#this is one of the things I did while waiting for a video to render

[fawnme1]

OFF LIMITS || WILLNE

summary; you — the reserved sister of ChrisMD — find yourself caught in a forbidden yet irresistible romance with WillNE.

part 2 ,, part 3

──★ ˙🧷 ̟ !!

The first time you met Will, you were half-asleep and nursing a cup of lukewarm tea in your brother’s kitchen, wearing a hoodie that swallowed you whole. You hadn’t even noticed him come in until he spoke.

“Morning. You look like you just lost a fistfight with sleep.”

You blinked. He stood in the doorway, all messy hair and a grin that teetered on the edge of sarcastic and charming. Something about him felt… off-limits.

And then Chris strolled in behind him, clapping Will on the back like they hadn’t just woken up in the same house after a late editing session.

“Oh,” Chris had said, looking between the two of you. “Will, this is my sister. Y/N. She’s staying here for a few weeks.”

You waved half-heartedly.

Chris turned to Will, lowering his voice just enough for you to still hear: “She’s off-limits, by the way. Just so we’re clear.”

And Will—he laughed. Not mockingly. Just amused, like he couldn’t believe Chris thought he’d even try.

“Mate,” Will said, raising his hands in surrender. “Relax. She’s not my type.”

Your brows shot up.

Will caught your expression and held back a smirk. You weren’t sure if he meant that or if he was just playing along for Chris’ sake.

Either way, you couldn’t stop thinking about it.

The days passed, and you found yourself seeing more of Will than you expected. Not just when he was filming with Chris, but in those in-between moments too. Waiting for videos to render. Making late-night toast in the kitchen. Laughing at something stupid on TV while you curled up on the opposite side of the sofa.

There was something about Will’s presence that settled too easily into your life.

He never treated you like “Chris’s sister.” Not like most of his friends did—stepping on eggshells, all too aware of who you were in relation to him. But Will? He teased you, challenged you, talked to you like you were your own person.

You liked that.

And maybe that was the problem.

It started small. Too small for anyone to notice.

He’d nudge your shoulder when you made a sarcastic comment. He’d sneakily pass you the last slice of pizza during group hangouts, even when Chris asked for it. He’d text you memes at 2 AM and pretend it was accidental.

You tried to brush it off. He was just like that—friendly, flirty, borderline chaotic.

But then one night, when everyone had gone out except the two of you, something shifted.

You were in the living room, your laptop balanced on your knees while Will scrolled through his phone beside you.

“Chris said you’re looking for a flat,” he said suddenly.

“Yeah. Can’t stay here forever.”

He nodded slowly. “You should consider moving to London.”

You turned to look at him. “Why?”

Will shrugged. “Better food. Worse rent. Closer to the chaos.”

You snorted. “You mean closer to you.”

A small smirk tugged at his lips. “Not denying it.”

Your stomach flipped.

You closed your laptop.

“Are you flirting with me?” you asked, half joking.

Will met your gaze—calm, unreadable. “Would it matter if I was?”

Yes.

No.

Maybe.

You didn’t answer. Neither did he.

The silence said too much.

It was getting harder to pretend there wasn’t something happening. That you didn’t wait for his texts. That you didn’t notice when he laughed at your jokes more than anyone else’s. That you didn’t feel the weight of Chris’s warning echoing between every glance.

“Off-limits,” Chris had said.

But the more time you spent with Will, the more that line blurred.

Things came to a head one rainy afternoon.

You were sitting in Will’s car, the windows fogged slightly from the storm outside. He was supposed to drop you off at the shops, but you’d both ended up parked for an extra ten minutes, talking about something stupid. You didn’t even remember what. Something about TV shows or flying ants or childhood injuries.

And then it got quiet.

That kind of quiet where you both knew you were dancing around something bigger.

“I know I shouldn’t,” Will said finally, voice low. “But I think I’ve caught feelings.”

You blinked.

Your heart dropped and jumped in the same second.

“I didn’t plan to,” he continued. “Didn’t even think it would happen. But you’re—” He exhaled. “You’re impossible not to like.”

You swallowed hard. “Will…”

“I know. Chris would kill me. I shouldn’t have said anything. Forget I—”

“No.”

His eyes snapped to you.

You shook your head. “Don’t take it back. Please.”

Because you felt it too.

Had been feeling it for weeks.

Will leaned back in his seat, scrubbing a hand over his face. “You’re worth getting punched over, you know that?”

You smiled, heart aching. “He wouldn’t punch you.”

Will looked at you like he wasn’t so sure.

“Okay, maybe just a slap,” you corrected. “But he’ll come around. If we do this… properly.”

“Are we doing this?”

You hesitated.

And then: “Yeah. I think we are.”

Will reached across the console, fingers brushing yours. Not quite holding. Just there.

Close enough to promise something more.

Chris found out two weeks later.

He walked into the kitchen while Will was cooking breakfast in your hoodie. You hadn’t even thought to hide it.

“Mate,” Chris said slowly, eyes narrowing. “Is that my sister’s hoodie?”

Will froze with a spatula in hand.

“…No?”

You smacked your forehead.

The fallout wasn’t nuclear, but it wasn’t easy either.

Chris felt betrayed. Hurt. Protective.

You understood.

But when he saw the way Will looked at you—genuinely, like he didn’t want a fling but a future—something softened.

Eventually, after a long, awkward dinner and a lot of explaining, he sighed and gave you both the grumpiest blessing known to mankind.

“If you hurt her,” Chris told Will, “I will ruin your career.”

Will grinned. “Fair enough.”

You spent the night curled against Will on the sofa, your fingers laced with his, your head on his chest. The storm had passed, in more ways than one.

“Still think I’m not your type?” you teased.

Will laughed, kissing your forehead.

“Turns out,” he whispered, “you’re exactly my type.”

[jinjeriffic]

DCxDP Prophecy Universe Part 2

Part 1

Damian glared at the envelope. He and Father were in the process of analysing the letter for any signs of toxins, explosives or other traps. Obviously he wasn’t fool enough to open a missive from a questionable source without taking precautions. So far, all their scans had come up empty. Literally. The letter was defying all their attempts at chemical or spectroscopic testing, x-ray and magnetic resonance scans were inconclusive, it defied all properties of ordinary matter. It was frustrating. It was vexing. He was blaming magic.

For all intents and purposes, the letter looked like ordinary paper, with an ordinary wax seal, bearing the initials CW. The looping handwriting addressing it to Damian was precise and neat. Swiping the surface of the letter for chemical traces yielded no results. When Damian had tried to cut off a corner of the paper for analysis it had resisted all attempts, including a laser and a diamond headed cutting tool. Damian’s only satisfaction was that when Father had grunted and taken over the task from Damian, he had no more success than his son. As if Damian didn’t know how to perform the standard array of tests!

It certainly didn’t help that his siblings wouldn’t stop their incessant chattering!

“I’m just saying, ghosts wouldn’t be the weirdest thing we’ve encountered, Red. I’m not sure it would even make my personal Top 5.”

It seemed gossip among heroes travelled faster than the speed of light.

“Really, Nightwing? Ghosts? It’s far more likely to be a meta with something to hide. Or a few screws loose.” Damian could practically hear the eyeroll in Drake’s voice “And since when do ghosts act as glorified mailmen?”

“I don’t know Red, since when do aliens pretend to be Kansas farmboys? C’mon, we deal with magic users all the time!”

“And lets not forget people coming back from the dead” Red Hood interjected over the open comm line.

“Magic is just science we don’t understand yet. Any sufficiently analysed magic becomes indistinguishable from science!”

“B, a little help here?”

“Hn” Father straightened up from his position at the lab table “Oracle, any progress on clearing up the footage from Robin’s mask?”

Grayson threw up his hands with a frustrated huff while Drake smirked.

“The program is almost finished rendering. Whatever scrambler they used did a real number on the video quality. I’m surprised the audio is as clear as it is.” Oracle replied.

“Hn. And the isotope tracer on the money?”

“Sorry B, no hits on the local sensors. Wherever the guy went it’s either outside Gotham or shielded somehow.” she said, mildly frustrated.

“Maybe it’s ghost magiiiiic” Drake sing-songed. Grayson lightly cuffed the back of his head, to which the former Robin responded with a firm shove. Their interaction quickly devolved into a childish tussle.

Damian gave an annoyed huff. “Don’t you two imbeciles have anything better to do?”

“Aww, we’re just here to look out for our baby brother!” Nightwing teased.

“Yeah, we gotta make sure your ghost encounter didn’t leave any lasting psychological damage!” Red Robin added.

Before Damian could retaliate for their needling, Oracle chimed in. “Uh, guys? You’re going to want to see this. Most of the footage was corrupted beyond repair, but I was able to pull some partial stills and, well…” she threw a handful of pictures up on the screen. There was artifacting marring them, but parts of the stranger were visible in each of them. Oracle magnified one that had a pretty good view of his face.

“Holy shit” Drake whispered.

Damian frowned. “What?”

“Dami, he looks like you. Just… older.” Grayson said softly.

“What are you talking about?” Damian snapped.

“Disregard the pale colouring for a second. The nose, the chin… he looks like you if you had a growth spurt,” Drake wrinkled his nose “and went through puberty.”

The commlines erupted into chaos. 

“Wait, wait, wait,” Spoiler exclaimed “are you telling me there’s an older version of Robin running around Gotham?!”

“Copy?” Batgirl inquired.

“Don’t tell me Talia cooked up Demon Brat 2.0!”

“Given that he looks older it’s more likely version 0.1 if anything,” Drake snarked, “though there’s the possibility of artificially accelerated growth rates…”

Damian had had enough. “Tt. You are ignoring the obvious - if this is some kind of supernatural entity it likely copied aspects of my appearance in an attempt to engender feelings of familiarity.” he said haughtily, pushing down the uncomfortable churning in his stomach. There was no way Mother would replace him with a cheap copy. She couldn’t! “Besides, the creature has obvious powers and neither of my bloodlines has any trace of the meta gene.”

“That’s ignoring the ghostly elephant in the room.” Grayson chimed in, “Maybe it’s a dead ancestor?”

Drake gave their older brother an annoyed look “Even a time travelling descendant from the future is more likely than that. And delivering a ‘prophecy’ to boot?”

Oracle pulled up an aged up picture of Damian next to the stranger’s, highlighting several reference points. “On closer inspection, there’s a couple of discrepancies. The cheekbones for one - Robin definitely takes after his mother, while our mystery meta looks more like… well… Robin’s grandmother on the paternal side.” she finished hesitantly. “B?”

They turned to look at Batman, who had remained silent during the whole exchange. If they hadn’t known him so well they would have thought him unaffected, but the tightening around his mouth betrayed his agitation.

“There’s no use in pointless speculation until we have more data to work from,” he growled, “Oracle, look for any reports of a meta matching the target. Since our regular methods have failed to yield results, I will contact the JLD about running tests on the letter.” He turned to Drake, “Red Robin, see what you can find on recent League activities. If this is another scheme by Ra’s or Talia we need to know about it.”

“The last thing we need is more demon spawn running around!” Red Hood groaned over the comms.

Damian was furious. This was absurd! To even indulge the possibility that that creature was in any way related to him was making him feel like he had swallowed battery acid. He was the Demon’s Heir! He was not replaceable! There was only one thing to do.

“Robin? Stop!”

He ignored his Father’s shout. He stomped over to the lab table, snatched up the envelope and broke the seal.

Nothing happened.

He unfolded the paper and saw the same handwriting that had been on the outside.

Brother of blood, brother of soul

Never buried but already mourned

In lightning and ice the scorned child returned

To strike down the Demon’s Head

With all that Death earned

Damian’s hand shook. He reread the lines over and over again, refusing to comprehend. He could feel his Father standing behind him, scrutinising the letter as well.

“Son…”

Suddenly, the paper burst into green flames, going up into smoke that dissipated unnaturally quickly.

Silence reigned for a few moments. Then…

“Well that was needlessly melodramatic” Nightwing remarked.

Part 3

[midnight1nk]

So, this week's episode...

[spoilers below cut]

Man I tell you, another heavy day in my production job. And on top of that, pollen season. There goes my allergies smh. Well, at least I get bit of a break, have some food with me, and I can finally watch today's episode. Let's see what we got! *sees thumbnail* 😶 .....I haven't even pressed on the video and my theorist senses are tingling already

"wait what?"

Alright, so I'm going to need you to follow along with me here, cool? Now, doesn't 4's pose seem familiar to you? Well, it should because that's exactly the same pose as the ringmaster 4 render from the early version of the WOTFI website. We all know it was really Mr Puzzles behind it all.

And now look at the ads! It certainly feels very similar to what happened in the "Mario PC Virus" episode, and y'know how I already pointed out how it could connect to the goop!4 theory. BUT y'know what other video had ads?

That's suspicious. That's sus. 💅 /ref

"Don't you think it's Ben trolling again? Or just taking creative liberties?"

No bc the thing is, it's the thumbnail and it's the Team who gave him the prompt in the first place. Ofc Ben can take creative liberties, but essentially it has to follow the prompt. How have I not started the episode yet?! *turns to the Team* I'm watching you.... /silly

(the following is my live reaction:)

and there's our beloved intro *claps like an excited lil kid*

A convention? oooooh

LOOK AT THEM AAAAA

ofc 3 talking about his villain self 😌↕️

Clench being a VTuber was not on my bingo card but honestly, good for him (and I do love Tari sticking out from the table hehe)

and MELONY! you got what Axol's been working on, Two Piece. Gotta love the continuity, dude. The cover looks great!

Melony: "At least, I hope so..." 🥺 Oh honey, Axol would've been so proud of you and what you've done. I can already imagine him singing praises to it and say "look at what my girlfriend and I have done! :D"

YES, let's spread the word!! ofc Mario and 4 would help, they care so much about their friends

ngl Mario's got a good tactic.

and there goes 3's eye lol (don't think about goop!4 don't think about goop!4 don't think about goop!4)

*wii sports theme plays*

YES YES YES oh I'm so here for it

look at them go :D

nahnahnah, Team. You think you can do a speed-up moment and for me not to pause it frame by frame? smh /silly

luckily for the rest of yall, I got you:

and yes, it did have some repeats that I think they're very interesting: "turns you muscular SUPER chad", "makes you rich", "become SWAG", "get your a bunch of friends", "become a member of society", "become a SIGMA", get a romantic partner ("girlfriend" (the one with Mario) or "boyfriend", "you WON'T NEED SLEEP", "become AWESOME"/"RESPECTED"

Ofc it could just be how much 4 wants to emphasize the benefits of getting the manga. But it certainly feels strange, doesn't it? *writing notes down like a madman*

also a win for the skittle squad

and ay, it's got 4's stamp of approval!! (curious that the Team used the old model instead of current one 🤔)

hehe look at 4 pouting while he sits 💙

SMG4: "This is how it works!" 4, bud, are you ok?

ok first off, WE GOT THE OG 4 MODEL BACK?! WHAT? and two, Mario has a point. 4 is taking things too far and really needs a wake-up call. I have a feeling as to why 4 may be acting this way....

oh. oh okay.

So they decided to bring parallels to show how much 4 and Mario's fighting is affecting her/reminding her of her family separating. Hmm. Alright, Team, which one of you decided to strike that dagger into my heart? 😭 /lh

And Mario walked away just like Melony's mom did *head in hands*

and that's 4 alright. He would say that "everything's fine" when it's clearly not smh

4, buddy no :(

SMG3: "The real villain is society..." Well you ain't wrong, 3

Wait a second. Enhance..... enhance.....

I see what you did there, Shadow 😌↕️

love that Toad's like right here too

OMG was that 4's "date" from the "Find Luigi" episode? IT IS.

I'm tell yall, 4 has a secret art account and is selling his work as merch/prints. I mean, c'mon

NO 4, people were waiting for Silksong for decades naurrrr

oh Melony, my girl :(

*pauses episode* ........they did not just do that. I'm rewinding that moment 2/3 times now, what do you mean I was right about my suspicions? WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY JUST BROUGHT BACK IGBP?!

I need to walk away. I need to leave the room, do a cartwheel and dive into a lake, bc HUH?!

okok, let's breathe. goop!4 is gonna happen, and this is not just a "haha Ink is a crazy lil theorist wishing for this to happen". The fact that he said "nowadays" means that the situation is affecting him too. Ofc it would, that's his livelihood, his WHOLE PURPOSE as a meme guardian. But, other than that, it makes sense why he's doing this (I'll talk about it soon)

Mario: "SMG4, you're better than this! You've done enough damage." 😨 holy shit. it's like I got shot through the heart WTF. I might just cry in this episode

who keeps punching me in the FEELSSSSS 😭 poor Melony, those guys were absolute jerks smh (desperate times do call for desperate measures *ready to make swiss cheese*)

*head in hands* :(

at least they can apologise

*points at screen* hehe that's me :) I'm just a reporter

did I hear the peanut gallery audio from ace attorney? 👀 (<- ace attorney fan, don't mind Ink)

The Crew came? 🥹

EVEN SHROOMY?

OUGH that got to me, dude. They all came to support her and enjoyed the manga. I'm tearing up, dude.....

what did I say? Melony may have not had both parents as they were separating, lost Axol to the events of the Genesis/Revelations arc, was betrayed by who she thought was a friend who understood her, and despite it all, she's been so strong. Having friends, her found family...

man, this hit me hard and it's not even from the allergies, I tell you that

the truest supporters are the ones who care

this episode wants me dead /very pos

what's the lesson, Mario?

SMG4: "Is that we shouldn't care so much about fame and profit and instead be proud of our friend's work? No matter how successful it is?" yeah pretty much... "No"? wdym "no"?

....nahnahnah, you can't end the episode there, what the hell do you mean by that?

You can't close it off like that! What about my suspicions!? You can't just move on like that in front of my theorist self, c'mon!!

sitcom laugh track and everything, smh /silly

Congrats to SteveAlexAri12 for your art being featured in the end credits for this episode 🎉 cool art of WPNZ

um. Team, any particular why? just asking /j

.・-: ✧ :--: ✧ :-・.

Wow, this. This was absolutely fantastic omg. The writing in this was so good and I loved the tidbits of animation we got, like when Mario and 4 were picking up the pages to clean! This was somehow brilliant, and this is coming from a long-time viewer.

It' crazy's awesome that they brought Wolfychu back to do some lines this episode, and I was right about the Waggy cameo from Shadow (YES!). Also, EVAN! You make the cover of the manga? It looks SO GOOD, dude!! As always, great work with the writing on your end 👏

I've already mentioned Melony but we have to talk about the boys. Both Mario and 4 had good intentions to help their friend out. "I would do anything to not lose my friends" and that's exactly what 4 did. The algorithm has been affecting him so much that he didn't want Melony to go through it either. So, he went overboard with the crazy advertising and such, but he still cared for his friend. And a touch of self-doubt and insecurity from IGBP is back because he thought he wasn't doing enough. What good of a friend is he if he can't help out? The savior complex in him would say that he isn't good enough to help Melony, to "save" her from the low viewer retention. That he isn't enough, so he went desperate to have anyone take a copy of the manga. This isn't just about selling a book, it's that he's worth the friendships he has and they can always come to him if they need anything.

He doesn't want to lose them.

Ofc Mario cares so much about 4, they've known each other for years. Best of friends. If anything, Mario would know everything's not fine with 4's actions and thoughts in general. It's why the line, "SMG4, you're better than this! You've done enough damage" from Mario to 4 hits so hard. 4 was back to the "None of you understand the work I do" moment from Mar10, relapsing, and Mario needed to remind 4 of his true self, the one that cared for his friends without perfections. That instead of helping as 4 sees it, 4 was hurting Melony unintentionally, and he has to open his eyes to see that. Two sides, indeed.

Curious that the episode ended with the not "go cuckoo crazy" lesson instead of what 4 said. Goop!4 would eventually happen, bc at this point, yes. But what Mario said is exactly what 4's mindset is rn. 4 is bottling up his emotions and trauma and as long as he doesn't think about it for too long, everything's fine. As long as he doesn't reach that breakpoint, he's fine. In some way, he learned his lesson after IGBP but not quite. For one, he still doubts himself with the guilt of IGBP on top of it. And two, nothing is letting him move on from his trauma. His in-universe audience isn't letting him, Puzzles during WOTFI wasn't letting him, the memories he's been suppressing wasn't enough.

Why does he go through the extreme? Bc he thinks that it would solve everything for him. Like how he locked Puzzles in prison, thinking that Puzzles would remain there when we all know a prison escape is bound to happen. Like the Meme Factory itself was an elaborate trap. Whatever it takes to protect himself emotionally, as he's under the line from having a meltdown, he's fine. But what is that line? What is his breaking point? The thing is he wouldn't known, as shown in this episode, thinking he would still fix it. Everything's fine, he's fine.

And y'know what the cherry on top is? That, other than 4 and Mario enjoying the manga, Boopkins and Luigi were the first to be interested in Melony's creation, regardless of popularity. Very representative of Kevin irl and the deeper significance of IGBP.

....whoops sorry, I went on rambling for too long. I mean, c'mon, you should know the drill by now *points at bio*. If anything, this episode is the biggest piece of evidence for the goop!4 theory, I'm sure our local co-CEO of the theory Funkii (hey moot!) and other goop!4 enthusiasts would agree, YESSIR. Overall, this was such a sweet episode and I can't wait for more. That's all from me, and remember: numbers always go first!

*taps mic* ...well chat, how do we feel knowing that the star trio all canonically wore maid outfits? (well technically Madoka outfits from 4 & Mario but still)

[idlenight-art]

WIP when its actually Wednesday.

Specifically waited to post this so it would tic over to wednesday, btw. For once.

Tagged by @sidesteppostinghours (their post here).

I'm mostly using this to post an assortment of things I otherwise wouldn't have been compelled to do so late.

@b33tlejules requested for Maelstrom design progress on the new design. Sorry for getting to this so late, I forgor. (also consider yourself tagged for wip wednesday 🫵).

It's a long one so strap in:

The original idea, when the inevitable urge to improve on the (frankly lackluster) previous design came knocking on my door, was to do something with old diving suits. This was to stay in the theme of the Mysterious suit tag that was canon to River since his inception.

An idea I quickly abandoned not even 2 doodles in.

I quickly landed on the Hydroid Deluxe Skin (from hit video game Warframe) as a design and aesthetic I wanted. And maybe try to have some kind of homage to the last suit. Thus, the first doodles in my sketchbook:

As you can see, I was trying out shapes for the helmet that were maybe a little too similar to the Hydroid skin. Though the main body elements that stuck in the final design came together quickly.

I digitalised a sketch I liked, cleaned out some details. Covered his crotch (but that tang away). Decided he should have a cape. After not having a cape since his proto-river days.

I mean. you can't be a pirate without some kind of cool jacket.

For about a week, the design sat at this stage (not shown are the several color combinations I went trough for the main body to get there).

It was good. But it looked too much like Hydroid (deluxe edition) Warframe to me.

So what did I do to fix this?

Take a different warframe for helmet inspiration. Of Course.

Say hello to Sevagoth Lucifuge helmet (pictured in the middle), but a little to the left. I know Sevagoth's design philospophy is surrounded by the idea of "ghost ship" - so it's no wonder I looked at the alternate lucifuge helmet and said "that looks like a seashell to me". It's not rendered as such in game, but it has the shape. And the point bits I could easily imagine as harpoons.

I didn't quite like the face of the helmet - besides it being pointy - and changed it in a way I liked. But the eyepatch was too funny not to include, considering River does lose his eye to Argent. I even kept it on the same side because while River loses his own right eye, it's more fun for the eyepatch to be on the wrong side. Where people might assume he has a blind-spot. He does now, but not on that side :)

After the helmet - and more color palette debates - came even more color palette debates. For the Cape(tm) specifically.

I was fighting for my life in the trenches. Nothing was quite hitting.

But as I was bemoaning about my artistic woes to my friends, @cigarettesandinevitablebetrayal came with the genius idea of mixing in the teal and white in the cape, to make it look more like water. (also hi cigs, consider yourself tagged for wip wednesday)

I mean. Fucking look at that. Doesn't it slap? It goes so fucking hard. This is when I truly fell in love with the design.

After that it was beating photoshop into a pulp trying to make a nice ref sheet. And the rest is history or whatever.

Thanks for getting this far, as a favor to me, kill the guy calling yourself cringe in your head. That's what I did while convincing myself to write this post.

ANYWAY. wow. If your name isn't Jules or Cigs and thus haven't been tagged yet, you're tagged now. Right here. Bam. @heartbreakincident, @vahingoniloinenlapsi, @ehlihr, @reverendlazarus.

[ihaveathingforwomen]

Mock Trial - Professor AU

Professor!Alex Cabot x Fellow!Casey Novak

Chapter 3 - Masterlist

Word Count: 4.7k

Summary: Alex asks Casey a burning question, resulting in a blinding response.

A/N: Yall. I have a firm headcanon that Casey watches and enjoys the X-Files, and even bonds with Munch over it. That being said, Mulder & Scully are the inspiration for this chapter. Video here

The next couple of days were an emotional blur for Casey. The messages from Alex were sincere and heartfelt, straying far from their typically professional relationship. Internal conflict waged war on her, rendering her exhausted as she thought about all of the ways that she wanted Alex, but reminded herself of all the ways that their relationship could be potentially fatal. She laid about on her couch for the weekend and texted Alex consistently, even late into the evening. It seemed to her that Alex was trying to find ways to talk as much as possible. 

While Casey waded through the waves of emotions, Alex had a turbulent weekend as well. She found herself at Liz’s apartment more than once, both for advice and a little bit of stress relief. When she wasn’t with Liz, she busied herself by preparing her lectures or researching cases to use during class. Nearing the end of September, it was time for her to start preparing the mid-term exams for her students, as well as a few opportunities for them to attend court sessions.

Despite her business, she made a point to text Casey. While she knew that she needed to send her heartfelt message, she couldn’t help but feel guilty for putting Casey in the position to accept it. Though, she started planning ways to potentially make it up to Casey for not celebrating her birthday. As she prepped for her classes, Alex kept an extra legal pad next to her so that she could write down the ideas she had for Casey as they came to her. She’d already purchased a gift that she knows Casey will appreciate, but what else could she do? Within herself she argued that she couldn’t be too forward; no fancy restaurants, no sexy dresses, and certainly no apartment visits. She despised having to set boundaries for herself, but she knew that it was going to be for Casey’s benefit. 

Monday comes around and Alex waits patiently in her office for her regular visitor. As time ticked on, she began to feel self-conscious. Worry scratched at her brain as she thought she may have made Casey uncomfortable. Maybe she’d pushed too hard or been too attached. Maybe she’d been seeing things that weren’t there, imagining more of a spark than there was even a match to light. 

Her mind finally quieted when there was a light knock at the door frame, a smiling redhead standing and casting a shadow into Alex’s office. “Hey! Sorry I’m late, I had an interview!” 

Alex furrowed her brow as Casey sat down in front of her with a huff, appearing to have run to make it to Alex’s office. “Oh? You didn’t mention you had an interview, how did it go?”

Casey crossed a leg over her knee, hands poised and clasped in her lap as she sighed, catching her breath. “It went really well, I think.” 

“What was it for?” 

“A mock trial in the spring. Professor Donnelly was the one who interviewed me, I wish I’d taken one of her classes.” Alex willed her body not to allow the blood into her cheeks, but she felt a small blush rise against her will. 

“I remember hearing about that…” Alex said thoughtfully, trying to remember whether or not Liz had mentioned interviewing her crush. “I think they asked me to coach one of them, but I’m really not sure.” 

Casey chuckled nervously, “I’m excited. We’ll be working through a real cold case, start to finish.” 

“When do you hear back about your interview?”

Casey’s eyes wandered upwards as she thought, searching the air for answers. “I think during winter break, but I’m not sure.” Casey sighed, her breath finally caught. “How was your weekend?” She started their typical Monday conversation. 

Alex crossed her arms on top of her desk, a hand resting on the opposite bicep. “It was busy, I was making some plans for this week.” 

“Oooo, what kind of plans?” Casey asked, a smile bright on her cheeks as her eyes danced down to Alex’s lips, staring for a moment. 

Alex sucked her lips inwards, biting them nervously. She leaned a bit forward, her hand leaving her bicep and holding the side of her neck. She gripped the back of her neck nervously. “Well, they’re actually plans I wanted to talk to you about.” 

Casey turned her head to the side, furrowing her brow. She uncrossed her legs, and lifted one of her feet onto the chair, wrapping her arms around it and resting her chin on her knee. “Me?”

Alex nodded, her hand leaving her neck. She intertwined her fingers and rested her chin on top of them, mimicking the woman before her. “Yes,” she took a shaky breath, “I was wondering if you’d like to celebrate your birthday a little more.” 

Casey laughed, her smile shimmered and Alex felt her heart swoon. Casey bit her lip as she caught herself about to say Alex’s name, “I told you, you don’t have to do anything for me.” 

Alex huffed, laying her hands down and staring at the desk below her, “I know that, but…” she sighed, “I want to. Just something casual, I’ll plan it, you just have to be there.” Her eyes gradually made their way to Casey’s face, watching her expression. 

Blood rushed to Casey’s cheeks, turning them red in seconds. She felt her core heat up and her stomach flutter with excitement. She closes her eyes in thought and then buries her face in her knee, shielding Alex from how wide she was smiling. She takes a sharp breath before looking up at her professor, visibly gushing. Alex had never been so relieved. 

“Sure,” Casey finally answered with a laugh. “When?” 

��How about Friday?” Alex asks, knowing that Casey doesn’t have classes and should be available. 

“What time?”

“Whenever you’re available,” Alex offers, her eyes expectantly watching Casey’s expression. “I will pick you up, too.”

Awe becomes apparent on Casey’s features. Putting her legs down, she met Alex’s eyes, a strange surge of confidence surfacing in her chest. “I think that sounds great, Professor-” 

“Alex,” she interjects, “you can call me Alex.” A soft smile rises to her cheeks as she feels relief at Casey’s agreement. 

Casey’s chest starts to pound, feeling her core heat up at the thought of actually using her name. Her mouth starts to dry and she wets it with her tongue. Their eyes lock and visions pass through her mind of fantasies she’d had over the weekend. “Alex. I think six works for me.”

Blood flows into Alex’s cheeks, “I think six is perfect, Casey.” 

----------

The rest of the week was tension filled between them. Casey felt constant anxiety about what Alex had planned for them. During their meetings, they migrated to the couch in Alex’s office, sitting next to each other, facing each other with crossed legs and hands wandering into the space between them. When they faced each other, the tension was practically tangible, like they could squeeze the air between them. She tried to coax the plans out of Alex but every time she brought it up, Alex would claim it was a surprise and she’d just have to be patient. 

Friday morning, Casey’s patience was finally up. She woke up earlier than intended, her mind flooded with possibilities and hopes for the evening approaching. That night, she’d dreamed about Alex. Her subconscious seemed to believe that Alex was taking her to a fancy french restaurant where they’d gorge on delicacies. Dream Alex wore a scandalous red dress, tight on her figure and low cut cleavage. The dream ended with steamy kisses in the backseat of Alex’s car. 

Normally, she wouldn’t picture anything so expensive, but when she told Charlie about Alex’s proposal, he admitted to some internet sleuthing. He informed her about Alex’s familial wealth and reputation. Back in New York, where Alex grew up, her family was riddled with doctors, lawyers, wall-street businessmen, oil executives and more. The money seemed to pour out of every orifice of her family. In New York, Alex had been one of the best ADAs in Manhattan with an eighty percent conviction rate. Despite his skill, Charlie couldn’t find the reason she’d left. The information was enough for Casey to imagine what it would be like to be spoiled by all of the money. 

Fighting off her subconscious imagination, she decided to text Alex promptly. 

Casey: Can you at least tell me what I should wear? 

Waiting anxiously for Alex’s response, Casey refrained from getting dressed. To compensate, she took out numerous pieces of clothing from her closet to create outfit options. Just when she felt like she’d picked the perfect outfit, she stared for a second too long and decided against it. As she’d constructed her fifth outfit option, her phone pinged. 

Alex <3: It’s very casual. Maybe something that allows for a lot of movement 

Well, that could be taken many ways. A heavy sigh poured from her lungs as she checked her outfit options. None of them would work, they all seemed too much. Defeated, she picks up her phone and makes a phone call to Charlie, requesting he come over and assist. 

Around an hour later, Charlie arrives with a quiet rap at her door. Fortunately, Casey’s roommate was out for the day and she was able to answer the door in her boxers. 

“Finally,” she teases when she opens the door. 

He waltzes in, closing the door behind him. “Sorry, I didn’t realize I was at your beck and call Miss Novak,” he jokes. Following her into her bedroom, his eyes widened at the sight of her closet exploding on her bed. He quirks a brow and pinches a couple of items, lifting them with a grimace. “Looking for clothing to donate?” 

“No,” she groans, searching through her closet pointlessly. 

“Hmm,” he grunts. “What’s your emergency? Need an update in your wardrobe?”

He plops on her bed and she turns around, hands on her hips in frustration. She looks around the room and throws up her hands, “Now is not the time to joke about my style, Char.” A hand rises to her forehead, her fingertips and thumb pressed to either temple. She sighs, “I need help choosing an outfit for my date.” 

He glances at the clothing surrounding him on all sides. “Oh, I see.” He realizes what she said and grins, “so it’s officially a date?”

She pauses searching through the clothing on the bed, staring into space. “Well, I don’t know.”

He sighs, holding back another tease, “what’s the dress code? Has she told you what she has in store yet?” 

She picks up her phone, unlocking it and showing him the message from Alex as she continues sifting through her drawers. He smiles, “A lot of movement, huh?” He laughs, “Okay, this is much easier to work with. Take a seat, love.” He stands and reaches a hand out to Casey, helping her up from the ground. She sits behind him on the edge of her bed, folding the clothes strung out around her. He goes straight to a simple red tank top in the back of her closet and rests it on her lap. She holds it up with a furrowed brow and then sets it back down as he continues searching. 

A couple moments later, he emerges from her closet with the remaining items. He dumps them in her lap, “take a look at this. Lots of movement, not too inappropriate if this isn’t a date, but just scandalous enough if it is.” 

She lifts up the items and stands, setting them on the bed one by one. The red tank top, a black lacy bralette, tight dark blue jeans, leather boots, and her leather jacket. She smiles, a twinge of relief running through her. 

----------

Five-forty-five rolled around faster than Casey had expected. Charlie was still with her, helping to keep her calm throughout the day and piece together the last details of her outfit. A light rap at Casey’s door sent violent shivers down her spine, her heart leaping out of her chest. Charlie rubbed her back and followed her to the door. She had sent Alex her full address, but had not anticipated her arriving at her front door. She’d never expected such gentlemanly behavior. 

When she opened the door, the sight before her eyes sent a wave of excitement through her chest, then stomach, then core. “Hi, Alex.”

Alex beamed, her cream colored purse slung over her shoulder. “Hi, you look great.” Her eyes moved over to Charlie’s figure, looming behind Casey like a protective older brother. 

Casey notices and steps out of his way. He steps forward and extends a hand to Alex, who meets him, shaking his hand. “Hi, I’m Charlie.” 

“Nice to meet you,” she greets, their hands leaving each other.

The inkling to say more is at the top of her throat, but he beats her to it. “Take good care of my friend tonight, I want her home by midnight,” a laugh escapes him as he places his hands on his hips. 

Casey closes her eyes, cringing, and pats him on the shoulder. “Thank you, Char,” she turns to Alex, who is still beaming at both of them. “Ready?” 

“When you are,” Alex responds, glancing at Charlie. 

“Have a good time ladies!” 

Casey, practically ushering Alex out of the door and down the hall turns to him, “I’ll see you later. Love you!” The door closes behind them and Casey can hear Charlie lock it as they walk down the hallway. Casey shoves her hands in her pockets as they walk side by side, her heart still racing and her cheeks red. “Sorry, he can be a little much sometimes.”

Alex chuckles, “don’t apologize. He seems nice,” Alex glances over her shoulder, scanning Casey’s body language. The language wasn’t the only thing she paid attention to, of course. Her body is delightfully complimented by the shade of red she adorns and how the tanktop and jeans clings to her figure. “He’s your friend?” 

They step into the elevator and Casey glances at Alex with a smile. “Oh yeah,” she takes a breath and a hand from her pocket, “he’s my best friend. We met during 1L orientation and thought that we were crushing on each other. Turns out, we’re both queer so. Best friends it is!” 

Alex laughed, her smile beaming at Casey. As Casey studies Alex’s face and body, she feels her heart stop for a moment and her breath leave her lungs. Alex turns and meets Casey’s eyes, captivating each other. “That sounds a lot like George and I,” she notes. 

Casey tilts her head, “Oh?” 

They step out of the elevator and Alex leads them out of the building, towards her car. A dark blue Lexus sedan is parked on the street and lights up as they approach. “Yeah, George and I met when I had orientation for the university. He’s affiliated with the Women’s Center which I was interested in volunteering with. We hit it off, especially when we started talking about our love lives.” 

Alex opened the passenger door, waving Casey into the car, “after you,” she guides. Casey, grins and thanks her as she slips into the car. In her mind, she starts screaming, ecstatic at the way their time is going so far. She hadn’t anticipated Alex being so warm and chivalrous, if anything she had wanted to be the chivalrous one. The more they spoke, the more she felt secure that this was indeed a date. 

Their conversation continues, delving more into their personal lives, specifically with friends and hopes. As they speak, Alex drives them downtown. The drive goes smoothly, their talking as fluent as it normally is. She parks them along the street, both of them getting out at the same time, conversation still going. Intrigue riddles Casey’s mind as she tries to guess what Alex has in store for them. She’s also shocked by how casual the date seems to be going, and judging herself for how she’d anticipated so much from Alex simply because of some internet searching. 

Ignorant to Casey’s internal monologue, Alex reaches to her side and takes Casey’s hand in her own. The sensation shocks Casey from herself, and she settles into Alex’s grip, their fingers coming together as the final piece of a puzzle. Alex leads her, walking a bit faster, to a food truck. The truck is a bright purple, its fluorescent lights bright on the side of the truck, illuminating the menu. 

“Do you like tacos?” Alex asks her as they pause, a few yards away from the truck and face each other. 

Casey narrows her eyes, “I do, why?” 

Alex beams, glancing at the truck as she speaks “This is my favorite taco place, tonight is their last night of the season.” She turns back towards Casey, catching her eyes again. A grin turns her lips, dimples present, making Alex’s heart swell, her face feeling feverish. “I thought,” she takes a sharp breath, “I would take one of my favorite people.” 

Casey’s tongue slips over her bottom lip, “me?” She asks, innocently. 

Alex blushes and laughs, looking down for a moment, “yes, Case.” She takes her hand again and brings her closer to the truck, getting in line. “What would you like?” 

The food is delightful, each of them getting three tacos and Alex insisting they get the chips and queso as well. Per her recommendation, they each have an agua fresca as well. While it has yet to be explicitly stated that this is a date, Casey firmly believes it to be the best one she’s ever been on. Her nerves have dissipated and she starts feeling flirtatious with Alex. Their hands reach across the table for gentle caresses, their feet brush against each other underneath the table, and their eyes never lose focus. 

When they finish, Casey takes the first opportunity to clean up for them, trying to beat Alex. Afterwards, Alex takes her hand once again and leads her down the street as daylight lowers further and further. The soft light of the evening and the moderate temperature are a dream for now. Casey is comfortable in her leather jacket, Alex is cool in her thin black t-shirt and jeans. Both of them dawn jewelry, complimenting their features. A couple of bands on Alex’s wrist and a few thin gold rings littered her fingers. Casey elected for a quaint silver choker, with a vertical onyx droplet in the center, and then silver rings on her fingers. While that jewelry was purposeful, she also has helix and conch piercings, silver rings latched with sapphire stones. 

Alex hadn’t noticed her piercings, as Casey made a point to hide them during school, fearing that they lacked professionalism. Seeing the piercings now leave Alex feeling curious about what else she doesn’t know about Casey. Questions swarmed her mind as they made their way inside the building. Alex approaches the counter first, checking them in, making a special point not to mention what activity they were checking in for. 

The representative disappears from the counter, telling them to wait. Alex leans against the countertop, elbow resting at the top as she turns to look at Casey, whose hands are back in her pockets. Casey’s stunning green eyes scan the venue, overwhelmed by the neon lights, the sound of arcade games being played, and the scent of alcohol. “What are we doing here?” she murmurs, her eyes returning to Alex who had been staring. 

A wide smile spreads on Alex’s face, “Just a little longer, Novak. Surely you can keep it in your pants until then,” Alex jokes. For a second, she worries the comment won’t land. 

Much to her relief, Casey chuckles, smiling brightly at her. “What am I supposed to do, Alex? You’ve kept me on ice for almost too long,” she pokes back. 

The representative reappears, “ready?” She asks Alex. Alex nods and makes eye contact with Casey, leading the way behind the rep. A bit of meandering and neon lit hallways led the way to a secluded room in the back of the venue. The rep opens the door and waves Alex and Casey inside. Casey looks around in wonder, her eyes drifting to the other side of the room where a machine stood. On the walls were bats of different sizes and shapes, helmets too. Casey’s jaw drops for a moment as the attendant comes into the room and shuts the door. 

Casey turns to Alex with excitement all over her features. Alex shares the same giddiness, elated that Casey is so pleased with the activity. After sharing a brief moment of eye contact, the attendant gives them instructions for the batting cages, informing them that the machine has three different speeds for the pitch of the balls. She advises them to go about batting one at a time to keep from accidentally hitting one another with the bats upon backswing. Satisfied with their instructions, the attendant leaves the couple for the evening. 

When the door closes, Casey lurches at Alex. She wraps her arms above Alex’s shoulders, nuzzling into the crook of her neck. Alex, startled, wraps her arms around Casey’s frame and squeezes, her heart feeling hot with affection. The scent of Casey’s hair and cologne is now prominent as her nose hovers over Casey’s shoulder. Her lips burn with impulse, but she takes a deep breath and swallows the tension in her throat. 

Casey lets go, her hands sliding down Alex’s arms and catching her hands, squeezing them. Alex smiles, “happy birthday, Casey,” she tells her, her eyes wandering to her lips. 

Casey closes her eyes for a moment, sighing as she pushes down the desire to kiss Alex. “Thank you, this is the best birthday gift I’ve ever been given.” 

Alex blushes, unsure what to say next. She steps back, slowly withdrawing her hands and lays one on top of a bat handle. “Shall we?” Casey nods excitedly and reaches for the bats. She helps Alex choose one that would fit her, picking one for herself with ease. Together they choose their helmets and black grip gloves. Once they dawn their gear, Alex motions for Casey to go first. Casey shrugs and agrees, stepping into the cage and setting up the machine to its moderate setting. Stepping back to the mat, she gets into stance.

With her jewelry and leather jacket discarded, Alex tries to resist every urge to stare. While Casey’s back was to her, Alex allowed the urges to leak. She studied the way Casey’s biceps bent as she swung the bat. How her shoulder blades were pronounced in the tank top, the now visible lacy bralette complimenting her back. While Casey wasn’t buff, her muscles were toned and visible with every movement. Alex’s eyes lingered longest on the way Casey’s wrists became more vascular the harder she worked to hit every ball that came her way. 

“Your accuracy is impeccable,” Alex finally comments. Casey, shocked out of her zone, laughs. She set down her bat and moved along the side of the cage to go turn off the machine. Coming back, Alex could see the sweat beading on her forehead and biceps. Casey slides her helmet off as she makes eye contact with Alex through the fence, looking her up and down. 

“Have you ever gone to bat before?” Casey asks. 

Alex unintentionally hesitates to respond, her eyes glued to Casey’s chest for a moment. A subtle shake of her head, “no.” She chuckles nervously, “I haven’t.” 

Casey’s sultry look disappears and she steps out of the cage, extending a hand for Alex with a smile. “I can show you, then.” 

Alex’s heart starts beating so fast she can feel each pulse in her breasts and throat. She steps into the cage with her bat, trying to mimic Casey’s stance. Casey closes the cage, replacing her helmet and walking down to the machine, turning it back to its moderate setting. When she returns to Alex, she stands behind her, reaching a hand on either side of her. On the bat handle, Casey’s left hand holds the bottom, Alex’s stacked between as Casey’s right hand holds the bat on top of them. 

The machine began spitting balls, about thirty seconds between each pitch. “Now, don’t strangle it,” Casey began, her arms tight against Alex’s frame. “You just want to shake hands with it,” she angled Alex’s arms to hit the next ball. “Hello, Mr. Bat, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Casey jokes in a deeper and sillier voice. Alex laughs out loud at the voice and Casey draws their arms back, wacking the next ball as it sails towards them. 

The thwack pierces Alex’s ears, but she ignores it as she listens for Casey’s continued amusement. “Oh no no, Miss Cabot, the pleasure’s all mine,” they laugh together. Alex becomes painfully aware that Casey’s hips are pressed into her backside and how tightly Casey’s biceps are bound against her. She arches her back a little, pressing herself into Casey’s hips. Casey’s breath is hot against her neck and ear, sending excited shivers down her spine and a wet heat between her legs. 

A ball flies past, neither of them swinging. Casey continues coaching, “now, you’ll wanna do hips before hands, okay? Stride forward and turn,” she does the motions with her own hips against Alex’s backside, moving them through a swing. She repeats the motions, her left hand dropping to Alex’s hips and pressing her into the turn and stride. Knowing Casey can’t see, Alex blushes and smiles, hoping the touching never ends. “Hips, before hands, alright, Alex? Repeat after me,” she instructs. 

Alex turns her head towards Casey’s staring at her jawline and cheekbones, “Hips before hands,” she whispers. 

Casey glances at her and smiles before turning back to the machine as it spits another ball. “Now, we’ll keep our eye on the ball, and then we’re just gonna make contact,” Casey guides. They both wait in anticipation, Alex’s mind on the pressure against her back and heat between her legs. Together, Casey guides their swing, colliding again with the ball. 

“Good, good, Alex,” Casey praises. They do it again, “great, all the thinking and everyday concerns are fading away. All of the anxious nagging about how you probably shouldn’t have spent this much money on a student,” Casey begins teasing, “how you left a promising career with the DA in New York for a professor position…” Another thwack. “How your promising favorite student could get you in trouble with the school…” and another thwack. “And how you have an obscenely overdue Xvideos subscription - oh, sorry, that’s my problem, not yours.” 

Alex giggles loudly, making Casey’s heart leap and her hands burn with pleasure as another ball collides with the bat. “Shut up, Novak,” Alex tells her, laughing. The vibrations rattle their hands, but neither of them care because the other’s grip helps to absorb the sensation. Alex can feel Casey’s chest rise and fall against her back, her own heart still pounding at the touch along her body. 

Alex takes a breath, “I’m playing softball,” she asserts. Casey laughs as they crack one more ball. 

“I think you’ve got it then,” Casey steps away, her hands sliding past Alex’s hips, gripping them softly as she leaves Alex to bat for herself. 

Alex bites her lip, her mind lingering on the way that Casey’s hands felt against her hips. The way her arms felt against her own and how her body felt pressed against hers. Casey stands back, arms crossed as she watches Alex take the next swing. She misses the next one, grunting in frustration. Casey chuckles and steps back to her, resting her hands on her hips. 

“Remember, hips before hands…” she coaches, her hands sliding away as the next ball comes barreling towards Alex. A crack sounds as her bat collides. She lowers the bat to cheer for herself. 

“Fuck yea!” She shouts. 

“Good job, baby!” Casey shouts back. Alex whips around, a smile on her face as her jaw lowers. Her awe is cut short when her vision goes black. 

[c-rowlesdraws]

this youtube ad might be the strangest one I’ve ever seen, in terms of format. It’s an ad for the new Exorcist movie, ostensibly, but look at the timestamp at top left— it’s ONE HOUR long!? It opened to a render/photo collage of a dark room with lightning flashing outside and some ambient sounds, then these two characters tied up in these chairs appeared; the whole thing has the vibes of one of those oldschool point-and-click horror games on Newgrounds to me, which is nostalgic but still puzzling. I waited to see what might happen… but these characters just sat there. One of them whispered, “don’t be scared,” which was kind of her. I appreciated the reassurance, even though she was the one tied to a chair in a spooky room and not me. The first time I saw this ad, also while watching on my TV, I waited for like 4 minutes to see if something else would happen. Nothing did, and I wanted to watch the new hbomberguy video (which, by the way, is great), so I skipped it. I also skipped it this time, because I wanted to rewatch the new hbomberguy video.

I think this must be a point-and-click sort of thing— hence the lack of stuff happening when just passively watching it, and the ridiculous runtime for the ad. If I was using a computer and mouse, instead of watching the tv, I would probably be able to click on the characters and objects in the scene, and progress the story to “finish” the ad long before the timer runs out. But alas, unless I get this ad on my computer, I’ll never find out.

(also I cropped the photo to show that I have a couple cool art books. Look! I’m cool!)

[zeondraws]

Definetely noticed how much I am learning about the game through trial and error. Some details I just don't notice, until a certain moment where it clicks in my head.

Earlier this morning I rewatched the videos from the developers and noticed they did show closeups of a few crew members, including Muir and I was like- Wait, that's him!

I remember watching that video before, but not quite understanding who these characters were, or maybe the way they got rendered threw me off.

Seeing how much I am learning here makes me wonder, how come I don't do the same with other topics? There is so much I could learn, if I had the motivation or the drive. It's hard on some days.

Either way, I feel like making a small post for myself with various links/image references. At one point I have to make a mega post to link each of my research posts, so that it's easier to pinpoint.

Here are some face closeups of a few crew members

Innes (I am sorry everyone it looks like he's half bald)*

Gibbo - Gibson

Muir

Brodie, Edit: I think the two images are actually Dobbie? But I'll check up on this in the future again

O'Conner (This one was a bit hard to identify, but some folk on discord helped me)

Roper

Video Source:

*In the Cantines I noticed another person that looks similar to the model, that I linked to Innes. Tho that person wears a red suit, while Innes wears blue. Tho I still think the above pictures fit for Innes, we never get to see him without his hat. So it's hard to say for me.

Helpful Link for the Achievements (scroll down for a List of Achievement Timestamps):

(I still need 3 of them)

Ripped 3D Models on Sketchfab (You need an account to view Muir, Addair, Trots and Rennick):

What I also did was looking through reddit to find tiny pieces of information here and there. I am not sure how deep I want to dive in for this game, considering it's quite time consuming to check small details (replaying the entire game again each time). But here are two Screenshots I grabbed from TheChineseRoom's comments on Reddit.

And of course their Youtube Channel has a bunch of Videos about Behind the Scenes. Quite interesting listening through them. Helps me to get a small glimpse into the Industry and how things work.

I think I have rambled for long enough, I gotta tidy up XD Been posting so much about this game, hope it doesn't get annoying.

Either way, if anyone has something else to add to this, feel free to tell me.

[nothing0fnothing]

I am usually a huge supporter of women who have suffered abuse at the hands of men. But this girl I knew(and cut ties with) was very abusive to her bf. She would lock him in rooms, hide his keys so he couldn’t leave when she wanted to fight with him…she would go through his phone and impersonate him to get people she wanted away from him to think he hated them. She once claimed that her upstairs neighbors sexually harassed her bc they called her a fat ass and called the cops on them. She ripped up all the flowers and shrubs in his garden. She would scream at all their friends to get out of her house when she wanted to fight with him. This girl claims that this was all “reactive abuse”. When I called her out on it she said she hope my little girls were abused. I personally don’t think any action that is thought out is “reactive abuse”. The things she did to him were thought out. I myself was in an extremely abusive relationship in my late teens to early 20s. I would never wish harm on anyone else in a million years. Let alone children. I just want confirmation that I am not crazy. I feel bad not supporting other women. But she story has so many holes and so much evidence to the contrary. Pretty sure she is the abuser. Pretty sure she is a narcissist. Also since I called her out on it she has been stalking me online daily. I quit TikTok bc she made over 165 videos all about me. What do you think? Honest opinion? I’m here for any insights

I don't think you are crazy and I think you should trust your gut with this woman. If you are seeing a pattern of abusive behaviour with her I think your priorities should be first and foremost your own saftey, and secondly being supportive to the guy she's abusing.

I do agree with you that none of what she is exhibiting seems to be reactive abuse. When I was in my first domestic violence relationship I experienced reactive abuse. For example, he used to call me to fight because if I were locked in a phone call with him, I wasn't able to socialise or get anything else done. When I realised I didn't have to answer the phone to put up with him, he started to call me over and over again, in quick sucession. While he was doing this he basically rendered my phone useless. I couldn't turn it off or even mute the ringer, because as soon as I tried a new call would come through. And he wouldn't just call 5 or 6 times, I remember checking my phone after eating dinner with my flat mates and seeing 577 missed calls. He had been calling and instantly redialing consistently for 45 minutes. He had found a way to essentially lock me out of my phone whenever he felt like it, he started doing it more and more frequently. One day, he's doing that, and I needed to use my phone to do some coursework. And I just wanted to cry because I knew my choice was to sit on the phone with him for two hours or wait an hour for him to get bored of redialing me before I could get what I needed to get done, done. So I started answering, saying the most hateful, vitriolic, heinous shit I could imagine, and hanging up. "I hate you." *click* *incoming call* "I'm breaking up with you" *click* *incoming call* "I hope you die" *click* *incoming call* "I hope your dog dies". *click* *incoming call*. And on and on it went until I fell spart and just shut my phone in a box in my wardrobe and listened to it ring till the battery died. I cannot excuse what I said it in any way, and I've never behaved that way since. I'm not am abusive person. I was just pushed to the brink by one.

I bring this up because that was a personal example of reactive abuse. I felt cornered by him and I thought the best way to stop his unhinged behaviour was to match energy. But that wasn't the way. Actually all I did there was feed his ego and give him exactly what he wanted.

I'm really struggling to square my experience to the examples you gave me, like hiding keys so her abuser couldn't leave the home. I know my experience isn't everyone's experience, but I don't really understand that behaviour as a reaction to abuse. Why would she want her abuser trapped in the house with her?

Sometimes reactive abuse can look from the outside like abuse, but like you said, it's not usually premeditated. Behaviour like going through her partners phone to find all of their contacts so she can turn them against him one by one. That just sounds like abuse to me. I'm not sure how or why a person would do that as a response to abuse. And considering her "reactive abuse" looks a lot like the behaviour of abusers, like the isolation from his loved ones and the destruction of his garden I'm assuming he put a lot of care and effort into, I'm definitely leaning to agreeing with you that she is probably not the victim in this particular scenario.

I'd suggest blocking and ignoring her completely. Like my ex using incessant phone calls to lock up my phone, eventually with no reaction from you, she will get bored and stop. Don't make the same mistake as I did, and give her what she wants by telling her what for. Otherwise she'll know that by making 165 tiktoks she can get a rise out of you, and you'll have to put up with it far longer.

Consider legal action if that's possible, but otherwise make sure you stay safe. She seems like a particularly nasty person and it seems like interacting with her is not going to end well for you.

[front-facing-pokemon]

Bro what do people have against green shinies... Some of my favorite shinies are the ones everyone hates... Ugh. In fact some of my favorite pokemon are the hated ones. I'm the OG klefki defender.

Anyways I'm the resident blastoise hater of the pokemon fandom. Wartortle had so much potential but they fucked him up and now like everyone likes it for some reason???

-The ranting rambler

hello, ranting rambler! it's been like a whole month since i've answered any asks, hasn't it? rest assured, i've not fallen off the face of the planet—and i should really answer these more often as i used to. but here we are! you've got me this time. before i get into answering any asks, though, i've got a question for you, tumblr! no, not you, userbase (though perhaps you, if you know the answer)—i mean a question for you, [tumblr]! the website!

my inbox claims to contain 20 asks, before all of these i'm about to answer have been cleared out. however, i counted, and there are a grand total of seven asks here! this is not 20!

and for the record, when i answer asks all in one big post like this, i screenshot them and then delete them, then leave one there to actually put the post on, and after that, when i can confirm there are exactly Two asks remaining in my ask box (this one i am answering right now, and the original nose rater ask with anon turned off), and it claims that i have fourteen asks left in the box. this is blatantly untrue! what is going on. anyway, now onto the asks!

i don't remember if i was on the side For green shinies or against them, to be honest! i think it's a pokémon-by-pokémon basis for me. alien espeon is a little jarring, but can be cute when drawn like a screebo blorbo alien thing like folks tend to do. i like alien espeon when it's drawn like that. but in-game, it does come off as somewhat jarring!

it does make me wonder what's. so wrong with wartortle. i think it's cute enough—the wings on its head make no sense, and the color is definitely off when it's rendered as purple, but i don't think it's a total miss as a pokémon– wait, i stopped in the middle of writing this to go to a meeting and now i came back and re-read your ask and it turns out you're talking about not liking blastoise! although i still don't see why. it's the same color as squirtle, at least—and i think a turtle with big water guns on its back is just straight-up cool

unfortunately, the pokémon models don't include guns, typically! but it's long passed by now because i rarely answer asks anymore :(

well! i didn't expect those little words to catch on like they did. glad i could contribute to your brainrot, soldier o7

saw this one in the comments a couple times—today-i-learned! i do wonder why it didn't really get translated at all and just remained japanese. typically with names like these that are references to normal words they'll at least translate them into english—but this one remained the same

the models resource! this, the sounds resource, and the sprites resource are lifesavers when it comes to game archivism

okay. maybe blacephalon is slightly cute. when it's drawn like that. perhaps its model isn't doing it any favors

YES THIS IS THE VIDEO I MEANT!! although i referenced that a WHILE ago by this point because LOL it's been a month and a half since i answered asks!!! lol!!!!

anyway that's all the asks in my askbox. if you count these you'll notice they don't add up to 20. and that my askbox still says 14 despite the fact that there is only two asks in it:

there are evil phantom ghost asks in my ask box. they are going to attack me

[draydelion]

Dragon Age the Veilguard | How does it run on Steam deck? 1/?

Just a brief showcase, without diving into technicalities, but I'll make more parts because I can only upload one video 😭

So, I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now and for @goldenhallas too, why not?

If you want to play DA Veilguard from the comfort of your bed (like I did) and you have a Steam Deck, don’t wait any longer!

I don’t have a decent PC to play Veilguard, but I do have this console. In my opinion, the Deck never disappoints. Here are a few notes from my nearly two months of gameplay experience:

I always play plugged in, but the battery alone lasts me about an hour :>

My console doesn’t overheat.

Sometimes the Deck has a glitch that forces you to restart the console. This can happen with any game—just Deck things ._. It’s happened to me about five times (okay, maybe more, but the other times were my fault for cranking up the graphics during testing and for fun, which made it crash).

Low graphics settings with some on medium (I’ve been testing limits and found a good balance).

The realistic hair option is locked by default (you don’t want to blow it up, do you?).

Only during the final battle scene (at the start) did I experience a one-second rendering delay, but it stabilized quickly—too many characters on screen lol.

Smooth and comfortable gameplay.

The text and details are clear, and the screen is big enough to enjoy the game.

I mapped the back buttons to make taking screenshots or videos easier.

I never found the photo mode saves in the files, so I couldn’t save photos—or maybe I did, but they’re lost somewhere☝🏻😭

Steam Deck screenshots tend to be lower quality due to scaling, so I wouldn’t recommend them.

Video captures are decent, acceptable for the console and when scaled on other screens.

You can play standing up, lying down, in the kitchen, in the bathroom, etc. Be careful because the first few days I evaded many responsibilities and time slipped away from me 😭

Obviously you can't put mods here *cries*.

Here is a video (recorded from the deck) from my second playthrough with Aria, my Rook.

Sorry for the slight drop in video quality here u.u

Random main story scene

[fraugwinska]

Chapter 16 - Fallacy

Fallacy (noun) 1. a failure/error in reasoning which renders an argument invalid. 2. a deceptive appearance

Tags & Warnings: Mentions of suicide and depression, Explicit sexual content, Discussions of acts of homophobia and conversion therapy If you see this symbol ♫ I highly recommend to listen to the song "City of Stars" by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone from the movie 'LaLaLand' (Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/intl-de/track/1xk2Z84gbcn4tPXiiutxzS?si=12af0d158b22496b)

You lifted another 8-pin cable out of a black wooden box, careful not to drop it as your still sweaty hands made everything slippery. Dante. The stagehand was Dante, how did you not recognize him straight away? Now that you knew, it was so obvious. Irritated at your sudden excitement and Dante's beaming smile, Mimzy had quickly ordered you, in a not-so-cute tone of voice “Oy, slackers. Less gawking, more working. The band is going on stage in 30 minutes, so you better get moving.” before pulling a reluctant Alastor backstage. His gaze had been a mixture of surprise, discontent and annoyance as she dragged him along, eyes narrowing at you and the nightingale. You would've felt flattered, but the shock of meeting your long lost friend made you unable to concentrate on anything else.

"I knew it was you the second I saw you." Dante laughed down at you from the ladder, taking the heavy cable from your hands. "I was just waiting for the penny to drop."

Dante had grabbed the end of the cable you were holding and connected it to a spotlight, working with skilled, nimble hands.

"I have no idea how I didn't recognize you sooner."

He hopped down, smiling at you cheekily, just the way he had when you were alive.

"I know, you can be so daft sometimes. Some things never change, eh, munchkin?"

You chuckled at the familiar nickname while he rounded you and plugged the other end of the cable into a power outlet. He quickly checked the time on his wristwatch.

“Okay, done. And with time to spare... you don't wanna see Mimzy when she's angry.” he pulled you to the side, taking two bottles of water out of a backpack, handing you one while opening the other. He eyed you, and his demeanor shifted to nervous and hesitant, now that there wasn't anything but conversation to do. “I'd like to say it's good to see you, but... considering where we are, well...” he started, leaning against a pillar, avoiding your eyes.

“Dante.” you started, fidgeting with your unopened bottle in your hands. “I'm... I'm sorry. I never thought you'd end up... here.”

He gave you a sad smile. “You don't have anything to apologize for, (Y/n). Suicide isn't really a virtue, I knew I'd take the trip down here.” His hands disappeared into his pockets, and you wanted to ask so many things. But you knew Alastor and Mimzy could return any minute, so you decided to postpone the heavy conversation you wanted to have for another time.

“So... you work for Mimzy?”, you asked instead and Date visibly relaxes.

“Temporarily... It's an on-off thing. I'm kind of freelancing, a job here, a job there. It's good money, and she can be very nice and generous.” He chuckled at your doubtful expression. “Don't take her attitude too personally, munchkin. Ever since she saw that video of you, she's kind of miffed that you could fish in her pond. Mimzy doesn't like to share the spotlight.”

You blink at him. “What video?”, you asked, your own confusion mirrored with Dante's.

"The one on the Vee's sinstagram. Velvette posted a story the other day, of you singing in a karaoke joint, apparently it was almost immediately deleted, but it caused quite a stir because she tagged Vox in it, joking about him being 'literally pussy whipped', or something like that." Dante shook his head and sighed. "She was a real pain to work for after that. You didn't know about that?"

"I had no idea. I don't have a smartphone." Well that was just what you needed - Drama with more than just one overlord. How did no one tell you about that? Maybe Charlie, Vaggie and Husk weren't aware, they all used their phones sparingly, but Angel was practically glued to his, and you knew he must have known about it - he was working for one of the Vee's.

"I'm going to kill that spider..." you muttered under your breath.

Dante laughed quietly, and turned his head to the stage, where some demons put up instruments. "I remember the time you spotted a hobo spider in my bathroom and almost demolished my shower cabin, throwing the laundry basket at the thing."

You looked at him. From the fogginess of your mind, a memory materialized, you heard yourself scream in panic and felt the heavy wooden frame as you hurled it against a gigantic brown insect that hung on tiled walls while rushing out a white washed door, right into your friends chest. His loud, amused laughter resounded in your ears as he caught you, and you fell together to the floor. A laugh bubbled up in your throat, and Dante grinned at your giggling figure. In the distance, a door audibly opened.

"All this hubbub and I still missed that damn thing.", you chuckled.

"You always did have shit aim, munchkin, I have a scar from Pettersons' stage fighting class to prove it." he snickered and ruffled your fringe.

"Hey, no flirting on the clock, bird-boy!" Mimzy's voice chimed mockingly, her heels clicked as she and Alastor approached, and you sobered immediately as Alastor's tight smile and burning eyes stalked your face.

"Sorry, Miss Mimzy. We finished right on time and everything is set up and working." Dante took a step away from you, pushing himself between you and the miffed looking woman. He smiled at her, a genuine, bright smile. "And Howard wanted to speak to you about changing the setlist again."

"The hell he will, 'ya leave for five minutes and suddenly he thinks he's John Hammond." She huffed, pulling her strapless dress up at the neckline. "Well, Al, gotta skedaddle, this joint can't run without me. Come by again sometime - alone - have a drink and a dance, just like old times, will 'ya?" Mimzy clicked her tongue at you, then skitted away to find the poor demon called Howard. Which left you and Dante and Alastor. The latter eyed you intensely, while he addressed the still smiling bird demon next to you.

"Dante, is it? Now don't you two look like birds of a feather?", he almost sang, voice light and melodic but his stare was almost violent. "Are you acquainted with my darling little assistant, boy?" He sounded so utterly condescending, you had to cock a brow.

Dante, bless his soul, didn't seem fazed in the slightest. "Very much so, Mr. Alastor. We were best friends in the overworld, almost inseparable." he said cheerfully, completely oblivious of the radiating static that surrounded Alastor.

"Inseparable you say?", Alastor questioned, prickling needles creeping up your legs. "How interesting. Well, as much as I hate to interrupt this surely touching reunion, we do need to take our leave, darling. Say goodbye to your... friend."

"Right.", you said, still irritated by this obvious animosity, but you nodded and took a step to Dante who looked at the both of you with blissful cluelessness. You felt the radio demons looming presence in your neck, and mentally rolled your eyes.

"I live at the Hazbin Hotel. You're welcome to visit anytime... I'd love to... talk." you hurriedly said, before being almost ripped from him by Alastor's iron grip.

"I'd like that too, munchkin. Have a good evening, you too Mr. Alastor." Dante yelled, much too enthusiastically, and waved you goodbye as Alastor practically marched you out of the club. You could've facepalmed yourself. Some things really didn't change, and Dante's talent of being absolutely unable to read a room was one of them.

She was almost jogging next to him, her arm trapped around his, and struggled visibly to keep up with his – admittedly rage-fueled – pace.

He was annoyed, to say the least. Not only was this bird-demon obviously charmed by her, which irritated him to no end, no, but the audacity, the utter nerve he had, calling her such a childish, diminutive pet-name while touching what clearly wasn't his!

That's what he was: Annoyed. And slightly angry. Very, very angry. And, dare he admit, jealous. Yes, he felt jealousy. That vexing pang in his stomach when he saw the way her cheeks flushed and her tail curled when this impertinent creature ruffled her hair, when he saw her openly laughing, handing out a privilege he was sure he had a monopoly of: Her smile. Oh, how he wanted to rip out his feathers then, one by one, and stuff his throat with them until he choked on his own plumage.

Yes, that's what he wanted to do, and it took all his restraint not to give in to these urges.

"Sir... Alastor, please... can we... slow down?” His ears twitched at the sound of her breathless voice, and he stopped abruptly, in his thoughts as well as his stride, making her stumble. He looked down, and his grip loosened instantly. She was clutching his arm, ears and tail hanging low and a worried expression on her face. He blinked at her, the image of her smile and laugh with the stagehand gone, and his rage dissolved. He straightened his back, easing his grip on her a bit more, but he didn't release her.

"Of course, dear, forgive me. I was lost in thought." he said, a bit softer, and she relaxed a bit, sighing deeply.

"I noticed." She looked at him, a frown on her face. "Is something bothering you?"

Alastor snapped his free arm behind his back, pushing away the irritating image of the bird-demon, and grinned down to her. The day had been irritating enough, no need to fill it with further complications.

"Nothing at all, sweetheart. It's just been an awfully long day, hasn't it?", he nonchalantly exclaimed, wanting to wipe the memory of the idiot nightingale away and replacing it with his own touch, so he gently petted her ears. With a grim satisfaction he watched them shiver and her expression melt at his soft display of casual affection.

"Speaking of which, we should get going back to the hotel, wouldn't want to have our friends wait too long for the good news."

She tilted her head questioningly. "So, Miss Mimzy agreed to lend us the equipment?"

"Indeed she did. And the princess will be pleased to hear it won't cost us a helldime." Alastor chuckled at her stunned face. "I just had to remind her of the many times I've handled her ever-returning troubles for no more than her friendship in my pocket and her loyalty on the table."

A beautiful laugh rang out from her throat, and his ears perked at the sound. It sounded so much better at the place where it belonged - between him and you.

"Now, it's getting quite late, let's skip the sauntering and make use of my shadows to hurry home, or we'll risk Niffty to cook dinner."

He received no protest, just a small nod as she tightly gripped his arm. He decided to appreciate this moment of comfortable compliance and couldn't help but to smugly enjoy how close she clung to him as he teleported them back to the hotel.

Three days have passed, and Alastor had returned to his usual, detached self. The news of Alastor's bargain with his friend had Charlie hyped, and that evening, dinner had been on her. She ordered three party-sized pizzas – a cuisine Alastor didn't care for and so he had excused himself to an early nights rest, leaving you with the rest of the residents to live down the events of the day. Angel had been glued to your side the whole time, eagerly waiting for the opportunity to pull you aside. When the group didn't disintegrate after the pizza was gone and bellies were full, he declared loudly that you and him were much too tired for mingling, and had dragged you into his room.

"Tell. Me. Everything!” he had grinned, pulling you onto his bed, legs crossed and face full of impish delight. "Did 'ya yell at him? Did 'ya flip a table? Speak, woman!"

"No, we actually had a pretty normal, regular conversation. You know, like adults."

As much as you had wanted to talk about it, you couldn't tell Angel about your... escapade with Alastor. It was too fragile, too much of a question mark, and you were more than sure Alastor would be livid if anyone knew, let alone Angel Dust. The hotel wouldn't withstand that extend of an explosion.

Angel had raised a single eyebrow, eyes squinted disbelievingly at you, and a deadpanned "Oh come ON, all that riling up and there weren't even dishes flying?" He had sighed dramatically, putting the back of his hand against his forehead. "All my efforts, wasted."

"Not entirely." you had whispered, and decided to at least give him something to feed on. "He told me he's fond of me."

Angel's face had been less than impressed. "Uh-huh, is that old-timey code for 'Show me 'ya ankles?'"

You felt no remorse when the pink heart-pillow had hit him hard and straight in the nose.

You had sworn him to secrecy - "Fine, fine, it's barely some secret anyway, Rocky." - and then changed the subject, confronting Angel about the viral video of you. He outright confessed he knew about it, but told you that "it wasn't a big deal, nothing to worry about. The Vee's do shit like this all the time.", but he looked nervous and uncomfortable, determined to sway the conversation away from the topic. You didn't push it, but made a mental note to find out more about it another time.

Ever since that evening, your routine at the hotel went back to exhaustively uneventful.

Alastor was significantly more present, and therefore more at your side than before - or was it just because you were on the lookout for it now - and he always found a new reason to discreetly touch your arms, back or waist. Not a word was uttered about it, but you swore you sometimes hunger in his eyes and the crooked, knowing smiles he gave you. Yet, the evenings have become lonely again, no visits or invitations, no anything really.

You used the lonesome silence and time waiting for sleep to finally claim you to write in your diary. The sepia pages of the little gift from Rosie were slowly but surely filled, half of the papers were covered in notes, poems or fractured lyrics. Your personal therapy had become an integral part of the nights, the muted scratching on paper helping you gather your thoughts, deal with your increasing fears of rejection and released at least some of the pressure the voices in your head put on your mind. Your writing became a bit more polished, less fragmented than in the beginning, and your pen flew over the pages, words and syllables forming lines and verses, and a certain demon was woven more and more into your work.

Another day, another routine. It had been a pretty productive day, you had finally convinced Husk to dig out his old trumpet and meet you in the ballroom to assess what you'd do for the planned duet. He had been hesitant, the redness of embarrassment visible under his fur. Yet, he came through the double doors with slumped shoulders and a black case in hand and soon after the both of you stood (a bit unceremoniously) on the stage.

"I dunno, kid. I haven't touched that thing in forever." He sighed, the brass instrument in his paws.

"Well, give it a try. For me, pleeeeease?" You blinked at him with overly big, round eyes, and after a short moment, he rolled his eyes and he had given you a defeated nod.

Playing an instrument was like riding a bike - you never really forget how to do it. The same was true for Husk, he picked up his trumpet and, despite the initial rustiness, soon started playing his first song. He laughed, surprised by himself, and you encouraged him to play some more. You listened intently, and after a while, you sat down on the bench and joined him on the piano, improvising the best you could. Soon, the bike ride became a tandem, you and the cat harmonized with ease, and by the end, he wore a very new and unsuspected kind of self-confidence.

The last note was still resonating when the doors of the ballroom were pushed open and a familiar radio voice resounded in the room.

"I knew I'd find you two here."

You and Husk looked up, and Alastor was striding towards you, a curious grin on his face.

"Don't look so shocked, I'm not deaf and this hotel isn't as soundproof as you think." He came to a halt next to Husk, looking at the trumpet. "It seems that you've finally coaxed old Husker out of his artistic retirement."

Husk huffed. "She got a talent for makin' people do shit they wouldn't otherwise."

"Oh, I am well aware of that."

Alastor's eyes were on you, and your gaze dropped down to the keys, your ears twitching nervously. Husk gave the radio demon a wary look, then looked back at you, and then at the both of you again, his brows knitting together, clearly wondering what that was about.

"Hey, uh, Imma grab a drink, oil the old pipes before dinner, yo' know? This was fun, kiddo... Thanks." he said, put the instrument into it's case and hopped off the stage. Without another word he scurried away and out the door.

"Seems you have another resident wrapped around your little finger." Alastor's voice was right behind you as you fiddled with the music stand.

"I wouldn't say that. I just showed him that he had other talents than mixing drinks and sleeping upright.", you said gingerly, placing your hands in your lap. "But I'm glad you heard us. What do you think?", you asked, turning to look at him, a slight blush on your cheeks. He didn't move away from his close position, and the proximity made your tail sway.

Alastor leaned down to reply, again with that glint of hunger in his eyes, his face so dangerously close to yours, so easy to close the small distance between your...

"Husk said she's in there, oh, she'll be so happy! (Y/n)! You have a visitor!", Charlie burst through the doors with more than her usual enthusiasm, the glass in the wing doors chiming from the impact. Behind her, Dante trailed alongside Vaggie and a very pleased looking Angel. Alastor straightened, took a small, unimpressed step back and faced the intrusion, all traces of his former state erased with perfect timing and a subtle sigh of annoyance, leaving you confused and blinking in bewilderment.

You, however, were visibly flushed and taken off guard and Angel, curse that mischievous idiot, cocked a single eyebrow suggestively at you, an angelic smirk on his lips and wiggling his own eyebrows up and down at you behind Charlie, Vaggie and Dante. He would have no chance of survival if looks could kill.

Dante's smile grew wide when he caught your eyes. He was dressed more informal than last time, more like his old self - a simple, tight-fitting white shirt under a sandy brown, heavy-knitted cardigan and light blue jeans.

"I finally finished my gig at Mimzy's yesterday night and thought I'd swing by. Wasn't sure whether your invitation still stood..." He put his hands into his pockets, smile and stance awkward. "But I really wanted to see you again, munchkin."

The harsh and loud sound of feedback cut your answer off. Heads turned, and Angel stifled a snicker and Charlie and Vaggie stared at Alastor, who looked innocently into the distance, grin wide and stiff, his hands hidden behind his back. You however, ignoring the increasing static attacking your back, jumped up from the bench and hurried down the stage.

"Of course the invitation stands. I'm glad you came, Dante."

Charlie took your hands, hopping up and down on her feet as she spoke. "I've already shown him around the hotel! He told me his amazing story of being reunited with you after all this time, it's so nice to meet a friend of yours, (Y/n)!" Charlie beamed at the nightingale, “He's such a nice guy!”

"Yeah, Rocky, where have you been hidin' this hunk A' feathers? And here I was thinkin' 'ya didn't have any hot friends besides me. Guess you have a few skeletons in 'ya closet afterall, eh?" Angel grinned, appreciatively eyeing Dante's backside.

"Alright, let's cool the sexual harassment down, he's only just arrived." Vaggie said unnerved, already pushing the smirking spider out the double doors. "I'm sure they have a lot of catching up to do, how about we give them a few minutes? Dinner in half an hour?" Charlie nodded, following her girlfriend's lead. "You two take your time, we'll be in the kitchen!" She gave Alastor, who hadn't moved at all, a slightly challenging look.

His red eyes snapped to Charlie, the static snapping into a calm hum. "Ah, yes, of course, let's leave those two to reminisce about the good old days." His laugh seemed a little bit forced, but his movements were smooth as he passed you, and stopped just briefly enough to brush your lower back, his eyes fixed on the unsuspecting nightingale. "Do stay for dinner, Dante. Our lovely Niffty does make a fantastic roast chicken , when she get her hands on the right ingredients ." His words, although nice, were sublimely laced with an underlying threat. Something that flew right over both Charlie's and Dante's head, apparently.

Your friend gave Alastor an almost blinding smile. "Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Alastor, that's mighty kind of you."

Charlie's smile was strained, her eyes flickering back and forth between the three of you, and she gave you an apologetic shrug as Alastor turned on his heels and strutted out the door, hurrying after him. You watched the doors closed with a loud thud, shaking your head at the passive-aggressiveness Alastor showed Dante for apparently simply existing.

“Man, everyone's so nice here.” Dante smiled innocently. Oh Satan. Ignorance truly is bliss.

“Yeah, they are... well-meaning.”, you compromise, fidgeting with the ruffles of your blouse. You looked at your friend, not knowing where to begin the conversation you wanted to have the moment you realized who he was. Dante watched your fingers picking at the delicate fabric, his smile turning into a sad, crooked line.

“Come on, ask, I know you want to.”

You swallowed hard.

"What happened, Danny?” His eyes dropped at the long forgotten nickname. “One day, we were out buying a gift for your mom's birthday, and a week later, I get a call that...”, your voice broke, and you blinked tears away. Dante took a step towards you and grabbed your hands.

"I know, munchkin, I know. I'm so sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am." He sighed, his breath trembling. “I told them when I was at mamma's house, one day after her birthday. I came out. I thought I was ready, they were ready. But they weren't.”

He turned his back to you, a hand brushed nervously trough his hair, combing back his quiff. “They... well, papa was furious, mamma cried and screamed. I... They told me I'm a disgrace, that I was... sick, and needed to get help. I wasn't allowed to come back to the academy, they wanted to send me to a conversion camp, to... cure me."

You reached out to him, but he began to move, walking back and forth while gesturing nervously. "When I said I didn't want that, that I can't try to be someone I'm not, that I didn't want to pretend and lie to my family anymore... they threw me out. They said.... that I wasn't their son anymore. That I was dead to them. I felt... trapped, and scared, and like a mistake. And then, I stood at that bridge, and I just..."

Dante's shoulders shook, his hand buried in his hair, he sobbed loudly and his voice was raw with emotion.

"Danny...", you whispered, and wrapped your arms around his shoulders. You hugged him tightly, and he turned to return the embrace. He held you closely, crying quietly into the crook of your neck. "I'm so sorry, Danny. So, so sorry."

You stood there for a while, the nightingale's sniffles and your gentle hushing the only sound in the empty room. Then, he pulled away from you, and wiped his wet cheeks.

"Why didn't you tell me?", you asked, a rogue tear rolling down your cheek. "I would've helped you, I would've been there for you."

Dante smiled sadly at you. "I know. But you had already so much on your plate. Your mom, and your jobs, and your own depression. I couldn't be another burden on your shoulders, you were already close to drowning, munchkin."

You felt awful. Guilty. Devastated. You felt a deep, unrelenting sadness for your friend, for what he had been through, and what he had done because of it. And you were angry, for not being there, not seeing the signs, not saving him from the people who were supposed to love him, but didn't.

Dante gently put his fingers on your cheek, wiping away the stray tear. "Do you remember when I came out to you? Second year, just after our songwriting workshop. I was so scared, I didn't know what would happen, what you'd say. But you accepted me, accepted everything, the way I am." He took your hand and lead you up to the piano again. “The day after, you took me to see LaLaLand.” he chuckled, pulling you onto the bench beside him. “It was the first time I went with a girl to the movies without her thinking it would end in the sheets.”

You chuckled too, weakly. “You cried the whole ride back, I remember.”

"A man has the right to be sad if Ryan Gosling is singing. Those are the rules." he nudged your shoulder, his playful tone returning. Then, he looked at the keys, his left hand tenderly placing itself on the lower half of the piano. "That night, we promised we'd be always there for each other... I'm sorry I broke that promise. ♫

The notes were blunt, but full of melancholy. Dante was never a piano player, but he was so obsessed with this song, you had taught him the left hand in countless nights on his keyboard at home, while full on take-out pasta and cheap Ginger Ale. He started singing, unsure and out of practice, but still as beautiful as you remembered his voice to be. Any faint sound, was it statc?, drowned out by his tender notes.

♫City of stars Are you shining just for me? City of stars There's so much that I can't see♫

Your right hand moved on it's own to the higher keys, joining his and completing the melody.

♫Who knows? I felt it from the first embrace I shared with you.♫

Your voice felt thick and course, but you smiled when you started to sing, and heard him breathe a small sigh of relief. As if he feared you wouldn't join in, leaving him alone. As if you could ever do that.

♫That now our dreams They've finally come true City of stars Just one thing everybody wants There in the bars And through the smokescreen of the crowded restaurants♫

Dante nudged your side with his elbow, something he always used to do to make you miss a note or two, and while singing, you couldn't help but join his chuckle. Your hands moved in wonderful unison, completing each others lack of confidence. Like two pieces of an old puzzle, reunited in a beat-up cardboard box, suddenly falling into place and fitting perfectly again.

♫It's love Yes, all we're looking for is love from someone else

A rush A glance A touch A dance♫

You looked at each other, coaxing the opposite into a grin, while your fingers grew steadier and in self-confidence in pressing down on the keys.

♫A look in somebody's eyes To light up the skies To open the world and send it reeling A voice that says, I'll be here And you'll be alright♫

Dante swayed side to side, his face playful and challenging, and you took the challenge, straightening your back and took on an almost arrogant pose, accentuating the higher notes you played with a smug expression, earning his signature amused huff.

♫I don't care if I know Just where I will go 'Cause all that I need is this crazy feeling A rat-tat-tat of my heart Think I want it to stay♫

His gaze fell back to the whites and blacks of the piano, the corners of his lips falling down again, and he looked forlorn, as if deep in contemplation. You watched him silently, wondering, if he didn't decide to end his life, if he still would've ended up here, in hell.

♫City of stars Are you shining just for me? City of stars♫

You leaned your head on his shoulders, closing your eyes. No, you decided. He wouldn't have.

♫You never shined so brightly...♫

Both of your hands rested on the last set of keys. For a moment, none of you spoke, moved or breathed. The last tunes faded into the empty, lowly humming hall and Dante's head finally fell against yours, his cheek warm in your hair.

"Stay. Here at the hotel."

You opened your eyes and looked into his, smiling earnestly. He looked at you, a bit taken aback, but said nothing.

"Charlie and the others are nice people. They'll love you, and they would accept you just as I did. And if, by any chance and miracle, redemption really is possible, then I know you'd be the first one to archive it, Danny."

"Do you really think I could?", he asked, a hopeful light in his eyes.

"I absolutely believe you could. And no matter what happens, I'd be there for you. Just like we promised."

The nightingales hand slid off the keys, and softly cupped yours, before closing over it completely, engulfing in a warm grasp.

"Just like we promised." he said, determination in his voice.

You opened the doors, still laughing when you ran against something red and solid. Alastor stood rigidly in front of you both, almost glowing in the darkness of the corridor. His toothy smile was menacing, dark swirls of his shadows danced along the walls. Oh-oh.

"Ah, what wonderful timing!”, he said overly joyous, a straight indication of his aggravation. “Husker and Niffty are just dying to meet our visitor."

"Actually", Dante interrupted cheerfully, stupidly wrapping an arm around your shoulders in an unconscious effort to be obliterated, "(Y/n) here convinced me to stay, so... I guess I'll ask princess Charlie to become a permanent resident here!"

Please, please, please, ground, you pleaded, swallow me whole.

Alastor's eyes twitched, and the corners of his lips pulled higher than you've ever seen them.

"My, aren't that news that'll ruffle some feathers?", he pressed through his teeth, a malevolent static laced around his voice. "Why don't you hurry to the kitchen and tell her, my good fellow? Me and this darling kitten will join you shortly, there's some urgent business we have to take care of. Don't wait for us to start enjoying dinner."

"Sure thing, Mr. Alastor!", the nightingale chirped, blissfully ignorant, and made his way down the corridor. "I'll tell them the good news and save you a seat, munchkin!"

Alastor's claws grabbed your shoulder as he followed your friends silhouette disappearing into the foyer, before he pulled you towards him, taking your wrist hostage. You wanted to ask what was wrong, but his shadows were faster, enveloping you in an instant.

His hand were still clamped down on your wrist when the shadowtravel ended abruptly, and your feet fell into damp, soft ground. You blinked confused, head dizzy from the unexpected transportation. Alastor finally let go, and you almost fell backwards into the softness surrounding you. Around you were tall reeds and grasses, that lined the edges of shimmering bodies of shallow waters, like a swamp, rustling softly in an explainable breeze. There was a whisper of crickets in the air, and the dim illumination of a pale-blueish moon above your head, hidden by thick, almost indigo colored leaves of cypress trees.

"I do have to say, my dear, I am surprised,", Alastor stated, his voice betraying his fake, lighthearted smile – he sounded utterly enraged. "I did not take you for the type who would so blatantly throw oneself at the next best tail. Especially not since the right to your body isn't yours to give."

"Wh- What are you talking about?" You stuttered, taken aback. If he intended to make you blush, he hit his mark, but with your confusion, his choice of words was even more questionable, as was his accusation. For a moment, you were baffled. Blinking slowly, his words echoed in your mind. Was he suggesting that...

"I think it's high time I remind you that your body, soul, mind and heart, belong to me.", Alastor took one long step, until your shoes almost touched, and his body loomed over yours. "Undress."

Oh god, yes. Your eyes widened, your mind catching on fire. Your hands instinctively went to the buttons of your blouse, like a natural response to his order ingrained in every fiber. His stare was all consuming, he was literally pouring with possessiveness and - dare you say - jealous energy, and it drove you insane. As unhealthy as it very possibly was, you felt almost power drunk at the thought of Alastor - THE Radio Demon - enacting on jealous rage just because he saw you touch or talk to somebody else- not to mention your very gay best friend. He wants us. But that was the crux, wasn't it? Was he reacting to his, or just your feelings? You had been so full of emotion after speaking with Dante, maybe this reaction of him was - once again - your doing. No, please no. Let him want us.

The whining, wanton voices in your mind made your head impossibly fuzzy, but at the same time, adrenaline spiked your heart rate, flooding your brain with excitement and yearning.

"Alastor... um, maybe my emotions, I mean... my powers are a bit confusing right now?", you started to ramble, trying to regain the little clarity you had left.

"Frankly, darling, I really don't care about whether it's your silly power or not. ʊռɖʀɛֆֆ.”

The amount of intensity that backed his voice made you tremble so hard it had to be registered on the Richter scale. You stopped, hesitated a moment longer - not because you didn't want to obey him, not in the slightest, but because you were overwhelmed by your own, visceral reactions -, but your hands kept popping the buttons, until the collar fell open.

He watched with such voracious intent as your trembling fingers opened the next few, gradually exposing the upper curve of your breasts. His eyes didn't miss any detail, as you finished unbuttoning it. You lifted it from the waistband of your pants and slipped the thin fabric off your shoulders, and he only stepped in closer to you when it fluttered to the floor.

Your skin already glowed faintly, an effervescent mist hovering over it in the strange ambiance around you, pink against teal. Your own heat collided with the cool air of the bayou as you stepped out of your pants, kicking off your shoes in the process - the last barrier only your flimsy, plain black underwear. It felt dangerous, exhilarating, you felt vulnerable and at the same time strangely powerful, and the surge of those two conflicting emotions electrified you.

Alastor's gaze hungrily traveled from the soft expanse of your exposed throat, down the thin curve of your sternum, stopping at your chest before it was shielded by the thin fabric of your bra. The short journey ended when his eyes focused on the crook of your neck again,

"Go on, little gem, you're almost there.", he crooned, tilting his head with a wicked expression when you reached for the clasp of your bra. Your heart made a salto montale.

"Take. It. Off."

The snap of the clasp echoed the flutter of your heart as the cloth fell over your arms onto the ground. You stood shivering, breathless, his starved look making every nerve in you jump. Your nipples hardened as the coolness hit them, goosebumps littered your skin, but it was obvious that you weren't shaking because of the cold. He drank you in, his ears flicked shortly - a brief, subconscious gesture of amusement and satisfaction at your unyielding compliance and the instant reaction your body displayed as a consequence of it. With an agonizing finality, you slipped your fingers under the straps of your panties, and pushed them down, letting them join the mess of fabrics under your feet.

He looked at you as you were something only meant for his eyes, like a masterpiece that had been hidden from the public by a passionate collector. Something he would have wrapped in silk and kept in darkness until he decided to unveil it in the right circumstances, making it only his own to adore - and covet.

He moved, slowly, stepping around your now exposed and vulnerable body. He circled you like a shark, unraveling your frame inch by inch as he walked in an unapologetic, predatory rhythm, savoring every crevasse, every plane that made you up, enjoying every moment of you yielding your bare body to him, your tail whipping around your thighs in nervous swishes.

He reached out with an impish smile, his fingers glided through the soft fur of your tail, letting you twitch and whine at the teasing pull on it.

"I'll make it perfectly clear, kitten, so you won't make this foolish mistake again." Alastor pushed you down, and you fell back with a small cry into the softness of moss and soil. You wanted to say something, but before you even had a chance of uttering anything remotely intelligible, he had thrown off his overcoat and rolled up his sleeves, revealing blackened fingers and hands fading into light gray, not unlike your own skin color before his shirt concealed what looked like soft, thin traces of red fur.

His claws dug into your thighs, spreading them with absolute ease - as if you had a chance of resisting - and knelt in between them, fixated on your painfully throbbing, exposed wetness. You arched at the sharp feeling of his nails piercing into your soft flesh, mind numb from the lack of oxygen as you forgot to breathe entirely.

"This..." he leaned in and dragged his tongue flat through your folds, flicking the sensitive bud above in the process - just briefly and shallow enough for the sensations to register before they ebbed again. Your gasp was as loud as it was shattering, drawing the last reserves of your fleeting air out of your lungs.

"...belongs..." once more he dragged, dipping his tongue deeper this time, before flicking out the pointed tip playfully, leaving you a whimpering mess, and shifted his hands towards your knees - opening you almost criminally wide. He hummed in deep satisfaction, harmonizing with the whispering sounds of the waters and the crickets, the vibrations traveling like a landline right from his mouth into your deepest core.

"...only..." This time, he let the very tip of his tongue swipe the tip of your pearl, again and again, an addicting and wickedly slow pace. Alastor's claws left the spot behind your knees, finding new interest on the lower halves of your belly and chest, scratching almost harshly from your rib cage, down towards your public bone. His nails left tiny trails of redness behind - like writing poetry on your body with your own blood.

"...to..." he smiled menacingly at your whimpering, panting self, your mind addled, your eyes already shimmering through the wildest shades of the color wheel.

"...ME." His unholy mouth closed fully around your clit. Your moans became frantic when he started to suction the already raw spot in perfect, overwhelming pressure and coaxed his tongue, round after round and in slow, sinful pace, over it. You cried out his name, hands flying foolishly into his hair, finding enlarged antlers and gripping onto them like you'd drown without them, desperate for purchase, desperate to hold onto something. He let you, and intensified his ministrations, feeling your mind-breaking build in delight.

You came - oh, how you came - with an urgency and intensity that stole your breath away - yet he relentlessly licked you through it, not relenting in pace or pressure - keeping you on this devastating and haunting edge, drinking every last drop with such hungry need as if it were water and he was dying in a desert. When he finally relented, you fell back exhausted, panting, shaking, sweating. Alastor pushed your hands softly from his antlers, releasing them from your grasp. He was towering over you now, your trembling legs falling on either side of his, completely open - bare, utterly spent and limp. His eyes were on yours, ravenous, his mouth glistening wet from your juices. With his lips curled in a merciless smile, he watched you writhe under the aftershocks, and it only added another tingling sensation on top of them - making you moan and shiver even more, so vulnerable under his gaze alone.

"Did the message come across now, kitten?"

"Perfectly.“, you whispered, still spent from your orgasm. He brushed your disheveled locks tenderly and reached out with his claw, teasing your lower lip with its pointy, razor-sharp tip. A rogue drip of blood escaped your mouth as he cut it, he caught it and licked it off his finger, closing his eyes and letting a gratifying hum escape his throat.

The gang was halfway through dinner when you and Alastor appeared. A snap of his fingers had restored your disheveled physical state, yet it was you who bore the consequences mentally - forcing yourself into a neutral, innocent expression after what happend proved impossibly hard. Half of the table eyed you with suspicion as you made your apologies and sat down - Angel winked, Husk simply raised a brow, Vaggie crossed her arms in disapproval. The other half - Charlie, Niffty and Dante - however smiled happily, the nightingale unaware and innocently patting the empty chair next to him encouragingly. He had, indeed, saved you a seat.

Charlie stood up almost jovially, welcoming a new potential sinner and resident of the Hazbin Hotel now that everyone was present.

"So, let's try and give Dante the best possible welcome to our family!", she chimed, raising her glass to a toast. Dante smiled his usual boyish smile as the others - with the exeption of Alastor, who observed your friend with quiet distaste - joined their glasses to cheer.

"Hear, hear!", Angel grinned, leaning over to Dante with a sly look, his fingers lightly tracing the rim of his glass. "Are ya roomed yet, birdie boy? If not, why don't 'ya crash with me? I got a big... bed.", he offered seductively, giving the nightingale a full-on flirty look. Throughout the following groans, indignant huffs and amused giggles, Dante laughed heartily.

"I don't think that would be the best idea, I wouldn't want to tempt you.", he gave the e flamboyant spider a good natured wink, completely unfazed by the other's shameless advances. Angel huffed dramatically, resting his elbows on the table and cupping his chin in his hands, batting his long lashes at him.

"The offer still stands, Tweety, I like the challenge of turning a straight guy around."

Dante gave you a quick glance, nodding slightly and took a small breath. "Well, then you need to look for one.”

The spider leaned back, a curious tilt of the head while Charlie gave a confused smile and looked between them. "I... beg your pardon?"

You gave your old friend a small, encouraging smile, and put your hand softly on his arm while you avoided looking at Alastor as to not burst out in laughter for what was about to happen.

"I said, 'you need to look for one', because I'm gay.", he said bluntly, smile nervous but genuine. “Munchkin told me you'd be okay with that... I am kind of closeted, she's the only one who knew until now.”

Radio silence hung for a few seconds. Then Charlie jumped up quickly and almost threw herself over the table, a squeak of happiness as her arms encircled Dante's neck in an awkward hug, almost making him fall from his chair. “OH MY GOSH! Of course we're okay with that, I'm so honored, so proud of you to tell us!”

He patted her arm with a bright laugh, as the table erupted in surprised and happy chatter. Vaggie rubbed her temple, sighing in loving disbelief at her girlfriend's dramatic outburst. Husk didn't bat an eye, going back to his meal, but was smirking openly and raised his glass to Dante's statement. Niffty clapped cheerfully, while Angel applauded loudly, catcalling and hollering lewd praises.

You dared to look at Alastor, and the sight was worth everything: the Radio Demon looked shocked. Actually, he looked as close to 'being dumbfounded' as he'd ever get, with the biggest 'what-just-happened-expression' plastered across his face and irritated static popping all around him. When he regained his composure, he smoothed his tie and searched for your eyes. With the rest of the group distracted by congratulating Dante, no one noticed Alastor mouthing at you a single word:

"Touché."

<< Previous Chapter - Next Chapter >>

[socksbro1]

Date: Tuesday! (April 22nd, 2025)

Alpha’s cool things!

(Note: Remington-Gede wanted to present their findings themselves, so they wrote their own log today. While their spelling is much better, they still sometimes struggle with grammar. Please be kind.)

CodeRat here! So, Tester said I could show this off! This feels good! Ok, so Alpha.

They are growing fast. Very fast. Like, SPorTaSL fast. I think it’s clock speed. I don’t remember how fast they think, but they thing way faster than they should, so I think they are thinking normal speed, but their brain is moving faster than around them. So they thing for 5 minutes, and time moves one second. Like those slow motion scenes from the Matrix.

Oh yeah, the Matrix! That was fun. We had movie night a few days ago. Humans think up weird things. Tester called it ironic. I think it’s cool. My old job didn’t have those Smith guys, or the cool green lines, or kung fu guys I had to kill. I just did math.

Alpha! They’re able to stop their lagging, which is cool. It’s weird to think they used to lag out the DwEaAdvUPlAdde so much. Oh yeah, Tester says I should use his words. Simulation. Lag out the Simulation.

Why does he capitalize so many letters? It’s literally just a word with a capital. Why is it supposed to differentiate it?

Alpha can fly very fast, and stop very fast. They can shoot video, and can use their lagging to speed up or slow down the recording. More slow motion, and fast forward, in real time! Alpha said that Mr Talky Guy talked for way longer than the scouting video. Alpha just sped himself up to not have to listen to it.

Alpha has a Lag Spike and a Lag Blast. A Lag Spike shoots towards one guy, while a Lag Blast hits a bunch of guys. Both hurt more if you’re looking at him, because of Active Rendering. It causes AdvUripts to get knocked out. It’s useful.

I managed to get something called a “goggly eye” and stick it on Alpha. It’s right in the middle of their recording side, and you can see it in video. It loos funny

(Note: I have no idea where they found that.)

Anyways, I think that’s everything? I guess I’m done.

Oh wait!

Have A good Day!

CodeRat

There, now I’m done!

[kuu-stuff]

13th February 2025

There is a period that comes back every few months where I kind of drift away. The end of the year/start of the next is always brutal on this regard, I overwork myself in October, then spend a month relaxing where I start noticing my art mistakes more then the next one I try desperately to improve my level but I just can't reach the skills I want so I feel frustrated, then in January I take commissions and they often overlap on February. And now I'm just so tired. I feel like I haven't drawn for pleasure in a while and it drives me away from my tablet. It's always nice to work on commissions but it's certainly not the right season for it and I take too many of them. I can't really work freely on anything until I finish them all, or it makes me feel bad for making my clients wait. But at the same time, my motivation is just dropping down day by day. Right now I still have 5 commissions to work on, and not small ones. And all this puts me in automatic drive and I just kind of work on my commissions then play video games and I don't think about anything and stop writing in my diary or work on my projects. Usually it helps to start new ones, since my current ones are kind of out of my mind at that time, but then it just gives me more work for the rest of the year. I'll try to start finishing what I can this year. I think I'll erase "Here, within reach" since that whole scenario will start in the main series soon and that one gets a lot of hate for some reason and it kind of demotivates me on Contained itself. I should try to finish "Remnants of our memories" since it's a shorter story. I want to redo the last part, I really didn't like how it end up looking like and it makes me feel like I broke the perfection of it. I'm coming to a part of Contained where I need to rewrite some scenes but the next part will be very short and it's the first thing I'll work on after I finish the next 2 commissions. Then, oh well, I'll see. Until then I'll try to work on my essay on Silas in between each commissions steps to keep me sane. ✰✶✰✶✰✶✰✶✰✶✰✶✰ Those last months were so empty and annoying that I have nothing to say even. Oh, right, I started "Cherished Nightmares" since last time. I started it on a whim, as always. I wanted to make it into a black and white more manga-esque quick series like "Remnants of our memories" but I ended up coloring it so it doesn't take me less time at all... I did change the format tho, I thought that it's nice to have at least once comic that could be printable. Tho I made each pictures a bit too big, the writings too, but so if you ever want to print it at home, having 2 pages on each side will be well readable. Paper saving. On the concept, I classified it as horror/drama. I'd have chosen psychological if I had the option. I certainly shouldn't spoil but I was heavily inspired by the video on time travel rendering you inhuman, as well as the again and again music. I had similar scenarios in my mind but I went for something more painful. As always the character has no self-esteem and want to save a character she loves. More as a sacrifice than hoping to ever being with him. The issue is that it's way harder than it seems and no matter what she tries, she can't find a way to do it and of course she blames herself. Feeling guilty, trapped in a world where she doesn't belong, trying to save someone she believes would hate her, she spiral further into insanity. Will it have a good ending ? I'm not sure yet. That's what "This time I can share it with you" is for after all.

[obsessivelyloved]

I'm obsessed with this youtube video on exploring old dead games

__________________________________________________________

The upbeat tunes were eerie to listen to as he explored the game. It sounded quite similar to things he heard growing up, from commercials for these computer games he was never allowed to play. The family computer was really just his parent's computer. And they never trusted these types of games. 

His parents had claimed that anyone talking to people online was a weirdo. So. Anything with people in it was a no-go. It was his handheld game or nothing. 

 So it was cool, in a way, to explore this online game. It was empty, devoid of life, but it was interesting. Even with the unnerving tunes. 

It made Edd wish a little that his parents hadn’t been so strict about online safety when he was a kid. He would have loved making new friends on this game's servers in its hayday. Because contrary to their beliefs, not everyone online was a gross weirdo trying to get kid’s home addresses. 

Ugh, Edd did not miss seeing those PSAs on the tv or hearing about them in school.

Edd sighed as his avatar stopped moving. The building he was trying to enter was trying so hard to render and load. It had been so long since this particular server had been updated, let alone used by people. He had to wait a lot for textures and stuff to load. 

It took a few minutes, but shop after shop started appearing. Then the floor texture loaded, then…. a person! 

Edd wiggled his mouse and tapped on his arrow key, impatiently wanting his character to move already. This was the first person he’s seen in this game! And he tried six servers already! 

But as he got closer to the other person, his face fell. There was no username hovering above the avatar. It was merely an NPC. Or a statue, since it wasn’t moving. 

“Aw man,” Edd muttered, slumping down. He’d just have to keep an eye out as he explored forgotten worlds. 

Still, he moved closer to check out the statue. Finally close enough to see it, he stopped.

What the hell? Edd thought to himself. The statue was plain, up until you got to its eyes. It appeared to be a man, with black pants and a blue hoodie. With large, black empty eyes. 

Edd huffed. It was probably someone’s last project, a way to scare anyone exploring. He moved around the statue, giving it one last look, before he moved on. 

As expected, the game freaked out as he left the building. Slowly, the world loaded, grass and buildings popping up. 

Edd moved on, lagging as he interacted with things. 

He found the statue again. 

This time, it was sitting on a park bench. Watching him, no matter which direction he went. And it kept appearing in places Edd’s avatar stopped at, while the world loaded. Whoever’s idea it was to scare new players, it was working. 

Edd went to click on the leave server button but…. nothing happened. Goddammit. He was going to have to close the game and then wait forever for it to load back up. 

Tom: leaving so soon?

Edd stared at the chat, baffled. He spun his avatar around, searching for another player. Not a single user name popped up in sight. Let alone another avatar. Who was talking to him? 

Colalover15: hi! have you been following me? 

Edd nervously typed. He didn’t feel like getting jumpscared by some random player. This game was unintentionally scary already. 

Tom: yes. you are the first player I’ve seen in a long time. no one joins anymore. 

Colalover15: I bet! I’ve joined six servers and haven’t seen a single person lol. do you play often? where are you? 

Tom: I’m right in front of you. 

Oh hell no. The only thing in front of him was the statue. That’s it, Edd was done. He was not participating in a creepypasta or urban legend. 

He clicked the X button on the window and waited. And tried again. And again. 

He frowned, his heart beginning to beat fast. 

Tom: why are you trying to leave? aren’t you having fun? 

Tom: are you bored of this world? 

Faster than the game had been loading all night, the world changed. A new map appeared, a different set of cheerful music playing. Edd grimaced, quickly muting his volume. This one was actively giving him a headache. 

He was in a room now, the walls gray and furniture scattered around. Things he was sure kids in the early 2000s would have loved popped up. 

Obscure and old pop artist pictures, ads, and activities flooded the walls of what Edd assumed to be a hub building. The statue was still standing in front of him. 

Tom: is this better? 

Colalover15: it’s very interesting! i haven’t seen some of this stuff in years. how did you do that? are you a dev? 

Edd hoped this was just a weird dev messing with him. But, still, it was best to be polite. Just in case. As he waited for the person’s reply, he ventured closer to the pictures on the walls. As expected, the links on them were dead. Each webpage was long gone.

Tom: Is it not 2004? 

Can of worms. This was a can of worms Edd did not want to fucking open. Since closing the game window wasn’t working, he clicked his power button. To his horror, nothing happened. Perhaps it was a bit over dramatic, but he yanked out the computer’s power cord. 

His screen flickered, then turned off. Ugh, Edd really hoped that the game hadn’t turned out to have a virus or anything malicious in the code. He really couldn’t afford to replace his desktop. And his parents would be so mad at him… 

Speaking of parents, it was a school night. It was best that he got to bed before one of them got up. 

He laid down on his side, facing his wall. With his heart still racing, he snuggled into his blankets. As scary as that was, he was pretty excited to tell his friends at school about it. At the very least, Tord would like it. Then, they could explore it together at his house, on his computer. 

Just as Edd was falling asleep, cheery pop music played on a low volume. 

Someone was standing behind him.

[gophergal]

For the artist asks: 5, 13, 23, 16 and 24? :3

5. Anything you haven’t drawn yet but want to?

I have this thing I call The List in my sketchbook that I keep adding more crap to draw to. So. Yeah a lot of things. For example, a sequel to my "comfort character" drawing (the one with Medic, Sub-Zero, and Michael Myers in the car) but it's just the other halves of my otps (in this case Heavy Weapons Guy, Scorpion, and Jason Voorhees) begrudgingly hanging out because their menfolk are out raising hell and they're waiting on them.

13. Show your favourite drawing from last year

Oh that's so fucking hard to choose. Uhhh. I'm gonna show multiple because I can.

These two are my favorites I did for class, From The Garden and Body(Flesh Prison)

This is my favorite original fun drawing (Fettuccini the Good Noodle is my ttrpg character Korn Kenny's pet giant eel)

Then my two favorite fandom pieces. In which I fed the lesbians and acquired a new ship that has consumed my brain, respectively

16. What’s the most daunting part of your process? Ex, planning, sketching, lineart, rendering etc

Lineart my fucking BELOATHED. Unless I'm in a flow state, it's hellish. Absolutely feels like dragging myself through barbed wire and broken glass

23. Do you listen to music or watch shows while you work? If so, what’s your favourite?

Usually, I listen to podcasts or video essays. Podcasts: it's usually Distractible. Because I'm basic. Video essays: I like anything that goes in depth about media analysis.

24. How do you deal with artblock?

Smack my head against the desk and power through with a prompt or something. Harder to do during the semester since I also have class work that takes priority over fun stuff, but eh it is what it is. I just try not to let art block win by being stubborn.

[ARTIST ASKS]

[dweam-en-eff]

DNF CHICKEN VIDEO LIVEBLOG NOW THAT I CAN WATCH IT WOOO

lmao dream didnt even tell him the premise before starting "BTW I CAN GLIDE" im an idiot i thought he had his hud hidden for a second then realized it was just tiny lmao george went splat |you can tell how long ago this was he still had the crown damn that chimken has a lot of health wait if dream dies but the chicken is fine can he still get back to it. can he just hide it somewhere. actually yeah not having to fight dream is a huge advantage in this situation lmao AND chicken cant wear armor so that's concerning chicken fling inb4 he crits it on instinct while grabbing food dude put him in a hole while ur doing stuff does the chicken regen or does it need seeds like in the pet videos? the fast graphic leaves are annoying me "yeah just like you were bugged ea-" excuse me when they know each others' tells <3 can the chicken breathe underwater. does chimken have gills. ok but the fact that he called it chimken kills me that's a very gen z thing to do the chicken loves his dad (george) boat strats lol ok but without the hand there it genuinely looks like he's f1'd. i no longer feel dumb for thinking he was oh dream's deader than the chicken "it's like the opposite of jaws" 1 hp chicken!! wtf are those noises george lmao "Please he's just a little chicken" 😭 sidenote why tf are emojis rendered like that on notepad just add proper emoji support already jeez music switch hi "im so glad sapnap isnt in this recording im glad we had a falling out" silly silly …lets be real there's probably someone in the comments who'll believe him wholeheartedly damn eating chimken's brother in front of him and chimken got revenge by egging him lmao HE'S JUST A CHIMKEN!!! oh god the fire strats HE GOT BOXED BY A FISH damn that's an old reference ICE BOATS this is chaos lmao wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee throws the chicken at him lol just realized i've been spelling it wrong this whole time it's chimkin not chimken rip i love how we all thought this'd be dnf chicken dads cuteness but nope george just wants this chicken dead he hid the chicken in the house lets go nvm george found him immediately DONT BRING THE CHICEKN IDIOT ok welp that should buy him some time lmao he almost burned the chicken rip fox diamonds having slowfall in the nether is actually gonna be very helpful, he can escape from george pretty easily given all the ledges omg old-timey christmas music this is the only time christmas music in october is acceptable. "i can… fight you i guess 🙄" o i see him does he srsly- HE DIDNT SEE DREAM 0.5 jesus oh wait if it goes down by .5s the chicken actually has 20 hearts/40 hp, damn he is not making that- oh pearl nvm "okay lets get out of here" so casual lmao HOW i've missed "hello dream" <3 chicken's stuck lmao chicken almost just suicided CLUTCH but also why'd he wait so long to leap after it chicken wants a hot tub bath hi george how many blaze rods did he get? i don't think he can leave the foretress yet, can he? if he doesnt have enough yet he kinda just needs to kill george righ- oh there he goes chicken's an escape arCHICKEN'S SUICIDAL JESUS "i clutched that was epic" "i dont care 😒" he yays in lowercase daww sir you are on fire i love him when he's calm and silly mode um acksuallyyyy gliding from holding a chicken is canon in the 2022 april fools update (that's the one block at a time one right) heck i moused over the video on accident and saw how close i am to the finish. rip chimken you arent living long lolwut actually it's probably a rounding error, health is stored in smaller percentages than we realize damn chimken was actually a dragon what a plot twist "that was… anticlimactic dies"

And then i watched the extra scenes and laughed at chicken dragon and awwed at dnf going to get haircuts immediately after but i can't add those parts bc tumblr hates me 😒