#OOP IT GOT. longer than expected

[kalgalen]

prompt: 2 characters find themselves unexpectedly stuck somewhere close, quiet, and alone together

ocs encouraged :3

Charm isn't a creature of silence. Li is, which is probably why she doesn't realize something is wrong at first.

They're stuffed in a closet, pressed together in the dark, their breath mingling while they listen for signs of their pursuers. Li can hear them shouting, the clanking of weapons and armors barely audible through the decrepit walls - but still, close, too close. This place is a maze, and they're outnumbered; they'll be able to take the guards out one by one once they've gotten tired of chasing them, but for now the cramped space should be an adequate hiding spot.

To distract herself, Li starts taking stock of her surroundings. One breath in, the next one out - measured, controlled - icy. The closet smells like dust and old furs, like rust and forgotten secrets. Below the shuffling of the mercenaries, she can hear the creaking of the dilapidated house, the steady beat of her own heart - and the one, erratic and crazed, coming from Charm's chest.

Li looks up; Charm's eyes are closed, and she's very still, hunched over so that she can fit in the wardrobe. Even then, her horns scrape the roof of it; she's like a dog in a too-small cage, her breath short and her knuckles white over her staff.

"Charmion?" Li asks very quietly, even though she doubts that with all the commotion they're making the guards have even the sliver of a chance to hear them.

Charm's long ears twitch, but her eyes remain closed. She exhales, takes a couple of shaky, steadying breaths.

"I'm fine," she grits out, though it isn't obvious whether she's answering to Li or talking to herself.

Li frowns. This isn't the brazen, dynamic woman she knows.

"You aren't," she points out. "I can hear your heartbeat."

Charm sighs, her annoyance clear, and half-opens one eye to glare at Li. She screws it shut again immediately, a distressed whine escaping from her throat. Li rolls her eyes.

"Tell me what's wrong," she insists. "I can help."

"Can you get me out of this closet?" Charm says through clenched teeth - and oh, alright. This is the issue, then.

"You are claustrophobic."

"Yeah, thanks for pointing it out," Charm whispers angrily.

Li grimaces inwardly. Silence falls on them.

Then:

"I'm sorry," Li confesses reluctantly. " I didn't think - well."

"That I'd be scared of tight spaces? Lots of those, when you're my size, you know."

"That you'd be scared of anything, honestly," Li says softly. She wants to lift up a hand, put it up on Charm's freckled shoulder as an attempt to comfort her; the space they're in is so small, though, and Li doesn't want to crowd Charm more that she already is.

So instead, she hesitantly reaches out - finds Charm's hand, the one busy picking at the side seam of her pants, and gently takes it into her own.

"This is going to be fine. I am with you," she murmurs, infusing her words with the coolness and the calm of a snowy winter morning.

After a beat, Charm squeezes her fingers back.

"Are you trying to cast a spell on me?"

"Is it working?" Li asks carefully.

The breath Charm lets out is deeper this time, more controlled. She smiles, and while it's timid, it's got this playful edge that Li has learned to recognize.

"With you? Always."

[anonymous-chicken-was-taken]

There is a man named Stanford Pines.

Just about anyone in the scientific community knows his name, and most know his face. It would be hard not to. It's plastered on magazines, on websites, on informational guides about the Institute of Oddology. Stanford Pines is synonymous with the word odd, peculiar, strange; it takes very little digging to find that.

Yet, when it comes to actually meeting the man? No matter who you ask, the answer is almost always no, they have not met him. Everyone knows of him, but nobody knows him. They see his face, they hear his name, they read his papers, they know his arguments. A lucky few even converse with him through email, or letters, or phone conversations. However, meeting him face to face seems to be an occurrence even rarer than the beasts he writes essays about.

Sometimes, he makes a public appearance. Sometimes, someone will see him walking about in some small, secluded space. His co-founder follows him like a shadow, never long taking his eyes away, full as they are of both care and peculiar caution.

Even more unheard of, sometimes, Stanford Pines will do something that interacts with the public. Once every few years, he will appear for an interview, or a photo, or something else to please the magazines that fill up his inbox. McGucket will be with him, every single time, and afterwards there will be whispers on the very internet he created from the people he'd spoken to. By all accounts, Stanford Pines is a very subdued, polite gentleman. Someone who is very intelligent and awkward, and attached to his co-founder at the hip. A man who is followed at all times by an army of personal security and NDAs. "For safety," McGucket will say as Pines' face goes dark. No one ever explains who's being kept safe, or from what.

To the students at the Institute of Oddology, it's even stranger. Nowhere does it say that seeing or meeting the core founder is guaranteed -- in fact, in comparison to other institutes, it's hardly even advertised that he's there -- but it's still surprising. If Stanford Pines is seen at all, it's almost always from behind a screen. Some students graduate without ever having seen him in-person. He does not attend events. He does not greet families. He does not make speeches unless he's being projected on a screen, a stark contrast to McGucket and his exaggerated mannerisms as his very real and present form hovers nearby. He holds no office on the entire campus. It is not unheard of to see him taking a walk with his co-founder, but it's rare enough to be shocking.

Rumors fly. Some are silly, absent things that would seem implausible to anyone who hasn't spent time in Gravity Falls. He's a vampire. He's a robot made by McGucket. He's a whole eldritch entity. Some rumors are more serious, whispered when his reclusive nature rings suspicious among the masses. None of them change the facts.

Perhaps it would make more sense if his co-founder was similar. However, Fiddleford McGucket is the polar opposite of Stanford Pines. He responds to interviewers asking about his computers. He makes speeches. He wanders around campus, stopping to chat with anyone who cares to listen. He's amiable and approachable as long as you can get past his rather extreme eccentricities, with an open-door policy and only one question he won't answer. If anyone builds up the guts to ask about Stanford Pines, and why he's so gosh darn reclusive, his only response is a sad, painful smile and a change of subject. In general, however, if one were to ask a given student of the institute where they could find Fiddleford McGucket, the chances are would be they'd be able to relay the information. However, like so much having to do with Stanford Pines, there is always a but.

At least three days a week, Fiddleford McGucket disappears for hours at a time. In theory, this would not be unusual. There's a section of the campus, slightly separate from the rest, dedicated to research. It takes much clearance to get to this area, for it is full of many very dangerous things. Some of the newer students fall under the misconseption that this is where he goes off to. However, there is a secretary at the entrance to this section of the campus, and when McGucket disappears, no amount of asking will get them to respond that he lies within. There is no summary of what he's there for, and there is no estimate of when he'll be back in his office. He is not there. For those hours, it's like he's vanished off the face of the planet.

There is another building seperated from the rest, barely visible through the trees. Tucked far behind the research area of the campus and heavily guarded at all times. No amount of clearance, or ID, or begging, will get anyone in. This place, most know, is where McGucket goes. No one can be certain, but there's a conviction there that this is the truth. It's the same way people know that this is where Stanford Pines resides. In those hours, McGucket disappears to the same nowhere at all that his co-founder lives.

No one tries to get there. Not anymore. There would be no point.

In order to do so, one would have to get into the research zone of campus. Already, this requires more clearance than most students could imagine. From there, one would have to go through a building only staff can open, at the very back of the campus, where only the most dangerous of research is kept. A security officer stands ever-vigilant at a back door leading to a winding pathway, intersected halfway through by a pair of guard stations. Past them lies a towering locked gate, centered in the midst of a towering electric fence. There is no guard station at the gate itself, though guards patrol the perimeter, even though the underbrush is too thick to walk through. There is no visible way to unlock the gate, but if one managed to get through regardless, they would find that the obstacles were still not over. The acre the fences encircle is thick with security, only some of which is human. It's impossible not to get caught, but if somehow, someone did, they would find themselves face to face with the sloped roof and charming wooden exterior so vaguely visible from the more well-trodden paths.

If one were to make it behind the reinforced door and yet one more pair of security guards, they would find nothing of note at all. In fact, were the windows not so thick, and the place not full of rooms with no place in a residence, and the path not so elaborate, and the whole area not so heavily reeking of isolation and uncanniness, one could almost mistake it for a normal home.

Inside, one would find Stanford Pines. Shorter than his head-and-shoulders shot makes him seem, and with a tangible air of melancholy about him that no projection could ever communicate.

Above all, Stanford Pines would appear incredibly alone, with only security, a McGucket Computer, and shelves upon shelves of books for company. If this someone who somehow managed to sneak in got lucky, they would arrive in this not-quite-a-home while McGucket had disappeared to there. They would find the two of them in deep conversation, and Stanford Pines would appear happier and more animated than most any living soul had seen him in decades, content in the company of his one connection; his shadow. Even when they had serious conversations, about the most serious topics in the world, something about him would be just that bit more lively. The visit would end, every time, with McGucket asking the same question. Every time, Pines would shake his head sadly as he responded; would the answer have been different, they both know that McGucket would have been informed long before he arrived.

Upon his co-founder's departure, one would be able to see Stanford Pines either sigh and sink right back into his melancholy, or the energy persist for another handful of hours. One would wonder why he was so reclusive, if he seemed so much brighter when he was among friends. One -- the impressive, unstoppable individual who managed to get into such a heavily monitored area -- would more than likely leave confused.

They wouldn't realize, unless they stayed within the bounds of the not-quite-home until it was far too late, what the hoards of security was designed for. Wouldn't realize that just as much as much as they are meant to keep someone out, they are also meant to keep someone in.

[bleue-flora]

AU/fanfic idea for anyone who wants it (because I don’t write Tommy) - Instead of following Dream from Las Nevadas to the prison undetected (after the Las Nevadas finale), Tommy’s invisibility potion runs out or Dream sees the particles and confronts Tommy. Some fun scenario options include: Tommy taking a good look at a very agitated, panicked, upset, and hurt Dream, maybe some pity or empathy from Tommy? OR maybe Dream kills him, accidentally swinging at air in frustration and oneshots unarmored Tommy, or just kills him more intentionally. Honestly, it could also be fun to have Tommy actually get close enough to hear the conversation between Purpled, Quackity and Dream in the casino…

Like I can’t help but think about if Tommy had heard Dream talk to Quackity about the torture or maybe like been a little bit closer to Dream on the journey home to see his hands shaking and heart pounding, would it have made a difference? Would Tommy have seen the fear or would it not have mattered? Part of me thinks even if Dream started breaking down and like ripped off his shirt and recounted each and every scar and expressed the pain within him to Tommy, it still wouldn’t have made a difference. That sooner or later, Tommy was always going to storm the prison to kill Dream, and the only way he could ever see Dream is by the powers of limbo.

[dangerpronebuddie]

Such a true words. People are so crazy that Buck kissed a boy who is not Eddie

Literally! Is his own personal growth useless if it's not tied to Eddie?

Don't get me wrong. I love Eddie with my whole entire heart (and I'm still pissed about the basketball scene but that's another matter). The point of Buck's bisexuality is not just about buddie.

It's about Buck finally loving himself. All of himself. This is the man who's been passively suicidal since day one, and self destructive, and tying all his worth to the job or what he can do for other people.

Now we get to see him love himself and be himself. And I don't really care who that happens with.

Buddie is a slow burn. People have no patience. They want buddie NOW. And I get it, I want buddie just as much as anybody, but I want even more for the individual characters to grow and heal and be happy in their own skin.

And anyway, logically speaking, it wouldn't have made sense for it to be Eddie. He's in a relationship already (hopefully not for much longer, but ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯), and he and Buck weren't speaking at the end of the episode anyway. And Eddie still has to have his own awakening/ realization.

Tommy is a good option for Buck. Someone who knows him, and isn't asking for anything from him. Tommy is his chance to test the waters with someone he trusts.

The ship is not dead in the water. This isn't even a drastic detour. This is just the next step towards getting us there.

[85-rend]

hi it’s me, the person who thinks completely normal thoughts about lethal company. Anyway if you have employee oc’s, what is there role in actual moon looting, and how do they treat eachother in the ship. Also do they have a fave piece of loot and least fave monster?

I have 4 employees, a whole crew, so this might get a bit long :)

Fifty-Six :

"Human" (absolutely not)

Ship captain! has the most experience of the whole crew (they've been here way longer than anyone else. longer than anyone could survive this job)

Maybe a little too happy about the job. takes it very seriously

Prefers to go alone hates taking equipment bc it takes up space they could use for something else

prides itself on efficiency . has everything down to a system

looks scary but they're actually pretty nice and soft (both figuratively and literally)

pretty secretive, mostly lying through omission . doesn't like to talk about themself

doesnt like to be seen without the suit and helmet on. it has to happen eventually but it hates it, raises too many questions. it can try to look more human but its not perfect.

has a tier list in its head of every single piece of scrap for deciding priority of what to take back to the ship. it has a second tier list for if it gets hungry

huge soft spot for cute things. likes rubber ducks and plushies and things like that . will make exceptions in it's efficiency and priorities to take them even if they're low worth

Feels like they need to be doing something with their hands constantly

really likes Zachary, they're very close. doesn't want anything to happen to it... will agree to go together with Zachary despite usually preferring to go alone

likes Elliot, she's alright, she works hard. thinks she's a bit too reckless and hard on herself

alright with Morgan. they don't entirely get along but it's not too bad so it's alright . he notices the weird looks Morgan gives him, no clue what that's about.

Zachary :

Masked picked up from Rend after it tried to hide in a ship and the autopilot left

got "hired" by The Company. it doesn't like this. but it doesn't have a choice

it promises promises PROMISES it won't infect its coworkers. but it wants to so bad. it wants to help them. but it won't.

TERRIFIED of The Company building. absolutely refuses to leave the ship there. Fifty let's this slide, it doesn't mind having to carry some extra scrap to the desk

absolutely refuses to wear the helmets, its uncomfortable and its worried it'll get scratched or something . its fine without it,if that was going to hurt them it would've a long time ago

needs to go with someone in the facilities, becomes very distressed if alone for too long

it'll take equipment if asked, but it often forgets to use things like walkie talkies. it also struggles using it (it has a hard time with the buttons and small things like keys are really hard for it to hold)

hates this job and wants to leave but its scared of what would happen

very touch starved and having no other maskeds around has been effecting it.. (if it does see other maskeds on the moons it'll follow them around instead of its crew)

it wants to be closer with the others, at least El and Morgan are cautious around it. they dont really trust it much

El trusts it more at least, if 56 cant go with it it'll usually goes with her instead (also because Morgan usually stays in the ship but if they do go in still Zachary will more likely go with Elliot)

Morgan doesn't trust it much, they've dealt with maskeds before

Fifty-Six on the other hand, Zachary REALLY likes him. he doesn't mind it being around and hes nice to it

Zachary is like the first of the crew to have seen 56 without his helmet after it found him with it like completely torn apart. it was really worried about him, scared it got hurt. 56 was alright though dont worry

Elliot :

ACTUALLY a human

mostly goes by El instead of Elliot

youngest of the crew, not much experience but good with a shovel

pretty confident going in the facility, will often lead or even go alone. but absolutely CANNOT deal with coil-heads or nutcrackers. all that confidence goes away when they have to

he has automatonophobia and scopophobia. terrible combination to have here if im being honest

helmet is slightly dented after she tried running from a thumper and slammed into a metal pipe (did get away from it, shes still alive obviously . but that did hurt)

his nose was like broken before, never healed the same so its kinda crooked (this was before being at The Company, probably from getting in a fight as a teenager)

he tends to be kind of hard on himself, very apologetic when he makes any sort of mistakes.

his hair feels like shit. its been like bleached to hell so its all brittle and shit

none of the crew have anything against El but they did agree that if anything happens shes dies first (they have not agreed on what "anything happens" or "dies" entails though)

respects 56 a lot, almost exclusively refers to it as 'captain' . nobody else really cares about that, its just El who does that

trusts Zachary more than Morgan does, still cautious because she knows what it can do but believes it that its not going to do that

El and Morgan are rlly cool with each other. she likes to listen to them talk about whatever, they know a lot about stuff and El thinks thats cool

Morgan :

also actually human

mostly does ship duty but does also go in the facility sometimes, pretty good at it.

also takes the job seriously, not as much as 56 though. just wants to be safe, make sure nobody gets killed

they were on a different crew before this one. it didn't end well..

very dry and kind of snippy, they do care though just arent good at showing it

they kinda rlly seem like an asshole but will open up to people sometimes it just takes a while

very interested in xenobiology, got the job to get to observe the moons wildlife more directly. theyre fine with doing the rest of it though

really good at dealing with the creatures because of that

despite not being the fighter of the group they have taken down nutcrackers before, El will not so they deal with that instead.

only one on the ship who actually has first aid training. usually is the one to have to deal with that. only ever seen Elliot and Zachary get hurt though, Fifty-Six is somehow always fine

very suspicious of Fifty-Six, knows something's up with him but doesn't say anything because they don't wanna start shit with whatever kind of alien beast it is

cautious as hell around Zachary, doesn't like to be alone with it. they've seen what maskeds do to people and they don't like it.

but they've never actually interacted with a masked for so long so it's.. an interesting experience at least. there's not much documented about them so this is the most they've gotten to know about maskeds

Elliot and Morgan are chill, Morgan will often talk to her about different things. she's a good listener.

[fruitybashir]

bit of a different kind of bonus content but as mentioned in the last chapter, here's some of the songs i have in my holidate playlist:

Careless Whisper - George Michael very obviously for That Scene, but also bc the song in general just fucking slaps and their voices would go sooooo well together on it, and there's also another reason it's in here that i will maybe mention later

Andromeda - Weyes Blood this one is a bit vague but to me it fits kris in this story so well, especially these bits: - running from my own life now - left the heart from the depths its fallen through - love is calling, its time to let it through, find a love that will make you, i dare you try - im ready to try - let me in if i break, and be quiet if i shatter - love is calling, its time to give to you, something you can hold on to basically how he shut himself off after his breakup and isolated himself, reluctant to go out or do anything than the bare basics, he was just acting on autopilot for a while. and then he meets bojan and the guys and gets involved in their friend group etc and opens up more and more and more. and with bojan (even though he refuses to acknowledge it) he opens up his heart again both in a platonic way but also obviously more than that also romantically

One Of Your Girls - Troye Sivan tbh this one is just bc they're doing the f+ thing and i think its a little funny lol theres no deeper meaning its just that the vibe is fitting to write to "give me a call if you ever get lonely" oh they do that a LOT

June - Florence + the Machine this one's for the kris/jan dynamic, to ME at least lol. "you were broken hearted and the world was too / and i was beginning to lose my grip [...] and i would come to you / to watch the television screen in your hotel room / im always down to hide with you" they have a very tight and intimate bond, they are each others safe space, no matter what happens; they will seek the other out first and comfort each other in ways they wouldn't get from anyone else. they can show up at each others place unannounced and the other will cancel all plans and they can talk it out or just sit in silence, whatever the situation calls for. no questions asked.

Just A Little Bit - Kids of 88 Afterglow - Scandroid both with no extra meaning but they're mainly what i was playing when i was imagining the new years party and what they might've danced to

[gonzague-if]

from the ask game, downfall or abrupt for nevers

Thank you! I was going to do abrupt, but then I got an idea for downfall that is huh... thematically relevant to the scene I plan to write with him in chapter 2 lol.

So... downfall .   find  my  muse  collapsed  on  the  ground .

You never liked hunting and it was even more apparent in this moment. Your horse was not used to this. The yelling, the dogs barking, the crowd of riders rushing through the woods, all of it had made her nervous. You tried your best to appease her, patting her neck and whispering gently to her.

Nothing worked. You had given up on following the rest of the courtiers and participating in the hunt. You did not want to anyway. Falling back, you focused on your mount, neverminding the risk of getting lost in the forest.

Then a musket fired, the explosive sound bouncing on the tree trunks and echoing throughout the woods. Then another, and another, and another. Your horse neighed in her distress and reared up. One moment you were on the saddle, the next your back was hitting the roots-covered soil, the air expelled out of your lungs.

For a moment you laid down, vision blurring, unable to breathe, temples pounding with the rush of blood, ears ringing with the sound of an army of brutes gunning down some poor animal. From the corner of your eye, you vaguely noticed your horse galloping away.

The noises were becoming fainter and you were not sure if the hunt was moving away or if you were losing consciousness. You gasped, taking in the smallest breath. It was not enough, you were still prone, unable to move. You took another tiny breath. And another. You closed your eyes, relieved that you could at least breathe.

Hooves hitting the ground drew your attention and you opened your eyes again. The sensation was strange from where you were lying. You felt the vibrations traveling through the dirt more than you could hear the sound. Then a voice called.

“Gonzague!”

Nevers. You let out a trembling sigh. At least you would not be abandoned here. You still could not respond so you waited, listening to your friend’s horse coming to an abrupt halt nearby. You could not see anything, but you heard a mess of metal clanking and some shuffling as Nevers swore under his breath.

“Damn horse…”

You frowned. It was taking him an awful amount of time just to get down from the saddle. Finally, a loud thump made the ground shake and Nevers waded through the underbrush — quite clumsily, from the sound of rustling ferns — toward you.

“Gonzague!”

If you had the energy, you would roll your eyes. If you had been able to respond, you would have done it the first time. A disheveled — more than usual — Nevers entered your field of vision as he fell to his knees beside you, expression taut, eyes searching your face desperately. His rough hands grabbed at your face, cradling it awkwardly.

“Please, please, don’t be dead!” “I am not dead, you idiot,” you tried to reply as wryly as you could.

But your voice was weak and wheezy. He sighed with relief and his smile was almost blinding.

Then he frowned again, his hands running down your torso frantically. “Are you alright? Are you hurt? Is anything broken?” “Nevers, please,” you struggled to say, your breath short.

He paused, docile, looking back at you as you took your time to inhale and exhale, wetting your lips.

“I have… no idea. Just… let me catch my breath.” “Of course… Of course.”

He smiled hesitantly, concern overshadowing the expression.

Moments passed and Nevers waited as patiently as he could. You could tell by his fidgeting that he struggled with sitting still. But he did, for your sake. After a while, your breathing had returned to normal. You heard heavy steps and vegetation being ruffled and you perked up.

“What is that?” Nevers looked to the side with a soft smile. “Your horse… She is back. I think she is worried about you.” “Are you not projecting a little?” You said with a chuckle that soon turned into a coughing fit.

After your struggles breathing, your lungs were a little sensitive.

Nevers frowned down at you, his big hand, warm and heavy, coming to rest on your chest. “Are you sure you are alright?” “I think so,” you reassured him.

You decided to attempt sitting up. Nevers accompanied the movement, supporting your back as you did so. You moved your legs and arms to make sure everything seemed functional. You were still shaking, but otherwise, so far, so good. When you turned your head, you noticed indeed the presence of your horse, approaching tentatively, head lowered in shame, or what looked like shame.

“I think I can stand up,” you said before putting your words into action. “Hey there, there is no…”

Nevers stood with you, and it was a good thing he did. Your legs were wobbly and you would have fallen back to the ground if he did not catch you.

“Yes, that is what I thought,” your friend grumbled.

And without preamble, he slipped one arm under your knees and swept you off your feet.

“Nevers, what are you doing?!”

It was incredibly embarrassing and you found yourself frantically checking around yourself to make sure no one was witnessing that.

“Carrying you?” He replied with a confused frown, unaware of how undignified you had to look. “To where?” You asked, more sensibly.

Your face was still turning dangerously hot.

“Huuuuuuh… Your horse? My horse?” You groaned. “Just… Take me to your horse.”

When he helped you haul yourself up on his saddle, a nagging thought in the back of your mind kept whispering that you were far more comfortable in his arms.

[unrequiteddeath]

A Ghost Hunt

@breathofthearth Edge was a city like no other. Born from the twisted metal and broken concrete Midgar's once metropolis, it had begun to establish roots in the manmade debris that had only narrowly survived not one, but many threats of complete planetary annihilation. Humanity only just had begun licking their wounds. Normalcy was nearly a fantasy that some could only imagine in their wildest dreams. Yet, echoing against the convoluted metal pathways were the poorly suppressed giggles of children. Just as the dusk sky had purpled, these orphans had begun to find what others desperately sought as they squealed and chased on another-- through a tire, onto a roof, skittering down some metal support. The innocence of youth was purifying. And their laughter through the darkening streets of Edge spread a strange sense of warmth and familiarity. But by that same token, Edge was not so safe as Midgar had been, not even in the slums were an occasional monster could emerge from some unknown crevice. Edge was filled with far unexplored nooks and crannies that a single wrong turn could place even an equipped adult, let alone someone so small and fragile. Surely, the orphans too knew the risk, yet... It was a most auspicious occasion, one that could only be done at night. Evidently, just near the outskirts of where Edge transformed to plains and forest, there was a river that served as a main source of water for the inhabitants, if treated properly that was. And on that river there was a little scrap house with a wheel where a ShinRa ghost resided. And what better way to spook one another than to see an actual living-- er, dead ghost! The metalscape gradually merged into dirt and lighter debris that had scattered further beyond the impact of Meteorfall. They were close. The little house was in sight. And while excitement rushed through some of the group, others slowed a bit, whispering anxiously amongst themselves. What if the ghost was a mean one? What if it ate them up in one single gobble? What if it was one of those SOLDIERs? The monsters that could cut you up and leave you out to bleed dry!

[sunshinereddie]

i know that this is sort of a basic au idea but I don’t care because I LOVE IT. anyways, richie as a marine biologist and while he’s doing his phd he gets sent out to this unknown little town in maine for research. richie’s not happy about it, but what’s he gonna do? say no to the only research job he was offered after being rejected by every other one he applied for? so he packs his bags and moves out from california all the way out to derry, maine, and starts to work at the research facility there.

his first few weeks are nothing special, he spends most of his time getting used to the area and this new work environment, and though he had been dreading coming out here, he can at least find some happiness in his research and going out to the ocean.

one day he’s out there at this little beach, a small, private enclosure owned by the research facility, and it’s getting late, but richie’s been interested in the nocturnal activity of these fish he’s been studying, so he decides to stay out a little longer, even after the sun has set.

except on that night, as he’s sitting out on the dock that leads into the ocean, staring out into the dark water, he sees something… different.

it started with just a ripple of the waves. it piqued richie’s interest, because from his experience, it would have had to take a rather large fish to make that side of wave- something much bigger than he had been studying the past few weeks. he watches as the waves get closer and closer, and he starts to get a little more and more nervous… until he sees a human head pop out of the water in front of him.

richie rolls his eyes, feeling embarrassed that he had actually gotten a little scared of just some guy going for a late-night swim. richie pulls out his flashlight, shining it on the guy’s face. he’s got a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face, his brown eyes wide, looking just as surprised to see richie as richie was to see him. richie goes to pull out his ID badge to show that he’s a researcher here, and is about to tell this guy that he’s swimming in private property, and that he needs to leave…

… when richie’s light flashes across the water, and richie sees the man’s naked torso under the water… and a shimmering green tail where his legs should have been.

richie stares at the mermaid before him. the mermaid stares right back. richie’s mind is completely blank, not a single other thought in that brain of his except for him trying to process the fact that there is a mermaid, a real mermaid two feet in front of him. a mermaid, a creature that was always joked about within richie’s work circles, a creature that richie had proved in his research many times were not real… and now richie is looking at one.

except, just as he’s beginning to progress that he’s not dreaming, the mermaid ducks back under the water and with a big splash of his tail (and when the cold water from that splash hit richie’s face, it confirmed to him that he wasn’t dreaming) as he dives down, he swims away back into the darkness, leaving richie with his heart beating a thousand miles a minute.

—

eddie had never seen a human that close up before. he liked to people-watch from a far, while hiding behind rocks and just barely peaking out from the water. but he had never been that close before- and eddie thought it was incredible.

he had been watching this human for a few days now, watching him look at the fish and the plants and algae close to the shoreline. he was there every day, for hours at a time, and oh how he intrigued eddie! that’s why, every night when the human left the beach, eddie would swim up to the shore and ask all the little fishies there to tell him more about this human.

except, one night, when eddie did his visit to the shore… the human hadn’t left.

eddie had broken the biggest rule there was for mermaids- do not be seen. his mother would kill him if she found out that eddie had not only gone to the surface, but had been seen by a human, but eddie didn’t care. that minute of being close to that human… well, it was maybe the most excitement that eddie had had his entire life.

and it was the memory of that excitement that brings eddie back to the surface the next night… the same very excitement he feels again when he peeks out from the water, and sees the human sitting out on the dock again.

—

a part of richie still wasn’t seriously convinced. he had read plenty papers with convincing research on how mermaids were definitely real, but none of them had ever been enough to convince him that mermaids were, or ever had been, real.

except, for the entirety of the next day… richie can’t stop thinking about that guy in the water. the guy with the big brown eyes and the surprised look on his face. the guy who was casually swimming shirtless in the ocean in february. the guy who had a fucking green fish tail.

richie didn’t tell his team about his discovery. he was just starting to be accepted and respected by the higher-ups at this facility, and he did not want to go and make a fool of himself and completely lose his reputation by screaming about a possible mermaid sighting. so he keeps quiet, and the following night, he returns to the beach, his flashlight in hand, sits at the end of the dock, and waits.

after an hour and a half, richie starts to think that maybe it had all been a prank by some locals, just some guy in a mermaid costume messing with him. when it was almost midnight, richie had grown increasingly embarrassed about the whole thing and is about to pack up and forget about this whole thing…

…when he sees something pop out out the water, and when he shines his flashlight in front of him, he once again meets those wide, brown eyes, and sees the tip of a shimmering, green tail peeking past the surface.

[jade-efflorescence]

☕️

Photo card collecting, or buying albums in bulk (I literally have no ideas 🥲).

LOVE LOVE LOVE your theme by the way!

(thank youuu that means so much! i spent like an hour just trying to piece it all together lol)

ooo this is a great topic! unfortunately, i don't have a lot of experience but i'll do my best to answer :)

i am unfortunately a college student (who is mainly online at the moment due to Tuition Being Expensive :(( ) so when i first got into kpop i knew collecting was completely out of the picture for me. despite that i have gotten my hands on several albums and have gotten to experience some of the fun of photocards/album freebies!

most of my albums so far have been secondhand, which has been nice since i still have a cd player and can use the discs long term. it's kind of been like a treasure hunt as most of the inclusions are gone and i've gotten my hands on a few albums that are not being released anymore. from that i have the escape version of txt's the chaos chapter: fight or escape, the ive summer version of ive's after like, and the arcadia version of txt's the dream chapter: magic! i snagged a group poster, leeseo postcard, and liz circle card from the after like album, and the multicolored confetti from the tdc: magic album.

i also recently pre-ordered ive's ive switch album as an early birthday gift for myself! everything came packaged well and i got yujin! so that's all i have concerning photocards (for now, haha). i want to use the keychain and stickers but am not sure where yet.

thank you for the ask!

[helldustedstories]

Okay, but I want to talk about Stolas and his relationship with touch, affection, and praise, because they're all kind of wrapped up in one another. Under a cut for length.

When he was younger, he barely saw his father. The day he received his grimoire was the first time he'd seen him all year, and Paimon didn't even tell him 'happy birthday;' he just greeted him, completely forgetting his name, and told him that it was finally time for him to 'become a true part of the Goetia family. Good for you.'

After that, he very quickly told Stolas what his duty in Hell was going to be, gave him the grimoire, and then announced that he was destined to 'sire a precautionary heir,' which meant that he was never going to have any say in how his life turned out. It was all planned for him right from the start. The picture that Paimon showed Stolas of his future wife was one where she was abusing her pets, something that was understandably upsetting on top of the news he'd just received. When Stolas starts crying in reaction, Paimon pats him on the head, the touch condescending and anything but comforting or affectionate. Stolas even flinches when he pats him, which suggests he's used to less than gentle touch, by that point.

He's used to his father not being there or being less than gentle, which sets up an expectation for other. Because if his father, who loves him (because fathers are supposed to be loving, right?) treats him that way, of course other people are going to as well, right?

And then later, when Stolas bows to Blitzo, being the polite young gentleman he is, Paimon hits him to correct him, calling him an idiot in the process. It definitely wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last. Paimon's simply not around as much as he could be, but Stolas almost certainly had physical correction applied whenever he did something wrong (a rap across the knuckles with a ruler, a smack upside the head, like when he bowed to Blitzo; little things that add up).

He was also very isolated, mostly only interacting with the household servants and his tutors, none of which showed him more than cursory attention, the way one does to the son of their employer. So he grew up touch-starved, isolated, and desperate for any sort of attention or affection.

Additionally, he was frequently belittled and told that he was stupid, ugly, worthless, that he wouldn't amount to anything, which very much stuck with him and he started to internalize. He's used to just kind of ducking his head and going along with it, to minimize any attention on him, because so frequently when people are paying attention to him, it's negative.

He's more likely to expect a physical blow than any sort of gentle affection, especially when it's preceded by raised voices. Stella was more likely to throw objects than to throw hands, at least at first, but he still flinches sometimes when someone is upset with him, just out of habit. Though he's gotten pretty good at keeping any physical reaction to a minimum, as a means of self-preservation.

Stolas also got very good at deflecting and defusing situations because he had to after Via was born. He showers her with love and affection, because he doesn't want her to end up like him.

Because as much as he craves touch, affection, and praise, actually receiving them is another matter. When he's comfortable with someone, he very much wants to be touching them frequently, even if it's just something simple like the brush of his hand against theirs, because it reassures him, fills part of the hollowness that he constantly feels because he wants to be held, to be cared for.

So he channels that into caring for others: usually his plants and his daughter.

But as is a theme in his life, everything changes when Blitz shows up again. Stolas tries to joke and flirt, not really expecting anything to happen, but he'd had something to drink, and the first person he'd ever called his friend had seemed to enjoy his company when they were children, maybe that hadn't changed. Maybe he really was here to see Stolas.

The two of them sit down on the nearby chaise lounge and talk a little bit, until Blitz is the one that initiates any sort of touch between them. Stolas is immediately flustered and doesn't know what to do, going so far as to back away from Blitz. Because at this point, he's never experienced any touch that is romantic or positive in a sexual nature; he's been married to Stella for quite some time, and he disassociated whenever they had sex. So he's understandably a bit flustered because he's experiencing attraction for the first time, too.

Blitz pursues him, putting all of the attention on Stolas, which he is not used to, especially in this sort of situation, but he doesn't push him away. It's new, it's exciting, and he finds that he actually wants what Blitz seems to be offering. He has no idea how to put that into words, and he stammers over an answer when Blitz asks him what he wants him to do to him. Which is the point that Blitz bites him, tipping that needle over from "I want this but I'm uncomfortable" to "oh my god, I want this."

When Blitz pushes him back down onto the bed, he latches onto that, immediately asking Blitz if he likes to be in charge, to command. He goes right into playing that up, going from the idea of commanding to kinky in seconds, because any of the knowledge he possesses about this sort of situation came from books. Blitz tells him to stop, and he immediately does.

It's at that point that Blitz blindfolds him and ties him to the bed, which Stolas takes to mean that more touch is coming, something he says he's craved for a very long time. Blitz could have just left him there, but he didn't. He stayed and he fulfilled that desire: he gave Stolas what he'd been craving, showed him what it was like to be touched and wanted, which also served to show him what he had been missing.

Because up until that point, he thought there was something wrong with him. I've talked about it a little bit before, but my interpretation of Stolas is that he's both gay and on the ace spectrum, specifically demiromantic, which means he needs an emotional connection to feel more for someone than just appreciating them aesthetically. He hasn't necessarily come to terms with this sort of label yet, which was why his initial night with Blitz meant more to him than some casual fling would have, because he already had an emotional connection, which made the physical that much more intense.

Things with Stella got even worse, at that point. She escalated from just throwing things, to deliberately throwing or destroying the things that Stolas cared about, until she eventually hit him. He was able to block her blow so easily the one time he stood up for himself because he was expecting it, because she'd done it before.

So while he craves touch, there's also part of him that expects the worst when he actually gets it.

Which is part of the reason he leans so much into the BDSM side of things with Blitz, especially in the beginning. Because if he expects pain, if it's controlled and given out as part of the touch, part of the experience, and not just a negative, then that's fine. It's something he expects and can handle, and even find pleasurable, because it's controlled and it's not coming from a place of anger, of fear. It's actually coming from a place of trust and of care, which is an entirely new experience for him.

He can handle being touched, leans into it, because he so desperately wants and needs it.

Affection, on the other hand, is harder for him to deal with because it's so foreign. He frequently feels that he's not worth the time and attention it takes to reach some level of caring for him, even if he's desperate for it.

The same sort of thing goes for genuine praise. If someone tells him he did something well or he's good at something, his first instinct is to pick apart whatever they're complimenting, because he clearly could have done better. They're not actually complimenting him; they're trying to show him how he failed.

It's even worse when someone tells him he's pretty. He wears nice clothes and does what he can, but he's been told from a very young age that he's ugly and disgusting, which is definitely taking some time to unlearn.

But the more he spreads his wings (so to speak) and experiences more and comes to terms with the fact that his treatment wasn't okay and wasn't his fault, the more he unlearns the things he was told. It's been a long road to get to where he is, and he definitely still has days where he doesn't feel like he's worth anyone's time or attention, but he is definitely trying.

[lactoset0lerant]

ok so like i had a stupid idea in which instead of a first dance at a wedding, i would sword fight my (fictional in this case) partner. thoughts? (ur literally the only person i know w any experience in this)

OH MY GOD that sounds like the best idea. I mean if you're both very experienced fencers you can do this with metal swords with nothing but a mask, and determines how one can win. So for example in my fencing school we have a standard 4 point system, bot of you have 4 points, and the person who loses them all first loded the duel. If one of your limbs get hit you lose 1, if your torso gets hit you lose 2, if your head gets hit you lose 3 points, and if your neck get hit thats an instant kill. Of course to fence without protection, and make it safe, you have to be experts, who have done fencing for years. But there's always the option to use practice swords for which you dont need any protection, but they look less cool for sure. They're covered in a soft material so you wont hurt the other person. I mean idk anything about olympic fencing, i do historical, but i guess you could also go that route if you want! But they also use protective wear, but in their case idk if people fence without it. SO YEAH i went on for a little too long i think, but if the two people in question are very careful and have been fencing for years, and are expert, you could fence with nothin but a mask so you dont have to change before and after lol but i really fuckin love this idea, i hope this answered your question

[sakamaki--perfect]

(@bluebird-dolly-bride)

“So far, I never dare to ask you why you hate Shu-san that much. I cannot understand your relationship. I never had a bother or a sister, but I wanted for sure have one. Then, I found really curious the fact that you both are bothered with each other. Could you explain me a little?” the girl spited that question as it was no care in the world, perhaps imagining how much the vampire could anger about it but chiefly boosted by the curiosity.

“You should've listen to your gut feeling and keep silent about it, Cassie. Curiosity kills the cat”

Walking up to her, his magenta eyes bored into her amber ones. Resorting to violence hadn't been the best choice for him, even so, he can't be expected to treat her like a precious lady after asking such question.

“If you're that curious, I'll tell you... but just to make it 'fun', let's set a few rules”, his right hand went to her delicate neck, pressing it against the wall behind. He leans in to whisper into her ears.

“If you managed to listen well until the end, I'll let you go without any more.... game. Listen to me carefully, alright?”

“Look around you, don't you find it strange that no one on this family act like a proper family? Aside the triplets, we barely talk even at dinner banquets. Our mothers... They weren't suitable for being 'mothers' if I must say”

Seemingly making his speech longer intentionally, he continued nonetheless. “Shu and my motherー She is the root reason for my hatred. She praised him, cherished him... He's a fed up brat! And she didn't even acknowledge me who was on his way to being perfectー”

“I can never forgive him. He's effortlessly gaining everyone's attention while I'm bound to rot in his shadows?! That is... One thing I will never accept. You see, Cassie, he's an eyesore for me through and through. I hope that answer your question”

Unconsciously squeezing around her neck stronger as he speaks, it'll probably leave bruises on her skin. Poor thing. Letting go of his hand, he isn't sure if she's still conscious or not.

“Learn your lessons and be careful next time when asking such a question. I don't dislike you, it is still a mystery why did you come back alive, and truth be told, I'd want to find it out”

[countthelions]

✨💫🕯️🍭?

✨What's a fic you've posted you wish you could breathe life into again and have people talking about it? (or simply a fic you wish got more credit)

hMM that's hard, but perhaps,,, Til Magnolias Bloom? It's a fic written about another fic so that already stacked the cards against it, but I thought the imagery was fun! I do think it'd be nice to rewrite some day now that I'm a bit of a better writer, really lean into the fear Fuku feels and the helplessness from both of the adults, then savor fully the relief of the trio waking up better rested than they'd been in a month. It's a fic that means a lot to me in its own way, for my heart is snagged on Tell God and the Devil for reasons I literally cannot name (I know why HR has my heart, but TGaTD?? literally no clue my dudes. I just adore it) and the gift giver I am, I had to write something for that tasty source material

💫what is your favorite kind of comment/feedback?

Big analysis ones ;; if you've ever come across a comment I've left, it's easy to see how that style of commenting is something that I really cherish!! it means a lot to me to know that my readers are examining the text, getting excited about certain phrases or lines they enjoyed, or how the characters are, in a similar way that I've done too!! I know it's a bit of a time consuming comment to leave though so I don't expect it XDD

🕯️was there a fic that was really hard on you to write, or took you to a place you didn't think it would take you?

Hard to write: Handspun Nerves. For as much fun as I have with darker tragedies, the catharsis of writing such a story is MUCH!! DIFFERENT !! I really really struggled with hurting Grillby and having his trauma - and then Gaster's later - explode in such a public place. I remember both groups of friends going "you can hurt him more!!" several times until I finally worked myself up enough to do so XD I know now that I could go even further with it, but that first step startled me quite a lot!!

Place I didn't expect: Pride. I fully intended to write a piece where Grillby got to be cool and strong and buff and impress Gaster and then was side swiped by something a bit more,, important I'll say. I didn't really want to put queerphobia into an AU of mine, but it's honestly been very important to me to have in there, and has opened the door up to explore a lot more grimy and personally uncomfortable topics in a place that feels very safe and supportive to me.

BNB AU now sideswipes me often btw bc I gave it that permission XDD There's an unfinished fic that, when I realized where it was heading, started legit crying from surprise. Not in a bad way, just a "ah, you're holding so much of me" discovery that I'm slowly leaning into enjoying the catharsis of writing.

🍭why did you start writing?

This recent(ish) stint of writing started because of the Umbrella Academy actually!! I was curious on what sort of conversations the characters might've had in the in-between moments, and set myself to writing some of those scenes out. It quickly lined up with my RP world, and how much fun it was to write there then just !! continued to spiral through the fandoms (mp100, bnha, now undertale!) and I'm having a blast still!!

[gender-euphowrya]

transfems are so fucking strong and brave for going to the Shittier Products side of marketing like they deserve so much better than perfume that doesn't last and clothes with no pockets but capitalists hate women

[indigodreames]

THE MAJOR ARCANA @wcrldcfvtlvs asked : [THE EMPRESS] - Do they participate in or have a self-care ritual? If so, what does their routine look like? - For Alejandra!!

She does! Especially when she's out of hell and in the human world she's learned a thing or two about self-care rituals and loves doing them in her down time! She'll go all out with a nice warm bubble bath and candles, maybe even some aroma therapy or incense if she's feeling up for it. But she definitely likes to do this in the quiet. There's enough going on outside in the world full of so much noise that any quiet time she'll take it in a heartbeat.

She will also put a little effort into her appearance when she feels like it and does consider that a part of a self-care ritual. She'll do her make up, just some eyeliner and lipstick so it's quick. But she does take her time in picking an outfit that she likes or that she know she'll look or feel good in! She loves to wear heels, but the thicker and chunkier kind because they're more comfortable and easier to walk (and even run in, bc she does need to do that on occasion lol).

She has also developed some hobbies which she does add her her list of self-care. None that's she's particularly good at but finds interesting and wants to get better at. She does her fair share of cooking, baking but she wouldn't consider herself good at any of that, honestly. She just likes to experiment with different flavors or cuisines to figure out what she likes and if she nails a recipe she'll put in on rotation until she's tired of it and she loves it! Getting to eat something she enjoys throughout the week is something she'll look forward to.