#when i say “ascend” i mean it. and this is what i mean

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

People asking which one we get between Jack Skellington and Oogie Boogie, while I'm sitting here in a Comm class thinking "Why not both? Lmao". We all recognize them easily, so having it a twist(heh) of both, with Jack's being a hero character and Oogie being the main bad, could work out with how they actually are.

How Yana could go about it, idk, we'll have to wait and see. But honestly, am so fucking hyped for it. But what exactly do you think could be a possible plot idea or what do you think could happen in the event?

You can answer at your own leisure.

[Referencing this post!]

I don’t think it’s strange at all that people are speculating which character will be the one twisted. Yes, Fellow and Gidel were introduced as a pair, meaning that there is no limit or precedent set for there only be one new character revealed. However, it’s very clear that Fellow was the star of the show, as he has the stronger presence (and ended up getting the SSR as well). Ultimately, it does mean they end up being treated like a single character rather than individuals anyway. So really, I think most fans are still running on the logic that only “one” can be twisted.

The problem with Jack and Oogie is that they are both strong presences, neither dominating the other when it comes to being attention grabbing. Fellow and Gidel go together, but Jack and Oogie are opposing forces, not teammates, in their own story. This makes it hard to predict which of them will be twisted and makes it less likely they’d be crammed into the same card.

(ncbsbsvwjwheisn NOT GONNA LIE, I’m really hyped for a twisted!Jack Skellington… but a part of me is also really attached to my OC that’s twisted from Jack 🤡 That’s not to say that I don’t want a canonized one; I think I’d actually ASCEND if we got a twisted!Jack Skellington for real!!! It’s just that I wouldn’t know what to do with my OC after the fact 🤷‍♂️ Something similar happened with my Snow White OC when Neige was introduced in book 5 www)

A popular idea I’ve seen in circulation is another isekai plot where either the students go to Halloween Town or the Nightmare Before Christmas characters come to Twisted Wonderland from Halloween Town. I’d wager that’s a pretty safe guess! Like… they’re doing their Halloween parade prep and there’s a new character disrupting things. Maybe they’ll have to pull off a heist or kidnapping of some kind?? 🤔 It would be funny if the NRC boys had to help play matchmaker for a Sally and Jack/j Personally (and this is a stretch), I really would like to see some kind of casino or gambling element because I love those design details for Oogie’s lair. Not sure if it would make sense being a large part of the event story, but it would be cool to consider.

[hoodreader]

tw sexual abuse & diddy

diddy getting outed & raided with the tuesday eclipse on his north node… with his tattoo of ezili dantor on his back. the loa of tuesdays and the protector of women & children. & he’s an avid sexual abuser of women & children.

the back is associated with leo/libra. leo is children, libra/venus is justice. and the back/unseen part of things is ruled by saturn, which is the planet of karmic distribution. tattoos are martian, the planet of protection.

it’s divine timing. bc what the hell was that man thinking. i applaud whatever diviner encouraged his ass to get EZILI DANTOR of ALL loa permanently etched into his skin, because his abuses of children & women will follow him forever.

he’s currently in his seventh house year, the seventh house year is a year dealing with others, fairness, & balance. imo, it’s a karmic house since the seventh is a reflection of the self. what u put out is reflected back to u. he’s also about to enter his eighth house year, the house of inactivity, psychological illness, debts (including karmic).

his mars is also in capricorn at the 29°, which is a universally critical degree. it can show domineering, thoughtlessness, lack of control, impulsiveness, etc.

there’s no confirmation on his ascendant, but i’ve seen people suggest cancer ascendant (with a virgo moon & scorpio sun). that would mean that:

but i could totally see a 10h lord in the 7h, because it shows status is tied to relationships / justice / fairness

i also see charts floating around suggesting that he’s a capricorn ascendant, which i also think makes sense because of:

a first house mars

a 10H in libra shows that the public image is tied to fairness, grace, harmony, & relationships especially to women

my partner was like “maybe a sag rising,” mind u… my partner not an astrologer but they are super intuitive with that 3h scorpio moon so i considered it & lowkey…

pisces eclipse illuminating the 4th would mean that all of the illusions revolving around his private life are dug up. the 4h is the subterranean, it’s the least visible house imo

2h mars in capricorn @ the anaretic degree can show a thirst for power, but the 2h is the gate of hades. it leads to demise (the 8h)

8h lord would be in the 10h, which would show this hidden misdeeds becoming publicized preceding the eclipse in his 4h, since the natal 4h lord would be the eclipsing pisces moon. hope that made sense lol

i often see pisces rising speculation. which, i also could understand because:

this recent full moon lunar eclipse conj his north node illuminated & essentially “exposed” his heart/spirit/soul. it also exposed the qualities of the greedy, obsessive, manipulative north node

& this isn’t to say all nodal people are this way. but when u don’t know how to moderate the greedy & obsessive nature of the north node, its malefic qualities will overtake the self

pisces ascendants tend to not really be ‘seen’, especially with the lord in the unseen 8H. but again the eclipse illuminated this & just how corrupted his moral compass is

the other end of the eclipse would be in his 7H, the house of justice, which would have his moon conj the transit sun

lastly i can see aries rising because the eclipse in the twelfth exposes the consequences and results of self-undoing. it’s also the house of prisons.

anyway. just my theories. i stand in solidarity with all abuse victims of the world, & it feels good to see them get justice because a win for one is a win for all. Asè

here are some aid resources for marginalized abuse victims, please consider donating or reblogging!

Black Trans Femme SA/Abuse Victim. this gfm hasn’t moved in 5 months!

Black Childhood SA Victim. this gfm has been up since april & hasn’t gotten a single donation!

Aid for Haiti.

Aid for First Nations/American Indigenous People (Salt Lake).

Aid for Gaza. every day, isntrealis abuse Gazans (in a lot of ways, not just sexually). please consider helping them thru providing healthcare & aid

Aid for Sudan. refugees often experience higher rates of trafficking, rape, & violence. please consider donating!

Aid for DR Congolese Women/Children. consider giving aid to women/childre who are being forced into slavery & the exploitative sex trade.

Aid for Sex Workers. thru whorephobia, misogyny, & other forms of marginalization, the violence towards sex workers is enabled due to the “less dead” theory.

Support for SA/Rape/Trafficking Victims.

Consider donating to abortion funds such as AidAccess, INeedAnA, etc so that people (including rape victims) have autonomy over their reproduction.

avoid red cross. u can always scroll thru gfm & just search up keywords then just go through and donate $5+ to each one until u can’t no more. that way, u directly provide aid.

also, help the people within ur physical community. if u know any black, native, palestinian, trans, disabled etc women, be the community they are so often denied.

power 2 da people :)

[what-have-i-unleashed]

player!killer and anomaly!dust

since these ideas have been invading my brain lately, i feel like i need to ramble about the toxic (doomed) kist potential they have.

imagine the game world of dusttale trying to correct itself ever since the anomaly/virus that is killer entered it. so things in the world start to glitch and don't make sense. a character repeats their lines over and over without stopping. shortcuts stop working properly. character stats inexplicably get messed up. goners start appearing to warn dust and killer about the end of the world. it's nearing its doomed timeline trajectory, and yet dust will not give up trying to salvage his universe. in his mind, there's one surefire way to get everything back to normal: exterminate the virus that is killer.

dust and killer (and the goners and the almagamates) are not affected by the glitches because they are anomalies, glitches detached from the world already. to killer, this means enlightenment and freedom. he doesn't understand dust's attachment to the underground, his dogmatic beliefs about justice and the greater good for the monsters. doesn't dust want to ascend to be something "real", rather than the npcs that the rest of the monsters are? doesn't he want to escape from the control of the player? why would he want to obey to the whims of a dying, boring, constricting world anyway? if dust can't see it, then killer will make him see.

the thing is, dust is a difficult monster to persuade. sure, killer can kill him again and again (chances are 50/50 on who will win anyway). but dust always bounces back, more vindicated in his retaliation and belief that killer needs to be gone. the thing is, when you want to break someone down, you need to be the thing they fear the most. killer is already that, isn't he? he's a future of a sans, of dust's own past. this is what dust could have become. killer is what dust has become - a sans doing the work of the no-mercy player.

"aren't you bored of doing the same thing over and over again? aren't you crazy from repeating all these useless cycles only to reach the same conclusion again and again?... oh wait, you already are!"

and dust - what can he say to all that? is it true? is it not? who cares - the only satisfaction he can have is wiping that smirk off that face. killer knows intimately beings like dust - not only because they were the same person at some point, but also because dust is a control freak with a savior complex as well as survivor's guilt. deep down inside, dust cannot fathom losing. he has poured too much, sacrificed too much, to get this far. and he won't stop - not until he reaches his happy ending, which will never come. so he'll forever be stuck down here, repeating his worst nightmares again and again in a hell of his own making.

the only variable in dust's life is killer. gradually, dust treats killing other monsters as a job - an important yet thankless job that someone has to do. the only kill in which he feels something is of his brother... and killer. with killer, dust is filled with something - maybe it's joy, maybe it's hate, it's hard to tell when apathy is his usual state.

and the thing is, the opposite of love isn't hate. it's the lack of love - it's apathy. he feels something for killer - an attachment, an obsession, a possessiveness. "only i get to kill him", "he's my kill", that's what dust thinks. he rationalizes that thinking of course - killer reminds of him too much of himself, the person he hates the most. but there's that fear every time he kills killer - fear that killer will never come back, leaving dust with his empty broken world and voices in his head. and he fears killer will know it, somehow.

for killer, it's always a game to see who's the winner and who's the loser. it's a struggle for control, with the controller and the controlled. and with the player gone, dust should belong to him now. an eternal playmate, after everyone else has disappeared from his life. and like, it's totally therapeutic to beat up and mess with the guy who reminds you of yourself, right? totally not a self-esteem issue waiting to be explored or anything at all. it's funny how much they match. "look, we both wear red!" exclaims killer as he points to his own red soul and dust's red iris. determination pulls them together, and determination will break one of them in the end, and it's not going to be him. he'll persevere once this world rots away, while dust will be trapped by his own volition.

maybe, just maybe, he'll whisk dust away once the end comes. and they'll find another playground to re-enact their play again. killer will take and take and take, until all they are is dust.

Oh, I will ruin you It's a habit - I can't help it

I will only break your pretty things I will only wring you dry of everything And if you're fine with that If you're fine with that

[w3ath3r-0f-sw34t3rz]

˗ˏˋ chloe moriondo songs. ´ˎ˗

i just wanna talk about em

take your time 🪽 (guys. gouys you do ot do not understand. you do not understand the magnificence and transcendence and splendor that is this goddamn song. i hear 0.0001 seconds of this song and all my mental illness is cured. this song keeps me awake at night. play this at my funeral and my spirit will never die. fuckin bop.)

hell hounds 💥 (power anthem)

killbot! 🪫 (AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAITSSO.GOOD.)

celebrity (blood bunny version tho srry) 🎬 (delicious)

bugbear 🧠 (so me coded fr)

cdbaby<3 💿 (its just so astronomically vibey)

hotel for clowns 🎟️ (aw hell yeah i feel so devious and homicidal and sugar high)

trophy 🏆 (idk what to tell you this one just does smth to me)

hearteyes 💕 (OOOOOOOOOOO like i want to fall in love and i want it to feel like this)

vapor 🌇 (i am on top of the fucking world)

strawberry blonde 🍑 (I. LOVE. WOMEN!!!!11!111)

samantha 💐 (i may be dangerously lonely but this one still has me so happy)

plastic purse 🎀 (such a bop omg has me goin funkin n groovin in my boots)

waves 🌀 (yk that picture of the cross eyed rabbid. that's how i feel when i listen to this song because i don't even know what to feel i don't know how i'm supposed to exist alongside this song)

silly girl 💌 (sigh. i kin.)

little moth 🍃 (maybe everything will be okay)

slacker 💬 (hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. that's all i can say about these songs at this point)

i want to be with you 🫶 (this song is a mindset)

girl on tv ☀️ (will scream at the top of my lungs at any given moment)

exhausted 🌑 (i. i actually cry thinking about this song. i just. i)

ty for your time

i don't care how long this one is. i will never shut up about them

[syn0vial]

my gun-loving, car guy, "i'm the straightest man i know" brother who just finished baldur's gate 3 talking about astarion:

[doctor-cunt-phd]

Currently considering how the first time Daniel is presumed dead Jack broke a window because of how helpless he felt. The way he remembered Daniel screaming for his help, not being able to do anything before it was too late. That really got to him. I think being helpless to the death in his life is a constant theme for Jack that he's always had to accept and sit with and try not to break windows over every day.

So I think it's really fitting and touching that when Daniel really died (ascended, but for all intents and purposes, was dying), when he was dying painfully, hopelessly, in front of all his loved ones- He asked Jack for help, he gave Jack the honor of helping him pass on, trusted him, gave him the opportunity to say goodbye that Jack never, Never seems to be allowed.

[wizardsix]

i guess i have to say it a million times since people insist on being dense: gale is just as much of a victim as the other companions. this isn't the trauma olympics. everyone has been through shit and deserves healing and redemption.

gale is not the self entitled, manipulative abuser people are painting him as. he's a lot of things, but nothing so heinous. he was groomed by a goddess who has a history of preying on wizards that threaten her power, and as a result, gale's ambition and faith was what drove him to discover the netherese orb. what he did was for mystra - in his mind, it was to prove his love by restoring her missing power - and by extension for the betterment of mortals. his actions were never malicious or selfish, in fact he puts himself so low on the priority list it's pretty much non existent. he was never going to use that power to usurp her, but mystra definitely saw it like that, which is why she didn't hesitate to present suicide as his only solution. he never crossed her personal boundaries in the way people are twisting it, he only wanted to cross the boundaries she put on wizards and their power.

people who insist he's all of these things and more clearly only spoke to him once or lack the reading comprehension to see past how much of an unreliable narrator he is. i can understand first impressions might put some people off, but you can say the same about the other companion introductions. i don't like comparing but since people insist on doing it; gale is one of the easiest companions to get along with just by being a good person, yet his honesty and selflessness makes people think he's secretly evil? while the companions with the capacity to be evil don't even try to hide it? how are people being so backwards about this? it's genuinely baffling and tiring to see people continuously spit out incorrect takes all too confidently.

no one is forcing anyone to like him, but it's unfair to completely mischaracterize him because you refuse to learn critical thinking. i promise using your brain is not as scary as it seems, or you can just. not talk about things you don't understand.

[detectiveneve]

pondering on a meta diving into Gale's abstract brand of selflessness (willingness to go away to a corner of the world to die so that none of the faceless masses will be harmed by his mistake) vs his personal selfishness (willingness to stick by tav despite being repulsed by tiefling camp murder + general vocal approval or interest in accumulating more power) and Gale's status as someone who is good aligned but generally ineffectual at enforcing actual good (the way that wyll or karlach will actually leave the party) which is fascinating for a fairly good-aligned person. just love when the Good Guy is actually kind of fucking weird. edit: tumblr cut off my tags Okay. and how all of this ties back in an interesting way to his relationship and power imbalance with mystra. he was wronged, deeply, but he also desires still that ... status / closeness to divinity in some way, by her influence. Gale thinks that he would be a better god simply by virtue of his mortality but he cannot escape the appeal of holding himself apart from others and being more than, greater than, something closer to godliness and thus inherently removed from mortal values and standards of right and wrong, which the gods themselves don't adhere to in the same way.

[killuaisaprincess]

chivalry

“Here. Let me kiss it better, Your Highness.”

Gon takes his small, delicate hand gently and brings it up to his lips, placing a chaste kiss on the red spot.

He lowers it carefully, and Killua pulls it back, shyly holding it to his chest, blushing.

He bites on his lower lip, just enough…

“K-Kiss me here too…”

[haldenlith]

Just random musing. Genuinely not calling anyone out or anything, but I find it... interesting? Yeah, we'll go with interesting. Anyway, I find it interesting that any time I see Dominant Astarion stuff, it seems to always be Ascended Astarion.

Like are people really out there ascending that disaster for just the dom-daddy vibes???

You can get those vibes with regular Astarion very easily (I mean, not in game, but still -- we are all operating on headcanons here), and more healthily for your Tav/Durge, I might add. I don't see Ascended Astarion negotiating boundaries and practicing aftercare, that's for damn sure.

Also, I hope people aren't conflating "evil" with "bdsm". That's... that's a lot to unpack if they are.

Anyway, I just feel like it's an... odd... little occurrence I keep seeing. I personally feel like you should ascend the man because you want to live out your best worst villainous life, with a little kinky spice on the side, but that's just me.

Can we also agree that Astarion would make the worst villain ever? Like truly? The man's inability to think things through and hammer out the fine details would bite him in the ass SO FAST. Along with his hubris. This man would be a villainous vampire lord for maybe a handful of decades (and that's being generous) before some enterprising troupe of heroes comes along and lops off his head. (There's even a chance that troupe would include Drizzt.)

[normalest-of-knees]

That.... was an episode. Technically.

Volume 9 Episode 9 discussion below the cut

Tw: mentions and discussions of suicide and how the show and characters were framing it

I may make another post or rb this to discuss the rest of the episode, but this mainly deals with the whole Tea thing

I'm-- I just-- what in the whole entire fuck was that?? Yes I saw somewhere it's supposed to be like a part 1 or 2 but.... Jeepers crappers, man.

So not only does WBY&J not react at all to what happened to Ruby last episode, tea or otherwise, but they just kinda run off, stop and... be sad??

They talk about how shit happens sometimes, then the crystal people show up and it's suddenly hugs and smiles??? Guys?!?!

Yang only reacts to Ruby being gone after she finds the wooden cocoon thing, and even then the others are quick to "It's not that bad. It's what she wanted." Like they haven't been ignoring/not noticing Ruby's severe depression and state of mind for the past few days now and that she didn't just barely blow up at them.

And something I want to address, is the show writers, and characters, and everything framed in the last episode made it quite clear that the tea was suicide. I saw a few takes saying "the tea clearly wasn't supposed to be about suicide. They wouldn't kill her off" etc. Etc.

And I want to say, no. Just, no.

The suicide thing fucking sucks, yes. But the show last episode and this one made it clear that Ruby drinking the tea was her choosing to commit suicide.

Do I think that this should've happened at all? Fuck no. This company has no goddamn clue how to write and talk about sensitive topics such as this, and they need to stop immediately.

But I cannot wrap my head around how anyone could've looked at what happened last episode and think: its just healing tea!

The show has done a terrible job of using an "unreliable narrator" or other such to convey information to the audience.

Ascension is like death, but not, but is! Jaune said its bad, but the Stars say it's good! The Cat said it's normal, but the girls think it's wrong or unnatural. The Stars dying is ok! Then it's even better than ok, because they're "better" now! Herb is new and better! Ruby will be... ?

The show doesn't properly or clearly make any information given to us make sense, and even with the knowledge that the Cat is supposed to be bad, we still don't actually know what's ok and what isn't when we look back.

Yes, Ruby is clearly going to be ok from what we saw this episode. But she still very clearly was not ok mentally, and was actually literally pushed towards taking her own life.

She said "I just don't want to be me, anymore." And then drank the tea, knowing at the very least, that she'd be remade and lose her memories, at best. At worst, it would outright kill her.

Even Neo, who likely knew less about Ascension than the rest of them, still was framing it to Ruby as suicide.

Then, when Ruby did it, Neo was distraught. Regardless of what happens to Ruby next, she's gone. And Neo now has nothing. To Neo, one way or another, Ruby is dead.

But that's the thing.

Regardless of what happens to Ruby, she viewed it as dying or not being herself anymore.

Doesn't matter if the audience knows better or thinks they know better. CRWBY, the show, the characters, everything, framed this as Ruby Rose taking her own life.

And what happens immediately after such a thing? Her friends and family run back to safety, in which I assume they're trying to head for the tree perhaps, and then they just stop and Jaune is sad.

Not even Yang or Weiss or Blake seem to really have a reaction, only until after they hug it out and see Ruby encased in wood at the tree. Suddenly it's real now. Suddenly it's different. And Yang does have a good reaction! She's panicked, crying, angry, desperate. That's her sister in there! Dunno where this reaction was before but ok, at least we got there!

But the others are quick to tell her that it's not that bad and it's up to Ruby now. Which, if they had conveyed Ascension to us in any other way, could be fun and interesting! But because it's this world's closest equivalent to death that we as an audience and the characters can compare it to, it makes it seem like suicide is a good thing.

Like it's just a caterpillar becoming a butterfly.

No matter what happens next episode, and what becomes of Ruby, the framing was still that for her and the Paper Stars, suicide is good and gives you the power up/strength you need, and your loved ones just have to accept that and move on.

And that's disgusting.

[nomazee]

maybe this is NOT a universal experience and maybe i am just non-binary but it’s always ten times more satisfying to me when i read an x reader fic and it’s entirely gender neutral with no hint of any like stereotypical gender roles in a relationship like it’s actually the biggest joy in my life

[sovonight]

.

[vveissesfleisch]

i tell you what tumblr dot com it’s an absolute honor just to be nominated

[eff-plays]

Ok so I watched the interview with Stephen Rooney, Astarion's writer, and here are some highlights. (I'm an aspiring writer and current game design student who wants to write for games so I'm sorry if some of these insights aren't as interesting to you as they are to me <3)

He calls Astarion his "horrible little vampire boy"

He loves seeing the fandom around Astarion<3

He did write other characters in the game, but mostly NPCs surrounding Astarion or his storyline, so it mostly revolved around Astarion

Astarion is not as connected to other companions/Origins as, for example, Lae'zel and Shadowheart, or Wyll and Karlach are to each other, but he is still reactive to their stories, even if it's just to stand off to the side and laugh when something terrible happens

He had a clear sense of where Astarion's story would start and end, but it got "muddy in the middle", but those are also moments where the best ideas come from

They write from the general idea that every character has one "good" and one "evil" ending, in order to give the player choice. RIP Ascendant apologists :(

According to Stephen, two of the most important aspects of Astarion's character (to keep consistent when bringing him to Idle Champions, at least) is that he enjoys violence, but is also fun about it

"He has a certain appreciation for violence, I guess? A bit of a murdery streak. [...] He's a vampire, he's all about blood, and he's all about, kind of, those darker sides of humanity. [..] But at the same time, he is ... He is really fun, he's really fun to write, he's really fun to have in your party, and it's very important for me that that is also represented."

"He's gonna stab you, but will have a smile on his face as he does it? I mean, I dunno. That's kind of him in a nutshell."

Larian would not have allowed for Astarion to be a typical brooding Dracula type, and there were scenes that were shot down for not being original enough

The main thing about Astarion was trying to get a "sense of fun." It would be easy to write a character that was very unlikable, and they absolutely did not want to do that

Rooney says Astarion is consistently terrible throughout the game and awful in a whole lot of ways, but he also needed to be charming enough that you could tolerate his presence and wanted him around

Rooney also had a lot of input on Astarion's stats (meaning the 10 Charisma is probalby 100% intentional)

He also had input on how certain lines should be delivered, even though the writers didn't directly work with voice actors

The way Astarion moves and poses is "all Neil"

Apparently, Neil Newbon worked on the character for years and Rooney did not speak to him once, though his voice work did influence how Astarion's lines were written and it became a "feedback loop" (Possible context for "ONLY SLIGHTLY, NEIL")

There were no points where a line delivery drastically changed Astarion's writing; rather it was a constant, slow evolution

However, there was one very spoilery moment where Neil gave such emotion to some "basic" lines that it fundamentally changed the scene (WHAT IS IT OMG)

It's difficult to balance approval, as you don't want to straight up write a monster. Every character needs to have some humanity in them. So if it comes to leaving the party, it needed to be the result of something central to said character. They wanted to be mindful of situations that would cause actual rifts between characters. (I assume this is why most generic disapprovals/approvals are +/- 1 or 2, while character-related ones give +/-5 or more)

However, as they don't write straight up horrible people/monsters, it doesn't come up as often as one might think.

The interviewer makes a point about how characters like Astarion and Lae'zel are good examples of how to play "evil" characters, as they are maybe not the best people but are still eager and willing to stick around the other party members

They worked to make sure the characters would work as a group, no matter the configuration of the group. The characters needed to be on the same path, even if they don't always agree or walk that path the same way.

Stephen Rooney is very proud of the "climactic" scene of Astarion's story. (AS HE SHOULD BE.) He even had to step away from the computer and have an emotional moment. Me too, man.

He's also "extremely pleased" that there's a point where you can punch Astarion in the face. "Actually, that one might be my favorite part" A MAN OF THE PEOPLE!!

Stephen Rooney's tip on what specific thing you should try out with Astarion: When he's trying to get a "sneaky nibble" at night, you should "probably" let him bite you. Way ahead of you there, sir.

No discussion about Astarion's romance unfortunately, but that's that!

[writersdrug]

Price getting reader a step stool cause she keeps asking Bartender!Ghost to reach stuff for her. Simon obviously brakes it when no ones looking. 👀🤭

LOL

"Is this your way of insulting me?" You ask, holding the colorful, children's stepstool in your hands. You're grimacing at it, a look that has Price chuckling as he folds up the bag from the store.

"I figured you could use it - now ya don't have to wait for Simon to grab anything for you." He says, patting you on the shoulder.

"I don't mind the wait..." You mumble under your breath. The stool feels as decorative as a clowns nose as you tuck it under your arm and head towards the stairs. "I'm keeping it upstairs, I don't need customers laughing at me when I pull this out. Might take it home and spray paint it."

"Suit yourself." Price calls as you bound up the stairs. He heads over to the bar, where Simon is currently polishing the glasses you convinced him to order for the Halloween drink.

"Got a problem with me helpin' 'er?" Simon says, thick fingers rubbing the glass with a rag. He doesn't mean to sound defensive... but he can't help the bite in his tone.

Price smirks, picking up on the jealousy laced into Simon's words. "Thought you might like it. Makes your life easier, and 'ers." He pops open the register and starts filtering through the bills, replacing the larger value ones with smaller ones.

"You don't think I'm capable of runnin' a bar and helping you waitress at the same time?"

"No, but I think you'd be better off if you didn't have to run so much. She's brought in so much business as it is, your workload's gotten heavier."

Simon huffs. "Ya just want to separate us, hm? Want 'er all to yourself." He jokes, grabbing another glass and buffing it.

Price shrugs. "And if I am?" He says, giving him a side glance.

Ghost slows his ministrations, turning his head to his captain. They both stare at each other for a moment, Simon with his slightly angry, slightly questioning glare, and Price with his unwavering eyes. Simon wants to tell him to back down, that you're his - but he can't say that, because you aren't his. He wants you to be. But he doesn't know how to make it happen without letting his walls down.

Price chuckles, turning back to the register to continue swapping bills. "Y'know, if you want to say somethin' you'd best say it." He comments, snapping the drawer shut. "Missed opportunities often come from miscommunication."

He leaves Simon at the bar, heading towards the stairs with his money folder. You jog down the steps and nearly crash into him - he quickly grabs your shoulders and spins you out of the way before you can collide with him. You throw a "sorry!" over your shoulder as you carry an armful of various fruits, leaving Price chuckling as he ascends the stairs to the office.

"The oranges up there aren't looking too great." You chirp, dumping the fruit onto his workspace. A few lemons and limes roll onto the floor, and you bend down to chase them. Simon watches you, a bit miffed at how unaware you were of the situation. What do you think of Price? Do you like him? Would you flirt with him as much as you do with Simon?

You return with the escaped fruit. "I can run to Sevvy's store and grab some for tonight, if you want? The ones upstairs are looking a bit pruney."

"Are you actually gonna use that thing?"

"Huh?" You look at him with confusion written on your face. "What thing?"

"The stool." He looks down at you, his expression unreadable. "'S a bit demeaning, don'tcha think?"

You paused, watching him move the fruit to the side and grab a plastic cutting board. "I mean... he bought it, and I wouldn't have to bug you so much. If I spray paint it black or something, it won't look that ridiculous."

He nods. "Hm."

"I used it to grab the fruit."

"That's interestin'." He mumbles, slicing through an orange. You were right, they have seen better days.

He turns to pop open the register and hands you some bills. "Go get a few oranges, no more than ten. Order should be comin' in tomorrow."

You smile and take the money, stuffing it in your back pocket. With a few hours remaining before the restaurant opens, you go through the kitchen, grab your jacket, and head out the back.

Simon's back to chopping fruit and dumping it into a small bin, bitterly thinking over what Price had said. It's a stool. Price got it to help you and himself. It was a thoughtful purchase. But it's not just that. However unserious this is to Price, he's trying to rile Simon up. He's treating you like the last slice of cake in the tin - Price would like to have it, but he knows Simon's groveling for it. He's forcing Simon to ask for what he wants, and the bartender doesn't like that one bit. Normally, it wouldn't be something that irks him so easily - but this is you we're talking about. Not just anything. You. He wants to grab Price by the collar and throw him into next week with how he's trying to wedge between you and Simon - but he doesn't like having a weakness. He'll keep his cool for now. He'll make a move... eventually.

For now, the only aggressive side he'll present is passive.

Price leaves late that night, somewhere between two and three in the morning. He's beat, spending most of the night between helping you run food and drinks, and fifo-ing the pantry and overflow rooms. He's planning for a day off - of course, after he goes to the bank and comes back here to pay everyone. He's jealous of Simon, who's already upstairs for the night - he wishes he only had a short trip to the third floor before he could crash into his bed. Rather, he has to trek a hefty number of blocks home through the dark streets. He's more worried about going to bed at a decent hour than walking around at night with a bag full of money - people usually steer clear of him when they see his stature.

He locks the back door behind him, puffing out a foggy breath into the frigid air. It's only getting colder - he'll have to break out his cloves and scarf soon. The beanie won't be enough. He shoves one hand into his pocket, the other holding a small bag of trash from the office. He mentally ticks off what he needs to do this week as he grabs the garbage bins, dragging them behind him and towards the street for the trucks to empty in the morning. He pushes them against the store front, taking the lid off and dropping the light trash bag inside.

The loud thunk makes him do a double take. Did he throw away something important? He lifts the bag once again, and a disappointed expression falls upon his face. The colorful kiddie stool he bought for you is there, pieces snapped apart and shoved deep into the bin. Simon didn't even try to hide it underneath the other bags. It's almost like he left it there for Price to catch.

He sighs, dropping the bag and placing the lid back. He trudged down the sidewalk towards his home - he's not too upset by it. He had a feeling Ghost was sinking his teeth into you, and frankly, it's gotten to the point where Price is afraid of what the man might do if someone else tries to take you away. But damn, if his ex-lieutenant's going to make a move, he'd better make a fucking move. For your sake, if not his own.

He pulls his phone from his pocked and shoots Simon a quick, blunt message.

You're paying me back for that.