enough power to stop the angel from drowning. She’d been prepared enough to catch Lucifer as well. Because she’d been more prepared, and he hadn’t been in the river as long, Lucifer’s injuries were not as severe. 

Cass recalled the memory of Lucifer pleading for Lilith to be saved and how both of them had looked as though they’d just been pulled from water. It seems the river had saved the lives of many who passed through the waters.  

It wasn’t long after the two had been saved that Nadia had been summoned by Cate, who had apparently raised Cass, to revive Aeshma. According to the others, it should have been impossible. If anything, it lent support to Solomon’s claim of the necromancer’s abilities.  

Though she didn’t remember the event, Cass had gone to see Charon at some point in the past. Apart from Charon, the last time anyone had seen her was when she departed for that trip. Until Barbatos pulled her to the future, that is.  

The only Nephilim who knew the true reason was Hades. He hadn’t told anyone however, keeping his promise to Cass. It wasn’t long after Cass’s disappearance that Hades had vanished as well. Which left three questions nobody was able to answer: why had Cass gone to see Charon, what happened after she met him, and who had applied for her to be an exchange student.  

After covering that information, Cass told the Nephs about her time in the Devildom. A long silence followed before Diavolo decided to call the meeting to an end. He requested the Nephilim stay in the Devildom, or at the very least, return that weekend to further discuss how to proceed.  

“Kore,” Psi called as they were walking from the chambers. “Why don’t you join us for dinner? Styx’s favorite restaurant is still in business, so we figured we try it.”  

“Sure!” Cass agreed without much thought. She still had a few questions for the Nephilim that didn’t seem relevant enough to bring up during the meeting.  

“Do you think the Admiral could join us?” Psi whispered when she was close enough.  

Cass laughed at the request. “Levi,” she called out, gesturing for him to come over. He seemed hesitant to approach her with the others near, not that you blamed him after what Epi had done to Mammon and the way Styx and Cate had even made Diavolo falter. “Will you come to dinner with us?”  

“Me?” He stammered with wide eyes.  

Psi’s immediately corrected his posture in Levi’s presence, moving to salute him. There was a brief moment where Levi’s eyebrows furrowed before he returned the gesture. Much like Psi, Levi’s posture became perfect as he fell into the proper role.  

“It’s an honor to meet you Admiral,” Psi said, shaking Levi’s hand. Levi looked as though he was trying to remember where he would have met Psi before. “Back when Nephilim resided in the Devildom, I served under Admiral Yam.”  

Cass watched the two with fascination. She couldn’t believe how easily Levi put aside his anxiety and self-depreciation when it came to his position, especially how quickly that resolve crumbled when it was just him and his family or Cass.  

The calm confidence he exuded reminded Cass of the day they made a pact. How he’d gone spiraling in self-pity to picking her up without a second thought. Cass flushed at the memory, forcing herself to look away. 

“Have you seen him in uniform yet?” Cass jumped at Asmo’s question, not realizing he had approached her. She shook her head. “That’s a shame. I’m not even mad about him wanting to meet Levi now, because we got to see him like this.” Asmo sighed fondly looking at Levi. 

“It makes me uncomfortable when you act this way about your brothers.” 

“I like looking at attractive things, I can’t help that includes my dashing older brother in uniform.” 

Both Cass and Levi shot Asmo an incredulous look, hoping he’d stop. Despite earlier tension between the Nephilim and demons, it seemed that they may get along better than expected after all. Satan was speaking with Styx. From the little Cass could pick up, they were complaining about Lucifer. While Belphie looked like he was sleeping, his shoulders moved with laughter once and a while.  

Mammon was the only one who seemed too afraid to approach the Nephilim. Barbatos had joined Lucifer and Diavolo at the head table. Judging by their expression, it was a continuation of the serious conversations from earlier. While he wasn’t participating in the conversation, Mammon hung near them, glaring at Cass from across the room.  

“Did you say you were going to dinner?”  

Cass laughed at the pout Beel gave her. Clearly, he was asking to join and if they could head out already. “I did. Is it okay if we all go?”  

Psi shrugged, unbothered by the idea of having the others joined. Epi’s eyes landed on Mammon. “Are you sure everyone wants to join?” He asked, a smile tugging at his lips. 

“He just doesn’t like that she has other friends,” Belphie gestured to Cass, finally getting up.    

“And he’s probably still afraid.”  

“I ain’t afraid,” Mammon yelled from his spot next to Lucifer.  

“Then come on, we’re going to eat,” Cass answered. “Do you care if I invite someone else? I have a feeling they’ll want to see Styx.”  

Cass thought back to her conversation with Diavolo at the castle. If Styx had to go into hiding after being resurrected, she probably wouldn’t have had any contact with her family in the Devildom. If Diavolo was correct about Preta’s relationship with their aunt, they’d probably want to know about her existence sooner than later.  

Mammon and Cass were the last ones who were going to eat to leave the room. Before she stepped through the doorway, he pulled her backwards into a hug. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, taking a few deep breaths.  

Cass reached up to fluff his hair before speaking. “Are you still shaken up from earlier?”  

Mammon didn't let her go, only moving his head enough to answer her. “Just give me a minute, please?”  

There was something desperate in his voice that broke her heart. It was too similar to his voice when he thought she was dying, when he begged her to stay alive. She closed her eyes, letting him take the time he needed as she reminded herself that she was safe.  

--- 

The restaurant Styx had suggested was Inferno Impressions. Surprisingly none of the brothers had been to the restaurant either. In fact, Satan was the only one who had even heard of it. Apparently, it was owned by the same demons as Ristorante Six.  

There was a small art gallery that Cass had visited with Satan a few months ago on Abyssbred Court. In the very back, there were two statues. Cass remembered them from when she first visited. Satan had thought it was strange how she spent so much time looking at them. Even then, something felt off about the statues. Compared to the rest of the artwork they looked too plain.  

Without hesitating, Styx marched up to the statues. Her hand brushed over one of the heads, pushing it over as she did. Satan jolted, going to stop it from falling, only to realize it operated like a hinge. The wall behind the statues swung open, revealing a long stone hallway.  

Cass peered down the hall cautiously, the feeling of déjà vu setting in. She wasn’t sure if it was because she’d been here in the past or if it was because the stone walls looked a little too much like those in the underground labyrinth at the castle.  

Styx and Cate didn’t even pause their conversation as they entered the hall. The former demon waved her hand halfheartedly as they passed a torch, the fire lighting immediately. The other Nephs didn’t seem too phased either as they followed closely behind them. Cass gestured for the brothers to go, concerned they may try and bail.  

As she walked down the hall, a sense of magic filled the air. No matter how far they walked, the end of the hall was the same distance. The electric buzz she’d come to associate with magic grew stronger and stronger, when suddenly it vanished along with the hall.  

Cass turned around, surprised to find they were now in front of a host stand in a garden restaurant. Behind them was an ornamental gate serving as the only door. Much like her room in the House of Lamentation, the restaurant used lights to resemble daylight.  

“Wow, this is beautiful,” Cass said as they took their seats, “I can’t believe I didn’t know about this.”  

Before sitting, Asmo had dragged Mammon away from the group, forcing him to take pictures around the restaurant. Mammon only grumbled slightly, already used to Asmo’s impromptu photo shoots. She already knew he’d been taking a few pictures of his own for Devilgram.   

Cass looked at the others only to find herself seated across from Styx and Cate. As the two stared at her in silence, she understood on a small level what Diavolo had felt standing before them. She busied herself by reading over the menu, trying to ignore the feeling of their staring.  

“So,” Cass finally said, unable to take the silence, “Solomon, who I think you’ve met, said that Lord Diavolo hadn’t wanted to get you involved at first. If you’re kind of point of contacts for Nephilim, why was he so hesitant?” 

“I can only assume it’s because he knew how I would react,” Cate answered.  

“Oh, what were you going to do?” Cate didn’t answer, looking bewildered at Cass’s question. “Wait, you think he was worried about you,” Cass paused, trying to figure out the best word, “scolding him?”  

“His father and Barbatos were entirely too soft on him growing up, if you ask me,” Styx scoffed, “he never did like being told no and practically threw a tantrum if he so much thought he might get punished.” 

Cass couldn’t help but smile at the thought of a young Diavolo hiding behind the Demon King or Barbatos when he was in trouble. It wasn’t all too surprising given what she knew of him, from others’ reactions when Cass disagreeing with him, to the brothers not feeling completely comfortable around him. Considering the events with Belphie, it’d be stranger if he wasn’t like that.  

“Still to avoid contact you over it,” Cass laughed.  

“How have you been, Kore?” Styx asked.  

Ever since they left campus, she seemed completely different. Any anger she felt towards Diavolo was gone, or at least hidden, and without Lucifer around, she seemed content with everyone’s company. This was the being she imagined when Diavolo spoke of her at the castle.  

Before Cass could answer, Belphie’s head slammed against the table. Everyone turned to see Preta standing over him. Judging by his disorientation, Belphie had been holding his head up as he slept and woken up when Preta pushed his arm away.  

“I heard you tried to kill Cass. That’s bold.”  

“Are you fucking – how? How is it so many demons like you?” Belphie asked, staring at Cass in disbelief.  

“Preta?” Styx stood, moving towards the demon.  

“Ae-Aeshma?” Preta’s eyes widened. “How? You were forfeited.”  

“I’m so sorry,” Styx whispered, pulling Preta into a hug. “I couldn’t tell you.”  

After the initial shock of seeing each other passed, the two stepped to the bar to catch up in private. While the others went back to their previous conversations, Cate continued watching the other two for a minute longer.  

“You invited Preta,” Cate said, not looking away from the bar.  

“I did,” Cass answered, “sorry for not checking first. Diavolo mentioned that Preta had a really hard time after Aeshma was forfeited.”  

“No need to apologize. I’ve known Styx for a long time, and I think her only regret may be leaving Preta. Thank you.”  

Cass watched Cate, trying to understand her better. Unlike Styx, her demeanor hadn’t changed. Even though Cass knew she cared about Styx, her expression was still devoid of emotion. It seemed that the only thing that changed was her tone of voice.  

“How long have you known Styx? You must have known her when she was on the Demon King’s council if you went so far has to have her revived.”  

“I’ve known her since she was born, though I wasn’t that involved with affairs in the Devildom at the time. It wasn’t until Oriens recommended me as a council advisor did I get to know Styx.”  

“Oriens?” 

“The former Demon King. He’d wanted me to serve on his council at first.”  

Cass tilted her head, looking at Cate more intently. It seems odd that a demon who’d been around that long would not be involved with the Devildom. Though, she did end up disappearing again after the last council disbanded.  

“From what I remember,” Satan chimed in, “it was quite controversial when you were approved.”  

“Almost as controversial has having six former angels.”  

Satan chuckled at the response, shaking his head. Cass looked between the two before asking, “what was controversial about it?”  

“Hecate was the first, and only, council member that wasn’t a demon. The House of Lords didn’t approve her when Oriens first proposed his selection, which is why he recommend the current Demon King elect her.” 

“Working with a reaper proved to be much easier than I expected,” Styx said, taking her seat once again. 

Preta joined Cass on the bench, pushing her closer to Satan in the process. “Sorry, did you say reaper? As in the grim reaper?  

“One reaper named Grim causes problems in the Human Realm,” Cate muttered.  

“She’s a reaper that collects both souls and spirits,” Preta explained. “Some reapers only collect the souls of humans, spirits of demons, or grace of angels.”  

“What happens when an angel falls and loses their grace, do you do something?”  

The former angels seemed to fall quiet at her question. Cass hadn’t thought about what happened after the brothers fell or how grace and spirit really worked. Lilith had retained some of her grace after falling and even given it to Cass.  

“Technically, they still have their grace,” Satan answered. “It wasn’t lost so much as it was corrupted.” 

Cass looked between Satan and the other brothers. “Can a demon’s spirit be uncorrupted or purified or something?”  

“What does it matter?” Mammon asked. “None of us would go back anyways. Satan, switch spots with Cass so we can sit by each other.”  

“Absolutely not.”  

Part of Cass suspected that Mammon was being a little pushier than normal to distract from the previous conversation. She let the moment pass knowing she could always look into it later. During her time in the Devildom, Cass had learned that while the brothers were open about their time as angels, they shut down when the topic drifted to their rebellion or fall.  

She did wonder if it would become easier now that everything with Lilith had come to light. Cass sighed, knowing that even if they were more open to talking, she’d still be fighting tooth and nail to get them to open up. Deciding they’d burn that bridge when they got to it, she opted to spend her energy stopping Preta from stealing food off her plate.  

--- 

The group dispersed after leaving Inferno Impressions. Styx had gone with Preta to catch up while Cate had only given a vague response when asked where she and Nadia were going. Hera and Epi were going back to the human world, leaving Psi to find a place for the night.  

Cass ended up inviting Psi back to the House of Lamentation. Despite him waving her off, she was worried he wouldn’t find somewhere on such short notice. Fortunately, he relented because Cass wasn’t sure she’d have been able to get all the brothers back given how much they drank.  

Beel was giving Asmo a piggyback ride as he carried a still sleeping Belphie. Levi had his arms slung over Satan and Psi’s shoulders as they helped him walk back. Given his state, Cass wasn’t sure how much help Satan actually was. Cass was tasked with making sure Mammon didn’t run off.  

“Hades and I used to go out just to challenge demons to drinking contests,” Psi laughed watching Cass. She’d hooked a finger in Mammon’s beltloop to pull him back since he kept batting her hand away from his arms. “One of the few benefits of being a Neph.” Cass didn’t miss the tinge of melancholy in his voice at the second sentence.  

“Is it strange being back?” 

“A little,” Psi shrugged the best he could with Levi’s weight on him. “It’s more hard than strange. It brings back some less than pleasant memories. Especially since I didn’t spend much free time down here without Hades.” 

He paused while Cass struggled to stop Mammon from getting his arm stuck in the sewer gate. No matter how many times she’d been around the brothers drinking, you were always surprised how much control over their sins they lost. Only after promising to give Mammon the coins in her pocket did he abandon the one he’s supposedly seen in the drain. 

“I probably should have asked before now,” Psi said once they had begun walking again. “But does it bother you that we’ve been calling you Kore?” 

“I guess I haven’t really thought about it. I’m not particularly attached to either name. Diavolo just happened to call me Cass when I arrived and since I didn’t have any memories, I went with it. I don’t really mind if you all call me Kore.” 

They arrived at the House of Lamentation before Cass had time to ask any other questions. They managed to get each of the brothers into their respective rooms. Mammon took more convincing than the others, though Asmo probably would have been worse if Beel hadn’t been the one to take him.  

Cass and Psi ended up in the gardens sharing another drink, neither ready for bed. There was a slight breeze, reminding her that colder months were approaching. The moon seemed to shine especially brightly in the cloudless sky.  

“If I’m overstepping, let me know, but why is it that Hera reacted the way she did with Diavolo?”   

Psi sighed, a rueful smile gracing his features before he continued. “You know how we were talking about Underworlds, Terras, and Olympians? Hera used to actually be fairly in tune with her inner demon spirit. More so than a lot of Nephs. The more in tune you are with that, the more you give into different urges and the more you’re able to tap into different powers or abilities demons have.”   

“Did she have a special gift or power?” 

“I’m not sure I’d call it that, but she’s a gifted empath.” 

“I’m assuming something caused her to resist those desires?” 

“Yeah, it was after Nephs started being targeted. Because she was so connected with that spirit, her skills were kind of amazing. Don’t tell her I said that,” he laughed. “But I think it caused her to feel everything so much deeper than a lot of us. She hasn’t really been the same since Ariadne died. She fights that side of herself more than anyone now.”  

Cass recognized the name but couldn’t remember specific details about the myth. Even as she asked her next question, she had a feeling she already knew the answer. “What happened with Ariadne?”  

“She was tortured and left to die. By the time Dion and Hera found her, it was too late. Sometimes I wonder if it was what Dion went through more than anything that broke her. I doubt he’ll ever be the same either.”  

Psi stared out at the woods around the house, but Cass knew he wasn’t really looking at the trees. They sat in silence for a while, the stillness of the night providing a moment of reprieve from everything that had happened that day. There were a million questions that filtered through Cass’s head as she reflected on the events.  

She didn’t ask Psi though. As much as she wanted to know, it was probably painful for him to talk about that time. Even if they had known each other before, her missing memories created a barrier. She knew he felt it too, so they were both hesitant.  

Cass kept looking back at Psi, thinking about what Hera had said. Supposedly, this was the brother of her fiancé. Or, former fiancé, she wasn’t quite sure. For a moment, she wondered if things had been different, would she and Hades be sitting here? Would they have been married? Would she ever have met the brothers?  

“Something I was wondering,” Psi interrupted her thoughts, “the white haired one.”  

“Mammon.” 

“Right, Mammon. What did he mean by your first? He kept calling himself that.” 

Cass blushed, only then realizing how that must have sounded to the Nephs. A wave of guilt followed the embarrassment knowing how concerned they’d been about her and Hades as she was living a whole second life in the Devildom.  

“Sorry, he says that a lot. He’s my first pact,” Cass laughed, trying to dispel some of the tension, but it came out more awkward than she intended. “He’s always leaving off that part.”  

Psi’s eyebrows knitted together as he turned to look at her. “You mean first pact with a demon?”  

Cass froze. She’d forgotten about the mysterious pact Nadia had mentioned with everything else going on. Her hand went to her cheek, subconsciously touching the mark of an unknown being. She’d just assumed the pact had happened during the time she’d gone missing.  

“What do you mean, with a demon? Are you saying other beings can make pacts?”  

“Well, I don’t know if beings that aren’t demons can,” Psi contemplated the question. “But Nephilim can make them because we do have a demon spirit.”  

“What?” 

“I mean, we don’t make them the same way as demons, but there is a way to make them.”  

“WHAT?” Cass screamed.  

What if she had accidentally made a pact since being here? Would she know if they were different enough from the ones she made intentionally? What if there was someone out there who had taken advantage of her and could control her the way she was able to control the brothers that she was unaware of?  

“Calm down,” Psi laughed, as if her entire life hadn’t been flipped upside down once again. “Only Nephilim know how to make them, so it’s not like you would have made one since losing your memory.” 

Cass took a few deep breaths, trying to slow her heart rate. “But I have one that you know of then? With some random person out there?”  

Psi tilted his head in consideration. “I wouldn’t say Hades is some random person to you, even if you don’t remember him yet.”  

[purplesurveys]

1844

What did you have for dinner tonight?: It's only 10 AM, but last night we went to Solaire to watch Miss Saigon and we went with an Asian spread. I got bao, rice paper rolls, and pad thai.

If you were given a million dollars, what would you spend it on? I'd keep a good portion of it as savings and not touch it until I'm like, 65; the rest I would give to my parents.

Have you ever cried in front of your parents over a boyfriend or girlfriend?: Nope.

What does your bedroom smell like right now?: Like coffee, I'm guessing.

Have you ever shaved off your eyebrow before?: I've never done that but I did have trichotillomania growing up so I had phases where I was missing chunks of my eyebrows.

Do you want to have a boy or girl whenever you have kids?: Girl.

Your pregnant with twins: What do you name them?: Definitely not similar names like Kaye and Kate as it would only make me more confused haha.

Describe your outfit.: Only in loungewear today as I'm at home, but last night I had on a dark green halter dress that went down to a bit above my knees. It also had a slit on the left leg side. I wore black heels and a small black shoulder bag as well.

What gigabyte is your memory card?: I haven't had a hard drive since high school, even though I know I really should invest in one.

What brand is your digital camera?: I don't own a digicam but damn if those things aren't seeing a resurgence lately. I might be the only one in my age group left who still doesn't have one.

When was the last time you hung out with your best friend?: Angela came over last month just to hang out and have some heart to hearts here and there.

What is a movie you're waiting to see?: I've been meaning to watch The Iron Claw. It's not all the time that a movie centered around wrestling gets to be produced and becomes critically-acclaimed at that, so I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Who was the last person to cook something for you?: Apart from the crew at Solaire lol, my mom.

Do you ever sit and think what if about something?: Sure, I think it's inevitable to come across those thoughts every now and then.

If so, what is it?: It's always very different. Like what if we're one of those families able to migrate, what if Kimi was still alive, what if I chose to be a journalist...there's a million scenarios with a million possibilities and how actively my mind runs I could be thinking about anything.

What’s on tv right now?: My own TV isn't it but I know my sister is watching some streamer play video games in the living room TV.

Do you ever stop and smell the roses?: Sure, if I remember to.

Where do you download music from?: I listen to music on Spotify but never download cause it'd take up so much storage if I were to download all the albums I like.

How many channels do you have on your tv?: Don't really throw around the word 'channels' anymore, but as for apps we have subscriptions to and regularly use it'd be Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, Prime, Apple TV, and quite recently this local sports channel since it's the only one in the country that airs WWE live.

What are you most scared of?: Getting cancer or dementia. < This, but these circumstances happening to my family. I honestly don't think I'd care as much if it happened to me.

If you were given a chance to bring someone back to life, who would you choose?: No one. If it's their time, it's their time; and I don't want to fuck around with grief.

Do you talk to any of your ex boyfriend/girlfriend?: Nope.

If so, which one?:

What is your mom doing right now?: I think she's on her phone just reliving our Miss Saigon experience last night haha. I'm glad she really enjoyed it! She watched the 2000 Manila tour – it was still Lea Salonga playing Kim - and I call out Lea cause she set such a high standard for Kim; and it made me worried that her Gen X self might end up simply comparing the 2024 show to what she watched 24 years ago.

I was happy and relieved it wasn't the case and she had so much fun. As for me my soft spot was hit all evening knowing that she originally watched with my dad, and now she got to watch the play with her three kids.

Are you currently listening to music?: I'm not.

What is the weather like right now?: I mean it's your typical weather in the Philippines in April. Approaching 40C, humid, uncomfortably and nearly painfully hot.

Do you like new music or older music?: I think it's a good mix.

Do you agree that abortion is wrong?: No.

If you could make a law, what would kind of law would you make?: I just wanted to get rid of e-bikes on highways but the government has already been on that so yay hahaha.

What was the last video game you played?: Mario Kart 8 on the Switch.

What is currently going on in the room you're in right now?: Apart from me taking this, noting.

Do you know where your best friend is?: I'm almost certain she is at home as it is still quite early.

Who was the last person to comment you on Facebook?: Angela, I think.

What is your display picture of on Facebook?: Me posing in front of the Impact Arena in Bangkok a few hours before Yoongi's concert.

Do you ever sit and think about the past?: Just occasionally.

If you could relive any moment in time: what would it be?: Let's go with a recent memory – Wrestlemania Sunday with 200 Cody-crazed fans watching the ref count to three.

Are you a talker or a listener?: Listener.

What is one food you will not eat?: Mango.

Do you eat anything now that you never used to eat?: Curry and wasabi.

Have you ever kissed the same sex?: Yes.

When does school start this year?: Haven't been in school since 2020.

What genre of music do you refuse to listen to?: Country. Which is why it's taking me forever to take on Cowboy Carter hahaha.

Do you ever shout for absolutely no reason?: I don't think so. If I scream it's always for a reason lol.

Have you stuck with your new years resolution?: I don't make em.

Do you need to lose any weight right now?: No. If anything I need to gain some. I was well under 100lbs at my last physical exam and the nurses also told me I had low blood pressure which had to do with my weight, so it might be healthiest to gain a few pounds.

What is something you want right now?: I wish I can just stay at home but alas I've been booked the last few days haha. Saturday - Work event Sunday morning - Wrestlemania Saturday Monday morning - Wrestlemania Sunday Tuesday - Miss Saigon Wednesday - Afternoon out with Bea and Kata Thursday & Friday - Work Saturday - Rest Sunday - Work event

Even then it's still kinda hard to be excited about Saturday because I know it's sandwiched between two busy days anyway.

Do you hate when you see teachers in stores?: I don't hate it but I also don't wish for it to happen.

What always puts a smile on your face?: My dogs.

Where can I find you on a Saturday night?: At home with a cup of coffee.

What is the best thing about Sundays?: The free time - for the most part, at least.

What is your music provider (itunes, windows media player): I just use Spotify.

How many songs do you have?: I don't download songs.

When was the last time you had a period?: Two weeks ago.

Why do you think the sky is blue?: Idk.

If you could change the sky to any color which would you choose?: I wouldn't change it. We get different colors already anyway.

Is there anything wrong with you right now?: I mean I'm running on 2 hours of sleep so I don't super particularly feel my best rn but I think I'll manage.

Do you hate when people stare at you?: It bothers me a little bit, yeah.

What always makes you angry, no matter what?: Toddlers throwing a tantrum.

[thezfc]

Lol ok but why are comparing Tom and David Tennant’s careers?? I mean, look I love them both, and they are both great at what they do. But that anon saying David is only popular now bc of Good Omens??? Idk where that anon is from but even out here in California (albeit obsessed with a lot of things British) I know that he’s not popular bc of that. Yes the show is popular and he’s gained a resurgence in popularity, but like…Tom is known outside the fandom for what? Loki. And the fact he dated 🐍. David? David’s a former Doctor Who, one of the most popular — why they keep bringing him back. David’s father in law is also a former Doctor Who. He’s done of those most popular versions of Hamlet in recent memory. He’s even listed in a hall of “famous Shakespearean actors” (or something similar; it was 2012 when I saw it) at Stratford Upon Avon.

Whatever tl;dr. I agree with you, Z, that Tom squandered what good will he had. And at this point you CANT compare him to Cumberbuns or Eddie Redmayne, bc those are prolific film actors who’ve both been nominated multiple times for Academy Awards.

Tom’s got two Peoples Choice Awards. They are not the same.

But it’s Hollywood. Anyone can come back from the dead.

But really most Americans don’t know who David Tennant is.

[lazywriter7]

OMG! I didn't realize you were back in the Steve/Tony fandom! This is so exciting! Your fics got me into the Steve/Tony groove and it feels like a real homecoming! What have you been up? How've you been? Have you been reading any fics? I love your new WIP!

Aw, thank you anon! To be back, one must first leave, and I don't know if I left Steve/Tony as much as got incredibly slow with my updates :D I have always had Steve/Tony on the mind, even when I'm reading other fandoms or writing other ships, and getting to put some of those extra-marinated ideas to words has been really fun of late.

@stonyauniverse has been great for getting back into the groove, and I've had a blast with writing outsider POV/non-powered AU in non functional requirements and alt time periods and middle-school Stony in we were infinite. I'm hoping to complete the latter within the month - which I assume is the new WIP you were referring to :D There's also the timeloop WIP which I haven't given up on yet - the days, the days (they break to fade), as well as my WIPs for my other ships waving to me in the background :)))) Which brings me to what I've been reading! This resurgence in motivation is largely due to the binge-read of old Stony classics that I did for rec week over at @cap-ironman. Hundreds of thousands of words of Steve and Tony interacting in every possible universe - like going through boxes of your oldest and best memories <3 So if anyone's keen on re-remembering why this ship is so great or reconnecting with the community, see what other people have been reading and reccing over there! Mine are aptly listed under the #capimrecweek tag on my blog :D Thanks again for your kind words anon - and feel free to drop by if you (or anyone else) ever want to chat more Stony!

[maximuswolf]

Did anyone else lose their interest in music?

Did anyone else lose their interest in music? I (25F) used to be addicted to music in highschool and middle school, days when I had to go without it I actually had withdrawal symptoms.I liked a variety of stuff and even got really deep into fandoms. My motivations revolved around buying albums and saving up to go to concerts before bands broke up. Around 2017 was when I noticed I started to dislike some bands I used to love. I just felt an extreme sadness when listening to any of their music.But I think officially in 2020 when I had no where to go, no work or friends to see, no where I had to drive or walk to I stopped listening. Even after I started going to work again I just wouldn't listen to music but instead podcasts/video essays.I wouldn't say music was my whole personality but it was a hobby I shared with my friends'. I feel left out now because my friend's music taste is still evolving and growing where mine just stopped.It's been like this since 2020, I had a small resurgence but I've exhausted that artist's entire discography. I haven't found anything to replace that feeling I used to get, it was like music helped romanticize my life but in general I was happier then.I think actively trying to search for new music reminds me that I have no social life and my life is bound to the responsibility I owe towards my family instead. Old music does the same thing and also brings back vivid memories of all the friends I used to have.My most listened to song this year was something I only played 10 times. Submitted January 04, 2025 at 08:48PM by pepepepeppepodpeoeoe https://ift.tt/EO78NdR via /r/Music

[xdarkabyssx]

Help my favorite podcast has announced that they're gonna do a re release which is AWESOME!!! I really hope more people get into it and am really hoping for a fandom resurgence! ( i picked it up 3 years after it finished so never got to be part of that) I am so fucking excited for this you cannot believe! I ironically made a post about it like 2 weeks ago asking if anyone had access the the webcomics that used to be up and the creators straight up replied saying that they were working on bringing that back to availability. Should've been a sign they told me to follow a blog that's been dead for years. Absolutely wild timing. Speaking of which

the timing, for me personally, is uhh. Bad. Theyre gonna delete all the episodes beforehand, and I just started relistening to it for the first time in years starting 3 months ago and and am only on season 6 of 8!!!!! And the seasons are long!!! I have like 18 more days to finish it!!!! And it would've been a lot more fun to listen along with if I didn't just do that. I have a shitty memory so it's like 99% new to me with a hint of precognition which makes it almost like listening to it for thr first time again. Anyway woe is me the timing for my part sucks but

Yall are gonna LOVE Our Fair City!!!!

I am gonna talk it up non stop it is so damn good!!!!! the characters are all absolutely amazing, unique, and loveable, the stories all tie together over the course of the show, the messages are great, the voice acting is AMAZING!!!! The characters all have so much life and the setting feels like it has one too! It's a comedy. It's an adventure. It's a dystopia. It's scifi. It's our fair city and just!!! Yay!!!

[market-news-24]

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[eyesteeth]

seeing the tangle tower resurgence on my feed has me thinking about my dg oc trish... she was abandoned in early 2021 but i might bring her back with a new coat of paint... they were fun (overly long explanation of hazy memories under the cut)

their whole like schtick was they're an obviously fake medium. but What If. but no she's a hack. But What If They Weren't

and there's like a series of running gags of whether or not she's been murdered, and you find her body multiple times to the point where it becomes a bit of a boy who cried wolf situation until they're like Straight Up Killed in front of grimoire and sally.

there was a hypothetical outer cast but i never fully fleshed them out because the hyperfix didn't last that long. theyre a scientist, government agent, hack spirit medium, doctor, train conductor, bellboy, and mysterious little girl (now mysterious woman).

it was a theft case turned murder - a scientist traveling on this train had a very strong poison in their possession, which had been stolen at some point on the journey. upon realizing it was gone, the train ended up being parked on the track and put on lockdown while grimoire and sally were called in. idk about the logistics of that either it's a mystery game premise

(i was playing The Raven Remastered around this time, hence the train thing. and also a dash of the Haunt The House games because i played sooooo much Haunt The House in elementary school. add a pinch of Last Train To Blue Moon Canyon and that's it that's the plot)

during the investigation, after the first round of testimony and exploration of the train, the body of the scientist would be found, and the train would suddenly start back up again. i really liekd this idea specifically because most mystery games you don't get to know the victim, so having an opportunity to chat with them some was a fun idea to me.

by this point it's a race against the clock to figure out who the killer is before the train reaches the station and the poison is (presumably) handed off to dubious parties.

the idea was mostly Vibes, i don't think i even had a planned murderer, that's how barely baked it was, i just vividly remember this bit with trish where they had channeled the ghost of the victim and recounted their last words, only for it to later be figured out that the possession was false - but the last words were accurate because trish had like been in the fucking vents or whatever (are there even vents on a train) and had witnessed the murder. at which point grim and sally are like "wait. so you saw the killer" and trish is like "yeah" which i found boundlessly funny.

and then trish is about to say the name of the killer but then she starts looking real bad and collapses over dead - she's been poisoned!! except, japes, they're actually fine and not dead, this is a ploy to catch the killer. killer gets caught and then the killer's like "but i poisoned you!! how are you still alive" and trish is like "my final jape... i've been possessing my corpse this whole time" n just, jumps off the train. farewell.

silly fucking convoluted plot but that's just how adventure games work. and i imagine everyone else could have done equally silly shit if i'd bothered to do anything with them. i get the sense that the poison was a government thing or something and that's why the agent was there, and it was like "ah a political intrigue case. with no supernatural things" and then trish is like "hi it's dubious whether or not i was dead the whole game byeeee"

they were silly. epic failgirl