#what do you MEAN this rock I found on the ground is 'cool.' it literally has sparkly flecks

[catcatb0y]

No, but fr it's so hard growing up chronically unloved and romantacizing every little thing because it's the only way to feel scraps of affection, and then getting to the point where you undoubtedly realize you were obsessing over grains of salt. Realizing I'm the only one who cares about these things is so draining lol.

[headlessjest]

How about some romantic stuff!! Some of y'all need your romance.

Hanging out HCs

Ft: Hank, Deimos, Sanford, Jedediah, Tricky, Sheriff, 2BDamned, Phobos, and Auditor.

Hank:

・I think y'all would probably just stay home.

・You both just had a very stressful mission, so why not relax back at the apartment.

・They'll probably watch TV with you with the few tv stations Nevada can have.

・Cuddling is something he can do with you too. Just on bed or on the couch and just cuddle.

・There will be a couple times where he just lays on the ground with you and wonder what the hell happened to this place.

・"(Name)... Thank you.."

Deimos:

・Going out and eating Burger Gil's!

・Deimos just wants to enjoy his favorite food place with you.

・This can also be an excuse to to eat at Gil's in general, but it's nice to do it with you.

・When y'all are done at eating at Gil's, maybe a quick trip to the bakery.

・He threw up the Burger Gil's on the way there so you had to carry him back home.

・"That burger was sure good, but you're just as good."

Sanford:

・Alright, endless stary night, blanket, and you two. That's how it's gonna go.

・Just you two hanging out on a hill and looking up on the stary night, relaxing.

・There will be a few times bandits will try and get you two, but that's why y'all brought guns to this evening.

・Other than getting interrupted by bandits and a couple of zeds, this hangout is wonderful for the both of you.

・You accidentally fell asleep during this, but Sanford didn't mind carrying you back.

・"Thank you for this time, sweetie.."

Jedediah:

・Going scavenger hunting.

・Jedediah surprisingly enjoys collecting stuff. It calms him down, and doing it with you makes him extra calm.

・You'll probably find a old coin or a rock with a cool texture and look to it and dash back to Jeb to show him.

・He also sometimes finds cool looking rocks and gives them to you. Like penguins.

・After going around and finding some cool stuff, you and Jeb head back home and organize all the stuff you both found.

・"These are beautiful, darling.. Just like you."

Tricky:

・Y'all go partying.

・I think y'all would also listen to your both favorite songs when partying. (His being all ICP songs and the chicken dance remix.)

・I think after the partying stuff is over with, y'all kinds just head back home and relax after the long night.

・If you get overwhelmed at the party, Tricky will notice and try to find a way to calm you down.

・Other than that y'all actually have a great time.

・"CL0WN L0V3S Y0U!!!1!1!"

Sheriff:

・I think y'all would hang out at a nice bar. (If possible that is..)

・I think he took you to the bar in the first place because it was the easiest place to go without him freaking the fuck out and being horrified.

・Also, because he's been busy lately and wanted to spend time with you.

・He might also get a little drunk from drinking too much.

・You also had to drag him back home.

・"Darlin'... When do you get so beautiful/handsome?"

2BDamned:

・Y'all also stay home.

・He just wants to relax with you and just hang out in bed. Nothing much really.

・He also is just a little stressed with everything, so relaxing with you seems like a perfect thing for the time being.

・I think y'all would also watch a quick movie for fun. Like a older movie from the later 90s and early 2000s.

・Other than that, relaxing with you makes his day better, no matter what.

・"This means a lot to me, (Name).. Thank you.."

Phobos:

・I think he would dance with in his office.

・The red lighten room and the slow jazz playing in the background, just you two slow dancing for the joy of it.

・Phobos made sure that no one would bother you both during this. I mean, quite literally.

・I think during this, you might doze off a bit from the slow atmosphere.

・Phobos does notice this and y'all get ready for bed.

・"Tonight was lovely.. We should do this again.."

Auditor:

・I think y'all just hang out and watch cat videos all night long.

・Most romantic thing I've ever heard.

・I think you both would also hold eachothers hand during too. Auditors love language is physical touch. (Somehow..)

・Another thing is that whenever you both see a cat that reminded of you both, you would point it out.

・This also made you both question about getting a cat.

・"Hm, a fur baby seems nice."

I'm absolutely shaking rn. Ate an entire tub of coffee icecream, also mixed with the excitement of watching the fnaf movie tomorrow!!!!

-Jester

[loveandpeaceanddoughnuts]

Under the Stars ~ Eiland x Reader

a Fields of Mistria oneshot about stargazing at the Western Ruins! <3 // [ao3]

“We’re almost there!” Eiland’s hair shone in the moonlight as he waved you on, his eyes sparkling as he scrambled over the rocks. His excitement was contagious, and you found yourself echoing his breathless laughter as the two of you drew closer to the Western Ruins. “You’ve never seen anything like this, I promise,” he called over his shoulder, sliding down the dirt walls of the digsite. You followed much less gracefully, tumbling down after him in a puff of dusty earth. 

“Ah, perfect!” Eiland sprawled out next to you, heedless of his fine clothes, and folded his arms behind his head. “One step ahead of me as always.” He grinned. “Look up.” 

You let your gaze follow where he was pointing, straight into the night sky above you. “Oh wow…” 

“Yeah,” he breathed. “Wow.” You lay side by side in the sand under an inky veil dotted with countless stars. It felt as if the town had vanished, leaving no one on Earth but you and Eiland to witness the spectacle of the Mistrian sky.

“This is my favorite place in the world.” He stared up as he spoke, a gentle vulnerability in his tone. “It makes me feel so small, in the best way. I need that sometimes.” He turned to face you and tucked his hand under his chin like a little kid. “Do you feel it?”

“Feel what?”

“Shh. Close your eyes for a second.” He reached for your hand and pressed your palm flat into the earth. With your eyes closed, the sounds of the summer night multiplied, Eiland’s soft breaths a top note to the symphony of cicadas and rustling grass. A thrill ran through you that had nothing to do with the cool breeze. His hand rested heavily on yours, as warm and soft as the sand itself. His touch grounded you, and as you cast your senses outward you felt something deep and peaceful settle on your shoulders. 

“Underneath us lies hundreds, thousands of years of history. People were born here, built homes here, had their own children here, died and were mourned and buried here. There are whole lifetimes scattered across this sand, this earth.” His voice was reverent, and you kept your eyes closed almost unthinkingly, letting him sweep you into his story. 

“All of that history beneath us, and the whole universe above us, so close you could reach out and brush the stars.” He gently curled his fingers into your palm, intertwining your hands. “It makes me feel so insignificant, but at the same time so connected to everything…like everything that matters is right here.” 

You loved the way that Eiland got so excited when he talked about his passions. You could listen to him wax poetic about ancient art and lost civilizations forever. But when you opened your eyes, he was looking right at you, his cheeks turned the same shade as his hair by a soft blush.

You couldn’t do anything but stare back at him for a moment, entranced by the way he looked at you, hopeful and vulnerable and gentle all at once. “I do feel it, Eiland,” you whispered, and he squeezed your hand. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

“There’s no one else I’d rather share this place with than you.” He reached out and brushed his thumb along your cheek. “There are stars in your eyes.”

It was your turn to blush, and you stammered an answer. “You…look really pretty right now, okay?”

Eiland laughed. “No I mean literally, the stars are reflected in your eyes!”

You threw your arm over your face, embarrassed, and he kept laughing as he pulled it back down. He smirked at you, raising one perfect eyebrow. “You think I’m really pretty?”

“Shut up, Eiland!” You laughed too, both of you giddy and blushing at each other. You moved closer, your shoulders touching as the two of you quieted and turned back to the sky. “But yes, I do.” 

You could hear the smile in his voice. “I think you’re really pretty too. As stunning and delicate and mesmerizing as an Alda Gem Bracelet!” There was the Eiland you knew, ever the archaeologist.

Hand in hand, you watched the stars wheel over your heads. Eiland named every constellation he could see and eagerly explained the meanings they had held for Mistria’s past civilizations.

He tore his eyes away from the heavens to look at you every so often, his eyes sparkling like you were one of his precious artifacts. 

Somewhere between retellings of long-lost legends you had drawn closer and closer together until you were snuggled into Eiland’s chest. He wrapped one arm around you while he gestured into the sky with the other, and you could feel the steady beat of his heart against your cheek.

A shooting star fell just above you in a sudden streak of silver-green light. You both jumped, twin cries of “Did you see that?!” that dissolved into laughter. 

“Make a wish!”

He hummed thoughtfully. “I can hardly think of anything to wish for. I wouldn’t change anything about this moment.” His voice dropped, almost shy. “Would you?” 

“Maybe one thing.” You leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. Eiland sucked in a breath as you smiled against his skin.

“Oh…” He traced the spot where your lips had been with shaky fingers, wide-eyed and star-struck. A pale golden light spilled over the horizon, the first hint of daybreak. The stone ruins around you were backlit, and Eiland’s pink waves were haloed with the sunrise. You stayed curled together until the last star winked out. He never let go of your hand.

------

an: if you made it this far, I would love to make more FOM moots!! I'm so in love with this game rn whew <3 hoping to write with Balor and March soon!

[nkogneatho]

here's how to develop a more optimistic mindset.

— start by understanding the worst things you are facing right now, is leading to the best things in your life. a loss might feel like a loss at the moment, but when time passes, you realize it was actually a win.

— "the art of noticing" start noticing anything and i mean literally anything. the pattern on the road tiles. how many flowers are on the ground. what is the cat doing. this is because your brain adapts and works faster when you are open to new information.

— hug a tree. no seriously. go hug a tree. you have no idea how much it helps unless you try it.

— try to walk on soil barefoot and feel the texture of the ground. when you focus on the texture, you will think less about things that are stressing you out

— think of literally anything that brings you joy or a smile on your face. you saw a butterfly? smile. you witnessed an act of kindness? smile. you say a little cute baby giggling? smile. you found a cool rock? SMILE GODDAMIT.

— realize that being optimistic is not a chore. you don't have to force yourself to think positively even when you're going through the worst times. feel all your negative emotions and release it. when you allow yourself to feel everything, only then you see things a little more clearer.

thank you for reading :))

[azereus]

Epaulette Shark Hybrid! Gaz x Gn! Reader Headcanons

Warnings: Pre-established relationship, no pronouns expect for you, and ends kind of abruptly whoops-

@puff0o0 told me to do this ‼️

The relationship started a bit rocky in all honesty. Him being a mershark and thus confined to water made it difficult for him to visit you. And it wasn't like he could live in a pool in your backyard or your shower or bath

But other than that, it was pretty okay all things considered

You'd visit him when you can, have little 'dates' where he'd show you a cool cave he found or some other hidden area

But, if you live on or near a beach, it makes things easier distance wise. Expect to find Gaz on one of the shore rocks waiting for you in the early morning either way

Once you find him, he gives you a gift! Like a cool seashell or maybe a pearl. You most likely have a jar or a drawer filled with the things he brought you due to him bring you gifts every other day

He's anxious giving you things because he fears they might not be good enough please tell him you love the gifts

He's like a dog when it comes to the back of his ears getting scratched. He enjoys the small bit of affection. It normally ends up with him nipping/biting at your hand though ^^"

Actually scratch that. He likes trying to bite or nip at you regardless of what you were doing before hand

But He'll keep apologizing to you if he accidentally clamped down too hard and hurt you!! He doesn't mean to hurt you, he just forgets his own strength sometimes

Tries to make up for it by doubling the gifts until it heals. Which isn't very long all things considered. It's like a cat bite, just larger in size

He once crawled out of the sea just to tackle hug you once he spotted you walking towards him

Think like that one stereotype where the dog owner comes home and the dog runs up to them at the door and tackles them to the ground. That's basically what Gaz did

He has golden retriever boyfriend energy taken literally

I'll probably add more to this if people are interested but this is all I got 😔

[trigunwritings]

helo ur works have been a delight to read so far and may i please request a stampede wolfwood x wife reader??? 👀👀👀 reader is a sniper and they got separated during a massive shoot out. wolfwood is looking for her while traveling with the gang and when wolfwood reunites with his wifey- everyones just shook cuz ‘ur married???’ lmao please thank you so muchhhshs!! 🤩🤩

(bonus if wolfwood is handsy or obsessed with his wife pls ahshd 😍)

In the oppressive midday heat, there weren’t all that many people milling about the main roadway of the town. It was a small place, without a plant of its own but stuck between two larger cities that were each a day or two’s worth of a drive either direction.

So in other words, the only place to charge up a vehicle after it goes dry and residents fully prepared to jack up the price twofold or more.

Wolfwood wasn’t unfamiliar with the strict rules of the landscape; without a way to produce their own goods, the main source of income for a town like this seemed to be in travelers passing through and staying long enough to empty a few bottles then spend an extra day recovering from a hangover. A fair business strategy, all things considered.

But the man wasn’t interested in vices like that at the moment. Despite the appearance of loafing around next to the old man’s truck, Wolfwood was in fact on guard duty. He was to make sure none of the locals got any stupid ideas while the others found a place they could charge it up and grab a few extra supplies for the next stretch of desert. It was sweltering even under the shade casted by the vehicle, but it was still better than roaming around the town all day—Wolfwood was still absolutely exhausted from having to help push the damn thing the last couple miles.

He had earned a chance to sit down and do fuck all.

Besides, his appearance did well enough to keep even the most curious of teenaged boys a fair distance away. Who would in their right mind think to antagonize a man dressed in all-black, wearing sunglasses, and carrying around a giant cross?

In fact, the man felt so comfortable in his natural source of deterrence that he was almost tempted to close his eyes and take a nap. That is, until—

A flicker of motion in his vision. It caught his attention, but it took his brain a few seconds to catch up with exactly what he saw. Could it—? No, he must have been seeing things. He stared at the doors of the saloon across the street, watching them rock back and forth from the motion of someone stepping inside just a moment before. Someone familiar.

-

The bar is relatively quiet, which isn’t uncommon for that time of day. Most folk came in shortly after sundown when the air cooled off and the wind felt lighter, but you’d gotten used to the peace of helping to clean everything up for another night of drunken travelers—much like when you had first wandered into the town, but the mechanic still doesn’t have the parts for your bike and you don’t have money for the parts. Didn’t help that the caravans coming through never had room to take on another body.

So there you are, stuck in the literal middle of the eastern patch, having to clean tables and keep drunk men from fighting one another inside the saloon to make enough money to try and get out of town.

It’s been over a month since the shootout. Though the memory is a bit hazy around the edges, you can still feel the rapid thump of your heart and the sounds of shrieking bullets flying past your head. The last time you had seen—

“Hey there-“

A man’s voice was the first to set off your instincts, the second being his hand pressing down upon your shoulder. Without meaning to you whirl around and immediately thrust out your arms at the same moment that you’re kicking his legs out from beneath him—the man crumples like paper as you fall on top of him in such a way that he’s pinned to the ground and unable to get up.

Keep the wrists apart, knees against the hips and they can’t pivot back up-

“Nicholas?!”

It’s like you’ve seen a ghost.

“Hello to you too babe,” he wheezes, and in that same breath you’re scrambling off of his body and trying to help him back onto his feet. “Lose you for a few weeks and that’s the kinda greeting I get?”

Though his humor makes you smile, you huff indignantly, “What do you expect me to do when someone sneaks up behind me?”

A moment passes, letting the two of you glance over your bodies in something of a habit. He hasn’t lost any limbs it seemed, nor gotten any major injuries since last seeing him—none that he hadn’t already healed with those vials of his. But before you can say out loud how grateful you are that he’s okay, the man—your husband—quickly wraps his arms around you in a hug so tight that it’s almost hard to breathe.

“So happy you’re safe,” he murmurs, lips near your ear and fingertips curling into the fabric of your shirt. “Thought I’d lost you. Couldn’t figure out what direction you went, didn’t see any tracks and thought…”

The words trail off. You return his hug, arms clinging to him in a desperate and grateful moment of relief.

“I’m okay,” the words are murmured into his shoulder. “Was chased for a bit before I finally got a good line of sight, and by the time I was able to walk back you were already gone.”

Wolfwood releases you only so that his hands can reach up and cup your face against his palms. Thumbs brush idly over your cheeks, and even behind the dark lenses of his glasses, you know that he’s looking at you in a way only noticed from sneaky glances and during the intense pleasure of lovemaking. Looking at you with so much love that it almost hurts.

“We’re together again,” he says, then presses his lips to yours in a kiss so quick and desperate that it steals the breath from your lungs. For a moment you think that he’s going to press on further, hands settling needily over your hips and his body crowding yours backwards until a table edge hits the back of your knees.

And then there’s a new voice—outside and distant, but the sound of it makes Nicholas go still all of a sudden.

“Ah fuck, I forgot about the damn truck.”

“The truck?” you ask curiously, raising a brow as he pulls himself away from you reluctantly.

“Long story, but let me come introduce you to the group I’m movin’ around with.”

Hand-in-hand, the two of you step out of the saloon’s swinging doors to see a truck parked across the sandy street, three people stepping around it as if searching for something in confusion. One is an older man, the second a young woman and the third a man with the brightest red jacket you’ve ever seen. He is the first one to turn his attention towards both of you, bright eyes blinking behind golden glasses.

“There he is! Yo, Wolfwood, weren’t you supposed to be with the truck?”

“Something unexpected came up,” he says, gesturing with his free hand towards you. “Want you all to meet my wife.”

The blonde stares at him, and then at you, his expression getting more and more tense in a way you couldn’t describe. Was it disgust? No—maybe confusion? His eyes look between you and Nicholas again, then towards the building behind you.

“What in the world were you doing in the saloon to get married in half an hour?”

[hoodiehydra]

part 2 of the prev angst (part 1 here)

TW: death mention, small anxiety attacks, harsh language

“What do you mean he’s dead?”

“Ayana, when we mean he’s dead, he’s gone. 6 feet under— not really, we didn’t have a funeral. His body was never found…” Aldryx murmured to himself more than he was really talking to her.

Funny, how he sounded less convinced of it more than she ever did.

“But I saw him-! I really did. His horns were gone but it was him,” Ayana clearly was horrified, and also somewhat mourning by then.

Had she seen a ghost? The thought creeped her out more than it should’ve. With how rushed Tabi looked when he approached her, she barely had time to say ‘hello’ before he was questioning her all sorts of things, like ‘how’s Ag and Al?’ or ‘what’s the date?’, all of which she assumed he already knew. What about her questions? Things like ‘what happened to your horns’ or ‘how’s Ag and Al?’

Yet no one could answer her, and the one person she needed answers from was missing— or dead. She was still a little unconvinced.

“He’s been dead for two months, Ay—” Agoti seemed rather unfeeling about the topic, though they all knew this was his way of being calm about it.

“Two MONTHS?!”

The shriek that left Ayana’s lips easily scared both the brothers, leaving them nervous to admit how much they hid from her.

“You’re telling me that you kept his death from me for two whole MONTHS? And not a single moment did you think of maybe dropping a text, or a call, like maybe ‘hey Ay, your friend is LITERALLY DEAD?!”

Another flinch from them.

“He was my friend too, right? I wasn’t forgotten, right? Or did you guys just think it would be cool to leave me out of news of someone dying?”

“Ay, we didn’t…”

“Why are you still calling me that? Why do you still call me ‘Ay’ when you can’t even bother to think about me? Or believe me when I say that I did see Tabi?”

“Okay, Ayana—”

“Never mind. Call me ‘Ay’. Ayana makes me feel even more like a stranger to you guys.”

She turned away, her face refusing to look at them again. Her arms crossed against her chest, and her face was stuck between a glare and a frown, and it was probably a bit of both.

The whirring of the air conditioning in the house only reminded everyone what was lost, the silence making the split even more devastating and far. Ayana felt like screaming, felt like shrieking till her throat bled and her lungs drained of all oxygen, but she knew she’d never be heard. She’s never be seen, like her body was draped by some invisible cloak she had never seen herself. That her presence, even if she couldn’t be seen, could be felt— she wasn’t sure what could be worse.

Knowing her time here with them was bound to run out, whatever time she had with them was slipping between her fingers, and the bucket she used to hold it with had been worn with holes, the pain and grief beating it till it turned and spilled everything out.

Holes.

Just a chasm between her and what she once knew.

Like the rocks she stood on could compare to whatever land the brothers had, the crumbling stones chipping and tumbling into the crevice, smashing into a million pieces as it hit the ground with an echo that she faintly felt in her chest.

Rocks. Falling. Breaking.

Whatever ledge she had left to keep herself standing seemed to be cracking, feeling softer than mud, softer than the memories she once had with them. Crumbling ledge. Stepped away.

Step. Away.

Step. Away.

Away.

Go.

Go. Away.

Stop.

Go.

Stay.

Go.

Wait.

Go.

Ayana couldn’t take it. The house could very well be filled with icicles and she wouldn’t have noticed it at all, the brothers, too. The floor could be slippery with ice but they wouldn’t have known. They wouldn’t have even walked. They wouldn’t have a chance to slip.

It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t right. They knew that, but their pride, ego, refused to let them hear each other out. Ayana knew the brothers wouldn’t intentionally leave her out of the loop, they were assholes, but they had hearts. But what could be more important than a friend dying that they couldn’t tell her?

“… Ay?”

“Do you hate me?”

The brothers were… never expecting that. Ayana could talk about any topic under the sun, and reach Neptune and she would still have more to talk about, and yet, she still said this. They failed her. They failed her as friends. In their eyes, Ayana wasn’t someone they could ever dream of hating, and it was true. They knew they could never hate her, that whatever friendship they had was far too strong to be broken by a death of their friend.

“Why would you ever think that?"

"Well, first of all, you--"

Ayana would have continued if she could, she really would, if not for the sudden firm knock on the door. The hollow banging of knuckles on wood made the place feel more eerie than ever before. The knock sounded hollow, whatever hitting the wooden oak door didn't sound like bones and flesh. It felt like just bones. Bones and a lot of air and a lot of dismay, fear, perhaps.

But there was something so familiar about it within the eeriness of it all, though no one wanted to address it. Not wanting to give into false hope.

Okay, this was fine. Someone knocking at your door in the middle of an argument with a friend that you pissed off by not telling them their friend is dead too is perfectly normal, is what Aldryx wished he could actually tell himself, but no. This was not normal.

This is not normal. Said knocker was made of bones and nothing else and they knew that with the familiar voice accompanied by it.

"Guys? You home?"

What. The. Fu--

Clearly, the brothers could have been more through in their search for their dead friend, or dead friend was amazing at hide-and-seek. No surprise there, to be honest.

"... there's no actual way," Agoti whispered.

"Yes way! I told you guys I saw him!" Ayana was still fuming, but more... calm now. Fortunately, though she still had every intention in her mind to give them the lecture of their lives.

Now wasn't the time. Not when the door slowly squeaked open like the person gripping the door handle was breaking it, when in reality, the hand holding it was barely even touching it as he stumbled onto the carpeted floor.

"Tabi?"

The room suddenly fell tense, like the pull and push was too far to handle that Ayana's ears started to hurt and her head spun. Even the brothers seemed to be having a system malfunction as their jaws suddenly dropped and their spines straightened, taking a sharp inhale of cold air into their lungs.

The poor, confused goat man could feel the needle-like stares from them stabbing him in the chest, and he wasn't sure why exactly. But the silence in the room and the distant sound of their breaths made him want to just slip out of the room and pretend like he didn't just barge in on a seemingly horrible moment.

Definitely not normal. Someone knocking at your door in the middle of an argument with a friend that you pissed off by not telling them their friend is dead too is perfectly normal, and said person who knocked at the door is the dead friend that you were arguing about, and you're no longer sure whether you need glasses or a brain check.

Because Tabi's dead, right?

Agoti, being the ever so fast reactor, shrieked and threw his slipper at the goat guy, which thankfully didn't hit him, since Tabi slapped the slipper away.

But that proved a point, Tabi was real. They weren't just coincidentally hallucinating about their dead friend at the same time because he was alive, in the flesh.

Honestly, Ayana wasn't sure whether to feel even more upset that they didn't trust her words, but seeing the genuine shock on their faces made her calm down a little. They really did think he was dead...

Before Tabi could be showered with a few thousand questions, Ayana stepped in and forced suggested they take a step back and chill out.

Like that’s even possible at this rate, but fine.

The four of them (probably now three and a half because the brothers’ minds left the room the moment Tabi entered — shocker.) and Ayana specifically made sure that Tabi wouldn’t be harassed by them with their curiosities. One by one, and the room got calmer and calmer.

“So… you’re alive?”

“… was I supposed to be dead?”

“No? The explosion? Maybe?”

“I ran away?”

“AND YOU DIDN’T COME BACK?”

“It’s not like I didn’t want to… but you guys would fuss over it and then I wouldn’t have space… and if I came back then it’s also a burden on you guys.”

“You’re not a burden. Then why didn’t you call?”

“Phone broke in the explosion and I had no money to fix it or get a new one.”

“Friends that could tell us what happened?”

“What friends?”

“Right… and you’re better now?”

“Kinda. Got someone to check out for any wounds and they’re just minor fractures here and there. And sprains. Can’t forget the sprains.”

“Jesus Christ man you need to stop pretending like almost dying is okay.”

“You’re the idiots who thought I was dead!”

The room’s tension started to calm down, and the freezing cold ice started to melt. The habitual jokes and small little slips of humour also came back out, what was once the cold warzone of emotions eventually soothed itself into just a simple living room with a couch and four buddies.

“Hey, Ay? We’re sorry we didn’t tell you. We’re not looking for your forgiveness, if you’re still mad, we understand.”

“Not telling me is an asshole move and you know that. I’ll let you off this once, but if Tabi dies again then I expect a text, at least.”

“Die again? I wasn’t even dead in the first place!”

“Yeah, deal,” the brothers agreed, ignoring the small comment from Tabi.

“Okay, so that’s settled… better go tell Sol the news, by the way.”

“No, no, I heard,” Solazar muttered from the doorway, sipping on his coffee.

… ah. They have loads more to unpack.

~~

SEE GUYS HE’S NOT DEAD

what’s my taglist again—

@lightgriffinsect and @foulpeanutbasement (the first to read my whole incomplete draft)

[darcymariaphoster]

hi rae, ily and i hope you feel better <3 and until then here's some wholesome headcanons for you:

-norway has dimples but you have to get a full smile out of him for them to be visible

-denmark is an amazing fkin baker and if one of the nordics' birthdays falls on a world meeting day he'll bake a bunch of cookies and pass them out to everyone at the meeting

-sweden unironically listens to kidzbop bc he used to play it for ladonia and sealand in the car and now he likes it more than they do

-there was a period where iceland didn't really know how to give gifts the usual way so he'd wrap up cool rocks and sticks he found outside to give people for christmas. he still does it sometimes like he always has a pocketful of cool stuff he found on the ground to hand out when a conversation hits an awkward silence and he doesn't know what to say

-the concept of fin speaking to people about his dog in such a way that they literally don't realize he means a dog and not a human daughter. and then he's offended when they finally meet her and are confused that she's a dog. like "what do you MEAN why did i buy hana a designer necklace she is my BABY."

-literally the only reason den wears his hair like that is to be taller than sve

Hi, Ben, ily back! 💕Tysm and uno reverse on you!

These are all so wholesome and sweet. I adore every single one of these. Getting Nor to smile just sounds so worth it! I reference Kidzbob almost every day of my life, ngl. Bless Sve for enduring that. And enduring Denmark lol. I also just adore the idea mental image of how offended Fin would be when people are like, "It's just a dog?" But, ugh, I 100% believe that a gift from Iceland would always make my day better. Cool rocks are the best all the time!

[malbecmusings]

Juneau, Alaska

July 26 & 27 - A warning that was stressed over and over and over by guides we talked to while planning this trip: DO NOT underestimate the bears. A grizzly has a sense of smell exponentially better than a bloodhound. With the ability of said 1,000lb plus behemoth to hit 40, yes f-o-r-t-y, miles an hour for up to 2 miles nonstop, shit could hit the fan faster than you could imagine. The prep we've done, including for a potential unfriendly wildlife encounter could be a book in itself. We're all carrying bear spray; the boy scout and I are each carrying a different type (potency/volume vs range). Everyone is also carrying chest holsters with big bore handguns, and yes, praying we don't have to use them.

My first thought this morning was one of of gratitude for not having any large, nosey critters come into camp in the middle of the night. My second thought was about how good I felt. We spent for-effin-ever trying out different tens, sleeping bags, and sleeping pads before we found a combo that we liked. Although it was in the 50's we stayed warm and didn't wake up feeling like we had spent the night sleeping on rocks, which is exactly what we had done.

Half our party was already up having coffee around the fire when I unzipped the tent to assess the world. The clouds were pretty low so there wasn't a need to get in a hurry. While everyone primarily responsible for flying is instrument rated, meaning we could get up and call for a clearance to fly into Juneau.... why?

Instead of rushing to get everything packed up, we decided to make a big breakfast and chill while we waited for the weather to lift. There wasn't as much concern about cooking this morning because we'd all be up and *might* be able to see or hear something coming. Our resident chefs went wild and made the biggest, best tasting breakfast burritos and pancakes I've ever had. My contribution to the feast was virgin Bloody Marys which were almost as good as the high test variety.

The ceilings lifted by the time we finished breakfast, got everything cleaned up, and the planes packed. We flew upriver in search of more gravel bars to do touch and go's on. I made two full stop landings in a slight crosswind that even I was proud of. It pays to sleep with know a good CFI.

Juneau holds the distinction of being one of only two state capitols that are wholly inaccessible by an outside road system. In addition to being a government town, it's also tourist central, with a yearly average visitor count of more than a million tourists. That's a lot, especially considering the metro population is barely 36K. But, it is stunning. Turn in any direction and you'll find mountains, the ocean, glaciers, and wildlife within arms reach.

We got lucky and found a VRBO big enough to house all of us rather than staying at a hotel. Bonus points for it being close to the airport. Our host was quick to recommend the Salmon Bake for dinner. Her instructions were to dress warm and go hungry. Imagine a rustic outdoor Cracker Barrel buffet. It was a bit very touristy, but isn't that the point? You can belly up to the bar, chill around a campfire and roast marshmallows, pan for gold, shop for stuff (of course), and enjoy an "Alaskan experience" while feasting on pretty decent food. Two tips: get a table by the creek if you can and get the glazed salmon.

Juneau Part II: We had a chill night and crashed early because we had a fishing charter scheduled this morning. Another cool, beautiful but wet morning. To hopefully minimize the risk of a lung issue flareup, I broke out both the layered cold weather and foul weather gear. It took two boats to haul all of us and the better part of an hour to reach the fishing grounds, which looked an awful lot like ALL the water we passed before reaching that spot. Our guides were amazing though. Between us, we caught a literal boatload of halibut, salmon, and rockfish surrounded by some of the most mind blowing scenery imaginable. The guides are going to process everything except what we saved for dinner and ship it to us when we get home.

We were planning to hike up to Mendenhall Glacier when we got back but pulling all these fish up from the bottom of the damn ocean wore us out. Instead we built a fire in the fire-pit, had a few drinks, and enjoyed a chill night. Tomorrow we head north again for another few nights off the grid. Our first stop will be the town of Cordova where we'll refuel and provision before heading to a Forest Service cabin on Hinchinbrook Island.

[afriendlygoblin]

my thoughts on TOTK because i need to ramble about it somewhere and my friend hasn't finished it yet

SPOILERS

i'm gonna go through the main quests/parts as i completed them

1) the opening, Great Sky Island, Temple of Time and landing in Hyrule

it made me really really really happy to see that Link and Zelda were still around each other like this, exploring stuff together and all. the awakening cutscene gave me chills and really all i could think about was finding Zelda.

discovering the Great Sky Island was fun, though i was used to my comfort in BOTW so it was quite a shock to not have the paraglider and get one-shot by literally anything. but i guess that's normal

then i really liked meeting Rauru though i missed having at least a clue of what was going on. like in BOTW, the king tells you "alright, the world is shit because this happened, Zelda is over there waiting for you, now u do u". there i had this feeling of being absolutely clueless for the first few hours of gameplay and it was frustrating at times.

Lookout Landing was a heartwarming sight, seeing people rebuild and stuff genuinely made me smile. i did feel a pinch in my heart when i recognized that it was built on the very ground where Link swore his oath as Zelda's appointed knight. but overall it was great and i loved the concept of the new towers.

2) the Temples and Sages

i started with Rito Village and the Wind temple. i love Tulin with all my heart and i have to say i use his ability the most. the temple was a pain to access and the cold was annoying but i had a blast with the boss battle. didn't really use Tulin's help there because it was really easy to do on my own but i enjoyed having a supporter during the fight.

i was favorably surprised when i found out that Tulin's clone would accompany me forever. BOTW was a pretty lonely game. peaceful and beautiful but lonely nonetheless. also seeing Teba give his son the Great Eagle Bow made me emotional i admit. i wish there were more references to Revali (and the Champions in general) but eh at least he has a Landing named after him. also where did the Flight Range go?

next i went to Goron City. it felt strange to not instantly catch on fire but well, i was happy with no more elixirs and ugly outfits (not a fan of the fireproof set). the battle against the 3 headed monster in Death Mountain was awesome and it reminded me of how fun it was to yeet Yunobo around. speaking of which i was so relieved when i got him back to normal because that rock boi is precious and seeing him being mean was not cool.

the Temple was a bit annoying tbh, i got lost in the rail system so i just went and monkeyed around climbing everything and flying everywhere. the boss fight was also quite forgettable though i liked using Yunobo's ability more. again, there was zero mention of Daruk (that i remember) and Daruk's Protection has been entirely forgotten. i know the goal isn't to live in the past but i find it sad to see it pretty much forgotten about in some areas.

after that i went to Zora's Domain and had fun yeeting splash fruit at the sludge. i almost had a heart attack when i saw that the Mipha statue had been replaced but i was so thrilled to see it relocated to where the Lynel used to be. they really built her a splendid memorial and she can really watch over her people from there.

i had missed Sidon and his smile, and helping Yona bringing him back to his true optimistic charming self was really great. i liked that since the Zora live long lives, everyone remembered me (Link) more than in other parts of Hyrule. oh and Sidon's coronation had me smiling ear to ear because i was so proud of my fish brother.

i had so much fun in the temple and its weird gravity, sometimes i go back just to jump around and dive in slow motion. the boss fight was correct, though it was annoying to go so slow through sludge.

finally, i made my way to Gerudo Town. the gibdos surprised me but by pure luck i had a fire lizalfos horn weapon equipped so i was never in any real danger. i loved organizing the defenses of Gerudo Town and fighting alongside Riju's warriors.

i loved seeing how Riju had grown since we last saw her, she and Tulin were like my young niblings and seeing them grow made me so proud. again i don't remember any tribute to Urbosa but seeing Riju's dual Scimitars of the Seven was a nice touch so i didn't say anything.

the temple was really cool and the boss fight made me rage quit once or twice so i consider it to be awesome. i thought i was gonna throw my Switch against the wall but then i remembered Zelda needed me so i took a breath and went back to the fight.

overall i really liked this part of the game, seeing my old new friends was very heartwarming and having their clones follow me in my daily life made the game so much less lonely than BOTW was.

3) Tears of the Dragon

no. i am still sobbing, throwing up, rolling on the floor. no. seeing Zelda finding not one but 2 loving parental figures only to lose them 20 min later, Ganondorf's ascension, Rauru's sacrifice, ZELDA'S SACRIFICE ABZBZBFKGNDKDLS I WAS NOT READY. i didn't find the memories in chronological order so when i found the one that hinted what was going to happen to Zelda i rushed them all and stayed up until like 4 am to see them all. the final one tore me apart and i basically cried myself to sleep (not really but almost). i actually had to go spoil myself online just to put my mind at ease because like what if we could never get her back???

after that and the Master Sword quest, whenever i saw Zelda not too far from a tower i'd go see her and rest on her head for a little while while imagining Link talking to her.

i was at a point where i didn't really know what to do with myself, i still had Gerudo Town to visit but eh i was a bit sick of boss battles at the moment. seeing the memories remotivated me and pushed me to finish the main quests as fast as possible to get Zelda back.

4) the Master Sword

as eager as i was to just go and beat up Ganondorf, i couldn't imagine doing it without my trursty blade, and also the reason why Zelda sacrificed herself. so i decided to go see the Great Deku Tree so seek counsel. after a quick in and out trip to the depth, i found a dying tree in no shape to answer my questions.

Phantom Ganon handed my ass to me a few times but once i got his attack patterns right, it all went smooth like a baby's butt cheek.

getting the Master Sword from Zelda's head made me so emotional, i had just seen a fanart of that scene where Link let himself fall while crying and clutching the sword against his heart. that was how i felt it really.

5) the Depths and Fifth Sage

so after crying my eyes, heart, lungs and intestines out, i had to continue investigating to know where the hell Ganondorf was. that led me to the Depth, searching for all the abandonned mines and everything. on the way i had fun in the battles against Kohga, i had missed his ridiculous... him.

i'm not the biggest fan of the Depths but hey, you can find pretty awesome stuff down there so i do spend a lot of time farming Zonaite and throwing Brightbloom seeds around.

finding and assembling Mineru's construct felt a bit ehh. the shrine like puzzles to get the limbs were thankfully not too long but really all i wanted was to get over with it. funny enough i was fully prepared for a big twist like Mineru revealing that she was with Ganondorf and having to fight the construct i had just built myself.

what i got was even better. like mech fight??? hello?? that was awesome though it took me some time to get the controls down. but ah as a kid who grew up playing Solatorobo, riding the construct was just cbfkdkd SO COOL.

6) the Final Fight

i'll just focus on the battles because the way to get to the Gloom's Lair or whatever was just like yeah sure go off i guess. chasing Zelda through the Castle was just a delay of what i knew would happen underground and then i mostly dodged the monsters except the Lynel because come on who has time for that.

the. EPIC. BATTLE. AGAINST. AN ENTIRE. ARMY. my Goddess fighting hordes and hordes of monsters alongside my friends with the most epic music was just so euphoric and cathartic and just fullfilling ahhhhgg. when i saw the temple bossed coming back to life i was gully prepared to take them on with my friends but nope, the game had other plans for me.

and what plans oh bloody hell this FIGHT? THAT is what i call a boss battle. in BOTW, Ganon wasn't hard to kill. like it had taken me less than 5 tries i think, 3 of them being just to learn the fight's mechanics. but here? the first part i got quickly, after all it was just a one on one against a (large) human sized villain. the pace was slow, there was no music, in a word : a warmup.

then he activates his secret stone and turns into a human emo LED. alright sure. and then his health bar replenishes. AND KEEPS GOING. i was expecting it to just go beyond the screen border at this point. and oh the clones, how many times did i accidentally get killed by one of them. having my friends fight them for me was cool but too many times i ended up ignoring them and taking a lost bullet becayse of that.

then comes the real 1v1 againt the Demon King. THAT was the fight i'd been waiting for. the final confrontation between the Hero and Evil, the final battle that would- he can Flurry Rush? what do you mean he can Flurry Rush?? alright then, i'll just be careful, good thing i have a good shield haha HE CAN FLURRY RUSH MY FLURRY RUSH?????? HOW WHAT WHY WTF ah at least i can Flurry Rush his Flurry Rush that he Flurry Rushed from my Flurry Rush. McFlurry.

after at least 20 tries, tears and a break because my left index was sore from keeping my shield up, i finally got to deal a final strike. and then oh my GODDESS THIS PART

Zelda rushes to my aid and together we face that giant Demon Dragon. she soars, allowing me to dive and land right next to one of the Demon's weak point. i attack it, then bet blown off. Zelda gets me back and we repeat the maneuver 3 times. finally, i dive one last time to the Demon's head and shatter the Secret Stone.

no more Demon, no more Ganondorf, it really is over this time.

7) the End

is it? the sky is peaceful, as i, behind my screen, thank the princess for her help and tell her that we succeded, i start floating off of her head. Rauru and Sonia appear and somehow channel their magic through my arm.

and there she is. my princess. my Zelda. the one i travelled through Sky, Land and Depth to find. the one i've been chasing for (in game) months (days irl).

and she's falling. shit. so i dive as fast as i can, i extend my freshly restored arm and.... i got her! a perfect echo to the opening, an exquisite parallel, i took so many screenshots of this scene and i will cherish them forever.

then i watched the last cutscenes, my Zelink heart that was already screaming exploded when i saw Link gently put Zelda down on the grass. she wakes up, sees Link, looks around and... "you really did it" no princess, we did it together. "Oh Link... i'm home" AAAAAHAHBBFNDKDBBF I SCREAMED i really screamed and thank the Goddess that i live alone because it was again 4am and had i been at my parent's place, Zelda's smile would have been the last thing i'd seen before certain death (not that i would have minded). i wish i could hug my princess in that moment. yes, you're home. i promised i'd get you back when i saw your memories so here you are. and you're never leaving me again.

end credits, i use that time to process what i just lived. then i watch the post credit cutscene, shed a tear watching Mineru rest in peace and the new Sages swear their oath. everything's good now.

and then i'm transported back to Castle Chasm. yay.

Additional 1) the Gameplay

as an engineering student, i had been waiting for this game for so long (only could play it a month after release because of finals) and it didn't disappoint. well to be honest i was used to BOTW's controls and though they were similar here, i missed using the cross' top arrow to pick a rune. minor stuff like that. BUT WHO CARE WHEN YOU CAN BUILD CARS, PLANES, ROCKETS AND TORTURE DEVICES

i fully started enjoying vehicle building when i expanded my battery. from then on i was unstoppable, roaming around Hyrule on my Turbo Deadly Flying Tricycle that shoots fire and laser beams.

also i'm a pretty peaceful being but i have to admit that nailing a Korok to a cross and pulling it around with your horse like "do you have time for our Lord and Savior Korok Christ?" is really really fun.

Additional 2) the World

also i loved the additions they made to the stables like the Pony Points system. and ah finally i don't have to talk to this random girl to change my saddle.

i'm a sucker for fantasy sky island so i was so happy to see some in Hyrule sky. though i wish there were a bit more or at least some bigger ones. Great Sky Island was nice but then in other regions, aside from a shrine here and a dispenser there i didn't spend a lot of time up tthere.

Hyrule was at the same time the good old same and a totally new and foreign place. cities and villages were in the same place but they were so different. Tarrey Town had grown so much (btw fuck you Rail Car guy i built this place you should pay ME). Kakariko had its new Ring Ruins, Hateno had developped a mushroom frenzy... AND ZELDA HAS STOLEN MY HOUSE??? HAY PRINCESS YOU HAVE A CASTLE AT LEAST LET ME HAVE THIS oh? is that my hair tie? and... you're writing about me in your diary? oh so we live together... alright then all good! also seeing the photo from Champion's Ballad exactly where i hung it in BOTW brought a tear to my eye. no, our omd friends aren't forgotten. and they will always be home.

i'll stop there because i'm hungry and i've been rambling for an hour and a half but this game is just so so so good. the story touched me a bit less than that of BOTW for some reason but it did make me emotional af. i wish we had a postgame which solely consists of completing the secondary adventures and like... farming in Hateno Village with Zelda but eh, be grateful for what you have i told myself. i think i will go have a cutscene marathon starting with Age of Calamity now.

Additional 3) the Side Quests

while i ignored most of them (will get to them eventually no worry about that), i particularly appreciated the Monster Control ones and the Lurelin line. these quests really made me feel how important community and cooperation are in this game. because you have your own community of heroes with the Sages and also the researchers, people who are in the heart of the story but there you get to see other communities. the losers with a valiant heart, fighting silver moblins with mops and buckets as helmets, the exiled fishermen who lost their town but with your help get to rebuild their home etc. this makes this game whole because it reminds you that yeah, there are always epic tales of legendary heroes, dramatic tragedies and heroic sacrifices but there are also smaller, equally as important stories. there's the story of how anyone can rise up and fight monsters and there's the story of how to rebuild your home after it was totally destroyed. and you get to be a part of all these stories, big or small. and that's beautiful.

also i liked stealing Zelda's horse again. you took my house i take your horse, fair is fair.

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball GT 34

✨ GT Stands For Gorilla Time✨

Hey, what’s good?  Goku’s a Golden Oozaru!  I gotta say, this is pretty neat.  He’s just a-rompin and a-strompin’ all over this stupid planet, and nobody can stop him and he doesn’t give a shit, because Goku never learned to control himself in the Oozaru form. 

✨Positivity Page✨

This is very satisfying, because he’s attacking friend and foe alike.  Everyone was picking on him this whole series, but who’s bad now?  Oh, you want to yell at Goku for getting turned into a kid, Chi-Chi?  Well up yours!  Oh, what’s wrong now, Pan?  You want to blame Goku for your stupid laxative plan not working?  Go stow away another spaceship!  It seems like that’s all you’re good for.  Bulla?  Does Goku even know who that is?  Well, I’m sure she got on his case at some point, so “Roar”, I guess. 

“Oh, no! If only we’d been nice to Goku and admitted how cool and good he is, instead of going on Twitter and calling him a bad dad.”  Well it’s too late now, dummies. 

“Rarrr!  Rawrr!  Look at this big rock I found!  Graaahhhh!”

Baby starts having flashbacks to the Saiyan-Tuffle War, when the Saiyans would use the full moon to launch devastating attacks on Tuffle cities.

Could history be repeating itself?  No, Baby thinks.  He’s got the strongest body in the universe.  He can defeat this threat to his new homeland. 

Bullshit he can.  Goku’s not one of those dime-a-dozen giant apes from the War, he’s a Super Saiyan Great Ape.  So Baby can do exactly two things about this situation:

1) Nothin’

2) Like it.

Arrrghhhh!  Look at this mountain, it’s huge and Goku broke it with his mighty strength!  Roar!

Now that I think about it, this is like when Piccolo went to Namek and fused with Nail, and he was all overcome with emotions when he realized he was on his home planet.  This is basically the Goku version of that, but with more chest-pounding. 

BURN!  BURN IT TO THE GROUND! BURN!  AIEEE!

Look at this enormous bastard just doing whatever he wants, he’s great!

Okay, enough fooling around.  Suffice to say, this was not what the Elder Kai had in mind.  As we saw in the last episode, he seemed to have no idea how Goku’s tail would help him fight, only that it would help in some vague way.  I’m not sure he expected this transformation, or that Goku would lose all control of himself and become a mindless animal. 

Kibitoshin stands ready to cut off Goku’s tail to change him back to normal, but the Old Kai says they can’t risk that becuase Baby’s still at large, and if they cut off Goku’s tail now, then they lose all the power Goku’s gained so far.   They’d just have to bring him back here and grow the tail back again, and nobody’s got time for that bullshit. I didn’t want to see it the first time.  

No, the only hope they have now is that Goku will somehow gain control of himself and come to his senses, but he has no idea how to help him do that.  Seriously, what was the Old Kai’s plan, exactly?  Did he write “TAIL” on a cocktail napkin, and nothing else?

Eventually, Goku notices the Earth and he starts climbing to get closer to it, and then he starts reaching up for it like a confused toddler.  This might be my favorite shot in the series, because Goku is literally caught between his two worlds, and he just wants to go home to his loved ones and return to the way things were.  Also, he really wants a banana, and they don��t have any on the Tuffle Planet. 

Pan tries to reason with him, which is pretty cool because they’re finally using Pan in a way that makes her important, even within the narrow constraints of Kozo Morishita’s “heroine” doctrine.  She can’t defeat Baby or Goku in battle, but she can remind Goku of who is, and what he means to her.  She shows him the dogi she wore at the 28th Budokai, where she defeated Wild Tiger.  Pan’s held onto it ever since, and I guess it says a lot that she brought it along even on this mission to the Tuffle Planet.  But Goku doesn’t care and he swats her away. 

Then a photograph falls out of Pan’s backpack and Goku improbably catches it in his giant ape paw.  Well, he is a Super Saiyan Oozaru.  And that seems to get his attention.

It’s a shot of the whole gang at the beach, probably not long before or after the finale of Dragon Ball Z.  Check out Buu’s dog, Bee, sleeping under Mr. Satan’s chair.  This is a classic example of how the best things in GT are just callbacks and flashbacks from DBZ.  I’ve never cared for Goten’s mullet, but after seeing his Tuffle perma-smirk and his stupid GT haircut, it’s like I’m looking at an old friend.

Hot damn, Chi-Chi looked amazing in this flashback.  Anyway, Goku remembers Pan running out into the ocean, only to get a mouthful of seawater for her trouble, and when she complains about it being salty, Goku makes a joke about how it’s salty because everyone pees in there. 

As Goku recalls this, Pan starts crying, and he reaches out and catches a tear on his big monkey fingertip, then he tastes it, and I guess the flavor reminds him of the seawater, and Pan crying that day at the beach, and his sexy wife, and the bananas they had for lunch that day, and it all comes together...

GRAAAHHHH THE POWERR OF MEMORY!

And then Goku starts changing again, shrinking to human size, but nothing remotely like he was before.  This frightens Pan, which is a nice touch.  The audience knows what this is all about, but no one told her to expect this.  She might have heard stories about the Oozaru, but no one could have prepared her for this.

Meanwhile, Baby is heading back to base.  He can’t defeat Golden Oozaru Goku at his current power level, but he figures that if Goku can do this, then so can he, since he’s using Vegeta’s body.  But Goku may have just gotten a second step ahead of him...

✨ “Good” “Ideas”, Poorly Executed✨

So, a Golden Oozaru?  Now why does that seem so familiar?  Oh yeah, right. 

I have no objections to Toei bringing back this concept.  Let me be clear about that.  The point of this segment is not to complain about Toei using old ideas in GT.  The point is to refute the argument that GT had “good ideas”.  It didn’t. GT had old ideas borrowed from Toriyama, and it had bad ideas that were original but stupid, like the whole bit with the pliers.  Whenever GT got anything right, it was just re-doing something we had already seen before.  Look, GT even had lava in this episode.

And I can assure you that Goku’s 40xgreat granny Luffa is very touched by this homage to her batshit rampage in the distant past, but it’s not an original idea.  If anything, this is just another delay to put off the real main event of this arc.  No one was tuning into GT to see Golden Oozaru Goku.

“RARRRHH!  I’M HONORED, KAKAROT, BUT GET THE HELL ON WITH IT!”

It’s not even a secret at this point.  The Old Kai even says the words “Super Saiyan 4″ while he talks about Goku needing to regain control of his mind.  I think the idea here is that if Goku had already mastered the Oozaru form, the way Vegeta had done in DBZ, then he might have automatically reached SSJ4.  but Goku never learned how, and maybe the Old Kai never considered that possibility.  

What I still don’t understand is how the Old Kai knew about this recipe for Super Saiyan 4 in the first place.  He seemed to have no idea how the Oozaru form worked, so how could he have known about this?  But we’ll discuss that later.

The point is that viewers were tuning in to see Goku get good and kick Baby’s ass, and for five weeks in a row, they kept getting ripped off.  Sugoroku Space.  The Coffee Grinder.  The Pliers.  The Rematch at Super Saiyan 3.  Now this.  And just as Goku finally, finally turns into a Super Saiyan 4...

The episode ends before we get to see him use it!

And don’t tell me the audience in Japan wasn’t frustrated, because I was watching this every week in 2004, hoping to check out Super Saiyan 4 for myself. These last five episodes pissed me off something fierce, and it still kind of makes me sore, even when I’m watching two or three at a time on Crunchyroll. 

✨ Is this episode worse than “The Roaming Lake”✨

I know I had a lot of fun posting screencaps of Goku on a rampage, but that’s just me being a good blogger.  This episode is dumb, because so much of it is Goku wandering around Tuffle City or whatever, with no plan or agenda.  No one can stop him, and you know that whatever Pan does won’t work until the very end, because they have to make the whole episode about this one thing. 

It’s one of the better GT episodes, to be sure, but that isn’t saying much.  At least Goku could talk in “The Roaming Lake.” 

“GRAAHH!  I LOOK AWESOME BUT MY APPEARANCE IN THIS SHOW IS ULTIMATELY HOLLOW AND POINTLESS.  WHERE ARE THE BANANAS?!”

Also, a lot of my enjoyment of this episode is derived from the way Goku is terrorizing all the other characters, which GT has driven me to resent.  That’s not exactly a sign of high quality. 

  ✨The Blade Braxton Memorial Haiku* ✨

Goku’s transforming!

Verrrrrrrrrrrrrry slowwwwwwly.  Soon, he’ll bore

Me in all new ways.

[seitmai]

“She’s damn fine, ain’t she?” He asked without really meaning to, and when he looked over at Ben and met his apprehensive gaze, he added, “Don’t answer that.” 

This cracked me up 😂

“That pizza place down the road,” Tyler answered with a grin as he started the engine. “Gonna see if I still got it.”

My guess would be yes, but lets see👀

“Yeah, uh, from one storm chaser to another,” he cleared his throat and lifted the pizza box. “Just wanted to make sure you’re fed.” Your cool facade from earlier was completely gone as you looked up at him in surprise. “Oh, wow,” you smiled at him and reached for the box. “That’s really sweet.” 

It really is sweet 🥰

Tyler shrugged and let his hand fall back down to his side. “No problem,” he mumbled and really hoped you didn’t slam the door in his face. For some reason, he wanted to get to know you, despite the unspoken rivalry between his friends and yours.  And that was how Tyler found himself sitting next to you on the motel bed, the pizza half eaten as you and he talked for hours on end. 

Oh he's still got it 🤭

And that was also the same night he fell head over heels in love with you.

🥰🥰🥰

 “Holy shit, did you see that?” Tyler yelled excitedly as he pulled into the parking lot after another successful stream. Boone jumped out of the truck and went over to Lilly while Tyler headed straight to you, and he gathered you into his arms before you could answer his question. “I did,” you laugh and wrap your arms around his shoulders as he lifts you off the ground. You return the kiss instantly, your hands reaching up to tangle in his messy hair as you press yourself even closer to him. “Are you high on adrenaline or are you just happy to see me?” You teased against his lips and he smirked, gripping your waist a bit tighter. 

This little post-storm is juat so cute and so them 🥰😍

You shrugged and trailed your hands through his hair. “People are kinda pushy, but I don’t blame them,” you smiled and slid your hands down to his biceps. “If I weren’t already your girlfriend, I’d want my shot with you, too.” Tyler grinned and leaned down to whisper in your ear. “Well, lucky for you, I’ve already been snagged by the prettiest girl in Oklahoma,” he paired his words with a soft pinch to your hip, and he reveled in the quiet squeal it produced. “But seriously, you’re my rock, sweetheart. Thank you for being by my side for the last few months.”

Urgh they are so in love, I love it 🥰

“Uh oh,” you teased, pinching his side this time. “Someone’s touching your most prized possession.” Tyler smirked down at you and brushed off the pinch, leaning down to press a kiss to your cheek. “You’re my most prized possession,” he rasped and took notice of the way your face turned red as he turned around and headed towards his truck to help out Boone. 

Like who thought Tyler is such a simp 🤭😍

Tyler let out a soft scoff. “I’ve been handlin’ you for three months now just fine, sweetheart,” he grinned over at you in the dark truck. “But I’m serious, seein’ you every day would make me so fuckin’ happy, you have no idea. And it’ll help to know that you’re safe with me every time a tornado hits.”  “Yeah,” you trail off, looking around at the moonlit fields as you kiss the back of his hand. “Truthfully, I don’t feel safer than when I’m with you. In your arms, all of that stuff.”

I just love the energy and passion they have for each other (and storms obviously)

“And that makes me the luckiest fucker in Oklahoma now that I’ll have you by my side every day. We’re gonna have so much fun, baby. You, me, and Mother fucking Nature. And Boone.”

And Boone 😂

“Yeah, it’s better to be safe than-woah, what the hell are you doing?” Before you could finish your sentence, Tyler reached around you and grabbed the IPad and literally threw it across the room. The sound of glass breaking, followed by a thud had you gasping and turning your head to look back at him. “Tyler! That was your IPad.” “Yeah, and that means I know what’s all on it, and I don’t give a single fuck about any of it right now,” he muttered and pulled out of you. When you opened your mouth to protest, he grabbed your waist and flipped you onto your back, “Jesus Christ, you’re worse than me. We just barely survived a tornado, and you’re already thinkin’ about the next one?”

They match each other's freak as you say 🤭

No words were said as he kept his lips softly pressed to yours, and kept himself buried deep inside you. He stayed like that for a long time, finally feeling like, for once in his life, he had everything he could ever want.

I loved this! Such a fun and cute story 🥰😍

Game of Love & Chase

➪the one where tyler fell for you the second he saw you, and he uses his cocky persona and charm to worm his way into your heart.

Warnings: fluff, smut, swearing, bit of pining, unprotected sex, mentions of near death experience, i think that is all

Word Count: 2.7k

Do not repost this anywhere, reblogs are fine ♡ | THANK YOU FOR 5.2K FOLLOWERS

“What did she say her name was again?” Tyler asked Ben as the reporter scribbled down some notes in his book. His green eyes were looking across the lot as Kate showed you the stats from the most recent tornado, and Ben looked up from his notebook and looked in that direction as well. 

“Uh, Kate, I think,” he answered as he adjusted his glasses. “Wait, I wrote it down-”

“No, not her,” Tyler cut him off and watched as you gave Kate a smile before walking away from her and brushing past him. You barely glanced at him when you walked by, and Tyler bit back a groan as he sunk his teeth into his lower lip and watched as you headed back to your room at the cheap motel. “Her.”

Ben lifted his head and looked over at you just as you closed the door behind you. “Oh, that one,” he observed before flipping through his organized book. “That’s Y/n. She never gave me her last name.”

Tyler let out a low whistle before turning to face his new reporter. “And what did she say her job was?”

“She’s a new member of Storm Par,” he responded.

“Storm Par, huh?” Tyler repeated as he met Kate’s eyes, and he gave her a quick nod before looking away again. “And she’s from around here? How come I’ve never seen her before?”

Ben shrugged as he sat down on the lawn chair next to Tyler’s truck. “She’s been living in New York for a few years now. Her and Kate both,”

Tyler nodded and looked over at your closed door as he leaned back against the truck. 

Damn, you were a smokeshow. A total dream, and you were so obviously on the wrong side here. You grew up around Tyler’s parts of town, you could easily be part of his team, instead of with the money hungry chasers that made up Storm Par. Really, what did they know? That Javi guy has been talking Tyler’s ear off a bit too much lately, bragging about his PhD, but he had yet to tame an actual storm. 

Meanwhile, Tyler was effortlessly taming them and then some, even shooting off fireworks into a tornado at the request of one of his subscribers. He loved doing it, and as much as he loved having Boone in his passenger seat, he was sure he’d love having you there even more.

“She’s damn fine, ain’t she?” He asked without really meaning to, and when he looked over at Ben and met his apprehensive gaze, he added, “Don’t answer that.” 

Tyler pushed himself off the truck before pulling open the door and hopping in the driver’s seat. “Where are you going?” Ben asked as he moved his chair away from the truck. 

“That pizza place down the road,” Tyler answered with a grin as he started the engine. “Gonna see if I still got it.”

Ben furrowed his brows and opened his mouth to ask further questions, but Tyler put the truck in drive and took off before he could get another word out. A half hour later, he had a pizza box slung under his arm and a confident grin on his face as he knocked on your door and leaned against the frame. 

“Hey,” he greeted when you swung the door open, but his smug grin and cocky attitude dropped once he took in what you were wearing. You ditched your cargo pants and Storm Par shirt and instead had on an oversized tee that fell to your midthigh, with one side tucked into the tiniest pair of shorts Tyler had ever seen. He nearly dropped the pizza box as he straightened himself up. “Oh.”

A blush took over your face as you crossed one leg over the other and half hid behind the open door as you looked up at him. “Um, hi. Sorry, I, uh,” you trail off, clearly having been caught off guard by his sudden visit. “I wasn’t expecting anyone tonight.”

Tyler felt his brows furrow. You weren’t expecting anyone tonight? But what about the other nights? Oh, fuck, did you already have a boyfriend? 

“Yeah, uh, from one storm chaser to another,” he cleared his throat and lifted the pizza box. “Just wanted to make sure you’re fed.” 

Your cool facade from earlier was completely gone as you looked up at him in surprise. “Oh, wow,” you smiled at him and reached for the box. “That’s really sweet.” 

Tyler shrugged and let his hand fall back down to his side. “No problem,” he mumbled and really hoped you didn’t slam the door in his face. For some reason, he wanted to get to know you, despite the unspoken rivalry between his friends and yours.  

You were goddamn gorgeous, and had a hidden side to you that he was getting a glimpse of right now, and he wanted to see more of it. He wanted you and him to be different from everyone else, and give each other a chance, because he knew his cocky attitude was mostly for show, and he could tell that you were far more sweeter than you were letting on.

You shifted from one foot to the other, and bit down on your lip before offering, “Do you wanna come in? I don’t think I can eat this whole thing by myself,” the hint of vulnerability in your voice had Tyler smiling, and he was nodding before he could stop himself. 

And that was how Tyler found himself sitting next to you on the motel bed, the pizza half eaten as you and he talked for hours on end. 

And that was also the same night he fell head over heels in love with you. 

-

“Holy shit, did you see that?” Tyler yelled excitedly as he pulled into the parking lot after another successful stream. Boone jumped out of the truck and went over to Lilly while Tyler headed straight to you, and he gathered you into his arms before you could answer his question. 

“I did,” you laugh and wrap your arms around his shoulders as he lifts you off the ground. 

He held you close for a little longer before setting you back down and taking you in. God, you looked cute. You had long since ditched the Storm Par outfit and instead were wearing one of his flannels and a pair of jean shorts. His shirt hung off you pretty loosely, with one of your shoulders being exposed, and he bit down on his lip before leaning in and pressing a searing kiss to your mouth. 

You return the kiss instantly, your hands reaching up to tangle in his messy hair as you press yourself even closer to him. “Are you high on adrenaline or are you just happy to see me?” You teased against his lips and he smirked, gripping your waist a bit tighter. 

“Both,” he answered, his lips brushing against yours once more. He pulled back and looked around the chaotic surroundings with a wince, knowing that you weren’t a big fan of crowded places. “How are you holdin’ up here?”

You shrugged and trailed your hands through his hair. “People are kinda pushy, but I don’t blame them,” you smiled and slid your hands down to his biceps. “If I weren’t already your girlfriend, I’d want my shot with you, too.”

Tyler grinned and leaned down to whisper in your ear. “Well, lucky for you, I’ve already been snagged by the prettiest girl in Oklahoma,” he paired his words with a soft pinch to your hip, and he reveled in the quiet squeal it produced. “But seriously, you’re my rock, sweetheart. Thank you for being by my side for the last few months.”

You smiled at him and ran your fingers over his stubble before tracing his lips with your thumb. “Of course,” you murmured. “I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else. I’m by your side, always.”

Tyler brought you closer to him by wrapping his arms around your middle, pulling you snug against his chest. “That’s right, babygirl,” he mumbled and leaned down to kiss you again, but Boone’s annoyed yell interrupted the moment. He looked over and saw his friend making a beeline towards Tyler’s truck, and when he followed him with his eyes, Tyler saw an over excited fan putting his hands all over the front of it. 

“Uh oh,” you teased, pinching his side this time. “Someone’s touching your most prized possession.”

Tyler smirked down at you and brushed off the pinch, leaning down to press a kiss to your cheek. “You’re my most prized possession,” he rasped and took notice of the way your face turned red as he turned around and headed towards his truck to help out Boone. 

Half an hour later, you were in the passenger seat of that very truck as Tyler drove, the two of you craving a much needed break from all the chaos back there. 

His hand was on your thigh, his fingers tracing random shapes on your skin as he drove slowly down the dirt road, not in any rush at all when it came to simply being with you. “So…have you, uh…given any more thought about comin’ on the road with me full time?” He asked over the faint hum of a random country song playing on the radio. “I know it’s kind of a big decision, and we’ve only been together for a few months, but still…”

You place your hand on top of his and give it a firm squeeze. “Do you think you can handle seeing me every single day? All day?”

Tyler let out a soft scoff. “I’ve been handlin’ you for three months now just fine, sweetheart,” he grinned over at you in the dark truck. “But I’m serious, seein’ you every day would make me so fuckin’ happy, you have no idea. And it’ll help to know that you’re safe with me every time a tornado hits.” 

“Yeah,” you trail off, looking around at the moonlit fields as you kiss the back of his hand. “Truthfully, I don’t feel safer than when I’m with you. In your arms, all of that stuff.” 

He laughed quietly, because you were so not the romantic type, which is why you had a hard time not referring to all the things you and he do together as ‘stuff’. “Sounds to me like you’ve made your decision,” he observes, a hopeful tone in his voice. “Well, I can’t promise it’ll be easy. But I can promise that your safety will be my number one priority, always. Whether we’re out in a storm together, or tangled up in each other’s arms on motel beds; you’re the first thing on my mind.”

He rests your joined hands on the center console, careful not to press any of the buttons scattered on it, 

“So what do you say, babygirl?” He glanced over at you and gave your hand another gentle squeeze. “Will you do it with me?”

You give him a nod and a sheepish smile. “I’m all in, Ty,” 

Tyler let out a loud ‘woo!’, before bringing your hand back up to his mouth and pressing kisses all over the back of it. “You are now a Tornado Wrangler, sweetheart,” he declared, “And that makes me the luckiest fucker in Oklahoma now that I’ll have you by my side every day. We’re gonna have so much fun, baby. You, me, and Mother fucking Nature. And Boone.”

You let out a laugh and shake your head. “You’re too much,”

Tyler gave you a big grin, “You have no idea,” 

-

 The motel bed creaked with every movement Tyler made, the sound making it beyond obvious to anyone who passed by the door as to what you and he were currently doing. 

Tyler was sweating a bit as he rocked into you from behind, his body begging for a break after the intense storm the two of you got caught in less than two hours ago. But he wasn’t about to give himself a break, because Tyler quickly found out that your body was fucking perfect, and you felt better than anything he’s ever touched. 

His were closed as he felt your warmth sucking him in deeper with each thrust. “Fuck, baby,” he grunted, gripping your waist a bit tighter as he listened to your soft moans. “You feel so damn good.”

You whimpered a bit and squeezed him tighter, but then you said, “There’s a tornado warning out for the next town over from this one,” and his eyes had never opened quicker. 

He peered over your shoulder and saw that you were scrolling through the weather app on his IPad, and he stilled his body. “Are you checkin’ the fuckin’ weather network right now?” 

“Yeah, it’s better to be safe than-woah, what the hell are you doing?” Before you could finish your sentence, Tyler reached around you and grabbed the IPad and literally threw it across the room. The sound of glass breaking, followed by a thud had you gasping and turning your head to look back at him. “Tyler! That was your IPad.”

“Yeah, and that means I know what’s all on it, and I don’t give a single fuck about any of it right now,” he muttered and pulled out of you. When you opened your mouth to protest, he grabbed your waist and flipped you onto your back, “Jesus Christ, you’re worse than me. We just barely survived a tornado, and you’re already thinkin’ about the next one?”

When he guided himself back inside you, your teeth sunk into your bottom lip as you moaned. “You’re the one who told me to always be careful, Ty,”

Of course you would throw his words back at him like that.  You and he were almost too perfect for each other; from your matching energies, to the way you talked, to the quick comebacks. All of it. 

But he wouldn’t have it any other way. 

“Yeah, but not when I’m balls deep inside you,” he grunted as he reached down to wrap your legs around his waist. He gave a harsh thrust of his hips and leaned down to kiss you quickly. “This is what should have your full attention right now, not some fuckin’ storm warnin’.” 

You whimpered and finally, finally, he was given the stunning sight of you tipping your head back as you lost yourself in him. “Tyler…”

“God, you’re somethin’ else, babe,” he muttered, leaning down to kiss along your collarbones as he fucked into you. “Lettin’ yourself get distracted while being fucked by your boyfriend.”  

Another whine leaves your lips, and your back arches as you wrap your legs around his waist more firmly. “Oh, fuck,”

He let out a huff of laughter, “Careful,” he repeated as he hit every secret spot you had inside you. “That doesn’t sound like us. Does this look like we’re being careful?” He nodded down to where he was fucking you raw, and your eyes rolled back. 

“Oh, my God,” you cried, reaching up to tug on his hair in the way he’s been craving to feel since he entered you. 

“Just focus on me, babygirl. Be here with me,” he nearly begged, pressing his forehead to yours as he tried not to think about just how close he came to losing you today. “‘Cause I’m right here with you, always.”

You wrap your arms around his shoulders and nod before leaning up and kissing him deeply. “I’m here,” you promise against his lips. “I’m with you. And I love you.”

Tyler’s hips faltered as he processed your words, and the fact that it was your first time saying them. 

You loved him. 

And he loved you right back, with everything he had in him. He knew he did from the second he laid eyes on you. 

He released your hips and gripped the sides of your face, making sure you were looking right at him as he mumbled, “I love you, too, sweetheart. I love you so much,” and then he kissed you again as he felt you tighten around him. “Cum with me, baby.”

You whimpered against his lips and instantly he felt your warmth flood around him, coating him entirely as he filled you up with a soft grunt before stilling his body. 

No words were said as he kept his lips softly pressed to yours, and kept himself buried deep inside you. He stayed like that for a long time, finally feeling like, for once in his life, he had everything he could ever want.

[castlebyersafterdark]

vinny there is NOTHING wrong with your taste! i mean, oh wow yeah that lofi playlist is like... depressing as hell, and thats coming from me who loves sad music. i like my melancholy to be melodic though, like Beirut or Eva Cassidy.

those lofi beats are so odd... its like hip hop/r'n'b beat while there's like elevator lounge piano musak playing over the top? it's vaguely bon iver remix as well. i think remixes in general annoy me, but i do love interesting covers that change genres. i remember when biffy clyro covered a female artist in the BBC Live Lounge and didnt change the pronouns, and this was about 15 years ago so it was still controversial for a dude to be singing about another dude in a song. i thought it was so fucking cool they did it. and ofc kings of leon's Live Lounge cover of Robyn's Dancing on my Own is one of the greatest ever!

i grew up when chart pop was big singers and big production - leona lewis, timbaland, mariah carey. the lofi singing style popular today is perhaps a movement in response to that? it speaks of the depression and isolation of gen z too i think.

what do you play to chill out when over-stimulated vin? i love happy pop, i love motown and 70s disco too, but I gravitate towards calmer sounds when i need to chill, but it's usually film scores or classical i go for. Or maybe Paul Carrack or like, soft rock and yacht rock. I learned to latin dance in covid times so I got into Rumba music and Latin beats which are slow and cool too.

EDIT AND I CBA TO RETYPE THE TOP BIT:

I just googled the biffy clyro cover and it's Love Sex Magic by justin timberlake and ciara and OMG in another universe this absolutely IS a Will the Wise giving Paladin Mike a lap dance song ahahahahhaha. i mean, the talk and response verses?? Mike doing a little verse while Will dances around him, lifting his swirling robes to reveal literally nothing underneath??? Ahhhhh i love!

Aww, well thank you! And I don't think there's anything wrong with those who like the literal opposite of what I'm into, I just find it amusing whenever there's disbelief over what I don't like. It's fine! I'm just rather picky. And I love music, but you know people who say music is their life, their number one passion, can't be seen without their headphones/earbuds? I wouldn't put myself in that category. It's a big part of my life and of course I love music, but I'm less staunch or verbose about music than other topics.

My chill out music is definitely film/TV scores, more subtle stuff. Some favorites: Annihilation, Hereditary, Tron, Arrival, Social Network, ET, Blade Runner, LOTR, and then just random tracks from a bunch of stuff. I really like horror movie themes. Even from stuff I've never seen. None of this is what I'd listen to casually, but you gotta have music to put in the earbuds when you need to center yourself. Take a long walk in the woods, put background noise to not distract as you write. That kind of down beat low mood lofi stuff?? Ain't it for me. And cheesy as fuck, but the retro folk rock playlist my bf adds music to for me to check out?? In love. Grounds me and mellows me out. Useful when I fall into to my high strung anxious mess moments. But he's such a calming presence and I've found I really do vibe with this part of his music taste. Never would have sought it out on my own.

OH!!! I know a weird one. Sometimes I like music that sounds like a 50s housewife in some deranged home shopping mania. Like the old Sims music!! Not often, but when the mood strikes that's a fun music vibe. It's slightly unhinged and I'm into it. Anyone have a type of music that's really, really off-kilter for them that just scratches something you can't quite explain?

i grew up when chart pop was big singers and big production - leona lewis, timbaland, mariah carey. the lofi singing style popular today is perhaps a movement in response to that? it speaks of the depression and isolation of gen z too i think.

This seems to nail it - it also speaks to just the general vibe of this generation. Look at the fashion styles and decor styles. I think minimalism had a really long moment with gen z and it reflects musically as well. I'm someone in a constant identity crisis because I was born right on the cusp of where most split the generations and I never know where I stand because people put so much identity into collective generations and I'm just living, people are born every year. Because I just feel out of place so often, but that's been the general story of my life. ANYWAY.

Your vision ahhhhh. You had me at "Will the Wise giving Paladin Mike a lap dance" like that is genuinely a top tier visual. Thank you for that. What happens in the dark corner at the back of the town's seediest tavern stays in the dark corner at the back of the town's seediest tavern 🤭

[madraleen]

Attack on Titan - Hajime Isayama Vol.34: The "It's Done, It's Finally Done" Commentary

(*final verdict: i currently consider this one of my favorite stories of all time)

-oh. oh i don't like that cover. i mean it’s a great cover, but it feels like a eulogy for someone is what i'm saying

-me to me, trying to get through the final volume without getting unhinged again: DEDICATE YOUR HEART!

-no body no crime, armin's fiiine, he's hanging out with ymir i'm sure. that wasn’t a painful enough way to die, just pointless, and we’re not doing ‘pointless’ in this manga.

-heh, jean saved reiner :)

-'but they dragged him off toward eren's ass.' never change, levi, never change.

-OH! THE NINE TITANS FROM THROUGHOUT THE AGES! SPLENDID! THAT ISN'T HELL ON EARTH AT ALL! THAT'S JUST GREAT! THAT'S- that's not a titan, that's the Thing from Fantastic 4.

-the visual of titan eren looking like he's in chains and hanging down his head is deliberate i assume

-oh so you're saying eren isn't attacking you, it's ymir

-jean and reiner bonding moment as they hang on for dear life

-mikasa 'bring it on' <3

-help from the skies. literally. thank you falco et al

-i am very afraid that i won't like the ending and i'm bracing myself for disappointment but i'm still holding on to hope and i want to work with what i'm given, and if that's not a parallel to the fight we're having with eren and the gang's feelings on it, i don't know what it is

-so few of the core cast have died that i honestly wouldn't be shocked at a rocks-fall-everyone-dies ending.

-gabi babe, WE can't fight at this point, let alone you. THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP DIDN'T WORK!

-yeah no, i see the parallels - gabi a child born to hate turning to kindness, eren a child born to (sort of) kindness turning to hate, it's nice.

-lmao annie, 'so how's armin' <3

-the fact that levi uses the word 'worrying' when he says 'we don't have the luxury of worrying about eren.’ awfully sentimental, for levi. 

-marleyans: LET'S ALL VOW FOR WORLD PEACE AND ELIMINATION OF HATE IF WE SURVIVE! marleyans two minutes later, seeing the eldians: I'LL SHOOT YOU, SCUM!

-i don't know why, but seeing jean and reiner work together makes me happy

-'your turn, jean!!' 'hold on, reiner!!' ASFSFHS

-oH INTERESTING, levi not having regrets about not choosing erwin. 'because i entrusted the future to that kid who had the same look in his eyes as all of you.' yes levi why don't you twist the knife in a little deeper, why don't you stomp my heart to the ground while you're at it

-'useless' that's what eren called armin too, coincidence?

-oh! zeke! hi! thoughts? 'hello. mr zeke.' oh armin.

-LOOK AT ZEKE'S SAND CASTLE

-BERTOLT SAVED ANNIE?!?! LESSSGOOOO! OOOH OUR TITANS ARE FIGHTING FOR US YESSS

-i'm very glad to see that all in all levi isn't stupid and isn't randomly trying to fight even though he can't

-oh man these fights are so messy (in a good way) that the panels just can't do them justice compared to what it'll be like in the anime i think

-the times connie has saved armin's ass. armin's specifically

-TITAN GRISHA! ! !

-please stop torturing levi, his eyes have never been so wide

-I WAS JUST SAYING THAT LEVI ISN'T STUPID AND HE JUST FLEW OFF AND DECAPITATED ZEKE, WHAT! FALCO, CATCH HIM! DON'T LET LEVI DIE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD! (iconic moment tho)

-oh eren DID need zeke to use the founding titan? despite being given the founding titan’s power, he still needed the royal blood? interesting.

-some of jean's action panels with his hair all swept back are so cool

-'goodbye, you suicidal blockhead' shut up shut up shut upppp

-imagine having to wait monthly for the next chapter? torture

-OH THAT ONE BABY WAS SAVED! YAY!

-enough death for now, yeah? if eren's dead, let him be the last.

-oh of course. eren version 5.1 or something. because if his titans can't march, he'll march himself. now i assume it's mikasa's time to use the power of love

-some day i'll be able to make jokes on the progression of eren's hair. this is not that day. this chapter is called ‘a long dream,’ but i'd call it a nightmare. respectfully.

-oh. oh i see. we gathered everyone here just to see them turn into titans for maximum pain, i see.  you didn't have TO DO THIS, SENSEI, YOU DID NOT

-jean and connie holding each other before the end help me.

-don't show me young eren. please don't show me young eren, you know it makes this harder

-er. mikasa is kissing eren's decapitated head... (thrice decapitated). at least ymir is enjoying the sight...?

-is he really...? is eren really...? was that really...? did we really never get to talk to him...?

-i won't pretend to understand what's going on. i'm just sad at seeing little eren and little armin talk at the moment

-so time works all at once? so baby eren is blissfully ignorant while older eren sends dina to inadvertently attack his mother?

-HA ARMIN PUNCHED EREN

-i am like... i am close to tears, then i'm laughing at eren's breakdown over not wanting mikasa to love anyone else, what the hell is happening

-eren I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE EITHER

-well, you CAN'T be forgiven. that doesn't change.

-'i swear i won't let this terrible mistake you're making be in vain' jesus, armin

-EREN CRADLING ARMIN'S HEAD WHEN THEY HUG

-the gang are humans again,  i'm happy i promise. i’m just. it’s a lot. eren visited them all. on paths!zoom. which we didn’t see. which why.

-i'm surprised so many of the core cast had plot armor, but i'm not complaining

-the way they're just holding eren's head

-i can't believe eren's dead

-can we wrap this up, eren is dead and i'm exhausted

-three years time skip and please let this be the end, it's been enough, i can't take anymore

-i'm tired. i'm done. it's done. i get it. eren had to bring it all to pass in order for mikasa to kill him and get rid of the titans. he had to push them away to get them to that point, but he explained it all to us through the paths. he couldn't possibly survive. but. eren. god. there’s so much to wrap my head around, imma need a minute.

[lostlimerence]

“Munson…what the fuck?! Put that down!”

“Chill out Sunshine I’m not going to eat it!

“You can’t eat it…”

“Ahh stop getting technical…eat it, suck it’s blood, same difference,” Eddie snuggles his nose into the cats fur with a grin, flashing a sharp fang at Billy. “It’s so cute I just wanted a cuddle, I forget how exciting it is up here compared to down there,” he sighs.

“Hey, you’ve got me down there!” Billy grumbles, dusting himself off (the portal from the upside down isn’t exactly clean).

“I do baby, I do, but you’ve gotta admit our one day of freedom up here is pretty fuckin sweet!” he puts the cat down, watches it as it sprints into the bushes.

“See it was shit scared of you Eds,” Billy throws his arm out in the direction of the cat.

“Aw California I didn’t know you were all soft on cats! Should be King of the witches not the ghouls” Eddie raises his hands wiggling his fingertips in the air.

“And you shouldn’t be King of anything you royal loser…” Billy grabs him by the collar and pulls him in the direction of the town “hmmm, wonder what Stevie will be when he dies?“ Eddie muses, as he shakes off Billy’s hand and falls into step beside him, then immediately regrets asking when he sees Billy’s shoulders bunch a little.

“Sorry sunshine, I shouldn’t have said that, I know it’s hard,” Eddie frowns.

“It’s just…we were so young Eds…it’s going to be years until ya know, and they only let us up here on Halloween so…” he says it to the ground.

“But then baby, it will be us three for the rest of our lives? No our undeadness? Think about that yeah?” Eddie squeezes his arm.

Billy huffs a laugh, let’s the smile of it stay “yeah, and it’s the day we get to see him”

“Sure is! Just need to find him!”

“Yeah and you need to not suck any blood…unless it’s Steve’s”

Eddie shudders at the thought, presses his tongue to the point of his fang.

“Hear me Munson?” Billy drawls.

Eddie gives his head a quick shake “Yesss, I only sucked that persons blood for like a second and it was ages ago, I was still getting used to the whole undead thing…besides you’re one to talk you literally smashed a rock with your fist last year!” Eddie presses an accusatory finger into the side of the ghouls head.

Billy’s eyebrow twitches, arm flexes, as he says “they were mocking me, I was just showin them what would’ve happened to their skulls if they’d kept going…”

“Mmhmm, yep and then when we’d both have inevitably been found out, lost our cool-ass titles and been banished to fuck knows where” Eddie tosses his hands in the air.

“Yeah well that’s exactly why I didn’t bash their skulls in” Billy stresses, as they approach the clearing, trees frame a street full of trick or treaters, werewolves, vampires, ghosts, zombies, “why’s no one ever dressed as a ghoul?,” Billy pouts as they step onto the street, the one day of the year they blend in seamlessly with the locals, “not as sexy baby,” Eddie sticks out his tongue “hey!” Billy gapes brow furrowing slightly.

“I’m sorry but it’s true, undead demon thing that loves hanging around graveyards vs sexy undead thing that can drink your blood sexily? No contest!” Eddie shrugs in a ‘what can you do about it’ kind of way.

Billy grumbles affronted “I’m sexy.”

“Yes you are darling trust me, but some of your loyal subjects,” Eddie shudders “not so much…and…” he’s interrupted by a sharp prod to his shoulder “oi, isn’t that your little nerd kid Dusty over there” Billy gestures to the porch of a house across the street where a kid wearing what looks like a potato costume stands.

Eddie frowns “it’s Dustin stop pretending you don’t know his name you big lug and,” Eddie looks properly “yeah, yeah it is! Potato’s an interesting choice but whatever.. So that means..”

“Steve’s probably nearby, sniff him out!!”

“Hey! I’m not a dog! I’ve just got insanely cool powers!”

“Ah stop getting technical dog, vampire…same difference,” Billy grins proud of his parroting, Eddie rolls his eyes and focuses slightly overwhelmed by the sheer number of scents mingling in the air, it takes him a moment but he catches the familiar rich scent of Steve, “got it” he mumbles, they keep their heads down, ensure they avoid Dustin’s eye-line as they head round the corner.

Steve is leant against a wall with his back to them. He jumps with a little yell when Billy leans in and says “a sailor pretty boy? That ain’t very scary,” his shocked expression morphs quickly into one of delight, his cheeks flushing red “hey! Yeah um would you believe this is actually my work uniform” he chuckles rubbing his palm over the back of his head, skewing his hat a bit to the right.

“No way Stevie, you’ve been hiding that cute outfit from us!!” Eddie flashes his fangs.

“Cute? It’s ridiculous!”

“I mean it is cute but we could go get it off” Billy rumbles, crowding Steve back into the wall.

“You haven’t seen the kids yet, I can go get…”Eddie cuts in “we were thinking maybe we just go back to yours? We’ll pop in and see the kids just before sun’s back up.”

Eddie’s dressed head to toe in black, hands covered in rings, a chain round his neck, his tongue runs across his teeth. Billy’s shirtless, thick thighs pressed into tight black jeans, his blue eyes blown wide, fists clenched like he’s trying very hard to hold himself back.

Steve’s doesn’t take long to decide.

…

Fangs graze gently at the skin of his nape, his breath hitches in anticipation, blood singing in his veins. God he craves this, can’t believe how long he has to wait for it every year. Eddie tongues the skin gently, the area tingles, and when he finally bites Steve feels euphoric, then he sucks and Steve groans. Eddie drinks and drinks until Steve’s aching and hard.

A whimper sounds from the corner, Billy’s enthralled, he sits hands pressed to the tops of his thighs, Eddie had told him to wait and enjoy the show for a bit.

Eddie lifts his head from Steve’s neck, locks eyes with their beautiful blonde and smiles softly, speaks with gentle command “Christ, Billy baby, you’ve been so good, come here, it’s about time we properly worship our King...”

For @a-redharlequin thank you for your creative prompt:

“it's spooky season! So Ghoul King Billy and Vampire King Eddie back from the dead and find King Steve <3 (harringroveson)”

I really enjoyed writing this thank you so much for taking the time to send a prompt I find them so fun!

And sorry it turned out to just be a lot of Billy and Eddie banter with a sprinkling of Steve, their undead bickering carried me away a bit 😂

[clambuoyance]

do you have any favorite hyper-specific tropes you enjoy? like a certain line of dialogue or character type or something

OKAY LETS SEE

1) Since it’s on the mind bc of toh—i’m an absolute sucker for found siblings. Of course, i enjoy the found family trope in general and most variations (middleaged character adopting a random ass kid, etc etc) , but when its focus is on siblings? I eat that shit upppp. I mean relationships like luz and hunter, any of the dc families tbh, the rgb siblings (nya lloyd kai), or my ocs keiko and rolin—they scratch a special part of my brain.

Maybe its because i’m eldest sibling myself, and my brother is only two years younger making us pretty close in age, but i just really like sibling relationships and they hit more than parent/child ones for me😭🙏 We don’t always get along, but i’d say we have a pretty strong relationship now

Something about going through the same motions, esp if ur both still trying to find ur place in the world, and knowing you have someone to rely on is just so special to me. Even with blood siblings, it doesn’t really feel like unconditional love at first. Like, you have to choose to be someone who will care and be there for them. Urgh idk it just feels different even though with parents it’s also a choice to care about someone. Like with a parent or guardian, it’s like you want to expect them to have all the answers, but with someone closer to ur age who chooses to treat you like family, it’s like—well we both don’t know what we’re doing but we have each other to lean on.

And the “found” part isn’t necessary but just a nice treat bc i feel like it highlights that Active choosing to care for someone like family. waaah. Like Kai in s1 of ninjago having a whole arc that leads to him leaving behind his own desires to save tiny lloyd, and then literally promising to always look after lloyd after , or luz promising to keep hunter safe bc he’s family now, and then my story with my ocs rolin n keiko is all about them becoming siblings to each other😭 it just makes me feel sooo emotional

also sibling banter 💥💥💥 i feel like u can say more uncalled for shit w siblings

So yeah if you look at my list of faves don’t be surprised if u see a lot of characters who have a significant sibling relationship in their story 🙏

2) Now i dont know if this counts as a trope, but as for fave character type theres usually this One scene that makes me go Oh i love them. and that scene or line tends to go like this: Character up to this point has shown a fun, perhaps confident or carefree personality, but as soon as they’re alone, it’s revealed to the audience they’re capable of feeling so much more. Idk i guess im thinking kon at the campfire, or wukong in lmk specifically always being chill then being serious when he’s alone

3) Also in category of things that make me love a character: slapstick comedy to highlight dorkiness. or honestly just any type of comedy that undercuts a character’s supposed Cool/Importance Factor. 💀 like the amount of slapstick a character goes through has to be proportional to how unaware the character is of their own dorkiness. Im thinking Kai bumping his head while threatening garmadon or bragging about his skills only to get slammed by a tree (or a rock. or a wall. the list goes on.). Or Kon saying he’s fine cuz he can fly only to wham his head when the ship turns and then subsequently get flung around while the ship flies, or slamming his face straight into the ground cuz he’s an idiot.

Or like, Karkat’s whole thing. he’s a walking clown circus. sollux going “do NOT run that computer virus” and karkat ignoring him only for the computer to explode in his face. idk that shit makes me laugh

4) When characters start talking about how they don’t wanna be left behind—it depends on the writing but that usually Hits for me 😭

um i could probably think of more but thats all i got for now