#weirdly i'm not dreading it like i was earlier

[glacialheart]

less than a month left till i turn eighteen aaaa

[yuseirra]

Wouldnt it be interesting having a version of Orpheous and Eurydice myth but with HikaAi?

Hello~ hehe, I'm WAY ahead of you! :)

I was thinking about that earlier, that's EXACTLY why I searched up some posts about Orpheus lore earlier! I wondered if there would be some posts I could get inspired from!!

I'm sketching up something, and I think I may be able to complete it tonight...but that one isn't EXACTLY about that particular lore either, you'll see how when you see it :)

I honestly take Hikaru as having tried to bring the dead back but failing miserably, I believe that's what he really WANTED to do(why would the songs be like that if it's not that;; the singer in those songs is NOT AQUA. For crying out loud, Aqua does not attempt to bring Ai back to life again or get closer to her although he does miss her. Those have to be HIM.) And isn't that literally what he attempted on?? Although it's phrased rather weirdly?? Doesn't this guy really miss and wish to see Ai and that's why he.. did everything he'd done? (I wonder if they would somehow overturn this idea, I REALLY DON'T THINK THEY WILL THOUGH. I trust the songs. I think...at least that part of him would remain so genuine.)

I really like that particular lore, I feel it displays something very human and the nature of love, of desires. I'm not so cynical about the tale, I take it as something that happened out of longing, grief, desperation, and love to reunite with their loved ones beyond the impossible. It deserves respect, I may draw one more closely tied to the lore after I complete this one I'm currently sketching as well~

OH and you should try too!!//// I know I can't be the only one who'd think this is a good idea.

Speaking of which, p3 was also very closely tied to Orpheus... I can see why the protagonist's persona was him. It works REALLY WELL. In a way, Orpheus was a mortal who defied death. He said nope, I'm bringing my loved one back from such a fate, I'm going to let them go on living. That's a fight against the inevitable and impossible, but he still went on and did it... I found out that there is a religion that worships him as a god (Orphism) because they see him as someone who overcame death. Hehe.. I should listen to Burn My Dread again...

what's with characters falling in waters and wishing to bring back the dead ;v;.. I see similar themes in two consecutive series I get into and it's been very interesting!!

[cookiepotofchaos]

The earlier release I saw for Malory Towers was apparently the USA release, only on a particular app? Anyway, the first two episodes were released on BBC iPlayer on Monday.

And...well, 2 and a half minutes in and I already paused it to go "What? Why would...? This doesn't make sense." Spoilers below cut.

The episode opens with Darrell, Sally, and Felicity being driven back to school by Mrs Rivers.

Darrell and Felicity bicker a lot and Felicity is annoyed and bitter over Darrell hovering and treating her like a new girl still (taking the "concerns about being in Darrell's shadow" storyline from the Pamela Cox books, I think, and adding more conflict). Sally gets to sit there feeling awkward. Lucky her.

Then we have the near miss crash with Josephine Jones and her father, but with Mrs Rivers getting out to talk to Mr Jones about how dangerous his driving was just after the crash, as opposed to at the school like Mr Rivers did in the books.

This scene, which does start with Mrs Rivers quite angrily telling Mr Jones how he could have hurt someone, ends with him kind of charming her and weirdly shaking her hand, and Mrs Rivers then letting Felicity go in his car with him and Josephine to show them the way...

I'm sorry, what?

"You are a dreadful driver, you could have killed someone, plus I've literally just met you because of said terrible driving" one second and then "of course my youngest daughter can go in your car" the next?

I get wanting to create scenarios to push the conflicts of the season (in this case Felicity wanting to be away from Darrell), and that it's a show for kids, but come on 😂 A little character consistency.

[chronotsr]

No. 7 - S1, Tomb of Horrors (October 1978)

Author(s): Gary Gygax Artist(s): David C. Sutherland III (Cover), David Trampier Level range: 10-14 Theme: Meatgrinder Dungeoncrawl Major re-releases: So, so many. S1-4 Realms of Horror, Return to the Tomb of Horrors, Tomb of Horrors (2005), Tomb of Horrors (2010), S1-4 Dungeons of Dread, Dungeon #213, Tales from the Yawning Portal, Tomb of Annihilation (sort-of)

I said earlier that S1 is probably the only adventure more ported than G1, and I was right. You have so many options for S1. The original monochrome, the green cover, the compilation version, the silver anniversary version re-erlease-and-sequel, a 3.5e port, a 4e port, a DND Next port w/ 4e porting instructions, and then finally the 5e port in Tales from the Yawning Portal. The only people being left out here are the 2e people, and making 1e adventures go into 2e is as natural as breathing.

As the cover points out, this was originally run at Origins I, and there is so much community lore surrounding this module that I will spare you the rigamarole. If you know where I stand on the "meatgrinder vs fair challenge" argument, go read the Theme header again.

These illustrations are iconic. In basically every re-release they are kept as is, one of the few things that makes the 5e release stand out is not including the original 31 illustrations. And while the new art is OK, I, it can't hold a candle to the sheer charisma of the originals. And -- why no green devil head? That's the single most memorable thing from the scenario? We get one, actually, but it's on the map and I think it's an image from the archives because it looks an awful lot like an old cover of Dragon. If you do run this in 5e, you really owe it to your players to hunt down and use the original illustrations.

I am now morally obliged to tell you that, when I went through Tomb of Horrors (5e version, that's what I can find GMs for), I died to the Juggernaut. Which is actually extremely funny, because earlier when I was in Tomb of Annihilation I died the exact same way! So I guess Juggernauts are my personal arch nemesis. I personally didn't like my time there, but there is value in a module that everyone has played. I wouldn't've picked S1 for the task but I'm glad we have one at least. In general, this will be a a sparse entry in the series. The Tomb of Horrors is Tomb of Horrors. It is both extremely notable and also weirdly bland -- there's just not much to say about a lot of these trollish traps. They're highly specific and only really work in the moment, for very specific tables, at a very specific cultural moment. It's actually kind of boring to read in 2024? How much can one really say about a 20-colored mural with a variety of "it does nothing" effects?

Alright, enough stalling. The module starts with now-traditional Gary intro of "hey, your players are going to try and get extra information in [obvious way], defeat that." Today's edition is that Legend Lore is rendered useless by a combination of obscurity and….too much information? Ok… And then the also very Gary "If your players are dumb stupid idiots they will hate this module", which he also did in G1-3.

Eventually, your party finds this stupid looking thing, which is (I know this is repetitive) iconicly so-bad-its-good. And everything about this intro is trolling. So There are three routes into the tomb, two of which are trapped and fake. 2024 DND players would never think to try any of these things, but I do get the sense that in 1978 it would've occurred to most veteran players to try things like "poking the wall with sticks" and "extensive excavations". Anyone who tries to be clever and bypass shit by phasing into a parallel plane gets got by Demons, and I like the theory that Seth Skorkowsky aired a while ago that the Demons are the ones maintaining the Tomb so you should steal that.

You know what? Let's just go into keyed mode.

I do not respect this "only these express options work" mindset. It's very anti-ttrpg to have pre-programmed solutions Naturally, the second door cannot be removed by strength, only by one of 5 spells and thinking to wedge the door with iron in a specific day works. IDK bro I know the idea is Acererak is an asshole and has bewitched this complex to high hell but cmon, even the fake doors are borderline invulnerable?

There's a riddle-poem that hints at the solutions to the dungeon's puzzles. I actually really like this poem, and for all this module's sins I disagree with commenters who think the poem is too vague. At least when I was playing, it was just right.

That is the most off brand Ancient Egyptian tomb hallway I ever did see, and I do kind of love it. As for how confusing the wall-door-chest trap is, it's trollish but it makes sense to me. The chest is a red herring to distract you from the actual secret door, which is a literal door, and honestly that's a hint I consider fairly on the nose.

The misty arch sucks. The short version is that if you press the glowing stones in the right order, you progress, otherwise you get teleported to one of three random rooms. The solution is inscrutable to me (why that order? you could brute force it but that'd be suicide) and I really wish that the book spelled out what the puzzle logic was -- a lot of newer adventures will explain the operating logic in parentheticals next to the solution. If the answer is "you're supposed to brute force it", I have no respect for that mindset.

The devilhead is obviously iconic as hell and we love it. As many commenters have noted, the often-cited "our whole party climbed in and died" story is incompatible with a RAW or RAI interpretation -- your GM was just an asshole, your character died as soon as their head got annihilated and the party would see their body go limp suddenly. There is no way all 5 of you piled in without removing a body and discovering they're Very Dead.

The lever room also sucks. You could only guess the solution, and the act of testing will get you killed. And don't give me "well your hirelings" your hirelings are not going to test any traps after they see the 2rd guy get turned into meatpaste, and while ADND lacks the hard cap on people hireable that Basic had, you're still going to run out of guys who are willing to commit suicide in here in short order.

"Yet there are also depicted various religious symbols of goad alignment, and a faint aura of good can be magically detected. What a puzzle! Could the demi-lich actually have been of good alignment" This will fool no-one Gary. It's the Tomb of Horrors, not the Tomb of Hope. He clearly bewitched the chapel to appear as good, which literally anyone would think of. Heartbreaking: worst lich you know has access to revolutionary SRS magic.

It's at about this point where I realized how little there really is to comment on in this dungeon. It really is just a sequence of obtuse murder traps that are faintly hinted at. The things that are iconic about it (the devilhead, the acerack fakeout) are actually exceptions to the rule -- both of those are super clear traps that are designed to tease particularly foolish players. The majority of the dungeon is, tap random objects and get gassed by poison or dropped into spikes. In a lot of ways ToH feels like the bad timeline version of White Plume Mountain, which is trollish in a more memorable way? What I mean here is, when people complain that ToH is unfair they're burying the lede. A hard dungeon can be fun. An unfair dungeon can be fun! The issue is that Tomb of Horrors is boring. Every room being a puzzle tied to a deathtrap with almost no combat or negotiation is tedious.

Basically every tomb of horrors room has this setup:

You walk into a room with an illustration that looks cool, and there is some vague image, object, or feature in the room that is conspicuous

There is either no obvious exit (strongly implying a secret), or an extremely obvious exit that is currently impassable

You have to try fiddling with any object in the room that can be fiddled with, or grope around for an illusion

There is a roughly 25% chance there is a vague hint from 3 gameplay hours ago that will help you if you interpret it correctly, and a 75% chance that this is intended as attrition

You fuck around for a while, and maybe you work out the puzzle and maybe you don't. Almost certainly, someone takes 50% damage or has some vital asset removed or changed about them.

You eventually pass into the next room

Really the variety of traps in this dungeon is surprisingly narrow -- something like half of these traps are "activate these objects in a specific order or orientation". The other half are some variety of mist or gas or cloud or other fluid that kills you if you do not avoid or interact with it in the specific way. Occasionally when you're lucky, you simply turn a lever and get skewered -- what a treat!

The final encounter with Acereak, you will be unsurprised to learn, also sucks. If you touch his jeweled skull, he instantly steals your soul and ruins your body (no save, no appeal). If you guess one of the, again, explicit list of options to destroy the skull (which you have already established will instantly kill one ally per touch) which is of course very specific (essentially, holy attacks, the most powerful magical swords, and inexplicably gem-slinging), you can kill him in 50 hp. Weirdly, the soul gems that you get trapped into do offer some escape from death, but it's a terrible one -- IF you pass your save, IF they crush the gem, IF there is an eligible body for their soul to go into (yours was ruined), then you may come back to life in a very different form. Completing the Tomb gives you, of course, 100k exp. And in ADND that'ssss…. actually not very much. At level 10, 100k exp is not even a full level for most classes to get a level (thieves are the exception) and your actual treasure haul I think is going to be fairly meager -- I think the average character will get maybe one level of experience after distributing the loot. For going through one of the most dangerous dungeons ever.

I remain a bit of a ToH hater.

In blog news, we are looking at post 7.5 coming up, in which I will do another retrospective on the year's developments, and as a special treat we will be briefly discussing the first Dragon Magazine dungeon!

[sablesides-writing-corner]

My Muse's Mirror (Pt.2)

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

The dread set in once Virgil realized it was nearly five in the morning and Roman still hadn't come in to tell him to go to bed.

It wasn't the kind of dread that made him think his beloved was dying of course, but it was dread nonetheless.

“Roman? Is everything ok? Are you just asleep?” Virgil whispered as he approached the main bedroom.

The racking chorus of coughs that followed was all the answer he needed.

“Right! Well- you are not going into work tomorrow- and I'm going to sleep on the couch tonight-” Virgil said, Roman only responded with a feeble thumbs up and another outburst of coughing.

It was going to be a long night.

Virgil plopped himself back down on the couch, mourning the loss of warmth at not sleeping in the same bed as his knight in shining bother, but safety was safety- he wasn't about to get himself sick and risk not being able to take care of Roman.

Roman still wasn't awake by the time Virgil tore himself up off the couch, electing to start the day with a completely normal and healthy 3 cups straight of coffee with extra extra sugar.

Then it was time to get started on The Soup.

The Soup, as Virgil remembered it, was a longtime ancestral recipe of his families, which was supposed to cure any sickness, and hey, it did its job on him when he was a kid, why not try it out now.

So Virgil got out the biggest cooking pot he could find, and got to work.

It was a long, grueling, sweaty few hours later when the thing was finally done, and the kitchen smelled so alarmingly of backyard herbs that Virgil wouldn't be surprised if the smell was still there by Christmas.

And, just in time, he heard the dismayed groaning of Roman finally waking up from what Virgil could probably only describe as a brief coma.

“Alright big guy- I've got something that might help” Virgil said as he finished ladelling some of The Soup into a bowl.

“I feel like I got hit by like. Six buses.” was all Roman could manage to get out.

“Summer sickness'll do that to you- now eat up before I start spooning it in for you,” Virgil said with a laugh. Once he was sure Roman would finish the food on his own he went back to the kitchen to get the rest of The Soup into a suitable container.

He also took it upon himself to call into Roman's work to confirm his sick day- or days, if necessary- and muttered a silent prayer that it was his nice coworker that answered the phone this time.

Then it was time for the dreaded family phone call.

“Where is my ailing baby brother! I've got presents!” Remus called as he burst through the door.

“Remus that was locked,” said Virgil in exasperation.

“Oh- well! It's probably not broken!” Responded the man, ruffling Virgil's hair- as if it wasn't messy enough already from the humidity in the kitchen.

“He's still moping around in bed, hasn't gotten up pretty much all day,” Virgil answered Remus’ earlier question.

“Shouldn't be contagious- seems like it's just a cold so we're hoping it'll go away soon,” Virgil said, pulling out his drawing tablet while Remus had his little visiting hour with his brother.

It was a few hours before Remus left, and Virgil felt like his social battery was almost completely worn out.

“You know, you could still go to the carnival without me- if it's still in town,” Roman said in a raspy tone from the bedroom.

“I mean what else am I gonna do? Buy more jewelry?” Virgil said.

“I mean it! I think it'd be fun to hang out on your own for a bit- or invite Janus or something-” Roman continued, he seemed. . . Urgent. . . About it, almost weirdly so.

“I- alright- alright fine- I'll just- call Janus I guess-” Virgil said, pulling out his cellphone.

“So. . . Where did you say this carnival was? I thought it was open till the end of next month?” Janus said, looking around confused at the very much empty lot.

“Well. I can say it was here yesterday because I have picture- maybe something happened and they had to-” Virgil paused for a second as something glinted in the corner of his eye. He took a few steps towards whatever it was, and found a pendant lying on the ground, a spider holding a large purple gem hanging off of the chain.

“This that necklace you were going on about?” Janus asked, Virgil nodded, eyes still transfixed on the jewelry.

“Well, they left it here, their loss I guess- shall we?” Janus asked.

Virgil still didn't respond. Something about the necklace was. . . Familiar. . . He just wasn't entirely sure what.

“Virgil. . . Virgil. . . Virgil!” Virgil was finally jolted back into realty by the sound of his cousin's yelling in the background.

“Oh! Uh- sorry- got uh- distracted-” Virgil responded, Janus looked bemused.

“Let's- let's just get home ok? I think you've got a stuffy nosed prince to be looking after, hm?”

“I uh- yeah. . . Yeah. . .”

He'd worry about the necklace later, after he washed it off thoroughly.

Roman still wasn't any better when he got home, which was expected- Virgil hadn't thought he'd cured him, but he'd at least expected him to get a little better.

But he'd been wrong- in fact Roman almost seemed to have gotten worse. . .

“Goodnight hun,” Virgil said as he left the bathroom to go lay down on the couch.

He stared at the necklace in his hands for a long time, turning it over in his palms, running his thumb along the purple gem in the center.

He knew this necklace from somewhere. . . He just couldn't remember. And that was very, very inconvenient.

He set the pendant down on the table next to the couch and decided to leave the pondering for tomorrow, worrying about it now wouldn't do him any good, probably. . .

[purple-nightfall-writes]

EHEHEHEHE HIHIHIHI!!

Just finished the last chapter and I might screammmmm they're so stupiddddd and in loveeeeee and I hate them (i would die for them)

Anyway, before I actually ask any questions I just want to say how much I LOVE your writing, you put your all into this fic and it really shows, each chapter was AMAZING and I loved every single one. The way everything had the perfect mix of fluff, comfort, angst, suspense, hope, and dread was just. *MUAH* chef kiss. I hope to be here for any future fics you share because I am HOOKED.

now for the questions, I guess my main ones are:

How are you? How are you feeling about the fic? Because personally, it might be one of my favorites!

Your writing style is so fun, I think it perfectly fit the vibes of ruffled feathers! (i have no idea if that makes sense, but it does to me) Was there any part that was particularly hard or easy to write? Like any of the panic attacks or maybe flashbacks? Or any tips for beginner writers?

And lastly, if you are willing to share, what are some of your plans for the rest of this series? Any spoilers or fic concepts you want to share?

Feel free to answer as many or as little of these as you want, I'm not great at asking questions so... I tried my best lol!

(Also i do want to say i feel bad, because at one point i was going to scream about your fic to you/pos but i noticed you didnt have the ask option avaliable and i was going to tell you but i forgot and i feel baddd)

HIIII thank you so much!!!! that's genuinely so encouraging to hear agdljlfglksldf

i'm so glad it hit the right balance for you - the balance of fluff and angst, hope/trust and tension/anxiety, was one of the things i kept retooling throughout the writing process, so i'm SO GLAD to hear it worked out! :D

as far as how I'm feeling about the fic, I'm honestly really happy with it! Currently I'm really proud of the earlier chapters and I'll need a little more distance from the later chapters before I can have a solid idea of whether i like them a little or a lot hehe. I'd written up through chapter 10 or so (maybe chapter 11) when I started posting, so all of those chapters I had a good bit of time to keep polishing to my heart's content. i think i'm gonna really enjoy rereading it lol, my main goal with writing is to write the kind of fics that i would enjoy reading, because that way i can guarantee that at least one person (me) is going to like the finished product. it also helps me feel like i have a creative center and not get pulled all over the place by people-pleasing. this means i end up rereading my stuff like "damn this author knows exactly what i like" XD The number of times i would sit down to work on chapter 10 or 11 or something and get caught up rereading the earlier chapters is a little embarrassing lol, it's just exactly the kind of story that i would enjoy reading 😅

as far as parts that were harder or easier to write! the flashback scenes were, oddly enough, some of the most fun to write actually. there's just this energy and dynamicness to the conflict in them, and the contrast between those days and the trust they have in the current timeline was really fun to work with. I also really liked going back and figuring out what their dynamic would've been in the early days. which is how I ended up with Scar's past crush on CuteGuy - that wasn't in the original plan but just felt extremely correct when I was working out the early days. the fluff scenes were like. too easy to the point that it looped back around to being a challenge lol. like it's just so easy to write them being disgustingly in love and it was difficult to try to not overdo it. which i'm not entirely sure i succeeded at lol but i enjoy reading those chapters so at least my target audience is happy 😆

and parts that were harder to write - definitely chapter 11 (the cuteguy reveal chapter) was the hardest. weirdly, the panic attack(s) in chapter 4 weren't that hard for me, maybe because it was a very in-the-moment kind of panic (if that makes sense), whereas grian's angst in late chapter 10 and into chapter 11 are more of a sense of protracted dread about needing to start a pivotal conversation which was Not Fun to write from lol. it's a good thing that chapter 11 works best from scar's pov because i don't think i ever could have written it from grian's pov, and it would've been really hard to reread.

as far as plans for the rest of the series are concerned! i'm probably going to do a separate post about my planned upcoming fics (in this and other aus), but i'll tease a little here. the next fic in the canon timeline will be one where grian sets out to find a way to protect scar from the ongoing threat to his life. it will be relatively low-stakes (...if my current plan holds). it'll involve a trip to the under-city (which means i have SO MUCH worldbuilding to do askfdlkjldfj), and will introduce at least one minecraft mechanic and a life series mechanic. ideally somewhere down the road i would love to write a fic about the downfall of the Institute, but that is way outside my normal wheelhouse and i don't have any solid ideas yet, so it might be a while and no promises lol. i've also mentioned a few diverging paths fics for this au, sort of alternate versions of what could have been. i've got two in mind that are different sorts of role reversals, one of which i may or may not have already started writing aslkdfjlsjfkd. i just can't leave them alone 😂 there's another diverging paths one that i'm not... entirely sure whether i'll actually end up posting? i've kind of teased it at least once but i want to be noncommittal about actually putting it out there. it's an angstier version, diverges near the end of chapter 4 (bonus points to anyone who can guess exactly what point it splits off at), and would be pretty difficult for me to write due to heavier angst. it would still end on a good note but it would be really rough in places. i do want to write it, to explore that version of events myself because i find it compelling and i want to stretch my writing muscles. but i'm not gonna fully commit to posting it because i don't want to add performance anxiety to the existing writing hurdles for that one lol. so basically: that one might exist or it might not idk, apologies for teasing something that might not end up ever getting published 😅

that basically sums up my current plans for this au! i'm also leaving the door open to the possibility of exploring other characters in this au, though i don't have solid ideas as of yet.

thank you for the ask!! i had so much fun reading your questions and thinking through answers to them hehe. also no worries about the askbox thing 😅 i really should've checked a lot earlier sdfljsljgfklk

[sayakxmi]

[Magi reread; special edition] Night 36.5: Night Flight & Night 37: Rememberance

So, fun fact, remember how in the previous chapter Morgiana just took Alibaba & left? Well, apparently Ohtaka made an extra, Night 36.5, which covers that flight.

Here it is.

Like, I'm already dealing with this dumb photo limit, guys, so I'll just stick to commenting it. Overall, it's just really neat, and worth reading. Also, I was right regading the WHY Morgiana sees Alibaba as her benefactor (spending that month in Qishan, using his wealth to help out her and all the other former slaves). It's really neat, honestly. The fact that she wants to thank him, and she wants to help him out now that he might need it, too.

There's just two small probems.

One of them is the fact that it's made into a joke - Alibaba hears none of it, because he's busy passig out, cuz she's moving too fast, and that really doesn't look good. Why is it that whenever Morgiana tries to be voulnerable, Alibaba doesn't hear it? There's gonna be at least one more moment like that in the future (god, I'm not there yet, and I'm already dreading these fucking boat chapters; last time I didn't finish my reread, because of them, ugh), and that doesn't promise a very good romantic relationship for the both of them. Again, Morgiana's an exception for Alibaba, but in a negative way.

And then there's the other problem with it - it's an extra. Remember how I've said that there were signs of Morgiana being eventually sidelined? This is one of them. Why is it an extra? Why not make it a part of the chapter? Why isn't it treated like something important? Why aren't Mogiana's feelings treated like something imporant? The writing's were on the wall, guys, they really were.

----Night 37----

He means Anime!Sinbad.

Thank you, Ja'far, for being the one guy to remember this.

Oh my fucking god. I was always thinking how weirdly Alibaba's lips were detailed for some reason. His mouth is open. That's all. They're not detailed. It's just open mouth. Oh my fucking god.

That realization aside, I am, once again, sad.

I want to say something funny or insightful, but I'm mostly just sad reading that. "Hehe, to think that there were so many things that I can do!" There are, but you wanted to see your best friend again. And he broke that promise you've made. Not because he wanted to, just because he feels trapped in the mess he's currently in. Man, I'm just sad.

Why is he so cute.

Ughm stop making me feel feelings.

AGH

COME ON

Of course you were. You decided this is your bestest friend ever several hours into meeting him, bro. Agh, this shit must hurt so badly.

Hm.

SHE JUST YEETED HIM IN

Talk about awkward, but also, gdi, Alibaba, you sure end up in this sort of position more often than you should.

Awkward.

They're trying ok.

You know, I blame neither of them here. Morgiana has a point, but I also get that it's difficult for Alibaba to talk about it, and he's under so much pressure already, to have just another person come here and tell him to hurry up and do something. Like, I do feel bad. But again, I get where Morgiana's impatience comes from.

Totally understandable.

And you're right. But you're missing a lot of context that you're about to get.

Still, her reaction is understandable, and, frankly, so is Alibaba's hesitance. Like I've said, I blame neither here. They're both in their own rights.

Like, for the past six months that's kind of what Alibaba's been dealing with, because of Cassim. No matter how much I love him, and I love their relationship in general, that most certainly was pretty abusive. We've already seen it. So to suddenly have another person yell and demand things from him...

Aladdin is (technically literally) a godsend. It honestly matters so much that he lets Alibaba actually cool down first. Also, worth mentioning that the conversation between Alibaba and Cassim happened, idk, half an hour earlier? It's probably still fresh in his mind.

He waited for him : (

I can't with him still similing. God.

Ugh, the fact that he DOESN'T JUDGE HIM. Everybody always judges him, or demands things from him, but here is Aladdin, who, in spite of everything, still believes in him. I just fucking can't, y'all.

You won't meet him until much much much later, you'll even manage to die in the meantime.

Existence is pain, I am suffering, this is just too fucking much, god, look, how Cassim is smiling, he's a baby, oh my god, I'm so fucking sad man, why was I born in this world, just to suffer-

[marchsfreakshow]

You're my next victim Duckie (3rd person for whom I'm making a personal imagine in their askbox). Featuring one of your dream 3somes as you stated (since ur my 3rd target you get a 3some) (For the record, Dandy is like 19-20 ish in this, he gets called a boy bcs he's childish and March died at like 30)

Dandy was so tired of his mother's whining. Yes, LA is on the other end of the country, but why was she making such a big deal out of it? He could withstand a long travel, of course he could! What an annoying worm she was...

So after multiple heinous tantrums and 17 dead rats, Mother agreed. And so they went to one of the trending hotels, the Cortez. Dandy was simply just overjoyed. Unfortunately... it was boring. God, it was so dull! Nothing to do but wander and wander. He could drink at the bar, but all of the drinks tasted like burnt cow poop. And he did not. Like. Cow. Poop. It was dreadful. LA was, at its core, a bore.

But to the hotel's owner, the young man provided nothing but curious entertainment. He was rowdy and uncouth, yelling at staff and behaving weirdly, no shred of empathy in his young heart. March hated spoiled brats like him. Everything came easy to Dandy, handed on a silver platter. James had to fight tooth and nail for his wealth, never hesitated to kill and cheat, but also worked, worked hard, day and night for many years just to spite the bastard of a father and to achieve something great in life. But the Mott's wealth was a great feat - the rich went largely unpunished until there was hard proof against them, as James knew from experience.

And, as it dawned on March that his hunting grounds were limited to the hotel territory, he realized he needed a successor, someone of equal sickness of mind and inventive in terms of death. He needed a spineless, psychotic, easily steered young man such as Dandy Mott.

March's plan was simple - get a pretty little thing, one with a sweet gaze and soft lips, and convince the young bastard to murder her. He was humming to himself as he arranged a tray of weapons - two knives, a hammer, a gun, four types of deadly kitchen utensils and even a good quality blow torch. An array of torture devices ready for the cutie he had spotted at the bar earlier - and that cutie was you! Oh you were so easy to get drunk and lead into room 64, you didn't even protest as he tied you to the bed, sprawled out... well, he did spike your drink, but that is but a detail, isn't it? Surely you'd be a good little victim and awaken soon, so the new boy can see your scared little expressions and sweet pained screeches. There was nothing sweeter than a girl begging for a quick death, after all.

Dandy showed up to the room, as invited, out of pure boredom. He wore his white suit and sprayed himself with cologne, the smell soon filling James' suite. It made him almost choke, but no matter; he would test the boy soon and get him to leave. The young Mott stood there surprised at the sight of you, waking up and groggily realizing your predicament. He looked at March.

"What is this? Is she a prodtitute? Mother told me not to sleep with those, they all have tubermacossis"

James chuckled at how geniuenly dumb the boy was, he couldn't even spell tuberculosis. Oh this was going to be easy.

"Well, dear boy. This is your chance to truly feel... like a man. Take your preferred weapon and inflict on her whatever you wish. I, James March, shall be your guide in the world of murder."

You trembled. You tried to protest, but all that came out was a bunch of whines, as you were tied up, gagged and allll helpless. You cowered at the younger man approaching you, picking up a knife from the tray. His buldge was showing through his white pants, and his eyes were wide.

"Hey, old weirdo... can I take her mouth first? Mother always forbid me... but I am a man, and a man with needs. You understand, right, little whore?", he said the last part to you in the most innocent tone possible. He then undid his pants and then your gag. You were too terrified and groggy to talk.

"Freak man? Help me with her here! Every girl needs her fruits touched, it's the basic rule of pleasure, don't you know it!?", he said in a pretentious tone.

March quirked a brow. Well, he hadn't slept with a victim since '46, if he remembers correctly... ah, such a sweet treat, she'd be. All scared, yet he knew she would love his attention.

"My dearest", March said to her, ignoring Dandy's weirded out frown and nervous undressing, "We shall kill you no matter what you choose. Do you wish for us to give you a... glorious last hurrah, miss? Or shall I stop this... overexcited young man?"

You gasped, horrified but aroused. The younger man's half bare body was surely enticing, and if you were going to die anyway... huh... what she couldn't comprehend was being given a choice in the matter at all. Was it a rhetorical question? Or was it geniuine and gentlemanly? Perhaps the man knew you had secretly dreamed of such a night at this hotel, two beautiful man ravishing or ravaging your body from both ends, taking you and coming so deep their releases meet in the middle?

Do you wish for it?

- love, Nika

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!

Nika despite nothing being described I just came from that idea. Thank you for just giving me some giggles, desperately need them tbh.

[cawareyoudoin]

Season 2 of The Owl House, my live reaction!

It took me like twice as long to watch it, because I had to stop and write down my thoughts, but man it was fun, especially when it came to theories.

I can't get readmore to work in drafts, if it doesn't I am so sorry :(

:readmore:

Episode 1

Eda I love you so much you have no idea. She cares for Luz so much and just casually shows it. She's the best.

Lilith, you fucked up, you gotta deal with it.

Cute pirate head thingy Luz! Also, I knew that theoretically fire magic can not only initiate, but also create fire, but powering a furnace? That's impressive. And very economical.

Eda in a PIRATE COSTUME oh man I am being fed WELL

"So unfortunately for you, my life is pretty great because I'm friends with Luz the human" hell yeah, cut that self-sacrificial crap in the bud!

The golden bird boy is weirdly endearing. Kinda. He's... fun at least? Maybe. Undecided.

OMG THE NEW OUTRO IS SO PRETTY!!!

Episode 2

Hmm. Oh yeah, forgot Amity's parents are assholes. That kinda explains the twins being like that sometimes. Also, the genetics + memories suggest that Amity has her father's hair, but she dyes it to be more like her mother's, which already says a lot. Or maybe it's just witch genetics.

Hahah, figures Lilith would love being back in school. Also, interesting way of seeing how Eda would usually mix her magic.

"No-one ever said power comes with responsibility..." Hahah, King has not watched Spider-Man.

Gus just had a growth spurt? Witch puberty? Ok. I won't question it if the show won't.

Aww, Hooty finally has a friend who likes his company!

Willow has two dads, how nice.

Oh, so Amity's mother is like... The murderous kind of crazy. Right.

Eda knows when to ask for help! And in the end, chaos and order work together to find out something new. Neat.

Wait, so the four elements are... Ice, fire, light and plant? That's an... Odd choice.

Episode 3

Ooh backstory?

So the elements aren't necessarily only the thing they have represented so far. Makes sense.

Ah, the entire house is literally living and meaty about it. Love it.

King, are you gonna take them to the dread pyramid floating in the sky or something?

Oh, yeah, kinda. Alien zombie mummy morphing creature, neat!

OH NO HE WAS EVEN TINIER AND CUTER

Aww :( he's so sad! But wait wait wait. Those ruins and murals were actually ancient, right? The weird creature only got aggressive once Eda got there, otherwise little King would be toast... And he did get the army idea even earlier... And he was just in that castle out of nowhere? Nah, there has to be more to this, I'm calling it.

Called it!

EGG!!!

"I'm not that old, it's possible" wait, he's actually not much older than freaking 8 years old?!!? All this time I thought he was just... A childish adult? A dog cat creature animal adult? I mean he still could be but wow. He actually is baby.

Took a break here, but wow. This show is catering to my younger self like no other. It's bringing me back to Gravity Falls - would it be blasphemy to say I like it more? - and it's healing my inner child by making a better magic world than H*rry P*tter ever was. It is also catering to my older self with... Well, mostly Eda, I'll be honest. She is THE character of all time so far. Wow.

Episode 4

WOAH THAT'S TERRIFYING AND COOL!

Eda's backstory mirrors Luz question mark?

Oh, that's a side effect of the curse, ok. I thought Eda was just detachable like that. Cool.

Whoops. Eda was mommy's favourite. That explains a lot about Lilith.

Ohhh no. Oh no she's a healing crystals mommy. She's so getting scammed. "Keep it away from the eyes of nonbelievers"? Oh yeah.

King wants to meet his dad so bad, which makes me fear that it will not at all be what he thinks it will be.

Oh wait, maybe it will be. Lilith and King are spiraling.

Hooty's actually worried about them, and is the voice of reason for once? Woah!

Whoops. Lilith owl. And she's... Even bigger...

WHOOPS. Sister owls.

They're cool-looking, damn.

If only it were that easy to convince parents like that...

Lilith-beast is attacking Eda-beast... It's the jealousy and mommy issues, right?

Yeah...

Stash hair goals!

Good for Lilith. Probably. I hope.

Whoops. A doppelganger. Well, at least Luz's mom isn't worried... Heh...

Episode 5

I like the new intro so much that I watch it every time.

Heheh, Luz wants to see Amity. Nice.

Amity looks so nice with her hair down!

"After he accidentally texted a poem to their mom" oh? Nonbinary people real?

Wait that was. That was the light glyph. Gus just did fire magic because he believed he would.

That's a cool dragon thing.

Matt character development? Neat.

Hell yeah, terrify the mean girl with statues crying blood.

Yay, graveyard management!

Oh ok, Amity is dying her hair. Glad that's cleared up.

Oooh! New haircut, nice!

A little kiss on the cheek? "Sneaking into people's hearts"? Bold move indeed!

Episode 6

Hmm, ok... The Emperor wants to get to the human realm... Is he that human from the journal? He'd have to be old as balls, but hey, magic is a thing right?

Oh he's cursed. And eating palismans.

"Uncle"? Hmm, then not human, most likely. Nevermind.

Eda in a suit jacket ohh yeah.

OH OK THE PRINCIPAL'S HEAD DEMON THING IS EXPLAINED OK

Whoops. The golden guy's back. And he's... Whistling the theme song?

Lol, he's just a grumpy teen. Draco Malfoy looking ass.

Doesn't have powers without the staff huh... Maybe their family really does have some human in it. Maybe the journal guy is their great however-many-great grandpa. "Many of my ancestors didn't have magic"? Oh yeah. I'm convinced.

Hunter. Neat. I worry for him.

Eda, you lovely, lovely thief. And of course she would have Luz carve out her own palisman. She's all for doing things the most traditional, "wild" way.

I worry for the little red bird, but good for Hunter, I suppose!

Another few days' break here

Episode 7: Eda's Requiem

Uh oh, worrying title (also: started paying attention to titles here)

Ah, poor Eda... She thinks everyone's leaving her :(

Whoopsie

Oh, I've seen this bespectacled character. In fanarts and such.

Look at Eda, being a hero and all

Look at this new person being a hero and all?

AGENT OF CHAOS YES I LOVE IT

Raine Whispers. Ok. Cool name.

"They're not very good at it" oh hell yeah nonbinary people real!

Oh, that's the girl from the first episode! That escaped the Conformatorium! I think.

Hmm, they crushing, are they? Oh boy I fear betrayal...

"You're not our mom!" Hahahahah

"Bye mama Eda!" Hahahahhahahaha

Hmm... Decaying magic? Destructive magic?

Aww, King baby...

Gus helping his dad with the news, nice that side characters reoccur even when they're not needed per se

Hmm, wouldn't it be a better idea for just Luz to fly the race? King is not heavy, but still...

Awww, Edaaaa!

Ah, ok, abomination witches can do more than just abominations...

Eber has a perpetual >:3 face

Using the curse as a weapon? Sounds... Interesting, certainly.

Awe, Eda's gonna have to steal another pair of shoes...

Hahah, and Raine's smile is literally :} cute!

Uh, Eda, I don't like this self-destructive episode please stop...

Ah shit. Ah fuck. Raine, no!

I knew taking King along for the ride was a bad idea.

Awwwww!!!!! King!!!!!

Oh fuck. Oh no. Fate worse than death-ing Raine? We just met them!!!

Episode 8: knock, knock, knocking on Hooty's Door

Aww, Hooty found a way to write letters! Wonderful.

King is a baby!

Wait, I just realized. "hootsifer" not as in Lucifer, but as in Calsifer! I'm a dummy.

Let me drive my mouse into your heart???

OH OK THAT WAS MILDLY TERRIFYING HOOTY DON'T DO THAT

Yeah, don't do that either...

Ohh boy. Well, the bipeds having bile sacs thing explains why some people going to school don't look like elves.

Oh? Hello? Huh? King? Magic? Shouting magic???

Yeah Eda, confront your demon(s)!

Ahh, yeah, her and Raine were exes.

Yeah Eda, comfort your demon(s)!

HELLOOOO???? HELLOOOOOOOO???? HARPY LADY??????

"This is a hot look." AGREE AGREE BIG AGREE

Oh man, Hooty, don't do that...

The worst part is that the cheesy romance stuff was actually working.

Well, Hooty did help everyone, in a way. Yay!

Whoops. King's dad question mark? Well, at least he respects his new name!

Episode 9: Eclipse Lake

Oh, ok. We just get his face. Lucius Malfoy lookin ass.

He's been in the human realm, huh... My suspicions grow...

It worries me that Lilith is in the intro as part of the 3 associated with Belos...

Hahahah, now Eda wants to be a harpy lady on command! Cute.

Well that's a very direct DBZ reference (I've never watched it but come on everyone knows it)

Aww, Amity is doing so well!

Hunter is gonna cause a schism in the empire. Well, he already is causing one kinda.

Also aww, Amity has a white kitty! Fits her.

Hunter makes friends way too easily for his own good.

"A bad but sad boy" ooh, that's gotta sting. Accurate though.

Kikimora is fucking insane. Why does Belos keep these people!!?? The guard lady is much more reasonable.

Ok, my "first human=Belos" theory isn't off the table yet.

Hunter is too honest for his own good too. And nobody listens to him. But hey, he used his ability to bond with Amity well, for his own gain. He's pretty clever.

Well, Eda made a deal with the beast... Hmm.

Hunter, I feel like your pathetic-ness can be very beneficial to you right now...

Amity don't. Don't give him. The key. Fuck.

Ok, good.

The little red bird coming in clutch! And hey, Hunter, you've got magic now, cool eh? I love when antagonists get character growth too.

Ah shit. He knows how to manwife mansplain manipulate.

This is very bad. Hunter is the patheticest little meow meow there is though. That's something. Ah wait. No. Key is broken. But he's connecting with his palisman! Good for him, bad for his rep.

Also, phew, the deal was just to eat some voles.

I'm sorry for comparing him to Draco Malfoy so much, but like... He has a similar narrative role, but is SO MUCH BETTER DONE. Draco Malfoy wishes he had what Hunter has.

A few day's break again

Episode 10: Yesterday's Lie

Oooh, do we find out more about the doppelganger?

Oh no, throwing away Luz's stuff?!

Aww, they seem to not be overtly malicious, just... Took the opportunity maybe?

Aww, everyone's helping Luz!

Ah. Mirrorverse only.

Hmm. Dad's face invisible. I sense issues.

Hahah, they're blinking sideways.

Aww, I've come to really like Luz. She's kind but not naive, smart but not all-knowing, optimistic but not toxically so.

Traps and cameras... Uh oh

Wait, one of those statue guys looks like the journal human! Am I crazy?

Marylin? Eda, Really? XD

Simple solution: eat the rats!

Aaaah, Vee as in V, as in a roman Number Five. Clever yet sad.

Ah, the emperor's people. Of course.

Basilisks in the folklore I know turned people into stone. But draining magic seems like a pretty reasonable equivalent.

"I met a basilisk" oh yeah, I forgot about that episode! Wow! That was last season. The continuity and consistent worldbuilding in this show astounds me.

Awww. I'm all for Luz having a doppleganger sister.

Ah shucks. The museum guy. Of course.

Oh, the museum is "under new management". Uh oh.

Hmm. Is he playing dumb or just plain dumb?

Oh no, he wants to be verified. Worst motivation.

Oh boy. She's gonna tell her mom everything.

Two brothers? OH OK SO ONE LEFT THE JOURNAL AND THE OTHER STAYED AND HAD KIDS AND THAT'S BELOS AND HUNTER boom bang bing I solved it.

YES MAMA NOCEDA IS THE BEST YESSSS

Hahah, a sandal to the face. Strongest weapon.

OH BOY THEY JUST LEFT HIM IN THAT CAGE TO DIE HUH

Oh no. Oh no no no. Luz is gonna have to confront that promise huh.

Episode 11: Follies at the Coven Day Parade

Hooty has to... Dry his skin sometimes?????

"He's just evil and shy. It happens" tumblrinas talking about their poor little meow meows

"Sweet potato" sounds like a very typical term of endearment to me.

Amity just 😳

Oh no. I just realized. Coven day. RAINE!!!

Kikimora of all people was not the person I thought Luz might relate to. And yet.

You know, I'm getting a feeling that this show doesn't really have villains. Just people. People in villainous roles, yes, but who always have their reasons, and really see themselves as heroes of their own story. Like. Pretty much everyone has shown different sides to them. I love it.

Oh no Edaaaaa....

Ok yeah Luz I'm with you on this one actually. Get them to talk.

Oh no no no... Raine is probably mind controlled or something... Aaaah....

Aww, Amity and Willow finally being friends again!!!! Good!

Ohh. Ok, not mind controlled, only memory wiped/altered. That might be worse in some ways?

Hahah, Kikimora is a little creacher

Dueling? Ok yeah I'm into that

"Head Witch, are you hurt? -No. Not badly" AAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!!

Kikimora cares about one thing the most. Her job. Of course. And apparently, she has to. Oof.

Amity and Luz work together so well in battle!

Raine is just being continuously drugged to have their memory wiped, I'm guessing...

"But because of your support I can finally take off this mask" what are you, a Minecraft youtuber???

Hahahah, Gus and Willow agree: meh

Episode 12: Elsewhere and Elsewhen

Flaaashback?

No flashback.

"Buy Amity new glove" aww

Ahh, Lilith, haven't seen you in a while!

Huh. Ok, whip lady.

Oh! Yes flashback!

And a trip with auntie Lilith.

"These are the oldest barnacles I've ever had on my head!" Ah, I love this nerd.

Eda, you gotta talk to your dad, come on.

Hm. Luz saved the journal from burning, thus it survived. So time loops are closed here, I suppose.

Philip is sus

Ohhh yeah.

OH OK WAIT IS PHILIP THE EMPEROR AFTER ALL AND THAT'S WHY HE KNEW THEY WOULD MEET SOON? CALLED IT CALLED IT CALLED IT!

Awww! History nerd aunt Lilith is having the time of her life. Love to see it.

Clawthorne dad is cool.

"I just have to live long enough to see this through" oh yeah he's the Emperor alright. Basically confirmed. Even his voice changed.

But there were two brothers...? What happened to the other one?

Episode 13: Any Sport in a Storm

Ah, Hunter. Arts and crafts are not your thing.

Oh buddy... Leading isn't your strong suit either...

The intro has been weird the last few episodes, what's going on?

Oh, Willow episode? Willow and Hunter episode?

Had to look up what hermosa means. Aww.

"Sure, I've never actually spoken to witches my age" oh god Hunter you so need friends my guy.

Oh no... This is like poor Jehova's Witness kids being sent on a mission...

He's getting attacked by a gryphon. Is his father uncle gonna hear about this?

Gus Porter and Willow Park. I don't think we've gotten last names before.

"Even if you're considered half-a-witch like me" OOF Willow was called half-witch, this had to HIT

I love Hunter so much. I want him to get better, and be in a better place, but I know it will be a while, and I know it will probably get worse first.

Poor Amity was the only one buying the books...

Awww, no, actually, Hunter is doing quite fine. And Darius turns out to be a pretty okay dude?

They kept the team name!

Episode 14: Reaching Out

Ooh, ominous title...

Jean Luc is still... Hanging out...

That voice change spell was impressive Amity!

THE TWINS ARE WEARING MAGICAL MAKEUP

"My student/child" ahhhhh!!! Eda!

Luz, kiddo, why won't you just turn the reminder off?!

Oh. Luz's dad is. Dead. Ah. That explains a lot. Man. This was. A good scene. Really good.

Ed got a mentor of sorts! Or at least an Eda to aspire to. Bad Girl Coven got members!

Amity's dad came back to earth for once. Or... Whatever this planet is. Is this a planet? There's stars in the sky...

"Dishes washed :3 -V" aww! Luz has a basilisk sis!

Oh, the outro changed!

Episode 15: Them's the Breaks Kid

All I can think of with this title is the Snapcube Shadow fandub

Luz is approaching the glyph combos in such a scientific way! Experiments!

Ooooh! Backstory!!!

Oh, all the adults as kiddos! I can guess some of them are parents of the current cast.

Ahhh, ok, Bump not being principal yet when Eda was in school explains why he said that she was "never given a chance to" study all courses of magic.

Little Raine makes me wanna cry in a good way

The plant lady is insane.

Oh, ugh, her being fond of Raine since they were a kid... Bad vibes

Raine is okay! Oh man I was so worried...

Episode 16: Hollow Mind

Oh boy, what a cold open!!!

Oooh, okay, so the abomination guy and beast guy are in it too! That's why Darius was so... Okay to Hunter.

Whoops.

Hmm, inner child Belos? Interesting.

He named the birdie Flapjack! Do those even exist there? (Later I remembered the bird told him the name, silly me)

Raine, buddy, you should REALLY work together with Eda.

Oof, Hunter's gonna have to confront some stuff here...

Oh, Collector's design is coo-ool!

"Making those things just to destroy them" OH IS HE FUCKING CLONING HIMSELF?!?!!?

Ohhh, palismen... But if they're still there, then perhaps...

Yup. Okay, the cat's out of the bag. Belos is P-whatever his name was. The journal guy.

Philip Wittebane.

Maybe he's not cloning himself, maybe he's cloning his brother?

Raine did work with Eda in a way, good!

Can't blame Hunter for having a panic attack. Yikes...

Man, I've been bingewatching, but I just... Gotta keep going! Gotta know what's next!

Episode 17: Edge of the World

Hahah, okay, I immediately know it's a dream sequence.

The letter finally resurfaces, hah. Nice way for the show to make space for other stuff, and postpone this King Family plot.

Oh. Nice. Worldbuilding.

Titan Trappers, huh...

"How did it go? Weh!" Oh ok, so King's dad was the last Titan. Weh.

But wait no, there's a poster next to him, "the grand huntsman cannot... Until the lost son is found by..." So???

Oh, ok, that... Confuses matters.

Oh. Oh no. They're wearing. The skulls. Of Titans. Oh no.

Well, this whole situation is very tragic and very, very awkward.

Oh god, guys, you really gonna kill a fucking kid?!

"Um... Hi." said to the Titan... KING YOU ARE BREAKING MY HEART

Episode 18: Labirynth Runners

Aww, Gus, buddy...

Wait, this is before his uh... "witch puberty", right?

Ah, backstory, got it.

Amity's trying, but still not a perfect friend. I like it.

Oh boy, Flapjack, are you feeding your runaway friend trash from the cafeteria? Is Hunter living in the school walls?

Hahahah, still trying to be sinister and scary. Not the only way to live, dude.

Ugh... Even the kids?

The Illusionist coven leader is... Something.

Sometimes a government raid on a school can be a chance for a bonding experience!

Amity's gotta learn to trust in Willow's abilities, Willow to be more assertive, and Hunter's gotta learn... Well, a lot of things, but basic socializing is a good start. Trusting people. Gus has his eye thingy, don't know what's exactly up with that yet. Cool though.

"Just put him... -out of his misery? Got it. -to sleep dude, to sleep!" Yeesh, somebody's eager... Also, with the context of what Hunter is, creepy!

Gus has to learn that he's not dumb. And to not listen to the voices in his head.

Good for you Severine! Good for you.

Agh, gotta take a break and walk the dogs, but oh I am watching the last 3 episodes today.

I've been thinking about the "Making those things just to destroy them" line to Belos. Because it's true. The "kid" Belos was leading Luz and Hunter exactly to the memories that would almost certainly shake Hunter's belief and make him betray Belos. Damn.

Also, the name "grimwalker" suggests some sort of necromancy to me...

Episode 19: Titan Where Art Thou

Good fucking question!

Oh no, the hunters really did connect King to the Collector somewhat...?

Hmm. Might be a chaotic neutral force. Might be possible to negotiate with them.

Sisters on the run! The Owl House empty! Oh no :(

Jeez, Eda, you have no plan so your plan is to check everyone's bucket lists? Morbid, yet considerate.

Lilith, stop treating King like a king, you're making his feelings of isolation worse! Also he's got a lil hat for his tail aww...

"Why is everything going our way now?" Uhh guys I hate to tell you this but that's like a very clear sign of a trap...

Ok, roadtrip with... Steve?

Hm. Them fixing the cart is a weird parallel to the episode where ye olden times were shown.

Eda just wants her kids safe I cannot...

Oh boy. Wasn't a trap, they were just busy fighting each other and got caught.

"Isn't this how you acted with the Emperor? I'm sensing uh, a little bit of a pattern with you" say it like it is King!

"I can recommend a good therapist" SAY IT LIKE IT IS STEVE!

Oh no, darkest hour...

NEVERMIND, THEY HAVE ALLIES, EVERYBODY'S HERE!

"Everything's come full circle baby!" Of course it did. Cat hoodie, CATS. Also, Raine, that is a wonderful team name.

"We've got all the time in the world" well, two days, but the sentiment is touching.

Episode 20: Clouds on the Horizon

The Collector is a funky little shadow thing. I like them.

"We can make another grimwalker" as an image of a hand bursting from the ground appears... Yeah, it's definitely some sort of necromancy.

NO MAGIC IN TITLE SCREEN I AM ALARMED

Amity's mother is trouble...

Oh. I'm not sure if using the curse is a good idea... It seemed rather... Adverse in effect.

Oh no. Wait. Are they gonna keep everyone alive but also take away their natural magic?!?

Aww, an egg palisman! An ultimate wildcard!

"Titan help us... -I'll do my best..." Awwww, King! Don't put such expectations on yourself!

The twins tried to burn the factory down? Hell yeah, arson.

I do love Luz's little ponytail.

Who animated that kiss? James Baxter? Well, probably not James Baxter, but. You know what I mean.

Oh boy... Can you not... Remove coven sigils? Ever? Oh boy...

Hahah, first thing Eda thought to do when looking like Raine is remove her head. Haven't seen that in a while.

The Collector is... More and more interesting.

Kikimora having beef with a teenager is still one of the funniest things.

Alador and King talking it out was not what I expected. I love how this show puts every interesting character combination together in some way at least once. I love it.

Kikimora, you have a mouth big enough to be useful.

Oh no, she got Hunter. Oh shit.

"Buisness partner" oh ok so they were married literally for tax cuts and such.

Ohhh! Illusion! That explains "Hunter" blowing a raspberry at Kikimora. It seemed... Quite out of character.

Episode 21: Kings Tide

I can't even write, I'm so stressed out.

"Don't. Tell me not to worry" AUGH

The Collector is a bratty kid.

I just realized Belos' nose is crooked because Lilith broke it. Heh.

Oh no. They caught them. THIS is the darkest hour.

HA! HA, SHE GOT HIM! SHE GOT HIM GOOD! HE FUCKING FELL FOR IT!!!

Only the coven-less teens can save the day...

King's little skull is broken nouuu!!

Gus activating Belos' worst memories, and someone who looks a lot like Hunter being the first one... And then a hand bursting from the ground. Yikes.

Hmm. Letting the Collector out might be a bad choice in the long run, but the world is ending, so... Gotta adress that first, huh?

Oh. He just. Splooted Belos. Ok. Well, King, buddy, better think of rules for playing the Owl House. Fast.

OH OK HE JUST MOVED THE MOON OK

Never trust a jester I suppose.

Ugh, that sploot seemed important. I'm sure that won't come back later.

Wow. Well, this kinda sucks. Gosh.

Also, I realized, Eda removing her head last episode was to remind us she could do that...

OH SO SEASON 3 IS 3 SPECIAL EPISODES?! AAAAAARGH!!!! I'M NOT READY TO SAY GOODBYE TO THIS WORLD!!

Ok, thinking about Belos... He had a brother, right? At least I think so. And maybe they got sent to the Demon Realm together, and something happened to him? Perhaps something that made Belos hate wild magic/witches?

Gosh, you guys had years to analyze and speculate, I only have days, okay?! But my speculations have been pretty accurate so far, so. Shrug.

Raine destroying Eda's arm so that she lives, but also so that she can practice wild magic... Because they wanted to keep her safe and also promised Luz... Augh... But also I know in my heart of hearts that Eda is going to have the coolest collection of hooks. Once everyone lives and everything is ok. Right???????

About the Collector: I liked his shadow design much better, but oh well. What does he even collect? Also, note to self: a chaotic neutral with enough power might be functionally indistinguishable from a chaotic evil.

Ok, I've been thinking about what Belos said - that it "hurts every time" the grimwalkers decide to betray him, and also that he "doesn't want more people corrupted by this land". So I'm thinking: the "original" Hunter, whoever he was (brother?) and Philip disagreed on the whole witch hunting thing, and... Something happened, whether it was his intention or not. I've also been thinking about grimwalkers, and the lines "you were the most similar of them all", and "many of my ancestors didn't have magic" - if there is variation in looks and in powers, then I'm thinking that it might not be a case of straight-up necromancy or test tubes, but somehow... Transforming existing witches? Might be easier than creating one from scratch... Idk, I'm just spitballing here.

I'm probably gonna make a separate post about this, but wow this show is. Very good. Especially with developing every single even slightly important character, and giving them an interesting dynamic with the rest of the group. I was thinking about the kids that got sent to the Human Realm, and whether there was anyone there who hasn't interacted with each other... And the only thing I can really think of is Gus and Amity? But otherwise, they all have an interesting dynamic/relationship. I even see some possible interactions with Hunter and Vee, if they have time for it. Just... Man. This show is good. Also, it subverted my expectations so many times. I was like "in any other show, this would not have happened", but it did!!!

I love this show. I'm gonna watch Good Omens 2, but after that passes, I will watch the 3-part finale, and let myself actually join the fandom. Better late than never, eh?

Added later: Ok, now that the GO2 phase has died down, I think I'm gonna watch s3 soon.

[0m3g45n1p3r4lph4]

Hello ^.^ for the metroid ask game:

5, 6, 15, 26, and 45?

The Ask Game in question!

I have a lot to say so I'm putting this under a readmore xD

5: Favourite Suit design(s)?

Dread. The Dread Power and Varia are absolute peak, the only complaint I could even *think* of being pedantic enough to suggest is that the Dread power shoulders be more angular than round, and that's nitpicking to the highest degree. I'm not as big as fan of the Gravity - I've always been of the opinion that the Varia should hold title as the bulkiest suit, being specifically an armour barrier, while the Gravity suit is mainly focused on environmental factors and movement unrestriction. Dread's Gravity being thicker and more armored makes sense for the narrative of her suit regenerating armour, but still. Plus I miss the blue lights. Why did we walk back on that.

ESPECIALLY AFTER MERCURYSTEAM DESIGNED THE BEST GRAVITY SUIT IN THE HISTORY OF GRAVITY SUITS WITH SAMUS RETURNS! MULTIPLE SHADES OF PURPLE, DRAMATIC ANGULAR BLUE LIGHTS, WEIRD LOOKING GREEBLING AND MACHINE BITS, 20/10 EASY

Special mention to the Zero Mission base Power Suit, doesn't get enough credit and hardly gets justice in the other games. And also to the specific depiction of the Prime Trilogy Varia in Hunters with the exception of the Arm Cannon. For those unfamiliar, Hunters uses the same suit as in Prime 2 and 3, but the same gunship and arm cannon as in Prime 1, to sell the game being between Prime and Echoes. It's a great detail I love, but I especially adore the promotional artwork showing Samus in battle poses - if you look really closely, you can faintly see her face through the visor. I love that detail and look for it every time.

6: Least favourite Suit design?

As a Base Power Suit fan, I don't like how it's depicted in either Prime or Other M. The shoulders in Prime are so weirdly disconnected from the arms and solidly bolted to the chestplate. It feels wrong and lanky, as though it's incomplete without the Varia. I get why they might do so, but the Base Power Suit is the original Suit. The Chozo wouldn't make it completely shit on purpose. This then goes the opposite way with Other M - there is a decent Base Power Suit model in the game used for a single flashback cutscene of her time with the Federation, and the game uses a recolored Varia Suit like in Zero Mission after getting the Fully Powered Suit. Not a single piece of Metroid media supports this depiction - Super, Prime, or Samus Returns, and ZM doesn't officially let you disable Varia Suit to find out.

Special credit to Samus Returns for my least favourite Varia though - in contrast to Other M's hyper-smooth aesthetic, the SR Varia feels... overdesigned. And the proportions even more dramatically exaggerated, though it looks worse in promotional art than in-game. (Plus there's some details of Gravity I wish carried into Varia, but again pedantic about how Nintendo should handle their suits)

15: Most atmospheric game?

"Atmosphere" is such a tough word to quantify, because some folks are going to be more interested in or cognizant of certain atmospheres, but if I had to pick a single one? Return of Samus

I actually really like the atmosphere in M2RoS - the soundscape exists almost entirely for the idea of an alien world, getting quieter and more unsettling as you venture deeper into SR-388 and see firsthand how their predatory hunting without a balance destroys the environment, a fact I much lament the lack of in Samus Returns. The walk with the Baby and seeing the stars shining little beacons of hope for the future, the dramatic shift in music when you realize the Metroid Hive is inside a Chozo Laboratory, hinting at their connected narrative earlier than anything else would; and of course that ramping in intensity as the Metroid counter rises and some infants mature into adolescent Larva. Vastly underappreciated game, both for its time and still holding up now if you're willing to soak into it.

Special mention to Echoes though, every part of that game helps to immerse in the Luminoth's world, emphasize their struggles through it all and the care it once held. Retro cooked with scan logs, and having additional context to sit with and really feel an area and it's history is so good that I feel it missing from Dread. Lemme scan animals and know what they're called.

I like my worlds feeling alive, and that either needs animal behaviors and living habits (big kudos to Dread for pulling this off even without Scans though like I adore how they made different animals have different degrees of agression *to the point where the Melee Tutorial Muzby is protecting the eggs in thw background hence her heightened agression from the rest of her otherwise neutral species*) or context for developments (scan logs provide so much for the Chozo Ruins, not to say they wouldn't still interest without them).

26: Least favourite Area or Sub-Area?

Damn. Maridia quicksand sucks. They managed to make fear of water level with Wrecked Ship's entryway, alleviate it with Gravity Suit, and then make the water level bad with impossible to escape quicksand. It feels like there's a 50/50 chance you jump normally based on specific frame alternation?? Something stupid I should look up.

Special credits to Sector Zero though lmao getting me all hyped up for GFed Tourian akin to Fusion, only to -*mic cuts away before The Other M Rant begins*

45: Best vs. Worst Final Boss

Gonna real quick separate Final Boss from True Final Bosses, there's a distinction there. A Final Boss is the last challenge of your abilities. The True Final Boss is a glorified story beat. FB in Fusion would be SA-X testing skills and having all the buildup, TFB is the Omega that defies previous canon and contains our first chain of Super Metroid sacrifice references. FB in Dread is Raven Beak, with the buildup and test of skill, while TFB RB-X is a story beat where you basically get free win. I wanted to rip it's arm off, not just -*the mic is once again taken before this becomes the Metroid Dread ending rant*

Best Final Boss goes to Raven Beak from Metroid Dread. Just about every final boss has good story feel, so Raven Beak wins out through sheer combat. This guy wants you dead for defying him and he's still somehow going easy on you. How many bosses will try to bait out certain dodges and punish with combos? Raven Beak does. It makes me wish the counter was more involved, but again that takes me into my How To Further Improve Melee Counter rant. Even now being able to kick his ass feels like a great rush of adrenaline. I should really be trying to beat more Dread randomizers, see how well I can handle him without 100% equipment or extra modifiers.

Special bonus points for Dark Samus 4 in Echoes. I love how she becomes more like the Metroid Prime Essence as she overindulges in Phazon, and it's honestly a shame that didn't happen at all in Corruption.

Worst Final Boss is easily MB, who behaves like an exaggerated TFB. Look at her and someone else takes the kill instantly. Phantoon has more depth and I've beaten that guy without loading his health bar and skipping the dramatic finish by accident, because how fast I was charging beams.

Special bad loser points for every Mother Brain in the series I guess. (Sorry Super MB isn't a super fun fight, it's mostly just spectacle and story drama. I love those of it but there's a reason randomizers let you skip the fight.

That's all of them! Thanks so much for the ask!

[amaderika]

. . % JUST MY LUCK ! yoru x reader

001 CW SMUT, long fic, f!reader, nerd!yoru, loser!yoru, popular!reader, reader is lowkey mean, blowjob, boob job, inexperienced yoru again im so sorry 😭 002 A/N nghghf finally got the time to post <33 this has been in my drafts for months...

the nervousness yoru was feeling at the moment was indescribable. there was a pair work, again. he dreaded pair works—he loathed them. usually, his partner would let him do everything. all because he was considered a star student. it was a curse and a blessing at the same time.

“why did sir let us pick our partners..? i'll for sure be a last option for whoever's as unlucky as me. .” he thought.

you, on the other hand, did not care one bit. it was starting to annoy you. he was fidgeting with his ID, the sound of his keychain hitting the frame making an irritating sound. why did you have to be seated beside him? his only redeeming quality is his intelligence. people only talked to him if they needed help with academics.

although yoru was smart, he knew no one would pick him. he was a loser, after all. people found him unapproachable and awkward. he had weird, messy, black hair, a lot of ear piercings, and his outfits were just.. weird.

as you looked to the side, you noticed the poor boy beside you, still feeling anxious. it was baffling how someone could be this stressed over pairings. yoru watched as people were picking partners while he was sitting there in silence.

he was scared—not only on behalf of his dignity, but his academics too. if no one chose him, how would he do the project? if no one chose him, how will his grades be—

“yoru, do you wanna partner up?” you asked him.

that sentence made him shiver a bit from the unexpectedness. you? out of all people? were asking to be partners with someone like him? oh, he'd just consider you his savior.

he turned to face you but quickly looked down out of shame. he almost forgot how to speak a coherent sentence when he looked in the same direction as you. you were just wondering if he knew how stupid he looked. his hair was basically covering his eyes as he was looking at the floor. “uh. . yoru?”

“ 'm sorry! yes, i would gladly appreciate if you were partners with me. in fact, i'm so grateful you gave me this oppurtunity to—”

you interrupted him. why does he only have 2 sides. . ? not talking at all or talking too much. you wished yourself goodluck as you realized what you got yourself into. your hands ran through his hair and you pat his head. “yeah, yeah, whatever. let's meet at my place to start it.”

oh, his face was red. he's never had anyone touch him like that before. he nodded at your remark and mumbled a little “thank you.”

people, including your friends, looked at you weirdly after finding out you decided to pair with yoru.

you and your friends were eating at a cafe for lunch. they decided to bring up the topic. “did you feel bad for, you know. . yoru?” one of them giggled. “or are you just planning to use him? you know, good idea. he knows you're a hot shot right? maybe you can—”

“yeah, i did feel bad. what's your deal? just shut up and eat.” you said while stirring your drink. it wasn't that big of a deal, actually. and why would you use him? yoru seemed like a nice guy despite your earlier impressions. he did weird you out in a way, but you didn't wanna embarrass him in front of your friends.

your drink was half finished. you wanted to order another one but you saw a familiar face outside the café. it was yoru, waiting for you outside nervously.

6pm. you were walking with yoru outside the campus to your place. on the way out, yoru was slightly annoyed on how much people were interrupting your walk. multiple people would greet you which causes you to start small talk and waste time. did you not understand how serious a research assignment was? you didn't get him at all! he wanted to complain, but he had no room to. he was nothing compared to you.

“you going to the party tomorrow?” an acquaintance of yours asked.

“i'll see. got a research to do and, well.” you gestured at yoru and giggled, hoping she would get the memo. you were kinda chained to this responsibility of finishing the project as soon as possible. yoru would probably want the project finished in a few days. he was that type of person. i mean, it was your fault for picking an academically attached loser.

after a few minutes of walking in silence, you two finally reached your place.

“place your laptop wherever.” yoru was looking around awkwardly. your place was nice for sure. . he felt a bit scared to sit down anywhere as he might ruin something and get you upset. no, no. anything but that. .

he sat on your couch and you followed suit. you were so close to him. yoru was tensing up. you two were usually seated beside each other during lectures, but this felt different. it felt. . strangely intimate. the two of you were alone, at night. anything could happen.

the two of you got to researching. it was too awkward. the silence was loud. you decided to play some music to “lighten up the mood” a bit and clear up the air.

it's been an hour, and you looked to the side. yoru was focused. he was typing quickly. his hands swiftly moved the mouse from one tab to another. while looking at his hands, your eyes locked onto the multiple golden rings on them. his hands were pretty long and veiny too.

the silence was getting to you. you decided to ask him to check your progress so far.

he flinched. it's been a while since the both of you said anything so he was quite surprised. “huh? okay.” he checked the google docs where the both of you started your draft on.

he had a. . confused expression while reading your part of the essay. the boy looked almost disappointed. he let out a sigh.

“oh.. well, it's not that bad..” he was trying so hard to be nice. to be fair, your work wasn't that bad. his standards were just high. he got back to work a bit drained as now, he had to fix your work too.

your eyebrows furrowed in confusion as you struggled to read his expression. why did he look so down? you did your work anyways. “what's up with it? is there something wrong?”

he cleared his throat, “your grammar in these parts are wrong, you spelt this wrong, you didn't cite your sources properly—” he continued talking for what felt like an hour. he just had so much to say, didn't he?

he was typing quickly, fixing all your errors. his fingers didn't catch a break.

it was somewhat pissing you off how much he was correcting your work when it was completely unnecessary. he could've just let you fix it, now he's stressed out. yoru ruffled his hair and let out a groan under his breath, hoping you didn't hear him.

you just wanted to help, but he's so stressed he won't even listen to your suggestions.

you, being the worst comforter there is possible, decided to tap his shoulder. “yoru, you need to calm down a bit.”

the poor boy turned to face you. his eyebrows were furrowed and he just looked so sad. you wanted to kiss him so bad, but that's not the time for that stuff. instead, you buried him in between your breasts. okay, maybe that was a worse option, but it was just an innocent hug.

yoru leaned into the hug, oblivious to the hard-on you were starting to feel against your leg. he nuzzled his cheek against the top part of your breast. it was comfy—warm and soft. it was comforting in contrast to the stress of academics he was experiencing.

“t-thank you, again.” his voice was muffled as he said that due to him being pressed up against you.

you've done this multiple times, with different boys, but why, why does it feel so different this time around? your heart fluttered and it never did for anyone before.

yoru, on the other hand, was also having the time of his life. it was showing. his cheeks were red and he refused to show his face to you. he was starting to feel his pants tighten as he grew self aware of his erection.

“how about this? i'll give you a massage so you can take a small break.” you suggested. you both felt the growing sexual tension between you two—it was getting hard to ignore.

yoru nodded. he didn't know how else to react. how was he supposed to react when a popular girl basically smothered him in her tits and now is offering him a massage? he was winning in life. this was coming from a guy with no pull at all!

as soon as you got the go signal from him, you got on your knees. your fingers were above his zipper when he stopped you and grabbed your hand. “no, no, wait! i-i'm—” he was expecting an actual massage from you, not this. “i'm not experienced when it comes to this stuff! i-i've jerked off before but, i've never done the actual thing. i'm sorry if i don't satisfy yo—” here he goes again with the endless yapping.

that was even better for you. “dont be silly, yoru. i don't care.”

you looked so, so hot from yoru's point of view. his cock was starting to hurt from how hard he was. he unzipped his pants for you in order not to be an inconvenience. this exposed his hard, pulsating cock. his cock was long and thick, and i mean thick. it left you wondering how you'll be able to fit that in your mouth at all. .

the mushroom shaped head glistened with precum, the white fluid drooling from the slit. it was twitching with every touch of your finger. even a slight budge made him shiver, how cute.

“ungh— please don't tease me..” yoru pleaded. he couldn't contain his whines and whimpers that much. you were barely even touching him, but he was so hard it made him so sensitive. he was loud—you hoped none of your neighbors were hearing his moans.

he let out a strangled moan as you tried to stuff his cock in your mouth. his hips bucked involuntarily, pushing himself deeper into your throat. the sensation of your tongue swirling around the sensitive head was almost too much to bear.

yoru was gripping the couch as he fought the urge to control your movements. he was scared he'd hurt you if he got a hold of your hair, but oh, how he wanted his entire cock in your mouth. his other hand shakily tried to cover his mouth. “fuck.. please. please please—” poor boy was scared of being “rough.”

he felt you gag on his cock which just made his hips buck once again. he was trying his best to control himself, really. yoru held your hair as gently as he could as he tried pulling his cock out of your mouth to see if you were okay. he thought you were genuinely struggling.

“y-you don't need to force yourself to take it all.” he tried to reach out to you but you kept going. your hands started stroking him. each stroke made him grow closer and closer to cumming.

as you sped up your hands and licked his tip, you felt the familiar warm liquid spilling in your throat. yoru's eyes were filling up with tears as the sensation was too much for the poor boy to handle.

“such'a good boy. my baby boy.” you kissed his tip. you weren't done with him though.

you pulled your top down enough to reveal your tits. his favorite ever.

“oh, this is..” the sight of your breasts made him grow harder. your hard nipples practically begging to be sucked made him drool. he was in a daze.

he grabbed your tits and fondled them. your right nipple was being sucked, as the other one was being played with. yoru just refused to pull away from them.

he bit down on your breast, leaving a mark. “yoru baby.. umph.” your hand pushed him deeper in between them. you felt warm liquid spilling down your thighs. he was.. cumming, again.

he was too busy being a baby as he sucked and licked on your breasts. “mmf.. mmh. they're so soft.” his voice was muffled as he moaned. “they're so warm and soft, i wish i could be here forever.” you stroked his hair.

it was about time. you got on your knees once more and this time snuggled his cock in between your tits. it was so warm, it almost felt like a pussy. it was close enough.

yoru groaned as you wrapped your soft breasts around his throbbing cock, the sensation unlike anything he had ever experienced before. the warmth of your flesh enveloped him and it has him over the edge.

“unghmf! it feels so good! shit— it's so warm!” he whined. his head fell back and his eyes squeezed shut. yoru imagined it was your pussy instead, as he tried to thrust up and down your tits.

he was getting close again. it didn't take long for him to cum all over your tits.

“that was quick. .” the sticky white substance covered your tits. yoru was still trying to recover from his high, but you got on his lap. before you could do anything, he interrupted you.

“no, no. not yet! no penetration yet. . we still have work to do.” yoru buried his face in your cum covered tits. “i'll be fine with just sucking on your tits while working.” he was so red again. his horniness made him bolder than he usually was, which totally made you forget how shy he was.

“if you don't wanna fuck, that's totally fine with me.” you said.

yoru immediately protested. “no! you got it all wrong. i do wanna have sex with you— i-i wanna be inside of you but.. we have something more important to do.”

yoru felt less stressed now. tits in his mouth, a hot popular girl as his partner, and a half finished essay. what more could he ask for?

[homesweetgoodneighbor]

I am not having a good night for sleep

First, about the time I start to feel like I can sleep, I hear gunshots.

There is no mistaking it was gunshots.

Where I live this is not a normal thing despite rich assholes saying otherwise about our "poor side of town" *gag*. Like, this doesn't happen here, so this is A Thing Of Note.

So, I'm on alert. Not freaked out more than just On Alert. Weirdly, you'd think being in the U.S. I would be freaking the fuck out, but I mean, where I live and have lived there is enough rural folks that gunshots are a thing that happens sometimes because either people are being stupid or...people are being stupid. It's just, we are in the city now, so this is New. City gunshots aren't the same as country gunshots. Don't let Hollywood fool you. Most country gunshots are either people killing predators or people being stupid. City gunshots are either full of anger, hate, defense, or some fucking cops being assholes. (In this town, usually cops being assholes.)

This has activated my "maybe sleep isn't such a good idea yet" response...which auto activates "INSOMNIA PARTY!"

I decide to use this time in a constructive manner by being an absolute terror on Moonrise Towers in BG3.

I finally start of feel tired, but also decide to check on the rats before sleep. I am bitten while refreshing a water bottle because the two girls we have right now aren't social and I might've been a monster trying to do them harm. Fair enough. I harbor no ill will. 'Cept now my finger hurts.

I realize I set an alarm to go off in a few hours so I might see to a thing that requires Adulting.

I am now full of anxiety because, as I told a friend earlier, I live in dread of alarms. (This has a lot to do with how I was raised. I love my departed mother, but she was raised by Boomers and being terrified awake by alarms and a parent yelling at you to get up was normal for them. Gods, Mom, why were y'all so fucked up?")

So, anyway, I'm not having a good night for sleep.

[frowzyfeathers]

So, I've grown my spider collection a bit just by catching certain ones out on the front porch.

I currently have 18 under my belt-

1 thin-spined jumper, male

2 tan/familiar jumpers, both female

1 zebra jumper, still a sling

3 ribbon jumpers, all slings with a possible female

7 habronattus pyrrithrix, 4 male/3 female

6 unknown tiny slings I can't tell what species they are, but they may be habronattus pyrrithrix

Here's the previous one:

.

So, Gilford, the small jumper with a single pedipalp, was adorable in his time but has sadly passed on a long while ago. Weirdly, he died while holding onto a fruit fly, which confuses me a lot. While he was alive, he seemed to have a cautious personality. He'd take some time to prepare to pounce on a stationary fruit fly, like a cat wiggling their butt before they pounce on a toy.

Finally figured out that he was a sub-adult ribbon jumper too.

And I found three younger ribbon jumpers, who might be related to him, since I found them in similar spots in the front yard- I need them to grow a bit to tell if they'll be male or female, but I'm already ready to try to raise them to those points. Ribbon jumpers are a smaller species of jumping spider and they don't get any larger than 6-10mm in length.

I saw a bigger adult ribbon jumper earlier Tuesday while dad was cutting the lawn, and it looked like she caught a cricket of some kind- They seemed pretty chonky for a ribbon jumper, so I'm assuming they're female and possibly gravid, which is fantastic--

Some pics of Gilford

.

Mocha, the brighter colored adult female tan jumper, hasn't eaten lately and didn't seem to want to make a nest for a while. She ate a mealworm a few days ago and still looks pretty healthy and full, so I'm not too worried about her. Also she made a nest/hammock recently, so most is well. Just gotta feed her again soon as she looks skinny-

She seems more open and aware when I'm close to her. Like, if I wave my hand near her, she doesn't seem to mind it, looking up at me then back to whatever she's doing. Calm, that's the word. She's pretty docile and non-aggressive.

I thought she was gravid since her abdomen is bigger than average, and she hasn't molted since I found her. And I found out that she was! I don't think I should be concerned too much though, since she's in a regulated enclosure with good humidity. I have extra cups and containers for next month, as she just laid her egg sack recently 2 nights ago!! I can't wait for all the little babies-- ^-^

(Might raise and sell some of her slings in about 2-4 months from now- They'll probably be like $5-$10 per sling, plus the dreaded overnight shipping fee of $35 or so, which sucks but is necessary to make sure they stay safe and alive during shipment-)

Some pictures of Mocha

.

Silver, my other female tan jumper who's grayer with her coloration, is still pretty skiddish. She snacks on fruit flies occasionally, but she hasn't eaten a full-on meal yet- She seems pretty healthy though, so it might just be because she's still nervous-

I caught a small fly and cricket out in the yard for her and fed her the fly yesterday, so nvm about her not eating recently- She gladly snagged it by its neck and sat there drinking their insides for a while-

Haven't had too many good shots of her, but top view of Silver

.

My habronattus pyrrithrixes are quite the crew.

Sunny, the female, is one I caught this past Monday. I don't think she's gravid, as her abdomen is the same size as her head rn after eating. Her name is Sunny because in the sunlight, she looks like she has a golden yellow face. She seems very gentle and docile too, and likes to hide in her nest most of the time.

Dusty, one of my males with all his legs, I just caught earlier yesterday. He's eaten and still needs to adjust to things, but he's pretty cute still. I found him on the window shutter on the front porch.

Herbert, my other male with all his leggies, is pretty chill for the most part. He eats like 1 fruit fly once a day and chills in his little nest he made in the peanut shell hide I glued in for him in his temporary enclosure.

Scar, another male, is missing one of his back legs on his left side.

Red, my other other male, is missing one of his front legs.

Scar and Red were put into the same enclosure to see if they would fight each other and eat the loser. Jumping spiders can be cannibalistic, and the males are all around my yard. I have found at least 5 that I have not caught yet, and they were all in the grass in the front and back yard.

Long story short, I thought they would fight. But they did their mating dances towards each other, fang to fang. I haven't seen two male jumpers act that way towards one another before, so it kinda shocked me a bit.

I found two other females in the past few days. They both don't have names yet, but one might be named Honey.

.

My zebra jumper I caught on the kitchen window screen. Idk their sex yet since they're still a sling, but it's interesting how they can still notice me moving around being just a little baby still. They are literally the size of the head of a pin and so detailed with their stripes.

.

Kermit, my male thin-spined jumper, likes to chill on the little plastic boxwood stem I put in his cup or just on the sides of his enclosure. Yes, his enclosure cup rn is a BurgerKing ice cream cup with the dome lid with poked pinholes all on the top and on the sides. It works because they're literally like 4mm long, 6 or 7mm when he's spread out. His species is tiny-

.

I'm going to invest in a good macro camera, as my phone is kinda shit at taking photos- And most of the species I find here are pretty small, but I am looking for a bold jumper. It's the most common jumper as a pet since they're a decent size and are pretty chill once they get to know you-

[allthewhumpygoodness]

for the ask meme: could you do 🥶 and 🛋? i absolutely LOVE your writing 💙

Another VERY old ask that I'm so sorry for not getting to earlier!

🥶- chills and shivers 🛋 - sofa naps

A knew they were sick. They'd known it from the moment they woke up that morning with a tickle in their throat, their eyes tired and arms weirdly weak and shaky. They'd known, but ignored it. They didn't have time to be sick.

So they'd gone into their shift at the grocery store just like on a regular day, fighting to ignore the tiredness that seemed to weigh them down from head to foot, worsening the longer they stood there, or the fierce chills that the strong A/C wasn't helping one bit. It was October, did they really need to leave it up that high?

Due to one of their coworkers already being down sick (another reason why they couldn't just stay home) and shifts being wonky, they barely got a lunch break. It didn't matter - they weren't hungry anyway.

By the time their day ended and they hobbled out into the damp, windy evening, their bones felt like they were made of lead. A cough had started up in their chest sometime in the afternoon, at first occasional and swiftly becoming unavoidable, and they were so dead exhausted they could barely stand, let alone walk. It took all the effort they had to first drag themselves onto their bus home, and then stay awake once they were in their seat. They allowed themselves the window as a prop, startled at how soothing the cool glass felt against their cheek. Logically, they knew they were probably feverish, but with the chills gripping them head to toe they hadn't realized how warm their face was.

It started to rain. A watched the icy pellets patter against the windows, too tired even to feel dread at the thought of walking the rest of the way home in all that.

They were half asleep by the time their stop was announced, and had to shake themselves to so much as process the fact that they had to get off.

Clambouring down from their seat was painful, their limbs sore and stiff and not cooperating, but stepping outside was definitely worse. The rain had quickly become a downpour, and within only a few minutes of being in it they were soaked to the skin and shivering harder than before.

One more step, they told themselves as the ground swayed under them. Just one more. They kept up this mantra until, dizzy and ready to collapse, they found themselves at the door to their apartment.

It took them almost a full minute to get inside, their brain not working fast enough to remember where their keys were at first, their hands so shaky getting the thing into the door once they did was an effort. But they were home. Finally, they were home.

A peeled off their wet jacket and boots, considered changing out of the damp shirt and jeans they'd been wearing all day, only to conclude even that was too much of an effort. They curled up just as they were on the couch, just enough strength left in their limbs to pull an old blanket around themselves. Their last thought before they drifted into an uneasy sleep was that they'd forgotten to leave the front light on for their roommate when they got home later that evening.

Strange and awful dreams plagued them. They thought they heard voices calling their name, but when they looked around for the source of it they saw only a little bird down a hallway ahead of them, piping out its song. Then they got closer and the bird was the size of a car, and when it opened its beak it let out a terrible scream...A turned and ran but it was like running through molasses and the floor seemed to be falling out from under them...then they were lying in some icy, barren landscape with only a three legged dog for company, walking around with its tail as a fourth foot and singing Christmas songs...

I just want to go home, they thought desperately. How far away was home? How had they gotten here, anyway?

A tree branch swung down and tugged at their clothing like a long, clawlike finger. "Stop," they muttered, their voice hoarse. "Please, just let go of me..."

"A? I think you're having a bad dream, it's just me. Come on, wake up."

With a gasp and a dry cough, A emerged and found themselves in their own living room, in their apartment. Their heart was pounding, the blanket around them had been kicked away in their sleep but someone had laid another over them, tucking it up to their shoulders.

That "someone" was sitting on the edge of the sofa beside them, looking deeply concerned. "Hey there," said their roommate, B. "You were thrashing around in your sleep...I thought it would be best to wake you up from whatever that was."

They'd been sweating, the now icy layer of perspiration only adding to the dampness of their clothes, making them shiver so hard their teeth chattered. B's face above them seemed to split in two, the two Bs blurring back together. A squeezed their eyes shut.

"Thanks," they said, feeling like they'd swallowed glass. "Sorry - I didn't mean to upset you..."

"You didn't. Are you okay? No offence, but you look terrible."

A ran a shaky hand over their face, feeling distantly the heat of their skin. "I'm...I think I might be a bit sick. I think."

B let out something that was close to a snort. "You think?" Their hand came to A's forehead and it was all they could do not to beg them to keep it there, so wonderful was the cool relief. Their frown deepened. "I'm going to get you some water. You just stay here, okay?"

As if they had the energy to do anything else. A lay there silently, trying to ignore the way the walls around them tilted and swayed as if they were on a rocking ship. One thought penetrated the walls of their exhausted brain - B knew. They didn't like people being near them when they were sick. They didn't like anyone knowing. It was much less overwhelming to just deal with it on their own time, in their own way.

"Here you go." B was back, holding a glass of water in one hand and a thick winter blanket in the other. Despite their unwillingness to accept help, A almost cried in relief at the sight.

B helped them sit up to drink, a feat that left them so weak and dizzy they seriously didn't think they'd ever be able to move again. But when they unfolded that blanket A wrapped it tight around themselves without hesitation. "Cold, were you?" said B with a sympathetic look.

"Freezing," they answered. In all honesty, the blanket did little to help. They were still chilled to the bone.

B plucked at their damp sleeve. "You should change out of this. Did you get caught in the rain?"

A nodded, still shuddering. B gave a pitying sigh. "Why don't you get some dry clothes on before you do anything else, hm? Do you want me to help you get to your room?"

"I - I don't think I can," they said. They didn't think they'd be able to stand in their state, let alone find their way into their room without collapsing.

B looked at them. "Then I'll do you one better. Wait here."

They left before A could protest, and came back later with a pair of sweatpants and their warmest hoodie. "These'll do. Get changed, take your time. Don't worry - I'm not looking."

As weak as they were A had no choice but to take their time, slowly untangling themselves from the couch and burying their shaky limbs in the warmer clothes, relieved more than anything to just be dry again.

When they were done and curled back up on the sofa B turned around cautiously. "Made it okay? Good." They picked up A's damp clothes from where they'd dumped them unceremoniously on the carpet. "I'll throw these in the drier for you."

"You don't need to," said A through chattering teeth. "I'll - I'll get it myself - "

"Hush." B pulled the blankets back over them in a motherly sort of way. "You stay right here. I'll be back."

"No - B - wait -" A reached out and grabbed hold of their sleeve, the only action they had the energy to complete. "You don't have to help me. You don't have to do anything. I can take care of myself."

Before they knew it tears were in their eyes and they had to fight not to let them fall. Even they couldn't understand why they felt so deeply anxious about it. Only that they felt like they didn't even know B, they'd only been roommates for a little while, and the thought of them trying to do too much for them was far worse than the thought of just having to power through it by themselves.

"Hey, don't get upset," said B, resting a hand on their cheek. "Please don't be upset. I promise not to baby you or anything - I just think you need a bit of help right now." They paused, brushing the hair tentatively away from A's eyes. "I don't like seeing you hurting, that's all. It would help me if you let me help you a little."

That was too much. The tears they had been hiding slid out silently onto the pillow - the same one they buried their face in to hide this fact. "I'm sorry," they muttered. "I shouldn't be this upset. I just - I really do feel that bad."

The hand started to stroke their hair. This was really, really too much. "I know. I'm sorry. I know it's hard but just - try to let me help, okay? Let me know what you need and I'll do my best."

A wasn't sure what spurred it, but they let their fingers slide down from B's sleeve to entwine with their own. "Okay. Thank you. You're too nice, B."

B squeezed their hand. "I think I'm just nice enough."

[babylooneytoonz]

the Other Lane.

pairing : Clark Kent x Reader

requested by: @dashingcavill [Hope you like this! 💛]

warnings: Angst with a happy ending, and a lot of fluff in the end.

A/N: Ah, I'm really sorry I couldn't help but put some major angst in here, but I swear the ending is happy and I added the right amount of feels and fluff to make it hurt less. 💛

[The Masterlist]

You often wondered if you were born to your parents only to become a commodity that could be compared to your sister, Lois , at all times. Yes, the two of you were different, she had glamourous blonde hair and sparkling blue irises that made her strike out, while you had sombre [Y/H/C] hair and dull [Y/E/C] eyes that peeked out from the tint of your glasses. If the glasses weren't enough to fit you perfectly into the category that was termed as 'nerds', the fact that you loved to bury yourself into mounds and mounds of books, and literature was sure to fit you into that bill. All that comparison, but that didn't lessen the bond that you shared with Lois though.

However, things slowly started changing, the dynamics messing up when Clark Kent came into your life, as a friend and as a colleague.

Lois worked as a reporter for Daily Planet, and you, well you were mostly working in the background, struggling to make a run with your tiny little column on relationship advises. It wasn't like you were any less intelligent, but maybe you just were okay with how everything was going.

It didn't mean that there weren't times at all when Lois made you secretly jealous. To be fair, it didn't bother you when you heard stories of how Lois got herself into trouble yet again, with none other than the Superman came to her rescue. You could still take that, considering the fact that Superman took his duty towards the civilians as his topmost priority, but when you began noticing obvious changes in your sister's behaviour when she talked to Clark, his alter ego; your colleague at work, you couldn't help but start feeling the little pangs of jealousy.

It all began subtly— starting from lingering glances at the workplace, to hands brushing with each other's, almost innocently, yet the two of them had a sparkle in their eyes when it did. At first, you decided to ignore them at work, trying your best to not run into Clark Kent while you were in your office building. The reason for this was still inexplicably strange for you. You didn't even know the man that well, yet you could do nothing in your control to keep your budding feelings for him under check. It was like, the more you avoided Clark Kent, the more you began aching to get a glimpse of him.

As the days passed, you realized that your crush on Clark was slowly getting more prominent, and you started feeling scared, dreading if there ever came a day that your secret crush on him with finally be out. To top it up a notch, you wondered how Lois will react, knowing well aware that there was something blooming between the two of them, although she had never admitted this to you herself. Also, you kept hoping that whatever this was, between Clark and Lois, it was maybe all in your head and that maybe, just maybe, it wasn't even true, and you hoped it wasn't.

Soon, days grew into weeks and weeks flew by as long months, and you realized that what you felt for Clark wasn't just a silly crush, but you were actually falling in love with the man. It was the littlest things that he did that made your heart melt. You would, sometimes, run into him in the cafeteria, where he would be filling up his mug of coffee. He was a gentleman, he would smile and greet you warmly, your eyes meeting his sparkling bright ones as he would move out of the way and insist that you went ahead first. You would often end up taking elevator rides with him, and he would make sweet small talks with you, talking to you about everything, ranging from the weather to a possible alien invasion.

The plan that you had cooked up to avoid Clark Kent went down the drain from those days onwards. Instead, you almost began running into Clark almost everyday. The gossips about Clark and Lois had, by then, died down and you couldn't help but feel relieved, relieved that maybe you had just been dreaming, and there was nothing between Lois and Clark.

"Hey [Y/N], can I borrow your turtleneck? I can't seem to find mine?"

You looked up from the book that you had been binge reading on, flustered and embarassed, as you immediately tossed the book unceremoniously into your blanket. Of course, you couldn't let your sister in on the fact that you were secretly reading the fifty shades series. She would tease the living hell out of you. And then there was the fact that you felt ashamed of the fact that you could practically imagine Clark Kent in your mind as Christian Grey, and it was making you all heated up and bothered.

Lois raised an eyebrow when she saw you red you had turned, "Are you okay? You look like a massive human sized tomato."

"Gee, Lois, thanks?" You mumbled, still reeling from the way she had suddenly barged into your bedroom, as you pushed your glasses over the bridge of your nose, "couldn't bother to knock?"

"Since when do we do these formalities?" She wiggled her eyebrows dramatically, and dashed towards your closet, throwing it open as her fingers began working through the hangers, looking for what she was looking for. She was practically messing up your closet, so you sighed and decided to give her a helping hand. Abruptly, you slid out of the covers, forgetting about the novel that you had hidden underneath and the novel suddenly slipped off the side of the bed and fell to the floor, it's covering full on display.

You facepalmed, burying your face into your hands as Lois walked up to the book and picked it up, smirking obviously as she read out the title out loud just to tease you.

"Looks like my baby sister is finally growing her wings."

"Stop it, Lois. Don't embarass me," you grumbled, looking away. Instead, you dashed up to your closet and pushed her to the side, roughly pulling out your turtleneck as you handed it to her.

"Come on, [Y/N]" she laughed, shaking her head, messing up her perfectly styled blonde waves as she ran a hand through them, "We all have done this. You're not the only one. Nothing to be embarassed about. It's not like you're watching porn."

"It is technically still porn if I'm reading it," you whispered, watching her as she examined the turtleneck and smiled, as though she had pictured just the best trousers to go with it in the back of her mind as she absentmindedly replied back, "Again, sis, we all have done it."

You noticed the way she kept glancing at her phone, with a smile threatening to spill across her features. You raised your eyebrows and smacked your lips together, blinking curiously. She finally looked up and saw that you were staring at her so she grinned, "Guess who has a date tonight?"

"A date?" You asked, absentmindedly.

"Clark asked me out, [Y/N]. He is taking me to this really good Thai place that opened up in the suburbs and I just couldn't decide on what to wear!! This will just go perfectly with my jeans."

It happened so suddenly, but it still did. You felt like someone had just ripped your gut out with bare hands. You suddenly felt empty, was an understatement. You suddenly felt strange and cut off, and everything around you suddenly felt cold and distant and gloomy. You looked up at her, your earlier warmth having dissipated into a cold, dark look and you gave her a smile, biting your lip, "That's great, Lois. Have fun."

Lois noticed the way your face fell, but she couldn't understand or take the hint. She kept watching as you moved away, turning your back towards her and didn't utter another word. She parted her lips, wanting to ask her what had gone wrong suddenly, but decided not to, or rather, keep the discussion for another time. She didn't want Clark to reach before she had even gotten ready. You didn't step out of your bedroom, that night when Lois returned from her date with Clark, and Lois frowned when she saw that the lights to your bedroom were already switched off. You were a late sleeper.

Two months later,

Lois looked up from the article that she had been reading to find you enter the dining room with a breakfast plate in your hand.

"Mornin'," you mumbled, your voice barely audible as you sat down on a chair in front of her, next to your father, Sam Lane. Your father looked up from the newspaper that he was reading, and glanced at Lois who shrugged her shoulders in response and he cleared the throat.

"Honey, don't you think you've been locking yourself up in your room for long now? When was the last time you actually did something that didn't involve either the bed, or your office desk?" The cutting crispness in his voice was enough to slice through your heart, but weirdly, you felt nothing, ecen when you heard Lois gasp and mumble something to her father in protest.

"What do you want me to do, dad?" You asked, sipping your juice, your eyes fixed to your plate.

Ignoring you, Sam turned towards his elder daughter as he narrowed his eyes at her, his loud, booming voice echoing through your house, "Lois, what the hell happened at work? She just quit? And didn't even give a damn valid reason as to what on earth happened?"

"I don't know, dad. She hardly talks to me anymore," Lois replied.

You chuckled dryly to yourself, wondering when you had become so invisible to the world. You were right there with them and yet they regarded you like you weren't even there.

"It was difficult to get you job at the Daily Planet and look at you, throwing it away for whatever the hell the reason was." Your dad barked.

Your fingers clenched into a fist and Lois visibly tensed. Hurriedly, she stood up and announced that she was leaving. You stood up too, but not for work, but rather to go back to the place that you had locked yourself in for the past two months. When you reached the door, you turned around and regarded your father, mumbling, "Why would you care anyway? You never really did before."

You kicked open your room door and slammed it back shut again as you ran straight for your bed. You were trembling like a leaf trying to detach itself from the tree when you buried your face into the pillow and screamed as loudly as you could into it. You were a mess, a walking , talking, living, breathing mess.

You cried, for almost thirty minutes, until you were out of tears. You then sat up and rubbed your eye sockets, finally taking a deep breath. You were letting Clark and Lois affect you so much, you had forgotten what it was like to live normally. How were you supposed to go on like this? If you wouldn't take a command of your own life again, then how would learn to get back up on your feet? When would you learn to accept that you would never get Clark? He wasn't the one for you.

Feelings are so transient, it's like you can feel them slicing through your insides one minute, and then the other minute, you feel unrealistically numb.

With those sorts of destructive thoughts in your mind, you sneaked a bottle of whiskey that night from your father's liquor cabinet at two am at night. You rolled the window pane and snuck out onto the fire escape until you were climbing up towards the roof the building of your apartment, the bottle in tow.

You fixed yourself on the ledge, using your teeth to twist the bottle cap as you took a swig of it, feeling the warm liquid burn your relentless thirst for relief. Sip after sip, you kept staring at the starless sky, mediating your gaze from the sky down to the glittery buildings.

"Will I ever forget you, Clark Kent?" You whispered, into the thin air, laughing bitterly at yourself as you took the last sip from the bottle before it rolled away. The way the lights glimmered in front of you, and one of two cars drove past your building, looking like tiny little blinking lights from the height you were at, you realized one thing. No matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

You were lost in a turbulence of your own thoughts, so entangled into them, you didn't hear the soft thud somewhere behind you, neither the sound of the faintest footsteps that got closer to you, with every passing second. You took a sharp breath, and slowly stepped over the ledge, feeling shudders all over your frame as the winds hit you all over you. You footing, however, slipped, a sharp scream erupting from your lips as you fell backwards against gravity, your heart almost stopping.

Someone suddenly reached out towards you, gripping your wrist, leaving you hanging from the ledge, your body flailing in the air.

He pulled you with a jerk towards you, and your body hit his front, your hair falling all over your face partially covering it. You felt intoxicated, so much, that you had almost died by falling off the building but you didn't feel the scare, the only thing you felt was a sudden surge of adrenaline.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Superman growled, through gritted teeth, his eyes sparkling as you jerked you by your shoulders.

"Clark? Is -- that you?!" You slurred, holding on to his cape tight to hold you in place. You were in a weird state of mind, you could see that it was him, but you couldn't figure out if it really was him, or if it was your mind that was playing an illusion on you.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?" Clark fumed, still holding on to you by the low of your back. He suddenly jumped off the ledge, with you in tow, away from the edge, so the two of you were in the middle of the roof now.

"K-Kill myself? No, I.. I.." You stammered, struggling for the right words but your brain felt frozen.

"Two months, and you don't show yourself. And when I finally see you, you're trying to jump off a fucking building?!" His eyes just then fell on the empty whiskey bottle. He growled, clenching his fists tight as he let go off you and walked up to the where the bottle lay, his cape flying behind him. He bent, lifting it up as he examined it, noticing how the neck of the bottle had your lipstick imprints on it. "And you're drunk. To top it up a notch."

Your nostrils flared in an anger you hadn't experienced ever before, your secret feelings finally crushing you completely, mixed with the alcohol that was rushing through your blood. You growled, like a cornered animal, that was wounded yet didn't want to back down. You pushed him, once, twice, throwing out all your pent up anger and frustration into his steely body like he felt no hurt. You screamed, you lashed, you scratched and you cried, finally coming undone, like beads of a rosary coming apart and scattering all over the floor.

Clark's heart broke at the sight of you. He had always seen you as a strong, happy woman, always smiling for him whenever he saw you at work. And this woman, that stood in front of his eyes right now, was far from it.

"I am not weak! I wouldn't kill myself! You give yourself too much importance, to think that someone would give their life for you!" You lashed out.

You were tired of hitting him like a punching bag. He grabbed you by your wrists, holding them together in front of you, pressed against his chest. He slowly moved, so he was towering over you, his back shielding you from unwanted, prying eyes as he gazed into your eyes, trying to find the answer to where all of this was coming from.

"You don't know what you're talking about. Come on, Lois is worried about you."

You couldn't stop yourself when your hand jerked itself free from his hold, and your palm struck his cheek. There was a crackling noise, of skin against skin, and tears formed in your eyes when the realisation hit you, all the intoxication washing off of you. You had just slapped Superman, a man that could snap your neck by grabbing your throat. Yet, he just stood there, too shocked to even register that you had slapped him right across his face and what was worse, he couldn't understand the reason you had done that. Anger was surfing through his veins, but worse than the anger that he was feeling, he was feeling like someone had pulled his heart out, ripping it to shreds right in front of his eyes.

"Why?" He let go off your other hand, his own palm coming to rest against his cheek as you gave you a look full of hurt.

"Why did you even save me, Clark? You should have let me fall. Atleast, it would have spared me the pain of listening to her name flow out of your lips again."

"Why do you hate her so much? She is your sister, [Y/N] and she cares for you. She worries that you're killing yourself and she doesn't know the reason why--" Clark was losing his temper, slowly but surely. He didn't understand you and that was eating him up.

"The reason why? WHY??! Oh Clark can you stop? And listen to yourself. I love Lois, but she needs to stop trying to govern my life. I'm allowed to feel sad, I'm allowed to feel a fucking heartbreak--" You didn't realise, but your lips were trembling now, your eyes leaking salty tears. You shivered when you felt Clark hold you by your shoulders but you didn't push his arms away.

"Who broke your heart?" He whispered, his voice cracking.

"You're fucking daft for a man who saves the world--" Hissing bitterly , you pushed yourself away from Clark's grip and turned towards the ledge but this time, you didn't try anything that would risk your life. You simply revelled in the cold feeling of the wind striking your tear stained face as you took a punctured breath, feeling Clark's breath on the side of your neck.

"Who broke your heart?" He asked again, but this time it was much softer, and it made you bite down on your lip to hold yourself from breaking into a hysterical crying.

"You did, Clark. You broke my heart." You finally whispered, staring into the abyss in front of you, your eyes cloudy and your throat parched as you continued, your lips trembling, "I loved you. Always did, but you never looked at me. It was always Lois. And it killed me, watching you love her, knowing that you will never love me the way you love her--" Clark let you speak, he wanted to listen to you, for you to let it all out, all those bitter things that you had locked up inside your mind, that was slowly eating you up and killing you from the inside. "I am tired of everyone, for you, for my father and for the world to see me as the Other Lane, as Lois Lane's little sister. My name is [Y/N]. I like to draw although I am shit at it, I can sing in the showers and I hate partying. That is me. I want a normal relationship too, but it seems that the world is against me. I fell in love with one man, and turns out, he isn't even human, he is a freaking superhero from Krypton?"

Clark let out a gruff sounding snort, as he looked down at you. Reluctantly, he reached for a strand of hair that was sticking to your tear coated cheek, removing it and gently tucking it behind your ear. He felt a shudder run down your spine, with just a gentle touch of his hand and he smiled, biting his lip. How was he supposed to tell you what the truth was?

"You remember how we met at the cafeteria every morning ? And I let you take the coffee?"

You nodded, listening to him, trying to control the crying that had now turned to sniffles, as Clark kept speaking.

"And the countless times I ran into that elevator with you and me stuck inside for just two floors?"

"You must have been thinking how weird I was. How unlike Lois--" You began, but you were cut off by Clark's voice.

"I used to wonder if there was anything I could do to make the elevators stop working, so I'd get to spend more time with you. Wretched elevators, not once did anything go according to what I wanted." He mumbled, but he had a small smile playing on his lips, while you just looked on, staring at him in disbelief, wondering if your mind was playing jokes with you once again.

"I thought I would take Lois' help, to you know, figure out if you felt the same way, but you never said anything to her."

"What about the date? Lois and you went on?" You asked.

"Well, I --" he shrug, looking down at his feet, sheepishly, " Lois thought you would confess how you felt for me if we pretended to--"

You were too numb to react; so you just blinked in retaliation. Your blood ran cold, and you suddenly felt light headed. All this while, while you had secretly been pining for Clark Kent to love you back, was it actually the other way round? Was Clark going through the same thing wondering if you felt the same for him?

"That was cowardly." You hissed, through pursed lips, "Trying to pretend to be in love with my sister."

"I was in love with the other Lane," he bit his lip, his face slightly inclined towards you, so he was looking down at you, and you up at him, "I think you are amazing. You are intelligent, and smart. And you're unique. There are these little things I adore about you. The way you greeted everyone whenever I was around-- ranging from the security guard, to the building keepers at the Daily Planet.. the way you forgot to wipe your lips after drinking coffee, and you had this froth all over your upper lip giving you a faint moustache?" He chuckled because you literally let out a gasp, suddenly embarassed.

"Then there were those days you had a bad day and you locked yourself up in your cabin, working all day. I wondered if I should just knock, but I was scared you will tell me off--" he continued, his blues peeking into yours. Your stomach fluttering, you couldn't help but laugh, as though a weight had been lifted off your chest suddenly and held him steady with your hand on his arm. Finally mustering enough courage, you pushed yourself on your toes, and reached up, letting your palm graze delicately over his cheek, caressing his cheekbone with your thumb, "I would have never told you off, Clark. Though that's not what is bothering me right now."

"What is ?" He asked, innocently, relaxing under the touch of your thumb.

"You said you're in love with the other Lane, Clark."

His lips creased, slowly tugging upwards into a smile that was enough to make you feel giddy. Superman wrapped a sturdy arm around you and felt yourself being lifted off, until he was practically holding you in his arms, "Mhm, yep? You got a problem, Miss Lane? Or do Kryptonians don't fit the bill ?"

"Oh, hush, Clark. You're such a dork. But will you be.. my dork?" You bit your lip, holding on to him as though your life depended on it.

"I thought... you'd never ask?" He began, unsure of how to properly weave the complexity of his feelings , churn them into words, something only Clark Kent was good at , and not his alter ego, but found himself halted by the soft press of your index finger against his lips and the sweet whisper of your voice against his ears as he held you close.

��I know, neither did I.” You whispered as he clasped your face in his massive hands and gently touched his lips to yours.

Three years later,

This had probably been the longest that Clark Kent had been away from you, his lover, his best friend, his wife-- four months to be exact. Needless to say, he was excited to be able to see you again, to hold you again.

The familiar silhouette of the cottage on top of the hill came into his view, flowers hanging into tiny earthen pots hanging out on the front porch. The freshly painted white picket fence looked beautiful, and inviting as Lois stood with Martha by the gate, both the ladies sipping tea from their respective cups and saucers. They couldn't contain their smiles when they saw Clark, even though he was covered in what looked like grime and blown up alien intestines?

"I don't even want to know what happened," Lois chuckled, while Martha hugged her son and he kissed the side of her cheek before she scrunched up her nose in disgust at how awful he smelled.

"Well, I guess I'll draw you a bath, you two can talk out here until the baths ready." Both Clark and Lois watched as Martha Kent disappeared into the home and he smiled, when Lois spoke again.

"FYI, she is at the orchard, harvesting the apples for an apple pie," Lois gave him a smug look, fluttering her lashes, "Oh don't pretend you don't want to see her. I can see your eyes darting around, trying to find her. I'll be inside, both of you, just come back in for supper."

He nodded, watching Lois leave and slowly, his fists clenched on either of his sides, he found his way into the tiny orchard that his lovely wife loved to spend most of her time at. He fixed himself by the wooden gate, his eyes admiring you from afar, as you stood on your tiptoes and picked out apples, tossing them into the basket that you held in your arm.

"Need help, Mrs. Kent?"

The basket dropped from your hand as you turned towards the source of the voice, your lips parted in shock. Clark's eyes travelled from you down to your beautiful swollen bump that your loose maternity dress was doing nothing to hide. He chuckled at your response as he walked towards you with longer, faster steps while you simply waddled towards him.

"Jesus, Clark-- I thought you'd miss the birth," you cupped your husband's cheeks in between your swollen fingers as he nuzzled his nose against yours, before kissing you.

"How is my monkey?" He brought his palm to rest against your nine month old baby bump, stroking over the fabric as he whispered against your lips.

"Moving around, not letting me get an ounce of sleep," you smiled, letting your fingers rest over his hand that rested against your stomach, "but I cant really complain now, can I? After all the little nugget's got Kryptonian blood running through their veins."

Clark chuckled, his blue eyes crinkling slightly as he knelt down in front of you, his face in line with the base of your bump as he planted a kiss on the curve of it.

"Come on, Kal Jr, will you stop bothering your mom? She needs all the sleep she can before you push your way into the world and steal our goodnight sleeps for a while," you smiled warmly, as you peered down at him, running your fingers through his hair and he looked up at you, planting another kiss against your bump.

You suddenly frowned and looked at the brown mess on your fingers that stank.

"God, Clark? What the hell? Did you seriously take a dive in a shit pool?"

He chuckled as he pulled himself up again and his hand once again found the base of your stomach to lay his hand protectively upon.

"Alien blood. You should have seen the intestines that covered me. It looked like noddles dipped in black bean sauce and meatballs--" You smacked him hard against the chest to shut him up, but instead he began laughing, his laughter rumbling out of his stomach as you began dragging him inside with his stained cape.

[fallingforyou123]

Coffee and Drive-ins-A Cupcakes and Therapy Moment

A/N: Here's the next part, hope you guys enjoy it! Sorry it took so long but this weekend was hell, ended up in the hospital for a little bit, but I'm all good now! As always, likes are reblogs are appreciated.

Summary: A drive in, therapy, first kiss

Word Count: 1.6k (she's short)

Warnings: First kiss awkwardness

Masterlist

The morning air was crisp and cool, summer starting to turn into fall in a matter of days. The streets were deserted, the city still in the process of waking. Bucky was seated on the steps of his building with Alpine, sleep having never come last night. It had been a few days since that night in the bakery and he was still floating on a cloud of peace. The nightmares were still there, still plaguing his nights, but during the day he could drift off to a place where he was with you. You had seen each other every morning, Bucky stopping in for breakfast at the bakery before starting his day.

As the sun started to rise over the buildings, Bucky began to walk, his legs carrying him the familiar way to the bakery. When he gets there he greets the boy behind the counter, one of the college kids that you have in on busy days, and heads over to his usual table. He’s only sitting for a few minutes before you head over to him, his coffee and breakfast in hand.

“Good morning! I wish I could sit and eat with you today, but I've got pastries in the oven.”

You hand him his stuff, place a kiss on his cheek, and head back into the kitchen. Bucky chuckles as he watches you walk away, you’re always on the move. He sits and enjoys his coffee while reading the newspaper, making a mental note to compliment you on breakfast later. Bucky has become your unofficial taste-tester over the past few days, bringing him whatever new creation you’re working on, today was cranberry orange scones.

When he’s finished, Bucky cleans up his things, pops his head into the back to say goodbye, and heads out the door. The sun is fully out now, replacing the chill from this morning with nothing but a light breeze. It’s Sunday, which means he’s headed to another therapy session, but for some reason, the usual dread of going has lessened.

He arrives at the building exactly 10 minutes early, his usual time, and buzzes in. He nods his head in recognition towards the receptionist and walks into the office. It’s routine, it’s something he’s been doing for months now. He sits on the couch, ready to say no more than a few words, but the second his therapist asks him if anything new has happened, he starts rambling.

He tells her about finding you in the market, about the date, even his daily breakfasts, and she’s thrilled. “This is what we’ve been working towards for months, James. You don’t need to surround yourself with people you’ve hurt and feel miserable, you can let people in who make you feel good.”

Bucky goes silent at that, he knows it’s true, but the need to suffer the same as the people he’s hurt will always be there.

“Have you told her yet, about your past?”

His head snaps up, the thought having never crossed his mind. “No.”

“James, you can’t lie to her, she needs to know. She’ll find out eventually, whether you tell her or not. You’re not a ghost, not anymore, stop pretending you are.”

“Eventually, maybe. I just met her, I can’t lose her once she knows what I’ve done.”

The good feeling he’d had earlier slowly turns into annoyance. He glances at the clock, ready to leave, willing time to move faster. His therapist sighs, takes her glasses off and places them on the table beside her, and looks at Bucky. “You can’t stay closed off forever. There is a darkness inside you that won’t go away unless you let someone in, stop fighting the people who care about you.”

***

It’s mid-evening when Bucky picks up his phone and calls you. He’s been thinking all day, his mind refusing to stop running. He needs to do something to distract himself, but more importantly, he needs to see you. It’s been months since he’s used his car, it’s been parked in the building's garage gathering dust, but tonight he needs it. He pulls up outside of the bakery and you’re already waiting for him. Ever the gentleman, he gets out and helps you into the car and then you’re off.

“Gonna tell me where we’re going, or am I going to have to assume you’re kidnapping me?”

Bucky chuckles and looks at you, “No, doll, I’m not kidnapping you. But I’m not telling you where we’re going, you’ll see when we get there.”

You sigh dramatically, and then chuckle, leaning back in your seat. You drive in silence for a few minutes before your curiosity gets the better of you and you begin pestering Bucky with questions. “Are we going for food?”

“Maybe.”

“Mini-golf?”

“No.”

“Running away to Canada for maple syrup?”

This earns a laugh from Bucky, “No, doll. We’re almost there though.”

You’re in Greenpoint now, right down by the water, the moon replacing the sun. Bucky pulls into a parking lot filled with other cars, a big screen sitting at the front. “What do you think y/n?”

You’ve never been to a drive in before, but you think this is the best one ever. There’s food trucks lining the sides of the lot, picnic tables and lounge chairs set up in front, and waiters walking around taking orders. “I’ve never been to one of these before.”

Bucky looks at you weirdly and you laugh, “What? I grew up in an apartment in Manhattan and lived in a rundown town in Europe, drive-ins weren’t that popular for me.”

“There used to be one in my neighborhood that would play every Friday night. I’d sneak Rebecca out, meet up with my friend Steve, and we’d come buy these big things of popcorn and sit ourselves in the grass for hours. It was one of the only things we had growing up.”

You grab Bucky's hand and give him a small smile, “That must’ve been really nice. I wish I’d had something like that growing up. Closest I got was watching my parents fight over dinner like it was a reality t.v. show.”

The both of you laugh, hands still intertwined and a warm feeling falling over the both of you. “Well, I’d like to replace those memories with some better ones, if you want.”

“I’d like that a lot.”

It’s then that a man comes up to the window and Bucky turns to hand him the tickets, an order sheet getting passed back to him. You both check off what food you want, a couple of coffees, some popcorn and some candy, before handing it back to the man. “I hope you don’t mind what movie’s playing, Back to the Future Part II.”

“Who knew you were a sci-fi geek, Bucky.”

He rolls his eyes at you, “It was the only thing that I could still get tickets for. It was all last minute, I needed a distraction.”

“I get it. It’s been a long day for everyone.”

Sighing and nodding his head, Bucky reaches out and grabs your hand, rubbing the back of it with his thumb. A few minutes later your food arrives and the movie starts to play. The two of you sit and enjoy the movie, making small comments and laughing together, it was the perfect way to end both of your long days.

When the credits start to roll and other cars start pulling away, Bucky turns to you, noticing the hesitancy on your face, neither of you quite wanting the night to end. “Do you want to go get coffee? I’m sure we can find something still open.”

You nod your head and Bucky begins to pull out of the lot. You drive around for a little while, taking in the night scenery and enjoying the silence. Eventually you find a small cafe still open and head inside to order your coffees. After acquiring your drinks you head outside to walk around.

The fall air has begun to replace the warm summer, and nights have become cold. A small chill runs through you and you shiver, Bucky notices and takes off his jacket to place around your shoulders. “Thank you.”

“Can’t have you freezing to death on me.”

The two of you walk for what seems like hours, finding comfort in each other. You end up in a small park sitting on a bench, your head resting on Bucky’s shoulder and him with his arm wrapped around you. You turn your head to say something, only to find bucky already looking at you. There’s something in his eyes that you can’t name, and he reaches out to push a strand of hair behind your ear.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he leans in. A small brush of his lips against yours, so soft you can barely feel it, and it has your breath catching in your throat. You lean in again, this time with more urgency. You pull back only when you run out of breath, a small smile on your lips. “That was a nice way to end the evening.”

Bucky laughs, and it’s infectious. You’ve never fallen for someone so quickly, never felt so safe, but you can’t imagine not being with him. You sit there for a few more minutes, stealing quick kisses, before you decide it’s time to leave. Bucky drives you home and you spend a couple minutes kissing like teenagers in his car before you eventually get out of the car and head into your building. You don’t know what this is or where it’s going, but all you can think about as you get ready for bed is Bucky.

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