#So I just have to spend the next few months learning how to code in C and through the linux command line

[drea-drawn]

So. I don't want to speak too soon.

But I may get a job working on nuclear physics in the fall??

[orlaunderrated]

The Edges of Us: Chapter 3

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Will Lenney x fem reader; George Clarke x fem reader Summary: Y/N has always been close to George—but everything changes when she catches feelings for his sharp-tongued, infuriatingly charming friend, Will. Torn between loyalty and desire, Y/N finds herself caught in a messy tangle of friendship, secrets, and unexpected love.

Word Count: 3.3k+

Note: Oh my goodness thank you everyone for the kind words!!!!! I'm literally dying. Also if you're a programmer irl pls tell me if i sound like a boomer trying to write gen z slang. i also only did programming in school

xxx

The next two weeks blur into a rhythm I didn’t expect to find so quickly.

George and I fall back into sync like no time has passed. We have late-night conversations over leftovers, arguing about whether I should care about FIFA (absolutely not), whilst sitting too close on the couch without noticing. There’s an ease to it that’s both comforting and dangerous.

I find myself slipping back into old habits: stealing his hoodie when mine’s still damp from the wash, knowing exactly how he takes his coffee without having to ask. He still hums when he’s concentrating. He still leaves all the cupboard doors open like a gremlin lives here. It’s so familiar I almost forget how unfamiliar everything else is.

Chris and Arthur are new. I’ve never lived with them before, and the dynamic is still a little strange. Chris has a habit of narrating his thoughts out loud in the kitchen, and Arthur plays obscure indie music at volumes that feel vaguely confrontational, but they both seem genuinely nice. There’s a friendliness to them that doesn’t feel forced, just unpolished.

We don’t talk much beyond casual hallway chat, but I get the sense they’re good people. I’m still figuring out the rules of this new house: who uses which mug, whether it’s okay to steal someone’s oat milk, how long is too long to leave laundry in the machine. I tread carefully. It’s not mine yet.

I still haven’t unpacked properly.

My large suitcase lies half-open in the corner like it gave up halfway through. Every morning I rummage through it for something vaguely clean and wrinkle-free, and every night I promise myself I’ll deal with it tomorrow. I haven’t even begun to properly make space for myself yet. The best I’ve managed is rearranging a few things, so now I’m wedged between an unused exercise bike and a stack of old cardboard boxes labelled “wires??” in George’s handwriting.

I’ve discovered my cot sags in the middle. not dramatically, just enough to feel slightly tragic. I can’t decide whether to invest in a real bed now or wait until I have a flat of my own. I’ve saved over a hundred listings online, but I just can’t be bothered yet.

The room is not uncomfortable, just temporary. Everything about the space feels borrowed. Like I’m squatting in someone else’s life, waiting to see if I’ll be allowed to stay.

Instead of sorting out the mess of my personal life, I throw myself into work. Jira tickets and Slack threads are less complicated than the awkward limbo I’m in with George. And honestly, they feel like a better use of my energy than trying to figure out why I don’t quite feel like a real person yet.

The team at work are fine, in that aggressively polite British way where you can’t tell if they actually like you or if they’ve just been trained not to sue each other. I learned quickly who hoards the good coffee, who talks through every stand-up, and who has been very quietly dating the guy from DevOps for six months. The intern calls me “Miss Australia” like I’m some sun-kissed coding goddess. One of them asks how many snakes I’ve seen in my life. I say five. I make it sound casual even though it’s closer to zero.

In the evenings, I rewrite documentation just for the illusion of control. I start colour-coding my IDE themes. I spend an absurd amount of time making sure my folder structure is “aesthetically intuitive.” It’s easier to worry about whether my code is legible than to wonder whether George Clarke ever got over whatever it was that stopped him from liking me all those years ago.

Because sometimes I catch him looking at me like nothing’s changed. Like we’re still nineteen and in that stupid flat with the peeling wallpaper and the leaky bathroom and the futon we used to share when people stayed over. But then he blinks and it’s gone, and I’m left wondering if I imagined it.

Or if I just want to.

Life is just a bit weird right now. Not bad, exactly, just strange. It’s like that moment when you’re driving down the highway and suddenly realise: oh god, this is it. This is your actual life. Not a practice run or the bit before the plot kicks in, just the middle of the story, already happening. Emails and meal prep and laundry and pretending to understand council tax. Meanwhile, other people are out there getting engaged, starting companies, running countries. And I’m wondering if I can justify a full tank in a 2001 Toyota Corolla.

God, I miss that car. It wheezed like it had asthma and smelled like spilled iced coffee, but it was mine. Familiar. Predictable. I knew exactly how it handled on a sharp turn.

Here, nothing feels quite nailed down. Like I’m trying on someone else’s routine and hoping no one notices it doesn’t belong to me. I keep thinking real life is about to start any minute now, once I get settled or unpack or buy actual furniture. But this is it. The job, the cot, the too-quiet mornings and my severe lack of friends that I'm not harbouring a deranged crush from. I’m already waist-deep.

I just haven’t figured out how to feel real inside it yet.

xxx

One evening, I’m lying on my cot, doomscrolling through flat listings in Shoreditch. Spoiler: I can’t afford a single one. Cramped studio after overpriced shoebox blurs past my screen. Somewhere in the living room, the boys are talking. Chris’s voice bouncing off the walls, Arthur chuckling, George quieter as always.

I get up, thinking I should try to be social, or at least civil. They’re practically nocturnal, and I’ve barely exchanged full sentences with them. But just as my hand touches the doorknob, I hear my name.

“Y/N’s actually really pretty, isn’t she?” Chris says, like he’s surprised by his own observation.

There’s a pause. Its brief, but loaded. Then George: “Don’t.”

Just that. One syllable, sharp as glass. No laughter. No explanation.

I freeze. A chill curls up the back of my neck. Chris lets out an awkward laugh, mutters something I can’t quite make out, probably a joke, probably nothing. I slip my headphones back in like I didn’t hear a thing. But I did.

And now, I can’t stop replaying it.

The way Chris said it, So offhand, so casual, like he was commenting on the weather. The way George responded, fast and instinctive. One word. Don’t.

My stomach twists in that old, familiar way. What did I expect? A denial? A laugh? Maybe a 'Yeah, she is'? I’m not sure. But I know I wanted something different.

But I know George. He wasn’t being protective. He was being George. Keeping the peace. Not making things weird. He’s always been good at that—drawing clean lines in places where things get messy.

Still… he didn’t disagree.

I pull my blanket up to my chin, stare at the glow of my phone screen. I know better than to read too much into one word.

But I do anyway.

xxx

The party is a last-minute, thrown-together type of thing. George bursts into my room while I’m mid-doom scrolling.

“Come on,” he says, tossing my jacket onto my lap. “We’re touching grass.”

I raise an eyebrow. “It’s ten degrees and I’m in my trackies.”

“Perfect. You’ll fit right in.”

The flat belongs to someone George knows from work.

Ha, “knows from work.” He’s a YouTuber too. I think he has a podcast? Or owns a podcast studio? I’ve honestly given up keeping track of his friends. I have a 9–5. They have brand deals and discuss 'the algorithm'.  Whoever this guy is, he definitely doesn’t have enough cups.

There’s music blasting from a Bluetooth speaker taped to the wall, a weird smell I can’t place (incense? weed? vape juice?), and one of those cursed LED signs that says something like Live Laugh Lager or whatever. I already hate it here.

George disappears to stash his drinks, and I end up perched on a broken stool in the kitchen, clutching a lukewarm cider and wondering if I’m officially boring for not enjoying sticky countertops and people arguing over which club to go to after. I’m contemplating leaving when he walks in.

Will.

I know his name is Will because three people shout it at once “WILL!” like he’s just come back from war or prison or a particularly long bathroom break.

He’s tall, dressed like he didn’t try but still looks like he belongs on the event poster. Black hoodie, denim jacket, messy hair, sharp smile. There’s a confidence to him. No, not confidence. Ease. Like the room bends a little to make space for him.

I clock the accent immediately. Northern. Thick, unapologetic, and halfway through a passionate rant about oat milk being a scam. His voice slices through the noise, equal parts outrage and entertainment.

And then we make eye contact.

Just for a second. But it’s direct, disarming. He smiles. Keeps talking to James? Jacob? Whoever he is looks more arty than the rest. I wonder if he's friends with Arthur.

James-Jacob exits the conversation, and before I’ve even registered that Will is moving, he’s already walking over.

Straight to me.

And for the first time tonight, I forget how sticky the floor is.

“You’re staring,” he says, but there’s a grin behind it. Its teasing, not arrogant.

“You’re loud,” I shoot back, deadpan.

His smile sharpens. “Fair enough. Can’t argue with that.”

He steps closer, offering a quick, almost polite nod. “Hi. I’m Will.”

“Y/N.”

He tilts his head like he’s just solved a puzzle. “Of course you are.”

I blink. “What does that mean?”

He smirks. “Nothing. Just… George mentioned his uni mate was in town. Didn’t think he meant you.”

“Why?”

He shrugs, eyes flicking over me with a grin that’s too knowing. “Dunno. Thought you’d be taller.”

I narrow my eyes. “And I thought people who rant about oat milk would be quieter.”

“Ouch,” he says, hand to heart. “We’re starting off strong, aren’t we?”

I don’t usually like cocky. I actively avoid it. But something about the way he grins, the way he doesn’t flinch when I bite back. It’s disarming. Confusing. He’s not my usual type, but there’s a weird… gravity to him. He makes the whole room feel like background noise.

George reappears, handing me a fresh cider. His eyes flick to Will, then back to me. It’s subtle, but there’s something in it, like he’s clocking the moment, not judging it.

Will picks up on it anyway. “Alright, mate.” His tone’s easy, casual, like they’ve done this a hundred times. I realise they probably have.

“I Didn’t know you were coming,” George says, leaning against the counter. "Good to see ya". He smiles.

“Yeah, wasn’t gonna,” Will says. “But I needed to touch some grass.”

“No way, that’s literally why Y/N's here.” George beams. “She’s been in the flat three weeks and already hates all of us.”

“I don’t hate you,” I say, taking a sip. “I just hate the constant yelling and your collective refusal to do dishes.”

Will laughs. “Sounds about right.”

Then he gestures to me. “She’s not your girlfriend, right? I feel like I would've heard.”

George snorts. “Not even slightly.”

“Cool,” Will says, shooting me a grin. “Would’ve been awkward if I kept talking.”

George raises a brow, still smiling. “When has that ever stopped you?”

Will shrugs, grinning wider. “Fair point.”

It feels a bit strange to be talked about like this, but I choose to ignore it.

George peels off a moment later, off to talk to someone across the kitchen, and I’m left wondering if that was nothing… or something. The exchange felt normal. Friendly. But the timing, plus Will’s question and George’s glance. It all lingers in the air between us.

“Oi, you’re double-fisting now,” Will said, grinning.

I choked on my drink. “What??”

“You’ve got two ciders in your hands.”

“Oh my god,” I laughed. “We say ‘double parked’ back home.”

Will shook his head, smirking. “That’s mental. Double-fisting is proper classic though. Means you’re serious about the party.”

George, overhearing from across the kitchen, called out, “Aye, Y/N's catching up already. Might be our most committed guest yet.”

I rolled my eyes but didn’t argue, taking a solid gulp from the half-empty cider.

Will raised his glass. “To double-fisting and proper nights out.”

I raised mine back, feeling the weird pull of fitting into this wild scene, still half confused, half curious.

I end up spending most of the night talking to Chris. He’s hanging out with Arthur, who’s, well… Arthur is smart, that much is obvious, but he's also three beers past the point of functional. He’s swaying slightly, his words getting a little slurred, but he’s still genuinely interested in my work. He asks me questions about programming, about how I got into it, and what languages I like. At one point, he confesses that he dabbled in it back in high school, which surprises me. I didn’t expect someone like him to have any kind of coding knowledge.

But here he is, drunkenly discussing arrays and variable types like it’s the most normal thing in the world. It’s endearing in a weird way. We keep talking shop, while the others drift in and out of the conversation like a blurry haze. I’m introduced to them all, but honestly, I lose track after the third guy who’s wearing a hoodie with an logo.

The host of the party stops by for a second, patting me on the back like we’re old friends. “You remind me of George,” he says with a wink, and I can't quite tell if he’s joking or serious. I nod, unsure how to take it, but I choose to take it as a compliment. No matter how weird, George is funny and good-looking.

The whole night, Will keeps hovering. Not in a weird way, just… present, popping in and out of the groups Chris and I keep forming. Will is the kind of person who fills up the space without even trying. He keeps throwing out jokes, arguments, ridiculous hot takes about tube lines and the food in London, and at one point, he tries to convince me to watch a Formula One race, despite the fact that I’ve already told him I’m allergic to high-speed sports.

Every time I think he’s about to move on, he swings right back into my orbit with something new, whether it’s an outrageous opinion on pineapple on pizza (pineapple can go on pizza, it goes on burgers back home) or an unsolicited, yet somehow fascinating, debate on why Spotify’s algorithm is “fundamentally flawed.”

And every time, I can’t help but bite back, giving as good as I get. I find myself engaging more than I expected, throwing in my own offbeat commentary, even laughing at things I’d normally find irritating. With him, it’s different. He’s relentless in the most entertaining way.

Meanwhile, George stays on the outskirts of the party, drifting around the edges of the room like he’s trying to blend in without fully participating. It’s familiar in a way that almost comforts me. He’s always nearby, but he's having his own fun, and I guess letting me touch my own grass. I try not to notice the way his eyes keep flicking over to Will every time he laughs, or the way his gaze seems to linger when I laugh with Will.

It’s subtle. Maybe it’s nothing. But I can’t shake the feeling it’s something more.

Eventually, I make my way to the door, my head spinning a little from the mix of cider and strange conversations. I catch George in the hallway, already on his phone, pretending to be ordering an Uber, which is the universal sign that it’s time to go. But just before I walk out, I hear Will's voice behind me.

“Oi,” he calls, his tone light but with that edge that makes my stomach do a little flip. “You’re alright, you know.” He pauses for a beat, considering his next words. “For someone who calls it double parked.”

My brow lifts. “Wow. That’s going straight in my LinkedIn recommendations.”

He laughs. He genuinely laughs like a muppet. Instead of his jaw dropping, his head flings backwards dramatically. I’m not sure why, but hearing him laugh like that feels like an invitation to something.

Something dangerous or something fun I can't tell, but either way, it pulls me in.

Without missing a beat, Will pulls out his phone, flicking through it like he’s already got a plan. There’s a beat where I stand there, unsure of what to do. He doesn’t say anything, he just opens the Instagram search page. His fingers hover over the screen before gliding across. He looks up at me. There’s a challenge in his eyes, something playful but still sharp, like he’s testing me without saying it out loud.

I hesitate for just a second. Then, on instinct, I fill in my details. "Y/F/N.HTML?" he says, an amused smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "What's that about, then?"

I shrug, trying to play it off. "Oh, I’m a programmer."

Will's grin widens, and I can see him processing that for a moment, letting it sink in. "fuckin' nerd." It’s not unkind. More like a compliment wrapped in sarcasm.

I roll my eyes. "Tell me something I don’t know."

Will gives me a thumbs-up and, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, taps ‘follow.’ “I’ll see you around, Y/N."

I try to think of something to quip back, but he's already returned to the party.

As I step outside into the cold night air, the sound of George's voice calling out after me reaches my ears. "You good to go?"

I nod, but my mind is somewhere else entirely. Will seems arrogant and cocky, but his sweet moments are laced in. I can’t decide if I like it or if I should be annoyed.

I try not to let the thought linger too long, but somewhere in the back of my mind, Will’s grin lingers, and I can’t quite shake it off.

Somewhere about three blocks from the flat, I get a DM from Will.

I snort, despite myself, glancing over at George. He’s staring out the window, arms folded, looking like he’s thinking too hard about something. I don’t show him the phone, but I can’t resist. “Will says drop the big brother act.”

George glances at me, a little surprised, then smirks. “Right. Got it. I’ll stop looking out for you... and start letting you make terrible life decisions on your own.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Sounds about right.”

He chuckles, rubbing the back of his neck. “Alright, alright. Maybe I’ve been a bit much.” He grins sheepishly. “But you know, I’ve got to make sure no one’s corrupting you. That’s a full-time job.”

I laugh, but there’s a shift in the air. His eyes flick to me, and for a moment, it feels like there’s more behind his smile. Like maybe he's not sure how to let go of the old ways.

Something’s changing, and I can’t quite put my finger on it. But I can’t look away.

[bumbldee]

Gristol, Head of HR AU

Where Gristol bitched too much about how poorly ran the Psychonauts is, even citing his sources, and inexplicably gets hired as the Head of HR for his community service.

Some doodles before i go off for holiday, wont be back for like another week

Anyways ramble about this under the cut

Basically, before Gristol gets his verdict, Sasha's assigned to see what's up w him to figure out what's a good punishment.

Gristol spends like a long time ranting about how piss poor the Psychonauts is managed. As he was supposed to blend in, he researched EVERY ethic and code that the psychonauts were oblidged to as he wanted to fit in. His mother never wanted him to end up like his father, so she forced him to learn management and strategy as a kid, and he's DAMN well good at it, except for being a leader. As a stress reliever he'd written down everything wrong with management, and how he'd fix it, for the past 3 years of him working there. Employee's who constantly breached conduct, how shit the hiring security was, etc etc

Sasha sees his manifesto and is like, somewhat impressed with it. He sends it off to Truman, whose also surprised with it.

At first, Gristol tries to escape for like, a month. But then he realized this was the best he was going to get, seeing that he did not have any other skills than management and planning, or even a certified high school degree.

He's actually good at his job, improving employee wellfair and turnout by around 12%. He takes it extremely seriously but at the same time he doesn't want to be there, he's grumpy and it kinda puts everyone off.

Even though he's lived through the life of the common person and what they need, he still believes in Grulovia's dictatorship. His empathy and sudden want for change in management was a result of going through it himself, so he's mostly just serving what he would've wanted. Big ol hypocrite.

Managing a single department has kind of turned him off the idea of trying to be Gzar entirely. He realized the hard way he's not suited for leadership roles.

For like the first few months, he's forced to sit in a little desk next to Truman's with a shitty little typewriter. He's put there because Truman needs to see his performance + it's funny to him. Eventually though he gets really bad backpain from crouching over to type on his little typewriter, and does get his own little office.

Hollis NEVER agreed to hiring him, and was really pissed when Truman did it without her input. They spend a lot of their first interactions arguing, but they do eventually get along somewhat, sharing the same annoyance on dumb decisions Truman or Employees did. They're still hostile but like, they won't try to kill each other anymore.

Gristol has what he needs, he's provided simple accommodations (a small room with a shitty kitchen and a small bathroom) and an allowance (300-500 a month, it's mostly fun + food money).

Lori was originally going to give him a "Best Mail Clerk!" mug, but then the events of Psychonauts 2 happens and she never gets to give him his mug. When he gets hired as head of hr, she cancels out Mail Clerk from the mug and written down "head of HR"

One of Gristol's duties is to water Truman's plants in his office.

Gristol initially tried to have Raz fired, (everyone thought it was because he was salty Raz ruined his plans, nah it's because y'know he's 10) but with Truman's insistence he stayed on, Gristol had updated his contract. Raz is only permitted to go on less dangerous missions and more frequent mental health inspections. He might've had to forge some documents to be able to register Raz to work. Maybe.

[rosieshipper]

There Could Never be a Father Who Loved his Daughter More than I Love You

Summary: June rolls around in Jackson and Ellie learns about a holiday that she never knew existed

Words: 3215

A/N: Yes I’m aware I am late but I quite honestly don’t care, I managed to finish it so I’m proud of that, anyways enjoy yall! Title is based on the song Father and Daughter by Paul Simon (It’s very Joel and Ellie coded go give it a listen!!)

“So January has new years, February has Valentine’s Day, yuck.” Ellie gagged from where she was currently sitting upside down on Tommy’s couch, her legs thrown lazily over the back of it while her head hung off the cushions, staring at the upside down tv in front of her. She was currently spending the day at her uncle’s house seeing as Joel was busy away on patrol and wouldn’t be back till later that night. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust her to be alone in their home, it was just that she didn’t like to be alone and Tommy was the closest person for her to spend the day with

“Correct, sweetpea. Then March has St Patrick’s day, never saw the appeal in that but it was always fun pinching the shit out of Joel if he didn’t wear green. Always riled him up.” Tommy chuckled as he took a seat on the couch next to Ellie, placing a now freshly cold bottle of root beer on the table in front of her. Ellie gave him a weird look before righting herself up on the couch to take her bottle and take a swig of it. It wasn’t alcohol but it did taste pretty good

“What’s so fun about a holiday where you get pinched if you don’t wear green?” Ellie asked, licking the sweet tasting liquid from her lips. Tommy just shrugged in reply. “Guess it was just fun riling up your old man. Sarah always thought it was hilarious.” He mused with a wistful look in his gaze. “Okay, continuing on. Easter’s in April. Memorial Day is in May. July has the Fourth of July, August-“ Before Ellie could continue, Tommy suddenly cut her off

“Don’t forget June.” He told her, taking a swig of his own bottle of root beer. “What? June doesn’t have any holidays.” Ellie shot back with a raised brow. “Sure as hell does. Father’s Day.” Tommy shot right back at her, only to be met with a look of confusion

“You never heard of Father’s Day, kid?” He asked her with a raised brow to which she only shook her head in response. Now he knew that feeling that Joel always talked about getting whenever Ellie tells him that she doesn’t know something that every kid should know. What kid didn’t know about Father’s Day? Hell all of the buddies he had at the work site were all talking about how their kids were bustling with excitement to surprise them for Father’s Day

“Well Father’s Day, is just like the name says. It’s a day to celebrate Fathers. You know, thank them for all they do, make them cards or a cake and so on and so forth.” Ellie seemed to be lost in space, lost in thought. Tommy could practically hear the gears turning in her head. “You okay, Ellie?” He asked her, comically waving a hand in front of her face to bring her back down to earth

The first thing to come out of her mouth was not something he expected her to say. “Do you think we can do that for Joel? Making cards and cake stuff, I mean.” She asked, eyes now focused on Tommy. Now it was Tommy’s turn to get lost in space. He never wanted to assume that the relationship Ellie and Joel had was father and child in nature. He knew how Joel had gotten when he had tried to bring up Sarah in the past, and he sure as hell knew that Joel never wanted to be a father again, never wanted to replace the little girl he lost

But in the past few months that Ellie and Joel have spent in Jackson since returning from Salt Lake, Tommy has seen how they are with one another, how they look out for one another, how they care for each other. Anyone from an outside perspective would assume that Ellie was Joel’s kid, despite the fact that she calls him Joel rather than dad. And the pair have seemed to fall into a comfortable codependence of one another. They needed each other, that was plain to see

“Earth to uncle Tommy.” Ellie called, now waving her hand in front of his face. There was that too. She calls him uncle Tommy. It’s clear that she’s a part of this family, there was no doubt about it. She was a Miller through and through. It was just an unspoken statement

“Right right sorry, sweetpea. Didn’t mean to space out on you.” He apologized, straightening up himself. “You know, I think Joel would really like that. He always gets a bit wistful around this time so, I think the old bastard could use some cheering up.” He told her with the softest smile he thinks he’s ever had

He doesn’t miss Ellie’s face getting brighter at his response. “Really?” She asked him in surprise, like she expected him to turn down her idea almost immediately. “Darn tootin.” He replied with a chuckle, ruffling her hair as he stood up from the couch and made his way to the kitchen where Maria was currently finishing up putting the now drying dishes away

“Maria, my darlin, would you like to help us bake a cake?” Tommy called as he and Ellie entered the kitchen. “A cake? I think the baby has to be born first before we can celebrate.” Maria quips back as she looks over at the pair who were practically vibrating with excitement where they stood. “It’s for Father’s Day. We wanna surprise Joel.” Ellie explained rather impatiently, wanting to make the stuff soon before Joel got back from patrol

“Father’s day? I forgot that it was coming up.” Maria replied as she nevertheless helped Tommy gather the necessary ingredients needed to make a cake. “Oh I’m wounded. Soon to be a father and you forget about Father’s Day?” Tommy exclaimed dramatically, placing the back of his hand to his forehead and leaning against Maria who just laughed and shoved him off. “I’m only playing. I already had planned to make a cake for you and Joel.” She revealed as she got out a large mixing bowl

“Ellie, come on over and help.” Tommy called to the girl who was standing awkwardly at the edge of the kitchen. But as soon as she was called, she immediately dashed over to help make the cake, cracking eggs when Maria handed them to her and helping Tommy measure out the correct amount of flour. With all the ingredients mixes together, Maria poured the batter into a pan before setting into the oven to bake

“While that is baking, why don’t you go start on making a card? You’ve got the most artistic talent out of anyone in our family.” Maria then offered to Ellie as she herded her over towards the table before going into their hallway closet to gather some paper and markers. “That’s not true, I’m a good artist too.” Tommy butted in playfully as he took a seat next to Ellie at the table. “No dude you really aren’t. Remember your “horse” drawing?” Ellie asked with a giggle as she recalled the damn near unrecognizable drawing of a horse that Tommy drew during a game of Pictionary the week before

“That’s a bad example. I was under a time limit.” Tommy retorted flippantly, waving her off. “No, she’s right. It looked like spaghetti noodles tied together with strings.” Marie chimed in as she handed Ellie some paper and a set of colorful markers and she went right to work on making the card. Tommy reached over and grabbed a paper for himself, figuring he’d make a card for Joel as well. He chuckled to himself at the perfect idea for the card, deciding to draw Joel as a hen given how much he loves to be a mother hen to Ellie

After a good 10 to 20 minutes or so, the niece and uncle were finished with their cards just in time for the cake to be pulled out and decorated. Tommy had gotten up to help Maria with the icing but stopped when he noticed that Ellie didn’t get up to follow. She would always hover around when it came to icing, wanting to lick whatever utensil was used to spread it. But right now she was sitting at the table, staring at the card she held in her hands, eyebrows knitted together

“Everything alright, sweetpea?” Tommy asked as he sat back down beside her at the table. “Do you think he’ll like it?” Her voice was quiet, not looking up from the card that she had grasped in her hands. Tommy could tell she was thinking what he originally was thinking when she first asked if they could make the cake and cards. Was she overstepping by doing this?

“Of course he’ll like it, Ellie. He loves anything you give him. I mean have you seen your guy’s fridge? I had to trade a nice jacket to get him some more magnets to hang up all your drawings.” Tommy told her honestly as he rested a hand on her shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze. “He’s gonna love it I promise you.” He then added, catching her gaze and giving her a genuine smile. Ellie knew Tommy would never lie to her so it didn’t take much convincing for her to believe his words

“Thanks, uncle Tommy.” Ellie replied with a smile of her own. “You’re welcome, sweetpea. Now come on. We got some frosting to eat.” He replied before getting up from his seat, Ellie quick to get up behind and and follow him

…

“Have a goodnight, George. I’ll see you on Thursday.” Joel called to his buddy as he gave one last pat to his horse’s neck before leaving the stables. “You too, Joel. Happy Father’s Day!” He heard George call back and he couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips at that. Father’s Day. When was the last time he celebrated that? Over 20 years ago to be precise. He couldn’t even remember the last time he thought about the holiday, feeling no need to celebrate seeing as he had no child to celebrate with

But now he did, he had Ellie. But things were still rather new with the dynamic the pair shared. And to celebrate Father’s Day with her would mean admitting fully that he was a father to her. Joel wanted nothing more than to admit it. He wanted to proclaim it to the cruel world they lived in that Ellie was his daughter and he loved her very much. But he was far more concerned with how Ellie would feel about it. He wouldn’t want to push her into something that could possibly make her uncomfortable

Speaking of Ellie, he needed to pick her up from Tommy’s house and take her home. As he approached the house he could see moths flying around the porch light and the sound of soft music was playing inside. Not wanting to startle anyone, Joel knocked on the door before coming inside. But upon stepping inside however, the music suddenly cut short and he found himself alone in the silent living room

“Hello?” Joel called out as he took a few steps into the room, wondering where his missing family was. “Tommy? Maria?” He called once more, peeking up the nearby stairs to see if any lights were on, none. “Ellie?” He then called out, knowing for sure that she would come if he called for her. But nothing yet again. He knew they were in here, who else would have cut the music as soon as he walked inside?

But before Joel could call out to anyone again as he turned the corner into the dining room, he just about had a heart attack when the three people jumped out at him yelling “Surprise!” Clutching his chest and coming back down from the adrenaline rush he was just given, he looked at the three of them with wide confused eyes

Marie was holding a cake pan in her hands and Tommy and Ellie were both holding cards in their hands. “Oh wow, thanks y’all. But what’s the occasion?” He asked before noticing the icing print on the cake in Maria’s hands. “Happy Father’s Day.” Was what it said in bright red icing. His heart was doing a weird flip flop of dropping to his feet and absolutely soaring in his chest

“It’s for Father’s Day, you old man.” Tommy told him with a beaming grin, moving over to wrap an arm around his older brother’s shoulders. “It was Ellie’s idea actually. We were talking about holidays earlier today and she didn’t know that Father’s Day was a thing so I taught her. She suggested that we celebrate for you.” He then explained, motioning towards Ellie in front of them

Joel looked absolutely stunned. Ellie had planned this? If anything he expected Tommy to be the mastermind behind this, egging Ellie to join in and telling her that Joel would love this. But no this was all Ellie’s idea. The girl in question swayed awkwardly back and forth on her feet, not really looking Joel in the eye. “Is this okay?” She asked him, still avoiding his eye contact

This girl was going to be the death of him. “Oh babygirl..” He said as a melancholy smile tugged at his lips, moving forward he pulled her into his arms in a tight embrace. “It’s perfect.” He whispered to her, pressing a loving kiss to her brown hair. It wasn’t long before he felt her arms wrapping around his waist in return. He could feel her own smile radiating off of her in waves

By the time the two pulled apart, Maria motioned that they all sit and have some cake. After the cake is sliced up and passed around, Ellie insisted that it was time for Joel to look at the cards she and Tommy made

“You first, Uncle Tommy.” She said with an eager look on her face as she was practically vibrating in her seat with anticipation. “Alright alright, just be warned it ain’t nothing special.” Tommy relented as he passed the card he had made over to Joel. His brother took the card into his hands and opened it up. Almost immediately after reading it, Joel was chuckling in amusement at the crude drawing of a hen Tommy had drawn inside

“Happy Father’s Day you mother hen. Is that supposed to be me?” Joel asked with a raised brow as he pointed to the drawing while Ellie was giggling in amusement beside him. “You know I always call you a mother hen.” Tommy teased right back before taking a bite of his slice of cake. Joel just shook his head in amusement before thanking him for the card

“You’re next, sweet pea.” Tommy now called as he turned his gaze to his niece. Her once excited vibrating suddenly stopped as Ellie was now put on the spot. She was hardly ever self conscious about anything but this was an important moment. This card she held in her hands was her pouring her heart out to Joel, telling him how much he means to her and how he helped change her life for the better

She knows she shouldn’t be thinking about it, but what if Joel didn’t like it? What if it was all too much for him? She knew her thoughts were getting the better of herself but sometimes she just couldn’t help it. No, she knew this wasn’t true. She knew that Joel was going to love it because he always loved when she made him things. He loved everything about her. He loved her, even if he didn’t know how to say it, she knew it in her heart that he did

Nevertheless, Ellie managed to calm her nerves long enough to slide the card over to Joel for him to take. On the cover in bright colors was the words “Happy Father’s Day Old Man.” Joel was already beaming at the colorful text before opening the card up. Inside was a long paragraph that Joel took the time to read in his head, knowing that this was a very personal message for him and Ellie to share

“Joel, I know I can be a real pain in the ass sometimes and I honestly don’t know why you put up with me most days, but I want to say that you mean the world to me. I used to be so angry at the world we lived in thinking that there was nothing good that could come from it. Then you came along and I was exposed to something entirely different and new. You help me and care about me in a way that no one else has before. You roll your eyes at my puns but you never tell me to stop. You let me talk about dinosaurs and space for hours on end and never tell me to shut up. All this to say, you changed me for the better. And I’m glad you’re in my life. I love you, you old dinosaur. Ellie”

Joel has tears in his eyes by the time he’s finished reading, and the cherry on top for him was a beautiful little doodle of him and Ellie together right next to the paragraph. As he closed the card, he looked at Ellie with the most sincere and beaming smile. She had some tears in her eyes as well, knowing he was thinking the same thing she was thinking. Without a word he immediately pulled her over into the tightest and warmest hug he could give her

“It’s beautiful, baby. Thank you so much.” Joel told her as he took in a shuddering breath before kissing her forehead lovingly. “You’re welcome, Joel. Happy Father’s Day.” She replied in her own shaky voice, snuggling her face into the crook of his neck

After finishing their cake and Joel thanked Tommy and Maria for not only the lovely surprise but also for watching after Ellie, the pair left the house and began heading back to their home. But just before they walked through the front door, Joel stopped Ellie on the porch

“Ellie, I just wanted to tell you something before we turn in for the night.” He told her as he looked down at her in front of him. Ellie nodded and listened intently at what he had to say. “I want you to know that…I love you too.” He explained with the utmost sincerity in his voice. Ellie’s eyes widened and she looked at him in shock in surprise

“You mean that?” She asked quietly, her voice just barely above a whisper. “Every word, babygirl.” He told her with a firm nod before she suddenly jumped into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. Joel wasted not a moment to reciprocate the hug, pressing his lips to her forehead one last time, holding her close in the pale light of the moon

Joel hadn’t celebrated Father’s Day in so many years, but he knew that this one would surely be one he would never ever forget

[justaragdollysblog]

Sweet Things

a Ragatha x Gummigoo fic!

Hi guys!!!!! i’m trying to get motivated to write more so here we are!! i absolutely adore this ship i think they’re so cute shdhdjdj

———————————————————

Sugary sweet and perfect.

That’s what Ragatha thinks as she sits next to Gummigoo on a bench at the Carnival.

The two are sharing a funnel cake together, and the sun is setting, painting the coded sky oranges and purples.

It had been a few months since Ragatha convinced (read as: begged) Caine to let him stay, and the two were quickly enamored with each other.

Ragatha was just as accommodating as she always was: showing him around, explaining the rules of the world, etc.

But there was something about his charm, and how he seemed to see right past Ragatha’s fake happy act and what she actually was:

A human. A human being in a bleak situation.

Ragatha’s snapped out of her thoughts by the roller coaster passing overhead. “Oh- Sorry, Gummi! I didn’t mean to space out there.”

“You’re alright, sheila. Everything okay?” He asked in a concerned tone. He set aside the plate of sweet food and wrapped his tail around her comfortingly. Ragatha, she found, was a sucker for this.

She leaned her head on his shoulder, the candyesque texture soothing her further. “Yeah, I’m okay. I was just thinking.”

“Penny for your thoughts, darlin.” He wrapped an arm around her. He never thought his limited worldview (widened unintentionally thanks to Pomni) could account for so much love. But it did, and he loved Ragatha more than anything or anyone.

She smiled softly and genuinely. “Just thinking about how we met. When I practically begged Caine to let you stay, and you stayed in my room that night.” She was quickly melting under his touch.

Gummigoo smiled softly at the rag doll in his arms. “What a day that was. I remember when I saw you for the first time, love. I thought I would’ve melted right then and there.”

He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her head, using his alligator-like snout. “And I just fell deeper in love with you. And it’s been a learning curve, even a little difficult at times.”

Ragatha glanced up at him, concern in her eye. “I hope it hasn’t been too rough…”

He simply shook his head. “There’s no other way I’d want to spend my time. I mean that, doll. You’ve done so much for me, and…I love you so, so much.”

Ragatha felt her eye well up with tears of joy. The circus was hardly a place of peace and fulfillment, but as the cool breeze passed through her hair, and the sky was ablaze in a sunset,

it was still nice to have these sweet things.

————————————————————

WOOOOOO FIRST FIC OF 2025

i wanna get more consistent for u guys!!!

reblogs are appreciated!! see you guys next time!!

[bonny-kookoo]

I have a question since all the guys have pretty much enlisted now, where’s snowball? Is she on her own? Was that possible? Did she get entrusted to someone else’s care?

The fact that someone remembers Snowball...

---

Time is ticking by. Jungkook's apartment has never felt this big before.

You've been spending the past hours staring at the front door, expecting the familiar chime of his door code to signal his return- but he won't be coming back.

For a while.

When the door does open, it's not Jungkook- but your hybrid staff, picking you up with a kind expression. He knows that you must feel awful right now with the last one gone, and especially the member who's had the most contact with you recently- but at least, you won't be all alone.

Jungkook had taken you everywhere these past few months. To every concert, photoshoots, has even had you featured in one of the vogue photoshoots for japan- the country a lot more eager for hybrid content, fans happily devouring the special edition magazine with your pictures in it. And back home, the waves of hate have begun to die down as well- now many of them simply question how you'll cope for the next eighteen months without your lover.

You'll have to manage. You promised him.

In the car, it's quiet. You don't want to leave Jungkook's place, but you can't stay there all on your own- so you had to leave, at least for now, until you can visit and help keeping it clean and ready for his return, a job you'd requested to help with.

You stand in front of the door, hybrid staff having left you with a kind hug, bags next to you. It takes ages before someone opens- though it was realistically only maybe three minutes.

"Hey there." The familiar, gentle voice rings out, and you walk in at that, carrying your bags, before you let yourself fall into his arms. "It'll be fine." He reassures you with his arms around you. "Time will fly by, I promise."

You don't see that happening yet. It all seems like forever right now.

But right here, on the couch in the much darker designed home, time might just pass by at least a bit softer. Because Jungkook was right when he tried to reassure your almost panicking mind when you saw him off for his service- you're not alone. The world wasn't that harsh on you.

It's just during the day that you'll have to occupy yourself.

And you already have put multiple projects on your plate- from learning how to knit to make them all blankets to have in their homes, to practicing your language skills so you can be usefull overseas with translating. There's a lot you want to do. Maybe time will indeed pass by quicker than you think right now.

"Let's go to bed for now, hm?" He hums, before he kisses your cheek. "I'm sure your head hurts from all the tears." He teases, and you playfully growl at him, before you lean back into him to have him hold you- have him remind you that it's all just a bit weird right now. But they'll soon be all together again.

For now, you'll just stay with Yoongi.

And that's not a bad thing at all.

[junktastic]

Hi everynyan,

Some of you will remember that I was taking names/addresses to send out free stickers in September. I am almost done sending them out now, so here's a quick update on that.

The Good!

I like this a lot! It's fun to do. For reference, I'm printing, laminating, and cutting these myself at home, so I'm learning a lot about my machine. I like being in charge of the quality control, I like doing the logistic work. Idk. It's fulfilling to me.

It's also really delightful to see names on the list who I've known of for a long time. Old and new faces, people all over the world, I love seeing people adopt a catgirl. :3 And for free! I'm by no means making a lot, but being able to provide something fun and physical to the people who enjoy my art for free is just! Wow!

The Bad!

Everything that could have gone wrong during this process did, which is why they're going out so late. The at-home manufacturing process was relatively simple but the materials kept being funky, or I'd do something wrong, so I'd have to toss something that I'd completely fucked up, OR I'd just miscount how much stuff material I had left. It's been a pain in the butt, so I'm glad it's done and that I've learned so much from it. I ALMOST FORGOT, I DESTROYED ONE CUTTING MAT MAKING THAT ROGER STANDEE FOR MY WEDDING LOL SO I HAD TO SPEND TIME CONDITIONING THE NEW CUTTING MAT! UGH!

There's also: the money. I know it's gauche to talk about it, but doing this was pretty expensive. I live in Canada now, and most of the letters were going out of Canada, so that postage added up. Materials cost, time, it's a pretty good chunk of change, but I didn't go broke so I want to do it again.

The Other?

I definitely want (and plan) to do this again very soon. I'm talking within this month. I'm making Christmas cards! I've already set money aside for this so it's all good, and it involves less at-home manufacturing since I can just reach out to a local print shop.

I know some people were wary of the google form, but I can't really find a better alternative at this time. MailChimp has had at least one major information leak in 2024 alone, so I am not sure where else to turn for collecting addresses at this time. I had a few people who did not give me towns/zip codes, and the street address would have three or four towns in that state alone with that address. Since I didn't collect e-mail addresses, I didn't have any way to reach out to entrants about this. If you don't see your sticker in the next few weeks, this might be why! I also plan on adding a checkbox just to confirm that the person requesting the sticker is over 18, NOT because I plan on sending anything saucy, but I know what it's like to be a teen with parents who open you mail, an I don't want to cause problems for anyone because Mom and Dad think fairies are satanic or something.

Most people I've talked to about all of this have really emphasized that I need to reopen my Patreon. I'm not saying anybody is wrong on this, but it just makes me feel so uncomfortable. I think anyone who's followed me for a while has seen me try and fail to do art full time or, hell, even have a schedule for something, and I've failed every time. I'm so scared of failing people again. How can I ensure that I'm producing things on time, to a standard I am happy with, that anyone willing to support me (in this economy?) would also be happy with? It will probably happen, but I'm just so... Plus, with all honesty, I have a commission backlog that I need to finish first! I'm bad at the business part of this whole thing, I think. I'm a blue-collar labourer in my heart.

That's my update! I wish you all well, please stay safe and take care of yourself and those around you. I'll post again when I'm collecting addresses for the Christmas cards.

[vayle]

Hey everyone, dunno how long this might be, kind of doing a stream of consciousness style ramble about TNTF and me and stuff :)

alright so, tntf is getting a huge rework, this is my first if game ever, the coding is a little overwhelming, i know it’s fairly simple but it’s A LOT.

the reason i’ve been pretty quiet is mostly due to burnout, as some of you know i have health issues, i have crohns disease, i’m also autistic with adhd—something i love about this community is the understanding and acceptance for people/authors like me who may want to write but are just too stuck to be able to do it.

i know everyone is so jazzed for the next update, and i am too, there’s a few changes i’m making in regards to the technical aspects of the story, i’m removing stats, for the MC and for relationships. part of it is… i’m not a numbers person, trying to balance out the stats going up and down is a pain when this is planned to be a pretty damn long story. i also just don’t like it for my story personally, i don’t want you, as the player to feel like you have to game-ify personality or relationships.

this also opens the option for me to write more player responses to situations without having all of that annoying code in my brain~ MORE FLAVOR!

My writing has also vastly improved when it comes to fiction, a lot because i have been practicing so much while i’ve been sick (i’ve been playing with and writing AI chatbots on Janitor.AI, learning how to create a complex and realistic personality, an engaging character and world.) It’s been useful as a stress reliever and as a tool to help me write better, more descriptive etc.

on that note, smut in my game is also a very yes, i feel much more comfortable writing it now… heh.

i’ve also decided that all of my books are going to remain free, tntf was a planned three book series, it may just be one or two HUGE books, we’re going to have to see what i, and twine are capable of. but the story is going to span four countries and two continents of the world, so yeah.

the new rewrite is also going to slow things down considerably, because now we’ll have MC on a ship for four months as the intro, then meeting maddock and spending <insert amount of time here> with him while traveling to that little inn. it also gives me more room to introduce the characters a lot earlier but in their own POVs and not just while they’re with MC. i want the world to feel alive.

my decision to make and keep tntf free is because i want to.

i would not appreciate minors interacting with my content, but i also grew up with the internet, i know that no matter how much prevention we put in, minors are going to access our content regardless if it’s free or not. i just ask that if you are a minor and reading adult fiction, please don’t comment, dm or whatever, this is for your safety in the community as well as, i don’t want to deal with other people’s children on the internet, it’s nothing against any of ya’ll, you’re awesome, children are great but i’m almost 26, i really don’t want to deal with kids in what’s pretty much an adult space (i haven’t really seen books catered to the younger than 18 crowd, but like i’m saying, i’m more interested in forging connections with the adult community here, considering i am one, lmao *bats children away with pool noodles*)

i think that’s it

i might post more stuff but that’s my general direction

also to the asks in my inbox from last year on my birthday and forward… I READ THEM ALL AND APPRECIATE EVERY WELL WISH AND FEEDBACK, GENUINELY. i’m just bad at social media.

[malikselfindulgence]

RED SON X READER BLURB ☆ 1K WORDS

Description: How Red Son tends to show his love to his partner :3

Content: RED SON REFERRED TO WITH HE/SHE/THEY PRONOUNS! I personally see her as genderfluid but any hc is cool. Reader is gender neutral

Fic under the cut!

Red Son doesn't really ever say "I love you" 

He might have whispered it once, but you were half-asleep in his lap and the warmth from his hands threading through your hair turned your brain to mush, so you could've been imagining it. Besides that, he's never said the dreaded L-word.

You're not sure why- perhaps an aversion to such disgustingly vulnerable words in general, or his parents hammering lesson after lesson of how displaying emotions so openly is weak. Or maybe it's a lot simpler than that, and the thought had simply never crossed his mind.

Red Son does love you, though. You know this, and they know it too. They tell you they "tolerate your company" and that you're "just adequate enough to be in their presence"- both code words for I like being with you. 

Red Son's love is his driving force- it builds up in his chest and overflows out of him, despite his insistence that his heart is black and cold.

For her family, it's countless nights spent in her lab, working on their next plan to overtake the world, it's trying to live up to her father's legacy, not allowing a single smidge of dishonour to smight her family's name, it's continuing to live in the demon bull fortress, despite the fact that she's over 400 years old now and old enough to live in her own house. 

For his friends, it's reminding them of their self worth when needed- however brash and blunt he may be, it's watching Mei's streams as he works, leaving small comments to show her he's listening, it's helping MK fix up his dreadful noodle-cart while begging him to put it out of its misery and purchase a new one already.

For you, however, it's a bit of a mix of these.

For the first few months of your relationship, it was a lot of trial and error. There was a cultural gap between you and Red Son, demon courting being completely foreign [and frankly concerning] to you. And even if there wasn't, Red Son had no relationship experience. They were still reeling from having friends now, never mind a romantic partner.

Red Son would try to read up on mortal's courting customs [or "dating", as he's come to learn], he'd sit through those crappy rom-com movies and shudder each time they did something over the top, he'd even thought about asking Mei for help, which was just wholly embarrassing, and he totally didn't try to subtly do so only for her to call him out on it and laugh immediately.

It started out with a lot of choppy romantic gestures that just weren't….Red Son, despite how hard he tried to enjoy them, and after a long conversation [or two, or three-], you two eventually found your rhythm, one you both enjoyed and found comfort in.

Red Son built you things- trinkets and machines and the like. If you mention off-handedly that you'd been wanting this thing for ages but just never had the money or time, you best believe they'll be showing up on your doorstep the following morning with a box hidden behind their back. They also fixed things for you- your fridge, your washing machine, your kettle. They grumble the whole time about how out-dated and rusty and repulsive your tech is, but they've never once turned down your requests. They've even offered to upgrade your TV a few times, but you're just too attached to the old thing.

Red Son spends a lot of time with you, even if you two aren't actively engaging in conversation. You'd sit across from each other, or in each other's laps, doing your own separate thing, just in each other's company. Every once in a while you pipe up with a random thought or question, and he shares his own as well before you two fall back into comfortable silence. You like watching him work with his hands, and he likes seeing how passionate you get over your hobbies. He shares parts of his life with you and you do so as well in turn.

Red Son's also shockingly touchy with you. She's not one for grand acts of physical affection- picking you up in public and hand-feeding you syrupy fruits and whatnot, but she will loop her pinky finger around yours when you walk, she'll kiss your forehead just before you head to bed, hug you from behind when she's freshly awake and still sleepily dazed, and once she gathers up the courage to do so, kiss you when her feelings rush through her body and send her hurtling towards you. She always has to be touching you in some way or another.

Most importantly, Red Son tries for you, and for themselves. They still mess up sometimes, they still get scared and terrified and defensive, they're still figuring themselves out, but they try for you. Red Son'll try out a new food just because it's your favorite, or will dabble in new music genres for your sake. Even more than that- Red Son tries to be more open, they try to talk about things they've never spoken aloud before, they try to listen to you- they start taking breaks more often, and eating better, and their self confidence rings a little truer and a little less fake each day. It's more than you could ever ask for. 

So, no, Red Son doesn't really say "I love you", but you don't mind. You hear it in the shared space between the both of you, in the mugs of your favorite drink freshly brewed and handed to you when you're stressed, in the angry notes scolding you for not resting properly, in the brush of his hand against yours. You hear it loud and clear, and you whisper your response into his hair every morning, every evening, every night,

 "I love you, too." 

[yumeka-sxf]

Spy x Family CODE: White movie - FINAL PREDICTIONS

Now that we're just a few days away from the movie's release, I wanted to make one final revision of my predictions for what I think the plot chorology will be. I've made several posts about my movie predictions over the past month or so (you can check the "#sxf movie" tag if you want to see them all) but I wanted to make one last post putting it all together and correcting things I changed my mind about based on new information.

Again, these are just my predictions based on the official synopsis and movie trailers released so far. Please don't take any of this as fact, at least not yet!

1. Introduction to the family

The movie starts with scenes showing Twilight and Yor doing their spy/assassin work as part of an introduction to the series' plot and characters.

2. Twilight informed about Operation Strix replacement

Twilight meets with Sylvia, she informs him that this other man (and child) will be replacing him (and Anya?) for Operation Strix.

3. Anya finds out about the cooking contest at Eden

Anya and the other Eden kids are informed about the cooking contest from Henderson.

4. Yor sees Loid (supposedly) kiss another woman

Either on her lunchbreak or heading home from work, Yor sees Loid seemingly being intimate with another woman, who's actually Fiona (it's unclear if they really kiss or she just imagines that they did).

5. Forgers decide to go on a family trip

After learning about the cooking contest and how the head judge adores the melemele pastry, Loid decides that the Forgers will go on a family trip to the Frejis region, where the pastry hails from.

6. Anya finds a trunk key on the train; accidently eats the chocolate inside

While the family is on the train to Frejis, Anya and Bond sneak away. Anya finds a key and the trunk that it opens in the luggage compartment. A chocolate is inside, which she ends up accidently eating.

7. Bad guys threaten Anya but Yor gets rid of them

When Dmitri and Luca find out that Anya ate the chocolate, they attempt to capture/kill her, but Yor drives them away.

8. Forgers arrive at Frejis, spend some time together, Yor gets drunk

Upon arriving at Frejis, they spend time at the shops/booths in the market place plaza area. Loid buys Yor lipstick from one of the shops, as well as some of the ingredients for the pastry. However, perhaps because she's still upset about seeing Loid with "the mysterious woman," Yor (somehow) gets drunk. She ends up going off on her own for a bit.

9. Loid takes Anya around the plaza booths, reunites with Yor

Loid takes Anya around some of the fun/game booths at the plaza. He also buys her a toy gun. At some point, Loid goes looking for Yor only for her to inadvertently tackle him to the ground in her drunken state. Eventually they make amends and the family heads to their lodging place.

10. Forgers enjoy Frejis cuisine at the lodge/hotel

Upon arriving at the lodge/hotel they're staying at, the Forgers spend some family time together and also try Frejis cuisine.

11. Anya is kidnapped by the military, Twilight and Yor separate (at some point) to save her

The next morning/day, the military arrives and kidnap Anya. Not sure if Twilight and Yor are absent at the time or are unable to stop them for some reason, but they end up each looking for her on their own. Bond was able to chew off the military patch from one of their uniforms.

12. Sylvia informs the WISE agents about the microfilm supposedly in the chocolate

After hearing about the incident with the military and the microfilm within the chocolate, Sylvia informs the WISE agents that they have to get the microfilm.

13. Fiona arrives in Frejis to help

Fiona, in disguise, arrives in Frejis to inform Twilight about the microfilm and offer help. They each get military disguises with the intention of sneaking aboard the military's giant airship.

14. Twilight and Yor both make their way to the military's airship

Twilight flies a plane to reach the ship. Not sure how Yor reaches the ship, but she does somehow.

15. Yor fights Type-F, Twilight fights Snyder

Once all the Forgers are on the ship, fighting ensues - Loid ends up having a showdown with Snyder (the military leader) while Yor fights Type-F, their robot/cyborg secret weapon. Meanwhile Anya is tied up and gagged somewhere in the ship.

Additional notes

I've been going back and forth about whether the chocolate heist occurs before or after they arrive in Frejis. Obviously it makes the most sense that it would occur before, during their train ride to Frejis. But it looked like Yor was wearing lipstick during these scenes, which made me think it occurred after Loid buys her lipstick at one of the Frejis shops. But after reviewing the scenes a few more times, it looks like she could be wearing a different lipstick both before and after they arrive at Frejis, not necessarily the one that Loid supposedly buys. So I'm just gonna go with that and say that the chocolate incident occurs on the train ride to Frejis.

My big guess about the conclusion of the movie is that the microfilm ends up not even being in the chocolate at all and they went through all that for nothing! I could be wrong, but I'm just throwing it out there 😅

Anya won't end up getting a stella no matter how well she does in the cooking contest, since an anime-original story can't alter canon like that!

-----

And that's about it! Obviously the movie's conclusion is the most unclear since that won't be spoiled in trailers and such.

I know most of the other side characters like Franky, Yuri, and Becky do appear in the movie, but I don't believe their roles will be very important, which is why I didn't mention them. Most likely just quick cameos at the beginning and/or end of the movie.

Stay tuned for even more CODE: White info once the movie releases on Thursday~ I'm looking forward to seeing how many things I got wrong 😂

[croquettish]

14, 15, 25 for end of year! 🩵

thank you so much for the questions!! :D

a fic you didn’t expect to write: oh my god, so many of them honestly. I wrote several fics for birthdays and those were all planned. but in april I started writing a fic with a (somewhat flighty) friend of mine that I definitely didn't expect to write and honestly probably never expected to write but that also might not ever see the light of day bc rn I'm stuck waiting for her to write a section and it's been months. so WE SHALL SEE I think the biggest surprises (aside from the aforementioned WIP) all happened in the second half of the year. I didn't expect to write a rugan fic (DIDN'T KNOW HE COULD STAY ALIVE FOR SOOOOO LONG) and I definitely didn't expect to write the two nancy drew fics that I wrote after the one I wrote for my sister. one of them (the thanos one) was less of a surprise since it had been a wip for almost a decade. but the other one (the grigor one) was a huge surprise since that one had only been plotted out (somewhat) for almost a decade. that said, aside from the probably-forever-wip fic, the biggest surprise of them all is the one that I'm currently writing (albeit very slowly) that will also take a metric fuckton of coding before I can start posting it, so that won't start being posted until sometime next year. the huge surprise there is that I never expected to get into stardew valley, let alone to write fic for it... eight years after it first came out, but that's just how it goes sometimes... honestly, if I had more time right now and wasn't spending the vast majority of my days doing phd research and writing my dissertation, I'd be spending all of my time on that fic just bc it's so damn fun to write. I can't wait for people to get to read that one :D

something you learned this year: this is a good question. I don't think that I learned anything huge but I feel like I learned a lot of little things: I found that I will always be able to surprise myself in one way or another. I really like experimenting with different things and seeing what works out. there's less fear in that for me than other people (apparently) seem to feel, and that knowledge does feel pretty liberating, honestly! I learned that I am a lot funnier than I give myself credit for, or rather than I was always told I was growing up. and I learned that I am not only capable of writing longfic, sometimes longficitis strikes me when it used to be something that I worried I wouldn't be able to make happen. which, in terms of problems to have, is honestly not a bad thing at all :D I also learned that I care a lot less these days about having an actual audience so long as I'm writing what I want to write. like, no one is out there reading my nancy drew fics, and that's fine. I doubt anyone will be reading the stardew valley fic this long after the game came out. and the fic I'm writing with my friend is even less likely to go anywhere. but that's okay! because I'm enjoying myself and that's what matters!!

a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read: this one also isn't easy. I honestly don't read a ton of fic (especially while I'm writing something myself or busy working) but I will end up with small periods where I read loads of it. my tastes for fic esp can also be a bit all over the place, so I'll list a few (since I know I have a lot of friends from different fandoms on here): Kingdom Come: Deliverance - Hans Capon/Henry of Skalitz - in character and it gets the dynamics right. doesn't make either of them too weepy or too assholeish. just insanely well-done Dragon Age II - Carver/F!Hawke - I am starved for more Carver/Hawke smut but this one is amaaaaaazing and the most in character it could ever possibly be. bathroom sex leading to bedroom sex Dragon Age II - Fenris/F!Hawke - sex pollen and a rescue. just a delicious and super ic well-written fic Resident Evil 2 Remake - Leon Kennedy/Claire Redfield - hhhhh I also yearn for more good porn of them but this really hits the spot. post-canon motel room sex. just really really good all around Baldur's Gate 3 - Durgetash - fellow zhent book club members will have already read this fic but it's by far my favorite iteration of their dynamic that I've seen And then there's the fic that I reread about once a quarter at least because it is simply a Perfect Fic, which was a present from my sister to me for my birthday (very belated present) some years ago: Persona 5 - Yusuke Kitagawa/Ann Takamaki

full list of questions is here!

[magknightidv]

Can we keep her forever?! - Wriothesley x Fem! Reader (Preview)

This ffic is a part 2 to 'I love her' which is also up on Ko-fi but the first part is free

Full fic will be up in about half an hour on my Ko-fi.

Commissions are 10% off when u use code HANDSOMECOMMISSIONS on my Ko-fi page, Characters for fics are in my About

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Price on Ko-fi - Paid (sorry)

Characters: Wriothesley x Fem! Reader (+ Sigewinne)

-Part 2 of 'I love her'-

Warnings: None

Reader can be read as having a vision but also without, I've tried to keep that matter neutral.

A/n: This was written before their official release please note that they be slightly ooc.Also apologies about this being paid for content. I have to profit from my writing somehow, but this will be longer than the free part. I'm working on extending my fics a bit.

----------------------

It has been a few months since Sigewinne and Y/n had met. They would often spend time together just talking about how their lives are going. All the new things Sigewinne learned about, she would tell Y/n. They shared stories of their time with Wriothesley and would even spend the day with all three of them together. Wriothesley barely could get a word in between the two of them but he was gald that they liked each other, he wasn't quite ready for their relationship to bloom so quickly.

Sigewinne hops up next to Wriothesley's desk, hopeful as ever. He looks over to her but quickly returns his attention to the stacks of paper work piling up onto his desk and the forms currently in his hands. She hold up a drink and switches his tea with a brightly coloured smoothie. His eyes drag back down to the drinks and he hovers his hand over the smoothie to tease the poor melusine, before moving his hand to his tea and picking it up. It was a cute attempt in his eyes but she'd have to do a whole lot better to fool the Lord of the Fortress of Meropide. Sigewinne pouts and angrily holds up her concoction, slightly shaking it so he'd take notice of it to no avail.

[snootlestheangel]

Another Gaz has a twin post

Still thinking about Gaz having a twin sister named Olivia.

Their birthday is in late December, so he normally doesn't worry about being away from home for it, cause he's usually on holiday leave.

But something happened this year and he can't make it home.

Instead, because of some terrorist dumbfucks he's spending his birthday in some old safehouse that's definitely not up to code. Instead he's freezing his ass off and trapped waiting for new information to let them make a move.

Price is the first to notice something is wrong. Sure he's the captain and has seen all their personnel files, but it's not like he studies those things. He'd rather learn that shit about his boys through them, through getting to know them as a friend. So he definitely knows Gaz's birthday is soon, he vaguely remembers the month being listed as December in his file. But he doesn't know that today is their birthday.

Next is Soap, actually. Despite Ghost's uncanny ability to read people, he's not quite as close to Gaz as the other two. They're still close, don't get me wrong, but not as close as he and Price or he and Soap. Soap notices the way Gaz is suddenly constantly frowning, the way he's snippy, the way he's easily annoyed. He brings it up to Ghost cause he's worried something might be really wrong with Gaz, but he doesn't want Price to panic and make a fuss over nothing.

But Price hears it, says he noticed, and they all come to the conclusion that he's just not comfortable in this safehouse, that he's grumpy because of the fact they're stuck in a safe house when they should all be on holiday.

But then Soap finds Gaz curled into a dark corner in the room they're sharing, quietly crying. Soap doesn't ask any questions, doesn't say anything, and instead takes a seat next to Gaz. They sit there like that for so long.

Until Gaz's crying stops being quiet, when he starts hiccuping slightly with each worsening sob.

Then Soap panics, cause clearly something more than just being stuck in a safe house around Christmas isn't what's wrong with him. So he tries getting Gaz to calm down and explain what's wrong, except at this point he can't. Gaz is in his head and having a panic attack now.

So Soap gets Ghost. The one person he knows to be an expert on dealing with panic attacks. Of course Price follows, watching with the most worried look on his face as Ghost lowers himself to the floor in front of Gaz.

Once Gaz is back to reality, he explains what's bothering him. That it's his and Olivia's birthday. That he's never been away from her for one. It's an impressive record, he knows. But that's the way it works when your birthday is just a few days before Christmas, when you're both guaranteed to be home.

And he got scared cause he knows there's still work to be done, that he doesn't get to go home anytime soon. So he started thinking of how many birthdays Olivia will have to spend all by herself because he'll never come home again. He's scared cause this is the physical manifestation of a new era of their lives, and he's scared for what that means.

I don't really know where to go from here, I don't have a comfort for this, just the angst.

It probably also means the 141 never forgets Gaz's birthday again. They always send a gift for him and a gift for Liv.

[armpirate]

Kalla | Choi San || Chapter 13

MASTERLIST Previous || Next

Pairings: CEO!San x fem!reader

Genre: smut, angst, fluff, strangers to lovers.

Warnings: dom!San, sub!reader, voyeourism, use of sex toys, bondage, dirty talk, BDSM, exhibitionism, rough sex.

Summary: She was surprised by how fast her life went from the perfect fairytale to the destructive mess it had turned into. Dealing with a cheater ex boyfriend, having to move out to a different place because the house she lived in belonged to that man she once dreamed of spending the rest of her life with, while continuously being underappreciated at work... It was as if life was telling her to stop dreaming big, to go back to her small town, Bibury, and help her parents run the small farm her family had owned for decades.

At least until she received a call from her friend.

A sudden vacancy as an assistant showed up on one of her friend's system, having her being encouraged to take that big step and apply for it. She had no hopes for it. Mainly because she didn't have any experience on the field, and she didn't comply with most of the requirements that were added on the offer -and which most of them sounded ridiculous and exaggerated for the position, making her wonder who was the freak who needed so many guidelines in order to hire someone to pick up the phone and schedule events. 

Although that hotel she'd be working on was much more than anything she could've come up with. 

Choi San wasn't someone easy to deal with. After his previous assistant presented his resignation letter on his desk, he felt forced to start the whole selection process again -after merely two months. 

Sure that he was being way too strict, enough to find that anyone who applied for the position wasn't enough, he asked one of his friends to be in charge of the interviews and the selection of the most adequate candidate. 

Little did he know Wooyoung would hire the imperfectly perfect candidate for him, sure that she'd help him in many ways other than just in dealing with the responsibilities of his position. 

A new challenge will come their way as soon as she steps inside the hotel. 

Y/n will have to learn how to mold onto him and deal with all his small habits and requirements, and San will find himself trying to open up and let out all those same things that turned him into the person he was. 

The more she digs in Kalla and all of its secrets and exciting corners, the deeper she'll dive into San's heart and soul... Although, maybe, she won't be able to take it. 

Kalla opens its doors to you, sharing the vast amount of filthy and erotic plans it offers, and that you can join with a partner... Or maybe just by yourself. 

Hope you enjoy your stay.

Chapter duration: 14 minutes

Y/n couldn't remember her way back home. Her mind didn't pay attention to the way back on the taxi, it was too busy trying to wrap around the fact that she just had sex with her boss, after complaining exactly about fantasizing with him. It hadn't even been a few hours since Rosie was telling her to go to bed with someone else to get him out of her head.

How couldn't she notice it was the person she was trying to avoid?

His voice sounded so velvety, his smile was so shiny... Hell, even his eyes had a different light behind the holes of his mask. That man could be her boss, but the person in the Spadix had nothing to do with the Choi San she knew.

—Out of all the men —she whined, bending forward to her knees, with the belt tightening around her collarbone and pressing against her skin.

After opening the door to her apartment, with the code Seonghwa had shared with her, the funny sound scratched her ears.

The place was fully dark when she stepped on the entrance, only for all the lights to turn up while she took off her shoes, with Seonghwa looking at her concern from the living room.

—Didn't I tell you to call me?

And he was right.

But she ran so fast from Kalla that she didn't even remember it. And even if she had thought about it, she probably wouldn't have called either. She needed to get out of that place before San walked after her and caught her without the mask.

—I forgot —she picked up her heels from the floor, walking to the tall man still waiting for her—. I still got here well. See?

—Yeah —his tone sounded unsure—, I see. But next time, call me.

—Okay —she assured him—. Now let's go to sleep, shall we? It's been a long day.

—Why do you look more stressed than when you went out? —Seonghwa dared to ask, while her hand guided him to their respective rooms.

—Because I am —she sighed.

—Well, it was a business dinner, so I guess it's normal.

What happened that night was karma giving her a lesson after lying. She said she was going to a business dinner, and the universe turned her quick sneak out night into a horrible mistake she didn't know how to solve.

Her anxiety was kicking in with the possibility of San noticing it was her.

—If he had known, he probably would've let me know —she thought out loud.

Unless he thought she didn't know, and he didn't want her to run away.

But if he had known, he probably would've told her something after they were done, so the biggest possibility was that San just didn't know who he had sex with.

But she knew, and she was trying to think how she'd be able to look at him dead in the eye after what she did. And, even worse, how she'd keep up with the lie. It was something that San would probably know eventually.

—What do you want? Shouldn't you be sleeping? —Lizzie answered the phone call.

—I'm adding Rosie and Joanne —Y/n informed, before scrolling her fingers through her screen to add her two friends, who didn't take long to answer.

—What do you all want? I had a date —Rosie commented.

—Why are you awake? —Joanne asked, referring to Y/n.

—That's what I asked —Lizzie's voice sounded muffled, along with the sound of her sheets moving.

—I did something —Y/n started— bad. Something really bad. Like... really really bad.

—Did you fuck up at work? —Joanne was the first to answer.

—Did you fight with a customer? —Lizzie was the second to speak, trying to guess.

—You finally punched your boss —Rosie said excitedly.

Her gulp was so heavy and thick that she was sure her three friends heard the nervousness that went along with it. Just the indirect mention of San had her nervously remembering everything that happened.

—It has to do with my boss, yeah.

—Oh no, you left the job?

Lizzie knew how sensitive Y/n could be, and it was of no help the few night Y/n had called in between sobs because she didn't find her place. She had her job, she had colleagues, and she had a place to stay, but she didn't have her family and friends and, as much as Y/n wanted to deny it, it was tough to be away from all of them.

—Can you just tell us what you did? —Joanne demanded, losing her patience at the long silence from their friend.

—I did something bad with him...

—Shit, you fucked him —Rosie interrupted.

—You did what? —their other two friends questioned.

From there, their voices were mixed together and it was impossible to grasp something else that wasn't random words thrown over the air. And that only made her more nervous. She didn't know how to explain it, because no one knew the type of hotel she was working at. Right then, not only she was regretting getting to bed with him, she was also regretting telling her friends because of all of the explanations she'd need to do.

—That asshole took advantage of you. I'm sure he was just being a pain in the ass to make you weak enough so you wouldn't say no —Rosie started explaining—. If I were in Seoul, I'd rip his balls and make him eat them, and then...

—He didn't know it was me —Y/n rushed to explain.

And silence came back. Neither of her friends were sure they understood properly what she meant.

—Was he drunk? Because that can make things worse for him —Lizzie spoke calmly.

—Set his hotel on fire with him inside, and let him watch it all crumble —Rosie continued.

—He wasn't drunk. He was pretty aware of what he did.

She wished his lips and his fingertips didn't feel so vivid on her skin with just the thought of them.

—Y/n, honey, you need to be clear on what happened.

—Okay —she sighed, as a sign of the tongue twister that was going to be spilled—. I went to a nightclub. It was a mask night, so everyone was wearing one and it was difficult to tell people apart. So I went there, after Rosie told me to get to meet someone. There was this hot guy on the other side of the bar, and he came to where I was. And he was so tall, so sexy, he smelled so well... Before I could realize his tongue was on my throat and his hands under my skirt. Thing is, I didn't know it was my boss while all of that happened, but I knew it later because he gave me his business card because he wanted to meet me again.

—Ohh, so you fuck that good?

—Rosie! —Joanne scolded her.

—Okay, it was a mistake. And, in the worst of the cases, it was your boss who didn't know it's you —Lizzie tried to calm her down.

—And in the best of cases it could be it was an employee, or someone who found that business card, and gave it to you —Rosie came up with another suggestion.

—Or it's another man who has the same name, and Y/n is just overreacting —Joanne tried to throw some light—. Look, try to call him. If it was him, don't tell him it was you and move on. If it wasn't him, try to meet up again with Mr. Perfect.

Talking with her friends caused both: comfort and anxiety. She found comfort, because they contributed ideas and possibilities she didn't think of while being blinded by the idea of having gone to bed with her boss. And anxiety because of their reaction, and how all of them were hoping it was just a coincidence, instead of telling her how she was probably exaggerating. It just made her even more aware that, if it wasn't a coincidence, she was in one hell of a big problem.

San kept checking his phone every few minutes, waiting for the call he had been looking forward to since the previous night. It wasn't something that surprised him either. If he had been in her position, it was more than likely he wouldn't have called a complete stranger after the excitement of the unknown had disappeared.

But even with all that understanding, he still felt disappointed.

It multiplied by two when he stepped inside his hotel, just to find Y/n talking with Mingi at one side of the counter. Her hand was supported on the corner, her legs were crossed and one of her heels was bopped up while she smiled widely at him.

And, thinking about it, he had never seen her smiling that way. San understood she needed to keep some type of instance while being around him, but did she really need to be so serious whenever she was around him?

Did he seem so hard to approach?

His tongue clicked while his head tilted to the side. That was why he was even more upset about that mysterious girl not calling him back. He probably wouldn't be having those stupid thoughts if he had someone else to focus on, someone who he had a chance with if only they rekindled the contact.

Purposely, he walked past the two coworkers, making sure to sigh as loud as he could to get Y/n's attention. He knew she liked getting to the office before he did, the past few times he'd already find her sitting in her place, greeting him with a smile and the news of some of her work moving forward at an impressive speed.

That day she probably forgot because it seemed better to be around Mingi.

When seeing San, and hearing his sigh, she could only think about what had happened the previous night, and how he possibly could've found out it was her he slept with while he seemed as annoyed as he could. Her body struggled to move behind him. She had already been in her place, she had already done some small tasks in the hour she had been there, and she only met up with Mingi while she was heading for a coffee.

San looked at the door, impatient, leaving his things on his desk while simultaneously moving his eyes from her empty spot to the door she wasn't crossing. His fingers tapped his desk rhythmically, exposing his nervousness before he walked out the door, meeting with Y/n's eyes, which quickly moved away back to the man in front of her as soon as she saw him.

—Hey, San —Mingi waved—. Do you need anything? We were just coming back from getting a coffee.

—I'm fine —his eyes were fixed on the taller man, who was in front of her with a friendly smile—. Did you send Jongho the reports that I asked for?

—Well —Mingi stuttered—, I needed the yearly accounts for it, and I haven't received them yet.

—Did you ask for them? —San questioned, slightly lifting one of his eyebrows.

—No, I thought... Well, I always wait for them to appear in my email —his eyes turned uneasy while glancing at Y/n to look back at San.

—So, your supervisor has to be following you up for you to do your job —San sentenced—. It's not Jongho's position to send them, just like it's not mine position to be making sure you work or not.

—You're right. I'm sorry —he bowed to his boss—. I'll work on it right now.

Y/n, who had been able to grasp a big number of those words and work around the concept of them, looked back at San. He looked so serious, yet at the same time he was getting angry at something that wasn't urgent. If she understood their conversation well, San was urging Mingi to get the data for the yearly reports. But, for what she was instructed not even two days back, those yearly reports weren't even close to being demanded and handed to the Council.

With a shy smile, Mingi said goodbye to her and headed down the corridor, to cross the big door that led to the administration part of the hotel.

—Let's go to the office.

San didn't need to say he was going to talk with her about what she already knew. And, by his expression, he could already tell he wasn't glad to be having that conversation either.

But he didn't speak.

He led her to the office, and walked past her desk to get to his office, leaving his door open for the first time since she started working there. She was left confused, looking at him while he sat on his chair, expecting a conversation that wasn't going to take place.

That helped to discard, at least, one of her worries. He had no idea it was her.

Y/n sat in her spot, turning a few times to confirm that San was indeed not looking at her. His jaw was trapped in his fingers, supporting the weight of his head while he looked at the screen of his computer.

He looked so manly and so intimidating that he doubled his attractiveness. Flashes popped up in her head, replacing the unknown masked man with her boss' faces, and she hated how she liked it even more that way. His furrowed eyebrows with the efforts while he angled his hips to a spot that had her emitting sounds she had never heard in herself before, with the tip of his tongue peeking through his full lips before his nose scrunched and his teeth showed with a groan.

Would she have liked it if both of them had been aware of who they were?

—Do you need anything? —he suddenly asked.

Her brain was usually fast at attempting to process the sentences in Korean he used to communicate with her, but that day it took her a few seconds to make those images disappear and work on translating his question.

—No, no —she mumbled—. I was...

His eyes blinked, with his pupils penetrating through her soul as soon as he opened them again.

—Sorry —she finished, turning on her spot.

Every click of the mouse sounded louder while she tried to convince herself it wasn't him. There was no way it wasn't him. His tone sounded more stable and calm, but his voice was the exact same.

"Try to call him"

Carefully, she picked up his business card from her jacket and got her phone to type his phone number on the screen. At first it calmed her down not to hear his phone ringing, but it only took three seconds to make calmness disappear.

—Why are you calling me? —his voice sounded from behind.

The tones were shut as she ended the call, slowly turning on her chair to turn to him again and find him with his eyebrows raised, while he waited for her answer.

—Why? —she pressed her lips together, trying to cover how nervous that situation was for her— Checking.

—Checking what?

—Whether your phone is on mute or not. In case someone calls you —she lied, mixing Korean and English words to speak to him.

—If somebody needs anything and I don't pick up, they have your phone —he calmly answered.

When he looked up again, her lower lip was trapped in between her teeth, tightly, almost as if she wanted to get some blood out of it.

—You're going to hurt yourself —he mentioned in English.

His comment made her aware of how tight she was pressing, letting go of her lip while she looked down.

San looked at her, wondering if it'd be a good idea to start a conversation that didn't have much to do with work. But then he remembered how comfortable she looked around Mingi, and how he also wanted to see her that way around him.

—Was yesterday a good day? —he asked, typing the last few characters before he looked back at her.

—Yeah, I guess —she whispered, scratching her nape—. What about yours?

—It was good, yeah —he bit the inner skin of his lip—. Did you have any plans last night? Or did you do something interesting?

Her breathing was completely shut after that question. It felt as if he wanted to get some truth out of her, and he was just testing the waters.

—No, nothing —she quickly denied—. I didn't do anything. Nothing at all. Why do you ask?

—Nothing. I realized we never really talk and um... Nevermind.

She quickly nodded, trying to contain all of her shouting thoughts and desperate questions to go forward with the problem she had been dragging since the previous night.

—Oh, right. That's okay, but I didn't do anything. What about you?

—I didn't do anything either.

—Well, that makes us two boring people —she forced a laugh, ending it as soon as she realized how cringey it was.

—Do you want to have lunch together? —he suggested— We've worked together for a few weeks already, and we still haven't had time to sit and talk.

Was it really necessary?

—Well, I was going to...

Two knocks on the door stopped her discourse, and made her thank deep in her mind for the person who interrupted and saved her from rejecting his offer. Y/n recognised the young lady that stepped inside the office without asking for any permission, moving forward at the height of her table to smile at San.

Misuk.

She knew her. Mingi made sure to let her know her importance, and how it was always needed to favor anything she did, since most part of the money invested in the hotel came from her -and the part that didn't come from her was still coming in because she influenced the rest of investors to do it.

That was why Y/n didn't flinch, she only smiled and continued with her work.

—What are you doing here? —San asked, getting up from his chair.

—I wanted to thank you for yesterday —she commented, taking one step to his door—, for taking me home last night —she cleared up after seeing San's confused expression.

Y/n turned to the front completely, trying to hide how tense her jaw looked after that comment. So he stayed there after having sex with her, and went home with someone else?

Her typing sounded harsh and loud all of a sudden, trying to focus on clicking each key properly while she tried to answer one of the emails that came through. For some reason, that bit of information didn't sit well with her.

It was even worse when San got up and closed the door behind them, so she wouldn't be able to hear what they talked about. She didn't know if she was disappointed at him for what he did last night, or if she was annoyed at herself by how bad it affected her to learn of him possibly hooking up with someone else after her.

—Y/n, hey —another two knocks at the door made her turn to the person peeking her head over the door frame—. Is Choi San here?

Young Ja had a friendly smile as she stepped inside.

—Yeah, but he's reunited —Y/n let her know—. What do you need?

—Daily assistance at the Spadix —she mentioned—. I was told the list of the people that assisted yesterday has been updated, but since he hasn't said or done anything like he usually does...

Fuck, she completely forgot.

Both times she went there, she had to tell who she was. And the next day a file showed up in her email, which she had to resend to San so he could access a file that only he could view and edit. Her name would probably be there again.

If he didn't know, he probably would after checking the list. 

Taglist: @brown88

[gamergirljournalist]

2024 will be the last year I buy Magic: The Gathering's Secret Lair products

I've been buying Magic: The Gathering's Secret Lair sets since the release of Faerie Faerie Rad. I don't buy every product that was dropped, only the ones that piqued my interest or would do well with my commander deck. But recently, after the events of The Marvel Superdrop and how unorganized and terrible the experience was, I have decided that 2024 may be the final year I purchase Secret Lair items until the system is fixed.

What Is Magic: The Gathering's Secret Lair?

For those out of the loop, Secret Lair is a special Magic: The Gathering product where it's mainly reprints of certain cards through unique artwork and interpretations. Sometimes, they would offer original/new cards due to collaborations with various IPs via its Universe Beyond program. These items are limited, feature 4-6 cards, and have a usual starting price of $29.99. It used to be a print-on-demand system, where customers would be given a few days or weeks to make an order, then would have to wait months for the item to arrive. But Wizards of the Coast changed it, having already printed a certain amount and it will be shipped immediately after a few days.

This new system is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, your stuff arrives quickly and can use it immediately. Also, not every set sells out immediately, so you can save up for a bit till your next paycheck and buy the item. Then, there is the clusterf*ck that was both the Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Marvel Superdrop release, where items would sell out in an hour, long wait times and most recently, people cheating the system.

While many complained about how bad this is, many sceptics believe that nothing will change since it doesn't hit Wizard's bottom line. As long the items sell out, there is no need to fix them. People will spend their money on it, regardless. They just need to know how to play the game. Well, guess what?! The game is rigged and it's unfair to those who really want it. What's even worse is for those in countries like Australia, who have to wake up early or stay up all night just to grab hold of these items.

An Australian Perspective of The Marvel Superdrop Release.

Many Americans and Europeans have said their piece about their recent Secret Lair experience. But what about an Australian? Well, as someone who managed to get through the lines without cheat codes, and still managed to get the product, here is my story on what happened during that pre-sale sh*tstorm.

I found out about the Marvel Secret Lair like everyone else, via New York Comic Con. I got to report about it for Collider and after watching Tolarian Community College's video on potential Commander builds, plus a funny card interaction from MTG Flavor Judge Drawings on X/Twitter, I've decided to order two sets - Captain America and Iron Man and create a Civil War-themed deck. Then my boyfriend, who was on the fence to buy this set, eventually agreed to throw money to Wizards as he liked two of the sets as well - Wolverine and Storm. The only thing we've debated was if we were going to get Black Panther and spend nearly $200 USD for the whole caboodle.

But then, we learned that Wizards was also giving a limited Arcane Signet card featuring the Avengers Tower. With that knowledge, we agreed to get all 5 Marvel sets, but under the condition that I fork out the shipping if I do manage to get Arcane Signet. According to my boyfriend's version of Girl Math, the shipping cost would be less than what the card would eventually be worth in places like TCG Player, and it's true as the last time I visited, a single copy of Avenger's Tower Arcane Signet was $50 USD.

As someone who lives in Australia and freelances for a North American news outlet, the timing of this wasn't that bad. All I had to do was work as normal then by 4 am, when I was supposed to sleep, just spent at least 30 minutes in line and get the item. The most I've spent in line for a secret lair was 40 minutes, and that was for the Hatsune Miku Superdrop Part 2. So theoretically, it didn't sound like a bad plan, it's a great plan.

Boy was I wrong...

4 AM came and little did I know that buying Marvel-themed Magic cards would be as bad as buying Eras Tour tickets. And that's saying something because I waited 8 hours just to see Taylor Swift. I was on the site 1 hour before the items were on sale. I went to the bundle page, put everything in my cart and off to the races.

"More than an hour"

That's what it said when it came to my wait time. I had to wait for more than an hour. How long? Didn't say, but boy howdy I was going to find out. Not only was it long, but the lines paused for a bit due to "technical issues." Eventually, it moved, but I wasn't at the checkout till 6 AM! Not only that, I had multiple checkout issues, like the site logging me out despite being logged in, and removing Arcane Signet from my cart because the card I used had insufficient funds (turns out shipping added an extra $10 USD from the usual $7.99), and, not to mention, didn't find this out till after the transaction, there was a stupid hidden transaction fee that no one was aware of.

TLDR: I waited 2 hours in line, only to be forced to sign in again once I made it to my cart, lost my Arcane Signet promo, and paid too much due to added shipping cost and a hidden fee.

What... the... f*ck...

Needless to say, the sun was already rising and the birds were singing the moment I paid and my order was sorted. The bedroom needed to be in total blackout and I needed to wear an eye mask if I wanted to sleep properly. But dang, I could have pulled off a 24-hour no-sleep challenge if I wanted to thanks to Wizards.

Magic: The Gathering's Secret Lair System is Broken

Yes, I've said it, the new system is broken. Not only did it create an even worse experience for customers, but there were multiple reports of people skipping the queues, which could explain why my wait time fluctuated between 20 and 40 minutes, why many of the cards were scalped and put to the aftermarket, and why I missed out on Arcane Signet.

What's the point in buying limited Magic: The Gathering product if you're going to be stuck in line the whole day and have a high chance of not getting anything? Not to mention, is Wizards of the Coast going to fix its queuing system? If not, I'm literally going to pull the same moves as the queue cutters once Hatsune Miku Part 4 drops sometime in December or January, just so I can end this nightmare.

My experience at the Marvel Superdrop opened my eyes to how bad this new system is. Back then, I wasn't too fussed about it as usually, I waited less than an hour and due to my job, I can order the items with no issues. But suffering from severe sleep deprivation was definitely not worth the $120+ AUD (inc tax, shipping, and hidden fees).

Including the Marvel Superdrop, I've purchased a total of 7 Secret Lair items under my account, maybe one or two if I were to count the stuff my boyfriend ordered on his side. I only bought one set via Facebook groups because it was a better deal than ordering via the Secret Lair website at the time. Until then, my experience buying limited cards wasn't that bad. It wasn't great either, but it was fair and less stressful. But this latest experience sucked so much that it drained so much energy out of me. Never again do I want to experience that. So once the fourth and final Hatsune Miku Superdrop is released, I will end my support for Magic's Secret Lair and will resort to either making proxies or buying singles until the system is fixed.

[shiinagamii]

just realized that almost of the divine deities from my bleach fanfic PSA have rosters and sneaky links but, I never confirmed who they ended up being with in the no breath from the jaws of hell arc.

let's start off with the easiest one so far, Nuria: the divine diva of fire and the reincarnation of the Shinto goddess Kami Konohanasakuya-hime aka the woman that resided in Mt Fuji. But, was also half espada and half shinigami thanks to the experimentation from the likes of Aizen, Tousen and Gin she endured throughout the years.

Nuria has a roster full of only a few men, having the only a couple of people in there including:

Kensei Muguruma (on and off situationship but they agreed to just be friends with benefits when necessary)

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez (started off with him just being a munch for her into them full blown fucking each other's brains out)

Yasutora Sado (a short kiss and she saw that he was too good for her, he shockingly was cool with it)

She ended up with Grimmjow due to their closeness with each other after spending some special quality time together behind closed doors. Nuria ended up keeping this a secret until arriving at the soul king's palace with Grimmjow and kissed him in front of everybody.

Next up is the shit talking but no shit taking divine diva Azure: the beauty who is reincarnated from the Egyptian peaceful lion god of air, peace and the skies Shu. Which is pretty ironic considered that she's the most violent one out of the four. She's considered an alchemist and sorceress supreme learning from Jaír, Hekka and Uryu how to hone her abilities.

Her roster is pretty unique considering how her type in men changed from time to time which consist of:

Uryu Ishida (started messing with each other on the low and then bonded)

Shuhei Hisagi (both of them used each other to get over their own crushes)

Izuru Kira (he lustfully fell head over heels over her after being exposed to her pheromones and it was one sided)

Akon (a short hit it and quit it moment that both of them never acknowledged ever again but still fantasize about said encounter)

Azure ended up with Uryu since growing closer with him from training, she immediately cut off everybody else she was dealing with and made it official. She shocked EVERYBODY when she admitted to having feelings for him. They ended up marrying each other and having quadruplets with each other.

Up for third, it's the badass bad bitch herself Olori, the divine diva of the element of water. She's the reincarnation of the Hawaiian trickster god of water, fire and animals himself Maui. She's the only person who doesn't have any alignments with anybody from the Soul Society or Hueco Mundo.

She has the most chaotic roster that would even make Zeus and Apollo themselves look sane in comparison but, it's also very gag worthy:

Shinji Hirako (he was a casual patron at Paradise Island and would even have quickies with her every time they encountered each other)

Ichigo Kurosaki (after getting trapped in his sword she somehow bonded with him and accidentally binded her soul with his)

Orihime Inoue (she saved her life amidst the battlefield and accidentally intertwined and bonded their souls together)

Ikkaku Madarame (Kenpachi had him train her and the sexual tension between them was so thick that they ended up fucking each other fifteen minutes later.)

Kisuke Urahara (was introduced to him thanks to Hekka and they fucked five seconds later after he healed her. Him and Yoruichi had a threesome with her a couple of months later after their encounter.)

Yoruichi Shihoin (accidentally talked Olori into having a threesome with Urahara. All three of them enjoyed it so much that they would meet up to do it again every two to three months.)

Coyote Starrk (while being undercover on a side mission for Hekka, she ended up giving him head and he even referenced it during his fight against Ukitake and Kyoraku)

Bazz B (while undercover to break Azure out of jail, she seduced Bazz B into giving her information to where Azure was held captive)

Olori ended up not getting with anybody at all, she feels that it's way too stressful to claim people and she's too wild to be chained up to only one person. But, she still swings by Urahara and Yoruichi whenever she feels bored. She also occasionally fucks Ikkaku whenever she visits the soul society. She then finds it amusing whenever Ichigo and Orihime get so flustered by her appearance because they never told each other about their sexual encounters with her at all. She did almost reconsider making things official with Shinji but then she decided that she wasn't the relationship type at all.

Last but, definitely most definitely not least is the youngest of the divine divas and the reincarnation of the Vodoun goddess of sex, flowers, crystals and love: Erzulie.....EBK Lotus! She was a young trainee of Yoruichi and was almost the lieutenant of squad two under Soi Fon until the infamous exile of Tijían Chandoo that had a majority of her memories of the soul society wiped away. She then had Hekka and Jaír help her gain her memories back.

her roster is pretty similar to Nuria's but the results are almost familiar to Olori's yet more calm in comparison. All of them were accidentally caught under the hypnosis calming:

Kenpachi Zaraki (was the first one that she got with, he freaked out after seeing his room covered with flowers and leaves but then immediately forgot about it after seeing her change out of her “uniform” that was given to her)

Shunsui Kyoraku (after he saved her life and lost his eye in the midst of it, he took her to his headquarters so she could heal and after seeing her dress herself up in his kimono he immediately smashed)

Byakuya Kuchiki (he was healed by her but was so incredibly smitten by her presence that he immediately had her move into his manor and even he repaid her by being a munch)

She ended up working out her own schedule whereas she gets to spend some quality time with the captains depending on how busy they are. They shockingly don't really care about Lotus having sex with either of them since they know that she's not the type to tie herself down like that yet. She did end up just being with them but not being with them at the same time.

The biggest gag is that they all shared a body with Renji Abari but it was all on different occasions. They tend to joke about it low-key but, Renji did habor some strong feelings toward Nuria after their encounter in Hueco Mundo. But that's another story for another time.