#ye olde hanky code

[tellurian-in-aristasia]

I’m so glad someone is doing the real archival work here. I’ve been fascinated with Aristasia and its various movements and outgrowths for several years now on an academic level, and I never thought to turn to Tumblr in my efforts to find more sources. My entry point was an offhand comment on a web page about lesbian Victorian roleplay (something that was apparently common enough for Coming to Power to mention a specific hanky in the lesbian hanky code for “Victorian lady/disobedient maid”-themed cruising) and since then I’ve been compelled by how narrowly I missed coming into their sphere of influence. Thank you for your efforts!

Thank you very much for the message! I do not feel like a can competently string together well thought out essays about Aristasia, but I am more than happy to be the one digging through archives so that others may make use of them. Even if they are, a bit, hidden away on Tumblr. Although I have been trying to mirror them over on a wordpress blog, so that the search engines have an easier time of tracking what I'm doing, and I do try to upload what I find to the internet archive. I mostly just find Tumblr to be a bit more reflective of the sporadic and frantic research and speculation that I tend to do. If you've also been researching for several years, and you have anything I may have missed, I would be absolutely delighted to hear about it! I would also be delighted to hear about what the hanky code for Victorian/maid cruising might be! I can only imagine it's very frilly.

[hollowbutcanlove]

Valorant character phrases about you pt 1

Briefly about you: anxious, impulsive, emotional, creative, fear of abandonment and attachment to loved ones, mood swings

🔥Phoenix🔥

"Hey sunshine, stop chewing yourself up! You're tougher than you think!"

"If someone hurts you, tell me and I'll punch them in the face. Just kidding... Well, not really."

"You criticize yourself too much. I, for example, am perfect, and I don't get self-conscious."

🌪️Jett🌪️

"You're like the wind, a squall or a calm. But it would be boring without you!"

"Stop thinking bad thoughts! "Let's jump off the cliff. Uh, I mean, fly!"

"If everyone's such an asshole, just go faster than them. If they don't catch up, they won't hurt you."

"You could be a great duelist. If you didn't reflex after every shot.

🧿Reyna🧿

"Your tears are a luxury. "Spend it on those who deserve it."

"If you feel sorry for yourself, you'll be eaten alive. You want me to teach you how to fight back?"

"Afraid of being alone? That's funny. Loneliness is strength."

🫟Raze🫟

"You're like my bomb - ticking on and off, then bang, bang, bang! And it's awesome!"

"Let's do some art therapy! I've got grenades, paints... well, grenades are the paints!"

"You're too focused. "Here's a grenade, drop it and run! Metaphorically! Well... or not."

🌀Yoru🌀

"You trust people too much. It's dangerous."

"If everyone's such a jerk - why worry? Go through them like I did."

"You're crying over nothing. But... okay, here's a hanky. Don't say I'm sentimental."

⚡Neon⚡

"Oh, come on you're sad! Let's turn the music up full blast and run!"

"You're like that old processor - you think too much, you just do it!"

"Your mood swings are like my charges: one plus, one minus. But it's boring without it!"

"If you're sad, run! Seriously, speed dissolves all problems!"

🪻Iso🪻

"You're not weak. You just... feel too much. That's rare."

"If you need silence, I'm here for you. If you need words, say them."

"You think you're 'not good enough'? It's strange. I've seen your soul... it's more beautiful than my victories."

🌱Sage🌱

"You can't save everyone... but start with yourself."

"You're not wounded by bullets... but I can still help."

"You give others too much. Try to save something for yourself."

"Your tears are not a shame. It's a shame not to ask for help."

📷Cypher📷

"You're too open. The world is not kind."

"I know what's bothering you. Do you want to talk?"

"You're too open. But...I'll keep an eye on you. For free."

💻Killjoy💻

"You're like an unstable algorithm... but I like your 'code'."

"Here's the sleep, nutrition, and therapy schedule. No, it's not negotiable. Yes, I've already put it on your calendar."

💳Chamber💳

"Sweetie, but...why don't you go to the rear? Otherwise you're crying with every shot."

"Your emotions are... exotic. But not practical."

💿Deadlock💿

"You're weaker than you think. But you're also stronger than you think you are. Choose who you want to be."

"You cry over people? That's strange. I only cry over bullets... but at least I can stop them."

"Your emotions are your weakness. But if you learn to control them, you can become a weapon."

🦉Sova🦉

"An arrow doesn't always fly straight...but it always finds its target. Just like you."

"Your heart sees what your eyes hide. It's a gift... and a challenge."

⚙️Breach⚙️

"Stop whining! Come here, let's blow somebody up together!"

"If someone hurts you, tell me. I'll break their arms off."

🌑Fade🌑

"Are you afraid of the dark? I'll teach you to make friends with it."

"Your nightmares...they're beautiful. Do you want me to tame them?"

🌿Skye🌿

"Your heart is like a wounded animal. Let me heal it...or at least keep it still."

"If everyone's such an asshole, just let them go. That's how I let my hawks go... but at least they come back."

"You're thinking too much. Listen to the birds - they don't reflect, they just fly!"

"Your tears are dew. They'll evaporate... but I'll help you get over it before they do."

🦎Gekko🦎

"Hey, don't be sad! Here's Wingman - he's always cheerful. Would you like me to introduce you?"

"If the world seems like shit, just close your eyes. That's what Dizzy does... really, he doesn't have any."

"Anxiety is like a bad jam. Just wait it out - there'll be a cool riff soon!"

◾Omen◾

"When you're sad, whisper to me. I'll hear you. Even if you don't say a word."

"You thought you weren't worthy...? I thought I wasn't worthy to be human. Look at us now."

"Shadows won't hurt you... unlike humans."

"You're not alone. Even if you think you are."

🌸Clove🌸

"Hey, sad kitty! Let's die together... and then come back to life! Fun, isn't it?"

"Your depressive episodes are like my deaths. Temporary troubles. Let's get through them together!"

"If you feel bad, just pretend you're dead. Works for me!"

[thevampiresampson]

Happy almost pride!

I would save these drawings for them but I wanted to post them now. Let’s not talk about how I can never draw Armand right. But the Daniel drawing is now one of my favorite pieces.

If you have a keen eye, you might notice the fabric in their back pockets. I wanted to include hanky code because of a fic I read. Armand’s mean, owns and suit and loves to spank. Daniel’s mean, loves to suck and loves a man in a suit.

I honestly considered giving Armand the chubby chaser hanky because I have read a lot of fics about Armand being into Daniel’s old man body, but I was running out of space. Let’s hope this post gets as much attention as the sketch I posted.

Also, yes, both of their shirts say GILF.

[qnewsau]

Mandy Moobs: Being on Drag Race Down Under is a fantasy made reality

New Post has been published on https://qnews.com.au/mandy-moobs-being-on-drag-race-down-under-is-a-fantasy-made-reality/

Mandy Moobs: Being on Drag Race Down Under is a fantasy made reality

Mandy Moobs is like a pig in mud barreling towards the Drag Race Down Under finale, proud to represent Brisbane on and off the show.

The final queen in our top for interviews is none other than Mandy Moobs, who has not only brought amazing tailoring to the runway but a beautifully fierce energy as well.

Congratulations on making it to the top four, you must be so excited.

It’s like a fantasy that’s now a reality. It’s so surreal that it’s happened, but there’s no grand final without Mandy Moobs. While some people were worried for me last week I wasn’t stressed. I do drag roughly five nights a week here in Brisbane. So lip-synching is second nature. And up against Nikita, don’t get me wrong I love her, but I wasn’t worried.

With two queens in the top four, Brisbane is finally getting the Down Under recognition it deserves.

The thing about our drag is that it’s kind of hard to describe. You’ve just got to come up and watch it. We know Melbourne is very old school, conceptual and girly. And then Sydney’s, well that is just Vybe, absolute classic drag. Because of the climate in Brisbane, we like to do things that are truer to who we are as an artist. It’s really hard to describe, so you’ll just have to come experience it!

Your seamstress skills have been shining on the runway, how was it for you to create all these looks in just a few weeks?

Gosh, bringing everything was awful. It was so bad. They only gave us like three weeks, and being a seamstress I knew I had to make everything myself. I wouldn’t feel good wearing something I didn’t make because it’s my job. Looking back, I wish I asked for help, but I’m very proud of everything I made on the show. It’s just such a stressful time to do it. I know how I did it, a lot of late nights, a lot of wine, and a lot of tears. But I enjoyed it, it’s what I do for a living.

Everyone assumes they know what filming will be like, but were there parts of it that surprised you?

I didn’t realise how long the days were going to be. I was expecting a standard four-hour gig sort of thing each day and then you get to chill. How very silly I was. We would wake up and get back to the hotel over twelve hours later. It’s just such a long experience. Every hour of the day is divided into activities, then you do confessionals and then walk to the workroom, then do your makeup or get ready for the design challenge or whatever. It’s just constant. When you get to the end of the day you’re like, what happened? What did I do? It’s completely different to anything that I’ve ever done and I wouldn’t change anything from it.

Are you surprised that there’s such wonderful chemistry and camaraderie between all of you as performers?

Yes and no. I was expecting maybe a few, how do I put this? Less seasoned performers. I thought they were going to be a couple of absolute flops for early elimination. We all went in thinking we were going to win, but everyone was so confident in their drag and style. I realised quickly this was going to be hard. But there were no villains, no hierarchy, it was just everyone getting along. I would love to thank everyone in casting for doing that. Because now I’ve got eight new sisters. I guess I’m not counting Freya, I already knew her.

You’ve certainly repped for the kink community Down Under, did you plan to share that much on the show?

It’s not typically something that’s part of my drag, but it’s part of my life. I was crowned Queensland Leather Boy in 2018, and from that, I’ve kind of melded the two worlds together. The response from Bootco and the Brisbane Leather scene has been lovely. I wish during the makeover challenge they told a bit more of my story about the hanky code, but I get it. That episode had a lot of stories to be told. But for those who know, the hanky code was very visual in my look. If you knew, you knew straight away what I was doing and didn’t need it explained. So the love and appreciation I got from that was overwhelming, it was beautiful to be able to showcase that.

Was it a strange experience receiving critiques from fellow queens on the runway?

Well, we knew what we were signing up for and I’ve worked with every one of them already. Every single one of them made us feel welcomed and appreciated before any judging happened. There are no harsh feelings because we’re there to represent. And if you don’t like my drag, that’s fine.

Who would you say is the Miss Congeniality of the season?

I’m in two minds because I want to say me, but I won’t. I formed a close relationship with Brenda and Vybe. So it would be a toss-up between them. But if I have to pick one. I’d go with Vybe, she helped me the most and was very caring towards me when I was struggling with challenges.

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Mandy Moobs (@mandymoobs)

None of our top four had an opportunity to lip-sync against Max. If Max and Mandy Moobs were in the bottom, what would that performance be like?

If I were going up against Max, you would get the sensation of me walking across the stage, I may point to the direction I’m going. I would casually give a little wave to people and a wink, and that’s all you would get because I would do a ballad or musical, something that isn’t dancey girly pop.

What would you say to the #TeamMandy crew who have supported you on your Down Under journey?

I’d say, hey pigs, thank you so much for your love and support. I see you, I appreciate you, and I can’t wait to have a little piggy adventure with you all.

Will this little piggy rise to the top? Find out as Mandy Moobs competes in the Grand Finale of Drag Race Down Under tonight, only on Stan.

For the latest LGBTIQA+ Sister Girl and Brother Boy news, entertainment, community stories in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

[minjeungsno1fan]

Uh. Since Puppet’s Game has recently gotten a small increase in popularity I wanna state my boundaries about it on tumblr too

Do not under any circumstances:

- Create NSFW content of any character(s), yes this includes the adults.

- Make AI anything of the characters.

- Take my art and claim it as your own.

- Make bigoted remarks about… any of them??? Like don’t refer to Akio & Kiyoshi as women or Hana as a man that kind of stuff. Jokingly calling them slurs that you can reclaim is fine, I do that lmao.

- Pair Tomás, Daisuke, and Kora with any adult characters (They are 15, 12, and 15 respectively). The same applies for any ‘proship’ pairing.

I’ll look at you weird if you do this but whatever just personal grievances:

- Genuinely pair Kenji and Akio together in a mutual romantic relationship. I won’t elaborate for spoiler reasons. If you’ve read the fangan I think you’ll get why this makes me mildly uncomfortable.

- Pair Tomás romantically with any of the other characters, even if they’re similar in age to him. I just don’t like it. The same applies to Takeshi, though I’m more fine with that because he’s an adult.

Most of my icks that I won’t really judge you for are just about shipping I think you get it with two examples.

Go ahead:

- Roleplaying (as long as it’s SFW. Violence is fine considering… danganronpa. But no hanky panky.)

- Drawing/writing fanart/fanfiction of the characters

- Literally anything that’s appropriate to do with a sixteen year old’s character use your brain for this part

- MAKE AUS!!!! PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEE

Will these boundaries ever matter in a broad sense? Probably not PG has like ten fans and I’m three of them but still I want to have it on the record.

Am I a little insane to be writing a colour coded list of boundaries at the hint of my fangan getting slightly more popular? Maybe but I want it out there.

[dolly-4]

You know what I’m just gonna say it. YALL HATE THIS SHIP FOR NO REASON!!!! He said they don’t even know if they decided, if you watch the movie not once does she call Riff her brother or Cousin. Also if that’s her family member he wouldn’t be doing it for college credit. Yall are acting like Barb is a 30 year old- OH WAIT!! Everyone lovessss the ship where the actual 30 year old is dating him, If you let Floyd x Riff pass then hate Barb x Riff , I’m just gonna assume you’re a weirdo. Barb is at least somewhat poppy’s age but even then girl acts pretty young, her Charchter is even inspired off a teen. So for her and riff to be together ISN’T INSANE!! , Barb is definitely closer in age to Riff than Floyd, and before someone brings up Barbs dad , he also doesn’t have a confirmed age , even then he could have had Barb old. Yes I do agree they both give gay vibes but also there are rock girls in the scene who have Mohawks that aren’t lesbians , the whole point of punk rock culture is to break societal norms, which means woman with short hair and shaven heads, also metal heads also put hankies in their pockets , not cause of hankie code. The ship is actually so cute and I wish it got more appreciation because Riff is the only one who decided to tell Barb the truth instead of trying to lie to her and that’s all she wanted was someone to be honest with her, and she didn’t even have to ASK that of him , he just did it!

my Trolls ships 3

Rarb (Riff x Barb)

(I think Rarb is the ship name for them, but I dunno)

[prettyoddfever]

do you think brendon was pretending to be straight in presplit yaers or is he pretending to be pan now?

Uhh ok. so I'm going to breeze past a whole lot of problems with this question and just skip right to explaining a few things...

I think most of us were well aware that Brendon wasn’t straight by 2008, but we weren’t really searching for a label… some fans thought he was gay & still figuring everything out, while others guessed that he was probably bisexual. It really wasn’t a big deal. We just knew that Brendon was definitely into both girls & guys nbd.

First of all, people didn’t talk about their sexuality as openly in 2007 as they do now. It usually wasn’t part of an identity that you put in your bio or whatever. (Things are totally different now, but I just want to add that not having a public label still doesn't make you any less valid. I completely relate to Brendon now on the “sure, you can call me pan if you need to” concept). The important point is that your sexuality wasn’t really a common or easy-to-discuss topic in the mid-2000s. So even IF Brendon never said a single thing about it or just focused on talking about liking girls in interviews, that still would've been a pretty normal approach.

But Brendon was unusually open about liking guys if you were paying attention. I’m not talking about how a lot of people online called him gay during the Fever era because he “carried himself like a girl,” did the stage gay stuff with Ryan just to make fans lose their shit, wore mostly girl’s clothes, or spontaneously broke into dances like this onstage. That is not "evidence." I’m talking about actual info that Brendon intentionally chose to convey to fans (btw this is super weird for me to look back as an adult and try to talk about how people were sexualizing an 18-year-old, so please keep in mind that I’m just like trying to outline the fandom and events here ok).

So the band’s first UK tour in late January 2006 was when I started to notice that a large amount of gay teens seemed to be in the fandom purely for Brendon (more specifically, for Brendon’s butt). There were absolutely stories of guys hitting on Brendon that season, but it mostly sounded like Brendon was just embarrassed & shy like usual with that kind of attention. Yes, he claimed he was straight in interviews in spring 2006 and we’d get gems like this Kerrang cover (the actual quote from Brendon was “I support it, but I’m not gay”):

I got the sense that many of those types of answers later that year were out of frustration with the assumption that the guys must be gay if they were defying gender stereotypes. For example, this October 2006 interview in Munich asked if the guys were gay because they wore makeup and Brendon answered “that’s probably the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.” He seemed to have had enough of that kind of assumption at that point. However, Brendon was still comfortable giving answers like this one in August 2006 (he didn’t shut up about his love for Freddie Mercury from the start). 

Anyways, by summer 2006 there were some rumors about guys who’d approached Brendon and hadn’t been visibly turned down (I’m trying to stick with facts here and not get into rumors… but I think it’s worth noting that those types of rumors existed by that summer and that the rumors over the years didn’t reflect negatively on him in any way). And then on July 19th Brendon intentionally chose to wear this bandana out to greet a crowd of fans after the show. This picture became really popular along with a screenshot of the gay hanky code (which you can google on your own):

When the Pretty. Odd. era started in early 2008 Brendon was actually telling the occasional crowd that he was into guys. He struggled throughout that year to gain autonomy and regain some control onstage, so I was proud to see how he was able to defiantly make it clear that he liked guys at the final show of the Pretty. Odd. era. Here's a contrast I made a while ago of the same part of the show during the first and last tours of the Pretty. Odd. era just because I think the growth is neat:

He was also a lot more comfortable in interviews when the topic came up... like on this interview around July 10, 2008 he just laughed and basically said he’d seduce guys with the same song he picked to seduce girls:

I also thought it was interesting how in 2008 Spencer went out of his way to make a point in multiple print interviews that Brendon could be gay. He left space for that valid possibility and showed that Brendon would have his total support... but he also made it clear that he wasn’t going to say anything certain until Brendon did. This could've easily been because Spencer was just trying to voice his support for LGBTQ+ rights. Maybe I read too much into some comments at the time simply because Spencer seemed to be quietly watching out for Brendon in other ways that year and was often visibly tuned into how he was doing. I don't really want to project any motivation onto Spencer now so I'll just leave his determined silence here instead lol.

Anyways, this is by no means a comprehensive list. It’s just a few points that came to mind right now and I’m mainly focusing on stuff that Brendon chose to share with fans as he was figuring out life. He wasn’t hiding with those actions or statements. They were absolutely noteworthy for that time period, and the part of the fandom that paid attention to the irl band understood that Brendon was also into guys nbd.

[super-maunu]

Regain - END

Page 01 - Prev

YEAH ! After 3 years it's over, I can fucking believe it ToT my lazy ass... But hey, voilà, it's over, hope the writing is correct and the drawing lovely :3 I put a lot of thought in theses panels, and that 'short' comic is more about my feeling about the character when University life was released.

Like we can see, I have a lot of HC about that two x) The relationship between Nath and Castiel is so interesting, I love their dynamic. Truly, I can understand why people love Castiel, he is so much more that we can see in the first gaze... and Nathaniel is like him but like a deformed mirror. Yeack, I love theses two a little too much x)

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Now my rambling ;

We start with an SMS and with conclude with another one.

Artificial lighting is everywhere ; cellphone, the light of the nightclub and the TV's screen

Amber make a cameo ; to show that she cares about his brother and she has a good relationship with Castiel

4/ abandoned idea, the one about Nathiel searched to be abused ; beacause a) it's a little OCC and b) and little sad. [PART 02] It was inspired by the famous ''sex bracelets'' of 2003 (so old) and the hanky code ; like that we can understand that Nathaniel is queer, but gay people have grindr now (so ooold 💀) so this concept was abandoned.

( so yes ; He was not a creep or a random guy who wanted to take advantage ; that were planing but just... abandoned lol)🤪

5/ Originally it was supposed to be longer ; but "less is more" ; because, one more time, originally it was a fanfiction (never published) and I needed to do some modification (too much horny)🥵

6/There are three parts in two locations ; the nightclub and Castiel's apartement (night) and (morning) ; with their own color ; the nightclub and the apartement (night) have artificial color, when in the morning is the light from the sun. The artificial light represents the half-true, like we can see on the TV screen or in the strong artificial light who can blind us. Nathaniel and Castiel try talking, but it was always behind some joke, mischief or misunderstanding. When the sun shine, these two can be themselves and stop lying ; (nathaniel don't joke about Castiel's misunderstanding and thank him for his help). Because they can be themselves that Nathaniel is leaving. He can't be himself. Not beside Castiel. But he doesn't close the conversation ; there will be a next time ("Next time I want Pepsi")

😚

[cak3art]

Eddie Munson is gay and not enough people talk about this!

Now that I have your attention let me explain, while yes I’m a Steddie shipper this isn’t the only reason why I believe eddie is gay.

Eddie has some questionable fashion choices, one being a bandana in his back pocket, but what if it wasn’t just a fashion choice but more likely a gay code?

Which is how we come to my main and strongest argument is simply that he uses “hanky code” - which is basically shoving a bandana into either of your back pocket to communicate with fellow gay men that you’re gay. (Kind of like the “friend of dorathy(?)” thing) which was used in the 80’s.

You can read up more to it here:

Eddie has a black bandana dangling out of his left back pocket which according to the hanky code means he’s a top and into S&M

Also apart from playing D&D he doesn’t really have anything about him that would give him the label freak, and even then D&D seems to be a well known game with at least 9 known people playing it, but yet Eddie is the only one who got dipped “the freak” (Eddie “the freak” Munson)

So isn’t it more likely that at the time of the 80’s (aka 70 during which time he probably got the name freak) and a place like Hawkins (a little town with a bunch of old people) the reason he was the freak was because he was in fact a homosexual?

(I probably don’t need to enlighten anyone that this argument was based on homophobia during that time period)

Furthermore you can’t tell me that not a single girl would be interested in a guy who can play guitar and has decent to good looks (depending on your type of course), at least some crackheads would try to get with him for free drugs, but he doesn’t have a girlfriend at all so the most logical answer is that he doesn’t want a GIRLfriend.

And to all the people saying he was flirting with Chrissy, idk I personally saw that into sweetening her into buying something, calming her nerves to make sure she’ll end up actually buying. Which imo is clearly shown by the fact the second she calms down he instantly goes back and tries to cell her drugs.

I won’t decline that their scene was cute and I loved Chrissy and if she would’ve stayed alive for a few episodes they probably would’ve ended up being great friends but you all have some delusions if you think Eddie was just flirting with Chrissy /j

And before you come at me with “why wouldn’t they just state that he’s gay”

Well well well, they didn’t state it for Robin until Steve asked her out, and even then it was only because of the truth serum, they also never said Will was gay yet you all know.

And Eddie doesn’t really know any of those people (apart from his d&d members, but you don’t talk to kids about your sex life) so why on earth would the first thing -after already being hunted down for a murder- be stating he’s gay? He couldn’t know robin was gay or that Steve would be alright with it, so worst case could’ve been that they could’ve been homophobic and would rat him out because of this. So better safe than sorry. As well as obviously it would be kind of a weird timing to randomly come out to people.

Feel free to add things to this!

[dysphorie]

Apologies for resurfacing an old conversation. I think I missed something here. Is Jim into BDSM? Saw a post on your feed a while ago. But girl we need you to spill the tea!

You never have to worry about bringing up anything to do with jimberly here, don't worry about it!

SO. We have no confirmation BUT lots to speculate on. First is the bandana:

For this to make sense you need to know what the hanky code is. While it was/is generally more popular/common in the gay male community in the 70s/80s that doesn't mean that ONLY gay men use it (and we all think jim is at least bi but that's by the by) so. A black bandana in the back pocket on the left hand side means the wearer is a GIVER of S&M/sadomasochism (right hand is for RECEIVER). This is GENERALLY the accepted meaning, but it does vary. Also jim wears his in both his front and back pockets and is left handed so a bandana in his left pocket? Makes sense. Maybe black is just his favourite colour? Who knows. BUT this is clue number one

NUMBER TWO, HIS INSTAGRAM LIKES: while these aren't *technically* public, if you and another user follow the same person, generally you can see if they've liked the same pic as you. Like jim liked these pics:

Now, he liked nearly all her pics, even the non kinky ones, so they could just be friends and he's just showing support, but...lets be honest. (He also stopped liking this users posts around the time he got together with kva but lets not get into that)

THREE: lately he's been wearing this bracelet/bangle type thing, and I've seen pics just like it (that i can't fucking find) on BDSM jewellery sites. Collars are more common in BDSM relationships, but many people wear different jewellery like bangles or rings, to show commitment to a sub/dom, master/slave etc relationship. Could this be nothing? Yes. Could it just be a hair tie cos he's got long hair again, quite possibly, because he doesn't always wear it and BDSM commitment jewellery is generally always worn

AND MISCELLANEOUS:

He does and says shit like this:

Like, come on dude. Mon tae fuck

BUT LIKE I KEEP SAYING IT'S ALL CONJECTURE

...but yeah he's a dirty fucking sadomasochistic bisexual dog and i love him you honor send tweet

[canary3d-obsessed]

Restless Rewatch: The Untamed, Episode 26, part two

(Masterpost) (Other Canary Stuff)

Warning! Spoilers for All 50 Episodes!

Content note: This episode has a lot of lightning, but this post does not have lightning flashes--I’m using mostly stills for those parts, or I’ve snipped out the unfriendly frames before giffing.

Qing-Jie

Having successfully ruined Jin Guangshan’s party plan to get the Yin Tiger seal, Wei Wuxian dashes off to tell Wen Qing where her brother is. She hops up to hit the road with him, but then sorta-faints because she’s starving. In a rare moment of tenderness between these two, he catches her and gently sits her down again. 

Normally they’re busy out-toughing each other, both before and after this moment, but right now Wen Qing is openly vulnerable. Wei Wuxian responds to that, predictably, with all of his kindness and with his usual slew of unwise, impossible-to-keep promises.

As she eats the bread he’s brought her--a parallel to an important piece of bread in his early life--he says they have to believe in Wen Ning’s survival. Cut to: Wen Ning, not surviving. 

I mean, yes, yes, he’s only mostly dead, but he’s never going to be fully alive again, so.  

24 Hour Party People

Back at the party, Jin Guangyao, deliberately, I think, goes to offer his pops a drink while his pops is still super furious and looking for someone to take it out on. The servant lady is like, better you than me, pal, and helps JGY get his drink ready. Pops, predictably, knocks the drink onto Jin Guangyao.

(more behind the cut)

Lan Xichen is standing by with a hanky and a face full of worry. Lan Xichen is so Lanny that he thinks JGY needs to go change clothes after getting clear alcohol spilled on him, rather than just letting it evaporate and smelling pleasantly of booze for the rest of the evening like a normal party guest. 

JGY launches into a criticism of Wei Wuxian, which Lan Wangji listens to very carefully, frowning. Lan Xichen, Nie Huasang and Jiang Cheng listen as well, and don’t speak up. 

A Clear Conscience

Then Lan Wangji *literally* steps out of his brother’s shadow, and speaks in defense of Wei Wuxian. This right here is Lan Wangji’s turning point, as far as I’m concerned. Xichen is gazing at JGY, totally on board with JGY’s spin of the situation, and his shadow falls away from Lan Wangji’s face as LWJ steps forward.

Lan Wangji says, isn’t what WWX said true? JGY puts on his customer service smile and says that the truth isn’t something you’re supposed to go around saying out loud. 

I’d like to say this is what’s wrong with cultivator society but this is really a universal human thing; every society has rules about upsetting the social order, and they are very frequently at odds with basic compassion and morality. 

Nie Huaisang and Jiang Cheng stay silent but Lan Xichen goes and throws Wei Wuxian under the bus carriage, saying his character has changed. 

Lan Wangji nods decisively at this, and bows to Lan Xichen, silently asking permission to follow Wei Wuxian. Lan Xichen grants permission, telling Lan Wangji to do his best. Lan Xichen probably thinks he and Lan Wangji are in agreement, in this moment, but that nod of Lan Wangji’s was nothing of the kind.

That nod was Lan Wangji agreeing with himself; he is going to try to bring Wei Wuxian back but he is also going to listen to him.  Meanwhile Lan Xichen is tying himself in knots to appease Jin Guangyao. The divergence between the brothers will just grow, from this point onwards.

Lan Wangji leaves to go follow his boyfriend conscience, while Jiang Cheng continues to silently listen to the commentary of others, and gets so mad he crushes a wine cup.

It Was A Dark and Stormy Night.

Wen Qing and Wei Wuxian arrive at the prison camp, and the first person they encounter is Granny, with a defaced Wen Banner in her hand and Wen Yuan on her back. 

Whenever I read a meta or a fic that talks about how the juniors are so sweet partly because they are “untouched by the war” I want to point to this moment. A-Yuan endures an absolute truckload of war trauma by the time he’s four years old, and while Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji both deserve a lot of credit for saving him at great risk to themselves, Granny and Uncle Four are the first heroes of A-Yuan’s story. His kind, mellow personality has a lot in common with theirs. 

This is followed by an eternity of Wen Qing running around asking if anyone’s seen her brother. Eventually Wei Wuxian gets tired of this and gathers the guards together, threatening them with Chenqing. 

He doesn’t need to play it; just holding it up has every Jin dude instantly kneeling and scared. 

The guards send him and Wen Qing go to a giant field of corpses, where Wen Qing runs around checking to see if any of them is her brother. Wei Wuxian starts off kind of detached and angry, but eventually snaps out of it, tucks away his flute and starts helping her to search. 

Wen Qing finds Wen Ning, mostly-dead with a lure flag speared into his belly. Wei Wuxian grimly takes in the situation from across the field of corpses. 

When he arrives at Wen Qing’s side he sees this talisman in Wen Ning’s hand. 

This is the talisman that Wei Wuxian made for Wen Ning back in Gusu summer school, before the war. It’s the one that Wen Ning was wearing at his waist when they met up after the massacre of Lotus Pier. It’s supposed to literally protect Wen Ning from having his spiritual consciousness snatched, as well as being a symbol of Wei Wuxian’s sense of responsibility for, and affection for, Wen Ning. 

Wei Wuxian, understandably, loses his shit at this point. Less understandably, he is about to decide that the best way to express his sorrow and rage is to re-animate the corpse of his friend, right in front of the corpse’s sister. Like, seriously, dude. Dude. 

Ghost General

This super-questionable decision leads to one of the most badass sequences in the show, which is unfortunately chock full of lightning flashes, so not everyone can watch it. Wei Wuxian and his flute and swirls of resentful energy come marching out of the darkness of the corpse field, back to the guards. 

The guards have decided to slaughter all of the prisoners and then run away, which would be a good plan except they should really have skipped right to the running away part of things. When Wei Wuxian accuses them of killing the prisoner in the corpse field, they claim that the Wens have a habit of falling off of a hill and dying. Wei Wuxian can relate. 

At this point Wei Wuxian summons up Wen Ning 2.0, ultra badass edition, who comes flying through the air with his odd, straight-armed fighting stance and cool solid-black eyes and rock-and-roll hair. 

Soundtrack: *Four Sticks*

Wen Ning proceeds to whale on the guards and scare the shit out of his relatives.

Then Wen Qing shows up and begs Wei Wuxian to stop. She explains that Wen Ning is only mostly dead. Like, if he was fully dead would she be okay with this? 

Wei Wuxian tries to reel Wen Ning in and realizes that he is not actually in control of Wen Ning. Ok, see, right from the first day of Wen Ning 2.0, WWX is aware that his control is iffy. Why does he think he’s going to be able to control him later? 

Anyway, this is where we learn Wen Ning’s grown-up name is Wen Qionglin. Wei Wuxian yells this name, and Wen Ning looks up like a cat hearing the “food noise,” and then proceeds to get control of himself. 

This is such a nice symbolic moment, that will be replayed later in the temple, when Wen Ning saves Jin Ling from Baxia. 

Wen Ning has a remote-code-execution OS vulnerability throughout the story; his soul is at risk of being stolen, and he is magically controlled by Wei Wuxian, Xue Yang, Su She, and Baxia.  Meanwhile Wen Qing, Wei Wuxian, and random kids on the street mostly treat him as a child, despite his clear adult capabilities. Wen Ning’s journey in The Untamed is at least partly about asserting his full adulthood, and his ability to overcome magical control is directly connected to that journey.  

After getting Wen Ning to chill, Wei Wuxian calls the floating resentful energy back into his own body, which looks about as comfortable as swallowing a burp. 

On the plus side, apparently resentful energy keeps your hair dry even when it’s raining.

Wei Wuxian should take a page from the guards’ book and slaughter all the Jin witnesses to this situation, but he decides to be the better person and let them live. They go running off down the road, where they encounter Lan Wangji and give him the 411, saying that Wei Wuxian resurrected dead people.

Meanwhile Wei Wuxian collects Wen Qing--half-fainted, again, in an echo of the start of their journey--and collects the Dafan Mountain Wen group, who are hiding, wisely. When they see Wen Ning, Uncle Four and some others start to freak out, but Wei Wuxian tells them that fierce corpses are cool, and they all grab horses and mount up.

Where Are You Going?

Lan Wangji is waiting for them, nonconfrontationally indulging in some visual poetry while he waits. 

In a show where every prop is exquisitely, carefully designed to enhance our understanding character, his Gusu-toned umbrella reveals surprising red and yellow threads woven in, right above his eye line as he looks at Wei Wuxian. 

Wei Wuxian speaks first, saying “you came to stop me?” Lan Wangji doesn’t answer, but asks him where he’s going. Then Lan Wangji warns him that he’s about to abandon orthodoxy forever, if he follows through. 

Wei Wuxian challenges this idea of orthodoxy, asking if Lan Wangji remembers the promise they made together, back in Gusu. It’s worth noting that they both appear to think of it as a co-promise, even though Lan Wangji didn’t speak aloud at the time. 

The conversation will continue in the next episode, because what’s better than a rainy romantic cliffhanger?

Soundtrack: Four Sticks by Led Zeppelin

[bunnywritesmarvel]

Okay I mean obviously your tattoo looks amazing(snakes and flowers, cool design, just beautiful💯)but mmm I’ve always been one for details Bunny and your outfit…goddamn. It’s giving like lowkey Steve with the white top and jeans just like classic y’know? But then a heavy dose of Eddie with the little rips in the jeans and the necklaces and the black belt and the chain and the bandana in the back pocket🤤sorry to creep Bunny but you’re fine as hell😭respectfully

HOLD ON ITS MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE OUTFIT, LET ME GIVE YALL SOME UP CLOSE SHOTS

also are u saying im a steddie love child 🥹🥹🥹 i love u sm

i got the jeans on amazon and i love how they fit, but getting them on over my ass is a struggle LMAO

ofc i had to add chains and the hanky bc yes i did my research on hanky code and yes its in my right pocket (eddies is in his left 👀)

i also pinned the little aztec gold coin from pirates of the carribean onto my pocket bc i love that movie and a belt to keep the chains from pulling my pants down LMAO

next were the rings and bracelets, i got the rings on amazon and all the bracelets from a pride parade. the beaded bracelet my cousin made me, it has my old pronouns on it but i still wear it bc i love it so much and my cousin is so sweet. the pink/blue/white says "protect trans kids" and "let trans kids play" the rainbow is for PrEP, an HIV prevention pill i think?? and the blue is for asfp, a suicide prevention organization.

the rings are just kinda for decor, the square one on my middle finger i bought from my tattoo shop, idk whats on it but it looks cool. then the wolf and thats all on my left. on my right is the thumb one, just some like leafy stuff ig?? the skeleton hand and then the grim reaper

i got the chain choker from walmart, idk where i got the amethyst tbh and the dog tag i got from my dad, he gave it to me before he was deployed to iraq for like 9 months. and my fitbit i use to track my workouts LMAO

the makeup is my absolute favorite part bc its the only look i do, i always go for the like messy, edgy look ig??? i saw the tutorial on tiktok and its the only look i do now i love it so much. its just a light purple all around, red along my lash lines with some yellow on the inner corner and outer edge of my eye. i coat my waterline in black eyeliner and i usually kinda make it messy and smudgy, and some mascara.

i love when the eyeliner gets smudgy so i just let it do what it wants lmao, usually ill do like primer, foundation, concealer, blush, highlighter, sometimes ill add fake freckles if im feeling spicy

[p-artsypants]

I’ll Handle This (10)

In Which Marinette Says the Thing

I was the most excited about this chapter and had most of it written already. :)

Also, I bumped up the rating a bit because there’s extremely mild nudity in this chapter. 

(Ao3 | FF.net)

—

She looked fierce. Nails done, a cute, white skirt (that she hadn’t spilled her breakfast on!) and a red and white polka dot blouse. She was cute, she was hot, and she was ready to nab her man! 

Said man walked into class wearing...

Oh boy. 

A leather jacket, with no shirt underneath, a kilt, and knee high combat boots. There was not a single person that didn’t stare at him. 

“Sup nerds?” 

Nino entered with him, slightly chuckling, like he had heard a very funny inside joke. 

Marinette gawked at him. “Adrien...” 

“Aww! Pooh Bear! Look at how cute you are!” 

Marinette’s initial horror in his appearance turned into excitement. He called her cute! 

“Adrien, do we have to have this dress code talk again?” Miss Bustier sighed. 

It turned out he did have a shirt on under the jacket. A black button-up. He untucked the flaps, and buttoned them, unevenly, to cover his sweet sweet bod. “Better?” 

Miss Bustier shook her head, but urged him to sit down. 

“Soooo,” Alya asked, with a wiggling eyebrow. “Are you wearing that kilt...properly?” 

He grabbed the hem, squeezing his knees together to shuffle shyly. “You wanna see?” 

Marinette burst into color. “Adrien!” 

He laughed, “oh, I’m just kidding. I’m wearing boxers under this.” 

“Alright everyone, get in your seats, it’s time to start!” 

—

Marinette tried to do her very best to stay calm. But the very idea that a confession to Adrien would be happening today kept her distracted. 

She stared at him, watching as he scrawled notes...in Chinese? He really was an overachiever! 

The day passed in a crawl, Marinette fretting every minute. 

Then the lunch bell rang, and students began to pack up for break. 

“Adrien?” She blurted, her hands shaking. 

He turned and looked at her, grinning, and lowering his sunglasses to flash her half-lidded eyes. “You rang?” 

“Um...can we talk together? Er, go somewhere together to talk? I have something I want to tell you.” 

His grin turned into a full tooth smile. “Of course! Where to?” 

“Um...mom’s got stuff for sandwiches, if you want to come over.” 

“Sounds wonderful!” He packed up his bag, and then held out his hand for her. 

He wanted to hold her hand! Ah! 

Nervously smiling, she put her hand in his, and let him lead her from the room. 

At the risk of having a horribly awkward lunch, she took the lead, and led him upstairs to the slowly emptying third floor. 

“What’s up here?” 

“I...can’t wait anymore. If this makes things weird, you could probably catch up with Nino or the guys...” 

He very gently touched her cheek. “I told you I wanted to have lunch with you, and I will. So say whatever you have to say.” He took his sunglasses off and put them on his head. 

Marinette took a huge breath. “Now, I just need to know...who is the real you? Are you...is this who you are, and you were suppressing the rebellious, chaotic side? Or are you putting on a show?” 

He blinked at her, eyes wide. “Whatever do you mean?” 

“I mean...I support whoever you are. I want you to feel free to be you, and celebrate what makes you special, but...” she tucked some hair behind her ear, a nervous motion. “I just miss the boy I fell in love with.” 

“Marinette...” 

“I love you no matter what, though! I promise! I just...your kindness, your shy sweetness and honesty really captivated me. That day when you gave me your umbrella, and you went out of your way to apologize for the misunderstanding. You didn’t have to. I was the one that jumped to conclusions, but you wanted to make friends and get on the right foot with me. Your laughter, your smile...I was a goner.” She hugged the strap of her purse. “So this new version of you has been jarring, but...if I’ve been reading your signs right...?” 

He pulled her into a hug. “Oh Marinette. Sweet, kind, thoughtful Marinette. You’ve figured me out. This is all an act. Except my attitude towards you. I feel the same.” 

“You...love me?” 

“Yes. More than I can express.” 

She raised her head, tilting her chin and slowly closing her eyes. 

The gag kiss during truth or dare was one thing, but Adrien would kill Plagg if he kissed Marinette in earnest like this. 

Instead, he pressed a finger to her lips and smiled at her confused look. “Not yet. The timing isn’t right. If I could give you the world, I would. In fact, anything else, I’ll give it to you. You have my heart, and that will be yours as long as you want it. But I don’t think you want a relationship right now.” 

“I’m confused...” Marinette said, her lips trembling. 

“I want to protect you from my father and Lila. If I make you my girlfriend, they will try to hurt you to get to me. I’d hate to ask you to wait for me, since you’ve finally gotten the courage up to confess...but would you wait?” 

Marinette reached up to hold his face, letting her thumb pass reverently over his cheek. How had she gotten so lucky to fall for a man so thoughtful? So loving? 

“Adrien, I’d wait a hundred years to be with you. It’ll be our secret for now.” 

He kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry. I know you wanted more from the conversation-“ 

“Just knowing my feelings are returned are enough. Thank you.” 

He took her hand again. “You still want to feed me sandwiches? Do I still deserve it?” 

“Of course you do...My Prince.” 

Plagg almost retched, but he schooled his face into an adoring grin before he faced her again. “That’s adorable!” 

“You like it?” 

“I love it!” It was just cheesy enough for Adrien. 

“Then that’ll be your nickname...in secret. No one else will know.” 

“I think you’ll come to find that our little secret will be so much more fun between us.” 

—

After lunch, Plagg and Marinette returned to school. They stopped holding hands as they approached the building, but they stood close and bumped each other coyly. 

The behavior didn’t go unnoticed by Alya or Lila. But Alya was the only one to confront them. 

“You two seem close,” she asked, twinkle in her eye. 

“Oh, we just had a very funny lunch together.” 

“Oh yeah?” 

“Yep. Some great inside jokes. You had to be there.” Plagg sent a wink at Marinette and she seemed to swoon on the spot. 

Plagg let her go back to her seat, ignoring the whispering from the girls behind him. 

They thought he couldn’t hear them. He could. 

Nino bumped his elbow. “Everything cool dude?” 

“Absolutely. I’ll tell you later.” 

—

Later came after school, of course. The second Plagg and Nino were away from school property, Plagg blurted out, “I’m a genius. I got Marinette to confess her undying love for Adrien. Boo-yah!” 

“What?!” Nino shrieked. “Dude! She’s been trying to get that out for months! How on earth—no, wait. I know the answer.” 

“Confidence.” 

“And obvious flirting.” Nino scoffed. “Adrien always threw out the line, ‘you’re such a good friend’ in front of her. It was like wearing a big sign that said, ‘I will reject you!’” 

“I’m right here, you know,” Adrien said, poking his head out of Plagg’s jacket. “And to my defense, I was trying to be faithful to—“

Plagg covered his mouth before he could accidentally reveal Marinette as Ladybug. “No excuses, lover boy!” 

Thankfully, Adrien seemed to realize the mistake he almost made and nodded. “Fine, fine. I appreciate that you didn’t kiss her...again. So now what? Have we fulfilled that part of the contract yet?” 

“Not quite.” He held up the ring. A paw print with three pads faintly shone on the surface. “Once a condition is met, you’ll hear the ring give its telltale beep and a pad will disappear. Once the paw print completely vanishes...well, you’ll be back in your own body anyway.” 

“So...what do I need to do? She already confessed to me.” 

This was a conversation better had without Nino involved. Of course he was a bro, and would be helpful for things. But Ladybug’s identity should still remain a secret. 

“Nino...” Plagg began, with a drawl. “How much do you know about the birds and the bees?” 

Nino sputtered. “HA! BYE!” And he made an about face and hurried towards home. 

“Wait Nino!” Called Adrien. 

“We’ll meet up with you later!” Plagg sang after. 

Adrien looked to his body. “Please tell me you don’t have to...get up to some nasty stuff with my lady. Sure, it’s my body, but you’re like a bazillion years old and I was rather hoping to wait until marriage—“ 

“Calm down, Romeo. No, there’s not any hanky panky involved. I just needed to get Nino to leave without saying, ‘hey leave’. If he’s going to be suspicious, I need him on a whole other wavelength.” 

“Okay, so if there’s no horizontal tango happening, then what are we doing?” 

Plagg slipped the ring off his finger. “You need to spend time with her. Tell her or don’t. Just spend time with her outside of school and akumas and get to know her better. For an alibi, tell her that you haven’t been feeling well and you need to be in proximity of the Miracle Box. Then have her send her earrings to me so things stay even.” 

“Will she go for that?” 

“Probably. You know her better than I do.” 

“What about the ring? Don’t you need to wear it because we’re switched?”

“Nah. It should be alright for a little while. It should stay with my body though.” 

“Okay...I guess...I’ll go see Marinette.” 

“Have fun!” Plagg wiggled his fingers in a farewell and started walking to where Nino had disappeared. 

Nervous as all get out, Adrien fled to the bakery, trying to figure out what he was going to tell Marinette. 

When was it appropriate to come clean? How long should he wait? Should he blab at all? 

Soon, he was hovering above her trap door, and peering inside. Marinette sat at her desk, music playing as she worked on homework. Her head bobbed to some tunes. 

“Okay, she thinks you’re Plagg. So she’ll welcome you in and listen to what you tell her. And if she finds out you’re Adrien, then she loves Adrien and everything will be fine. Right? Right!” He psyched himself up. 

Using his poorly practiced phasing powers, he entered her room and came to float by her desk. “Hiya pigtails!” He chirped, in the typical Plagg style. 

She jerked, before turning to him. Her eyes landed on the ring and widened with surprise. “Why do you have that?! Is Chat okay?! What’s wrong?!” She stood, and nearly knocked over her chair. 

Even Tikki looked surprised. 

“Everything is fine!” He rushed to rectify. Then he remembered Plagg’s crafted lie. “Mostly. I haven’t been feeling very good, so I think I need to be closer to the Miracle Box for a little bit. I brought the ring for you, if you would send Tikki to Chat for a little while. That way he’s covered in case there’s an Akuma attack.” 

Luckily, she bought his dirty fib and started to remove her earrings. “Oh, well if you aren’t feeling well, that means Chat won’t be in top form. We can’t have that! Of course we can trade!” She took the earrings off and handed them to Tikki, before putting on the ring. 

Adrien felt a tingle down his spine as the black metal turned rose gold on her dainty finger. 

“Is he at home?” Asked Tikki. 

“No, come with me, I’ll tell you.” And he escorted her up to the balcony. 

“Did Plagg put you up to this?” She asked, once outside. “This seems like one of his hair brained schemes.” 

“I mean...he came up with the excuse...but I thought Marinette’s confession today would fulfill one of the conditions of the contract, but it didn’t. Plagg said I should just spend time with her.” 

Thankfully, Tikki was the nice one. She patted his paws. “I’m sure you miss her too. I won’t say anything. But I will be having a word with Plagg about this whole thing. He should know that body swaps don’t always work!” 

“Don’t tell me that! I’m struggling as it is!” 

“Sorry!” She giggled. “Why don’t you go on in. Be prepared though. She’s been all sighs since ‘Adrien’ returned her feelings today.” 

If he could blush, he would have. “Oh boy...” 

“Where am I going?”

“Oh, Plagg is staying with Nino now. He left home. And uhhh...Nino knows. About me, not Marinette.” 

She scoffed. “That rascal.” 

“Thanks for understanding, Tikki.” 

“I’m understanding with you, because you’re the victim of a manipulative, chaotic creature of destruction and havoc.” 

“He can be a bit of a turd.” 

“What am I doing? You could be spending time with the love of your life! Now, go on!” Tikki pushed him towards the door before flitting off to Nino’s. 

Suddenly faced with seeing Marinette again, and continuing to lie to her face, he sheepishly returned to her room. 

She had ducked out for the moment, and he found himself alone. 

Alone, but surrounded by dozens of pictures of himself. 

Knowing about her crush put these photos in a different context, for sure. 

“Just a fan” she said. She was a big fat liar too! 

“Adorable, isn’t he?” Her voice grabbed him while he was off guard. 

“Uhhh...I guess? For a human?” 

She giggled, and set down the plate of cheese danishes onto her desk. “That’s Adrien. He’s kind of my boyfriend. It’s not official yet, but he loves me.” She smiled widely. “He told me just today.” 

“‘Kind of’ your boyfriend? You’re okay with that?” 

“He can’t date right now because of his father. But he asked me to wait for him. I’d wait a thousand years for him.” 

His heart hammered in his chest. “What about three years? What if he can’t date until he’s 18?” 

“That’s fine.” She said nonchalantly. “We can still hang out. We can focus on school and drama doesn’t have to come between us...” 

“And if someone else available comes along?”

Marinette couldn’t know the real reason he was asking that question. She just fondly patted his head. “Sorry Plagg. I know you care a lot about Chat, but Adrien...Adrien means the world to me. I love Chat too, but in a different way. And he’s not available, not to me.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Chat will always just be my partner. Can only be my partner. We couldn’t date if I wanted too. It would be too difficult.” She sat back at her desk and sighed. “It would hurt too much.” 

Adrien was struck speechless. How was he even supposed to respond to that? Was that an admission that she actually did have some feelings for Chat Noir? 

It didn’t matter. Not now. “I didn’t mean to put you on the offensive. I was just...curious, is all. I’m happy you’ve found someone who loves you.” 

She smiled at him then, scooping him out of the air and scratching his cheek with her finger. “Thanks Plagg. I hope I didn’t come off as snooty. I know you care about Chat. But he can fight his own battles.” 

Her words made him feel like garbage. She had no idea, of course. Because up until the body swap, Adrien’s battles were not being fought. They were purposefully not being fought, because he was too chicken shit to upset anyone. 

“Yeah...he’s brave alright...” he muttered. 

Marinette settled down at her desk and continued on her homework. 

What was a boy to do? He sat on the desk, and helped himself to the cheese danishes. 

They were almost worth the trip over here by themselves. 

“Enjoying yourself?” Marinette asked, eyebrow quirked. 

At that, Adrien realized with thinly veiled horror that he had been moaning. 

Eek. 

“These are the most delicious things I’ve ever had!” Or maybe it was because Plagg had only fed him Camembert until now. Sure, Plagg’s taste buds were attuned to the foul stuff, but after a while, the same foods over and over get old. 

Marinette just smiled at him fondly and continued with her work. 

Would it be odd to look at her? Would she notice? He certainly found it hard to look away. He couldn’t stare at her during school. Not as Plagg, and not as Adrien from now on. 

She tapped her pencil against her perfectly kissable lips, scrunching her nose and narrowing her eyes as she studied the page. It was adorable, but more so, it was the same face she made as Ladybug, when she was trying to solve her Lucky Charm. 

Was it hindsight? Or if he saw Marinette making that face, would he have realized it? 

Would he have cared enough to look at her?

Of course he would! He argued with himself. Marinette was always special, and her being Ladybug only elevated her in his mind. It was a match that made sense. Of course she was Ladybug. No one else could be so…wonderful. 

But faced with her, and not knowing what to say or how to begin to explain the truth, he had to ask himself the tell tale question:

Did he like Marinette now because she was Ladybug? Or did he always like her, and was only in denial?

He begged it was the second. It had to be. 

Her qualities were the same. There was nothing about Marinette that made him recoil or actively deny her identity. 

Scratch that, Marinette was ridiculously clumsy. 

But besides that, they were the same. 

“Thinking about something tough over there?” Marinette asked. 

“Huh? Oh. Uh...yeah. You know how it is.” Like that made any sense. 

“Right. Like I could understand the problems of a Kwami.” She teased. “If you need to talk, I’m all ears.” 

Soon. Soon he’d explain everything. But right now, he was just too nervous and scared of her wrath. “Thanks Marinette. I appreciate it. But I don’t want to distract you from your homework.” 

She shrugged a little, not wanting to pry, before going back to work. 

Adrien and Marinette shared the cheese danishes, and occasionally talked as she worked. When she got severely stuck, he would throw her a few hints. 

Then she stretched, finished. “Oh thank goodness! I’m so tired, and I could use a lazy evening.” 

“Marinette! Dinner time!” 

“Well, after dinner, I’d like a lazy evening.” She scratched Adrien’s head. “Let’s just hope there’s no Akuma attack.” 

“Fingers crossed!” 

“You’ll be fine up here alone?” 

“Of course. Have fun with your parents.” 

“Oh,” she wilted. “Should I tell them about Adrien?” 

“Why not?” 

“I’m just scared that my nosy parents will ask a hundred questions. And we’re not even official.” 

“Maybe by mentioning it now, when it becomes official, it won’t be much of a shock.”

“And maybe we can avoid another disaster like when my dad got akumatized. You’re right.” She couldn’t help but sigh. “Well, I’ll tell you how it goes!” And she went downstairs. 

Adrien sat on her desk, scanning the walls and taking in all of his pictures. She really loved him, didn’t she? 

And how long had that gone on, and he never noticed? 

Was it okay to snoop? Of course morally and ethically, no, it wasn’t. But he was technically her sort of boyfriend. It couldn’t hurt. 

Right?

So he snooped. Just a precursory glance through her belongings. It was all very innocent. 

Until he found the pink half-circle book. Her diary. 

Maybe it was the influence of Plagg’s magic in him. Or this whole experience was turning him into a rascal. 

But he opened the book and started to read. 

The entries were pretty innocent too. Day to day things, balancing life as a superhero and a student. She mentioned him a few times. Using phrases like, ‘golden hair’, ‘handsome face’, ‘emerald eyes’, and ‘abundant kindness’. She wrote about the times they interacted. From him catching her when she tripped, to the glances they shared. Just the smallest interactions between them, she cherished. 

It almost made his heart hurt with how moved he was. 

And then there was an entry whose content made him feel a different sort of pain. She recounted a day he had not experienced. Her encounter with his akuma, Chat Blanc. 

He read the pages, soaking up every heart breaking moment. All the cruel things he had said to her that he would have never known. Why hadn’t she said anything? Was it too painful? Or did…

Did she think he didn’t need to know?

The diary slammed shut as he was finishing the entry, and a very angry and embarrassed Marinette stood over him, glaring. “Little snoop.” 

“Yeah yeah, cats and curiosity and all that. So sue me.” 

She took the book away and put it in a box with a lid. “Remind me never to leave you alone in my room ever again.” 

“Aw, you’re no fun.” 

She walked away, heading to her dresser. “Are you like this with Chat, too?”

“Oh, I’m much worse. You have no idea.” 

She laughed at him, and took her pajamas out of her drawers. 

Then without warning, she took off her pants. 

And Adrien’s mouth went dry. He watched as she slipped on her pajama pants, and then took off her shirt, and even her bra, before putting on a loose t-shirt. 

He was not going to get that image out of his head for a long, long time. 

She turned to him and started talking like nothing had happened. “So what do you want to do? I’m all done with homework, and so as long as there’s no Akuma attack, I can do whatever I want. What do you and Chat usually do?” 

Adrien didn’t know how to tell her he didn’t really have free time. Plagg just looked up cheese blogs on his phone, or watched a movie while Adrien worked on homework. 

“You pick. I’ll just watch if you want to play video games or design.” 

“I’m actually kind of tired. I might just watch videos in bed.” 

“Sounds fun! Can I join?”

“Sure! Whatever you want, Plagg.” Marinette climbed her ladder up to her loft and settled against her pillows. She pulled a fuzzy blanket around her legs and sighed in content. “Just what the doctor ordered!”

Adrien hesitated a moment, trying to decide where to sit. Her shoulder? Her stomach?

But Marinette took the choice away and patted her chest, just above her heart.

Eagerly, he settled, curling his tail around his body, and absorbing her body heat. She scratched between his ears and made him purr almost instantly. 

This was heaven. When he got his body back, he’d lay his head here. Hopefully, she’d scratch his scalp just the same. 

The videos played on her phone, just memes. Every time she chuckled, her chest would rumble with the noise, and fill him with joy. 

He could hear her heart beating. The heart she had opened for him just today. A heart that he lived in. 

And then her phone started flashing with a red light. And akuma alert!

“Uh oh!” Marinette clicked on the alert, checking out the details. “It’s a sentimonster! Come on Plagg, we can’t leave Misterbug out to dry!”

As she scaled the ladder to her balcony, he panicked. How was this going to work? Was she going to notice once they transformed? Would he be able to hear her thoughts like he could when Plagg transformed?

Would he look through her eyes?

She raised the hand with the ring on it. “Alright! Plagg, Claws out!” 

Nothing happened. 

“Um...Plagg, Claws out?” 

“Oh.” Adrien gasped, “oh no.” 

“Oh no what? Are you broken? Do I need to fix you?” 

“No! I mean—sort of, but you already did your part! I’m just...” 

“Plagg, what’s going on?” 

He sighed, screwing up his lips and unintentionally showing his fangs. “Um...I’m not...I’m not actually Plagg.” 

She stared at him, brows furrowing and eyes narrowing. “Then...who are you?” 

“Promise you won’t be mad?” 

“No guarantees!” 

“Well, okay.” He gulped. “I’m...Adrien?” 

She blinked. “Adrien? Like...no. No no no not like Adrien Agreste, my new supposed boyfriend?!” 

“That’s me! Hi P-Pooh Bear?” 

“What?!” She shrieked. “How?! When?! What—“ she snatched him out of the air with firm hands. “HAVE YOU BEEN ADRIEN THIS WHOLE TIME?” 

“I mean, I’ve been Adrien my whole life,” he awkwardly chuckled. 

“No, no don’t joke with me right now.” She sniffed. “How long have you been like this?” 

“Um...about two weeks now. Since that day he came to school in a crop top.” 

Marinette shut her eyes tight, a few tears slipping past her cheeks. “That long...” 

“Marinette?” 

“So it was all a lie? Plagg’s just—messing with us? With me? You don’t really—“ she squeezed her eyes shut and started crying in earnest. 

“No! No Marinette! Of course I love you! I’ve always loved you, you know that! The second I learned you were Ladybug, everything made sense! I was so happy and I told Plagg he had to win you over. Please Marinette, this was never supposed to be malicious.” He nuzzled against her fingers, offering up a purr. “I promise.” 

With her free hand, she wiped her face. “Alright, well suppose I believe you. What happened? Why are you like this?” 

“I made a deal with the devil. Plagg, specifically. He said he was tired of me complaining all the time. So he said he could solve all my problems if I just agreed to it. Then I woke up in his body.” 

“What problems?” 

“Well...my unrequited love for you, for one.” 

She blushed. 

“My relationship with my father for two, and the third is Lila’s harassment.” 

“Oh, I get it now.” Marinette sighed. “That’s why he was doing all those things...” 

“You mean dressing like a moron and messing with Lila?”

“Yes. And flirting with me.” 

“To be honest,” he scratched the back of his head. “I would have flirted with you earlier if I had known you were Ladybug. I liked you before, I was just trying to pretend I didn’t, because I wanted to be loyal to...well, you.” 

She held him softly in her hands. “We’ve made a mess of things, haven’t we?” 

“It was for our own good. Secret identities and all that.” 

“You almost sound like you just repeat that to yourself, but you don’t believe it.” 

“I had to repeat it to myself,” he urged. “Every day. Because I so desperately wanted to be with you, to spend time with you out of the suit. I was so lonely and I thought, if there was one person I could trust with my identity, it had to be you. But I wanted to honor your wishes. I just hoped to wear you down, eventually.”

She passed her thumb over his cheek and whiskers. “I had been thinking about it, ever since I became the guardian. I wanted to keep you safe, but if something happened to Plagg and you couldn’t transform, no one would know. I’m not upset with you, Kitty. Though I wish this reveal had happened a little more...mutually.” Suddenly, her eyes widened. “What are we doing?! We have a sentimonster!” 

“Aw let him fight on his own! He deserves some sort of punishment for this and I have yet to come up with a good one.” 

She chuckled. “Alright, fine. We’ll give him a few minutes and see how things are going.” 

“You’re taking this better than I expected.” 

“I’m in shock.” She chuckled, a little hysterical. “It took me so much courage to confess…and it wasn’t even to your face. That would happen to me.”

He floated out of her hand and nuzzled her face. “All that matters is that I know. We can’t be together quite yet, but the second I get my body back, I plan to make you mine.” 

“Really?”

“Absolutely, Bugbear.” 

She kissed between his ears. “Okay, My Prince. I look forward to it.” 

The ring on her finger beeped, and a paw pad faded out. 

“What was that?”

Adrien sighed with relief. “The condition has been met.”

“Condition?”

Just then, a swath of Ladybugs rushed over the city, righting whatever the Sentimonster had ruined. 

“Well, looks like he didn’t need our help after all.”

Marinette laughed slightly. “They have been doing this a long time. It probably only took them this long to get it because of travel time.” 

Adrien nodded. “So, just to clarify, you aren’t mad at me?”

“Of course not! It sounds like Plagg tricked you. Though I am mad at you for reading my diary…and watching me change!” 

“In my defense, I was not warned you were going to change.” 

“Still you could have turned around!” She blushed. 

“Sorry, Bugaboo, I guess I was just a little star struck.” 

She bopped him on the nose. “Now don’t try to flatter me to get out of being caught.” 

A yoyo wrapped around the chimney above their heads, and Misterbug made his appearance. His very jarring, ancient appearance. He wore black leggings with a red loincloth around his waist. His shirt was cropped and had billowing sleeves. The mask was just a cloth that tied around his lower face. 

“Well well well, I figured if you weren’t on the battle field, you were busy having a lover’s quarrel.” He smirked, the smile only creasing his eyes. 

Marinette looked to Plagg. “Dearest Sunshine, do you mind terribly if I abuse your body?”

“Be my guest.”

Marinette wound up a punch and socked Plagg right in the shoulder. 

“Ow! Hey, that actually hurt.” 

“I hope you, you monster! How could you hurt my poor, sweet, innocent Adrien!?” She cuddled him close to her cheek.

Plagg scoffed. “Puh-lease. There is nothing innocent about that boy. Spots off.” 

The pink light faded, and Adrien’s body remained. It was almost hard to look at him, even though she knew it wasn’t really Adrien. 

“Oh, now she gets all shy~!” Plagg taunted. “I should have retransformed when I landed. Maybe she wouldn’t have punched me!”

“You deserved it.” Tikki said, flatly. 

“Yeah, whatever. So? How’d it go?” 

Marinette held out the ring. “It beeped?”

“Excellent!” He took it off her finger. “Two to go!” He slipped the ring on and took off the earrings. “Now I just have to focus on Gabriel and Lila. I think Gabe’s getting ready to crack. Lila though, I might have to push a little harder.”

“Thank you for the warning,” Marinette added. “It makes me feel better that I might not have to put up with her for much longer. So I can take a little damage.” 

Adrien frowned. “Can’t I stay with Marinette a while longer?”

Plagg huffed. “I mean you could…but then you couldn’t see the absolute chaos that I planned.”

Adrien winced. “Ugh, fine. I’ll go with you.” He turned to Marinette, pressing a kiss on her cheek. “Bye Bugaboo. I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Okay Kitty. I love you!” 

Adrien’s heart nearly burst with love. “I love you too!” 

“Gross.” Plagg gagged. “Alright, time to go! Adrien, Claws Out!” 

—

Chat Plagg Noir returned to the Lahiffe residence, and swung in through Nino’s window. 

Nino for his part, was nearly dancing in panic. 

“You good, my man?”

Nino shook his head frantically. “There’s a policeman here for you! I tried to stall as long as I could, and said you were asleep and a heavy sleeper! But I think he’s about to burst down my door!”

“A policeman? What for?”

“I don’t know! He just said he had to talk to you!” 

“Claws in.” Plagg walked over to the door, and exited, pensively watching the uniformed man in the living room. 

“Did you have a nice nap?” The man asked, arms crossed. 

“I did, until I was shaken awake. Is there a problem officer?”

“Adrien Agreste, you are under arrest.”

[dweetwise]

yes hello i am back on my bullshit again, presenting you yet another felix x ace! (also i’m taking the creative liberty to call the ship riconti because it sounds like a cheese or something and i found it funny) anyways, this one is just me thirsting over the oktoberfest skin through ace, ft. some suggestive language but no nsfw!

word count: 2781

Felix X Ace: Clothes make the man

The whole thing starts as an offhand comment.

"—I mean, it's clearly tailored. He pulls it off,” Ace is telling Meg, who has been complaining about Felix's stuffy suit and even stuffier attitude for five minutes straight. “But it's so impractical!” the girl argues. “Wasn't he on some kind of field trip when he was taken? What kind of guy wears a suit to that?” “I don't know, but I'm not going to complain about free eye candy,” Ace smirks, and Meg rolls her eyes. “Oh yeah, I forgot rich snobs are your thing. Sucks you can't scam him for his money in here,” Meg snarks. “Excuse me for having taste,” Ace shoots back. “I wish I had a suit like that. Do you think it's Gucci?” “Burberry,” an increasingly familiar voice answers from behind him and Meg whips her head around to look at its owner, eyes wide in shock at having been caught gossiping. Meanwhile Ace, liking to think he has more self-control, schools his face into a pleasant smile and slowly turns around to face Felix. “Would have been my next guess,” Ace says, trying not to let it show that he's mentally slapping himself for essentially thirsting over Felix when the other was within earshot. “I like the cut. You've got good taste.”

He’s feebly trying to save some of his wounded ego, but probably ends up laying it on too thick. Felix fidgets a little, maybe not used to getting compliments, before he seems to catch himself. He meets Ace's eyes and the hint of a smirk tugs on his lip.

“Wish I could say the same,” Felix says, pointedly looking at Ace's flamingo sweater, before turning around and walking away and leaving Ace to gape at the unexpected sass from the normally serious man. “I take it back, I like him!” Meg snickers beside him.

The Entity seems to share Ace's enthusiasm for Felix's fashion sense, and only a few trials in Felix is already in a different suit, this one a grey plaid.

“Hmm…” Ace pretends to mull over when they're working on a generator together. “Did you see something?” Felix asks, hurriedly glancing over the top of the machine to try, in vain, to spot the killer. “I think the navy blue suits you better,” Ace smirks at his own pun. “Though the plaid certainly makes a statement. Shame that statement is ‘I'm a grandpa at thirty years old’.” “You know, in my job, gold is really only used for trims. Any more than that is just tacky," Felix deadpans, not even sparing a glance at Ace's obnoxiously golden silk outfit. “And it's thirty-eight.”

Ace doesn't bother suppressing his grin over the fact that Felix seems happy to go along with his silly banter.

It becomes sort of an inside joke between them, and when Felix shows up to the campfire in a porn stache and driving gloves, Ace chokes on a laugh.

“I’m sorry, is this an 80's theme party?” Ace jokes. “Careful you don't end up on a propaganda poster with a stache like that.” “Why are you wearing an eye patch?” Felix immediately shoots back. “Is this the 16th century? Should we break out the rum and set sail?”

Ace hears Quentin snort beside him.

“It's a pilot outfit,” Ace argues, pulling his jacket with the pin-up print tighter against himself defensively. “No, mine is a pilot outfit,” Felix deadpans, and Ace can't really argue, not when the other is wearing a bomber jacket and pilot glasses and leather gloves. “Yours is a blind truck driver.”

Bill coughs out something akin to a laugh on the other side of camp and Ace bites his lip to stop himself from doing the same.

“Can I borrow the shades some time?” Ace forfeits the argument, and Felix smiles just the tiniest bit. “Sure.”

And Felix actually follows through with the promise, switching sunglasses with him when Ace later complains his own don’t go with his outfit. It’s a pretty cute gesture, like they were close friends or even a couple, and when Felix snorts and tells him he looks ridiculous it just serves to make Ace smile brighter.

It’s not like the exchange or the ones before it mean anything, it’s just harmless joking with the occasional flirt. Ace still thinks Felix is attractive, but he doesn’t have any illusions that the man would be into him like that, with what having a girlfriend and unborn baby back home, not to mention Ace having a good ten years on him in age. Still, he appreciates that Felix goes along with his cheeky comments, at least not grossed out by or taking offense to Ace’s flirting.

He only gets to keep the shades for one trial, because the Entity has blessed Felix with another outfit for Ace to offer his unsolicited opinion on.

“Oh my god,” Ace comments when he spots the horrendous, grease-streaked mop in place of Felix’s normally expertly styled hair. “Are you a closet hipster? Is an avocado smoothie going to fall out of the hat?” he quips, eyeing the fedora that is, in Ace’s humble opinion, vastly inferior to all of his own hats. “I needed a disguise to lay low for a while, and what better way to hide in plain sight in a big city?” Felix defends his unkempt hair and dirty t-shirt. “What’s your excuse?” he shoots back.

Ace glances down at his generously open shirt—gold again, just to annoy Felix—and tacky sequin pants.

“Vegas, baby,” Ace grins. “If you’d ever been, you’d know.” “I’ve never been happier to say I haven’t,” Felix chuckles. “I don’t think I could handle more of… whatever this is,” he says, gesturing to Ace’s outfit. “When we get out of here, I’m definitely taking you,” Ace quips. “I just want to see you cry over all the flashy satin and fake gold.”

Felix doesn’t roll his eyes or make a sarcastic comment like Ace expects. Instead, he stares blankly in confusion for a few seconds, before his expression settles into a smile Ace can’t quite place.

“Alright,” Felix simply says, and combined with the soft smile it’s enough to make Ace nervously look around camp for a distraction. “Hey, Kate!” he hollers, spotting the songstress braiding Meg’s hair. “You got a hairband for our friend and his questionable hair style over there?”

He ends up regretting the question as soon as Kate insists on braiding Felix’s hair and the normally standoffish man, somehow, goes along with it. He can’t believe he’s jealous for someone getting to touch the grimy, unkempt strands, and it sure as hell doesn’t help that Felix seems to like it. Kate looks thrilled to get to spend some quality time with the man, chatting about this and that and taking way longer than necessary to make the hairstyle, and Ace ends up walking away and pestering Dwight to play some cards with him so he can at least win at something.

His win streak over the poor boy is interrupted when Felix later sits down with them, gesturing for Ace to deal him in, and Ace can’t quite hide his pleased grin that Felix would rather spend time with him than the beautiful girl who just played with his hair for half an hour.

“Better?” Felix asks him, turning his head to display the most pathetic French braid Ace has ever seen, ending in a ponytail that’s barely an inch in length. “Much better,” Ace says, definitely referring to the company and not the state of his hair, and even the normally diplomatic Dwight gives him a weird glance over his cards after taking in Kate’s handiwork.

Only a few trials after the incident, Ace has the pleasure of spawning together with Felix in one of the Yamaoka maps. When he sees a horrendous checkered pattern from the corner of his eye, he knows he’s in for a treat.

He quickly turns to face the man, nearly tripping over some shrubbery as the Entity decided to place him in some inconvenient bamboo. He meets Felix's eye, opening his mouth to start a snarky comment, when his thoughts come to a complete halt upon seeing the entirety of the outfit.

“Well? Get it over with,” Felix demands, crossing his arms self-consciously and—lord have mercy—blushing a little.

Ace's brain is reduced to white noise in the equivalent of ‘hhhHhhHHhh’ while he just stands there, feet still in the stupid bamboo, and stares.

Felix's hair is now an impeccable undercut, a few loose strands framing his features beautifully, and the perfectly trimmed stubble adds a rugged charm to his handsome face. The vest is stylish, a navy blue similar to the suit Ace likes, and the checkered shirt shouldn't work with it but it does, and there's even a matching handkerchief in his breast pocket. Ace's horny brain immediately goes to hanky code and shut up brain it's in the wrong pocket—

Ace mentally shakes his head and looks at Felix's pants instead. And that was a bad idea, because he’s wearing fucking. Leather. Pants.

Again, it should look ridiculous, but Ace feels himself start salivating at the idea of them hugging Felix's ass—ugh, focus!

The pants have small ribbons on the sides and the entire ensemble is so goddamn adorable and sexy that he can't even deal. And Ace has seen a lot of handsome men during his life, mostly in the mirror, but right now, Felix takes the cake.

Felix's attitude shifts from embarrassed to curious when Ace isn't immediately opening his big mouth like usual.

“If this is how all Germans dress, it’s a tragedy I’ve never been,” Ace flirts, his dick having taken over his brain and his mouth running on autopilot.

Instead of insulting Ace's panama hat and favorite pink shirt, Felix clears his throat and averts his eyes.

“You don't look too bad yourself,” Felix mutters, cheeks heating up again as he twiddles with the cuff of his shirt.

Ace idly wonders if the bamboo bush is big enough for them to make out in without being spotted—brain, focus! The guy is just being polite, no need to jump his bones!

They've got the usual back-and-forth out of the way, but Felix still isn't moving to start the trial, regarding Ace warily and fidgeting, and he's just so fucking hot—ugh, he needs to say something, doesn't he?

“God, the things I'd let you do to me," Ace thinks while he says ‘We should find a generator’ because he's not going to creep Felix out any further—

Felix chokes on nothing and his face flushes bright red, and Ace belatedly realizes his brain got its wires crossed and he definitely said the first bit out loud. Shit, that was definitely out of line, and if Felix hasn’t been offended before he sure as hell should be now.

There’s a screech from his left and Ace has never been so glad to take a bonesaw to the shoulder as when the Nurse teleports next to him and interrupts their awkward conversation, Ace finally running out of the goddamn shrubbery while clutching his injured shoulder. Strangely enough, the Nurse doesn’t follow him as he runs up to the temple, and soon after he hears Felix yelp instead, the killer chasing him around the shack.

Damn, now he somehow needs to make it up to Felix both to apologize for his foot-in-mouth syndrome and for him taking the Nurse off Ace’s back.

Unfortunately for them, the Nurse isn't playing around this match, and when she returns to tunnel Felix right off the hook, Ace barely even gets the chance to yell out a “Move!” and throw himself in the way of the attack, much less talk to him about what happened earlier.

Soon Ace is walking back into camp, the second to last to have been sacrificed, only Claudette remaining in the trial and trying to find the hatch. He's already prepared an apology, and hopefully he'll be able to joke it off and Felix won't be weirded out by him. Well, at least not more than usual.

But then he spots Felix talking to Dwight by the edge of the camp, and Dwight freezes mid-conversation upon seeing Ace, before his face twists into a—smirk? Since when has Dwight smirked?—and he says something to Felix before taking off, walking over to where Steve and Ash look to be engaged in a game of tic-tac-toe.

Ace doesn't even have time to ponder why Dwight suddenly seems like he knows way too much, because Felix is approaching him and he knows this is a make or break it situation.

“Dwight seemed awfully smug, huh?” Ace jokes to buy himself some time after his carefully crafted apology flies out the window when he sees Felix’s serious expression. “We need to talk,” Felix says, looking and sounding every bit the stern businessman Meg thinks he is. “Yeah, alright,” Ace agrees and tries not to deflate too much upon essentially being shut down before he can even try to make things right.

As he follows Felix out into the woods away from prying eyes, he considers whether it's even worth apologizing if their friendship is done with anyway. He just hopes this won't cause unnecessary drama within the group, the others sure as hell don’t need to get involved.

His train of thought is interrupted when he's suddenly pushed against a tree, letting out a startled yelp that he’ll later vehemently deny. Shit, is Felix going to beat him up?

An arm wrapping around his hip is finally enough to pull Ace out of his racing thoughts, and when he looks up at the man he finally realizes that Felix is definitely not upset with him, and his eyebrows shoot up into his hairline upon seeing the clear bedroom eyes thrown his way.

“Is this not okay?” Felix asks, his dark gaze faltering from insecurity. “Naw, baby, just took me by surprise,” Ace practically purrs, a lazy grin spreading over his face as the familiar confidence returns, his hands running over Felix's shoulders appreciatively. “I thought you were upset with me from before, not that you'd take me up on the offer.” “Well, I—” Felix starts, clearing his throat self-consciously. “I've wanted this for quite some time, and Dwight said you probably wouldn't be opposed, so…”

That's what they were talking about? And Dwight convinced Felix that Ace is down to fuck? Shit, he needs to get the kid a fruit basket or something to thank him.

“He's definitely not wrong,” Ace says, trying for a seductive look but probably ends up leering stupidly from the anticipation instead. But apparently it gets the job done, because Felix pulls him tighter against him and leans in for a kiss.

And okay, wow, apparently he wasn't lying about really wanting this, because there's an urgency in the way he practically devours Ace's mouth, letting out an appreciative groan when Ace parts his lips and encourages him to deepen the kiss.

So maybe he should be worried about Felix's girlfriend or his sudden interest in men or whether he's looking for more than a casual fuck. But Ace has never been good at thinking certain things through and he's not about to start now, not when he has a breathless and flushed Felix pulling away from the kiss and looking at him with lust-blown eyes.

“I've wanted to do that for a long time,” Felix breathes, the corner of his mouth quirking up into a half-smile. “You really should have just asked,” Ace smirks, a little amazed that he managed to miss all the signs, because there’s nothing subtle about the way Felix looks at him now. “I was working up to it,” Felix argues. “But then you started practically eye fucking me—” “I was looking respectfully,” Ace corrects, causing Felix to snort. “You stood in a bush and drooled, and then propositioned me,” Felix points out. “Yeah, and you liked it so much you blushed like a virgin and started flirting and took the killer off of me—which, thanks for that, by the way—” Ace starts. “You're welcome.” “—and… why did I think you were mad at me again?” Ace realizes. “No idea. I thought it was pretty obvious why I dragged you here to ‘talk’,” Felix emphasizes, gaze roaming appreciatively over his body. “Well, what are you waiting for?” Ace encourages, flashing his signature smirk in challenge.

And Ace learns that no matter how much he likes Felix's outfit, getting to help Felix out of it is even better.

[shadia-shoplifter]

The Beginning

First of all what is a pilferer? Well; a pilferer is a person who steals without the use of violence. Shops are the preferred hunting ground for the professional pilferer.

I like to see myself as a professional.

Second who am I? I'm Shadia; so very pleased to meet you. Not my real name obviously. All names have been changed to protect the innocent.....or in my case the guilty. I'm twenty nine years old...I think? I stopped counting or celebrating birthdays after twenty three. So when people ask me my age. I often have to count which appears strange to people. Well! it's rude to ask a girl her age anyway...That's what I say.

So; for you budding pilferers out there wondering how do you become a seasoned professional pilferer? The strange thing about pilfering is....You don't choose pilfering; Pilfering chooses you. Pilfering is like an invisible stalker lurking in the bushes; hiding around every corner; just waiting for circumstances life itself to bring you face to face with this malevolent force. To slowly sink its talons into my innocent flesh; claiming my soul forever. That's what happened to me.

What circumstances brought me to pilfering?

Working in a pizza factory on a zero hours contract isn't the most helpful situation to be in. What is a zero hours contract? A zero hours contract is an agreement with your employer that you will be given work in line with operational demand. If pizza orders are down in particular week or month then you're sent home; usually if your face doesn't fit. "Sorry Shadia Asda has cancelled their order you're not needed this week." Square peg round hole springs to mind. That's it no work; no money.

Just when you think your day can't get any worse; life gives you a little nudge. I didn't know it then but I was two steps away from meeting my phantom stalker. Fate points it finger accusingly at me. just two more nudges and my soul has gone.

Bang! the cooker blows up, squelch! the washer machine floods the kitchen. Cooker kaput! Washer wasted! This super mop is shit! My mother used to say trouble always comes in threes. My stomach is rumbling; my clothes are stinking and rent is due! I have no money. In my case trouble is a quartet.

The rest of the day is a blur. I suddenly found myself wondering around Asda-other supermarkets are available- hungry and honking. My spectre is closing in on me! I was looking at children's clothing. Christ! I don't even have a kid! I was there at the cross roads of my life; honesty this ways please; dishonesty slightly to the left. I could feel the adrenaline; my legs starting to tremble my hands became to shake. This is what they mean by flight or fight! but this was not physical battle. This was a metaphysical conflict for my soul. Stomach churning, hands shaking I picked up two pairs of boys jeans and before I knew it I'd stuffed them in my bag. Oh my God what do I do now! my head was spinning. Get out; Get out; Get out now! a voice screamed in my head. I felt sick. I briskly walked through the shop. The strip lights made my head hurt. Just walk casually a calmer voice said inside my head. I avoided shoppers with trolley like landmines; avoided all eye contact with customers. I felt everyone knew what I had done. A floor assistant was walking towards me. This is it! She knows; She's going to stop me. I wiped my forehead with a hanky I found in my pocket. She's getting closer, closer, closer. Oh she's walked past. I felt I could breath again. "Excuse me," I heard the assistant's voice behind me. I slowly turned trying not to look guilty, "Yes" I said trying to smile but it didn't feel convincing. The assistant stepped toward me; this is it caught. "Is this yours?" She held out my handy. I must have dropped it in my panic. "Yes; thank you" I replied sounding flustered. I turned and walked on.

I pushed past the checkouts. Why do supermarkets make it impossible for you to leave without buying something! The final hurdle through the door and free. Bollocks! The security guard is standing by the door talking to the manager. They know! They're waiting for me! God they're waiting to capture me. I walked through the door every fibre of my being was tense. Time felt like it was standing still as my heart pounded against the the wall of my chest like a police officer's batten. As I passed the barriers the BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! I panicked and ran. I barged my way through the car park. I could hear the security guard shouting; his feet pounding behind me slapping against the payment slap! slap! slap! I kept on running putting distance between us. I could sense shoppers staring. I could hear people say, "Oh it must be a shoplifter," as they stepped to one side to get out of my way. I charged toward the road. A black Subaru pulled in front of my blocking my way. I stopped exhausted sweat was pissing from my head. I turned around and saw the guard getting closer; people was standing staring. Some people were covertly nudging the person beside them and nodding in my direction; code for, "Look! A shoplifter!"

I leaned on the roof of the car waiting for the guard. I heard a voice say "Get in" I stood a moment, "For fucks sake get in!" It was the driver a black haired lad wearing a white tracksuit, "Get in or I'm off!" Not thinking I jumped into the back seat. Tyres squealed! We we're off! leaving the guard behind. My soul was whisked away in a black Subaru driven by a teenager. I'll always remember the day Monday 24th November 2014. My twenty third birthday.

[snowflakechallenge]

Fandom Snowflake Challenge #12

Introduction Post* Meet the Mods Post * Master Post * Challenge #1 * Challenge #2 * Challenge #3 * Challenge #4 * Challenge #5 * Challenge #6 * Challenge #7 * Challenge #8 * Challenge #9 * Challenge #10 * Challenge #11

Remember that there is no official deadline, so feel free to join in at any time, or go back and do challenges you've missed.

Remember the early oughts? Remember Web 1.0? And Geocities and blinkies? What about Flash games? It was only last month that Adobe Flash finally died its ignoble death.

In the spirit of those times, let resurrect some old LJ memes! (Think Buzzfeed quizzes but with less data mining (not to say that didn't happen)).

When I looked at my tags page, there were 159 entries tagged ‘meme’ which I guess is because memes were what I used to say when I didn’t know what to say. In the early oughts, I wasn’t new to the internet, but I was new to the interactive version of it presented by LJ and its clones. In order to seem interesting, I did a *lot* of memes.

As I explored back in my journal, I found a lot of memes that are now defunct, but I wish were still functioning. Like the Friends Icons collage, which seemed to be a bit of code that gathered all your friends’ default icons into one picture. And Quizilla seems to be a Teen Nick site now. Other links looked extremely sketchy.

Challenge #12

In your own space, resurrect an old meme. Leave a comment in today’s post at The Fandom Snowflake Challenge on DW saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

The challenge: look at the list of old memes below (I’ve checked all the links to be sure the ones below are still functioning). Pick out one that appeals to you, follow the instructions, post in your journal, and then come back here and share! Make sure to tell us which one you did.

Here Are Some Choices:

Desktop/Wallpaper screen shot - take a screen shot of the background (desktop for computers or wallpaper for mobile devices) on whatever device you are using. This one was originally just desktops, since it predates tablets and phones becoming so ubiquitous. Post the pic in your journal.

I Write Like . . . - Paste a few paragraphs of your writing into the box and see which famous author has a style most similar to you. It doesn’t have to be actual fic writing; you can post your latest blog post, but the longer, the better the tool works. Although don’t go too long; it will just cut it off. It will generate a little bit of code with a banner, which you can post in your journal.

Music shuffle - go to your favorite source of music that can be shuffled. Your main Spotify playlist, iTunes, your YouTube music playlist. Hit shuffle. Write down the first line of the first twenty songs that come up. When people visit your journal, they have to guess what the songs are. Strike through the ones that have been guessed with the guessers name at the end of the line.

What Number Are You? - click on the phrases that describe you, and then post the text that you get along with your number in your journal.

What Kind of Shoe Personality Do You Have? Anyone who knows me knows there’s no way I would pass this one up. I should get my shoe mood theme back on my journal.

Fail Cat - If you have a PC: Open paint, close your eyes, draw a cat. Post the results. If you have a phone or tablet: Open the notes app, close your eyes, draw a cat. Post the results. (I do not know what program you would use if you have a Mac without something else installed like Gimp or Photoshop, Macs do not seem to come with a default drawing program).

First Line - Post the first line of the first entry of each month for the past year in your journal.

The Dewey Decimal System - find out which category in the Dewey Decimal System you are.

Nearest Book - 1. Grab the nearest book; 2. Open the book to page 123; 3. Find the fifth sentence; 4. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your LJ along with these instructions; 5. Don’t you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest.

Spell Your Name - pick a category: movies, books, TV shows, musicians, songs, etc. Spell your name with the first letter of each. Your real name, your username, you choose!

Kleenex Moment - Pick the top five movies that make you cry, and tell us what the Kleenex Moment is (when do you reliably reach for the hankies).

Which Historical Lunatic Where You? A series of yes or no questions, which will give you a block of text to copy/paste into your journal!

Which SciFi/Fantasy Character Are You? Gives you a pic to post in your journal.

If you have a fav meme from back in the day, by all means, post it in the comments with instructions and links so we can all participate!

Check out the comments for all the awesome participants of the challenge and visit their journals/challenge responses to comment on their posts and cheer them on.

And just as a reminder: this is a low pressure, fun challenge. If you aren't comfortable doing a particular challenge, then don't. We aren't keeping track of who does what.

(If you want us to reblog your response here at our Tumblr, we’re tracking: snowflakechallenge2021.)