#<- technicallyyy you know how it is

[whenthelightisrunninglow]

@sleepygaymerdisease

i haven't drawn her in so longggg... there's no other fish in the sea like her

[flythesail]

Chapter 1 of my fic being only 4k while chapter 6 is 18k lol what happened

[illbegottenfaith]

fml (a Manchild by Sabrina Carpenter inspired fic)

you rope theo into going to a party with you and accidentally fall for his juvenile mannerisms (theo nott x ravenclaw!reader)

a/n - decided to polish this up and publish it in honour of the man's best friend announcement!! I know how controversial the title and cover art has been but i have Thoughts about it if anyone wants to hear them/discuss hehe (I rlly need to stop using this as my sabrina sideblog help) also lets pretend u can actually see shit from alllll the way up in the Ravenclaw towers and the 'decent' joke is (quite obviously) plagiarised from tumblr I think, I did not come up with that lmao

tropes/warnings - fluff, comedy, technicallyyy fake dating? but it's not the focus here

word count - 3.7k

taglist - @kandralice @justme989898 @iamheretoread1234 @allie-sturns @hzdhrtss @friedfreyfries @bushnellswife @rose-of-the-grave @thaliashifts @pariahsparadise @babene-e @fratbrochrisgf @user089167

Theo pushed his hair off his clammy forehead for the hundredth time that morning. He was long overdue for a haircut he kept forgetting about except on mornings like these, when his overly long fringe kept falling in his eyes during the laps he ran with the rest of the Quidditch team around the perimeter of the pitch. It was barely 9 am when most students were still enjoying breakfast. It was far too early for him to already be sweating buckets.

Theo slowed to a stop, pushing his hair back once again as he seriously considered ripping it from his skull. He scanned the pitch. It was barely 9 am, and he could hear the usual faint murmur of students having breakfast in the Great Hall. There was a diffused quality to the light of the cloudy day and the grass was still damp with morning dew. It was peaceful. Typical. Calm.

And yet.

Theo looked around, an uneasy feeling in his gut. Something felt...off. He gently rolled out the ankle he had strained last week, starining his ears. It felt fine. It didn't even ache from the humidity of the morning. He watched his teammates jogging along the other side of the field. The pitch was quiet, but no quieter than it usually was. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, the way they did in Quidditch games when he would sense rather than see a Bludger coming his way.

Mattheo jogged past, pausing briefly.

"Ankle?" he asked breathlessly.

Theo shook his head mutely, still thinking hard to the sound of Mattheo's panting as he caught his breath. Just as he gave up on figuring out the strange feeling, he noticed Mattheo frowning at something over his shoulder.

Theo was beginning to hear a set of quick, light footsteps distinct from the rest of the team's sluggish yet relentless footfalls. He turned and immediately got barrelled over by a blur of white and navy blue, knocked flat on his back with a tongue stuck down his throat.

Blinding sunlight rushed in as the figure pulled away. Dazed, Theo was distantly aware of Mattheo gawking at the sight while someone told him off in a waspish tone. He regained his wits just as Mattheo jogged off, sniggering under his breath. Tentatively, he turned his sight to the Ravenclaw girl peering down at him.

"If anyone asks, we were celebrating our 1-month anniversary last night."

Theo shut his eyes briefly, willing himself not to pass out. There was an awful ringing echoing in his skull. Was this what a concussion felt like? And what was that about a one-month -

His eyes popped open despite the searing pain. "Month?"

The girl gave him an impatient look. "Yes. As far as anyone is concerned, we've been dating for the past month."

Theo gaped at you. He had to be hallucinating. How much pain medication did he take last night?

"We have?"

Her lips thinned into a line.

"I can't tell if you're being purposefully dense," she muttered, sitting back on her heels. Theo propped himself up on skinned elbows.

"You, and I," her silhouette repeated, stabbing a finger between the two of you, "one month."

Theo squinted up at her through the sunlight she wasn't blocking. "W-"

"One. Month." she repeated firmly as she stood, brushing imaginary dirt off her pants. She scanned the pitch casually, appraising the rest of the team with a mildly critical look.

"That is all. Enjoy your laps."

Theo watched her walk off back to the castle, befuddled.

After feeding Madam Pomfrey some fib about running laps the wrong way, Theo had his elbows bandaged up. He was barely in time for Ancient Runes and was too restless to pay attention. By the time class finished, all Theo wanted was to tuck into a warm, comforting lunch, even if it was a little early.

He walked into the Great Hall and there you were, like a bad penny, already halfway through a bowl of soup at the Ravenclaw table.

He visibly winced. You had the gall to look cluelessly concerned.

"Merlin, what happened to your elbows?"

Theo just about had an aneurysm.

"You," he forced out through clenched teeth. "You happened."

You looked genuinely surprised.

"Don't tell me you're still upset about this morning?" When Theo remained stony-faced, you rolled your eyes, turning back to your lunch. "God, that was so three hours ago."

Theo stared at you, speechless.

"Don't you think you owe me some kind of explanation?"

You glanced at your watch impatiently. "Fine. I've got 20 minutes before Transfiguration anyway. Sit down."

He didn't. You cleared your throat anyway.

"So, I have this stupid roommate who will not get off my back about bringing someone to this 80s-themed party her cousin's hosting at Hogsmeade this weekend, because she's convinced I'm still hung up on my ex from 5 months ago."

You didn't sound like you were going to be done anytime soon. Theo reluctantly slid into the seat opposite yours.

"Are you still hung up on your - ?"

You nodded, waving a hand carelessly. "Oh, yeah, totally. The pining - it's a whole thing. Don't worry about that. Anyways, she was going at me again last night, and the only way I could get her to shut up was to say that I was bringing someone. So, obviously, she asked who, and - now this part is kind of your fault - and I looked out the window, and there you were, decked out in your Quidditch gear and whatnot, and I thought you were as good of a choice as any. So I said I was bringing you."

Theo blinked at you.

"You told your roommate you're bringing me to a party I'm only just hearing about."

"Mhm."

"And it's my fault," Theo continued tonelessly, trying to make sense of what you were saying, "for going to Quidditch practice...as part of the Quidditch team."

You shrugged. "Yeah, I 'spose. Anyway, she was like, no way, and I was like, way, and I knew she wouldn't believe me if I said we had only just started seeing each other, so I had to say it was, like, our one-month anniversary. But she was still watching me like a hawk, so I had to spend half the night outside of our room. And I think she could still tell I was lying - "

"Still? Are your lies always this elaborate?"

You looked a little embarrassed. "I might have a bit of a problem with...telling the truth, or the whole truth, sometimes." You tucked a lock of hair behind your ear.

"Anyway, I had to get to you before she did, but you both take Ancient Runes together on Thursday mornings, so I had to catch you before then, so..." you gestured vaguely. Theo raised his eyebrows.

"That's it? She's never seen the two of us in the same room, but my word is enough to convince her we've been dating?"

"Oh, please. She hardly sees me. I've got quite a bit on my plate."

Theo eyed your book bag, bursting at the seams with textbooks and parchment.

"I'll say. When do you even find the time to, er, pine after your ex?"

You shot him a withering look. "Whose side are you on, anyway?"

"Right now? The person who didn't tackle me at eight in the morning."

You rolled your eyes. "I can't believe you're still going on about that," you muttered. "It wasn't even eight."

You continued eating your food while Theo mulled over your story. His mind drifted to your face, to the sharp, strong cut of your nose and the plain, straightforward edge to your words. You had a bit of a problem with the truth, there was no denying that, but something about your story didn't seem fabricated or exaggerated. It was a largely unappealing scenario that would only be too easy to refute, which made it all the more convincing.

Theo tilted his head. Huh. Maybe it was the concussion talking, but you were starting to seem a little less insane. He shook his head, clearing his thoughts.

"Why don't you tell your stupid roommate to pi- erm, go away?"

You glared at Theo.

"Stupid Roommate is my best friend. I would kill for her."

It was like he couldn't say anything right. Theo sighed, massaging his temples.

"...okay. What's stopping me from telling her I don't know you?"

You put on a pained look.

"Babe. You can't be saying those things about your one-month girlfriend."

"You're not my - "

"Besides," you continued, finishing up your soup, "we've been holding hands for, like, the past fifteen minutes."

Theo glanced around at the students filing into the Great Hall for lunch, some of whom were eyeing your clasped hands with interest. He yanked his hand away.

"So good luck explaining that to...literally everyone here." You stood, gathering your things. Theo marvelled at the resilience of your book bag when it didn't split open as you pulled it up to your shoulder.

"I'm off for Transfiguration. See you Saturday at 6."

And when you bent to press a kiss to Theo's cheek, he didn't bother leaning away.

Theo was staring into a mirror, hair slick with gel, trying to fix this cowlick that kept falling right in the middle of his forehead. Around him, chaos ensued.

Enzo was studying a retro muggle video game for his Muggle Studies project and, naturally, Mattheo had to screw with him as much as he could. All the while, Blaise was yelling at them to take their scuffle elsewhere, telling them off for crumpling the plastic sheaves of his good binder. Somewhere in the background, there was a knocking sound. Did ankle sprains cause tinnitus?

Empty weekends like these were always rough, but they were especially so when all four of the boys were cooped up together. The air outside was heavy and sticky with the week-long drizzle that refused to let up, making the walk to Hogsmeade downright unbearable.

Theo shook his head, separating his curls. The knocking got louder. It was definitely real, presumably by someone coming to tell them to keep it down. The cowlick fell stubbornly against his forehead once again. From outside the bathroom, there was a violent crash.

That was it. After multiple warnings and 'don't make me come over there's, Theo had finally reached the end of his fuse. He stepped out of the bathroom.

"Oi! Cut it out, all of you. Mattheo, give Enzo his game back. Enzo, go sit in the corner 'til you've calmed down. Blaise, get over yourself and get a new binder."

The thudding on the door increased in volume.

"And somebody get the fucking door!"

Theo retreated back into the bathroom. The noise immediately ceased. He sighed in relief. Finally, some peace and quiet.

There was a soft knock on the bathroom door.

"Theo, someone's here for you."

Theo fiddled with his hair, only half-listening. "Tell them to go away."

"It's a girl."

"Tell her to go away."

"Are you decent?"

Theo looked up at the sound of the striking voice. He had only heard it a couple of times, and never before this week, but it had the kind of piercing quality that made it stand out in a crowd. He glanced at the clock. You were 15 minutes early.

And too impatient to wait for a reply, apparently. The door swung open to reveal you, dressed in frills and ribbons with gigantic hair, carefully shielding your eyes, next to a shit-eating-grin-wearing Mattheo.

"Is he decent?" you asked Mattheo.

"Morally? Debatable. But he has pants on if that's what you're asking."

You dropped your hand. Your eyes swept his outfit. You didn't look too pleased.

"You're not even dressed yet?"

Theo looked down and scanned the very outfit you were eyeing disapprovingly.

"This is what I'm wearing."

He looked up and caught a glimpse of your face.

"Why? What's wrong with it?"

You looked visibly aggrieved by his fashion choice.

"It's so...boring. I said '80s' and you thought black shirt, black jeans?"

"What's wrong with a black shirt, black jeans?"

"Nothing. Unless you're going to an 80s-themed party."

You stepped away from the bathroom's threshold while Theo frowned over what he had thought was a simple, perfectly acceptable outfit.

"This was the best I could come up w - yeah, sure. Go ahead. Go through my clothes. Turn my wardrobe upside down. Go right ahead. It's not like this is my room. Or my clothes. Merlin forbid I claim an inch of this space as m- "

"Are you done?" You asked, extricating yourself from the recesses of Theo's wardrobe. He couldn't tell if your hair looked more or less frizzy. You held out a frilly, powder blue suit Mattheo had bought him as a gag gift for his seventeenth birthday.

"No."

"Just try it on!"

"Absolutely not."

"Come on, please? I probably won't even like the look of it."

"Brilliant. Then what I'm wearing is perfect."

You gave him a look. "But I have to make sure that I won't like it."

Between his roommates and you, Theo's resolve was worn out. Grudgingly, he changed into the suit. If anything, his cowlick made him look even more stupid in this get-up.

"You look so much better," you chirped happily, approvingly examining the patterned insides of the jacket's pockets. "Don't you think?"

Theo narrowed his eyes at your too-innocent smile.

"I think," he said, "you're wasted in Ravenclaw."

"It's just one night, Theo," you continued, like you hadn't heard him. "I don't even have a camera or anything."

"But I do. Smile."

Theo was blinded by a flash from Mattheo's camera from behind you. He scowled at Mattheo, who was too busy pulling out the printed polaroid. He eyed it with satisfaction as it began to develop. "I always knew this day would come," he murmured.

Meanwhile, you doubled your wheedling efforts.

"Please? For me? The girl who knocked you down in front of all of your teammates and won't hesitate to do it again?"

Theo glared at you. "You're not helping your case, you know."

But you must have been doing something right, because five minutes later, he was waving goodbye to his roommates in the powder blue suit. The two of you walked up to the castle's gates into the Muggle car Theo had rented for the evening. As Theo turned the key in the ignition, adjusting his mirrors and seat, you reached over to fix his hair.

"Don't touch my - " Theo swatted your hand away, warily checking his reflection in the rearview mirror. Shockingly, his cowlick was gone. His hair was exactly how he wanted it.

"Long hair suits you. Did you know that?" you said, following his gaze into the mirror, in that assertive, know-it-all tone of yours, like it was a universally agreed-upon fact that Theo looked good with long hair. Grumbling, Theo shifted the gearstick into drive, turning down the road to Hogsmeade.

"Can I try?" you asked for the sixth time, perched on the boot of the Cadillac convertible. Theo pushed his fringe out of his eyes, feeling the back of his neck grow moist.

"I've almost got it," he replied from somewhere underneath the hood for the sixth time.

You rolled your eyes, fanning yourself with a magazine you had found in the backseat. Halfway to Hogsmeade, the car decided to sputter and choke to a stop. What Theo had initially diagnosed as a five-minute problem had grown into a twenty-minute problem and showed no sign of ending.

“I thought you said it was the carburettor,” you called out, already feeling sluggish in the heat of the setting sun.

“I said I think it’s the carburettor.”

You rolled your eyes.

There was a loud clang, a muffled curse, and an alarming hissing sound. Sighing, you abandoned your magazine and hopped off the boot. You came around the hood to see Theo shaking out his hand, like he had been burned, swearing colourfully under his breath.

While he had the sense to leave his jacket in the car, the front of his shirt was splattered with windshield wiper fluid. A rogue curl had escaped and was now sticking to his forehead. His collar had wilted in the heat, and half of his sleeves were probably crumpled beyond help from where they had been folded to his elbow.

And yet, infuriatingly, he still managed to look good. Good in that maddening, ravenous way where you couldn't decide if you wanted to ditch him on the side of the road or climb him like a tree.

Theo tapped at a knob tentatively with his wrench, dropping it when the knob sparked. You had to physically shut your eyes. He was so pathetic, so hot.

“I'm pretty sure I’ve isolated the issue,” Theo was saying, wiping his hands on a cloth. “Definitely a leak of the, erm, braking fluid.”

You fixed Theo with a look. You narrowed his eyes at him.

“You made that up just now.”

“Did not,” he replied, a little too fast.

“Did so.”

Theo frowned, squinting into the hood. “Just five more minutes,” he mumbled, picking up his wrench again.

You muttered something rude under your breath and pushed him out of the way gently, not that he resisted much. You pushed back your hair and studied the interior of the hood.

"See?" came Theo's slightly whiny voice from somewhere cooler. "There's too many fiddly things, it's impossib-"

You pulled out your wand. After a little trial and error, a few whispered spells, the engine gave a healthy sputter and purred back to life.

You stepped back and closed the hood. Theo blinked.

“Huh.”

“Huh,” you repeated mockingly.

You examined your watch and hurried back to the passenger seat. "Now let's get going before it gets too dark."

"Yes, ma'am," Theo said, climbing into the driver's seat.

You flicked his ear in response. You could see the smile biting into his cheek as he checked his mirrors, not noticing that his cowlick was back with a vengeance.

You looked out the windshield, watching the trees go by as you tried to ignore how you were half in love him.

The party was more fun than you expected. And it did feel a little less lonely having someone to drive you there and back, all the while patiently taking the brunt of your teasing. Theo took you back to the castle, walked you up to your common room with surprising stamina (he didn't run all those laps for nothing, then) and bid you goodnight.

And that was the end of that.

Only, you were realising, part of you didn't want it to end. Against your will, everywhere you looked, Theo kept catching your eye - in the corridors, on the staircases, in the Great Hall, on the pitch. It was his fault, really, taking up so much space with all that height. Taking up so much of your mind with all those lazy half-smiles and crinkled eyes.

A couple of mornings later, Theo was jogging laps on the Quidditch pitch again. His grey shirt was soaked in sweat, his fringe falling into his eyes. The early morning air had that familiar crisp edge and the rhythmic murmur of his teammate's footfalls. Theo slowed to a walk, wiping his face with his shirt, when he felt it - that same pricking at the back of his neck. That same unease. He looked in the direction of the Great Hall warily.

“Stopping so soon?” you called out suddenly, from where you had been watching him in the stands.

Theo startled so hard he almost tripped.

“Fuck - how long have you been there?”

"Long enough," you replied languidly, taking in the endearing rosy flush of his cheeks. You waved Mattheo's Potions textbook in the air as Theo walked towards you.

"You can't be doing that to people with already elevated heart rates," he scolded weakly, taking the book you were holding out to him.

You grinned. “Mattheo’s. Try not to get too much sweat on it.”

Theo nodded. "Thanks. I've been needing to level my bed with something."

You swallowed the smile that threatened to break across your face. Merlin forbid he realised you found him funny. You tried to keep your tone light, casual.

“So… what’re you reading these days? Anything interesting?”

Theo looked a little lost. “Like...books?"

You held back an eye roll. “Yeah, I guess.”

"Oh. I've been re-reading Gatsby lately."

You nodded. “Classic. You should tell me about it sometime, over coffee."

Theo’s brow furrowed.

“You've never read The Great Gatsby?"

You gave Theo a dirty look, unable to maintain your polite veneer. "Of course I've read The Great Gatsby. I just wanted to hear your take on it."

Theo stared at you some more. "You want to hear...what I think, about Gatsby?"

"Yeah, sure." It was almost insulting, really, of how disbelieving he appeared of your good, perfectly innocent intentions.

“Uh… okay?” Theo said cautiously.

You stood, partly disappointed, partly peeved. “Great," you said flatly. "Good chat, then.”

You turned away and started walking back to the Great Hall, kicking yourself. How much plainer did you have to make the invitation?

Theo watched you walk off, still a little confused. He jogged back to the pitch, resuming his laps. What was all that about? You wanted to hear what he thought about Gatsby? Not much, especially in comparison to you. He'd hardly have anything to contribute to the conversation that you didn't already know. Why, the two of you would be better off talking about literally anything else.

Theo stopped. The realisation hit him like a ton of bricks.

"WAIT - talk - coffee - yes, Y/N, YE- "

[onelastskip]

Just out of curiosity, how many MCs did you make for Keyframes? Can you tell us a bit about them? I'm interested to know :D

OMGGG HAIII!!!

Technicallyyy 4? I played through the game on all seasons but my other MCs aren't as fleshed out (and I haven't drawn them...) — but I'll talk about what I have anyway!

So obviously Chi was my first baby girl, autumn, romancing Percy straight away, I yap about her a lot already but here's a fun fact I haven't mentioned yet, her full name is Chi Huệ Aubade, very cool!

My next mc was Mika (she's sort recycled from olba, sorta not because I hate the idea of being unfaithful to cove, idk if that makes sense just the way my brain works) she's a summer and... well I was supposed to romance Elio... but then the Percy summer meeting hit me like a truck and I went for him again... now she probably won't get fleshed out but I'm thinking of doing a male mc elio summer run (for real this time, no percy shenanigans)

And then I have my spring mc, Nari, and- I will admit I was very close to reromancing Percy but no! they are a Jamie romance (slowwburn tho) cause I found the cupcake confrontation was so good with a spring personality. So they're uh, well to describe them, in a word, they're self-assured (technically two but semantics). They're extremely competent and they know it, they have a big ego and tend to be overconfident, brash and competitive. Andd they also have a crippling fear of emotional connection and an avoidant attachment style. love my little guys who are so smart yet so very stupid. Anyway their dynamic with Jamie is sort of teasing? They were expecting to be annoyed by him bcos of his reputation but they ended up liking him more than they thought. They have a sort of "people disappoint me" expectation, a lot of the friends and relationships they've had in the past were shallow (not for lack of trying? but nari really didn't put any effort in) they only really mesh with deja and cam and don't even try to form deeper relationships with others, the boys are the first friends they've made in a while, and their first time besides with cam and deja actually trying to connect with people. They're an ISTJ and fun fact about them theyyy are very good at chess.

And lastly my winter mc, Yumi (name pending.) they're my no romance route (or slowburn? it depends how it plays out I guess). They're... to describe them in one word. Chill (lol). They're an artist turned law student and they are very go with the flow. They are also doing a minor of sociology! They stopped painting in their last year of highschool because they were told they needed to start taking things seriously (they had pretty bad-average grades before). While they're generally patient and relaxed, when they do get angry, they are no holds barred, cussing out authority figures, not a single thought in that brain, they get very passionate when they're being confrontational. They're an INTP and fun fact about them they know how to skateboard.

WAIIIIT- I'M GONNA USE THIS ASK TO YAP ABOUT THE ENNEAGRAM (sorry anon my attention span is kinda fucked, ADHD ramble incoming)

Okay I've mentioned before Chi's a 2w3, little lore drop, she's got family issues (eldest daughter in an asian family /hj) but yeah there's a lot of pressure from that direction, that's part why she's doing a law degree (polisci? I forget how it is in america), she was rushed into picking a degree and just went with what she was best at. Anyway I should probably explain the enneagram oops, OKAY, so she has a type 2 fixation, which basically means, she's got a gaping hole where her self esteem is and she tries to patch that up by creating relationships (people pleaser...), that's why she tries to be as helpful as possible all the time, she's got a deep seated fear of abandonment and feels like she can only be loved if she's providing some sort of support (usually as an emotional dumping ground) to the other person.

Buttt, thankfully when she got to college she met Deja and Cam, who did NOT fuck with that kinda behaviour so she's slowly getting better, I imagine over the course of her time at college she gets better at loving herself and sets boundaries with her parents, fixes the relationship (the other drama is she has younger siblings who are still with them and yeah) idk I just like writing character arcs like this it helps me understand my ocs better I think

onto my other mcsss:

uhh Mika's a 7w8, but I'm gonna skip her since she'll probably get reworked into something else anywayyy

so Nari has a type 5 fixation, their whole deal is they need to feel competent, need to feel like they understand the world around them because it's a scary place and if something doesn't fit in with the way they understand things that means they understand nothing. Anyway, their little character arc would actually be centred on the relationship, it's a story about them accepting emotional vulnerability, letting down their walls, losing their rigid world view, and choosing to trust in another person and fall in love :3

Yumi (name pending) has a type 9 fixation, their problem is... well basically, on the surface, they're confident, calm, collected, composed (heh alliteration), they really seem like they've got it all together but internally they've resigned themself to being another cog in the machine. They've lost their passion in life and they're stuck in the pit of "it is what it is". Their character arc would probably involve them dropping out of college and pursuing something they actually care about, that being art.

[kurooscopy]

good afternoon beautiful ada!!! i was hoping you could share some kuroo x ada lore with the class 🫶 tell us about your first kiss, or how you knew you were in love with him or about your first date!!! anything you want, I'd love to hear it (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) mwah

how your email finds me

thank you for dropping by, u are the sweetest !! gladly leaving some kuroada first kiss lore for u :33 (under the cut bc i'm a yapper hfjdkf)

first kiss lore is intertwined with confession lore, so you're getting a 2 for 1 deal here (⌐■u■)

it happens about halfway through second year, when we're the last ones staying back to tidy up after evening practice. as we're finishing up, he says he has something to tell me (and being the lovergirl that i am, my brain takes this and runs wild lmao but i try to be normal for once)

but then he tells me that nekomata has asked him to captain ! the third years above us have already retired at this point so it'll be effective pretty much immediately, and it's technicallyyy supposed to be a secret.. but i'm the first one who gets to know

and ofc this is wonderful news !!! so i jump into his arms and give him a big squeezy hug >u< but what's this.. when we pull back to look at each other, no one's moving away.. and we are ever so close.. and his smile is making his eyes crinkle so cute.. and those eyes are drifting down to my lips.. 🫣

and we're kinda leaning into each other so he's about to go for it, but i stop him bc i'm an overthinker and are we sure this is a good idea ? i'm the manager and he's about to be captain, if anything goes wrong it'd create wayyy too much division within a team that's supposed to be going to nationals :(( (u can deny all u want, but ppl always end up picking sides) + i don't want to lose a very dear friend !

anyway to paraphrase a longer conversation, he ends up convincing me that nothing will go wrong bc this is something we both want very much 🙂‍↕️ and asks if this means he can kiss me now (you can take a guess what i say hejhjehhje)

and it's soft and a lil tentative but very loving all the same <33 and thus kuroada is officially born ! 🫶

[trashcreatyre]

I was just wondering if you could explain what the masks do in ur au (self mourning I think??)

Sorry if you've already explained them lol

So I did technicallyyy already make a post about this, but it was months ago and really rough so I can totally yap about em

So baseline information is that at the beginning without the masks he can't remember anything about himself or his past, at most it just feels like something is missing or like, feels vaguely familiar, like when you see someone and you feel like you know them but you're not sure.

Also none of the masks make him remember instantly, it either takes a bit and then it hits (like in the 1st mask comic and the 2nd mask one that I wanna redo) or it slowly comes back overtime while wearing it (like the 3rd one which i haven't talked about much), but if he takes off a mask he doesn't forget anything he remembered.

Ok now that that's covered, to the masks (ordered in how they appear in the story ofc) :3

So the solaris mask/first mask is the one that let's him remember the most, just because it spans over the most time (like, however old solaris was before the split, so like min 10,000 years, that's a lot)

So yeah, he remembers a lot, he remembers who he is (he thinks), he remembers soleanna and illumina (though he doesn't remember void and lumina, but to be fair he didn't know them in the first place, it was more recent) and he has the first mask for a good while because he thinks there's nothing more to remember, but it obviously doesn't feel quite right, something still feels missing.

And then the 2nd mask shows up :)

When he eventually puts this one on (with some convincing from illumina) he doesn't remember anything new at first, but when he does it hits him like a truck all at once. But not at all in a helpfully way, because he doesn't remember any information, he only remembers the physical an emotional, so he doesn't remember the split or being unwritten from the timeline (sort of) but he does remember how it felt physically and emotionally. Which. Obviously doesn't go great. Which turns into what I've been jokingly calling the divorce arc because he kinda starts isolating himself a bit after this one lol

And during that isolation time he finds the 3rd mask

And he doesn't actually wear it for a while. Like, a sort of "is it actually better to know?" Yk?

But obviously he puts it on eventually and he remembers (pretty much) everything else. He remembers all the actual information of 06 that he was missing from the last one, he remembers who he is (because from the first mask up till this one he thought he was still Solaris, though that was feeling increasingly incorrect over time) and even though he remembers (pretty much) everything he's still mostly in isolation mode, and then also this would be around the time shadow gens happens for him.

And then the fourth/final mask its sort of in a weird place?

Like, there's not much more to remember so my ideas are less solid on it? Like, initially it was going to make him remember the stuff from the 06 final story (solaris boss fight, time reset, being erased (technically) from existence) but I'm not sure how much of that I'm gonna change, but basically, he remembers everything now. And he's kinda apathetic about it tbh. Like, he spent that whole time trying to remember who he was and when he finally has his answer its underwhelming. He knows he's not solaris, but all that leaves is that he's mephiles, and that doesn't really mean much of anything. In his mind he's worse off than he started but at least he's not in isolation mode anymore.

And then eventually he's transgender or something but that doesn't have much to do with the masks so 🧍

[starrybeach]

the usual of treating an ask game like a survey hehe <3 original is here and i stole this from @synnzzz technicallyyy so... ill send some numbers as well

What is your nickname?

baby, doll, lu

When is your birthday?

7/26/00

What was your longest relationship?

my current one :3 6 years!

What is your favorite book?

i have no mouth and i must scream by harlon ellison, misery by stephen king, gerald's game by stephen king ... i have bad taste

What is something you're insecure about?

my mean streak at times

5 Male celebrity crushes

trent reznor, brian warner, lars ulrich, dave mustaine, patrick stump

5 Female celebrity crushes

im not attracted to women ^_^ (sam reid)

What is your dream job?

my current job, a poet. but published.

What do you consider your biggest accomplishment?

starting to produce my own music ^_^

What is a fact about you that nobody would believe?

i dont really like david bowie's music

What were your highs and lows for this last month?

we got groceries!

we were starving most of the time

Where is somewhere you'd like to visit?

norway and sweden

How do you de-stress?

sex and cigarettes :3

What are your favorite apps besides tumblr?

pinterest

Describe yourself in one sentence.

a flash of pink across the night sky-- zoom!

What do you think makes you attractive?

my charming purrsonality and captivating big eyes

What is something you're really good at?

visual aesthetics!

What is something you're really bad at?

learning instruments...

A time that you told a lie.

i told my teacher that my mom beats me in 2nd grade! ^^

What's a totally random and useless fact that you know?

ur more likely to believe someone whos levelled vulnerable info w you... i was lying in the last bullet point >:3

Who knows you the best?

not u!!! cuz i was lying in the last one too!!! she really did tho.

What is your most prized possession?

my engagement ring!

What is your longest friendship?

one of my irls! 16 years

When did you first feel like an adult?

when i had to comfort my mother after she picked me up from the hospital she put me in

Do you/ Have you played any sports?

no.

How are you feeling right now?

pretty good!! happie

Are you an early bird or a night owl?

both... what even is sleep

Do you believe in love at first sight?

yes!!

Favorite song lyrics right now?

What does self care look like for you?

taking a cat nap and smokin w the stray animals :3

Describe yourself with 3 singers.

hatsune miku, hatsune miku power, hatsune miku whisper

What makes you nervous?

sudden change and instability

What’s a pet peeve you have?

loud chewers

What will always make you cry?

parental abandonment/death

What kind of first impression do you think you make on people?

sunny! bubbly! approachable hopefully!

[satsuha]

hiiii i really love your temehika art, this is probably a rly silly question but do you have any thoughts on where there relationship is around stormhail and their reactions to what happens to the other there? idk i rly enjoyed their stormhail chapters and think a lot about how they would handle each others

anway have a nice day c:

hello! thank you so much!! i'll put it under the cut since it's still technicallyyy spoilers also i wrote too much. hope you have a nice day too! and i hope my answer is satisfactory gjfhjka

personally, i like to believe that temehika had more of a slowburn relationship progression and i don't think they had anything interesting going on when their stormhail chapters happen... i do like to think of that as a turning point for their relationship though.

but first of all, i'll always link MakiFigaro's fic about their stormhail chapters intersecting because i think about it a lot... i think that even without temenos having any kind of particular interest in hikari, the thought of being unable to save another companion so soon after losing crick would just be too much for him...

i like to think that in crick's case, temenos was so strongly reminded of roi (also because of his relation to the church) that he was drawn to him immediately, almost too much and realizing too late that he was inadvertently dragging him into danger which wasn't something crick was prepared for unlike roi and jorg... you can see that temenos sort of pieces everything together during the stormhail chapter irt crick's similarity with roi and his little attempts to stop crick from investigating on his own but it's too late at that point o<-<

but when it comes to hikari, i think the realization comes slower for temenos... there are several similarities between the three (roi, crick, hikari) but i like that their earlier travel banters just sort of touch on it with temenos' chapter 2 calling hikari and crick his two trustworthy blades and i like to think that temenos is thinking of roi when he talks to hikari about ritsu in his chapter 2 banter... i think it's at hikari's chapter 4 banter when we begin to see how the way temenos treats hikari is different however, because he cautions hikari about trusting too easily but ultimately trusts him to make the right decision. with both roi and crick, it's like temenos almost feels obligated to be the one who keeps pushing them to doubt more often, but it's surprising (nice...) that he doesn't see hikari as someone who needs his guidance. (listen i know it's because the travelers can't make significant impacts on each other's stories but 1) i'm delusional and 2) i still think despite that, the fact that temenos doesn't even attempt to change hikari's mind and only offers a word of caution means a lot)

temenos' chapter 4 banter is where their connection really shines because they're the only two who talk so directly about how their losses affect themselves together? most likely because the banters have to assume that you haven't seen the other traveler's entire story yet, but since hikari already experiences so much loss in his chapter 1... 🥹 i think it's really nice that the game gave them that moment to talk about it a bit.

ok i got really sidetracked but that's only the first part of your question 😭 UH i'll try to keep the next part short... in terms of their reactions to each other's stormhail chapters, i think it makes the most sense for them to have split up after arriving in the city, and since hikari's banter in temenos' story takes place before crick's death, i feel like he would've been absent for it... (it feels like throne is the only one who was definitely near him at the time) so temenos is uh Distraught after hearing that hikari might've died at the castle mei bridge and especially after losing crick, he'd probably blame himself for not warning hikari more about rai mei's possible betrayal...

once hikari's returned to the group though, i think castti and hikari would try to comfort temenos since they have the most experience with grief. castti already tells him to take his time grieving in his chapter 2 and hikari would mostly just listen and stay by his side, i think...

anyway as per my first temehika fic (desert nights) i prefer to think of their relationship as only turning romantic after the events of the final chapter and epilogue. i think after losing kazan and with rai mei remaining in stormhail, as well as ascending the throne, he'd feel more isolated than ever and temenos similarly loses a real sense of purpose after repaying his debts to the dead and no longer having anyone to protect. that isn't to say i don't think their relationship can't start at any point tho ghjafdjk 20984903 temehikas existing in my head. simultaneously. anyway i seriously did write too much sorry about that hope it was enjoyable to read at least <3

[zorobff]

Hey, I’m your anon that asked about part 2 for “I bet on losing dogs”! I’m Gouda (🧀), hi hello 😂 Think if it will be easier going forward if I sign the asks lol

I am so so so excited that there will be a part 2 tho!!! All the possibilities of how it could be, I am melting here 🫠🫠 Some soft Zoro moments maybe after he wakes up? I’m sure he’ll remember how Mihawk pointed out that reader cares about Zoro and he���s not blind so 🤷🏻‍♀️

So many possibilities and I can barely contain myself whilst I wait 😂 Also, no rush, take your time! I’m really glad you decided to share this!

Also, my absolute pleasure!! I try to let writers know that I appreciate their works that I have read, even if it’s on anon because I hope that it will at least bring a smile to their face ☺️

Again, thanks for sharing “I bet on losing dogs” and I am so excited to read part 2 when it comes out!! ❤️❤️

- Gouda 🧀

omg hiii gouda. love the name!! 🧀🩷

glad you’re excited for pt 2, your enthusiasm makes me so happy! i’m definitely planning on including soft moments 🫶 gotta make up for the suffering i put zoro and reader through, although technicallyyy i just followed what the opla writers did… and made it more painful lol

anyway i absolutely love ppl like you!!! nothing wrong with being a silent reader but taking a bit of time to leave a sweet message to a writer is sooo encouraging. it definitely makes a difference, anon or not. so tysm for showing your support 🫂

[into-the-mindverse]

Technicallyyy, it's not favoritism if I don't know who you two are— I only know Gordon soo 🤷

“ Well that does make sense. . even if you're like a suit talking, with- with odd names or something. ”

“ Should be questioning HOW you know Gordon. . you're a new suit after all. ”

[miwiheroes]

thanks for the tag!!

Questions for fic writers:

btw i know a lot of you know me for my byler fics on this tumblr account but i have written so many six of crows fics that this tag is gonna have that in lols

1. What ratings do you write most of your fics under?

If you take one look at my works on ao3 you know i basically only use the teens and above rating haha, and I rarely use the general audiences rating and i never use the mature or the explicit rating because im a coward

2. What are your top three fandoms?

Six of Crows (13 works), Stranger Things (4 works), Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (1 work)

3. What is the top character you write about?

Wylan van eck (13 works) ugh i love him i miss him

4. What are your top 3 pairings?

Jesper Fahey/Wylan Van Eck (13 works)

Will Byers/Mike Wheeler (4 works)

Colm Fahey & Jesper Fahey (2 works)

5. What are your top 3 additional tags?

this is going to be so boring omg but its Fluff (11 works) Emotional Hurt/Comfort (10 works) and Angst (9 works)

BUT

my fave tags in general (i dont necessarily use these in my own stuff but) are Domestic Fluff, Sickfic and Mike Wheeler is a CringeFail Loser

6. Does any of this surprise you?

nah because i know how obsessed i was with wesper lols

7. Favourite tag you’ve used?

okay technicallyyy its four but in sequence: Unrequited Love, but wait, Not Actually Unrequited Love, you'll see what that means

No pressure tags: ngl i have no fic writer friends uhhh

Tagged by the best bestie of all time @pearlypairings for this fun lil… game or quiz or whatever you want to call it 🥰

1. What ratings do you write most of your fics under?

I think all of mine are Teen except one General

2. What are your top three fandoms?

It’s only Stranger Things for me so far… not sure if that’ll ever change!

3. What is the top character you write about?

Probably Eddie? He’s in the background of everything. It’s hard to narrow it down though since I tend to do “ensemble cast” fics. It’s probably a pretty close call between Eddie, Max, El, and Gareth.

4. What are your top 3 pairings?

Eddie/Chrissy

El/Gareth

Max/Lucas

5. What are your top 3 additional tags?

Vecna is Defeated

Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies

tie between Fluff and Found Family

6. Does any of this surprise you?

Not a bit; and it probably didn’t surprise you either, dear reader, did it? 😉

7. Favorite tag you’ve used?

Probably either I scream you scream we all scream for Wayne Munson or Will and Chrissy are kicking asses and taking names… or oh wait how about Vecna is a little potbellied bitch lmao

No pressure tags:

@billysblueeyes @hellcheercaine @ladyfluff

@erythromanc3r @justhere4thevibez @smokefurball @krakoansam

[wlwkiryuu]

Headcannons for RGU characters' favorite pets?

OOH this is fun!! sorry this took a while to get to. hmm

utena would be a huge dog person i think she'd especially like larger dogs like great danes and st bernards. she's a cat enjoyer but she likes dogs more because she can go out for runs with them. the more active the dog is the better

anthy is self explanatory i think she just loves every animal ever. BUT i also think she'd be especially fond of creatures that are thought of as "disgusting" or "scary" like bugs. and snakes and lizards. and snails obviously. #weirdgirl yknow.

nanami well. i dont think the poor girl should be around any animals for a very long time. but i think as a child she would catch all sorts of things like frogs and snails and snakes and such (mainly because of how she caught all those animals herself in that episode to humiliate anthy)! she'd constantly get scolded for it so she eventually dropped the habit. but yeah i dont think she'd have any pets </3

juri. horse girl. im sorry but shes absolutely a horse girl. i think she used to wear horse girl shirts and everything, had a childhood horse, was trained in riding and got into professional racing for a bit too. you know how she is shes perfect at literally everything she does.

putting miki and kozue together because i think theyd both be drawn towards birds. obviously theres the whole kozue rescuing the baby birds thing but i also think its cool imagery of them struggling with the idea of "leaving their nest" and such...i dont think either of them think of birds as their "favorite" pet because theyre also deeply uncomfortable with confronting Why theyre drawn towards birds, and i dont think kozue in particular would like doing things like routine wing clipping, but technicallyyy birds are their favorite.

i think if you asked touga he'd immediately say cat because of the kitten he got because i think he did genuinely love that cat as a child, but i dont think he'd really have a real favorite.

saionji though i think he IS a cat guy. and since he's shown interest in typically "feminine" things before like cooking to subvert his obsession with proving his masculinity i think itd be really funny if post-ohtori or something he was like a cat lady. i feel like he could easily be one if he wasnt wrapped up in ohtori and student council bs

wakaba loves small rodents like mice rats hamsters guinea pigs gerbils...she always takes care of/owns at least ten a time too. i think she likes feeling needed <3

and i didnt say anything for shiori because this is perfect actually

[eleven-times-lively]

Hii! How often are you going to be posting the ships? I don’t mean to rush you just asking💓

Tbh I do them when I feel like it. Requests just opened back today (although some people couldn’t seem to grasp that they were closed...)

I deleted all ship requests I got while they were closed because people can’t seem to respect my wishes or bother to read my posts exposing they were closed

(Except for one person which I explained and they know)

So technicallyyy I only have 1 request right now

If you sent in a ship request while they were closed, re-request now that they are open, because your request has been deleted

Except for the one angel who apologized and recognized

But as for a posting “schedule” I do it when I get inspiration and figure out the person

[constellation-suggestions]

hey ! can i be 🎐? i dont think its taken but then again im a blind bat lmao hsgdjskhf

I may sign with 💘 :3 may I rant about my boyfriend to you all?

for the emoji thing is 🕯 good?

i know i’ve answered two of these already but i see now that there are a couple more so i’m just going to put these into the same ask because i have the same response as before ! 

💘  and 🕯  have never been claimed. 🎐 has technicallyyy been claimed but they only sent us a single ask just claiming it at the beginning of april and then have never messaged us again so if that anon does not return i would be alright with giving it to you !

however i will not officially claim any of these emojis at the moment since i’m not sure how long ago these asks were sent in, if any of you three anons see this and still want your emoji let me know and i will give it to you !!

if anyone else would like to claim an emoji so that you can send us asks and we can remember who you are while you stay on anon, you can see our list of emojis that are already taken here !!

[hazelnatcoffee]

Note; I know Keith is eighteen at the start of the show (or seventeen, if you count the very first scene with Kerberos) but technicallyyy he could be nineteen, if Shiro left just before his eighteenth bday so I just went with that for dramatic effect (I know, I'm extra but it's sheith, it's almost canonically extra in itself). But yeah, this is a drabble I didn't really know about posting but then I tried to fix it up so.

"Keith?"

The newly instated Paladin turned at the sound of his name, one hand still outstretched toward his door.

Shiro had paused in front of his too, across the hall. Keith glanced around again, noting the absence of the others and assuming they'd already disappeared into their quarters and somehow, that struck him- the timing. 

Or his fight-exhausted mind was just blurring the line between assumption and reality again.

"Yeah?" He finally answered, confused when Shiro wouldn't meet his eyes. "Hey, is... something wrong?"

"Huh?" Shiro seemed to catch himself, and offered a reassuring -albeit hesitant- smile. "No, I was just... dozing on my feet. Sorry."

Anyone else might have fallen for it. But Keith lowered his hand from the door and crossed the hallway, studying how Shiro's eyelashes flitted when he looked Keith up and down subtly. Or at least, subtle to most people.

Keith shook the thoughts out of his head. He wasn't special- curious, yeah. Observant at best, but- not special.

"What?" He asked, stopping a couple feet in front of Shiro, crossing his arms. It was less of a defensive motion and more of a habitual one, by now.

"You just... you look a little different," Shiro told him, smile fading while his eyes traced some point on his shoulder.

Keith wasn't quite sure what to make of the statement- or, if he was supposed to make anything of it, at all. 

"I am different," He responded, strangely careful. "We both are."

"Yeah," Shiro's agreement was a murmur that almost didn't carry over to Keith, as he had tilted his head down to study his opening and closing fist. The prosthetic. "We're not in Kansas anymore, so to speak."

"Garrison isn't in Kansas," Keith corrected, with a small smile.

"So to speak," Shiro repeated, a wry smile of his own spreading over his face.

Keith wondered if he'd say anything else without being prompted. When he didn't, Keith decided to take a step back, making to turn like he was going back to his door. It was getting late, after all, and they both needed some rest before they could face anything else the next day; aliens and changes alike.

"W- can you, uh... just wait, for a second."

He found himself smiling wider again, but managed to force it down before facing Shiro again; something about the request sent a part of his head spinning- the knowledge that Shiro was right there, in front of him and speaking-

"I just- I want to look at you, a little longer," Shiro confessed, and that time it sounded like a question. "It's been... it's been months, since I got to see you last."

Keith sobered at that, the joyous rush subsiding as he thought about it, unable to keep from saying softly, "Year and a half, actually."

The change of units put everything into perspective that much more.

"That would make you," Shiro paused. "Eighteen, now."

Keith tried to suppress the sadness from tinging his expression when he shook his head, slowly.

Shiro's eyes really were the windows to his soul, and Keith... he could see the pain written through them, a sight he'd never wanted to be the cause of. Before, he'd have approached Shiro, put a hand on his arm or shoulder, offering support through a simple touch. But now...

He wasn't sure what to do. If he was being honest with himself, Keith hadn't been sure since he'd awoken in Shiro's arms, watching tears drip onto the mattress beside the man's shaking shoulders.

Shiro hadn't said anything after Keith woke up again to an empty room, panicking for a horrible minute before catching sight of his figure on the sand mound- hadn't seen him nearly tear the shack apart, other cadets be damned, when he checked the curtained-off room and found nobody but them, in a pile on his couch.

Keith once again shook the thoughts from his head, just as Shiro recovered enough to say, "I remember now. I left just before the twenty-third."

Another twinge of sorrow, and Keith rubbed absently at his sternum. Maybe the events of the day were taking as much a toll on his body as the events of the past months- no, there was no maybe about it. They were all feeling the effects, after just one fight.

"Can I...?" He glanced up again to see Shiro's non-metal hand hovering in the space between them. An invitation to hug? But his palm was too high, almost level with Keith's chin.

He wasn't exactly sure what he was saying yes to, but he nodded anyway.

"It grew," Shiro explained, fingers sifting into Keith's hair, curling gently at the nape of his neck. "A little. You cut it yourself, I'm guessing."

"Yeah," Keith's chest tightened again at the memories, but the contact helped chase away the feeling as Shiro continued to touch his hair, moving up the side to his bangs. "Yours turned white."

"Getting old," Shiro grinned, with a half shrug.

Keith rolled his eyes, and thought that some things would never change as he responded, "Shut up."

They lapsed into silence after that, reveling in the lighter mood. After a day full of ups and downs, it was a welcome difference in atmosphere.

"I missed you," Someone said, though Keith forgot later whether it was him or Shiro, because they were pressing together after that, folding into an embrace that should have felt foreign after months of disuse. Instead, it was just as before; tight, but natural. Long enough that it should have been awkward -and it would have been, with anyone else- but, not.

"I- really missed you," Shiro whispered into his shoulder, and that, he didn't forget.

[evenstevensranked]

#42: Season 1, Episode 20 - “Almost Perfect”

Ren gets a "C" in shop class which means it's the end of the world. Louis' locker is festering with steam and bacteria, so Wexler lets him use a storage closet until it’s fixed. Naturally, Louis makes the best of it and renovates the space into a south-of-the-border themed hang out.

This episode opens with the subplot. We see steam blasting out of Louis’ locker accompanied by “Halloween”-esque tinkering piano. I don’t know why I never noticed the opening line before, but Twitty asks “Dude, are you grilling turkey dogs in your locker again?” Why am I laughing at this?! Louis explains that his locker has had a hot water leak all week. It’s causing moss to grow on his egg salad sandwich and mushrooms to “not only grow, but THRIVE” on his math book. He tries to ask Principal Wexler for help, but.. ya know.. Louis isn’t exactly the most reputable student. So Wexler pretty much ignores his pleas. Probably because he was too busy running off to a meeting with Vice Principal REN STEVENS! 

He finds Ren and approaches her all excited like “Guess whaaaat?!” Ren guesses that he finally bought some red car he’s always wanted. I like this because it foreshadows Dirty Work where Wexler DOES get his snazzy red convertible. The big news is that she’s a shoo-in for Student of the Semester. This whole scene is slightly uncomfortable, like most of their scenes together. Their relationship is so weird. He even calls her “the daughter I never had.” Okay. He suggests that she should write some glowing article about herself in the school paper. Why would anyone ever suggest that? How arrogant would that be? Either way, Ren ends up agreeing to said article but instead of writing it herself.. she assigns two little minions to do it.  

No, really. Am I the only one weirded out by this? lol. 

We meet Carla (Lisa Folies, All That!) and Marla (Krysten Leigh Jones, Remember the Titans) for the first time. They're two young girls who are obsessed with Ren and her ~perfection~. We only see them one other time in Season 2. They’re very eager to impress Ren and dress exactly like her and everything. I never understood how people dress the same as others on TV shows like this. How does that work? Did they break in and photograph all of Ren’s clothes one day and then go out to buy everything??? Do they have cameras in Ren’s room that live stream her outfit choices every morning? And then proceed to reach into their Ren Closet and wear the same exact thing? Like... How else is this even possible at all? 

They’re fawning over Ren and asking her what it’s like to be perfect. Ren insists she’s not perfect, but when she’s asked to list some of her imperfections… She acts all cutesy arrogant like “what do’ya know! I guess I don’t have any! *shrug*” It’s a little off-putting.

Louis’ locker water leak has gotten so bad he needs to wear a wetsuit and goggles to school now, lol. There’s seaweed or something growing in there and it’s also the home of an evil life form that somehow materialized. He tells Wexler “I swear to Pete, there’s something growing in there and I don’t think it likes me at all!” Who are these men everyone in the Even Stevens-verse swear to?! Twitty swears to Bob, Louis swears to Pete. Once Wexler sees the extent of the damage, he lets Louis use an old storage closet for the time being. I never got that. Sure, Louis keeps a whole lotta junk in his locker -- but what normal person needs a giant closet for a few books and a jacket? Anyway, Wexler says “make yourself at home” so you know Louis is gonna run with it. Like, I’ve said before... If you give Louis an inch, he WILL take 20 miles. 

“I can make this work” he whispers to himself as he observes the closet space, lol. I just realized there’s an actual physical lightbulb next to him, signifying the idea. Wow. 

Even though she’s the number one contender for Student of the Semester, Ren really wants to ensure that she gets the title… again. Apparently you get a $25 Honey Ham gift card and it’s really satisfying. Why she gotta be so greedy, tho??? According to Wexler she's already been Student of the Semester for the last two semesters, she’s Student Policy Monitor, lord knows what else, AND don’t forget that she's practically Vice Principal as well. Geeez, Ren! Let some of the other kids have their time to shine. But, regardless.. her plans are halted when she gets a C in shop class, jeopardizing her chances. As you can probably guess, this means it’s the end of the world. Well, what did she expect?! Everyone else constructed things like violins and grandfather clocks. But Ren Stevens thinks she can pass with flying colors by making a pizza paddle. In comparison to everyone else’s projects, hers is honestly worth a D- lol. Sorry, Ren!

LOOK AT HER COMPETITION! She seriously submitted a pizza paddle -- a literal slab of wood -- and expected an A. 

Louis decides to turn the closet space into a Mexico-style club. I mean, what else do you expect from Louis Stevens? He has an entire construction team come in to do the job and forges Principal Wexler's signature to pay for it. I feel like this is an episode that has glimmers of the more outlandish, unrealistic plots we see sprinkled throughout Season 2 and super frequently in Season 3. But, the odd thing about this case.. is that it doesn’t seem THAT outlandish to me. I can actually see Louis pulling this off, lol. I’m pretty sure Shia is ad-libbing all of Louis’ commands to the construction workers. (i.e. “Come on, guys! We should have the ceiling fans by now!”)

Something that made me laugh: Ren aimlessly walks around clutching her pizza paddle repeating “C” to herself in disbelief. She walks by Louis and the renovation crew so he asks her “We’re thinking of going with this Burnt Tortilla paint for our walls… What do you think?” and all she can say is “C” …but, Louis takes it as “Si” and I can’t deal with it.

A conversation between Ren and Wexler is accidentally broadcast through the intercom… letting the entire school know that ��Ren Stevens got her first C.” Everyone listens in utter shock and some people even rush to the principal’s office just to stare at Ren with disappointment. Everyone held her to a ridiculously high standard and now they’re all depressed and let down because -- SHOCKER! -- she’s not perfect. How dare she!

Because of this, Carla and Marla completely let themselves go and dress like ragamuffins the next day. I feel like there’s a lesson here: Do not put all of your faith in a mere human being, you guys. This is all too extreme. It’s a C. They’re acting like she committed some morally wrong, unforgivable crime. Hardly. However, in Ren’s world, a C is an unforgivable crime. So, technicallyyy she did this to herself. Oops. She eventually decides to “fight back” for a chance to re-do her project, and suddenly Carla and Marla love her again.

Louis unveils the newly renovated locker/closet to Twitty. I love this scene. Twitty walks in and says “Dude, I’m in Mexico!” and Louis is like “Nooo, my friend. *turns on Mariachi music* NOWWWW YOU'RE IN MEXICO!!!"

He proceeds to show Twitty around the small space saying things like "See that? That's not a guitar, it's a bass and I got it shipped in from Meh-hee-co" with the accent. The line that kills me though is "See that matador painting? The guy at the gas station told me it's on real velvet." - Incredible. This line is actually a very obvious overdub. It cuts away to a shot of the painting and Shia clearly recorded this line as a voiceover after the fact. The quality and volume of the audio is totally different from the rest of the scene. Just something I always noticed. Wexler obviously finds out about this when he receives the work order and pays Discoteca Louis a little visit. 

“You said make myself at home, so I did. Tropical smoothie?”

Wexler tells him “Stevens. I want you, your smoothie, and your tacky velvet matador painting out of here in 24 hours!” and leaves. Feeling like this is an injustice, Louis decides to throw a muy grande farewell fiesta before the place is torn down. We get one of my favorite lines here: 

Twitty: I kinda like the matador painting.

Louis: Yeah. “Tacky”?! HE PAID 12 BUCKS FOR THAT!

Ren goes to speak to her shop teacher after school and we see that his license plate reads “WOOD LVR.” He also tells her “Ren, maybe you haven’t noticed but.. I LOOOOVE WOOD! Wood is ma’lady.” Why do I feel like this is another innuendo? All I can think of is Beyoncé. SERFBORT. Her teacher ultimately gives her a second chance at the project. Of course. All she has to do is make a perfect footstool and she’ll get an A.    

There’s a line half way around the world to get into Louis’ party. He has bouncers, velvet rope, and Twitty is keeping track of a guest list. This is so hilarious it’s ridiculous. To highlight how ~exclusive~ the party is, Twitty won’t even let Carly Blaine, his own cousin, in because her name isn’t on the list. Louis eventually turns it into a free for all and allows everyone to go in. How they all fit, I have no idea.

After completing and submitting her footstool for grading, Ren is anxiously awaiting the outcome in the hallway. Here is where we finally get a fantastic character moment from Louis:

Louis: “You ever wanna be normal? You're always trying to be perfect at everything.“

Ren: “What's wrong with being perfect?"

Louis: “It's not normal.”

YOOOOOOO! How fire is that line, though?! The matter-of-fact, simple way he was able to get through to Ren reminds me of something Shia said irl at his #TouchMySoul art instillation. I love caring, smart Louis! Yes.

Ren ends up getting a B- on her footstool. She’s not too happy, but she accepts it. Sheesh! If I got a B- in junior high, it would be up on the refrigerator door! Dang. She says she’s done with being perfect and goes to have some fun at Louis’ shindig.  

There’s a Ricky Martin - “Livin’ La Vida Loca” knockoff song playing at the party, presumably called "Casa de Fiesta.” IT GETS STUCK IN MY HEAD ALL THE TIME BUT I LOVE IT. We get a montage of Louis partying it up set to this song, which is truly a vision. Although, I can’t help but feel like Tumblr would crucify him for the cultural appropriation. Or would this count as "appreciation"? He has an authentic Mariachi band and everything. It just hit me -- Where the heck is Tawny?! Surely she’d have something to say. 

Louis is shocked when he sees Ren there. This is another one of my favorite moments:

Louis introduces Ren to the band and I swear this is Shia ad-libbing again. (i.e “This is Arnesto! And Manuuuuel!”)

…and that’s pretty much it.  

This is a good episode. It really is. But, much like Dirty Work.. This popular and memorable Louis storyline is only a subplot. Also, nothing serious happens with Louis as a character here until the last few minutes. Like I said, I adore his mini speech to Ren. GAHH!! When Louis is good, he is REALLY good. He just busts out some profound crap outta nowhere sometimes. Gotta love that. As usual, this Ren main plot just isn’t as strong. It's so unfortunate. But seeing Louis’ words get to her is touching, and it’s great to see her let go at the end.

Thanks for reading as always! Getting back into the swing of things after my trip to New York last weekend. :)

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