#tv hosts are taking it more seriously it's just nice

[geekintofeet]

SNIFF!

One day you left your laptop open and your straight flatmate discovered the porn you are used to watch. After that, he started to tease you, asking you to give him a rub, shoving his dirty socks on your nose while you were doing the dishes… to your pleasure.

But what started as some teasing slowly escalated into a game of dominance, where he would see you less like his flatmate and more like his slave.

After months of this situation, he really pushed your own limits by disclosing to all his male friends that you were his « flatslave ». Whenever he’d invite them to watch a football match on TV, they would all call you to be at their feet.

Today, he announced he had a surprise for you, his dad would be in town for the weekend and he would host him in the flat.

« And guess what, my dad is very excited to meet you, my flatslave… »

« Matt?!! Seriously you didn��t tell him that? You’re joking right?!… »

« hahaha that’s MASTER for you, you forgot? And don’t worry my dad is very cool and he found it hilarious actually. I bought it some special pairs of socks I sent to him in advance to wear for a few days, you’ll see tonight… »

You thought it was just playing some mind games with you as he always did.

In the evening, they both came home and you introduced yourself to his dad « ah nice to meet you, I’m Luca, Matt’s flatmate ».

His dad smirks « ah yes, you mean flatslave right? Thank you for taking care of my son ».

You’re in shock… he told even his dad… you’re feeling ashamed and ridiculed. You just go to your bedroom while his dad unpack his stuffs.

Then after a while you hear your flatmate yelling for you to come now. When you arrive in the living room you see your flatmate and his dad sitting on the couch with both their feet on the coffee table.

« Aaah here’s my good boy! » says Matt with a smirk, « as I told you we both have a gift for you, come check our socks, we personalized them with a little message for you… »

You approach their socks as ordered and first, you are taken aback by the pungent smell coming from his dad socks…

« hahaha yes I didn’t lie to you when I told you my dad would wear them some days in advance just for you, but did you see what’s written…? »

and then you see … « SNIFF »

They laugh and his dad says « well, what are you waiting for, flatslave? »

[chillinglikeashilling]

Anyway it's not my otp but I think Sam x Evan would be fun because I keep picturing Sam being the very famous very beloved host of a TV show that is internationally acclaimed and the obssession her fans would have with the fact that she's dating Evan, who to them is 'just a dude'.

I think Evan would see Sam's fans call him boring but nice enough and speculate why Sam broke up with Timothee Chalamet to date a nobody, and be so stunned that such a large number of people could be aware of his existence and have the prevailing opinion that's he completely uninteresting that he may start crying tears of joy.

I think that Evan would take Sam seriously, because he's fundamentally aware of how capable Sam is, and more importantly of how afraid and aware she is that other people don't. Evan wouldn't let thoughtless or intentionally rude/snarky comments about Sam slide regardless of what setting they were in, and this would be good for Sam because she has someone to back her up and remind her those people are being shitty to her. (This would also endear a large part of her fanbase to Evan).

Also I'm still of the opinion that Sam and K dated before Gowpenny so I think it's absolutely very funny and in keeping with my own queer friend groups to think of one person's exes starting to date each other but also that person's current dynamic with each ex are wildly different.

And finally, I think Jammer would be extremely glad that he is not involved in any of that but he would send Evan all the funniest memes Sam's fans make about her boring af boytoy and listen to K panic about what to get their exes for Christmas.

[fluffyfeatherfun]

Dinosaurs can laugh! (Antoher Dandy's World Tickle Fic

Made another one speciallt for the requester to fuel their Lee!Shelly needs

Requested by: @mosaichunter (I ALSMOST PING THE WRONG PERSON)

Lee:Shelly

Ler:Vee (Yup, again!)

Starring:None, just two of them!

Word Count:1,585

Warning:This is a tickle fic, again. If you don't really like those kind of stuff, scroll pass

Bits of angst. Just a bit at the beginning but it'll tone down

((brackets like these are creator's notes in the fic))

Extra note:While this is technically connected to the previous fic , you don't need to read it in order to understand this fic.

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

Shelly can hear the roaring cheer outside. She can feel the plastic texture of her dino toys. She can feel the cold stone floor beneath her. She can feel the scars on her heart. It hurts to know that the crowd outside dosen't even know her name. It hurts to know that the love she gets is just as little as the attention the kids pay when she talks about her dinosaur facts. It hurts that there are only a few toons who are aware of her problems. It hurts....

Until her thoguhts were cut short when she heard a creek from the woodeen door, follow by a familiar looking TV host((totally not because we just saw her last chapther)),follow by a powerful slam.

"Oh, your done already?"

Vee held a grudge from the loud blasting crowd behind, turning to Shelly and nodding with one foot on the door.

"Wish it was even earlier. Being a host is quite stressful sometimes. Now, what did yoy want to talk about when we were at the hallways? "

The ammonite's face switch to that of a teary looking one, darting down on the ground and not muttering a word until the TV head host broke the silence.

"Was it because you are being ignored again?"

"Wh-No! I promise this one is different." She waves her hands around in denial.

"Really? Tell me more about it." She respond, as she took a seat beside her.

It was hard for Shelly to make eye contact with how hard is it to word this new worry, but she still did her best to keep the point straight:

"I've been thinking a lot about..... Changing what's mainly about me.... To be more specific, my liking for dinosaurs. I tried a lot of things:baking, sewing, roleplay, even game hosting with the toons, but it's either I..... Don't enjoy it as much or I'm not as good at it.... Mostly the first point... "

She fiddles her fingers around, as tiny drops of tears fell on the floor. Vee can clearly she how desperate she is for just a little love, for just a little attention, for just a little recognition, so she pat her on the back to soothe her aching heart a bit and gives a pep talk:

"Hey there, dino girl, look at me."

"Hmm?"

"I know that dinosaurs aren't the most popular among the kids, but that dosen't mean it can't be interesting. There are so many fun ways to express it out, but that dosen't exactly mean your way isn't good. You know what they say:" Sometimes it takes time to find the right audience." etc etc.... "

She widens her eyes a bit, feeling a bit better with Vee's ramble (Or pep talk again I'M NOT REALLY GOOD WITH WORDS), as she countinues to listen to her:

"And besides, fame isn't everything. Sure, it seems like the greatest gift when you have lots of it, but when it dies down, what now? Barely anyone knows you, there is some new kind of thing that's all the rage, and worst of all, you know what was it like to be loved. Not to mention busy schedules and having little to no privacy. Seriously, I can't even remember the last time I had a nice and normal chat with Teagen. "

She quietly opens her shuttle, looking at the old, janky wries for a short moment in a bit of quivering sadness, before closing it and turning back to Shelly, who was just nodding her head this entire time.

It was quite the akward stare, to say the least, just for her to process everything Vee said and wipe her tiny tears.

Suddenly, a little idea spark in the television's CPU. Without scaring her too much, she taps on her fat dino finger(okay she dosen't really have those but cmon, think about it) to get her attention and spoke:

"Hey, I can prove that your dino knowlage does have some use."

Of coruse, you can't just say that to some person your trying to comfort and expe t them to understand. The ammonite's head tilts like a confused dog, before responding with a few studders:

"Wh-wh-what?"

Wagging her mic tail nervously, she scrathes the back of her antenna and replies back:

"Uhmmmm, how do I say this....... Could I........ Dust off your ribs?" (A luttle silly secret word of 'Can I tickle'. Aka the creator forgot the the term for secret word so her worsing is super off AHHH)

Her eyes light up in excitement as her dino tail wags rapid and her hands wave, turning around and fully exposing the area.

"Of course you can! I'm still not sure how that relates to what you said earlier, buttt I'll go with the flow."

With a smile on her face, Vee retracts her cold, metal fingers to give them little fur tips, before extending her arms to grab Shelly by the shoulders and wraps her mic wire tail around her body.

((Alright IK there might be too much creator notes, but this is important, I promise. I honestly don't think I can contently write both Shelly and Vee's names for this psrt since it rapidly switches the focus, so you, the reader will need to keep track of that. If you are reading this thank you :)))

Without warning, she felt a few of her top rib bones getting attacked by the fingers. That combined with the fact it's near her underarms, another vunerable spot, makes her burst of of laugther and flail her arms around helplessly. To say that she didn't expect her to immediately aim for it would be an understatement.

"VHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE, THAHAHAHTHAHHA WAHHAHAHAHA, GAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA."

As if that wasen't enough, the host positions her mic right in front of her mouth to amplify her laugther thoguh her speakers.

"You know, after what's possibly the longest gameshow, I could really use a bit of relaxing music to calm my wires down from the win of the other craft. Now, tell me, my deae ammonite, what's an interesting fact about dinosaurs and your sweet melt spot?"

Her blush was quickly forming on her face, especially with that little comment on her ribs. Regardless of how much tickles she is tanking, hiwever, she is still able to roll out one.

"AHAHAHA THEHEHEREHEHEHX HAHAHAHAS AHAHA SEHEHEHEHCHOHOHOHND SHEHEHEHEHET OHOHHOHOFHO RHIHIHIBS CHAHAHAHALLHEHED GASHHEHEHESTHAHAHAHLHIHIHIAS."

"Hmmmm, impressive! Perhaps you wouldn't mind naming me a flying dinosaur that flaps like your arms?"

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA ARHAHAHACHAHEHEHOHPTHEHERHEHEYHEHX DHOHOHOHEHEHS."

"Not sure how your able to say such a long name when your mind is as tangled as your body under my tickles, but I'll guve you credit for that. Perhaps we will need to increase the difficulty a bit more."

Giving her palms fluffy pads, she moves the the bridge of the sides and the belly, letting the it and the fingers work together around that area. This sudden increase of ticklish feeling jolts her body around and fills the room with even more of her laugthers.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, NHOHOHOHOHOHOHT THEHEHEHEHEHERHEHEHEHE VHEHEHEHEHEHE. THAHAHAHAHAHAHAHTHEHAHTS MHIHIHIHY MHEHEHEHEHEHEHELT SPHOHOHOHOHHOHOT."

"Everywhere is a melt spot for you, silly. Say, what kind of dinosaur has the largest stomach and how much it can eat?"

"AHAHA BRHAHAHANCHIHIHOSHAHARHUHS CHAHAHAN EHAHAHAT FOHOHOHOHUR HUHUHUUHUHNDRHEHEHED THOHOHO NIHIHIHIHNE HUHUHUHNDHRHEHEHED PHOHOHOHHOUNDS OHOHOHOHOF LEHAHHEHAHEHAHAHFY GRHEHEHEHEHENS AHAHA DHAHAHAY."

"Wonderful, really, wonderful! Last question before I let you go:Can dinosaurs laugh?"

"WHAHAHAHAHAIT, WHAHAHAHAT?"

"Can a dinosaur laugh just as loud as you? Hmm"

She repeats, as her fingers got closer to the center of her stomach.

"IHIHIHHIHT DHOHOHOHNT HAHAHAHAHAVE THEHEHEHEHE ANHAHAHANSWHEHEER THOHOHOHO THAHAHAHAT!"

"I'm just joking, silly, I don't know the answer to that either."

See her nearly cracking up to a little mess, she suddenly retracts the fluffy pads awaywhile still holding her body. Shelly babbled around like an idiot for a minite or two before she realized that the tickling stop. Feeling relieved, she takes her time to catch her breath and wipe of all the sweat on her head(don't ask me how is Vee not affected by that). She wags her tail playfully around Vee's stomatch, not fliching her by even a bit. Before long, her lungs had ctahc enough air for her to verbalize some words:

"Hey, Vee, thanks alot..... Huff.... For the tickles...... I've been craving some since this morning....."

"Haha, no problem! Look, I do want to apologize for not really spending time with you these past few days. I've got a lot of events to headline, including my own gameshow."

"Yeah, I understand,.... Haha..... Say, how exactly did you prove my dino knowlage...... Was worth something.......? "

"Don't you see it, Shelly? You could just pop one out even under such laughter as if it was nothing! That dosen't just take knowlage, but also some fighting energy and lung capacity! I'm telling you, you're a real fighter for this. "

"Oh!..... Well that's new..... Maybe that explains why I accidentally crack Tisha's.... Knuckles a bit too hard yesterday....."

"..... You what now?"

"..... Yeah.... I may or may not have.... Broke her arm?"

"..... I'm not even going to question that. Anyways, my next gameshow could use snother contestant. Wanna join?"

"Your kidding?..... Of coruse I would!"

"Alright alright, I'll register your name later. Come on, let's get some soft tacos."

"But you can't eat food, can you?"

"A robot can dream, Shelly, a robot can dream."

And so, the TV host picked up the ammonite by the hand and took the other exit back to the toon rooms, leaving the aftershow on a sweet note.

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

Thank you so much for your patience! Speaking honestly, I wish I could get thus done earlier, but hey, better late than never!

Let's thank Google for giving me some dino facts to incoperate into this fic, and thank my will to tease the requester the motivation to finush this fic! /silly

Have aa good day mate! And proud to say I enjoyed this fic alot more!

[gabessquishytum]

Naked Chef Hob

Hob has a cooking show that started on YouTube where he cooks in the nude with just an apron on -- depending on what he was cooking the apron was either around just his waist or a full apron (splat-ery things are going to splat!).

Every time he bakes, with just his (small) apron around his modesty, and gets flour or sugar streaks on his chest he goes viral. (The gifset from the episode where he frosted a cake & pink frosting got smeared near his nipple for the last 20 minutes of the show gets reblogged constantly.)

Hob is actually a very good chef and he started the YouTube thing when he lost a bet - it's not his fault the interwebs like to catalog his tattoos and his manbun broke the internet that one time. 😎 Despite his viral fame, he still cooks at his small restaurant.

The youtube thing was never supposed to be anything other that a forfeit, a lark. Well now, HFGTV wants Hob to take his "show" to tv. Being naked on YouTube is different than being naked on a channel that used to host Alton Brown,,,,and now hosts Dream d'Endless.

Hob doesn’t know if he can be in the studio, where Dream talks very seriously about fresh ingredients and food history, with nothing more than a branded apron covering his bits.

Of course, the pilot is a hit; of course, after his 2nd taping when Dream accidentally (on purpose) swung by to watch him work,,,,he kept. stopping. by. to watch Hob cook (hopefully, sexily) covered in the sauce of the day. Only problem, Dream never stays long enough for Hob to talk to him - it was all just smolder-y eyes. Hob is really glad the aprons are thick or he would be cooking on pornhub.

NAKED CHEF!!!! This is so good.

The show is a hit, which is great! Except that people keep recognising Hob in public now. It's great for the restaurant, they're booked out every night. But not so great when Hob is just trying to go grocery shopping, and gets accosted by fans. His YouTube show was never THIS big. He actually has a small breakdown about the whole situation in the studio bathroom (dressed only in his apron and sneakers because he may cook naked but he always wears shoes, he is NOT going to drop a knife on his foot AGAIN).

Anyway. Bathroom breakdown. Naturally, Dream comes in and sees him naked AND snotty. It's a nightmare.

But Dream is... very very nice. He wipes Hob’s face for him, and wraps his arm around his shoulder. He comforts Hob with the knowledge that the novelty will soon wear off, and people will stop bothering him. Dream solemnly says that anyway, people only notice Hob because he's so sexy. He could always try being less sexy?

Hob finally laughs and leans against Dream because this is his one opportunity and he's not going to miss it. Dream starts rubbing little circles into the small of Hob’s back, and it's like the dam finally breaks.

Hob just about makes it through making his Malaysian curry (artfully splattered in his chest hair, as always) and when they wrap up for the day, Dream is still there. Waiting, this time. He diligently swipes the curry off Hob’s chest with his finger, and his eyes are even more smoldery up close.

It's probably inevitable. But Hob still can't quite believe it. Dream sucks him off in the bathroom where he was just crying!! He ducks underneath Hob’s apron and stays there until he's done, and Hob just knows that the apron will smell of sex and Dream forever now. He might have to take it home with him, actually.

Or maybe he'll just take Dream home instead. It's his night off, and he can always get a table for two at the restaurant. He won't be naked, but it only seems fair to finally give Dream something to unwrap!

[jaehyunspeachparty]

Hi, I don’t know if anyone remembers my story. Lately, I’ve been thinking about it a lot and wrote my thoughts down. That’s why I wrote something down and somehow it got longer and longer. Maybe some want to read it. I hope you’re all doing well ❤ ____________________________________________________________

Chuseok with the Jung's (a sight into the future) “Miga Jung has once again been nominated for Best Actress,” blared the TV. “I don’t think she’ll win it again this year,” said one of the hosts. “Do you think so?” came the immediate counter-question. “Lately, she’s been giving off more influencer vibes. I can’t take her seriously as an actress anymore.” Miga sighed and finally looked up at the TV. She had been sorting gifts for her family and just wanted something on in the background. But suddenly, the TV turned off, and she heard the remote control drop onto the cold stone surface of the kitchen counter. “Silence is nice too,” she heard her boyfriend's voice as she felt his soft lips on her shoulders. “He’s kind of right,” she sighed, turning around. Hyunjin stood in front of her, gazing at her with his dark eyes. He was about to disagree, but then the doorbell rang. Miga gave him a quick kiss before pulling away to open the door. “Hi, Gomo!” A little girl stood on the doorstep. Miga beamed as she saw her young niece. She was incredibly proud of her and often had her over. “Hello, Naomi, you look so pretty today.” The little girl began to giggle. “I’ve got everything.” By now, Hyunjin had packed all the gifts and the pre-cooked food. Sunoh and Chichi stood behind their eldest daughter, also ready to go. The special thing was that Chichi had just given birth to another daughter, named Rei, only three weeks ago. Rei was snugly wrapped in a cloth against her mother. Together, they were heading to their parents’ house to celebrate Chuseok. “No rush, Kiwoo and Dad haven’t even left yet,” said Sunoh, noticing his best friend looked a bit nervous. “I don’t think Hyunjin is worried about the time,” Miga winked at her boyfriend and lifted Naomi into her arms. “Are you still scared of Dad?” Sunoh laughed, and together they made their way to the elevator. Since they all lived in the same building, it was easier to leave together. “Scared is an understatement.” Hyunjin raised his eyebrows but stayed quiet. “Dad only has a problem with the fact that, according to the company, we’re not supposed to be together. I’m sure he respects you as a person,” Miga said as the elevator arrived and the family stepped in. “I’m not so sure,” Hyunjin said quietly, but no one heard him.

Kiwoo bent over the girl and kissed her. His hands were all over her body. "I like your underwear," he breathed while removing them. "This is my Chuseok gift for you," she breathed, showing off the red bra she bought especially for him. But Kiwoo stopped and looked at the girl with wide eyes. "What?" she asked with an uncertain laugh. "Whats the time?" he asked horrified and broke away from the girl. She looked a little hurt and pulled her dress back up. "11am", she said hesitantly and looked at him. He put his shirt back on and tried to fix himself up as best as he could, making sure nothing was noticeable. He glanced at his phone and saw all the missed calls from his father. “Shit, I’m in trouble,” he cursed. It was a habit he needed to break—his manager was always on him about cursing too much. “Kiwoo,” he suddenly heard, and the voice didn’t sound friendly. He squinted his eyes and slowly turned around. “Where were you?” Jaehyun stood in front of him, looking at his son. “Uh… I was still training. Sorry, Dad. I lost track of time.” Kiwoo lowered his head and looked at the ground, guilt evident in his posture. Jaehyun wasn’t entirely convinced. His son often had trouble on his mind, but at the same time, he was incredibly charismatic. He’d caused plenty of trouble, but even the top boss at SM always forgave him. “Do you have anything else with you?” Jaehyun asked, noticing Kiwoo was only wearing sweaty workout clothes. “I… can’t this work?” Kiwoo knew exactly how charismatic he was, and he smiled with a wink. But that didn’t always work with his father. “You know your mother expects you to dress properly,” Jaehyun crossed his arms. He was a bit annoyed with his son. “Yeah, yeah, I’ve got something with me.” “Hurry up. Your siblings are already on their way,” Jaehyun sighed and shook his head. They were definitely going to be the last to arrive.

Geon sat at the table, continuing to study, while you prepared the food for the day. Your son had been studying diligently for weeks, deeply buried in his books. His beautiful hair had been shaved off since he had been in the military. But since then, he had changed and withdrawn more and more. You hoped that the holidays would help him relax a bit again. Something had happened to Geon in the military, and you didn’t like it at all. “Here, some vitamins.” You set a plate of sliced fruit in front of him and gently stroked his shoulder. But in that moment, Geon flinched briefly, until he realized it was only his mother standing next to him. “Thanks, Mum,” he said, adjusting his glasses. In that moment, you felt tears welling up. Something was going on inside your son, but you couldn’t help him. He was so different from your other children. Geon had always been introverted. His twin brother, Kiwoo, was more prone to trouble, and ever since certain hormones started surging through his body, you had to keep an eye on him so he wouldn’t constantly end up in some girl’s pants. A few times, he received a “gift” from a father or you had to bail him out of tricky situations. 

As you continued cooking for the next few minutes, Geon kept studying, but soon you heard the door open. “Go on ahead to Grandma,” you heard Sunoh’s voice, and it still sent chills down your spine when you heard the word "Grandma." “Grandma!” You suddenly saw a black-haired figure slowly making their way into the kitchen. “Naomi, it’s so nice to see you!” You hugged your granddaughter and gave her a kiss on the forehead. You never thought you and Jaehyun would become grandparents so soon, but Sunoh and Chichi were quick. “Mum!” Miga entered with Hyunjin following shyly behind her. You hugged your daughter. Even though you saw each other regularly, it was always nice to see her. Over time, you had developed a really beautiful, friendly relationship, and you were thankful for that every day. You also really liked her boyfriend—you thought he was perfect for her, even if Jaehyun didn’t agree. But after what you learned about Jaemin (which Jaehyun didn’t know), you were glad she had someone kind and caring by her side. “Hyunjin, it’s great to have you here.” You hugged him and noticed the relief in his face that at least one of his girlfriend’s parents accepted him. “Thank you for letting me join the celebration.” He bowed politely, but you gently straightened him up. “You’re part of the family here. We’re happy to have you. Take a seat.” You smiled, and somehow, having everyone back in the house made you feel happy. The house had lost a bit of its liveliness since all the kids moved out. “Oh my God, who’s that coming?” You didn’t even get the chance to greet Chichi and Sunoh properly before you were already taking little Rei out of their hands. “Ahhhh, she smells so good,” you said, pressing the newborn girl to you. It was so nice to have a baby in your arms again. “Yeah, Mum, we’re here too,” Sunoh said, rolling his eyes with a smile. “Sorry, ever since you’ve been bringing such sweet babies, I can’t help it.” You kissed little Rei on the forehead. By now, Miga was already by her younger brother Geon, hugging him. “I miss your hair,” Miga said, gently stroking her little brother’s head. Sunoh crossed his arms and looked a bit concerned at Geon. “Basic training is over. Can’t you let your hair grow out?” “Yeah… no… not for me…” Geon couldn’t bring himself to meet his brother’s eyes. Sunoh had already been through the military; he had some idea of what was going on. “You should stop working out so much. What’s going on with your arms?” You pinched your son’s bicep. You knew he liked working out, but he had gained a lot of muscle mass by now. “Mum…” Somehow, they all reverted back to being little kids, shyly rolling their eyes. You kind of liked that. You turned to Chichi, still holding little Rei in your arms. “Is he taking good care of you? You’ve just had a baby. You need to sit down.” Chichi was still like a daughter to you; that had never changed. And now that she was officially part of the family, you felt even more connected to her. “Yes, he takes care of me and he is training during his breaks at the studio. And Sunoh spoils me. I get plenty of rest, and Miga helps a lot with Naomi,” Chichi said with her usual gentle and empathetic smile. “I’m relieved that you all live in the same building. Kiwoo will probably stay in the dorms longer, but Geon, maybe we’ll look for an apartment for you nearby when you start university. It’s too far from the house.” “Oh yes, that would be great.” Miga hugged Geon, who flinched again. Sunoh looked at you with concern, and you realized that it wasn’t just you who was worried anymore.

An hour later, the last two men finally arrived. “The King is here,” Kiwoo announced as he strutted confidently and cheekily into the room, as usual. “If the King was ever on time, we’d have been here much earlier,” Jaehyun said, following him in and giving you a kiss as a greeting. He then greeted everyone else, but gave Hyunjin only a cold handshake. Miga’s boyfriend immediately felt uneasy again. Sunoh quickly noticed the tension and stepped in. “Mum, is it alright if we head to the living room, or do you need any help?” “All good. Make yourselves comfortable, and I’ll call if I need anything.” You handed Rei back to her parents and headed to the kitchen with Jaehyun, while the kids and their partners disappeared into the living room. “Wow, Dad still isn’t warming up to you,” Kiwoo said, patting Hyunjin on the shoulder. Miga looked anxiously at her boyfriend and took his hand. “He has to accept it,” Sunoh muttered, shaking his head. He couldn’t understand his father’s attitude in this matter at all. The group settled down. Sunoh got out the toys for Naomi while Chichi nursed Rei. Miga lay with Hyunjin on the couch, and the twins made themselves comfortable beside each other. “We’re far too rarely together like this,” Geon said with a sigh. Something was up with him; everyone could feel it. He had changed—the breakup before the military and then the military itself had taken a toll.

The afternoon was spent relaxing as everyone enjoyed their family time. Meanwhile, you had been busy cooking the entire meal and were happy to do so. “Hyunjin...” Jaehyun hadn’t said much that evening, so everyone was surprised when he suddenly addressed Miga’s boyfriend. “Yes...” Hyunjin replied quietly. “You’ve learned a lot from me, haven’t you?” Jaehyun asked, still not looking directly at him. “Yes...” Hyunjin said cautiously. Miga looked at you in panic, but you weren’t sure where your husband was going with this. “I’ve given you everything. Showed you everything. And in return, you break the rules?” Jaehyun finally looked Hyunjin directly in the eyes, making him freeze in place. “Come on, who cares?” Sunoh interjected, putting down his utensils. “The company forbade it,” Jaehyun hissed. “Dad, you know that’s bullshit,” Sunoh said, crossing his arms. “Sunoh, this is also about the reputation of our family.” “If our relationship is exposed, it’ll only affect Hyunjin. Dad, he’s the one taking the biggest risk in our relationship.” Miga reluctantly stood up to her father, but for her, this was a line she wouldn’t let him cross. Silence fell over the table; no one said a word. “How long has this been going on between you two?” Jaehyun asked, looking directly at Hyunjin. Hyunjin hesitated, unsure, and glanced at Miga, but he had to face the truth. “Since Sunoh moved into the apartment.” It was during the housewarming party, after Miga and Hyunjin’s official breakup (as mandated by SM), that they had rekindled their relationship. Jaehyun suddenly stood up, knocking over his chair in the process. This startled Geon so much that his heart rate spiked. He mumbled something to himself and jumped up, his eyes vacant as if he wasn’t really there anymore. Geon bolted out of the room, and Kiwoo quickly followed. “Jaehyun, that’s enough.” You stood up and tried to calm your husband. You hadn’t seen him this upset in a long time. “You knew, didn’t you?” He looked at you, disappointment written all over his face. “I think I should leave,” Hyunjin said, standing up. Jaehyun didn’t even look at him, seeming almost pleased that Hyunjin was about to go. But Miga followed her boyfriend. “Jaehyun, what are you doing?” You walked up to him, unable to comprehend what had gotten into your husband. “I just hate it when someone comes into our home without respect.” Jaehyun remained stubborn, still seething. “Hyunjin is very respectful. Oh my god, Jaehyun, you constantly had to break rules in our relationship back in the day.” You tried to remind him of their own past, hoping to bring him back to his senses. “Dad, do you remember when Hyunjin and Miga had to break up?” It had been a dark time for the family. When the two had been forced to separate, Miga’s world collapsed. She stopped going out, refused to eat, and eventually ended up hospitalized due to her emotional and physical collapse. “I don’t know why the company is so strict about Miga and Hyunjin. Maybe it’s because there are a few creeps in there, but you know that’s not normal.” Sunoh tried to talk sense into his father, and to your surprise, it seemed to be working. Jaehyun’s pulse slowed, and he began to realize what he was doing. “I... I...” Jaehyun couldn’t think clearly anymore. He left the conversation and retreated to his office.

“I’ll go. I don’t want to ruin your holiday,” Hyunjin said, grabbing his bag and placing it on the bed. “If you go, I’ll go too,” Miga said, standing beside him and looking at him firmly. Hyunjin knew she would say that. He turned to her and gently took hold of her forearms. “Hyunjin... I want to be with you.” Tears welled up in Miga’s eyes. If there was one thing Miga could do, it was love passionately. If anyone thought she had given a lot in her relationship with Jaemin, they hadn’t seen her with Hyunjin. She would fight for his love every second of the day. Their relationship was far from easy, but she loved him so much she couldn’t imagine her life without him anymore. “Miga...” he said softly, taking her face in his hands and resting his forehead against hers. He couldn’t explain how deeply he felt for her. With this relationship, he was risking everything—his idol career, his entire existence. Just then, the door opened, and Sunoh walked in. He saw the bag on the bed and looked shocked at his best friend. “You’re not leaving,” he said, startled. Hyunjin turned back to his bag. “I think it’s for the best…” “Miga, can you go check on Chichi? She’s alone with Naomi and Rei right now.” Sunoh knew Miga would understand; after all, Sunoh and Hyunjin had been best friends for years. "Dad is an idiot, but don't leave." Sunoh looked at him seriously, trying to reassure him. "I can't lose Miga again. I'm constantly afraid of messing everything up. My career, the money—it doesn't matter to me. But I don't want to give up on Miga." Hyunjin turned back to his bag, continuing to pack. Sunoh wasn't going to let this slide. He walked to the other side of the bed and sat down. "Hyunjin, tell me what really happened. We've known each other for so long." Sunoh's expression softened with concern. Hyunjin felt ashamed of the story, only Miga knew the full truth. But now it was time to let his best friend in. He pushed the bag aside and sat on the bed, taking a deep breath. "I grew up really poor. My mother and little sister died in a car accident. My father still blames me for it. I got into trouble at school that day, and she had to pick me up. Afterward, he started drinking, and he lost his job. To help us survive, I started working at a small fish restaurant, where I got discovered and started with the idol training. My dad borrowed money from the company. I was too young to understand what was happening. Now, I have to pay off all that debt. When the company found out about me and Miga, they threatened to fire me and demanded I pay everything back immediately. Miga couldn’t handle the pressure, so we broke up… That’s the short version." Hyunjin took a moment, the weight of his words settling between them. "Shit, man! That's rough." Sunoh nodded, finally piecing things together. Everything made sense now. "So far, only Miga knows. We even visited my father together once. She’d never want to cause me more trouble with my debt. That’s why we've always kept our relationship a secret." "You’re not going through this alone," Sunoh promised, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Thanks, but I have to handle this myself." Hyunjin sighed, straightening up again. "Just stay another night, okay? See how things go. Do it for Miga. This weekend means a lot to her." Sunoh looked at him seriously, and after a moment, Hyunjin nodded without saying anything.

Later that evening, Miga and Hyunjin sat together in the garden by the natural pool, gazing at the water. Miga was relieved Hyunjin had decided to stay, even though she sensed the strange tension. Suddenly, Jaehyun appeared behind them, standing over Miga with a serious look. "Can I talk to Hyunjin for a moment?" Miga wasn't sure if that was a good idea. Hyunjin shot her a panicked glance. "Don’t worry, I just want to talk," Jaehyun said calmly. Miga hesitated but then stood up, giving Hyunjin a reassuring look before walking away. Hyunjin watched as her father sat down beside him, unsure of what was to come. "It wasn’t right of me to confront you like that at the table," Jaehyun said, his eyes fixed on the shimmering water. The garden lights reflected off the surface, casting a soft glow. "I've always seen so much potential in you, from the very beginning. You didn’t have much experience, but you had a lot of talent..." Jaehyun shifted his gaze to his fingers, clearly struggling with the admission. A confession like this required a lot of humility. "When you became the main dancer, I was proud. Finally, people could see what I had seen all along—the talent you had. You’ve developed more than anyone else, and you had the most ambition. I always admired that." Jaehyun placed his hands on the grass and leaned his head back. Hyunjin was caught off guard by Jaehyun’s words. He never thought Jaehyun saw him in such a positive light. "I quickly noticed how you looked at my daughter. How you couldn’t take your eyes off her..." Jaehyun paused. "If I can see something in you, why wouldn’t my daughter see the same?" He sat up straighter, turning to face Hyunjin. "I’m scared that Miga will go through the pain her mother went through. You’re part of one of the most successful groups of this generation. You’re one of the most handsome idols out there. I won’t even start with the fans, but trainees and even idols will do anything to be close to you. Miga loves you. She loves deeply, and just the thought of you breaking her heart makes me lose control." "I won’t break her heart... I love her more than anything," Hyunjin said, looking at Jaehyun with his dark, earnest eyes. "Right now, I’m the one breaking her heart." Jaehyun sighed as he stood up, adjusting his clothes. "I won’t say anything. You’re welcome here, but if you break her heart, I’ll become your biggest problem." He gave Hyunjin a pointed look. Hyunjin nodded in understanding. "Thank you," Hyunjin said quietly, and Jaehyun nodded before walking back to the house. Hyunjin watched him enter, where he saw you greet Jaehyun with a warm hug. Miga had already returned by that point and sat down beside Hyunjin, clearly worried. "And? How did it go?" She bit her lower lip and took a deep breath. Hyunjin looked at her, still in disbelief at how fortunate he was. Jaehyun’s biggest fear was that Hyunjin would ever show interest in another girl, but Hyunjin couldn’t even imagine that. Ever since he had met Miga, she was the only one on his mind. To him, she was the most beautiful person he had ever seen. "It went well. I understand your father’s concerns now," Hyunjin said with a soft smile. "Really?" Miga seemed genuinely surprised. "Your father used to be an idol, and he knows the risks. Your parents had their struggles, and he just doesn’t want you to go through the same thing." Hyunjin pulled Miga closer to him, resting her head against his chest. "You’re the only one who can make me happy," she whispered, placing her hand over his heart. Hyunjin was relieved to hear those words. For so long, he had felt like he was competing with Jaemin, but in the end, he had won Miga’s heart, and he never wanted to lose it.

[hooked-on-elvis]

June 5, 1956 📺

"Hound Dog" performance on the Milton Berle Show

Man, apart from the performance, the moment Milton Berle slips and falls to his knees while he goofs around to the "Hound Dog" tune (2:56), which btw I don't feel nice about because it sounds like he's kinda mocking Elvis' moves with this little act (considering Berle's lines with a highly mocking tone too), seeing Elvis trying to help him to stand up and looking so worried for a sec, it got me melting. He was such a caring man. Also, the Debra Paget's "crazy fan girl" number when she kissed Elvis and he reacted with "Ohhh, man"… LMAO!!! I swear, I laughed more at this simple thing from Elvis than all the little jokes from Berle's lines. Elvis was funny… He had a natural timing for comedy even when he was not doing anything special.

What are your thoughts?

This is during the rehearsal. I personally can't appreciate the tone in this sketch. Just like "Hound Dog" performed a little time afterwards on the Steve Allen Show (July 1, 1956), this is another performance where the American tv hosts mocked Elvis - in this case in a slightly lighter way but still trying to make a laugh at his expense. People still didn't take him seriously. He had to put up with this to get to a moment he was praised and respected for his art (although people never gave him as much respect as he deserved, specially the tabloids and such).

[al1v3-p03ts-s0ci3ty]

One shot idea: Neil (or Todd) admitting to the other that they like them

(THIS TOOK SO LONG IM SO SORRY-)

Thank you so much for the ask!!! I haven't written much lately so this was a nice start! This ideas been sitting in my notes app for a while so thank you for getting me to finally write it!!

[Authors note! This is set in the 90s. There are mentions of Welton but just imagine that the timeline got shifted up a bit. They're all in their mid 20s. Also the cat name Allen IS based off of that super cool fruity poet Allen Ginsberg.]

Cramped in a small apartment full of boxes that seemed to pile to the ceiling, Neil and Charlie sat on the scratchy carpet of their new home.

They'd spent their whole morning moving box after box from the U-Haul truck, up 3 flights of stairs and finally into their apartment.

"Once we're done moving all this stuff maybe we could have a housewarming?" Neil said, taking big breaths between words. Both Neil and Charlie were completely exhausted from carrying things around all day.

"Maybe we could get the guys to do all the unpacking for us." Charlie joked, although there was a hint of seriousness in his voice.

Neil chuckled at his friends joke and a short silence followed.

"Do you think it was the right thing to do?" Neil's voice was quiet.

"What?"

"To move out, I mean... I know it's for the best and I should just move on..."

There was a pause. "But?" His friend chuckled sort of awkwardly trying to break the tension.

"I'm just gonna miss him." Neil responded, his tone was completely genuine and if you listened carefully you could hear his voice break.

Of course, they were talking about their friend Todd.

Neil and Todd had been inseparable since the day they met in Welton Academy. They spent every waking moment in each others company, they shared a room together, they had classes together, they went to Dead Poets meetings together.

Now, Neil had developed a crush on Todd during this time, and as much as he'd like to say "it's not a big deal" or "it was just a small crush" he'd be lying.

After a long talk with Charlie about his feelings for Todd they both decided that maybe he should move out. He'd spent a long time living with Todd, maybe it was time for a change?

"Well of course you're gonna miss him! You've been in love with him since the day you two met, that's not gonna be easy to get over-" Charlie wasn't even able to finish his thought before Neil cut him off.

"I'm not in love I just-" He couldn't possibly sound more defensive if he tried.

"Look, Neil." There was a short pause before Charlie spoke again, he needed to think of the right words. "You wanna get over him, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Then you're gonna spend some time apart from him..." He turned to face his friend. "If I'm being honest... I always just assumed he felt the same way about you."

"Don't do that, Char."

"Hey, I'm just being honest." Charlie's words came out in an unusually transparent tone.

/////

Finally, they had their place set up. Their apartment had an open floorplan with a small living room and kitchen that was separated by a short bar and stools. There was a hall that connected their bedrooms and bathroom to the living room.

A small couch, coffee table, tv. They tried to make it as homely as possible given that they'd only lived there for a few days. And it worked for the most part.

"When are they supposed to be here?" Charlie asked from behind the kitchen bar, he was watching the packet of popcorn turn in the microwave.

Neil glanced towards the clock they hung above the front door, it was 6pm. "Around now... Maybe they're just running late?"

And then, almost comically, someone knocked the door. Charlie seemed unphased by the sound and made no effort to answer the door. He was such a great host.

Neil pulled the door open. There was already a smile already plastered on his face before he saw his friend's.

They hugged then exchanged greetings and complimented the pair on the new apartment despite the fact that they barely had time to properly decorate, there were still a few boxes here and there.

"Hey." Todd was the last one in the room. Everyone else had gone into the living room and were making themselves at home. But for now it was just Neil and Todd in the doorway.

"Hey..."

There was chatter coming from the living room but the sound seemed fuzzy from where the pair were standing in the hall. Neil definitely wasn't paying attention, especially with Todd right in front of him.

"Oh!" Todd rummaged through his tote bag and pulled out a book, it had post it tabs sticking out the sides as though it had been annotated. "Here." He handed the book to Neil.

"Thanks..." Neil takes the book in his hands and glanced down at it for a moment.

"I forgot to give it back to you after I borrowed it, and then... Well you moved out..."

It was a small copy of The Great Gatsby, ironically though Neil related to the main character as they both had friends in their lives that they had sort of a 'gay yearning' for. Though, neither of them would ever really admit it.

"It was good!" He began. "It was really good." Although Todd was obviously excited to talk about the book, he still spoke in his usual quiet voice. "Daisy was my favourite character by far."

"I knew you'd love her." Neil said, glancing back up at Todd from the book with a smile on his face.

Now that the other boys had settled into the apartment they were, rather loudly, discussing what they should do together.

"Monopoly?" Pitts asked.

Charlie shook his head. "No way, Pittsie."

"Why not?"

"It's too basic. We should play a more exciting game...hmmm."

Neil lightheartedly rolled his eyes before making his own way into the room with Todd. 'Typical Charlie.' He thought. It was obvious Charlie knew what he wanted to play yet he was making everyone wait, he was so dramatic. 'Maybe he should join the theatre.'

Then, suddenly, Charlie's face lit up. "Twister!"

/////

After a too long game of Twister and a few rounds of Uno, Todd was exhausted. Beside him on the couch was Neil, it took everything in him to not lean against his friend and rest his head on his shoulder.

The group was laughing about something, Todd couldn't tell what exactly it was, he was just so tired. The only thing on his mind at this point (beside Neil) was going home and getting some sleep.

God knows what the time was by now. His eyelids were heavy and he had to stop himself from leaning back against the couch and passing out. Neil noticed, obviously.

"You doing okay?" He whispered. His voice was barely audible in comparison to the other boys.

All Todd could do was nod.

"Tired?" There was a sweet smile on Neil's lips.

That smile... Todd could feel his cheeks getting warm. He nodded again. "Just a little..." He replied with a yawn.

Neil's laugh was the sweetest sounding thing you could ever dream of hearing... Or at least that's what Todd thought. "Just a little? You look like you're gonna fall asleep."

Todd lazily shakes his head, earning another laugh from Neil

"You can stay the night if you want... That might be easier than taking the bus."

"Really?" Why did Todd sound so surprised? Of course Neil would let him stay the night, he wouldn't make Todd take the bus alone, especially so late.

"Of course!" Neil smiled wide.

/////

Once the other boys had left and the only remaining people in the apartment were Charlie, Neil and Todd, Neil gave his friend a tour of the new apartment. It didn't take long as the apartment was relatively small and Todd had already been there for a few hours, however, he did like humouring Neil. He was always so theatrical.

"This is where you'll be staying." He said while mimicking some kind of fancy host, it made Todd laugh.

The room was small but cosy nonetheless. Theatre posters in frames lined the walls, he had a vanity that he used as a desk and there was a strip of photo booth pictures of Todd and Neil tucked between the mirror and the frame. Todd tried so hard to seem unphased by it, though his rosy cheeks gave him away.

He had a bookshelf that was more than full already, the middle of the shelves were sagging under the weight of the many, many plays and novels he owned.

Of course there was a box or two in the corner, Neil hadn't had time to move many of his smaller things into the room yet.

"You sure I can stay the night in here?"

"Don't be ridiculous, of course you can."

Neil left the room to give Todd some privacy as he got changed. Todd couldn't help but look around at the room. He was so used to all these things being in Neil's room- 'his old room.' Todd corrected himself- in their apartment, but now they were here.

He put on his fluffy pyjama pants and an old loose shirt before he made himself comfortable on Neil's bed.

Soon after, Neil came into the room wearing different clothes, clothes that Todd had seen him wear before. Now he was getting nostalgic, Neil had only moved out a week ago.

"Hey!" Neil said. 'He looks so cute when he smiles.' Todd thought.

"Hey..." Todd replied in a whisper.

"You comfortable?" Neil joked. "You can sleep there, I'll be on the couch."

"What?" Todd sounded offended on the behalf of his friend.

"What?"

"You can't sleep on the couch, Neil- this is your room. Y-you should sleep in here."

Neil shook his head. "You're my guest. You should have the bed."

"But it's your apartment."

Neil was still stood in the doorway and Todd was still sat on the bed. Suddenly the energy in the room shifted, like there was something lingering under the surface of their conversation, something important and unspoken.

"Well you're already on the bed, Todd." Neil chuckled. Quickly though, Todd got up, stumbling a little at the speed at which he stood.

"Neil, I'm not letting you sleep on the couch."

"Well I guess we'll both just have to sleep on the couch then." Neil joked, though Todd didn't laugh, and just like that the air was tense.

"I'm not letting you sleep on the couch."

There was another pause between the two and they were both facing each other directly now.

"Then... I guess we'll just have to share the bed." Neil suggested, mostly joking. Key word being 'mostly'.

"Yeah..." Todd replied, his voice came out soft and quiet. "M-maybe we will..."

It's not like this would be the first time they shared a bed. Some of those nights at Welton got cold and those blankets were barely enough to shield one person from the temperature. Besides, it's not like anything was going to happen...

/////

Todd sat comfortably at the head of Neil's bed, the pillows and cushions had been distributed between the two and they had propped them up behind them like makeshift backrests. Their hushed laughter filled the room.

"You're kidding." Neil said, in a playful tone.

Todd shook his head and even though he was still laughing he spoke with complete certainty. "I'm not."

"Allen really misses me?" Neil sounded somewhat surprised. Even though they had adopted the cat together some time ago it still surprised him that their cat could miss him.

"Of course he does."

"Well I guess if he misses me so much then I'll just have to move back in." Although he was being sarcastic, there was a trace of truth in his voice. Maybe he would have to move back in for their cat... And no other reason.

Todd let out a brief chuckle. The apartment was a lot quieter now and it was nearing the early hours of the morning and they had to keep their voices down. "So you'd move back in for the cat but not for me?" He joked but he still managed to sound somewhat offended.

"Oh come on..." Neil paused and took a moment to look up at Todd from across the other side of his bed. "You know I'd do anything for you, Todd."

Todd averted his gaze, he'd rather look anywhere else than look at Neil right now. He could feel his cheeks heat up, maybe he could just blame it on the temperature of the room, maybe Neil wouldn't even notice. Todd wanted to change the subject, he didn't want to talk about Neil being gone anymore, but he just couldn't get it off his mind.

"It's weird not having you around the apartment anymore..."

"It's only been a week." Todd could practically hear the smile on Neil's face, he was always smiling about something or another when they were together.

"Well... It's been a long week."

Now this was silence. Not exactly awkward or even anxious, but something else. Something remained between the two of them.

"Your room’s nice." Todd finally deflected the conversation onto something else, something easy to talk about.

"I-" Neil began. He could read Todd, and if he was going to change a conversation topic it must've been for a good reason. "You think so?"

"It's... Very you."

Neil chuckled. "I kinda figured that it's always been 'very me'. It is still all my stuff after all."

"Right- no- yeah-... You know what I mean." Todd shook his head, he was laughing with Neil now.

"I get what you're saying. It is a little different." Neil glanced around his room as if it had been the first time he's ever seen it. He began mentally nitpicking at the changes he'd made.

"Oh?"

"Well for one," he started, "that huge cat scratching post isn't in here anymore."

"Yeah..." Todd looked around now too, he was picking up on the subtle things that were different about the room that used to be so familiar to him, silently missing the things that Neil had left in his old room.

"It's different without Allen, that's for sure, it's quiet." He chuckled. "And it's different without you constantly being in here-"

"I wasn't constant..."

Neil playfully rolled his eyes at his friend's disagreement. "It sooo was." Todd only responded by shaking his head with a disbelieving look on his face. "You were in my room all the time."

"Well... It'll be good to have this new space, right? And I'll have the apartment to myself." Todd was more talking to himself than talking to Neil, almost like he was trying to convince himself that Neil moving out was going to be good for them.

"I'll miss you being in here so often... It'll be so quiet."

"You're living with Charlie, it's definitely not gonna be quiet." Both boys laughed to themselves. It's like the world outside this room had stopped and they were the only two people in the world.

"Yeah." He continued to laugh. "I guess you're right."

"It might be a good change of pace?"

"Maybe..." Neil only half agreed. "I'll miss the quiet though... I'll miss you."

Their eyes met and Todds heart skipped a beat. "I'll miss you too..."

The room went quiet again. "We should probably get some sleep." He said awkwardly, breaking the tension. Now it was Neil who was deflecting and trying to change the subject. He got off the bed and started haphazardly moving the pillows and adjusting the sheet beneath them, not necessarily doing anything but just trying to make himself look busy.

"Neil...?"

Neil felt his world stop for Todd in that moment.

"Yeah?"

"Did... Did I d-do something wrong?" Todd asked, his voice was quiet, almost like he didn't want Neil to hear him.

"What?"

"To make you want to move out... Did I do something wrong?"

Neil shook his head profusely. "No way. Todd you're the best roommate anyone could ask for."

There was a pause, Todd wasn't sure if he should leave the conversation there or not, but he was curious.

Finally, he asked. "Then what was it?" It was inevitable that Todd would ask Neil this question sooner or later.

Neil sighed, he had to make up something. "I thought it would be better to get out of the apartment, ya know?"

But Todd just looked up at him from the bed, unmoving. It was obvious that Todd didn't believe him.

"I thought it might help me..." Neil took a deep breath as if he was bracing himself. "I didn't want anything to come between us." He said about as much as he could without giving himself away.

Todd shook his head. "What do you mean?"

"It's just..." He sighed. How could he possibly explain this? "It's not a big deal."

"Then why can't you tell me?"

The air was thick and the pauses they took between talking felt like eternities.

"I didn't want anything to change between us, that's all." Now it was Neil who had turned his gaze away from Todd.

"Why would anything change?"

"I kind of..." He took another deep breath, his lungs filled with the cold night air that poured through his half open window. "Had a small... Crush on you while we were living together." He barely even glanced at Todd after he said this, he wished he could read Todd and tell just how he felt.

He had about a million questions for Neil but all he could manage to choke out was-

"W-what?"

"It was just a small crush really, it was barely anything." He stuttered and stumbled over each word, with every sentence he let out he felt like he was letting out more and more that he couldn't take back.

"You... You m-moved out because you had a crush on me?"

"Yeah...." He nodded briefly before turning to Todd.

"But... you only moved out a week ago..."

The brunette nodded. He felt like there was a lump in his throat and a pit in his stomach.

"D-do you still... Feel like... That?"

Neil let out an awkward chuckle. "I guess so, yeah."

"You moved out to get over me?" Todd was still somewhat smiling, like he didn't believe it was true.

"Yeah." He nodded. Neil was a lot calmer now that it was out in the open. He thought this would've gone a lot worse than it did.

Todd let out a sigh of relief, which Neil immediately noticed.

He scanned Todd for any sign of discomfort or anger, though he didn't pick up on any. The only other time he'd felt this anxious was when his father showed up unexpectedly in the audience of a play he was in. But he'd rather not think about that.

"What?" Now that he was at ease he could finally do something besides just stand there and look anxious.

Todd dismissed the question by shaking his head, although he was still smiling. "It's just..." He lowered his voice. "I-I've gotten that advice before."

Neil just gave him a confused look.

"Meeks... He thought I should've m-moved out when I... Told him I liked you."

Neil went speechless, his mind was racing. It all made sense now, thinking back to all the times he even considered that Todd felt the same way about him. It all made sense.

"What?" Neil choked out as his lips formed a smile.

Todd reciprocated his smile. "Just before you moved out..."

The two boys shared a glance and the room seemed to shrink, pulling them closer together.

"Really?"

"...yeah."

"Charlie had his suspicions." Neil joked. He tried keeping the conversation light hearted, he knew that Todd didn't hold up well under stress.

"I thought it was so obvious-" Todd mumbled, he hid his face in his hands.

In hindsight it was incredibly obvious. It was ridiculous that they had no idea that the other had feelings for them until now.

"I... I guess I just never noticed before." Neil sat back down in his original position on the bed. "I thought I was the obvious one." He laughed.

"Really?" Todd's voice came out like a mouse, he peeked at Neil from behind his hands.

"Oh yeah!" He nodded reassuringly. "Remember all the valentines' I made you?"

"Oh my God-" The shorter boy covered his face with his hands again, embarrassed, his face flushed red. "I had no idea."

"Really? No idea?"

Todd silently shook his head in response.

Neil hadn't noticed his cheeks heating up until he saw himself in the mirror. His face was bright red and there was a sweet smile on his face. He never even dreamed that this day would come. Not only was he able to confess to the love of his life, but to hear Todd say in his own words that he reciprocated those feelings, it just meant the world to him. Maybe this was the beginning of something new?

Carpe Diem.

[tippenfunkaport]

Introducing MAYbe I’ll Make This, the easiest month of prompts you’ve ever participated in happening this May 2023.

It’s a chance to share all those ideas you’ve been toying with that you might draw or write someday with no pressure to actually commit to finishing anything!

Participation can be as little as sharing a few words or a single sentence or as involved as a sketch or plot summary, it’s up to you! 

What’s the point?

To fill our fandom tags with fun new ideas and stimuli to get everyone’s creative juices flowing. For fan creators ourselves, it gives us a chance to talk about our ideas with no pressure to deliver. And who knows, hopefully seeing people excited about our ideas might give us extra inspiration and motivation to maybe even work on them someday!

Here’s how it works:

Throughout May, post anything from a few words to a snippet from an idea you’ve been kicking around that you MAY draw or write someday and tag the related fandoms, if any. (Ideas that you've started, have actively in progress or have even started but abandoned are also welcome!) A few sentences about a fic you might write, a sketch you’re still figuring out, or even a long infodump about the AU of your heart, share as much or as little as you want!. It’s not a commitment to make anything, just a fun excuse to talk about your ideas. 

Don’t have any ideas of your own? No problem! You can still participate by boosting the ideas that others post, asking questions and expressing your excitement about the ideas that appeal to you. 

Anyone from any fandom is welcome to participate as well as original writers so please spread the word!

We’ve got 30 days worth of prompts to get you started that you can interpret anyway you like… or ignore entirely and do your own thing. Do all 30, pick and choose, do them out of order, whatever you want! The point is just to have fun and share your ideas! 

That’s it! Just a super chill, low effort way for us all to celebrate those ideas taking up space in our brains that we aren’t quite ready to commit to making yet (or maybe ever). 

Notes

Participants retain all rights to their ideas and first dibs on the writing / drawing of them.

Want feedback on your ideas? Encourage brainstorming? Happy to let someone else take your idea and write it themselves? Add a note to that effect to your post so people know what kind of interactions are welcome. 

Please be supportive of others' ideas and keep overly negative opinions to yourself (especially if they did not ask for feedback). If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all!

You’re welcome to tag your posts with “MAYbe I’ll Make This” or link back to this post to explain the challenge but your host (me) won’t be sharing every post related to this challenge. This is just something I wanted to do for my own purposes to share all the ideas I may never get a chance to write but I’m opening the prompts list to anyone who might like to do the same. 

Questions? Drop me an ask! 

May 2023 Prompts

No Plot Just Vibes

Lives In My Head Rent Free

Sometimes One Must Torture The Blorbos For Enrichment

Completely Self Indulgent

I Just Want Them To Be Happy 😭

Canon Divergent

Inspired By A Movie

Galaxy Brain Of Me, Honestly

No One Wants This But Me

All The Tropes!

Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need Canon

Idea Fueled By Spite

Shameless Excuse For Hurt / Comfort

Inspired By A TV Show

Slaps Idea: This Baby Can Fit So Much Projection!

Yes, I’m Cringe But I’m Free

One! More! Time! 

Totally OOC But Hear Me Out… 

Role Swap

Inspired By Someone Else’s Au

I Hurt Myself With This Idea

Old Tropes, New Tricks

Pretend I’m Good Enough To Pull This Off

It’s Really Just All About This One Scene… 

Crack Treated Seriously 

Seriousness Treated Like Crack 

I’ve Actually Started Working On This

Yes It’s Been Done But Not By Me So

More Of What You’d Call A Character Study

Casually Slides in My OC

Inspired By A Book

[simp999]

A New Home Ch. 16

Various! Splatoon manga x Skilled! Isekai'd! Reader

Wc: 1.3k

Back to the start! Previous Next

“Hey, hey, look!”

You barely have time to breathe after walking through the door of your new home before Leo’s shoving his phone in your face.

He kept moving it around, making it impossible to read the screen.

“We got invited to a party! Starts at 6 tonight!”

Oh. people.

“Who’s all going?”

“Uhh, no idea who’s hosting it, but I heard it should be mostly strong players?”

Ugh, seriously? Those are usually the worst people to be around. Most of them are so stuck-up and arrogant. Well, you suppose that if it’s just a bunch of randos, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to maybe find some new opponents. Your team could always use new sacrifices to test out new techniques in battle. And you won’t have to feel bad about it, with how their personalities usually are. Putting them in their places is always so fun.

You let out a small sigh, and agree to going - not like he was really offering since the beginning. As long as Milo, Tasha and him are going, you should be fine, right?

˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚＊

Wrong.

It’s now 6:08, and it’s so damn loud. The songs may be decent, almost like a 2010’s party mix is what you could best compare it to, but it shook the whole house. You weren’t expecting this many people, either. The lights are off, but there are tons of colored party lights and even a disco ball.

(Optional song.)

You grabbed Milo’s hand to ground yourself, and he held yours comfortably tight, rubbing his thumb against your knuckles soothingly. There wasn’t much else he could do, but you appreciated his effort. Though, it didn’t help all that much. It’s hard to get distracted and grounded when the source of your uncomfortableness is making its way through all of your senses. At least there was one that you could control, and that was food.

You squeezed your way through the crowd, making your way over to the snack area to find something you liked. Holy carp, that’s a lot of food. You grab one of the paper plates and throw on some stuff that you like, grabbing one of the canned drinks to wash the food down.

Wait, where’s Milo?

You begin to look around nervously, he shouldn’t be that hard to spot, being as tall as he is. Same goes for Tasha. Though Leo’s completely lost in the crowd, no luck finding him unless he decides to make a scene. Which isn’t unlikely.

You can’t search by color, since the lights are all weird, so you look for shape instead. You spot a quick reflection of light right around where his face height would be, then you see his spiky hair.

‘Okay, good. He’s right there. This is fine.’

As long as you know that you can spot him at any time, that eases your nerves. You hold the cold can in your hand tightly, taking a deep breath in.

Yeah, this isn’t your type of thing. You manage to push through and talk to a couple of people that approach you, and you quietly sing to some of your favorite songs once you get a little more comfortable. Anarchy Rainbow, Bomb Rush Blush, and Callimari Inkantation, to name a few. They had a lot of nice, upbeat tunes. But, as expected, it starts to feel way too loud again, and this time you try to find a way out. You need to escape, even just for a bit, before you start to feel too overwhelmed again.

You climb up the stairs to the second floor, and notice that the sound is definitely more drowned out up here. You open a couple of doors, trying to find the washroom. You mostly just find a couple of spare rooms with beds. One of the rooms was completely decked out with Dj-like stuff on the walls, but it seems the kit was missing. Guess that’s what they’re using downstairs.

You open another door and, man, this is nowhere near anything you could have ever expected.

Four cephalopods stare back at you. There’s one sitting on a beanbag chair, in front of a tv, playing some video game. Squid Racer, you’d recognize the characters and OST any day with how often Leo likes to play. There’s another at a table, who’s writing down in his manual. The third is sitting near the tv, with a lollipop in hand. You could have guessed that he was watching the other one play Squid Racer just before you walked in. The last one is now right in front of you.

“Hey, sweetheart! You did get my message! I’m glad you came~I was afraid you wouldn’t show,” He throws on a fake pout, but quickly replaces it with a friendly smile, “What brings you up here?”

“Leo showed me the invite, I had no idea you were the one throwing the party. Should have guessed, though.” You avoid the last question, not wanting to seem weak in front of such strong players.

“Aw, not happy to see me?”

“Nono, I am, I just wasn’t expecting to find you guys here, is all!” You wave your hands dismissively, trying to prove your point. You can’t look at them directly, this is way too much to handle right now.

He gently puts a hand on your upper back, in a way that silently asks if you’re okay with it. You allow it, and he brings you into the room and closes the door. You immediately take note of how much quieter it is in this room specifically, it’s almost like this room is made for this.

“Ya wanna stay in here for a bit? Parties can get pretty loud and overwhelming, I get it.”

Of course. Of course, somebody of this skill level would see right through you, you should have expected that.

You let the smile drop from your face for a second, and slump down to the ground to relax. The coldness of the ground feels so nice, this is exactly what you needed.

“Thanks ‘loha. Seriously, I mean it.”

He doesn’t question the nickname, he must have misheard you. He’s a little surprised at how casual you seem, but it might just be because of how you’re feeling.

“ ‘Course! Where are your teammates? They ditch ya? I’ll kick their-”

“No, no, they’re having fun. They were all hanging out with other people, making friends n stuff - hopefully, - and I don’t wanna ruin that for them.”

“They’re terrible teammates if they don’t help you out when you’re in need of it.”

“Nah, my teammates are awesome and would do anything for each other. …That’s exactly it, though, I want them to enjoy themselves and not have to worry about me.”

You wonder if maybe there is something bigger than this, another reason at the back of your mind. Do you not want to seem weak? You shake your head, 

“I wasn’t doing too bad, I got away before it started to really suck.” You get up, dusting yourself off, then go sit next to Skull on the couch. Not right next to him, obviously, but there’s a comfortable distance.

“As long as you’re feelin’ better.”

Mask finally finishes his round, and he leaves the in-game lobby. You tilt your head in curiosity, wondering why he’s leaving. There’s no way in sub-weapon hell that he’s going to actually join the party, you know that for a fact.

Instead, he looks back at you, then gestures to the beanbag chair a little farther off in the corner. You clue in, and go grab the chair, and set up next to him. He’s already grabbed the second controller, and waits for you to get comfortable before handing it over.

“Hope you knoooow I’m not going eaaaasy on you.”

“Better not, ‘cause kicking your ass won’t feel as good.”

You shoot him a playful smirk, and you let the round begin.

This is so much better than being downstairs. 

Next part

May.12.23

[adultswim2021]

Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job #45: “Crows” | March 29, 2010 - 12:30AM | S05E05

Lotta chatter in the discord about this season of Tim & Eric. Most of my friends were Tim and Eric devotees to some degree, and we are all having a great time communally reshaping our opinions on a shared like of something. It’s special. I like it! They’ve been selectively watching along with my watch along, and a lotta them are making a point to dig into a Tim & Eric rewatch. You bet they are. Lotta them said they hated this one especially, but lord help me, I think I love this one. 

When I give a contrarian opinion–you better believe it–people talk. So, let the conversation begin: I got very high before watching this episode, and that is probably the only reason I liked it so much. So, I am going to make the mistake of letting this stand as my definitive opinion on the episode. When one embarks on something so audacious as an adultswim.com branded blog, when one uses their mind for a higher purpose (discussing Meatwad, Brak, etc), they must occasionally reflect on their lives and conclude: I am the only person who is right about anything, so much so that it’s especially true when I am high as hell. 

Okay: Quall sings the Car of the Future, not that good but I like that there’s a crazy guy on TV. This was Tim & Eric’s intent all along, and sometimes it’s just nice.

Then there’s the Paynus Bros. This doesn’t go anywhere, really, but I laughed a bit and I can’t deny that. Is it weird that a guy in this once yelled at my wife over some seriously pedantic bullshit regarding some forgotten stand-up comedy-related scandal? Yes, it’s weird. But guess what? I don’t even HAVE a wife anymore, dickhead. I do like the part where the host of the entertainment news show interviews his friend’s parents. LOL who DOES that. A lot of this is a little time-wastey though and it doesn’t really have much of a point. But some of it works for me, which isn't bad for being the worst sketch in the episode. 

The Cinco Sleep Watching Chair is a classic. I love this sketch so much. Doug Foster (aka Doug Prish-Preed) cracks me up, and the bit where they give him age-inappropriate frat boy dialogue (saying his romantic partners just need to be hot, and nothing else matters- IMAGINE!). Michael Gross plays his sleep-watching friend, a strange sinister-seeming relationship. It’s almost as if he’s the man’s feeder, but for sleep. One of my favorites, I love the little smile at the end. It makes me do a huge one. 

The wraparound is that Tim has his eyes pecked out by crows, which eventually leads to Eric getting his eyes also pecked out. This is because, inexplicably, they can’t not simply avoid one particular alleyway where foreboding crows attempt murder on those who pass one too many times. This is all connected to a “Dark Man” who, I learned only recently, is famous rapist Marilyn Manson. I thought he was just some bad actor they got. Oh well, fooled me. I am sorry for not taking a stand against him. I promise I don't like the guy.

The reviled Rainn Wilson plays a menacing character who crackles and warns Tim & Eric of the crow storm coming. It’s all meant to evoke tropes of supernatural horror films. I hate Rainn even more than Manson, but even his presence doesn’t bug me in this. This is a good role for a wad like him.

Another interesting thing about this sequence is that it results in a sketch that works both as a standalone bit of weirdness AND as a narrative bridge that introduces the referenced "dark man". A circle of chanting people all say mildly absurd things like “Be provocative, be organized”, which is a phrase that I think is poetry, and I think about it often. A shadowy figure swoops in and takes one of the men's sons. I love this, and consider it art.

The Dark Man shows up in the spooky alley to turn Tim & Eric into a pair of porcelain birds because of their past crimes against birds. The little bit of footage of Eric smugly shooting a bird at point blank range is so funny to me. I consider moments like this to be gifts, and I appreciate the wonderful one I have received here. He also turns Rainn Wilson into a toilet, like he deserves. It becomes apparent that this is a reference to the Tom Goes to the Mayor episode Porcelain Birds; so much so that John Ennis reprises his role as the guy at the bronzing plant. Then he morphs into the Tom Goes art-style and we cut to Tom Goes to the Mayor style credits. Wonderful! Simply wonderful!

I like Crows, everyone!

[jvstheworld]

My Ted Lasso Re-watch: S2E1 (part 4)

Goodbye Earl

Okay, would you really let your dog pee on a memorial for another dog? Because I wouldn't.

Ted and Beard in a very intense game. How long have they been going for and how has Nate been able to keep count during the whole thing? Seriously, if I tried to do that I'd lose track after a few. (I'm not beating my ADHD allegations any time soon). But really, Nate is counting up to 442. How?

The little song and dance they did was cute. The three of them had to plan it out for her and that's just sweet. And it was Ted's idea, wasn't it?

Dr Sharon notices that the Americans are weird. Well, I'm glad someone does.

Even Higgins joins in on hating saying yips out loud.

Right from the beginning, Dr Sharon singles Ted out from the rest of the group. Everyone in that room (except Higgins) needs therapy, but Dr Sharon only focuses on Ted. Nate doesn't say anything and Beard is hiding in the corner. All the focus is on Ted.

Is Ted good at his job? Depends which part you're talking about. He's a crap football coach, but when it comes to helping people be their best, yeah he's damn good at that. Now if he was coaching American Football, he'd probably be great at that too. But the good thing about Ted is that he accepts help from others who know more than him, and isn't afraid to admit he needs it. Except when it comes to therapy.

1236, huh. Where have we heard that number before? Oh yeah, that's how much money Roy owes Phoebe.

Oh Dani, you precious raven haired golden retriever. Fix him, Doctor. We need him happy again.

Ted definitely feels kind of threatened by Dr Sharon. He's usually the one trying to help people and now someone else is doing it.

John might be fine, but Rebecca should want more than that. I love her epiphany on what she wants in a relationship. She went out with John because he's a nice, safe option. He probably won't hurt her. But that means she isn't getting what she really wants which is passion and vulnerability. She wants the opposite of Rupert, but also the opposite of John. Someone who won't hurt her, but isn't so safe that she is bored and settling.

John caught on quick to what was happing, but it's good that he's not bitter about it. And he's does find someone who is better suited for him than Rebecca, so he's happy in the end. It all works out.

Dani is singing again! We love to see and hear it. Even Ted crosses his fingers this time. No more yips for Dani though. FOOTBALL IS LIFE AGAIN!

Now everyone wants to see Dr Sharon. There's only so much Ted can do before a professional needs to come in. He can't help solve all their problems, but Dr Sharon can help in ways he can't. Ted just feels a little left out because he's always been that person to help people, despite the fact that he's the one that needs the most help.

Keeley taking accountability over what happened on the double date. If you don't know, Waitrose is the really expensive supermarket in the UK where if you're really trying to impress people, that's where you go.

And Roy is with the yoga mums, drinking wine and watching reality TV, a spin on Love Island, hosted by Fleur East, former X-Factor star.

Roy hates Jamie, but the yoga mums love him. You're going to need more wine, Roy.

[hopetorun]

I am currently doing a home by now reread so BTS for that please! <3

oh gosh, picking a scene for this was hard! there's a lot of scenes in there. but here is one i'm really fond of: when matthew goes to see his mom in the final chapter

also this scene is like 2400 words and i scraped a few off the beginning but this is long. thank u all for bearing with me i love to talk about writing

He knocks on the front door this time, like a polite adult, and Mom is already laughing at him when she opens the door.

“You have a key for a reason,” she says. “You interrupted my show.”

It turns out that the show in question is Jeopardy, which Matthew didn’t know Mom watched with any kind of seriousness. He does have fond memories of her putting it on for the kids years ago, because they’d get fixated on keeping score of who got the most answers right and, according to her, give her enough time to clean the kitchen after dinner. None of them ever did very well. [one of the things i had a lot of fun with in this story that shows up here is imagining bits of matthew's childhood and filling in details of how he would've interacted with his siblings. also the idea of all three of them parked in front of the tv obsessively keeping score of this is funny to me]

“What’s for dinner?” Matthew says, ignoring the host chatting with the contestants.

Mom shrugs. “I was going to have leftovers. Don’t they feed you at the arena?”

Matthew waits for her to turn to him so he can smirk. “Still hungry,” he says. She shakes her head.

“God, I forgot how much you can eat during the season.” [there is simply so much eating required to play professional sports]

They eat their leftovers on the couch, feet up on the coffee table. Matthew supplements his with an apple that he found in the fruit drawer, because Mom said she wasn’t going to eat it, and she glares at him when he crunches on it loudly while she’s trying to think of the final Jeopardy answer. Matthew smiles at her with his mouth full.

“I raised you better than that,” she grumbles.

He could answer with another joke, keep the banter going. But he’s feeling thoughtful after his talk with Quinn.

“You did,” he says. [there was that twitter thing the other day about how much of yourself and your experience you put into your stories and there are moments of matthew's relationship with his mom in this fic that are very much informed by my relationship with my mom, and this is one of them; the casual behavior, the quick switch from joking to sincere, the acknowledgement of the parent's role in shaping you]

Final Jeopardy ends—none of the contestants get it right, but Mom remembered the answer and she takes a few seconds to gloat about it—and Matthew turns to Mom, more serious than he usually is with her.

“What’s up, Matty?” she says. The nickname is soft, one she hasn’t used much since Matthew was a lot younger. He’s mostly been Matthew for so long now, but sometimes the old nicknames slip out.

He used to mind, back when he was 15 years old and desperately trying to seem more grown up than he was [important teenager experience] and then Brady would call and yell hi Matt into the phone as loud as he could, and all Matthew’s new friends he wanted to have call him Matthew would laugh and start calling him Matt. [important trying to seem grown up experience] But eventually Matthew stuck, mostly, and now when Mom softens her voice and calls him Matty he just feels like a kid again in a good way. It won’t last, but it’s nice to pretend for a few minutes that Mom can solve all his problems. [important twentysomething/thirtysomething experience]

Matthew takes another bite of his apple, crunching loudly in the quiet room, and then swallows before he says, “How do you know if someone is worth it?”

Mom frowns briefly. “Romantically?” she asks, and Matthew nods.

Thankfully, she doesn’t ask any more questions, just tilts her head, considering.

“It’s hard,” she says finally. “Or, I guess—it’s not hard, but you feel very aware of how high-stakes it is. You have to decide it’s worth trying before you can really know for sure.”

That’s kind of the answer Matthew expected, even if it doesn’t make things any easier for him. He could’ve decided in the summer of 2020 that it was worth taking the risk, putting himself out there, and he didn’t. [matthew is very ... measured isn't quite the word, deliberate maybe? about his public presentation, and obviously public presentation ≠ actual personality, but for the purposes of rpf it's very interesting to lean into that. the piece of relationships, especially romantic relationships, where you have to take a leap of faith and risk someone the opportunity to hurt you because it's the only way to know that they won't]

“I almost decided it wasn’t, you know,” Mom continues. “Once it got obvious the Jets were going to relocate. I always knew that dating a hockey player might mean moving away but it had always seemed like a theoretical thing, you know? And then suddenly it was a choice I had to make a lot more quickly than I thought I would, and that was scary.”

Matthew is quiet, mostly because he doesn’t know what to do with that.

“But you did it,” he says finally.

“I did,” Mom says, smiling. “And it was worth it. But I was very aware that leaving my whole life behind to follow a guy across the continent could have blown up in my face. I wasn’t sure at all when I did it.” She pauses. “Well, I was sure I loved your dad and that I wanted to take the risk, but I wasn’t sure that it would work out.” [this scene was going to play out more or less like this regardless of what my wikipedia perusals turned up but reality did me a solid with this detail, thematically. love to wildly riff on a tiny detail of reality because it works nicely with the themes and motifs]

Matthew’s glad she did it, obviously, because otherwise he probably wouldn’t exist, but it does sting to think about how cowardly he was in comparison to her. He didn’t even call Leon back; he thought it could have mattered, but convinced himself it was nothing and let it go.

There’s no way to know if he would’ve been happy with Leon if they’d pursued something. If it would even have worked. There’s no way to know if it could work now, if he hadn’t fucked it up so much. But suddenly, Matthew wishes he’d taken the risk to find out. He wouldn’t even have had to move across the continent for it. [oh i kinda forgot this specific realization is spelled out in this scene! the reason for the whole story, in a way]

Matthew doesn’t even know how he got so deep into the idea that it would be easy. Maybe it’s because hockey wasn’t easy but the work wasn’t scary. Not like the idea of picking his phone back up and calling Leon after the conversation where—well. After that conversation. That was scary. [at this point in the story matthew's really churning through a lot of the stuff that's been cooking in the previous uhhh many many words, so i did let my prose about his thought processes and emotions get more on the nose]

He knew the path through hockey. He knew the path through to success, where to put his feet to make it there, and he never looked around enough to see the possibility of failure. Sure, some people didn’t make it, but he wasn’t going to be one of those.

The path with Leon wasn’t so clear, a murky, muddy thing that slipped out of focus as easily as he could imagine the steps through it. There wasn’t a template. The closest thing to it was Quinn and Brady and that was too different to be much help.

Or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe that was just all the years Matthew spent telling himself it was easy for them. [he's starting to realize that actually he's just been an idiot for 10-12 business years, we're all very proud]

Matthew should say something, fill the silence with something thoughtful or appreciative, but no words come to him. He’s been taller than Mom for a long time, but he slumps down on the couch until he can rest his head on her shoulder. She curls an arm around his shoulders the way she has so many times, and rubs the outside of his arm a few times. “It’s okay to be scared of something and still want it,” she says. “I was. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth it.”

Matthew hums, squirms deeper into the cushions instead of answering.

“You know your brother was scared, right?” [this is such a key detail for me. not just that it wasn't easy for brady (and quinn) but that brady was scared! but brady seemed to sure to matthew etc etc]

Mom probably shouldn’t be telling him this. If Brady told her or Dad that, it was probably in confidence. But she’s telling him anyway, and that gives him the same warm feeling he used to get when she told him he was in charge of Brady and Taryn. [chantal ... probably is violating brady's confidence with this one, but it's been almost ten years and she thinks matthew needs the reassurance more than brady needs an old secret]

He shakes his head against her shoulder.

“He talked to me and Dad about it before he went off to Boston,” Mom continues. “He was all serious about it too, and you know how gawky he was back then, [sorry too teen brady but it's true] and it was hard to take him seriously until I realized how scared he was that he’d have to choose between his career and Quinn.”

“Jesus,” Matthew whispers. He’d never even really thought about that part. He should have, and now that it’s been pulled into focus in his mind he doesn’t know how he didn’t. He’s almost 30, has an established career and a pretty comfortable sum in the bank to boot. Leon does too, unless he’s a lot stupider than Matthew’s been giving him credit for. Brady and Quinn weren’t even drafted, almost ten years ago now, and they were willing to—God. It must’ve been terrifying, even before they broke up. [i waffled about this a lot, about whether i wanted to make the earth 2 this story is set on a gentler version of ours and in many ways it is but ultimately i decided the story pulled together better this way]

“Yeah,” Mom says. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more worried for any of you.” She pauses, exhales slowly. Matthew feels her breath ruffle his hair. “I spent so long bracing myself for horrible injuries and horrible losses that I never even considered that one of you kids might have to choose between hockey and the person you love.”

Matthew doesn’t think he can actually speak, at least not in a voice that sounds remotely normal.

“He never told me,” he finally manages. Mom can definitely tell that he’s got a lump in his throat.

“Of course he didn’t,” Mom says. “You would’ve offered to do something like giving hockey up too if he did, and he didn’t want to put you in that position.” [am i wrong? i am not wrong]

Matthew can’t argue with the point, because he can’t reasonably swear he wouldn’t have offered to do something even stupider. He shakes his head, and under it he feels Mom’s shoulder move as she laughs.

“You’re thinking about what the stupidest thing you might’ve offered to do was, aren’t you?” she says, and Matthew laughs too.

“I probably would’ve come out to take the heat off him if I had to,” he mumbles, and Mom’s next laugh sounds wet. It’s not like he’s never thought it before, even if he’s never said it in so many words. They both know the probably part is a lie. [matthew doing things brady doesn't want him to because he thinks it'll be helpful: consistent across all universes]

“I’m glad you didn’t have to,” Mom says, squeezing his arm for a moment too long.

Matthew huffs out a laugh. “Me too,” he says. “That would’ve sucked.”

Mom doesn’t laugh. Matthew didn’t expect her to. He didn’t really think she’d think it was funny; she cares too much about his wellbeing. Not that he can complain about it, not when she’s letting him slump onto her shoulder and saying comforting things to him.

“I’m glad it all worked out for Brady and Quinn,” he mumbles. God, he’s tired.

“Quinn’s a good one,” Mom says. Her arm slides back onto the couch cushions behind him as she stretches. “I’m glad Brady has him.”

Matthew nods. He could fall asleep here, especially after how badly he slept last night. He probably shouldn’t, because he knows Mom won’t want to wake him up. If he’s going to sleep, he should at least drag himself upstairs to one of the empty bedrooms.

He’s in the process of pushing himself upright when Mom says, “So what are you worrying about?” It startles him.

Well, it’s not a surprise that she saw through him, but he is on the spot now. [moms!!!!]

“There’s a guy,” he says, and her arm drops back around his shoulders, squeezes once. [this is a big deal for him to be telling her and she knows it, which is why she's determinedly not making too much of it]

“Yeah?” she says.

“Yeah,” he says. He feels his mouth quirk into a smile. “Big shock, I know.”

He was aiming for sarcasm, but Mom sounds genuinely surprised when she answers. “Someone you like enough to tell me about?”

Matthew sighs, heavy and exhausted. “I think so. Not that it matters, since I fucked everything up.”

“I doubt that,” Mom says, which she kind of has to say because she’s his mom. [that thing of both only wanting the opinions of people you trust and not necessarily trusting the opinions of people who love you] But then Matthew’s thought he fucked things up beyond repair before, and she usually helps him feel good about whatever comes out of it. Like his team deciding he’s not worth having around and somehow turning that into—this.

“It’s pretty bad,” Matthew says, and then he yawns dramatically, and Mom shoves at him gently. “You’re falling asleep. Go crash upstairs and tell me about it in the morning. I’ll tell you how to fix it.” [this is patently obvious throughout the whole story but i think matthew's relationship with his mom is really interesting and i really enjoyed exploring it! the thing last summer where he asked her to witness his contract ("obviously"), etc etc. it felt really natural to hang a big chunk of the emotional crux of the story on a scene with her and have her ultimately be the person he trusts with his fears and failures]

In the morning, she makes him coffee, feeds him an omelet with a mountain of toppings, and listens as Matthew tells her a lightly edited version of the whole mess. It’s not the worst way to start the day. [sometimes your mom or other loving parental figure CAN fix everything, even when you're a grown up with grown up problems]

[coldivine]

jack quaid + he/him + cis male – have you seen edward 'eddie' kohler around los angeles? the thirty-two year old is usually jamming to saturnine by mystery jets. word around the city is that they’re charismatic, yet, they can also be calculated, but you didn’t hear that from me. they’re currently an actor / screenwriter / businessman and are typically seen walking the streets of los angeles with their daily cup of black coffee. when i think of them, i think of heavily annotated scripts, blue hues hidden by expensive sunglasses after a rough night, frequently flipping off cameras just because. let’s hope the city treats them good!

*     𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐒: wanted connections / spotify playlist.

hey, everyone!! this is zazz ( she/her, twenty2, gmt ) bringing you mr. edward kohler. here you’ll find all the info you need to get to know him. if you wanna plot, hmu on discord or through private messages!!

*     ⸻     𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑  𝐎𝐍𝐄.

name: edward john kohler. date of birth: november 3, 1990. zodiac sign: scorpio sun, pisces rising, taurus moon. place of birth: los angeles, california. current residence: hollywood hills, los angeles, california. occupation: actor, screenwriter and co-founder of vault TV. education: new york university tisch school of the arts. sexuality: heterosexual. gender + pronouns: cis man, he/him. relationship status: married.

*     ⸻     𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑  𝐓𝐖𝐎.

positive traits: charismatic, dynamic, clever, easygoing, friendly. neutral traits: observant, big-thinking, sometimes sarcastic. negative traits: entitled, calculating, self-indulgent, greedy, stubborn. likes: nice suits, parties and clubs, cats, retro music, late-night drives. dislikes: overplayed songs on the radio, long phone calls, social media, hypocrites, sci-fi movies. habits:  gesturing when speaking, smirking, glancing at his watch, cracking his knuckles, shaking his right leg when seated. alcohol? cigarettes?��drugs? sometimes. yes. sometimes.

*     ⸻     𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘.

edward had the great luck of being born the only child of an emblematic family. as far as it is known, the kohlers have had a foot in the entertainment industry since the beginning of the golden age of hollywood. aside from those countless years of nepotism, his parents have known names: his father, robert, is the ceo of a media company and former politician, serving two terms as the governor of california (2003 - 2011), and his mother, barbara, is most known for being a former child actress, now author and talk show host. for him, growing up meant being able to do whatever he wanted - he just had to say the word. many possibilities roamed his mind, but the thought of continuing his family's legacy was far more interesting than anything else.

with the help of his name, he started acting when he was just a child, appearing in movies and some children-aimed shows. that same success followed him through his teenage years when he started taking it seriously. after he graduated high school, he got into new york university tisch school of the arts, pursuing drama and earning a bachelors in fine arts upon graduation, in 2015. he quickly moved back to los angeles, getting minor roles here and there until he landed his breakout in a 2017 horror film, "grinning soul". since then, he hasn't stopped - successfully acted in various roles, wrote some pieces himself, and founded vault tv, a horror-focused entertainment company, with his spouse, luciana labaki, whom he married in 2018 after dating for a short time. the pair tied the knot on the grounds of a wedlease, a type of marital contract lasting five years; after those years are up, the couple has the choice to renew or split amicably. privately separated for some time now, none of the parties have yet asked for the termination of the contract since vault tv has been added to it as collateral and would automatically pass to the full ownership of the one breaking their agreement.

*     ⸻     𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐍𝐒.

he has already been featured on some of forbes lists, like "30 under 30".

has some sort of connection to literally everyone with power or reputation, at least in california. his family has always been very well-connected and he knows how to take advantage of that.

besides the usual form of acting, he loves to voice act, stating that he finds it really entertaining.

he is super friendly and considers he has a bunch of friends.

music is an unknown passion of him, often used as an escape. he plays guitar and piano and absolutely loves it.

*     ⸻     𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐌𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐘.

› 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐌.​

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SARAH BULLEN (1995) - thomas bullen.

SLIP AND FALL (1999) - elliott moss.

INJURY PROGRAM (2007) - richie evans.

LEARN TO SEE (2010) robbie (voice role).

THE CLEANUP (2014) - kevin fisher.

GRINNING SOUL (2017) - william kennedy.

THERE IS NO ONE HERE (2018) - vincent leyton.

23 MINUTES AWAY (2019) - hugo.

RIVER, RUN (2021) - river sullivan.

INVOCATION (filming) - david.

TWO NIGHTS IN LAS VEGAS (filming) - harry walker

SWEET SYRUP (announced) - august mcgee.

› 𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍.

IF YOU'RE FEELING SMART (1998 - 2002) - cooper (64 episodes, main cast).

THE QUANTUM PARADOX (2006 - 2008) - mitch (46 episodes, main role).

TRULY, MADLY, DERANGED (2012-2015) - jimmy becker (24 episodes).

› 𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒.

CHASING SHADOWS (2016) - seamus (voice role & motion capture performance).

A NOIR TALE (2021) - josiah schäfer (voice role, english version).

[oveliagirlhaditright]

So, about the apparent Twilight TV series that I literally just heard about... even though I'm really not a Twilighter anymore, here are my thoughts on it: I actually do think a TV show has a chance to be better than the movies (or, if nothing else, shed some new light on things or to show us some things that weren't in the films), since the movies really did leave a lot out.

I kind of wish that the show would be animated--because strangely enough, I actually feel like Twilight would lend itself better to animation (like, the comics were pretty cool, and the little bit I saw of the kind of manga-like version of the story that Japan had instead of the books). And even Meyer at one point said that if Twilight ever got adapted again, that she sort of would want it (or at least be open to) it being animation. But sadly, I really doubt that's going to happen. Alas.

There's a part of me that does hope that Meyer is more involved in things this time, because a part of me does think that some of the issues with the films (and even The Host movie. Maybe especially The Host in some areas. Oh. We're not talking about my beloved The Host? Shutting up now) might have been because she didn't have enough control, or that she was too nice and maybe let things go with the movies that she shouldn't have. But at the same time, I also recognize that the books are littered with flaws and some of the movies' saving graces were probably that Meyer was less involved in some areas and that we got Rosenberg's writing over Meyer's (who won't be involved this time, I'm sure). So I don't know. I'm sure there's a balance somewhere, and hopefully it's found.

Also... "Life and Death" (which was Twilight gender swapped) actually fixed some of the issues with Twilight, so I am praying that some of those changes go forward into this new adaptation, and maybe even many more.

Edit: I also hope this TV show doesn't take itself too seriously, and has all the comedic moments that the books have.

[wack-ashimself]

'Quiz Lady' has just enough laughs to make it worth it.

I ain't gonna do a full review because comedies are only good with some lack of expectation on when to laugh.

Pros: Every fucking person cast was amazing. From the leads to the cameos to the one liners in the background. Everybody brings it. Even Farrell who is playing a stereotypical nice guy host. Like he has no crazy lines in the whole movie. He plays the straight guy, which is weird to see him in, but cleverly works. You see him as if Mr Rogers did Alex Trebeck's job (I say it that way cuz Trebeck was a BITCH DIVA*, at least near the end). It had many unexpected moments and lines that stood out just enough to catch you off guard.

Cons: No WAY it should've been this long. There was way too much story build up for what we all knew the ending was going to be: quiz show showdown. The character development was solid, but for the length, the story build up was more for story than comedy in a lot of places...and you just wanted to laugh.

quiz lady: 7.8/10. Funny, original in some ways, but too many jokes felt dropped because they tried to take themselves too seriously. I feel bad cuz it's the most I laughed in a few weeks that hard but...they needed to trim the fat, ya know?

ps-Honestly? It's the end scene where they do charades. It's fantastic because you get to see all the history of their childhood come out. It was equal parts funny and, eventually, touching.

*ok, not related but wanted somewhere to bitch. Before I go to bed (or I just wake up) I put on local cable with old gameshows. Trebeck hosted a LOT. And I swear, after watching enough of these...I think I hated him even before Jeopardy. He was smug, condescending, and straight up rude to contestants that got on his nerves. Fuck him. I always think to myself 'they pay you how much to be a prick on tv?'

[alicethemasked]

8/9 - Howl/Mirror

so I was sick as fuck yesterday so I decided to blend the prompts together.

Mirrors, a gateway to different worlds, or that is what a bunch of people believe, others just think they are mundane objects that help us get ready in the morning, until recently I was the latter, and I’m not even sure if I can say I’m the former either, something… something happened and I’m going to try my best to write it all down here, so here we go.

An account about mirrors written down by me  (the name is too faded to read)

It’s frightening actually, thinking about how easily your world view can change, I was never a spiritual person, I mean I never outright denied the existence of ghosts and stuff but you have to admit it’s farfetched. Or it was… anyway, back on track it started a week ago, my last mirror had shattered, not my fault mind you, hosting a party at one's place is always risky but at least it wasn’t the toilet that broke, small mercies. So I needed a new mirror, now I’m not a well off person so I often just thrift and while I figured it would take a while surely I could find a good mirror in some thrift store or another.

It’s not surprising to say that I found nothing for the first few days, I found a few mirrors for cheap but they either looked tacky, like someones elementary school creative projects or were broken in their own way, I was getting really frustrated but I had started looking and by god I wasn’t going to give up until I found a good mirror, I fall into the sunk/cost fallacy a bit too easily but hey, it’s helped me save money in the past. But after four days of searching I was actually considering giving up. But I found something.

I walked past this place, the Howling Wolf, sounded like a freaking bar name but I decided to look inside, and it was a thrift shop, one I’d never heard about but it was a small corner one, so I wasn’t too surprised. Not every place can be a Goodwill or a red cross and honestly this place looked interesting. It was tiny, I felt like I was going to bump into something and break it if I even so much as shifted slightly, the shelves were packed to the brim with random stuff, folded clothes, weird porcelain angel statues (seriously who made so many of those?) and some radios and tvs that were probably super broken.

But then I found it, it was the most over the top mirror I’d ever seen, it looked like it would tell me who was the fairest in the land if I asked, and I just knew I had to have it. Looking at the price tag it was cheaper than I expected, which was nice, I mean that was the reason I went thrifting after all. I looked over to the cashier, not hard to find given the size of the shop and saw that she was looking at me with a small smile, the type of old woman you expect to run a place like that, curly white hair and a grandmotherly aura. I started walking towards her and she just shook her head and told me to look closer at the mirror first, maybe there was a flaw that I had missed? So I followed the ladies' request.

 The texture of the mirror looked strange, not the frame or anything but the reflective part, is that just the mirror? Anyway, It was wavy but not in the funhouse mirror kind of way, more like someone had bent it, without it bending, if that makes sense, I reached to touch it and felt something push me. I flew into the mirror ready for my face to hit the surface but that never happened. Instead I was in a forest, no mirror in sight.

I was terrified and confused, what had just happened, I walked around trying to figure anything out, I mean staying in one place wouldn’t have done any good given there was nothing but trees. Eventually I stumbled upon a building, well less of a building and more of a ruin, well less of a ruin and more of a singular brick wall with some floor plans under it. But it had a graffitied smiley face and a message ‘find the mirror, before it finds you’ 

Well, I will confess that I am not a brave woman, never had been, so I ran, I mean it could only mean one thing right? Something was going to harm me unless I found a mirror, and if it looked anything like the one I went through it had to be easy to spot right? The only sounds were the sounds of my shoes hitting dried leaves, there was no rustling of the trees, no bird calls or anything, for some reason noticing that made me ever more scared, maybe it was knowing that no matter what I was alone, or alone with whatever graffitied that message.

Howling, I had gotten used to the silence and I heard fucking howling. I wanted to cry but I just kept running looking around, the howling sounded like it was coming closer, but that was the only thing I heard, no running or nature being disturbed, just the howling, what the hell was chasing me, thankfully I found the mirror before anything could harm me, I ran through it hoping I wouldn’t just crash into it and…

I was in my house, the mirror from the shop had been set up by someone, not me obviously. Had the lady known where I lived? Did she know I would come to the shop that day, no that makes no sense. But, since then I had this feeling of being watched, like I was being hunted, I try not think about it, I really don’t but today? I had to write this down as when I walked past the mirror I saw a bright red smile painted on it, similar to the one on the wall back then. If I am going to die today, I want people to know my story, to know me name, please remember me, my name is (name to faded to be legible) and I hear howling.

:)

Police report: this was found in an empty house, with no furniture except for the mirror mentioned by the victim, which did indeed have the smile in question. We have sent our best detective on the case, one of the few who came back, hopefully the Detective will figure this out.