#also wtf is going on with the punctuation

[ithinkihaveptsd]

That is flicky drawing and a storybook and I know just Sonic in the year of 1999. Mario just killed Sonic And I can't believe when Mario want to see copyright Bowser and try to replace the sister Emmy into May Pokémon It was Max justice to stop. Mario Max Emmy Enrique Finn Sam Mekhi Ord Cassie Zak Wheezie and Lorca hates Mario for calling Zak and Pokémon in the reality they just stolen the storybook when Max pointed the middle finger of Mario

I have no words.

[starlitecryolite]

HCs of AvM Characters' Typing Styles

(Alan not included despite the misleading photo used lmao)

Red:

Oh, MOST DEFINITELY uses emoticons the most. He's the type to use the most insane ones like╭( ๐_๐)╮and is not above using OwO unironically. Uses all-caps the most, overall VERY expressive in text.

Definitely the one to have the most typos and uses shorthand a lot, but WILL correct when someone else makes a typing error.

Example - "HEYY GUYS hru?? :D" and "NOOO rEuebn in MCSM DIEDDD (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞"

Orange/TSC:

They're a ghoster in chat/J

Types pretty normally, but also uses shorthand a lot. Only uses punctuation and caps when it REALLY counts. Rarely uses emoticons, and uses tone indicators more. Lazy at typing, lmao

Example - "hey what's up?" and "oh dang, rlly? that sucks/gen"

Yellow:

Everything he types is in perfect grammar, punctuation, and spelling. This, of course, leads to him being a bit of a slow typer.

He almost-never uses shorthand, same goes for emoticons. He uses tone indicators, though! And not above using multiple letters like "Helloooo!"

When he makes a single typo, everyone goes crazy and is quick to joke about it. Always quick to correct any typing mistakes.

Example - "I think you mean *Reuben, @/Red, and wasn't there an option to save him? /genq"

Green:

Green, Mr. Everything-must-be-perfect Green? He tries to NEVER make a typo, and is quite fast at typing. Manages to maintain perfect typing even in a fast pace.

(The same outcome from Yellow happens to him if he makes a typing mistake, but gets clowned on a lot less since he'd definitely make more typos than Yellow ever would)

Similar to Yellow, he tries to maintain perfect everything for typing, but he DOES use emoticons and shorthands! Also drags on some words with extra letters, of course.

Example - "Yeaah, I think so?? But the scene where he turns into a porkchop is hilarious lmaooo" and "Oh heyy @/Blue and @/Purple are both online! Hey, guys <3"

Blue:

Has a typing style similar to Orange’s, but uses caps and emoticons a lot more! Doesn't quite care about typing errors unless it's something important. Nothing much to add to this, to be honest.

Example - "Heyyy! ^^" and "The cutsecene was actually pretty funny ngl, it made teh sad moment less sad tho :P"

Purple:

Their typing style used to be extremely perfect, but as time went on, they stopped caring too much. Of course, they use proper spelling and doesn't use shorthand too often, but they do allow themselves to be imperfect!

They use tone indicators more than shorthand, but they do use stuff like "lmaoo" and "wtf" sometimes!

Example - "Wait tf who's Reuben? /genq" and "@/Red I am so sorry for your loss.."

King Orange/King Mango:

Perfect typing, doesn't even try. Doesn't use emoticons, doesn't use shorthand, doesn't use tone indicators. Uses emojis.

Doesn't understand what "lol" means. His typing style reflects his speaking style.

Example - "@/Purple, I do believe that @/Red is referring to the show he's been watching." and "You all must go to sleep, it's late! You kids need more time to grow."

Purple: "Dad we're all young adults-"

KM: "Oh, that's right 🫢. Indeed, you are.."

Red: "o l d XD"

KM: "What does 'XD' mean?"

[whyse7vn]

BREAK -

[ot7 x reader]

PEACE AND LOVE 😁💗

8 participants - 8 online

———————————

jk: guys i’m lost ☹️

jimin: like emotionally??

tae: or sexually?

jk: woah um

idk anymore

jin: probably psychologically

yoongi: what’s new?

namjoon: jungkook you are in your kitchen

y/n: can confirm he is in the kitchen.

yoongi: loser

jin: what’s with the punctuation lmao

jk: woah i am in our kitchen

how did i get here

good morning guys ^0^

jin: it’s 7pm?

y/n: he’s hungover.

jk: yeah T-T

jimin: not surprised drank jin’s body weight in alcohol yesterday

jk: there was a lot going on :((

yoongi: so you result to alcoholism?

namjoon: it’s better than resulting to violence!!!

y/n: hoseok can’t relate.

hobi: i said i’m sorry 😓

jin: jimin i’ve thought about it and i really think you’re projecting when it comes to this weight thing

jimin: project a vegetable

jin: project a cure for the body issues you CEARLY have

namjoon: guys

jk: ants playing ddr in my head rn

i’m so upset

also how do i take about a loan?

i want a loan

namjoon: jungkook you do not need a loan

jk: ok

i’m sorry

namjoon: jungkook you better not be crying right now

jk: i’m not crying

y/n: he is crying

but that is not important rn.

can we talk about yesterday because what the fuck?

tae: YESSS i’ve been waiting for this

whoever wants the video of hobi punching the shit out of jaehyun you have to me pay at least 4k

namjoon: what is wrong with you

tae: if you want it with sound i have to charge extra

tae changed the gc name to “HOBI GOT HANDS”

y/n: not funny.

namjoon: taehyung please

jin: can’t believe hobi fr punched him

yoongi: i can

hobi: y/n you still mad??

jin: she’s using punctuation

she’s furious ☠️

jimin: sHe’S fUrIoUs 🤓☝🏼

who tf says that

jin: OHMYGOD GET OF MY DICK FOR ONE SECOND I’M BEGGING

jimin: sHe’S fUrIoUs 🤓☝🏼

tae: is she fast too lmao

y/n: shut the fuck up taehyung

tae: okay!

y/n: my boyfriend is fine btw

if any of you actually care

yoongi: don’t

hobi: i’m sorry

y/n: you laughed after you made him bleed

yoongi: didn’t you laugh too lol??

y/n: OKAY I DID A LITTLE

but that’s before i realised hoseok hit him for real

jin: you can hit someone for fake?

tae: you can watch her smile fall after the second punch in the video it’s really funny actually!!!!!!!

y/n: didnt i tell you to shut the fuck up?

tae: you did

i’m sorry

shutting up

like rn ong 🙏🏼

🤐

jin: ?

jimin: it means on god

jin: stop talking to me

jimin: sorry just making sure you got it

slang sure has changed since 1781!!!

jin: 1781????????

jk: omg that’s that one hamilton song

hobi: there is no hamilton song called 1781

jimin: are we talking about the 1975

tae: the what

hobi: aren’t they white?

tae: they????

jimin: HAMILTONS WHITE????

yoongi: the real one is

jimin: there’s a fake hamilton??

tae: hamilton a they/them?

namjoon: you can’t say that

y/n: why are we talking about hamilton?

tae: why can’t i say that?

am i pissing off the feminists? ☠️☠️☠️

namjoon: this has nothing to do with feminism

jin: i’m a feminist

tae: did my they/them hamilton question offend you??

jin: tf does that even mean

jimin: born in 1066 doesn’t even know what pronouns are

jin: fuck you and ur proverbs

y/n: he literally said pronouns

tae: i’m a prosexhaver

yoongi: you have stds

hobi: personally i would like to shoot taehyung

jk: sex haver????

jin: virgin

y/n: he makes me sick

jimin: oh i HATE him

namjoon: deep breaths

tae: ???

wtf

why did you all just turn on me like that?

guys are you jealous of my sex having abilities?

everyone be honest now

y/n: you clearly don’t know what shutting the fuck up includes

tae: ok i’m sorry

never speaking again starting in like

an hour

i promise

y/n: how about now

tae: 30 mins?

y/n: kys

tae: stop flirting omg 🤭

yoongi: idiot

jk: WAIT OMG?

HOBI FR PUNCHED JAEHYUN??/! ö

jin: you were literally there??

jk: I THOUGHT THAT WAS A DREAM

OHMYGOD

LMAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

HEHEHE

OMG HOBI THATS CRAZY

UR CRAZY

hobi: i’m not crazy

jimin: like crazy

y/n: you think it’s funny??

jk: NO

no

absolutely not wtf

????????

hoseok why would you do that?

that’s so messed up

shame on you really

shame on you

jimin: ur pathetic actually

namjoon: anyways hobi it was wrong of you to result to violence just because you were jealous

please apologise

y/n please accept his apology you know hobi wouldn’t never want to upset you on purpose he loves and cares for you deeply

kiss and make up guys

you don’t want to fuck up our group dynamic do you???

no?

didn’t think so!!

wow would you look at that we are all friends again

smooth like butter 🧈 💛

dynamite 🧨

borahae in this bangtan shit for life 💜💜

y/n: kys

jk: KISS???????????

jin: hobi was jealous?

hobi: NO?????????

yoongi: interesting

jimin: yeah that’s crazy

hobi: I WASN’T I SWEAR

namjoon: you weren’t???

oh

my fault

hobi: yeah your fault

maybe ur just projecting lol

jimin: yeah calling bullshit

if you didn’t punch him out of jealously

what did you punch him for???

tae: it’s cuz he was like feeling her up right in front of our faces right??

have he no respect?

jk: respect no he have?

tae: stop

jk: sorry

tae: actually nvm you were agreeing with me

agree some more

jk: i agree some more

tae: see?

jk: see??

tae: what a nasty pervert freak of a man

namjoon: look in a mirror

jimin: that’s crazy because i wasn’t talking you

tae: right joon shut the hell up

jk: zip it

jimin: you as in YOU taehyung and jungkook

i was talking to hobi not you guys

jk: oh

tae: we talk for hobi

hobi: no you don’t

tae: we ARE hobi

jk: i’m not hobi

or am i?????

ohmgod am i???

yoongi: ur all so annoying

y/n: ok hoseok wasn’t jealous are you stupid??

why would he be jealous?????

hobi: right!

i was drunk

jin: i swear you didn’t drink last night??

hobi: ur not helping?

jimin: i’m telling you it’s bullshit

tae: ok now let’s talk about how that was coolest thing hobi’s ever done in his life should of tagged me in fr fr

i would of gone crazy no joke 💯💯

we would of got him so bad hobi

#dreamteam 😍

namjoon: taehyung

tae: what?

i’m just saying

y/n: say one more thing

tae: i’m sorry

sorry

SORRY 😢

jimin: so the plot thickens!!

hobi: there is not plot

there is no jealousy

jin: ok why did you punch him then

hobi: i was drunk i said that already

jin: you DIDN’T drink

guys why is he lying to us

do you not trust us???

come on step into my office hoseok

open up to daddy jin

y/n: ew???

jin: ew?

y/n: that’s what i said

jin: but in spainnnnnn

y/n: stop

jin: 🫰🏻

yoongi: hobi do you want to fuck y/n?

hobi: what

yoongi: answer the question

y/n: yoongi wtf???

namjoon: yoongi please

jk: DO NOT ANSWER DO NOT ANSWER DO NOT ANSWER

hobi: i’m not answering that wtf

jimin: i think we all know his answer anyways

yoongi: yeah

but i want him to say it

tae: waitttt kinky

say it hoseok 😋😋😋

namjoon: can we not rn…

jimin: tae you definitely need to add him to ur stupid little group chat

tae: ummmm

it’s not stupid it’s real actually

jk: real men only!!!

tae: hobi are you a real man?

hobi: what

tae: are you real??

hobi: yeah

jk: say it

hobi: say what?

tae: i’m real

hobi: i’m real?

tae: REAL UGLY

HAHAHA

jk: LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

hobi: u guys are so unfunny it hurts

tae: got you lolz

namjoon: taehyung stop talking

tae: forgive me? 🥺

hobi tried to come for what we stand for

hobi: i literally didn’t???

it was jimin

jin: hey wait what group chat??

let me in what the hell

yoongi: no

jin: ur in the gc too??

yoongi: am i?

jk: he is

tae me joon and yoongi 💓

namjoon: can you stfu.

jin: EVEN JOON??????

let me in or ur all going to hell

y/n: yeah me too wtf??

tae: jin

between me and you

your invite may arrive soon

i’ve seen your eyes wondering as of late

jin: ????

what

yeah ok nvm!

i think i’ll live not being in ur gc

and if this is about what i think it’s about

count me out

jk: aw man :/

tae: wow so many haters in this life

you’ll regret this

you’ll be begging on ur knees to join real soon

y/n: WHAT ABOUT ME HELLO????

jk: hiiiiiii ^_^

y/n: ykw nvm idc

yoongi: you do

y/n: not

yoongi: yeah ok :3

namjoon: there is no group chat

jk: ??? yes there is don’t be silly joon 😂😂

namjoon: OHMYGOD LEARN HOW TO TAKE A FUCKING HINT

can we move on

wtf why am i asking you guys

i’m the leader

we are moving on.

y/n: THIS IS SEGREGATION

jk: ohmygod is this a race thing???

namjoon not again

jimin: LMFAOOOSJDJJK

y/n: i mean i was talking about gender

but this could be a race thing

is this a race thing????

jk: OHMYGOD NAMJOON UR A SEXIST TOO????

i thought that was just jimin

jin: no ur right

jk: oh ok!

jimin: can you stop

i’m NOT a sexist ok

but hobi DID punch jaehyun

hobi: wtf is ur problem

jimin: sorry i needed to put everyone back on track xx

hobi: there is no track

jimin: no there is a track and i put everyone back on it

jk: train track

yoongi: lay on one?

tae: LAYOVER YES

i know that album

it’s really good

indigo flopped

namjoon: shut up shut up shut up shut up

tae: so like gf wyd rn? *kicks feet giggles*

yoongi kicked tae out of “HOBI GOT HANDS!!”

yoongi: not sorry

jk: it’s ok i forgive you

yoongi: shut up

jk: ok

y/n: he told me we should go on a break…

jk: i had a break on my bike once

then it broke

so i had a breakless bike

and i couldn’t brake

so to stop i would just pedal into walls

my bike to this day has no breaks it makes me sad

namjoon: jungkook please just get a new bike

and y/n i’m sorry to hear about your break

jk: ok >.<

y/n: thanks ig

namjoon: wait

??????

break

ur on break

with jaehyun?

y/n: no i’m on a break with fucking usher

jin: A BREAK?????????????

jimin: WOAH WAIT HOLD ON

yoongi: is he fucking stupid???

jk: USHER???

hobi: no jungkook she’s talking about jaehyun

jk: oh

hobi: jaehyun

nct jaehyun your friend jaehyun.

jk: OHMYGOD WAIT WHAT WHATWHENDHDHDJDJD WHAT OHMYGOF OHMSYSH DKEJEJDJG SISHDJXMISSHENDODJDIDUSJEJFJDKDKFNDBDNDMDNDFNFNFNFMMF

jk added tae to “HOBI GOT HANDS!!”

jk: LOOK

tae: hey guys u missed me 😁?

jk: LOOK

tae: looking

jk: LOOKSKKSKSKDKDKDDKK

tae: holy shit

y/n are you ok??

jimin: THIS IS INSANE

y/n: yeah fuck him and fuck his break

yoongi: i’ll break his neck

jin: jungkook get ur friend

jk: JSNDNDNNDJJDJDFJNDJDJDJDJD ahshshxhdnxndnxnd JAJSHDBSBDBXBXNXNXJXJXJZHHXHXBSHSHSHXHZJZJXJXJXJJXJXJJDD SHSNDNDNDNDNXNDJJDXJXJXJX DHXJDJDNDNDNXXNZN

tae: woah

hobi: but are you like actually ok???

y/n: never been better

namjoon: no fr it’s ok if you’re upset

y/n: i’m not upset

jimin: wow

so like

wow

idk how to comfort people namjoon say something

namjoon: there there?

jin: chin up!!!!!

jk: I AM ALSO SINGLE THIS IS SUCH A COINCIDENCE LIKE WE ARE BOTH SINGLE AT THE SAME TIME WOW LIKE YEAH UR ON A HREAK BUT UR BASICALLY SINGLE THATS REALLY CRAZY LIKE HAHA LOL WE ARE SINGLE LOOK AT US TWO SINGLE PEOPLE WHO HAPPEN TO LIVE TOGETHER MAYBE WE SHOULD IDK LIKE HEHEH JSJSJJSJDJ

yoongi: when are we jumping him??

i can leave now

y/n: shut up

yoongi: you coming over?

y/n: no?

yoongi: boo

y/n: i’m going to hobi’s

hobi: you are??

jimin: to fight or fuck??

y/n: shut up

jin: that’s crazy

hobi broke up a happy home

hobi: i’m genuinely so sorry

i didn’t mean to

y/n: wasn’t even ur fault don’t apologise

he was a acting weird for a while

wanted to live in denial but it’s whatever idc!!!!!!!

tae: you clearly do care and that’s ok

y/n: i DON’T

tae: y/n

y/n: taehyung

jimin: ew like why is taehyung being all serious i hate it

tae: cuz this is serious

y/n: it’s not

tae: it’s ok to be upset

y/n: i know and i’m NOT

tae: y/n

y/n: i’m not upset omg????

stop being weird i’m like so ok it’s crazy

jimin: like crazy lolz

jin: that is the second time you’ve made that joke and it was just as unfunny as it was the first time you said it

jimin: why are you keeping tabs on me and what i say get a LIFE

jin: you make me want to kms

jimin: do it

jin: namjoon get him before i get violent

namjoon: guys can you see we have bigger issues going on rn

be serious for once

y/n: i’m fine

there is no serious issue

i’m ok

no tears

no noting

i’m fine ok? ok

tae: y/n

y/n: tae stop

ykw ur pissing me off

ur all pissing me off

y/n left “HOBI GOT HANDS!!”

hobi: oh wow

jin: i didn’t even do anything fr

jimin: i blame tae

yoongi: jaehyun is a bitch

jk: do you think she’ll let me kiss her now?

namjoon: jungkook shut up

tae do NOT message her

and yoongi do not even THINK about leaving your house rn

i think we need to have a group meeting or something

—

sorry this sucks i just needed a reason to get rid of jaehyun so we could move forward LMAO i’m sorry better things coming soon 😁🙏🏽

tags: @piw6n @92jinnies @birdie-vhs @kooksmilitarywife @hob3loveofmylife @jujubiism @bloopkook @ratchetpizza1 @myntalks @arloo00 @watamotee33 @y2kcy3brz @taiwan0618 @freyadanvers @gguksbeloved @raetf @bbsantc @winuvs @medicinemybish @bxnnyhime @leleluvsbts @baetukki @zyaaaszn @thelilbutifulthings @jazminethecreator @k4ngelz @jmnscutie @sopebubbles-replies @cynicalyoongs @lightningpussy54 @eunthv @gigiiiiislife @lowkeykin

[ncsdlr]

Misclick (Or: How I Accidentally Called My Ex While Looking for Emotional Closure)

Ex!Billie Eilish x Ex!Reader

A/N: the first section is based on real life😃🔫 the following sections are entirely made up

A/N: also, to the person i was talking to in the first section, I'm sorry for immortalizing this painfully embarrassing moment in our life and turning it into fanfic💀

A/N: also the last section is what I wish we did- what I wish we could have discussed. only SOME of that section is fiction.

A/N: idk if she's seeing this, but if you are, hi, Im over our break up, but the love is still here

Warning: ANGST

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

In your defense, you weren’t stalking. You were researching. There’s a difference.

The breakup was still fresh—like, cry-while-brushing-your-teeth fresh. You and Billie hadn’t spoken since the split a couple days ago. Not out of malice, just... mutually assured emotional destruction. You were both going through it. Both pretending not to look at each other’s Instagram stories with your brightness turned all the way down like that made it morally neutral.

And yet, here you were. Two days post-breakup. Alone. Unhinged. Emotionally backed up.

You were doing something extremely healthy and productive—scrolling through your old messages with Billie to find the last time she said she loved you. For closure. Obviously. Not to screenshot it and zoom in on the punctuation like it held some secret code. Definitely not that.

You were wrist-deep in the chat archive—somewhere between “I miss you” and that cursed selfie where you looked like a malnourished Victorian child—when a notification from her friend popped up.

You tried to swipe it away. Really, you tried.

Instead… your thumb slipped. You tapped.

And suddenly, your phone was dialing Billie. Billie. Fucking Billie. The Billie you were actively mourning like a recently deceased houseplant. The Billie you had just been virtually ghost-digging up like you were the gay Indiana Jones of emotional trauma.

The screen rang once. Twice.

Your soul left your body at Mach 5. Your heart physically detached and crawled under the bed.

You panic-slammed the red button like your life depended on it. Which, emotionally speaking, it absolutely did.

Call ended. Damage? Irreversible.

You stared at the screen, breathing like you’d just sprinted through the airport in a romcom, only instead of stopping her from boarding the plane, you just committed social suicide.

In your panicked state, you type down an explanation for the accidental call. It makes you type faster when you see that Billie has your chat open. This is the fastest you've ever typed anything.

You: "Dude im so sorry i didnt mean to wtfff" "Notifications made my phone lad and I clicked your chat the hell"

When chat indicators popped up, you swiped you thumb frantically to exit the chat. For what? You have no idea.

Billie: "its okay lol"

You opened the chat again, continuing your frantic explanation: "Bro😭" "Screaming crying rn tf" "lemme just go omg💀"

Billie: "hahaha you're fine"

And then... somehow, you just kept talking.

No more explanations. No “wtf was that.” No tension. No ice to break. The texts just kept coming—back and forth, casual, like nothing happened. Like you hadn’t just accidentally FaceTimed your ex mid-mental breakdown. Like this wasn’t the first time you’d spoken since the breakup. Like things were fine.

You kept expecting it to stop. For her to say “anyway” and vanish. Or for you to remember your dignity and put your phone down.

But neither of you did.

It wasn’t deep. Nothing emotional. Just… small things. Dumb things. Things that didn’t make sense to say, but somehow did.

And the strangest part? It didn’t feel weird until you realized it should’ve felt weird.

You sat there, blinking at the screen like: “Are we just gonna ignore the fact that I tried to speedrun dying of embarrassment five minutes ago?”

But Billie didn’t mention the call again. You didn’t bring it up either. The silence around it is somehow louder than if you had.

And now you were just… texting her. Casually. Effortlessly. Like muscle memory. Like your thumbs had been waiting for this the whole time since the breakup. Like no time had passed at all.

You kept rereading the last message she sent. Not because it meant anything. But because it existed. Because it happened. And that was somehow enough.

****

It’s not a date. It’s not closure. It’s not even emotional masochism.

It’s just two people deciding—very casually, very “sure why not”—to go out.

You meet Billie at some middle ground neither of you suggest but both somehow agree on. It’s not your place. It’s not hers. The location is symbolic in its neutralness. A coffee shop, a bookstore, maybe a quiet park. Somewhere with enough noise to fill the silence.

She’s already there when you arrive, sitting with her hood up like she’s trying not to be seen, even though you’re pretty sure she wants you to see her first. You sit. You don’t hug. You don’t talk about the call.

It’s not awkward. It’s just… quiet.

You talk about stupid things. Music. A dog walking by in a sweater. Some viral video you both saw. It feels normal in a way that feels fake, but not painful.

You both laugh at something neither of you will remember tomorrow.

And there’s a moment—brief, barely-there—when she says something and looks at you too long. The kind of look that, a few weeks ago, would’ve meant everything. Now it just lingers between you like fog. Present, but untouchable.

There’s nothing romantic about this. Nothing tender. Just two people, trying.

Not exes. Not friends. Not what you were, or what you almost were.

Just people.

The coffee Billie ordered looked like it could kill someone. Triple shot, something with oat milk, and a dangerous amount of cinnamon on top like she's daring her heart to keep up.

“You drink that, you’re gonna astral project,” you say, squinting at it.

She grins over the rim. “Perfect. Maybe I’ll finally leave this hellish plane of existence and become someone’s sleep paralysis demon.”

“You already are.”

“Ouch,” she says, mock-offended. “That’s crazy coming from someone who called me mid-scroll spiral just to breathe into the mic like a haunted voicemail.”

You groan, dramatic and long. “We said we weren’t bringing that up.”

“Correction,” she says, stirring her murder latte. “You said that. I made no such promise.”

You flick a sugar packet at her. She dodges it like a gremlin, proud.

It’s easy. Too easy. You’re both sitting there, bouncing off each other like nothing’s weird. Like the weight of your history isn’t pressed between the two coffee cups, trying to stay relevant.

“Remember when you said I looked like a ‘very fashionable Muppet’ that one time?”

She snorts. “You did. That fuzzy green sweater? Be fr. Miss Piggy would’ve worn it to the Met Gala.”

“It was chartreuse!”

“Chartreuse is not a personality.”

“Okay, says the girl who once wore leather pants to a picnic.”

“You mean the leather pants?” she asks, looking entirely too proud of herself. “The ones that made your friend text you, ‘damn I didn’t know Billie was packing like that’?”

Your soul tries to exit your body again.

“God, why do you still remember that?”

“Because it haunts me. And because I live for your humiliation.”

She’s leaning back now, one leg hooked under her on the bench, sipping her drink like this is the most natural thing in the world. And maybe it is. Maybe it always was.

You stretch out your legs and sigh like someone twice your age. “This is weird.”

She raises an eyebrow. “You mean... this?”

You wave vaguely between the two of you. “This. Us. Not being anything. But also not being not-anything. Just... people.”

Billie considers that. Then shrugs.

“Yeah,” she says. “But like... funny people.”

You squint at her, unimpressed. “You think you’re funny?”

She pauses mid-sip like she’s been personally insulted. “Babe. I’m hilarious.”

You snort. “You are so not.”

“Excuse me?” she gasps, clutching her chest like you just called her untalented and unvaccinated. “Are you forgetting the time I made your cousin laugh so hard she snorted rice out of her nose?”

“She was laughing at me, actually. Because you tried to do a British accent and somehow ended up sounding like a French minion.”

“Okay wow,” she says, shaking her head. “Fake news. I was doing Shakespearean Cockney. It was a bit.”

“You sounded like a Victorian chimney sweep possessed by Lumière.”

She sets her cup down, tilts her head, and grins in that way she used to when she was plotting something. “You’re just mad because you know I’m funnier than you.”

You scoff. "You wish,” you fire back.

“You laugh at everything I say.”

“Because I’m nice and polite.”

She leans forward, eyes glittering. “You laugh like you’re trying to impress me.”

You open your mouth to respond—and realize you don’t have one. Not a real one, anyway. Not one that doesn’t give something away.

She sees it. Of course she does. And she smirks.

“See?” she says softly, smug. “Told you.”

You look away, pretending to be exasperated, and roll your eyes. “I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

You bite your lip to keep from smiling because she's right. “Shut up.”

She just shrugs, takes another sip of her drink, and says nothing else.

But her grin stays, stifling what could turn into a full-blown laugh. And so does yours.

****

You’re walking side by side down the street now, Billie’s iced coffee long gone and your stomach sore from laughing at nothing. It feels almost stupid how natural it is, like your body forgot you’re not supposed to move in rhythm with hers anymore.

At one point, she bumps your shoulder with hers and says, “I’m still funnier than you.”

You scoff. “Delusional.”

“Charming and funny,” she says, with a mock-bow. “A full package.”

“Oh my god.”

“You didn’t seem to think that when you were—”

You whip your head toward her so fast she actually flinches from the wind. “Nope. No, ma’am. Do not finish that sentence.”

Her grin is wicked. “Why not? I was just going to say crying at my stand-up set. Obviously.”

You narrow your eyes. “That’s not where you were going and you know it.”

She shrugs. “I’m just saying. You were very… vocal with your compliments.”

“I will literally throw myself into oncoming traffic.”

“You’re blushing.”

“I’m ashamed.”

She laughs—loud, head back, real. And god. You forgot how much you missed that sound. How safe it made everything feel.

You don’t say anything. She doesn’t either. But something shifts in the silence that follows. Neither of you name it.

****

You’re on Billie’s couch, legs tucked under yourself, a half-eaten bag of chips between you. She’s scrolling through some streaming app like it’s a life-or-death decision.

“This one has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes,” she says.

“It also looks like it was made for sad white men who write film essays on Tumblr.”

She clicks it anyway.

It’s not a good movie. It's barely even a movie. It’s one of those indie slow-burns where nothing really happens, but everything’s a metaphor for loneliness. Of course it’s the one you’re watching.

About thirty minutes in, your knees are touching. Then your shoulder. Then Billie shifts just enough that your thighs are lined up. She doesn’t move away.

Neither do you.

You don’t look at her. You don’t say anything.

But a few minutes later, her hand is resting against your calf—soft, light, like she forgot it was there.

And then, slowly, her fingers find your hair. She starts playing with it absently. Familiar. Absent-minded. Like this is just what you do.

Your breath catches, just slightly. Not enough for her to notice. You don’t move.

She keeps twirling a strand.

You don’t look at each other. The movie plays on, pretending you aren’t unraveling.

She shifts slightly, but her hand stays on you.

“You used to say I was too blunt,” she murmurs.

“You were.”

“You said I made you feel small, sometimes.”

You pause. “You did.”

There’s a quiet beat. Not defensive. Just still.

“You’d call me dramatic whenever I brought something up. Or overthinking. Or too sensitive.”

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

“I know,” you say. And you do. But that doesn’t erase the sting. “But you still said it.”

She nods, almost to herself. “You always wanted to talk about things. Everything had layers with you.”

You look at her then. “Everything has layers. You just didn’t like looking at them.”

Billie goes quiet. Her fingers still, just for a moment, in your hair.

“I didn’t get it,” she admits. “Half the stuff you brought up—gender, labels, politics… it just felt like too much. Like everything had to be a cause.”

You smile. It's not unkind. But it isn't soft either. “It was too much—for you.”

She meets your eyes then, and there’s something like apology in her face. But not regret. Not quite.

“I felt like I had to shrink to be next to you,” you continue. “Like I had to sand down the sharp parts so I didn’t set you off. I was always editing myself.”

Billie doesn’t argue. She doesn’t explain.

She just says, “I know.”

And that somehow hurts more.

You still love her. Deeply. Undeniably. But you love yourself now too. And you know exactly which love you're not willing to compromise again.

You don’t know why you’re still talking. Maybe because it’s finally quiet enough to. Maybe because your body still remembers how to confess things in her presence.

You shift on the couch, turning toward her just slightly—just enough to see her face without really looking at it.

“I knew,” you say quietly. “Back then. I knew you didn’t really get it. Any of it.”

Billie doesn’t argue. She just watches you.

“You didn’t try to understand things that mattered to me. Or when you did, it was only after I broke down trying to explain why it mattered in the first place.”

You laugh a little, but it’s brittle. “And I still stayed.”

She looks down.

“I stayed because I loved you enough to overlook it. Or I thought I did. I thought that if I just loved you harder, louder, more patiently, eventually it’d be enough to… I don’t know. Make the other stuff not matter.”

You feel the words coming before you say them. The shape of them. The weight.

“Because I love—” Your voice catches. Just for a second. Just long enough to break.

You clear your throat, and correct yourself mid-sentence, too quickly.

“Because I loved you. Enough to ignore the parts of myself that didn’t sit right next to you.”

There it is again. That reflex. That instinct to swallow yourself whole before anyone else can do it for you.

Billie hears it. Of course she does. But she says nothing.

And somehow, the silence confirms everything.

You didn’t stop loving her. You just started loving yourself more. Or maybe for the first time at all.

Billie’s still looking at you. Or maybe through you. Like she’s watching something that already happened.

“You know what’s messed up?” she says after a moment. “I didn’t even get it at the time. Like—I knew you were hurting. I could see it. But I thought it was just... you being sensitive. You always felt things so deeply, and I thought I was allowed to stay the same and let you carry all the weight.”

You don’t respond. You don’t need to.

“I kept thinking I’d grow into it,” she continues. “Into being what you needed. That one day I’d just… wake up and suddenly know how to hold space for things I didn’t understand.”

You swallow.

“But I didn’t,” she says. “I couldn’t. I was too wrapped up in already knowing who I was and what I'm worth. And you were still only getting there. And I hated that I couldn’t meet you there. That I couldn’t give you the version of me you deserved. That I couldn't bend myself like you were bending yourself for me.”

Her voice is steady. Matter-of-fact. But you can hear the ache in the way she chooses her words.

“And by the time I realized how much I’d let slip through my hands,” she says, softer now, “you’d already started holding on to yourself instead.”

Your chest tightens.

And in that moment, everything in her expression says what she won’t say out loud:

That if she'd met you later, maybe she would’ve been ready. That if the timing had been different, maybe it would’ve worked. That maybe it wasn’t about not loving you enough. It was about not knowing how to love you right.

You want to scream. Or cry. Or laugh.

Instead, you nod.

Slow. Small. Knowing.

“I wanted you to see things from my eyes,” you say quietly. “But I let you not do that because you seemed so sure of your mind and your thoughts. And I didn't want to make you question things the way I do.”

Billie doesn’t flinch.

She just looks at you like she’s finally seeing what she missed. And this time, she doesn’t reach for your hand. She just lets you hold your own.

The silence stretches so long it stops feeling awkward and just becomes part of the furniture. Like grief, or old air.

Her hand is still in your hair. Yours is curled into the blanket, nails digging in like it might hold you together.

And then Billie says, voice low but clear:

“I loved you more when you stopped needing me.”

You don’t react at first. Because what the fuck is that even supposed to mean.

But then you get it. You know exactly what she means.

She loved the version of you who didn’t beg for her to show up. Who stopped asking for softness. Who learned to be their own safe place because she couldn’t be one.

She loved you more when it didn’t cost her anything.

And maybe that hurts her, too.

You stare straight ahead, eyes fixed on nothing.

Then, just as calmly, you say:

“And I loved you most when I realized the break-up felt like freedom."

She flinches. Not big. But enough. Enough for you to feel it.

And neither of you says another word after that.

You sit there—two people who once loved each other in all the wrong ways at all the wrong times—quiet, breathing, broken in a way that finally makes sense.

No one leaves. No one moves.

And somehow, that’s the ending.

---------------------- y'all tears were shed writing this. Also, I'm so sorry for the way I wrote billies beliefs. I know that's not how she is in real life at all, i just did it for the story to work out the way i wanted and to relate it to what happened to me and what I went through😔

[tm-trx]

Pit Babe 2, ep 7

Live Reaction Thoughts

Standard warning applies: may will contain inconsistent/excessive punctuation and capitalization, talking to myself, talking to the characters, rampant speculation, and many many questions to self.

Charlie is pushing Babe away to keep him safe, I’m guessing. Because him all of a sudden being insecure really doesn’t ring true and Babe would be questioning everything if he wasn’t so upset.

Willy backstory! finally

oh I didn’t expect that wow; Willy is one of Tony’s experiments and presumably it worked on him?

I’m still confused about Willy’s goal being to bring Charlie in. Is he messing with Babe just to be evil or is he trying to break them up so Charlie will somehow then want to go to Tony? Make it make sense. Willy, please explain your reasoning, 10-slide PPT format optional, but preferred.

Once again, Charlie goes off on his own and doesn’t tell anyone what he’s doing; will Jeff tell anyone this time though?

aw Babe :( at least Charlie didn’t fake his death this time?

well you treat the team like a family instead of a business, sooo

Kawin = Willy?

argh Charlie just trust him

Pavel is breaking my heart; he’s so freaking good

Even if I hadn’t seen the spoiler from the second half, that scene would have given away that something big was going to happen later.

good job guys, just retraumatize the witness

uh oh Charlie said too much when he left and now Babe suspects that something’s going on?

ding ding ding

I didn’t expect Jeff to reveal the truth so fast, but I guess he remembers how last time went.

lol nice try Charlie

and again, Pavel - the crack in his voice? - love they used that take

UFDAH

“I’ll leave the ring here. Wear it if you want. If not, that’s okay too.” just kill me now

oh shit this is cool; what’s he seeing?!!?? multiple futures all at the same time??

this scene is seriously gorgeously shot wow

but also that shot of Babe looking up at Charlie while opening his jeans with his teeth is going to live rent free in my head all week

wtf why was he driving?

aw Jeff :(

!!!

Didn’t expect that, but I’m also not surprised Charlie would try and take Jeff’s power. I am here for the ill-advised sacrifice play.

an extra screenshot this week, just because

Final Thoughts

This show is consistently giving us great episodes and I am loving it.

We finally found out some of Willy's history. Turns out he's one of Tony's (seemingly) successful experiments. Horrifying and terrible and clearly not a valued one. Which is very weird, because you'd think that it would make Willy more valuable to Tony. If only to help his scientists figure out why it worked on him.

Kim and Kenta had another Moment(TM) this week, complete with extended slo-mo. I liked the car one better, tbh. And, apologies to the actor’s contract, but that scene with Pete could have been an email.

North and Sonic. sigh. The way they are drawing them out is not working, because they're doing the same thing over and over again. I wish North was confiding in someone so we at least get some plot movement. Dean is right there, show. It would have been a great use of his character if Sonic all of a sudden saw North talking to him all hush-hush and got jealous, even with how cliche it’d be. At this rate, they’ll get together all in a rush right at the end.

All of the Babe and Charlie scenes this week were excellent - so much angsty goodness. I genuinely thought they’d repeat the season one plot with Charlie off doing his own thing trying to draw out Tony, and Babe would find out at the worst moment in an episode or two. I am so pleased to be wrong. They’re not actually back together, but at least now Babe knows that Charlie still loves him, even if he’s determined to stick with his plan. And I get why Charlie’d leave the ring off, but ouch.

I loved the way they filmed Jeff’s decline. The angle of the camera as it followed him into the house, then the slow reveal combined with the lack of the usual special effects signaling that he was having a vision was so creepy and so impactful. The only misstep was later when he was driving, because come on. He’d have never gotten in a car in that state. Everything in the hospital after was great though.

That no dialogue hair dryer scene. Domestic and sexy and sweet all at the same time. Also the music choice was A+. SO GOOD.

Is it next Friday, yet?!

My Pit Babe 2 recaps: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6

[ray2rkz]

OG Trio Groupchat Pt. 2

(Mikey, Baji, Sanzu) Pt. 1 is here

-----

Baji: HARUCHIYO SANZU R YU INSANE

Baji: WAT IS WRONG WITH YU

Baji: MIKEY TEEL HIM TO STOP

Mikey: What happened? What did he do this time

Sanzu: I told y'all I would do this, no reason to be so surprised??

Mikey: what?

Baji: HE FCKING TREATED CHIFUYU

Mikey: ... do you mean treated or threated ??

Baji: weres the diference

Sanzu: he means threated. I threated chifuyu

Mikey: WHAT WHY

Sanzu: BECAUSE this stupid dumbass needs to learn how to spell and Chifuyu has to teach him

Baji: YU TOLD HIM YU WULD KILL HIM

Sanzu: I am going to kill both of you if I ever have to read one of your messages again

Mikey: how about we calm down and NOT kill anybody

Mikey: I forbid you to

Sanzu: that's unfair

Baji: ITS UNFAIR TAT YOU WANT TO KILL ME ONLY CUZ I CANT SPEL

Sanzu: I don't think so

Mikey: I think so

Sanzu:... fine

Sanzu: only cuz mikey said so

Mikey: thanks

Baji: and say sory to Chifuyu he is scarred asf

Sanzu: I am definitely not going to say sory

Sanzu: do I look stupid

Mikey: holy sht just say sorry to this poor boy

Sanzu: I don't know where he is

Sanzu: To find him I would have to stalk Baji again

Sanzu: are you sure you want that

Sanzu: ???

Baji: no plz dont do tat

Baji: I have nightmares of seing yur pink hair behind korners

Sanzu: guess I can't say sorry to Chifuyu then, too bad

Mikey: are you serious

Sanzu: yes

Mikey: Baji add this Chifuyu to the gc

Mikey: I want get to know him too

Sanzu: wasn't this supposed to be only the three of us? :/

Mikey: yeah, but we're going to kick him out afterwards dw

Baji: haruchiyo did yu just use one of thesee punktuation marcks Emojis??

Sanzu: I am surprised you even know what a punctuation mark is, but yes I did

Sanzu: what's so weird about it?

Baji: idk I didnt thing yu would do tat

Mikey: I like to use them sometimes too??

Baji: yea but with yu I now yu would do tat

Baji: with haru it was unekspected

Mikey: wtf is unekspected

Sanzu: SEE HE NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT HIS SPELLING

Mikey: nah, I know that he means unexpected, but how does one go from x to ks

Mikey: also I get that he's surprised, I didn't think you would use them too

Sanzu: idk it's probably a habit I got from you and the kawata twins

Baji: the kawata twins?? yu text with tem??

Sanzu: yeah, Mucho likes them and the four of us also have a gc

Baji: didnt expect tat

Mikey: same

Mikey: but nice to see that you have friends haru :D

Sanzu: yeah ig so

Baji: anyways I am gonna add chifuyu

Sanzu: omg another mistake free message, I'm so proud of you Baji

Baji: tyy

[foursaints]

saints I was fighting off sleep last night to write down questions I had about your OCs I would be honored if you’d indulge me in answering a few of them-

1. How did Theo and Freddie meet? Was it before/after their angel/devil entanglements?

2. What’s the magnetizing force(s) behind their friendship/situationship? What makes them feral about one another?

3. I can’t remember if you’d mentioned this before but how tall are they respectively?

I’m here to learn 📝 🥰

this is saints foursaints dot tumblr… you KNOW there has to be a size difference (^their morning routine)

i can’t believe you were thinking about them.. that is so crazy to me. just know that me & oz are having a meltdown every time you guys send an ask like this..... um. they're deeply unserious characters and we smack them around like barbie dolls

in any given au, they always meet at a halloween party :,).. in this one, they're dressed as each other's respective mystic entanglements. theo (avoiding socializing by going upstairs to quietly look at the diff. bedrooms & get sentimental about the lives of strangers) found freddie (super plastered & spilling tequila everywhere & in a sequin halter top & actively stealing family photographs as part of an elaborate revenge plan after the host insulted his haircut once several weeks ago) and they spend the rest of the night locked in the upstairs bathroom together. theo takes him home but they don't sleep together and that surprises freddie. freddie sleeps in theo's bed & likes how it smells & falls asleep with his hand dangling off the bed, holding theo's where he sleeps on the floor.

it's because they cannot STAND each other lol.. but also bc they are also more alike than they realize. freddie is a caterwauling diva who cannot tolerate not being Taken Extremely Seriously and theo is addicted to riling him up & making him blush & curse him out. theo cannot handle being proven Wrong and yet freddie is always on some 5d chess machiavellian mind-game shit & a few steps ahead of him. but it is punctuated by these rare & random moments that are disconcertingly tender (like halloween) and it freaks both of them out + they have a lil thing wherein they're immune to each other. theo has a bit of a halo effect on people & freddie tends to always get his way BUT because of their own situations it doesn't work on each other. but they're unaware of each other's situations. so they are both hysterically like WTF IS WRONG WITH HIM? I NEED TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS. <- excuse 2 see each other

3. freddie is 5’10 & theo is 6’3. if u see me exaggerating the height difference.. Hush..

IM SORRY FOR THE MUCHO TEXTO IM LITERALLY INSANE ABOUT THEM. but I suppose I am this long-winded with rosekiller as well so that might just be my personality. im not on my ipad rn but i will give you some ancient teddies that are in my laptop files

^ this one is literally from ?? 2020?? I think?? but it makes me laugh

[the-stray-storyteller]

LISTEN TO ME YAP ABOUT SOMETHING THAT IS ABSOLUTELY USELESS.

okay so recently i realised that i dont use contractions that often when i write. i was going through my writing and say that there was a certain lack of wouldn't, couldn't, wasn't, isn't, he'd, she'd and so on.

and i am like wtf. then i realised that in my school they had this weird ass rule that they would cut marks for essays, letters and any sort of writing related thing if we used contractions because it fucked with the word count they set. thats it thats all i had to say

also ignore the lack of punctuation and capitalisation and basic grammar. its 2 am and i am half asleep typing this

[generating-functionology]

so I finally sucked it up and looked at my exam feedback. It wasn't as bad as I initially thought. A lot of it was related to small details that were missing or misleading, nothing truly heinous (save of course me not knowing how to do multivariable calculus.)

...Yay?

Also reviewed up to double integration of solids using polar coordinates. We haven't gotten to the Divergence Theorem though we're getting close.

Ngl there's this dude who has a fat crush on me and whom I've spurned countless times, and yet, he doesn't seem to want to take the hint. Recently he offered to grade my work. He punctuated his email with "you can only improve from here :)" and i know it was irrational but i so wanted to fucking choke him out LOL STOP BEING CONDESCENDING AND JUST TELL ME I'M SHIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WILL NOT GO OUT WITH YOU!!!!

I'm sitting in my parents' garden and getting bitten by skeeters. Tomorrow I wanna keep going with multivariable calc in addition to doing some other practice problems out of Rudin.

also wtf is my algorithm turning into yoinks

[shavynel]

Writing comments for fanfic

tl;dr -- Write one thing you liked about the fic (a phrase or moment) and how you reacted or made you feel! Also, keep it fun! Make no demands of fic authors who write out of love and Owe Us Nothing.

It took me a while to figure out how to write comments. I went through an evolution. There's lots of stuff on how to write stories, probably even giving crit and feedback, but commenting? Not nearly as much. So here's my not so short ramble on writing comments for fic. Includes my Ways of commenting and Tenets of commenting.

Examples here will be T-rated (by AO3 standards) and most are taken from or newly written with specific fics in mind. They are, ahem, almost all Genshin Impact.

Commenting is, I believe, a personal thing. I've been told I have a bit of an enthusiastic presence, so what feels true to you may vary. I also like to write words (can you tell?). And smash keyboards.

Leaving comments is, in fact, effort! But it's also a skill that can be learned and honed. And honestly, I think my fic experience is improved by it. I don't always leave a comment. But, I don't know... that random internet person authored a Whole Thing. For Free (likely). And I just get to read it?? Yeah, I'm going to leave a little appreciation. Just a little snack in return for this fulfilling meal you have fed me.

I also find writing a comment is also a way for me to just bask in a fic a little bit longer, linger in that feeling of oh, wow, this was so good, and I don't want to leave yet. (And then sometimes there's a response, and then I get a bonus dose of nostalgia!)

Ways of commenting

These are roughly ordered by amount of effort required. I would say the comments I leave are a mash up of these, really. There aren't actual hard lines between them.

1. An extra kudos.

Kudos are nice. Knowing the kudos button isn't enough is one layer deeper! Comments like

"Thanks for writing!" "<3" "i mash kudos button but no more kudos come out what's wronnnnggg????" "yay an update!" "this is so good"

Level of effort: slightly more than a kudos.

Honestly, copy-pasteable. Personally, I would always write these out. Somehow, to me, as a commenter, feels more real if I tippy tappy the letters myself even if Author can't tell. It's a nice way to let an author know you're coming back chapter after chapter when we can only kudos once on a fic. I like to leave a little something more, but I still often start or end with this.

2. Fic reaction.

Sometimes a fic just leaves me a certain way. Invoked a particular mood or visceral reaction. So, I let the author know!

"Awww, my heart is warm!" "Jaw on ground. WTF!" "Literal chills." "My eyes are wet. How did that happen?" "This fic is pure comfort." "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" "Heart on floor, smashed." "WHOLESOME!" "This has left me completely feral and ready to punch something."

Level of effort: you need some emotional intelligence or other awareness of you reactions.

As a starting point, was the fic -- wholesome, sweet, chaotic (in a good way), funny, heartwrenching, sad, delightful, shocking, calm, peaceful, I just want a hug now, terrifying, creepy, comedic?

How do you then turn this into a comment? "This was so ___!!"

Honestly, my crutch here is to just keyboard smash. What does it mean? Your guess as good as mine. I'm speechless, and I cannot words properly, but please participate in these Feels I'm having.

3. One detail I like. (My default comment style)

This one covers a lot of scope. If I read to the end of the fic, there's probably something I liked. Maybe

a turn of phrase. "Diluc drinking grape juice like a man chained to an interrogation table. sfjfskkdz" "Bedsheets twisted up like cooked spinach is SO accurate." "Itto-to is such a cute mashup name!" "We have years ahead of us. That was just one day in the past. The feeeeeelllssss" ":) as punctuation" "Barbatos and Nobles as a bookstore. Sdjjsfjdw I love it"

a particular character moment, action, interaction, or dialogue. quote or paraphrase it! "Diluc kicking Childe into the water was hilarious." "Childe is such an adrenaline junkie. I can't believe he would lean out the window while he was driving." "I'm so proud of Zhongli for actually admitting his feelings!"

some specific moment you emotionally reacted to. I've only recently trained myself out of stoic facing through fic. I mean, it's a useful skill, don't get me wrong (especially in public), but it's less useful when it's just me by myself. I now laugh at 3am reading fic, and my life is brighter for it. Comedy fic writers, you are my fave. "Can't get over when Diluc walks in on Kaeya and Childe. AHHHHH!" "Qiqi drying Childe's hair was so sweet!"

Level of effort: you have to actually remember something you liked or reacted to.

The number of movies I watch and number of times someone asks how's my week, and I just stare blankly because I know it was good but don't know anything else? High. So yeah, this isn't trivial.

I've gotten to the point where usually while reading I notice a moment of "wow I love this!" I don't go looking for them (because I want to stay in fic headspace not comment material hunting headspace), and I don't spend much effort trying to remember. If I forget, that's fine. Not like I'm not writing a book review for a grade or anything.

Just, what's a moment you just got to call out? (And bonus, what's your reaction?) Authors out there seem to like to make us feel things. Show them we're just dangling from their puppet strings!

I usually leave comments like this. Just popcorn style, as many things as I remember, whatever comes up as I recall it. I'm aware that sometimes I end up basically quoting a fic back to its author completely out of order interspersed with commentary or keyboard smashes. I'm occasionally embarrassed by how much I'm smashing into their comments, but the reception seems overall positive.

4. Between the lines and spin off thoughts.

Sometimes fic make me think. I mean, canon makes me think, and then people go and make fanworks off of that, so of course I'm bound to run into fic that makes me think. Sometimes the things I notice or think about aren't directly in the text, but implied or spin out thoughts. An interpretation, a mini analysis, or a reflection. Like,

a new thought or take on a character. "Aro-ace Venti! I like this take!" "Please don't break Klee. She's just trying her best to hold all the adults together. Oh no. You've already broken Klee. T_T" "I bet Jean is the only person who could have kicked Diluc's ass, and he really needed it." "Kaeya what are you doooinggg?? Why is he like this???" (An extra note, it's cool to disagree with a character, but not the author. Character did that makes you want to scream? Go for it. Author wrote the character in a way you disagree with? Don't comment. Leave the fic if it bothers you that much.)

noticing foreshadowing or a detail that isn't fully explained / only alluded to. "Is that Scara working at Scarabucks???" "Wait, something about what Venti said makes me think this isn't just a modern day AU ..." "Did that count as a geo construct for the purposes of the contract?"

some sentence or moment somewhere that just hits you in the brain. This one I don't actually know if author's like. On the one hand, I can imagine it being flattering. On the other, maybe it's too personal? I'll usually center these on the characters, kind of like character analysis. "Diluc sharing his anxiety with Kaeya, and that being what made Kaeya look at his own anxiety... really hits. Like, I don't even think Diluc could have said something sooner without Kaeya running, which says so much about how Diluc loves Kaeya. And the fact Kaeya can see this as a mirror of what he's doing and learns something from it. Just. Oof. Wow." "The conversation between Zhongli and Childe is just so real. Like Zhongli is trying so hard but his ass just can't understand Childe just wants him to tell them things and his not telling things is Not Helping even though he just wants to protect the boy!"

Level of effort: some amount of analytical thinking, reflection, or willingness to share when you get sucker punched by words.

This one I absolutely never go looking for, so I don't leave many such comments. When it does come up, it usually smacks me in the face, and I let it (roll with the hit and into the comments). On occasion I am wailing in the comment box when the revelation (like having broken Klee) just dawns on me. Am I Feelings Processing in comment boxes? Uuuhhhhhh, no comment. (Don't mind the lack of delivery on the pun.)

I'd like to think authors appreciate when we reflect back to them we get their interpretation, but I can also imagine it might be a little too much for authors if we get too personal. In which case, sorry. Your work is great! Please take it as my intention to flatter you since you've touched my heart or brain or soul with your words.

5. Craft appreciation.

This one, *head scratches* yeah, I don't often end up here. But sometimes it's not one moment, but something about all the moments, something underlying, or something in the way it was all put together. If I do end up here and write a general statement, I like to point to specific bits that made me think that (which is where I lean back on One Detail I Like). Actually, yeah, usually I use this as flavor to One Detail I Like, but I think it's sufficiently different to pull out separately. It's a writerly meta layer. What falls here?

dialogue. "Your dialogue is so good. I can hear it in in the VA's voice." "I love the contrast between how Zhongli talks and Childe talks."

imagery. "Can't get over the imagery of Childe releasing dandelion scenes. Such a kid!" "Childe sleeping with Tranquil Statlight is just so peaceful."

characterization. "The little nuggets you give characters like Rosaria doing community service at the church for Crimes just gives me life." "I love the way you write Childe. He's so aggressive!"

setting, world building (more for AUs but wow there are some authors good at expanding on canon lore). "Your world building is so cool. Like the abyssal graffiti on the walls?? HNNG!"

writing style. "Your style is very dreamy. <3" "This is genuinely so heartwarming, and yet at the same time what is this underlying feeling of something is wrong????" "I feel like people appreciate the art of comedic one liners but you've got angst one liners. AND THEY SLAY."

pacing, timing. "This fic reads like a high speed express train. It just never stops or slows down!!" "What is this cRaFT! Like. Para 1, comedic. Para 2, thoughtful. Para 3, WHY DO MY HEARTSTRINGS HURT."

use of language. "Using he for POV character and they for the other is LINGUISTICALLY MIND BLOWING." (Please, I want this to catch on more. I do absolutely respect people's pronouns. These fictional characters (and people who have pronoun flexibility)? She and they instead of she and she?? THE CLARITY WE COULD HAVE??!? I'm incredibly greedy for it.)

premise. "Pierro Dad gives me so much life." "The Bachelor but it's Diluc?? Let's go!!"

plot twist, or cliff hanger. "The reveal!!! *screaming*" "I can't believe you would do me like this." (No, I can't in good conscience leave a specific example and give a fic away. Yes, I am thinking of specific fics still.)

Level of effort: be able to map details you like to writer's craft.

Let's not pretend we're here to do crit. Even if we're using writerly words, we are not here to do crit. Well, I am not because I don't believe the comments box is the right time or place for it, but I am happy to lay on the praise and point out the things that worked for me.

Usually, I think it's harder to look across a fic and be like, yeah, the dialogue hit, or this writing style or pacing really does it for me. It's more nebulous. And sometimes it kicks you out of fic reading headspace and into a writerly meta land to notice, so I don't, and I just let the fic wash over me. And if something here strikes me, I will offer my praises. Again, I think it helps to think of this more as an additional kind of One Detail I Like.

Tenets of commenting (and a little of reading)

Okay, so those were some do's, but I also have don't's. These are my boundaries that I keep. Maybe yours are different. I suspect most of these stem from the place, Author did this for free and Owes Me Nothing, so that's the one real tenet. I keep these in mind so that I can keep fic a nice, fun, safe place for me (and hopefully the authors too).

1. I will never ask for updates. I never expect a next chapter.

I've seen enough content creators stressed out and burnt out about putting something out over and over again. I feel for them. That sucks. They probably just started doing it for fun, and now ... The demand and expectation they continue to perform for free? Yeah, it's not going to come from me.

Once upon a time, because of this and a desire to have complete stories, I wouldn't read incomplete fics. I now am The Biggest Fan of incomplete fics. Yes, hang me off the side of a cliff. I will scream at you. And if you don't haul me back up? Well, fine. I'll live. Some other author's got my back. Probably. There's still so much to love between world building, characterization, good moments, jokes -- and you sometimes get the experience of seeing familiar faces screaming at the fic with you update after update. It's precious. It's fleeting. I could go on, but maybe a different day. Back to commenting!

Flip side, as an author, I will say the desire for more is, in one case, why I plan to continue a fic from years ago. I was very firm at the time I would not be extending the one shot, but I guess time changes things, and the fact people were like, I would read more story contributes to that.

So this one is very much a personal tenet. There's some line between I love this so much I want it to continue, and expecting there to be more. Where is it? I don't know. So I just stay away. Surely Author will get I want more if I just say how much I love everything and have commented on their latest chapter. Rather than leave snacks that taste like burn out to some authors, I will focus on other flavors of comments!

2. I will not say what I dislike.

Not my ship? I probably won't read. Not my preferred ship dynamic? Tropes I don't like? Characterization not hitting it for me? Paragraph formatting not doing it for me? I just x out of there, find something I do like. People be writing things for free! Let them have their fun!

If I did read it, snd I stayed, something else must have grabbed my attention. I'll focus on that. Writing style not quite doing it for me but I love the details added to the world? "Wow, the world you flesh out is so complex." No mention about how much of a drag it is to read, because hey, I still read it, and I had reason to not put it down!

3. I will not give corrections.

Authors (and maybe a beta) have put in tremendous effort and time, and to be like, "you missed a typo" or "actually, the canon lore says X" often detracts from the beauty of the shared fic experience. I interpret random grammar and misspeaks and typos in daily conversation and texts all the time. Surely I know enough to employ this skill. And if I figured it out, other readers probably will figure it out too. If I can't, I usually assume the author was too big brain for me and skip merrily along to the next sentence. (And if it's too much for me to handle, I click out.)

Yeah I get it! I get the urge to want to be helpful and contribute to other people's experience! I know that feel! Because, well, I learned this one from experience. I tried once. Watched an author wilt a little when what I wanted was to be helpful. Yeeeaaah, not doing that again.

So, I suspect this often comes off as a little entitled that just by that bit of you say something and kinda underlyingly expect the author to do something about it, and again, Author Owes Me Nothing! Even if the author is asking for a beta, I'd reach out first and make sure they are now in a headspace to be expecting beta thoughts from me.

Wrapping it up

I love fic, the world is rich with it, and I am full of love for authors and their craft. It fills my heart with joy to know I can return a little smile to someone who has let me hop on their ride for free.

It does take effort. Writing comments, turns out, is writing. Writing is a skill, therefore writing comments is a skill. And writing takes practice to improve, so, guess what, writing comments takes practice to improve. Who would've thunk. (Not me, I assure you.)

I've wanted to write this for me for a while, capture what I've learned because I noticed my ability to write comments change over time. Then recently, I was rec'd a fic and told to definitely leave a comment because the author deserves it and I write good comments. Dispatched because I write good comments! Now my commenter feathers are fluffed up, and so I have actually written this. But I definitely didn't start out the comment writer I am today, so I wanted to share that, surprisingly there is a progression path! (Maybe this is only surprising to me.)

I do find commenting adds to my fic reading experience. And I love reading other people's comments. Sometimes other people notice things I didn't or have very cool interpretations, and that is an extra wow right there. (And look at all these other people who like the thing I like!)

And if I leave a comment, sometimes I get a reply! Author noticed my little comment! Extra dose of happy for everyone!

And sometimes, sometimes, (and again I would never expect it, but it is a gift much like fic itself is) an author will write back full of their notes and what they were thinking about writing those moments, and I treasure that so, so much. It's both a delight because of the usual Author saw my effort commenting and I get an extra behind the scenes! The craft behind the craft! (Now how do authors leave good replies? That is still a mystery to me.)

Sometimes I write a lot and then it goes into a black hole, and that's sad. Hmm. I'm pretty sure this is what authors feel when we don't leave comments. Hmm. Guess it's time to write more comments! (Sometimes, like fic updates, replies show up months later, and that's honestly <3)

So, let's go leave some comments and show those authors love and tell them how much they delighted us! Or ... how they smashed our hearts into the ground with angst/no comfort because sometimes that's just what one wants to read.

[ashironie]

OMG I JUST LISTENED TO THE NEWEST EPISODE AND—

Gerry sound so… happy

At first I didn’t recognize his voice and assumed Jonny just named another character Gerry, but then Gertrude was there and…

That all makes me so happy.

AND THEN AN ALICE AND GWEN INTERACTION!!! DYHARD FOR THE WIN!!! SURE THEY WERE AT EACHOTHERS THROATS MOST THE TIME BUT IF YOU SQUINT IT SOUNDS LIKE MILDLY UNHAPPY ROOMMATES!!! THATS BETTER THAN VERY UNHAPPY ROOMMATES!!!!

Ugh, they are so in love. They sound like a toxic st8 couple that’s been married for 50 years and makes ‘ball and chain’ jokes.

GEORGIE GEORGIE GEORGIE GEORGIE GEORGIE!!!!!!!! YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY!!!!

Also the statement seemed like… ok here’s a list of everything I could get from it

“and feelings of the uncanny” (about liminality) (1)

Two things for this quote “it creates an effect of absence despite presence, an ‘architectural hunger’ of a sort.” (4)

“The top of the tower… featured unmatched panoramic views of the surrounding rural countryside on all sides.” (3)

“a soulless fairground,” (regarding the previous area) (2) (4)

“there were less and less people every night.” (2) (4)

“There was a nebulous haze across the entire car park…muted colors punctuated with more vivid reds, whites and yellows… I realized it primarily hovered above the asphalt.” (1) (2) (4)

“the phenomena was accompanied by a disquieting sense of absence. Of hunger.” (4)

“kaleidoscope” (1) (4)

The description of the “You Are Here!” Woman (1)

“a particularly high tide of color swept down the corridor toward me.” (1) (4)

The repeating patrons of the Restaurant (1)

The Void (3) (4)

“Their grip on me tightened, a dozen hands pushing and pulling me as one.” (1) (2)

“opened his mouth, and bit into me.” And the ensuing cannibalism (? Is it really cannibalism if you aren’t human?) (2) (4)

“leaping out one of those windows into pure oblivion” (3) (4)

Okokokokok SO! I’ve put numbers to everything so I can talk about everything easier. (1) The Uncanny (both from The Stranger and The Spiral, they have similar enough vibes to me) (2) The Lonely (3) The Vast (4) The Hunger/The Nothing.

The uncanniness of this statement is undeniable, reminds me of the previous episode actually. It’s also worth a mention that the author constantly denies the validity of anything he says and just thinks he was going through an episode, which could be Spiral coded or just statement stuff. Since everything is copy and pasted that seems closer to that idea but still.

The author keeps talking about the lack of people at the beginning and a particular fixation on how they act (seems very Martin domain core to me). Also fog. And the people stuff reminds me of Mag 48 Lost in a Crowd, the otherness you feel, the loneliness because of it. Maybe this is a cannibalism and animal nature as a metaphor for the ✨horrors of other people✨. That kinda feels like a stretch but it makes sense in my head.

Ahhhh, the call of the void, the fear of uselessness to things that don’t even know you exist. The void is obvious Vast coded, especially with the oblivion comment (imo). I don’t have much to say that I’m not gonna say next but this needed its own section bc the void.

My favorite theory about wtf is happening in this episode that I made the fuck up right here right now. At multiple points in this statement does ‘Hungry’ and ‘Hunger’ come up, specifically when talking about your reaction to a deficit in something. This could also be cannibalism coded, being so desperate for someone, anyone, that they eat the only ones around. Which brings me to the second half, the nothingness. This is mixed with basically all the Lonely and Vast feelings of this statement, a lack of something, be it people, color, etc. This could maybe be something that is trying to be more like sensory deprivation, the more deprived you are the more your brain tries to make things to be less deprived, and the more empty you feel because of it. This episode kinda gives me overwhelming feels too? Like when everything is too much and too little at the same time? Overstimulation and understimulation mixing to make the worst thing in the world. Idk

[tophat-69]

Hey Hattie :) How do you usually come up with/write your stories? Like for example, do you get an idea and start to plan the whole fic around it until the end, or do you just start and go about it as you write? Do you listen to music while writing? And do you write for more than one fic simultaneously or focus on one fic at a time? Does it take you long to edit?

Hope those aren't silly questions, I'm just really curious cause I'm genuinely in love with your writing and to me, your writing style is so perfectly flowing, captivating and unique, I haven't come across many other fics that I enjoyed as much as yours (I read and loved all of your bsd fics and treasure them so much) <3

First, I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed my BSD fics! I know I’ve wandered a bit afield, but I still consider it my home fandom and plan to get back to it once my brain can latch back onto the manga. I nosedived into a new hyperfixation at the same time that I hit “I think I’d rather catch up to this all at once than try to figure out wtf is happening” with BSD, and it sort of threw me out of the writing headspace for them at an inopportune moment.

Now though I’m going to ramble and sound a bit chaotic because the truth is there is no rhyme or reason to how my brain works. And I really, really wish there was.

First, the easy part—I am always writing. I’ll have multiple stories going at once, but not all of them will ever see the light of day and some of the ones that will, I still post anonymously. It’s an old habit and probably a bad habit, but the idea of being Perceived still makes me nervous at times. And sometimes it’s just self-consciousness that I’ve been taken hostage by a fandom or story when I’m in the middle of something for another one. I often worry that it might frustrate or disappoint my friends who read my other works (see: what I tried to do with it’s the good, defining itself, my first Arcane fic, by starting it anonymously. I knew I was supposed to be writing my Detective!Chuuya AU but was kidnapped by codependent gay scientists).

Next easy part—I edit as I go, and then promptly open the chapter back up after posting to fix what I missed in the first place. Also to remove all the times that AO3 wants to add a space in front of punctuation. That part drives me nuts. …But then ANY time I read some part of something I’ve written, I inevitably go back in and tweak my wording for clarity. Or I fix my comma splices. Or to un-italicize words because I often write the way that I would read it aloud, but emphasis like that can be annoying. Or I rearrange a sentence within a paragraph to flow better. I genuinely cannot seem to open something I’ve written without doing that.

Which is why I don’t go back and reread my old works often and why when I get a comment on a previous fic it’s like falling down a rabbit hole in my own brain because “huh. I DID do that, didn’t I?”

Okay, now the harder answers! Sometimes an idea sort of thumps me upside the head and makes me do it. That one always includes when canon is going one way and I inevitably think “but what if it went THIS way instead!” Canon divergence and plot hole fillers are a staple for me. But then there are times where I know WHO I want to write for because they won’t shut up in my head, but I want to challenge myself. I’ve actually used trope spinners for that before, like Wheel of Fic. That’s actually how I ended up with April’s Fool and in its peculiar silence, actually! I had no plans whatsoever, I let it give me simple trope prompt, and then I stayed up all night writing something out of thin air.

…Which brings me to another answer. I veer wildly between being a “pantser” and a “plotter” as a writer. Some things it is entirely by the seat of my pants—and that’s not always just my short fics, either. I’ve got ideas, but pulling them together at the end is as surprising for me as it is for the reader. Sometimes I have things completely timelined, an outline, chapter quotes selected, twenty tabs of history and research open. And sometimes I go through all of that and still throw all of it out the window because something that would be more emotionally evocative came along.

For centrifugal/centripetal, for instance, I have several almost fully-written chapters sitting in a doc that never even made it in because I tossed them for something that hurt more.

Now, music! That… also depends. If I am nose to the grindstone just putting out chapter after chapter, chances are I don’t have music on because my brain is at capacity. But if I’m writing just to write, or as relaxation, I usually put something on. Usually nothing too booming, but I try to find an album or artist that fits the vibe and go with it.

Anyway, sorry for the long answers and thank you—genuinely—for the questions!

[wcue-confessions]

am i the only one noticing weird roleplay action minimalism going on??? people now will just type "walked over to the prey pile" as their only roleplay action. wtf is with the lack of subject ??? your sentence can't just be a predicate. also they'll usually be missing any punctuation and it pisses me off

- - -

[prince-rowan-of-the-forest]

We'll Save You (1/4)

----

Janus finds himself stumbling into problems like one stumbles over rocks on the road, except some problems are a little worse than others.

But when he finally stumbles into someone who isn't like everyone else Janus' had met so far in this unforgiving world, he thinks that maybe there is some merit to the world after all.

----

| Ao3 | Next Chapter -> |

Fic Warnings: implied + referenced abuse/torture. trauma, an oc character generally being creepy. referenced past starvation

Pairings: pre-established prinxiety, pre-romantic anaroceit.

Word Count: 4054

Notes: Hellloooo @anaroceitweek day 1 here - yes I'm tagging myself and participating in my own event shut up.

Ao3 is down so I can't post on there just yet, but I will later! So! Yeah!

My plan is to continue this fic with a few of the other prompts from this week if I can get the writing done in time, but I might not lol, they may be late. I really want to draw Roman from this au after I described him-

Also I'm flying by the seat of my pants for this fic (wtf does this phrase actually mean lmao) so I have planned NOTHING lol

----

“Hello there little one,” said a whispering voice in the back of Janus’ mind that sent shivers down his spine. He ignored it, resolute, you weren’t supposed to talk to the voices in the forest, “My my, aren’t you far from home?”

Janus growled in the back of his throat, pushing forward. If he didn’t acknowledge the creepy voice speaking straight into his brain, then it would go away and leave him the hell alone. 

“What is such a little thing like you doing here in our woods anyway?” The voice sounded thoughtful, and Janus could almost picture a being putting a finger to their chin in curiosity with it.

He shook his head to get rid of the image and kept walking at his almost-too-quick pace, pushing back a branch, ducking under another one, stepping over the poisonous plant, keep going. 

“Careful where you step,” The voice crooned, almost mocking, Janus couldn’t resist the urge to glance around at the area. No one was there, he glared at the empty space anyway. 

“Why such a look, little one? I’m only trying to help,” The voice said, growing a little louder and slightly more persistent, the tone was almost a whine, but somehow Janus could tell that whatever was talking to him wasn’t genuinely upset.

“Shut up,” Janus muttered, pulling out a compass as he stopped for a moment, he groaned, finding he’d gone off course a little, turning and heading in the right direction.

“You shouldn’t be here,” The voice seemed to tease, “The woods are no place for a little mortal like you.”

“Yeah, well, don’t really have a choice do I,” Janus hissed at the empty forest around him, before slapping a hand over his mouth and sighing. Well, now he’d done it. 

“Oh how precious!” The voice seemed to laugh, “What are you running from, little one?”

“Nothing,” Janus snapped, “None of your business, whatever you are.”

“But it is my business, see,” They said voice punctuated with a cackle that had Janus paling, “Because you just stepped into my circle!”

“What,” Janus whispered, panicked now as he heard a whooshing breeze and suddenly the voice was gone. He looked around him, alarmed, to find that he was in fact standing in a circle - of pink and yellow flowers and mushrooms. He cursed, looking around again, this was a fairy circle, and he was stood in the centre of it. 

A strong, icy breeze whipped through the forest, tugging at his cloak and hair before settling again. Janus needed to get out of this circle before… but he couldnt’ seem to move his damn feet.

“What a surprise!” Someone said behind him, the voice sounded eerily similar to the one that had been speaking in his head, “Why, I haven’t had a visitor in years, welcome to my circle, little one.”

“Let me g-” Janus hissed, turning around only for his jaw to drop, the word he was speaking being cut off halfway through. 

Standing mere inches behind him was a person who could only possibly be fae. They smiled at him, the look on their face was something that might have been inviting, possibly even warm, if he took it at face value. 

Instead, he saw the undertones, something unnerving, and almost sinister. 

“Won’t you rest, little one, you’ve had such a long journey,” They said, cupping his face with their hand, he could already feel himself sinking to the ground, compelled by the siren-like melody of their words, “Yes that’s right, just rest, and tell me, what is your name, little one?”

Janus opened his mouth to reply, to answer, despite every part of him screaming no, to stay awake, to keep his name locked close to his chest. As his vision went black, he knew he wasn’t lucky enough to be so strong-willed. 

—-

Running. 

He was running. 

Where to? He didn’t know, where from? He shuddered to think.

His legs burned, the muscles screaming at him to stop, to rest, take a break, his mind whispered. He couldn’t take a break, if he stopped they would catch him and bring him back. His lungs burned too, every breath feeling like sandpaper in his throat, he kept going despite, kept pushing as he flew through the forest, the trees and the grass and plants barely able to hold him back for a second. 

It wasn’t the same forest he had been in all those years ago when he’d been escaping something that felt so far away from him now. So inconsequential and yet still able to shoot another bolt of adrenaline down his spine. He kept running.

No, this wasn’t the same forest. This one was luscious, almost too saturated - enough to hurt Janus’ eyes if he looked close for too long. This forest was filled with critters he didn’t know how to name, that he’d never seen before. It was filled with floating orbs of light that kept his path glowing ahead of him even as night began to fall. 

Janus ran until he crashed into something solid. His eyes were starting to blur from exhaustion at that point, and when he hit… whatever he had run into… his legs buckled and he simply sank to the floor, trying to pull air into his lungs. He didn’t know how far he had gotten, he only remembered the last stretch of the journey. But he felt like he had been running for hours. 

Someone was speaking, and Janus felt a dull stab of panic in his chest, someone was here, would they take him back? Had they come for him?

He tried to push himself up so he could run again but found he could barely even push himself up from the ground. When his arms gave out and he collapsed again, he was caught by an arm, a strong, warm arm, that pulled him into some kind of hold. His mind was too hazy and tired to really register what was happening as he was lifted into the air and carried away. 

—-

“What the fuck is that.” 

“A mortal!” Roman said, “I think.”

“You think?” Virgil hissed, pacing, “You just- You just brought in what you think is a mortal? To our house?”

“It ran into me!” Roman protested, “And then collapsed - and it looked so scared, I couldn’t just - leave it, Virge, you know that.”

“Well what are we supposed to do with it now?” Virgil said, gesturing widely to the mortal who lay sleeping in their shared bed. He wasn’t in the best shape, not by a long way. He was scrawny, with barely any meat on his bones. He wore clothes that covered his arms and legs, though they were ripped in places and too big. Knotted, messy blonde hair covered their still tense face. 

Roman took a deep breath, “I supposed we… look after it?”

“You’re serious?” Virgil said, groaning, “Why don’t we just drop it outside of the nearest fairy circle back into the mortal world?”

“Virge,” Roman said sternly, “First off, I think it’s a he? We’ll have to ask when it- he- wakes up, second, we don’t know where he came from, or how long he’s been here - we can’t just drop him off in the mortal world! He might be centuries and miles away from when he came in!”

“So?” Virgil said, crossing his arms, “Since when was that our problem?”

“Shush,” Roman hissed, raising a hand, “I think he’s waking up!”

“Ro- what-” Virgil hissed back as Roman rushed over to the bed, watching the mortal intently as he slowly blinked open his eyes. There was a moment of silence - so much so that even the room seemed to be holding it’s breath - before the human finally noticed Roman.

And Virgil felt such a strong bolt of fear surge through the room that he almost doubled over - a hand to his chest. The human scrambled from the bed, backing into the corner of the room on shaky legs and putting as much distance between himself and Roman as he could. 

Roman went to step closer, before Virgil intervened, grabbing the back of Roman’s blouse and dragging him back a few steps all while breathing heavily. 

Being able to feel other being’s fear was a useful power, but when it was so strong that it almost hurt it made Virgil wish he could turn it off. 

Virgil wondered what had happened to this human to make him so scared. 

“He’s terrified,” Virgil whispered to Roman, before letting him go. 

“Of what?” Roman asked, eyes wide. 

“You, I think,” Virgil said, “Maybe me too, not sure.”

“Stay away-” The human said raising a hand when Roman turned back to look at him, “What- do you want from me?”

Roman considered, for a second, before taking a deep breath, “Nothing.”

The mortal seemed shocked by that. Shocked enough to near collapse against the wall, ending up sitting on the plush carpet in the corner of the room. 

“...Nothing?” He asked, voice small.

“I didn’t bring you here to take from you,” Roman told him, trying to keep his voice soft but firm, Virgil remained silent, watching the exchange over Roman’s shoulder, “I brought you here so you could rest safely, that is all.”

“You’re not… you’re not with them?” The mortal asked.

“Who’s ‘them’, sweetie?” Roman asked gently, before sharing a worried glance with Virgil.

“The ones who gave me these,” The mortal said, sounding almost sad, though Virgil could still feel the fear radiating from him. Moments later he brushed his hair from his face, holding it back so that Virgil and Roman could see the marks imprinted there. 

Virgil gasped, covering his mouth with a hand. On the left side of the mortal’s face - from hairline to chin - was what looked like scales. Virgil knew better, though, the mark only looked like scales. 

“Vee,” Roman whispered, “You look pale.”

“That-” Virgil started, before looking at the mortal, who shrank back under his gaze and let the hair fall back into place, once again covering the mark, “That’s a brand, Ro.”

“What?” Roman yelped, “I thought those…”

“Weren’t a thing anymore? Yeah, so did I.” Virgil said, glaring at nothing, though the mortal shrunk back just a little more - probably because of his tone. 

Roman took a deep breath and nodded. “Of course, we need to… find out who did this-”

“A noble of the winter court,” Virgil answered, voice coming out a near hiss, “I recognise her mark.”

“Don’t send me back there,” The mortal spoke up, before slapping a hand over his mouth when both faeries turned to look at him, “Please.”

“No,” Roman shook his head, “I don’t think we will, right, Vee?”

“No, we won’t send you back there,” Virgil agreed, “whatever cruelty you have experienced under her will not follow you here.”

Roman hesitated, before tugging on Virgil’s sleeve to get his attention, before whispering, “You know we’ll be killed if she finds out we have him here, right?”

“You think I don’t know that?” Virgil sighed, “Buh… knowing that she had him- I can’t send him away knowing that.”

“Okay,” Roman nodded, “then we need to figure out what to do.”

“Of course,” Virgil said, looking back at the mortal, “Hey uh- is it okay with you if we ask a few questions?”

The mortal stared at him and Virgil could feel his fear strengthen the longer they looked at each other, eventually he concluded that he wasn’t going to respond. 

“Do you… not want to talk to me?” Virgil asked, frowning, the human nodded slowly, “Is it because… I’m winter?”

He stared at Virgil for a long moment, before whispering, “You- feel like she did…”

“Okay, yes, probably because I’m winter, then,” Virgil mumbled, “Would you rather talk to Ro?”

Virgil gestured to their partner who waved with a smile.

“Okay,” The mortal said eventually.

“Would you like me to leave?” Virgil asked.

“Please?” the mortal responded, Virgil nodded. He patted Roman’s arm before turning and leaving the room without another world.

—

“Okay,” ‘Ro’ said as soon as the other one left the room. All Janus’ attention was suddenly on the faerie in front of him. He was tall, with golden skin and hair like a bright bonfire. His eyes were like pools of liquid silver - not even mentioning the tawny wings on his back, similarly coloured feathers in place of ears too. He was… beautiful, and had a very different presence than the other faerie he was with, and… her. 

Janus tried to take a few breaths, he needed to answer the faerie’s questions if he wanted to get through this alive - and he had to answer them correctly if he wanted to get out of this without being hurt. 

“First,” He said, “Are you a uh- I don’t know mortal gender terms-?”

“A man,” Janus answered the question he was pretty sure Ro was asking, before continuing when the faerie tilted his head, blinking in confusion, “um, I use ‘he/him’ pronouns?”

“Wonderful, that’s what we assumed,” Ro nodded, Janus relaxed just a little, okay, that was the right answer then, “Now, do you have something you’d like to go by? Something we can call you?”

Janus tensed, he knew the question would come up, but that didn’t mean he liked it any more. Giving his name to a faerie was a mistake he’d made once, and he knew that as soon as he did it was all over. Ro would be able to control him, it would be just like before all over again. Of course, that was why they hadn’t hurt him yet - it all made sense, how nice they had been, they needed his name to use him. 

He must have hesitated for too long, though, because Ro frowned, “Just a nickname, sweetheart, I’m not asking for your true name.”

“You’re… not?” Janus asked hesitantly, he wasn’t sure if he was allowed to ask questions in return, but… he needed to know.

“I’m not,” Ro nodded, folding down to sit cross-legged on the plush carpet across the room from him, “Your true name is to be freely given to those you trust, and I know you don’t trust me yet.”

Janus didn’t say anything to that for a moment, he didn’t acknowledge that second statement at all, though he was sure Ro knew it was true, “...Deceit - you can call me, Deceit, or Dee if you want.”

“Okay Deceit,” Ro said, smiling, and oh how charming was that, “You can call me Ro, or Prince, my partner is Vee, or Anxiety, if you prefer a more formal nickname.”

Janus nodded, Prince and Anxiety, he could remember that. 

“Next question, how… old are you?” Prince asked, “No- that’s a useless question the numbers mortals use mean nothing to me, um, are you of maturity?”

“What uh- what do you mean?” Janus asked, frowning in confusion.

Prince sighed, “Are you - an adult? Or a youngling?”

“Oh,” Janus said, “An adult, I um - when I was - taken - I was 24 but… I don’t know how long it’s been.”

“That’s okay.” Prince nodded, “And good to know, next question, what’s your favourite colour?”

…Out of all the questions Prince had asked him so far, this was the one that surprised him the most. Why on earth would the faeries want to know what colours he enjoyed? Surely that information was useless?

“Yellow,” Deceit answered truthfully - he had learned quickly that lying to a faerie was one of the biggest mistakes a mortal could make, “And, um, I like black too.”

“Brillant,” Prince grinned, revealing teeth slightly sharper than average, “I’m partial to a nice red, myself, preferably crimson but I do like a lovely scarlette as well - Anxiety tends to be more drawn to purples, what’s your favourite animal?”

“...snakes?” Janus said slowly, his favourite animal was something he’d never particularly had to think about - especially not recently. 

Prince nodded, seeming… thoughtful. About what, Janus had no clue, but he seemed to be lost in whatever thoughts he was having. Eventually, he went to say something else before cutting himself off with a displeased hum and a frown. 

“Is everything… okay?” Janus asked, trying to work out what was going on. Prince had been all smiles almost the entire time since Anxiety had left, the abrupt change had his guard straight back up. 

Prince took a deep breath, the wings on his back shuddering and stretching out a little with it, Janus couldn’t help the way the feathers caught his eye - they looked incredibly soft. 

“She probably gave you faerie food, right?” Prince asked, Janus paled as hazy memories flooded his mind, a hunger that turned to sharp pain that turned to a hollow emptiness that had almost killed him. Right at the beginning before he lost whatever fight he had then he’d resisted, getting up after every kick or burn, She’d punish him every time he refused to eat, and eventually - when he’d been too weak from hunger and pain to even move - he’d given in and taken the apple she’d offered him. 

He still remembered how she had laughed when he’d bitten into it. He could almost hear it now, crisp as footsteps in snow but crackling like lightning. 

Janus couldn’t say anything around the lump in his throat those memories brought with them, instead he simply nodded sadly. Prince frowned in sympathy, his hand twitching as though he wanted to reach for Janus, though he didn’t move closer. 

“And you know what that means?”

Sucking in a deep breath, Janus recited what had been drilled into him a thousand times, “That I cannot leave this realm, I can never return home and that I belong now to the fae and the faerie realm.”

Prince sighed again, seeming sad, “You can leave.”

“What?” Janus asked, eyes wide.

“Theoretically, you’re not actually bound to this land, but… all it means is that mortal food won’t satisfy you anymore. You don’t have to stay here, but you do need faerie food, so… it’s an effective way to keep mortal trapped.”

Janus couldn’t do much but nod. He never knew that, but if he couldn’t survive without food from Faerie was there really point in escaping anyway?

“Was there anything in particular you liked?” Prince asked sadly, as if he actually cared that Janus was stuck here, which Janus couldn’t fathom being true, he knew faeries couldn’t lie, but he was sure they could fake emotions. Panic seeped in as he realised he didnt have an answer. The food she gave him was good, but he always felt dirty eating it, it always made him guilty and sick. He was never able to really enjoy any of it. 

“I don’t…” Janus started, trailing off, “I don’t know… I was never allowed to…”

Prince raised a hand to cut him off and Janus shrank back into the corner just a little, pulling his knees up closer to his chest, Prince sighed, “It’s okay, we can try things and figure it out, are you alright?”

Janus nodded, trying to relax just a little in his corner. 

“I will warn you now, neither I nor my partner know much about mortals, but we will- actually,” Prince paused, considering for a second, “Do you know about promises?”

“Fae promises?” Janus asked, Prince nodded, “Just that they’re binding- like deals- she tried to make me make them.”

“Did you?”

“No,” Janus said. Prince seemed to fully droop in relief. 

“I want to make a promise to you,” Prince said, slowly, clearly watching for Janus’ reaction, he just stayed still, staring right back, “I promise that I will not intentionally cause you harm, physically or emotionally, in any way. I promise to protect you to the best of my ability against anything or anyone who threatens you, and- I swear that you will be safe here, in my home, for as long as you wish to remain.”

Janus gasped as the feeling of magic washed over him, though it felt nothing like the magic he’d experienced before. This magic felt like a summer shower, warm and light. It wrapped around him, feeling almost comforting in it’s presence. When the sensation died down Janus thought he could smell woodsmoke. 

“How do you know I’m worth such a promise?” Janus asked quietly, unable to keep the astounded look off of his face. Roman had promised not to hurt him, and he knew how promises worked, did that mean he was safe? From Roman, at least, Anxiety hadn’t made such a promise. 

“Because you have been hurt,” Roman said, “By one of my own kind, you have suffered and you are scared and you deserve to be safe,  you should be allowed to heal, besides, you are a guest in my house, it would be horrifically rude if I let something bad happen to you.”

Roman’s wings flared out as he spoke, as though him being rude is the worst possible offence he could commit. Janus couldn’t help but smile, wondering if maybe this wasn’t going to end quite as horribly as he may have expected. Roman stood up, slowly taking a step closer to Janus, and when he didn’t flinch back he took another. Janus frowned when Roman extended a hand to him, but eventually reached up and took it, telling himself again that Prince had promised not to hurt him. 

With a gentle tug Janus was hoisted to his feet, though almost immediately he tripped - his legs still jelly-like and shaking from all the running. Instead of falling to the ground, though, Janus tripped forward into Roman’s chest. He yelped and pushed himself away as quickly as he could without falling straight to the ground. Prince was still holding his hand - and now was also stabalising him with a hand on his shoulder - and even despite what had just happened, the faerie was still smiling. He actually looked a little like he was trying not to laugh. 

“Lets get you somewhere you can rest, shall we?” Prince said, still actively trying not to chuckle as Janus frowned at him, “And we’ll get you some food while you do.”

“Okay,” Janus nodded eventually, feeling a yawn bubble up inside of him and repressing it as much as he could. He had become a master of hiding when he was tired, fatigue was never taken kindly. But Prince was telling him to rest, so maybe he could lie down for a short while…

The small part of the house Janus got to see as they travelled from the bedroom he had woken in to a second bedroom was immense. The ceilings were tall and vaulted, decorated with patterns and murals that looked hand-painted. The windows that adorned the hallway were open wide, letting in a cool, refreshing breeze scented with summer flowers while deep, floor length, maroon curtains swayed in the wind. The decor was a mix of reds and purples, with accents of silver and gold. Despite the size of the space, it almost felt… cozy. The carpet beneath their feet was clean but well trod, like this area of the house was frequented often. 

In comparison, the room he was led to was plain and felt spacious in a way that made Janus feel a little uncomfortable. Paranoia poking at the edges of his mind as he glanced around. There were a few doors, one that he could see lead to a balcony and the other that they’d come through, as well as two more that lead who knows where.

The room was decorated to the bare minimum, a plain white bedspread with a few decorative red cushions. The walls were still adorned with silver and gold, but the patterns seemed more simple and muted in here than they were outside. Prince lead him to the bed - where he found the sheets were wonderfully soft and felt lovely against his skin - and told him to rest. 

So rest he did, once Prince had left the room and the door clicked shut - he listened for a long moment and was surprised to hear no lock, he really wasn’t trapped here - Janus finally laid down, clutching one of the decorative pillows to his chest as he tried to fall back to sleep. 

----

General tags: @full-of-roman-angst-trash @reptilianrapscallion420 @your-local-random-dino @cutebisexualmess @glacierruler @roseianxiety @bella-bugatti-frogetti-baguetti (if anyone wants to be added, let me know!)

----

[spookyserenades]

I’VE NEVER WANTED TO PUNCH SOMEONE IN THE SKULL MORE-

but I wanna punch u in like a loving way ya know 🥹🥺🙈🙊🙉😭

i-

ok i didnt have time to talk abt last chapter, but honestly all u have to know is that i loved every single word, every punctuation mark, every period, every space-

omg this chapter was wild i cant-

yoongi and y/n, I’ve never met a couple whose good and bad at communication at the same time i cant- no cause like him writing a song for her bc of her, when he played it i imaged Butterfly for some reason, the melody is so beautiful on the piano 🥺🥹 omg not him with his shirt off at the b-ball court. He rlly flexing huh, yeah sure ur too HOT 🥵 omg she got a vision, LIKE HER MOM! Will this be a reoccurring theme with her? Oooo. OMG THAT FIRST KISS WAS SO SWEET WHEN IT SORT OF CAME FULL CIRCLE WITH YOONGI ASKING HER TO KISS HIM! AND THEN HIM ASKING FOR MORE OMG ITS SO HOT WTF I KNOW I SHOULDNT BE THIS HORNY YET BUT UR WRITING IS JUST 🤌🏼 💋 THEY ARE IN LOOOOVE FR LIKE WE KNEW THEY BOTH HEAD OVER HEELS, SO HEAD OVER HEELS THEY COULDNT GET SLEEP FOR WEEKS/DAYS~ OH MAN SECRET RELATIONSHIP YEAH WELL-

omg wtf yeah secret relationship went down the drain lol. Either hobi’s hearing is super good and he’s near the room or everyone heard y/n fucking whining into yoongis mouth dam. Or he saw that quick kiss in her room omg ur cliffhangers dana drive me INSANE! Hobi is such a tease too! Now him teasing her for her heart palpitations poor girl cant handle all the handsome men around her like same girlie pop-I do wonder how this will effect the hybrids dynamics with each other and her 🤔

omg jinnies b day he deserves the world. Not him feeding her, he KNEW what he was doing and in FRONT of everyone too 😏 him warming up her hands with his breath i cant- and then going to take cooking class in February. HIM SAYING HE DOESNT WANT TO GO WITH ANYONE ELSE BUT HERRRR 😭 him saying lets go home bc home is smth he never truly haddd and he feels safe mow eeek😭😭😭😭

Omg not tae driving the way home- KNOWING THE WAY HOOOME. No cause like you can tell they probably all know the way home by heart bc they cherish her and the house sm its means so much to them i cant i actually had to stop reading after that line bc i got so emotional. Omg tae is taking his photography seriously 🥰 im so glad hes really delving into his passion! Omg their ID’s lol they must be so cute and funny 😆

ofc jimin is a responsible cutie we love, cant wait to see more scenes with him later~ but him saying y/n looks good in any photo ✋ stop sir u are such a charmer i cant- eeeeeek

omg joonie so cute. He cares for her sm and he’s the type of person to not beat around the bush. He cares and wants her to be straightforward when shes upset 😭 eeeek

omg the scene with jk- i LOVE BANTER SM and their scenes always crack me up. Jk’s dialogue is so fun! No not her giving the puppy dog eyes 🥺 and it not working… or maybe it did 😏 omg and her being bold with that KISS ON THE CHEEK- i was imagining jk when he gets surprised or zones out 😲 its so funny 😂 omg y/n has W Rizz for sure~

omg ben already predicted this my mans was just waiting for her to catch up- its so good to see him again I love y/n’s friends. Him lifting her up but also humoring her is SO what i would do if my friend was in a similar situation! Like Y/N GIRLIE POP I ARE THE IT GIRL U GOT NOTHIN TO WORRY ABT!

THANK YOU SM FOR THIS UPDATE I LOVE U SM DANA!!!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!! Remember, make sure to take care of urself first and foremost! 😤 Love you byeeee~

FDJSKAFHDSAF I GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO PUNCH MY SKULL LMAO!! I'm so so happy that you loved the last two chapters, there was SO much that went down, I can't wait to chat about them hehehe 💜

SO fhdjsaf you're right on the money with Yoongi and MC not knowing how to communicate with each other for SHIT. Like I think they rely on telepathy or vibes too much, neither of them are mind readers... so much of their conflict these past two chapters could have been resolved if they just sat down and talked calmly about things for an hour or so!!! 💀BUT stop it right now Butterfly is one of my favorite BTS songs, so so gorgeous on the piano, and I could imagine a very similar melody that Yoongi would write for MC being something like that too. 🦋

HNNNNGGGFF Yoongi all sweaty on the court without his shirt.... damp long hair....teasing MC the whole way UGH I just know that I'd be drooling! 🥵And with that vision WHEW I'm so happy I could incorporate that into MC's character finally, I will say that this is something that will begin to happen more frequently for MC-- ever since she has been diving more into her spirituality and practices, her psychic abilities have been getting stronger.

The kiss. THE KISS!!! I'VE BEEN DYING TO WRITE SOME ROMANCE FOREVER NOW MY GOODNESS IT TOOK 13 CHAPTERS!! I just feel like Yoongi is such a 0 to 100 kind of guy when it comes to kisses, sweet and tender to begin with, then BAM super passionate and intense. I really really loved writing that scene, I'd say that Yoongi was truly desperate and yearning for MC for so long that he couldn't help but beg for more hnnnnngggg. But now they have to tip toe around for a little bit until they figure out how to tell the others, which turns into MORE yearning and AH I wanna chew on my drywall!!!! 👹

djkafdakfdask I'm excited to continue off where we left off! You know I always gotta leave you all on a cliffhanger. I wonder how MC is going to dodge Hoseok's questioning, and we don't know if he heard those two making out (he shouldn't have been able to, the music room is soundproofed...) or was perceptive to how weird MC and Yoongi were being with each other. I also feel like if Hoseok heard them, some of the others would as well, and I can think of a few (Namjoon, Tae, Seokjin for ex.) that would probably bust down that door!!! But also your theory of Hoseok possibly catching their kiss in the hallway is something that could have happened eeeee. Also I love teasing Hoseok as well he raises my blood pressure... poor MC can't even hide her heartrate from them!

UGH Jinnie's birthday he's such a sweet darling, I love that he was able to go out somewhere yummy to eat and spend time with everyone. I also really love when he feeds MC... it's so hot to me idk why like yes PLS grab my face and stare at me and treat me like a princess Jin!!! Always making sure she's warm, wanting to go to the cooking class with just her, and feeling truly at home with her and in their house I CAN'T He's just such a love. 😍

Tae baby... just like Jin, he knows where home is now and AH they're just all getting so close. You're so right, they really cherish her so so much. Tae and his photography too is so fun to write about, it's nice that he gets to express himself creatively and the other hybrids let him take their ID pictures was a sweet hidden moment that I'm happy you noticed!

Definitely more Jimin on the way!! It's been the Yoongi show for a bit, but that's just how I've planned these few chapters. Don't worry, each of them will get their turns to be the stars, which I'm super excited about in the future! Charmer Libra Jimin is my Roman Empire, totally more of a flirt and a romantic as time goes on. Joon UGH!! My little wolf, he's warmed up so much to MC, and he's very straightforward and stern like you said-- ever since the Incident, he seems to be very concerned about weather or not MC is feeling upset.

HA I love writing MC and Jeongguk's interactions, they're both such little shits and you can tell when they get on each other's nerves, but it's less antagonistic these days and more playful. He totally called her out for pouting, and while it might work for some of the others, it doesn't on him LOL. But she got him back with that kiss, huh? I bet she's been dying to do that for months...

I'm PSYCHED you mentioned Ben. He's my favorite side character to write, and it's nice that MC is able to confide in him about any of her worries. You're right, he totally caught onto her having crushes on all of them (it's probably dead obvious to him) But ahh it makes me so happy that you love him as well!! I agree, I'd probably act the same way towards MC if I were Ben-- teasing her but trying to encourage as well. 🫣

FDJAKSFH THANK YOU FOR READING AND SENDING ME SO MANY LOVELY COMMENTS!!! As always I look forward to what you have to say about updates, and I love you sm as well! Hope you had lovely holidays and a fun new year my sweets! 😘💜

[melissa-titanium]

people need to do more text posts where they speak like reigen. like could you imagine homestuck character analysis in the way reigen navigates himself in a social scenario. he has such an interesting way of speaking

A MONTH. BUT . Ineed to ineed to find more character anaylses on mp100 characs;rs so ican. ..... get a grasp on wtf their deals are...saw a REAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLY good katsuya & sho analysis earlier today im gonna be thinking about it all day. UR SO FUCKING RIGHT THO OMG PLLLLLLLEAAAAAAASEEEEEE INEED INEED TO SEE HOW PEOPLE WOULD REPLICATE HIS WAY OF SPEAKING VIA TEXT. ive seen so many people say he woudl use 👈🖖🫱👈🖖🤏🫰✌️✌️🫲🤙🤙🤘🫴🫳🫰🫰🫸👌✋🤞👇👎🤛 emojis and shit and like IDK . idk . typing style headcanons r one of my favorite things to fuck aroumd with because of homestuck its so interesting to think about. like what woudl their typing quirk be. ITHINKALOT ABOUT SHIGES TYPING STYLE ACTUALLY i cant recall if we ever actually see him text anyone but im soooo fucking curious. i see a big balancing point between everypnes general consensus in being "He would type with perfect syntax." vs "he would type in all lowercase with no punctuation" and im leaning towards the former because proper grammar looks friendlier to me but the latter could be interesting. teru canonically makes puns w/his name over text & also uses emojis i think so we have that going for himNO WAIT U KNOW WHAT WHY AM I THINKING ABOUT THIS THIS IS ABOUT TEXTPOSTS NOT FUCKING TYPING QUIRKS . IM . FYUCJ. WENT INTO A TANGENT