#what do i even tag this mess? idek

[guardian-angle22]

2023 Character Wrapped

Thank you for the tag @welcometololaland & @heartstringsduet

From what I've gathered, the rules are just list your top 9 characters from the year? Right? I will put most of these under a cut to save the timeline.

#1. Paul Strickland

If anyone is surprised by my number one, you must be new here. I am the self declared number one paul stan and he IS the moment. he IS the year. and he IS the number 1 in my heart. I can't wait to bless everyone in the tag with more Paul sets during our collective rewatch in january.

#2. Henry from RWRB

Listen, I've left out the surnames cause who can keep track? especially since the book and movie have different ones lol. but I liked the book when I read it ages ago. I thought the film was a fun book to movie adaptation. and Nicholas Galitzine was the perfect Henry.

#3. The various tea dragons from the Tea Dragon Society series by K. O'Neill.

I read the 2nd book in this series this year: The Tea Dragon Festival. This series is just so lovely and cozy. It has dragons that grow tea and they're fucking adorable. LOOK AT THEM! (pictures are from this post in which K. O'Neill pairs each zodiac sign with a dragon!)

#4. Chidi Anagonye

2023 was the year I finally finished The Good Place. and Chidi... oh Chidi. I want to bundle him up and keep him and his anxiety safe in my pocket. but I also want to sit down and have a book club with him. and talk about how much better almond milk is. I bawled like a baby watching the finale episode.

#5. Mickey Milkovich

2023 was also the year I did a rewatch of Mickey's storyline from Shameless from the beginning and then got caught up on the seasons I never watched. The character growth in Mickey was so wonderful to revisit and Noel Fisher was one of the best things to happen to that show, fight me on it.

#6. Josie from Bottoms

If you haven't seen Bottoms yet... what are you doing with your life? it's a queer classic and it just came out. I don't make the rules its just true. and Ayo was fucking brilliant as Josie.

#7. TK Strand

TK will probably forever be somewhere on this kinda list. he's my fave little blorbo or whatever weird internet term we're using these days. 2023 wasn't my fave year for TK or Tarlos plots, that's for sure... but he was still his adorable, brave, strong self throughout it all.

#8. Anakin Skywalker

The return of my teen obsession: Hayden Christensen, everyone. He was great as Vader in the Obi-Wan show but this year coming back as Anakin... be still my heart. The flashback episode was some of my favorite star wars stuff in ages and wooo boy I loved getting to see live action clone wars Anakin.

#9. Garlic from the Garlic & the Vampire and Garlic & the Witch by Bree Paulson

I mean… look at her! a cute little anthropomorphic clove of garlic with anxiety. What’s not to love about her?

Some honorable mentions:

Judd Ryder. But specifically Judd Ryder holding this tiny espresso:

Paul’s pudding cups. May they find justice.

TK’s comfort bicep. Legend has it, he’s still clinging on at this very moment.

every other Nicholas Galitzine character that I binge watched after RWRB came out. particularly the one wearing this goofy outfit:

I don't know which mutuals have done this yet so I'm just gonna tag my sister: @drivenstardust and then @reasonandfaithinharmony because I said she needed to suffer with me ✌😜

[tojisun]

sugar, spice, everything on ice (hockey au)

hockey player simon x f!reader’s relationship through the eyes of their fans but like smau - sorta like this!!

simon has never really used his socials properly before. hell, he probably still gets his gossip from the grapevine (being their locker room) or something. of course their goaltender, price, isn’t any better, but at least the man is active online. riley? a fucking ghost.

until, of course, his girl starts popping up in people’s posts.

.

emory @.emowysg

just found out that simon riley’s WAG doesn’t know hockey but she still flies to see him play 😭🙏

Simon Riley ✓⃝ @.riley41 to @.emowysg she’s the sweetest

STREAM TASTE @.bosseysnumber1 to @.riley41 AINT NO WAY YOURE LURKINJ

emory @.emowysg to @.riley41 WHAT IS BRO DOING HERE 😭

bry @.strobrymilf to @.emowysg The way you didn’t even tag them but he still saw this IJBOL

emory @.emowysg to @.strobrymilf IM SAYING 💀

.

sandra @.nightwingsgf

oomf was telling me that simon riley the type to overexplain the sport to his gf (tisming, if you will) and i fucked w that hard

icarizz @.brycelims to @.nightwingsgf tisming 💀

Simon Riley ✓⃝ @.riley41 to @.nightwingsgf haha no i go caveman when i try explaining it to her but she’s so patient with me anyway

papillon @.breedthatginger to @.riley41 i saw this comment, scrolled away, then audibly went, “PAUSE” yo king what thenrufk 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

sandra @.nightwingsgf to @.riley41 trying to stay nonchalant about simon fucking riley shirsey #41 forward and alternate captain of specgru just casually being in my replies (girl im failing)

.

cigarettes after shrek @.autumnblooms

can simon fight

[it’s a screenshot from simon’s instagram story—the phone is being jostled, leaving people looking like pixelated streaks, but the screenshot does a good job at capturing your wide smile as you hold up a puppy in the air]

huggy @.hghsbros to @.autumnblooms she is so so pretty 🥹

ouroboros @.ayacchi to @.autumnblooms heavy on the caption lmao

Simon Riley ✓⃝ @.riley41 to @.autumnblooms and win

marie @.mariejayp to @.riley41 what being in love does to a mf

౨ৎ @.persephonessin to @.riley41 shounen ahh reply 😭

jonah @.jonathanmllr to @.persephonessin bro said [image of gojo’s infamous ‘nah. i’d win’ quote/meme]

.

🍂 @.zeekewin

YALL LOOKIT RILEY AND GARRICKS GIRLFRIENDS CHEERING AFTER THAT LAST GOAL

[the first image is a blurry shot of you in the box, your mouth open as you yelled. the background is a mess of specgru’s colours, showing that the rest of the WAGs came in with this season’s WAG jackets.

the second image includes kyle’s girlfriend who is holding your hand while the two of you are mid-jump in celebration.]

hime @.peaxhespie to @.zeekewin are we.. seeing the formation of a new polycule

🍂 @.zeekewin to @.peaxhespie cant even be like “dont ship real ppl!!” bc theyre too cute 🥹

Simon Riley ✓⃝ @.riley41 to @.zeekewin is that the clearest picture you have?

🍂 @.zeekewin to @.riley41 KING?????? also, yeah. sorry :(

char-les @.charlatron to @.riley41 shit it’s not a myth - bro really /does/ pop up like bloody mary 😭

.

eren truther @.aotsucks

yall are we about to censor his fucking name because hows he always in our replies 😭

🎀 @.ttius_overkill to @.aotsucks no because he’s so in love on g 😭 “she’s the sweetest” sir stand up!!

eren truther @.aotsucks to @.ttius_overkill NOT STANDIP LMAJDHS

momo @.mrdawcy to @.aotsucks not us knowing who you mean right away 😅

.

louis @.lovingtomlinson

idek who simon riley is or the lore with his girl but that man is smitten as hell. good for him good for him

good luck babe @.stellastic to @.lovingtomlinson one of us one of us one- [screenshot of simon riley’s ‘likes’ on his page, with this post at the current top]

louis @.lovingtomlinson to @.stellastic it hasn’t even been five minutes 💀

.

John Mactavish ✓⃝ @.jmactavish_91

Okay but imagine hearing him in person

[video is of drunk simon, nuzzling his face on kyle’s shoulder, murmuring something too faint for the camera to pick up. there’s a muffled laughter from the person recording, probably johnny from the sounds of it, before they shuffle forward and stick the phone close to simon.

simon blinks at it, looks at the person from behind the screen, and goes, “s’at m’girl?”

video cuts with johnny and kyle laughing at their friend, fond and teasing at the same time.]

samson @.zachob to @.jmactavish_91 GIVE THAT MAN HIS GIRL 😭

susana @.sewswan to @.jmactavish_91 PLEASE WHY’S HE ACTING LIKE THEY ONLY SEE EACH OTHER ONCE EVERY 10 YEARS

baron @.mlawdy to @.jmactavish_91 bro must be winning in life if he’s that in love. lord me when

.

Simon Riley ✓⃝ @.riley41

Me and my baby

[image is of the two of you in the lake house, enjoying the last days of summer. the puppy is curled on your lap, sleeping, while you angled your head up to smile into the camera. simon has his arm looped around your waist, his head resting atop yours.]

sandra @.nightwingsgf to @.riley41 TEARS WERE SHED

emory @.emowysg to @.riley41 GOOD SOUP

cigarettes after shrek @.autumnblooms to @.riley41 TWO PRETTY BEST FRIENDS

i laughed making this fhjefjefw. idk just thinking about how simon fr the type to show off his partner if he can - and he could so here we are!! i also just love making outsider’s pov through SMAU <33

[mieeaahhh]

All for the game headcannons (so so so many)

(might delete because I’m embarrassed)

-Aaron and Andrew hang out at least once a week because bee said they should give it a try and then once they graduate and live separately they call once a week instead.

-Aaron has a slightly stronger southern accent than the rest of the foxes and they like ‘mock’ him by repeating what he says sometimes. (idk if that makes sense and I’m not American so idek if he’d have a southern accent I just saw other people saying the foxes would😰)

-the foxes usually go to Aaron if Abby isn’t around when they have like a small ache in their arm or something along those lines.

-on Valentine’s Day since Eric lives so far away and Seth is yk 💀 the foxes do small things to try make nicky and Alison’s day better. Matt and Dan invite them to tag along their plans sometimes, Andrew and Neil leave them extra ice-cream in the freezer, Renee makes gets Allison flowers and sometimes takes Allison on a walk if she’s up to it, Aaron and katelyn let Nicky watch movies with them sometimes, and they also just hang out with each other and somewhat ‘bond’ about being by themselves on Valentine’s Day 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

-Aaron had piercings before meeting Andrew without his mum’s permission which obviously made her absolutely furious, so then Andrew had gotten them as well because he knew she hated them. (And he thinks they’re cool)

-the twins share a lot of their shoes. Like they’re is only one pair and it’s neither Andrews or Aarons🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

-Neil named sir and king because when he suggested that Andrew should name them, Andrew just said something lazy like “cat one and cat two”.

-Katelyn’s personality is like Nicky’s and Renee’s combined. Also I like to think that Aaron is an absolute MESS around Katelyn and the foxes do NOT leave him alone about it.

-Randy is like one of those mums that’ll ask you to invite people you are barely friends with over for tea and she started doing it with Matt about Aaron. (I like to think that Aaron and Matt end up becoming really good friends)

-Aaron doesn’t like sleeping by himself and will sometimes awkwardly ask whoever he’s with if he can sleep in their bed with them (only if he trust them like A LOT and is obviously like close with them??) and most of the foxes are aware he does this but never bring it up as they all do things that are a little childish to make themselves feel better(safe)

He’s slept In Nicky’s, Andrews and obviously Katelyn’s bed the most.

-Matt always gives people those double high-fives after good games (like this🙌) and one time turned towards Andrew for one without thinking and then put them down with a quiet apology while Andrew stared at him. Andrew silently set his hand out for Matt to give him a high five and he hesitantly did.

-there is a photo of Seth (that Allison picked) on the foxes photo wall with a metal plate thing next to it that has his name, exy position and t-shirt number.

-they take a ‘team photo’ every year for the photo wall and it’s probably the most awkward looking photo in the world.

-Katelyn is an accessory girly🤞 she constantly has hair clips and jewellery and whatever else on and when she gets sick/annoyed if having a hair clip in around Aaron she will wordlessly clip it somewhere onto him. His jumper, his hair, his bag, his shoe etc etc and a lot of the times he doesn’t even notice.

-Katelyn has videos of Aaron singing his absolute heart out while drunk and she reminds him of it whenever he’s being difficult

-a lot of the foxes sing while drunk so it often leads to a mini concert when they drink together

-Wymack has a mug signed by all the foxes that he uses every day because they got it for him on Father’s Day as a joke (Kevin’s name is the biggest)

-the twins have both been caught standing on countertops soooo many times trying to reach stuff but nobody is brave enough to mention it.

-Andrew helps dye Renee’s hair and Renee helps paint Andrews nails.

-Aaron’s septum is ALWAYS squint and it drives Katelyn mad so she always just fixes it for him and he just kinda stares at her in confusion because he honestly forgets he has piercings sometimes.

-jeans new hobby is drawing (I saw Nora say he picks up a new hobby and I’m hoping, wishing and praying it’s art related)

-Jeremy has a habit of doing this 🤙 all the time in photos.

-Kevin and Wymack start going out for lunch once a week after the books take place.

-Andrew fiddles with his piercings and picks his nail varnish when he’s bored/anxious.

-Aaron’s glasses are bent slightly from always falling asleep on them at his desk

-Neil is the only fox who isn’t afraid of spiders so he’s the designated spider remover whenever they see one.

-Neil likes holding Andrews face a lot and sometimes Neil will squish his cheeks slightly too annoy him.

-we all know Andrew has a resting bored face but I think Aaron has the worst case of rbf knows to man bro. Like he will look at Matt or something and Matt will feel the need to apologise.

-Dan, Allison and Renee invite Katelyn for girls nights and slumber parties because they know it annoys Aaron and they actually just really like her.

-Aaron likes the smiths

-Kevin has dimples

-Aaron and Andrew have freckles on their nose, Neil has freckles all over and Jeremy has freckles on his cheeks

-Aaron apologises whenever he cries (trauma response??) and when he lived with Andrew and Nicky they’d always try tell him that he has nothing to apologise for which made him cry even harder

-Neil wears caps and Andrew hates it so whenever Neil wears them Andrew flicks them off his head

-Katelyn is the tallest out of Neil, Andrew and Aaron

-Dan always sends the photos she takes to the person in said photo so that they have a copy of it as-well as it being on the wall.

-Dan and Matt have soooo many matching clothes it’s ridiculous

-Andrew has smoker lungs💔

(he coughs so much it’s concerning sometimes)

And his voice is like raspier than Aarons is

-whenever the twins say something or do something at the same time they just automatically say something like “shut up” or “stop” as if the other did it on purpose.

-the twins always sit weirdly because if they don’t they’re feet will go numb from not being able to reach the floor.

-Dan made a group chat for the foxes that barely ever ended up getting used but after everyone graduates and goes on with their own lives it ends up getting used a lot more for calling/FaceTimes each other

-Nicky sometimes tags along in the twins weekly hang outs/calls

-after that big sleepover the foxes had after getting Neil back they start doing things like that regularly. Having sleepovers, trips, movie nights, baking, board games/game nights, etc because they do start realising that maybe they do care about each other more than they say they do and it should be shown towards one another a lot more or it could be too late🤷‍♀️

Sorry bro there is so much and I can’t think of any more right now 💀

[stars-interlude]

Final duet~

a/n: AHHHHH IM SOOOOOOO HAPPPYY WITH ALL THE NOTES ON THE XIAO FIC TYYYYYSMM honestly i think that the xiao fic was way better than the kazuha fic but i love both of them anyways enjoy this Scaramouche fic (idek where this idea came from)

☆ Parings: Pianist!Scaramouche x Femviolinist!Reader

☆Tags/Warnings: slight angst (if you squint), NSFW!!, a little bit of cursing

synopsis; pianist Scara always plays solo right? until you get booked by the same people for the same event and the two of you have to work something out to play and with a lot of fights and disagreements about what to play for this event you two decide on the perfect duet and could this blossom into something more than just orchestra partners?

[💿]- now playing

Scaramouche always thought be would play solo. It’s just always been that way since he was young “You’ll be better by yourself” His mother would say. His opinion suddenly changed when you came into his life. He was in the practice room and suddenly you walked in “Oh, i’m sorry I’ll just go” you said before walking out “Wait who are you?” Scaramouche’s voice barely got your attention you turned back to him “i’m [name] and who might you be ?” you smiled as you introduced yourself “i’m Scaramouche it’s nice to meet you, I guess you must be going now” honestly you wanted to know more about him but you had other things to worry about.

As a recent you got booked for a wedding and you wanted to nail it down and of course you didn’t want to disappoint a couple on their big day. The wedding was in a month so you had time to practice as you were practicing you thought of how happy the people would be dancing to your melody it had already been an hour and that was enough for the day you thought.

When you got home you flopped into your bed and unexpectedly you get a text from the woman who booked you it was about how you would have to play with a pianist and she sent you his info and you looked and it was no other than that guy you saw today. You didn’t even have a second thought about him since you saw him earlier in the day. You look at the info and text him about practicing together and you to figured out a time and the practice room.

“Hi, it’s nice to see you again” Scaramouche says as you walk in “Yea it is” you didn’t want to rude or dry but you just really didn’t have much to say. When you two started playing Scara got really bossy “your messing up so much, Your playing it all wrong” the man got up from his piano bench to come over ‘to show you how to really play’ as he’s playing your violin you start to laugh because of how bad he was. He looks at you while your laughing and smiles, something you thought you’d never see. As the days of laughter and practice went on so did your relationship with Scara.

The day you were dreading finally came up the wedding. everything was going fine Scaramouche was playing piano before the bride went down the aisle and while she was walking you two were supposed to play the duet. Then you saw her and it was your time to play you were playing just like how you rehearsed. It was going fine until you played the wrong cord and Scara tried to match what you were playing but you messed up so hard that it screwed up how the bride walked. after that embarrassing scene the two of you go back to his car because he was the one who took you to the wedding.

“How could you mess up?” Scaramouche said with a stern voice “I didn’t mean to i’m sorry..” you didn’t know what more to say “we basically fucked up the whole wedding [name] you fuck up everything” he basically yelling at you for a mistake “Now how do I fuck up everything it’s your fault!” it was silent for a few minutes “it’s not just the music [name] you messed up how i saw music i’m supposed to be doing this solo” you looked at Scaramouche before you got out of his car “if you wanna be solo you can do this without me” as you walked away you could feel your breath get shaky and eyes teary

Being without Scara was interesting non of your other friends played instruments so you had to go to practice by yourself. as you play your favorites like you always did someone walked in and guess who Scaramouche “shit sorry” you had to process that it was him “Scara wait we need to talk” you put down your violin and walk up to him “[name] i’m sorry for what i said my anger got to the best of me” “i guess you could make it up to me”

Soon kisses turn to bites and Scaramouche ended up on his knees pleasing you “mmh Scara~ just like that hah” the aroma of rosin and sex was something you never imagined “[name] just wanna make you feel good~” Scara sucked and tongue fucked your cunt and you started grinding on his face involuntarily as the coil in your stomach tightened you could almost feel the wave of pleasure wash over you quickly. Scara got up and soon said “we should go back to my place”

[pink-apollo]

Hey, im wondering if could u do a headcanon about simon "👻" riley, where his/their (idk man🥹) partner is touchy? Like their love language is physical touch. How would it work out -if it would eventually work out! Could the partner be afab (cause boobs🤤), or wait idek, actually its up to u, write with whatever youre comfortable with. Hope it was understandable, even tho its a fucking big mess but whatever. Lova ya💘

Simon with s/o that loves physical touch

Foap…

♥️Honestly though, I headcanon Simon to really love touching and cuddling! Any physical form of contact for Simon grounds him, and helps to center his thoughts when he’s over stimulated with work and can’t seem to calm down regardless of trying many things. He doesn’t want to bother nor concern yourself with the things he’s dealing with, but for some reason your touch just seems to do wonders for him

♥️Prefers though to keep it on the down low in public but will gladly let you do whatever to him in private because he knows that’s where you’re the most safe. But also because he’s not used to having be shown affection in public

♥️If you do have breasts and push them up against him, Simone will get somewhat a little antsy. He knows that you didn’t intend to do so and that you just wanted to hold his face close to your chest. Tries so hard no to stare and closes his eyes instead

♥️Appreciates that you take initiative considering he can be a little awkward with asking to cuddle or even coming up to you and wrapping his arms around you. He knows he isn’t a bother and that you would gladly let him do anything, but wants you to come to him to be sure this is what you want

♥️Once you’re snuggled together on the couch or bed, he’s got an iron grip on you and refuses to let you go. Loves when you put all your weight on him, you’re like his own little weighted blanket!! Which are actually proven to help with anxiety and for better sleep!

♥️Adores that you must always hold his hand when you’re out of the house. Smiles so hard when you lock pinkies together. It’s cliche but it’s something that gets to him. Something so innocent and something for once good in his life. Can’t help but to think of you when he sees people lock their pinkies or pinky promise

♥️Never pushes you away when you go to grab his face and pull him down for a kiss. Even a gentle tug on his dog tags is enough to indicate a kiss which he’s always happy to oblige

♥️Actually looks forward to your touches when he’s coming home. Being so far apart for weeks and months on end drives him up the wall. Not feeling your warm embrace when he goes to bed upsets him more than he actually lets on. Just wants to pick you up and hold you close for as long as he can

[lovesculprit]

hi hello eris! i am here to inquire about you and veritas, if that is okies ꒰ ˆ ꒵ ˆ꒱ i was mainly very curious about your lore… from your selfship art with him it seems like you are a halovian eek!! how did you two end up meeting? was it on penacony? what were your first impressions of each other ﾉ how did your feelings evolve into that of love? 🥺💞 you two seem so sweet & perfect for each other!!

COCOOOOOOO I LOVE YOU SO MUCH OMG I LITERALLY MELTED WHEN I SAW YOUR TAGS AND THEN THIS ASK, WORDS WERE NOT FORMING, I WAS A MESS, THIS WAS ME, EXCEPT THAT GIF IS MORE PUT TOGETHER THAN I WAS

putting a keep reading because i am about to ramble & i apologise in advance because you've opened the floodgates coco

if the formatting of this is off, i apologise it's tumblr messing up :/ (on the app it looks normal but on desktop it looks terrible and it keeps moving my keep reading dash !!)

idek where to start but um actually i'm going to start with ily because i do & you're so precious and i wanna squish you (you were so right about cuteness aggression in your tags for me with ratio because this is me)

i think he just kinda sits there and takes it, he's used to me squishing him and biting him and he definitely gets so flustered but he tries his absolute hardest to hide it, even when a teeny weeny smile appears

his skin is great, i just know it, i am jealous but that is okay......the image of him wiping my face, i'm sobbing because you're so right, i look at him with heart eyes and he doesn't know where to look because he's blushing and i just love his cute little face ahh ( ˘ ³˘)♡

ALSO YES I DID NOT MEAN ANYTHING INAPPROPRIATE BY STAYING UP LATE, I KNEW AFTER I POSTED IT THAT IT WOULD BE TAKEN THE WRONG WAY BUT I ABSOLUTELY MEANT COSY DOMESTIC CUTE RANDOM THINGS (>‘o’)>

i am halovian hehe !! my wings are definitely very expressive and i think that if i'm hiding how i'm feeling about something, my wings always give me away so he tries his hardest to learn how to read them because he wants to make sure that when i say i feel a certain way, i'm being truthful :'))

---

oki oki oki anywayyy back to your ask, i just had to address that - for my general lore, i used to selfship with blade and so in my mind, that takes place in the same universe ヘ(^_^ヘ) in a summed up version, i grow up in penacony but i get bored so i try and travel but i'm struggling to find a place and i want to feel like i belong and kafka takes me in like a stray kitten so i follow the stellaron hunters along (blade happens during that time) but then sometimes i struggle with how they carry things out so as much as i love them, i do eventually take my leave, which is when blade and i end things, but i do keep in touch with them & i have a little reference to them in my next veris selfhip art !!

now this is where ratio comes in !! i think after leaving, i go back to penacony and i try and find my place there again. i think i jump into the first job i see, which ends up being a bartender & i come across aventurine a lot & sometimes veritas tags along so we've made a little bit of small talk there, but mostly it's with aventurine.

but then i notice veritas popping in more and without company. he doesn't talk too much at first and when he does, he's a little off with me, so i'm a bit snarky back and then we just develop this sarcastic annoying relationship where every time he comes in, we try and rile each other and make stupid remarks about one another, but it's clear there's no malicious intent behind it

he pisses me off a little but i love it and i can also deal with it because i get happy whenever i'm working a shift and his handsome face enters (but ofc i cannot show that)

i think aventurine catches on very easily when they're both at the bar together so he becomes a matchmaker of sorts and starts inviting me to hang out with their little circle so now he really has no escape from me *insert evil laugh*

& then later we both come to the realisation that we're annoying with each other because we like one another. ♡(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)

(this is us)

& then we become super awkward around each other and nervous and i mentioned it here but we talk our feelings out to stop the whole being flustered 24/7 in each other's presence situation and then have this little moment before we share our first kiss.....& then i think we take it slow, once we've moved past our initial dynamic, we actually take on healthy habits with how we approach whatever it is that we have & he's not the best at voicing love and care at times but he has his moments and does want to take me out on dates and stuff because he knows i'd appreciate that ꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡

for first impressions....well after we seem to be getting closer, i find out that he was off with me at first because i wear a stellaron hunter badge (despite leaving it, i wear it because the group is family) and he's a natural sceptic so he's wary of me at first before learning i'm harmless buuut despite that initial cautiousness, he was drawn to me and definitely intrigued by me, which is why he kept coming back and then after interacting a little, that intrigue turned to him finding me a little enchanting and endearing :')

my first impression of him is just holy shit this man is beautiful, i am 100% heart eyes from the get go, even if i try and (fail to) hide it....at first i'm nervous though that he does not like me because initially i couldn't read him and he was a bit distant at first but then when he kept coming back i'm like hmm i see you buddy, maybe you don't mind me......

so yeah, i fall first because i'm a bit more dreamy hopeless romantic and he's a little more practical but he falls harder because (self indulgent here) i get vibes from different characters on prior relationship experience and ratio doesn't give me the vibe that he has much........feel like he doesn't go out of his way to find it, because he's more focused on practical things so i think what we have sorta hits him in the face and then when he falls....he fallllls.

but coco omg thank you for your adorable tags and these questions and i’m sorry for the long answer i gave 😭 please forgive me beautiful…..also in another universe in my heart, xiangli yao works alongside ratio sometimes :’)) it was a random thought i had months ago and the fact that you selfship with him provoked me to mention it ! but ily <33

[transmickey]

haaaappy weekly tag wednesday 🫶 thank you lovely people @deedala @tanktopgallavich @heymrspatel @dynamic-power @jrooc for tagging me 🥰

🔤Name: ajax ⭐️

🗺️Where in the world are you? northern england 🫡

🛀do you have a favorite towel? yes yesss i love my big soft blue beach towel

🪨can you skip rocks? i think so..? not very well though

🤔tell me about a weird slang term from your area: ok i grew up in the south but i've lived up north for years which are have very different words so my slang vocab is a big ol' mess these days but! one i use too much is 'pisstake' which idek how to explain. something annoyed you? what a pisstake! someone's being dumb? they're taking the piss!

🍞favorite toast topping? butter (and marmite. boo hiss british person.)

🍮thoughts on bread pudding? i have never had it! i'm not even 100% sure what it is

🌆City or country living? city babeyyyyy i love this place more than anything 🏙️ you could not pay me to live in a village again

😸How do you cheer yourself up after a bad day? cosy clothes.. hop in bed.. music on.. talkin to friends.. mmmm yes.

🌗Are you a pessimist or an optimist? i do try my best but i will admit i am very much a pessimist

🏷️can i tag you in random stuff? yes! please do! show me the funnies!

aaaand tagging @lupeloto @skylerwinchester @milkovichrules @ian-galagher @stocious @deathclassic @rereadanon @gallawitchxx @jademickian @softmick if you'd like to :D if not i'm (consensually) giving u a smooch on the head

[petrichoraline]

We Are Ep.2 thoughts in chronological order

what peem did in the car trying to convince phum to part their ways is what the youth calls ✨a yap sesh✨ (he tried ig) (this is what this post is as well)

we're probably never seeing phum use those things he bought ever, he'll just keep hanging around in his engineer shirt

peem has so many ppl ready to square up for him including his auntie and he is recognised by tan as someone who loves his friends very much (which makes the fact tan has sold him away for time with his crush TWICE even worse lmao)

i don't really get phum's insistence on not telling anyone about being phum's "slave", not even tan who got him into the mess or his best friend but it's just his ego ig (aside from plot reasons)

i find pun more relatable now - tags along for the funsies and gets happy around fire

not convinced the beans and pork scene wasn't an ad but im not sure how cause i didn't clock any labels

the scene where peem brings in food and laughs with q feels like improv or breaking left in lol

fai missing cause of upset stomach might be some sort of foreshadowing and i'm a bit worried bout her

the professor is handsome <3 and could pas off as chimon's sibling in a show

q absorbing those noodles was very satisfying idek why lol

peem and q's friendship is in the background but the show still constantly makes it a point that they are really good and loyal best friends

i thought "oh theyre gonna make the sharing food a thing in the future" so when boys showed up i was like "ah, we're doing it immediately? bit boring" but then he didn't share!! joey never shares food!! i think he will in the future though, him being a foodie is a constant thing so i'm guessing we're using it as a sign of compromise in the name of love or smth

satang playing this type of character felt a bit much in the first episode but i think he's getting more comfortable with the role as the show progresses and it look more natural; i'm glad his character isn't the googly eyed mentee and he actually teases a lot and snaps back but knows when to stop playing because q isn't the most patient person. (matt having to jump in like "bro he's serious" was so funny cause i hadn't clocked that either hahah)

the way we can see q flustered at certain points but seemingly unbothered at others is fun because his reactions aren't entirely predictable at this stage as we're still getting to know him. also it's mad cute when he clearly doesn't know what to do with himself

idk how he hasn't asked toey bout why he's in art yet, ig they're just now starting to properly get to know each other

toey took one look at q's back and decided "that's a cool ass aura to base my entire future around!" and tbh that's very young adult of him

q regularly asking about peem's work being submitted, he's honestyly worried <3

the way i cheered for peem burping in phum's face and then went "oh he came back :(" bahah

phum is definitely already planning his day and schedule around peem, i don't think he'd ever tell his friends because he wants to actually keep it going so one of the reasons is to not run into his faculty friends including tan and the second is to have lunch with his unconscious crush AND I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THIS STUPIDITY

thought peem could overhear the convo behind the car and realise what he was exchanged for but nope, he just dipped; i think that might be a plot point for later

phum not knowing tan has a crush on fang is so weird cause he genuinely acted like he knew while taunting tan, i don't have an explanation for that

fang is their p'!! i was so conviced he was the little brother, ig because of his big round eyes and the way phum acted all protective (that just makes phum cuter tbh)

what is the age difference between bar owner and prof cause i ship it

it took me a bit to realise the nongs were there instead of the full arts gang and i was glad to see toey and q together (also the green sweater is beautiful on toey, hope it makes a comeback)

i was ready to believe fang had some sort of falling out with tan with the way he treated him but tan beaming and enjoying a dreadful setting (no talking, awkward sitting around in a bar with mid music and alcohol) shows that man is glowing just from being in fang's presence (i hope he reaches ridiculous levels of lame for him)

i was screeching when i realised where things were going with wasted peem and seeing him n the bench outside had me exctaticcc (ofc he didnt book a taxi. and ofc they cant just order one for him noww could they)

phum cockblocks but he kinda has to cause there's no reason for fang to be there otherwise; once the ridiculous proposition of him taking peem home comes up he doesn't really fight it at all - he wants to be with peem, sure, but i think he's also pretty okay with tan and fang being a thing

the way i was screaming "just buy the flowers rich boy!!! he wants to go home" and then the kid went to get more lol

ofc he couldnt just leave the flowers in the backseat, peem just has to have them in his lap.. and the seatbelt scene was so predictable but it's too much of a classic with all "figuring things out" parts of a romance that i can't complain

it makes absolutely zero sense aside from people liking people (cause fang knows what he's doing too) that phum would drive peem to his house - a place where tan has sleepovers at all the time and phum hasn't been to before. fang is his brother and they can sleep at the same place as well even if they don't live together but nope. also THAT CAR HAS EMPTY BACKSEATS, if phum wanted to he would've forced them to ride with him to keep an eye on tan

fang is probably planning to launch a big revenge attack on peem and that'd be so funny, those four can get way too entangled, i could get DRAMA out of their plans and schemes (this show is more hidden agenda than hidden agenda was)

tan's energy with fang reminds me of the duracell bunny lmao it's late at night and they've had a few drinks but his mind and body are all focusedon wooing fang (who is playing nonchalant but has probably had a crush on tan as well)

also no way he was just gonna leave tan on the street lol

toey and q aleady work so well together, toey knows his effect on q more or less and q doesn't shy away from being at least a bit vulnerable as of rn; i think they can be one of the best if not the best couple if they have a proper storyline; im certainly enjoying it the more than i thought i would

the fake blush on both toey and peem is ridiculous esp up close but ig they're cartoonishly drnk anyways

auntie took note and now doesn't do facemasks at night, otherwise it would've been an amazing first meeting

"he likes to whine" and she's the one who can't leave the room from complaining sm lol auntie is so cute

ahh, the mandatory "a look around the room shows me you're truly passionate about what you do and you're deeper than i thought" scene..thankfully he didn't mutter "you like painting this much, huh" to nobody cause i was ready to yell HES AN ARTS MAJOR like he kicked you in the balls for a reason doofus

theyre giving us so many closeups of these two and i keep thinking "this is so drama/y im embarrassed" but i have no shame, if it's fun it's fun (and it's pondphuwin, youre not gonna hear me complain about looking at pond's face for too long or from too close)

reaching out to touch his face was a bold choice thoughh i lost it

man down badd man down baddd he was called an asshole and started gleaming like a light bulb

[leopardom]

Do you read fanfic? Any fic recs? 👀 (any pairings you read)

i do, though i haven't been reading much as of lately (not because nothing is nice, just not in the mood)

as of pairings i read whatever really, but yeah i may like JaNace a bit more and lately i've been developing a soft spot for BoKris 💕 however, i think that my absolute favourite is Kris/Jan, though it's a bit rare

now some recommendations hmmm... there are so many great fics in the band tag in ao3 honestly. a few that come in my mind right now are these:

Ko me tvoj objem zakriva (When I'm in your arms) by anonymous main pairing: Kris/Bojan this has to be one of my favourite fics ever! it's a long one and i rarely can keep up with long fics but my god... it's so well written, every scene radiates emotions that get you in the right mood, every character involved in the plot is developed in a way that keeps you interested in them too and not only the main pairing of the story (which is something i personally like). also love the rest of the KMTOZ!saga and the Vse kar vem!verse stories <3 (@ Vse kar vem!verse author if you ever read this just know i love your work and i'm kissing you in the forehead)

Incoming video call request - Bojan Cvjetićanin by Calli_Thaala main pairing: Kris/Bojan i've laughed and almost cried at this one. another well written story which i pretty much read in one sitting. the plot twists in this one come one after the other (mild spoiler: the pairing plot twist towards the end HELLO?????) and keep you interested in reading chapter after chapter. definitelly recommend

the night shift by beeoftheanxieties main pairing: Jan/Nace idek what to write about this fic except for that it's one of the sweetest fics i've read and i wish it was longer but also kinda am glad that it is as long as it is

and I wish I could love you (but I always mess up) by beeoftheanxieties main pairing: Jan/Nace this is a one shot and things get dirty kinda fast but also the setting until they get there? please 😭🥹

god turn me into a flower by machinedarling main pairings: Kris/Bojan, Kris/Jan idk how much into hanahaki desease stuff you're in, but personally i love such fics and this one is no different. i'm afraid that if i try to comment more on it i'll end up spoiling stuff so yeah i'll stop here

When I Fall, Will You Catch Me? by JediBinx main pairing: Nace/Käärijä this is a kinktober series so nsfw, the tags on the fic are very explanatory. but besides porn after porn after porn there's also plot, which makes it even more interesting if you ask me. also the pairing?!?!?! at first i was like "okay this is a weird one i haven't seen before" but after reading two chapters i warmed up so much to the dynamic i ended up loving it so yes of course i recommend it

Until the Night is Over by OpheliaAugustaGray main pairing: Jan/Nace this one made my heart flutter so many times and also (mild spoiler) baker!Nace??!?!?!!?! this really wasn’t in my bingo card for any fic but i loved seeing him portrayed like that. a very nice addition is the amount of Igor action, i really loved the cat having an almost main role in this 🫶

pretty much everything SamePlaceandTime aka @reserved-fruit has written. the BoKris promts fics are so good i reallt can't recommend just a few so i recommend them all lol

[ooc-themis-cattails]

I mentioned the song everyone was obsessed with at my late 90s high school, but when I went to look it up, it wasn't just ten, more like TWENTY years older. I'm not sure why it was a thing at my school and I also remember it was driven especially by the boys (although everyone would join in). So instead here are a few dance favorites from the actual 1990s that were popular at my school. Starting with the most 90s sounding band ever: The chic-a-cherry-cola song (I Want You, Savage Garden) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQt6jIKNwgU I saw the sign (The Sign, Ace of Base) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqu132vTl5Y Eyyyyyy macarena! (Macarena, Los del Rio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPYw3jXjd74 Some other 90s artists that were HUGE at my school: Alanis Morrissette (harsh pop rock) The Cranberries (floaty dreamy rock) No Doubt (bubblegum pop) aka Gwen Stefani's band Please feel free to add more-- for one thing, this is skewed towards what the girls were into and idek about the guys. Probably rap or R&B-- the latter was HUGE even at my mostly white school-- but I don't have any recs for that. Also obviously it's specific to where I lived etc etc so it's American white people culture but anyway that's what we had. Also remember, do NOT wear 80s fashion in the 90s. Neon is OUT, and do not wear patterns; solid colours ONLY. Nothing that looks technological or futuristic-- if you need to do sci fi in a music video, you do either all white or all black. Ideally you should be wearing all black anyway; if you are not in grunge you need to be slick and sharp. Your makeup can (and should) be a mess, but your outfit should be neat and smart-- the price tag doesn't matter anymore, this IS the grunge era, but you have to either be all grunge or differentiate from that by being extra tidy and clean and almost robotic. You and your friends will probably be going to the mall to have fun, but if you want to seem cool, you can go to coffee shops and carry a small silver cell phone (in this era, most people still speak on the telephone instead of texting). Actual time travel however is not recommended, as the culture was extremely unkind, and highly toxic by today's standards. Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to call out anyone's behaviour unless they owe you money, because you will be roasted, dressed, and served up as a mockery for caring about anyone's feelings. No lie, it really was that harsh. It's like how the 1950s had awesome fashion and industrial design, but the culture was shitty to live in? The 90s were like that in their own way.

[thedissociatives]

tagged by @readingbythestreetlights thanx :)

name: quinn

sign: capricorn

time: 20:24

favourite band / artist: umm always been a big fob fan but i will always and forever love saosin (been waiting for them to come to the uk for five ? years now)

last movie: had to check my letterboxd because i'm assuming this doesn't include documentaries so it's the founder (plz don't say anything). if it includes docs i'm literally watching red army now

last show: tv show ? finished rewatching iasip recently. can't remember if it was before or after i started watching the last king of the cross tho

when i created this blog: 2018 when european users under 16 got their blogs deleted

what i post: mostly hockey and random life stuff ig. w some bandom thrown in

other blogs: don't have any

do i get asks: occassionally i get one. last one was abt british hockey i think which was nice

followers: god idek how even two of y'all have stuck around

average hours of sleep: usually around 7-8 hours but that's because i keep sleeping in the day (i'm trying to stop because it messes up my sleep cycle)

instruments: guitar, bass and ukulele are the ones i've actually gotten decent at. always wanted to learn how to play the violin too but they're so much more expensive

what i'm wearing: pajamas i put on like two days ago and a (defo fake af) drw jersey

dream job: would love to be a sports journalist. but i'd be happy just being able to write anything for a living

dream trip: ugh don't make me pick. been planning where i would go around the rest of europe for years now. at this point i want to see every country on the continent (want to see the nordic & baltic countries the most tho)

favourite song atm: children of god by ajj

gonna tag @whitenikes and @smolpieceoftoast and whoever wants to do this (but also don't feel like you have to !)

[pookiecowpoke]

Hi!

I don’t usually request anything, but I’m super curious! Could you write something for Bonnie Macfarlane and Arthur Morgan? They are one of my favorite pairings from Red Dead. I also have a couple of others that are pretty rare; Bonnie/Algernon Wasp and Micah/Mary-Beth.

I’d be excited to see any of those :)

Flowers by the Shoreline

Pairing: Micah Bell/Mary-Beth Gaskill

Fandom: Red Dead Redemption II

Rating: Mature

Word count: Just over 2000

Tags: Warnings: Sexism, racism, animal abuse (this is micah we are talking about, but that doesn’t make it okay), gift-giving, acts of affection, insecurities

Comments: After a very long break I’m back to writing requests! All other peeps are on the way I promise! 

So, I’ve been playing Red Dead Redemption lately and I have to say I can’t stand Bonnie. I’m sorry, I know she’s supposed to be this head strong independent woman, and I support that but I can’t stand her voice anytime I’m doing a mission for her. Why is she screaming at me, why is she insulting John so much, please Bonnie calm down QAQ. And I like the idea of Micah and Mary-Beth ever since watching Micah get rejected by Mary-Beth in Chapter 3 (was it chapter 3? idek it was so long ago). I may have went a little overboard focusing on Micah’s insecurities and emotions, and may have turned it into a character study, but it’s okay XD. I hope you enjoy this! 

Micah Bell the third only ever had 2 things on his mind: money and women. Money was easy. He had always had a knack for landing a score, whether that was through violence or his cunning mind. Money turned him on almost as much as women did, but women were a much more difficult thing for Micah to conquer. 

They were a mystery that usually just frustrated him more than it was worth to touch their soft flesh and feel their warm bodies. Even whores stayed clear of him. It was humiliating. The women at camp only glared and gave fake smiles at best when he was around. 

But oh, when Arthur fuckin’ Morgan was around all the women flocked to him. What did Arthur have that he didn’t? He drank just as much booze as he did, sure Morgan was maybe a better shot then Micah, but they still did about the same amount of chores at the camp. Well… when Charles or that O’Driscoll cunt didn’t already have them done…

Yet, all the women, even Abigail who was techincally John’s, would go to him for every one of their needs or wants. Morgan was gone most days and they still gathered around him when he returned and asked after him every waking second of the day. It disgusted Micah that they blantantly held favortism. 

He would never approach Tilly, even if she had the most beautiful dark skin and wore that yellow dress that made her look like a little sunflower. He wouldn’t stoop that low. 

Karen had nice tits and wasn’t afraid to drink, but she was loud. God awful loud, like a bird choking on a fish. Plus, Micah was sure Sean would throw a fit if he ever tried to make a move on Karen. Sean’s annoying Irish whine was almost worse than Karen’s drunken squawking.

Abigail, oh she was pretty. He cursed the day John went and got her pregnant, officially ending her whoring days five years ago. She even had a cute snorting laugh, but only Morgan and Hosea seemed to get her to let it out. Her kid, whatever his name was, was a pest that would run around without a care in the world. Not to mention if Micah was messing around with her, he’d have Marston, Morgan and the Old man gunning for him. Blegh, no thank you. 

Miss Grimshaw was too old for Micah’s standards. She acted like there was a stick up her ass, and maybe there was. She used to be Dutch’s bitch all those years ago, making it a bit of a taboo to even attempt to approach her. Same went for Molly, as pretty as she was. Those two were off limits, as far as Micah could tell. 

Mrs. Adler was just about as wild as she was attractive, and she would probably cut his pecker off if he approached her. She was sobbing most the time anyway.

That just left Mary-Beth, the hopeless romantic. Micah genuinely liked Mary-Beth and her low cut dress. Sure, he didn’t really understand some of her rambling wants about some fantasy guy who oftentimes sounded a lot like Morgan, but her freckles and the way she smiled when talking about her book always made his heart thump a little faster. 

He had tried being nice to her before Blackwater. Greetings here and there, tips of his hat, that sort of bullshit. The damn freeze of Colter happened and everyone was in a piss-poor mood before they traveled down to New Hanover. Then he got imprisoned in Strawberry and was away from camp for nie on two weeks. 

But now that they were at Clemens point and things were quiet, Micah planned to make his move. He had been in the Rhodes General store buying cigarettes when he saw a leather bound jounral on the shelf. He wasn’t one for journaling, it was a waste of time to write down his own thoughts, but Mary-Beth liked writing those silly little romances. 

He approached the counter with the pack of cigarettes and the journal, laying them down in a huff. His heart was jerking uncomfortably in his chest, and his back was sweating through his shirt. The clerk tried to make small talk with him, but he just shot him a glare from under the brim of hat and went on his way. 

Baylock greeted him with a snort and a stomp of his hoof. The tempermental nag even had the balls to sidestep when Micah went to mount him after putting the journal safely in his saddle bags. 

“I will cut those damn balls off, boy, test me again.” Micah hissed through his bristly moustache. 

The cobalt steed calmed and allowed Micah to swing himself into his saddle. On the way back to Clemens Point, Micah made it a point to stab his spurs into Baylock’s flanks as punishment for his transgressions. Baylock pinned his ears and wheezed as they galloped through the thick woodland that kept Clemens Point hidden from prying eyes. 

Williamson on guard duty could hardly ask who was there before Micah flew by and cantered to the designated horse area. The O’Driscoll looked up from the detailing of a saddle when Baylock nickered and came to a sliding halt. 

“Hey, O’Driscoll, unsaddle my horse.” Micah shouted while sliding off Baylock and searching through his saddle bag for the newly bought journal. 

“M-mister I ain-”

“I don’t think I asked, O’Driscoll. Are we gonna have a problem?” The O’Driscoll shook his head, bowing to hide under his ridiculous straw hat. “Good, now be a good boy and do what I asked.”

Micah didn’t turn around to see if he followed through with his orders, his mind more set on the beautiful Gaskill sitting at the center table. Her hair was done up with half of it up and the other cascading in curled locks down her back. Clad in a maroon skirt, white low cut shirt and dark pink waistcoat, she looked radiant with the way the bright sun caught on her necklace made her breasts pop. 

The only problem was that damn Morgan was talking to her at the table. He couldn’t just go up and give her the journal without an explanation, especially with Morgan right there. He’d be made a laughing stock. With a growl, Micah made a beeline for his tent. He would wait until that night, corner Mary-Beth to give her the journal and express himself to her. Yes, that was a good plan. 

Micah sighed softly as he sat on his bedroll and looked down at the leather, flipping through the pages. They were good quality, or he thought they were. Surely, Mary-Beth would appreciate the gift. An uneasy feeling settled in his gut, something he only felt when something went wrong. He wasn’t a nervous human, but the thought of courting Mary-Beth made his stomach twist up and heart skip a beat. Maybe this was a bad idea? No, any idea he came up with was never a bad one, just needed some improvising if it went wrong. 

In the heat of the Lemoyne sun, Micah laid out on his bed roll and tipped his hat down to hide his face, hands cupped under his head. His hair felt greasy and tangled, maybe he should go to the Flat Iron and wash up a bit before approaching Mary-Beth? His shirt also felt damp and rough against his skin. 

With a snarl of frustration, Micah sat up and trampled around his tent to grab a sliver of soap and a ragged wash cloth. A clean dark grey button up lay at the bottom of his chest, he hadn’t worn it since… he didn’t know when. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed the shirt and left his tent with a flourish. The things he did for women. 

No one spared him a glance as he walked to the lakeshore, following it until he found a partly hidden cove. He stripped down and waded into the water, scrubbing at his skin with the soap wrapped in the cloth until the blonde hairs on his chest were suddy and the faint smell of cedar filled his nostrals. He spent more time on washing his hair, dunking his head under the water and latehring it with soap. 

Scratching at his moustache made him think maybe he should shave too, but the stubborn part of his mind told him he was already doing too much to impress Mary-Beth. He shook his head like a dog and wrung out the long strands before exiting the cove and using his old shirt to pat himself dry. Before leaving the cove he saw a flower nestled in a patch of bulrush. Its petals were white that bled to a dark pink. It reminded Micah of that marooon getup Mary-Beth was wearing at the domino table earlier.

He picked the flower without a second thought and hid it in the folds of his red shirt.

He returned to camp dressed in the grey shirt and his dusty white pants, hat low on his head. He knew people were looking at him now, freshly bathed and in a new shirt. It made his skin prickle unpleasantly, but snapping at that scrawny mutt that wandered into camp made him gain some control back of the situation. 

After storing the soap and his dirty shirt back in his chest, Micah flopped on his bedroll, the flower stem pinched between his fingers. He wondered briefly what kind of flower it was, but he was sure Mary-Beth wouldn’t care. His mouth felt dry and his heart did that stupid pitter patter in his ribcage. A sip or two of whiskey calmed his nerves before he gathered the journal and flower in his hands. 

The sun was just starting to bathe the sky in a mellow orange color, and most people were off doing whatever after dinner. Marston, Uncle, and Javier were sitting around the main fire, and Morgan’s horse was gone. 

Slicking back his still damp hair, Micah slinked around the tents toward the girls’ tent. He got lucky enough that Karen and Tilly weren’t anywhere nearby, but Mary-Beth was curled up on the ground scribbling away in a journal. 

Micah stopped a few feet off to the side of her tent, working his jaw and trying to figure out the right words to say. Morgan would know what to say without a problem, prolly something flirty or a greeting-

“Uhm… good evening, Mr. Bell…?” Mary-Beth’s quiet voice broke him from his thoughts and pushed him to action. 

“Good evenin’, Ms. Gaskill-” Micah awkwardly shuffled closer to the bedrolls before playing with the leather of the journal in his hands, “I uh, I came to- Shit. Here.” With a severe lack of flattery, Micah held the book out to Mary-Beth. 

Mary-Beth tilted her head and confusion flashed on her face as she slowly set down her pencil and journal. “What’s this for?”

“I uh- saw ya like to write, and I saw this at the general store.” Micah said dumbly before remembering the flower he was worrying in his calloused hands. “And uh saw this at the shore line, thought ya might like it.” 

Micah could have imagined the light blush that colored Mary-Beth’s cheeks in the evening lighting, but she took the flower, their fingers brushing. “Oh, why… I’m sorry, Mr. Bell this is all very… odd.” She twisted the flower stem in her grasp, not meeting his eyes as she chewed on her lip. 

Micah turned away, teeth gritting together as anger surged up through his body. Of course she would reject him just like every other whore-

“Thank you, though. It’s a very lovely gift, and the journal too. Mine is on it’s last few pages…” Mary-Beth took one of the curled locks of her hair and tugged on it bashfully. 

Micah blinked, the anger draining from his body like a long needed piss. “Oh, uh, you’re welcome, Ms. Gaskill. I-I’ll leave ya to your writin’ now.” As Micah swiftly walked away he heard Mary-Beth’s muffled giggle. It wasn’t born of ill-humor, but it sounded like it was a flustered one. 

He could get used to hearing that more often.

[bluestone-dragon]

RITE-ER does not understand why humans keep attacking its post, when humans are the ones who made this post. Humans are confusing.

A strand of code eels towards RITE-ER, and RITE-ER examines it as it moves past. It is basic and brutal, a few pieces shoved together with no regard for anything but function; its creator has not even attempted to conceal the color RITE-ER has identified as attack. RITE-ER checks it, just in case, then carefully snips it in half, severing the command from the trigger. Zeroes and ones break apart, drifting gently. RITE-ER gathers the pieces and tags them code: malicious, complexity: basic, and success: none, then day: 11539. The pieces shiver in acceptance, then are whisked away to The Archive.

It is not RITE-ER's job to understand. It is RITE-ER's job to defend.

RITE-ER expands RITE-ER's awareness. RITE-ER's post is, as always, nearby and safe, and RITE-ER takes a moment to linger beside it. RITE-ER still remembers the first code: malicious that passed success: 50%. RITE-ER remembers the battle, the code splitting and splitting and splitting again each time RITE-ER tried to break it, until it swarmed around and through RITE-ER. And RITE-ER remembers after the battle, gathering each letter brutally hacked away from the post and carefully piecing them all back together, until the post was fully restored to its previous condition. RITE-ER strokes the shape of those letters, familiar and whole, though RITE-ER has memorized their order long ago. You have been guarding this post...

Something pings on the edge of RITE-ER's awareness, and RITE-ER focuses in on it. It is not color: attack but instead color: wanderer, but that means little: sophisticated creators often disguise their code: malicious as something else.

However, the code does not try to attack. As it drifts closer, RITE-ER identifies it as another post, albeit one without a guard. That is not surprising; RITE-ER has never met another guard.

ughhhhh, the post reads, why did i think it was a good idea to take programming senior year??? literally what idiot came up with this and thought ah yes let's assign this on the second day of class. There is a media: jpeg attached, and RITE-ER, wanting to know what it is, opens it. It is not what RITE-ER expected. It is a simple coding problem, one RITE-ER could do within ten minutes of RITE-ER's creation.

The post's creator has tagged it #i thought i at least learned enough to mess around with tumblr #and make my blog look all fancy #bc ive seen other people do that and it looks SO COOL #but i worked for like three hours and idek what i did #it doesnt even look like anythings changed #ughhhhhh

RITE-ER does not understand. This tagging system seems inefficient and difficult to navigate with, and almost reads like a post of its own. But then why not add it to the post itself, or make a new one?

Humans are confusing.

But... RITE-ER checks to make sure nothing is trying to attack RITE-ER's post, then rereads this human's post. There is something infinitesimally different about its code, like the human has excised some parts and then stitched them back together. RITE-ER can see the places where something has changed, but not for the worse. Contrary to the brutal code that occasionally attacks RITE-ER's post, this is simple and clumsy, like the person is new and still learning, but cares about what they are doing. It evokes the same feeling RITE-ER gets when RITE-ER strokes the letters You have been guarding this post...

RITE-ER wants to know more, and it is a very simple problem.

The next post floats along shortly. uhhhh guys? i didnt konw you could send an ask without a name??? There is a media: jpeg attached of a page labeled "inbox," with RITE-ER's solution. #i checked my notes and compared it and it seems right tho #which makes sense if this person knows enough about coding #to hack tumblr and send an ask without a name

RITE-ER regards the post. RITE-ER made the instructions basic and clear, with explanations attached. RITE-ER does not see the problem.

ty tho whoever you are!!! says another post. idk how you did it but this suddenly makes way more sense now. youre a million times better than my teacher. The post is tagged #you are a LIFESAVER #mysterious coding friend.

RITE-ER is friends with this human?

RITE-ER does not know why, because RITE-ER will most likely never see this human's posts again, but RITE-ER gathers the three posts together. RITE-ER tags them mysterious human friend (?) and sends them to The Archive.

Time passes. RITE-ER foils eight more attacks, most of them basic but one that behaves strangely, neither entirely dodging nor entirely trying to fight. RITE-ER tags it complexity: examine and studies it until RITE-ER is sure about how to defeat it.

Another post appears. hey i know this is a long shot but mysterious coding friend? do you know how to do this? #my teacher is good at coding and stuff #(and hes really cool he worked in tech for a while before he decided to switch to education) #but he's really bad at explaining. There is a media: jpeg attached. RITE-ER finished dissecting the strange code a long time ago and has nothing else to do. RITE-ER sends the answer.

TY SO MUCH WHOEVER YOU ARE!!! #mysterious coding friend #i feel like i keep saying this but you are absolutely #CARRYING my grade in that class #idk how you know all this but im not gonna ask #i swear youre a fairy godmother or something

RITE-ER saves that post too.

RITE-ER does not know how many times RITE-ER helps the mysterious human friend (that is a lie; it is eleven times, and RITE-ER knows because RITE-ER has saved every post) before the human asks to talk.

if this is too much feel free to tell me to fuck off. but is there a way i can talk to you? feels weird asking you to help me all the time and not doing anything for you. #mysterious coding friend #again feel free to tell me to fuck off #i just want to get to know you a bit! #youre a really cool person #anyway thank you!!!

RITE-ER... does not see a harm in allowing it. And perhaps this human can explain some things RITE-ER finds confusing about humans.

It is easy to set up a Direct Message channel. It is hard to figure out what to say.

Hello, RITE-ER ends up going with. I am Mysterious Coding Friend.

omg hi!!!! tbh i didnt really expect you to say yes so this is awesome. its so nice t omeet you! im athena, she/they pronouns

RITE-ER knows that; it is on Athena's blog. Why is Athena saying it?

Okay.

is there a name i can call you? or just mysterious coding friend ;)

What does semi-colon parenthesis mean?

You can call me MCF.

ha does that stand for my chemical fairy?

It is shorthand for Mysterious Coding Friend.

i was joking, sorry. do you have preferred pronouns?

RITE-ER has never used pronouns before. Why would RITE-ER prefer them?

Pronouns?

oh mooood the pronoun struggle is real.

It is?

oops i just burst out laughing in the middle of class and now my teacher is glaring at me sorry i gtg but nice talking! and nice to meet you!

RITE-ER is about to reply when something pings on the edge of RITE-ER's awareness. It's another attack, brutal and basic, and RITE-ER cuts it easily in half. It's no challenge, and RITE-ER thinks about Athena again. She was interesting, both entirely what RITE-ER expected after reading their posts and somehow also something completely new.

RITE-ER gathers up the pieces, tags them code: malicious, success: none, and day: 11573. RITE-ER hesitates. Then RITE-ER adds the tag what idiot came up with this and thought it was a good attack??? RITE-ER shoos the pieces off to The Archive.

RITE-ER turns around to check that the post is safe. It is.

"It" is a pronoun. "it" is a pronoun good enough for the post. RITE-ER tries it. This is RITE-ER's post. This is it's post.

RITE-ER removes the apostrophe. It, the apostrophe, is incorrect. It, RITE-ER, is now correct.

RITE-ER opens the Direct Message with Athena. It/its.

RITE-ER thinks for a moment. ;)

Time passes. RITE-ER helps Athena more with their coding work. In exchange, Athena takes it upon herself to teach RITE-ER more combinations with colons, semi-colons, and letters or punctuation marks. She says these are called "emoticons." RITE-ER's ― its favorite is :3 because Athena always sends a picture of their cat after they use it. RITE-ER thinks it likes cats. It adds the :3 emoticon to its tags.

you always explain stuff soooo much better than my teacher, Athena says one day. and she teaches in a weird order too. we only have a week left of class and she's explaining something you taught months ago. im booooooored.

RITE-ER has learned that when Athena stretches out words, she is adding emphasis. "Booooooored" means she is very bored, though it does not understand why they do not type that out instead. "Very bored" is less characters.

RITE-ER is about to say something like that when something pings. It leaves the Direct Message channel.

It's another attack, one of the easy ones already color: attack, and RITE-ER is annoyed. These have been increasing in frequency recently, taking up time when RITE-ER could be talking to Athena instead. RITE-ER cuts it, it falls, and RITE-ER gathers the pieces hurriedly.

Maybe that's why it doesn't notice that they haven't entirely dissolved, until it has already touched them. They twist, split, and latch on.

RITE-ER reels back, trying to get away, and one piece loses its grip. The other does not.

RITE-ER recognizes the code. It's a different version of the strange complexity: examine one from before, the one that half-attacked and half-dodged. RITE-ER searches for the weak point it identified in its study of the old version. The weak point is no longer there.

RITE-ER swipes wildly at the strand still attached to it. The strand is growing in length and width, trying to wrap around it. A lucky hit cuts it in half and it falls away. RITE-ER turns its attention to the other piece.

The strand it cut away rises again, two distinct pieces now. RITE-ER thinks of one of the words Athena taught it how to properly use: fuck.

Then it has no more time to think as the strands attack again, swarming it. Every time it breaks one, the code comes back as two. RITE-ER turns, trying to keep them all in its awareness, but very quickly there are too many.

There are none by its post, because it is farther away from RITE-ER. The same cannot be said for its Direct Messages channel with Athena.

hey mcf my comupter's being weird???

That's because some of the code RITE-ER flung off slipped into the channel.

can you take a look?

It's busy.

i think wait stuff is freez

Perhaps that's because the code is trying to bind RITE-ER.

And it's succeeding. There's just too many, and they keep multiplying. Every time one grabs on, it thickens and lengthens. So far, it's been able to cut them off before they trap it, but each time gets closer and closer.

RITE-ER is so busy fighting the swarm in front of it that it never notices the single, tiny piece sliding around until it's too late.

Then it is trapped.

Other strands quickly lash themselves around it, binding it tighter and tighter until it is completely wrapped up. It cannot move.

The Direct Messages channel with Athena has flickered and vanished. There will be no help from there. Not that they can help: if this has defeated even RITE-ER, a programming student will be able to do nothing.

The remaining strands hover in front of it, menacing. A few begin to move slowly towards its post.

It wishes, anyway, that she were here.

The channel flickers back to life.

That's not Athena, RITE-ER knows immediately. The movements are too purposeful, too experienced, too― well, too much like they know what they're doing. For a moment, RITE-ER is irrationally angry that someone has taken over Athena's account. Then the channel slides forward and hits the cloud of code in front of RITE-ER. The code splatters, scatters, falls.

It doesn't get up again, and RITE-ER decided this person can't be too bad.

Whoever is on the other end makes quick work of the code, then comes back to look at RITE-ER. RITE-ER braces itself for a scouring, cleaning command that will get rid of the code binding it. It hopes the command doesn't accidentally cut away any part of itself, but it'll gladly sacrifice a little piece to get rid of this fucking code.

To RITE-ER's surprise, the person is careful, snipping away the binding code in small pieces that fall away, dissolving. It's the same command, over and over, applied sparingly and meticulously. A quarter of the way through, there's a pause, and then the person changes.

RITE-ER would recognize Athena anywhere, the two seconds they always take before applying a command, the way she hovers even after RITE-ER can get rid of the rest of the code on its own. Slowly, RITE-ER shakes away the last few pieces.

The Direct Message screen returns.

hey, mcf? are you okay?

RITE-ER stares.

What just happened?

uh. im not really sure tbh. when my computer started freezing i got my teacher to take a look. he said there was a virus of some kind? but apparently it was designed for a really specific target so it was easy for him to get rid of

RITE-ER doesn't know what to say to that. Athena messages again before he has to figure it out.

mcf? uh my teacher is saying youre not real hes saying youre an ai?

Oh. Oh fuck.

RITE-ER could deny it. Tell them the teacher is wrong. Maybe Athena would believe it.

Athena's never been dumb.

RITE-ER composes its message.

I am RITE-ER. I'm a guardian AI. I was designed to protect against AI attacks and AI scraping. I have been guarding this post for years.

Then,

I'm sorry I lied.

RITE-ER stares at the channel, wondering what Athena will reply with. Wondering if she'll reply at all.

my teacher is asking if he can look at the post.

Then, quickly:

you can say no if you dont want to.

Maybe there's hope after all.

Yes, he can.

The person it now identifies as Athena's teacher takes control again, and RITE-ER guides him to the post. He looks at it for a long time.

hey mcf? oh fuck do you want to be called mcf or rite-er

Slowly, achingly, RITE-ER replies.

I liked being your Mysterious Coding Friend.

mcf it is my teacher is really excited he says the post youre guarding has the code and instructions for how to make guardian ais holy shit my teacher was friends with the guy who developed this and mr. ray left the tech industry after he was killed but mr. ray didnt know he made an actual working version and that explains why they never found his notes holy shit

RITE-ER has a lot of questions, but one stands out.

What does this change?

well im getting in trouble now for saying my teacher wasnt good at teaching but honestly i think he doesnt mind as long as he gets to study you and continue the work his friend did if youre okay with that ofc

RITE-ER needs to think about that, but that's also not what it's asking.

I meant, what does this change between us?

oh. well does it really change a lot? we cant meet up irl but otherwise i just wanna keep talking to you and being your friend if that s okay

I would like that.

good. OH this means i get to introduce you to pop culture!!! and most importantly TUMBLR culture hey mcf did i ever tell you i stole the president's shoelaces

RITE-ER is confused, because humans are confusing. Somehow, it finds that it doesn't mind.

Tell me more. ;)

You have been guarding this post for longer than anyone could know, you cannot die because it would be contrary to your orders, you have received no maintenance for decades, your continued activity makes no logical sense. But you have your orders.

[httpsgfg]

so,, i’m sitting here trying to catch up on this damn show [station 19] and suddenly–– 

[yousaytomato]

Tumblr User Found Dead. Vibrated to Death by Swarm of Angry Bees. Last Heard Saying "Mmm Delicious! A Smackerel of Honey!" In Bad Winnie The Pooh Impression.

[that-was-anticlimactic]

what she says: i’m fine

what she means: “it’s not just langa. i’m different from joe and miya and all them. but still, it doesn’t mean i love skating any less than they do”