#we’re running out of options here gang!!!

[thatgirlwhokeepsreading]

The thing the people don’t tell you about re-parenting yourself/similar gambits is that for bitches of a particular temperament (it’s me I’m bitches) it sometimes makes you so so mad when it works. Sold all my baby dolls in a garage sale when I was eight not because I didn’t want to them anymore but because I thought I shouldn’t want them anymore, and now the only thing that had me sleeping like a rock after fortnight of hells is this elaborate LARP so I can convince my central nervous system that there is someone in charge who a) wants to take care of shit and b) can take care of shit.

RSD emotional hangover making you too agitated to sleep even though you’re intellectually aware the conflict is resolved? Not anymore with the power of making dairy-free chocolate milk and listening to ten minutes of Dune on audiobook while reading alongside on your e-reader before you pass the fuck out.

Like you would think cringing into the sun* would keep one even more awake than the vague background radiation of little-T traumas (which has actually reduced after five years of medication and psychology appointments), but I guess it is really about quantity over quality. Guess one big cringe is less impactful than the relief from convincing the quivering little toddler that’s been left in charge of the sleep lever in your brain to come out from under the desk and do their job by putting up a sort of flimsy curtain so they can no longer see the wall of painting symbolising your mild disconcerting experiences

And I reference temperament when I know that my annoyance is in fact also a huge part to do with socialisation, particularly being primed towards abnegation + a fundamental suspicion towards adults engaging with things culturally associated with Children and Childhood, both of which are things I challenge on principle consciously/intellectually. But knowing that it’s completely harmless, and like hey I could be doing meth or something, does not change the fact that when I mimic the running commentary I do with babysitting kids Just In My Head To Myself and immediately become head-nodding sleepy, I’m instantly like “oh we respond to this and not a haunting amount of melatonin? cool. yeah. sure.”

(*Of course none of this is cringe when other people do it, as they are allowed to experience Quirks and Vulnerabilities in peace because they are Not Me. That said, when I’m not venting on tumblr dot org I do generally avoid calling any of this stuff cringe bc I am aware that caveating with “This only applies to me because I’m Not Like Other Girls (I’m Worse)” often doesn’t actually make the other person feel assured you’re not judging them.)

[rockscanfly]

Random Charles Smith Headcanon's

Has probably contemplated suicide at more than one point (see “I’m here just to hurt and suffer myself. In this land I feel stuck.”)

Maybe a little vain. He cares for his clothing well, embellishes himself. 

Has auditory sensitivity. He gets very irritable with loud people.

Has never felt like he belonged, always feels cut off

Is comfortable with violence only against folk he sees as on his own level/like himself. Has little empathy for himself so has little empathy for them (hence smoking while Arthur beats a man for information, the efficient and quick kills of the bounty hunter, the poachers)

Has a STRONG sense of justice--that includes responsibility and culpability. People make choices and Charles holds them accountable for them. Sadie is a killer, so he treats her like any other ally. That German family didn’t make that choice, neither did the Wapiti. But he doesn’t have any pity for the gang.

Animals don't choose violence, hence the protectiveness over them and their dignity. 

Comes off as cold because he isn’t loud/not good at chat. He’s really just been alone most of his life. 

Okay with drinking, does NOT like drunkenness. Back to culpability. This can make him unforgiving and harsh at times.

Both he and Arthur are so used to people passing in and out of their lives that they’re afraid to hold on too tight. Then Arthur gets captured by Colm. Hosea talks to him, about Bessie and about Arthur’s dead family. 

“I’m not her,” Charles says. “Not either of them. I’m not asking you to leave your world behind, and I’m not going to wait for you in some house. We’re partners first. I’d lose the rest of it before I let you put me to the side.” 

He likes that Arthur is big enough to push him around, to hold him down and anchor him when he can feel himself getting lost. To toss him over a broad shoulder when they’re swimming around on a hunting trip and settle him down on soft pelts, to pin him and bite the lonely from his skin. 

Charles can kick Arthur’s ass and will do so on request

He’s kind and thoughtful. He’d be the one to make Arthur little presents and leave them around for him. Practical things, made special with the careful workmanship of beading/embroidery/etching. 

Can be impatient—autonomy is his norm so waiting on others both physically, mentally, and emotionally doesn’t come natural to him

Will cut slingload on people he feels don’t value him back—would not pine for Arthur or stick around if Arthur tries to protect himself by lashing out at Charles, even if he still has feelings. His father taught him that he has to protect himself because no one else will do it. Arthur. Well. Arthur’s the only person he’s trusted to have his back. Because Arthur proved it, several times over. There’s no one Charles would have used “do it for me” on other than Arthur Morgan. 

He fell into fighting again because he had begun opening his heart for the first time since he was a child, and then fate took Arthur too. Like Charles said—he was put on the earth to cause pain and to suffer himself. 

He tries to help folks, but he’s not good at talking and he can’t use his privilege to help like Arthur did. He’s everything the US government hates, even more than the Waipiti. They reach a point where his violence is no longer useful. And for a drowning, grieving, heart sick stretch of years violence is all Charles has left to him (hence going to Saint Denis, a city he hates, and fighting people for white folks' entertainment in a transparent suicide-by-cop bid for someone to end his suffering) And then Sadie gives him the option of closure and working beside John reminds him that he is a man, not a weapon, and Beecher’s Hope makes him believe he too can change. 

Charles has never tried to be anything but who he is. He and Arthur are similar in that way. What he realizes, what Arthur realized too late, is that he can change if he wants it. And that maybe he’s allowed his past pain and scars to run his life along a course he doesn’t actually have to follow. 

Brought to you by my on-going replay of RDR2 and my undying love and devotion to princess of my heart Charles Smith.

[bebe-writes-stuff]

more baji drabbles please.🙏🏼🙏🏼

Baji reacting to his s/o, who can fight

Power couple. period.

Everyone was shocked when Baji, of all people, managed to find a girlfriend—especially someone as gentle and sweet as you. It was hard to imagine someone like you by his side, considering Baji's reputation for being rough around the edges, loud, and sharp-tongued. Yet, against all odds, the two of you clicked in a way that no one saw coming.

You were always seen laughing together, eating together, and hanging out. But despite the smiles and carefree moments, something lingered in Baji's mind: What if being with him put you in danger? He was a well-known delinquent. You always seemed relaxed, and unworried when you were with him, and he chalked it up to your trust in his ability to protect you no matter what. But that wasn't the case.

The sun was beginning to set as you and Baji made your way to the Musashi Shrine. The ancient trees loomed overhead, their branches swaying gently in the evening breeze. The shrine’s stone path was familiar under your feet, where the Tokyo Manji Gang often gathered in secret. Baji walked beside you, his usual confident stride a little more subdued today. He hadn’t said much on the way here, and you knew why.

As you approached the clearing where the rest of the gang was waiting, Baji finally spoke, his voice low but firm. “You should head home, Y/N. I’ve got business with the guys, and you know how it is. I don’t want you getting mixed up in any of this.”

You looked up at him, your eyes narrowing slightly. “Baji, I’m not a little kid. I can handle myself.”

Baji sighed, running a hand through his messy black hair. “It’s not about you handling yourself, babe. I just don’t want you involved in this stuff. It’s dangerous.”

“And what about you?” you shot back, crossing your arms. “You’re in the middle of it, every day.”

“That’s different,” Baji replied, his tone softening as he reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear. “This is my world, not yours. Please, Y/N, just this once, go home.”

You stared at him for a long moment, weighing your options. Baji had always been overprotective, and while you appreciated his concern, it also made you more determined to know what was going on. You finally nodded, giving him a small smile. “Alright, I’ll go.”

Baji’s eyes searched yours for any hint of deception, but you kept your expression neutral. “Good,” he said, leaning down to press a quick kiss to your forehead. “I’ll come by later, okay?”

“Okay,” you replied, turning to leave. But as soon as you were out of sight, you doubled back, slipping into the thick foliage near the shrine. You crouched low, your heart pounding as you carefully moved through the trees and bushes, positioning yourself close enough to hear the meeting.

The voices of the Tokyo Manji Gang filled the air as Baji and the others began to discuss what had brought them here tonight. You recognized Mikey’s voice, cool and commanding as always, followed by Draken’s deep, steady tone.

“There’s been some trouble brewing with one of our rivals,” Mikey said, his voice serious. “They’re planning to make a move soon. We need to be ready.”

“How many are we talking about?” Baji asked, his voice hardening.

“Enough to cause problems,” Draken replied. “They’re not gonna back down easily. We’re looking at a full-on gang war if we don’t handle this right.”

Your breath caught in your throat as you listened, the weight of their words sinking in. A gang war. This was serious—more serious than anything you’d ever heard Baji talk about before.

As the meeting continued, you couldn’t tear yourself away, even though every instinct told you to run. You needed to know what was going to happen, what Baji was going to do. But as the meeting drew to a close, you knew you had to leave before anyone spotted you. You carefully backed away, slipping out of the trees and hurrying down the path back to your home.

The walk felt like a blur, your mind racing with everything you’d heard. When you finally reached your door, you barely registered the familiar surroundings of your room. All you could think about was the impending fight, and what it meant for Baji. What if something happened to him? What if he got hurt—or worse?

The next few days you were passed in a haze. You were quieter around Baji, more withdrawn, your usual lighthearted demeanor replaced by a growing sense of dread. Baji noticed, of course. “You’ve been acting weird lately,” he said one afternoon as you sat together on a park bench. “Something bothering you?”

You shook your head, forcing a smile. “No, just tired, I guess.”

But Baji wasn’t convinced. “You’re not telling me something,” he pressed, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. “If something’s wrong, you need to tell me, Y/N.”

You wanted to tell him everything, to share the burden that had been weighing on you since that night at the shrine. But you couldn’t bring yourself to do it. Not when you knew it would only make things worse. So you shook your head again, leaning into his side as you whispered, “I’m fine, Baji. Really.”

He wrapped an arm around you, pulling you close, but you could feel the tension in his body. He didn’t believe you, and you couldn’t blame him. The unease between you only grew as the days passed, and the date of the impending gang war loomed ever closer.

The day of the fight arrived, and you hadn’t heard a word from Baji. Not a call, not a text—nothing. You spent the entire day gripping your phone, checking it constantly, hoping for some sign that he was okay. The silence gnawed at you, each passing hour adding to the pit of dread growing in your stomach.

By the time the sun began to dip below the horizon, you couldn’t take it anymore. The fear and worry were too much to bear. Baji might have wanted to keep you out of this, but you couldn’t just sit back and wait for something to happen. Without a second thought, you pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a hoodie, the thick fabric swallowing your frame as you tugged the hood low over your face.

Determined, you slipped out of your house and made a beeline for the location where the fight was supposed to take place. The streets were eerily quiet as you made your way to the outskirts of town, where an old, abandoned junkyard served as the battleground for countless brawls between rival gangs. Tonight, it would witness yet another bloody conflict.

You arrived just in time to see the fight unfold. The Tokyo Manji Gang was holding their own, but it was clear they were outnumbered. Your heart pounded in your chest as you hid among a pile of rusted cars, watching the scene play out below you. Baji was in the thick of it, his fists flying as he took down opponent after opponent, but even he was starting to tire.

Toman was winning to a certain degree until, suddenly, the tide turned. The rival gang pulled a dirty move, signaling for reinforcements. Another group of delinquents swarmed the area, overwhelming the already battered Toman members. Your breath hitched as you saw them closing in on Baji, who was now surrounded by more than fifty opponents, all threatening to jump him at once.

Your body moved on instinct before your mind could catch up. Without thinking, you sprinted down the pile of junk cars, your feet barely touching the ground as you made your way toward Baji. Just as one of the enemies tried to sneak up on him from behind, you launched yourself into the air, your foot connecting squarely with the side of his face. The force of the blow sent him crashing to the ground, unconscious.

The crowd gasped in shock, eyes widening at the sight of this mysterious figure who had appeared out of nowhere to protect Baji’s back. You stood tall, fists clenched and ready to fight, but the hood of your hoodie obscured your face, leaving them guessing who you might be.

Baji, still in the middle of knocking down several opponents at once, caught sight of you out of the corner of his eye. He was about to shout at you to get out of there when your hood slipped off, revealing your face. For a split second, time seemed to stand still.

“Y/N?!” Baji’s voice cracked with disbelief. “What the hell are you doing here?!”

“Not the time, Baji!” you yelled back, your voice firm as you took down another opponent who dared to get too close. “I’m here to protect your back, so focus on the fight!”

Baji was stunned, his mind reeling as he tried to process what was happening. You—his sweet, gentle girlfriend—were here, in the middle of a gang war, fighting off delinquents like you’d been doing it your whole life. He had so many questions, but there was no time to ask them. Right now, you were right—he needed to focus on the fight.

Side by side, the two of you fought off wave after wave of enemies. Baji’s strength and speed were unmatched, but you kept up with him, your movements precise and powerful. You weren’t just holding your own—you were dominating, knocking down anyone who came near him.

Eventually, the tide began to turn in Toman’s favor once more. The rival gang members started to retreat, unable to withstand the combined force of Baji and the mysterious fighter at his side. When the last of them had fled, leaving the junkyard littered with bodies and debris, you finally allowed yourself to relax, your chest heaving as you tried to catch your breath.

Baji turned to you, his face a mix of shock, confusion, and—if you looked closely enough—pride. “Y/N… what the hell was that?” he asked, his voice laced with disbelief. “How did you—where did you learn to fight like that?”

You gave him a tired smile, brushing a strand of hair out of your face. “It’s a long story. But first, let me take care of those cuts.”

You pulled out a small first-aid kit from your pocket—something you’d brought just in case—and began wrapping Baji’s knuckles, which were bruised and bloodied from the fight. As you worked, you explained everything. How you had followed him to the shrine, overheard the meeting, and decided that you couldn’t just sit by and do nothing. You apologized for going against his wishes, but deep down, you knew you had made the right choice.

Baji listened in silence, his eyes never leaving your face. When you finished, he let out a long sigh, running a hand through his messy hair. “Y/N, you’re unbelievable,” he said, his tone a mix of exasperation and admiration. “I wanted to keep you safe, and here you are, kicking ass like it’s nothing.”

You chuckled softly, finishing up the bandages and giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “I didn’t want you to fight alone. You’re always protecting me, Baji. This time, I wanted to protect you.”

Baji shook his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “You’re something else, Y/N. But… I guess I can’t be too mad. You saved my ass back there.”

“Glad I could help,” you replied, your smile matching his.

As the two of you stood there amidst the aftermath of the battle, the moonlight casting long shadows across the junkyard, you realized that this was your world now, too. You and Baji weren’t just a couple—you were a power couple, literally. No one was matched with your strength together.

[cruel-summerxy]

renegade - billy the kid x reader

summary ➞ Your brother Jesse is back in town and he brings a friend with him. You know he’s bad news but you can’t help but to be drawn to him. word count: 2.2k words.

a/n ➞ will anyone read this? Probably not but I’m going crazy for tom blyth rn. I’m for sure gonna do more parts, kinda miss writing. oh and this is based on renegade by big red machine and ms taylor allison swift. anywho, hope y’all enjoy.

It was a quiet and cold day when you first met Billy. You had been trying your darndest to stay away from your brother and his gang but word had gotten back to you that he was back in town. You had done your best to not go into town, avoiding Jesse would be the best option.

A tap on your window causes you to reach for your gun. Ever since your Papa had died and Jesse had left it had been up to you to protect your home.

“Who’s there?” you shout, not daring to look out the window.

“My name is Billy. I’m a friend of Jesse!” a voice beams. You scrunch your eyebrows and decide to look out. Your eyes are met with a tall man— kid. He couldn’t be older than 20. A part of you knows that anyone associated with your brother was bad news but when you see him in front of your house your heart skips a beat. His blue eyes almost make you lose focus.

“And?” you ask annoyed, your hand gripping your firearm.

“You’re his sister, right?” Billy questions and looks through the window, catching you off guard. You point

your gun at him and he takes a step back.

“Woah I’m not here to hurt ya,” he raises his hands in surrender, “Jesse sent me here. He said you’d help.”

You mentally curse Jesse out and open the door carefully. Billy takes another step back and watches you intently, his hands still up.

“And why would I do that?” you raise an eyebrow, “I don’t know you.”

“Cause you’re nice,” Jesse shouts from the corner of the house.

Your eyes widen when you see Jesse with a red head next to him. You pivot your heels towards the door hoping that he won’t catch up.

“Come on, I know you see me,” your brother bellows and runs behind you. You lock the door and lean against it. To say you loathe him is an understatement.. You let out a sigh and contemplate if ignoring him would do any good. Right when you are about to walk away you feel his arm come over your shoulder. You groan as you realize the back door wasn’t locked.

“Well that’s not very nice to do to your older brother, sweetheart,” Jesse lectures you as you both walk to the dining room, his men close behind. Billy gives you a sorry smile and leans against the counter. You hold back an eye roll and pick up an apple, pretending to inspect it.

“What do you want Jesse? Tired of stealing and running away yet?” you mutter avoiding his gaze. He laughs at your words and shakes his head. Ever since you had been little Jesse attracted chaos and destruction.

“Something like that. Listen me and the boys need a place to crash for a while,” Jesse explains and points at the two men behind him. “This is Billy and Beckwith.” Your eyes inspected the men in front of you— a blush covering your face as you saw Billy again. Your face quickly changed when your worried mind spun with possibilities, each one more terrifying than the last.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” you debate.

“Come on sweetheart,” Jesse nags, “we’re tired and hungry. We won’t cause any trouble, you have my word.”

“Mama won’t like it… she doesn’t want to see your face around here,” you remind him, hoping that he’ll forget the whole thing.

“Mama doesn’t know who you are. I doubt she’ll even recognize me,” Jesse counters. You sigh and lean against the counter, your arms crossed. Billy remains quiet and straightens up next to you. You think of Jesse's words and groan. He had a point, your mother’s condition had been going downhill, her often forgetting to even eat.

“I don’t want your men stealing from Mama,” you state, “no bringing women and no late night shootings.”

Your brother nods and a smirk appears on his face, “told ya’, boys. Come on, let me show you my father’s whiskey collection.”

Billy hesitates, but follows the blonde man.

.

You felt a headache coming and you went back to your plants. Jesse had only been back for a few hours and your body was already stressing out. You caught a glimpse of Billy once again, your shaky hands causing you to drop the task at hand.

“Need anything?” you ask and walk up to him. You squint, trying to cover the sunset.

“Jesse made me come out here,” Billy coughed awkwardly, “he’s wondering if you can make us some food.”

“Of course he is.” you groan. You sigh and clean your dirt covered hands on your dress. You look up at Billy and scan his face for a moment, his blue eyes doing the same. “When was the last time you all had a proper meal?”

“It’s been weeks,” he says truthfully and follows you back into the house. “been catching some meat here and there but we’ve mostly been eating berries.”

“Jesus,” you mutter and try to turn on a fire. You feel Billy’s eyes on you, your breath becoming uneven now.

“Here let me help,” Billy says and turns on a fire easily. You give him a once over and put on a pot. You wash your hands, Billy watches your every move and hands you a drying rag.

“I’m sorry for disturbing your peace. Jesse insisted on us coming here. He said you’d take us in,” Billy spoke sincerely.

“Why are y’all running?” you question him. Billy’s eyes darken as he recalls why Jesse and the other man had to hide.

“Stole some cattle and then accidentally killed someone.”

You stop what you’re doing and look at him. He stares back, not moving an inch. You search for a teasing smile or a glint of joking but find none. “How do you accidentally kill someone?”

He ignores your question and looks down at the apple you had been inspecting earlier.

“You can eat it. I’m tired of ‘em. Mama’s the only one who eats them,” you say and soften your face. He shakes his head in embarrassment but you roll it his way. “It’ll go bad. We’ve got more in the back.”

He reluctantly takes a bite and thanks you. You smile at him and you wash some vegetables. His eyes follow you and do your best to ignore him. He wasn’t making you uncomfortable per se, but it had been a while since a man had been in your home.

“Can you let Jesse know I’m cooking something?”

Billy nods and walks back to his friend. You can hear them in the other room, Jesse being the loudest. After a few minutes you hear Jesse’s laugh and then hear him speak once again.

“She’ll get over it, it was like five years ago.” Jesse told them and your heart sank. Anger flooded your body as you realized what he was talking about. You began chopping the vegetables with more force.

“Stupid Jesse and his stupid little friends,” you whisper to yourself. This had been why you didn’t want him in your home again. Jesse had the tendency to come into your life and cause old wounds to reopen.

..

“Dinners ready,” you shout and serve yourself a plate. You hear the boys come in and take a bite, ignoring them.

“Woah didn’t even serve us,” Jesse teases and serves himself. The two others follow suit and moan at the smell of your food.

“Y’all got hands,” you point out, this getting a laugh out of Billy. You smile at his reaction but cover it when Jesse sits next to you.

“That’s not very nice sweetheart,” Jesse replies and tries

the food on his plate. He whines at the taste of your food but you're too occupied with Billy, him sitting across from you. He wasn’t bad looking at all. His dark hair and blue eyes mesmerized you, making you lose your train of thought. Jesse calls out your name.

“What?” you knit your eyebrows at his voice.

“Said if this is Mama’s recipe,” Jesse repeated with a full mouth. You cringe at his actions and shake your head.

“It’s my own.”

“It’s delicious,” Billy compliments and takes another bite. You smile at him and try to keep yourself from getting red in the face. You look at his shape and frown, his body jagged and weak. The warm meal probably settled into his stomach quickly.

“Thank you Billy,” you smile at him and look at your brother and his other friend, “y’all like it?”

Beckwith nods and continues eating. You suppress a laugh and look at Jesse, raising an eyebrow.

“It’s alright,” Jesse teases while sipping on his beer, his eyes landing on your own “since when do you drink?”

You ignore him and look up at Billy who had been staring at you already. You cross my arms and observe him, “why are you drinking? Aren’t you too young, Billy?”

Billy smiles, amused at your curiosity, “I’m not that young.”

“He actually is,” Jesse mumbles between bites, “but after a long day one needs a nice beer.”

“One might argue that you need a bath as well,” you reply. Billy chuckles under his breath and continues eating. A hint of achievement covers your tummy. “But I am serious. I’ll bring some water for you all, you really do need to clean up.”

Jesse rolls his eyes but it goes unnoticed by you. You’re too caught up on Billy to look at your brother. Your eyes land on the dark circles under his eyes. It hadn’t occurred to you that the group of them might want to lay down and rest. You wipe your mouth and look at Jesse, his body filled with exhaustion as well.

You clear your voice and look back at all of them , “the baths can wait. I can set up your rooms if you wish. You must be tired.”

They nod and you stand up. You walk through the hallway feeling someone following you. You turn and are met with Billy’s tall and hard figure.

“Shit, sorry. I was just trying to help, didn’t mean to hurt ya,” Billy apologized. You looked up at him and he smiled, it not quite reaching his eyes.

“It’s alright, you must be drained out. You like sleeping with a lot of blankets?” you ask as you gather them from the closet. He sheeply nods and you gather more in your arms. Billy follows you, keeping a distance.

“This is my room,” you say pointing, “that one is Mama’s. This one is Jesse’s. You’ll have to sadly share with Beckwith.”

“That’s alright. It’s better than sleeping in a tent, darlin.”

“I suppose,” you reply and your eyes gleam at his words. You quickly open his door and show him where he’ll be sleeping. “It’s not big but you’ll each have a bed.”

He nod appreciatively and takes the blankets off your hands, “thank you for taking us in. I know you and Jesse don’t get along.”

You shrug and close the window in the room. In a swift motion you turn on a candle, carefully avoiding your fingers. “He's a pain in my ass but he’s still my brother.”

Billy smiles and leans against the wall. “Trust me, I know.” His eyes drooped, his fatigue becoming even more evident.

“Well you should sleep Billy,” you whisper and he agrees with you.

“Goodnight,” he says softly, matching your tone.

…

The next few days you steer clear from Billy and Jesse. The group of men spend their time resting or drinking. You engulf yourself with your mother and your fields of corn.

One morning Billy finds you working in the fields.

“Do you not rest?” he shouts, catching you off guard. You look up, wiping your forehead. You lean against your shovel, “I do, just like starting my day early. How’d you sleep?”

“Best sleep I’ve had,” Billy confesses and walks up to you. His steps grow louder as the gap between you two closes. He’s wearing the same clothes for days now but you say nothing. He reaches you and takes the shovel from you, copying your previous movements. You take a step back and let him help.

“That’s good to hear…” you say and stare at him. You couldn’t wrap your mind about someone as young as him running in Jesse’s circle.

“What?” he laughs at the look on your face, his own cheeks turning red.

“Why are you with Jesse and his men? You’re far too young,” you speak your mind.

“Told you, I killed a man,” he huffs as he digs a hole. You freeze at his voice.

“Hold on, you killed someone?” you say and silence settles over you both. “I thought Jesse or Beckwith had killed someone and that’s why you were running,”

“It was an accident,” Billy reminds you softly, using the same words from the first day.

You tilt your head, not sure if you should believe him. “How do you accidentally kill someone?” Not once does he stop digging, you can see his demeanor changing. Perhaps you had pushed too much.

“What? You scared of me now, darling?” he laughs at the look your eyes held. The noise coming from him almost scared you — almost.

“Oh I’m not frightened, I’ve seen Jesse take someone’s life. Trust me, I can handle me a dangerous man.”

He laughs at your words and continues digging up. You remain in your position.

“No really, I can.”

[nightxcreature]

Regarding Dean (Prompt Drabble)

Based on the prompt by @awkwardsilince

+Prompt will be in bold+

                Warnings: None? Slight cursing, Dean forgetting everything, Use of Y/N

Pairings: none

                Based on Season 12 Episode 11 (Regarding Dean)

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

                                I had been sitting in the motel room with Dean for the better part of an hour. Sam and Rowena had gone on a run to grab supplies for yet another spell to help Dean regain his memory. It’s been gone for a few days now and we’re running out of options to fix him. I’d been watching him for roughly twenty minutes as he tried to figure out how to turn the T.V on. He’s used the remote in various positions, touched the screen, tapped the wall beside it, and even asked the picture on the wall for help. For some reason, nothing has worked.

                “Can I help you?” I finally ask when he picks up the lamp and raises it as if he’s Harry Potter about to perform some magic spell to make Scooby-Doo appear.

                He jumps and spins around brandishing the lamp like a weapon, “Oh, I forgot you were there…” He trails off and I can see the wheels turning as he tries to remember my name.

                “Y/N.” I reply with a sigh.

                He nods and puts a finger to his head, “Right, Y/N. I knew that.”

                I give him a thumbs up and stand from my chair, “Sure you did. Do you need help?”

                “Help with what?” He asks, looking between myself and the lamp in his hands, “With the light…stick?”

                I let out an even bigger sigh, taking the lamp from him and putting it back in its place. Turning the T.V on for him, I head toward the table to try and dig through the lore again.

                “I really have no clue how someone can be so stupid.” I whisper to myself, looking back over my shoulder at Dean.

                He laughs at whatever Scooby and the Gang have done, and then turns from the T.V back to me, “Was-was that pointed toward me?”

                                I send him a wink, “You’re the only other person in the room. I would ask you take a guess, but I’m honestly scared as to what you might say.”

                “Right…just you and me in here….” He repeats, looking around nervously.

                “My name is Y/N! Son of a Bitch…do we have any sticky notes?!”

[sea-jello]

ANYTHING ABOUT BMCBLR ON THIS BLOG IS ALL IRRELEVANT NOW GO TO @bmcblr-remake

ill keep this post up but anything beyond the line is outdated

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

BMC TUMBLR REMAKE (!!PLEASE READ THE WHOLE POST!!)

okaay if youve seen my recent posts youll know that we MIGHT be doing an actual remake of be more chill right here on tumblr dot com! run by me ofc but i might need help down the line so you can sign up for that. its gonna be a completely fan made thing like im talking singing voice acting drawing music editing everything

ive gotten quite a lot of positive reactions to that post so ive made a google form if youre interested in participating! options include major roles minor roles editors artists and more take your pick

if youre not the best at singing then you can sign up for ensemble, for example the bg voices in guy that id kinda be into. no worries at ALL if you cant sing or draw or anything, theres gonna be a speaking ensemble too, for example the overlapping shouting in the smartphone hour. you can pick more than one role, for example ensemble + visuals, cause this is not a very big fandom so we're gonna need duplicates but if you want a major character role i'd prefer if you just stick with that tbh. if you want a major character role you can also pick more than one character! you can specify you want to try for rich, the squip and brooke or whatever. youre not actually auditioning for those roles yet i just need to see if theres enough people to cover every role

EDIT YO GUYS im sorry i forgot but deadline is end of the month! don't worry about timezones, as long as it's april for you you can still sign up. AGAIN I AM JUST CHECKING IF ENOUGH PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED so don't worry if you can't sign up now for whatever reason. you'll get another chance in the future, like an official sign up form. ALSO posts about this would most likely be under the tag #bmcblr remake thank you happistar for coming up with the word bmcblr it's funny as hell

KEEP IN MIND!!! WE ARE NOT FOR SURE DOING THIS I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. again i just need to see if enough people are interested to pull this off. ofc the more who are interested the more likely we would do it. also PLEASE please reblog or interact in some way so the word gets out! remember the more people the better

EDIT AGAIN it looks like we’re doing it! i will have an official blog and a masterpost up on that soon so if you’re still signing up be sure to go look for the forms for the art team, editor gang, music department and the actors on my blog as well

go crazy

im gonna tag the people who already said they were interested i really hope yall dont mind

@stealthkragen @merpiko @finallyheereandqueer @happistar @nezumithewriter @jarofmayonassey @mx-showtime @housebird @thetheatergremlin @celestetcetera @mynameismicah-getitright @william-austin @lohstandfound @lovely-blue-galaxy @genderlesssnake @twoplayergame @h0n3yk1tt3n @thefingerinthemiddle @thesquirrelqueer @tw0-player-game @enamelon @itsjustjo78

oh thats a lot more people than i thought i hope i didnt miss anyone

[allzelemonz]

Sitting Still: Kieran Duffy X Male Reader

Pronouns: None Mentioned, Reader referred to as ‘lad’ and ‘boy’ Physical Sex: None Mentioned Rating: M/Implied sex, violence Warnings: Sean is an ass, implied anal sex, implied bottom reader and top Kieran, Kieran isn’t here, robbery Summary: The morning after still holds a lingering pain from an eventful night with Kieran, Sean notices and won’t let it go.

It’s a hard thing to hide when you have a job that requires waiting while mounted on a horse. You asked Dutch if you could sit this one out, claiming to be sick. He didn’t believe the fake cough and made a speech about the gang needing the money and not letting the boys down. You and Sean are paired together, waiting on one side of the road, while Javier and Micah wait on the other. Sean isn’t one to miss a detail like your occasional wincing and the shifting in your saddle.

“Ya got somethin’ in yer pants, lad?” Sean laughs. “I thought I couldn’t sit still.”

“It’s nothing.” You say.

Sean leans forward in his saddle with a smirk on his face. “Nothin’? That means it’s somethin’.”

He raises his eyebrows in a suggestive manner.

“If you tell anyone, I’ll kill you.”

He laughs. “I didn’t know the little O’Driscoll had it in ‘em!”

“Shut up, Sean.”

“Is that why you’re with the little rat?” Sean muses. “He’s got somethin’ ta show?”

“Shut up, Sean.”

“I always thought O’Driscolls were a’ the growin’ type.”

“Sean! Shut. Up.”

“I can’t help it, lad.” He laughs. “Is tha’ why you was walkin’ with a limp last week?”

“We’re on a job, Sean.”

“Stagecoach ain’t comin’ for a while.” He waves it off. “I got lots more questions.”

You groan, hiding your face in your hands.

“He rough, is he? Your O’Driscoll?” Sean asks. “He doesn’t seem the rough kind.”

A whistle from Micah makes Sean shut up, signaling the early arrival of your target. You ready your guns and wait for Javier to shoot the explosives he set. When they go off, you ride in and take out the guards so Micah can get to the lock box. The smoke fades quickly and you ride off to a small clearing in the woods to divide the take. It’s a relief to slide out of the saddle, but a different area of pain settles when you stand.

Sean has a wicked smile on his face. “You lads won’t believe this.”

“Sean.” You warn.

Micah and Javier look between you.

“You’re the one that had such an eventful night ya can’t sit still, ain’t my fault!”

“I’m gonna kill you.”

“Wait…” Javier says, a smile spreading over his face. “I knew you were acting weird when we rode out.”

“I’m going to kill you, Sean.”

Micah chuckles to himself as he walks back to Baylock. “Let me know if ya want help with that, cowpoke.”

“It’s just a bit a’ fun, boys!” Sean laughs. “Just honest fun!”

You take a few steps towards him and he runs to his horse.

“I know where you sleep, Sean!”

“The O’Driscoll really do that?” Javier asks.

You glare at Javier and he puts his hands up, slowly backing away towards his horse.

“Dutch’ll have a lot a’ questions for ya.” Micah chuckles, leaning forward in his saddle. “Best hide your sweetheart, cowpoke.”

“Or catch Sean and throw him in the river.” Javier says. “That’s always an option.”

You sigh. “Help me throw him in the river?”

Javier smiles, mounting his horse. “My pleasure.”

Micah grins wickedly. “Nothin’ would please me more.”

[van-afton]

NEW STEEL WOOL FNAF TRAILER DROPPED. THIS IS HUGE

Thoughts on it below the cut:

i’ll try not to jinx it but i think this might be steel wool going fully back on track with scary fnaf games again. i think they (including scott, as said in his interview) all learned their lesson with security breach and are now shifting the gears back to how they were originally.

that is to say, I THINK THIS MIGHT BE PEAK???!!

1. who is that in the box?

there are three options. one, clown version of the puppet. two, new character. three, the mimic itself.

the song (grandfathers clock, heavily associated with the puppet) plus the jack in the box makes it really look like it could be the puppet, but i personally think it’s the mimic. i feel like it would be odd to have a game titled “secrets of the mimic” only to preview the puppet with a carnival themed appearance. speaking of which, it doesn’t even look like the puppet at all. the puppet didn’t have a nose. it almost even looks more like ennard than the puppet (but thats kind of a scary thought so lets leave that there)

if you look, the eyes of this little feller look EXTREMELY similar to the mimics. the head shape and eye distance is pretty much the same but idk if that really means anything.

additionally, there’s a seam in the middle. perhaps this line of animatronics may be similar to the funtimes?

2. what is this game gonna be about?

fallfest for SURE. there is a clear carnival theme here. the description for the video clearly states that this game will be looking to the past of fnaf. also the date says 1979. yea.

(can we give steel wool a round of applause for actually giving us a solid date on the timeline? holy shit!!!!)

3. who will this games protagonist be?

first of all: this games protagonist is most likely gonna be some random ass person we’ve never heard of.

BUT if the protagonist is someone we already know, henry or william would be amazing. But i heavily doubt it. i draw the line at my faith in steel wool here.

4. any returning animatronics?

besides obviously the mimic, i’m going to predict that we’ll see carnie and eclipse. judging by this animatronic’s appearance, it lines up really strongly with eclipse’s aesthetic, so i wouldnt be surprised to see him running around. we might see some references to circus baby, i’m not sure.

we might get some version of the main gang but i doubt they’ll be main features in this game.

5. hey what the fuck is this thing

i have no idea.

it looks like twenty different things at once. it also goes by really fast in the trailer. it kind of looks like an eye? or a hole? or something?? or even something under a microscope??? i have zero clue

now that i look closer there’s some speckles of white that look kinda weird. i know the crackles and white spots and distortion are part of this movie reel whatever thing but some of them look kind of odd. like that orange one near the center of the screen in that screenshot i took. I dunno. it almost looks like fire. hey, doesn’t carnie’s station burn down in help wanted 2? maybe this game will end with a fire!

6. how big will this game be?

it’s steel wool studios. i have a feeling it’s going to be somewhat open world, but smaller than SB for sure. we’re at a carnival, not a pizzaplex. if i had to make predictions on gameplay, ummm.. i think it would have minigames for sure, but idk if it would be another “camp out in an office” type game. perhaps we’d run and hide around the carnival? or do minigames to fend off killer animatronics??? we’ll see.

i really think steel wool is on its road to redemption after security breach (love that game but it was indeed questionable). i think this game is going to be incredible. im super excited, especially bc the release date is literally NEXT YEAR!!!!!!!

[stopiteatpopcorn]

Christmas with the skater boys

__________________________________________________

Fandom: SK8 The Infinity

Characters: Lee!Reki, Ler!Langa

⚠️THIS IS A TICKLE FIC SO IF YOU DON’T WANNA SEE THAT, 

YOU HAVE BEEN RANDO WARNED⚠️

________________________________________________________________

It was a dark cold night, snow was falling all around the houses and skate park. A particular blue and red duo were all huddled up in warm blankets, mugs filled with hot chocolate and a random Christmas movie playing on the tv. So far all was calm in the Hasegawa household, but occasionally the sound of quiet snickers could be heard from Reki, as he replayed a video on his phone over and over again. Langa glared at him with a playfully annoyed look and poked him in the side, to which the redhead responded with a jolt and dropped the device. 

“Reki- What’s so funny that you just have to interrupt the movie with it?” 

“Ihit’s nothing! You don’t need to worry about it!”

“Well whatever it is, you should put it down and focus on what we’re watching.” 

He said, accompanied by another few pokes to his friends side again.

“Hehey- Okahahay I’m puhutting it dohown!” 

“Thank you.”

And once again the room was silent…..Except the sound of the video playing again. Fine. If Reki wanted to laugh then Langa would give him a better reason to. He slowly and quietly crawled over before grabbing Rekis leg and scribbling under his trapped knee with his free hand. 

“EEEP- Lahahanga whahat the heheheck?! Lehehet gohoho!” Reki squealed out, trying to kick him away or free himself, but he was stuck. 

“What do you mean? I’m not doing anything- Could you maybe keep it down though- I mean I get the movie is funny- but I’m trying to watch it too!” Langa smirked, continuing the light scribbles although his eyes were still focused on the TV, as if to sell his façade. 

“Lahahanga I meahehehean it!” Reki held his hands over his mouth to try muffle his laughter, only for that to fail when Langas hands crawled up to his sides again. “EheheHEHE NahAHa Dohon’t!” Eventually Langa had enough pretending and just pounced, not even trying to hide the smirk on his face anymore. 

“Well then tell me what the video was and why it’s so funny? You clearly wanna laugh so I’m just giving you a better reason!” Langa mentioned, genuinely wanting to get an answer but still having fun turning Reki into a giggly mess. He decided to switch to his tummy as if to emphasize his point, which drove the boy up a wall.

“Ihehehehe-I-AHAHA FIHIHINE- IT WAHAHAS A VIHIDEO OF YOU FAHAHALLING WHEHEN YOU TRIED TO SKAHAHAHATE OHOHON THE IHIHICE! NOHOHOW STAHAHAHAHA-!” Suddenly Langa froze for a moment, to Rekis relief. But the feeling was short lived as Langa looked up with a face one could only describe as “utterly terrifying”. Reki decided his best option was to run, so he did, quickly followed by Langa of course.

“DELETE THAT!” 

“NEVER!! YOU’LL HAVE TO PRY IT FROM MY COLD HANDS!”

“FINE YOU ASKED FOR IT!”

And suddenly the house was filled with laughter once more. Maybe that video wasn’t that important or bad but who cares- to be honest, Langa doesn’t really mind it but he might as well have fun with this while it lasts. He was glad he could spend Christmas together with Reki and it were times like these that really stuck. Suddenly feeling so carefree and being more open and lively. Maybe it was just Rekis personality rubbing off on him, but every moment with him felt special. He didn’t know what he was getting into at the beginning of all this, but he knows one thing. He was happy he met Reki and the sk8 gang and he hoped the next year would be even better than the last. 

________________________________________________________________

A/N: HIHI IT”S RANDO HERE AGAIN COMING OUTTA HIS CAVE FOR SQUEALING SANTA 2022!! @artymiswritesfics I was your Secret squealing Santa this year!! I hope you enjoy reading this cause I definitely enjoyed writing it too!! Merry Christmas to you and anyone else reading this and I hope all your Christmas wishes come true!!  

EDIT: I KNEW I WAS FORGETTING SOMETHING- @squealing-santa THIS WAS SUCH A FUN EVENT AND I WILL DEF BE PARTICIPATING NEXT YEAR!! IT’S BOTH GOOD MOTIVATION TO CONTINUE WRITING AS WELL AS THE FACT IT’S JUST NICE TO WRITE FOR SOMEONE AS A SURPRISE >:D AND THANK YOU @hypahticklish FOR HOSTING :D

[honourablejester]

My sister and I were talking about Fallout, and we were just idly considering, if you had a Fallout game set in Ireland, what would the setting be like? Considering Fallout’s particular alternate 1950s post-apocalyptic B-movie setting. How would that mesh with Ireland’s peculiarities?

(Sidenote: I’m talking specifically about southern Ireland here, and in particular small town Ireland is what I’m familiar with)

And we figured some elements of Fallout: Ireland would be:

Pre-war nuclear powered farm equipment. Tractors are the foundations of Irish society. Rusted nuclear tractors are going to be a strong setting feature.

Mutant sheep. What brahmin and bighorners are to American Fallout, sheep are going to be to Irish Fallout (well, and brahmin). Farming is huge in Ireland. And it’d be funny and/or terrifying to meet massive wandering herds of mutant sheep wandering around the landscape. That typical Irish encounter, where you have to pause on the road to wait out a farmer moving a herd of sheep, only now you’re on foot and surrounded by Fallout sheep.

Fishing fleets. While Ireland does have a military and a government, they’re not really the institutions that the American military and government are? In a post-apocalyptic setting where order broke down, the factions in Ireland are going to be significantly more localised. But certain industries would absolutely remain big enough to be factions, and the fishing industry is 100% one of them. An Irish fishing fleet stood off a Russian naval exercise IRL. So. Fallout: Ireland could definitely have a floating militarised faction based entirely on the pre-war fishing fleets.

(You might have the Rangers as a military faction. The Ranger Wing is probably the part of the Irish military that does have a mythology to it)

Speaking of factions, if national order breaks down and fractures, the two units it’s likely going to break down into are: parishes and GAA. Particularly if we’re basing it off an alternate 1950s Ireland.

Parishes: Fallout is weird about religion, and appears to mostly try to avoid it. Which … will be difficult in an Irish setting, especially if the game is located near the border, but lets say we do the Fallout thing and lose most of RL religion. What weird cult is going to replace it? And, in Ireland, the rituals that might stick will probably be things like the grottos and wishing wells and pilgrimage walks, and most of those are related to Mary (at least in Catholic Ireland). So … there might be a goddess cult? The Blue Mother. Probably with a lot of water associations. In terms of the physical art and statues and the physical rituals that might survive, a lot of it will probably feature Mary.

Doing a Fallout and avoiding religion probably will be wise in a Fallout: Ireland setting, just to avoid recreating The Troubles post-apocalyptically. Though, depending on where you set the game, you probably can have corrupted remnants of the conflict. Whether you should is a different question.

GAA: And in terms of tribes, if society devolves, in Ireland it will devolve around the Gaelic Athletic Association. Because your local club is the defining feature in Ireland, especially in the 50s. Those are your colours, those are your allegiances. The only other main contender is family, so you could also have good old fashioned familial tribes (the mammy mafia, 300 year old ghoul grannies running familial gangs), but GAA will also be a significant local focal point.

Which brings up the fun option of post-apocalyptic hurling. Because. Look. Hurling was always warrior training. Part of the myth of Cú Chulainn, how he got his name, was because Setanta, his boy self, killed a massive hound by driving a sliotar down its neck with a hurl, and became the ‘hound’ (cú) of the smith Culann (the hound’s owner) to make up for it. Remember talking to the guy in Diamond City about his post-apocalyptic interpretations of pre-war baseball? In a Fallout version of Ireland, the post-apocalyptic and pre-war versions of hurling will not be that far apart. Sliotar grenades that you launch with a hurl strike? Genuinely something several hurling teams have probably thought about IRL. Hurls will be a standard melee weapon in Fallout: Ireland.

In terms of the B-movie elements, the mutants and cryptids and cults that make up the Fallout landscape …

There’s going to be a lot of mutant horses. Irish myth is full of horses. Kelpies. Pooka. There’s going to be mutant carnivorous bog horses, and camouflaged mutant ‘ghost’ horses that can drag you across half the map. There’s also going to be mutant deer. There might also be mutant elk. Like radstags, but bigger. And quite possibly a lot more aquatic wildlife. Ireland’s an island nation. Mutant pike. Mutant seals. Mutant dolphins. Ghoul seals. Possible sentient seal people, maybe as the supermutant equivalent? Kind of merge supermutants and mirelurks, and likely call the end result Formorians.

And, speaking of Formorians, there has to be at least one enemy type with a massive eyebeam, because Balor of the Evil Eye. Think an assaultron’s eyebeam, but on something wholly organic, a supermutant equivalent. An elite Formorian variant.

There could be an interesting merging of ghouls and the sídhe, now that I think about it. The people of the barrows, the people of the mounds. The people of Ireland Before, who moved into a underground otherworld when the bombs fell. You could definitely do something with ghouls and the sídhe, in an Irish Fallout setting. And actually, if they do take more elements of sídhe, the ghoul faction might well be a respected faction, more so than many of the American Fallout games. Ireland has more of an ancestral/elder respect element going (‘back in my day’), and ghouls would be where knowledge survived. So you could very easily have a powerful scholarly ghoul faction under the banner of the Sídhe. College is a big thing in Ireland. Fallout 4’s CIT, in a Fallout: Ireland that could so easily be a ghoul faction, centred on one of the University Colleges or Institutes of Technology That could actually be a faction divide too, the humanity-focused UCs vs the technically focused ITs. You could have ghoul college factions.

Then there’s the question of where to set the game. Realistically, it’s going to be Dublin, because Fallout games tend to be centred on urban centres, and in Ireland Dublin is the city. I sort of don’t want it to be set in Dublin, but likely it would be. And you would have some interesting locations in the Dublin environs and things like the Wicklow mountains for the rest of the map. You have the airport, the port, Phoenix Park, outlying areas like Greystones, Bray, Howth, Balbriggan, Lucan, and possibly Naas or Dundalk in a DLC. You’d have the north/south divide as a possible faction boundary. Put the ghoul Sídhe in Trinity College.

(Thinking about that, actually, Ireland doesn’t have a lot of actual underground spaces. We don’t have a metro/subway/tube, almost all our transport is surface transport. So the subway stations that are such a feature of most Fallout games will not be a thing in Fallout: Ireland. But we do have older spaces. Newgrange, Knowth, Dowth, the passage tombs. Souterrains. Medieval cellars.)

It’d be fun to set it somewhere else, though. Waterford, Cork, Galway, Derry. Not Limerick. No offense to Limerick, but I don’t know if I’d want Angela’s Ashes: Fallout Edition. Although Limerick does have a lot of interesting hinterlands. So does Galway. Galway might let you use a post-apocalyptic Burren as a more alien nearby landscape.

… Anyway. That was a whole conversation. How to convert the Fallout setting and themes to a post-apocalyptic Ireland. Heh. Fallout is quite specifically America, building on 50s Americana mythology. But there are elements that would merge interestingly with an Ireland set in the same universe.

[spinachandhoney]

SnakeFace episode 14 script

[prone to change]

[script under cut]

  The five rushed through the rain to the York manor, which was the closest option though it was still a far way to run. Kim unlocked the front and ushered everyone inside before slamming the door against the wind.

  “Mom!” Ivan shouted as he hung his coat up. “You home?”

  “I’m upstairs!” Jamie replied. “I’ll be down in a minute.”

  Kim gathered some towels for the five of them to dry off in the den. Joey fixed a fire while Kim left to make some hot cocoa.

  “Hey, kids,” Jamie smiled. “Who’s this?”

  “This is Hans,” Ivan said, towelling his hair dry. “His mom runs the cafe.”

  “Well, hello, Hans. I’m Ivan’s mother.”

  “Hello,” Hans smiled, hanging his letterman up in front of the fire. 

  “It doesn’t look like the storm is going to let up until later tonight,” Kim said, coming back with a bundle of steaming cups. “Hans, do you want to let your parents know you’ll be home late?”

  “That’s probably a good idea- as long as it’s okay with your parents?”

  “It’s fine with me,” Jamie said. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you like, Hans.”

  The wolf smiled.

  “Oh!” Val sat up. “My stuff should be coming in tomorrow, so there’ll probably be some packages delivered here.”

  “Oh, rad?” Joey looked up. “What theme are you going for?”

  “Probably something similar to my room at home.”

  “Laaaaame.”

  “I mean, I like how my room looks. It’s always dark because of the blackout curtains, so I like to have a lot of candles for a more subtle light source.”

  “Look at you caring about room decor,” Ivan said. “I just threw stuff on the shelves and called it good.”

  “Why would anyone ever let you decorate your own room.”

  “You’re the one with sconces and dead roses as your choice of decoration.”

  “Don’t have to worry about watering the roses if they’re already dead.”

  “He has a point,” Joey admitted.

  “Says the guy who panics at the sight of a wilting leaf.”

  “I pride myself in my gardening skills.”

  There was a pause. “So how long have you all known each other?” Hans asked.

  “Well, I’ve known Ivan and Kim for about two weeks now,” Val said. “And Joey joined the gang on- was it Monday?”

  “Yeah, about two days ago, then,” Joey confirmed.

  “You guys act like you’ve known each other for years,” Hans chuckled.

  “I think that might just be because of Joey’s sarcasm,” Val muttered.

  “It’s a gift,” Joey said confidently.

  Kim let Hans pick a room to stay the night in, bringing out some of the inflatable mattresses for him and Val. The wolf happened to choose the room next to Val’s, which shared one of the master bathrooms. Two sinks, a large bathtub, and a double-wide shower. The rooms were direct across the building from Ivan and Kim’s rooms, which were on either side of the second bathroom on the same floor. Joey’s room was on the adjacent wall with its own balcony. Kim made sure to cover Val’s window with the closest thing to blackout curtains in case the sun happened to be out the next morning.

  “The storm isn’t supposed to let up until around eight in the morning,” Kim said as she covered the window. “But it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

  “Yeah, I’d hate to wake up to third-degree sunburns,” Val joked. Kim rolled her eyes.

  “I still think it’s amazing how well you all get along not even in two weeks of knowing each other.”

  “You’re relevant to that comment too, you know. I mean, I’ve known you not even twenty-four hours and we’re practically sharing a room.”

  “There are worse ways to get to know someone.”

  “Alright, that should be good,” Kim stepped away from the window. “Sorry, it isn’t much, but it’ll keep you safe.”

  “That’s all that really matters right now. If worse comes to worst, your parents are literal witch doctors.”

  Kim laughed. “This is true.”

<bonus comic>

Literally just Joey crying over a wilted plant (Shinji pose)

[carcins]

// HEY GANG ME AGAIN !! Life is Rough™ and I continue to need sustenance to survive. You know how it goes.

// Feel free to ask for more information, but essentially, I’ve been under an insane amount of stress since November, and prioritizing my health has begun to show me the financial consequences. I’m on my province’s medication coverage as of a few months back, otherwise I would be choosing between eating and mental stability again by now. I had an unexpected bill come through and it really ruined my fragile cheque-to-cheque budget. I am not in danger in this moment, but I am very much at risk, and we all know it can spiral fast.

// The current goal is about $200 to make it through to my next pay. The most pressing is $80 for a bulk bag of cat food (we just ran out yesterday and we’re running on fancy feast). This also includes $50 for harm reduction supplies (I work as a public servant and need to restock), and the remaining $70 for groceries until next pay.

// All prices are in USD. Definitely happy to discuss other options not listed here, including possible discounts. PayPal is https://www.paypal.me/jeoff. You’re more than welcome to donate without getting a commission but I might kick rocks about it (/pos). If you can’t afford to send anything, please reblog/share this post! Thank you!

[willow-lark]

2 and/or 4, please! Hope you’re doing well!

hello hello vee! 💕🫂

2. talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

ooh okay this actually just happened to me when i was writing my last byler soulmate au. i've published two different byler au series like this (and written three, but that first one i wrote will not be seeing the light of day lol) and in the first two i had the first part will's pov, and the second part mike's. but when i was writing the sequel to iimdittgttsy (GAH why did i make such a long-ass quote the title), again supposed to be mike's pov, it was just Not Working. there was a lot i wrote from his pov (and it ended up being most of the fic), but i ended up realizing that will was simply Not Done Talking and he had Things to Say and Angst to Work Through!!! he literally would not shut up, and i had to switch off between his and mike's pov. i think it turned out pretty great tbh, but it was definitely annoying having to break up my formula. perhaps i will write a part three in which mike gets more of a say...

4. what is the plot bunny you’ve been carrying for the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven’t written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

hoo boy. if there's a god of carrying around plot bunnies for years and years at a time and/or abandoning them in wips it is probably me. i try to not let it weigh on me. but here's an incomplete list of my stranger things plot bunnies that i haven't gotten around to:

will escapes the UD on his own sometime between s1 and s3 and runs away, ultimately linking up with kali and her gang, who then have to return to hawkins to help el/the squad with the UD/henry. (potentially ft. will-has-powers and/or birthdaygate)

byler reunite in college after drunkenly hooking up

art teacher who runs the gsa!will & new english teacher!mike reunite. it's awkward.

max finds out about "it's not my fault you don't like girls" and confronts mike

will joins scoops troop in s3

fic exploring max's life post-s2

other party members visiting el at the cabin post s2/separate henderhop and hopclair oneshots

the byers hide el in their house post s1

...if anyone wants to know more about any of these lmk... maybe i'll actually start writing them again 👀😅

fanfic ask game!!

[coollyinterferes]

How did Speedwagon get his automobile that was shown in the manga?

unprompted asks 【always accepting!】

//Hi nonnie! Apologies for this being so late!! irl has been getting in the way a lot, buuuut on the bright side, this is gonna be a long reply, so I hope that makes up for the wait if only a little!! <3 Regarding your question, the simplest of answers is that they got it in a very illegal manner. This means that, yeah, the gang stole it! Additional bit: they specifically went for a steam car. This was due to cost constraints, as the fuel materials for steam automobiles were more affordable than petrol (the latter was considerably more expensive at the time).

((Under a read more for length reasons))

Now, please allow me to explain a little bit of real life facts and history here before we get into the How Did These Funky Criminals Got Their Hands On That Automobile, because it is important to keep in mind these bits of info for the general context of the story. I’m going to keep it as short as possible, promise!:

Automobiles were not very common in Victorian England. It is said that there were merely about a few thousand in existence, for example. Additionally, the newer models tended to be on the pricier side due to them running on petrol (“newer models” as in those being manufactured from the last 15-ish years of the Victorian era and on, which would be 1885-ish to 1901, approx), and so petrol cars were not much of a thing you’d see outside of the highest social classes since only the very very rich could afford shedding money on petrol every time and as often as a car needs it.

In the case of the automobile we see the gang driving around however, well, it turns out that it appears to have a boiler on it, which very likely means the car is a steam car. Steam cars had boilers on them as part of their fuel mechanisms, and they were able to run on different types of fuels too, with coal being one of them. Wood was another, and there were a few more as well. As mentioned before, these were cheaper and way more affordable options than petrol. And, since we’re on the topic of cost-efficiency, it also needs to be said that a steam car was also cheaper on the long run than it would be depending on a horse-drawn coach that required at least one trained horse to move around (two for better performance) + all the maintenance and work that taking proper care of a horse requires. So, definitely, a steam car was the gang’s best bet as they sometimes have to move around the city for their little businesses, and which could be insanely time consuming if you had no means of transportation (since London is pretty big and, if I’m not mistaken, it was also one of the biggest cities -if not the biggest of all- in the world during the Victorian era).

With all this said, let’s now dive into the details behind the origins of the gang’s car!

For starters, they have owned the car for a couple years by the time the main events in PB take place, which is when we first (and last, unfortunately) see it. Basically, they got it somewhere around the year 1885. They had been planning to get a car for a while before that, though, especially for traveling long distances within London and which could be a difficult task or plain out very time consuming if you didn’t own a horse-drawn coach or any other types of vehicles to move around as we discussed before. Omnibuses already existed back then (they were sort of a “double-decker” communal horse-drawn carriage, basically) but, of course, their use was very limited in the sense that they only covered pre-set/determined routes, they didn’t provide any privacy for the passengers as they would all sit right next to each other and kinda crammed during rush hours (privacy is a must for the majority of the gang’s jobs, really, so this was a huge disadvantage). Omnibuses also had limited work schedules and -as far as I know- they didn’t work overnight (which is when criminal activity would be normally the most active). All that on top of the fact that omnibuses charged every passenger a fare per trip, just like present day buses and other public transportations do, all in addition to the very limited (almost completely null) possibilities of “travelling for free” on them due to space limitations. So, in the end, omnibuses weren’t an option either save for very specific instances.

From day one of this idea, their goal was to steal a car rather than legally getting one, this because, well, it is no surprise that it would take them years to be able to afford a car with their income unless they used up to the last shilling they got from their shady businesses (extortion, stealing, “protection”, and so on) and which would inevitably would put them as well as the rest of Speedwagon’s men into serious financial trouble. And even if they did so, it would still take them some time to be able to save enough to afford it, as they don’t have the full amount ready to be shed. One thing that most people in general brush off in favor of romanticizing the Victorian era in general is that, as silly and “obvious” as it may sound: The rich were really rich, while the poor were really poor, and the system was pretty much built to keep things that way (hence the huge gap between social classes), so it was virtually impossible for a poor person to climb up in social status unless they somehow inherited some fortune or married a wealthy person (the latter being something largely frowned upon, as most Victorians were pretty classist, so any rich person marrying someone of a “lesser” status would definitely be looked down upon and given very weird looks at the very very least, all while their partner would be seen as some kind of opportunist and fortune-seeker and would never be seen as “one of them” regardless of how genuine the marriage actually was). Essentially, saving up wasn’t much of an option for the lower classes, which Robert and his gang, the rest of his men, and all of the slums (obvs) were part of.

They didn’t have a target in mind yet at the time the idea was first suggested (adding this bit here, it was also Tattoo the first one to suggest the idea of getting a car). Overall, the idea of getting a car was firmly adopted from the start, but they soon discarded the possibility of stealing a car in London. The reason being that, due to horseless cars being not too common, they would quickly get spotted before they could even customize the car and make it look different enough to pass as a whole different one (yes, carjackings seem to have been way more difficult to successfully pull off back then due to the limited existences of automobiles were overall, especially in England)

And so they put the bullseye on non-Londoners visiting the city instead. Yeah, the idea sounded silly even to them. Having to follow some guy in order to steal their shit and all, but that was the most viable option at the time, really. After some looking around, they eventually found their guy: A man who was basically some rich scum. The kind of rich guy who has a lot of money and who feels like that somehow gives him the right to treat anyone below him like less than garbage (as attested by some of the people they later got their info from), so the gang really didn’t have any qualms in stealing the fuck out of him. Finding his general info was not a very difficult task, especially through Robert’s best and main informant for most of his criminal activities (you’re gonna learn more about in a minute btw >:3).

Their victim didn’t live in London and rarely ever visited the city. His actual residence was located in one of London’s adjacent counties, too. Not too far from the city, but also not too close to it and, thus, making it difficult for anyone (at the time, of course) to trace the car all the way to London if the gang managed to successfully snatch it all the way there without being spotted.

It is also mandatory to mention that both Li and Robert knew how to drive by this point, with Li having learned merely out of curiosity not long ago, and with Robert having learned from a now ex-boyfriend that he had during a weeks long trip he did to France the previous year (as far as I know, steam cars were more common in France than they were in England at the time). Funnily enough, and despite being the one who originally suggested the idea of stealing a car, Tattoo didn’t know how to drive at the time and so he was not an “active” part during the actual heist. The fourth guy in the gang, the one with the funky and colorful hat in the pic (and who was unnamed in the manga and completely left out in the anime >:/ ), while he also didn’t know how to drive back then, he was the main informant I mentioned earlier for this heist and thus a key part on it.

“Small” side note: Even though Funky Hat Lad -who I’ll be referring to as “Lemmy” from here on, as that’s the nickname he has in my headcanons- is (currently) not a side muse on the blog, I consider him part of Robert’s “main” gang, he just doesn’t hang around a lot as the other three do, but he’s still a close friend and a valuable ally to the three. As stated before, he’s also one of Robert’s most important men along with Tattoo and Li. Most of the time acts as an informant for Robert and his men, however, he can also double and take other roles within the gang whenever it’s needed. He isn’t much of a fighter but he’s armed at all times and he definitely won’t hesitate to use his gun or his knife if the situation calls for it. He also occasionally takes part in the “interrogatories” the gang runs whenever they need to forcefully coax information out of an enemy/rival.

Back to our story, once all the information was gathered and confirmed and the gang knew where and when to strike, all they had to do was go to where this guy lived. As mentioned before, this was a 3-man heist: Robert, Li and Lemmy. The former two to do the driving and most of the physical work (as mentioned before, they were aiming for a “stealth hit and run” but they were prepared in case things went wrong and shit got violent as well as in case some technical issue occurred with the car), and the latter to guide them around, find their objective, and leave the town as swiftly as they came and so everything went out as planned. Tattoo stayed back for this one, partly due to him being unable to drive and the heist already having enough people to take care of the violent part if things came down to that, and partly because he was in charge of keeping an eye on Ogre Street and the gang’s businesses while the boss and the others were away. Like, sure, there’s a lot more men and gangs working for Speedwagon outside of his main guys (Tattoo, Li, and Lemmy), but there always has to be someone assuming the position of the boss to make sure things go smoothly. As you can tell when it comes to such a violent and chaotic place like Ogre Street, it’s impossible to leave it completely unsupervised without shit going really wild (usually but not exclusively started by one of the many and smaller rival gangs), so there always has to be someone designated by Speedwagon to keep things under some form of control in his absence.

One of the gang’s specialties, Robert’s more precisely, are break ins. Stealthy break-ins. Paired up with the info Lemmy had gathered, bypassing security at the guy’s mansion was not an issue, and so the heist itself went without much issue (none, actually), as it ended up being what they’d aimed for from the start: A stealth mission. This was the best outcome, especially considering what I mentioned earlier, about the very limited amount of cars in existence back then and how that could complicate things when it came to stealing a car. With that considered, the last thing you’d want would be for your victim not only to realize on the spot that he’s getting robbed, but to also see you and increase your chances of being successfully tracked down by police and which, inevitably, would also very likely end up turning into prison time for all people involved (especially in this case, where their victim was some heartless scum).

They managed to bring the car over to London without any issues. They even picked some linen and other random but innocuous items as they made their hasty way out of town to put on some of the seats and sort of make the car go unnoticed at first glance to any bystanders’ eyes in case they were later asked in some investigation by the police (and which they knew was going to happen at some point, so they had to cover their tracks in any way they could).

Back in London, they immediately went to hide the automobile near one of the gang’s safe houses in the slums (one that had enough space to keep it indoors). Through Robert’s connections and some favors some folks owed to him, they were able to sort of customize the automobile over the course of days/a couple weeks, making enough changes on it so it wasn’t easily recognizable in case they ever crossed paths with it’s now former owner, but also keeping a good balance with those changes as not to make the car stand out from any others around town and attract unwanted attention. So, mostly the upholstery was changed from dark brown to the lighter brown color you see in the manga, as well as the car itself being re-painted from black to a dark shade of grey-ish brown, along with other minor changes. The side-seat you see Lemmy sitting on was added much later, once they were certain any potential police investigations were over and the car was “officially” theirs.

[nagasakidivision]

Drama Track: Double Effect 2-3

"Next few days" actually means "a day," apparently.

Okay, I know that Kyushu dialects are traditionally localized into super strong Midwestern English but that doesn’t translate super well into text and I thought very very hard about the associated stereotypes of people from Kyushu (loud, backwoods-y, friendly, free-spirited) and I think a super thick Vermon’ accent is closer in spirit since it has a lot of the same associations. If there's anyone actually from Vermont, I am very sorry but this is probably better than me trying to write something to the tune of Marge Gundersson.

This almost ended with Haruto using a Scouser accent because it’s way more of a direct parallel so count your blessings this hasn’t resulted in him ending every other sentence with “luv” or “la’.” But diegetically most Japan-to-English dubs are assumed to use American English, so.

So the next two parts are just the usual "let's all sit down and talk about our feelings" things that's going to be standard from here on out. It's also the reason that this ended up being four parts instead of just two. Apologies.

[Thug 1]: They saw him in the warehouse. He dipped off somewhere but he can’t have gone far.

[Thug 2]: Pick up the fucking pace, then. If we’re the ones who catch him, we’ll be made men.

[Haruto, interally]: ...This would be a hell of a lot easier if using mics were an option. But I can’t draw even more of these guys to us.

[Haruto]: (takes in a shaky breath) Okay, here goes….

(A loud clatter as Haruto kicks a can, staggering into the alleyway.)

[Haruto, slurring his words]: Oi! Fuck are you two doing here?

[Thug 1]: The hell?!

[Thug 2, under his breath]: Just some drunk hick, ignore him.

(There’s soft footfalls drawing near.)

[Haruto, now leaning in even harder to his accent and speaking even louder]: Hah? You two don’ sound like you’re from ‘round here. Ah, you got los’, didn’ you? Nobody ever comes t’ this part of town.

[Thug 2]: We’re-- we’re not lost.

[Haruto]: Don’t be shy, now, happens t’ tourists all the time. I’ll show you back t’ town center, c’mon.

(A soft smack as he hits one of them on the back, trying to draw the men’s attentions away.)

[Thug 1]: Hey! Piss off.

[Haruto]: Jus’ a short walk this-a-way.

(Stumbling footsteps as the other two men are dragged forward. The rustle of a cape, boots hitting steel as Shirou climbs the ladder.)

[Shirou, softly enough to not be heard over the angry voices of the thugs]: Thank you.

(Haruto catches Shirou out of the corner of his eye, and breathes a small sigh of relief. It’s short-lived, and followed by a gasp of shock.)

[Thug 2]: Last warning, asshole. Back off. We got better things to do.

[Haruto, internally]: ...Shit. That's a knife. They would be armed, wouldn’t they?

[Haruto]: Hey, hey. I get the picture. I’ll be outta your hair, now.

(He backs away, then runs. One last glimpse at the rooftop. It’s empty.)

[Haruto]: …Goddamnit. How do I get back?

(A soft, raspy bark.)

[Haruto]: ...Huh? Lucia?

(Two more barks. She grabs his pant leg in her teeth and pulls gently.)

[Haruto]: Watch it! That’s expensive. Fine, I’m going.

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

[Damien]: Oh, you found him! Good girl, Lucia!

[Haruto]: Shirou.

(Shirou says nothing, but lets out a long sigh.)

[Damien]: O-kaaaay. Well, close call, but the gang’s all back together now, right? This could have gone way worse. Hey, quick thinking, Haruto. That’s twice now you’ve gotten us out of a pinch. You’re a natural-born liar!

[Haruto]: ...Don’t say that like it’s a compliment.

[Shirou]: Given the situation, isn’t it?

[Damien]: Yeah, like, not even a second of hesitation there. Seriously impressive.

[Haruto]: I was just trying to save Shirou’s life.

[Damien]: And you did. Isn’t that worth it?

[Shirou]: Double effect. Isn’t that right, Haruto?

[Haruto]: Hey. Don’t use my words agai—

(He trails off.)

[Haruto]: ...Yeah. You’re right. I guess.

[Damien]: Alright, well, I guess I owe Haruto a better explanation of all this. Let’s get back to the hotel and we can look over the documents then.

(A too-long silence hangs in the air again.)

[Damien]: ...Shirou. You got the records, right?

[Shirou]: ……

[Shirou]: I need to go back in.

[Damien]: You absolutely do not.

[Haruto]: He’s right. Those guys were armed. I almost got stabbed and I was just being annoying. And they’re actively looking for you. What is going back in there going to accomplish?

[Shirou]: We can prove that Chuouku’s been collaborating with the yakuza. The heat will die down soon. I can still finish the mission.

[Damien]: Yeah, if you want to die. They’re not just going to turn and go home in an hour, man. And there’s no guarantee they’re not going to figure out you’re after the paperwork and not their money and move that somewhere safer.

[Shirou]: ...It’s worth it. Haruto, didn’t you say you knew this was a risk we’d all take?

[Haruto]: …

[Haruto, thinking]: There’s no way he’ll listen to reason. He’s just not that kind of person. He’s completely driven by his own ideals. But I can work with that.

[Haruto]: ...Hey. What are you going to do if we win?

[Shirou]: What?

[Haruto]: You heard me. Let’s say we pull this off. The Party of Words is gone. Solaris is exposed. You and I both know you’ve been working yourself to death trying to make that happen. What are your plans once that’s out of the way?

[Shirou]: I don’t see what this has to do with the issue at hand. Why make plans for the future when there’s no guarantee we’re going to see it?

[Haruto]: That’s my point. Shirou, you’ve got something you’re willing to die for, but that’s only half the equation. What do you have to live for?

[Shirou]: …

[Shirou]: What about you? Neither of us have been doing much else for the past couple years.

[Haruto]: I mean, to start with, I’ve got a dissertation to finish. And theories to prove. I can’t prove anything if I can’t live what I’m preaching myself, nobody's going to let a hypocrite change the world. And I’m not aiming to die before I change the world.

(A pause.)

[Damien]: ...What are you all looking at me for?

(He sighs.)

[Damien]: I...look, I don’t know if we can actually change the world the way you guys want. I just know I can change myself. And I know this is the right thing to do to change myself. Whether or not this works, I can at least be a revolution to myself even if I’m not a revolution to the world.

[Haruto]: So. There you go. I’m not saying we have it worked out, but we’ve at least got an idea of what we want to do.

(There’s an uncomfortable pause.)

[Haruto]: C’mon. Shirou, let’s go. We need you. We’re not a team without you.

[Damien]: I’ve got contacts in other places. Something else is going to turn up.

[Shirou]: ...Alright. Let’s go back. I suppose we have a tournament to win as it stands.

[packook]

BATDR Thoughts

Spoilers below

Just wanted to rant and get some thoughts out there. Overall I enjoyed BATDR. The graphics were great and the gameplay and new sneaking ability was great. I loved the random personalities of different lost ones like the one who wanted us to find their art or the whole Lord Amok part. Having a 4th Butcher gang member was pretty cool too and she was honestly the scariest part of the game to me.

I just wish they worked on the characters and story more. Like while playing I was thinking if we were only getting the game a chapter at a time we’d barely be getting any lore or info and then it felt they just starting throwing the plot out finally during chapter 4. I wish they spaced it out a little more so you could think about it as you snuck around instead of just pushing forward just because where else would we go?

I wish we got to interact with characters more too. Like when we met Porter I was like wow this character seems fun so far. Can’t wait to run into him again. But we didn’t besides a cameo in the end. I liked what I got with a lot of characters I just wished we had more of it. I loved hanging out with tiny Bendy but I wish we could have done more than walk around the city together. Like hide somewhere or basically be like Boris in BATIM where he’s around and hiding and on our side and we can visit him whenever. Or maybe we could have defended Bendy from enemies while he has to work on a task to get us through an area. I know he can’t be around forever because he has to be the ink demon but I felt like the game relied on the fact we were all excited to hang out with Bendy so we didn’t get a reason for Audrey to be with him. Though I guess seeing a character you draw walking around could be enough for Audrey.

Speaking of Bendy what was the point from his perspective to merge with Audrey? Maybe I just need to play it again but I was like good thing you merged together now Audrey can force you to do what she wants. That being said I LOVED being able to play as Beast Bendy but I just didn’t get it form Bendy’s point of view. 

I think it’s really interesting that Bendy was in the real world at the end because basically that’s been the fandom’s whole idea since the original chapter one. An actual toon coming to life. That’s what most AUs and stories people make are about. That was what I felt like the fandom thought was happening before we learned there is a real world outside of the studio. But now what’s going to happen? Like does Bendy just act as his toon self in the real world? As the ink demon? Something completely different? And based off so many different fan stories I know there are so many different options with that. That’s what gets me excited if there is a third game but who knows what direction that’ll go.

I also like and don’t like how the whole loop is different. Like we still don’t know who was writing the invisible ink in BATIM. Who boarded up the ink machine in chapter 1? How do the cut outs move? Who cleared the path for us after running into Bendy in chapter 2? Like I guess none of those theories matter now because new loop new story so it doesn’t matter now we’re moving on. Which kinda makes me sad because I looked at so many theories, made some of my own, and tried to put the puzzle pieces together. 

That being said. I’m still excited to see what holes the fandom will fill. I feel like BATIM was so fun because of the what the fandom created with it. I think a good chunk of us are still around and plenty of new people are here too. So I’m still going to focus on collecting, finding, and sharing everyone’s ideas, art, and  other things and I already got an amv in mind that works pretty well with the story. So even though I wish there were a few differences in BATDR I’m excited to see what we can all make together and what the future will bring!