#I had to redo a detail there to make something here make sense

[thevoidstaredback]

How To Balance Your Daytime and Nighttime Activities So That You Don't Burn Yourself Out More Than You Already Have

It had been a long few minutes since he'd opened the door and there were a lot of questions running through Dick's head. Most pressing of which was how this kid seems to have information he should not have.

"How did you..?" he asked, but the words wouldn't leave completely. There's so much he wants to know, so much he wants to ask.

"How do I what?" Danny tilted his head like the child he seems to be is.

"How do you know?" Dick knows he sounds weak. There's no hiding that, but there are a lot of implications in what the kid has said so far and none of it is painting a very happy picture for him.

"Oh!" Danny had the audacity to smile, "You want to know how I know you moonlight as a vigilante!" And of course he knows. Dick knows he knows, but he'd held a little bit of hope that the child Danny was mistaken. Danny's smile softened a bit as he explained, "Your hair and voice match up in both jobs almost perfectly. Not to mention your build and how you hold yourself. There's also the matter of your overall vibes, but that's not something living beings can normally pick up on." Excuse him? "Well, not living humans, at least, so no worries on that end!"

"Excuse me?" Dick was fairly sure his heart just stopped beating for a moment there.

"Anyway, I was a hero back home for a while, too. I know what it's like to have to walk the tightrope between maintaining a civilian cover and a hero persona. I know how it feels to have to keep secrets from everyone because anyone who knows will be in danger." he rambled, Though, admittedly, our circumstances are quite different. I was working as a hero all hours of the day as well as going to school. You only have to worry about properly balancing between day and night jobs. Either way, me having more to bounce between just makes me al the more qualified to help you!"

Oh. Oh he did not like that. He didn't like a single thing that just came out of the kid's mouth. Because that's what he is, a kid. "Are you...Are you alright?"

"Not in the slightest," Danny admitted with an even smaller smile. Then, it brightened, not quite to a grin, but to something similar, "But I'm here to make sure you are."

He gets points for being honest, but Dick felt his heart shatter. He knew for a fact that he'd never worked with this kid before. He also knew that the Justice League didn't know about him. If they did, he would've been picked up and dropped with either the Young Justice team or the Titans.

Dick wasn't going to ask why he became a hero because that's not his place. It's more of a 'third mission with the team' kind of questions, anyway. Most of the heroes didn't have many options when they took up the mantle. Asking what Danny can do is a more appropriate question, but he wasn't going to ask that, either.

"Now that that's out of the way," Danny turned a few pages from the table of contents to another one that was topped with 'Why Sleep Scheduling Is Important' in the blue glitter pen that Dick was starting to suspect he favored. "You're not getting enough sleep. Following you around - no one's been able to find me for a while, so don't worry about that - for the last two weeks has given me some really worrisome information on you."

Dick was worrying. He was worrying a lot and even more questions were coming to the forefront of his mind.

"Your dayjob is as an officer on the Bludhaven Police Force, or BPD for short." He was looking over the page he'd turned to very aptly and Dick realized that the kid had notes written on him. "The average hours per week for police across the country is forty hours. Gotham and Bludhaven are the exceptions. As a member of the BPD, you work a solid two days and two hours. Six nights a week, you work as Nightwing from eight in the evening to three in the morning. The last day, you take off, which is good. No deserable pattern, so good on you for that. Regardless, that's seven hour nights and ten hour days, with one day off and one day on call as an officer. Seven hours are now left in your day for personal time, eating, and sleeping. That's not a healthy way to live."

Oh, god, the kid had honest to god notes on him! What the hell!

Danny didn't even skip a beat as he pulled Dick's attention back to him and his binder. "I've drawn up a schedule for you to follow." The back of the page had a meticulously drawn schedule, complete with blocks of time to eat, sleep, work both jobs, travel, personal time, and still have a bit extra left over. It was titled 'Ideal End Result' in green marker. "Drastic changes right away will only affect you negatively, so we're starting off smaller." The next page over had another schedule titled 'Where To Begin'. "I've only pulled one hour from your Nightwing hours because I know important that time is to you and the city. I am, however, going to be having you submit an appeal to your boss to cut back your hours from fifty a week to forty a week. That way, you'll only be working eight hours a day and not ten. You'll still be on call for one day, and you'll have that last day off. Altogether, you'll be going be going from working seventeen hours a day to fourteen hours a day. Nine in the morning to five in the afternoon, and eight in the evening to two in the morning. Not including breaks at work or travel time. It opens up a few more hours for you to sleep!"

"You really think the chief is going to pull back my hours?" Dick raised an eyebrow in question.

"He will if he knows what's good for him."

"You know I can arrest you for that threat, right?"

"Yeah, but you won't." And, damn it, he's right.

Although, there was now another thing he had to know. "How to you plan on enforcing this schedule of yours?"

Danny seemed to have been waiting for this. He got a gleam in his eye as he pulled a black folder from his bag, not breaking eye contact with Dick. He placed it on the table and pushed it across. "Congratulations, it's a boy."

Part 1 Part 3

[reds-writings]

rust cohle headcanons

(pairing: rust cohle x fem!reader)

a/n: here's some more rust brain rot on my behalf <3 feedback is always appreciated!

warnings: implications of sex, light cursing, etc. let me know if i missed anything! (minors shoo!)

word count: roughly 1k

-----

adding to the headcanon floating around of him being an acts of service type man through and through. yes, he can go on neverending tangents but sometimes words about his more sentimental/mushy feelings are better demonstrated by him being at your near beck and call whenever you’re in need

you don’t even have to directly ask him to do anything. it’s more like if you were to mention offhand that something in your car didn’t sound right or your fence needed some redoing they’d find themselves fixed within the coming days without so much as another word 

that man is crafty and i cannot be convinced otherwise! the little beer can people he made are just a small example of what he can do with his hands. one day in town you saw a beautiful chestnut dining table but it was just a tad out of your price range so you figured you’d save up a little more for it and get it the next time you stopped by 

rust had some downtime (more like made downtime during his bouts of extreme insomnia) and got to building. it was a while after and by that time you had long forgotten about the table you saw until one day you got home from work only to find an ornately designed table in your dining room. it was a bit different than the one you’d spotted at the shop but no less beautiful. in fact it was even more gorgeous with its polished shine and intricate details 

you had searched for a note or maybe even a sign left anywhere of the maker that it came from to then spot a neatly carved ‘RC’ underneath one of the tabletop’s lefthand corners 

your fingers grazed over the simple set of initials as your brain damn near short-circuited at the fact that this man built you a damn table. with his bare hands. rust cohle saw that you liked a table and decided to just make it himself

you’d made your way to the receiver on your wall after snapping out of your disbelief and rang him up

“You built me a table.” You said it more as a statement than a question instead of a normal greeting.

“I did.” His tone held no sense of pride or smugness at your shock. As if this were no big deal at all.

“You built me a table. When did you have time to build me a whole table? In fact, when’d you start bein’ able make tables in the first place-”

“D’ya like it?” He interjected in that lackadaisical way of his and you paused. 

“...I love it.” 

“Good.” 

“Well, I guess then it’d only be fair for me to invite you over for dinner so that we may put this lovely new table to good use. As thanks of course.” 

You heard him huff in fond amusement on the other line, “Yes, ma’am.” 

y’all put that table to good use alright 

he’s more of a grappler than a cuddler when it comes to sharing a bed

he holds you as if in need of tethering himself. it was as if he were to let go somehow this wouldn’t be real and your presence would flit away should he loosen his grip at any given moment 

if you get too hot in the night any point of minimal contact was still initiated like tangling your foot with his or linking pinkies just so he knew you were nearby (this happens longer down the line in your relationship when he feels a bit more comfortable having someone in his space a bit more constantly) 

quality time together isn’t necessarily always spent doing something totally stimulating or exciting 

it could be as simple as cooking dinner together or curling up on your sofa while he reads and you watch something soapy on television 

he’s a very private man so going out to do something super couple-y isn’t really up his alley. he won’t really ever deny you if you wanted to really switch it up and go to places like bars, the movies, fancy restaurants, etc. he’d just find himself more reserved in more public spaces but no less completely and utterly focused on you

he’s not much of a dancer but don’t get it twisted. his ass can dance. the man is from Texas so you best believe he has more than a few line-dancing routines ingrained in the depths of his mind

on the very few occasions you’ve gotten him to agree to dance with you when you’re out you nearly laugh every time with how seriously he takes it 

you find yourself cooking food for him often. not that he ever expects it of you but living off of cigarettes and beer can only do so much for a guy. he genuinely forgets that his body needs a meal when he gets all caught up in his work (you don’t bother nagging at him much because he’s grown and more stubborn than anything at times) 

if you aren’t available to check in on him you’re not above making Marty grab something for him when they’re stuck at work 

any kiss he gives you is not one made in passing. anything rust does has some level of deep intent behind it but he never kisses you or says ‘i love you’ out of routine or empty habit

he’s a deeply feeling guy and a lot more handsier the longer you’re together (usually still only in the privacy of your own home). it goes back to just having to feel tethered or connected to you! it comforts the more broken/scared bits of him knowing that you’re just there and present and real

his synesthesia can make things overwhelmingly intense so sometimes when you’re out or after certain activities he finds himself in need of longer moments to himself (which you never take personally) 

in less serious moments you find yourself asking him the dumbest questions you can about smelling colors or tasting places 

“So does that mean Marty’s got a taste to him? You've tasted your coworker?” You snickered as you lay beneath the weeping willow in your front yard with him.

“It don’t work like that.” He said around the unlit cigarette in this mouth, tone sounding as if he were entertaining a silly child. 

“Nuh-uh! You said somethin’ awhile back about my presence tastin’ like jasmine and clementines or somethin’-”

“Drop it.”

You poked your tongue in your cheek trying not to giggle. 

“I bet you Marty tastes like stale coffee and I dunno…regret-” You snapped out a surprised laugh as you felt a quick pinch on your side. 

[affixjoy]

Today I continued my Star Trek journey by rewatching Star Trek (2009) and boy howdy do I have some thoughts.

So first off, I saw this for the first time when I came out in 2009. It wasn’t my first experience with Star Trek, but it was probably my first with Kirk and Spock and that gang. I remember liking it a lot.

Now that I’ve watched all of TOS and a few of the movies with the original cast my feelings are a little more complicated.

Overall, fun movie! I imagine they had to have felt the weight of recasting and redoing such iconic characters, and in a lot of ways they succeeded. It certainly got younger people like me interested in the franchise!

💫 Spock: I do love this version of him. His “live long and prosper” to the VSA is perfectly bitchy and I’m obsessed with it.

💫BONES!! if you’ve read any of my other posts you’ll know that somehow Bones snuck up on me as my favorite character. I love his intro here, and I think Karl Urban gets the tone just right. This really is a buffet for the McKirkers out there, I can see how this led to 1000 academy era fics of them.

💫Kirk: oh Jim. Jimmy Jim Jim. Baby boy. What are you doing. How did being played by Chris Pine (who is incredibly hot) make you LESS attractive??

Obviously this Kirk suffers from some Kirk drift and the added trauma of losing his dad. He’s so much angrier, so much less sweet and nerdy. Rewatching this now I can see why I was so hesitant to like him in TOS because he’s a lot less lovable here.

💫 I get it’s an emergency and they had to for plot reasons, but almost all of Pike’s staffing choices make no sense. Sure, Spock as acting captain, I get that. But everyone else?? Imagine being one of the other people there who has been with starfleet for years and seeing him hand Kirk the role of first officer. The ship can’t be entirely cadets can it?? Imagine the group texts going around after like “thank god he didn’t die because I really need to bitch about this.”

💫 I love all three Uhuras (tos, aos, and snw) and I get why they made her Spock’s love interest here because they’ve got fun chemistry! They have a lot in common, they’re both hot and smart, I get it. But cmon guys, that man is a 6 on the Kinsey scale. You keep pairing him with women and it doesn’t work.

💫 I feel like they worked in lots of little references to classic trek, from plot stuff to smaller details like when Spock enters from the turbolift at the end in a very TMP way. I love that, it makes me feel like the people making the movie really care about the stories and the characters. When Spock Prime says good luck I felt all the weight of his relationship with his Jim and how it changed him. So lovely and touching.

And just how close they made Kirk and Spock stand, especially towards the end of the movie. They were always glued to each other in TOS and JJ must have known us Spirk shippers needed something to latch on to 😅

💫 There’s too much action in this movie for me. We didn’t need to see Scotty beamed into the water tank. The best sf stuff is always story based, I don’t need extravagant fights and cgi shit. I’m sure there are people who watch science fiction for the spectacle but I’m here for the ideas and the feelings.

💫 goddddd everything with Vulcan and losing Amanda. Rip all our hearts out why don’t you. Spock’s mom dying is just heartbreaking. I know they had to lose someone we knew to make the destruction of the planet more real to us as viewers but so crushing to see it.

💫 Old Spock 😭😭😭

He knows right away who Jim is and expects that Jim found him on purpose.

Old Spock just launched right in to the mind meld huh. To me this really says that he and his Jim are on very casual mind meld terms and he’s not fully understanding that this Jim is not his Jim.

Think about how fucking weird all this must be for old Spock. How heartbreakingly strange it would be so see a young version of your husband and send him to a young version of yourself. Meeting all your old friends young selves, years after you’ve lost them all.

And from here out it’s just miscellaneous thoughts I jotted down while watching that don’t fit great anywhere else:

⭐️I love when the redshirt is so excited to get the Romulans and Kirk gets this look like… that’s why you’re here? Dude the battle not the appeal here. A nice glimpse of how this Kirk is similar at heart to TOS Kirk.

⭐️Love you Sulu and your fencing skills

⭐️I love when they stop the lift for emotional reasons.

⭐️“Our destinies have changed” goddddd great speech Spock

⭐️Jim has the look of a man who is frequently escorted places by security

⭐️Spock wants to break Kirk so bad 😂

⭐️When Jim slaps Spock’s back and Spock has a look of “I think that just awakened something in me.”

⭐️Spock you’re calling him Jim already? You slut. (Delighted, affectionate)

Overall I think it’s a fun movie but it misses a lot of what’s at the heart of the classic Trek I love. They try to do everything too fast and it just doesn’t work as well for me. I’m excited to rewatch the next two and see how these versions of the characters change!

[ddarker-dreams]

Lock can we get some Levi content please 🙏🏻

anything for my short king 🙌 here is a lil thingy for him

Reading is a leisurely pastime you haven't been able to partake in for what feels like ages. Letters, reports, maps, and the occasional newspaper made up the majority of your literary adventures. Utterly captivating as those options were, you longed to submerge yourself in fiction, a temporary reprieve from the tumultuous world you inhabit.

Members of the Survey Corps travel light, as the same suggests. You were essentially a nomadic people by how frequently you moved around. Books weren't considered essential enough to pack. That's why what you hold in your hands is so precious, a treasure to be cherished.

Presently, the lovestruck heroine is fleeing from the mysterious bachelor's home, a misunderstanding spurring her on. The author details her emotional turmoil, how her very heart is splitting in two—

—And then a pair of fingers snap in front of your face.

Indignant at the interruption, you lift your head, narrowing your eyes while you do so. Whoever had the audacity to interrupt your few minutes of free time could expect an unholy scolding. Your lips part, vitriol brimming on your tongue, until you make eye contact with steely blue eyes.

"Oh, Captain."

You give lackluster a salute that would've earned a punishment of infinite laps back in your trainee days.

Levi speaks your name with the same dry tone you used moments prior. "Sorry, am I interrupting something?"

You think to comment that he doesn't look very sorry but decide against it.

"... No."

"No?"

Slowly, you nod.

"It must be important, for you to do such a half-assed job and rush through your cleaning," he gives the book a disinterested glance. "Care to give a synopsis? I'm sure it's riveting."

Recalling the nature of the novel, your face warms, and you shut it a little too fast.

"Uh, it's, well, y'know one of those difficult to describe books."

"Maybe you should read a dictionary next so you have the words to properly explain it."

"Oh, great suggestion, hey—!"

He snatches it from your possession in the blink of an eye. You make one attempt to grab it back, but his seemingly supernatural senses stave off the attack. Wallowing in defeat, you sit back down, folding your arms across your chest and sighing over what is to come.

Levi's eyes scan the page you were at. His indifferent veneer fades away slightly and the corner of his lips twitches upward.

"So," the word hangs heavy in the air, the sadistic bastard taking his sweet time before saying anything else, "Do you think she should go back to him or not?"

You sink your head into your hands. "Definitely not. Anyone who taunts their partner when they're at their lowest is unforgivable."

"Mhm."

"Pure evil. The worst of the worst."

"Certainly," he deadpans. He places the book by your side, briefly assesses the area, then returns his attention to you. Assured that you're the only souls around, he leans over, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. Coarse fingers brush against your cheekbone as he retracts his hand. "Finish the chapter of your shitty book then redo the windows. I could see the streaks from a mile away."

You give him your sweetest expression.

"How about two chapters, my most benevolent Captain, who adores me so?"

"... It's down to two pages, since you decided to push it."

His lack of objection to the latter part of your sentence assuages any disappointment you could've possibly felt.

[ponyosmom35]

welcome home - Simon Ghost Riley x reader

pairing: Simon Ghost Riley x reader

Liability series chapter twenty four

Liability series:

https://www.tumblr.com/ponyosmom35/733401347573088256/simon-ghost-riley?source=share

She was ecstatic to lead Simon inside, to show him around. Unsure where to begin. She turns to something out and notices him carrying the massive package into the house without the slightest hint of struggle. “Where do you want this love?”

“Oh my god just set it here, thank you” she points to the wall “you didn’t have to do that” she responds, rubbing her hands together nervously. 

“No problem” he shrugs, “what have you got that’s so big?”

“Oh uh thats my bookshelf, I’m turning my office into a library” she smiles 

“How were you planning on gettin that to the office?” he teases 

“I hadn’t gotten that far” 

“Noted” he smirks, placing a band on her lower back “I’d love a tour”

“Right!” she squeaks, her face blushing madly at the feeling of his hand.

She shows Simon the kitchen and all the organizing she’d done in her spare time. As she continues throughout the house explaining everything in what to most would be far too much detail, Simon’s heart swelled. He loved to listen to her talk, it was clear she put a lot of thought into making her space feel warm and welcome. Everything he saw, every decoration, wall print, even the paint color all made sense. It was so beautifully her. He’d never felt so instantly comfortable in an unfamiliar space before. 

She shows him her office where the bookshelf would be and explains her vision, clearly unhappy with the current state of the room. She shows him her bedroom and he takes note of her shift in body language and red cheeks. It was reassuring to him that he had such an effect on her. She leads him down to the steps once more and brings him through downstairs and out to the backdoor. She opens it and they step out onto her deck. 

“So this is the backyard, its a work in progress, my parents and I have been working on it. It looks weird now but trust me there’s a vision” she reassures 

“This is beautiful” he notes

The thoughtful placement of the flowers and the nearly completed stone path leading to the gorgeous willow tree. He could see freshly dug holes where her flowers would bloom in the coming weeks. 

“Thank you! I’m really happy with it, after the path my plan is to redo my entire deck, I want to have an area out here where I can sit out here and read” she says 

“That sounds nice” 

“I think so too” she nods before looking up at him “do you wanna go inside and sit, you must be exhausted” 

“Sure” he smiles 

“Can I get you anything? Water, tea, I don’t have beer but I can Instacart some” 

“Water would be nice” 

“Coming right up!” she grabs him a glass of water while he walks into the living room and sits on the couch, taking note of the TV, playing her music on shuffle. After a minute or so she returns with a bowl of oreos. 

“My favorite, thank you love” 

“I know” she muses as she sits on the other side of the couch, sitting with her legs crossed as she leans her head on her hands. 

“How are you?” she asks 

“I should be asking you that question”

“I’m doing good” she admits softly, rubbing her hands together. 

“I’m glad to hear that” his eyes searched hers for any sign that she might not be telling the full truth. 

“Yeah me too, it’s been hard. Nights are the worst but I’m okay, really” she breathes, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. He reaches over and grabs her hand, holding it gently in his own. She smiles softly and moves his hand to her cheek, leaning into his warm skin. 

“I missed you” she murmurs 

“You have no idea how hard it was to watch you leave, I wish I could’ve been here sooner” he says 

“I don’t blame you” 

“I should’ve been there, should’ve seen it comin’” he admits, referring to Las Almas.

“Don’t say that Simon, there’s absolutely no way you would’ve known Graves and Shepard were dirty” 

“It’s my job to protect you, and I - I didn’t”

“But you did! You saved my life, as soon as I heard your voice a part of me knew I was gonna be okay, that you weren’t going to let anything happen. I was so fucking scared but I still knew that I was gonna be okay. Nobody in this world makes me feel the way that you do” she replies, her words holding so much more meaning than just that day. Recalling back to every moment she spent with him. “Even now, it’s like all of the nightmares and memories, they’re nothing. Sitting here with you makes me feel protected, I feel more secure than I have in months”

“I feel the same” he admits “This place feels familiar to me, like I’ve been here before”

“That’s because it’s been waiting for you” she nearly whispers, looking at him with all the love in the world “I’ve been waiting for you, for so long” 

“I’m here now” he murmurs as he gently pulls her closer to him, moving the pillow that separated them to the ground. “Don’t plan on leaving anytime soon”

“Really?” she asks hopefully as he places a hand on her face, trialing his thumb from her lips to her jaw. “As long as you’ll have me” he responds 

Simon closes the distance between their lips and kisses her gently. Her hands move to his chest as he pulls her closer. She swings a leg around him and moves to place herself in his lap, with her hands guiding her. As she settles he smirks at the little gasp she lets out at the feeling of him beneath her. His hands fall to her waist, groaning as she involuntarily rocks her body against him. He pulls back and looks at her, smiling softly.

“What?” she asks breathlessly 

“Fucking gorgeous” he says kissing her once more. However this one was much shorter, as he didn’t want things to get too carried away. He pulls her into his chest and holds her there, wrapping his arms around her body as she curls into him. 

“Welcome home Si” she whispers in his ear

Both understood that this was their home. The beginning of their new life together. 

Tag list:@vivi123abc

[hanjisungs-bigtittyg0thgf]

Muse

music major!bang chan x art major!reader

Trigger warnings: none

Content warnings: your teeth might fall out over how sweet it is??? that's literally it. it's all fluff lmao

Summary: after what you believe is a chance meeting, chan becomes your muse.

Word count: 3237

Author's note: omg hiiiii babes it's been a minuteeee. this is kinda short but it was the first thing i wrote after finally working through some stuff. shoutout to @hopelessromantic5933 for requesting this, sorry for making you wait almost two years 🥲 anyways, i hope you all enjoy it! don't forget to check out my other work ❤ and don't hesitate to send in asks! also redoing my tag list so comment or dm to be added! much loveeeeee

Tags: @bahng-chrizz

content after the cut

You let out a soft sigh as you grabbed your bag and stood from your desk. You were contemplating changing your major as you made your way out of the classroom, digging through your bag to find your phone. You loved learning new concepts and trying new things but the technique you were learning this week was one you’d never appreciated. You didn’t hate it per se, but you definitely avoided that style. It just didn’t speak to you.

You finally found your phone and began scrolling through your notifications as you made your way towards your favorite food truck. You made a confused face when you saw an Instagram notification from right after your class started. You clicked on it and were greeted with a page full of photos that screamed music major. “Who the fuck is this?” You didn’t bother to go through his pictures, choosing instead to scan his bio for any indication that you knew him. All you came up with was that you attended the same university and shared some mutual friends. He was cute from what you could see so you shrugged and approved the follow request, pocketing your phone as you reached your destination.

You placed your order and stepped to the side, turning to survey the quad. It was a beautiful day and everyone seemed to be taking advantage of it. Maybe inspiration would strike if you sat and people-watched for a bit.

You heard your name a few minutes later and gave a polite smile as you took your food, then scurried off towards your favorite tree. Campus staff had placed a massive wooden lawn chair and some fairy lights under that tree and it always felt so cozy. Plus, you had the best vantage point from there. You could almost see the entire quad from that one spot and you often found yourself sketching study groups there. Today would be slightly different since you were trying something new, but you found a sense of comfort as you settled into the chair and happily munched on your lunch.

As soon as you’d finished eating, you grabbed your sketch pad and pencil and allowed your gaze to sweep across the open field. It was teeming with life so all you had to do was choose someone and start sketching. You shook your head and chose a stationary subject first, needing to build up the courage to locate someone you’d consider asking to model for you.

Your eyes settled on a petite young woman who was seated a few yards away, sipping on coffee with her nose in a book. She almost seemed out of place here given how regal she appeared. Her posture was perfect, shoulders squared and back straight, and her hair fell over her shoulders in romantic waves. She was a picturesque beauty.

You began drawing, allowing your pencil to glide along the paper and create a version of the woman that you felt did her justice. It was far from perfect but you were certain no artist could truly capture her beauty so you gave yourself some grace. You were adding more detail when she began to pack up her things. You let out a soft sigh, knowing you’d likely never see the goddess again and this was as far as you’d get with this sketch. You flipped the page and decided to take a different approach as you spotted two men throwing a frisbee. Both were attractive, though one had a more athletic build.

You focused on the athletic one and took mental notes on the way his body moved as you began to draw him. First, you sketched out the general shape of his body as he twisted in preparation to throw the disk, then you began to add more details. You focused on the way his clothing fell and the way the midday sunlight bounced off his caramel brown hair, getting a strange sense of familiarity as you scrawled notes in the margins on the colors you’d incorporate when you got the chance.

You watched him closely as you tried to find another position to sketch him in, perking up instantly when you caught him with his arm outstretched, the frisbee leaving his hand. He was smiling brightly, displaying the most adorable dimples, and your heart sped up for a moment. You quickly began to sketch, memorizing as much detail as possible before he moved too much.

You gulped but drew even more frantically when he lifted his shirt to wipe the beads of sweat rolling down his face, revealing a six pack and prominent v-line. His proportions were perfect and if you weren’t so flustered by how attractive he was, you’d ask him to model for you. He was exactly what you needed for this project.

That strange familiarity came creeping back in as you drew but it was only when you made brief eye contact that you recognized him. He was the owner of the mystery account who’d requested to follow you less than an hour ago. You frantically looked away and continued drawing, praying he wouldn’t have anything to say when he undoubtedly recognized you from your photos.

You thought you were in the clear when he didn’t approach you after about five minutes but just when the thought crossed your mind, your luck ran out and the frisbee came flying at your head. You ducked your head quickly and listened as the disk crashed into the tree behind you.

“Felix, your arm fuckin’ sucks, bro!” Your breath caught in your throat when your unwitting model’s Australian accent reached your ears as he jogged towards you.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry!” Called the man who’d lobbed the plastic at your head - Felix, as you’d gleaned from hearing the athletic man mocking him. He looked panicked, hands covering his mouth as he watched from where he was frozen in place. He was just as pretty and you certainly wouldn’t mind him modeling for you sometime. He had a wholesome, warm appearance.

“Sorry about him, he’s usually not such a klutz.” Your mystery man flashed a smile as he rounded your chair, taking a glance at your work as he reached down behind you.

“Ah- no, it’s not a problem. I wasn’t paying much attention.” You offered up a shy smile before looking back down to your paper. You didn’t notice him studying your pad as he retrieved the disk so you were startled when he attempted conversation as he righted himself.

“You sure about that?” He chuckled softly as he leaned over your shoulder to get a closer look and you froze. “Looks like you were paying plenty of attention.” He teased as he studied your art. Who was he and why was he so comfortable? Your heart was thumping and you wanted to vanish. “You an art major?” He asked as he stood straight once more and came around the chair to properly look at you. He was still closer to you than a stranger should be but at least you could breathe again.

Your cheeks were flaming red at being caught and you simply nodded as you began to gather your things in a rush. “I am. Sorry, this is probably really weird for you. I should-”

“What? No! This is really flattering. I don’t know a whole lot about art but you did an amazing job. Can I take a look at some of your other stuff sometime?” You froze once more but his blinding smile won against your nerves and you found yourself nodding. “Great! Can I get your number to get in touch? Or is Instagram better?”

“Ah, so you recognized me…” You let out a single huff of air that somewhat resembled a laugh as you closed your book.

“Of course I did. It’s not often I come across such a beautiful woman.” His dimples appeared once more as your cheeks went pink and your jaw dropped slightly, a smile slowly taking over your face. “Here.” He handed you his phone and you took it slowly, trying to collect yourself and remember how to use your thumbs to type your number out. When you passed it back, his fingers ghosted over yours and you retreated quickly as his smile faded into something far more flirtatious. “Thanks, I’ll text you. I’m Chan, by the way.”

“Y/n…” You murmured, enraptured by the man before you. You were dumbfounded at the way he spoke so comfortably and seemed to take an interest in you. This man was Adonis and was looking at you with an unbelievable level of interest.

“Pleased to meet you, y/n.” He began to back away as he pocketed his phone, his carefully crafted confident facade beginning to crumble, revealing a giddy young man who was thrilled to have gotten a girl’s number so easily. “I’ll let you get back to it. But do try and get my left side. That’s my good side.” He winked and you involuntarily rolled your eyes as a smile finally appeared on your lips as he made his way back to his friend with a triumphant grin.

————————————————

Your phone buzzed just after 6pm that night and you froze at the unfamiliar number.

Hi pretty 👋🏻 it’s Chan. How are you?

You quickly saved his number before responding.

hiii i’m good how are you

Much better now that I’m talking to you 😉

You were at a loss for words but he quickly sent another message.

I’d be even better if I could take you to get coffee in the near future. Are you free next weekend? Say Saturday at 11am?

You felt a jolt of anxiety shock your body but shook it off. You’d never grow as a person if you continued to shrink away from people who wanted to get to know you. Plus, he was cute. Which is why we’re anxious, dumbass. This isn’t about human connection, this is about a beautiful man flirting with you. You shook your head and typed out a response.

i think i can manage that 😆

Perfect! I’m thrilled to see you and your amazing work. 😌

————————————————

The coffee date had gone smoothly, with Chan gushing about your work and lighting up like a neon sign when you asked him to model for you. He’d been so flattered and excited that you’d asked and had immediately set up a time for you to draw him. After you’d gotten home, you texted him with more details, including where to meet and what he should wear.

Now, he was standing in your living room and you were circling him with one arm crossed over your middle while you drummed your fingers of the opposite hand against your chin. He was fighting the urge to shift around under your scrutiny and let out a tiny sigh of relief when you stopped in front of him with a smile. “I think I have an idea.”

“Have your way with me.” He grinned, ears going red when you stared at him somewhat surprised by his words. “Uh- I just- h-how do you want me to pose? That’s what I meant…” 

You laughed at his flush and shook your head. “Don’t make it weird.” You warned playfully as you pushed him towards your bedroom. You had a daybed with warm-toned sheets and pillows and knew instantly that it was the perfect backdrop. “Come on, I know what I’m gonna do with you.” He seemed to grow more flustered as he processed where you were guiding him and you almost laughed again.

Over the last few weeks, you’d grown quite comfortable with him but he seemed a little less outspoken. He was still very flirtatious but in a more genuine, careful way. He didn’t come on as strong as he did at first. While getting to know each other, you’d come to realize he was a kind man with a lot of love to give the world and a strong sense of self, not just your typical college kid. Most of your late night conversations were deep, thought-provoking, emotional discussions about life where you could see his soul was just as beautiful as his exterior. So while he certainly had his moments of being just some guy, he saved his perverted humor for his friends and kept most things with you pretty PG and entirely sincere.

When you reached your room, you nudged him towards the bed and turned to set up your easel. “Take off your shirt and socks and get on the bed.” He hesitated at first and was on the verge of sputtering some shy response when you turned back with your bottom lip poking out. “Oh come onnnn.” You whined cutely, further exaggerating your pout. “It’s for class.” Your pout was quickly replaced with a little grin as you grabbed your canvas and placed it on the easel. “Plus, it’s not like I haven’t already seen your body before.”

“Right.” He cleared his throat and began to unbutton his shirt. You watched him in your peripheral vision as you continued to set everything up and had an idea.

“Actually, hold on.” You stopped him as he began to slide the linen off his muscular shoulders and he slowly put it back in place. “Just leave it open like that, that’s perfect.” You smiled as your vision fully came to you. “Socks off and get in the middle of the bed.”

He followed your instructions while watching you scurry off to your en suite bathroom to fill a cup with water. When you returned, he was sitting almost awkwardly in the center of your bed and you chuckled softly. You approached him wordlessly and knelt beside him to arrange your pillows so they were nestled in the right corner. You gestured for him to recline and stood back once he was slumped. He wasn’t lying down, he was simply sprawled across your mattress at an angle.

“Okay, bring your right knee up and sort of prop on your left elbow.” You watched as he complied and scrutinized his positioning for a moment before crawling back onto the bed. “I’m gonna make some adjustments.”

You noticed his flush creeping down his neck as you adjusted his open shirt how you wanted it to lay. “Put your hand like this.” You instructed as you demonstrated how you wanted his hand to rest across his bare torso and he complied. “And relax your left leg a bit. I want you to almost lay like Adam in Creation of Adam.”

“I think I get where you’re going with this.” He nodded, a tiny grin settling on his lips. You lifted a brow as you waited for his guess and instantly rolled your eyes when he spoke again. “You’re trying to tell me I’m a classic beauty.”

“Yes, but no.” You laughed softly as you shook your head. “Look over there.” You pointed to where you’d be sitting and made some final adjustments to his shirt as he followed your instructions. You noticed him forcing his breathing to remain steady and his flush reaching his chest as your fingers accidentally brushed against the waistband of his cream colored linen pants.

You didn’t allow yourself to worry over how you’d just touched him or to get flustered at the effect your proximity was having on him and pushed ahead, reaching to fix his hair. You adjusted a single curl and brushed a few strands away from his eyes before your gazes met and you lost the battle to remain calm. Your cheeks went a soft pink as he smiled up at you. “Hi.”

“Hi.” You whispered back, smiling back at him and allowing your fingertips to trail down the side of his face. Seeing him this close made you even more certain of your decision to cast him as your model. His skin was flawless and his bone structure was heavenly. He truly was a god among men. And his lips…

“You’re staring.” He whispered, his smile slipping away as he noticed the way your eyes locked on his full lips.

“I’m not…” You refuted his claim but still couldn’t look away.

“You are.” His face grew redder and you thought he might kiss you but he didn’t dare move after you’d finally gotten him perfectly positioned. It was almost maddening.

“I’m not.” You finally looked towards his eyes and found him staring at your lips as well. “You are.”

“Can’t help it. You have pretty lips.” He slowly met your gaze and something in you snapped. You’d been wanting him to kiss you for a couple weeks and he hadn’t so you took matters into your own hands.

When your lips met his, he hesitated. Not because he wasn’t interested, but because he was surprised that you’d initiated it. You’d given him the impression that you wanted him to take the lead and he wanted to be careful with you so he hadn’t dared to do more than hold your hand. But now your lips were on his and he was in the clouds.

He slowly brought his hand up to cup your face without disturbing the careful placement of his shirt and allowed his lips to move against yours. Your heart was racing at how slow and sweet the moment was. It felt like the stars had aligned and you found yourself smiling against his lips. “I’ve wanted to do that for a little while now.” You whispered and began to pull back.

“Me too. I’ve been trying to take it slow with you though. Didn’t wanna move too fast and risk scaring you off.” He explained quietly, not really letting you move as his hand slipped to the back of your neck. “So come back here, we’ve got a couple weeks of lost time to make up for.” He teased as he chased your lips.

“You did the exact opposite. You were driving me mad wondering what exactly was happening between us.” You laughed softly before allowing him to kiss you again. His lips felt perfect against yours and you knew instantly that you’d quickly become addicted.

It couldn’t have been more than three minutes of sharing chaste kisses but it felt much longer and you frowned a bit when you finally came up for air. “Unfortunately, I’ve got to get to work now or you’ll be stuck waiting here until late into the night.”

“I could wait an eternity for you, babe.” He winked before immediately cringing. You couldn’t help but laugh loudly at the face he pulled and he took a moment to admire your joyful expression before shaking his head. “That was so cheesy, I’m sorry.” He chuckled and settled back into his previous position. “Work your magic.”

“For the record,” you started as you stood and studied him once more. “I love little pet names like that.” You hummed, making your way to your canvas. “So I’d really like it if you continued to use them.”

“Of course, baby girl. But don’t be surprised if I rarely use your real name then.” He grinned and relaxed his hand, allowing his fingers to splay out against his stomach.

“I’ll hold you to that. Now give me an emotionally tortured smolder.” You smiled to yourself at his soft laugh and began to sketch out the god of a man lounging on your bed.

[skekdris]

The Visitor - Behind the Scenes

"The Visitor" is my first big story of mine that saw the light of day. In this post, I'll be explaining my thought process behind why and how I made it. In a future post, I'll be explaining my Arhulian species, and my character Niadris in more detail. But for now, I'll be on to explaining my creative process. Firstly, a few months ago I got back into tumblr after finding the blogs of @chocodile and @kwillow. Their characters, their art, their stories. They moved me, they inspired me! Drawing was never my strong point, (I had to enlist @aryeonos to graciously sketch my species reference for me <3) but descriptive writing is something I can do! So through that, it was the avenue I expressed my creation. That said; Ary being my editor and proof reader really helped me achieve a level of polish I don't think I could have accomplished on my own. <3 The Amaranthine characters are so rich and vibrant, I just wanted to write for them. Their personalities just seemed really fun to write for, as well as gave me a clear picture of how each character would behave in a story. A solid baseline for my weirdo badger-pede to contrast with. So I poured over Kwillow's and Chocodile's art pages for information about the characters and the setting. I wanted to respect the lore and setting as best I can; as well as the fact, the more information I had, the easier it would be to write.

Feelin' A Bit Drafty In Here

In a very early pre-draft version of the story (where I was still ideating over it), I thought I would try to tell the story from Niadris' perspective, but Aryeonos felt it would ruin a lot of the mystery and suspense surrounding Niadris, as well as deprive me of character interaction moments for the rest of the cast. So I redid the entire tone and course of the story to focus on the Rising dawn quartet, (sans snoozing bunny) with Niadris being the add - an apt decision since the cast literally considers them an intruder! In the new story format, I thought about Theo being so nerve wracked by Niadris that he would try to poison them, only for it not to work, and for Niadris to then reveal their life-sensing ability to Theo and tell him that they are not mad because always knew where he stood as a veiled threat. The story would have had a more adversarial tone; but then after doing some more lore spelunking, I learned that Theo prefers to handle confrontation openly and honestly as opposed to taking the scoundrel's way out.

So after learning that wasn't a very gentlemanly move, I decided to shift gears and redo the story (again) to what you see today. After that, I looked up the other characters for pertinent lore and information about them. I was already pretty familiar with Hyden, and Theo was the first character I discovered since I'm a diehard rat/skaven fan and always combing the internet for rat characters!

Then came to Alex and Ridge. After having my "cast" in hand, I figured out what to do with them. In the current iteration of the story, I wanted Niadris being self-conscious of their frightening appearance (they've certainly been screamed and shot at enough) and opt to meet the cast in a way that does not end in violence. Hence the Arhulian observing the cast for a long time and then making their carefully planned move. Likewise, first impressions are very important, and Niadris trying to approach the situation in a delicate manner (whether or not it worked) was one of my central goals in depicting them, and Arhulians as a whole. They are far from mindless brutes... Switching back to the the Amaran quartet, they are not my characters obviously - I'm just writing for them - so I tried to make educated guesses on how'd they react based on the information I had at hand. So keep in mind these are my personal head cannons of these characters!

Character Dynamics

Hyden - Due to the way the story was structured, he was not utilized very much. Which, is a shame on one hand, but on the other, it leaves my options open for how he would react in a future story. He could be just as lost as the rest of the cast, then shift to be deeply fascinated by the unnatural being that is Niadris. Treating them like magic buddyTM Ambroys 2.0. (Though he may find it much more difficult sink his roots into Niadris, as they are far sharper, and not blinded by idolism like Theo.) Or, alternatively, Hyden being a time displaced scholar could know something about Arhulians the present day cast does not, and is trouser-browningly terrified. But that is as much as I'll reveal for now. We'll see what way the coin falls. :) Theo - Theopolis North was the most fun to write for. Poor little Rat man pinballed through many different emotions across the story. Firstly, fear. Secondly, he's even more unnerved by the fact Niadris can go toe-to-toe in his smartassery which means it's intelligent. And that's extra dangerous in his eyes. I thought about writing Theo being even meaner and more hostile, but I decided Theo has a few reasons to keep himself reeled in. 1) Theo - though a poorly adjusted meanie - has enough sense to know that trying to stress-test this thing's patience would not go in his favor if the matter escalated. Especially with a thing that could throw him across a room or eat him alive. Unmetaphorically. Best to let a sleeping dragon lie so to speak. 2) I've noted that Theo appears to be a dire misanthrope, so a thought occurred to me that Niadris is just so alien they just end up in a loophole of sorts. And I decided that is a funny dynamic, and I'm going to roll with that. :) 2.5) Theo's aggression seems to be heavily rooted in his own insecurities. Niadris is somewhere between socially illiterate to too logically minded to care. So in a way, from theo's perspective; that's big wall that isn't there for him. 3) As much as it agonizes him to admit, the alternative is telling this thing to sod off, resulting in them just roaming about unaccounted for entirely. At least this way, he can keep an eye on them... 4) Granted, he does not want to admit it outright and 'encourage' them, Theo is personally intrigued by Niadris. Although he hasn't quite put it together it yet; Arhulians are intelligent, sentient, beings that definitively exist outside of "ascension". The implications would be defining to say the least. Theo's name would go down in the books for sure... And lastly, this being gives him a sense of deja vu he tries not to think too closely about. Henceforth, I laid down the roots of what may be the beginning of a very odd "friendship" as hinted at in the closing paragraphs of the story.

Alex - From the lore I got on her, she jumped out to me as the most rational and calm-minded of the group. She's a cool, collected soldier. Her perception is sharp (and unlike Theo, it's not calibrated in entirely the wrong direction via paranoia). Her nature as a sniper means it's natural for her to sit back, absorb information, and think about a decision before making it. Because of this, it felt natural that she'd fall into the role of "team mom" because she's the most level-headed and surprisingly enough, the most socially adjusted of the group. Especially since her competition is: 1) Hyden; a washed up noble that doesn't know what century he's living in - whose social resume is bossing around servants and bullshitting noble asses.

2) Theo; a misanthropic, paranoid, bulgy-eyed weirdo that's a reclusive shut in. 3) Ridge; Likely the best of the three. But if I remember the lore right, it's heavily implied that Ridge was in jail for some time, so I'd wager that has not done his social skills any favors. So with that in mind, Alex is the glue desperately trying to keep (the now) quintet from unraveling.

Ridge - Of the four characters here, Ridge has the least information available that I could find, so a lot of his character is implied from his surface level details, like him being big and brawny, that he had spent time in jail, and is at the very least in a non-hostile relationship with Alex. With all that said, I guesstimate he has the least amount of emotional baggage and personality extremes, so I felt that Ridge would be the best fit for a layman character. Niadris - Beyond what I already mention here, I'd rather keep their inner workings hidden, as they are both a mysterious, and a still developing (both in-universe and in a meta sense) character...

What's Next?

Without giving away too much, the logical path forward to the story is that Niadris is playing it safe as they have never been around multiple people for an extended period of time before. So they take on a passive role to learn and observe the... odd group dynamic the rising dawn quartet have. There will be a great deal of funny character moments and learning experiences for all involved! Over time, Niadris will start to make their own waves as they get accustomed to the group, and begin manifesting their own wants once they feel comfortable exerting their own social pressure. Likewise, everyone is wary of the big, scary Arhulian. But on the other hand, their value as an asset is undeniable! And they would be a pretty definitive tie-breaker should a schism arise... Various parties will likely be setting plans into motion to try and vie for Niadris's loyalty now that this wild card has scuttled their way into the group. With the groundwork of Niadris' and the Arhulians' introduction laid, I have to spend some time thinking about the path forward; as this is the point where things can really diverge, so I must decide what direction the story is going to head in. So alas, I don't really have an ETA in mind for the next chapter of this fan-story.

[bryce-bucher]

Midwest Lost Post #1

Introduction:

This is my second time writing this post because I pressed ctrl z on accident at the end of my (very long) first attempt and apparently tumblr doesn't have a redo button. I am going to scream. Anyway, Midwest Lost is a souls-like set in the American Midwest in which you play as an angsty teenage boy with a big fuck off sword. My main inspirations for this project are the mainline souls games (also bloodborne psx), metal gear rising revengeance, and kingdom hearts 358/2 days. The best way I can describe my goal for this project is that I want it to be a fun, earnest, introspective, and emotionally raw teenage drama with a focus on atmosphere, narrative, and cool bossfights. As you can probably tell this project is the most early in development of the three I'm currently working on.

Story:

I'm not going to go into too much detail here because I want to avoid talking about spoilers, and, also, anything is subject to change at this point. The gist of it is that you are playing as an emotionally troubled teenage boy who (figuratively and literally) hides behind his big ol' sword. His ultimate goal is to leave his dead-end home town behind and make a better life for himself. The first obstacle of many in this goal is the protagonist's abusive stepfather who serves as the introductory bossfight of the game. I have a lot of ideas for bossfights that I am extremely excited about, but I'll avoid talking about them here so that I can show them off when they are more developed (one of them I'm excited about is a mom van). The game is likely going to be 50% exploration of a vibin small town and 50% fighting bosses, so most of my effort is going into those two things. The game's story is going to take place in chapters with various time gaps between them. This will allow me to set different chapters in different seasons, and, most importantly, it will let me set a chapter on Halloween night. The last thing I'll talk about in regards to the story is that, as absurd as the subject matter may get, I want to avoid the game feeling irony poisoned at any point. I want the game to feel earnest as that is how I'm feelin' while making it.

Mechanics to Appease a Goopy Goblin Gamer Brain:

I would describe my enjoyment of games as a medium as belonging on a spectrum where the left has experiences that touch me in an more complex emotional sense, and the right has experiences that are pure serotonin injected straight into my soul. The souls games sit comfortably in the middle. This is because the atmosphere, storytelling, and general vibe of the souls games is really harrowing and beautiful, and the gameplay gives me the kind of intense brainworms that lead me to play through it twice a month. Before working on my current three projects, I hadn't really worked on something that I intended to necessarily be fun. In a way, I'm sort of getting out of my comfort zone by making something so mechanically heavy. It's been a nice change of pace to learn that I can focus on atmosphere and gameplay without either of them feeling creatively unsatisfying. Something you must know about me is that I have an immeasurable fixation on dodge rolling, and I think it's one of my favorite mechanics of all time. All this to say I put a dodge roll in my game, and I think it's feelin' really good.

Animation is Hard:

(But if I'm being honest, I'm getting there.)

Souls-likes are sort of unique as a genre in that animation is extra important in them. In something like a platformer you might have a bad jump animation that makes the gamefeel all wonky, but the jump itself will still work the same. In contrast, a 3D-Action game like Dark Souls is very dependent on its animations to control timing, spacing, and telegraphing on top of the gamefeel. Before starting this project I didn't really know if I had the animation chops to pull something like this off, but heading straight into the deep end has, I think, really helped me improve my animation skills quickly. The moment I got the stepfather's "lunge + spin knife around" attack implemented (as pictured above) I got a lot more confident in my ability to probably make this game feel pretty dang fun. Recently, I had to make 8 different strafe animations and it strangely didn't feel like a chore at all. I'll talk about that more next week since it's related to the mechanic I'm currently working on.

Drinkz:

The main healing items in this game are a variety of energy drinks, coffee brands, soda, etc. that each have their own unique effect. In the above gifs you can see the two that I have currently implemented. These are the green and blue varieties of in-world brand "Vlade Energy". The green one is the most basic heal item, and it's the one you start off with. It allows you to take two sips per can with each sip healing a good deal, and you can roll out of the drink animation at anytime; however, cancelling the animation also discards any sips yet taken while still using up the can. The blue one stacks a passive buff on the player that allows them to heal by dodging through enemy attacks. I'm really happy with the presentation of the heal mechanic with the fun particles, the sfx (take my word for it I guess), and the animation of the protagonist throwing the empty can away.

Music:

The game currently has none. I'm looking to commission a bunch of artists to fill up the soundtrack with some banging Midwest Emo or songs that otherwise have an indie feel. If you make music and are interested in doing a song or two please hmu. It'll be a p long while before I'm actually worrying about getting music in the game, but I thought I'd mention it. There is also gonna be some fights that have tracks way outside of the Midwest Emo genre, so don't be afraid to hmu if you are making different types of stuff.

Conclusion:

I wish I could talk more about this project, but I'm gonna have to wait until it's further along. Next week I'll be talking about my strafing / sidestepping mechanic that I'm currently implementing, so I'll see ya then. I'd like to end this post by mentioning that the amazing portrait of the main character seen in the health UI was commissioned from lonesomnia. I cannot stress enough how much I love how that piece came out.

[genderqueer-miharu]

Hello, so this was supposed to be a reblog of this post by @archivalofsins but since tumblr mobile sucks its not letting me reblog to add anything. So i decided to write what i wanted to add in a seperate post. Please go read the og post first since this will be discussing something she mentioned at the end about the similarities between Caligula Effect and Milgram and the possible connections with how the locations in both series operate. It's really interesting especially if you're a fan of both series. Spoiler warning for both Caligula Effect games as well

First off, your observations were fantastic i was blown away when i read that last part. But you mentioning how similar milgram and mobius and redo work made me realize something. So you already mentioned the weird passage of time, the connections with Miku and the songs the prisoners cover, the doors, they're all are great catches, but there is something else that would just give this connections even more credibility, something that's a big part of both the Caligula games and Milgram: the songs.

Right at the start of the musician route in Overdose after the protagonist gains the form of Lucid, they tell Thorn and Mu that they'll need a song of their own, to which Thorn and Mu show them a mixing console to compose their song and after they're done composing Mu says this

[Image description: A screenshot from The Caligula Effect Overdose. Thorn, Lucid and Mu stand in front of a mixing console as Mu says: "Now, release your emotions! I'll see the lyrics in your heart and sing them for you!". /End description]

Specifically mentioning that she'll sing the lyrics in their heart. Her saying this might just mean she does this with all the other musicians. Unlike Thorn and the Obbligatto musicians in Redo the rest of the musicians were not actual composers in the real world and they might have just started when they got to Mobius. But they didn't actually have to write any lyrics, as Mu did here she could just look into their hearts and get the lyrics, not too different for how Milgram extracts the songs. The Obbligatto musicians in Redo on the other hand, were all actual Virtuadoll producers in reality as stated in their profiles (with the exceptions of Regret and Bluffman). So the songs there were all most likely all written and composed by them, with Regret simply singing the songs.

However, there's something else that give the connections with Milgram even more credibility, and that's the fact that music videos for these songs exist in-universe as well

MVs for 1 (except love scope and onboro)

MVs for 2

None of the musicians in both games mention having made these videos themselves, so it wouldn't be too farfetched to assume that Mobius and Redo are able to do just do this. And since Mu and Regret had control over their respective worlds they could've created these videos to broadcast to a wider audience to drag more people in, and create more digiheads.

I know that it's not just like how Milgram extracts videos but all the individual details can be combined to make the system Milgram uses make more sense. As you stated Mu is able look into people's hearts and see what they were like in reality, along with her stating that she can look into the musicians' hearts to extract the lyrics for their songs and the possibility of her creating music videos for these songs it starts to sound more and more like how Milgram works, if anyone has access to the code of Mobius then they could use all these things to create the videos we see.

That's pretty much all i wanted to mention. And i really like the idea that Milgram might just work similar to Mobius and Redo cause it really explains many of the unexplained things in the series, like the weird passage of time in the prison, why the prisoners cover Miku's songs, why Es can't be attacked by the prisoners or why they can't attack each other during specific periods of time, hell it might also explain where the items the prisoners ask for come from since someone could just program these things to appear. And them being in comas in reality would really explain Yuno's comment on wether she's alive or not. It's all really interesting to me and i'm glad you brought this up. We'll see if Milgram actually explains this and if it really is as similar as we think.

[broken-clover]

22- Creating

I'll admit I'm considering mashing up prompts for the last week of this little project, I'm very much losing steam but don't want to throw in the towel when so close to completion.

Somehow I still have more fandoms to add in, so here's a little persona 5. A very flawed game with questionable moments, but I still like a lot of the characters, especially Yusuke. He's a charmingly peculiar little man with a fluffy fox tail that wags. It's hard not to be charmed. I'm realizing that both of the only fics I've made for him are about making art, but I'm treating it as a form of enrichment for him.

-

Yusuke was, first and foremost, a painter, but when Akira had made mention of some sculptor’s clay he’d bought at a discount from the craft store, he simply couldn’t resist. The urge to create could manifest in many ways.

The loft had already been set up with a little folding table by the time he’d arrived. Sakamoto and Takamaki were already there, as well, something that gave him pause. He hadn’t expected anyone else, nor had the two ever seemed particularly artistically inclined. At least at a glance, the box of clay was quite large, plenty for the four of them.

He sat down in the open chair. “I appreciate you inviting me, Akira.”

“Well, making a whole event out of this was Ryuji’s idea,” replied Ann, “so be sure to thank him too!”

“Ah…I see. Thank you, Sakamoto.”

Still, Akira had taken charge, as he was prone to. He managed the supply box, wrestling a long string to slice through the beige lump for Yusuke to use.

“You know how to sculpt, dont’cha, Yusuke?” Ryuji asked.

“I’m aware of the basics,” he said. “This isn’t my typical medium, but I am still somewhat familiar with it. Do you?”

“Nah, only done it a couple times before! That’s why I wanted to give it a go when I heard about his little shopping trip!” The boy beamed, jerking a thumb at their leader.

“It felt like a good way to relax,” Ann added in, “it feels like we get less and less free time lately, so if we’ve got an afternoon, why not do something fun?”

Yusuke nodded in approval. Even if he didn’t always understand his teammates, he could understand that much. At times, painting could bring him a sense of relief like no other. That wasn’t always how it went (artists’ block was an accursed thing that soured one of the grandest delights in his life) but when it did, he savored it.

As he started getting to work kneading the clay, he took note of how the others worked. Ann was meticulous in detailing her in-progress sculpture, gingerly scraping away tiny slivers to make patterns of indents and swirls. Ryuji seemed more interested with just playing around than creating something, building up a lump only to squash it back down again and redo the process. Akira was…

He scooted closer to try for a better look. “What are you making?”

Akira flattened the bottom of his half-done creation and began pulling along the top. “I’m making a little bowl.” He replied, thumbing over the rim to smooth the edge. “I don’t think I have any food-safe glaze, so I shouldn’t eat out of it, but I can put it on my desk and use it to hold things.”

What a practical thought. It fit him perfectly.

Yusuke happily fell into the chatter of his teammates, though repeatedly getting distracted by his own clay. Ann had been right, this was just what they’d needed between all the schoolwork and Mementos-delving. Of course the conversation passed over that every once in a while, but it didn’t linger long. They were free to just talk about whatever mundane goings-on caught anyone’s interest. Akira talked about the nice weather. Ryuji talked about an electronics sale he’d seen in town. It was nice. Just good, simple fun with some dear friends. Yusuke hoped they could make a habit of it.

[octavare]

A redo of Tactician’s ref!! Good lord I didn’t realize how badly the old one needed an update until I did this.

This is actually just page 1. Page 2 is going to include all her weapons and is more of just me nerding out about guns but ya’know.

I had wrote a bunch of stuff about details while sleep deprived so it may not make complete sense but I’ll include it under the cut. My autism inhibitors basically completely disabled here so it gets very detailed in some parts but I figured, might as well include it if I took the time to write it up.

So I changed her primary revolver from the diamondback to the stock revolver because I’ve previously established that Tact is more into historical guns rather than modern ones (she loves both though). The diamondback looked a little too modern and didn’t make as much sense since it mechanically only benefits a spy and the reason I had before was dumb so. Stock revolver. Plus a lot of classes share stock weapons anyway.

She also has another revolver that is basically a custom ruger vaquero chambered in .44 (think cowboy big iron gun). Engineer modded it for her and gave it to her as a Christmas present. So she gets that thing at some point. The drawback to it being a higher caliber is that it’s a single loader meaning the cylinder doesn’t swing out and you can’t use a speed loader because of that. Which irl there are plenty of .44 magnums that have swing cylinders but this is a game logic moment. She also has some other guns, including a scoped magnum, a basic ass M1911 that she keeps concealed under her belt, a derringer like Pauling’s concealed in her right boot, and then a lot of other random weapons that I could nerd out about but I’ll save that talk for never since I’ve already dropped enough stupid gun lore (though I will say I gave her an anti materiel rifle because I thought it would be funny). She also has a ton of combat knives but I haven’t thought them out yet other than the main one on her boot. It’s a serrated (warcrime irl!) bowie knife, the holster is kind of lose and can rotate a lot based on gravity so it can be drawn very leniently.

Her belt can hold 24 rounds at once, so that’s 24+6=30 at a time for 90% of the revolvers she has. She doesn’t typically need spare ammo when doing everyday work coordinating the battlefield, in fact it’s rare she even needs to shoot something other than while practicing or demonstrating to another merc.

her headset is wireless but she also has a radio that she uses instead during solo work. The headset is mostly for announcing crap and screaming orders at people in the thick of battle. Basically which one she’s using is entirely contextual

As for her field kit, she wears a jacket + a little neck bandana mostly to prevent dust, gravel, sand from getting in, desert stuff. It can also get chilly at night so it’s nice to have. She’s very used to the heat and doesn’t usually break a sweat when walking around with a jacket in the heat. She has a harness as well that basically has any and all the extra crap she may need on a job, extra rounds, identification, extra glasses, snacks, things you’d keep in a purse or gun bag (similar I know /s). Her holster goes over it. She also has a small messenger bag that she keeps larger stuff in, and then has her contracker on the back left side of her belt for easy access (same place as normal uniform). She usually clips the mic for her radio to the messenger bag and her jacket at once to keep it in place. The radio, btw, is a copy of the cosmetic for engineer since I wanted to keep it consistent.

[ihopesocomic]

I really like the character visual designs of all the Golden Grove lions!

One of my issues with My Pride (and som other animal animations) was all the lionesses just looked like recolors of each other. I mean I guess Hover had a hair tuft but none of them had different body shapes, sizes, silhouettes, or anything other than fur/eye color to distinguish them, let alone convey their personalities or family relations (I honestly would not have guessed Nothing was Powerstrike's daughter just by looking at their designs, even their colors aren't really similar, and all their other features like I mentioned are practically copies of the same exact drawing just like every other lioness in the show)

Whereas with Vicious, Careful, Clever, and Hopeful, for example, they look similar enough to immediately tell they're family, but distinct enough to tell them apart even in uncolored outlines, AND get a sense for what their personality might be like. Like Vicious is "sharper" to convey her harshness, while Hope is very rounded to convey her friendliness, so when they're side by side you can tell they're mother and daughter but can also tell how they're different. (And that's without having to rely on Hope's leg/eye or the fact she's young. She'd still look unique even when you ignore that) With other characters too, the offspring actually LOOK related to their parents and siblings, as opposed to being random colors painted onto the same cookie cutter outline. Heck, even Adamant, she has a hair tuft but it isn't the ONLY thing distinguishing her outline like it is for Hover, and she takes after her father a bit more visually but without looking intimidating like he does

It is refreshing to see more thought put into character designs that are effective for not only telling the characters apart, but also giving the right impression for who they are as a personality!

THANK YOU! One of my favorite things to do is design entire families. I really put all my amateur knowledge of character design to the test here, to make their shapes and colors to get those exact points across about their character. There was some stuff I knew I absolutely wanted to have for specific characters, like I wanted Hope to have spots on her face, but I didn't want her to share 100% of her mother's traits, so while I did intentionally make her look closer to her mother than her father (like how I made Adamant closer to her father than her mother) I still wanted her to inherit something from him so she could at least somewhat believably be his kid.

But then when she's next to Clever, you can tell through other features that Hope is closer to Clever in appearance than you'd initially think.

And I try to make it a point that they can be told apart even without their colors. It's easier for me to do with humanoids than for some animals, because shaping something /too/ different can change the species entirely.

So it makes me really happy that those details are being appreciated.

Picking colors was hard because I wanted them all to be different but similar. But still be lion-colored. Hope was gonna be Diamond's colors but they're honestly more the colors of a puma than a lion, but oh well LOL I liked what her colors ended up being. Brownish-gold but not yellow like Simba. Part of me does want to go back and change her markings and colors a bit just to make her more similar to Clever, but eh that's a lot of work to redo. (I also have personal nitpicks on the rest of the Golden Grove family too that I wish I had time to go back and change.)

But you're right. Just looking at the MP lions there's no defining physical features for the characters. There's different heights /sometimes/ but good luck picking out consistencies. I'd say maybe the mane shapes, but even then those aren't consistent (I almost thought Proud was two different lions on two different occasions LOL) I've seen people say Hover is the most interesting-looking but lol I disagree. (I think the most interesting thing about her is her ability to change colors multiple times in one scene.)

It's just an interesting problem for the show to have because Cow of the Wild's designs, while some are a bit nuts, you can mostly tell who's related to who. And if its meant to be ambiguous, it is. It felt more thought out cuz it was important who was related to who.

Maybe one day I'll do some alternate designs for the Golden Grove pride for funsies. But I doubt they'd be used. Thank you again! - Cat

[lovecolibri]

Deep sigh. So I've already seen people on Twitter justifying potential Buck/Natalia and Eddie/Marisol in the finale because TPTB thought that the show was going to be cancelled and wanted to give everyone "happy endings." And I'm sitting here like, "Am I the only one who thinks that makes NO sense?"

How would giving two main characters endgame - because that's what they would be - relationships with totally random women who the audience barely knows be "happy endings"??? As opposed to letting them have one of the multiple sweet Buckley-Diaz family scenes that they've seen during the series, ambiguous enough that shippers AND non-shippers could be content? If they push these other relationships which, based on what we've seen, had no chemistry and nothing unique or memorable, it would show that TPTB actually wanted unhappy endings - for the Buddie shippers! It would be SUCH a slap in the face to the many fans who've poured so much heart, soul, time and effort into creating fan works and hyping up the show on social media (because say what you want about GA mattering the most, the Buddie fandom is responsible for the vast majority of the show's ONLINE buzz and keeping it relevant in that respect).

Will people EVER stop defending horrid plots and writing from Kristen and co.? I ask that generally, but also for those who think that it's part of the "long game" for Buddie. What long game? Kristen has said that she does not view Buddie as romantic and does not want their relationship to become romantic. It's always possible that she gets replaced or overruled by others, but like...let's not kid ourselves here. We're constantly fighting against her and others who are opposed to Buddie.

On a related note, if Marisol is indeed back for Eddie (and sadly I'm getting the vibe that she is because she keeps getting ruled out for potential guests in 6x17) it won't be another step on the Eddie/Buddie journey like some people are already claiming 🙄 All the emphasis on Shannon is because Eddie is READY for THE one, the "end all be all" partner that he chooses for himself. It's not like this is his first brush with dating, because he already did that with Ana. They're simply not going to redo an Ana 2.0 (aka build them up and then have them break-up). Buck and Natalia...I have no idea what they're doing, and honestly I don't care that much, because Buck went from a favorite to one of my least favorite characters over the past two seasons. I'm almost immune to his dramas. But Eddie is different, and seeing him shoved into something that already seems so ridiculous for so many reasons...it's almost physically painful.

Sorry for the angry message, I'm PMSing and have laryngitis and am generally crabby right now, LOL. I don't follow many people in the fandom anymore because they constantly make excuses for serious issues with the show and just don't keep it real. But you tell it like it is, and I appreciate it!

Every time I see something about the show starting these random relationships BECAUSE they thought it was the end of the show I just get very

about it. Because you're right that's not a happy ending, not just for Buddie shippers but anyone who are fans of the individual characters and want to see them get the kind of love story the show has done so well (for the most part and VASTLY better than most shows manage) for the other canon couples!

Also, I'm gonna be honest, I don't think anyone on the show side was actually worried about the show ending this season. The renewal talks went late last season too and the network was assuring everyone it was just hammering out money details and the show wasn't in danger. (And we saw how well that budget worked out for us in the lack of good (or any in some episodes) emergencies and a much smaller writer/director pool.) So from my understanding and in my opinion this renewal was simply a matter of if FOX could afford to keep producing a (high budget) show owned by Disney or would release it back to be produced and aired by Disney.

911 has always ended their seasons on hopeful notes for everyone and tied things together nicely so what we've heard doesn't sound any different. I personally feel like @outrunningthedark 's prediction of Buck ending the season being alone and settled in himself makes the most sense. The Natalia stuff could come up in the future again (hopefully not) but my guess is she's here to help with a "lesson" for Buck. Why TF we need her for several episodes and Buck pursuing her to get there, when he has a whole firefam full of people with near death experiences to talk to and a character needing a "push" is usually done with a line or two from a victim on a call, is anyone's guess. Mine would be KR is obsessed with getting into Buck's pants so all his stories have to revolve around that 🤷🏻‍♀️ But it feels like a waste of time for me when it could have been a moment on a call and then Buck talking with characters the audience already know and care about and know care about HIM. Firefam interactions are ALWAYS more impactful than having it happen with some random side characters.

I'm with you on being tired of whatever KR is doing with Buck and I hate that because he's always been a top favorite of mine but it's all just SO bad, or like with 6x11 focused on the wrong things and giving dualing messages so nothing really hits the emotional beat it should. And Eddie has come SO far and it's been very 😒😒😒 watching the show pretend Shannon was great and he's trying to find someone to "recapture that spark" he had with her, instead of digging into the complexities of that whole mess as Chris gets older and starts asking hard questions. Maybe we'll all luck out and it will end up being nothing but I personally prefer to brace for the worst and then celebrate being wrong if I am.

I'm sorry you're not feeling well but I hope getting a little ranting out settled your mind a bit! Thanks, I do try to keep things real because while there are a lot of things I love about the show there are things I don't and I don't think it's a bad thing to talk about where things are going wrong because how else is the show supposed to know? I'm with you in that it baffles me that shows write off online fandom because they're a "smaller" portion of the viewers when they are the ones most likely to get new people to watch the show and also create all the buzz the shows love so much! I never watched Hannibal, it's very much Not For Me, but it's been off the air for AGES and I'm still seeing new edits and hearing things about it because it had such a devoted following. Compare that with other procedural shows that end and you never really hear anything about them again. Fandom creates buzz and longevity for shows, why NOT cater to them a little? Here's hoping the move to ABC works out for us and that a shake-up in the writing/pacing etc is part of that deal. Because KR has just proved over 2-ish seasons (she took over sometime in s4 if that finale and forced BT and the scenes she was told she HAD to include that she didn't think were important weren't clue enough) that she can't hack this job. By her own admission she is out of ideas for big emergencies and has a hard time coming up with plots enough to fill out episodes. It's time to get her out.

[taking-thyme]

I find it so funny that I’m like “I’m not a good witch, I barely even meditate, nothing spiritual going on here” meanwhile I have supernatural things happen to me constantly but I still don’t think anything of it. I’m like if Shane Madej was a witch 🤦‍♀️

Like seriously, here’s a list of all the supernatural shit that’s happened to me so far:

I once started sobbing with worry because it was November and there wasn’t any snow yet, and not 5 minutes later did a blizzard begin. There was no snow on the forecast (hence the crying). My siblings still call me “the snow witch” after this incident 

I was joking about Satan at school one day and my nose immediately started bleeding. I told my history teacher and he absolutely freaked out and accused me of being a demon

My sister’s Godmother’s prayer rope (basically an Orthodox Rosary) exploded for no reason. It was just hanging on a hook, nothing touched it, and then I heard a “POP” and beads went around the room as the prayer rope lay in pieces on my desk. I cannot stress enough how literally nothing was touching it or anything. I just said “wow I must be haunted” and carried on with my day

I once had a dream where I actually hit the ground after falling. Apparently old wives tales say that if you hit the ground during a falling dream you actually die. Who knows, maybe I am dead and Purgatory is just Earth but worse?

I asked the Universe for a sign on what to do while walking home, disgruntled after a day of doing nothing, and immediately a Dove erupted out of a nearby tree fighting off a Crow. That’s an omen if I’ve ever seen one

I’m a pagan witch who works with Apollo, Thor and Odin. I once had a very important dream where I was speaking with Odin and Thor, but unfortunately I can’t remember what they said to me. I’m just so amazed that I actually had a dream about them

Also, on the note about working with Apollo, there are TONS of crows and ravens in my neighborhood and I always say "Hi Apollo" whenever I see them. In a tarot reading about which deity to work with, The Sun card flung itself out of the pile and I was like "Okaayyy, Apollo it is!"

I was listening to a Tarot reading once and the reader went “I feel like the name Gigi or Cici is important” and I literally had to stand up and pace because my deceased Great Grandmother’s name was Gigi. A couple days later I was talking about her with my Mom and she mentioned redoing some of Gigi’s old craft projects, and I heard a woman say “Don’t mess with my stuff”.. So apparently Gigi is some sort of ghost or spirit guide 

I frequently see shadowy humanoid figures in my peripheral vision, but when I turn to greet them nobody’s there. While I do wear glasses, I’ve gotten my eyesight checked for anything that could be causing these figures and have gotten nothing. The figures are sometimes very detailed, with clothes and eyes, but once again, one look and nothing was ever there. I sometimes wonder if I’m seeing ghosts or something. 

My mother was declared reproductively sterile before giving birth to me and my 3 older siblings. Yet more evidence that I’m secretly a demon

That time a faerie ring popped up in my backyard. Our garden has flourished effortlessly every year since. 

As a witch, the first spell I ever performed was a healing spell. My friend was sick with Crohn's Disease and was bed bound at the hospital for a while, so I got his permission to do a healing spell to try and make him feel better. Not 30 minutes after the spell was complete did I get a text from him saying he felt a lot better and that it must've worked. He was also allowed to go home a few days later. 

I have a really good sense of Intuition, to the point where I can feel when it’s going to rain or snow before it actually does. I was on a walk with my Mom once, and I told her we shouldn’t go down that path because there would be snakes. She said that’s ridiculous, but not 5 minutes later, she just goes “Damn you, child” as a snake slides past her foot. I still haven’t let her live that down. 

Conclusion: I may be the Witch version of a Disney Princess. If I ever randomly stop posting, assume I've been whisked away on a magical adventure, please and thank you.

[caseyogdenart]

It has been my final week here on Falmouth University's IFY with my final module, 105, being completed and presented at The Poly in Falmouth (seen in earlier post, image 1 and 2). I would like to mention that I had 8 weeks to work on this and I wouldn't like to dwell on this so first let's talk about my struggles and regrets with my piece. Originally I had planned to make 2 cycles (a run and a crawl) and a pounce animation. It was also my first time animating in a proper computer animation software, whilst also practicing my digital art skills.

First I tried out the software Pencil2D and had about a weeks worth of work done until i ran into some problems with the software, i couldn't reorder frames after I had added them or beforehand for that matter which I couldnt get past and had to move onto another software called OpenToonz.

OpenToonz was too feature rich and overwhelming for my current level so after a short while I stopped using it, but I might choose to revisit it in the future as it contained some exciting features and seems to be useful in translating hand drawn pen and paper animation into something digitally workable.

Finally I landed on Photoshop, a software that I was considering to begin with but chose against originally due to the price tag (which was important as I needed something to work from home on). Also I would be lying if I didn't mention it intimidated me to begin with. However after using it once I actually really enjoyed it, it allowed me to edit pixels which as someone who isn't yet good at shaping things like shadows properly it helped a lot. I also found it so much more fun to use than Pencil2D which I needed after being disappointed for this long. I can't explain how much fun I had making this funny little creature move, it reinvigorated me. Unfortunately at this point it was too late to do more than one cycle as I still had to learn how to use the software and redo all of the work I had scrapped so far, my biggest regret of this module.

Like I had mentioned previously it's kind of hard to state how much i enjoyed just drawing and the gratification of making something move no matter how simple. Making small details in the bobbing of the ears and how good the shadows turned out.

The best thing I learned during the making of this is my faith in being able to make something move! In all seriousness I did learn a lot during this module, not only how to use certain aspects of an important software like photoshop, but also that I really don't like Pencil2D. I also learned how to apply a design to an animated sketch, something I had yet to attempt. How to apply shadows to a digital drawing, how to make an effective 4 frame cycle. And perhaps most important to me is that I gained a lot of confidence with my drawing tablet. As an aside I also wore out my first nib which I didnt know was a thing but in hindsight makes a lot of sense!

I think it's safe rto say I didn't keep very well to my week plan but I feel like in the end it didn't matter to me as I learned a lot, came out the other end with something I was proud of even if there is less than I would've liked and most importantly I had a lot of fun with it when I found a software that was right for me.

In closing, I can't wait to do more animating in the future. I loved my time at the IFY when I was able to attend, the staff are wonderful, my close friends have been so supportive and my other classmates have been a source of endless laughter, silliness (and jealousy, no joke you're all so talented, I wish you all well ❤). I'm excited to see where this road leads me and looking forward to mine and my friends future here at Falmouth Uni.

Completed and Presented 16 May 2023

[nadja-antipaxos]

UNDER THE MISTLETOE

Title:  under the mistletoe 

**Fandom: **Ted Lasso

**Pairing: **Ted Lasso x OFC

Summary: Ted catches a crush one of Rebecca's famous friends, so Rebecca invites her to a Christmas party.

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Swearing, drinking alcohol, kissing

Word Count: 3,501

AO3 

Ted settles down in his seat at the Garrick Theatre. He isn’t really sure how people are expected to dress for professional theatre anymore. He sees some people dressed to the nines and others in jeans. He’s glad he went with his trusty khakis. Beard sits down next to him as he takes in the thrum of a live audience.

“Mighty nice of Rebecca to let us tag along.”

“Yeah. Beats staying at home. Have you heard of this show?”

“No. Can’t say I have. Going in blind like those three mice.”

Rebecca and Keeley shuffle in.

“Ted! Beard! Thank you for coming.” Rebecca sits down next to Ted.

“Thank you for the invite.” Ted smiles.

The lights flicker signaling for everyone to quiet down. Ted hadn’t really looked into the show since the invite was so last minute. The only thing the playbill tells him is the title, so he’s excited to see what this is about. A blonde woman sits by herself at a table with a letter in her hand. Their seats are excellent because Ted can see the tears rolling down her face. She laments about someone leaving her and how she felt blindsided. The actress continues to move across the stage removing her wedding ring and wishing she had another chance to see why her husband left her. She has a beautiful singing voice. It sounds familiar, but he knows he’s never seen her before. The lights dim and suddenly a man rushes out on the stage. The music changes completely to something more upbeat with hints of The Fiddler on the Roof (which makes sense when the man explains how dating this woman will hurt his Jewish mother).  He’s very handsome with dark hair and green eyes. Full of charisma. Ted can see why they ended up together.

As the story goes on, Ted realizes they’re telling their stories from two different times. She’s the end to beginning and he’s beginning to end. It’s a fascinating way to tell a story and quite frankly, relationships do feel mixed up like that. Even though both of them are very talented, there’s just something captivating about the woman with her big blue eyes and small stature. Her voice is strong for being so tiny. It almost knocks him back when she roars at her husband for abandoning her on her birthday. Her love tries to cheer her up and give her some hope with a story about a tailor who gets to redo his entire life care of a magical clock. Her letter about her time away is very funny and the actress is absolutely enchanting when she details sharing a dressing room with a snake and missing Vietnamese food while stuck in Ohio. The first act ends with them singing onstage together and getting married.

Ted feels a hand on his shoulder at intermission.

“Oh, Ted. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know this was about a breakup.” Rebecca frowns.

Ted shakes his head.

“It’s okay. I’m not a famous author and Michelle’s not an up-and-coming actress. As far as I know.” He chuckles. “How ‘bout you?”

“I’m fine, thank you. It rings familiar, but I’m glad Rupert doesn’t have any creative talents or he would’ve been insufferable. You sure you’re okay, Ted?”

Ted nods. Keeley stands up so she can join the conversation.

“This actress, yeah? I’ve never seen her before, but she’s brilliant.”

“Great voice.” Beard turns towards them. He leans forward. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” Ted nods. “I never got a ‘Dear John’ letter, well, I ‘spose it’d be ‘Dear Ted’.”

Beard rests his hand under his chin knowing better than to press his oldest friend.

The show starts up again and apparently, after the wedding, the husband develops a wandering eye. He ends up being very successful while she struggles to make it as an actress. His shadow grows bigger and bigger while she shrinks into herself causing a lot of hatred to build up between them. She wants to share in his success but feels like a prop. He just wants his muse back.

Before, he was deflecting a bit, but now Ted can confidently say this story is nothing like his marriage.  Yes, he and Michelle had problems, but he’s never felt anywhere near this level of bitterness towards her. Their marriage just ran its course to its natural end. The actor gives a wonderfully tortured performance about how it pains him to be unfaithful, but he’s so resentful towards his wife he feels he has no other choice. The show ends with a gorgeous song where he sings goodbye to her and leaves the letter while she’s over the moon about their first date fantasizing about their life together. Ted gets to his feet immediately clapping his hands together. It really was a fantastic show.

“So, what’s next, Boss?” Ted asks.

Rebecca looks down at her phone for a moment waiting for something. She lifts a finger.

“Oh! Good! Come with me.”

Ted follows Rebecca backstage. He knows money opens a lot of doors, but he hadn’t expected this. He watches as Rebecca congratulates the actor on his show. The man (who goes by Jeremy) is very pleasant and gracious, but their conversation gets cut short at the sight of his wife and daughter.

“Becca!” The actress yells out before throwing her arms in the air. She’s actually American like her character.

“Natalie!” Rebecca smiles. “You blonde vision.”

“Ha ha.” The woman takes off the wig revealing dark brown hair. “Did you like the show?”

“Your West End debut was brilliant.” Rebecca gives her a hug before looking back at her friends. “This is Keeley Jones. Ted Lasso. And Beard. Everyone, this is Natalie Warren.”

“Thank you so much for coming.” Natalie waves.

“Absolutely. Quite a set of pipes you’ve got there.” Keeley smiles. “I’ve dated a Jamie that was quite a shit.”

“Oh, thank you.” Natalie flashes a smile so bright it makes Ted a little woozy. “Oh, fuck him then. You’re way better than that.”

“Fuck yeah, I am!” Keeley gives Natalie a high five before pulling her into a hug.“Um, Rebecca, where have you been keeping this gem?”

“She’s usually in the States acting her little arse off and heading up the US branch of Letters to Santa.”  Rebecca shrugs and Natalie mimics her.

Her eyes are deep blue like sapphires sparkling under the lights. Ted got so caught up in the story he didn’t realize just how pretty she is. High cheekbones and that smile. He’s never been starstruck before, but now is a good a time as any.

“That Jamie fella shoulda been a lot nicer to you.” Ted stuffs his hands in his pockets feeling too aware of his hands.

“Cathy would agree.” Natalie nods. “Oh, you’re the coach for Rebecca’s team, right?”

“Club,” Rebecca whispers.

Natalie rolls her eyes and looks back at Ted.

“Yes, I am, ma’am.” Ted winks. Wait, why did he wink? That was stupid.

“He rhymes.” Natalie raises her eyebrows.

“Don’t get him started.” Rebecca rolls her eyes.

“So your actual name is Beard?” Natalie turns to face him.

“Yes.” Beard nods and steps closer to her.

“Was that like crazy stressful when you were a kid and couldn’t grow facial hair?”

“You have no idea.” His brown eyes narrow.

“Were you ever scared you couldn’t live up to the name?” She wiggles her eyebrows in a way that makes Ted chuckle.

“Never.”

“Beard’s fearless.” Ted laughs. Suddenly, it hits him like a bus on Regina George. “Princess Cleo!”

Keeley, Beard, and Rebecca stare at him like he might be having a stroke, but Natalie just smiles.

“You’re in the movies about the royal foxes. You’re Princess Cleo.”

“Yes, I am!”

“My son Henry loves ‘em.”

“Is Henry back in the States?”

“Yeah. Kansas.”

“If you’re cool with it, I could say hi?”

Ted jiggles his head doing the math. It’s only 4 pm over there.

“If you don’t mind.”

“Nope.”

He calls Michelle who looks surprised at the call and the fact it’s FaceTime.

“Hey, Michelle. Sorry. I have a little something for Henry. Is he around?”

“Uh, yeah. Henry! It’s your dad!” Michelle hands over the phone and Henry appears on the screen.

“Hey, buddy. I just saw a musical and I think you know this little lady. Close your eyes.” Ted smiles. Natalie pops her head over his shoulder and Ted ignores the tingle from her breath on his neck.

“Greetings and good morrow, Henry of Kansas.” Natalie grins.

“Princess Cleo?” Henry’s eyes pop open. “Dad, that’s Princess Cleo!”

“I know, big guy. Her real name is Natalie and she’s a stupendous actress.”

“Wow. Mom, that’s Princess Cleo!”

“Hi!” Michelle comes back on screen. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

“Is the next Royal Foxes coming out soon?”

“This summer. You gonna go see it?” Natalie asks.

“Yeah! I hope the King finds out she’s the archer.”

“I’m sworn to secrecy. You’ll just have to see. Now, do you remember this?” Natalie begins to sing the big song and snaps her fingers. She does a kick step and Henry mirrors her while singing along. He’s absolutely blown away. Ted’s touched at how kind she’s being to his boy. She must get this a lot.

“…So don’t stop!” Henry throws his arms out and tries to copy her spin.

“You’re amazing!” Natalie claps.”Listen, Henry, can I sign a picture for you and have your dad give it to you?”

“That would be so cool!! Thank you!” Henry bounces up and down.

“Awesome! It was really fun meeting you, Henry.” She gives him a small wave.

“You too, Princess Cleo.” Henry waves back wildly.

“She said her name was Natalie.” Michelle laughs.

“I wish I was as cool as Princess Cleo.” Natalie smiles.

“I don’t wanna keep any more of Miss Natalie’s time, so I’ll talk to you later, big guy, okay?”

“Bye, Dad! Bye Princess—Natalie. Goodbye!”

“Bye, Henry!”

Ted hangs up and puts his phone back in his pocket.

“You just made me Father of the Year right there. Thank you.”

“Oh, sure. Kids are the best fans.”

“Who are the worst?”

“Really old white men. They call me sweetie and pinch me.”

“Sounds like a real nightmare.” Ted shudders.

Before Natalie can answer, Rebecca steps between them.

“You’re a big star, Nat, so I’m certain you’re very busy.”

“Oh, yeah. Steaming my voice and watching Bake Off. More like you’re busy and you wanna go.”

Rebecca only smirks and flags down a tech person outside the dressing room.

“Pile in for a photo everyone and we’ll head out.”

Natalie and Keeley move to the center since they’re the same height. Rebecca goes on her other side. Ted and Beard flank them at the ends.

After the few photos, Rebecca hugs Natalie.

“You were wonderful, darling.” She kisses her cheek.

“Thank you, big sis.” Natalie steps back. “Ted…”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“I’ll give Rebecca the photo for Henry.”

“Thank you, truly.”

“Have a good night, you three. Thank you again for seeing the show. Nice meeting you!”

Ted gives her a small wave before walking out of her dressing room. His cheeks feel hot and he’s a little lightheaded. He isn’t too sure why, but it feels exhilarating.

Almost a week later, Ted arrives at Rebecca’s house with Beard for a Christmas party in a hunter green sweater and his only Santa hat. It contrasts greatly with the button-up swirling in red and green Beard wears. He wasn’t sure what to bring since Rebecca is such a great hostess, so he brings a vegetable platter and Beard has a bottle of whisky. Rebecca looks absolutely stunning in a red jumpsuit with gold glittery accents that flatters her impressive figure. Roy, Keeley, and Nate are already there. Keeley has a green frilly dress on and Roy wears his usual black leather jacket and black jeans. Nate keeps things very business with a burgundy sweater vest.

“Shit.” A voice yelps from the hall.

Ted pops his head around to see Natalie Warren tangled up in her black wool coat and the coat tree.

“Lemme help ya.” Ted zips over to her.

“I have no fucking idea how this happened. Jesus, what a mess.”

“Here ya go.” His finger lifts the fabric free.

“Thank you.”

Her burgundy velvet dress swings with every step she makes. It matches perfectly with her cranberry lipstick. She looks striking. The party starts off with awkward chatting especially since everyone knows each other so well and Natalie only really knows Rebecca. She wasn’t able to make the party with all the famous friends because she had a show, so she was invited as a special guest to the AFC Richmond party. She clutches her mulled wine and politely smiles as Nate tells her about his new game plan for after the holidays. Ted catches her eye, remembering she didn’t seem very enthusiastic about football. She gives him a slight nod causing Keeley and Rebecca to exchange a look.

“We should play a game.” Rebecca announces. “But don’t worry there’s drinking. It’s trivia with a little bit of running around.”

“Seriously?” Natalie stares at her.

“Absolutely.” Rebecca nods.

She wobbles a bit when she slips out of her black heels. Ted offers his shoulder to give her balance and she smiles.

“Yanks versus Brits?” Keeley suggests.

“Fuck the metric system! Yay fractions!” Natalie throws her hands up.

“I love getting smashed, but what’s the prize?” Roy asks.

“Losers have to sing on my karaoke machine. The song that’s never been picked,” Rebecca answers.

“Cool.” Natalie shrugs.

For a kickoff, Natalie out chugs Nate and they get to go first. For half the game, they’re neck and neck which means they drink every other turn. To up the stakes, Rebecca decides the floor is lava and everyone has to find safe purchase on her furniture. Natalie hops up on the ottoman at the same time Ted does. Neither of them makes an attempt to move for the rest of the game even if that means Ted has to catch her a few times. Beard makes a great asset to their team and Natalie knows quite a bit about history. Ted tries to help with pop culture questions. It’s the final question. Natalie versus Roy.

“Explain the offside rule,” Keeley says.

“Like I fucking know. I am in theatre!” Natalie barks at Roy.

“It’s okay. Ted coaches fucking football for a living and doesn’t know what offside is.” Roy rolls his eyes.

“I don’t even know what the fuck you’re saying. Are those real words?”  Natalie giggles.

“Stop stalling and answer.” Keeley smiles.

“Um, like one dude is on the other team’s side? And it’s like a penalty?”

“Not quite.” Rebecca puts her thumb down.

“As any of you except Rebecca could hit a high C.” Natalie groans.

“It’s okay. You tried, darlin’.” Ted pats her on the shoulder and completely misses the explanation Roy gives.

“Thanks, Coach.” Natalie doesn’t move his hand.

“The Americans have lost the revolution.” Rebecca sighs with her hands up.

They all come down from the furniture. Ted extends his hand and assists Natalie back onto the floor when Rebecca wheels out her very professional-looking karaoke machine. She plugs into her impressive flat screen and cues up the song.

“Let’s see what we got, huh, team?” Ted says as the music starts. To share the microphone (because Rebecca can’t find the others), Natalie is sandwiched between Ted and Beard. A pop-reggae beat picks up. Ted exchanges a look with Beard whose face is unreadable.

“I don't mind spending some time just hanging here with you. 'Cause I don't find too many guys that treat me like you do.”

Beard begins to swing his hips and it becomes clear to everyone else that the three Americans actually know the song.

“Joke’s on you. It’s a fucking banger.” Natalie rolls her shoulders.

“It’s a good one, ain’t it, Coach?” Ted laughs.

“Best part coming up.” Beard agrees.

“I can make it nice or naughty. Be the devil and angel, too.” Natalie squats down to the floor and pops back up in a perfect slutdrop. Rebecca and Keeley cheer.

With the alcohol taking over, Beard spins her and she’s knocked back. Ted catches her under the arms and she bursts out laughing. He helps her back up and takes her hand in his dancing with the beat while they sing along. Beard gets really into it by the bridge and they share a glance.

“He always gives 100%.”

“Respect.”

The song ends and Rebecca yells out.

“Don’t move, you two!”

“Oi! Look up!” Keeley calls out.

His brow furrows as his eyes travel upward. They’re under the mistletoe because of course they are. Ted raises his eyebrows and Natalie shrugs her shoulders.

“Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!” Everyone including Beard on the microphone chants.

Ted bends down practically in half because he’s almost a foot taller than her. Their lips meet in a quick peck. She breaks it almost immediately and Ted doesn’t blame her.

“Okay, photos, you fuckers.” Natalie calls out.  

They do one of the winners and one of the losers before everyone gets together.  Rebecca sets a timer on her phone. Ted lifts her up a bit so she’s not edged out of the photo since she doesn’t have shoes on and is one of the shortest besides Keeley who is latched onto Roy.

“Yes, perfect. Lend me your height, sir.”

As the drinks continue to flow, they all end up crowding around the single microphone for a very loud cover of Darlene Love’s “All Alone on Christmas.” Rebecca pulls Natalie into her as they sing lead for obvious reasons. Ted christens her with his Santa hat while he does a great air saxophone. Even Roy gets into it because “Who doesn’t fucking love Darlene Love?”

In the argument for the next song, Ted notices they’re down one member and finds Natalie in the hall grabbing her purse from the closet.

“You doing an Irish exit?”

“I think they call it a French exit here.”

“When in Rome.”

Ted watches as she puts on her scarf. He grabs the coat off the tree and holds it out for her to slip her arms into. She murmurs her thanks and fixes her lapels. He plucks the Santa hat from her head and puts it back on. She smiles wide.

“It’s kinda my thing, so Rebecca won’t be mad.”

“Your calling card, huh?”

“I hate goodbyes.”

“You waiting on a ride?”

“Yeah.”

“You mind if I keep you company?”

“Nope.”

“All right. I’m in like Flynn then.” He grabs his puffer jacket.

Nora laughs the same infectious laugh he’s heard all night. He follows her out onto the doorstep. It’s not so cold that they can’t wait under the moonlight comfortably. Snowflakes flurry down but don’t stick. It’s a beautiful night.

“I’m real sorry about that awkward kiss.”

“Yeah, me, too.” Natalie turns to face him and a smirk forms on her cranberry lips. That is some impressive lipstick because it has not budged the whole night. “When I thought about kissing you, it wasn’t in front of Rebecca and her guests."

His ears burn and the heat spreads down the back of his neck as he blushes.

“You thought about kissin’ me?”

Her big blue eyes travel up and down his body.

“And you haven’t? Don’t tell me I’m barking up the wrong tree.”

“No, right tree. Great tree. Great dog. I’m the dog not you. You’re—“

“Ted?”

“Yeah?”

“You wanna just kiss me?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Ted leans down and covers her mouth with his. It’s a sweet simple kiss. She lingers on his lips unlike before and he tastes the cinnamon from the mulled wine. Her perfect teeth nip on his lower lip and he gasps. His hand snakes around her waist pushing her closer as their tongues meet.  She takes his face in her hands bringing him even closer. They break apart for air and he rests his forehead on hers panting heavily.

“Call the Daily Planet cause there’s a new…”

She just stares up at him, waiting.

“Nope. Nothing. Can I kiss you again?”

“Please, Ted.”

His large hand slips inside her coat as he crushes the red velvet against his fingers. Her nails rake down the back of his neck making him moan. She might be the most skilled kisser he has ever had the pleasure of kissing. A horn honks causing them to jump apart. She laughs and shuffles down the stairs. She takes one look back.

“Merry Christmas, Ted Lasso.”

“Merry Christmas, Miss Warren.”

Ted watches as she gets in the car and slips his hands in his jacket pockets. His brow furrows as his fingers rub over something that wasn’t there before. He pulls out a card. It’s Natalie’s business card. Ted laughs. Hmm…he wonders if she has a date to Rebecca’s New Year’s Eve party.