#But .. would it be kind of funny ? ont really no:[

[philzokman]

it would be a little bit funny if asagiri killed dazai off breast style ykim

[phocids]

general thoughts on how the new gen persona games compare to each other

I'm going to be comparing them based on 5 criteria: how they handle antagonists, party interactions/character development, social links, themes, and dungeons/general combat. Also this post is going to be long as hell, and contains spoilers for all of the games

Persona 5

This was the first game I played in the series like a lot of people, and i overall really like it and it holds a place in my heart, but compared to the other 2 games it definitely has some weak spots. The first being the human antagonists, those of the first half of the game especially. With the whole thing of palaces being physical representations of peoples hearts, I really would have liked if they delved more into the palace hosts motivations, memories, and general thought processes. Nearly all of the antagonists we face are cartoonish villains, which does fit into the general theme of rebellion against corrupt adults but does feel lacking compared to the other games. Now that is strictly talking about the vanilla game, royal 100% makes up for this weakness. Akechi and Maruki are 2 of my favorite characters in the entire franchise, and are wonderful antagonists, in my opinion they are the best in the entire series. We learn about their motivations, how they got to where they are, and they are actually developed as characters, compared to the other antags who are cookie cutter evil men who are magically fixed when we steal their hearts. Shido and Yaldabaoth also feel lacking as final villains, while both are deeply menacing and powerful, they lack the depth and realism of the final villains of the other 2 games. But I will say, Joker shooting Yaldy in the face was a deeply satisfying part of the game.

I love the phantom thieves as characters, their interactions are funny, as individuals they're endearing, and I love the individual dynamics between each other. However personally I was disappointed in how their social links and overall character development was handled. I'll talk more about their social links in a later part, although that is where most of their character development happens. Which is actually one of my gripes with persona 5, especially when compared to other games. One of my favorite things in persona 3 is how natural all of SEES development feels, they develop in line with the plot instead of nearly solely in their social links. Not to say that this doesn't happen at all in p5, but it's not done nearly as well as in p3 and was rather disappointing to me.

Persona 5's social links are definitely a mixed bag, with some very strong ones (like Akechi's, Yoshizawa's, Yusuke's, and Futaba's), but it also has very weak ones, and ones that directly go against the themes of the game. One weakness is how many of social link's have a very predictable structure, we meet the character -> we learn about their problems -> we change someone's heart and fix their problems. While even with this, characters still get their own development, the predictable nature and magic fix are just kind of disappointing to me.

By far one of the most frustrating parts of the game is it's hypocrisy. The first villain we face is a man who is preying on high school girls, this is rightfully portrayed as inexcusable and irredeemable. His sexualization of Ann and her hatred of it is what leads to her awakening. And then the game immediately shows that she's uncomfortable with her thieves outfit and has the male party members be creepers towards her. Obviously this misogyny is a problem with all of the persona games and isn't unique to p5 but it's so glaring that it's truly baffling. By far one of my least favorite parts of the game is how it treats predatory men vs predatory women. Kamoshida, Kaneshiro, and Haru's fiance are rightfully treated as abhorrent by the narrative. And then you can romance 4 different adult women at the end of their social links, including your teacher. When Ohya directly comes onto Joker during one of her earlier links, it's treated as a joke. While I get the option of romancing adult women being there for adult players who don't want to romance children, it's a bad choice that weakens the game. and is super weird

IMO the strongest part of persona 5 is the combat system and palace designs. The palaces are a satisfying progression from the dungeons of persona 4 and the combination of puzzles and combat are well balanced. The inclusion of shadow negotiation was an excellent choice, and is way more fun than shuffle time in my opinion. It also really reinforces the idea that shadows and personas are two sides of the same coin. While I've seen many people complain about mementos, I don't feel the same way. I find it really enjoyable and while it can be repetitive the character interactions, and Jose do a good job of keeping it fresh.

Overall, while I love persona 5 I think it has a few more glaring weaknesses than the other games, but the third semester in royal and the overall gameplay are the best features.

Persona 4

This section is going to be the shortest because I have admittedly played the least amount of p4 and while I have watched the anime if you're a real p4 head absolutely take this one with a grain of salt. Since I have played the least amount of p4 I won't be talking much about the social links in particular because I know the anime doesn't do them justice.

If we include p5r in our ranking, I would put persona 4 just under it in terms of human antagonists. Adachi and Namatame are both interesting and the twists at the end of the game are rewarding. Namatame is sympathetic, and is an excellent fake out. And Adachi is an incredible balance of menacing and realistic compared to the vanilla p5 antags. We learn his motivations, and while they suck they do add a lot of context to his character, and he feels like a real person. He's an interesting foil to the protagonist and having a social link with him was an excellent choice.

Like persona 5, I think how persona 4 betrays it's themes is by far one of the weakest parts of the game, particularly in regards to Kanji. While the process of awakening a persona in p4 is one of the strongest in the series and fits well with the theme of accepting the truth even if it's painful, Kanji is done so dirty by the game. You should accept all of yourself, even the parts you keep buried hurt to face, except if you might be gay/bisexual then you should keep that shit buried -_-

One of the reasons that I haven't finished p4g is actually the combat system </3. While I still enjoy the arguably more repetitive large dungeons of p5 and p3, for some reason I just found the dungeons of p4 a drag to complete. While the combat is fun I found myself dreading actually exploring in p4. This is again just my opinion, rather than an inherent flaw of the game.

Persona 3

Going to start with the disclaimer that I haven't played the original game, only reload, and I know there are a lot of fans of the original that weren't really fans of reload.

Starting with the antagonists, this is in opinion both the greatest weakness and one of the greatest strengths of the game. As a weakness it's entirely how it handles it's human antagonists. Excluding Chidori, Strega is done so so dirty by the game. They introduce these incredibly interesting characters and then do little to develop 2 out of the 3 of them. We learn little about their motivations, feelings, and relationships with each other. While reload fixed this a little at the end of october and tried to fix it with Takaya's linked episode, it still didn't do much. And similar to persona 5, Ikutsuki is a pretty one dimensional villain, we don't know anything about his motivations or background beyond wanting to end the world and loving human experimentation. However p3 absolutely knocks it out of the park with the main nonhuman antagonist. Nyx as an enemy is pretty much perfect in my eyes. What is a greater antagonist than death? The detail that she's not malicious is something that I love as well, she's truly just answering the calls of humanity. The final fight against her is one of the best persona moments in my opinion, SEES choosing to literally fight against a force of nature despite them not having much hope of winning is so human and is kind of the epitome of the overall themes of the persona series.

The character dynamics and development are another one of my favorite parts of the game, I especially love how everyone's persona evolves in the main narrative as opposed to at the end of social links. Compared to persona 5 it feels like SEES are much less static, and while their social links absolutely add to their development they aren't the near sole places it happens. My only disappointment with party members development/social links is how the male mc and female mc have different ones, while very cool in theory it means that in reload you only have social links with some of SEES, which while somewhat made up for with linked episodes in reload it's still a little unsatisfying. The world if reload included the femc 🏞️.

Despite the social links being locked depending on the protag, p3 has some of my favorite links in the series, and compared to p5 I think they're overall better (with some obvious exceptions). The elderly couple and Akinari in particular are heart-wrenching, fun to play, and add to the themes of the game in a way that the social links in p5 just don't.

Compared to the other 2 games, persona 3 is the only one who sticks true to it's themes the entire time. It's so good that I actually don't have much to say on it. Go play the games, and watch the movies too they're really good.

While p3 gets a lot of criticism for Tartarus, and many people find it the weakest part of the game, similar to mementos I really enjoy it. While it's different and less personal compared to the other dungeons in p4 and p5 I find it really fun and fits well with how the dark hour came to be. While again I've only played reload which made some changes to how combat works, particularly with theurgies, I really enjoyed the combat and enemy designs. My only complaint would be that since I enjoy Tartarus so much, I tend to complete each section really fast in the month and then don't have much to until the next full moon but I think that's mostly a me problem rather than a flaw of the game's intended play.

[lakesbian]

thinking about how good the chapter of twig where the lambs catch up with sy and jessie for the first time after jessie's transition would be if twig was good. sy & jessie's cisgender third would not even be there or exist as a character when the lambs bust into jessie and sy's bedroom, obviously. lillian would do the thing she does in the text where she gets self-centered and upset about jessie's transition bc she feels like it's robbing her of being able to look to jessie as Proof That Decent Boys Exist (which she's obviously desperate for as a girl in the 1920s who dated and then grieved sylvester) and be like but you were such a lovely boy :'(. and jessie would be like Not Fucking Cool Lillian and sy would be like Yeah. Not Fucking Cool Lillian. Dont Talk To Jessie Like That. and everyone else in the room including jessie would go Shut The Hell Up Sy simultaneously. it would of course still have the scene where he piteously runs at mary & hugs her and surreptitiously takes a knife from her and she immediately disarms him and was like. yeah im sure that was a really innocent hug with no ulterior intent to escape. and he's like it WAS though :( i just couldnt hug lillian because it'd be weird or helen because she might murder me....i was just taking your knife as a friendly greeting from one assassin to another :'(. helen would completely derail the attempt at taking sy & jessie prisoner by wanting a tour of jessie's new wardrobe. if we want to get really crazy with it there could even be helen/jessie crumbs. i think there might be a 50% chance that jessie guilt trips lillian re her immediate shame over being a dick so successfully that it derails the entire search-and-return attempt into an awkward kitchen table polycule catch-up discussion. like, the same kind of thing sy & jessie did to dog and catcher, where they are fully having meaningful conversation as people who care about each other, but also jessie is fully ready to pull the level under the table that drops the other lambs' chairs into The Basement Spike Trap Pit at a moment's notice. of course they still hash out sy's really funny canonical king solomon solution wherein he & jessie trade their academy hostage for one helen and half an ashton. i think when lillian is saying goodbye to sy (after the Lambs Polyamory Discussion) she automatically wants to kiss his forehead but then awkwardly looks at jessie for permission and jessie is like yeah id ont care. and then lillian also awkwardly looks at mary for permission. and jessie is like. HM. THATS INTERESTING. WHAT WAS THAT LOOK FOR LILLIAN. AT MARY. WHAT WAS THAT LOOK YOU DID THERE. and this is how sylvester learns that mary has been fucking his ex(-ex?) girlfriend like crazy and also they consider themselves to now have a romantic bond deep enough that no words exist to describe it and also lillian has actual legal custody over mary as a human experiment and mary thinks it's awesome. this is how he learns that girls can like girls by the way. like he knew it cognitively but he hadn't processed it yet

[kk-cats]

TLDR: Found out death threats and like . other really terrible threats are being sent to people.

The situation (as far as I can tell) started in the server I made. I am taking a break from Tumblr for a while. probably. might doomscroll.

you know if i had known making a discord server for people to HANG OUT WITH OTHER ROLEPLAYERS WOULD LEAD TO THIS KIND OF DEATH THREATS AND SHIT I WOULDN'T HAVE MADE THIS SERVER IN THE FIRST PLACE

to whoever the hell is going around stirring shit when i thought the situation was over or at the very least calming down: get out. grow up.

is this fun to you making people miserable sending threats being a jerk

i wanted people to hang out and be friends but everything's miserable everyone's accusing others and i'm just so sick and tired of all this i didn't make the server for people to be miserable

i'm staying off tumblr for a while (or i'll try. might doomscroll) for the sake of my mental health contact me on discord if you need me i don't even know what's going on anymore. might not reply well. sorry chat

i just don't understand how this happened

people were getting along! making jokes and being friends and then stuff blows up people start saying shit and i just don't get it

weren't we all friends?? we were roleplaying together! i was drawing with my friends and making silly announcements for jokes . i logged on every morning to say hi to people and make bad puns

and now it's just

awful and

and i didn't start the fighting but somehow it

sometimes i wish i didn't make the server

but i met so many friends through it and i want to be with my friends but

i don't know anymore i'm just really tired

today i was gonna try to set up some roleplay ideas for my friends but i don't think i have the energy for any of this . haven't i cried over this server enough? i'm overemotional and . i know people think i'm immature and i can't handle one but

i just wanted to get along with everyone and now it feels like all my friends hate each other or hate me or hate someone and

i'm sorry ii don't know anymore. i should be more mature i know but everything's too much always too much too overwhelming

roleplaying doesn't feel as fun as it used to i was going to catch up on roleplays i owe people but now i'm just sad

would this not have happened if i was a better server owner i don't know . it was supposed to be so people had fun. i didn't expect this kind of

i dont know how to describe it

misery?? to come out of this i didn't expect people to be threatened over it i didn't want anyone to get hurt i don't know what happened anf iid on't know anymore i'm just sick and tired of all of this

to whoeever is threatening people please just

stop it stop it it's not funny it's not grand it's not anything good it's just awful i don't know what you're trying to achieve but please just stop

i'm sorry guys i know i said you could like

come to me if you needed anything or stuff like that my dms always open and stuff but id ont know what to do in this situation i don't know how to fix this.

i've been tryihg to be postive throug h these situations but i keep failing an d messing up and i dont mean to i'm sorry i really am sorry i don't know what to do anymore

[freezegirl]

NPCS: THE OLYMPIANS / @theskyuniverse

Khione didn't mean for this to happen but she, unknowingly, gravitated towards other people with mythological names during her time at high school, college and the Maxville Ice Arena and so the Olympians were born.* (And, nope, Kie wasn't the person to coin the name this time around, either. If she had been, they would've been named the Ice Kings and Queens or the Snow Kings and Queens, but does anyone take her suggestions into consideration? No, of course not.)

*Note: While the kids in question are all original characters, the names of the parents and the last names in question are canon and are from the yearbook screenshots.

Minerva "Minnie" Topolski (K/aya S/codelario) doesn't love her powers and often wishes she was born without them because they're fucking useless. It's yet another reminder that she's nothing like her mom and her kid sister because they love their useless powers. Even in this world, filled with outstanding heroes and heroines, wishes like those don't come true. So Minnie focuses on what she has: a strong work ethic and a solid partner in Orion (E/van R/oderick) whom she loves and adores. Luckily, the feeling is very much mutual. Now if only her mother would look at her and see how much work she's really putting in, instead of some of the messes she's gotten herself into recently. Minnie has really been trying to turn it all around and it feels like Orion is the only one who sees that.

Viridiana "Diana" Ti (A/manda Z/hou), known mimicker of voices (and the go-to person for impersonation), fraternal twin sister of Sterling (aka the guy with the six arms) - the older of the two at that - and cousin to Magenta as well as Minnie's best friend. Her name might be Latin for 'green' but don't let that fool you; she's been on the ice for years. Diana is many things but definitely not green nor wet behind the ears. After a harrowing knee injury and a longer hiatus from skating than she'd like, she's slowly crawling her way back to the very top, back towards the silver spotlight, where she belongs. Diana has a secret, though, that she hasn't shared with anybody, not even her best friend: she's been in love with Orion for years.

Leslie "Leto" Topolski (J/anuary J/ones) never thought she'd become one of those ice skating mothers yet here she is, taking all these kids beneath her wings. (Though, of course, most of her attention is on her own kids.) Funny how these things go. She fell in love with and married a civilian. Even now, years later, she's very happy with her wife, who is a classics professor and the reason for her nickname, as well as the names that her children have been given.

Juno Topolski (W/illow S/hields) is Leslie's youngest daughter and the one who is happy to have inherited her mom's ability to shapeshift. Unfortunately, much like her mother, Juno can only shapeshift into inanimate objects too. That's okay, though. It's actually kind of zen to spend an hour as a beach ball! Juno doesn't mind the fact that her mom is so pushy, or that she's helping the other kids. She just wishes her mom would help Minnie sometimes, too.

Ceres Bonneau (J/ade M/a) came to Kim Bonneau with nothing but her name and the clothes on her back. Kim - an tactile empath, who specializes in non violent communication and de-escalation - fell in love immediately. Like her adoptive mother, Ceres is a tactile empath as well. Ceres' love for figure skating came as a surprise to both of them; it took Ceres a few years before she realized: 'hey, I'm good at this!' and from then on out, she found her footing, taking training more seriously as a result.

Adonis Brisso (J/eremias A/moore) is the oldest son of James Brisso and his civilian husband. Adonis, or Don, as most people know him by, is a hockey player. He plays for the Maxville Knights. He also has a younger brother named Linus, who is an aspiring hockey player as well (L/eonardo F/ontes).

Irene Summers (G/race B/eedie), sister to Eryx and daughter of Jenny and her civilian husband, did not take well to the move from the UK to the USA. Maxville was too far away from all she'd ever known. Yet Jenny insisted that she wanted to be closer to her remaining family members, and thought it best for her kids that they'd get taught what it means to be a hero or heroine at her alma mater too. Or, rather, alma maters, plural, considering she went on to study at Sky U after finishing high school. Irene didn't fit in all that much, she felt, not until she found the Ice Arena and the community of figure skaters. Now she'll do anything to hold onto that with both hands.

Hylas Teer (T/oby M/urray) is the only son of Rebecca Teer. Nowadays, Rebecca is happily married to her superhero husband, who has taken her last name. Said superhero husband (S/ean T/eale) is not Hylas' dad but for all Hylas cares, the man may as well be, considering he stepped up and all. Everyone at school knows his story: his mom had a one night stand, got pregnant and decided to keep him. It's not like he hates the institution as a whole, really. It's more so the people within. Hylas is counting down the days until he graduates. Until then, he finds refuge at the Ice Arena. He actually used to be Irene's skating partner until they had a falling out. Rebecca is pregnant at the moment with her second child, a girl. Hylas is looking forward to being an older brother, but he's also secretly terrified.

Orphea Swink-Ashcroft (A/nastasia C/hocholatá) understands Khione in a way few others do, as she has had a similar upbringing. Even so, the two don't get along at all. Orphea loves the attention and loves her parents' love story: Oksana Swink married her high school sweetheart Lenny Ashcroft and they've been together ever since. Orphea has happily made appearances on The Fabulous Lives of Superhero Wives, seeing as Oksana is one of the Superhero Wives in question. In fact, she begged her mom to get her on the show and thinks Khione should be more grateful to her parents for all that they have done for her.

Eryx Summers (D/akota T/aylor) is, much like Adonis, a fellow hockey player for the Maxville Knights. His sister, Irene, doesn't seem to get it, actively preferring figure skating. They bicker about it sometimes. Especially because Eryx' cousin and brother-figure Orion chose figure skating over ice hockey. And it's not something he's forgiven him for. He keeps everything that isn't related to hockey close to his chest. And, yes, that includes his feelings about the move from England to America as well as his super powers.

[hypnostanatos]

Mountain ranges on Mars

Obviously non canon compliant conversation between Ric and Kadm about the universe and telepathic powers.

"So, mountain ranges on Mars."

"Is that what you've been researching recently?"

"I wanted to explain to you how telepathy works."

"Kinda intriguing conversation starter and I think I can kinda see where you'll go with it, but consider me listening."

"Do you want to take a wild guess before I begin?"

"I mean... yeah, why not? It'll make it more fun. But don't laugh at me if I'm wildly off the mark. I've seen the photos and from what I can gather these mountains are enormous. I assume this is going to be some kind of brain allegory? Is this like an ice-berg theory?"

"Maybe. Not quite."

"Hm... The scale is daunting but the satellite photos barely convey that. These ranges look like mounds of dirt from the high distance."

"Closer now."

"Oh? Okay, okay, tell me."

"There's a sense of emptiness all around, a veritable desert so you can't expect to see them looming in the distance. And it raises kilometers into the atmosphere. It would blot out the sky if it was transported to the Earth surface. You don't realize how badly you need to see the sky to function normally until something exponentially larger than your reality manifests its existence. That's... how my mind feels. Out there, in the ether, these human mountain ranges, at first glance seem so small and insignificant . Barely any aura, barely any texture, and... and surrounded by nothingness but as you approach you realize it is you who's been pitifully small. Looming and looming larger and you start to consider the distances and how long it would take to scale and map it... And my mind itself is a scale of Earth. I think there's a misconception that telepath can copy and paste someone's entire being onto their consciousness like a hard drive but it's more like seeing glimmering starlight in the sky and thinking of this cold unyielding mass, unsure if their cores would burn to the touch or not until you come up too close. And the Martian mountain ranges are terrifying to me in this way. Barely mounds of dirt from the distance until you start thinking about it. Until my mind starts delving deeper and calculating and feeling out a shape of the mind, realizing it's me who's a speck of dirt and I can be swallowed up so easily and lose sense of depth if I don't clutch onto my pitiful Earth scale.. I.."

"Hey... are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just realized I ranted too much."

"No, no. Just tell me, cause I'm damn curious now: how does my mind feel then?"

"A black hole."

"Hollow Ground?"

"Agathon's weird... predatory deep sea creature inside Mariana's Trench beaming fluorite light at me."

"So your mind... feels like what, exactly? You said Earth as point of reference but I wonder if it feels any more personal than that."

"My mind's where I'm standing."

"Huh."

"I told you; fixed space."

"I didn't think you meant it quite this literally."

"I don't want to think of it like a radio. I don't like being... a conductor. So I ground myself... No, no I see you opening your mouth, so don't make that fucking joke now. Honestly, I can't figure out how he can stand being bondaged like this at all times. Holding onto so many threads... thins you out. As much as he doesn't like to admit it. You need this constantly spreading awareness of being the main component of an unspooling pattern. This is my worst nightmare. You know, they tried to... I mean, back at the Farm they tried to direct me towards being a team leader at first. Due to me having telepathy. Sort of like... being in charge of a group of sentient drones, an armchair strategist of sorts. I... really sucked at it. If the other minds didn't outright reject me like a knee-jerk reaction, I'd end up pushing too hard anyway. I never learned subtlety."

"I could tell at once."

"Oh, shut up. I'm pouring my heart out and you... Okay that's still kinda funny. Hysterical but funny."

"So... what happened after?"

"I was pushed onto solo operative career path. I'm much more successful when I don't empathize with and micromanage others brains. I shove too hard. HG's a direct opposite. Which means he could never survive a direct hit, so he habitually had to strike out first. That's how he initially got me."

"But you pushed through."

"The control... was paper thin as it stood. I think we both surprised one another in this regard. I'm too focused to be on the lookout of these behemoths on the horizon and he's too obsessed with spinning the web that's sticky but surprisingly easy to dismantle."

"I'm glad you two didn't join forces in the end. Makes a shiver creep down my spine. You'd really patch up each other's deficiencies and that's wildly out of my pay range now."

"Look at you, growing wiser with age."

"I'm not going to forgive him, probably ever. But I'm no longer putting a wedge there if it means you'll be caught up in the aftermath."

"It seems like with the power of emotional blackmail, we still joined forces to take down Charge."

"Don't test your luck..."

"Love you too."

"Agh."

[weelittleweasley]

may i sit? (h.p.)

prompt requested by @oh-no-whoopsie: from what you were taught, slytherins and gryffindors weren’t supposed to get along, much to your dismay. a certain gryffindor had caught your eye and you desperately wanted him to know who you were. when you are having a bad day, you receive comfort from an unexpected guest...

pairing: harry potter x fem! slytherin reader

warnings: crying, anxiety, isolation, loneliness

word count: 2.4k

It was never explained to you as a first year student, but you had always followed the unspoken rule that Slytherins and Gryffindors had a merciless rivalry. You feared being ostracized by your house if you were to befriend a Gryffindor that someone had a vendetta against, so instead you focused on maintaining friendships within your house. This way, there was no risk of being outcast and strengthened the relationships with those who were similar in personalities to you.

However, you did feel like your lack of interaction with some Gryffindors made you miss out on exciting experiences. Since you were friendly with the Weasleys, you didn’t get invited to common room parties that they threw, you didn’t get invited to study sessions with Granger in the library, you didn’t hang out in the courtyards with Longbottom. You just stuck to your non-Gryffindor friends and hoped that it would be enough. 

But you did find days where you would longingly find yourself watching as Hermione Granger looped her arm with Harry Potter’s, throwing her head back in laughter at something he had said in passing. He would lightly smile as he watched his best friend laugh before shaking his head and rolling his eyes. His eyes...what would it be like to stare into those beautiful green eyes...

Only problem was when Harry did catch your eyes, your cheeks flushed a bright crimson red as you darted you gaze away from him. It was like it felt wrong to look at him. If someone caught you stealing longing glances at him, that they would tell everyone else in Slytherin house and that would be the breaking point. 

So instead of letting yourself look at him and him to you, you would bury your head into some other business and brush aside the thoughts that crept into your mind of what it would be like for the Chosen One to speak your name on his lips. 

You thought it was silly for you to have a crush on Potter. First of all, majority of your house didn’t like the boy at all. In fact, they found him arrogant and self-absorbed, and immature. Secondly, you had little to no interaction with him through out your five years with him at Hogwarts. Maybe once you bumped into him at the library and muttered a sorry to each other, but nothing more. No real conversations. Even though you craved to know more about him than just general knowledge, you would remind yourself that it wasn’t in Slytherins’ nature to befriend Gryffindors. 

And again the cycle continued of being with your non-Gryffindor friends, watching Gryffindors’ friendships blossom, daydream of what could be, sigh over Harry Potter, distract yourself from Harry Potter, and repeat. 

It became exhausting at times. Constantly having to tell yourself no to something that you really wanted. Something that you knew you would enjoy. You knew that you would get along well with people like the Weasleys and Granger and Potter and Thomas and Longbottom. It didn’t matter that your house was different from theirs. But the fear of not being accepted by your own house consumed you to the part where it would drive you to tears on occasion.

Loneliness was always a fear of yours. You had always liked to surround yourself with people you loved, friends, family, or both. It was their presence that made you feel warm and comforted. But some days, it was hard to not feel alone. There were days where you wished your house wasn’t so competitive or pretentious. You wished that your house could let down its guard and actually enjoy school for what it was rather than view it as a jungle, a competition. Hunter and prey. Keeping up with it all was exhausting and you were exhausted to say the least.

Wallowing in your pity, you found a small bench in the outdoor hallways of Hogwarts, knees pulled up to your chest as you rested your back against the concrete wall, the cool temperature calming your warm body. You sniffled and wiped small tears that fell from your eyes as you cried quietly to yourself.

You loved your Slytherin house friends, you really did. They were fiercely loyal to you and would defend you at the drop of a hat. They were funny and witty and charming and intelligent and you loved being around them. But sometimes, you wished that they would be more open to the idea of being around new people. People who were different in nature, but majority of them protested. Pansy would always argue, “We have everything we need in each other, (Y/N). Why would we go out and make friends with others when we are perfectly fine on our own?” She earned the nods of a few heads as you sighed in defeat.

Maybe to see what being with others with different interests and wants and desires in life would be refreshing. Being around Gryffindors could bring a new sense of excitement into your life. It could be good; a change. A new start. 

But that wasn’t realistic. You knew that if you became friends with a Gryffindor secretly, your friends would give you hell for it. They would implore you on why you needed someone else, a Gryffindor, as a friend. Especially if it were someone like-

“Are you alright?” a voice interrupts your thoughts as you sniffle and look in the direction of the voice.

Standing a little down the hall a couple feet away was the boy with those captivating green eyes. Harry Potter wore a concerned expression on his face as he watched you wipe away the tears that gently fell from your eyes. His green eyes stared into yours, hoping that you would answer him. 

Your heart beats a little quicker at the sight of him and you blinked a few times to make sure this wasn’t some sort of hallucination or prank being pulled on you. Quickly snapping out of it, you spoke, “Yeah, yeah,” wiping your eyes, “I’m fine. Thanks.”

Harry took a few steps closer to you, very cautiously as to not make you skittish. He knew that his presence could make some people wary or uncomfortable, so he tried to approach the situation of an already crying girl very carefully. “You sure?” he implores. “I don’t like seeing people alone. Especially if they’re upset...”

His concern for you was endearing, especially since you had barely spoken to each other before. You wipe your nose on the cuff of your jumper as you shake your head. “It’s alright. I’m used to it at this point, I guess,” you shrug, the words falling from your mouth as Harry gives you a concerned look. You did this often? his eyes seemed to ask as you shook your head. “Not like that,” you let out a light laugh. “I guess I’m just...” you start before realizing who you’re talking to. With a gulp and a look at him, you shake your head, “Never mind, it’s not important anyway.”

Before you can rise from the bench to excuse yourself to go to the Slytherin common room and pull yourself together, Harry stops you. “You don’t have to go,” Harry sticks his hands out, preventing you from rising. “I mean, I’m the one who interrupted you, I should be going,” he insists as you give him a small smile. “But I can assure you, whatever you were upset about isn’t something to brush off if it made you sad enough to cry,” he gives you a sad smile. 

You sigh and shake your head. “You’re right,” you admit with a surrendering smile as Harry returns one. “But you don’t need to leave either. This isn’t my hallway,” you joke as he gives you another smile.

The two of you watch each other for a moment, in silence, taking the other in. Harry notices how he’s seen you around a few times and maybe chatted to you before, but didn’t know you well enough to strike up conversation. But for some reason, Harry felt compelled to sit and talk with you tonight. It was like he was supposed to stumble upon you like this. Harry clears his throat. “May I sit?” he asks quietly.

Your heart flutters and an involuntary smile appears on your cheeks as you nod your head. “Of course,” you scoot over on the bench so Harry can sit next to you comfortably. 

Harry takes the spot next to you with a smile and turns toward you as you lean back on the concrete wall. “I’ve seen you around before, but I don’t think I know your name,” he speaks. “I’m Harry,” he extends his hands to you, offering a shake.

With a small smile, you accept his gesture. “I’m (Y/N). It’s nice to meet you, Harry,” you tell him as he nods. “You don’t have to feel obligated to sit with me because you walked in on me crying though,” you try to excuse him, but Harry profusely shakes his head.

“No, no, no,” he speaks. “I want to make sure you’re not alone. In case you need someone to talk to...” he offers as you give him a sad smile. “We don’t need to talk if you don’t want to though. I can sit here and you can talk and I can listen. Or you don’t need to talk and I can distract you. Or we can just sit here until you feel better,” he gives you a happy smile.

Could the boy be any more perfect? You practically swooned at his words, he was so thoughtful to someone he had literally just formally met seconds ago. And yet he was so kind and gentle with you. The thought alone of him wanting to be there for you was overwhelmingly genuine. For someone with as much status and popularity as Harry, you didn’t expect him to be so down to Earth. 

You quietly thank Harry as he nods, understanding completely. The two fo you sit in silence for a little while as you collect your thoughts, feelings, and emotions before sighing. “I guess,” you start. “I feel a little lonely sometimes,” you admit to the Gryffindor. Harry nods his head, completely understanding. “I have great friends and a wonderful family,” you tell him, “but sometimes, I can’t help but feel like I’m so lonely here.” Harry hangs onto every word that comes out of your mouth, intently listening to what you have to say. “I do like being a Slytherin. Both of my parents were,” you tell him. “But I want to branch out and be friends with other people who aren’t Slytherin.”

Harry gives you a puzzled look. “What’s holding you back?” he asks.

Sighing, you speak, “I know that not all Slytherins are fond of other houses. Especially Gryffindors,” you look at Harry who just chuckles. “I fear that if I do become friends with others, especially Gryffindors, I’ll be ostracized by my friends in Slytherin,” you confide in him.

Harry shakes his head and sighs. He understood in a way about what you were going through. The pressure could be a lot for someone and he hated the look on your face as you expressed your situation to him. Harry wished he could make things better, he really wanted to. “Can I give you a bit of advice?” he speaks as you nod. “Let’s say you do become friends with a Gryffindor,” he says, “and your Slytherin friends do that to you,” he continues as you clench at his words, “and I’m not saying they will,” he retaliates before continuing, “but if they do...(Y/N), those people aren’t your friends.” Harry gives you a soft look as you sigh, knowing that he had a point. “Friends don’t come along with terms and conditions,” he speaks. “They are friends. They are supposed to support you. Not support you when it suits their best interest.”

His words were very true and carried a wise beyond his years weight. But it was illuminating to you in a way you didn’t think of before. His insight was much needed. “You’re right, Harry,” you sigh as he smiles, his advice succeeding in bringing you clarity. “Thank you.”

He beams, “Surely.” You lightly chuckle. “With all that being said,” he starts. “I hope you know that we can surely be friends, (Y/N).” Your eyes widen and mouth lightly falls open. He wanted to be friends? Was this a sympathy move or did he genuinely want to get to know you? “I hope you don’t think I’m saying any of it because of the circumstances,” he clarifies, “I think you’re lovely.”

Your cheeks slowly burn as a smile inches its way onto your lips. He thinks I’m lovely. His kind words mean more to you than he’ll ever know. You give him a shy look before accepting, “I’d like to be friends, too, Harry.”

Harry smiles and for a moment, you think there’s a similar rosy hue on his cheeks. “Brilliant,” he speaks quietly. Carefully, he places a hand on yours, “I’d like to be there for you, (Y/N). Whenever you need it.”

The contact of his skin on yours makes your stomach do a flip as you gulp, eyes glued on his hand placed delicately on yours. Slowly, you look up at Harry who pushes his glasses up on his face as they fall on the bridge of his nose. He was quite adorable, wasn’t he? “The same goes for you, Harry,” you tell him. “I’m here.”

You gently squeezed his hand as you saw him inhale deeply. The two of you looked into each other’s eyes, observed the way they flickered and the way the colors danced. Harry’s eyes felt comforting and familiar; like you trusted him already for some odd reason. But you relished in the feeling of this new found comfort. 

The two of you gently peeled your hands away from each other before Harry clears his throat. “Before I saw you, I was on the way to the kitchens to snag a snack for Ron and I. Would you like to join me?” he asks with a light smile.

Nodding your head with a smile, you speak, “Sounds like fun. Plus, I know where the house elves keep the fresh biscuits.”

Harry chuckles, “I think we’re going to be good friends, (Y/N).”

The two of you laugh and start making your way to the kitchens. But you had to agree with Harry. You had a really good feeling about this friendship.

[jkastudio]

STEAM URBAN ARTIST IN RESIDENCE!!

This day felt super special. It’s the first time I’m actually doing some thing work wise after like 23 months this whole time I’ve been painting and in the studio alone and just been making our than portfolio for grad school so it’s been a long break and I’ve been waiting for a little bit to start this and didn’t start till March so

For this one, it’s a artist in residence for Steam Urban for the school in Montclair. It’s super cool because I didn’t know I was an artist in residence type of setting, and Fallon only told me like halfway with during our meeting that that was his Chewase shin and I was so shocked because I told her them that I’m going to grad school they were saying that this is perfect for me because it’s the resident residence situation. I can put that in my CV.

Oh, I’ve never really truly had a interest in teaching like that because I remember my paint and sip experience was so horrible like my bosses would just leave me in there to teach alone with a birthday party and a bunch of kids and they’re all running around and things like that I didn’t really know how to handle them and it felt so forced to to me and I was a New onting The know what to do so it was not the best experience for me plus the people that I never really tip so I kind of just felt so out of place and it was just not a good experience

I’ve always loved kids especially I’m going up with the two little boys and being the youngest child myself, grab the cousins like that has always been like a core memory to me in something that I always style connected with, and I bring with me everywherm

Because of my art, leaning more towards to childhood and experiences as a kid, I thought would be a good idea to research like how it really is working with children. It’s funny because I only met Fallon during the Eagles Miral unveiling, and they were just talking to Lenny and they happen to know what to chat with us too and it was funny because that day I was in the studio and making my per full use of my clay stuff and that was when I really home can I hold in into my artist statement and the reasoning behind my work and that’s when I started to clean and stuff so that was when I resolved a lot of things

And Fallon was talking about like working with kids and things and that and I was so excited because literally I was just talking to Carolina about my work because I was asking her for help and we were literally just looking for words to describe my work and they appeared and I’m like oh my god this is so perfect because literally my work is about the child experience and things like that and their child and Fallon was like oh my god this meant to be like I really believe in faith and let things being meant for you and people meeting each other and things like that and that was so meaningful to me because that was really when I resolve things. I am just like wow you’re right here in front of me talking about working with children and even the art kit I showed them that my work and they were telling me how it’s so perfect and things like that just like wow like it’s so crazy how things will work out.

Things have just been like falling into place it for a while now actually and a lot of times I don’t. I can’t believe that these things are happening to me but they are super fun and super cool.

So I emailed them my résumé and things like that they’re looking for a radical educators and being unemployed myself. Of course I applied and they contacted me right away and they really liked my work and they wanted me to work on the kids because that’s where my kind of I think I have a designer there that’s where my expertise came up and that’s literally all we talked about when we met and then they will also wanted me to help out with the school stuff.

This is perfect for me because for a grad school that was my proposal that I want to work with children and I really want to test that out if that really is something for me and my toes in and I’m just so grateful that I should have this opportunity to work the children like I think I’m really gonna benefit from like working one and one of them and I think it’s just like such a such a great opportunity. I’m so lucky to be here right now.

So on Friday I went there and it’s crazy because it’s in Montclair literally where we would go for our Hillsong church and even park to where we would usually park and literally a block from that train station/something something area that was really cool. Its 3-3-23 that day. An angel number. And gues where our classroom is? 222. Guess what grade we are teaching? 4 fourth graders. 444. And when we are leaving the school Lauren said our loud oh its 12:22- a number ive been seeing everywhere.

I really felt a holy presence during that time in the morning. I was actually getting anything emotional like looking at the children and watching them teach. I’m just like wow I’m here like Jesus really put me here. I really feel like I really am closer to my dreams like I’m living in it right now you know not a lot of people get this opportunity and I’m right here in it and I got it so easily like it fell right into my lap that happens a lot and a lot of times I don’t Even believe it you know and I’m literally working with the head of the work arts. Can you believe that?

And the children are wonderful that are all so smart so kind so nice they’re so pleasant. They’re so interested in what we were saying they volunteer they participate and it’s really just like everything you dream, though it was not difficult at all like no one was messing around no one was being mischievous and everyone’s interested and into what we’re doing and I think that was just so special. That school was amazing that it’s well funded And they have a bunch of art everywhere Layqa there’s a lot of the LGBTQ stuff and a lot of them are non-binary a lot of them are they them a lot of them are queer it’s just so special I’m just like wow and the teachers and everyone else or just we will talk about how those children are so smart they know what’s up and I’m just like wow at home it’s like the opposite and they’re teaching them like the opposite and it’s such a Lack of contrast in things like here and like in the school try to teach them like radical education and I know I just like being free self love, affirmations, breathing exercises and things like that I’m just like wow so special it’s amazing. I can’t believe I’m part of this and I’m just here you know I’m just an organism just doing my research and Here I am like I making a difference like that’s insane

Like it really made me emotional looking at those judgments and you’re so young they’re my little cousins age they’re just like Enzo and Euan and I was imagining them in school and not doing these things and I’m right there of teaching them and making a difference through art and these are the moments where is just so Unreal because a lot of these things are out of my control and a lot of times I don’t understand why these things are happening to me. I don’t understand why I get the things that I can’t because a lot of times at home believe that I deserve them where is just feel undeserving because I always believe that you know we have to like work so hard to get some more in the way, but like sometimes for me to easy early. I’m doing my best and I’m just so proud of myself for really know. I’m going out of my way in being here.

This is the type of work that I love this type of work I believe in this is the type of work that I want to do I want to do something meaningful and something that will touch peoples lies so much kindness hole, and compassion like I can’t believe that you can just do that with art and it’s just such a beautiful thing. It’s so magical and it’s so humid and it makes me believe in the world again I think it means so much. It’s so special just being in that room with salad, Lauren, and the teacher and the children it’s just so special.

And I have this little guy named prince, and he is just so amazing. He was teaching us things like he was telling us that the things that we’re doing is beautiful like when he left, he was the last person to leave because he was a fishie finish his work, and when he left, he was reminding us that we are enough to have a good day. Ethics exit in movies, so the children come back from playtime every single idol is, this just so refreshing to see a little human snake that it’s OK to

Andrew little information or so cute because they would write let their phone either smart third kind of special there superheroes like that’s the rules in the world. This is so cute.

I’m not sure if I fully want to be a teacher teacher but I definitely enjoy being a teachers assistant where I’m just like there. I’m not real like the one in charge and actually teaching them stuff I mean I could probably do it but I can I like, just being in the background and just like witnessing what’s happening but I was super fun experience. I’m gonna be with them a Holick quarter of a semester. I’m really excited gonna be here till the summer.

[cobalts-corner]

Ascendance Month Day 1

Prompt: young

This prompt has a lot of possibilities for me to create chaos with it. 

Child Jaron causing havoc, that seems like a fun thing to write. 

There will probably be some spoof in this since I cant help myself and I can never take my fics seriously and my fics are clearly very funny. 

so here is a fic that takes place before tfp and jaron is around like 7 in this 

um ok Darius's pov because we’re on a budget 

Darius sometimes questioned how Jaron was such an idiot. Yet again, he was an idiot himself for even getting involved with Jaron’s schemes.

Especially this one. 

Darius and Jaron where in a mudbank outside the castle, The nighttime made it impossible to see anything. 

“The plan is fairly simple,” Jaron started, acting like he was some kind of military general, “First, we need to get on the castle towers, then jump ont-”

Darius was taken aback by this plan, and he meant it. “Yeah, we’re not doing this, lets get back inside.”

“You agreed to it!”

“That was when we were inside, Jaron, not outside in the cold.” Darius tried to give him a really mean look, like the ones their father would give them when he got so mad, his face turned red and literal steam started smoking out of his ears and nostrils, and probably his butt too . Eckbert farted a lot, especially when he was mad. 

Darius’s face scrunched up in a painful way, so he gave up on the mean look and tried to ignore the bugs crawling on his shoulders. And the dirt that was wedged in his toenails.

“There’s no going back now Darius,” Jaron said, giving Darius a death stare. How could such a young kid be so rabid? “What are you going to say to father if only you go back inside and you’re covered with mud?”

“I’m going to blame it on you.”

Jaron didn’t seem pleased with that outcome.

Darius added, “Jaron, you do realize that whatever happens I’m going to blame it on you, right?”

“Yeah because you always do.”

Darius let out a really obnoxious chuckle. “Because It’s always your fault” 

Jaron pondered about this for a second, then said, “Fair enough” 

Another long silence. 

“Jaron, why do you look like a demented seagull all of a sudden?” Darius asked. 

And then Darius turned around, and saw his father, red as a tomato, steam surrounding him, and a really disgusting smell.

They had been caught 

the end

[dreaming-of-brawlstars]

Finally finished Princess Shelly’s Grand Escape. I’m actually thinking of continuing this?

Desc: Once Upon A Brawl, a Princess wakes up in a tower. She’s not happy about it, not knowing how she got there, but despite the fact that she was kidnapped in the first place, she can handle this on her own.

Shelly woke up in… a bed. A bed she didn’t recognize. It was too soft, too warm, and everything seemed a little fuzzy. She rose a hand to rub the sleep out of her eyes, yawning, and felt something off. When she paused to see if something was on her hands, she notices that she was wearing gloves.

“What the…?” She blinked, clearing her vision to examine it closer. A white glove with makeup and glitter smudged onto it from her wiping her face. “Huh?”

She didn’t wear makeup. Or gloves. Part of her brain tried to tell that this was normal, to go back to sleep, but she shoved it aside. She looked down at herself, noticing that she was wearing a frilly blue dress. It felt more like a costume than clothing.

“I am definitely not dreaming anymore.” She mumbled as she sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed to stand up. She heard clinking as her feet hit the ground. “Okay what is this-“

She pulled the shirt of her dress up to look at her feet, seeing that she was wearing glass slippers. Her mind raced, trying to figure out how in the world she ended up in this unfamiliar bedroom in a frilly blue dress.

“This is getting ridiculous-“ She attempted to stand up, only to wobble a bit. She took a breath and steadied herself before standing up straight in the heels. “How can anyone stand these?”

She attempted to walk across the room, cursing whenever she stumbled in the slippers. Finally she gave up, pulling them off and storming to the window to see where she was. The sky above her was dark, the sun long gone, and there were stars scattered throughout it.

“Wherever I am I clearly am going crazy.” She shook her head. “No, no. Not crazy, this is crazy but I’m not. Where’s my-“

She looked around, noticing a strange looking green object on the floor by her bed. She picked it up by the handle, trying to make out any details. It was designed to look like a frog. By why a-

The ‘frog’ started snapping at her, and on reflex she punched it, still holding onto the handle. She hollered out curses as she held it away from her face, not interested in getting bitten, and warily watched it snap at her again.

“The heck are you!?” She had half a mind to throw the thing, but something in its mouth caught her eye. Squinting, she could see the gleam of a shotgun barrel in its jaws. “…huh.”

‘There it is.’ She thought, and as she aimed the gun’s barrel - and face - away from her, holding it at the same level as her chest. ‘That’s my gun.’

This felt way, way too weird to be real. She didn’t need to be a doctor to know she couldn’t possibly be asleep and in some kind of strange dream, and the fact that she was holding a gun that was apparently a frog made everything feel even weirder.

“Whoa, okay, firstly. Don’t shoot me. Okay? Second: What the heck? Who the heck are you? And why do you have my gun - why are you my gun? Third: If you want to bite, do so now because I really don’t want to hurt you or anything. Like ever again. Just-“ The frog-gun-thing bit her arm. “OW!! What was that for!?”

It hissed, and she rolled her eyes.

“Ay, ay, ay! Are you done? Stop biting me!” The frog let out another hiss, and she swore it laughed at her. She groaned in annoyance. “If you behave, I won’t throw you out the window. Deal?” The frog clicked, letting out an affirmative noise, which Shelly assumed meant yes, so she sighed and relaxed for a moment.

“This is insane. My frog is a gun, I’m in some weird tower, and-“ She started pacing, waving her hands around as she noticed a lock of her hair fall her face. “And my hair is pink!?” She stopped, staring at the lock before throwing the pink hair off her face. “This has got to be a trick! This isn’t real!”

She kept screaming and ranting about how much she was hallucinating while she stared at herself. At last she stopped and slumped against the wall, her breathing heavy. She was still panicking and she didn't seem capable of calming down. She glanced over at the door, and she couldn’t if it was even locked. With a deep sigh she walked over to it, slowly sliding her hand over the doorknob, and attempted to yank it open.

Nothing. Locked. She cursed to herself.

Sighing once more Shelly slid back to the wall and sank into it, leaning forward so that her forehead rested on the cool surface. She closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths.

"Calm down." She told herself. "You're fine. There's no reason to freak out right now, okay?"

She looked at the frog-gun she held, trying to smile at it reassuringly. Then an idea dawned upon her, and her smile widened. She stood up, holding the frog-gun ready as she faced the door, aiming it.

"One shot..." She muttered. "One shot..."

She heard something ont the other side, and she froze. She saw light from something very bright, and she squinted, shielding her eyes.

She had no idea if this guy was a friend or foe, but for her own sake, she was going to guess the latter. But she was also eager to get out. So maybe… Okay, she wasn’t going to kill the guy, but she would have the frog ready.

She looked around the room for anything else. She noticed the slippers, and as much as she didn’t want to wear them, the felt important. She she grabbed them, deciding to carry them instead. She held the frog-gun at her side and turned to the door again, ready to knock it down.

She took a deep breath, bracing herself, and kicked the door down with surprisingly no effort. As soon as she did, she raised her gun quickly, pointing it at whoever was behind the door.

She must’ve knocked him down when she knocked down the door. He was sitting on the ground, rubbing his head as a mask covered his face. A cutout mask with a cartoony face she vaguely recognized, but she didn’t care. She aimed the frog at him, just in time for him to move the mask to stare down the barrel as it opened its jaws

He didn’t try to make any sudden movements, but he was clearly nervous.

“What?” She asked. “Not gonna make a move? Too scared?”

She waited, expecting him to say something, to attack. To fight or run. Anything. But he stayed quiet. She took a step towards him, raising the gun as she walked closer.

“Are you my rescuer?” She asked, her voice lowering. “Or are you my kidnapper?” She stopped near him, watching closely as he looked at her, fear and confusion apparent on his face. It made sense; they never met before, of course he wouldn’t know her and she didn’t recognize him.

But he did.

“Sh-Shelly, it’s me, Colt?” He spoke up, reaching his hand out toward her. “Please put the gun down, please-.”

She paused in disbelief, staring wide eyed at him, and lowering the gun slowly in response. She blinked a few times but refused to lower the weapon, instead holding it tighter.

“The wizard sent me - Byron - it’s a long story…” Colt tried to explain, still looking at the shotgun in his face. “Please lower the frog…”

“The Wizard sent you? Why the hell are you here and what do you mean, long story?” She snapped. “Why should I trust you?”

“Because it’s the truth.” Colt replied, “And I’ll explain everything, we just need to-“

“Kiss me.” Her voice went low, almost threatening.

“Wha-, uh,” he stuttered, paling as he swallowed a lump in his throat. She narrowed her eyes. “What?”

“Since I’m stuck in some fantasy freakshow, I’m assuming you’re probably my ‘prince charming’ and our ‘true love’s kiss’ is probably going to break wherever curse I’m under, and I have every reason to believe I’m cursed!” With her waking up in a weird room, seeing a gun as a frog, and her magically being a Princess, she was getting somewhat desperate. “So, kiss me already, you dolt!”

“Haha,” he choked out, still pale. “N… not funny, Shelly. Look. It’s not funny, alright?!” She glared at him, raising the gun.

“I’m serious! Break this stupid curse or so help me-“

“Okay!” He threw his arms up, and he seemed to have enough courage then to yell in exasperation, as if he was just as stressed. “I got your message! I didn’t expect you to remember me, I didn’t expect you to even recognize me! But if you do remember, if you actually remember that we were friends, well, you should probably listen to whatever I have to say. You might want to take your finger off the trigger, too…” She hesitated, her grip on her gun loosening a little. “That’s the thing, Shelly. We’re friends? Yes. Sure, we were good friends, once,” he said softly, “You probably don’t remember that…”

She frowned. “You’d be correct.” He nodded, his brows furrowed together as he sighed.

“Okay, yeah, maybe not. Not exactly, anyways. But… I am here to rescue you from wherever it is you are. So…” Colt glanced at the door and the remains of it on the ground. “You - you probably have that handled. Right?” She scoffed.

“Of course I can handle myself. I’m a princess.” She reminded him, raising her eyebrows sarcastically. “Now, why don’t you tell me why this is happening?” She demanded.

“Oh, right, sorry. Yeah, uh, Byron - who’s a wizard now - sent me to save you.”

Something clicked, and Shelly turned to the frog in her hands. Things seemed to shift into place.

“Oh, he’s the one that gave me you.” She pat it’s head, a little roughly. But it seemed to like that. “I remember you~!” She continued, a bit quieter than before. “So… he must’ve been worried about you. And he sent you, but then he decided not to come himself. He’s really irresponsible.”

“Uh… Yeah, kinda. Listen…” Colt scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “He is sending help, but we need to get out of here first. They should be coming soon.”

“Well let’s go!” Shelly grabbed Colt’s wrist and started running, dragging him along. “So, who are they?”

“There’s Barley, he’s a unicorn knight now. Then Prince Emerald Sprout.” Shelly looked back incredulously, “You’ll recognize them when you see them. They live up to their descriptions.”

“What the heck are you?” Shelly questioned, raising the gun up once against a door. She noticed Colt rummaging through his bag, pulling out two golden pistols.

“I’m - uh - not quite sure. I think I’m just an ordinary man - er, hero – trying to find you. Get you out,” he answered sheepishly.

She scoffed. She knew it was bullshit.

“No. There’s more to it than that. I’m not an idiot, Colt, if that is your real name.” She rolled her eyes, shooting down the door and barreling through to the outside.

“Y’know, usually you’re not the one asking what’s going on.” Colt responded, firing at a small figure approaching them. He seemed to know how to use guns. Good for him.

“Yeah, but you’re supposed to be saving me, obviously.” She shot back, running and looking back briefly to make sure he was following. She slowed down slightly, hearing sirens and looking around.

Those sounded out of place, but she wasn’t sure. Her attention was snapped back to seeing robots around, one raising a gun. She stepped back slightly, backing into Colt.

“What’s going on here?” When she asked that, Shelly swore she heard him snort. “I’m being serious!”

“No time to explain!” Colt seemed to be holding back a laugh. That sounded like a punchline, like it was ironic. “If you stop to explain, you’re a goner! I’ve seen proof!” Colt insisted, aiming his gun at one of the robots while continuing to walk beside her.

“Proof of what?” She yelled back, shooting down another robot that tried to shoot him.

“Poco! Wherever he is, anyway…” Colt spoke quickly, picking off a sniper robot that was aiming for Shelly, then perking up at the sound of shattering glass. “There’s Barley!”

Shelly turned, then looked up to see a knight - a robot - clad in bright colors and sparkles leaping down to help. She closed her eyes as something it threw hit the robot in front of her, shattering and exploding into dust and rainbows. As she squinted open her eyes, she noticed an opening.

She lowered her head and charged through, holding her gun close. As soon as she was out of the dust, she scanned the area, seeing that a fire had started in the village she was in. She didn’t focus on that for long, seeing robots ahead. She leaped, aiming to land on it, and crushed it’s head with her foot before jumping off it’s inverted head to escape the group.

More shattering glass - that sounded like bottles. Looking back, she noticed to vaguely familiar silhouettes dashing through the dust, chasing her. Her eyes widened as two dragons emerged - one pink, one green - recognizing them. Shelly readied her shotgun, shooting at them to knock them back before running.

She dodged robots attempting to grab her, but her focus was on avoiding the dragons. Fortunately, someone had her back. She saw as a sword was flung into the chest of one robot, and then another thrown and slicing into the back of another. Glancing at the direction the swords came from, she noticed a little robot dressed in green wearing a cape with a sword sticking through it’s head.

“Thanks!” She hollered briefly before dodging a punch from one of the dragons, and it gave her small nod before reaching for the sword in it’s head to fling at another robot in her way.

Shelly took one final scan of the situation, thinking quickly. Since everyone else seemed to be focused on the robots, that seemed to leave just her with the dragons that were insistent on chasing her. It was a good thing the robots seemed to be focused on her allies instead of her as well, leaving her with just the dragons.

Either way, she was going to have to deal with them alone. But that wasn’t a bad thing, not at all. As she wove around robots being shredded into shrapnel by bullets, being cut in half by thrown swords, and disappearing into dust and glitter, she turned around with her gun aimed to her pursuers.

They were right in her face, she didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger, feeling the force before hearing the gun going off in her hands.

“BANG!” She shouted, hearing the blast echoing throughout the entire battlefield. She pulled the trigger again, hearing it’s shots ring in her ears. “Bang, bang, bang!!” She yelled, watching the bullets flying everywhere.

The shells hit their targets; each one hitting the same one in turn. Each time, she felt a sting of satisfaction as the shells went through a target and the force knocking them backward and away. Thrown back, they flew for a few feet before hitting the ground, hard.

She watched as the two dragons turned to smoke and disappeared. With the last one gone, the robots turned to nothing, turning to dust and scrap.

Finally, she stopped firing for a moment, watching the area. She could hear people talking somewhere nearby. She sighed.

“Great job, Shelly…” She muttered quietly under her breath.

“Hey, hey, are you alright?!” Colt called from behind her. She frowned, glancing around.

“Yeah, did you see what I just did?” She pointed to where the two dragons were with her gun, then gestured over to the robots she destroyed. “That was so awesome!” She cheered, throwing her arms in the air victoriously.

She heard slow clapping, and blinked, noticing it was from behind her. She noticed Colt nervously wave at someone she didn’t see, she couldn’t see clearly, because of the dust. She rubbed her eyes before turning around to face them.

As she turned to look, a tall figure appeared.

“Wow. That was amazing. You did incredible.” The figure said as they walked closer to her. “But I think that’s enough excitement for today, don’t you?” They continued, still smiling.

“Who… Are you? What are you?” Shelly narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “And why did you say those things? Are you making fun of me?”

“No, no! Not at all!” The person laughed as he reached her. “Why would I ever do such thing?” He held out his hand towards her. “I mean… I knew you were capable of destruction and handling yourself, even if you did get caught-“

“I broke out on my own.” Shelly retorted, crossing her arms. “I kicked down the door, nearly shot the guy that was sent to save me.” She threw a thumb back at Colt. “I got rid of most of those. I didn’t need rescuing, I was doing fine on my own.” She explained, glaring at him.

He chuckled, shaking his head. “How many of the robots did you destroy?” Shelly opened her mouth, but he rose his hand. “Aht, look around first.”

Shelly raised a brow before doing so, noticing that while several of the robots had clear indications of being destroyed by a shotgun like hers, several also were melted, had been stabbed or sliced by swords, or had holes through their chest from more precise bullets.

“While handling the dragons on your own was very impressive and no small feat,” He started, first looking at Shelly, “I’m sure not having robots distract you helped a lot. After all, it’s dangerous to go alone-“

“Well I wouldn’t have been alone, I have this thing.” She held up her shotgun, which snapped at the stranger. “It’s a weapon,” She shrugged.

“Yes, I figured.” He nodded, putting up his hands in defence when she swung it towards him. “Okay, okay… You don’t seem to need it now. Lower the frog, please.” When she hesitated, he sighed, lowering his hands. “Lower the frog, please. Or do you want me to take it back?”

“Um…” She stared at the thing. “What’s this about the frog? Do you know how I got it?” She asked cautiously.

“Well of course! I gave it to you! And I am quite sure I would remember giving it to you.” He smiled.

“You… You gave me the… Frog?” She repeated, her voice sounding almost confused, even to her. She looked at it, lowering it, then it dawned on her. “OH. You’re the wizard!”

“Did you just now recognize that I was a wizard?”

“YEAH!” She nodded, laughing a bit. “I mean, I noticed you dressed weird and essentic but I didn’t - it fits you?”

The wizard groaned, his face turning red as he dragged a hand down his face.

“Oh geez, how embarrassing,” He muttered. “Anyway, I should probably start heading towards the town, make sure everything is okay there. So, bye!” He waved his hand, starting to walk away.

Before he got far, Shelly reached out a hand, grabbing his sleeve.

“Wait, I have a feeling you were trying to give me some ‘moral of the story’ or something like that. Y’know, fairytales.” She shrugged, frowning. “And I didn’t get your name. And I want revenge.”

The wizard paused in surprise. “Hmm..” His eyes narrowed slightly, a grin forming on his lips. “Maybe I was…?” He hummed lightly to himself, rubbing his chin. “You know what, I’ll be blunt. I am Byron, the Wizard.” He shrugged. “Moral of the story: I don’t doubt you, nobody should, but it’s dangerous to go alone.”

“But I’m not-“

“Princess, I’m not finished.” He gently cut her off, then called for the attention of the group, gesturing for them to come over. “Everyone, everyone, this story isn’t over just yet. I can show you all the way for your quest.”

“We’ll need higher ground to see our next destination.” Byron rose his staff, pointing at an odd metal frame tower that was bent out of shape by the fight. “Little Prince, come over.”

Shelly watched as the little robot with the sword wheeled over to him, grabbing Byron’s robe. Byron gave Sprout a brief pat on it’s done. With that, Byron slammed his staff on the ground and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Shelly blinked away the dust, noticing her footing was different. She looked down, seeing that she was on the bent metal tower, overlooking the town and horizon. She noticed Barley, who stood securely on it, and Colt, who hung onto a stay metal bar for deal life.

“Ahead,” Byron spoke, and when Shelly saw him he was levitating in the air with Sprout hanging from his robe. He pointed to the castle in the distance. “Is the residence of Evil Dragon Queen Pam, she is the one who captured you.”

“LET’S KICK HER-“ Shelly attempted to jump down, only for Byron to put his staff in front of her to prevent her. “What!?”

“It’s dangerous to go alone.” He repeated firmly. She looked down at the ground, scowling. “You may be able to handle Queen Pam by yourself, but will you be able to handle her forces, her armies, and whatever army of robots they could possibly have?” Shelly pursed her lips and sighed.

“Fine.” She huffed.

“Thank you, Princess.” Byron grinned before disappearing into a puff of smoke. Everyone else followed suit, everyone being back on the ground. “You’ll need people, allies, friends… All I ask of you is help us with the mission.” He added.

“Right.” She mumbled, sighing again. “But I get Pam all to myself, got it?”

“I have no doubts.” Byron chuckled, “Barley, do you have the map?”

“Yep! Here it is!” He said cheerfully, holding it up triumphantly.

“Good job, knight.” He said, patting the robot on the shoulder. “With that map, a good sense of direction, and each other, I have no doubts that you all have everything you need for your quest.”

The group began to talk among themselves excitedly, talking about their tasks and the possible future that awaited the group.

Shelly stared at the map for awhile before she shook herself, smiling. Then she noticed Byron walking off, waiting an arm for an owl to land on as he left.

“Hey, Byron!” She yelled out before she followed after him, waving her free hand over her head. “Aren’t you going to be one of us? You seem so insistent on not going alone.”

He turned his head, raising his hand to wave back. “Well, you can consider me a member of your group, that’s for sure. I’ll help any way I can-”

“Are you coming with us?” Shelly interrupted him.

Barley stopped, turning his head. Byron stared at her for a moment before sighing, closing his eyes. “No. I will not be part of this group.”

“Why?”

“Look, princess, I have my own things to tend to.” Byron crossed his arms. “And I have already given you allies, possible friends, with Barley - a wonderful magical knight, Sprout - a blooming prince, and…” Byron raised an eyebrow at Colt, “…a new companion, yes, the new guy. So, my answer is still no.”

She frowned at his words.

“So, we’ve wasted enough time as it is,” Byron walked away.

Shelly watched him go for a few seconds, before looking down at her map. The map showed where the castle of Evil Queen Pam was located in relation to where they were. That meant…

Shelly took a deep breath, shaking her head as she walked over to her group.

“Alright,” She sighed. “Let’s go. We need to get to the castle. It’s not far at all.”

[popculturebuffet]

Green Eggs and Ham: “Train” Review or A Little Better Now (Patreon Review for Emma Fici)

Hello you happy people and all aboard! We’re back on the Green Eggs and Ham Train for a Train themed episode. Train. As you can tell I like trains... admitely I don’t see enough episodes et on them and I don’t buy books or obess on them but I like the idea of a train, the comfort, the use of a mode of travel that was once common but is now simply used on occasion with the dawn of air travel, and it confining our heroes to a smaller space with limited room to move. it’s good stuff. I even tolerae the band train... I mean yes their music is okay at best, but the lyrics.. are wonderfully delightfully insane. Who else would use a garbage bag as a genuine romantic metaphor?

When last we left off things ere a bit ehhhhhhhhhhh: Sam went from delightfully quirky with some issues ot adress to annoying, and Michelle went from kin dof a bitch ot ENTIRELY THAT BITCH. Outside of Guy’s mental breakdown/heatstroke episode involving hallucinations of green eggs and ham, yes that did in fact happen, it wasn’t much to write home about and I worried the series simply had a good PILOT but the series itself wasn’t going to be fun sit through. 

If I was right or I was rilla.. will have to wait till after the cut. But first as always i’d like to thank the person who payed for this episode Emma Fici. Emma is one of my closest friends and one of two patreon patreons. If you’d like a reivew of your choice eveyr month guarnateed, then please hop over to patreon.com/popculturebuffet and back me at the 5 dollar level. You also get access to my exclusive discord where I ocasoinally post about work in progress stuff and tlak to my falns, to pick a short any time I do one and EXCLUSIVE review, as well as helping me hit my stretch goals. So line up, sign up then join me under the cut. 

So we pick up where we left off with Guy hurtling into a lake. Eh I dunno i’ve heard being naked ina  lake is pretty neat. 

All you’d have to do is take off the hat and your there. But Sam saves him wiht the weird train of hats he put at the end of the car for some reason, and our heroes are saved.. but down a vehicle. Oh and Sam’s vehiclular neglgence costs a bunch of fish their home.

And our heroes are without a car and Guys at the end of his rope with Sam.. I mean granted he’s been there since he met the guy but it’s down to like the tiniest thred, not helped by Sam casually stealing his wallet to pay for train tickets depsite Guy , UNDERSTANDABLY, not wanting to hang out with the guy who has stolen with him, gotten him implicate din animal trafficing and dosen’t really respect personal space. Also it’s taken me embarassingly long to remember Micheal Douglas played my boy Hank Pym in the Ant Man and the Wasp films. Seroiusly I don’t know HOW I forgot that, him being aged up and thus unable to do ANY of the things he is constnatly denied credit for in canon (Founding the avengers, being the first ant man.. and the first goliath and the first yellow jacket and the first giant man.. and the only doctor pym...).. but instead the film kept his troubled nature and ego, but removed the domestic abuse (which is something I will not go into but needless to say the comics version went above and beyond to try and make up for that and redeem himself soley because it was the right hting to do) and by making im older still gav ehim a roll as Scott’s mentor. What i’m getting at is I freaking love Hank Pym and I could’ve been making hank pym jokes for several episdoes now. That’s a mistake I itned to recitfy.. right away as Guy looses his suitcase as a result of it and whie he lcaims not to be bothered his voice says otherwise. Eh i’m sure the world can wait for ultron Guy. 

So anyway, Guy reluctantly agrees to the train travel idea and being parked across from Sam on the grounds he has no real other options. Meanwhile the BAD GUYZ.. and i’ve also decided to drop spoilers as the series is two years old, most people reading this have probably seen the series, and it makes analysis rough when I have to dance around spoilers. So yeah the BAD GUYZ aren’t villians.. kind of a dickhead on the blue guys part, but not EVIL. They figure out their going by train it’s a whole thing.

ON the train we run into michelle again...

Yeahhh for the first half she’s as inusfferable as she was the last two episodes and it lead me to believie the rest of the series was going to be constant suffering as she’d be in every episode, likely because they DID get Diane Keaton for this and you don’t waste Diane Keaton. You just don’t. But while they got their money’s worth in having her on screne wise they just..w asted her for the first 2 and a half episodes: Michelle is a judgemental, unpleasnt suffocating bitch and it’s going to take a lot , even if this episode helped, to make me truly like her as a person. 

Case in point her first two scenes this episode are just.. dragging her daughter past a play place uncarring about her feelings because while I DO get she cares about her child’s saftey and is terrified afte rloosing her husband.. it dosen’t EXCUSE her actions. It dosen’t forgive her locking her daughter up constanlty, not talking to her like a human being and oh yeah PUTTING A FUCKING LOCK ON HER SHE CAN CONTROL.  I mean my god I don’t think they INTENDED for her to come off as abusive as she does, and i’ve seen far worse inteitonally and untietionally, but it’s still not remotely plesant. There is a larger issue baked into that the episode brings about, but we’ll get to that. 

And naturally at breakfast.. she procedes to top herself. ONCE AGAIN she treats guy like trash as guy UNDERSTANDABLY didn’t want to talk to her after her previous layers of bullshit which, just as a refresher, involved insulting his invention constnatly (even if it turned out ot be dangerous she did not know that till the last second) then refusing to help a man BAKING in the desert and mocking him to his face. 

So yeah unsuprisingly instead of you know, APOLOGIZING for that episode or anything else she mocks him again and calls him sad. I just.. I get they were trying to have her come off as a jerk and then slowly develop.. but you can’t overdue the jerk part. It has to be juts the right amount and if it is this much there has to be a commpuance. There is none as far as I can tell because god is a spiteful two faced prick. 

So naturally Sam forces the two parties together, and orders green eggs and ham for everyone, except guy who refuses. We do get a really great bit though as EB turns down the idea and we get a tremendous rant from Micheal Douglas as he talks about how a girl in his clash, veyr likely just him, got a rash from tring new things and you shouldn’t and to watch out for the scarlet beetle he’ll steel your ants and try to conquer your planet and is not a guy in a costume but in fact an actual beetle. EB naturally tries it. 

We get a brief interlude with Snerz that’s funny enough: he outright calls his visotrs flunkies, they enter to the song money, and his minon throws dollar bills at their feet. I imagine this is what visitng Mar a Largo is like. They turn up his noses until he mentions getting a chickarffe for his animal crutelty wall. And i’m torn about Snerz. On one hand he can be generally entertaining in his dickery.. but ont he other I do question why he’s in EVERY episode. We don’t NEED him in eveyr one and I feel he’s only in them because Eddie Izzard was expensive so they had to get him as a regular to justify the cost. We really DONT’ need this scene funny as it is and it adds nothing so far. Maybe i’m wrong and these guys end up being important. I don’t know. 

So yeah so far this episode was miserable getting through and I expected it to be another long sit... I was wrong. The second half.. is really damn good and reminded me why I liked this series so much. No really. We get two stories,both really good following one half of each pair teaming up. As for why their split Guy is annoyed with Sam, as well as dosen’t want him letting the chickaraffe out because you know lots of people dosen’t want ot go to jail and leaves to find a quiet place to work on watching paint dry while Michelle tucks a sleeping EB in, her first really truly humanizing moment, which should NOT have taken three episodes but hey, i’ll take it, and goes to find the same.

So starting with Sam and EB, naturally Sam takes all of a minute to let his buddy out and it gets loose on top of the train. EB hears the familiar sound and gives chase and the two meet properly. After Sam covers for his buddy and realizes the creature is asleep in his car safe now, he properly talks to EB and we get a truly magical sequnece: The two talk with Sam whoelheartdly supporting her free spirit and finally giving the girl what she badly needed: someone who treated her not as something to be tied down but you know.. a child who just wants some expression and as she literally lets her hair down, It’s truly adorable and it just has a magical quanitity as they enjoy the beautiful view from the train top. 

Granted this takes at urn later when EB brings up her mom, and Sam.. supports her mom, pointing out she’s just looking out for her.. which she is but in a deeply unehalthy way and I don’t like the show just.. brushing over Michelle’s terrible actions because “she’s her mom”. But it’s also hard to tell if they are: Sam’s mom left him as we’ll find out, so he likely colors his memories of her rosey and simply envys EB still HAVING hers. It’s not BAD stuff but I don’t like a work saying “You should love your family just beacause your related”. Instead of because they lovea nd support you and if they dont’ love you or treat you remotely well or don’t give an ass about you fuck them. Thankfully I DO love my family and have no issues with them, my immediate family at least, but i’ve had friens with downright abusive or neglectful parents. It’s not that black and white. Ducktales also hammered in the family theme but was transparent in how it can me messy, harm each other and that it took true love and consideratoin for it to work at it’s core. 

It’s still not a terrible scene and what comes next is neat as earlier it was shown the train has loops, because Seussworld, and now that’s a problem because their on top of it. Michelle’s jail braclet thing ends up coming in handy the first loop, as while she can’t unstick it means she and sam can suririvie it. They do get it loose, turns out the password was indeed password, because of course, and they end up narrowly suriving a roller coaster bit of track, with the help of MR. Jenkins who I can finally name because EB names her in the next scene. Understanding her need for a pet, Sam deputizes her, and gets her back in bed in time for the next plot. 

Speaking of which winding back a bit as these two go back and forth, Guy goes through two rather hilarious cars: First a bath car that has a bubsby berkely style water number and then a model train car.. with the train on the track showing guy watching guy watchin gthe train etc. 

It’s great. Guy ends up finding the quiet car.. and Michelle. And in her first scene of acting like a human being and not if julie powers was a soccer mom, Michelle, while standosfish as usual, not only unites with guy to shush a loud guy in the car, but is genuinely apricative when Guy helps her get her place back, she was doing some literal bean counting. 

The two genuinely hit it off, first with some adorable silent bits and then by talking, with Michelle appreciating his now safer job and warming up to him. Keaton and Douglas have GENUINE chemestry and it annoys me itt took the series this long to use that instead of wasting Diane Keaton on being 

It’s really great stuff and i’m actually rooting for the two.. once she gets her shit together obviously. Guy does make the mistake of lying abotu knowing about the chikcaraffe.

This ends up being bad as he finds out EB knows the next day and after she leaves the car RIGHTFULLY tears the fuck into same for getting him accused of crime, stealing from him and now puttin ghim in a precarious situation. While Guy DID lie, he idd so well meaningly and trying to impress someone whose ineherntly judgmeental. Douglas also does REALY well in the scene, calling sam out but it dosen’t feel cruel.. it’s justified. While guy is miserable and does need to work on himself.. Sam also needs to work on himself and is putting guy in serious danger just by forcing him into his animal smuggling scheme. 

So Guy leaves.. and naturally given the unvierse hate shim runs into the BAD GUYZ, who aren’t much better. No really they refuse to belieive guy might be innocent, use excessive force on everyone. They have better GOALS than sam but I woudln’t really call them good people. Smash to black and we’re out. 

Final Thoughts:  This one was better. As I said the first half or rather third drags slightly but once we get to the two seperate plotlines it’s REALLY damn good stuff and reminded me what the series was capable of in character in creativity. Hopefully it keeps this up

Next Time on the Blog: We return to mewni for the penultimate chapter of season 3 as Moon and Eclipsa have some fundemtnal disgareemnts on how to handle Meteora that wind up costing both dearly. 

See you at the next rainbow

[delicatelyherdreams]

Pragma(tic) 8: He Gets Found Out (and a Phone Call)

Pairing: Persephone!Bucky Barnes x Hades!Reader

Summary: In a world where the old gods never truly died, you must learn to navigate your way through the ups and downs of immortality. And if living forever wasn’t hard enough, an ancient evil is now threatening to break free after centuries of silence. And as if that still wasn’t hard enough for you, now a pesky and infuriatingly handsome god is trying to wedge his way into your life. Gods, work, love, and conflict—what more could a goddess need? [Hades & Persephone AU]

Word Count: 2343

Warnings: Language

Pragma(tic) Masterlist

Previous 7: Her Thoughts Conflict

Bucky was rudely awoken by something grainy and bulky hitting his nose and an angry voice demanding, “What the fuck are these?”

He reached up and wrapped his fingers around the object, his skin coming in contact with smooth, familiar leather. His stomach dropped and he opened his eyes to see the pouch of seeds (y/n) had given him and Sam and Steve glowering down at him, rage emitting off both their bodies. He didn’t even know what to say.

Steve’s glare was the most intense. “Those seeds, they’re not of the Mortal World, and they’re not from Olympus. There are six seeds in here. You’ve been going down to the Underworld, haven’t you?” 

Bucky stared at the seeds, his heart gripped with terror. He didn’t know if they knew how many seeds had been in the pouch before or if they’d known that he’d been down there six times over the last three months since he’d gotten them but at this point, it didn’t matter. They knew he had them. Bucky opened his mouth but his words would not obey him.

“Haven’t you?” Steve demanded.

Shit.

“Alright,” Bucky cried. “Yes, I’ve been going down there. But you don’t understand, I—”

Sam laughed bitterly. “You’ve gotta be kidding me. After all we’ve been through, man? We were sworn to protect you and to obey your mother’s one rule: never ever deal with the Underworld. And what do you do? You do it anyways! Do you realize how that makes Steve and me look? What if your mother came back while you were on one of your little excursions and we had no idea where you were? We’re supposed to know your location at all times; she’d kill us if we lost you. And if we lost you to the Underworld? Buck, this is serious!”

Bucky hung his head. He knew it was serious and he felt incredibly guilty for putting his best friends in the position they were in now, but he couldn’t make himself regret it one bit.

Steve’s eyes cut daggers coated with disappointment through Bucky’s skull. “Your mother has one absolute rule, Buck, and that is the only rule you decide to break. And then you don’t even tell us.” His voice broke and he huffed a sigh. “We probably would have supported you, man; you just had to tell us what was going on. We can’t help you if we don’t know what’s happening.”

“I’m sorry,” Bucky whispered. “I know I shouldn’t have kept it from you guys, but I just…” He shook his head. “When I went down there the first time, there was just… It was amazing. It felt more like a home than any field has ever been. You guys are going to think that I’m insane, but there’s just something about the place that makes me feel good. I don’t know what it is, I don’t know if I’ll ever know, but it’s amazing.” Bucky looked up at his friends, apologies unspoken filling his eyes but accompanied by a resolute firmness that was unshakable. “And I’m going to keep on going down there.”

“Bucky, I—”

“No, Steve. I’m sorry, but I refuse to stop going down there. You guys can try to keep me here all you want, but I’m going to find ways around you. I refuse to leave (y/n) and there’s nothing you can do about that.”

Sam frowned in confusion, his brows furrowing and his head moving backward as he looked down at his friend. “(y/n)? Who the hell is (y/n)?”

Bucky felt his ears redden and he bowed his head. “She’s… um…”

“Never mind her right now,” Steve said, waving them off. “Bucky, look at us.”

Bucky obeyed.

Steve smiled at him sympathetically, his eyes turning kind. “Look, Sam and I have already talked about this. We’ve known you’ve been going down there for a while, now—you reek of death every time you come back. We aren’t mad that you go down there and we aren’t going to stop you. We’re mad because you didn’t trust us enough to tell us so.”

Bucky looked at his friend, awe encompassing his face. “You’re serious? You’re not going to stop me?”

“Hades no. You’re a grown man, you can make your own decisions. We just need to know when you’re going so that way, if your mother comes looking for you, we can make you an alibi and she won’t get suspicious. But we need you to tell us because she might actually smite us if we lost you.”

Sam cleared his throat, the idea of an angry Winnifred leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. “Seriously, so long as you take a shower after you get back so you don’t reek and you don’t bring us back any souvenirs, we don’t care if you go down there. We care if it starts to get us in trouble and when we’re left in the dark.”

Bucky stared up at his best friends, completely astonished. “R-Really?”

“Yes. Keep going all you want, just give us a heads up.”

He couldn’t believe that they were okay with this. He’d been so afraid of being found out by them, but he’d never really had anything to fear. His face split into the widest grin ever. Clutching the bag of Asphodel seeds close to his chest, he smiled at his friends. “Thank you.”

“No problem, Buck,” Steve said sitting next to his friend. “Remember, we’re with you ‘til the end of the line and we’ll always be here to support you, no matter what stupid things you decide to do.”

Bucky laughed, but wrapped his arm around his friend’s shoulder pulling him in for a half-hug. “You’re the best; the both of you.”

Sam sat down next to him as well and smirked. “Oh, we know. Now, who’s (y/n)? Is she some spirit you found down there and fell in love with?”

Bucky’s ears reddened. “Well, not exactly.”

“Some spirit you befriended?”

“N-No, she’s—”

“And, what about Harriet?” Steve asked, his eyebrows shooting up as he scooted closer, eager to hear the story. “I thought she was the one you were sneaking off to see?”

“Will you two let me explain? Gods, you’d swear I was mute.” Bucky rolled his eyes and huffed like a child. 

Steve and Sam snapped their jaws shut and looked at him expectantly.

Bucky took a deep breath before starting. “Harriet does not exist. I made her up.”

“But I thought you just couldn’t get her out of your mind,” Steve said, his voice jumping an octave in a poor imitation of Bucky.

“There’s a different girl I can’t get out of my mind.”

“This ‘(y/n)?’”

Bucky nodded. 

Sam nodded. “So, who is she?”

This is where Bucky started to get nervous. How was he going to tell them that the girl who he thought about was the Queen of the Underworld? “Well… Um… You guys have actually met her before.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.” Bucky rubbed the back of his neck, trying so hard to figure out how to tell them who (y/n) was without them flipping their shit. “She’s… Er… She’s got unusual eyes, and you met her once… When she threw me out.”

“When she—” Sam’s eyes blew wide. “You’ve gotta be shitting me! (y/n) is Hades?”

Steve shared the same flabbergasted expression as his friend but he said nothing.

Bucky, however, was quick to her defense. “Guys, she’s not as bad as you think. She’s kind, she’s smart, she’s human. She’s probably the most amazing person I’ve ever met, immortal or otherwise. Sure, she’s cold and strict when you first meet her, but over these past few months I’ve learned a lot about her. She’s funny, she’s sarcastic, she’s complicated. There’s a lot that makes her her. And I think she gets a bad reputation because of where she lives and what she rules over. But she does her job well and is fair, kind, and just. (y/n) is amazing, and I don’t want you to think otherwise. I refuse to stop seeing her.”

Both his friends went silent for a bit, letting it sink in that their friend was mixed in with way more powerful beings than either of them had expected.

Bucky awaited their response anxiously, his confidence from defending her slowly crumbling away. He was scared. Although they were okay with letting him go down to the Underworld, they might have been less okay with him fraternizing with a goddess like her.

Time passed. It felt like hours, but it was only seconds.

Steve was the first to break the silence with a heavy sigh. Raising his head, he eyed his friend anxiously and asked, “So you’re fonduing with the goddess of the dead?”

Bucky choked. That was not the response he’d been expecting. “I’m what?”

“Fonduing. You know,” he gestured vaguely. “Is she your girlfriend? Are you guys doing the ‘do?’”

Sam barked with laughter. “Oh, my gods, Steve! Of course they aren’t!” Then, as if to confirm his allegations, he leaned towards Bucky and whispered, “You aren’t, right?”

“No! Oh my gods, (y/n) and I are just friends. We literally just got to friends. She kicked me out like five times before I even got to the friend status. I’m not going to screw that up.” Bucky smiled then when he thought about (y/n)—her reluctant smiles and her teasing nature. He was glad that he had befriended her.

Steve chuckled. “She sounds like she can carry her weight,” he mused. “Look, Buck, I’m still not crazy about you hanging around Hades, but I know I can’t stop you. So, just promise me you’ll be safe?”

“Always.” Bucky smiled and pocketed the leather bag of seeds. He was happy to have his friends’ support, and it was comforting to know that they wouldn’t stop him.

———

That night, Bucky lay in his meadow under the stars, staring up at the stars. Sam and Steve were already asleep, leaving Bucky alone with his thoughts.

Naturally those thoughts traveled to (y/n).

He wondered how she was doing right now. Was it nighttime in the Underworld? Was she asleep, or was she awake too? What could she be thinking about? Could she be thinking of him?

Bucky sighed heavily and turned onto his side. Why couldn’t he get her out of his head? Why did she occupy almost all of his waking hours? 

Because you care for her, and you just don’t know it.

Bucky wondered if that was even possible—to care so deeply about someone he knew so little about. Hell, he’d only known her for a short amount of time, but he knew that there was little he wouldn’t do for her. The Queen of the Underworld had him wrapped around her little finger and he was fine with it.

He wanted her to be happy, he wanted her to be safe, he wanted her to love and be loved.

He wondered if there was a special someone in her life, someone who could treat her like the queen she was. He hoped there was. He wanted her to experience that kind of happiness in life.

...Even if it meant it wasn’t with him.

For some reason, his heart ached at the thought of her with another. It felt like a knife was being driven through his chest and salt was being poured on the wound. It hurt him more than he expected, and so he decided to turn his thoughts away from the negative and focus on the positive.

He could see her whenever he wanted now with the seeds. And she was warming up to him! She’d told him he could go down the last time, maybe she’d invite him down the next time.

And then… Maybe he could invite her up here. He got the feeling that (y/n) rarely ever left her realm; maybe he could change that. She deserved a night on the town and Bucky would’ve been more than happy to show her around his favorite spots in the world.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he turned onto his side. The grass tickled his face and he closed his eyes as he sank into the peace. Maybe he could just go to sleep and call it all good.

But the silence surrounding him was broken by the sound of his phone ringing loudly in his pocket. It demanded his attention, screaming for him, calling him, begging to be seen. 

Bucky groaned loudly as he dug into the pockets of his pajama pants. Fishing his phone from there, he peered at the ridiculously bright screen. 

(y/n)’s caller ID was flashing on the screen, signaling that she was calling him. 

Bucky frowned, but answered the call anyway. “Hello?” he asked, his voice heavy with the sleep that never was.

The line was silent for a few seconds.

“Hello?” he called again, trying to get a response. His heart filled with worry. Why wasn’t she answering him?

“B-Bucky?”

He sat up straighter, suddenly wide awake.

She was scared; he could hear it in her voice. His protective instincts started to kick in and he clutched the phone tighter. “(y/n)? What’s wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Her voice trembled as she struggled to say, “I-I…” She couldn’t seem to even form a sentence as she stuttered.

“It’s alright, Doll. I’m here now. Use your words. What’s wrong? What do you need?”

“I… I need you.”

Her voice was broken, but Bucky was up on his feet and moving towards a vacant corner of the meadow. Jeans and a button-up shirt that matched his eyes materialized over his pajamas and he pulled her bag of seeds out of his pocket. “I’m on my way,” he said, hanging up the phone, fishing out a seed and throwing it on the ground. A hole immediately opened up and he jumped in, falling down down down to the Underworld.

Next 9: The Past Comes Back to Haunt Her

[mxchowind]

Hello! Um I would like to ask for a match up for my friend please!She's a 147cm straight female and an Enfj,Aries, Ravenclaw. She has long straight/wavyish black hair and huge puppy brown eyes she loves to sing but she's too modest and shy,her singings great but she's insecure,she can be a little too nice which makes people dislike her as they think she has ulterior motives,she's also kinda like a doormat, she's always kind to people even if they dislike her..

She's honestly the sweetest angel but she can be pretty cunning and smart too, she's top of our year, can cook, bake and sing well, she literally does everything well but she's too modest and always puts herself down, and always puts others first, she's worried about making people mad or guilty as she's quite a crowd pleaser but that's what's charming about her! She's really pretty too like too pretty, she always gets the most chocolates during Valentines!

She's actually not just short but really Petit too! She has really small feet, ears, and hands but she doesn't mind it and actually likes it! She says she feels warm and safe when she holds hands with us friends or other people with bigger hands! She is really affectionate and loves to give and receive hugs and head pats, and even though she's small she's really strong!!(like super strong!!) She can be very daring and straight forward too! when it counts at least!

She loves wearing other people's clothes too and since she's really Petit she looks absolutely tiny in other's clothes She is super duper cute and ( a little manipulative haha ) can really put her huge puppy dog eyes to use! overall she is a really warm and sweet girl!! I'm sorry that it's super long...and I understand if you only do a part of it or if you feel uncomfortable with doing it!! Oh and please take your time doing this match up! Don't stress yourself and Please put yourself first and remember to take care of yourself!! Stay safe and healthy!!💮

HELLO THANK YOU FOR POPPING IN AND I WILL MATCH HER UP NOW!!!! you must love your friend a lot its so sweet akjsfskkdgkdfhj so i will try my best to put in lots of efforts in this!! im not sure if you wanted me to write the headcanons in third person or second so i will just go with second!!

i match her with.. 

Diluc from Mondstadt and Tartaglia/Childe from Liyue! well childe isnt rlly in liyue but HE APPEARS THERE IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN PASJDSFJSKDJGKJSG okay yes sorry i keep ont alking to myself i am d e admeat and broe i literally need more pics of tartaglia i already used this one before what am i d o i n g

Diluc:

He loves how short you are, and adores the colour of your hair, the length of your wavy locks, and to every bit of you. 

Diluc admires your will to stay strong even if people expresses direct hate. He’s always there, when you can’t take it anymore, you can turn to him, because he’s always been a supporter, your supporter, after all. 

But if those people keep on bothering you with such audacity, Diluc cannot withstand it and will make a move. He is known to make his moves at night, after all.

His first step is a letter. To warn those people. Most of the times it works well, but if they harass you physically- sorry but they have to say goodbye and look at that claymore haha. 

No, Diluc doesn’t go that violent of course, but he make sure his opinions are heard so they stop coming. 

Aside from fending you in the dark, he loves hearing you sing. Your voice is like a calm sea to him, with every melody expressed he feels- at ease. Whether it’s after a long day at work, signing off papers, or just being together with you, he requests you to sing. Because you two are in his private quarters, you’re no longer as shy and he would praise you with so much love. 

When Diluc come home from an exhausting day, you would often bake for him to relax, and not to mention your skills are over the top, he enjoys it more than the chef’s dishes. Perhaps he should just live with your cooking. 

Because of how small you are, he would envelope you into hugs and hold your hand, he enjoys looking at your petite features all the same. Your eyes- there’s something irresistible to them, so he asks if he could kiss you. 

In which, the answer is always yes. 

His kiss is always gentle, nothing too rush of that sort. He takes his time, telling you that his heart belongs to you, and you only. Diluc proves his loyalty, always. It’s impossible to catch him somewhere with another female, because his whole existence is devoted to you. 

One time, you borrowed his clothes and oversized jacket, and surprised him when he came back from a day of work. 

What to say, you looked absolutely..

adorable.

It was so hard not to hug you right there, he endured and waited until it was just the two of you, alone. 

Then he went in length to make sure you know you’re loved. 

What a buffoon of a man, but yours only. 

Tartaglia:

He finds your height- interesting to say the least.

Both of you are cunning, and engaged in complicated matters, so you became a great help to his bank affairs, always helping to lessen his load. 

Childe likes to pick you up, bridal style and all. Reason is, the beating of your heart against his brings calm over him, and he could just forget about being a Fatui. 

When he brings you to visit Snezhnaya, it’s truly cold there so he lets you borrow his clothes and coats, dressing you in those oversized attire which he found funny- yet adorable at the very same moment. 

Your eyes bring such tremble and a tug at his heartstrings he might as well pass away on the spot. Childe loves seeing you like this. 

When it comes to his identity- he wished for you not to find out at all, but he still told you after your pursue on the said topic. 

Hearing such terrible things he has to do- you gave him a warm embrace and patted his head, whispering ‘‘it will be okay, I’ll be with you, no matter what.’’

‘‘Even if my hands are tainted with blood that no water can afford to wash away?’’

‘‘Even if that. Your hands are warm, so stay with me, Childe.’’

That was heartfelt to him, because he was so close to shedding tears- his long broken heart finally coming back in one good place. 

That aside, he does tease you a lot on your small hands, or petite ears- but your eyes are really beautiful, well, you are beautiful to him. 

Childe especially enjoys it when you sing the songs of his childhood, those ever-so-familiar melodies rushing back to him. Not to mention- he is rather protective of you. 

‘‘I hope this is only for me to hear, because I absolutely adore the way you sound, my angel!’’

You blush quite hard at his flirts everytime, but he does like teasing you. 

You never made him mad, and the man would always jump into a fight despite you saying there’s no need- 

So he single-handedly beats the living daylight out of ruin guards.

just for fun.

You’re worried, of course, but the way he fights is also exquisite- almost like art, a dance. If he comes back with a scar- you would scold him, then express your worries. 

‘‘You’re such a worrywart, my love! But it’s fine, i’m so glad to have someone that hold concerns towards me.’’

[ohblackdiamond]

little t&a (paul/gene, nc-17) (part 21 of 29)

part 1   part 2   part 3   part 4   part 5   part 6   part 7   part 8   part 9   part 10   part 11   part 12   part 13   part 14   part 15   part 16   part 17   part 18   part 19   part 20   part 21  part 22   part 23   part 24    part 25   part 26   part 27   part 28   part 29  

Four weeks before KISS gets back on tour, Gene discovers that Paul’s been cursed by a groupie. For the sake of KISS’ finances, Paul’s comfort levels, and Gene’s libido, this crisis must be resolved. Sexswap fic. In this chapter:  Paul and Gene go on a date and discuss groupies. Gene muses.

            Paul ended up driving them to a Japanese restaurant about an hour later, even though they’d had Chinese takeout just a few days prior. Gene felt a bit underdressed in Paul’s tee and waistband-digging jeans, for all he was trying to avoid getting recognized. Then again, Paul was only in the other blouse he’d bought and the jeans from yesterday, so maybe it didn’t matter.

            But it felt like it did. It kept nagging at him. Paul hadn’t dressed up, but he had put on a little makeup. He’d even tried to do something with his hair. He knew exactly what this was. He knew Gene really was taking him out.

            Gene thought he’d be more nervous about the whole deal than he was. Paul was still getting the door for him, and part of Gene hated himself a bit for realizing he’d miss that, too. It wasn’t going to be as endearing once he was back to normal. None of Paul’s little quirks would be.

            Gene felt ashamed over it. He really did. Paul was the same person, with or without tits, but that didn’t mean Gene was going to stay interested once they were out of the equation. Paul had said he wouldn’t be. And that really hadn’t even been the only time. Paul had kept hinting at it long before. I bet you’d rather me stay a girl. It was a horrible thing to even own up to fantasizing about. Even if Paul had dealt with it fairly well, at least over the last few days. He’d taken to all the superficial trappings of being a chick pretty readily, the makeup and heels and so on, but that was probably because all that was stuff he already did as a man. Beyond that, he wasn’t really playing at being a girl very well. Wasn’t trying to.

            Could he really feel the same way about Paul once they took care of the curse? Once Paul felt ready to give it up? And it’d have to be soon; even not counting the tour, eventually, Paul’s parents or Bill Aucoin or someone would call in a missing person report. Would he still want Paul then?

            Gene wasn’t sure. He’d lay a woman whether she was pretty or not, but he’d never fucked a guy, and never been interested in the prospect. But it kept nagging at him anyway. Trying to picture Paul back to normal was almost hard, when he was sitting there in front of him. Looking cute as hell with his hair fluffed like cotton candy and another low-cut blouse on. Looking happy. Normally, Gene would get a little disappointed, hanging around once the clothes were off a chick, even one he was dating. He never could help feeling like something had been—oh, not spoiled, exactly, but—like something had been… lived-in, maybe. Like a month into owning a car, when the clean smell of the dealership was gone. No longer new, and disappointingly his.

            But watching Paul chatting amiably about nothing—no, not nothing, he was talking about maybe trying to visit Japan off-tour, sometime, get some real sightseeing in, instead of hasty bus rides—just brought back to mind the image of a couple hours ago. Those pretty lips wrapped around his cock, or, almost better yet, parted in a plaintive cry. Fuck, Paul could scream, and it was somehow almost appealing, how he kept trying not to do it but ended up moaning all the louder.

            Gene didn’t feel like he’d lost interest once he’d gotten Paul naked. It had just given him more to explore. Not just those sensitive breasts or the taste of his juices, either. Not everything was carnal. He hadn’t realized the guy had any freckles, for one, although maybe some of them had just been buried in the carpet of his chest hair prior. Maybe he’d just never had a reason to look.

            Gene’s stomach growled, and he decided he needed to quit while he was ahead. Paul was starting to look at him funny, and nudging him under the table with his foot. They ordered platters of teriyaki chicken, fried rice, and sushi rolls, Gene carefully checking the ingredient list and grilling the waitress about the fish used while Paul, predictably, ignored kosher and got exactly what he wanted.

            “Maybe that’s why you got cursed,” Gene teased, once Paul started eating his California rolls. Paul made a face.

            “Very funny.” He took a long gulp of his water. The guy had to have been starving after throwing up last night. “She was just… I don’t know if I can explain it.”

            Paul hadn’t tried to explain it, either. Not that Gene had pressed, back in the limo last night, when Paul had looked pale and shaken-up about the whole deal. But he’d been curious. Paul and Carol had been down in the basement nearly past the twenty minutes he’d allotted. Long enough for Paul to find out exactly why she’d done that to him.

            “Go ahead.”

            Paul hesitated.

            “It’s… Gene, do you ever think about the groupies? I mean, really think about them.”

            “No.”

            “I didn’t, either.” Paul seemed to try to laugh, and then he wiped at his mouth. “I… I remember getting kind of dopey over some chick when we were still playing ballrooms. Then I found out she’d let half the New York Dolls screw her.”

            “I don’t know why that stopped you.”

            “Because that meant it wasn’t… that meant I didn’t matter to her, if she’d just let me the same way she’d let them. It was too… shit, I can’t be talking like this out in public.”

            “Why not?”

            Paul stared at him for a long moment before shaking his head.

            “Because people can hear me.”

            “Barely anyone’s here, Paul.”

            Paul took another few bits of rice, using his chopsticks. He still wasn’t good with them, but he liked to pretend. World traveler Paul. Meanwhile, Gene was diving into his own rice with a fork, getting easily triple as much per bite. Far more efficient.

            “Yeah, but we’re not in the Village or any of that shit.”

            “Are you that afraid of getting looked at dirty? You know that’s all anyone would do.”

             “I’ll tell you in the car,” he said, and reached for another piece of sushi.

--

            Paul made good on his promise. Once lunch was done (the owner had actually dropped by their table and given them small bowls of ice cream on the house, which Paul seemed very chipper about) and he was out of the restaurant parking lot, he started in again. Offhand and abrupt, one hand worryingly on the radio dial. He seemed to be trying to find a traffic report.

            “I guess I thought the girls got off on it.”

            “No shit, Paul.”

            “No, listen. I thought they all did that with every rockstar that came to town.” Paul finally stopped fooling with the dial, turning up the volume. Gene half-wondered why, when Paul didn’t even live in New York proper anymore, and probably wasn’t going to hit boatloads of traffic on the way back. “I thought… I hoped they understood how it was.”

            “They all know they’re never gonna see you again.” Gene shifted uncomfortably. “You have fun one night, and that’s it. They take a good memory back.”

            “Carol didn’t.”

            Gene didn’t answer for awhile. The silence wafted up like summer haze above the pavement. When Paul didn’t elaborate, Gene spoke again.

            “Why did she do that to you? Just because she didn’t have a good time with you?”

            “No. That’s not it. She just… shit, Gene.” Paul let out a long breath. “She wanted something I couldn’t give her.”

            “She wanted to date you? Paul, that’s really not your fault, if she didn’t understand—”

            “Well, I didn’t deserve to get cursed over it, but… fuck, I don’t know.” Paul’s eyes were dark. Not unreadable, just pensive. “We go out there and we say all that bullshit. We love the fans. We love the girls. We… we do the teenybopper mags. It… Bill’s so smart, y’know, you got the girls that want you and the ones that want me and Peter and Ace and so on, right on down to a type—”

            “Paul, I don’t think I’m following you.”

            “What do you mean?”

            “Are you saying you wanna be honest with the girls? You want to put in print that they don’t matter to you?” Gene shook his head. “It’s showbiz, Paul. You can’t be everything to everybody. The girls ought to know better. It’s not on you if any of them really think they’ve got a chance.”

            “We’ve let them think they do.” Paul was starting to look a little nerved-out by his own words. “They’re not getting that idea out of thin air, Gene. We… we’ve got a little bit of responsibility here.”

            “I’m allergic to that word in that context.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Yeah. It makes me think of paternity lawsuits.”

            He’d expected Paul to laugh, but he didn’t. Just kept driving in silence, switching the station again once they started playing music. It seemed like he was going into the traffic, rather than away from it. Maybe he’d wanted to stop somewhere before heading back home.

            “They’ve got feelings, though, don’t they?” God, Paul was still at it. “I didn’t ever mean to hurt them, but I did. I didn’t really start to understand until…”

            The ice cream felt suddenly like a brick of milk in Gene’s stomach.

            “Until what?”

            “Until you said we could take a picture for your album.”

            “Paul, that was a shitty joke, I didn’t mean—”

            “I know. I know.” Paul sighed, and beeped the horn at the taxi in front of him. Gene saw the cabbie roll down the window and stick his hand out, flipping him off. Paul returned the favor, but kept on talking as he did it. “I figured if… if I didn’t wanna be treated like that, like something to… to collect, then maybe some of them didn’t, either.”

            Gene couldn’t think of anything to say. That was rare enough to be worrisome. His girls were different from Paul’s, anyway. He didn’t have that sappy, sensitive lover image that Paul did, that’d make for clingy mental cases. His girls just wanted kinky sex, topped off with his tongue between their legs. But he couldn’t shrug off the feeling that Paul was onto something. Something a little bit terrible.

            He’d been on the road long enough to get a sense of demographics. The girls in the Midwest and places like Utah, in their way, were a real treat, eager to do anything to please. Gene hadn’t ever even had a threesome, but he’d fucked around a bit with BDSM, that kind of thing. He’d noticed the cornfed, good-girl, hometown types, they were the most likely to be up to indulging something weird.

            He’d thought it was just because they were repressed. Wanted to let loose before they ended up fat and married with five kids. It had never hit them that it might be because they were just naïve enough to buy into what KISS was trying to sell.

            “Maybe.”

            He felt Paul’s eyes back on him briefly, and then they were back on the road. Gene’s sense of direction wasn’t the greatest, but he knew for sure now that the route Paul was taking went nowhere near his house. He cleared his throat, putting his hand on Paul’s thigh.

            “Paul, you’re not… I don’t want to just take your picture. You mean more to me than that.”

            It was a couple of seconds before Paul nodded, resting his hand on top of Gene’s, lacing their fingers together.

            “Thanks, Gene.”

            “Don’t thank me. It’s true.” And then, because that still didn’t seem sufficient, because worry was starting to sink into Paul’s forehead, he leaned over on impulse, kissing him on the cheek, lips mostly brushing Paul’s hair instead. Paul’s one-handed grip on the steering wheel only faltered briefly, pink rising in his face. “Where are we going?”

            “You don’t know?” Paul started to smile. “C’mon, Gene. You took me out. I gotta return the favor somehow.”

            “It’s New York, you could be taking us anywhere.”

            “We’re heading to Central Park.” Paul patted Gene’s hand, and then shifted it to dig around in the middle console. “Real romantic, I know. Feed some geese, get out there in a rowboat… c’mon and check for me, Gene, I think I’ve got just enough change for the parking meter, even…”

            “What about the carousel?”

            “Sure, if you want—”

            “Great.” Gene’s hand was inching gradually up Paul’s thigh. “I think it’d be a fun ride.”

            Paul smacked his hand away.

[virtchandmoir]

‘Means the world to us’: Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir honoured with Canada’s Walk of Fame Hometown Stars

August 7, 2019

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are just 30 and 31 years old, respectively, and they’re at the top of their careers. And now they have Hometown Stars courtesy of Canada’s Walk of Fame.The pair will be honoured with special ceremonies in their respective hometowns of London, Ont. and Ilderton, Ont. on Aug. 7. 

The four-time world champions and five-time Olympic medallists both toldHELLO! Canada they find the whole thing a bit surreal.

“It’s kind of strange because we’ve always said we’re not saving lives, we’re just ice dancing,” Tessa said. “And what we do is meaningful to us and we love representing our country, but to be recognized on that stage is really quite something.”

Scott said he hadn’t even contemplated the possibility of being honoured in such a way.

“Tessa and I have been working together at our goals for over 20 years, so to see them culminate the way they did last February at PyeongChang was amazing, but these little things, you don’t really ever think about,” he said, pointing out that they are both still very young.

Tessa and Scott began skating together in 1997, when they were eight and 10 years old, respectively. It quickly became apparent they were a blockbuster pairing, and after five years of skating together they won bronze at the 2002 Canadian Championships as novices. By 2005, they were the most decorated junior-level ice dancers of all time.

Four years later, they had won gold at the Canadian Championships, which was followed up by the highlight of their careers at that point: gold at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. They became the youngest ever ice dancing team to win a gold, and the first Canadians to do so at home. They took two silvers at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, which they followed with two golds at the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018.

Scott said everything comes back to Ilderton for him.

“Fame is something that I never really think about, I don’t really gauge my success on,” Scott told HELLO! Canada. “But what I can say is the support that we’ve gotten over the years, over our careers, that keep us going, that fuels us every day, the support from Canadian people and the support from the people in our community is the reason why we have this star on the Walk of Fame.”

Tessa said she can’t thank the community enough for its support.

“From the very beginning, Ilderton and London respectfully, they’ve been so supportive of us and it’s been a long career for us, almost 22 years already,” she said. “They’ve really lived our journeys with us and we’re just so grateful. Whether we were competing at home at the Budweiser Garden or in PyeongChang in Korea, we always felt like our hometowns were with us and part of that story. And that we get to celebrate with those closest to us means the world to us.”

Canada’s Walk of Fame launched its Hometown Stars program in 2017. It is intended to provide all inductees with the additional opportunity to give back to their home communities and have a plaque mounted in a location of their or their families’ choice. CEO Jeffrey Latimer said it’s part of the Walk of Fame’s new mission to be a national platform instead of one centred on Toronto. All inductees are also provided with $10,000 to donate to a cause of their choice.

Tessa has chosen to contribute $10,000 to the London Abused Women’s Centre, a feminist agency that provides women and girls with long-term, women-centered counseling, support, and advocacy and addresses many of the issues and barriers faced by women and girls. Scott has chosen the Lions Club in Ilderton, which he said is helping “fill the gaps in municipal funding” so kids can continue to have access to sports.

Jeffrey told HELLO! Canada Tessa and Scott were not only chosen because of how they’ve helped their communities, but also because of how they learn by getting back up after falling down and trying again – literally, in their cases. That can be difficult to do alone, but it shows true commitment when you’re doing it with someone else.

“Many of the athletes that have been inducted, they weren’t sort of in their prime, it was later in their career that they got inducted, or at the end of their career after they retired,” Jeffrey said. “It was really important for us for two reasons for Tessa and Scott. One, because they’re still on top of the world. They’re still a household name, they just got back from winning again at the Olympics. They’re young, they’re youthful. These were all really important things.

“But the second thing that I think we love about Tessa and Scott is what does it take to truly partner with someone to become the best in the world? I think that’s something that people forget a lot.”

MORE: The private moment Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir shared after winning Olympic gold

Tessa and Scott head out on a 31-date tour of Canada dubbed Rock the Rink this November. The idea is to combine live rock music with skating. Canadian Olympians and figure skating legends including Elvis Stojko, Patrick Chan and Kaetlyn Osmond will be involved, as will America’s Jeremy Abbott and Italy’s Carolina Kostner. Tessa told HELLO! Canada the preparation for the extensive jaunt has made her and Scott reflect on their careers so far.

“One thing Scott and I have really been [thinking about] is where do we find joy and fulfillment?” she said. “Funny enough, it’s not podiums or holding a gold medal. Those are nice markers of the fact that we pursued something and accomplished a dream, but it’s really that process. It’s the grind of training. It's that full commitment to something and investing everything. It’s that feeling of vulnerability and embracing your fears and facing your fears and kind of putting yourself out there.

“I think it’s just that whole kind of, not to sound too cliche, but it’s that whole process of pursuing something,” she continued. “And, I think if we’ve learned anything, it’s that there has to be joy in the details and there has to be some kind of gratification every day from the hard work. And it is that, I mean there’s no shortcut to success, it’s just a lot of hard work and sacrifice.”

Scott said if he had any advice for young people pursuing their dreams, it would be just that – work hard and follow what you love.

“The big thing is having that passion,” he said. “In sports, I mean, that’s what we're drawing off after even 22 years of being together, being passionate about your craft, really finding the love for what you do and letting that passion fuel you.”

—Hello!

[fluorescentpipedream]

@musesnotebook​

In the wake of his father’s apparent suicide following several rape charges, one against the granddaughter of the high profile, Malcolm Draven, Tanner Reigns is in therapy. 

Tanner was lying on his back, one arm over his face with his eyes closed. The room he was in was lavishly decorated with soft green wallpaper and a large mahogany desk sitting at an angle in the corner of the room. The plush couch he was lying on had an antique look to it with carved lion’s feet supporting the fake velvet plush. Along one side of the wall were several framed degrees and achievements from the psychiatrist he was here to see. She was currently sitting on the couch’s partner, a similarly colored chair with an ottoman. He heard her sigh and made a face. 

“Tanner...you’ve been coming in for three weeks, now and we really haven’t gotten a chance to talk to one another...is there anything you want to discuss? Maybe we can talk about your father?” 

He stiffened slightly and sighed, moving his arm off of his face though he didn’t move to sit up right away. Instead, he laced his fingers through his long hair and stared up at a spot on the ceiling where it looked like there had been a ceiling fan, but there was now an ill-fitting stained-glass type of bulb cap. There was a gap between the light and the hole where the fan had once been. 

“Your light is off-center.” 

“Yes...it is. Is that what you want to talk about?” 

“No...I guess not.” 

He hadn’t really spoken to anyone in the last few weeks. When everything had come out about what his father had done to Keira and several other girls for that matter, Tanner had been there for his friend, he had taken the bullshit from people at school and tried to keep everything going along in his life. He did wonder if his father had turned his perverted mind to his girlfriend, Jeanie, but she had told him that he hadn’t, and Tanner trusted her, even if he was having a hard time with all of this. It was after Ethan had been found dead from an apparent suicide and the underwhelming reaction of his family that everything seemed to fall apart around him. Keira had gotten accepted to Tulane University in New Orleans and somehow was okay enough to be able to just go and deal with that on her own. But Tanner wasn’t doing as well. 

“Tanner?” 

He let out another breath. His uncle Christopher had thought a therapist might be a good idea for him to have someone neutral to the whole situation to talk to. Since he hadn’t spoken to hardly anyone in a few days. He and Jeanie were still together, but she would just sit with him in silence in a place he had found that had no cell service, and in New York, that was a feat. 

“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to say. My uncle keeps bringing me here and trying to tell me he’s here for me, and they are here for me...” He gestured at nothing. “but they’ve never been there before, so I don’t know what the fuck makes this situation any different than the others. It’s always been my dad and me, and that’s it... that’s all I ever needed before, all I ever wanted...I feel like I just want to scream.”

“If you think it would help, my walls are sound proof.”

Tanner wrinkled his nose but shook his head. Instead, he sat up and turned himself around, so his beat-up converse were flat on the ground, and he looked up at the woman across from him. It was getting cold in the city finally, and she was wearing a sweater dress and a pair of fancy looking heels, though he wondered for a moment if they made her feet hurt having to wear them for so many hours. He was wearing an old, oversized sweater that had been his father’s and a pair of blue-grey jeans with the knees almost completely worn out. There were a couple of old blood stains on them from several falls at the skatepark across town. He’d rather be there right now, though honestly, he felt like if he fell right now, his entire body would shatter. 

“I don’t know what to do...Everyone wants me to be okay...to just say that I’ll be fine, but...for 18 years I believed that my dad was the golden boy of his family and it was everyone else that were the fuck ups. That...my uncle Christopher was a sex-crazed addict who had a history of raping girls and went to jail for it and somehow now they’re allowing him to actually practice...and how my uncle Sid is some murdering ex-fiend of some kind and...well...how everyone else was terrible, but he was the good one but now I’m finding out that it was actually my dad who did the things that my uncle was charged for and that he was the one....he was the one that was just as bad as everything I ever believed for the other ones. For 18 years he lied to me and made me second guess everything I thought. And now...now I find out exactly what kind of man he was, what he lied about, what he tried to keep hidden, and I feel like such a fucking idiot that I didn’t see through it.” 

His voice cracked, and he swallowed down a lump, looking up at the doctor. “I feel like I should have known something was going on with my friend, best friend...I mean for fuck’s sake, it was my dad, it was happening right down the hall from me and I never once figured it out because I was so wrapped up in everything going on with me. I mean...a fucking janitor at school knew something was going on with Keira, he didn’t know exactly but...how does someone who lives in a back room at the school and mops up vomit know more about what’s happened then someone who sees her every fucking hour in a day?! How am I supposed to just be okay with this?” 

“I...” Tanner clenched his fists tightly before relaxing them again. “Hannah...god help her, she’s trying so hard to keep shit together, but it’s her daughter, and I am not her child. I know she wants to be a shoulder for me, but...I never had a mother, ever. It was just me and my dad, my entire life...up until just a few years ago. And I do love her, I just feel like... I’m alone…I mean, I know I’m not, like I have all these people who say they’re with me and they understand, and they want to help me but the reality of it…no one cares. And they don’t fucking understand. He wasn’t their father...he wasn’t....” Tanner jumped to his feet suddenly and looked at her directly, the anger starting to well up in him finally. 

“You know what, they’re happy! My so-called family are all fucking happy my dad is dead, they don’t have to deal with him anymore...What kind of family is happy when one of their members is dead? I mean...”

He fell silent for a moment. The doctor had been making small notes on her legal pad though when he had gotten onto his feet so suddenly she seemed surprised by it and had set it down. Apparently, she hadn’t expected everything to come flooding out the way it had. Their eyes met for a moment before she spoke again, her calm voice only seemed to aggravate him. “How do you know they’re happy?” 

Tanner didn’t respond at first, but when he did , it was almost in a whisper. He cleared his throat and tried it again. “They were all out in the backyard, talking about his suicide... He would never kill himself, and I knew that, but...they were all laughing... When I came outside, I swear you could have heard a pin drop. I had tried to get them to tell me what was so funny, but no one wanted to talk...I just walked away, and Sidney said something, and they all started laughing again.” 

Silence filled the room again as the doctor watched him. Tanner was getting more and more upset, and he could feel the heat in his cheeks, but something was stopping him. She tapped the edge of her legal pad with a pen before speaking again.

“I’m sure you hear this constantly, but it’s okay for you to feel this way…And it would be okay for you…”

“To cry?” He spat out the word, somewhat annoyed. “Yeah, I do hear that a lot. My uncle and Hannah say it all the damn time. It’s okay to cry, Tanner.” He had a mocking tone to his voice as he laid his head back, holding his hands in his hair. “I know it’s okay...I just can’t seem to allow myself to feel anything without also feeling guilty for it and then ultimately end up not doing anything. No one wants to talk about the man he was aside from the rapist pedophile...they don’t want to talk about him as a lawyer or as a martial artist or...” 

“As your dad?” 

“Yeah...Everything is about Ethan Reigns the monster, and now I’m the son of the monster, and I have never hurt anyone, I wouldn’t...but the looks I get from some people...they’re so cold.... like suddenly I’m going to do something. Or like I should have been able to magically stop him or...” He trailed off for a moment. “I guess my uncle told you I got suspended?” 

“He mentioned it earlier...do you want to talk about it?” Though he was still standing, he had started rocking from side to side. She raised an eyebrow at the motion though didn’t mention it, Tanner didn’t even realize he was doing it, but with his arms around his own waist and rocking from side to side he was sort of mimicking the way his father used to hold him when he was upset. 

“I got into a fight with another student. He threw the book at me in the hall and then told everyone I was looking at his 8-year-old sister...all I fucking did was smile at a little kid that smiled at me first. What the fuck am I supposed to do?! I saw red and lunged at him....” It took three people to haul Tanner off of the other boy, but in the end, he was the one who got in trouble. “The other guy got detention...and I got suspended. I mean...I broke his nose, but still...I’m the bad guy.” He shrugged, some of the anger leaving his voice. “Just like the rest of them...I guess. But...I’m not! I’m nothing like them but I feel like I’m failing at every fucking thing...I can’t think anymore, I feel like...” 

“I feel like...I don’t deserve to be with Jeanie...like I’m just going to ruin her life the way my dad ruined everything for Keira and like I should just...just...” 

Tanner stopped mid-sentence. The idea of breaking up with Jeanie, coupled with everything else that was going through his head, was finally too much, and the dam finally broke. With a ragged sigh, he dropped onto the ground and pulled his knees up against his chest tightly and started to cry, his shoulders shaking as he did so. The doctor sighed softly and got up, moving over to him and set a small box of tissues beside the young man. Tanner cried like that for what felt like an eternity, but really, it was only a few minutes before feeling around for a tissue and wiped his face. 

“Do you feel any better?” 

“No.” His voice was still cracking, and he let it, coughing a few times as he’d gotten pretty well worked up. The doctor knelt down in front of him, hating that she couldn’t physically comfort the boy, only try to give him a reassuring voice. After a few minutes, he crossed his arms over his knees and laid his head on them, looking out the window, or at least what he could see. 

“What do you think would make you feel better?” 

“All I really want right now is for someone to wrap their arms around me and not give me that sympathetic...fake comforting hug thing...you know the one, the shoulder hug and the pat on the back where they’re obviously only doing it because they feel obligated.” 

“I’m sure your friends don’t do that.” 

“Eh...I don’t think they mean to, but they feel bad for me, and I hate it. I fucking hate it!” He squeaked again and wrinkled his nose. The doctor actually chuckled softly, and Tanner forced a smile. “I’m starting to sound like a chipmunk...”  

“Tell me something good about your dad…you said you had him for 16 years before everything seemed to happen all at once…. what’s a good memory about him?”

“What good would that do? No one cares about the good stuff...” 

“You have to be the one to care about that, Tanner. He was your father, no matter what he was to other people, to you he will always be your father. So, what’s something you remember about him?” 

Tanner thought for a moment and somehow ended up with a song stuck in his head, he hadn’t thought about it for years, but he still seemed to remember the lyrics like they were second nature.

“He used to love Duran Duran, specifically the song Come Undone.” He cleared his throat. “When I first started playing guitar, he would sing it...badly while I tried to play it. I think it was the first song I learned to play actually...” He trailed off again, trying to think about something else...”Saturdays were for us...he’d take me to the skatepark or...the zoo, or library or...whatever I wanted to do. It didn’t matter how much work he had to do or whatever else he had going on, it was just him and me. We’d talk about school and what was going on in my world for a while...” Tanner smiled, remembering a trip to an old record store that used to be in an older part of town, he wondered if it was still there actually. 

“He....uh....he bought me my first skateboard and was always the one telling me not to give up when I fell, just get up and try again...never be afraid to get back up, no matter what people say.” Tanner was starting to be able to breathe again, though it was still coming in shaky breaths.

“Do you still play the guitar?”

“I used to be in my friend Simon’s band, but I’m pretty sure they replaced me by now…I haven’t even talked to them since…the funeral.”

“If they’re your friends, I’m sure they’re waiting for you... You should try to reach out to them, if for no other reason to have something to remind you of what you used to enjoy doing.” 

“You’re going to tell me my dad wouldn’t want me to stop doing the things I enjoy and being with the people who love me...right?” 

She chuckled again. “Your uncle has told you these things, too, I guess.” 

Tanner only nodded this time and stretched out slightly before getting off the ground and moved over to the window, looking down at the street below them. There must have been a stiff breeze, people were pulling their coats close. His eyes, he laid his head against the window sill and got lost in his own thoughts. Wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his sweater, he opened them again.

“I was going to propose...on Christmas. Cliché as fuck, I know, but I had it all planned out…I was going to take Jeanie to Rockefeller Center and take her out on the ice and propose right in front of the tree.”

“I don’t think that sounds cliche at all; it sounds charming. Christmas isn’t for another few weeks, there’s still plenty of time.”

“I haven’t spoken to her in a while either…she probably thinks I broke up with her.”

“I doubt that.” The doctor got off the couch and moved over to the young man standing in the window, lightly laying her hand on his shoulder. As he looked up at her, she smiled softly. “If Jeanie loves you as much as you love her, she’s probably waiting for you to feel like you can talk to her…the right woman is there for you, even if it takes you a little bit to see it….”

“Yeah…” Tanner sighed softly as she moved away from him and over to her desk. A small alarm had started to beep at her, letting them know their session was over. Tanner felt cold and hollow and now got to walk out of the room and try to face his uncle when all he wanted to do was go away somewhere.

“I know we’re out of time here, but…all I want to do is just….be somewhere else. I don’t want to see my uncle, I don’t want to go home and see the family I never had…I just want to disappear. And I don’t know how to do that…I don’t really have my own money and I feel like…if I asked someone to help me, it would kind of defeat the purpose. I just want people to leave me alone…and no one will.” He felt the tears welling up again and bit into his bottom lip. “Shit…”

“Tanner…that’s a completely normal reaction to what’s going on right now, but one thing you learn as an adult is…as much as you want to run away from everything, the problem never goes away, and you aren’t dealing with it. You’re just putting it off and trying to make it disappear. Children run away from their problems, you’re going to be turning nineteen soon, right?” He nodded. “You’re an adult, and now you have to deal with your problems the way an adult would. If you need to cry, then cry. If you feel like you want to scream, then do it. You have a lot of pain welling up inside of you, and letting it build up like that is only going to cause you to lash out against the people who really do love you. Your family…” Tanner scoffed, and the doctor frowned at him.

“Your family does love you, and they are there for you. They’re dealing with the death of your father in the only way they know how to. The Reigns family seems to be a…”

“Disaster?”

“I wasn’t going to say that.”

“A psychiatrist’s wet dream…”

She started to say something but looked up at the boy in front of her, realizing he was teasing her. She laughed, and for a moment, he did too.

“Well, …yes. Papers could be written about your family…but the point I’m getting at is they have their own coping mechanisms…Your father was still their brother, uncle, cousin…what have you. They’ve got to process this in their way, and you need to process it your way. I want you to try talking to your uncles…or at the very least say something to Hannah, you must remember she’s going through this too. Not just because her daughter was involved in this hellish situation, but because she saw you as a son, she had never had…”

“And I’m pushing her further away….”

“Exactly. Now, we do have to go for the day but there’s one other thing I want you to do…. call your girlfriend. Even if she just sits with you in silence, you need to let her into your world right now. If she loves you, she’s going to want to be there for you. And you should let her be.”

“Thanks, doc.”

“I’ll see you next week.”