#you are the real MVPs

[lulu2992]

I suddenly remembered this post and realized that I now had the means to investigate and try to solve this mystery.

Spoilers: I haven’t solved it… but I do have an evidence-based hypothesis!

(This post is based on my own observations and deductions. I know a few things about the game’s files because I’ve explored them, but I’m still 100% self-taught and learned “on the job”. I don’t know everything, so feel free to correct me or provide more information!)

So this is what @danaduchy found (and thank you for originally sharing this); I added colors and line breaks for more clarity:

This can be found in a document filled with lines of code regarding the game’s audio files, such as music, voice lines, and sound effects. It seems that its purpose is basically to “tell” each file how, when, and in what context it’s supposed to play in the game. So “John_Seed_Sex_Room” refers to one or several sound files.

Again, I still don’t know what everything you see in the screenshot means, but what I do know is that “MIS” means “mission”, that “KEY01” refers to a character, Nick Rye, and that “010” is basically the mission number. Here, I know that “MIS_KEY01_010” is the mission Wingman.

I assume “LP_Filter” means “low-pass filter”. In short, it’s an audio filter that removes high frequencies. You can use it, for example, if you want your audio to sound muffled like it’s coming from behind a closed door (and I’ve chosen this particular example for a good reason).

I assume the MaxRadius is the maximum distance (from its source in the game) at which a sound can be heard, and the Duration is simply the duration of the sound in seconds. Because they’re both equal to 0 and we have the words “Start” and “Stop”, I’d say the purpose of these two lines of code is simply to “tell” the audio “John_Seed_Sex_Room” to start and stop playing, or possibly to activate and deactivate the low-pass filter.

Those lines didn’t give me the actual sound file(s), so I continued to investigate and found this:

I suppose “Play_SFX” simply means “play sound effect”, and this time, these lines can actually help me find the corresponding audio files!

I was able to find and listen to “Door_Key_Pickup”, “LockedDoor_Rnd”, and “UnlockDoor_01”. They unsurprisingly and respectively are the sound of keys being picked up, someone trying to open a locked door (five different versions), and the door being unlocked. Unfortunately, “Door_Push” and “JohnSeed_SexRoom_Rnd” don’t seem to exist anymore...

As you can see, the Duration of “JohnSeed_SexRoom_Rnd” isn’t specified, but not all the files listed in the document have one, so this isn’t that strange. The MaxRadius is higher than the other sounds’ featured here, so I assume it was supposed to be heard from a longer distance. I’m not sure what Rnd means, but I think it could be the abbreviation of “round” or “rounded”. Maybe it’s the normal, unaltered version of the sound “JohnSeed_SexRoom”, unlike “JohnSeed_Sex_Room_LP_Filter” which has a low-pass filter.

The code also says this sound is from a “Scripted_Sequence” in a “Specific” context: one of the “Missions” in Holland Valley (this is what “John_Seed” means here) in relation to Nick Rye (KEY01). We already know this mission is Wingman (MIS_KEY01_010), but what we learn here is that, whatever the “sex room” thing is, it was apparently specific to this mission.

The last mention of it in the document was this:

“Stop_SFX” suggests that these lines probably exist to make the two sound effects stop playing.

So, what is “John_Seed_Sex_Room”? It seems it was an audio file (one or several sound effects) and supposed to be part of one specific mission: Wingman. There were two versions and at least one of them had a low-pass filter. In the same sequence, a locked door was apparently going to be unlocked and opened.

The objective of the mission Wingman is to go to Seed Ranch and retrieve Nick’s plane. So what if, in this mission, players were originally going to explore more rooms in the ranch… and find whatever the “sex room” was? To me, it looks like we were going to hear muffled sounds coming from a room, unlock the door, and see what and/or who was inside.

Now, I don’t think it was necessarily going to be a literal “sex room”. According to (probably deleted) NPC dialog, in an early version of the game, people were taken to John’s ranch instead of his bunker to be tortured. It’s possible that the term “sex room” was a joke name given by the devs to refer to a torture room.

In conclusion, according to my (limited) knowledge and after my investigation, I believe the “sex room” was a special room in Seed Ranch, either literally used for sex (the cult’s rules could have been different at the time) or for torture. Evidence suggests it could be found during the mission Wingman only and that there were sounds coming from behind its locked door. It seems players could unlock it with a key and, I assume, see whatever was going on inside.

That’s all I know… But if you have another hypothesis or more information about that mysterious room, don’t hesitate to share it! :)

[brightblessed]

played the level 97 dungeon on sage for the first time healing it. it was a mess. everyone died on the second boss at least once aside from the tank. we were all joking in the chat. i was laughing despite how chaotic the run was. and then me and the rdm said almost the exact same thing at the same time. i had a really bad day today and these three people actually made my day a little better because of how funny and energetic it all was

[hismercytomyjustice]

I just had a call with one of our customers at work (I’m in sales operations). He was talking about how he wasn’t sure why he couldn’t get this portal we use to work when he managed to three months ago with no issue.

And the man just straight up said:

“I don’t know if I just got dumber over the past three months or what.”

When I tell you that I DIED.

｡：ﾟﾟ(´∀｀)･｡ ʱªʱªʱª

Just. SIR!

So glad he was nice tho. Especially since I will do anything just short of faking my own death to avoid having to talk on the phone to people.

*flashbacks of being in sales when I had to make 50 calls a day minimum intensify* _(´ཀ`」 ∠)_

[thebrazenphlegmatic]

Every time i see a post on my dash that's blurred out because I'm filtering the dragon age tag my brain has to rerun the entire process of

I like dragon age i should click to view the post

Why would i even have dragon age filtered? Filters are for bad things and dragon age is a good thing

Oh right veilguard spoilers

Very happy that Tag Filter Brazen created just enough lag that Idle Scroll Brazen hasn't given me any spoilers yet.

[aurora1040]

I just want to apologize to my followers for all the negativity this past week. Ive been under a lot of stress- much more than usual.

I also want to thank the ones who reached out to me on Discord that saw my posts. i know i didnt explain much of anything and didnt really answer you directly yesterday, but it meant a lot to me. I needed your words and check ins so much.

please continue to be the wonderful kind hearted people that you are. Never let anyone or anything change that about you.

[heilos]

Also if anyone is wondering, yes Murder Mystery is taking up a huge part of clean up animation time on MSA video 5 cause he's a big complicated bitch and I love all of our clean up artists that have to deal with him.

[ineffablemossy]

Good Omens Fandom assemble! It's that time again...

Another Amazon Prime poll that we need to turn around. You know what to do:

https://www.youtube.com/@PrimeVideo/community

Currently at 25% in 3rd place, but I know we can change that quickly. NOTE: if you're on mobile open the link in your browser and choose 'desktop mode' to view the community tab (shoutout to everyone who put this tip in the comments of my last poll post!)

[benevolenterrancy]

@achilleasfury Xue Yang thinks this meeting could have been an email

for anyone that actually wants to see the very professional and carefully thought out powerpoint

the "dad's approval" graph i think was an excellent touch on her part

[okkennymay]

Ectober Comic - Page 31

[ First ] - [ Prev ] - [ Next ]

'Vlad put that thing away you're getting ectoplasm everywhere-'

Happy New Year everyone!!~ Oooo I got a good feeling about this year you guys! ( •̀ ω •́ )✧ Come on and let it be the year I finally find my footing online and stop falling right back into the abyss time again and time again ╚(•⌂•)╝ I just had my first Christmas since I got ill that I kept down everything I ate!! A true Christmas Miracle!~ It's been 3 whole months since my last major health episode, a first in these whole 9 years since my conditions first burst into my life (❁´◡`❁) sometimes I pinch myself because I still can hardly believe it💖

Pages 32-35 (end of chapter 2) plus all their delicious WIP's (these pages go through such journeys I tell yah) are available for my darling Patrons right on over here >vO

[treahollow]

Finally decided to make a bit of a ref sheet for the riptide goobers bc I keep changing their designs every time I draw them. These are for post ep 87 btw, designs for before then will come in the near future (maybe).

Back sketches and alternative versions of the designs under cut (contains spoilers up to ep 115)

I also give you badly drawn Pretzel

[ghast1yghosts]

when Eddie’s 4 he asks his mom what having a girlfriend is—people keep telling him he’s gonna be a heartbreaker, whatever that means.

when she finishes explaining, he smiles as he tells her, “when i’m older, maybe if get a boyfriend instead, i won’t make anyone sad! and having a boyfriend would be cool, i think.”

her own heart breaks at the innocent revelation.

and Eddie may go on to not break any hearts other than his mom’s, but he’ll have his broken far more times than he can count.

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 796: The strongest cheer!!

Pag 1

4: You're coming soon, huh, Onoda?

Pag 2

1: Beyond the

Pag 3

1: “peak of their limits”!!

Pag 4

1: Here at the point of 300m left until the mountain stage line!! Gaha!!

3: I think I've seen him before, that huge guy there

That's Tadokoro! He was a third year when Sohoku won two years ago!

Ahh... the one who won the green bib!

4: Oh, it's you?

Did you see that?

5: Tadokoro Jin

6: Any time now!! They're almost here, I can feel it on my skin

Pag 5

1: The wave of cheers is getting closer with huge pressure!!

3: The two people in the lead are passing the 500m left point, and Manami is accelerating!! And he's getting a little ahead!!

Pag 6

1: They passed the 400m left mark!!

Gooo Kanagawa!!

Sohoku is being left behind!!

Pag 7

1: Hakogaku's Manami accelerated!!

2: I'm hanging up, Toudou!!

4: This is the most difficult distance

What are you gonna do, Onoda? You're being left behind!!

Come on up

If you don't catch up now, it's over!!

5: It's you, can do it, right, Onoda!?

Pag 8

1: Turn your legs, Onoda!!

Persist, Onoda!!

3: “The right way”....

4: “The right way of life”, where does it lead? I don't know...

Pag 9

1: You're wondering who I came to cheer on this Inter High first day with!? Here in Kyuusu

2: It's Toudou!! The former climber of Hakone Academy1?

3: After graduating from Sohoku, I failed the entrance test for Meisou, so I enrolled in Tsukushiba University

But it didn't have a bicycle racing team

4: As I was going through hell, he appeared right before my eyes

5: It was Toudou!!

Pff, he hanged up, that Tadokoro Jin

6: He was in the same university, and moreover he was already founding the bicycle racing team himself!!

Pag 10

1: Thanks to him I could come back to the world of racing!!

2: And then this year, that Izumida who I raced against at the Inter High when I was a third year, enrolled in the same university as a first year!!

3: I don't get it

4: It's unpredictable!!

Pag 11

1: So you too, line up to Manami, and then pass him!!

2: After all you're the first one who “doesn't know the right way of life”!!

3: Kinjou said it, you're the “element of surprise”!!

The strongest beginner!!

4: You joined the club with Naruko, and you were an humble and little guy

5: I asked Imaizumi after that

Pag 12

1: And apparently you were planning on joining the anime research club!!

What a course of events!!

2: You received your road bike while running in the first years' race

Kinjou pushed your back

3: You caught up to Naruko and Imaizumi and then you surpassed Imaizumi at the mountain's peak

4: Honestly, I thought you would stop soon...

What's with this guy...

What's his driving force when runing

He didn't win, but he didn't lose either

I was interested

5: You became a Inter High member, and on the first day... and you caught up to us after falling from your bike

You pulled the team and supported Makishima during the mountain stage

Pag 13

1: And then, on the second day....

My condition was bad and I couldn't move, and you waited for me

2: I came to help you, Tadokoro-san

We'll definitely catch up

What are you doing

Go back right now

No... I...

3: You took me and ran

Do you mind if we pass that guy?

Well, yeah but... how do we pass him?

Can you please match with me and say “princess”?

Pag 14

1: Princess princess princess!!

You sang a weird song

Because you, you're the princess!

One by one we passed the guys ahead

And then, carrying me with your little body

I'm so grateful to you I can't say it enough

I didn't think I would see those jerseys again with my own eyes

We're back, team Sohoku!!

you brought me back to the team!!

Pag 15

1: And then Onoda....

3: The jersey we entrusted to him, our dream

4: he delivered them to the finish line!!

Pag 16

1: That's why I came here!!

2: Are you going to pass on the first day's mountain stage? Since you're a sprinter. I think Manami and Glasses-kun are going to race

Huh!? Onoda!? Onoda will run!?

Then I'l deeefinitely come!!

Huh, is that so

3: Onoda!!

4: Deliver it!!

6: Since I couldn't do it last year!! I'll give it to you, third year and captain!! I'll give my all so that these loud cheer don't drown me out!!

Pag 17

1: I'll sing!!

Lovely chance pettanko-chan!! ♪

Huh, he's singing!?

What!? He scared me

Pag 18

2: He's suddenly singing an anime song?

Huh

What's that

3: Even with a spell to grow bigger ♪

Onoda

4: Can you hear this song?

If you can hear it

Hn hn hn ♪

5: A princess is a princess ♪

Come up, Onoda!!

Pag 20

1: You're the princess♪

Pag 23

1: Manami and Onoda came and they're neck and neck!!

Onoda is catching up!!

Mountain King..!!

Amazing!!

2: There are 300m left and they're neck and neck again!!

Pag 24

1: A princess is a princess, that's who she is!! ♪

Onodaa!!

3: Ah, Tadokoro-san

4: Princess princess ♪

It's him

Pag 25

1: I thought I heard it wrong

Pag 26

1: Thank you so much!!

2: Onoda...!!

3: The right way is interesting

He really did it!!

4: You're struggling, having a tough time, yet your shape changes as you move forward

Pag 27

1: We're headed to a future I never imagined!!

Give it your all!!

2: Onodaa!!

3: Yes!!

[thelovelywriteress]

▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄

▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄

────────────────────────────

It's been a while since you and Sakura started to date each other. Though you both were still awkward with each other. Most romantic gesture you exchanged was handshaking. You know this all was WAY too new for Sakura but still sometimes you wished your relationship to be more daring, atleast more than handshake.

You were walking with your hand in your arm. You were in your own lands of wondered, you didn't notice the Bofurin was on their daily patrol, especially not Sakura though he did. He always managed to find you even when you DON'T, he always DID.

"Isn't that (Name)-san?" Neirei catch where Sakura was glancing, on hearing his name Sakura almost hissed like a cat. He was fine silently staring at you when you were in your own thoughts, he find that cute but no wait, point is he didn't want his companion to point it out.

He just fasten his pace, acting like he wasn't interested in your presence but Suo wasn't having his ignorance,"Sakura-kun shouldn't you go and say hi to her?" He offered with his usual smile as Sakura let out a embarrassed reaction to his suggestion. Sakura was about to give some excuse but Suo already throw his attack,"(Name) noticed your presence, how sad she will when she will realised you don't even care enough to─" And before he could complete his sentence, Sakura already dashed pass the Suo towards your direction.

Guess boy take no chances when it comes to you.

You still didn't notice the boy approaching you but your cat sure did as she jumped out of your arm,"Hey─" You stopped when you realised she stopped in front of your dual hair boyfriend. Sakura looked down at the cat who seems to be excited upon seeing him. He picked it up and come closer to you.

"H-Hey Sakura!" Damn why you have to stutter and say it loudly. You probably looked like you didn't notice him coming. He return your greeting AND your cat back to you,"You should hold her tightly." He suggest while you give a small laugh,"Yeah. She almost made me drown yesterday." You intended to share your experience as joke but Sakura was concerned by your words and ask you to explain it further,"Well she keep running around and I keep chasing her like crazy, at same point she reached the bridge and almost made herself and me fall." You laughed at the memory but Sakura didn't,"B-BUT I am f-fine now." You exclaimed nervously while Sakura didn't looked convinced, he just ask you to see your surroundings better.

"I will go now." He said as he put out his hand, you know what was he expecting and return his gesture. Oh how you wished instead of hand meeting hand, it was lips meeting lips. Even though you wanted to experience it, mere thought of it made steam coming out of your eyes.

"It's embarrassing but I still want to experience it already one." You pouted a bit as your gaze fall on your cat in your arms. You hold her in front of her and demand her help,"I take care of you so goodly, shouldn't you return favour by using your cat power and made me and Sakura kiss?" What were you expecting a legit yes from her? Well too bad it didn't happened. You soon realised too how much crazy you sound and put her back in your arms but suddenly she jumped out again and started to run,"Hey wait!"

Sakura was getting fed up now. Neirei keep him asking about how things between you and him work while Suo just keep him teasing.

"Shut up!" "Meow."

"Sakura-kun see your yell got us getting us complained by cat." Suo state as Neirei giggled in back, Sakura was about to yell again but cat meowed again. Sakura turn towards it and remember this familiar cat,"You are (Name)'s cat!" Sakura exclaimed while other two sweatdrop at him. Why was he sound like he just find out her identity as some suspect. Cat just meow again and started to walk away,"Where are you going?" Sakura walked behind the cat, followed by his other two companions.

Suddenly cat increased her speed and so does Sakura. It keep going on until it become official─"Sakura chasing a running cat." Sakura called the cat to come back, he imagined how worried you must be. Your worried face boost his speed. Cat started to jump on bulidings and walls but Sakura still keep with it untill at one corner he lost her sight but even though he keep looking for her.

"Come back I promise I will expensive food this time." You said, hoping for it to work,"Meow." Guess it did. You saw your cat at a corner and run towards it. Though when you reached she was already out of sight, you followed the sound of her meows.

"There you are!" Sakura also noticed her and run towards it to chased while cat quickly run on your side and after making sure you saw her she started to climb tree,"No don't go there." Last time she climbed a tree, you had to use ladder to bring her down. You climbed behind her and when you thought you finally catch her she jumped on other tree,"AND NOW YOU'RE NOT SCARED?" She keep jumping while meowing as you followed her behind, Sakura was also coming near by following soud of meow.

Cat quickly jumped down and landed in front of Sakura who quickly launched towards him but at same moment you jumped in front of and you both collide with Sakura falling over you. You both feel pain through you body but that quickly vanished when you realised the approximately between each other.

When you were collide, Sakura knew he couldn't prevent the falling so he instinctly wrapped his hands around you to protect you. That was quick reflex of movement but now when it's stable you guys started to blush like crazy. When if he wanted to pull his hands, he can't since they were beneath you.

"S-SORRY!"

"Don't move!"

Your eyes turn spiral as you tried to wake against Sakura's comment which end up you putting hand on your shoulder and forcing him downwards, towards you and that's where whole scene take unexpected turn.

If this whole situation wasn't messed, the fact you made Sakura's lips crashed on you sure was.

Both of yours eyes widened. It wasn't romantic kiss like on dates. It wasn't hot kiss that make you forgot your surroundings. It wasn't quick kiss you give out of love. It was were merely his lips meeting yours for mere seconds but still it was the FIRST KISS you shared with each other. You both stare at each other as Sakura pulled back his face while your cat meowed. You both brought your gaze towards the cat as she meowed again, with a hint of delight.

"IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!"

And now some reason you both separate from each other without any accidentally kissing, just to yell at the innocent cat with red hues rising on your face. Such ungrateful beings humans are.

You both accidentally catch the each other's gaze as yell of flusteration left your mouths.

"SORRY!"

Neirei and Suo soon catch up and Suo quickly grabbed the cat. He check the collar and found you were the owner, no wonder why Sakura was chasing it like crazy.

"Hey where is your owner and her boyfriend?" Suo said with his usual playful tone while Neirei laugh at his tactics before walking further on the way.

"SAKURA-SAN! (NAME)-SAN!" And there Neirei find the two familiar unmoving bodies laying at opposite sides. Neirei check the Sakura he seems to be black out with his face being red as tomato while Suo check the owner of cat who's eyes seems to spin like spiral.

"What the hell did we miss?"

"Meow~"

▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄

──────────────────────────

[swordsmans]

step 2: survive anyway

Even though he knows he’s a hypocrite, Zoro is so fucking tired of learning everything from everyone but Luffy.

pairing: monkey d. luffy/roronoa zoro

word count: 19,023 [final: 30,367]

ao3 tags: incorrect descriptions of poisoning and other medical inaccuracies; spoilers through wano act I; roronoa “self-sacrifice” zoro; law's weird jar of blood; no one being normal about luffy; angst and hurt/comfort

[the-ace-with-spades]

Unhinged buddie fic idea again -- Tia Pepa starts setting up Eddie on dates but with a bit of an AU twist.

Tia Pepa starts setting Eddie up on dates. Which Buck is fine with. Obviously. Why wouldn't he be? Eddie is his best friend, he wants him to be happy. He's also straight and maybe Buck liked having him all to himself but realistically, that couldn't last forever.

Whatever. He can get over it. Or he can at least pretend he got over it.

So Eddie is complaining at the firehouse about another set-up date and Buck tries to be positive and encouraging and says something about how Eddie could at least give them a chance - even if every word is said through gritted teeth.

And Eddie is appalled and says something along the lines of, "Maybe my tia should be setting you up, if you're so open to the idea." And everyone from the team claws at the idea, teasing Buck about being single and wanting to marry into the Diaz family through Eddie's cousin or something (which, a bit too close to the truth, ha).

Eddie finds the idea so hilarious that he tells Pepa about it. And regrets it not a minute later when she says, "Why not? I could set your Buck up with someone nice."

This actually makes Eddie grit his teeth, there's just something that makes him itch, even just thinking about Buck going out with any of the women Eddie went out with---Just no.

What he doesn't know is, Tia Pepa goes over his head on this --- just calls Buck (because of course she has his number, he's family and Eddie's and Chris's emergency contact). She sweet-talks Buck into it over the phone, telling him how Eddie told her about how he's single and how she knows just the right person for Buck and it'll be nice to keep Buck close in the family if it works out.

Obviously, Buck is skeptical --- there's just one Diaz he wants to be with and he's unavailable --- but then Pepa keeps on going how she knows just his type and how he's not going to regret it and just one date never harmed anyone and, well, Buck caves in because he's weak against most Diazes it seems.

He doesn't tell anyone about it. Not even Eddie. It's probably just going to be one date that he'll ruin like he always does and the girl will tell Pepa all about it and then Pepa won't even bother to set up another poor girl with him.

He gets a text with the place and time, a small hole-in-the-wall place that's just about Buck's thing, and an ominous message with Addy will wait for you there, look out for a red bandana.

And Buck is expecting some cute girl in dungarees and with a bandana holding up her hair but when he enters the place, it's almost dead and there's just some elderly couple, a group of teens, and a guy. A guy in jeans, a white t-shirt, sunglasses, and with a red bandana tied around his neck.

Turns out Addy is short for Adam, not Adelina or Adriana like Buck thought.

Adam is also gorgeous. Dark hair, chocolate eyes, tan skin, fit and strong. Addy has a six-year-old daughter, is no longer in contact with his ex-husband, works as a nurse in the ER, loves quiet indie places, and would love to travel the world every chance he has.

When after the date --- which goes on for so long the cafe's owner has to ask them to leave because they're closing --- Buck calls Pepa to tell her how it went and when can't really make his mouth produce words, she just tells him, "I told you I know your type, mijo."

Needless to say, Eddie finds out about that fast because Addy is his cousin and texts him for ideas for a second date with 'his friend Buck.'

His brain resets. Then restarts. Then resets again.

He did not know that about Buck. He would've known that about Buck.

He's calling his tia before he knows it and demanding answers.

Eddie, well, Eddie is fuming inside but Buck seems happy and Addy seems happy and they're both good guys so he shuts up whatever unreasonable, surprising anger he's boiling with and helps Addy prepare a date --- tells him about the water show in the aquarium he was planning on taking Buck and Chris to.

But the day of the show comes and Buck isn't answering his texts and he's just walking in circles around the kitchen table and before he realizes what he's doing, he's packing Chris into the car and, "Oh, look at that, what a coincident we're meeting you here."

He feels like an absolute madman when Addy tells him, when Buck and Chris are distracted by colorful fish, "If you didn't want me to date him, you could have just said so."

And a couple of days later both Pepa and Buck are at Eddie's for dinner and he feels like an absolute asshole when Pepa tells Buck Addy doesn't want another date. For about five minutes, that is, because after that Pepa looks Eddie straight in the eyes, he swears, and says brightly, "Don't worry, I know plenty of young single men that are just your type, Evanito."

The history repeats, obviously, and Eddie uses Chris to just 'run' into Buck on his date with another of his cousins. At some point, his cousins probably start to warn each other about it because they stop talking to Eddie about Buck's favorite activities and foods.

But they tell Buck the date places. And Buck tells at least one person on the team, always, and Eddie might be a madman but he's a madman on a mission so he always tricks the info out of someone -- Chim is usually the easiest and Hen won't admit but she likes to gossip about people's love lives. He even manages to trick Bobby into telling him where Buck is on his next date under the disguise of concerned 'Buck sure is going on a lot of dates lately,' etc. and Bobby actually falls for it and Eddie feels guilty about it until he hears Buck is going on a date with his godawful cousin Marco.

(Meanwhile, every time Buck 'runs' into Eddie on a date, he's cursing the universe and its stupid, obvious signs... Like, he knows he's in love with Eddie, the universe can shut up and stop screaming at him.)

Eddie is at Pepa's again and she comes back from where she was talking to someone on the terrace and silently sits down opposite Eddie with that look and says, "So, that was Marco."

"Yes, exactly. Marco. How could you set him up with Marco of all people?"

"Well, I'm running out of candidates because someone keeps on scaring them off."

Eddie doesn't look her in the eyes. He's truly become a madman since the whole thing started happening but like hell he'll admit it.

"You know, Eddie, if you don't want Buck to date any of your cousins, there's an easy solution that will solve this dilemma and will let us keep Buck in the family."

"Pepa---"

"Tell you what, I'll set one more date for him, tomorrow at seven at that ice cream sandwich truck Chris likes," she says, raising her eyebrows pointedly. "You decide if his date stands him up or not."

He never ever again wants to see Buck going out with any of his cousins.

Which doesn't mean he isn't a coward. He doesn't tell Buck. He tries to leave the house three times, changes his clothes about six times, and by the end of it, he's late.

Buck is easy to find between people, towering over most.

Buck smiles when he sees him but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "Let me guess, he decided it wasn't worth it and backed out last minute," he sighs. "And Tia Pepa sent me a personal cheer squad to humor me up and pay for my ice cream."

"No, he's here," Eddie says because the it's me doesn't want to leave his mouth.

"Oh," Buck says, and his shoulders don't look so slumpy anymore but he still doesn't look, well, happy. "Where is he then?"

Eddie makes an elaborate wave with his arm and deadpans, "Ta-da."

There's a moment when those big baby blues blink at Eddie dumbly and Eddie swears Buck stops breathing for a few seconds before finally managing to push out, "Oh."

[overtake]

SF Full Access - 2023 Canadian GP | Solid Progress