#this story was pretty wild and ridiculous to be honest

[acacia-may]

This might be the most inspired thing I've ever written... 😂 just kidding...

This snippet is from a Black Clover WIP inspired by one of my favourite musicals and favourite adaptations of "The Princess and the Pea", Once Upon a Mattress! 💖 This short exchange is from the B-Plot which was just perfect for the Black Bulls to handle! (Sorry Vanessa 😂) The story might not ever get finished or get to see the light of day, but I thought this bit was worth sharing:

The WIP would've been Rated T for thematic elements so I'm putting this snippet below the cut even though this snippet is only 9 sentences long 😅

(Warnings: mentions unplanned pregnancy and drunkenness)

“What kind of moron has a love child during a marriage ban—especially one that can only be lifted by the mother marrying someone else?” 

“We have been asking ourselves this same question,” said Zora gesturing towards Yuno with his hand. 

Vanessa huffed and gave Zora a light tap on the back of his head. “I got pregnant before the marriage ban went into effect, dumbbell.”

“How drunk were you?” asked Yuno completely deadpan. 

Flustered and bright red in the face, Finral spluttered something incoherent, and Mimosa gasped. 

“Yuno! That’s a terrible question!” 

“We asked that one too,” sighed Gauche with a disapproving shake of his head. 

Zora’s mouth twitched. “The answer is ‘totally wasted’ and ‘so drunk they couldn’t even remember their own names,’ by the way.” 

[rimurutempest]

I watched all of modern Doctor Who and these were my favorite episodes.

If you told me back in 2015 that I'd watch the entirety of modern Doctor Who, I'd probably think you're a liar. But, a cute girl wanted to watch Doctor Who with me, and how do you tell a cute girl “No?” Being that of the Superwholock trinity, Doctor Who the least upsetting of the three, I figured “Why not?” I mean, it's enjoyed by thousands and thousands of people, surely it has merit for existing, right?

And, it does! There are many great episodes that I really enjoyed (not to mention a lot of schlock I hated). I even enjoy some of the old serials and that 1996 movie is pretty fun (so very 90s). I can't claim to have seen all of Doctor Who, there is a lot of old stuff I'm probably never going to know even exists, not to mention all the spin offs and audio dramas, there's no way I can get through it all. But, I have seen the modern run, starting with Christopher Eccleston all the way to Ncuti Gatwa in Empire of Death.

Annnnd, anyone that knows me knows I love to rank and review episodic tv shows. So, with that said, here are my 15 favorite episodes of modern Doctor Who:

15 - Dalek (S01, E06)

It is probably unsurprising to any Doctor Who fan to see this episode on the list. The Eccleston era was my introduction to Doctor Who (as I'm sure it was for a lot of people) and this episode was my introduction to the famous villain, the Daleks. It's really a wild way to be introduced to the Daleks when you think about it, the Doctor and his companion Rose end up in an underground museum of alien artifacts out in Nevada and find the man that runs it has a Dalek in captivity. Upon learning of the Dalek's existence, the Doctor goes on a campaign to kill it with extreme prejudice until Rose yells at him about how he's being this horrendous person – which makes the doctor have a “Maybe I'm the baddie” moment and it resolves peacefully. Genuinely is really a good episode about moving on and realizing that we all have good and evil in us. A true standout of the early modern run of the show.

14 - The Impossible Planet & The Satan's Pit (S02, E08&E09)

There's a spectrum when it comes to Doctor Who, there are episodes that are gorgeous and smart and well thought out, then there are episodes that are just absolutely ridiculous. If Dalek explores the prejudice that can be enacted by those we see as “good,” then this duo of episodes is “what if the Christian devil was real and he was in space.” This is such an unbelievable hit of stupid bullshit, but it's delivered so very well. The first episode is loaded with mystery and adventure and unknown horror, while the second episode introduces the goofy concept in whole but still somehow grounds it enough that it still feels like a real plot with real stakes. It's the acting. The actors really sell this one to you. Space Satan is not what I expected when getting into this show but hey, it works and I like it.

13 - Blink (S03, E10)

I'm going to be honest with you, I feel like the internet really hypes up the Weeping Angels to a point that when you finally encounter them you're like, “Oh that's all?” Every episode of Doctor Who with the Weeping Angels feels underwhelming, silly, dumb, boring, with one exception: the original. I will not try to convince you that Blink lives up to the hype that the fandom has built for it, but if you can watch it without the Superwholock kind of bullshit in your head, what you'll find is actually a pretty good story. One of the best of the show. If the angels existed for this one episode and nothing else, they may have stood as the best antagonist of the show, but they got overused. I'm not going to explain the episode, I'll end up overhyping it more, just watch it.

12 - A Town Called Mercy (S07, E03)

I never see anyone really talk about this episode and it makes me wonder if maybe I'm alone in thinking it's great, which if so, oh well. I like westerns. The long and short of this is the Doctor and his companions, Amy and Rory, arrive in the old west to find a town with electricity too early and an alien cyborg gunslinger hanging outside of town hunting the town physician who turns out to be an alien that committed some horrific space crimes. The episode feels like a fun, loving homage to the western genre while once again exploring those aforementioned qualities of good people can be bad and vice versa. It's a fantastic little romp for the cast and these are the kinds of episodes that made the show fun to watch.

11 - Midnight (S04, E10)

Does this count as a bottle episode? The one thing I have to give the cast of Doctor Who is that when they decide it's time to really act, they act very, very well. This episode is completely carried by the acting of David Tennant and his supporting cast. In this episode, the Doctor's companion Donna sits one out while the Doctor takes a shuttle bus to go see a waterfall, until some unknown alien starts taking over people's bodies. This is a very, very well done episode that shows that you don't need elaborate set dressing or endless action to make good television, you just need good actors.

10 - The Devil's Chord (S14, E02)

I realize this might be controversial to say, but Ncuti Gatwa is my favorite actor to portray the Doctor. He's a fantastic actor and the energy he brings the role is so different and wonderful. When it comes to media, people typically don't like to hear you praise the modern bits over the older stuff, but this most recent run of Doctor Who with Gatwa is consistently more interesting and enjoyable than any other season of Doctor Who (that's probably Davies doing).

That all said, The Devil's Chord is a wild episode. I previously said that Doctor Who has a spectrum, from really great story telling to really goofy. If Midnight is the great story telling, then The Devil's Chord is the goofy. In this episode the Doctor and Ruby must face off against Maestro, the God of Music, who wishes to take all music from the world. The energy of this episode is wild, with Ncuti Gatwa's take on the Doctor going up against the insanely wild trickster character Maestro, who is portrayed by the trans actor Jinkx Monsoon. If you've fallen off of late Doctor Who, or you are completely new to it, please give this new season a watch (and don't let the Beatles jump scare at the beginning stop you, I swear there's no Beatles music!).

09 - The Empty Child / The Doctor Dances (S01, E09&E10)

If you're starting your Doctor Who watch at the beginning of the modern series, this will probably be the first episode that strikes a real chord with you (well, other than Dalek that is). This was the show's first real attempt at telling a horror story, one that is sort of zombie adjacent. This bizarre World War Two story with a child in a gas mask morphing people's bodies and existences into more versions of himself is one of the more original stories in the entire Doctor Who series, no one but Eccleston and Billie Piper could have sold this so well. Not to mention the introduction of Jack Harkness! (We'll uh...we'll ignore the actors conduct for this...)

08 - Planet of the Ood (S04, E03)

This is not the first time we meet the Ood, they were in the aforementioned Impossible Planet episodes, however this is when the Doctor finally does what he should have from the very start. The Ood are essentially a slave race, and in Planet of the Ood, they finally start to act out and revolt. The Doctor, as unpolitical as he has always been according to some people, decides “Yeah! Slaves are wrong!” and starts working with Ood Sigma (who becomes a recurring character kind of) in freeing the Ood. This episode also has one of the sickest, most awesome, kinda horrific effects in all of Doctor Who. Above all else, this episode is just very beautifully shot and well made. One of the highlights of the entire series.

07 - The Day of the Doctor (50th Anniversary Special)

Exploring the Doctor's mind during the Time War is such a cool concept. It's a thing the Doctor keeps referring to as this horrific, life changing thing for him, and getting even a glimpse into it is guaranteed an amazing time. Featuring both David Tennant and Matt Smith, while bringing on John Hurt of all people because Eccleston wouldn't reprise his role, the acting talent in this special is incredible and genuinely so wonderful to watch. At the end of the day, it's a really, really good Doctor Who romp and deserves any praise it gets.

06 - The Waters of Mars (2009 Autumn Special)

Pic from the BBC. Theirs looks better than anything I could get.

Hey look! It's the Hugo award winning special! And I only put it at number six!

Everything about this special is so fucking cool. The set designs, the costumes, the fucking monster itself, everything in this is so cool. You know how people always joke about horror needing to be wet? Well this is wet horror. David Tennant puts in so much effort here, struggling with what he wants to and what he has to do, the Doctor is really pushed to some stressful limits here that has such a fantastic end to it. Even if you disagree with where I placed it on this list, there is no doubt that The Waters of Mars is among the best stories Doctor Who has ever put out.

05 - The Impossible Astronaut / Day of the Moon (S06, E01&E02)

This is one that's probably going to get some pushback. I am an X-Files fan, it's my favorite show, love it when it's great and I love it when it's trashy. This two part season opening is the most X-files like the show ever gets, and I am so into it. The opening mystery of the episode sets up a really cool overarching concept for the season (don't ask if it's resolved well, please don't ask that) while introducing us to one of the coolest enemies Doctor Who ever made (please don't ask if they stay that way, please don't ask that). Everything about this is so fun and interesting and I hope others come out of it feeling the same way.

04 - Voyage of the Damned (2007 Christmas Special)

Pic from IMDB.

DOCTOR WHO TITANIC IS VERY GOOD!! Sorry for yelling. For a long while this sat as my absolute favorite episode of Doctor Who. Journeying alone on a rare occasion, the Doctor finds himself spending Christmas aboard the space Titanic (I am not kidding, they named it the Titanic!) and as the name of the ship would imply, tragedy strikes. This story is really wonderful, we get to see the Doctor try his hardest to save people and show love and kindness to so many people, not to mention having a group of characters instead of one companion to explore. I especially love the Van Hoff couple, who are two fat and poor people who won tickets to come aboard what is a wealthy cruise. Everyone around them is rather classist and fatphobic to them, but of all they characters in the special, they exhibit real happiness and love and their devotion to one another is genuinely so wonderful.

As I said, this one stood as my favorite episode for a long time. And, you don't really need to see any previous episodes to watch it, so please go watch it. It's a fun time.

03 - The Giggle (60th Anniversary Special)

I don't know what the wider fandom's thoughts on the 60th Anniversary Specials are, so I don't know if this is a controversial take or not. But, The Giggle highlights everything that is great about Doctor Who. It tips its scales back into the goofy part of the spectrum, but that goofiness is ultimately what makes this such a fun and interesting special. When thinking of actors like Neil Patrick Harris, who are so big and popular and well known celebrities, you forget that the popularity came from the fact they're good at their craft, and if The Giggle did anything for me, it was reminding me that yes, Neil Patrick Harris is an outstanding actor. And, getting put with a returning David Tennant and Catherine Tate really just solidified this special as some of the best acting the series has to offer.

The scene where the Toymaker forces the Doctor and Donna to watch a puppet show about the fates of the Doctor's companions is one of the best meta commentaries the show ever did about itself. The introduction of Ncuti Gatwa is pulled off in a fantastic way. And, the ending is so heartwarming that it makes makes me happy they brought Tennant's Doctor and Donna back.

02 - Heaven Sent (S09, E11)

I previously said that Ncuti Gatwa stands as my favorite Doctor. But, before the Gatwa episodes were out, my favorite was Peter Capaldi. Though Capaldi was given some of the worst scripts of the series (Jodie Whittaker probably got the worst of the worst), he brought such a different interpretation to the Doctor. David Tennant and Matt Smith's Doctors, despite their differences, were largely the same characters. Capaldi's had more of that Eccleston-esque attitude and charm, while bringing this gravitas that makes the silly moments feel real emotionally.

Which brings me to Heaven Sent, which might be the pinnacle of acting in the series. When people think of the best Doctor Who episodes, they probably expect big action and lots of adventure, but to me, the most interesting parts of Doctor Who are when we explore the Doctor as a character. What makes him tick, what makes him who he is, why is he here doing this – exploration of the Doctor and his motives is spectacular, especially when done right. Heaven Sent follows the Capaldi Doctor, after the death of his companion, imprisoned in a castle where he must reveal all his secrets. The torture and sorrow that Capaldi is able to show on his face is both horrifying and spectacular, really showing that he is an outstanding actor. There is no other piece of television like Heaven Sent.

01 - Vincent and the Doctor (S05, E10)

I don't think this is a surprise to anyone. I'm sure everyone has seen the gifs go around of the Doctor taking Vincent van Gogh to the future to see how his work is revered and loved and how moving that scene is. What I don't think most people know is how after that scene, after Vincent has been put back in his own time, the museum doesn't change. There are no new paintings. Amy, the Doctor's companion, then must learn that love and praise alone do not cure mental illness.

This episode has a haze of melancholy. The Doctor may change history plenty of times, but he doesn't often change real events. So, from the very beginning, you know van Gogh's fate, and you know it won't be changed. I actually liked this episode' portrayal of mental illness, it really is something that affects our lives, and makes it hard (if not impossible) to fit into society. How people with mental illness are often outcast, harassed, and treated like subhumans. But, this episode also shows happiness, hope, and love. And, that people do love you, no matter what you may think.

And, I think that makes it the best episode of modern Doctor Who.

Tumblr has decided that adding my full episode rankings would make this post too long. So, I will be adding them in a second reblog (check notes if you want to see!)

[mvmnbnv]

I like your takes. I love Caitvi, but it annoys me to no end how much they project and treat Vi’s relationship with her sister as irrelevant. They honestly kinda ruined the fanbase for me. I���m tired of the constant mischaracterziation of Vi’s character. Like she’s always so off in fanfics and they try to make it seem like she doesn’t care about Jinx at all. it’s weird to see other fans of her character try to erase that part of her in fanfics because they think Jinx is coming in the way like she’s literally her family??? You want Vi to just magically forget her after not seeing her in years? That’s not realistic at all.

The sister’s relationship is the most inaccurately portrayed because of Caitvi fans and it bothers me. Like I remember reading a fic where Vi shoots Jinx dead and she didn’t even care or grieve her because she has Caitlyn. She’s basically like, “ Welp, idc that I killed my sister. She doesn’t matter because I’ve got Caitlyn now byee” ??? Like wtff. That stuff just annoys me lol

Also, I’m gonna be honest but as a fan of Vi, most people in her fanbase only talk about her relationship with Caitlyn. You don’t have to care about the sisters relationship, but I dislike other fans of Vi that disregard that part of her and watch show from the perspective of a Caitvi shipper. Like it’s nice to see those who do acknowledge because there’s very little people who do care. It just bothers me how most of her fans only see one part of her story.

Another thing is the constant gender stereotypes. Like just because Caitlyn is sheltered doesn’t mean that’s reflective on her romantic life. I see portrayals of Vi where they make her equivalent to a misogynistic fuckboi. I’ve seen fics where they make violent and have her punch Caitlyn her in the face. Also, the classism and the very gross takes on Piltover and enforcers that come from them make me uncomfortable. You give grace to the oppressors because you take criticism of Piltover as an attack on their relationship which is just so ridiculous. Like you can still love them as a couple and not be weird about Piltover.

Way too many don’t give the same energy towards Zaun. They look down on them exactly how Piltover does and act like Vi isn’t literally from there. I agree with your other post too because they always downplay Cassandra too. I get surprised if I see someone among Caitvi stans acknowledge what she’s done. It’s a weird contrast to how they view characters from Zaun. Also, I remember coming across a fic where the author wrote Caitlyn degrading her because shes’s from Zaun as a “kink” like come on…

Yeah,peoples inability to see vi as her own character outside of caitlyn can get pretty irritating. And the classism and mischaracterization of vi?? Woof...and the complete disregard of jinx and vis relationship as if they aren't the heart of thr story is wild too lol. Like it's always been about them. Let's be real

[mejomonster]

Just watched till the end of the moon ep 9:

I'm so down bad for these 2

I cannot stress enough that skipping them to marriage so no stupid "innocence" or naivety stuff as is the usual situation is here

I cannot stress enough how much I LOVE that li susu seems adult, mature, seasoned in battle love etc, and just generally like a late 20s early 30s adult trying to save the world instead of a young adult Hero and how nice it is. Just for me, I'm happy for the variety

I LOVE tantai jin. He's a fucked up guy. He's the wet skinny pathetic man fangirls always say they want. He's genuinely a pretty cold bitch AND he gets to be lead (in a cdrama!). He is monstrous cause bitches have treated him monstrous so like susu said! He responded to a cruel world with cruelty back. It's not a lead I'm used to but I AM loving it. I also love how for him a kind gesture really is worth it's weight in gold like? For him. As awful as ye xiwu was in marriage pre susu, as much as susu literally said she wants to kill him more than anyone else in the world... she keeps saving him. Giving him food. Risking HER life for his. And for him those specific actions are worth more than anything anyone's ever given him. Maybe even more than what Lan gave him, since at least ye xiwu is upfront about wanting to imprison him and being mad at him so like she probably isn't going to "secretly" betray him since she's fairly honest (now). I love that he is JUST a fucked up guy with a fucked up destiny meant to be devil God, who the universe was probably intentionally shitty to cause its hoping (on like a cosmic scale) he will Suffer and Die and become devil God in revenge. I love that its not trying to make the bitch noble. He is who he is. For whatever that means, it's just a story about 2 people who'd never have met. But susu has changed the trajectory just by being herself around him and it's COMPELLING.

The transformative power of love (or simply being kind to another person) and all that. How the cursed jade said she's mostly just SO SURPRISED someone would help another person. I feel like that's probably the Theme of the show right there. Even susu is probably surprised by herself helping him. And in the jade transfer moment, I think she's surprised she genuinely does NOT think he only is comprised of bad traits. For all the cold bitch that he is, betraying her that he's done, cruel view he has of the world... actions speak louder than words to susu too. And for all the bad he's done... he has also done some good things. And she finds herself seeing him in shades of grey instead of a monster like she expected to.

I just love their bickering lets be real. Susu just SAYS shit on the top of her mind (to be fair tantai jin is a bitch and deserves to be bitched at). But she's like "from now on let's have NO CONNECTION" to 6 hours later being like "your life is in my hands and I say when you can die I'm imprisoning you forever ill see you nonstop bitch." And it's like... susu honey, that was LITERALLY tantai jins plan to do to you like 6 hours ago. Yall have the same plan. Just who's the prisoner is switched lmao. No wonder he's oddly attracted to you. You see him being a big manipulative bitch and like you're not stealthy, but you ARE like "WELL FINE ill say some SHIT and BREAK YOUR HEART then. Cry me a river! Oh you thought I was dead? You cried? GOOD. Now anyway fight is over as long as I'm winning!"

Their emotional fights are both ridiculously huge (like rumor of the Kingdoms wild) but also so shallow cause these bitches will be like "I DECIDE when you DIE" then you find them clutching each other in the woods BOTH unwilling to abandon the other and BOTH taking life threatening damage trying to protect the other and BOTH trying to then heal said damage of each others! Like. That's just so fucking funny??!! And fun. Xiao Lin is going to be like "what in the world??" But move on

Anyway speaking of Xiao Lin: I love how he genuinely seems to care for tantai jin! Probably only person in the world who does! I hope one day tantai jin finds out its genuine heartfelt care for him. Buy knowing tantai jins life... he's going to do some awful shit to Xiao lin that ruins his life or kills his wife or kills thousands of innocents in front of him, THEN Xiao lin will be breaking down crying how he never thought tantai jin would do this and he thought tantai jin was a good person who wanted to avoid seeing the ppl in harm and he always wished tantai jin could have a better life. And then tantai jin, probably newly learning compassion from enough bullshit attempts with susu, that his own heart will be breaking BECAUSE of the consequences of his own actions. So. Thrilled to cry later I guess

Speaking of susu and tantai jin. tantai jin LAYING ON HER SHOULDER THINKING ABOUT WHAT SHE BULLSHITTINGLY SAID LOVE WAS AND HOW HE THINKS SHE LOVES HIM AND HOW HE THINKS HE MIGHT LOVE HER AND CUDDLING

that is what watchers want!! (At least me!!) Men lying heads on their lovers shoulders and thinking dreamy about them

Bai Lu gives off such bisexual lead energy tho even without a woman to flirt with I'm sure thats part of the appeal for me. Bottom line is I like in my b/g romances on occasion (who am I kidding more of the time than not) to have a dominant kind of woman. And bai lu delivers. Her man leans on HER shoulder. Is carried around her shoulder with HER arms.

Speaking of, people who cast this were 1. Fulfilling so many wishes letting Luo yunxi just play PURE FUCKED UP and I love it. 2. By casting him as this suffering Weak physically nearly always dying willfully little skinny twink of a man, who's also God tier powerful especially with rage, who's costume entails constant bloody whump, collars, choking and ropes, like. There's a HELLA SPECIFIC NICHE Luo yunxis character resides inside this show and it sure is feeding That Demographic. I'm up for it. It's like if mo ran and chu wanning had a fucked up mashup

I'm fearing the jade maker witch was somehow susu in a past life and now I'm wondering if time travel is gonna be in this bitch

If there IS time travel? I really like the idea of tantai jin specifically time traveling the 2nd time around, once he and susu fell in love, once he knows what susu knew from the beginning. I think that could open a lot of new avenues that he is not currently able to go into given his current personality and knowledge

It's still funny as hell to me tantai jin is kind of angling for death cause he KNOWS he gets super-powered once he dies. But his wife keeps being like NO BITCH YOU GOTTA LIVE WELL. And I'm hoping eventually he's like: maybe she's right... maybe the revenge means more if I'm alive for it and not dissassociated. Maybe I SHOULD try to become a God tier monster without dying. Which would still lead to oh no devil tantai jin lol, but a version of it that is fully Himself which I would like

You know I'm liking a show when I'm contemplating binging beyond what's on youtube rn

[avida-heidia-5]

While we wait for the 2024 Formula 1 season to arrive, I thought I’d entertain myself by playing a little tag game I’ve just created. Feel free to participate if you have the time to do it. 😊

🏎️💨 THE FORMULA 1 TAG GAME! 🏎️💨:

1. Who or what got you into F1?

2. Who was the very first F1 driver you supported? Do you support them now? Have your opinions on them differed or stayed the same since then?

3. Who’s your current favourite F1 driver?

4. Is there a driver pairing or pairings you support? What made you attracted to that pairing in the first place?

5. Do your parents, siblings or relatives have a favourite team and/or favourite driver(s)?

6. Do you have any favourite races? Are there any that stand out to you the most?

7. Do you have a favourite circuit? Can be from the past or from the current calendar.

8. Have you ever been to an F1 race in real life? Feel free to tell us your experience going to one if you like.

9. Have you ever met an F1 driver in real life?

10. Do you have a favourite F1 car? If so, what is it?

11. Do you have a favourite one win wonder?

12. Do you have any favourite quotes from the F1 world? This can either be inspirational or hilarious.

(This is all the questions I could come up with, I’m afraid! My brain is absolutely worn to a frazzle! 😮‍💨)

Now tag as many people as you like! I tag the following peeps: @kaossbells, @argentinagp, @hurricane-heatt, @skitskatdacat63, @racingliners, @formulaes5, @princemick, @4xmulti21champion, @schumigrace, @hungriestheidi, @ellalovesvettel, @twinkodium, and @wanderingblindly. Feel free to participate if you would like to. No pressure! 😊

If I haven’t tagged you in this but you want to participate, you have my permission. Go absolutely wild!

Now here are my answers below the cut! Warning: I can be a touch rambly!

1. Who or what got you into F1?

My parents introduced me to F1 in 2004 when I was around 4 or 5 years old. I vividly remember watching pretty much the whole of the 2005 season on the telly and how amazing a lot of the races were back then. 😍 Since then, we’ve been keeping up with watching races, following the news, and visiting Silverstone for Free Practice sessions and fun events like the Classic Weekend and the Lap Of Lights whenever possible.

2. Who was the very first F1 driver you supported? Do you support them now? Have your opinions on them differed or stayed the same since then?

I was drawn to Kimi Räikkönen when I was young because I found him attractive. 😳 This was before I knew anything about F1. 😅 Once I got into the habit of watching the sport regularly, I was happily cheering him on. That McLaren was a BEAST…when it was reliable. 😬

I didn’t know much about Kimi’s story back then. As I grew older though, I did some research on him and came to understand why fans love him so much. He kept a cool head during qualifying and race days (He’s called The Iceman for a reason!) and I just love his personality in general: Quiet, composed, honest, and straightforward. And who could forget the memes that spawned during Kimi’s return to F1?

Even though Kimi’s retired from the sport (seemingly for good 😢), I still love and support him with all my heart, whatever he gets up to. 💙❄️

3. Who’s your current favourite F1 driver?

Sebastian Vettel. Oooooh Sebastian Vettel! Where do I even start? 🥰

I have an insane adoration for this man, even more than Kimi admittedly. Seb is just…on another level to me. 😍😍😍

He’s the sweetest, most loveliest man on the planet. He’s kind, generous, talented, and cultured. He’s also an environmentalist, and I fully support his journey to try and make our planet a greener, tidier, happier, and healthier place. 🌎🌱 I’m always fascinated with what he has to say; whether it’s something positive or negative. He has a ridiculous knowledge of everything related to F1 and our environment, and I love him even more for it.

Seb is also retired from F1 and I still miss him dearly, but that doesn’t stop me from loving and supporting this man. I adore him to absolute BITS! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

4. Is there a driver pairing or pairings you support? What made you attracted to that pairing in the first place?

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber have an interesting dynamic to me. I’ve enjoyed seeing their relationship develop and fall apart and repair themselves back together on track, from when the two were teammates at Red Bull all the way up to today. It’s good that they can laugh about their mishaps and misfortunes afterwards. I don’t know, these two just fascinate me. 💜

Other favourite driver pairings include (in no particular order): Seb and Kimi, Seb and Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella, Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz Jr., Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz Jr., and FINALLY, Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant.

5. Do your parents, siblings or relatives have a favourite team and/or favourite driver(s)?

We’re happy to support any team, but we’re primarily McLaren supporters in this household. 🧡 As for drivers, my mum loves Jenson Button and my dad is a Nigel Mansell and Fernando Alonso supporter. My sister just recently started getting into F1 and she supports Lando Norris. We never have any complaints or disputes over our choices, which is nice. 😊

6. Do you have any favourite races? Are there any that stand out to you the most?

There’s quite a lot of races I’ve enjoyed watching over the years. I don’t like the current races that much; I’m more of a 2000’s & 2010’s grid enjoyer. My favourite race of all time has got to be the 2012 Brazilian GP. It was the most nail-biting race I have ever watched! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time! 😱 To me, nothing can top it!

However, the race that stood out to me the most – and the race that firmly cemented my enjoyment for the sport – was the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix. Kimi was a BEAST in that McLaren! From starting dead last on the grid to snatching victory on the final lap. What a show he put on! 🤩👏🏻

7. Do you have a favourite circuit? Can be from the past or from the current calendar.

Spa-Francorchamps will forever be my favourite circuit. It’s home to one of the most iconic battles in history. (“BUT HERE COMES SEBASTIAN VETTEL!!!!”) Plus the foresty backdrop is absolutely stunning. 😍 One of my dream goals is to visit this iconic circuit and watch a race in person one day. 🙏🏻

I also love Silverstone, Hockenheim, Monza, Sepang, Interlagos, and the Nürburgring.

8. Have you ever been to an F1 race in real life? Feel free to tell us your experience going to one if you like.

No, I’ve never been to a race before. Not yet, at least. I would really love to go to one with my family and friends though. 🤩🙏🏻

9. Have you ever met an F1 driver in real life?

Unfortunately, as of writing, no. We’ve taken many pictures of drivers, but I’ve yet to actually come face-to-face with them and take their autographs and have pictures with them. 🙁 One day, I’m hoping this will all come true. 🤞🏻

My parents briefly talked to Esteban Ocon when he was a reserve driver. (They don’t know which team he was in at the time and I don’t know either. This was around 2015, if that helps. 🤷🏻‍♀️) My mum was extremely lucky to talk to and get an autograph from Jenson Button’s dad John when he was alive. I believe this was around the time before Jenson won the World Championship. They’ve yet to get Jenson’s autograph. Again, one day! 🤞🏻

10. Do you have a favourite F1 car? If so, what is it?

I don’t have many favourite cars, and I’m not a car nerd like my dad is. However, the McLaren MP4/20 is a certified favourite of mine. The black and white West McLaren livery in general looked very smart. I’m happy it lasted a very long time from 1997 to 2005. 😍 I wish they brought those colours back in modern races, like for special occasions or something. 😭

I also love the blue and yellow Mild Seven Renault livery from 2005, followed by McLaren’s delightfully retro Gulf livery from 2021, and Hungry Heidi herself: the Red Bull RB9 from 2013.

11. Do you have a favourite one win wonder?

Robert Kubica. This man went from having his horrific accident during the 2007 Canadian GP to winning the race a year later at the same circuit. What a legend! 🤍

12. Do you have any favourite quotes from the F1 world? This can either be inspirational or hilarious.

Let’s start with my favourite hilarious quote: Kimi’s got hundreds of iconic moments during his time in F1. I actually use his infamous quote “Just leave me alone! I know what I’m doing!” quite often in normal conversations, so…I’ll go with that! 🤣🤣🤣

As for inspirational quotes, hmmm, that’s a lot harder. The one that came to my head first was Daniel Ricciardo’s “Enjoy the butterflies” quote. I also love Sebastian Vettel’s “You can’t always be the best, but you can do your best.” and his retirement speech, among others. If I had to choose one….uhhhhh, let’s go with Daniel! I love them all equally though. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[isthedogawolfdog]

youtu(dot)be(slash)g-7cLXyMp8E?si=OQ_6WDtl_dnMj9DP

Thoughts on this video on the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone and also the article that it cures which claims the Yellowstone narrative is factually inaccurate?

BAHAHAHA I am fucking CACKLING.

Okay so this video:

was posted in late 2020 and BOY HOWDY is it a wild ride. Because I need a distraction and am feeling particularly petty right now I'll see if I can break down the video and it's... um... "facts".

Before I start though the dudes YouTube is chock full of extreme vegan takes so I wouldn't say he's the top tier candidate for good sources lol.

"Introduction"

The beginning is meh. Y'know the usual thing some Youtubers do with the whole "is this really true???" thing with unreasonable amount of suspicion? yeah. He pretty much makes comments on how maybe the reintroduction of wolves into YNP wasn't the "incredible success story that it was made out to be." Which I feel like the, y'know, the many hundreds of research papers on the wolf reintroduction into YNP and the massive benefits it's created kinda contradicts? but I mean what do I know.

"Yellowstone narrative is misleading"

So this part opens up with this video (which I don't feel like watching rn if I were being honest so I'll save that for later) that blew up a bit ago regarding how wolves change rivers, and the claim that it was misleading, untrue, etc. The youtuber (who we shall call Hancock because "Youtuber" will get boring) uses this source to stake the claim that the positive impact wolves have had on rivers in YNP isn't true.

As we would know if we actually did research and didn't talk out of our ass, wolves didn't directly affect the rivers just by hunting elk, but beavers as well. Aspen and willow are, surprise surprise! a favorite food of beavers. Prior to wolf reintroduction riverbeds and waterways in YNP were in terrible shape, mainly due to erosion and lack of support from water loving plants, which are... tada! willow and aspen! Beavers and elk chowed down on these plants in huge amounts due to their numbers being so vastly out of control due to lack of predators. So when wolves came around and started hunting the plentiful beavers and elk, the willow and aspen were basically like "oh shit! we aren't being eaten to the point where we're all dying!! lets grow more!!" and in turn the more willow and aspen = more footing for the soil along waterbeds which means the rivers were saved. Some of this was mentioned in the article that was linked but wasn't mentioned by Hancock so idk what's up with that.

To sum it up, wolves made an impact! And it's silly to just write that off completely!! I think my issue with this part is that Hancock completely writes wolves impact on the environment off, which is frankly ridiculous. The original video may have overstated it a bit, but it's not like it doesn't exist.

"The balance of ecosystems"

Hancock then talks about the complexity of the YNP food chain (kinda), and how some people feel the need to restore the balance in nature if we humans fuck it up which?? like yeah?? we should?? He goes into a schpeel about values or whatever and if we value certain ecosystems over others??? Idk I was NOT tracking.

He mentions his thoughts on "which balance is best for the animals that live there". Goes on slight anthropomorphizing tangent then dives into the next part...:

"Ecology of fear"

Ah, lads, we are back in biology class aren't we. Except this time we are anthropomorphizing the hell out of everything! "The deer are afraid of being eaten alive, so afraid that they sometimes choose to eat less..."

Okay, did anyone tell this guy that the amount of food the herbivores (ungulates namely) before wolves were reintroduced was literally killing everything? Without wolves to balance the prey populations out they overgrazed, populations skyrocketed and so did disease.

The rest of this is a tangent, so I'll skip over it.

"Wolves suffered too"

Hancock cites the outbreaks of canine distemper disease that have occurred in YNP since reintroduction. This is a bit of a mute point, since canine distemper can fuck any canine population up whether it's a brand new reintroduced group of wolves or they've been there for decades.

Also, can we note how he talks about canine distemper then shows a wolf with mange?? hmmmm.

"Numbers of animals vs welfare"

Dude talks about random bullshit regarding animal rights. Loooooots of emotional heartstrings attempting to be pulled. He is 10000% coming from one of those anti-predator perspectives. Biiiig yikes.

"It's too complex (human health analogy)"

This section was basically mansplaining but with vegans lol.

"The choice we have"

He brings in wild animal contraception?????? I???? Girl what. I mean it's a thing yeah but I did not expect that to be where he was going.

Hancock talks about "one of the cruelest, and unfortunately most romanticized and thus most prevalent methods of population control" AKA reintroducing predators. Hmmmm it's almost like he didn't read about the mass amount of ungulates and other prey animals dying off in YNP when winter came (prior to reintroduction) and there wasn't enough food to sustain them all, subjecting them to excruciating deaths and long drawn out starvation and disease.

Hancock then goes onto how animals eat each other alive, which like, yeah, they do. AND THEN he talks about "wild animal suffrage" which, frankly I refuse to google. Blah blah blah he's anti-hunting who would've thought.

"we didn't do it for the animals"

Okay this actually has some value to it. Hancock talks about how wolves weren't reintroduced for their benefit, or anyone else, but only for people and tourism. This is both right and wrong.

I'm sure that all the biologists and hard working members on the reintroduction team would disagree that it wasn't done for the animals, but who knows. Anyway, the point that tourism would rake in a lot of cash for the state was also something that helped wolves get reintroduced, since we know many government officials weren't in it for the animals. So yeah, sort of true, but not really.

Hancock goes on about what animals are concerned about, even adding a little wolf with a thought bubble (which tbh, I'm sure if wolves knew about the technicalities of biodiversity they would love it, since it usually means a better quality of life). More anthropomorphizing and entitled vegan guilt tripping.

At this point I stopped watching, since it's already been roughly an hour, and although I could do this all day, I have to work later.

To answer your question anon, this video is very poorly put together and I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. There is little to no research done prior to creating it, and the creator talks from a animal rights activist point of view, which is never helpful.

[lazodiac]

Welcome welcome, one and all, back to my ridiculously futile effort to figure out where every card in Outlaws of Thunder Junction came from. Now, by this point in time the 30 new Alchemy cards have been released, and like with the Vault cards we'll be hitting those after the regular set and Commander cards.

So without further ado... we've dealt with red, and the others, so now it is onto...

GREEN

We open on a pretty important one! Say hello to the cactus-folk of Thunder Junction, the actual honest-to-god genuine native people of the plane, here before even the Atiin for as much as that matters.

The scant few bits of lore we've received on these guys tells us that they started waking up to sentient and sapience when the Atiin showed up, but given real world cacti's entire deal is that they're long-lasting, endurant vegetation that can grow for a long time, the question really is how truthful that is. Especially given they've adopted the idea of clothing and gear pretty well from the Atiin and others.

I'll probably open the can of worms that is Thunder Junction's questionable-at-best decisions when it comes to the world building another day, but for now... lets just make like a thumbleweed and roll on. Cacti are from Thunder Junction. Also I do love this play of like, a very nice and gentle warlock who heals you with vapor rube.

This is good advice! Boots are shady places, typically made of leather that is treated to not take in the heat that much, and are as such nice and shady places for creatures like this to live in.

Native to the plane, like most animals.

While there are arguments that there are other planes this person could be from, the nature of the bond with beasts- plus the fact that this guy clearly dresses like his beast, whereas most Outcasters are more of a wild-man of the wilderness vibe- feels like it is very much meant to elude to the bonders of Ikoria.

Fun story stuff: the betrayal did not actually work out this way, with Vraska and Oko staying allied basically right until the last moment where Vraska immediately went for the kill shot with her petrification stare. It does definitely resemble how Kellan and Oko split ways though. Also, hilariously, while it was obvious the gang would backstab each other... in the end it was actually very surprising HOW it happened. Not very likely at all!

Anyway, naming where this is from is a hard one. Given the mixture of who betrayed who and the sheer webbed nature of it all, I'm kinda forced to give it to Thunder Junction itself.

As befits the native plant-life of Thunder Junction, there is animal-plants as well! Look at this delightful critter!

I'll admit, to my detriment I actually care more about the real history of the Old West than the mythology of the frontier folk, so I don't really know if Bristly Bill here is meant to be an allusion to Pecos Bill or Johnny Appleseed. The former seems more likely based on name, but the actions of cultivating the land (but in a non toxic way like ole John) seems to lean more in that direction.

Anyway, he's a cactus, so native to the plane.

Perhaps one of the most horrifying cards ever put to print. I love it. Native to Thunder Junction.

One of my favorite parts of magic sets is seeing how various worlds take classic Magic creatures and incorporating their unique elements into it. A rattlesnake this big, this destructive, is incredible.

Just remember however: rattlers have a rattle to warn away predators.

Characterizing tumbleweeds as actual living creatures, like a strange dead-alive elemental, is beautiful and I love it. Native to Thunder Junction.

A big ol' bear that is going half-cactus because of some Thunder induced mutations! Native to Thunder Junction, again!

This one actually requires some thought! Yay! I feel based on his build that this centaur is from Theros and not say, Ravnica- the city of guilds has more modern war-horses, whereas this feels more like a wild horse design.

The Freestriders are the faction that get the least amount of lore presented about them. They aren't people who live out in the wilderness, but are people who go exploring and adventuring all the same.

After some deliberations, looking at art, and trying to source the design of that tattoo we see, I think I've gotta say this fine fellow is from the Atiin home plane.

This unmitigated disaster is from Kaladesh!

STEP ON THE GAS. STEP ON THE GAS. NO! HIT THE BREAKS!

Some people got mildly upset at this card, but I'm here to tell all you fine folk that despite what your instincts tell you, beaver DO exist in the great prairies of the old west. They're not as common because there's less water about for them to do their do, but these critters exist there too!

So this gold is gold found natively on Thunder Junction, so it goes on the list for that one, but you may be asking yourself: Zodi, where does this weirdo come from? He's not an Azra cause he doesn't have purple skin, he's not a Satyr since his horns are tiny baby idiot horns for babies, and he looks like a regular dude despite having pointed ears like an elf so surely he's not elven right?

Well, you'd be forgiven for not remembering it since it only shows up on like three or four cards, but this is actually just what elves look like on New Capenna. They have tiny little idiot baby horns and look more like humans than other elves do, it's just how things go.

Once upon a time, Order of the Stick made a joke about overburdening a hydra's regeneration so that you could turn it into a successful food stall. This feels like a less comedic version of that.

Native to Thunder Junction, which is fascinating. This is likely a thunder mutation since I don't imagine hydras are just naturally made of gold here.

Another wonderful cactus-folk, ready to defend his folk from any interlopers, one sawblade at a time.

Fun fact: if you want to play as a cactus-folk in DND, use the Thri-Kreen from Darksun.

This giant chimkin is clearly native to the plane... but isn't the actual subject of the art. Instead it's this weird paladin-ass looking guy with a big sword. Based on the flavor text I'm going to say he's Benalian, so from Dominaria.

Cards like this are a nice reminder that Magic definitely did try to approach this plane with good faith and an understanding of native perspectives, they just kinda fumbled it. More on that later.

... where does this guy come from? Well he's ridiculous strong and a nomad so I'm gonna say he's from Tarkir.

Combining the tumbleweed concept with Brushwaggs is a really fun idea, though I do wonder how these little armadillo faced idiots fair against the REAL tumbleweed elementals.

Native to the plane, obviously.

I'm honestly baffled this guy isn't an elf, considering everything. The most mention of the idea of "greenX" being a thing is from Zendikar, so this cactus-covered cultivator is from that plane. His big machete honestly fits it, too.

I've noticed a subtle mechanical theme in green about caring about Ferocious, and honestly I kinda like it. The last one of those was from Ikoria, and had similar vibes and a clear bond with a beast, so I think I'll say the same here.

This card is, by the flavor text, directly an Atiin person, and thus is from their home plane.

Also given the way Thunder Junction works, its time frame, and all that... how many worlds HAVE the Atiin visited before Thunder Junction? We know they're nomadic, and we know that they got to Thunder Junction basically immediately after the paths opened, so... presumably all the worlds they've visited past TJ are where the majority of the wandering folk still are. Hell, for all we know this card takes place on another plane, given she doesn't even have a HAT.

As much as I'd love to say this guy is one of the Alaran Rhox, I think it's far more likely he's from New Capenna.

The horseshoe chain-multiflail is one of my favorite weapons in the set.

Blep.

Native to Thunder Junction.

Play it again, Sam! Cactus means Thunder Junction!

I knew a piano player once. Having multiple limbs would make you such a good pianist.

Flavor fail no one has a gun in this art <sarcasm>

I do kinda wish we got to see more of the Cactus Folk Rage Forms though, that would have been cool.

Varmints are specifically called out as being a unique sort of pest from Thunder Junction, and that's what they are!

Still think they're convergent evolution of gremlins though.

Those Akroan bastards have ONE TRICK but damn if it doesn't work when they make use of it. This is of course from Theros. It is also probably my favorite card in the set.

Rattlewurms are native to the plane, so this magical curtain of molted snake-skin is too.

And that's it for post one. Tune in to like a couple minutes from now for part two!

[mamamittens]

Hi! I'm Andreas, with Koala and Kaku as serial killers. They have a paper bag with white, pop rock covered chocolate oranges. They have jolly ranchers, Swedish fish, malts and fireballs in there! We all share a black rose and hot damn, then chase it with a Jager bomb and brain hemorrhage.

Pick of the Lot (+18)

This ask is part of the Spooktober 2024 Event, for context!

Summary:

Andy had lived on the outskirts of his hometown all his life and would likely die here too. Never quite one for the city, he'd made his bones with a quiet, unassuming existence. Alone. But maybe not anymore. Two of his closest friends, from way back when he frequently raided wild berry brambles with a gap toothed smile, have rolled into town once more. And they claim they're there to stay. Just as promised.

The problem is that Andy doesn't remember any promise--and he better remember quickly. They're quite insistent he keeps up his end of the deal.

(Fae!yandere!Koala/Andy(OC)/Fae!yandere!Kaku)

(ask was changed by request shortly after sending it to Fae partners, I didn't just change it without asking lol)

Warnings: Dubious consent (fae magic bullshit), implied drugging, implied mind break, yandere vibes, anal, praise kink, rough sex, overstimulation, and breeding kink.

Word Count: 8,135

There was a house behind Andy’s.

It’s a little odd, if Andy was being honest. But odd like thinking he had placed the remote on the cushion next to they when it was, instead, in the floor, kind of odd. Something strange just to the left of normalcy yet familiar. Damn near mundane.

He could have sworn there was just woods back there—and to be honest there still was. The trees—having recovered from the forest fire some years past—practically eating the cozy two story house painted a dark, weathered green. It almost blended with the woods themselves, the grass tickling up the steps with moss and mushrooms flourishing at its feet. There was no real path up to what could only be the back porch. Just a vast stretch of yard until it hit the covered steps.

When the wind blew across the space between them, the tips of little white mushroom peaked in a meandering line. A small gap perfectly between their own back door and theirs.

Whoever they were.

Andy scrunched their nose, ignoring the way it made their scars itch.

It was weird.

The longer he stared the more their mind warred with itself.

There should not be a house there.

But there was always a house there.

He remembers hazily getting a scar on their knee tripping up those back steps in their excitement as a little boy. Crying as someone their age hushed them with an amused chuckle. In fact, Andy looked down and pulled up their pajama bottom, scanning their skin for the soft mark.

And there it was.

An odd, curving mark just below their kneecap.

Unsure what to make of this, Andy turned away and meandered back to their office. Hopeful that whatever strange confusion he was experiencing would resolve itself before he called for an ambulance. Back to their research project he was being paid good money for with all the ear markings of a ridiculously melodramatic wrap up.

Andy got out of the house plenty, but never really with other people. So, the most interesting part of their day usually consisted of whatever odd thing he picked up from the forest floor. Usually, weird sticks or shed animal horns. Sometimes pretty rocks. They all made good craft projects so he kept doing it. Sometimes he went into town to get stuff and people watched a little. It wasn’t much, but he found a nice living with it all the same. Occasionally he’d be called in to help find a lost kid—which he was weirdly good at and attributed to all their time spent in the forests back when he was a kid themself and now.

So, to have something so odd happen in their literal back yard was wild. Even worse was the dizzying sensation going through their head.

He knew the house.

But he hadn’t seen it there before in their life.

But he really, really had.

It made them nauseous. Forcing them to lean their head against the wall and close their eyes, chilled plaster sticking to their skin as he breathed in deep.

Memories flickered in their head. Faintly, at first, and then all at once.

A lifetime ago.

Their knees shook with the effort of pinning their face to the wall instead of the floor. Muscles trembling as a sickening tidal wave washed across their body. Heat pricking their skin and eyes as he gasped for air, the once refreshing coolness now like ice in their lungs. Walls and floors and walls and ceiling twisting together. The smack of hardwood against their face an echo of a memory.

Memory…

Andy remembered.

That was their best friends’ house and it had always been there.

Knock—KNOCK KNOCK!

Andy woke with a start, moaning in pain as it burned through their veins. A headache blooming with fury between their eyes. Spine protesting at the twisted angle he’d fallen asleep in—in the floor? Andy sputtered nonsensical sounds as he got to their knees, attempting to not throw up, certain that it would do little to help their predicament.

There was another series of barely polite knocks on the door, reminding Andy of what woke them up.

Knock-knock.

Wincing, he stood, bracing themself against the wall. With herculean effort and more colorful swears than sense, Andy managed to reach the front door.

Knock-Knock.

He froze, confused. The sound hadn’t come from the door in front of them. Not even a little bit.

With a whine that was barely managing to not be a plea for mercy, Andy turned towards the back door. Past their entryway, living room, dining room, and part of their kitchen. Dark shadows dancing in the twilight against the glass window, porch light left off despite being automatic.

Knock-knock!

The sadistically cheerful sound confirmed their fears and Andy reluctantly passed the couch—which sounded heavenly to pass out on right now—to answer the back door. It took some swaying and curses, but most of the terrible pain and nausea had passed by that point. Leaving them weak and sweating.

Andy pushed aside the deadbolt and unlocked the door, swinging it open gracelessly to greet their strange visitors.

The stranger’s figures were bathed in the soft light of their kitchen, backlit by the gentle violet light of the setting sun. One tall and one short. A man and a woman.

They looked familiar, which curiously made them nauseous again.

“H-Hello?” Andy whispered through a freshly pounding headache.

The man was tall and lean like a thin tree, face pleasantly smiling down at Andy. Long nose strangely angular but it suited him and his friendly demeanor. The man was dressed casually in unbranded sweats and hoodie a dark green color, blond hair pulled back under a baseball cap with mushrooms embroidered along the crown. His dark eyes gazed down at Andy with a depth that left them feeling as though he as drowning. A hundred different thoughts swimming in those eyes and none of which Andy could comprehend.

The woman was a fair bit shorter than her companion, but hardly was in danger of disappearing in his shadow. Vivid orange hair with mushroom clips keeping it out of her deep blue eyes and an expectant look about her. A cute orange overall dress over a brown sweater, vines and mushrooms dancing along the frilly hem. Her smile was sharp and piercing. Though she was pretty cute, she looked like someone prone to biting rather than kissing—somehow. Fiendish and mischievous.

Somehow, he knew it was the truth. Though he also somehow knew the opposite wasn’t strictly true for her companion.

“Hey, Andy. Been a while, huh?” The man spoke cheerfully despite Andy’s obvious confusion. “We finally moved back in!”

Andy’s confusion fell as their mind raced, eyes falling between the two to the house… The windows bright with inhuman light that pierced the dark forest like unblinking eyes.

The house that had not been there before always been waiting.

“Oh… Kaku? Koala? Is that you?” Andy felt their lips tremble around their names in mild alarm, not consciously deciding to speak at all but unable to stop.

The two grinned at their words and Andy felt water swirl between their ears.

He came to much more comfortably than he did before. Head braced on someone’s soft lap and a cold rag over their forehead, just barely covering their eyes.

“…hmmm?” he whimpered, struggling to sit up. Someone’s hand braced on their shoulder, keeping them vertical.

“Easy, Andy! You must have been overworking yourself again!” A woman chided them softly. “Honestly, we move away for a while and you really let yourself go!”

“Yeah, Andy. We really worried about you for a moment there!” A man huffed, steady hands carefully pulling them up. The rag fell and Andy blinked, realizing he was in their living room.

The woman sat on the couch beside them as a familiar man kneeled with a cup of tea.

“Kaku made you tea—it should help you feel better.” She spoke firmly, helping Andy cradle the cup of tea. He drank it without thinking and the relief was instant. It tasted warm and like honey, the sweetness sticking to their throat as it swept down to their belly.

“There we go—feel better yet, Andy?” Kaku asked with a warm smile.

“Y-Yeah… I…” Andy frowned, trying to remember what had made them feel like shit before. What terrible timing—just as their best friends moved back into town! “I don’t know what came over me.” He finally huffed, taking another sip.

“We can tell! Must be one of those colds going round these days. Have you been getting enough sleep? Eating right?” Koala demanded with a cute frown. Andy smiled sheepishly.

“W-Well, I thought I was! Guess not… what made you guys move back after…?” Andy trailed off, a frown growing.

After what?

Why did they move away again?

Gentle hands tapped theirs, brushing the teacup higher to remind them of it. Andy reflexively smiled and took another sip. He admired the delicate blades of grass and mushrooms that danced along the rim. Made the cup very whimsical and pleasing in the light. Each mushroom colorful and different from the next, almost fantastical though he suspected they were real.

“We really missed you, Andy. I’m glad you came back.” Kaku cheered with a wide grin. Andy saw it falter as Koala shot him a dirty look. “Anyway! Did you miss us?” he asked suddenly with a mischievous look.

Andy’s headache bloomed faintly but another sip drowned it out.

“I… yeah. Every day. You’re my best friends, you know.” Andy huffed, a little offended by the implication that he wouldn’t miss them.

“We missed you too, Andy!” Kaku reassured them. “You should come over—like the good old days!”

Andy frowned for a moment, trying to remember what the inside of their house looked like.

He’d never actually gone in before, had he?

No. Andy knew he hadn’t…

Actually, now that he thought about it, wasn’t the house further back before too? Or was it just time that made the distance seem so big?

It had to be. Obviously.

It had always been there, after all. Andy just ignored it before now because it hurt to think of the empty house without their best friends in it.

The explanation settled in their chest oddly but soothed them, nonetheless.

“S-Sure… maybe when I feel better. I’d hate to throw up on your carpet.” Andy excused, ignoring the strangely anxious feeling squirming in their gut at the thought of going inside their house.

It was just the newness of it, that’s all. New situations always made Andy feel a little anxious at first.

Koala’s smile faltered a little bit as she huffed.

“What, think we’d be bad hosts, Andy? You don’t need to worry about being sick with us—we’ll take good care of you, like we promised!” Koala grinned with narrowed eyes, her words vaguely threatening.

“Promised?” Andy mused, wrinkling their nose in thought.

“Yeah, that promise we made—that you made when we were kids!” Kaku agreed, his eyes also a little narrowed like he was searching for something from Andy.

“Sorry guys, I don’t really remember a promise. It was a long time ago though… Hmm… kids, huh? Was it to be friends forever or something like that?” Andy asked, taking another sip of their tea. He looked out the window, realizing it was night time now, the distant street lamp at the end of their driveway flickering in the dark. Moths crowding the pale gold light, the full moon high above the tree line. Thinking on it, he wondered how he missed them moving in. What with their house being right behind Andy’s. He must have been sick for a long time, to have missed the moving trucks.

But there wasn’t a driveway for their house, was there?

Andy took a contemplative sip of tea and the thought drifted away, troubling them no longer.

Kaku chuckled, falling onto the seat next to Andy. Arm tossed carelessly over Andy’s shoulders.

“Ah, it was so cute! You swore it, you know—that promise! Parents were pretty pissed though—” Koala hissed something sharp and low, interrupting Kaku’s rambling as he jumped, his smile now apologetic. “But you should come over! We’ll make dinner and catch up! It’s been a long time, after all!”

“Maybe la—”

Andy’s phone rang, the ringtone obnoxiously loud from the hallway. He jumped up, setting down the teacup—actually, he didn’t own teacups, so where…?—and raced to answer their phone with mild difficulty.

It was on the floor, having been forgotten there in their earlier fall.

“Andy speaking!” he huffed somewhat breathlessly.

“Oh—hi! I’ve been calling you for ages now! Did you get the documents I asked for? Got a deadline coming up and it’s taking longer than normal—you said they should be easy to find?” A woman asked curiously, her tone somewhat worried.

“Oh—OH! Yeah, they are—I was just looking for anything else I might have missed before I got sick. I’ll look over everything and send it to you here in a bit. Maybe after eating some food? But—yeah, I’ll have them soon—sorry about the wait!” Andy sputtered, a little flustered.

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear about that! And as long as it’s before… hmm, let’s say before Friday you should be good!” She responded kindly.

“That’s about… two days? Oh, that’s plenty of time. Thank you, I’ll get right on it!” Andy promised before hanging up with a placid goodbye. “Sorry about that, guys—work call--?” Andy hobbled back to the living room to find it empty.

Lone teacup left on the table the only indication anyone had been there save a delicately handwritten note.

He picked it up and noted it felt like parchment.

“Sorry we had to leave so abruptly, dear heart. Our time was cut a little shorter than expected and we had to return. Dinner tomorrow night? Yours, as promised, Kaku and Koala~” Andy read out.

“…That promise again.” Andy huffed, trying to remember what he had promised.

It was so long ago, their memories of childhood fuzzy after that fire.

He paused.

A fire?

Yeah… there was a fire, wasn’t there? Andy glanced down at the remains of their tea. The dark liquid gleaming gold in the light. Flecks of something swirling inside almost hypnotizing them.

Andy felt the headache begin to return but opted to take ibuprofen instead, pouring out the last of the tea. It was probably ice cold anyway.

The house behind Andy’s a dark, looming shadow. Mushrooms forming a tight line that curved into the woods around the house, their tops silver in the clouded moonlight.

Andy felt a tight stab of some complicated emotion in their chest. Something like deep, childish fear. Like he needed to run as fast and far as he could.

The house seemed closer.

Andy grabbed their walking cane and a snack before retreating to their office to finish up work.

Tying up this last job before sleep sounded like a good idea—better than lingering on why he felt so… afraid of his best friends’ house.

Andy had bought their childhood home after it had been left abandoned for years—ever since they’d moved away actually. Their parents oddly against the purchase.

Andy wondered if Koala and Kaku’s parents had simply given it to them—actually, Andy realized he couldn’t remember meeting their parents before. Were they… did they even have the same parents? He didn’t know. They never claimed to be siblings, now that he thought about it. Or even cousins.

Not once.

It was always just them.

Waiting on the back porch.

Asking Andy to come inside and play.

Sleep was barely an escape from their troubled thoughts.

The smell of fresh wood and blood sinking into their nose. Flashes of days in the sun, running around with their best friends.

“You have such an active imagination!” Andy’s mom commented with a laugh as she washed dishes. “What’d you play today, baby?”

“Kaku and Koala played tag—but they’re cheaters and kept going into their house! You said I’m not allowed inside someone’s house until you meet their parents—they know that!” Andy pouted, poking at the bandage on their knee. “Skinned my knee on their porch step but Kaku said this would help.” Andy showed off the bandage. Their mom paused, putting aside the plate she had been washing and drying off her hands before looking at it.

“… baby, where did you get honey? Who…?”

“Kaku, momma! I told you—they live back there, remember? He got it from inside his house when I wouldn’t go it—just like you told me not to!” Andy sighed, a little frustrated at their mom’s poor memory. She looked troubled as she stood and looked out the back door. “Right there, mom! How’d you forget?”

“…have those mushrooms been there this whole time?” Andy heard her mumble before she turned towards them. “Baby, what house?” He huffed and with all the grace in their knobby-kneed body, stomped over and pointed just past the tree line.

“Right there! Momma, do you need glasses? They got the lights on and everything!” Andy looked up from the faint figure of their best friends waving at him to find her looking in horror. “Momma?”

“Baby, there’s never been a house—”

Andy woke covered in sweat and gagging. Reaching instinctively towards the waste basket by the bed as they threw up. It was thick and burning down their throat. Unnaturally dark, though not the color of blood thankfully.

No, it was dark and thick like honey but tasted rancid.

It took three tries of brushing their teeth to get rid of the taste. Afterwards, Andy felt ravenous but oddly reluctant to eat anything. Nothing looked good. But it wasn’t even midday, so Andy shoved down half a sleeve of saltine crackers with cheese and called it good enough to shower without the risk of passing out.

Showering with hot water felt like a blessing. Muscles oddly overworked everywhere suddenly relaxing with such force he nearly collapsed. He felt a little pathetic, but sitting while washing their hair was nearly a religious experience. Andy had never felt so clean, though it definitely took far longer than normal to pull off.

Andy ended up putting on sweats and calling it a day, secure in the knowledge they’d sent off the documents before going to bed and could now catnap on the couch. Which they did and fuck was it damn near magical. The odd sickness leaving their body with every passing hour.

In the hazy blanket of sleep, Andy’s mind swirled around the house behind theirs.

It had been there. At least for Andy… but his mom hadn’t seen it before, had she? Their parents never commented on it’s odd closeness before. Or the kids he played with that lived there. Andy knew that for certain. The particulars were blurred though. And it took until nearly sunset for Andy to remember that there had been a fire back there.

He couldn’t remember it well, but the woods had definitely been set ablaze. He could remember their mother’s desperate hold onto them as the fire grew. Tugging them away as he cried. Her words muddled but firm.

“—not safe—they won’t take my baby!”

They moved after that, didn’t they?

Andy sighed, relaxing into the soft cushions.

Knock-knock!

Andy startled, shaken abruptly from their thoughts at the familiar knock. Sighing, he stood up and made their way to the back door.

Kaku and Koala were there again, dressed identically to the day before.

“Hey guys, forgot you were coming over—let me throw a shirt on or something.” Andy laughed, stepping aside to let them in. They walked in with pleased smiles, Kaku noticing the teacup sitting out to dry.

“Oh, did you finish your tea, by the way?” Kaku asked. Andy shook their head.

“No, it was pretty cold by the time I got off the phone and you were both gone. I didn’t even hear you leave—sorry about that. Washed it before bed though!” Andy smiled, their expression faltering under the combined displeasure Kaku and Koala were displaying. “Something wrong?”

Kaku recovered first.

“No! Of course not, thanks for washing it. We wanted to remind you about dinner.” Kaku laughed, brushing his hand over Koala’s shoulder with a sharp look. “How about we let you get dressed and you bring it over when you’re ready!” he suggested pleasantly.

Andy pursed their lips.

They were quite hungry. But would hate to go over only to find out that nothing they were serving seemed appetizing.

“I don’t know, Kaku. Got sick when I woke up and nothing’s caught my fancy all day.” Andy confessed sheepishly. Koala instantly looking worried.

“You haven’t eaten all day?” She asked softly, her leftover frustration bleeding out into concern.

“Half a sleeve of crackers and cheese, but that’s it. Not sure I could keep anything down right now—I’m sorry. I know you two were really looking forward to dinner.” Andy apologized as gently as he could.

Koala huffed.

“Good thing we made soup! Goes down easy and we even have heavier sides if you think you can handle it!” Koala protested, but Andy shook their head. “Ugh! Fine! How about you return the teacup and, if dinner smells amazing—which it will!—you join us! Like. You. Promised!” she hissed at the end, her eyes dark pools of frustration.

Andy took an alarmed step back and her face instantly shifted into a petulant frown, Kaku’s hand firm on her shoulder with a dark look. But he also changed his expression upon seeing the alarm on Andy’s face.

“She’s just excited, dear. Ignore her. Come on over when you’re ready with the teacup and we can take it from there!” Kaku sighed.

“Why not take it with you--?” Andy asked but they retreated from the kitchen hastily, glancing back with longing in their eyes. Leaving Andy half dressed in their kitchen with a teacup he—apparently—needed to return themselves.

Left feeling a little… oddly out of the loop, Andy decided to do as they were asked. Changing into more appropriate clothes, a warm, red sweater he’d been endlessly fond of for over a year now, and worn jeans. Grabbing their walking cane just in case of unexpected holes in the yard and carefully cradling the teacup in the other hand.

Still, Andy couldn’t help but pause at the end of their porch. Anxiety swirling in their guts with increasing intensity.

Something was wrong. He just… didn’t know what it was.

Koala and Kaku’s house was gently illuminated, the back porch cast in a strange, silvery light that caught the line of mushrooms between their houses. The moon clouded high above the forest. It occurred to Andy then how strange it was that he couldn’t see into their house. Their windows always dark as pitch or glowing with light. Vague shadows dancing in a window here or there, but otherwise nothing to identify what was happening inside. And, curiously, it looked identical to their own house—now that he thought about it.

A literal dark reflection.

Perhaps he hadn’t thought about it before then because he had assumed they were built around the same time. Houses build in groups were like that, sometimes. Nearly identical in build save the outer façade. But as he carefully made their way down the back steps, he noticed that the other house even had latticework along the ground, overgrown as the grass and mushrooms were. Broken in exactly the same place as their own, where a stray dog had broken in during the winter freeze for shelter.

It was confusing and somewhat dizzying as Andy made their way across the backyard. Pausing just before the line of mushrooms, eyeing the small gap between the thick clusters.

Like a little doorway.

The thought caught in their head. Stuck and wouldn’t budge for anything. That swell of fear returning with a vengeance.

Suddenly, Andy wanted to turn around and never look back.

Sell their old childhood home without even bothering to pack.

It felt like it Andy walked through the mushrooms, he’d never return from them again.

They shifted back uncertainly. Unsure where this depth of conviction came from, their breath heavy in the chilled air.

“Hey! Are you going to stand there all night or come in?” Koala barked from the now open doorway, gold light spilling out from behind her. Instinctively, Andy moved.

If their cane hadn’t been braced into the earth behind them, they would have moved backwards. Away from the mushrooms. But it had been.

And Andy stepped forward, their words sputtering into nothing as they passed the threshold.

It was like a wave of warmth had swept over them. The chill of the air no longer threatening as a smile formed on their lips unbidden.

“I… Sorry, Koala, got… lost in thought.” Andy struggled to excuse themselves, shaking their head and walking up to the back porch. The smell of fresh, hot dinner wafting over them. It smelled like damn good soup and bread. Wasn’t certain what kind though, perhaps if he got closer? Their stomach rumbling with interest as they finally made it up the steps with a smile. “Smells good. What kind of soup is it?” he asked with genuine interest.

Koala’s smile was bright and sharp.

“Chicken and fresh rolls with salad!”

Andy loved chicken soup!

“Are you joining us, then, Andy? Think you can stomach it tonight?” Kaku inquired, poking his head from behind the door with a mischievous smile. Koala shot him a dirty look. “He has to come in eventually, Koala. Relax.”

Faintly, that well of fear drifted up again at the strangely insistent reminder about going inside. It felt strange. Like… it was a step he couldn’t take back but also… too late?

“I…” Andy frowned, confused about that incredibly dull stab of fear in their chest. The food smelled good. The company so welcoming. So what was the holdup? Soft hands cradled his wrists, Koala’s face peering up at their own with an unusual intensity.

Eyes wide and haunting, threatening to swallow him hole as she called out in a lifeless voice.

“Aren’t you going to come in? It’s raining so hard.” She said, the words tumbling into Andy’s ears with a strange, echoing quality to it.

Denial was quick to spring to their lips, but before they could say anything to the contrary, there was a heavy pounding of rain onto the porch. They looked back, startled. Finding a thick sheet of rain pouring down so hard he couldn’t see anything beyond the wooden steps. Just a wall of rain so fierce Andy was certain they wouldn’t be able to walk in it at all.

It still smelled like chicken soup, though. Not a speck of rain despite the deluge just behind them. Andy heard Kaku click his tongue as Koala tugged him forward gently.

And Andy followed her into the doorway. Light blinding as he stepped inside, still so confused.

The door slammed shut the moment he passed the threshold. Darkness instantly falling over them in an icy wave that made their bones ache.

Andy was left standing, leaning on their cane with a fearful cry of alarm before soft hands cupped his face.

“Oops! Sorry, dear!” Kaku’s voice washed over him. “Someone got a little too excited!” between one blink and the next, the light returned.

Normal this time. Cozy without being blinding. Illuminating a space that was strangely dizzying to behold at first. Blearily, Andy was—for some reason—relieved it looked nothing like their own home. The hallway long and covered in quaint forested wallpaper. Andy swore that the grass moved and the trees swayed, but their attention was forcefully taken by Kaku patting their cheek.

“There we are!” Kaku said cheekily. “Sorry about all that. Should have finished your tea!” he chirped before pulling Andy down the hallway.

A hallway… Andy thought it was strange to have such a long hallway to the back door. And it seemed so much bigger than the house should have to begin with. A glance behind them showing it was cast in darkness. The shadows of leaves dancing in the space behind them. Something Andy reluctantly dismissed as a hallucination of some kind.

“Took you long enough! Come on, sit! Sit! It’s time to eat!” Koala’s voice called from a doorway ahead of them. Light spilling into the hall like a beacon. Kaku plucked the teacup out of Andy’s hand and ushered them forward.

“I’ll get you more tea.”

“That’s alright—” Andy protested but Kaku clicked his tongue with a chiding look.

“And leave you without anything to drink?” he asked.

The dining room was massive, the table inside almost comedically small for the space. Just big enough for three around the round, dark wood carved intricately with leaves and mushrooms. Matching chairs with plush seats in dark green. The chandelier above them a soft, curling bell shape with no clear point of light. Crystals hanging from the edges like dewdrops. Kaku quickly ducked out of the doorway on the far wall with a pot of tea that matched the now filled teacup.

It was clear upon closer inspection that it was part of a set. All the dishware filled with cute mushrooms and brushed leaves along the rim. Even the silverware engraved with the design. Bowls filled with amber colored soup and tantalizing bits of chicken and vegetables. Side dishes as promised displayed on their own large platters. Portions already dolled out. Thick, fabric napkins folded to the side underneath the silverware.

It was incredibly fancy and inviting as the chair was pulled out for Andy.

“You didn’t need to do all this.” Andy replied weakly. “I’d have been happy with a microwave pizza.” He laughed. The two chuckled but shook their heads.

“No, no! For our first meal together? Never!” Koala chuckled, taking a seat alongside Kaku. “Eat up—you’ll need your strength!” she tittered.

Rather than question the odd statement, Andy took a bite of their soup.

It was perfect. Juicy and savory, cooked to perfection and nearly falling apart on their fork. Unlike earlier protests, it went down like a dream. The same way the bread and salad did with small sips of the tea Kaku had brought out.

“So, how have you been?” Andy asked curiously, biting into a bread roll with a honey butter glaze on top. They were eating at a sedate pace, likely used to such luxurious fare.

“Alright. Missed you terribly though.” Koala sighed. “To think, we could have been like this all this time—if it hadn’t of been for that fire.” She sneered, her lovely expression twisting abruptly. It was alarming—but more alarming was the fact that Kaku made the same expression. Not even apologizing or chiding Koala for making such a frightening face.

“Your mom was sharp once she realized what was happening. If she hadn’t been looking out for you—well, we’re still furious, but if someone was threatening you a little arson would be the least of what we’d do.” Kaku huffed. Andy paused, a question forming in their throat. “Drink your tea, dear. It’s easier that way.”

“E-Easier? The fire… that was my mom?” Andy questioned. Kaku and Koala shared a look.

“Well, we did bring it up. And before he finished the tea, too.” Koala shrugged. “So yes. Your mom started the fire. Distracted us enough for her to take you away. But you’d already promised by then, so this? Was going to happen eventually.” Koala sniffed.

Andy felt the room shift. The sound of leaves rattling together overwhelming—but he was inside, wasn’t he?

“Hey.” Andy looked at Kaku’s gentle expression. The man’s hand pushing theirs to the teacup. “What’d I say? Drink your tea, dear.”

“…what’s in the tea?” he whispered. Kaku’s smile thinned, eyes narrowing to slits as the lights flickered. “P-Please, I just… I’m scared and I don’t know why.” Andy begged softly.

Kaku and Koala’s expressions softened. The two relaxing and breathing out a sigh in sync.

“Magic. Magic and blood, dear.” Kaku informed them softly. “Traveling to our realm is hard on mortals. So this is… think of it as… easing the way? All those scary, frightening things you keep seeing out of the corner of your eye—it all gets washed away. Keeps you… happy, I suppose. We don’t want you screaming and crying as we drag you under.” Kaku explained finally. Andy looked at the teacup in horror.

“D-Drag me under?” Andy breathed out, heart thundering as he realized he could see things in the edges of his view.

“No—no no! None of that, Andy, baby!” Koala broke through their thoughts as she rushed over to their side, lifting up the cup. “You can’t go back—the way through is forward. I know drinking blood is a little gross for you, but it’s ours. Just like you are. You swore with your own blood, baby. Ever since then, it was only a matter of time.” Koala spoke softly, forcing Andy’s hand to cup the teacup and lift it to their lips.

“Drink, Andreas.” Kaku ordered, Andy’s body moving without thought.

Instantly, he relaxed, their breathing and heartbeat evening out. Alarm distant and muffled as he looked to Kaku for answers. Koala’s fingers brushing away their tears softly.

“You gave us your name, baby.” Kaku smiled softly, almost indulgently. “Names have a lot of power. Now, don’t you feel better, Andy?” he nodded, head growing fuzzy.

“Stop fighting it and drink, idiot.” Koala huffed, tapping their wrist.

“I-It’s not going to hurt me—right?” Andy asked softly, desperate to believe their best friends had only good intentions. “W-Why are you… taking me?”

Kaku sighed sadly, shoulders falling as he smiled softly.

“We’ve never hurt you. And we’re not really taking you, if you came willingly, right?” Kaku asked teasingly. “You promised forever.” He spoke into the room with a weight that suffocated Andy.

Dizzy with fear and confusion, Andy finished the cup of tea. The moment he choked down the last dreg, the weight lifted.

“W-What do you even do with forever?” Andy mused, a little lightheaded and lost in the moment. Koala chuckled, kissing his hair.

“Whatever you want!” She sang with elation. “You grew up so well, Andy! I think it’s time for another round of tag, don’t you?” she teased with narrowed eyes.

Kaku choked on a laugh.

“That’s mean, Koala. You know he can’t leave.” Kaku chided, giving Andy a meaningful look. “Do you still want to leave, Andy?”

Andy faltered, uncertain of how to answer.

“I… feel like I should but…” Andy swallowed hard. “I really can’t?” Andy asked softly. Kaku’s smile grew sharp.

“Well, maybe if you find the door you could make it out.” Kaku mused playfully. “We’ll even give you a head start. Find the front door and leave the circle… then we’ll let you go.”

“…If I don’t?” Andy asked softly, aware suddenly the table was empty. He had been eating something, right?

Koala laughed.

“Then you stay! We get to keep you! One last game to decide—since you apparently forgot everything. Don’t say we don’t play fair, Andy!” Koala jeered cheekily.

“But you guys cheated all the time!” Andy protested without thinking, but rather than be pissed, it merely sent Koala into a fit of giggles.

“So you won’t play the game, Andy? You’ll just… accept it?” Kaku asked, hands clasped together over his lips but failing to hide his smile.

Andy huffed.

“Fine! I’ll play—even though I know you’ll cheat!” He responded with a whine.

“It’s not impossible for you to win, Andy. You just need to think.” Koala hinted before the lights went out.

The darkness held for several moments before flickering back on. The room empty of table and occupants. Leaving Andy sitting alone on a chair. Not even their walking cane by their side—though he suspected that they weren’t so cruel that he’d need it to leave.

“Better start looking, Andy. Before we start looking for you.” Kaku’s voice called out from all around them.

Andy huffed, shuffling out of the room with a wary eye for any tricks.

The hallway out of the room was curiously well illuminated, but seemed infinitely long. Remembering the direction he came in, Andy almost took that side but hesitated.

Obviously, it wasn’t going to be that simple. It didn’t take very long to reach the dining room on the way in—so there’s no way they’d be so teasing about it if it was the same going out. Still, Andy hurried along, huffing as he noticed the far doorway never got any closer.

Certain they were fucking with him, Andy opened a random door only to find an identical hallway stretching out past where his eyes could make sense of it.

He paused, trying to think.

They wouldn’t lie to him outright. So there had to be a real way to leave.

Andy looked around, examining the walls again.

It was a strangely lively scene of the forest, though simplified for the cute wallpaper. Varying hues of greens dotted with colorful mushrooms along the bottom between blades of grass. Branches swaying above with leaves dripping down towards the floor. But it wasn’t entirely simplified. There was a soft rim light of silver along one side.

Moonlight.

Andy was in the forest… sort of. And the moon was on the opposite side of their own house to Kaku and Koala’s.

“Time’s almost up~” Koala cackled from somewhere nearby.

Andy hurried, goal now in sight as he followed the subtle signs of moonlight along the wallpaper, pausing as it encased the edges of the plant life entirely around a door. Opening it, he found another hallway, but the wallpaper seemed softer. The light breaking through in beams. And Andy took that as their cue to go faster. The end of the hallway actually getting closer.

“Ready or not~! Here we come!” Kaku called out startlingly loud as Andy nearly screamed, trying their best to run full tilt down the hallway. He nearly slammed into the door, opening it with a relieved sigh to find a clear view to their house. He stepped out into the crisp air with urgency, eager to feel the dry grass under their feet as they cleared the steps.

Only for strong arms to loop around their chest and heave up.

“Whoop! Almost, baby!” Kaku laughed as Andy let out a startled screech.

“I-I made it out!” He protested, feeling Kaku’s breath on their neck.

“Mmmm, not quite~! Had to leave the circle to win!” Kaku teased, hauling Andy back into the house, the door slamming shut. Kaku pinned Andy to the door with his body, pressing his lips into Andy’s neck. “Oh, you are such a good player, Andy~! I was afraid it was just because we were so young—but no! You’re still so clever!” Kaku praised them.

“And you’re still a cheater!” Andy huffed, squirming against the door as Kaku slipped his hands under Andy’s sweater. Hot palms pressed against their ribs.

“You’re just grumpy we won!” Kaku laughed, rubbing up Andy’s chest. “Now for the prize!”

“H-Hey! I-I thought I was just stuck here!” Andy huffed, a whine slipping into their voice as Kaku’s hands drifted down to their pants. Teasing under the band in firm strokes. “N-Not whatever this is!��

Kaku laughed again, much deeper this time.

“You didn’t think we’d play tag forever, did you?” Kaku asked. “No~ The games we play grow up with us, Andy! And I’ve been looking forward to this game for years!” Kaku cooed, slipping his hand into Andy’s underwear, cupping their cock.

Andy let slip a startled moan, their hands curling against the wood door uselessly.

“N-Not a game, Kaku!” Andy protested hoarsely, only for Kaku to laugh, palm stroking over their cock. Teasing them to full arousal.

“Oh? But I’m having so much fun!” Kaku sighed, pressing his palm harder against Andy’s cock, kissing their throat as they moaned weakly. “And I think you are too!” Kaku pulled Andy’s hips away from the door, prying their pants down to keep harshly stroking their cock. Grinding against Andy’s ass, making them bounce into the firm grip around their cock.

“K-Kaku!” Andy protested.

“Really, at the door, Kaku?” Koala called out dryly. Andy looked back with tears in their eyes and her expression fell open into surprise. “Well! If it’s like that—here, this should be better.” Koala smirked, reaching out and opening a door to her side. Kaku sighed, roughly picking Andy up and hauling them away from their only means of escape wearing only their sweater.

The room Koala had opened up was a bedroom with a lush interior. Fancy and entirely in dark wood and greens. Mushroom décor dotting the room in cute touches.

Andy was shoved onto the bed gracelessly, pushed onto their back and stripped of their sweater by Koala. She laughed at his flustered state and slipped her panties off, throwing herself onto their lap.

Andy, horribly flustered, grabbed her hips and tried to lift her off. But she threw down her weight and ground her wet pussy against their cock. Grinding into it hard enough that she could remove their hands with ease and pin them to the bed with it. Rolling her cunt against them eagerly. Andy felt Kaku’s hands under their thighs, parting their legs and teasing the slick that gathered onto their cock lower.

“There we are, what a cute face~” Kaku purred. “We’ve been wanting to ride you for so long.” He sighed, slipping his fingers into Andy.

He gasped, arching up into Koala’s pussy, making her moan in shock. Her hips jolting forward to drown the tip in hot cream.

“O-Oh—feels that good, huh?” Koala sighed. “You have no idea what kind of face you’re making. Never want to leave now, do you?”

“Of course, they don’t. Why would they when it feels this good to stay?” Kaku huffed, reaching down to raise up Andy’s hips. “Together?”

“Together.” Koala confirmed, raising her hips up as a firm hand lifted Andy’s cock up. Something firm and cool pressing between his cheeks.

Andy couldn’t speak as they slid into Andy at the same time. Koala’s pussy so hot and tight around them but Kaku’s thick cock shockingly cool. The conflicting feelings sending Andy reeling as he threw their head back with a lewd moan.

“W-Wait~ oOoooh!” Andy whined, shaking as their cock throbbed inside Koala’s pussy, hips jerking with no clear relief from the pleasure. Up into Koala or down onto Kaku’s cock, he had no means of escaping them. Koala holding his hands with a frighteningly tight grasp.

“Oh, poor baby~ Feels so good with us, doesn’t it?” Koala asked softly, grinding onto their cock and forcing Andy to ride Kaku with shuddering jerks. “This is what you were running from, can you believe it? Taking us so well, you feel so good, Andy.”

Kaku huffed, lifting up Andy’s ass a little more to fuck them harder.

“S-So fucking good—Hnnngh~! So tight, you’re close, aren’t you? Gonna cum in her, baby? OH! S-Shit that was tight—” Kaku swore, slamming his cock in hard enough for his balls to smack against Andy’s ass. He leaned over Koala’s shoulder with a wide grin, face red as he ground into Andy. “Y-You like that? W-What’s got you all wound up, baby? Want to fill her up? Don’t bother trying to lie when I’m so deep in your cute ass, baby~” Kaku pressed a cheeky grin into Koala’s shoulder as she gave Andy an assessing look.

“I can feel you too, you know. H-How much you like the thought of it.” Koala sighed, riding Andy’s cock harder. “C’mon, baby. T-Talk to us—you want to cum inside me, don’t you?”

“Y-Yeah—oooh, K-Koala—I do! L-Let me, let me b-br…” Andy whined, trailing off as their face grew hot, burying it into the bedding beside them.

“Oh?” Koala and Kaku called out in unison.

“What a dirty boy~” Kaku laughed. “You want to breed her? Like the thought of that, huh? What about me, baby? Think I could breed you too—ooooh!” Kaku moaned, laughing as Andy clenched hard onto his cock.

“I think he does want you to, Kaku.” Koala laughed. “He’d look so cute being bred, don’t you think?” she asked as Andy whined, cock throbbing hard she bounced on it faster.

“Go ahead, Andy. You can be bred together, isn’t that nice?” Kaku panted. “Getting filled up at the same time, all of us, together? We can keep going until it takes—we’ve got forever after all.”

Andy moaned, struggling beneath them both as they panted. Body quivering as they were pushed over the edge. Cock pulsing as they spilled into Koala’s hot pussy. Kaku and Koala both slamming into them as they came. Kaku’s thick cock pouring into Andy with dizzyingly cool cum, every inch felt along their walls.

But Andy didn’t get to luxuriate in sensations, the two of them swiftly moving again. Andy’s body quickly becoming overstimulated between the thick spread of their walls and tight clench on their cock.

“Ah—Ah? K-Kaku?! K-Koala?!” Andy protested thickly, looking up at them. The room strangely dim and their eyes glowing with intent.

“You think only once would do it, baby?” Kaku asked darkly. “We’re not there yet—if we stopped now you’ll be so frightened and empty. Let us distract that pretty body, Andy.”

“Can’t think about where you are when you’re being fucked this good—bred this good, can you?” Koala laughed, throwing her ass back onto Andy’s cock. “B-Besides, we’ve waited for so long to feel you like this. Why not enjoy this a little longer, baby?”

Koala’s pussy dripped onto Andy with a mess of cum as the two of them rode Andy harder.

“Y-yesss, just like that. Enjoy it, Andreas. It only gets better as you go.” Kaku hissed, pulling out another harsh orgasm. “Gotta breed you right, don’t we, baby? Fill that cute ass up—what a mess you’re making! M-Maybe it’ll stick if we keep going. You’d like that, wouldn’t you? I-I think I’d like that too—breed that cute ass—”

“K-Kaku—ooooh~! Oh! O-Oh, Kaku, p-please!” Andy whined, grasping Koala’s hands hard as they jerked into her pussy. “F-Fill me up, please—so good—mmmn~!” Koala leaned down and kissed Andy. Shoving her tongue onto theirs as she moaned, grinding onto their cock furiously. Andy’s cock throbbed painfully, somehow still hard as they came again. Cum dripping out and onto Kaku, who moaned with a laugh.

“B-Breeding her good, huh? S-So good it’s all coming down and being fucked back into you—what a good boy. You’re not wasting anything, are you?” Kaku laughed, eyes dark slits that caught the light like knives. “What a good boy, guess you deserve to be bred, huh? Don’t you, baby?” Kaku grunted, hilting again to spill into Andy’s overwhelmed body.

Andy could only whine as they continued their rough pace. Muscles aching as they were fucked into the bed.

Andy had no idea how long this ‘trip’ would take. But it was apparent that they intended to fuck them until it did and there was no escape—

If there ever was to begin with.

“P-Please, yes! M-More!” And Andy didn’t want them to stop. “P-Promised to be yours forever!”

Koala laughed against their lips. Her eyes burning into them.

“You really did, baby~ Forever and ever~!” she moaned, cumming onto Andy’s cock, head tossed back. “R-Really keeping your word—so we’ll keep ours. Anything you want, it’s yours.” Kaku pushed up Andy’s knees pinning Koala to Andy’s chest. His face flushed over Koala’s shoulder.

“And you wanted to be bred, didn’t you, Andreas. Take it, then. Every inch of my cock—it’s y-yours! Bred you like a good boy.” Kaku slammed into Andy’s ass, forcing them to take his thick cock in deep as he came hard. Only to grind into Andy’s limp body with a cruel laugh. “S-Still not there yet~! Still not bred yet~!” Kaku sang, Koala moaning into Andy’s throat as she struggled to ride them in her pinned position.

Andy wailed hoarsely, closing their eyes as they gave into the relentless waves of pleasure. No clear end in sight.

And Andy didn’t want there to be.

[literary-illuminati]

Book Review 28 – Finna by Nino Cipri

This was another slim book I picked up basically blind entirely so I had something fast on hand to read. Unfortunately, didn’t work out nearly so well for me as most of the other’s I’ve read. Which is a shame, because the fundamental idea behind it is incredible, or at least seemed like an excuse for a kind of ridiculous pulpy adventure that was just made for me.

So, the story’s about a pair of 20-something queer dead-enders working at a bigbox furniture story that is similar to but legally distinct from Ikea. The Monday after they broke up, they find themselves both working a shift at the same time. And, even more awkwardly, after a transient wormhole forms and a customer wanders into a parallel universe’s not!Ikea, the two of them are volunteered to go rescue the wold woman. From this follows adventures through wild and deadly alternate realities, self-discovery, realizing how much there is out in the world, post-breakup reconciliation, a moment of dramatic self-actualization-through-heroic-sacrifice, and so on and et cetera.

Now, there are good qualities to this book, but I will be honest that the weeks since I’ve read it have dulled my memory of everything except the petty annoyances. So this review is basically just going to be complaining about what I thought didn’t work or irked me out of all proportion to its significance. Okay? Okay.

So fundamentally this feels like this could have been a fun, cheesy absurd comedy about some #relatable millennials trapped in retail purgatory and all its kafkaesque upbeat cheer. Tragically it was written by someone whose memories or ideas of what that’s like were warped by too many years on twitter and around people being professionally writer for the book to ever really ring true (to me, at least).

Or, possibly better put, it felt like the book was trying to tell me what sort of story it was and what emotional journeys its characters were going on and what it was trying to satirize more than it ever followed through on any of it? Which is pretty unhelpfully vague as a complain, I’m aware.

More concretely, the emotional arc of the two leads just felt incredibly rushed – these did not feel like two people who had had a messy breakup after an incredible hurtful argument three days before! They were, at most, slightly awkward around each other, and inside of fifty pages they were friends again. Which was just deeply emotionally unsatisfying for what the back cover sold the book as, or for my own desire for my messy drama generally. More generally, they both theoretically have flaws, but you only know this because the narration keeps explicitly saying what they are and how they’re growing past them instead of them ever really, like, meaningfully fucking them over or causing them to be unsympathetic.

Our protagonist also just had an utter surfeit of self-knowledge – her internal monologue sometimes reads more like the author’s notes on the character’s passions, neuroses and flaws than anything anyone would actually think about themselves. Especially someone in her position. And all the therapy-speak just really made me grind my teeth (not least because whatever the book says, there’s no way she’d able to afford the regular therapist sessions she apparently has on regular retail wages. Which is a minor thing but a) it really does annoy me, and b) it feels telling.)

And, fundamentally, the book just kind of took itself too seriously? Or, more properly, given how utterly absurd the premise and most of the set-pieces were, it just wasn’t nearly funny enough. Or horrifying enough, if you wanted to go the other way – there’s the raw material for some decent creepypasta style horror there, but that would kind of undercut how wholesome and uplifting nad etc the narrative’s clearly supposed to be.

So yeah, ended up using some amazing conceits and occasionally great visuals to construct a pretty tepid adventure story around an emotional core that didn’t feel real to me. What a pity.

[dreamtigress]

Several Sentence Sunday

Thanks for the tag, @tinyarmedtrex!

I'm going to highlight a section from Scherken Gemaskerd today: Mesa revealing to Tajed that's she asexual, something she is still coming to terms with and figuring out for herself. It was one of many tiny facets I worked into this multi-character POV story.

Mesa smiled despite all of the inconvenience the boy was causing. “Yeah, you are a donkey. Even if you’re a very determined, very stubborn donkey, you’re also sweet.” The bright hope that sprang back into his eyes was ridiculous. What am I going to do with this boy?! Rook’s words from earlier came to mind. Just be honest? Shit. Mesa glanced around the kitchen. There was a blessed lull, and no one was currently paying them any mind. “Look, Tajed… I… I like being your friend. I really enjoy your company. But… I don’t… I don’t know if I’m interested in being…”

Patiently, quietly, Tajed asked, “My girlfriend? It’s okay, Mesa…”

“No… I…” Damnit, why is this SO HARD?! Just say it! “I might want that actually… at some point… I just don’t want anything… anything sexual… And if you want that from me, I need you to know that I… That I might never want that.”

“Oh.” Realization and then acceptance flashed through his eyes in quick succession. “That’s okay. I mean… We could figure out what you do want? Maybe? At some point? Like the next time I dock?”

Oh. OH? He just… Huh. Mesa found herself blinking at the boy standing in front of her. It had been so difficult to say the words, and Tajed simply accepted them. As though it was no big deal. Didn’t teenage boys always think of sex? Want to have sex? She concentrated on breathing, as her racing thoughts bounced like wild rabbits through her mind.

Tajed appeared to need to fill her shocked silence. “If it’s okay, for me to visit you next time. And… I don’t need… the other stuff. As long as you don’t mind that I…uh… that I think you’re pretty?”

She found her voice again. “We can figure it out. The next time you dock. You’re allowed to think I’m pretty."

Soft tagging: @intosnarkness, @magicandpizza, @tough-n-dumb, @sc11vb, and @theprinceandagcd if you have anything you want to share today.

[f3r4lfr0gg3r]

just right [goldilocks general headcanons] 🐻🍯

(art cred to Zac Retz)

cw; some angst but that's about it :^

author's note; Sorry this took so long! 🙇‍♀️ ty to those who waited

General

From what can be seen in the movie, I definitely perceive Goldi as someone who doesn't have much sense of belonging as an orphan and in a family of literal bears and actively searching for a connection with someone she can highly relate with. She's seemed to yearn for normalcy for years and part of me thinks a small part of her is insecure, comparing her life to the stories of what "just right" or "happily ever after" seems to be.

As the perfectionist I interpret her as, it would be reasonable for her to reach out to these conventional standards for families as the right way to do things– in the process ignoring what she had right in front of her. Despite the amount of conventional social norms in fantasy she breaks just being herself, I assumed she clinged onto the family ideal as a way of coping as an orphaned child.

Dreaming of the perfect family, and this feeling of everything being just right all the time…when in reality families aren't truly like at all. I think that's what she learned in the film's ending. But anyways enough analysis of Goldi and her behaviors– onto the headcanons!

- She refuses to let anyone touch her hair but herself and sometimes Mama Bear due to trust issues.

- Continuing on the topic of hair, with the amount of curls on her head it knots up easily. Every night she has to brush out curls that are tangled together.

- She styles her hair primarily out of convenience because her hair gets too wild when it's down and makes it hard to see or do things (part of me thinks her current hairdo is a product of her having too much hair to put into two buns and improvising)

- Very acrobatic as can be seen in the scene of her climbing on the bears

- Many kids were scared of Goldi when she was younger because she tended to get into fights and played rough (always been a biter)

- Goldi just seems like a picky eater to me, very particular about what she eats

- With her need for things to be "just right", Goldi is a definite perfectionist when it comes to many things as I've mentioned above in my analysis

- She has a habit of not asking for help when it's needed (Probably due to her having to become pretty independent from a young age)

- I believe she already had a bit of a criminal record and was a street urchin before meeting the bears, so I bet she's a pro at pickpocketing by now

- Smells like grass and honey with a hint of bear, which is surprisingly comforting

- Has a habit of correcting people when they speak about her interests (totally not projecting )

- Likes messiness but in an organized way if that makes sense-

- A very stubborn person!!!!

- Goldi loves fantasy stories, has a stash of them in her room (her taste changed a bit as she got older though so while I believe she's still a sucker for fairytales, she also likes a good novel on pirate adventures at the moment)

- When playing games she can be both a sore loser and winner 💀

- Let's be honest, Goldi is competitive...to a really high degree. She can make anything into a competition-

- Concerningly good hearing, the type of person who'll hear you whisper something across the room

- Secretly pretty good at drawing, but Goldi never talks about it because she never thinks her drawings are good enough to her ridiculous standards

- idk why but I feel like she'd really like sea shanties and idk why (pirate obsessed goldi???)

- Really protective of the bears, especially Baby– just those older sister instincts ifykyk

- Why do I feel like she'd just be a big fan of apple flavored stuff-

- I get sapphic vibes from her idc what anyone says! (I'm writing gn reader for her but still >:D)

- Along with that I feel like if Goldi truly found someone she thought of as cool she'd try to play it cool but stumble over her words the second they compliment her (gay panic for the winnn)

- Seems like the type to unknowingly ramble about stuff she's passionate about (those people>>>>>)

- Tries her best to hide vulnerability as she's someone who sorta views vulnerability as weakness when it comes to herself

- From their interactions, it's safe to say Goldi's closest to Mama Bear

- Part of me thinks Goldi tried for years to imitate the bears when she was younger, trying to be one of them so they could be somewhat of a "real family"' (But when it wasn't working out the way she hoped, Goldi just began wishing for a human family– maybe even her biological parents)

- Very well read, and knows alot of fun facts despite keeping it to herself

- She's really good at climbing trees and hunting, looking at where the bears live it's safe to assume they live off the land around them

- Never has her hair down around other people (it's embarrassing in her as bc it's so messy)

- A horrible singer but knows it, and loves to sing because of how much it annoys others around her (finds it funny)

- That walking stick she has, I think it may have been a gift from Papa Bear (he just has the vibe of someone who widdles/carves things idk why)

- Goldi definitely tried archery before (kinda gives me Merida from Brave vibes so...yeah)

- Stronger than she looks, I don't care what you say Goldi has some muscle to her

- Forgets her own strength occasionally and accidentally broke a few things because of it

- I feel like she makes her own clothes, they just seem handmade

- Very random, but Goldi does parkour, urban climbing, or both

- Goldi's favorite color is definitely always changing around, one day it's orange and then another day it's purple– just seems like the type of gal to appreciate vibrant colors

- Definitely has loads of random shiny trinkets she's stolen in a box

- As an older sister, I definitely know that Goldi and the family are the only ones allowed to insult Baby, as that's how they show love- if anyone else did it they're asking for a fight

- She's not touchy in a conventional way, instead opting to playful wrestling and things of the such to show physical affection at first (lowkey a softie for hugs in secret tho)

- Not the best at opening herself up, Goldi always seems to be a bit guarded so it definitely takes her quite a while to warm up to people

- Winter is her least favorite season because that's hibernation time, aka the time where she feels the most alone

- Because despite how much of a front she puts up sometimes, she loves her family with her entire heart and is highly affected by the sudden quietness that fills their home

made by @f3r4lfr0gg3r with the help of @saplingofspunk, go follow her for togachako content! Thanks you bestie for helping me with this <3

Taglist: @zenmieisaa

[sailingshellsgames]

Writing Update

I spent most of my time working on one section of a branching path this weekend, and I can really feel it starting to shape up. I had to play around with rearranging entire chunks of it to get the pacing right, and I’ll be honest, I think there’s still some work to do there. But it’s improved by miles and I feel really good about the way there’s a bunch of opportunities for MC to use their skills and either come off very capable, or have some interesting failures.

In other news, it’s getting ridiculously hard to pick previews without falling into spoilers 😂 I should be annoyed by that, but I’m kind of just excited. I feel solidly in the “getting close to the climax” section of the story, and it’s wild to me that I’ve made it this far. I’m still thinking the game will be about 12 chapters, so to be working on chapter 9 is pretty exciting.

---

I hover my hand along the edge, careful not to get too close and sure enough, I feel the faintest static of idle magic. "Hello, there," I whisper, amused at the idea of this being enough to stop me. I could disarm it in my sleep.

[viktormaru]

oh i love borderlands... to this day it's the only FPS i fuck with. except for 3. the whole reason i enjoyed borderlands as a franchise so much is because they managed to combine engaging gameplay with engaging story *and* engaging (absolutely fuckin ridiculous) comedy. bl3.... i honestly forgot how much i enjoyed the gameplay bc i dropped the game after a certain VH death that we just... stood there... and watched.... after a battle.... in A CUTSCENE 😩 i'm always a writing person first, so the quality drop in writing i just... yeah i wish i could at least finsh BL3 to have a fully formed opinion about it but i've tried multiple times to keep going and it's just so, so bad lmao. i've literally done my 4th BL2 and a 2nd Presequel playthrough since dropping BL3... and i bought the fuckin pre-ordered special edition GD WAS I MAD

and this isn't an ask to express disagreement with your thoughts on BL3, i hope that's clear! it's just nice to see a fellow fan on my dash, i don't follow much gaming on here and it's legit one of my faves (even if i hate the most recent one lol)

i'm curious what your thoughts are on the upcoming live action film? to me it looks... um... uninspired lol

NO YEAH I feel you, I feel you deeply. BL3 is painful to get through, the constant characters assassination... the LITERAL character assassination....... Its really hard to go through the story, but if you just tune out the story (god help us) the gameplay at least is still good quality... but yes... it still hurts.... if u pre ordered with the DLCs the DLCs are pretty worth it, give them a try if you feel like getting back into BL3!!! The Wild West one (sorry idk DLC names) is a more serious one that is super good and cool, and the Hammerlock wedding one mixes Lovecraftian Horror with wedding issues and its very fun too.

But dont worry about it asudfhsaufdh, im in agreement the story of BL3 fucking sucks and I dont blame anyone who dropped the game and never got back into it.

I'll be honest with you, I didnt even know there was a movie coming. I dont care much abt movies and dont trust most adaptation to be good even though I like to be optimist abt stuff... so yeah.... I think I'll avoid that until I hear good things abt it UASHDUAHSD

[wuffgang-ameowdeus-moozart]

steddie tbhk au. kinda.

part 1 ; part 2

Steve does not regret his "fall of the mighty" or whatever dramatic shit Eddie calls his truly spectacular fall in the social ladder.

He isn't sure why he'd been so scared of exactly that in the first place. He does not have to laugh at cruel "jokes" and feel like the biggest asshole in the world anymore. He doesn't need to keep up with the ridiculously complicated drama of who is with who or cheated on whom and whatever else bored teenagers do in the middle of nowhere. He'd never realized how exhausting it had been to wear this mask until he didn't have to anymore.

But there is one big thing that he does miss: the easy access to rumours. To be more specific: supernatural rumours.

Steve is truly glad that he has met Eddie. Not because he is actually pretty funny and a very engaging storyteller and surprisingly gentle despite his wild energy. Or whatever. Like, only a little bit because of those things. No, what makes Eddie truly irreplaceable is that he also is a seemingly bottomless well of information.

For example, Steve had never really thought about why the supernatural acted how it did. To be fair most of the time he'd been a bit too busy running for his life. He'd just assumed that they were bitter about being dead or something and found it funny to terrorize the living. Of course people would start whispering about it when doors started disappearing or students started aging decades in a matter of seconds. It is in the human nature to try to understand the unexplainable, after all. But as it turns out, it is the other way around.

"Do you think I want to keep hanging out in the girls' bathroom?! Don't answer that. It is literally moldy in here. The rumour says that if you want to summon Hanako you need to go to the last stall in the OMG bathroom, and so that is the only way I can be summoned. The dead is dependent on the imagination of the living."

That had been a harsh pill to swallow. He remembers having started more than one creepy story to scare his "friends" late at night. Eddie sees the way his face falls and sings a mashup of Steve's favorite songs for the rest of the day. He has a nice voice.

Now, Steve had had a fall from grace from truly epic proportions and could more often than not be seen talking to air. However, that doesn't change the fact that he is pretty and charming and has awesome hair. Occasionally someone who remembers his old days or simply doesn't care will come to him and ask him out. Kind of like the good old days. Except better, because now the entire school isn't holding its breath for the time it takes him to answer and he can say 'no' without it becoming the hottest (and often only notable) news of the week.

Normally, he abuses this new privilege of his. To be honest, he had thought that crushes were something other people had....invented. Sure, he would be happy if someone asked him out, but it had more to do with flattery than the person per se. He'd thought that "getting together" had nothing to do with any feelings, but only status. Like, this cheerleader can rise a bit in the ranks if she dates the swim captain. He'd thought that the "euphoria" and the "racing heart" or whatever the hell all the love songs described were nothing more than exaggerations for artistic purposes.

And then he'd fallen for Nancy. And like a fall it did feel indeed.

When another older girl came to him in his freshman year, he could always feel hundreds of eyes burning in his back, compelling him to say yes. He'd lose some money (or, well, his parents money so it was fine), have an okay to good time (it was particularly annoying when they were too nervous to do proper smalltalk) and give them a short peck goodbye. Some would maybe want to go on a second or even a third, but most broke it up after that because "they just didn't feel the spark". All Steve would feel was mild curiosity now that he was free again, and his image as "playboy" stayed intact.

(And then Nancy ruined everything. Fuck. He hadn't said yes to anyone ever since that damned party)

He doesn't know why he felt compelled to break his streak. Maybe it was because she dared to go over to the losers table at lunch. Maybe it was because Nancy was looking at him with such hope and relief. Maybe it was because Eddie looked very miffed for some reason and Steve can never pass up a chance to mess with him. Friendship or something. Or maybe he just needed a fucking distraction because it felt oddly personal to watch Billy run the basketball team to the ground.

Either way he agrees to go watch the new Indiana Jones movie with her (worst comes to worst Harrison Ford will be distracting enough), Nancy looks proud of him for "finally moving on" (if only she knew), Jonathan seems to not care either way (good on him to be honest), and Eddie disappears to do his ghostly things or whatever. He's got a test next period so it's better if he isn't there to distract him anyway.

The date is...fine.

It is his first one since Nancy and feels pretty lackluster in comparison. But it's okay. He is moving on or whatever.

They leave the movie theater. The movie was...fine. Harrison Ford was definitely fine. (Now that he thinks about it, it has been some time since he has felt something much stronger than "fine". Or "pleasant". Maybe he should be concerned about that. It's easier not to think about it, though. It's - you guessed it - fine.)

She asks him to take a walk with her in the woods. Sure, he says. It's a funny thing. He knows she has been in most of his classes since freshman year - or at least he is pretty sure he remembers her - but for the life of him he can not think of her name. One time she took his hand during the movie and when he looked over he saw her brushing her black hair from her face even though he could swear it had been red before. Insomnia truly is doing a number on him.

They are walking on the edge of the forest, hand in hand. Her eyes change color under the moonlight: brown and blue and yellow and purple and red. It's pretty.

She starts humming. It takes him a bit of time before he recognizes the song but he has to smile when he does. Wake Me Up Before You Go Go by Wham! It is his revenge song for Eddie's "Master of Puppets" - phase. The spirit hated how "preppy" the song is and Steve had been absolutely obsessed with it for a while.

They duet, dancing a bit to the beat of the song. Her hand is warm in his. The forest looks endless and inviting. It is...nice. Maybe even more than that.

After they finished the song for a second time she stops him. They just stare at each other for a moment. Her eyes are an impossible color. She smells like the forest. Like, exactly like the forest, as if she were a part of it. And then she slowly starts leaning forwards. Steve brushes some of her blonde hair behind her ear. It looks almost white. He prepares himself for a kiss (is a bit excited for it, to his own surprise), but instead of his mouth she zeroes on his ear.

"Have you been true?", she whispers.

She starts humming Wake Me Up Before You Go Go again. She is still humming as his first bones start breaking. She is still humming as his clothes become too big for him and fall to the floor. She is still humming when grey hairs start growing out of his burning skin. And then she laughs. She laughs and laughs and laughs and he knows he has made a terrible mistake.

"Has no one ever told you that it is bad to make a name for yourself in our world, Steve Harrington?" And then she disappears, returns to the forest she is a part of.

Steve squeaks.

Yes, squeaks. Because apparently, mouse anatomy was not made to produce human-sounding words.

Fuck.

--

When Steve was small, he sometimes wished he could be a pet. Maybe a cute pup. Or an elegant cat. Or even a lazy turtle. For his tiny brain, this seemed like the ideal life, and he can still see some of the appeal to be honest. You don't have to earn affection - you just get it freely, sometimes even if you did something you shouldn't. You don't have to know any stupid subjects that refuse to enter your brain or worry about dumb stressful things like grades or politeness. You can't take care of yourself, which means you will always come face to face with another person at least twice a day. You don't need to feel bad when you waste your parents' hard earned money on alcohol or food even though you barely contribute to the family. Yeah, sounds like a dream.

His actual experience as a mouse so far has been. Uhm. Not ideal? An unexpected surprise? So far he doesn't really have any strong emotions either way. Maybe he is in shock, or maybe his now miniscule rat brain is not able to comprehend what just happened.

It's interesting to see everything from a new angle, he supposes. The forest has always felt somewhat threatening - dark and endless and right outside of his house where trees created scary shadows inside his room. Funnily enough, it is less so now. There are so many different new textures and smells he does not have the brain capacity to feel scared.

But he doesn't have time to dwell on that right now. Or well, technically he does, since he can hardly go to school like this. Unless his lifespan shortened along with the transformation? He is pretty sure rats have a way shorter life expectancy than humans. It's probably better not to think too hard about that one. Compartmentalization is one of the few things he is naturally good at.

Okay, so it doesn't really make sense to sit in classes if he doesn't have to, but what is he supposed to do instead? It's not like he can open his very human-sized front door when he is like this.

But... Hanako is still in the school premises - naturally, since he can't exactly leave. And Steve still hasn't made his wish. He just needs to find the school (he has lived here his whole life surely he can manage that), make Eddie understand that the rat following him around is actually Steve (....somehow) and then communicate without being able to speak or sign or write that he wishes to be turned back into his human form (he'll figure that part out if he miraculously even makes it this far). So yeah. Solid plan. Whatever, he's always been more of a go with the flow guy anyway.

Okay, so he and his...date(?) came from the direction of the cinema. The cinema is deeper into town, where the school also is. So he just has to figure out which way they came from, and once he manages to get into the town centre he is sure he will figure it out, even under these extenuating circumstances.

Steve may not be very book smart, or just like smart in general, but if there is one thing he knows about himself is that he has great instincts. His gut tell him to go left, so he does. Either he will arrive at the school - which is the goal - or his house - which wouldn't be the end of the world. (Or maybe somewhere completely different but it's better not to think about that possibility). As long as it doesn't take longer than the average rat can survive, the worst that can happen is a delay. Which wouldn't even be that bad, since at least Eddie would realize that something was wrong.

Ever since the day the spirit almost had a second early death because he skipped class, Steve always makes sure to let him know if he can't make it for some reason. Mostly that means using the walkies-talkies they started carrying around to ask Nancy to relay the information to Hanako, which in turn almost always gives her a heart attack. ("Steve! How many times do I have to tell you that these are for emergencies only?!" "It is an emergency if he refuses to stop singing Metallica during my biology test tomorrow")

So he starts walking. And walks. And walks. And walks. He thinks the worst part of being turned into a rat is how he completely loses his sense of time. He has lived in this town his whole life, meaning he knows how long it takes to get pretty much anywhere on foot. There isn't a whole lot to do in Hawkins (what a surprise) so he used to go exploring a lot. If he was still a human and thus possessed these wondrous limbs commonly known as legs, it would take about half an hour to get to the school. As things are, he does not have a watch and he does not know how much slower he is walking. The sky continues to darken and for all he knows he could be walking for hours. Or the completely wrong direction. The thought feels a bit more daunting now that his clothes are out of sight and he isn't sure he will ever find them again. A pity, he even wore one of his favorite shirts - just tight enough to show everything he has to offer, but still elegant. Simple but classy. And now covered in dirt.

It feels like an eternity when he finally starts recognizing his surroundings. It takes another one for him to finally see the school parking lot, and yet another to actually cross it until he finally arrives at the right building. It seems more and more likely that the stupid being who deceived him into a date somehow cursed his sense of time as well. Or maybe a rat's perception of time is different from a human's, shorter lives and all that.

Here is one little detail he forgot to account for in his genius plan: the school also has a human-sized door. Not only that, it has a human-sized door he wouldn't be able to open even if he still resided in his original body, since it is locked and they don't give away the keys to random students.

Maybe he can like. Scream really loudly. And hope that Eddie will hear him. And somehow recognize his true form with a mere glance. Or, well, if he's being honest with himself, he wouldn't be surprised if Eddie let a random rat in just for shits and giggles.

The sound that comes out of his tiny snout is truly embarrassing. He is almost relieved that it is too quiet for anyone to have heard it.

So.... Well. What now? Should he search for another entrance? Surely there is a hole somewhere in the outer walls, everyone knows schools don't have enough funding. But then, he just had to do a really long and tiresome hike. And it is already late in the night. And he'd already wasted some of his energy before this whole mess even started being anxious for his first date in forever...

He isn't sure when he falls asleep. All he knows is that one second he is looking up to the stars and thinking about life, and the next he is being woken up by multiple teens screeching and stomping around. Are his ears more sensitive like this or is it the mere displeasure of having this be the first thing he wakes up to that makes their voices so unbearably shrill? We may never find out.

The important part is that it is morning. Which means he can simply walk through the already open doors and run to the OMG-bathroom (he is already dreading the smell). And when he gets there and finally gets to Eddie, all he has to do is-. Well. One thing at a time.

For once it doesn't take an eternity to arrive at his destination. It would be more of a relief if he had been able to come up with a plan on his way there, but here they are. Winging it it is.

Thankfully the Old Moldy Girls Bathroom Everybody Avoids's door doesn't close all the way. He squeezes himself inside and there - as expected - is Eddie Munson. It has become part of their routine to meet up at the bathroom in the morning (even though Eddie knows his timetable by heart and neither of them are girls. Maybe they should talk that one over once he is human again).

Eddie plays a bit with him while he waits for a currently indisposed human Steve to arrive. Rat Steve refuses to admit how good it feels to get cuddles on his little forehead. Doesn't stop him from asking for more.

Eddie laughs at his antics, but his smile dims with every second that passes. By the time the first lesson begins he is frowning. Steve can hear as he mutters to himself: how reassurances turn into worry and a brief sadness that absolutely breaks his heart followed by...anger? Steve isn't sure how they got to that last part, but suddenly they are cursing Steve and his entire family line and the girl(?) that took him out for some reason. He can wholeheartedly agree with the last two, and tries not to take the first one too personally.

Steve isn't sure how much time passes before Eddie has had enough and decides to look for him in class. It goes like this: he sees Eddie approaching the door. He panics. He is body slamming into the wall. Turns out it is not a good idea to launch yourself at other people when said other people are a ghost.

Eddie looks just as shocked as Steve himself. "WHAT THE FUCK?!" "DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE JACKASS JESUS H. CHRIST" is what Steve would've liked to scream in return. Except he couldn't, because he was still a rat.

"WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU DO THAT?! ARE YOU STUPID? ARE YOU SUICIDAL? CAN RATS EVEN BE SUICIDAL?!?!" Steve answers the best way he can given the current circumstances: he huffs and shows Eddie his ass. Eddie pauses. For a moment hope blooms in Steve's heart.

"This may sound insane. But...can you....understand me?" Steve turns around so fast he gives himself whiplash. It doesn't help when he starts nodding enthusiastically and slams his head into the floor.

"Are you. No way. ... Stevie?"

Steve is so excited he starts jumping up and down.

"Aww, is tiny little Stevie in a bit of a pickle?"

Steve really wishes mice had middle fingers.

"I am assuming you are here to cash in that wish I still owe you. Aren't you lucky that I am so benevolent as to have stopped you from throwing away your wish for some girl? Aren't you regretting not having listened to me when I said that you shouldn't go on this date? Huh?"

Steve turns around, ready to live out the rest of his days as a rodent because his salvation is being a little shit.

He can barely walk a step before something warm envelops him. A moment he is on all fours, and the next he is still on all fours, except that the inconveniently low doorknob is now in his field of vision.

"Kinky." Steve doesn't need to turn around to see the shit-eating grin on Eddie's face.

He is human. It takes him another moment to really internalize it. He looks down, and he now has two perfectly usable middle fingers. And arms, god how he had missed fucking arms.

The hug he gives Hanako is tight enough that it probably would've squished him to death if he wasn't, well, already dead. (He kind of wants to punch him in the face, too, but this is the next best thing)

[lightandfellowship]

The longer the Kingdom Hearts series go on, the more I’m starting to think that the origins of the Emblem Heartless maybe should have been retconned/revised early on.

Pretty much every game that takes place before KH1 keeps having to come up with new and zanier excuses for why we do/don’t fight Emblem Heartless. BBS had to create a new enemy type entirely with an origin story so specific that they couldn’t even re-use this enemy type in other games if said games didn’t feature Vanitas as a character. KHUX had to have their Emblem Heartless be projections from the future (an absolutely wild work-around). And KHDR has yet to explain why Emblem Heartless are attacking the worlds, though apparently KHML will be covering that.

Point is: every time the series wants to elaborate on events that occured pre-KH1, it keeps having to jump through a bunch of increasingly ridiculous hoops just to maintain the integrity of a single piece of lore from the very first game. This series has already dipped its toes into retcons multiple times at this point, so why can’t it retcon this? If Ansem in KH1 could have his ENTIRE IDENTITY retconned in KH2, surely altering the source of Emblem Heartless wouldn’t be too catastrophic of a change, right? You could still have the plotline about Apprentice Xehanort/Ansem SOD manufacturing artificial Heartless, but maybe make it so that he was lying in his reports about being the one to slap on the Emblem. He already lied about his identity and stole the name Ansem out of spite for Ansem the Wise, surely it wouldn’t be out of the question for him to (re)discover a new Heartless type, start manufacturing artificial versions of them, and then bend the truth to claim that they were entirely his creations and that he was the one who marked them as a means to distinguish them from Pureblood Heartless.

Like, I dunno. Would that be kind of OOC for Apprentice Xehanort/Ansem SOD to do? Maybe. I’m not an expert on how he should be characterized, to be honest. But I feel like this one change (or something similar to it) would neatly fix this problem that KH prequels keep running into.

[acacia-may]

Orchid and Dafodil for the ask game please Acacia 🥰?

Certainly, Lyra! Thank you for the ask!! 🥰 I started rambling a bit (sorry about that) so I've included my answers below the cut. 😅

Questions from this "Get to Know Me" Ask Game

orchid ⇢ what’s a song you consider to be perfect?

Ooh! This is such a good question yet very, very difficult since I listen to music constantly. I often feel like I "think" in music, to tell you the truth, so there are so many songs that I love and I'm not sure how to narrow it down... 😂

I've decided to answer with the "perfect" song with the word "Perfect" in the Title: "Perfect for You" by Rachel Platten (YouTube). I absolutely love this song and it was one of several that inspired "Wine Therapy" (and that I listened to on repeat when writing that).

I'm also going to link "Born to Die" by Lana Del Rey (YouTube) which has been my song on repeat recently. 😊

daffodil ⇢ do you have siblings? if yes, in what ways do you think you’re similar to or different from them?

Yes, I have two much younger sisters (I am 8 years older than my middle sister and 10 years older than my youngest sister). Despite our differences in age, I have always felt very close to them, and they have always been two of the most important people in the world to me. 💕 (I really think this is part of the reason I love stories about sibling relationships so much and enjoy writing about them).

My middle sister and I have very few similarities in personality (for instance she's very easygoing whereas I'm pretty uptight), but we have a lot of similar interests. My sister has seen way more anime and read way more manga than me, and I mostly watch anime and read manga with her. A lot of my most wild and "out there" theories and AUs I made up with her since she tends to think outside the box and loves to make jokes about things. Our favourite animes and mangas are wildly different, however, and she actually put me on a Black Clover ban since I was (supposedly) annoying her by talking about it too much (which eventually led to me making this blog 😅). The last series we watched was Fairy Tail, and though we aren't watching anything together right now, we are playing a video game (Danganronpa).

On the other hand, my youngest sister and I have a lot of similarities in personality. We're both overachievers, planners, blunt honest, stubborn, and snarky, but she is much more outgoing, energetic, and talkative than me and much better organized. That said, we don't have many common interests beyond the fact that we both like to read (though we tend to enjoy different books) and enjoy crime shows (which are generally not our other sister's cup of tea). Occasionally we will find a show that all three of us enjoy and will watch it together, but this is fairly rare. The last one of these was Demon Slayer, actually, and it was kind of a big deal for my youngest sister since she usually doesn't like anime (she even went on to read the manga because she wanted to know what happened). Since my middle sister and I had already seen and read it, we had lots of fun with my youngest sister's (purposefully) ridiculous made-up nicknames for all the characters. She's a bit of a jokester and loves giving people (real and fictional) the most nonsensical nicknames. [For instance, she has seen a few clips of Black Clover (it's not her cup of tea though) and refers to Langris as "The Middle Schooler" for some reason I will never understand...😂].

We all tease each other to show we care which I think gets reflected in my writing quite a bit. Speaking of my writing, both of my sisters have read bits and pieces of it (neither has read everything I've posted, but I wouldn't mind if they did), but since they are much more into romance than me, they usually tease me for "getting swoony about friendship." 😂 I have written a few stories on request for my middle sister whereas my youngest sister usually bugs me about returning to my original fiction I completely abandoned. However, she once helped me out with a fanfiction by very thoroughly picking it apart and telling me all of the ways it could be construed as romantic rather than platonic after I received some feedback that it was coming off romantic even though that hadn't been my intention in writing (I apologized up and down, then had a bit of an identity crisis, then asked my sister for help and she's all: "you need to change your tags" so I did 😂🙈. Now I feel like I over-tag everything just to be safe...)