#I just assumed that they’d be more accepting of other controversial ships

[rainbowsky]

About the Recent Twitter Drama

I can understand some people feel shaken up by what’s happened, so I want to start out by making a few things really clear

My BJYXSZD belief is genuine.

I am a forthright person, for better or for worse. What you see on my blog represents my real feelings. If I have concerns about the fandom I try to be open and honest about it on my blog.

If I ever left the fandom I would attempt to do so in a way that leaves people feeling as good about my choice as I possibly can make them feel, with as little drama and fanfare as possible.

That is not going to be happening anytime soon. Such thoughts aren’t even on my radar. I have at times considered scaling back on some of what I’m working on, but as for leaving the fandom - NO.

Now that’s out of the way, I will address the situation. I’m not going to respond to the asks I’ve been sent about it. Sorry I only have enough mental/emotional energy for one post, and this is it. However, I will try to address everything people have raised in those asks.

Background

In case people are wondering what happened, I’m not really going to go into any detail on it, but basically a couple of high profile BXG Twitter accounts said some pretty controversial things about BXG and about the fandom. They said they don’t believe GG and DD are queer or in a relationship, and they dislike that there are so many people in the fandom who do. They say they shipped GG and DD for fan fiction purposes, not because they believed BJYXSZD.

The people in question either left the fandom or scaled back dramatically on their involvement in the fandom.

There has been some speculation about whether all of this was sincerely how they feel. I think we have to assume it is. They made their positions pretty clear and as hard as it might be to accept, I think we need to respect that they’ve stated their feelings. They’ve taken a lot of backlash for what they said, and it seems unlikely they’d go through all that if it wasn’t how they really felt.

My thoughts

First of all I feel really strongly that:

People have a right to approach fandom in whatever way works for them. No one is obligated to believe BJYXSZD. No one is obligated to stay in a fandom they no longer feel comfortable with.

It’s nice when things can be done amicably and without a lot of hurtful talk or drama, but life is messy and sometimes that stuff just happens. As I often say, we have no control over what other people do, say or think. The only thing we can control is how we respond to what people do, say or think. How we respond shapes our experience much more than what people have done or said.

Nothing that happens, however upsetting, can take away from the contributions people make to the fandom. Their contributions help shape the fandom, and nothing changes that. I am saddened by what has happened, but I’m going to try to focus on those contributions and continue to appreciate them, rather than get too worked up about the negative side of things.

How do we avoid bitter disagreements like this?

One of the questions that comes into my own mind when reflecting on the situation is, “How can we avoid this happening in the future?”

I’ve thought about this off and on for the past couple of days, and for me, I think it comes down to carefully curating our online experience. Surrounding ourselves with people who we respect, whose perspectives - even if they aren’t in full alignment - can exist harmoniously with our own.

When we allow ourselves to be surrounded by people whose views and attitudes we find offensive, it’s only a matter of time before we start to resent them and even turn against them. And that’s a real shame. Unfair, even, given that they have as much right as we do to choose our own approaches to fandom.

And when we are immersed in views that - to us - represent the very worst of the fandom, there’s always a risk it will color our own perspectives on things. That it will taint the experience and make us turn against what we once enjoyed.

While I admit I feel disappointed by what’s happened, I can’t help but feel some of this was a bit inevitable given the nature of Twitter. It’s a very raw, unfiltered, moment-to-moment format that puts everyone up in each other’s business, but with few tools to actually discuss and debrief any of it.

Being on Twitter can be like drinking from a firehose sometimes. Everything we want to see comes in as a wild mixture with everything we don’t want to see. We will see things that offend us. We will see things that go vastly against our own values and perspectives. Disagreements and disputes end up in that mix as well, and can influence the climate of the community.

For that reason I see Twitter as a place to visit periodically, but not a place to live. I don’t have the sort of personality that can thrive in such a chaotic, often toxic social experience.

I suspect that those who thrive in places like Twitter are the sort of people are acclimated to this type of thing. The sort of people for whom drama like this will likely blow over fairly quickly. People who don’t feel that way, will hopefully move on to spaces that are more suited to them.

Final thoughts

I am saddened that people have been hurt by this, and I understand that there is a sense of loss among some fans. I think that everyone on all sides of this issue has had a rough couple of days.

I know that it can upsetting when a fandom is shaken up like this. It’s understandable if people feel hurt, angry, confused and even betrayed. Our feelings and reactions are valid. I encourage everyone to try to be as charitable as possible with each other, and recognize that we all have our own way of experiencing fandom.

This will blow over. It will blow over that much faster if we refuse to engage in fan wars or fights over it all. If we come across something that upsets us, making liberal use of the block function is the best course of action.

People might find my Fandom Survival Guide useful right now. That can be found here.

[whisperoftheheart925]

Ooooh, for the character ask how about carter kane, pollux from pjo and uhhhh sam winchester? <3

Omg what great character choices!!!! 

1) Starting with Sam Winchester

Sexuality Headcanon: So obviously this man likes girls quite a lot, but I just get the vibes that he experimented with guys in college and is so chill with it he barely even thinks about it anymore, so either bi or bicurious

Gender Headcanon: I have the tendency to assume he’s cis but I could see Sam as a trans guy too

A ship I have with said character: I never moved on from shipping season 5 samifer, the whole made for each other thing, the whole two sides of the same coin, the whole I’m the only one who’ll ever truly understand you, that’s what still draws me to that ship (soulmates but make it angsty and painful)

A BROTP I have with said character: I mean would it even be supernatural if I didn’t mention his relationship with Dean? But that seems like a cop out cause they’re actual brothers so I’m gonna say Castiel or Rowena. Castiel because they’re both people who want faith in their lives, and who have a lot of respect for the people they love. And watching them overcome the initial tensions that came from Sam being the boy with the demon blood was really sweet. The sort of friendship and bond that comes from being close to the same person. Rowena because in later seasons Sam doesn’t get too much development and I think their friendship is one of the better things that happened to his character

A NOTP I have with said character: I doubt its controversial to say I don’t ship wincest? That would probably be my only true notp, but also since I wanna be spicy, I don’t really see him with Gabriel? They’re sweet in aus but I don’t see Sam going for Gabriel’s flirtations, he seems a lot more intense and serious in romances (with jess and ruby for example)

A random headcanon: This one is tricky cause I read so much fic I don’t know what’s canon and what’s headcanon anymore. I think in the age of spotify he listens to it a lot to make up for the years when Dean would only play classic rock before he softened up

General Opinion over said character: Sam is someone I have a lot of strong feelings for, he fits into that niche of characters that I both relate to in terms of struggles as well as look up to for how he deals with them. I like the struggle against darkness within him, and his worth, and whether he’s a monster or not due to what happened to him, I do feel like his character was wasted a bit towards the end of the show though

2) Pollux our favorite lil Dionysus kid 

Sexuality Headcanon: I feel like Dionysus kids are often pan and I headcanon Pollux as poly too

Gender Headcanon: Cis

A ship I have with said character: Ooooh I've never though of this let me dig up canon characters roughly his age. I can see him crushing on Michael Yew and Katie Gardner, quick witted and bossy but good people.

A BROTP I have with said character: Charles Beckendorf. I think Pollux would respect Beckendorf’s hard working attitude and kind heart, and I think Pollux would find his awkwardness around people endearing since he’s a bit awkward himself and they’d probably be those friends that can like work on their hobbies around each other.

A NOTP I have with said character: Never in a million years with Clarisse, the poor boy would get trampled on and I think she’d be mean (I’m sorry Clarisse I love you I promise)

A random headcanon: He’s awkward and shy, and a little sheltered but he’s very sweet. After his brother died he had a hard time opening up to people, and became very private, but he’s a good teacher and is very dedicated to helping his dad with the strawberry fields.

General Opinion over said character: He’s such a cool character, I really love him in the original pjo series because he’s very very much a background character but he makes the world richer. I love that through him Mr D. gets to show a softer and more caring side and one that is fiercely loyal and protective, and I think that was an important part of the message of pjo, how the gods are shitty parents but most of them do care in their own way even though they never show it, and I’m glad Pollux was able to do that. I think he deserved better (aka for his twin brother not to die kay thanks) and I would have loved to see more of him in the rest of the series.

3) Finally our lovely Carter Kane

Sexuality Headcanon: Straight, demi-romantic and utterly clueless

Gender Headcanon: Cis

A ship I have with said character: Zarter! If it isn’t broke don’t fix it. This boy is head over heals for a strong confident and sassy woman who could kill him and really, who wouldn’t be? I love the thought of them bonding over their unconventional childhoods and their longing to discover things they think are “normal” but that they missed out on. I also think they would fall into the kind of relationship where they’re best friends, they have full and utter trust in each other, and they also discover how to navigate romance together

A BROTP I have with said character: Once again picking Sadie feels like a cop out. I really like his relationship with Amos too, but he’s Carter’s uncle so not sure it fits. I like to think of his relationship with Walt as being very close and like, the kind of brotherly trust that would make them close friends and have each other’s backs all the time

A NOTP I have with said character: Not sure I have one since any ship involving him makes me happy just because it has him in it and he deserves love. However I have seen a lot of fics with him and Horus, and I actually don’t think I like it all that much? Maybe cause Horus is often a bit immature with his emotions I don’t know how well their chemistry would work. This is out of character for me cause usually I really love the concept of host/supernatural entity ships, but maybe it’s also cause Carter is so young in the first book and Horus seems way too old for him? Maybe when Carter is in his 30s?

A random headcanon: I think he would come into his responsibilities very quickly. I think while he would accept Amos as being mostly in charge for a while he would try to be involved with changing how the House of Life is run as Pharaoh, because he’d see it as his responsibility and he’d do everything in his power to do it right, and prove to those that doubt him that he has what it takes.

General Opinion over said character: He’s my favorite character in the Kane Chronicles and probably in the whole Riordan verse. He means a lot to me because I also had to fly around a lot when I was a kid and I moved around a lot too, so when I read these books I could relate a lot to the idea of feeling like the airport is your home. I also grew up with a single parent of the same gender as me wishing I had known members of my very near family better than I did. Also I knew what it felt like to want to go out and play with kids my age but to not be able to because I couldn’t speak the language, and I felt really close to Carter because I see my own childhood represented in him. He’s also very rule abiding and I loved that his dad told him not to do something and he actually followed that, because same haha. I can only hope to one day become as strong and confident as him.

This took waaay longer than expected and I wrote way too much, but it was so fun, thank you @bluecookiesforrick once again for these! <3 love you!!!

[autumnstwilight]

An anonymous discussion on monetizing fanfic which makes a lot of good points and I’m holding onto for the next time it comes up.

(I’ve got nothing against people who do monetize their fic, but I dislike the pressure/guilt-tripping/social-justice framing many of the discussions in favor of paid fanwork have).

>>>Do you think the lack of monetization in fanfic is preventing newer writers and different stories from being told?

When has monetization and commercialization ever led to a more diverse, innovative creative output? People who are writing with an eye to monetization or pull-to-publish aren't going to be the people writing weird experimental fic, or obscure rarepairs, or wildly improbable AUs that somehow work, they are going to write the same popular derivative fic of megafandom juggernauts as everyone else, because that's where the money and the audience is. And, like, that's fine if people want to do that! There's nothing wrong morally suspect about writing fun romance fic for a big audience if that's what you enjoy doing in fandom. But let's not pretend that monetizing that is some heroic effort to democratize fandom. One of the best things about fandom is that there is pretty much no barrier to entry. You can write the weirdest, most niche fic on the entire planet, you can write it about a canon only two people in the world have ever seen, you can write it entirely in emoticons, and you can put it online right now. It may not be popular, you may not get a million comments/kudos/twitter followers out of it, only a few people may read it, but there is no gatekeeper telling you not to write it or not to put it on AO3 if you really want to. Monetization would not make that better. 

>>>This is pretty much why I don't want fic monetization to be the norm. So much already ugly wank and discourse is prompted by fic and fic related jealousy. Imagine if money was brought into the mix. 

>>>I can see the basic logic that this would invite in those who are forced to monetize their every waking hour. The people who espouse this view imagine that being paid to write fanfic will allow people to immediately swap out extra retail/food service shifts, delivery, driving, or Mechanical Turk-type work for writing time instead. They then assume that there will be more diverse and innovative output because these people who previously didn't have time to write as an unpaid hobby will have time to write as a paid job. This ignores the fact that when it's a paid job, these people will not be writing the innovative works of their heart. They'll be writing what a more financially secure class of people want to read - if they're competitive enough in the right market out the gate to start making money immediately. It also ignores the more crucial thing here: that the way to encourage diversity and innovation in creative hobbies isn't to turn them into jobs, it's to ensure that everyone has both enough money to live on and enough leisure time in a week to pursue creative endeavours for free. Anything else is just a new thing to pay for.

>>>Frankly, I think encouraging people to ask for money for their fic is doing them a disservice, because the vast, vast majority of people will not make anywhere near even minimum wage for the amount of time they put in. They will be wasting time they could have spent doing something that would have made more money *or* writing a story that they would have fun with.

>>>If anything, money would make writers shy away from anything that could be seen as unappealing or controversial and cater to the perceived lowest common denominator. Of course lots of authors chase kudos even now, but it'd still be different if they were losing actual money by writing that unpopular ship or kink. It would make people ditch unpopular fandoms altogether.

>>>Somehow "creative professionals have a right to ask for fair compensation for their labor and not work on spec/accept starvation wages for the love of the medium" has morphed into "all creative expression requires monetary compensation." Like, I enjoy carving little wooden squirrel figures and it takes hours of labor. I have a right to charge whatever price I want for them, but if no one wants to buy them at that price, the "system" isn't screwing me over.

>>>I personally want the people reading my stories to be fellow fans and potential friends, not customers who see me as a service provider (and who, having paid for my services, have a say in shaping the form those services will take), so I have zero interest in trying to monetize my fic. If other people want to sell their writing, more power to them, but doing so necessarily changes the dynamic with readers in a way I suspect they're not all prepared for. For example, once you've monetized, you don't get to pout about readers not commenting on your stuff anymore -- they've already paid for access, that's a comment in of itself! Negative reviews are also fair game once you're offering your content for a fee (not that they can't also be left on fic, but in the fic world at least they're often seen as rude).

>>>I agree with all nonnies in this thread but I'd also add that it would likely actively stifle marginalized fans. I can sort of see OP's logic - privileged people with leisure and a steady income have more time to write fic, but if fic was paid, everyone would have an equal chance, etc. And for the first few months, this might work out. People desperate for money would write a lot of fic. People struggling to get by would give up their current side hustle and focus on fic. A few new working class BNFs would emerge. But inevitably, the same thing would happen as in the world of pro blogging and cheap genre fiction. Competition would grow. People with more money for marketing would start earning more. Brand development, market analysis, BNF status retainment would become the only certain way to make a living. Impoverished fans would have to make do with ghostwriting, or they'd have to try to develop a virally pitiable persona. Comfortable fans with a steady income and lots of leisure would still get most of the attention. They'd even sincerely believe they deserve all of it. And fandom wanks would become a thousand times more vicious because there's financial incentive. And like always, marginalized creators would be the most vulnerable (except for the lucky few, mostly the rich ones, who successfully built their personal brand on their identity).

[rambling-at-midnight]

See You Later (Or Not)

Pairing: Five x Reader

Request: HII could i request a five x reader thing where the reader is a robin hood kinda “villain” she’s cocky and charming. and it annoys five but at the same time he’s like “damn” IDK i just want some love/hate thing with a villain reader :))

The first time Five meets another one of the special children, apart from his siblings, is when he’s twenty-three years old. This is, of course, a surprise to him. He’s heard about one girl in India who’s been able to heal fatal wounds; she’s gained coverage quite like the Academy had had in its prime. And he has heard rumors about someone in Canada that can move faster than light. But since there are only 43—probably less, Five supposes, and it’s definitely at the most 42 now that Ben’s dead—they’re all spread out all over the world, some probably in places where they’re unable to be heard of or even hear of the Umbrella Academy, thus possibly, a handful of the 43 might not even know they’re superpowered.

But since the Umbrella Academy was so popular, Five is reasonably certain that every child with access to the internet and born on October 1, 1989 has tested themself vigorously for traces of superpowers. It’s why superpowered villains are not common, per se, but not exactly unheard of either.

He’s staring one in the face right now, for the first time in his life, and also for the first time in his life Five is fairly sure he is not going to win this fight.

The pressure for the Umbrella Academy to reform is great, as only Five and Luther remain out of the seven original children. Anyone that knows Five, really, wouldn’t have expected him to stay. They’d expect him to go off traveling the world, or becoming a scientist, or being a professor at a college (or jumping into the future for half a century), but Five’s not an idiot. The world needs the Academy, whether the Academy be just him or all of them. It would be better if it was all of them; he has no idea how to beat you.

Besides, most all other people are idiots. Reginald Hargreeves may be an ass, and he may still think of the children as less than him, but he’s not an idiot, and Five doesn’t need to prove anything to him. Reginald just assumes that the children can and will do something. They never impress him; most of the time they disappoint him, but it’s better than the scrutinizing gazes of people as Five’s not-normal siblings try to pretend that they are. They’ll never truly fit in, so why should they try? Why not do what they’ve always done? It keeps the press mostly off Five’s back, unless he’s done something extraordinary, unlike how Allison never gets a moment’s peace and people only ever want to talk with Diego about his past instead of his present.

No, if Five went to school he’d chafe under the strict rules meant for idiots, and the teachers that are also idiots, and everything, and if he became a scientist he’d have to prove his findings instead of just showing them off, even if they are right. And if Five became a professor, he’d have to teach idiots, and he’d be the least-liked professor on campus.

It’s better to know that you are capable instead of shoving it in people’s faces; it creates less resentment, and it also isn’t as annoying.

This isn’t the first time Five’s ever heard of you—nobody really knows who you are, but your superhero name is ‘The Ghost’.  He’s read a lot about you. He doesn’t know your motivations, what your past is, what you do with the things you steal, nothing. You’re under suspicion of over two dozen murders, but it’s only speculation, really, that you committed them. You’re unknown completely, unlike

“Five Hargreeves,” you drawl. Your hair is pulled into a ponytail, your face covered with a mask. You’re wearing sweatpants and a hoodie. If it wasn’t for the fact that the outfit is all black, and you’re wearing a mask, you could be a regular college student out for a stroll. In the house of a very famous, very controversial politician. Honestly, Five shouldn’t be here either. The man is a scumbag and really deserves everything that’s coming to him. Five defending him could damage the Academy’s reputation, not to mention his personal one. Besides, he just doesn’t really feel like defending the man.

Still, whatever you’re planning on doing, it can’t be good. And despite the man’s faults, Five can’t let you kill him. That would also put a damper on his reputation—damn, there really isn’t a win for him in this situation, is there?

Hoping to take you by surprise, Five teleports to where you are, but faster than he can blink you disappear from his vision. Thank goodness Five can think quick on his feet; he teleports over to the kitchen and grabs a handful of cutlery before freezing, trying to hold his panting breaths in so he can try to hear your feet on the floor. He can barely make out a shuffling sound and he tries to pinpoint it. After a second of frustration, he chucks a silver spoon in that direction. It bounces off an invisible force by the unlit stove and Five’s eyes narrow.

He jumps, but you must have let the spoon hit you deliberately. He’s met with a cast-iron pot swung directly at his face and he goes down faster than a stack of cards (but, unbeknownst to you, the only thing he’s going to complain about later is the terribly sore purple-green bruise on his jaw).

Panting, you make yourself visible again and rub your shoulder, wincing. You think you strained it by swinging that heavy pot.

“I need to start going back to the gym,” you mutter, stepping over the superhero and walking over to where Senator Hasselhoff is cowering behind a coach, taking your gun out of your waistband as you go. “All right, Senator. Let’s see what you’ve got on your computer.”

SENATOR LAPTOP SCANDAL CALLS FOR IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION OF OFFICE AFTER ARREST

After Senator Hasselhoff, in some twisted mistake, accidentally posted the entire contents of his laptop to every social media platform he has, there has been an immediate public outcry for resignation from his post. The senator is currently in jail awaiting trial after multiple suspicious and incriminating files were spotted amid the tax information, Viagra shipping orders, and plane tickets. Authorities were immediately involved concerning the videos of underaged children performing sexual acts on his laptop, as well as documents concerning bribes the senator has both accepted and sent out. One such bribe concerns the secrecy from a woman the senator apparently had an affair with…

Five snorts as he sets down the newspaper. You’ve got style, he’ll certainly give you that. And he’s not even fussed about losing the fight; who wants to protect a man like that, even if Reginald had told Five to? Sure, maybe Five would have preferred you using your words instead of instantly jumping on the attack and knocking him out cold, which was humiliating, especially when Diego found out from Luther and hassled him about it for two hours straight, but he supposes his reputation might have had something to do with your approach. He’s not exactly the cuddliest person around.

Reginald hasn’t said a word to Five since he’d woken up in the medical room with his adopted father’s face and his mother’s looming over him. Reginald had sniffed and walked straight out of the room the second Five’s eyes opened.

Five’s not quite sure what Reginald feels. Maybe he’s disappointed Five failed, maybe he knows (even though Five doesn’t want to admit it) that he gave up the fight embarrassingly quickly, or maybe he’s disappointed that the senator wasn’t able to pay him the large sum of money for Five’s protection, both because Five had done a piss-poor job of protecting him, and also because the FBI has frozen the senator’s accounts.

Either way, Five’s not fussed. His pride is a little bit bruised from his siblings’ haggling, but his jaw is a lot bit bruised, and to top it all off, he’s really confused about you. Sure, he knows that everyone has layers and blah blah blah about some people doing ‘right thing, wrong way’ or however the saying goes.

But he’s looked closer into every crime you’ve ever been suspected of or connected to, and if he even scratches the surface it turns into a sort of… Robin Hood scheme. All you ever do is attack rich scumbags, and more than often the poor somehow benefit, even if no one has been able to clearly draw a line between the two. Mostly because most everyone is an idiot, and Five is not.

But still.

It’s the confusion that makes the first thing Five says to you a compliment.

Five had been walking down the back alley shortcut he always takes to Griddy’s. A particularly strong gust of wind had pushed him slightly, his hands falling out of his pockets to brace himself against the brick wall.

Just then you’d appeared in front of him out of nowhere, hands on your hips. This time your hair hangs around your face, buffeted by the wind, but the rest of your outfit is the same. Five’s body tenses up with the familiar fight-or-flight feeling, his brain screaming at him to Get her! Jump now! She’s a villain! but for some reason he hesitates. He can’t explain why. Maybe it’s the way you’re helping people, in your own way, or maybe it’s how you’re also a person with superpowers and Five knows how, even though the powers can be liberating, they’re also a chain, and he can’t talk about stuff like that with his siblings.

Or maybe his powers are just chains because of Reginald. You were never forced into using your powers; you use them of your own volition.

“Nice work with the Senator,” Five hears his voice say, and he feels his lips move, but they feel disconnected from his brain. “You gonna hit me with a frying pan again? It’s a pretty unusual weapon, but hey, to each his own, right?”

Your face is inscrutable behind the mask, but your voice is most certainly not. Five can hear the playful tone as you reply, “I like to think I’m a trendsetter. Next thing you know every villain you fight will be wielding a pan. I imagine your jaw won’t like that very much, will it?”

Five hadn’t noticed in the heat of the moment, but you’re a girl. And you’re his age (well duh, his brain intones, she’s one of the 43 children, dumbass).

Five isn’t misogynistic; he considers Allison more capable than Luther and Diego put together, and he has a deep respect for Vanya after all the years with the rest of them, supposed to be special but instead achingly normal. He respects women, probably more than men, even, because of how much of a dumbass all his brothers are, and how shitty most men are.

Still, the fact that your voice is high and sweet and somehow vulnerable as you try to be cocky and intimidating makes him feel guilty for trying to hurt you, and it ignites a feeling in his chest that he doesn’t like.

He can’t help but imagine what you look like underneath the mask.

“You’re like a modern-day Robin Hood,” Five blurts out, surprisingly ineloquent despite the fact that he doesn’t know you, you’re a threat, and he should be knocking you down right now. He shouldn’t be… trying to make polite conversation. He shouldn’t be itching to tie your hair back so it doesn’t obstruct your vision.

“If the shoe fits,” you respond, cocking your head at him. Five wishes he could see your face, if only to understand what you’re thinking.

“What do you want?”

“It varies from moment to moment.” You take a step closer and Five should tense up, should strike out, but he can’t. The wind is blowing in his direction and the faint smell of mint shampoo fills his nose, making his brain all fuzzy. At the same time, the riddles you’re speaking in annoy him.

“Well, what do you want right now?” he snaps. Are you just wasting his time or trying to be annoying?

“I wanted to talk.” You cock your head as Five snorts. That’s got to be the lamest lie he’s ever heard. “Sorry. I’ll see you later, I guess. You won’t see me, though!”

Before Five can say anything else, you turn away and turn invisible. He’s simply too tired to chase after you.

Five turns away to continue to Griddy’s. He slouches his shoulders and shoves his hands in his pockets to protect them from the wind, feeling instinctively for his wallet, but it’s not there.

Five pieces it together quickly; the ‘strong gust of wind’ hadn’t been wind at all.

“Damn it, Ghost!”