#Anyway... He is the favourite character of my cousin's girlfriend for now because 'he's very pretty and he is so kind and nice' omg

[jacksintention]

I really can't stand Gil

[samdeancass]

Love at First Sight

Pairing: Stiles x McCall!fem!reader

Genre: Fluff

Characters: Scott, Stiles, Y/N

Description: Y/N and Scott are cousins and haven't seen each other for 5 years when you left Beacon Hills. When she arrives back, Scott throws a party for her and introduces her to Stiles, who seems very happy to meet her.

You smiled widely as you pulled up outside Scott's house, excitement building up inside. Scott is your favourite cousin and the one that you're most close to, so you couldn't wait to knock on his front door and surprise him. Being so close to Scott you knew all about the supernatural world and the fact that he was an alpha werewolf, so you knew that there would be no surprises coming your way, or so you thought.

You walked up the path to his house and knocked on the door, leaning on your heels as you waited. Your smile grew and grew as you heard Scott's voice and the jangle of the keys in the lock. He stood there in both shock and happiness when he swung the door open and seen you standing there.

"Y/N? What the hell are you doing here?" Scott opened his arms and engulfed you to his chest, nearly squeezing the life out of you. "Scott...can't...breathe." "Ooo sorry, I tend to forget my strength sometimes." You chuckled and took a look at Scott, closing the door behind you.

He really had changed since the last time you seen him. There was a lot more muscle on his body and he seemed to have grown quite a few inches. "I see the werewolf life is treating you well then." You gestured up and down whilst Scott chuckled, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I guess I've changed a lot since you last seen me. How long's it been?" "Five years." Scott's mouth hung open. "No, it can't have been that long. Seriously." You nodded your head and smiled. "Yep, seriously."

You both walked towards the sofa and sat down. "Anyway, you didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?" "Well, my dad has changed jobs again so we needed to move house. It turns out, he's going to be working just outside Beacon Hills! You'll be seeing a whole lot more of me because this time, we're staying!"

A beaming smile spread across Scott's features. "I've just had the perfect idea. Seems you're now back permanently, you're going to need some familiar faces so I'm going to throw you a party. A welcome back party."

You furrowed your eyebrows. "I'm not too sure, Scott. What if they don't like me?" He put his hand on your shoulder and gave you a comforting smile. "Trust me, they are going to love you."

____________

Scott had given you the low down of all the people who are going to be at the party.

"So, Lydia is a banshee. What exactly is that again?" You smoothed down your dress and put on the finished touches to your make-up. "Lydia can sense when someone has died or is near death. Her scream is also very powerful and can throw people back a good few feet."

You nodded your head. "Derek, Liam and Malia are all werewolves?" He nodded. "Malia is a were-coyote. Her mom is a coyote, her dad is a werewolf. Liam is my beta, I turned him accidentally when I was trying to save him. Derek is a strong werewolf, one of the most powerful I've seen."

"Kira is a kitsune? A fire fox?" You put some hairspray in your hair and turned round to Scott. "And she is also my girlfriend." You widened your eyes and smacked him on the shoulder. "Scott McCall, why on earth did you not tell me you have a girlfriend?" His cheeks grew red with embarrassment. "I...I" You laughed and ruffled his hair. "I'm only kidding. But please tell me you know at least one human that isn't me?"

At that, Scott's smile grew wide and cunning. "My best friend, Stiles. He's the smartest person I know but he's also very sarcastic." "It sounds like I'm really going to like him." A soft smile grew on your face before you turned back towards the mirror for one last check.

"C'mon, Y/N. We can't have you being late to your own party." Scott grabbed your hand and led you out the door and down the stairs to meet everyone.

____________

Everyone you had met were extremely nice to you and welcomed you into the pack. Lydia, Kira and Malia were all very happy that they were no longer outnumbered by the boys. Derek was very welcoming to you which Scott said was a complete surprise because he usually just growls at people and walks away.

"And this is Stiles. Stiles, meet Y/N. Y/N meet Stiles." Stiles turned around to greet you when your eyes met. You were completely mesmerised by his chocolate brown eyes and the cute little freckles scattered across his face. Stiles' mouth hang agape as his eyes gazed over your features. Seeing the reaction you both had to each other, Scott smiled to himself and slowly walked away to watch his plan hatch.

"H-hi, I-i'm Stiles." He kept his gaze on you which made you blush. "I'm Y/N, Scott's cousin." You both stood there for a while just staring at each other. "I'm sorry, I don't know how someone as beautiful as you can be related to Scott. I mean, he's a dog."

"Hey! Just because I'm not standing next to you doesn't mean I can't hear what you're saying!" You laughed at the joke, nervously tucking your hair behind your ears. "You are right, though. He is a dog." "Thanks a lot, Stilinski."

"Anytime, pal." He winked at Scott before turning his attention back to you. "So, Scott's told me a little about you and I have to say, I'm very intrigued." You both began to walk together towards the back yard to try and grab some privacy.

"You're intrigued by me? A human? You literally live in a town full of supernatural creatures and you're interested in my life?" You both sat down facing each other on a bench, your arms leaning on the table. "Well, I don't have a normal human life. I'm always dragged into Scott's werewolf drama. I wanna know how the other half live."

You told Stiles all about your life and the different things you had accomplished. Throughout the conversation, Stiles didn't once take his eyes off you; always keeping his attention on you.

You both sat in a comfortable silence just staring at each other until you both slowly leaned over the table and kissed. It was new and exciting and sweet. Excitement and electricity run through your nerves as you kept the connection, Stiles' hand resting against your cheek.

Your hand rested on top of his as you leaned into his warmth, a warm blush spreading across your cheeks. Stiles smiled at you, completely content, until the moment was ruined by wolf whistles and squeals coming from the back door of the house, or more rightly Scott.

"My plan worked! I knew you two would hit it off." Scott smiled confidently at the both of you. You both shook your heads at him. "Can we not have, like, five minutes privacy please?" Lydia pulled Scott back into the house and closed the door but not before giving him a thump for good measure.

"So, where were we?" Stiles leaned over the table again and pressed his lips to yours, this time more passionately. "I think we were getting up to the part where we make out, a lot." Stiles wiggled his eyebrows and pulled you over the table and into his lap causing you to laugh and slap his chest.

From that moment, you guys were inseparable and it was all thanks to Scott who you both knew would never let you forget it.

Teen Wolf Tags:

@bxoken-heartss @hellomyweirdos @redcoatgirl

[cuntyqueerleondraisaitl]

My thoughts on Yellowjackets Season 1

Major spoilers for season one under the cut. Also, long

Okay I'm going to break this up into parts because I'm mentally ill and neurodivergent, need I say more?

Stuff I predicted.

First and foremost, I fucking called it that Coach Ben was gay. I was watching it with my cousins and I announced to the room: "The coach guy is gay, you can quote me on that!" Just for the record, my gaydar is very good.

Jackie's death was extremely sad, but I knew the second hallucination!Shauna let her inside. There's no way she would forgive her or be forgiven that fast, teenage girls are terrifying.

Predictions for the future:

They are 100% going to eat Jackie. Nuff Said.

Javi is dead. If not now, then soon.

There is a 0% chance that Shauna's baby is going to survive. Giving birth is dangerous enough on its own. But a teenager giving birth, in the woods, with no medication, no food, no doctors, under absolutely horrifying mental circumstances. There's no way in hell.

For this prediction, it must be known that I know absolutely nothing about lighters. But during the scene where Jackie was trying to light the fire before she died, I noticed that she was having trouble with the lighter. This could have been because she was shivering, or to further drive home the fact that she isn't good at "outdoorsy" stuff, but lighters do run on a small amount of fuel. And if that runs you can no longer use the lighter, it is also unlikely the lighters were full when they got them (I'm assuming they got them from the cabin, as it would be weird for a teenager to bring a lighter to a soccer game) So if the lighters run out or stop working, will they run out of fuel?

And, we have to talk about my least favourite arc of all time, Misty and the Coach. I hated this so fucking much. Adult Misty slays but '96 Misty makes me want to die. Anyway... I think he gon be outed. Misty fucking assaulted and terrorized this guy for so long, and then he told her that he was gay. She isn't going to sit on this, she's going to tell everyone. I don't think anyone's going to be homophobic, because they were all fine with Taivan, but I do think that this is going to really alienate her from Nat, who is Ben's best friend and #1 supporter.

In terms of whos, the head-honcho with the scary mask is, at this point, I'm almost certain that it's got to be Lottie. At first, I was betting on Taissa because of the whole "Became a leader in her adult life" thing, but now I'm shying against it, and I'm not quite sure why. Lottie is my first choice, not from a character standpoint, but purely from a literary one. She is the only character that has not yet appeared as an adult (next to Van) who has gotten any real characterization. And Van just kind of seems like a prop to be Tai's girlfriend and someone to get injured a shit ton. (I love Taivan, don't get me wrong)

Flight 571

If you don't know, flight 571 was a real flight, carrying a Urgarian rugby team, that crashed in the Andes. It is often known as "The Miracle of the Andes." Of the 45 people on the flight, 16 survived, and they did so by eating each other. It was a big hyper-fixation of mine for a while.

One of the biggest differences between the Yellowjackets vs 571, is the setting. As 571 crashed in the Anes, where there was absolutely no life, and their flight obviously crashed in the forest, where they can hunt. But as winter approaches, the two climates become more and more similar, which will probably lead to more parallels.

There are already a shit ton of parallels, starting way back in episode 2, with none other than Van. Her Flight 571 parallel is, arguably the most famous of the group, Nando Parrado. And although your parallels aren't glaring, there is no questioning that they're there. Nando had a fractured skull and was in a Coma for three days after the crash. At first, he was to be counted among the dead, but at the last minute, he was pulled back into the plane, where he survived and became one of the most important people on the flight and one of the survivors. This is a parallel to the way that Van almost died in the fire, but survived and became a very important figure.

In relation to the whole "eating Jackie" thing. In the real-life flight 571 They didn't eat the already dead, they only ate the people that had consented to be eaten when they were alive. This will most likely not play into it at all here, but I want to see how they handle the morality of the situation

Another thing that came up a lot in the crash of 571, was whether or not they could physically;y stomach the meat. Many passengers, even when dying of starvation, could not stomach the meat of their fellow passengers. Again, I doubt this will come up, but It would be dope if it did.

Rationing horror. I want it. I know I'm a jerk, but there is one instance in 571 that has always stuck with me, and this is the fact that one of the 571 passengers (I believe it was my man Nando) ate one chocolate-covered almond over the course of three days. First the outer layer of the chocolate, and then the two slivers of almond, one at a time. I don't have a reason for it, but I really want this to play a part.

I'm very confused about how the cannibalism wasn't immediately found out when they were rescued. In the real-life Andes flight, people figured it out almost immediately. They were immediately rushed to the hospital, and when the doctors puzzled out that they had to be eating something, it was all out in the open pretty fast. I'm curious how the Yellowjackets managed to cover it up.

Things I Loved

Pretty much the whole show. Even the things I hated (see below) are either so small or made sense narratively that it allowed for a really enjoyable watching experience. It was beautiful to look at. Amazingly acted. Amazingly scripted. And just an all-around excellent show.

Things I hated

The Misty/Ben arc. I hated this so fucking much. Ben is my favourite character, and he was straight-up getting harassed by Misty. She also only stopped when she forced him out. And even then she didn't stop being bitter about it. ("[Ben] tricked me into falling in love with him") She also TRIED TO RAPE HIM??? Even after he said no multiple times during episode nine. It also made me cringe, super hard, which isn't as important but still makes me hate it. This is why I have '96 Misty. I understand that it made literary sense, but still...

The fact that 571 is canon in the Yellowjackets universe. It is mentioned in a throwaway line said by that reporter. I believe in episode eight, It feels like a mistake, like when Hot Tub Time Machine was referenced in Endgame. I have already said that it is clear that Yellowjackets is loosely based on flight 571, which makes me feel weird...

The way that schizophrenia was presented. I'm not Schitzo Spec, nor a medical professional so I'm not speaking from experience, but from the research I've done, it can be pretty harmful to use hallucinations to convey evil things or to present it as a gift. Both of which are done in the show

Character Thoughts:

I am completely separating the '96 characters from the present day. In my mind thus far they are different people. This is in literally no order

Reporter: Literally no strong feelings about her what-so-ever, don't even know her name

Those three random girls: You know who I'm talking about. I don't even know their names so I don't care.

Jeff: I hate him. He makes me want to murder him. He cheated on his girlfriend with her best friend. Then blackmailed her friends for money because people didn't want his furniture. 0/10 do not recommend

'96 Misty: I really hate her, even more than Jeff. She's the only character who I like the present-day version of her more than the teen version. Again, the whole Misty/Ben act made me really deeply resent her

Present-day Misty: I love her. So much. She and House should team up and create the malpractice hospital of the century. I was on the fence about her until the very end when she poisoned the reporters cigarettes. And now I love her.

'96 Lottie: I think that she needs a bit more development, and I can see her becoming one of my favourites. Apart from my thoughts on her schizophrenia, I think that with a bit more characterization she can become almost perfect

'96 Vanessa: I love her. Again, I feel like she is mostly being portrayed as someone to do gruesome stuff too, and as a prop for Tai., but the crumbs of Characterization we get for her are awesome. I love the way that she took Lotties weird bone/good luck charm with her. Is shows that she's really sweet and a good person.

'96 Nat: Yes. Her. Yes. Also, she's definitely queer and no I do not take criticism. I think that, even though she's so broken, her and Travis have a really unique and great bond, even at their worst. I also LOVE her relationship with Wen (Don't worry, we're getting to him) She's probably my favourite of the girls.

Present day Nat: Unpopular opinion, but just eh. She's a very tragic character, and that's important for the story. I think that her grief, and her relapse, are very realistic. I can empathize with her, but she isn't very interesting and one of my favourites.

'96 Jackie: I hate her too. I think she's whiny, and doesn't pull her weight. And her insane amount of pouting is what got her killed. I understand that there was a whole arc about her not pulling her weight, but I don't think that ever got really resolved. She did the seance, but that definitely did more bad than good. I wish she wasn't dead, but she irritates me.

'96 Travis: I definitely think he had some of the best development out of all the kids. During the first couple of episodes, I was team eat Travis first and now I'm team eat him second or third. Still not my favourite, but I don't hate him.

'96 Shauna: I think that she's a bi-disaster and in love with Jackie, but honestly to me she seems a bit one-sided. I don't really have super strong thoughts on her

Present-day Shauna: The worst of the adults. Even if it turns out her husband is blackmailing her, she shouldn't have cheated, especially if she didn't know. She pretty much neglects her daughter and kept those journals even though it meant putting her team in jeopardy.

'96 Javi: I think that at the beginning, he had the potential to be interesting. Especially with the whole, dead dad/gum thing. But we haven't really heard from him in a while, so there isn't much to say.

'96 Tai: I like her a lot, I think that she is the one whose characterization as a child comes through the most as an adult. You can see her leadership come through and strengthen as the season go on, which obviously morphs into her becoming senator as an adult.

Present day Tai: Fine. Just fine. I think that her arc as an adult is quite interesting because most of her reach characterization came through in her marriage/parenting/politics stuff, and not in the mystery. But she's fine.

Ben: Oh my precious. Oh, my baby. This man can do no wrong. he could eat literally everyone else, including Nat and Van, and I would continue to give him cuddles and words of affirmation. My favourite character of all time, the reason I hate '96 Misty. If anyone does anything to him they are dead to me forever. That one scene where he's high on shrooms and screaming at the sky that he's gay. Goosebumps.

TL;DR

I'm a really fucked up person who just spent almost hours writing an essay on a show she isn't even done watching yet.

[oddsnendsfanfics]

Christmas Cookies

Genre: Fan Fiction (Sand Castle) Pairing: N/A Warnings: It’s so fluffy! Pure Absolute Christmas Fluff! Rating: G Length: Drabble Disclaimer: a strict work of fiction, I own nothing except the original characters and the plot line. In no way am I affiliated to any of it.  

A/N: I just wrote multiple pages of Sy being an absolute marshamallow, with his nieces and nephews. It’s as sweet as Maple Syrup! Enjoy. 

Henry Cavill Master List

“You're sure that it's okay if the kids come over?” The concern for her brother didn't go unnoticed, the blue eyes they shared were locked on his face as if she didn't believe him, when he had given the green light.

He looked ridiculous in the white and red ugly Christmas sweater. The knit garment depicting Santa on a beach. Leave it to Sy. Aimee had lost it laughing a few weeks ago, when her brother had called to tell her that he'd got ugly Christmas sweaters for his nieces and nephews, too.

A smirk curled his lips under the thick beard that had been growing on his face for the last ten or twelve years. Running a hand over his grown out hair, her little brother laughed. “Yes, Aim. I am sure. I wouldn't have told them to come, if I didn't want them here. Go on, we're fine. I am sure Mike will appreciate the night off.”

Early this morning, Sy had been woke to his phone ringing on the night stand beside his head. Stupidly loud, the phone screamed at him, begging him to answer. After the fourth ring, it was clear that the person on the other end was not giving in. Despite the headache and heartache from hell, he reached over and answered.

On the other end, his youngest niece greeted her hung over Uncle. “Uncle Sy, I want to come stay with you tonight. Mommy said that I can't invite myself over, but I want to see you. Please say yes.”

“Morning Wispy,” Sy muttered sitting up, rubbing his hand over his face. “Uncle Sy is a bit hazy this morning, I'm gonna need ya to repeat that. Slowly.” He shook his head and chuckled at his niece.

Repeating her request, Willow waited for her uncle to give her the all clear. She was his favourite person, after all, he would never tell her no.

“Sure can bub. Let me talk to your ma, please. And Wispy, I love ya bug.”

Taking the phone from her over excited daughter, Aimee greeted her brother. Her first round of questions assaulting the youngest Syverson.

“Four kids, are you really sure?” Aimee raised her brow looking at her brother. “I can't believe we let Willow talk you into this. I had no idea she was calling you until she came in with the phone. Apparently she and Harley had planned this yesterday.”

“Whatever. I'm cool with it. I didn't have much to do anyway. Probably spend another night down at The Hole.” Sy shrugged. His favourite dive bar had become his temporary home, since his girlfriend of five years had decided she wanted more than a cranky Army vet to share her life with.

Willow had heard her parents discussing Sy's break up, when she coerced her cousin Harley into the plan for a weekend with their uncle. Uncle Sy was her favourite person in the whole wide world, they even shared a birthday, and Uncle Sy was the most fun! He would often let Willow paint his nails and decorate his beard. Why wouldn't that silly woman want him? Willow had grumbled about her “Aunty Nina” being a bit meany who probably ate boogers for breakfast.

“If you think you are okay with this, fine.” Aimee laughed peeking around her brother into his house to see her two children, plus niece and nephew running around his kitchen like four wild beasts. “But if you need help...”

“I will call in the Army.” Sy's laugh rumbled. “I'm kidding. If we need you, then we will call.” He leaned in giving her a kiss on the cheek, straightening up he called to the kids. “Come say good bye to your ma and aunt.”

Children thundered to the door, rushing Aimee and Sy. Hugs and “I love yous” exchanged as Aimee gave her brother one last out for the weekend. Raising his hand to wave her off, Sy wore the biggest, goofiest smile. She'd behaved like he had never had all four children on his own before. Hell during his Army days he had been responsible for a lot more bodies than four. All had made it home, too. Most on their own accord, but he wasn't going to relive those memories right now. Those were the sort of things he thought about when he was alone in the dark. This weekend was going to be anything but dark.

With only a short span of time to plan, Sy did his best to get a few activities together for the children of various ages. Ben, 12; Annie, 10; Harley 7; and Willow, 6.

Ben had likely only agreed to his sister's impromptu weekend because it was better than staying home with his parents. Besides, he loved hanging out with his Uncle, even if it meant three other children tagging along.

“Okay, listen up.” Sy clapped his hands together, grabbing attention. He bent to gently scratch behind the ears of his beloved shepherd. “You know where your bedrooms are, go take your stuff up. Then meet me back here for our first item on the list.”

Lagging behind her brother and cousins, Willow bounced over to Sy hugging her arms around him as tightly as she could. “Do I have to share a bed with Annie? She kicks me.”

“She kicks you?” Sy stooped to scoop her up in his arms. Her dark curls tied back in pig tails, gently he tugged at the end of one. “Well then good thing I got them pillows you asked for.”

“The really big ones? With the pink sparkle unicorns.” Willow's eyes went wide as she gasped. Sy nodded and laughed. Vibrating with excitement she hugged her uncle's neck tight kissing his cheek. “I want to make a fort in the bed and then Annie has to stay on her side. But it's okay, because we can still share the blanket and my night light.”

“Is that so? Well, you best go tell her that. The others will be back down before you get up there, hurry up.” Sy let her down. “If you need some help, ask Annie. Okay, Wispy?”

“Okay.” She shouted, little legs carrying her to the stairs. Thumping and running through the house, Sy smiled and went to the kitchen to begin planning phase one of their weekend.

With Christmas right around the corner, he had broke down and dug out a few early Christmas Eve gifts. Since it was Syverson tradition to spend Christmas Eve with his momma and daddy, decorating and what not, he was in charge of supplying the kids with gingerbread houses and cookies to decorate. Momma would forgive him, if he told her that the houses were done early this year. If she was adamant about it, he could buy a few more for Christmas.

Pulling out the kits, Sy laughed when Ben trudged into the kitchen. Clearly the kids had gotten the message when they found sweaters laid out on the beds. In a blue and green sweater with penguins at a disco on the front, the twelve year old rolled his eyes before laughing.

“It suits ya.” Sy laughed.

“Sometimes I wonder if you love us or secretly hate us.” Ben laughed along with his uncle. Laughing harder when Harley strode in wearing his green and red sweater, two reindeer on the front throwing snowballs.

“I think you secretly love it.” Sy nudged Harley with his elbow. “Should have gone bigger, huh?”

Harley nodded, the arms of his sweater a little too short. “Do I have to wear it long?”

“Nah,” Shaking his head, Sy pointed to the gingerbread house kits. “Long enough to get a photo for Nana and your momma.”

Giggling, Annie and Willow rushed into the kitchen. Purple and pink ugly sweaters worn with pride. Annie stood straight to show her uncle how well the new shirt fit. Purple decorated with dancing snowmen in a ballerina scene, a nod to Annie's love for dancing. And of course Willow, in her pink sweater with cats in Santa hats with red and green mittens.

“I love it, uncle Sy!” Willow exclaimed jumping up and down. “We look very pretty.”

“We look something.” Her big brother snickered.

“Are those gingerbread houses?” Annie eyed the items on the counter suspiciously. Sy nodded and grinned. “Nana is going to be mad at youuuuuu.” She sang out.

“Well this year, Nana is fine with us decorating early. We can get more for Christmas Eve.”

“We better!” Harley exclaimed wide eyed. “Santa will be upset. He always gets a gingerbread house and he eats it all!”

The tradition of leaving a whole house for Santa had began when Sy was a little boy. Perhaps even before, Aimee and Will had left houses surely before he was born. Over the years Santa had devoured a lot of houses at the Syverson's. He'd even had a few to eat while Sy was over in the desert, serving his country. His momma, without fail, had managed to get him a kit or two. Sy would set them up and let the other soldiers have their fill before sending photos to the kids back home to tell them Santa had came by.

“You know that Santa isn't...” “Going to be upset, because he will still get Nana's homemade cookies.” Ben cut in glaring at Annie.  This was her first year on the “Santa isn't real wagon”, but Ben wasn't going to let her ruin that for Harley and Willow.

Nodding and giving Ben a subtle thumbs up, Sy picked up to defuse the tension. “Right, he's still going to get lots of treats. And I don't know that I'd want a boring store made gingerbread, if I could have my momma's homemade shortbread and peanut butter blossoms.” He clicked his teeth together and made a show of rubbing his hand across his stomach.

“Uncle Sy, do you think Santa ever takes cookies home for the elves and Mrs. Claus?” Harley stared up at his uncle, his face scrunched at the thought.

“Sure does, bud. I bet he takes one cookie from every house home to share.” Sy winked at his youngest nephew.

Pulling out the hard as rock cookie house pieces, Sy instructed Ben to get the candies from the counter that he'd set out for the purpose of making these a grand master piece. Even The Grinch would appreciate the work that went into a Syverson House.

“So, what's everyone been up to? I feel like I've hardly seen y'all lately.”

If he asked the kids to talk about themselves, it meant that Sy would have to talk less. He loved hearing what the kids had to say. They chattered and laughed, Annie and Harley bickered a little over who got to put the door on the first house. A squabble ended when Sy reached in, putting the pretzel door on the house himself.

Lost in their good cheer, Christmas songs, and general chaos of four children with limited rules – for the time being – Sy sighed and began to relax. Something he hadn't done since Nina had decided to pack up her things and leave him nearly two weeks ago.

Whatever. Five years wasted. If she had known that she didn't want to be with him, then why had she stayed? His brother had a few ideas about that, stating that it was the perfect opportunity for any gold digging – Sy wouldn't even repeat the word to himself. Living in a house that was paid off. A car that was hers. Never having to pay bills, it all allowed her to work and save while she decided one day she'd had enough and wanted something better.

Better. More money.

Well, whoever took her next, Sy wished them luck. He hated that he was so broken about this. But he'd loved her. Maybe. He had his doubts these last few nights, as he sat thinking over a pint or eight at the bar.

“Uncle Sy,” Willow's soft voice broke his thoughts. Glancing down at his niece, he smiled. “When we finish, can we make cookies?”

“What if we make some cookies tomorrow, Wispy?” Wiping his hands on a tea towel, Sy bent to scoop her into his arms. “We can make some sugar cookies to decorate. I also thought I could make ya some snow crackles that you love so much.” he nudged cheek her with his nose.

“The gooey chocolate ones?” Her eyes were wide. Sy nodded. “Benny!” She turned, calling excitedly to her brother who was less than four feet away. “Uncle Sy is going to make us those crack cookies!”

“Crackle.” Sy gently corrected her with a deep laugh.

Sy's snow crackles were always a welcomed hit. Family, friends, even the post man loved the damn things. Hell if he'd had those over in the desert to hand out, the war could have been over in an hour. Or so a few of his superiors had always teased him.

“Can we make them with the candy cane?” Harley asked wiggling in his seat.

“Absolutely!” Sy agreed with a wide smile. A touch of peppermint in the cookies were the perfect Christmas treat. Even better when enjoyed with a nice cup of rum and homemade egg nog. Although he would save that for the adult parties.

“I love Christmas!” A giggling Annie exclaimed, not going unnoticed that she and Ben were enjoying the left over icing for the houses. A tube each, the two older kids were trying to be stealthy about their activities. Nice try Sy thought, they knew nothing got by their Uncle.

“My favourite holiday is my birthday.” Willow declared.

“That's not a holiday.” Ben laughed at his sister, shaking his head.

“Yes it is! It's a holiday, because it celebrates me and Uncle Sy. Right, Uncle Sy? It's a holiday?” Willow pouted at her uncle, hoping for some back up. If Uncle Sy said it was, then it was true.

“I think birthdays are kind of like holidays. We just don't get time off work or school.”

“See!” Willow stuck her tongue out at her brother Ignoring his sister, Ben had already moved on to something else.

“Okay you two, enough.” Sy let Willow down. “Let's get this mess cleaned and we can get some plans for dinner going.”

“Can we have ice cream?” Doing her best puppy dog eyes, Annie looked at her uncle.

“After we eat dinner.” Sy smiled kissing the top of her head.

“Candy cane ice cream?” Harley was hopeful. Sy had never met a kid, or anybody, who loved candy canes as much as his nephew.

“I have some candy cane. I also have chocolate and pecan. Something for everyone.”

“And grape nut for you?” Wrinkling her nose, Willow shivered in disgust. Ice cream was one of the only things she didn't agree with her Uncle on.

“Yes, grape nut for me.”

“You're such an old man.” Ben added gently tossing a candy piece at his uncle's head. Nailing Sy in the side of the cheek, Ben laughed and threw up his hands in victory.

“Oh is that how you want this?” Sy picked up a few candies, launching them back at his nephew. Nailing Ben with four our of five, Sy straightened himself up. “Still got it.”

Gingerbread construction cleaned, photos taken, Sy announced that the children were free of their ugly sweaters. Rushing upstairs to change, shouts and laughter filled the house. Sy, comfortable in his sweater, worked out the decision for dinner. Ordering pizza seemed like the clear winner and nobody would complain.

Four pizzas later, enough variety that everybody had something they liked, Sy announced it was time to settle for a bit and watch some movies. Who could resist? Pizza, as promised ice cream, and various snacks that he always had on hand for the kids. It was the perfect way to spend an evening getting over a break up.

Sprawled out around the den, the kids got comfortable. Blankets and cushions all over. Sy resting on the leather sectional, Willow curled up on his lap – of course. A bowl of candy between them and Harley, who laid stretched out. Annie and Ben occupied a bean bag each, blankets pulled up around them while the decided upon “Miracle on 34th Street” played on the screen.

Dozing on and off, Sy didn't know when it had happened, but at some point the movie had come to an end the dvd menu replaying over and over. A soft whine of his beloved shepherd is what roused him this morning. Scratching his nose and sitting up, Sy scrambled to grab Willow before she slid off of his knee. Around him the kids were asleep, the house quiet and his watch informing him it was nearly dawn.

Gently sliding Willow into his spot on the couch, Sy stood and raised his arms, joints popping and his body waking. Tiptoeing out of the den and to the kitchen, Sy opened the back door letting the dog out. Rubbing his eyes, he watched the dog zoom around, before debating coffee or going back to bed. The kids would sleep another hour or two at least, which would be nice to sleep as well. Coffee won, brewing a fresh pot Sy looked around the kitchen.

His house still, the presence of the kids not going unnoticed, it felt nice to have someone else in the house. The bodies moving and bringing merriment. A kick to the gut, really. Nina having told him that part of her leaving was because she wanted children and he didn't. He loved his nieces and nephews, but full time parenting wasn't a project he was cut out for. Sy sniffled, fuck it. Shaking his head, he grumbled under his breath. She and her notions were gone now.

Opening the back door, he let the dog in. Giving a morning scratch and cooing to his faithful friend. Coffee filled the house with a delicious aroma, Sy poured his first cup and sat at the table watching the backyard. Once this coffee was gone he would get to work on his crackle cookies, they would need to freeze before baking. Tiny, nearly silent foot steps caught his attention. Willow hummed softly as she walked, her momma always told her that it wasn't polite to sneak up on people. Especially Uncle Sy. No matter how much he loved her, sneaking up could scare him and Willow didn't want that.

Sy hated the thoughts of his family feeling like they may not be safe in his presence. But he appreciated her attempt to let him know she was awake and moving around.

“Morning Wispy.” Sy's voice was steady and quiet. Willow giggled lightly. She loved that he knew it was her, without having to look. “Come here.” Sy held out an arm. Willow rushed her last few steps. “Have a good sleep?”

“Uh huh,” she rubbed her eyes and nodded. “Morning, Uncle Sy. Did you sleep good?”

“I did,” he nodded taking a sip of his coffee and pushing out his chair. “Have a seat, Miss Henning.”

Climbing into the kitchen chair, Willow sat quietly.

“Hot chocolate?”

“Yes, please.” Willow yawned and nodded. “But no coffee, it's yuck and daddy says I'm too little.”

“Your daddy has the right idea,” Sy smiled fondly, pulling out the cocoa mix and Willow's favourite mug. A big mug with a photo of her and Sy's old dog Aika.

“Uncle Sy, are you happy that I came over and brought my brother, Harley, and Anna?”

“Of course, Wispy.”

“Good, because I think you were sad but I didn't want you to be sad. I told my momma that we would make you happy if we came over. I think I was right.” she beamed through tired eyes.

“Wspy, bug, nothing could ever make me happier than you kids.” Scooping the cocoa into the mug, pouring cold milk until the was half full to save it from getting too hot.

“Not even if you had your own kids? Do you think you'll get married and have kids? Momma said...”

“Wispy,” Sy held up a hand to stop the unintentional prying. It was too early. “I will always love you. You're my best gal, yeah? All you need to know, bug, is that I will love you forever.”

“Do you love me more than Christmas cookies?”

“Well,” pausing for effect, Sy took a beat to pretend he was thinking, “I do love Christmas cookies. But yeah, I suppose I love you more than Christmas cookies, even.”

“Good, because I love you more than Christmas cookies, birthday cake, anddd Nana's biscuits.” the little girl wiggled in her seat, giggling.

“More than Nana's biscuits? Oh boy, that is some loving.” Stirring the hot cocoa, Sy lifted the mug and placed it on the table in front of his niece. A can of whipped cream in hand, he shook it before adding more than required to the top of her mug. Sitting down, he glanced at his coffee and shrugged, the hiss of the can when he added a dollop to his coffee. “Cheers,”

“Cheers!” Willow slid her mug a few centimeters to clink it against Sy's.

[dangerouscommiesubversive]

3, 18-20, and/or 25 for the meta meme?

3. What is that one scene that you’ve always wanted to write but can’t be arsed to write all of the set-up and context it would need? (consider this permission to write it and/or share it anyway)

Oh, I've got tons of them, but currently I'm haunted by the idea of a High & Low/Yakuza crossover, mainly because I feel like there are some fun parallels between Majima and Murayama that Majima in particular would find compelling. Mostly it's just very vague thoughts, except for one very small dialogue snippet:

The kid wriggles against Saejima's grip on his jacket collar like an angry kitten, furious and simmering with violence but ultimately not that threatening. "Yeah, Granddad? You think you know something about me?"

Majima sputters for a moment. "Do I look like I'm that old--ok, yeah, fair, I'm that old, I could be your granddad. Yeah, pretty sure I know a thing or two about you."

"Wanna bet?"

A long pause, Majima looking the kid up and down, and then he says, "You used to feed stray dogs that lived near your mama's house and the first time you punched a guy you nearly broke your thumb. You've probably got a best bro who's a real big motherfucker, although I doubt he's as big as my real big motherfucker," with a nod to Saejima, who grunts. "You like to fight so much you dream about it, but you're gettin' better about keepin' a grip on yourself." Another pause as he weighs whether or not to say the next thing he's thinking of, and then figures hell, why not, nobody else is around to listen. "You like men and you're worried about sayin' anything to your buddies because they might get fuckin' weird about it, and you've got a crush on some real upstandin' type, strong chin and everything, maybe that blonde kid you were hollerin' at earlier. You probably tried on a girlfriend's lipstick once and thought you looked pretty good and you're maybe a little worried about what that means." Beat. "And you're a terrible fuckin' bowler."

The kid stares at him, getting redder and redder in the face, and then mutters, "Never been bowling."

"But I was right about the rest of it."

"How'd you know all that?"

Majima shrugs. "Used to be you, is all."

"Shit." The kid looks like he's not sure whether he wants to smile or get angry. "Hope I'm better-looking than you when I'm that old."

"You--I was gonna offer to stand your scrawny ass some lunch, but now I ain't so sure."

18. Do any of your stories have alternative versions? (plotlines that you abandoned, AUs of your own work, different characterisations?) Tell us about them.

Pretty much all of them, but very few that are written down or that I could in any way explain succinctly.

19. Is there something you always find yourself repeating in your writing? (favourite verb, something you describe ‘too often’, trope you can’t get enough of?)

I might be too fond of long pauses and so on in dialogue, honestly. And overly involved metaphors.

20. Tell us the meta about your writing that you really want to ramble to people about (symbolism you’ve included, character or relationship development that you love, hidden references, callbacks or clues for future scenes?)

Oh pretty much everything I've ever written has at least one thing in it that I'm just overly pleased about and want people to notice, but the one I was thinking about just last night is that in that one Reika/Magine prompt fic I wrote, I had Reika make a reference to Daishinji being a cousin of hers? Which is a headcanon I'm fond of but which nobody's ever really mentioned.

25. What part of writing is the most fun?

Dialogue! And sex scenes honestly, I like describing sensations and the sensations during sex are all so intense.

[overdue-library-books]

Nurseydex Au Pair AU

• Dex defers going to Uni for a year to earn some money

• he's got loads of experience looking after this little siblings and cousins???

•and got his childcare qualifications during school???

• so he ends up getting a really well paid Au Pair/Live-In Nanny job in Manhattan.

• Nursey, in this AU, goes to Samwell as usual in the original year,

• but he likes to visit home fairly often if he can,

•(once a month if hockey let's him)

• so he can see his mom's

• but also importantly his baby sisters.

• (They're 6 1/4! Very big girls!!! Not babies!!!)

• Anyway obviously Dex is the twins au pair

• They're paths don't cross straight away because Nursey goes to Samwell a month early for training and Dex only starts working for the Nurses after lobster season is finished which is like a week before schools start up for the year?

• But Dex actually still went to all the uni open days last year before desciding on a year out???

• So they're paths very much did cross before on the taddie tour???

• Anyways Dex is like being shown around the house by Mrs & Mrs Nurse the first day he arrives in NY.

• It's hella nice, really loved, really lived in. Lots of art and pictures of the family all around the home.

• (This isn't a neglecting parent AU, they just both have full time jobs and are pretty well off so have always sought a bit of extra help around the house)

• but anyways they're showing him pictures and like oh yeah, this is our son Derek, he's about your age, he's actually just gone off to university, he's going to be on the hockey team

• (brag brag brag, yeah we get it they love their kids alot)

• and Dex is just like...oh shit...

• Because isn't that that really infuriatingly attractive boy he totally made a mess of himself in front of on the Samwell Tour

• he doesn't say anything, because it's not like he actually knows him???

• and Derek probably wouldn't remember him anyway???

• So it'd be awkward if he like said to his mom's and then they told him and

• Yeah, no

• Derek does remember him

• Because he comes back for a weekend and he's pretty hyped to meet this dude that his mum's tell him about over Skype, he seems pretty chill

• And the girls seem to love him???

• because he comes up in basically every conversation he has with them when they call

• and like he's a bit like jealous? Cause he doesn't want his little sisters to forget about him

• but it's chill

• (he's an idiot by the way, his sister's worship the ground he walks on, they adore their big brother and miss him loads)

• The point is, his parents and sisters talk about this really chill guy???

• And he comes home and just???

• William Pointdexter is THAT Pointdexter

• Whom he's met??? And most certainly not the character they've described.

• Because he was an asshole on the tour

• And not gonna lie, Nurse was kind of glad when he didn't see him as one of the new recruits at the start of the season (not that he looked for him or anything???)

• So obviously this guy has somehow managed to fool his parents??

• But Nursey? Does. Not. Trust. Him.

• And what exactly is his game playing all cute and nice around his family!?

• He makes it very aware that he doesn't approve of will, and his parents are just like ???

• And he wants to take the girls out, and his mom is like oh take Will along

• And he's like No??? I can look after them myself, I don't need the nanny tagging along!?

• Besides the guy is clearly is trying to avoid him anyways?

• He literally stops talking when he enters the room?

• And totally just bolted the kitchen yesterday morning when nursey came down to grab coffee

• (side note, nursey obviously was topless, let the boy live)

• so yeah, he's onto will, because he's clearly hiding something????

• Back to Will, yes he is avoiding Derek

• because look, he knows okay, he knows he finds him ridiculously attractive

• and his family always talk about him and he just seems so lovely and

• but he can't alright

• he has to not think like that

• because it's not like he has anything against queer people

• I mean, he literally works for the nurses

• (who maybe he lied to his family about by saying they paid the best out of all his options so he had to take it)

• (They didn't but...look maybe he saw two woman living togeather with kids and thought that was an environment he wanted to be around)

• So yeah, he like supports gay people???

• But he can't be gay.

• because his family just wouldn't understand

• and he needs to keep in a good relationship with them??? because they've done so much for him??

• his aunt and uncle took him and his siblings in after their parents passed ???

• and so like he owes them right???

• and he knows what they think of uh those people

• so he definitely can just be straight and always be conveniently between girlfriends or whatever if it means he can go back home during the holidays

• he's just really scared he's never going to get to have what the nurses have

• Look basically the main plot of this AU is that with the help and support of nurseys beautiful boss ass moms Dex comes to accept himself over the months through several late night chats and early breakfasts togeather.

• the moms are like the main part of this alright?

• I have so many hc's about them but we don't have time rn

• I just really want an au where nursey gets the parents he deserves

• because he's my favourite

• Okay so anyway!!! Nurseys mums are like Derek wtf why are you acting so weird around Will?

• because??? He's pretty sure he's a bigoted asshole???

• and they can't exactly just like tell Derek about why they trust will because like he deserves to keep his secrets

• but they are just like, try to give him a chance okay??? Maybe try to get to know one another, oh he also plays hockey, how about you take the girls skating?

• and he's like urghhhh fine.......

• because he loves his mom's and he loves his sister's so fine

• and um....they have a really nice time???

• like will is pretty quite at first???

• but the girls want to play this game they apparently made up with Dex and he gets so into it and they are all giggling and laughing away and it's just um...he's really cute???

• but he still kind of like comes out of it and frowns a little to himself whenever he catches Nursey looking

• so whatever, he seems okay at least, nursey can deal with him, they don't need to be friends, but he's fine, he's good with the girls

• A few days after he returns to Samwell he gets a message from an unknown number

• 'um hi, it's will' 'uh, I mean au pair'

• and he's just like ???? Lol what the heck is this dude, of course he remembers him without the clarification?? Chill bro.

• but anyways Nurseys mom gave him his number?

• because the girls wanted will to take them to the swimming pool with the yellow shoot

• and she couldn't remember which one it was

• he's pretty sure that's the one she always took them to but whatever

• (sneaky sneaky Mrs nurse we all know what you're up to)

• so he gives him the address and that's that

• but then Dex replies to him later in the day with a picture of the girls in their armbands

• and he sends back a pic of him at the rink (to show the girls of course, it's not for him okay)

• but then they just??? Keep messaging???

• at first the conversations always surround what the twins are up to that day

• but sometimes they're not

• and they just talk about anything...

• ...and everything

• now when he calls home he'll get half an hour of the twins shouting down the phone and then they'll just be like I'm bored, here's willy! And give Dex the phone and run away (look they are 6, being the phone isn't that fun)

• 'um....hi :)'

• 'hey... Willy :)'

• 'oh mY GOD SHUT UP!'

• aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

• ANYWAY I HAVE SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THEM AND THE GIRLS AND MRS & MRS NURSE AND CHOWDER, OH MY GODS, I HAVN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO THE SMH BOYS YET, but this is getting way too long so we'll end this here for now...

[neil-neil-orange-peel]

Kevin! (Cause we established he's your absolute fave last time >:3c) and maybe Alan if you're up to it, if you haven't gotten either of these already of course!

Hello! Tis true, Kevin is one of my favourite Rik characters. I don't know if he's my favourite because the ordering of the list changes multiple times a day 😂 but he's up there!

Kevin Turvey

Sexuality headcanon ~ Sorry guys, I think he's straight. I also wouldn't be entirely surprised if he's never had a girlfriend before.

OTP ~ Clearly, Theresa Kelly is not interested. I have plans to pair Kevin up with someone in a future fic... But I'm not telling you who that is because it's a spoiler! As for shipping him with someone in general, I'm not sure. 🤔

BrOTP ~ Keith Marshall (and his musical anarchy). Kevin's Ade counterpart. Yeah, they seem to fall out sometimes, but what Rik and Ade duo don't?

NOTP ~ Mick. I mean, just why? 😂 Still not an anti but I couldn't imagine anyone shipping it, to be honest.

First headcanon that pops into my head ~ Hmm... Apart from adding him to the family tree of Riks as Rick's cousin... I headcanon him as neurodivergent in some way.

Favourite line from this character ~ Difficult but I'll go with: "I just want to say, don't bother trying to go see me in Superman 3, because I'm not in it." Typing it out doesn't yield the same effect as hearing him say it.

One way in which I relate to this character ~ Well, as anyone who's read a few of my posts on here will be aware of, I have a slight tendancy to waffle about things I'm interested in. It's really annoying sometimes - not being able to say things in a few words - because uni essays have word limits. Anyway, Kevin is nothing if not verbal diarrhea personified and, though I don't generally talk as much as him, if I'm comfortable around someone and they set me off on anything I'm interested/have some knowledge about, oof. 😅

Thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character ~ Kevin is sweet in comparison to most of Rik's other characters but he does still retain the quality of being crap at most things, for comedic effect. When he's beaten up by the park keeper or getting bollocked over the phone by Theresa Kelly's dad, they're both kinda wince worthy moments. Still very funny though. 😂

Cinnamon roll or problematic fave ~ Cinnamon roll ❤️ a rarity with this lot!

Alan B'Stard

Sexuality headcanon ~ Alright so, I do think that Alan is super duper cishet and that this is an important part of his characterisation. Because he's such a bigot, that fact that he encompasses certain characteristics - white, cisgender amab, born lower middle class and now a millionaire, privately educated followed by Oxbridge, heterosexual, southern English accent (yes, this matters) - is important as it heightens his position of privilege in society. It's been easier for him to get where he is... And he doesn't want anyone else (the "ordinaries") rising to his level. So I think Alan is just homophobic, rather than having internalised homophobia, because it makes much more sense for his character to me. That said, anyone is free to headcanon his sexuality however they wish. I was actually indirectly responsible for spawning a crack ship (UtterB'Stard or Rick X Alan) and I love the results. I just think, if we're looking at canon B'Stard and what he's meant to represent, he's absolutely heterosexual.

OTP ~ I don't think Alan is capable of any form of love - be it romantic, platonic, familial, anything - so when I say Sarah here it's not because I think they're adorable, in love and simply misunderstood. 😂 Alan and Sarah's marriage is one of convenience and a match made in hell. In s3 and 4 particularly they are an evil power couple and it's horribly delightful. Alan couldn't be married to anyone but a woman like Sarah, because Sarah is one of the few people who is able to best him and could perhaps be his undoing (she almost is a few times). I suppose he could also marry someone completely oblivious to who he really is, someone who falls for his charming facade at every turn, but they wouldn't really be a partnership, would they? They wouldn't really know Alan like Sarah does - and even then Sarah probably doesn't know every part of Alan. Whether or not Sarah could find a life partner in someone other than Alan is a different matter, as while Sarah isn't a nice person and has next to no moral qualms over Alan's exploits, it is arguable that she only gets worse because of Alan's influence. However, for Alan B'Stard? Well, they say you should keep your enemies close.

BrOTP ~ It's got to be Piers, really. Poor idiot. Although Alan calls him his "best friend" at least once, he's employing a grossly perverted definition of friendship. Alan doesn't have equals. Even those he works with and appears to have an understanding with at points, like Sir Greville, he'd stab in the back in a heartbeat. Because he's a Tory MP. As Sir Greville says of Alan and Piers in an attempt to smear Alan, they have a sadomasochistic relationship - and it's not a consensual one. Yet, amongst the darkness that TNS reflects, Piers and Alan are friends on the surface. And how things appear on the surface is all that matters in politics.

NOTP ~ I can see the reasoning but I don't really ship Alan and Piers. Sexualities aside, I doubt Alan would let Piers near his "perfect" body in that way, even though Alan would obviously be setting all the rules. There are plenty of other ways he can already get out his sadistic desires on Piers. Still, as I've said with other ships, you ship it? Go ahead, you foul pervert! 😂

First headcanon that pops into my head ~ I like the idea of Alan having something to do with Rick's parents' deaths, though I can't take credit for that idea. Hmm... Original Alan B'Stard headcanon... Okay, not a headcanon but, me and a friend have an AU where he gets turned into a demon looking creature for being such a gigantic twat.

Favourite line from this character ~ Oh god, there are far too many to choose from! I'll go for a classic: "You see, in the good old days, you were poor... you got ill... and you died!"

One way in which I relate to this character ~ Woah. Uh. I would sincerely hope I'm nothing like Alan! I guess I'll say, we both have an interest in politics? Although obviously from different angles and for vastly different reasons.

Thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character ~ I don't think anything does. You're not really embarrassed by Alan, you're horrified by him but unable to look away. Sort of... Ensnared. I guess that's the most embarrassing thing about Alan, the knowledge that he's so good at smiling for the camera and being everyone's blue eyed boy that he can fool millions of people. There are real Alan B'Stards who have popularity via similar principles. Isn't that a bit embarrassing? That all someone has to do is flash some charisma and a large enough portion of society to be a concern will throw themselves at their feet?

Cinnamon roll or problematic fave? ~ Oh, he's the most problematic of my faves by FAR. 😂

Thanks for the ask!

[bazzybelle]

Name ten favorite characters from ten different things (books, tv, film, etc.), then tag ten people.

Thank you @fight-surrender and @xivz for tagging me! I send you hearts and happy. 

I won’t be tagging ten people, because I’m all tagged out... But if anyone wants to have the fun, by all means go ahead.

1) Simon Snow from Carry On / Wayward Son

So, kind of an obvious choice. I mean my favourite character from the series is Baz (to no one’s surprise) however, I relate SO much to Simon, it’s insane (which is ironic, considering I have so much trouble writing his POV). I especially relate to him in Wayward Son, with his depression, thoughts of worthlessness, thinking your partner deserves better than you, fucking intimacy issues.... 

At the same time, there’s also the need to always fight. Shit is hard, and life is hard, but I’m still fighting. And some days, I want to stay in bed and not go outside, but I’m fighting that urge. 

2) Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter

So I was always seen as “the weird kid” in school. Always kinda in the clouds, saying random things, acting weird. I never really knew how to act around people (hell, I still don’t know how to act around people). Because of that, I was bullied... a lot. 

Media doesn’t really shine a positive light on those who are considered “weird”. They are often times pushed aside and are used as comedic props (at least, it didn’t when I was kid). I read Harry Potter in my 20′s, and I wish I had read the books earlier, because I saw myself in Luna. Luna is the weird kid, but she does not give a flying EFF about. She knows who she is, and she’s proud to express herself in anyway she can. 

3) Piper Halliwell from Charmed (OG Charmed)

I was introduced to fandom worlds because of Charmed, so I felt like I had to include it here. 

I always connected to Piper and her personality. I’m actually not the middle child, I’m the oldest. But in terms of my cousins, I’ve been the one who was drowned out by the others. Never wanting to fight, very complacent and going with what everyone else wanted to do. 

Piper was the quiet one, but she also knew how to get shit done. When her sister are being ridiculous, she’s the one that pulls them together. She’s the heart of the family, and takes care of those around her. I especially admired her taking the reigns as head of the family after Prue dies. She’s heart broken, destroyed, and wants to give up, but she knows she can’t. he has to be strong for those around her. She has to pick up the pieces and help her family move on. 

Piper rocks. 

4) Selva Chopper from Namesake

Selva is just a burst of sunshine and happiness. She lives with her heart on her sleeves and she’s perfectly happy to do so. Her favourite activities include dressing up and making clothes, kissing her wonderful girlfriend, Alice, and giving her twin brother crap for being a dummy sometimes. 

Selva wants to explore the world and live her life without fear and paranoia. She’s finally starting to get a proper handle on her powers, and she’s ready to just be happy and live outside of Oz. 

At the same time, she is not someone to be trifled with. She is a very powerful witch in her own right, and if you push her to that limit, she can be down right ruthless. 

5) Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones (TV show)

Ok... I know I’m going to get a lot of crap for this (especially since the ending of GoT is downright controversial within fandoms, and if you mention it, you need to be ready for an argument). I’m not here to argue about the ending... so, please be nice. 

ANYWAYS, I actually liked Sansa’s character, and I especially loved her character’s development, from naive pretty-girl, to a smart, capable ruler. Sansa demonstrates that you can always learn from your experiences and grow from them. She takes the honour learned from her father, and combines that with the ruthlessness learned from Cersei, as well as the cunning learned from Littlefinger, to gain independence for her people, and come through as one of the survivors of the Game of Thrones. 

6) Cather Avery from Fangirl

As someone who spent a good chunk of her life, obsessing over fandoms and living within them, I really felt a connection to Cath. I used the fanfiction and RPing groups I was a part of in order to escape the shitty reality of my life. Also... massive anxiety... so yeah...

I need to re-read that book... It’s been a while since I read it.  

7) Emily Prentiss from Criminal Minds

I love badass women in media and Emily Prentiss is a bad ass b*tch. She’s also my top crush for now and forever. I swoon over her. 

She’s strong, powerful, but also extremely kind and gentle and fiercely protective of her team. She speaks several different languages, and is very intelligent and perceptive (she’s the only one who figures out that Reid’s abusing drugs). She is everything I want to be... Also, I just like looking at her. *sigh*

8) Lucian Darnay from The Binding

I love him so effing much! This book ruined me... I want to take Lucian and just give him a big hug and tell him that he deserves to be happy and that everything he’s been taught to believe is wrong. 

9) Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle

This is recent, because I only saw the movie like a month ago, but I’ve latched onto it, and I’m a little obsessed (what... really... shocker, i know). It doesn’t help that my current favourite fic is @ninemagicks Howl fic, so that’s been feeding my Howl obsession. 

He’s just such a funny character and so over the top. Like I love how Sophie just yells at him and calls him on his bullshit... It’s great!

At the same time, he is so kind and gentle, and wants to do what’s best, even though he doesn’t always have the courage to do so. 

10) Faye Whitaker from Questionable Content 

I have been following this webcomic for many many years, and one of my favourite characters to follow is Faye. Her story has had so many ups and downs, and she has been through hell and back, and has come out on top. She has had to deal with a horrifying childhood memory, her issues with opening herself up to people, learning to allow herself to love, and what to do once you’ve hit rock bottom. 

Faye’s mental health journey is honestly inspiring. To see her finally in a stable, healthy relationship and doing something that makes her happy is so wonderful. 

[roseskiesandbutterflies]

Killer Queen - Chapter 12: Thank God It’s Christmas

Summary: Life is easy when things go your way. I know this from experience. I also know that that can disappear in an instant and that you have to be able to rely on your friends. Luckily my name is Arabella Ruth White and I’m the fifth marauder. But I want to show you the girl behind the mask. It takes a lot of work to be this fabulous, darling. (This story is also on Wattpad and AO3 of the same name.)

A/N: So hello again! I know it’s been 3 months since I last updated this fic, and a lot has changed since August so let me catch you up real quick. First of all, in the UK we basically came out of lockdown only to go back into it last week so that’s great. I’m in Year 11 now which is the last year of high school if you didn’t know, and I’m in the middle of my mocks right now, so my free time has plummeted. This unfortunately means that updates across all of my fics will be much slower for the foreseeable future, or at least until Bojo finally cancels our exams. We can but hope.

I hope you enjoy this chapter! Sorry it’s kind of a filler but I promise that the plot is properly about to kick in, just like I said a couple chapters ago. I’ve realised that I’m now the same age as these characters which makes things a lot easier in terms of writing them realistically. Also I’ve decided that all of the characters and just this whole fic in general has main character energy which is Good. We love to see it. Anyways I shall see you next time! Hasta luego.

Warning(s): swearing

Word Count: 3.1k+

Inspiration: random headcanons I found on Tumblr and Pinterest, The Boy Who Killed God by SeraMGrigori on AO3, All The Young Dudes by MsKingBean89 on AO3, Sweet Things by Cocomouse on AO3

Taglist: @bhmay @briarrose26

Ask/comment to be on my taglist! Let me know if it’s for a specific fandom(s). Full list is in my bio.

Ruth had her face pressed right up to the glass of the tiny kitchen window, making it smear up from her breath, but she couldn’t find it in herself to care. She curiously watched her cat, Sooty, cautiously interact with the much larger cat from down the road, circling each other in a manner that would be rather ominous if the former wasn’t a quarter of the latter’s size. Sooty was almost completely obscured by the overgrown grass that was screaming to be cut; Ruth wouldn’t have even known he was outside if it wasn’t for his extraordinarily long tail poking through.

“Ruth, why are you sitting on my poor washing machine?” her mother came in, half amused, half concerned, “You’re going to break the damn thing.”

She gasped in mock offence and turned round to look at her, “Are you trying to say something, Mum?”

She gave her a knowing look and said, “You know that’s not what I meant. Now, you didn’t answer my question, what on earth are you doing on my washing machine?”

She jumped off before Jocelyn could chastise her any further, “I’m waiting for the boys. We were saying about going down the pier or something today so we could give each other our presents, and I’m waiting for James’s parents to apparate them all to our garden. And they’re taking forever,” she pouted, elongating the last word way more than necessary.

“Well, what time did you tell them to come round?”

Ruth thought about it for a second before saying, “Around one o’clock, I think.”

She raised an eyebrow, “And what time is it now?”

She looked at the ground and mumbled, “Half twelve.”

“Well, there you go. You have half an hour, and you haven’t even got dressed yet,” she pointed out.

“But-”

“No buts. You’re not going out in your dressing gown so go and get dressed,” she said, playfully swatting Ruth with the tea towel and chasing her out of the kitchen.

She laughed maniacally as she ran out of the room, “But Mother, I am dressed,” she said, taking off her dressing gown like a stripper.

“Then why are you wearing your dressing gown?” Jocelyn asked exasperatedly.

“Because it’s bloody cold!” Ruth grinned.

“Language,” she muttered, shaking her head with a smile but sobering up when she noticed Ruth’s face fall, “What’s up with you?”

She faltered for a moment, caught off guard by Jocelyn’s quick observations, “Mum, did you, erm, did you hear about Melanie?” she grimaced with the fear of treading grounds such as those. Her cousin hadn’t mentioned anything about who she had told about the pregnancy, so for all Ruth knew, Jocelyn didn’t have a clue and she was about to get Melanie into some serious trouble.

Luckily for them both, Jocelyn’s face softened with understanding, “I heard. Your aunt told me all about it a couple weeks ago.”

“What do you think about it all? I mean, Christ, Mum, she’s only seventeen,” Ruth sighed, running a hand across her hair with an anxiety that she hadn’t even realised she had been suppressing.

“Come here,” she said, taking Ruth into her arms and holding her for a moment, “She’s going to be okay. She’s not alone, remember that. She’s got your aunt and us and that boyfriend of hers. She’ll be fine.”

A sudden knock at the window followed by four familiar faces made both Ruth and her mum look up in surprise, followed by a disappointed laugh from the former when she noticed that Sirius was only wearing his signature leather jacket, with no hat, scarf or gloves. She opened the kitchen door to let them in, hugging each of them as they entered.

Jocelyn smiled at the group before winking at her daughter, “I’ll make myself busy, then. Have fun today,” she said as she left with her steaming cup of tea.

Ruth grinned before turning to the boys, “Sirius, darling, it’s December, not June. Where the hell is your coat? And don’t tell me you’re too cool to actually keep yourself warm,” she added before the boy in question could say anything.

“Leave it, Ruth, I’ve been trying to talk some sense into him all morning, he won’t listen,” James sighed dramatically, sounding scarily like an exhausted mother.

“I won’t listen? You’re the one who nearly strangled me with that damn scarf!” Sirius exclaimed, looking desperately to the others for back-up, only to be met with shrugs.

“You dress appropriately for the weather, or you face the consequences,” James deadpanned, before bursting into laughter from the miffed expression on Sirius’s face.

“God, you really have become your mum, haven’t you?” Peter smirked, holding back his own laughter.

“Shut up, Pete!” he whined, stomping on the ground petulantly.

“Now you’re my brother,” Ruth snorted.

*************

The fresh air bit at their noses as they made their way down the bustling high street, bracing themselves against the crisp December wind. Sirius was still the only one not wearing a coat, the rest of the group bundled up in their Gryffindor scarves which may or may not have been the only scarves they owned. Except for fifteen-year-old-grandmother Remus, who absolutely had a worrying obsession with anything you could make via knitting and the like. Peter had been positively swallowed up, and between his hat that looked about two sizes too big and his scarf, you could only see his eyes and the top of his nose.

“It’s a bit nippy out here, lads,” Ruth said, just as an icy gust of wind hit them, bringing tears to eyes, and actually making Peter stumble a little bit. As Jocelyn said at every possible opportunity, the wind was always stronger at the seaside.

“Is it really, Ruth? Gosh, I hadn’t noticed, thank you for telling me,” Remus glared at her, which would have been tenfold more menacing if half of his face wasn’t concealed by windswept hair.

“You are most welcome, dear Remus,” she grinned, sticking her tongue out at him in defiance.

“Children. Actual children,” Sirius muttered in a tone not at all dissimilar to that of an exasperated father.

“Says the one who refused to put his scarf on because he’s a stubborn bastard,” James said pointedly.

“Oh, you’re still going on about that one?”

“Always, my dear boy, always. I’m already making sure my best man’s speech mentions it at least twice,” he said proudly.

“He’s gotta find someone to marry first,” Peter pointed out, voice muffled from under his scarf.

“And what’s that supposed to meant, Pete?” Sirius rounded on him, forgetting completely about James’s strange obsession with his lack of winter clothing.

“Well, I don’t know but it might have something to do with the fact that you’ve never had a girlfriend for longer than three weeks,” Ruth shrugged.

“Oh, that’s rich coming from you, Ruth,” Remus laughed, “But she does have a point, Sirius.”

“Why are you all ganging up on me, it’s very rude,” he huffed, “Anyway, it’s not my fault that I want to win the bet me and Ruth started in third year.”

“Darling, you’ve always had the option to pull out and admit that I am proud to be the biggest hoe that Hogwarts has ever seen,” she said with as much faux innocence as one can muster while talking about sex.

Sirius was silent for a moment before pointing out, “Wait, hang on, I’ve had a girlfriend for longer than three weeks. I went out with Emmeline Vance for about five months!”

“You mean you were on again, off again with Emmeline Vance for about five months,” Remus raised an eyebrow.

“You’re both gonna end up clapped as anything by the time we leave,” Peter mumbled as they walked through the threshold of their destination: Ruth’s beloved record shop.

Cromer’s one and only record shop was a favourite haunt of Ruth’s. If anyone wanted to find her during the school holidays, the record shop would be the first place they would go to, the second being the arcade on the promenade because they have the best games darling, and the third being the beach. It never seemed to cross anyone’s mind to look for her at her own home; it was a generally unspoken rule of sorts in the town that seeing Ruth at her house was as rare as seeing a double rainbow. It was the place where a good part of her pocket money went to, and the owner was incredibly grateful to have such a loyal customer. Ruth just told him to consider himself lucky that his was the only establishment in walking distance of her house that supplied her with her vinyl obsession. And oh boy, did he do just that. The White family were responsible for a good twenty per cent of his sales.

They filed into the shop, instantly taking off their hats when the somewhat aggressive heat hit them. The limited daylight spilt in through the floor-length windows that flanked the door, highlighting the records on show. The shop itself was rather small, with only two aisles running straight down to the till. They were separated by cases upon cases of albums, packed like sardines into their crates and sorted semi-alphabetically. Posters adorned almost every available space on the otherwise dull walls, looking over the customers with a keen interest. Underneath them were further crates, these ones pushed back against the walls and full of singles, which were ordered even more haphazardly than the albums if you could believe that. Ruth made her way down one of the aisles, leaving the boys to browse artists that they barely even knew. At the back end of the shop sat the counter, behind which sat the owner, Steve.

Steve was a rather short and stout man who had the grave misfortune of looking around a whole decade older than he actually was. That was more so to do with the way with which he held himself, and the fact that he wore those glasses that had a chain attached that you only see on elderly men, than his physical appearance. He had a terribly receding hairline that seemed to creep back every time Ruth came into his shop. She reckoned that he’d be completely bald by the time she left Hogwarts for good. He always seemed to wear the same attire, consisting of loose-fitting trousers and a grey t-shirt that always had a stain that Ruth would rather not enquire after. His fingers were coated with a nicotine stain that you only get after smoking for a good few decades, teeth and fingernails tinted yellow.

His smile was warm, and his eyes lit up like a match when he noticed Ruth walking up to the counter, “Arabella, good to see you!”

“You too, Steve, how’s everything been these past couple of months?” she asked, leaning on the counter with her elbows.

“Not bad, not bad,” he said, “A lot better than this time last year, that’s for sure. Thanks, by the way, for the advert in the newspaper suggestion. Business has gone up a great deal since then.”

“Well, I couldn’t let you give up the shop that easily, could I? Nah, you’ve supplied me with the very best music these past few years, it was the least I could do,” she beamed.

He smiled gratefully at her before glancing at the boys behind her, leafing through bands they’d never even heard of for the most part, “I see you’ve brought your mates at last.”

Ruth snorted as they all poked their heads up and waved at the same time, each one oblivious to the other, “Yeah, I thought I might as well, I’ve been putting it off for too long.”

“One of them your boyfriend?” he winked, laughing at Ruth’s mortified expression.

“No! God, no, that’s a horrible thought,” she shivered, recoiling in disgust.

“What’s a horrible thought?” Sirius asked as he sauntered up to the counter.

“Your face,” Ruth muttered as he swatted her shoulder, mouth agape in shock.

“How rude! I can’t believe you would say something like that!” he gasped before turning around and whining, “James! Ruth’s being mean to me!”

It was then James’s turn to gasp in disappointment, “Is she? Oh, come here, I’ll protect you from the meanie,” he said in the most motherly voice he could muster, opening his arms and hugging Sirius while glaring at Ruth.

She stared at them in disbelief, looking at Remus and Peter for guidance, only to be met with shrugs. She resolved to simply shaking her head in exasperation and turning to the ‘new releases’ section of the shop.

*************

“You know what we should do,” Ruth said, holding up a chip to emphasise her point, “We should go on a gang holiday when we’re older. Just go travelling for a couple of weeks or something.”

They were currently sitting on the beach which, as you can probably imagine, isn’t the most pleasant of experiences in the middle of winter. The harsh wind nipped at their faces and Peter’s nose was crimson with the cold, but they found themselves sitting there anyway, watching the teal waves advance and retreat under the December mist that lazily rested on the ocean’s surface. They were sharing a couple of bags of chips that they’d bought from the chippy just aound the corner from Ruth’s house, trying their best to shield them from the prying seagulls circling the skies above them like hawks.

Peter audibly gasped with excitement, “We should get one of those caravans that muggles used to drive all the time in the sixties.”

“Yes! And we could charm it so it’s bigger on the inside like the tents they have at the Quidditch World Cup!” James added, ecstatic just to have been able to chime in with a Quidditch reference, let alone about the actual holiday. Sirius grinned stupidly as they high fived, making Ruth cringe and groan like an embarrassed daughter having to watch her parents kiss. Though, once she thought about it, that analogy was pretty accurate, perhaps more than she would have liked.

Remus held out his hands in suspense, something he always did when he’d thought of a master plan, “Two words. Tardis. Caravan.”

The sounds that then erupted from the group could not be described as human, more like a group of over-excited seagulls.

Once they’d calmed down, which took more time than it probably should have done, James suggested, “We should go to France so Sirius can show his French off!”

Sirius glared at him, muttering under his breath and by doing so, proving James’s point, “Putain de chienne. Je ne me montre pas, vous seriez tous perdus sans moi.”

“Oui, oui, er, baguette,” Peter snorted, rubbing his arm when Sirius hit at him playfully.

“Right, well,” Remus cut in before they jumped at each other’s throats, “Presents? The whole reason we’re here?”

“Gosh, Moony, here I was thinking that you were here because you wanted to see us and enjoy our company, but no, you just want your damn chocolate,” Sirius huffed.

Remus blinked at him for a second before asking tentatively, “Moony?”

“Moony,” he nodded.

Remus pinched his brow and sighed, “I’m going to regret asking but why?”

“Werewolf. Moon. Moony,” he explained as if it was the simplest thing in the world.

He raised an eyebrow at him, “Do I get a say in this by any chance?”

“No. I’ve thought of names for all of us, actually. I’m Padfoot, Peter’s Wormtail, Ruth is Silverspot and James is Prongs,” he counted off his fingers before nodding resolutely.

James smirked, eyes gleaming and Ruth already knew what he was going to say, “Am I Prongs because of my big–”

She slapped a hand over his mouth and glared at him menacingly, “Finish that question and I swear to God, James, I will slap you into next year.”

“Sirius, I think you’ve had far too much spare time on your hands,” Remus said while James and Ruth engaged in a very mature staring competition that lasted all of ten seconds.

“Yeah, five days without us and you’ve given us all nicknames,” Peter added, looking rather concerned for his friend’s mental state.

“Do you want me to change yours to Massive Knobhead?” Sirius asked with a scarily fake smile on his face.

James cut in before any fighting could ensue, “Okay, let’s get on to the presents, shall we?”

Sirius just shrugged and made a noise of vague agreement, while Peter just looked rather relieved to avoid conflict.

*************

“Sirius, will you keep still!”

It was the fifth time that Remus had had to utter those words in the past two minutes, much to everyone’s annoyance and to Sirius’s amusement.

“Keeping still is for wimps!” Sirius announced with a stupid grin on his face before ruffling his hair once again.

“My fingers are gonna fall off from the cold at this rate,” Peter scowled, shooting daggers at Sirius with his eyes. Remus had given him a polaroid camera for Christmas after he’d been going on and on about wanting a muggle one all year, and he’d been trying his best to get a photo of the others for what felt like hours.

“Sirius stand still or I will petrificus totalus your sorry ass,” Ruth groaned, and James had to suppress a cheer when Sirius finally, finally, did as he was told. Peter took the photo as quickly as he could and waited patiently for the photo to develop, grinning when the image came into colour. “Let us see, then!” she exclaimed impatiently, holding her hands out like a baby would and snatching the photo from Peter.

“Oi, careful, I did not wait that long for Sirius to stop moving for you to just rip the bloody photo in half,” Peter huffed, re-joining the group with a false reluctance.

James grinned when he got a look at the photo, “Oh, Pete, that’s a bloody good photo. You should be a photographer or something,” he said, ruffling Peter’s hair playfully as the boy’s face flushed red.

“He’s got a point, Wormtail,” Remus mused, watching Sirius’s face light up at his use of the nickname, “It is a good photo. Though it’s weird having us stood still for once, I’m so used to us being in magical pictures.”

“I like it,” Ruth smiled, glancing at the boys affectionately, “I think it makes it even more special,” she paused for a moment, inhaling the very essence of that moment and relishing in it, “Happy Christmas, lads.”

[shaonsim]

What did you like the most about Meghna Dubey while creating her?

Thank you so much for asking!!! Meghna is very close to my heart, so I loved this opportunity to gush about her, and to collect my thoughts as to what I want out of her character arc. Thank you!

Meghna Dubey was a character I built for a RP (which, for the uninitiated, is a form of writing where multiple writers collaborate to write a story, each only controlling their characters and influencing the story via the things done by their characters. There are a lot of these on tumblr. Thankfully mine was hosted somewhere else, and the format was much cleaner and now I have lost the focus of this post...) Anyway, let's get back to the matter at hand. Unlike my other RPs, I had this one fully planned, as in I knew where I wanted to take this story. So Meghna's character arc was more or less clear to me, and I built her according to what will happen in the story, and what ideas I wanted to explore with her character.

Let's side track once again and learn more about her story because it will explain my reasoning a bit, as to why I created her the way I did, and such.

THIS was supposed to be a retelling of an ITV classic, rich boy (son of a business tycoon and lives abroad) crossing paths with middle class girl (small town girl with a big heart and a nasty habit to meddle in other people's business), coming together to reunite star crossed lovers and falling hard and fast for each other, ending with the classic rich guy abandoning his girlfriend for the past X years.

Meghna is the ex girlfriend in this story.

You know, the one who is also super rich, lives abroad, comes from a business family (she might be very career-oriented, but that's a cute bonus, not a requirement to fit into the trope). She would be mean spirited and a snob and she will create a ruckus before and after the breakup, and will lose her mind and hire goons and plan murder.

Only, my Meghna is not the vamp of this story. She is a flawed human, who loves too deeply, suffers through the heartbreak and gathers herself together to wish for happy things for all of them.

This is her story.

Now that you know about the plot and where I wanted to take it (as of yet, it has been put on an indefinite hiatus), let me come around and answer your question.

What is my favourite thing about Meghna? Her passion for her work, her dedication to the business, and how, Meghna Dubey of Saroja Jewelleries is a separate entity from the Meghna who had fallen in love with Ankit (the guy, my writing partner's character). Meghna goes through a lot, and it is the family business that helps to keep her head above the water.

Was it really necessary to make her fall so deeply in love with the guy, especially when I knew they wouldn't be together? Yes. I wanted to explore the mindset of a girl who had planned her whole life with a person, and who does NOT turn into a psychopath in her grief, but comes out of it the same, positive person she had been, if only a little jaded and bearing the scars of her first love. She never really fully recovers from that, although she does get her happy ending with her husband (Ajitesh). Her first love remains in a corner of her heart, whereas Ajitesh occupies most of the place. I even made a graphic to explain this mindset, and although this isn't my most favourite thing about her, it ranks pretty high up there. Sharing the graphic just because -

((Meri kahani toh Ankit se hi shuru hota hai aur ussi pe khatam.

Jane kaise, kab, kahan, meri duniya ussise takrayi, aur bas, pyaar hogaya. Mai toh wohi par atki rahi, par woh age bar gaya. Ajitesh bohot acha hai, aur mai bohot khush bhi hoon. Par phir bhi. Dil he ki maanta nehi. Pehle pyaar ki peheli nishaani hoke Ankit mere dil me rah gaya. Waise, mera dil hai bohot bada. Mera bita hua kaal aur mera jeevan sathi, dono ek hi jagah pe khusi-khusi rahte hain. Aap soch rahe honge, ki main kaun hoon? Mera naam kya hain?

Main MEGHNA, aur yeh, meri kahani hai.))

⬆️Transcript because the font is hard to read.

Coming back to the importance of her career, I wanted to give her something, and no, not as a hobby. A full blown career, and I wrote in the conflict with her orthodox aunt as a side plot for her cousin, but let's just focus on Meghna.

The only child of business tycoon Ronit Dubey, and sole Heiress of Saroja Jewelleries, Meghna stood on solid ground. A lot of the hard work was already done for her, though I did emphasise on how she had been very involved in the business from early on, and how she keeps coming up with new designs at random points, because her work is always there in her head. It is a huge, HUGE part of who she is. She is MEGHNA DUBEY, and that never leaves her.

She has a legacy to uphold, a society to fight with.

And when Ankit’s absence leaves her broken and without a sense of self (because she did go all out in her life. Back when they were dating, she had moulded herself into the role of his girlfriend < and future wife > and had it not been for Saroja Jewelleries, we could have lost Meghna to the shadow of a woman whose life revolved around Ankit), this connection, this purpose, is what motivates her. This is what makes her realise that she was much more than Ankit’s Meghna, and she comes up like a phoenix rising from its ashes and becomes her own person. She blooms.

Which is funny, because life was simpler and happier before, but even before Ankit had stepped into her life, she had built her identity around her business, and it is this same habit that made her switch targets and orbit around Ankit.

And now, the Meghna that comes out of all this is a person, an individual, and in my opinion, that's the best thing.

The thing I loved most when creating Meghna Dubey?

Her journey.

[spectral-ask-memes]

🥊🍅💥🏀☀️🌙⭐🍏💧🔮🌸🌺 💜💗💗💗 for either your favorite oc or your least favorite! or both!

i almost said montresor was my least favourite which is Such A Lie because i accidentally got attached and i’m very glad he ends up being Significantly Less Bad than he initially was 

anyways. it’s all under the cut (crossing my fingers that it actually works properly) (and i think i’ll answer for annabel and arthur) 

🥊 Does your OC prefer to take the lead or follow orders? With everyone or just with certain people? Is there a reason for this?

annabel doesn’t really... choose? she’s fairly smart and tends to consider that the things they’re all going to do will have an effect on other people and what will happen later. she ends up being one of the bigger characters and part of the main group that actually Knows What’s Going On and, by extension, somewhat a leader? 

arthur was more of a leader back when he was sailing, and as he got older he was more okay with sitting back and letting things happen. granted, that also possibly got him killed (well, not really. but if you go with the original story, it is) 

🍅 How easily is your OC embarassed? What subjects make them flush and why? What event has made your OC the most embarassed they’ve ever been?

i would say that annabel lee isn’t embarrassed too easily? she knows what she’s done, and the embodiment of death is willing to actually physically fight someone for her. that’s not to say that she can’t be embarrassed, though

arthur... just doesn’t tell you. you can’t find anything to make him embarrassed simply because you don’t know anything about him. he’s very good at keeping it as secretive as possible (not necessarily on purpose. he probably thought he told montresor) 

💥 Are there any emotions your OC doesn’t know how to deal with, doesn’t understand or hates having to feel? Any reason behind this?

annabel lee tries to be happier, at least in the first part, and tries to just. ignore negative emotions. but she eventually learns how to deal with the more negative emotions. in the first part, she’s also not quite sure about montresor--she loves him, and at that point they’re almost like cousins or siblings. but at one point, it seems as if montresor has just been going around and committing Crimes (they think he’s murdering people.) and she has to figure out how to work through the “he’s practically my brother and i don’t know that he would do this?” and what appears to be in front of her (it ends up okay though). because i personally find emotions difficult and have trouble putting words to them it is also difficult for me to put the right words in the correct order, but i think that this is (at the very least, for a segment of the story) a good summary 

arthur,,, i honestly don’t know that we get enough of him to tell? probably the emotions he didn’t express. wait that’s more of a Regret? so then, arguably, affection, but he’s spent time trying to work through that (and raised Montresor, and did a fairly decent job of it, in the end) 

🏀 Does your OC have any skills that people wouldn’t expect them to have? Do they have a hobby or pass time that others would consider strange or weird? How did they learn this particular skill or pick up this hobby?

people probably look at annabel and expect her to be Very Soft (which, yeah, she is, she’s a very kind and affectionate person). but she’s also very much a badass? she likes swimming and rock/shell collecting, and also found that she enjoyed helping dupin with Investigating quite a bit

arthur likes to sail. he enjoys exploring and Not-Dying. 

☀️ How well does your OC take care of themself? Do they tend to put others before their own wellbeing and if so how often? What is their favourite way to pamper themself?

annabel lee!! is very much!! a person that thinks self care is important!! and i love her!! so much!! she does try to take care of others, but she’s also learned that she needs to have Limits and take care of herself too. 

arthur went from “probably selfish, puts himself above others” to “adopted a little boy who was abandoned by his father and would now give him almost anything probably” and we love that development, except that sometimes it might possibly be bad? as in, it helps play into the “Montresor Actually Murdered Him” narrative (as well as possibly the real narrative, in which arthur got sick and probably sent montresor away so that he wouldn’t catch it, which plays into some Other Things that we don’t need to get into right now because it’s. a lot) 

🌙 What are some of your OC’s favourites? Favourite food, colour, season, stuff like that! Give some general simple facts that tend to get overlooked!

annabel lee likes cookies, pastel colours (pink/blue/yellow/purple specifically, and also some brighter ones? it depends sometimes), and spring. she likes to garden, i think! she and her fiancee have a nice house and a garden that they work on together and it’s very good :) (also, i like to think that she and her girlfriend [now fiancee] probably tried to propose to each other at the same time) 

arthur probably also likes cookies but thinks brownies are neat too, he likes blue/grey/green/gold/magenta, and summer. he also adopted montresor after montresor’s mother died and his father abandoned him, so that’s Very Good Content. arthur really is doing his best,,, (it’s also taken me until this question to realise that i do have a least favourite, and that least favourite is either prospero [MURDERED] or fortunato [MURDERED] but it’s okay)

⭐ Does your OC like to sleep alone or do they enjoy sharing their bed? Have they been to any sleepovers? Have they ever been camping? What did they think of the experiences if so?

annabel lee! very much enjoys cuddling!! she likes to have the Friend Group over for big sleepovers and they probably have big cuddle piles (and they deserve them, honestly). i think all of the characters have sort of been camping? in her case, it was probably with lenore and dupin 

arthur tends to sleep alone, save for a few times at sea. he has been camping, and probably took montresor a few times when he was a child. 

🍏 When your OC says “I had a bad day” what does that tend to mean? Is it really as bad as they’re saying or are they being a bit dramatic?

when annabel lee says she had a bad day, it means that she definitely had a bad day (although there are probably some occasions on which she might be being a little dramatic, because that’s fun sometimes) 

arthur won’t tell you how his day is going, because it probably slips his mind. he’s got a lot he’s trying to take care of, and really, he doesn’t have that many bad days now? 

💧 What is something from your OC’s past they’re the most ashamed of and why? What is something they’re really proud of? And lastly what is something in their past that could make them shake with dread?

annabel lee is probably ashamed of the time montresor was convinced she was dead (although that wasn’t her fault). she’s proud of her friend group and how they’ve managed half of what they did. 

arthur is ashamed of some of the things he did while sailing (i’m still finishing his backstory + reading the thing for him and stuff). he’s proud of his son and raising him :,)

🔮What does your OC think is their best trait. What is actually their best trait? What about their flaws? Are they one to admit these flaws or do they like to pretend they’re perfect?

i’m going to be honest: i haven’t really thought about what they think their best and worst traits are, simply because it hasn’t come up yet in the story? but: 

annabel lee probably thinks her best trait is her memory? she makes a point to remember certain details about her friends, and also things for helping with cases. really, though, she’s also incredibly brave (pluto straight up tells her they’re the embodiment of death, and instead of being terrified, she tells them that it’s cool and asks if they’d like a cookie. i love her). going hand in hand with her bravery, though, it can lead to her being a bit reckless at times? she’s a bit hesitant to admit it, but she will. 

arthur is willing to listen and change if he needs to, and is wiling to educate himself. i would agree that it’s probably his best trait (again, we don’t get a Lot of him, especially not where i’m at in the story right now, though). his worst trait is arguably how much trust he can put into people now. 

🌸 What’s a sentence that would make your OC’s day better? One that would make them laugh? One that would make their day worse? Why? What words would you have to say to them to completely ruin their day?

for annabel lee, the first really varies. probably something along the lines of “we were successful/didn’t die”. there are many sentences that could make her laugh, depending on who said them and the way they were said. she does find the initial conversation about victor amusing, though, i think (i’m still working on that scene). also how pluto references various other works of literature, she finds some of those amusing. i think one of her (and my own, if i’m being entirely honest) favourites is probably when pluto stops mid-sentence while they’re talking about something important and just kind of goes. “wait. are those two guys still waiting? we have to make sure, we can’t let godot get there”. one that would ruin her day is almost definitely someone else dying or getting injured.

arthur is an enigma, even to me. but in somewhat seriousness: he’d probably be happier if someone told him something good happened, in general? like montresor telling him about making a new friend. he is also rather amused by the fact that montresor has dated a fair share of his friend group (and one of them was on accident). he was pretty bummed about getting murdered/sick and dying. 

🌺 What additions would your OC make to their body if they could? Lets say, if they don’t have a tail would they want one? Wings? Horns? Do they wish they could shapeshift?

annabel lee is working through learning to love herself as she is, and would rather Not. she wants wings. and is definitely planning on tattoos, if she doesn’t already have some, probably. she thinks being able to shapeshift would be Neat. 

there was a time when arthur wanted to be able to breathe underwater. 

💗 Ramble a bit about this character!

god,,, i just love annabel,,, so much,,, she’s very good!!!! she’s my badass child and i love her so much. pluto almost definitely fights someone for her. honestly most of this has just been me rambling about her

[storypraxis]

MARTHA JONES Is The Perfect DOCTOR WHO Supporting Character

Having recently rewatched Series 3 of Doctor Who, not only is it my favourite of new Who, but so is Martha Jones. I’d also go as far as saying she is the perfect supporting character.

First off, Freema Agyeman was the perfect casting decision. The showrunners were really impressed with her in the minor role she played at the end of Series 2. Instead of ignoring this fact, the writing brings up how it was Martha’s cousin who died at the Battle of Canary Warf. This accomplishes a couple of things; it explains how the same actress played two characters on the show without causing continuity errors. Then you have the Doctor forced to be reminded of said battle.

And Rose.

Which brings up to how the Doctor is still dealing with losing Rose at the end of Series 2. He needs a new companion and when a smart, clever, resourceful doctor presents herself to fill the spot, they both take it. The show gives us two doctors for the titular Doctor to choose from to accompany him. It’s obvious why he’d go for Martha given how scared the other candidate is. Unlike Rose, Martha was whisked into an adventure along with a hundred other people yet she’s the one who joins him in the TARDIS.

Rose’s shadow looms long over the Doctor. The Time Lord takes Martha to the same places he took Rose. People have criticized the showrunner Russell T. Davies of being obsessed with the character of Rose and the drama that came with it, but for me it just comes off as staying true to the character of the Doctor. He isn’t just going to forget about Rose and how in sync they were. That would be very disrespectful to Rose and her fans. Sadly this means Martha does get left behind as a character. She fulfills her purpose perfectly even though it means she cannot compete when it comes to Rose. It makes her character tragic and very sympathetic.

Snog her, you idiot!

Maybe it’s just me finding Freema and Martha attractive but as an audience member you really wish the Doctor could see Martha the way she sees him. Albeit, the Doctor shouldn’t really be dating any of his companions to be honest. Still, Martha isn’t getting enough out of their relationship or lack thereof which is sad.

Speaking of sad, Martha can show her vulnerability as easily as she can be sassy and funny. She can stare at the Doctor with puppy dog eyes in one scene yet demand answers about him and his past the next. All these emotions come off naturally, both in the writing and with Freema’s acting. She’s just a perfect blend of a supporting character. Balanced like all things should be.

Now, having said that, there is a problem with Martha. Despite being a balanced character that also means she doesn’t have the highest of highs or the lowest of low points. For the most part, Martha lacks major strengths and weaknesses that would solidify her as a great character.

Martha’s fun even when she tries too hard to be funny.

For that to happen, Series 3 would have needed a Martha-centric episode. If she had wanted to go back to being a doctor for a while then maybe her personality would have shone through more. This would cause a detour in the story and mess with the pacing though. One could argue that “Blink” does that, but who’d want to get rid of that episode? Plus the Doctor-lite episode was needed so both Tennant and Agyeman could do more shooting for other episodes.

I have loads of ideas for a Martha-centric episode...

Martha is a perfect supporting character, as in she services both the protagonist, story and plot. Supporting characters just tend to not be fleshed out well enough to be great characters. Arguably this changes when Martha decides to leave the Doctor. I haven’t seen her adventures in Torchwood but (I will check them out now!) Martha’s return in Series 4 was glorious. When we last see her in Ten’s last episode she’s an outright badass. So there is growth and character development, I just wonder how much of that is offscreen.

Martha’s main weakness, if you can call humanity that, is her feelings of inadequacy brought on by her unrequited crush/love for the Doctor. It humanizes Martha, adding to the juxtaposition between her and the inhuman Time Lord. Again, serving the protagonist and the story perfectly. The one-sided love story just never goes anywhere. Martha’s decision to just get out is sensible and it makes her extremely likeable and wise. It provides a character arc for her, but it’s not exactly memorable nor does it propel the story into new heights.

Martha literally gives her last breath to the Doctor as they are about to suffocate on the Moon.

That said, Martha went way beyond the call of duty, sacrificing herself to help the Doctor. Especially during the two-parter "Human Nature/Family of Blood” where Martha had to witness the Doctor falling in love with another woman while trying to keep the Time Lord safe from evil aliens. All the while having to put up with the prejudiced attitudes of the early 20th century England.

Right before Martha schools her on all the bones in her hand that’s about to pimp slap her.

In the same two-parter, when the amnesiac Doctor-turned-human falls down the stairs, Martha comes over as soon as she hears of it. Concern for the Doctor’s wellbeing is the first thing on her mind. Sure, Martha’s trapped there with the Doctor being her only way out, but it never comes across like that. The things Martha endures are sacrifices she’s deemed necessary. It really speaks volumes about the true grit of her character.

Waifu material.

She never becomes bitter or hardened by any of it either. Yet she isn’t without some sass either. When Martha’s told she should knock before entering, she steps back towards the door, knocks it and comes back. Martha Jones is such a well rounded character it’s a shame we only had her for a single season.

I’ll reiterate; all this this makes Martha my favourite New Who companion. It makes her the perfect supporting character.

I was going to make a joke about this, but I think the logo speaks for itself...

Martha’s own supporting cast reflects this as well. They all serve to paint a picture of Martha and pushing the story forward. Martha’s mother Francine is excelently utilized with very little screen time. Her skepticism towards the strange Doctor is only natural. It makes perfect sense for Francine to work with Saxon’s people who seemingly want to protect Martha like she does. This side plot in “42″ is actually the best part about the otherwise mundane enviromentalist episode.

Martha isn’t a jokester, but she has her moments. Kudos to Freema’s versatility as an actress.

As a character though, Jackie Tyler, annoying as she could be at times, is far better though. Jackie’s flirty personality, her accent and overall attitude towards life just shines through her every delivery of a line of dialogue. There are plot involving Jackie’s dead husband coming back to life and creating a deadly time paradox, too. Whereas Martha’s dad dating another woman doesn’t have effect on the plot. It doesn’t even phase Martha herself, she just tries to steer clear and juggle between her mom and dad which is easy because by now she lives on her own. Drama free.

That is when she isn’t being jettisoned into the sun!

Side note, I’m glad the character got a happy ending, albeit not with the Doctor like she wished. After all the hardships she endured and sacrifices she made for the Doctor for very little reward, she’s earned a little peace and quiet. She wasn’t lost on a parallel Earth nor forgot her adventures. She didn’t “die” like Amy, Rory and Clara.

It would have been absolutely terrible had Martha died. She’s my favourite of the bunch so it’s good to know she’s still out there somewhere in the Whoverse. The fact she could be easily written back into the show some day warms my heart.

For future reference, should Martha come back to the show and should the writers decide to kill off her character... like they are doing with the show proper at the moment... then allow me to give the showrunners and writers some advice. If Martha has to die, make her sacrifice herself for the Doctor one last time. As a one final act of love towards the man (assuming he’s back to being a man).

She’s talking about Shakespeare, but Martha’s line is very indicative of her relationship with the Doctor.

Don’t give us Mad Martha who decides to burn down whole cities full of people, okay. Don’t give us that “Martha kinda forgot her Hippocratic Oath” crap. You got that? Just making sure...

Anyway, Series 3 wasn’t the end for Martha and I’m so glad the character came back in Series 4 and like I said, I’ll be checking out Torchwood for more Martha appearances. But we’re here to talk about her as a companion so let’s get back on track.

That’s what she said about my tangent.

Now, you could get a good episode about Martha’s family drama, much like how Rose changed time to save his dad. But it’s not really necessary. The family drama in Series 11 has certainly shown how dull and dreary stories like that can be. That is why, even though Martha and her family aren’t exactly great characters that provide great stories, they are perfect at providing a clear context to the imaginary world that the Doctor, the TARDIS and time travel represents.

Freema sells that magical moment of a companion stepping into the TARDIS for the first time perfectly.

Again, perfect supporting characters that don’t waste time away from the things people actually watch the show for. That said, I wouldn’t have minded seeing a cat fight between Francine and her ex husband’s new bimbo girlfriend!

Just a single scene like that would have been endlessly entertaining and damn memorable!

Imagine that but between her and the bimbo: “Keep away from my husband.”

Martha’s sister Tish fares a lot better as a character as far as personality goes. There isn’t really a sibling rivalry going on, but Tish’s remarks about Martha dating a science geek speaks a lot about both her and Martha’s characters. What they look for in a man. When the Doctor asks what a science geek means, Martha explains it’s just someone who’s passionate about science which makes the Doctor happy. Which is what Martha wants, whether she was telling him the truth or sparing his feelings with such an interpretation. Brilliant writing for the characters all around.

Tish working with both Lazarus and Saxon, even if both instances were brought about by Saxon himself, tells about Tish being drawn towards wealth and power.

She was even ready to “snog” a de-aged Lazarus!

Damn right, she is! Not just a pretty face but smart too!

I wish we’d have seen more of Tish. Her interaction with Martha really created a contrast that benefitted both characters. In “The Lazarus Experiment” especially, Martha gets to shine. After helping her family escape, she goes back for the Doctor against her mother’s wishes. Later, Tish comes along. Martha takes control and takes Tish with her so that the Doctor has time to defeat Lazarus himself. Martha let’s the Doctor shine and in doing so shines herself. Tish acts as a great supporting character herself by asking who the Time Lord is. At this point Martha already knows because she’s asked him herself, demanding answers.

“We need to talk.” Never a good sign except in fiction.

Martha or the handling of her character is often criticized for how she had a thing for the Doctor. Her character was much more. In an early episode “Gridlock” we get one of Martha’s best moments; when she demands answers about the Doctor. She forces the Time Lord to come out of his shell, to stop pretending everything was all right. The Doctor tells Martha about being the last of the Time Lords which fits perfectly to the story of the Series.

Namely that the Doctor is not the last of his kind.

The Doctor also mentions how the Time Lords were all lost in a Time War, battling against the Daleks. It’s a great segway into the next two-parter story about Daleks themselves. The story flows really well with one thing leading to the next. The pacing is really good while the characters remain true to themselves. That said, it’s good to have Martha around to challenge the Doctor.

Asking seemingly harmless questions like this is vital for good supporting characters. We get to see the Doctor’s reaction to his home planet being brought up.

That said, I should mention a couple of things. In the episode “Smith & Jones” the Doctor kisses Martha to mark her with some of his DNA. This is done on the fly and while the Doctor had a plan, I dislike how this puts Martha in danger. Now, she doesn’t get into any serious trouble but considering how trigger happy the Judoon platoon upon the moon are, things could have gone real bad. This kiss does start Martha’s infatuation with the Doctor so there’s that.

Wait, don’t snog her, you idiot! Now she’s in danger!

The Doctor’s indifference to cool and hot Martha does make him in return look cooler. Martha is essentially the Doctor’s cheerleader which, despite sounding as not complimentary, really is that. You need the audience to root for the main character and this is partly achieved through supporting characters singing their praises. Of course, the characters still have to earn that praise. You can’t just have characters emotionally validate themselves or others to the audience.

Though it doesn’t hurt when Shakespeare himself is singing your praises.

The downside to the Doctor’s indifference is that he does come across as a jerk at times. Now this can be either a good or a bad thing based on the audience. While Martha is perfect as a supporting character, you don’t want neither her or the protagonist to be perfect. The Doctor missing Rose, as annoying as that can be to some, is keeping true to the character. The Doctor is in mourning. It’s his grief period and Martha is there to help him through it. In doing so, Martha learns that she doesn’t want to wait forever for another person to notice her.

In one of the best episodes in New Who’s history, “Utopia” draws a parallel between Doctor and Martha and the Professor and his assistant Chantho. Much like Martha, Chantho is smart, kind and caring. Based on her interactions and demeanor, Chantho adores the Professor and like Martha with the Doctor, she has a crush on him. Both the Professor and the Doctor don’t notice these signs. For an individual episode this is all well and good, but given the secret about Professor Yana, this parallel is much more impactful than it seems at first.

Spoilers to a Series over ten years old; Yana is actually the Master. This twist alone, the callback to the concept of a fob watch allowing a Time Lord to masquerade as a human was a brilliant touch. Martha of course recognizes Yana’s fob watch instantly and again, Freema sells the feeling of terror and dread so damn well.

Later in the episode Martha recognizes the Master’s voice as Harold Saxon. The name we’ve heard all throughout the Series. A lesser show would not have given Martha’s character such insight. It’s one of the numerous details that make her character clever and likeable.

Unfortunately, likeable characters aren’t always the most compelling ones. This makes Martha an underappreciated companion in the series history. While Martha is my favourite, I can’t really blame the detractors. Martha Jones served her purpose on the show which meant couldn’t shine as brightly of a star of her caliber. I’d still take her any day over Clara Oswald who was such a bad supporting character that it encroached on becoming the Clara Who show. And I say this as someone who loved the past and future Claras and Jenna Coleman playing the character(s).

Anyway, back to the actual episodes. While context is key, I find it interesting how the Master kills Chantho, showing no regard for her life. Now, the Doctor does care about life and he’s risked his own life for Martha many times. Still, being around the Doctor, much like with the Master, is dangerous. Neither can truly love their companions the way they want. That parallel is fascinating and I’m glad Martha was allowed to walk away from it of her own free will. Definitely one of the reasons this Series has the best writing out of New Who.

One of the few times the Doctor rewards Martha’s loyalty and bravery. Her reaction to receiving a key to the TARDIS is everything!

Speaking of writing. Before Martha says her goodbye, she has to walk the Earth and spread the gospel of the Doctor to the people of the world. Many have criticized how the show made the Doctor out to be a god who regains his power through prayer essentially. Rightfully so because even in context the twist does feel outlandish albeit totally awesome. Subjectively I’d say it’s one of the best moments in New Who.

Basically, the people have been subliminaly made to vote Master/Saxon into office. Now the Doctor has tapped himself into the same telepathic field and receives prayers, the word “Doctor” across the world. This turns him basically invincible for a time. Time enough to defeat the Master.

Because the telepathic field had been established in a prior episode and its effects had been reincorporated over and over again in the form of a drumming that the Master himself heard inside his head, I find that the twist is properly set up. That and because Martha has spent a whole year travelling around the world acting as a cheerleader for the Doctor.

The best cheerleader you could ever hope for!

Though how the Doctor’s orders relayed by Martha never reached the Master’s ears is a mystery. Martha was aware of a traitor though and she spoke to her accordingly, feeding false information. I doubt she told the people about the telepathic field. The Master could not put two and two together when the Doctor himself told of the plan. To the Master it was just hope and prayer.

Suffice to say I have mixed feelings about the final twist. None of this detracts from Martha Jones as a companion though and that’s why I wrote this blog post about her. If you’ve managed to get this far I thank you.

Boy, that was a lot of out of order, wibbly wobbly rambling about a show that I love and a companion I adore. Started well, that blog post.

<3

[inexplicably-spookified]

cave story: the creepierpasta

many of you probably don’t remember but a while ago i wrote a very good cave story creepypasta and now! here is the sequel.

One stormy night, my roommate invited me to play video games at their apartment. Exited, I turned up at their doorstep, thinking we would be playing Mario Kart or something.

But instead, they said, we would be playing Cave Story. Together.

Apparently their brother’s uncle’s former nephew had a cat who knew a guy who used to date another guy who worked for NiCALIS, and had procured an unreleased protoypyse for the Wii U.

I was now even more exited. Being able to play my favourite game with my cousin, and on the Virtual Boy, even!

Pizza slice in one hand, I gripped the CD-I controller in the other, as my sister set the game up. The TV was switched on in a burst of static and sparks, which almost made me drop my Pop-Tart, but my brother reassured me that it was just the development console the game ran on. They put the cartilage in the disk drive, hit the reset button, and the game pupped up onto the screen.

The first warning sign, was the fact that the titlescreen was red, with the logo in a depressing shade of mauve. The Quote moving next to the start game and new was flickering and glitchy, but my friend just reassured me that it was probably the fact that it was a protorokotype. He picked up the second controller, and as I was busy eating my SCONE, she was in charge of starting the game.

Neither of us had played or heard of Cave Story before, so we had no idea what to expect. The music was creepy but with a press of the keyboard, a character select screen came up. We were both excited. It worked! Her roommate’s rabbit’s chiropractor’s doctor’s confidant’s uncle who worked with Nintendo was correct!

Wiping the hotdog juice off my fingers, I picked up the SNES controller and selected to play as Ballos, because he was so tough to beat I figured he would be OP. But my nephew didn’t want to play as any of the others. She said she knew about a secret code that would unlock a unique character never seen in normal gameplay: the Debug Cat. I had a bed feeling about this, but he put the code in anyway, making the room shake. But it was just an earthcake so we didn’t pay attention. There was a demonic screem as they selected the glitchy cat, but we didn’t bother pay attention tot hat either.

Expertly navigating our way together through Mimiga Village, we realised something was really wrong: nobody would talk to my friend. In fact, whenever she walked over to him they would all explode. It was very alarming but we pressed onwards.

Eventually things got wrong. We entered the shack, but suddenly my boyfriend’s DS stopped responding, and her character becgan to move on its own. Balrog didn’t stand a chance against its clawful attacks, exploding violently the moment contact was made. Misery appeared also to kidnap Torororororororororko but the moment she saw everything she gasped loudly and informed us that this was not debug cat but instead an evil demon!! possessing the game!!! but she was speaking in Japanese so we couldn’t understand her and my friend was too busy trying to restart her Switch to notice.

It was too late for my friend. As soon as she got his PSP to restart, the demon cat JUMPED out of the trackpad and possessed!! them!!!!!! I screamed in terror, dropping my sausage sandwich and my wiimote, barely escaping the room as it burst into flames.

I hay have escaped with my life but I never saw my girlfriend again… sometimes I have nightmares and I see the debug cat.

he’s coming for me

[paris-in-flames]

tell me about ur ocs

Anon, tbh, you just made my day. ♡

I won't go into all my ocs since I got quite a lot, but I'll do as short of a synopsis of the main cast of a comic I lowkey wanna make.

So, the world is pretty much the same as ours(save band names being changed for copyright reasons, so we have Your Physical Attraction, Jump In Girl and Calm. away from the library as our trinity). The plot follows my two gaybies: Nathan and Cameron and is set in motion when the (purely fictional) band Static Dreams announces they're looking for a drummer.

Now, back to characters.

Nathan is my sad baby boy. He's got really bad self-esteem issues and gender dysphoria and 120% of his closet space is hoodies because we all know that's trans culture. Of course, hoodies are not the only thing in the closet- so is he. Anyways, with all the shit this baby got thrown at him he just stopped talking all-together part because he doesn't believe he should be listened to and part because his voice creates him a lot of dysphoria.

Now, enter Cameron. The man, the dad friend, the legend, the legitimate ray of fucking sunshine and Nathan's only friend. He absolutely LOVES hanging out with Nathan and even learned ASL so that they could communicate better. The two of them are renting a storage unit which they use as a rehersal space and for Cameron to crash sometimes. He lives with his mother and younger sister who is roughly about 6-12(haven't decided yet). Everything else is possible spoilers, sorry.

Now, for Static Dreams.

Static Dreams is a four-member band formed from Jackson(Jack), Theodore(Teddy), Dallas and thier former drummer Brian.

Jack is the lead guitarist and singer of the group. He's punk-rock guy trough and trough with a haircut that's pretty much a sideshaved and heavily gelled green mullet. He has a pretty abrasive personality, but also an absolute soft spot for his girlfriend. I picture them having a really Morticia-Gomez Addams kinda relationship. He's the only straight character of the cast, but he'll fight anyone who dares say shit about his friends or the LGBTQ+ comunity. He has two older brothers, but he can't stand them(the feeling is mutual). Both him and Teddy are super sesitive to angry shouting(all other shouting is fine) and often have to leave the room or blast super loud music in their headphones so they don't have a panic attack.

Now, Teddy- he's an exclusionists worst nightmare. He's an amab nonbinary, he uses he/him pronouns, he used to be a very obnoxious heavily female-presenting scemo(he's more goth at the time of the main plotline) and he's aroace. It took him a while to realise that last one. He's the son of the band's lable manager, but got his possition as a bassist and back-up vocalist because he's genuinely really good at what he does. His parents are divorced and he lives with his dad, who he has a really bad relationship with(hence the screaming thing). He's genuinely a sweet, supportive person and lovingly dubbed the fandom's aunt. He doesn't talk much and is coming out of a rough patch with an emotionally abusive relationship and alcohool abuse.

Dallas is an absolute bi disater and a mom friend. Him and Cameron are the ultimate parental unit and take care of the entire band pretty much(and spoil them like a lot 'cuz they're both really outwardly affectionate characters). He loves bandanas and looks like he belongs in more in a k-pop band because of his asian heritage and affinity for bright colors(red is his favourite). He's also a little bit of a weeb because some girls he was friends with in like 3rd grade made him watch Sailor Moon and he accidentally spiraled downward from there. He has three older brothers and two younger sisters.

Brian is Jack's cousin. Him and Jack used to live down the street from eachother, so when they were kids they would hide in Brian's treehouse whenever their parents were fighting. The two are the ones who started the band, actually! Brian left the band because he found a better deal becoming a music producer in their hometown. He's one of the only married characters.

And that's that! These are some of my children, who I love very much and who I've done dirty a lot of times(yeah, I feel bad about it, they're my kids).

[purplesurveys]

588

Kinda in the mood to look back, so am doing another one of these comparison surveys...because yay, growth! Hahaha this one is from 2017. How old were you ten years ago? I was 9. I was 11. Not a big change. The last time you went out to eat, where did you go?: We went to a place called Ramen Nagi. I never liked ramen and never tried it prior to entering the restaurant, and only decided to go there because I was playing host to my cousin who came from the States and she wanted ramen. That dinner converted me, though. LMAOOOO, I’ve since turned to a ramen whore. I’m still picky about which restaurants I go to for ramen, though. But anyway, we last ate at a Chinese place called North Park. It was a family favorite when I was a kid and I hadn’t eaten there for a good decade; they’ve since changed the menu, but it felt nice coming back nonetheless. What did you order?: I just had some of my girlfriend’s and she got I think what is their original recipe. We had yang chao, two kinds of squid recipes, sweet and sour pork, spicy seafood chami, and siomai. We were hungry. Think of the last film you watched. Who was your favourite character?: I liked one of the older brothers of the main character, but that’s about it. I didn’t get to finish the movie because I lost interest. The movie was Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and I absolutely fell in love with the maid, Sophie. She was such a sweetheart. Do you use Twitter? How about Tumblr?: I have accounts on both, yes. I’m on Twitter much more frequently. I still have accounts on both, and I’ve been using the same handles.

What colour are the walls of the room you’re in?: White. Yep, white. What would you like to say to the last person that hurt you?: Be nice when you ask for things and mind your tone when you are going to do it. You get nowhere with rudeness. Ooh, I haven’t felt hurt by a person in a while. That’s a great realization to have. Do you have a friend whose name starts with ‘L’? Describe him/her.: Kinda, yeah. I went to high school with someone named Leann. Simplest and among the nicest people I know. We’re in the same university but barely see each other, so we always hug when it happens. Yup! Luisa. She was my orgmate but she graduated in 2018. She did have a small crush on me and tried to hold hands with me when she was drunk, so that’s a memory I’d rather not dwell on. But outside of that, she’s a good friend, very smart, super ambitious and passionate, which I admire. She’s a sports writer for a national newspaper now and is doing a hell of a great job. When you opened your eyes this morning, what were your first thoughts?: What the frack happened last night?! “Ugh, shit. Sunday,” because we go to mass every Sunday morning. Have you received any compliments today?: Sure. My prof emailed me saying my essay was well done, despite me passing it two days late hahaha. Sure, but not a lot. Describe one of your favourite items of clothing. Where did you get it?: The floral summer dress I use way too much is from H&M. It’s a black halter top, I look cute in it, and I got it from a random ukay in Feliz for ₱50 ($1)! Name one of your favourite foods that starts with the letter A.: Apple pie. LMAO WHYYYY did I say that was a favorite of mine, who is she??? That’s crazy. A food starting with the letter A that I absolutely love is alimango – that’s crab in Filipino. Is there anyone from your past that you sometimes miss? Tell me about them.: Yes, friends from elementary. I wish I could see people like Jaynie, Andi, Angel, etc., one more time in like a huge reunion thing. I miss ^ those people everyday, but thankfully I’m in touch with all of them on social media. Nowadays, I find myself missing my high school batch. The 152 of us have not been in the same room for three years, and it’s still weird and still sad some days. Three have kids and one is married now, so that’s crazy. How long have you known the last person you text messaged?: Generally known her all my life, but didn’t start talking to her until six years ago. ^ Same answer, because Gab is still the last person I texted haha. The only difference is that it’s been around nine years since I got to know her for the first time. Do you know what the person you miss is doing at this moment?: No idea. She was reviewing a few moments ago, but she said she took a break and I didn’t really ask what she was up to now. Maybe chilling or preparing to go out because I know her family goes out every Sunday. She is working on a school paper. She’s not supposed to be working this late, but she got shit groupmates so she’s doing the whole thing which is taking up her time that could be spent resting. Has anyone told you that they love you today?: Yes. Yup. In the last week, what’s the kindest thing that someone has done for you?: Last Friday my cousin from the States helped me parallel park in the smallest space I ever parked my car in. In the Philippines that’s enough to make you feel super embarrassed, because here you never let your guests do ANYTHING for you. So that was really sweet and nice of her to offer :((( Aww, Ate Joelle is such a darling, I miss her. The nicest thing someone has done for me recently is Danika offering to buy me a cookie priced at ₱30. I won’t let anyone treat me with that much money so I gently refused, but I really appreciated that from her. Is there a song that makes you cry every time you hear it?: Not really, no. There are songs that make me feel bad because they bring me back to certain dark moments, but ultimately nothing is bad enough to make me cry. Yeah, it’s a little easier for songs to make me cry these days because a lot remind me of Nacho. If someone read your mind right now, what would they hear?: They would hear my disgust over this mango cake I just tried, and me scolding myself at ever trying it. Nothing. It’s 12:02 AM and I’m not really thinking about anything at the moment. Do you have any favourite jewellery that you wear every day?: I do. I never take off the necklace Gabie gave me on my birthday. ^ Welp, I’ve taken that off for a while now because it kinda broke. :)) But no, I don’t have any everyday jewelry. What colour are the eyes of the last male you talked to?: Dark brown. I encountered him very briefly as he was a barista who just took my payment at Starbucks, but I’m guessing he has dark brown/black eyes. Have you ever met a person that changed you for the better?: Absolutely. I’ve met a lot of people who have done this for me. The big difference between this answer and ^ that one is that I first took this survey before applying for my present org – that was a time I was not part of any circle in college yet, and was generally miserable everyday in school. But now I have a college org, a solid support system and foundation, and it couldn’t get any better. Are you wearing anything orange or red?: Nope. I am not. I am wearing gray and black right now. Who was the last person you said “hello” to?: My dog. My dog, when I got back home. I like to think there is always something to smile about. So, tell me, what’s your reason to smile right now?: It’s my last week in school this week!!!!! FUCK!!! I don’t have class tomorrow (later), yay.

[the-travelling-witch]

hiii! congratulations on 500 followers!!

could i pls request a romantic matchup w the tr boys? hehe

my pronouns are she/her and my mbti is infp

as for personality i’m quite bubbly and cheery! but i only show it to my close friends 😅 i’m kinda cold w people i’m not close with. i get told i look/act older than i am, probably bc i’m very motherly as i’m the eldest sister and eldest cousin 😭

my hobbies consists of drawing stuff such as portraits, sceneries or just random doodles. i like drawing my friends a lot. and i also really like reading hehe my current fixations is romance mangas tho. and i like listening to music a lot, my favorite genres are rock, city pop, r&b and just everything honestly.

my likes are: sour candies, strawberries (i even dyed my hair red bc of it), cats, and fashion.

speaking of fashion, i tend to dress myself very grunge-like but depending on my mood i’ll also dress preppy or lazy haha

my dislikes are: overly sweet food, open mouth eaters, bossy people, and weird textured food

yeah that’s all teehee

CONGRATULATIONS ON 500 FOLLOWERS AGAIN <3 MUAH XOXO

thank you!! you´re so sweet ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭

this is one of my favourite characters, so i hope you enjoy being matched with...

CHIFUYU MATSUNO Tokyo Manji Gang First Division Vice-Captain

You had been browsing the bookstore for what felt like an eternity, trying to find the final volume of the manga you were reading. The last one ended on a cliff-hanger and waiting for the next instalment had basically been torture.

After searching through a couple more shelves, you at long last spotted a familiar cover. And it looked like you were lucky too because there was only one copy left. Ready to head home and get right into the story, you grabbed the volume. You didn´t make it very far, however, as a rather broad guy blocked your way.

“Give me that book. My girlfriend has been whining all week about it being nearly sold out and I can´t hear it anymore. Now hand it over.” His voice was rough, like someone was rubbing a cheese grater over pavement.

“Excuse me? Why would I do that? I got to it first, end of the story. Better luck next time though.”

“Didn´t you hear me, you little brat? I´ll be taking that.” With that, he grabbed the manga and pulled it out of your hands. Your protests seemed to fall on deaf ears as he just turned around to leave.

“Hey, what do you think you´re doing, asshole?”  The appearance of a new voice froze him in place. You tried to get a better look at who had been talking just now but you couldn´t see anything really. “You can´t just go around taking stuff that isn´t yours. Now give the book back.”

“Y-Yes, of course Chifuyu. Please, I don´t want any trouble.” Turning back around, he handed the manga back to you with an apology before hurrying off.

“Thanks a lot for your help but what exactly just happened here?” You mustered the guy in front of you. He wasn´t much older than you and he didn´t seem like the type of person people would usually run from. Rather the opposite, actually. “What did you do to him?”

‘Chifuyu’ sheepishly rubbed his neck and averted his turquoise eyes. “Nothing really and that was so long ago, too…Anyway, that manga, do you like it?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, it´s one of my current favourites,” you said, not quite letting him of the hook yet. “Did you read it, too?”

“Yeah! You should definitely check out this other series by Ai Yazawa, it´s really good as well, maybe even better!” It was as if a fire had been lit inside him, his eyes visibly sparkling. “I could lend it to you if you want. What would you say about meeting up and exchanging recommendations?”

First of all, I´d love to see you guys together, you´d look so cute I just know it

Like your grunge-like fashion next to Chifuyu´s superficial innocence insert black and pink house meme

But then, personality-wise, it´s the opposite; your bubbly and cheery behaviour and him being a gang member ready to throw hands listen, I´d kill for you guys

Anyway, back to the topic at hand—

You definitely have dates where you just read shoujo/ romance manga, recommending new ones or discussing series you both read

Chifuyu is absolutely ecstatic that you love cats, this means you can hang out with Peke J!

Although, he tends to get a little pouty if you pay more attention to the little fellow or if Peke J prefers your lap as his napping spot now

Not gonna lie, Chifuyu tends to be very enthusiastic about making a plan but oftentimes doesn´t think it through all the way, so having someone reliable and level-headed around has saved his ass more often than he´d like to admit

But that doesn´t mean you have to play mom in your relationship; there´s hardly anyone who is more loyal than him and he can get serious too if the situation calls for it

If you draw him, he´s so flustered but tries to act all cool and smooth (he´s not fooling anyone)

Takes you to scenic places on his bike, so you can sketch the scenery

Also lets you doodle on his hand and arm if you´re bored but will return the favour while you´re at it, teach him some design skills, those shirts were a fashion war crime

Your relationship is very easy-going and has that childlike wonder to it and I mean that in the best way possible; best friends to lovers vibes

There´s no pressure to do certain things, to act a certain way or to work towards a certain goal; it´s okay to just sit back and relax from time to time, living in the moment and appreciating the now instead of constantly worrying about what´s next

Runner-up: Mikey

It´s no secret that Mikey isn´t living as carefree as he pretends to be, so having someone where he doesn´t have to hold up appearances is a huge deal for him. In return, he helps you set boundaries for yourself, he´d hate to see people take advantage of your caring personality. Mikey also teaches you how to fight. He´d rather just always be there to protect you but he knows that´s literally impossible, that´s why he makes sure you can stand your ground on your own.