#That classic Tumblr post was on my mind while drawing his face

[purplelurkinghini]

TFW the host doesn't have a dog for you to socialize with, so you end up petting the other wallflower at the party

Yeah, so this is what happens when you don't get it* out of your system while you're still a teenager.

*cringeworthy self-insert fan content

[infuriatedleprechaun]

OSTRACIZED

So, I’ve been working on this fic for a solid amount of time, been really getting into writing it and it’s the smoothest going fanfic I’ve started. It’s a lot of fun to write, I hope it’ll be fun for you guys to read. 

There are warnings though: this is going to be a darker fanfic, darker humor, tones, just though and through. Some may find it offensive, will put necessary warnings in front of chapter when it needs it. So just keep that in mind when you’re reading. If I offend, I apologize in advanced. 

a little bit of LGBTQ+ tones, if that isn’t your thing, no worries might not be for you. In turn, I’m exploring a TON here. Whether about myself, about my writing/style, Whether I can actually write the boys out (honestly? My first time.) 

first story I’ve posted on here, have had tumblr for a while, finally actually getting into it. Lots of firsts. I hope I can live up to some of the great fanfics on here! first chapter is 5000 words. I’ll break it up to not get overwhelming.

likes, comments/constructive criticism I love. If you got it, lemme have it! I want to get better. Thanks friends! enjoy!

Haunted

My name is Abbigail, I was living as a homeless person in the city of New York, it wasn't the best life, but my life took a turn when I was kidnapped by a lab called TCRI.

I was rescued by our turtle friends, from what I was told from Donnie, I was in that lab for around 3 years, I don't remember a freaking thing that went on in the lab. Upon being rescued by the boys, they brought me back to their cozy home in the sewers, where I do everything I can to repay them.

and while it isn't much, I clean, cook, and take care of them when they're sick or injured as well (or rather, I help Don take care of them.) when I wasn’t getting too tired that is, the experiments apparently put a new draw of energy on me.  

Anyway, by this time I had a routine down, cleaning all their rooms (cautiously) thankfully the "teenage" in teenage mutant ninja turtles was finished. They were into their mid 20s like me, making it less scary to go into their rooms to clean and pick up.

So, I always started to Donnie and Mike's rooms, because they tended to be a little more chaotic, Donnie with his research he dragged in from the lab, and Mikey because, well, it was Mikey. He's a lively sweetheart with a lot of interests, all at the same time, I definitely didn't hold it against him, I was glad he was so happy about everything and had a refreshing view on things, always made him fun to be around.

Some classic instrumental music mixed with techno playing, Lindsey Stirling was my absolute favorite, a small smile on my face as I balled up Mikey's dirty clothes and shot them into the dirty hamper so I could do laundry later. A pleasant smelling lavender spray that cleaned like a champ over the surfaces of Mikey's room, while making it smell a lot better too, some things never changed, thankfully.

I couldn’t help but giggle at some batman underwear, while also throwing, swooshing it into the hamper, and finished wiping everything down, and making his bed. You could bounce a quarter off those bed sheets they were that tightly tucked in. I picked up the dirty hamper and went down the line of bedrooms, cleaning, taking care of spike, and getting to Leo's room.

There it was, some whining, poor little buddy must've accident got locked in. I opened the door to see a Pitbull puppy, master splinter almost didn't let the blue banded turtle keep the cute little animal that was saved from a dog fighting ring the purple dragons ran, I promised the rat master I'd help Leo take care of him.

"Hi bear! How are you little baby boy?" the dog was about to run out and embrace the light of freedom but did a double take and ran back to me, little nub where his tail used to be was going bonkers. Of course I gave him a good scrub down of pets, he was licking my hands and anything else he could reach while I was giggling away.

"You gonna help me clean buddy?" I asked the still overly excited puppy, he was spinning around a bit with his excitement, and turned to follow me back into the turtle's room. I dropped the laundry basket with my hands over my mouth when I heard the puppy run into the door frame with a loud clunk.

"Bear?" My voice cautious, the puppy responded by coming around the corner, still very excited, I couldn't help a sympathetic giggle towards the dopey little silvery brown colored puppy.

"You ok? You poor sweet boy" at least he was still an ecstatic as can be dog. He definitely wasn't anywhere near the same level of gracefulness as his new master, but everyone in the lair loved him anyway.

The lovable goofball (and no I'm not talking about Mikey) followed me throughout the lair the entire time I cleaned Leo's room, just happy to have company. And happy to be right where I needed to be, which I combated with giving him belly rubs while completing the tasks, another being that made everything fun.

"Don't worry buddy, after I start a load of laundry, and check on dinner, we can go on a walk, ok?" Of course I was speaking in a baby voice to the little baby. Leo's room was cleaned and wiped down, I grabbed the dirty hamper and headed towards the newly remodeled laundry room.

"Bear no! that's Mikey's underwear! You trying to knock yourself out?" I had some urgency in my voice when I stopped doing what I was doing, the very same pair of batman underwear and the puppy picked it up in his mouth gently. I took it from him, by gently prying open his mouth, and taking it out, sure enough, the puppy coughed/gagged, warranting a laugh out of me.

"I warned you" I snickered, tossing those in with the rest of the load and cranking the washing machine, leaving the hamper on the top of side loader. The next stop was the kitchen, where the puppy happily followed me, smiling the whole way like the hyperactive boy he was. Even after he recovered from the near death experience. I smelled master Splinter up ahead, sure enough.

"Morning sensei" I greeted the rat master with a big smile, he was making his tea. He refused to let me make it, insisting that taking on such care for the boys was more than enough to do around here. As if they didn't break me out of a mutant prison, my job was cake a million times over compared to what they did for me, and in general, I was more than happy to take care of them.

"You are more than welcome to call me 'dad' if you like Abigail" he explained with a small smile. I couldn't help the sense of peace from how close I was with everyone here. While I never told them anything about myself, Splinter knew something was up with the relationship with my parents.

And while I would never try to replace my biological dad with master splinter, the rat would definitely be a very solid father figure, whom I love very much.

"Thank you" I was still pretty fresh around the lair, only being down here a few months, it felt like I knew everyone my entire life. That being said, it was really hard to talk about myself/past in general, so very little was known about me to my new adopted family.

I started doing dishes by hand, I'd have to help Donnie put in a new dishwasher soon, this one was very much so broken, it was on its last legs for a while, very clearly.

"Are you taking our precious bear for a walk?" very clear amusement in his eyes at the hyperactive puppy at my feet, who was pawing at my legs.

"Bear, you're getting too big for that" I insisted, petting him on the head to calm him down.

"I think getting out and running around the sewer will be in his best interests. He was as adamant to get out of Leo's room as Raph is getting into the gym" I snickered, washing my hands and finishing up the mounds of dishes. I walked over to the massive pot simmering the contents gently within, opening the lid, the pleasant waft of the food in the air.

"Is that chili?" Splinter had taken in the smell of the protein packed dinner, the whiskers near his nose twitching ever so slightly.

"It is. It’s a really good recipe. Even if it might turn the boys into stink bombs" I ran a hand through my hair sheepishly.

"You sleep near them" He reminded me, his eyes still flooded with amusement.

"I'll thank you and the chili for reminding me that later" I assured while laughing, then looking down at the restless puppy who was going ham on my shin.

"Ok Bear, let me get some actual clothes on and I'll take you out" Something tells me I'll want something more than just a t-shirt and shorts after leaving the warmth of the lair. It got toasty working inside where the temperature was controlled, but outside was just slightly different.

[mcudarklibrary]

Author Q&A: searchforanotherway

🖤 The MCU Dark Library encourages everyone to reblog and share the wonderful talents of this community, no matter how big or small your following is. Supporting each other is key to ensuring the longevity of this community. 🖤

Please be sure to reblog and share with your followers.

Tell us who you are!

@searchforanotherway​

How long have you been writing fanfics? If the MCU wasn’t your first fandom, what was?

I published my first fanfic on FFN in 2015 for Naruto and RWBY. From there, I discovered a community of Overwatch writers on Tumblr by 2018 and began writing fanfic for Overwatch until I got into the marvel and started writing Avengers fanfic in 2019.

What helps motivate you to write? Where do you find inspiration?

If I am procrastinating and looking for motivation, usually I will go back and re-read some of my works to get the gears in my head thinking about future scenes and plot. I like to think of myself as a maladaptive daydreamer and visualize my story to help organize the plot. I also try to re-read some of my favorites from other writers as good inspiration to remind myself of the type of dark!fic and writing style I'm hoping to achieve. 

If you could give new writers any advice, what would it be?

Read from your favorite fanfic authors and ANALYZE their work. I don't mean to say "be critical", but notice the things they do right! Or in better terms, notice the things you like about their writing. Some writers are talented at exposition or narration, detailed descriptions, setting the tone (especially for dark!fics) in their writing, paragraph formatting and grammar; understand all the writers that inspire you and adopt parts of their writing style that you like from all of them to help improve your own writing and create a unique style that you can appreciate.

The last advice I will give is a classic saying that I think all writers are well familiar with: "show, don't tell". It's something I'm still trying to get better at myself, but I do think that writing descriptively helps! And trying to balance that with some exposition and narration can make the difference in the pacing of your fic. There's a lot of resources online, so I suggest checking it out if your still confused! The internet is always available to help you with writing!

What is your favourite dark trope and/or kink? Why?

As much as I wouldn't mind listing off every trope and kink I love, I think I can sum them all up as any trope or kink that has disturbing intimacy. So breeding kinks and A/B/O's are a yes! Not so much other things like gun/knife kinks. Along that, any type of yandere trope that shows some sort of one-sided affection to the subject of said affections. 

Share a few lines/paragraphs of one of your stories that truly sums up your style. Don’t forget to share a link to the story!

I will leave a lengthy snippet below from my Overwatch story, 'Hime'. It's currently still in progress and available to read on AO3. (https://archiveofourown.org/works/18539803/chapters/43942510)

- - - - -

“Don’t take me away from him! I’m not leaving!”

But no amount of strength you had could help you as Hanzo finally ripped you away from Genji.

“No! Nooo!” You beat your fists over the Shimada lord, but they did nothing while Hanzo quickly lifted you into his arms, carrying you like the bride you were supposed to be, walking the two of you away from the crowd.

You turned over to face them again, yelling louder, “Please! Someone save my husband, please!” You cried even harder watching all the shocked expressions from everyone. They all roamed closer to Genji’s dying body, but none of them made a move to help him.

You reached out for your love, and countless more tears washed down your face, but when the gates to the palace suddenly came into your vision, closing itself from the city, did you turn to Hanzo.

“Brother! W-where are you taking me?” Hanzo didn’t respond but instead continued to walk through the compound and up the stairs that led to the Shimada’s home. You struggled out of his grip, but Hanzo’s grasp was firm and unyielding. You cried out in pain when his hands held your body even tighter to his hot chest. The doors into the home opening as he led both of you inside. You continued to cry until he eventually led you to his room.

Hanzo released you then, placing you down on your feet only for you to try and bolt away from him a few seconds later. Hanzo quickly grabbed you by your forearm before you even reached the door, and pulled you further back into the room.

“Hanzo stop!” You yanked your arm, but he did not let go. “Stop Hanzo! Why are you doing this? Please! Genji is your brother! I am your sist—”

You couldn’t finish when Hanzo turned to you, more furious than you have ever seen a man before. “You are not my sister! You are my wife! And I will consummate this marriage tonight!”

What did he say?

His wife?... Consummate?

You screamed.

Is there a dark trait you like to interweave into your dark characters? Is there something in particular that draws you to this characteristic?

I enjoy dark!characters that have yandere and delusional characteristics, and I like to sum up the reason why as my intense fear and guilt to be in an actual irl relationship to which I use fanfics to create characters that would love the reader and be with her against her consent.

Which story did you struggle to complete? The one that made you drag your feet to finish.

I consider my story, 'Hunger' to be the most struggling to write. I initially wrote that just to let out my sexual frustrations, but a lot of feedback has been about the plot... That I've barely made outside of a few important events. With that, there's been some pressure to speed up the pacing. Also, fun fact: 'Hunger' was originally supposed to be an Overwatch fanfic.

Do you have a mutual who will hold your hand and support you when you’re doubting yourself? Do you have one who will truthfully and honestly help you grow as a writer?

@americasass81​ has been there for me a lot when I've been at my worst doubting myself, and the sweetest part about it was that she reached out to me on her own accord usually after I post a rant. She is incredible and literally carrying this community on her back--we don't deserve her. 

As for who helped me grow as a writer, I definitely confided with @darkdrabblings​ back when I first got into Overwatch fanfiction. We would throw each other headcanon ideas and all that, and she really did support me a lot. Since then, I don't really have a lot of conversations about my writing with other people.

Do you have a story that contains personal or important details from an experience that is your own?

My first story that I wrote on FFN, 'Nothing More, Nothing Less', was written when I was severely depressed, with a female protagonist that reflected me and my life. 'A Thousand Suns' is another one in which the protagonist's background would be similar to my own. 

Check out @searchforanotherway​ masterlist here

🖤Please reblog and help promote and support dark content creators 🖤

[chuckbass-love]

Hi lovely, I’d love to request a Loki x Male Reader writing if you’re up for it! One where Loki reads the reader’s mind and finds out that he’s attracted to him and that he has a kink for his long hair. So, before making any moves to get with the reader Loki uses magic on his hair to make it even more beautiful and much longer in order to tease the reader. This might range on the “weirder” sides of requests but honestly I’m a sucker for a pretty man with pretty hair haha. But if you don’t feel inspired by or comfortable writing this then obviously no hard feelings! I’ll enjoy anything you come out with in the future! 💚💚💚

Hey. Thank you so much for this request i am in love with it. I was more than happy to do this for you.

Disclaimer: My work is not to be posted anywhere else other than MY Tumblr, Wattpad and Ao3 without my permission. However, reblogs are welcome.

Pairing: Loki Laufeyson x Male!Reader

Warnings: Fluff central and a sprinkle of cheekiness from the man himself because let’s face it he is evil but in the best way.

Word Count: 1,970

GIF NOT MINE!!! Credit to @0goddammitloki go check them out ❤️

Just Like Magic

If there is one thing people should know about you is that you’re not captivated or taken easily. Especially when it comes to crushes. But with Loki. There was an instant attraction, on both parts.

Not that either of you have ever done anything about it though. It’s a known fact to you both that feelings are there and Loki has pretty much made it his mission to tease you every time you’re around him. 

The one thing he doesn’t know though, is the effect his long black hair has on you. The way you fantasise about running your fingers through it, about pulling on it when things get heated. But that will never happen. He’s too complicated for commitment apparently.

You make your way over to a café, you made plans with him for lunch today. He was desperate to get away from his family and you were more than happy to be his distraction. Despite it not being in the way you imagine. It’s still something. 

As you take your seat, you pull your book out, a classic. Romeo and Juliet, if you’re going to wait for him, you might as well do some reading. Feed the brain and all that business. 

“Always got a book in your hands” you hear, moving the book down slightly and just showing your eyes. It’s him.

“Always late”

“Touché” 

He takes his seat, glancing over the menu whilst you return the book to your bag before doing the same. Once you’ve come to the conclusion of what you want, you order. Plus drinks too, of course.

“So, what is it you’re reading this time then?” he asks, showing as much enthusiasm and interest as he usually does. He always likes to keep up with you and what you’re doing.

“Romeo and Juliet” you smirk, knowing exactly what he’s about to say to you, you’ve heard it a thousand times before.

He runs his fingers through his silky smooth locks as he opens his mouth to respond “again? how many times is that now?” 

You just roll your eyes at him, refusing to answer. But the truth is, you’ve lost count. You can’t help it, you love what you love. Being a hopeless romantic is incurable, not that you would try to cure it if you had the chance.

“Let’s just eat, shall we?” you raise a brow at him and he does as you suggest, digging into his food instantly, as do you.

During lunch, you ask him about the latest with his family. He tells you all about Odin favouring Thor again. 

You can’t help but feel bad for him. He’s always tossed aside, like he doesn’t mean anything. You wish you could help that, rectify it but you can’t. All you can do is be there when he needs to talk. You still remain the only person in his life that he can open up to. That’s saying something, right?

He tucks a strand of hair behind his ear whilst flicking another strand out of his face. That hair is your literal weakness. 

It’s something you simply cannot explain. But it does things. Things that you could never repeat out loud. 

Especially not to him. 

But little do you know, Loki can hear everything inside that pretty little head of yours as he watches you eat. The way you’re sitting back into the chair, one leg over the other. So well put together, so graceful but your thoughts are far from it.

In fact, he’s known about your dirty fantasies for a while but he chooses not to say a word. Mostly due to the fact that he wouldn’t know how to bring it up but also because he would never want to embarrass you. He cares for you. 

Deeply in fact.

So he waits around for the perfect timing to say something in the best way he can. 

Whilst he waits, intruding on your thoughts. You think some more. 

About all the ways his hair turns you on, all the ways it could come in handy in the bedroom. 

His lips curl up into a satisfied smile, catching your attention.

“What’s that smile for?” you ask, kicking his leg gently.

“Oh, nothing really” 

Something tells you, that’s a lie “no, it’s clearly something? Tell me”

He just shakes his head, denying you the pleasure of the reason behind his smile. You just pout, hoping it’ll help but it doesn’t. Unlucky. You finish eating and both stand up ready to say goodbye and part ways. He pulls you into a hug, making you feel small compared to him. He’s so much taller.

“Same time tomorrow?” 

“How about we have lunch at my place?” you suggest, nervously gritting your teeth and awaiting his response.

“Sure” he agrees before turning on his heels and walking away. You feel weak in your knees as you rush back home. Time to continue reading. 

Loki gets home and as he stands in his mirror, brushing his hair. He’s reminded of your thoughts, the way you were practically drooling just looking at his hair. 

The way you were flustered. 

What if he could intensify that? Have you begging to touch it, feel it in your hands. 

Wait. He knows a way that he can make that a possibility. 

He racks his brain for a couple second before remembering a spell. 

Once he gets it mastered, he puts the spell into place, on his hair. Causing it to grow a couple more inches, it’s now just to his chest. Not much longer, but a noticeable change. One you’re sure to love. Just what he wants. 

He cannot wait for tomorrow now. This should do the trick intended.

---------------------

You rush around, tidying after yourself and the mess you made yesterday after lunch. You don’t want Loki coming in to a mess. Not that he’d judge.

The second you finish, there’s a knock at the door, making you jump out of your skin. You pass the mirror on the way to the door and you check yourself out before opening up to reveal the man himself.

“Afternoon” he grins, stepping in and waiting for you to lead him to the kitchen where all the food waits. As he takes his seat, you glance at his hair, it’s longer. Sexier somehow. You don’t recall it being that long yesterday. 

How does he do that? How does he have you so captivated? Not even just because of his hair. But because of how he carries himself, how he speaks, how he walks. Everything about him draws you in.

“You okay?” he asks, a smug tone in his voice, on purpose. He can hear your thoughts once again. The spell is definitely paying off. Nows the time.

“So you like my hair then”

You almost choke on your water, looking up, your eyes meeting his “what?” you ask, wanting to know if what you heard was correct.

“My hair? You like it, don’t you?” 

You feel your cheeks heating up, the panic filling you. You can’t deny it.

“I do, why?” play it cool Y/N.

“Why do you like it?”

You widen your eyes, standing up to bring some more food to the table and filling your plate “it’s just really nice”.

He chuckles, clearly not accepting your answer.

“So you don’t wish you could touch it? Tug on it in let’s just say, intimate situations” 

Okay, now you’re mortified. 

What could possibly give him that impression? How does he know that? 

“Have you been reading my diary? How could you possibly know that” you blurt out, regretting it right away and covering your mouth with your hands.

He gets up from the table “your diary?” he asks, walking past you and into the next room where he spies a book on the coffee table. He wastes no time in picking it up, all whilst you’re trying to retrieve it. 

He starts reading it out loud.

“Dear diary,

What am i to do about this? 

What am i to do about Loki? That man has all this power over me and i’m struggling to be mute about my feelings, about the things i want to do to him”

You jump up, screaming at him to give it back but he just holds it higher. Not letting up.

“Loki, stop. Please” 

He brings it back down to your reach but before you can even take it, he pulls it behind his back “not so fast. When were you planning to tell me all of this? What sort of things were you talking about?”

“That’s private”

“It’s about me pretty boy, i think if it concerns me then i have a right to know”

You gulp, twiddling your thumbs as you avoid his gaze.

“I just meant that um, if there was ever a situation where um, we would kiss. That your hair, would be great to tug on. I’m sorry, i’m so embarra-”

Before you can finish the sentence, his lips are on yours. The last result you anticipated. But boy is it just how you imagined it to be. Actually no, that’s a lie. It’s a million times better. 

You wrap your arms around his neck, he drops the diary to the floor and his hands grip your face. Your lips fit together like two puzzle pieces. Like it was always meant to be. 

You break away, your hands find purchase on his chest, your pinky fingers touching his hair.

And that’s when your whole body shivers. His forehead rests to yours, his breath fans your face.

“That certainly took a different turn” you let out a deep breath.

He seconds that “a turn that is most welcome” 

He pecks your lips once more “why didn’t you tell me about all of this pretty boy?” 

The name turns you on.

“Nerves mostly, not wanting to ruin the friendship and besides you made it clear you weren’t ready for anything” you explain

“But for you, that would have changed”

“Am i dreaming right now? Pinch me please” 

He can’t help himself, his right hand glides down to the spot just above your ass. He takes his finger and thumb, doing as you asked and making you squeal. 

“I’m sorry, was you not serious?”

You shove him playfully and attempting to walk away, not so fast though.

He pulls you back, attacking your lips in a less than family friendly way. More of a make out session.

A lip biting, tongue battling kiss. All consuming and breath stealing. 

The kind of kiss that everyone dreams of having with their crush. The kind of kiss that just like in the movies and books, leaves you seeing fireworks or stars. 

The way his lips move with yours, so effortlessly and so soft against each other. 

His hand remains on your lower back while the other still cups your face. You lean into him as a whisper like moan fills his mouth, causing him to smile into the kiss. Your hands finally get to run through his hair. And boy does it feel good to tug at it too, pulling him deeper into the kiss, if that’s even possible.

This is everything you could have wanted.

----------------------

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Feel free to tag anyone that would enjoy this fic.

[turtle-steverogers]

Team Bonding

fr when was the last time i posted like,,, a fic on here. like a tumblr fic. damn. anyway. ummmmmmmm this is just your.... typical steve freaks out and the avengers are awesome um yah ok ok 

warnings: panic attack, vomiting (basically steve watches the titanic and doesnt have a very fun time)

word count: 2575

-

If Steve was being brutally honest with himself, he was fucking tired of hearing about “the classics”. Irrelevant people butting their noses into his business, tipping him off to what movies were, “the best of the best!” and “absolute must sees!” He appreciated what they were trying to do, but after a while, it felt like people were more or less just trying to garner a slice of his 21st century experience, and quite frankly, he liked doing things better by himself. It was much more appealing to park himself in front of his laptop, nothing but his own quietude to keep him company as he combed through different wikipedia rabbit holes and caught up on movies and TV shows that were apparently crucial to his very existence.

Most were subpar and honestly, he preferred the copious amounts of popcorn he treated himself to on these solo date nights, but some things surprised him. Like Indiana Jones. He liked Indiana Jones. He was neat, and Marion reminded him vaguely of Peggy. 

Still, he supposed he should have seen it coming when Clint came to collect him from his floor one evening, that sort of eager-puppy energy he carried around with him vaguely prickling the back of Steve’s neck.

“C’mon, man,” he was saying. Steve leaned against the door jamb, tired. He was going to concede, but Clint was rambling and Steve knew better than to interrupt him. “It’s, like, certifiably the best love story ever. You need to watch it--”

And there it was again. That fucking claim. You need to watch this! You haven’t seen that? 

No. He hadn’t. He’d been a little busy, you know, being dead.

“--And the acting is all so raw and it’s just-- Leo DiCaprio-- you know who that--”

“--Yes. I saw Blood Diamond--”

“--Oh, you did? Well, anyway, he rocks in this and--”

“Clint,” Steve cut him off smoothly. “I’ll come, don’t sweat it too hard.”

Clint looked positively elated. “You will?” he exclaimed. “Awesome, yeah, it’s gonna be the whole team. I mean, that’s good right? You’re cool with that? You gotta be, you’re the one who mentioned team bonding that one time--”

“Yes,” Steve cut in again. “I’m alright with that. Give me a minute to change, and I’ll be right down?” He was still in his gym clothes from two hours ago. He meant to take a shower, but he’d sort of… ran out of energy. The sweat had cooled by now anyway. He smelled fine.

“Oh! Yeah, no problem.”

Which was how Steve found himself in a pair of sweatpants and an old SHIELD t-shirt, squashed in between Natasha and Bruce on the communal couch. Someone had handed him a huge bowl of popcorn and Steve was pleasantly surprised to find that it was flavored with some sort of cheese powder.

“White cheddar,” Bruce said, holding up a little blue shaker bottle when he heard Steve’s appreciative hum. “They’re, uh, sort of like seasoning, but for popcorn specifically. They come in all different kinds of flavors.”

“Oh, neat,” Steve said, around another handful of popcorn. He liked Bruce. He seemed to get Steve in that quiet, brutally raw sort of way. A quiet kinship. They didn’t talk about it, but he never made him feel condescended, so Steve decided that was okay.

“I think I fixed it!” Tony said, stepping out from behind the ginormous movie screen where, presumably, he’d been fixing a volume problem. The screen had been frozen on the first frame of the movie for nearly ten minutes. “Okay, okay, let’s see…” he pressed play. Music poured through the speakers on either side of the TV, loud enough so that everyone cringed and Steve nearly dropped the popcorn bowl in his haste to cover his ears. He always managed to forget how damn loud the world could be when he let himself get comfortable.

“Sorry, sorry!” Tony hissed, turning the volume down to a much more tolerable level. “Okay, there. Okay, shh everyone. Gotta let Capsicle--”

“--Just Steve, Tony--”

“--Gotta let Just Steve get the full experience.”

Steve rolled his eyes, but settled in to watch.

The film was honestly better than Steve had been expecting, if not a little… itchy in that way period films tended to be for him. The themes of poverty and love were pretty well-rounded, but they hit just close enough that he almost cringed at the far-fetch’d beauty of it. 

Still, his fingers itched for a pencil as Jack guided a pencil over the worn sheaf of paper. The dim light, the faint scratch of the pencil, the forbidden love. It was familiar. Steve could almost smell the salty City air, afternoons spent under the dim lights of candles so they could see even with the curtains drawn-- a semblance of privacy amongst the compact vulnerability of his and Bucky’s shitty little tenement. 

Draw me like one of your french girls, Rose had said, and Steve’s eyes drifted towards the wall, Bucky’s voice echoing through his head.

“‘Course I want you to draw me. I ain’t denying my vanity, Stevie,” he teased, but his eyes were soft. “Pal, you could draw a stick of butter and I’d still wanna watch. It ain’t about me here.”

There was a soft touch to his arm and Steve blinked out of his reverie. Natasha was watching him, a neutral look on her face that Steve had finally learned to recognize as concern. He shook his head minutely, offering her a smile. She nodded and looked back at the TV.

The rest of the movie passed without much excitement. The acting was pretty good and Steve had even gotten to a point where he could recognize the filmmaking as something like revolutionary for the time it came out. He was quicker on the cultural uptake than people gave him credit for, but that was neither here nor there. He laughed with everyone else, let himself grow somber when the atmosphere lent that mood, and generally, it was a nice time. He hadn’t gone to any movie nights before this, but he thought maybe he’d start going to more.

And then the ship hit the iceberg.

Steve wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting. Obviously, he knew of the Titanic-- he knew, historically, what happened to it. But for some reason, it hadn’t quite hit him while watching the movie that he was going to have to see the catastrophe go down.

There was a loud creaking of ice on metal as the collision occurred on screen and Steve felt himself go still-- body rigid and tense as the deafening noise played through the speakers. His heart slammed in his chest and he felt his palms start to sweat. He knew that sound-- he knew that--

--He blinked, shaking his head. Movie. Watch the movie. There was a panicked scramble on screen. Characters rushing to amend the situation, more metal creaking and groaning and breaking as dark, foamy water broke through the sides of the ship and Steve could taste it, he could taste the water flooding into the cabin, hitting him from the left as it took the plane down in a harsh--

--He twitched, shaking his head. He was being silly. There were moments of reconciliation as the scenes rapidly flashed between water flooding the ships cabins and peaceful moments of civility. A calm before the storm. A final dance before death.

I’m gonna need a raincheck on that dance…

There was a sudden crash as water blasted through into the work quarters and Steve jumped, watching transfixed as unforgiving torrents pushed workers over, flooding them, drowning them, and they were falling, slipping, sliding, panicking as certain death met them at the halfway point, and Steve knew it must be cold. So cold. Suffocating and unforgiving as it flooded their lungs, saltier than they probably imagined, heavy and awful and--

“Stark, turn the movie off.”

The room went abruptly silent. Steve realized his eyes were closed, chest heaving as he sat, hunched over his lap, hands fisted in his hair.

The popcorn wasn’t on his lap anymore. When had he moved? He couldn’t breathe and he was so cold and someone needed to save those guys, someone needed to--

“Steve,” a gentle voice cut into the roaring waves crashing in his head. Bruce. That was Bruce speaking. “Can you hear me, Steve?” 

Steve nodded, pulling his hair harder. He couldn’t breathe. Was he drowning again? Surely that was impossible. If Bruce was talking to him, he couldn’t be drowning again, but-- but the water-- and-- and the cold--

“Good, that’s good, Steve,” Bruce. Bruce again. It was Bruce. “Can I touch you?”

Touch. Touch. No touch. He was so cold. He wanted to stop being cold, but he was certain if someone touched him right now, he would lose his goddamn mind. More so than he already had.

“That’s alright,” Bruce sounded steady. Calm. So calm. Why couldn’t Steve calm down? “That’s okay. You think you can do something for me?”

Something… for Bruce? Could he? Could he do anything right then? If he couldn’t breathe, how could he do anything-- and he-- he felt sick--

He opened his mouth to answer and vomited between his feet, straight onto the carpet. Someone in the room hissed sympathetically. Steve wanted to crawl somewhere and die.

“Oh, Steve,” Bruce seemed to be talking mostly to himself, but Steve felt his shoulders climb higher towards his ears. “Okay, Steve, I need you to listen to my voice. Just listen. I’m going to count and you’re going to breathe in time with my instruction, okay? Can you do that for me?”

Steve shook his head, choking on a sob. His chest hurt. Like someone had taken all of his ribs and replaced them with weights, flooding his lungs with-- with water-- and fuck, now he was thinking about the plane again. He felt his breathing tick up higher.

“I want you to try,” Bruce said. “With me. In,” he sucked in a breath. “One… two… three… four…”

Steve tried to suck in a breath, but all he managed to do was send himself into a coughing fit. Bruce kept counting. Steve wanted to tell him to wait-- slow down-- shut up--

He braced a hand over his chest. 

Bruce was still counting.

He wasn’t sure how much time passed, but eventually he found himself matching Bruce’s counts, eyes closed and the heels of his palms braced on his temples as he sucked in greedy, measured breaths. His heart was still slamming hard enough to make him tremble and he could smell his own sick wafting up from the ground, but at least he was breathing on his own.

Bruce trailed off. Silence hung thick in the air, the only noise Steve’s slow, shaking breaths. Shame burned around his ears. He didn’t dare look up.

Tony, predictably, was the one to break the silence. “I’m sorry, Steve,” he said, and Steve was surprised to hear honest regret in his voice. “I was the one who suggested we watch Titanic. I should have thought for more than two seconds about that…”

Steve shrugged. Embarrassment climbed from his stomach to his throat, threatening to choke him. 

Natasha spoke next. “Why don’t you go wash up?” It was an escape-- a way out-- and Steve took it graciously, keeping his head ducked down as he stood on shaking legs and rushed to the communal bathroom.

Inside, he locked the door and braced himself over the sink, splashing warm water on his face. He drank greedily from the tap. His reflection looked like shit-- he’d burst some blood vessels in his eyes, probably while vomiting, and his skin looked sallow and pale. He was trembling, sweat matting his hair to his forehead. He looked how he looked after a nightmare. This, he supposed, had kind of been like a nightmare. Though, he hadn’t been asleep.

Nightmares, he was finding, weren’t strictly exclusive to the nighttime. 

He supposed he’d always known that, though. 

He closed his eyes, bowing his head again. 

His emotions had been fucked to high hell since waking up from the ice. This hadn’t been the first of those awful… fits, and he was certain it wouldn’t be the last, but to have something like that happen in front of the team was a whole new level of mortifying. Fuck. He’d gotten sick. And he’d left it.

He felt the ceramic counter straining under his grip. Scowling, he let go.

He could slip off to his room, lock himself away until he could find some way to sneak out of the Tower and never talk to any of the others ever again. Even in this state, Steve knew that wasn’t viable in any sense. He sighed. Besides, he couldn’t just damn the others to clean up his mess. 

Stowing his pride, he dug some spare mouthwash out from behind the mirror and chugged some straight down, keeping a mouthful and swishing it around before spitting it in the sink. He still felt and looked like shit, but at least his breath would smell like wintergreen. 

The others were still gathered in the communal living room, watching what looked like a kid’s cartoon on TV. There was a distinct smell of cleaner in the air and Steve’s eyes landed on the ground where he’d gotten sick. It was clean. He let his eyes drop to the ground, ashamed.

“I’m sorry,” he said. The cartoon paused. He didn’t look at any of them. “I was going to clean up.”

“Nah, man, the only thing worse than freaking out is having to clean up after yourself while you still feel shitty,” Clint said, and Steve looked up. There was no pity in his gaze, only understanding. 

“Yeah, we’ve all been there,” Tony said. “Sucks, but hey, least we know now that Titanic is a no-no for you.”

Steve flushed, swallowing a few times. “Um, I guess,” he looked at Bruce. “Thank you.”

Bruce smiled. “No problem,” he said gently. “We’re watching Phineas and Ferb if you’d like to join us, but we understand if you’d like to go rest.”

“Phineas and Ferb?” Steve asked, guilt replaced with genuine confusion.

“Yeah,” Clint said, shoving a handful of popcorn in his mouth. “It’s my go-to when I have a bad day. Nothing like some good old platypus drama to cure life’s woes.”

Steve blinked. “I genuinely don’t know what to say to that.”

Clint barked out a laugh. “Join us, man! Don’t gotta talk if you’re not feeling it, but being alone after shit like that sucks.”

And Steve hadn’t had someone there for him after a breakdown-- not since the war. Not since Bucky. Every ounce of him wanted to run. Hide. Smooth out his face and slip on that mask of stoicism. But maybe… maybe he didn’t have to. Maybe he could let himself have this, if only this once.

“Sure,” he said, voice a little hoarse. He awkwardly sat back in between Natasha and Bruce.

Tony pressed play again and Steve smoothed his hands over his thighs, feeling out of place and a little cramped and--

Natasha settled, casually letting her feet rest on his lap. On his other side, Bruce leaned into his shoulder, a subtle, grounding pressure. Clint caught his eye and offered him some more popcorn.

Steve relaxed.

Yeah. He could let himself have this.

-

thanks for reading, chiefs

yeah this was chatted about in one of the awesome discord groups im in so thanks guyysss lol

[severetimetravelnerd]

We’ve got this (ft. G Dragon)

Your’s and Jiyong’s journey welcoming someone into your family.

(I don’t own any of the images used. All credit goes to the original owners.)

Taglist:

@unabashedturkeytreeslime​

@happiestgirlontheeastcoast​

@kwonnansi​

Word count : 5501

If there is anyone else who would like to be tagged, you can comment or leave me a message :))

I only write on this blog on tumblr, so if you see my work on any other platform, please let me know immediately.

This is slightly angsty, but is mostly an overload of fluff. It’s also to celebrate 150 followers!! Thanks you guys!:)) Please continue to support me :)) Always grateful:)

Features appearances from Taeyang and Hyorin.

Warnings: cursing, pregnancy, smut, fingering, unprotected sex(use protection y’all) .

————————————————————————–

“Jiyong? Babe? I’m home. Sorry I’m late. Youngbae called for help with picking tampons and it took a while to get him to calm down. Where are you?”

You walked in, looking for your boyfriend. You were a little grumpy because he was leaving for a tour the next day, you wanted to spend as much time as possible with him, and your time with him was getting cut short. You wouldn’t be seeing him for five months. You had just entered your kitchen when you felt his hands cover your eyes. His lips were so close to your ear that it sent a shiver down your spine.

“Shhh love. Relax. I’ve got you.”

You did not relax. There were goosebumps all over your body. No matter how long you had been together, Jiyong always had that effect on you. He led you to your bedroom, removing his hands to leave you there, with only a box and a small handwritten note for guidance. Smiling, you picked up the note.

“I got you a little something. It’s your favourite colour :)”

Excited, you opened up the box to find some beautiful maroon lace lingerie. It was scandalous, but so oh beautiful. Buried in them was a note you found saying,

“Go look at the mirror after putting these on.”

Blushing, you turned around and found a small post it stuck to the mirror.

“I knew you’d look stunning in these.”

Still with a smile you knew would not leave your face for the night, you went back to the box and found a gorgeous black dress. It was floor length and sleeveless, with a plunging neckline, and in classic Jiyong fashion, perfectly accessorised from head to two in tones of gold and maroon. At the bottom of the box, there was another note.

“When you’re done, follow the fairy lights.”

Feeling emotional already, you opened the door and found fairy lights leading you towards the balcony. Wiping away a tear of happiness, you followed them and nearly cried when you saw Jiyong standing there with his arms open, a perfectly laid out table and the rest of the balcony lined with fairy lights stuffed in glass bottles behind him. You were so overwhelmed. Only when Jiyong walked up to you and lifted your hand to kiss it did you snap out of it. And when you looked at Jiyong, your knees nearly gave way then and there. In perfectly snug black slacks, an oversized maroon shirt showing an unholy amount of his chest and collarbones and all the right earrings, he left you breathless. Sometimes, you just couldn’t believe you were dating that man. Out of nowhere, music started playing and Jiyong wrapped his arms around your waist, swaying along to the music. You wrapped your arms around him and looked up at him smiling with that gummy smile.

“What is this Jiyong?”

Twirling you around once, he placed a light kiss on your lips before saying,

“Well, I know I’m not the best boyfriend in the world, but I wanted our evening to be perfect tonight.”

You were melting. He was wrong. He was definitely the best boyfriend in the world. You pulled him down by the collar into a deep kiss, wanting to just stay there in his arms and freeze that moment in time. He pulled away after a while, with his eyebrows raised.

“Wow. If you loved that, wait till you see what I’ve cooked.”

You laughed.

“You? Cooking? Ji, are you sure you didn’t just order some pizza?”

He beamed at you.

“Nope. I didn’t. I took the day off, facetimed your mom and got your favourite food right.”

You gasped.

“Ji, are you saying-”

Grinning, he said,

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. And it tastes fucking amazing.”

“Oh Ji…”

He smirked.

“Yes, I know. I’m amazing.”

You rolled your eyes but you didn’t disagree.

You and Jiyong had an amazing dinner. He was right. He had made your favourite meal really well and you were mind blown. You tried not to think about how you wouldn’t see him for the next five months, but he did a good job of making sure you weren’t dwelling on it and were happy. At the end of dinner, he pushed the table out of the way, filled two wine glasses up to the brim, started playing music and held out a glass for you with a smirk on his face. Jiyong’s playlist was pretty innocent, but your thoughts were anything but. As the two of you playfully danced around to the music, you slowly wrapped your arms around his neck and drew him closer to you, taking a few minutes to absorb that familiar scent and feel. He hummed along to the music, gently taking both your now empty glasses and put them down on the table and came back, wrapping his arms back around you. He smiled gently at you and slowly swayed to the music. You let your hands slide down to his chest, playing with his chain for a while before finally unbuttoning his shirt a little more. Immediately, his smile was replaced by that sinful smirk. You knew from that moment on it was about who would give in first and you were determined to make him. He let his hands slide down from your waist, letting them rest upon your butt. You suppressed the moan rising in your throat and rested your head against his chest, letting your lips rest against his collar bones. He pulled you closer, allowing you to feel the bulge against you. You smirked. He had made a mistake. You pressed yourself into him, with your boobs flush against his arm and your hips rocking against his now prominent bulge. You heard him hiss but he persevered. One of his hands came up to play with the one knot holding up your dress as he leaned down to whisper,

“Come on Y/N. You know you want this.”

You moved your lips to his ear.

“Don’t act like you don’t Ji. You’re a bad liar.”

He pulled you even closer, pressing his erection into you, but that backfired, because you couldn’t hold on to that moan any longer. You let out a long, breathy moan of his name against his ear and with that, he lost it. He picked you up and kissed you, wrapping your legs around his waist while he moved towards the bedroom.

You wanted to laugh and gloat, but you couldn’t, because he had you in his arms, wrapped in a deep, toe curling kiss, and very soon, you lost the ability to think at all. You wanted him. He threw you on the bed, pushing off the box haphazardly. He smirked at the flushed, breathless you he had left on the bed. He stripped and climbed on top of you. His hands reached for your face and he held you gently, kissing you yet again, memorising everything about you. After a few minutes, his hands finally strayed down, undid the knot by your waist and threw the dress off you. And when he saw you, he had to stop for a minute. He had stopped everything and was just staring at you, drinking in the sight of you. You squirmed feeling his hands leave your body, but after that, you felt a little shy. Blushing, you asked him,

“What are you doing?”

Not taking his eyes off you for even a second, he replied.

“You’re just so goddamn beautiful.”

Leaving you speechless, he dropped down to your belly, dropping light kisses there, slowly making his way upwards, letting his hands wrap around your thighs and draw you closer to him. He gently traced patterns onto your thigh, slowly making his way up, enjoying the way you were squirming. Not wanting to let go of you for even a second, he reached around and kissed your back before unhooking your bra with his teeth, making you gasp at the cold air. Your nipples were already hard but he couldn’t help it. He flattened his tongue against your right nipple before swirling his tongue around, making your nipple harden even more. He switched to the other, the cold air on your wet nipple making you gasp and grab his hair.  He played with your nipple until you were begging him and writhing beneath him.

“Jiyong please.”

And he finally listened, coming up to pull you into another kiss. His hands slid your panties off and he gently dipped his fingers into your folds, smirking when he realised how wet you were.  He let his lips trail over your neck, murmuring,

“Oh love, all this for me?”

before latching down on the spot above your left collarbone and sucking. At the same time, he let his fingers circle around your clit, gently tapping on it. Your back arched and his other hand came up to play with the nipple you had so helpfully pressed against him.  he looked down at you. God, you were beautiful. He had to memorise this. With that, he let his lips trail further down to just beneath your boobs before sucking down there. His fingers gently increased the speed and moved closer to your clit. He slowly increased the pressure he was putting on your clit and that was it. You were close. So close. And when he lightly spanked your clit before rubbing down on it, you came. You let out a breathy moan, pulling Jiyong close and collapsing. He looked at you, a flushed moaning mess with marks blossoming all over your chest and neck, smirked and collapsed next to you, pulling you into his arms, getting ready to snuggle when you interrupted him.

“Ji?”

“Yes, my love?”

“I want you in me.”

Surprised, he turned to look at you.

“Princess, I wanted to make this all about you tonight.”

You turned to look at him smiling, but with a tear running down your face.

“I know Ji, but I really, really need you in me.”

Your lip was trembling, but before that dam could break, Jiyong kissed you again, gently moving on top of you. He pulled away for a second to cup your face.

“Y/N, I love you. I love you so much.”

Still a little teary-eyed, you kissed his hands and replied.

“I love you too Jiyong. So, so much.”

Jiyong pulled you back into a kiss and entered you. You wrapped your arms around him, holding on to his arms and back for support. He also had tears streaming down his face while he thrusted into you, slow and steady, both of you taking your time to savour every second. The two of you continued like that for a while, both pressed flush against each other, enjoying the intimacy. You came first and a few minutes later, with one long thrust, so did Jiyong. He slowly lay beside you, wrapping his arms around you and you snuggled into his chest, as close as you could get. Your voice was a little shaky when you said,

“I’ll miss you.”

He rubbed your shoulders, leaning down to kiss your forehead.

“I know love. So will I. But I will be back. It’ll be over before we know it.”

Both of you knew that wasn’t true but neither of you wanted to say it. You broke the silence.

“I love you Jiyong.”

“I love you too Y/N.”

And then, he turned towards you, pulled you even closer, wrapped both his arms around you and kissed you lightly. You snuggled into his neck, enjoying the warmth and comfort of his arms. The two of you fell asleep like that. And when he left early the next morning, both of you pretended like you were asleep. You just let him press a light kiss on your forehead and leave, not wanting to let him see you cry and Jiyong left, not wanting you to cry.

 -----

One month later, you were staring at your doctor in disbelief. You froze and then you burst out laughing.

“Ah, good one Unnie. Nothing popped up on my report, right?”

She smiled at you, let your laughter subside, and with that same calm smile, she said,

“Nope. I’m not kidding Y/N. You’re pregnant. Congratulations!”

Your head was spinning. You were pregnant. You were pregnant?! What? Oh. That’s a lot to take in. You slowly started to smile. You were pregnant. You were finally starting a family with Jiyong. There might be a mini you or a mini Jiyong in you. You were so, so happy. You were a little nervous, because you knew Jiyong loved kids, but you weren’t sure whether he wanted them right then, but you were pretty sure he’d be happy. You sat there for the next five minutes with a stupidly happy grin on your face before your doctor snapped you out of it to make sure you’d listen to all the important stuff about pregnancy.

As soon as you stepped out of the clinic, you called Hyorin and Youngbae. You were so excited. A little nervous. But super excited. They both picked up at the same time.

“Why’re you calling both of us at the same time Y/N?”

“I have news. But, and this is specifically for Youngbae, you cannot tell Jiyong. It’s a surprise. Promise.”

Hyorin immediately agreed. Youngbae seemed unsure.

“I don’t know Y/N. Does it have to be a surprise?”

You rolled your eyes.

“Yes. Yes, it does.”

He groaned.

“Fine. I promise I won’t tell him.”

“I’m pregnant.”

You pulled the phone away from your ears a little, anticipating both Hyorin and Youngbae yelling, which did happen. You interrupted their questioning.

“Wait you guys. I’ll drive over to your place right now. We can talk there. I promise I’ll tell you everything.”

Hyorin squealed, but you could still hear Youngbae deadpan,

“Please don’t.”

 -----

Jiyong was walking down the street in Paris, lonely, but still enjoying the weather and the vibe. But fate had other plans for him. as he was walking down the street, something in the window caught his eye. It was a flashy, ostentatious ring. Gold band studded with diamonds throughout. But he wanted it. Not that specific ring, but at that moment, he knew the first thing he had to do when he got back home was to ask you to marry him and take you ring shopping. It was time to pick an engagement ring.

  -----

Four months later, and you were getting big, and fast. As you sat there watching Jiyong’s old performances, your mind wandered. You hated the new pregnancy diet you were on. You really missed your wine and your tea. The morning sickness and the constant aches and pains were really bad. You had a headache that was increasing with every second. None of your clothes fit right. You were nervous about telling Jiyong. But most of all, you missed him. You wished he was with you, helping you when your back hurt too much or just cuddling with you when you got sad, but not only did you want to surprise him, but you also knew that he would be miserable that he couldn’t be with you. You rubbed your belly, smiling.

“It’s just you and me for now, tiny.”

You quickly glanced at the clock.

“But appa will be here next week, so don’t worry. I know he’ll love you.”

You stretched behind you to get the bottle of water when you saw someone open the front door. Jiyong slowly walked in, wheeling in, or at least trying to wheel in, his suitcase quietly. He looked up when he heard you drop the bottle. He smiled sheepishly.

“I was hoping you’d be asleep so I could surprise you properly in the morning. Why’re you up so late anyway?”

You couldn’t process what was happening. Jiyong’s smile widened and he opened his arms.

“Surprise!”

Finally, things began to sink in. You smiled too, slowly getting up and holding your belly.

“Surprise, Ji.”

His eyes widened and before you knew it, he was next to you. His voice was shaky when he said,

“Y/N, you’re pregnant?”

You started tearing up. You nodded, and gently guided his hand over to your belly.

“Meet tiny, Jiyong.”

You leaned closer to your belly.

“Tiny, that’s appa.”

He was teary eyed when he asked,

“So I’m going to be a father?”

“Yes, Jiyong. Yes, you are.”

He left his hand on your belly, being very gentle when he pulled you closer and kissed you. He pulled away, letting his forehead rest against yours as he whispered,

“I love you Y/N.”

You held his face and gently wiped away the stray tears.

“I love you too Jiyong.”

 -----

Later that night, the two of you lay curled up in bed, all wrapped up in a blanket. He had his arm around you as you rested your head on his chest. He couldn’t take his eyes off you, unable to believe the news he had just received. He stroked your hair and kissed your hand before asking,

“When Y/N?”

“The night before you left.”

“So, it’s been five months?”

“Yes.”

“How long have you known?”

“Four months.”

“Who else knows?”

“Just Hyorin, Youngbae and my sister.”

He pouted.

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

You smiled and kissed his nose.

“Because I wanted to surprise you with good news when you got back. Also, you’d have wanted to come home but wouldn’t have been able to and that would have killed you.”

Jiyong looked so heartbroken.

“But I missed so much!”

You hated that he was feeling that way. You took his face in your hands and said,

“Listen to me Jiyong. I know this is awful but even if I had told you earlier, there’s nothing you would have been able to do. I knew you’d feel this way, so…”

His eyes lit up.

“You’ve planned something?”

“Open your drawer. You’ll find flash drives full of pictures and videos from every month of pregnancy in there for you.”

“God, I love you. Y/N, will you marry me?”

Suddenly, you felt both emotional and annoyed.

“Are you serious? You asked me to marry you when I’m bloated and pimply?”

He quickly kissed you before replying,

“Yes, because no matter how bloated or pimply you are, you are always going to be the most beautiful woman in the world to me and I’ll always want to be married to you. Now will you please stop me from panicking and answer my question?”

All your annoyance and anger dissipated. Nodding happily, you replied,

“Yes, yes I will.”

You went ring shopping the next day. Both you and Jiyong picked pale gold rings with a single, clear emerald in the middle.

 -----

 A week later, the two of you were sitting at the table, glaring at each other suspiciously. You cleared your throat and began.

“Okay, so let’s start the negotiation.”

He nodded.

“First off, I want you to do the pregnancy diet with me.”

“What?! Nooo.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s horrible.”

“Yes, it is. But I’m doing it. And who got me here?”

Sounding so awfully resigned, he said,

“Me.”

“So, you’ll do it then?”

“Can I break it if you’re not around?”

Your eyes narrowed.

“Pregnant women don’t get to break it Jiyong.”

He shivered under your gaze.

“God, you’re scary.”

He mumbled later, almost as an afterthought.

“Is it weird that I find that hot?”

You winked at him.

“We’ll see about that later. Now your turn.”

He took a deep breath and started.

“I want Youngbae and Hyorin to be tiny’s godparents.”

“Agreed.”

“I think so because-Wait what?”

“I agree.”

“Oh okay. Great!”

And he grinned a stunningly disarming grin at you, making you grin back unwittingly. You shook your head, brain clouded with thoughts of Jiyong and his stupid, charming grin, and said,

“I want to get married after the baby.”

He paused and nodded.

“Okay Y/N. Why?”

“I don’t want to make too many changes at once. Let’s have our baby, get used to everything and then get married.”

He took a few minutes to think about it.

“Okay. Let’s do that. I’m happy with that too.”

He paused to hold your hand. He could tell you were nervous about how he would react to that.

“Listen Y/N. I meant what I said. I will always want to marry you and it doesn’t matter if it’s a little later as long as we’re together.”

You squeezed his hand, grateful that he was in your life. He continued.

“Okay. I want to make the pregnancy public.”

You were shocked. Your relationship wasn’t even public. You weren’t married. And you knew what kind of reactions things would get. Jiyong saw the look on your face and squeezed your hand again, reassuring you.

“Y/N, this is big. And you know how the media gets. They’ll find out anyway. It’s better if we tell them that we’re expecting and then keep things private.”

“Ji, but the backlash, the hate, how are we going to handle that?”

“We will tell them we want it to be private and my manager will handle the hate. This is our life. These are our choices. And they don’t get a say in them.”

You still looked kind of unsure.

“Y/N, trust me on this.”

You looked at him, staring at his determination for a few seconds before giving in.

“Okay fine. I trust you. We can do this.”

You took a deep breath and started.

“Okay, I need you to be in the room with me every step of the way for the birth. And I need you to attend all my birthing classes and do all of that with me.”

Jiyong looked shocked. He got up from his seat, knelt before you and hugged you.

“Y/N, why is that even a demand? Of course I’ll be there. I would never not be there. Why would you have to ask me?”

You bit your lip.

“Nothing. It’s just that in my family, no one ever did that. It was considered ‘unmanly’. I just needed to make sure.”

“Love, I will always be there, every step of the way. Fuck what they said about it being ‘unmanly’. That’s horrible. I could never let you do that alone.”

You smiled, feeling a weight off your chest. Jiyong hugged you and sat back down. He looked nervous, and when he opened his mouth, you understood why

“I want you to work for shorter hours.”

Immediately, you were on edge.

“Jiyong, I run my own event planning company. I can’t work less.”

“You know you can. You could just ask Natasha to take over for a while. You are partners.”

“But she does better with the finance of it. And I can work! It’s not strenuous or anything.”

Jiyong’s eyebrows shot up.

“Sweetheart, look me in the eyes and tell me that’s true. I’ve seen the way you pull all nighters and stress yourself out to get the perfect event. You always do, but you can’t risk messing up your health now. You need rest.”

You knew he was right, but you hated it. You pouted and got whiny.

“Nooo Jiyong.”

“Y/N, I’m not telling you to stop working completely. I’m just saying that maybe you shouldn’t undertake any new projects and oversee them personally for a while. Do what Natasha does. Check in from time to time and make sure the final product is good. You have some really great people working with you. They can handle this.”

You sighed. You knew he was right. once you started, you loved to deep dive into things. It was better if you stayed away from a bunch of projects for a while.

“Okay fine. You’re right. I’ll talk to Natasha tomorrow.”

He hugged you, bombarding you with kisses.

“I know. Now, you wanna go switch things up in the bedroom?”

And as you laughed, he carried you to the bedroom, whispering things into your ear that made you blush.

----- 

You held his hand as you walked into the clinic together. It was Jiyong’s first visit to the clinic and you were going to find out the gender of your baby. He was so nervous and it was adorable. You had shown him all the sonograms you had but nothing ever truly explains it like being there in person. You were in the waiting room, amused, watching him freak out reading all the birth magazines there.

“Y/N, oh god. We’re not prepared. We’re not ready for this at all. Do we want a water birth? What is a doula? Why do I not know any of this?!”

You let him ramble for a few minutes before grabbing his face and kissing him.

“Jiyong. Listen to me. We’ve got this. We’ll figure this out. It’s okay.”

You smiled at him, watching his face relax into a smile too. It was just then that the nurse called you in.

You lay there, watching him with rapt eyes as the doctor showed him your baby. Tiny. Jiyong was hearing your baby’s heartbeat for the first time. And your eyes filled up with tears looking at the way Jiyong was crying. You reached for his hand, pulling him a little closer to wipe some of the tears away. Your doctor coughed softly, making both of you turn to look at her.

“Your tiny is a girl. Congratulations!”

Jiyong sat down next to you, crying as he rested his hands over your belly. He looked at you, wide-eyed.

“Our daughter.”

“Yes Jiyong, our daughter. Our baby.”

 -----

 You were hungry, you were grumpy and you felt like crying. You couldn’t see your feet anymore. It was 4 in the morning, you were waiting alone at home for Jiyong to get back. Why was he taking so long? All he had to do was get you your favourite crepes and come back home so that you could cuddle and not be hangry any more. You groaned. You were so annoyed. At the back of your head, a small voice reminded you that you did just wake up Jiyong at 3 and forced him to go get you, a terrifyingly pregnant woman, crepes from a place that was probably closed. Your anger melted a little and you started to feel bad for waking him up. So bad that in a few minutes, you were biting your lips and curled up in a bed under a blanket, a cocoon of sadness. You were about to delve deeper into your sadness when you heard him walk in. a tired, sleepy voice called out,

“Y/N, my love, I got you your crepes.”

As he walked into the bedroom with the crepes in one hand, you pulled him into a hug. Sounding very apologetic, you said,

“Sorry for this Ji. You must be tired.”

He ruffled your hair before starting to feed you the crepes.

“No no Y/N, don’t apologise. I should always be doing this. Besides, I would have been much more annoyed if the owner didn’t take pity on me and make me some crepes after all my begging.”

 -----

 You were now thirty-five weeks pregnant and everything hurt. Your stomach was huge. Your back hadn’t stopped hurting in months. Your feet were aching. And most importantly, your head was killing you. it hurt so much that you couldn’t sleep. When you tossed and turned for the millionth time, Jiyong finally sat up with a sigh.

“What’s wrong love?”

You could barely manage to mumble,

“My head hurts. A lot. Jiyong, would you mind speaking softly?”

Jiyong sighed again and got up from bed. Again, you managed to mumble,

“Are you going to sleep somewhere else?”

But he was too far away to hear. He came back five minutes later with a cup of peppermint tea. He gently helped you up and gave it to you, shooting you a tired smile.

“Drink it. It’ll help.”

You mumbled a grateful thanks but he could barely hear you. You were about to crawl back into bed to deal with the pain as usual, but he stopped you.

“Wait. Hold on, let’s try something.”

He climbed in first and helped you into bed, positioning himself just a tad bit higher than you so that you could curl into him. As soon as you got comfortable, he gently began massaging your head, easing the tension in your temples. Before you could mumble a confused bunch of questions, he rubbed your back, comforting you.

“Shhh love. I got this.”

 -----

 You were in the hospital, staring up at the ceiling while Jiyong held your hand, hissing through the pain of those damn contractions. Why, oh why did you not get an epidural? Oh yeah, you were scared of needles. There was ‘calming’ music playing in the background, a nervous move by Jiyong to try and make things better, which was only annoying you. Birds chirping was not calming if you had developed a newfound hatred for birds. And so much pain. Oh god, so much pain. You breathed heavily when they stopped, grateful for the small release. Just as you managed to calm down, they started again. You squeezed Jiyong’s hand so hard, it was white. You could see him wincing, but you couldn’t help it. When they stopped again, you were out of it. You felt Jiyong lightly wipe your forehead clean of sweat. You turned to him, surprised to find him crying.

“Why’re you crying Ji?”

“Because you’re in pain, love.”

“Aww Jiyong – Nope, they’re starting again. Jiyong, this is all your fault.”

 -----

Seven hours later, you were exhausted, but you lay there with Jiyong standing beside you, staring down at the tiny bundle against your chest, her small hand holding his finger. You could barely move, but you turned towards Jiyong and your baby, your tiny, who was finally here. You and Jiyong looked each other and nodded. Jieun was home.

[buckysbitch107]

Diffuse and Distract | Ransom Drysdale x Reader

Summary: It’s your first 4th of July with your son AND Ransom’s family under the same roof, and to say you’re nervous is an understatement. Ransom is known for his asshole-ish personality, and you’re just really hoping today goes smoothly. Everything seems to be going to plan, but when your son starts throwing a tantrum, you know exactly what to do.

Warnings: Swearing, mentions of sexual activity

Word Count: 1.7K

A/N: Hope you guys like this one! Sorry if it’s bad, I’m starting this at 3 AM. Classic Y/N trope, hope y’all understand the abbreviations. ~~~ means a time skip, because I’m not writing out every single detail. I don’t do that. But all in all, I hope you enjoy the first actual post on my tumblr!

“Y’know, I could turn the car around right now. Tell them Levi is sick and we wouldn’t have to go.” Ransom mentions, taking his eyes off of the road for only a second to look at you in the passenger seat. His hand lightly squeezes yours, bringing your clasped hands to his lips for a light kiss before setting them back on your thigh. You sigh and move your head, taking your eyes off the beautiful Massachusetts scenery around you to look at your husband.

“Sweetie, I know you hate your family, but Harlan loves Levi, plus he wants to see the fireworks. Isn’t that right, big guy?” You ask, peering at the rear view mirror to see your son excitedly bouncing up and down in his car seat.

“Wanna see the booms!” Levi exclaims, his words causing a soft smile to appear on Ransom’s face. Ransom once again turns his focus back to the road, occasionally looking in the rear view mirror to peek at the head of brown locks Levi inherited from him.

“Do you think he’s gonna like it there? I mean we know he likes Harlan, but what about everyone else?” Your husband whispers, growing a little more antsy as the scenery becomes more and more familiar.

“He’ll be fine. I’m sure they’ll love him, if they don’t already.” You respond, trying to reassure the worrying man next to you. It’s common knowledge that Linda and Richard aren’t exactly the most present grandparents, but you can’t exactly blame them. Harlan on the other hand, has taken his responsibility as great-grandfather to the max, being there every step of the way. You glance down at the ring on your finger, thinking back to the day you vowed to love the man next to you for the rest of your days. All too soon, you pull up to the esteemed Thrombey mansion. Ransom gets out of the car, opening the passenger side door for you like the gentleman he is (sometimes). You open the back door and take Levi out of his car seat, placing him on your hip before the three of you walk inside, dread already filling the back of your mind. Harlan almost immediately greets you, his smile growing a little wider once he sees Levi. The four of you walk outside to the patio, where the rest of the Thrombey/Drysdale family is scattered around the lawn.

“Y/N! So nice to see you!” Linda greets, her smile most likely fake based on her opinions about you. She doesn’t exactly like the fact that her son married someone of your background, whatever that means.

“Nice to see you too, Linda!” You reply, giving her a side hug while trying not to squish your son. She says hi to Levi before returning to her seat under the cabana by Richard, her husband giving you almost the exact same greeting. You sit down at the table next to Ransom, pulling a chair up next to you for Levi to sit in. Ransom strikes up a conversation with his uncle and his father, causing you to only slightly pay attention, most of your focus on the three year old in front of you.

“So Ransom, are you still depending on that trust fund?” Walt asks, obviously wanting to rile up your husband. Ransom just lets out a short laugh and runs his hand down his jaw, obviously not trying to get pissed off.

“Not anymore. I actually have a job at an international accounting firm in Boston. When I do use the trust fund money, it’s either for Levi or Y/N.” Walt is obviously surprised by this answer. As you wait for Walt’s response, Levi starts getting a little antsy, so you let him out of the chair to play with the dogs. They always get him passed out by 8 pm.

“That’s all it took huh? A dumb piece of arm candy pops out a kid and all of a sudden you’re Mr. Responsible?”

“Listen here you little-” Ransom is cut off when your elbow digs into his ribs, an obvious sign for him to shut up. His head snaps towards you where you are silently nodding your head towards the small child who stands only a few feet away from the conversation. Your husband sighs before leaning back in his chair, already predicting what’s going to happen. Walt has a smug grin on his face, as if he feels he’s won something. He doesn’t know who he messed with. Levi waves at you before running after the dogs, and once he’s out of earshot, you explode.

“Listen here you little piece of shit. I don’t know what your problem is with me, but here’s the deal. I am NOT arm candy. I did not work my way through high school, getting a bachelor’s degree AND getting a master’s degree for someone who relies on their own father’s company for money to call me dumb. I don’t know what world you live in, but not many women like being called arm candy. And as a matter of fact, I-” You would continue, if it weren’t for the almost inaudible whine coming from the grill area of the patio. “Excuse me.” You stand up and walk over to the small outdoor kitchen area, finding your son on the verge of tears. He’s standing next to the counter, his focus on the whole watermelon sitting next to the sink.

“Mama-” He whines, pointing at it. You squat down, Levi slightly calming down once you’re on his level. Tears form in his eyes, and it's evident that a tantrum is on the horizon. You think of the method you’ve used on him before and immediately put it into action, hoping he doesn’t start screaming.

“You want the watermelon?” Levi simply nods and you smile a bit, the plan already working. “Well the watermelon isn’t cut yet, so we have to wait.” The realization that he isn’t getting what he wants when he wants kicks in, and his legs start to wobble as he whines more. Just like his father.

“But mamaaaaa.” He cries, drawing a little more attention to the two of you.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.” You whisper, wiping the tears off his cheeks. “There’s no need for tears. Are you hungry?” He nods and an idea pops in your head. “Why don’t we go get you some other food, and when Grandpa cuts the watermelon, we can get you some, okay?” Levi hiccups again before responding.

“Okay mama.” You stand up and grab his hand, leading him to the table full of classic 4th of July foods. Harlan immediately gets to work on cutting the watermelon, and you shoot him a short “thank you” over your shoulder. You pick Levi up, placing him on your hip in order for him to see all the food.

“Do you want a hamburger?”

“No.”

“Do you want a hot dog?” Your son thinks for a second before nodding, making you internally smile. You grab him a hot dog and some chips before walking over to the table. Unbeknownst to you, both Ransom and Walt were watching that entire interaction, and as you set Levi down in a chair with his cut up hot dog, you hear Walter whisper something.

“I’ve gotta admit, she’s a good mom.” A large smile appears on Ransom’s face as you walk over to the little kitchen area, coming back with a plate of watermelon for the three of you to share.

“She really is. I don’t know what I’d do without her.” Ransom whispers, watching his son eat all of his food before asking to go play again. You nod and once Levi leaves, Ransom turns to you with a look of awe on his face. “So how’d you do it?”

“Do what?” You ask, eating a piece of watermelon.

“Get him to not throw a tantrum.”

“I used a tactic called Diffuse and Distract.”

“Please explain.” Walt comments, honestly intrigued by how you did it. You let out a laugh before explaining your “mystical ways” as Ransom calls it.

“Toddlers aren’t exactly the best at explaining their emotions. So you have to think on their level. They want something. They can’t have that something. You have to explain the situation calmly, to diffuse the chance of a temper tantrum. Then you can provide other options to distract them until what they want is available, or until they forget about it.” You pause, stifling a laugh. “I use it on him all the time.” You point at Ransom, both you and Walt erupting into laughter.

“Wait what? When?!” Ransom exclaims.

“Literally today. You were whining about how you didn’t want to come today, so I explained that Levi really wants to see the firework to diffuse your tantrum, then I suggested that we talk about another kid when we got home so you wouldn’t be a big baby about going.” Ransom simply huffs at your statement, popping a piece of watermelon in his mouth while sending you a glare.

~~~

“Are you sure he’s gonna be okay?” Ransom questions, the three of you sitting on the grass waiting for the fireworks to start.

“He’s gonna do great, babe. He handled the thunderstorm on Sunday pretty well, I’m sure he’ll handle the fireworks well too.” Your husband simply nods and the fireworks begin, the sky illuminated in reds, blues, purples, greens, oranges, whites and yellows. Levi’s mouth is stuck open in awe as he looks up at the sky, the sight amazing him to his heart’s content. You and Ransom look at each other proudly, silently wondering how you got so lucky with such an amazing son.

~~~

“Oh yeah, he’s passed out.” You whisper, turning your head to face forward once again. Ransom’s hand rests on your thigh, a common occurrence when you two drive together. The ride home is mostly silent, Levi’s snores being the main noise in the car. The three of you arrive home and get out of the vehicle, Ransom carefully carrying your son to his bedroom. You tuck him in, giving him a kiss on his forehead and turning on his nightlight before sneaking out the door, quietly shutting it so as to not wake him. You turn around and run straight into Ransom’s chest, a sly grin resting on his face.

“So about that second kid.”

Permanent Tags: @wintersoldierslut @breakmy-bedbarnes @stuckys-hot-dogs

Please let me know if you have any requests! As I’ve mentioned, nothing is too fluffy, angsty, smutty, or gorey for me. I mainly write Marvel and its characters/actors. I can also write some characters from other things, you just have to ask! Also please let me know if you want to be a part of the Permanent Tags! But please, for now,

Call me Emily

[thegalleonsnest]

Wiggle’s Muse - Short Excerpt turned into a FanFic

Yo, so, I wanted to share a small snippet of a future project I’m working on (while also delaying my current art projects). What I’ve written out here in this post was originally in a format not meant for professional writing purposes, but I said “eh, why the hell not,” and written it out in sort of a short fanfic format for you guys to read. This project btw, is not a fanfic (had to make that clear). What I am working on is a very large scale project for myself and is still in the blocking out/rough draft phases. This right here is probably my most fleshed out scene I’ve written out, and feels pretty complete as it’s own thing. Honestly, I’d appreciate the feedback if any of ya’ll found this interesting! 

Also I’m putting this in a tumblr post because I don’t have an AO3 or fanfiction account, and this is already too short for it anyway. Read the excerpt below

In front of the camera lenses, multiple grumpuses walk back and forth discussing a matter of topics but most importantly, where was Wiggle?

"Has anyone gotten ahold of Wiggle yet? She was supposed to be here hours ago,” a gruff voice coming from out of frame says. “We’ve tried calling her for over an hour, but we got nothing,” says another off camera, “do you think we should reschedule-” before they could finish, the studio doors bust open with a loud thud echoing the studio room. A tall, short armed grumpus with a boa stumbles along the room carrying an oddly shaped banjo.

“There she is,” said the gruff voiced grump, “Wiggle, whatever you got going on, you better do it now cause we got a meeting with investors in half an hour!” From the blurry view of a slightly out of frame Wiggle, she barely registered what the grump said. In a stumble, she walks to the center of the camera’s view & shakes her head, almost slurring her words, “Doooon’t worry, Darling, we’ll get you a new vest later.” “What, no, wait, that’s not what I-” before another word could be said, Wiggle readies her banjo and strikes a quick pose before strumming the strings like her life depended on it.

It didn’t take longer than a few seconds before the crew sprung into action, setting the proper lightning, mics and cameras around her. Her rhythm and measures became a lot more stable, catchy even, and then she broke into song. The next set of lyrics would become an instant, regrettable classic. 

It’s not long before the VHS tape stutters and stops, showing mostly static. A magenta furred Grumpus with some hair covering a part of eye, hits the eject button, takes out the tape and turns off the tv. “Girl, you were a right mess there!” She said with a giggle. “Tell me about it, Vrittany...” Wiggle said frustratingly, pinching the bridge of her nose. “And you’re telling me you can’t come up with anything better than that? Come on now!” “I wish I was lying, but I’m not. No matter what I come up with, nothing is topping whatever the heck my walking coma came up with instead!” Wiggle grabs her mug of coffee and takes a longing sip.

The two sit across from one another at the coffee bar. The aroma of that day’s set of cocoa beans waft through the cafe as most of the outside lamps fill out the darker spots inside. The place is nearly empty besides them, and a single muted green furred occupant sitting at a booth at the opposite end of the cafe, drawing away in his sketchpad.

“So, whatcha gonna do?” Vrittany asked sarcastically, “Stay awake for another week? Get inspired again? Hehe.” Wiggle sets her mug down, and answers, “I did try that again, but in style I fell asleep comfortably on a couch in the lobby”. Vrittany looked a bit stunned. “You’re kidding?! You’re crazy!” “Not crazy, Vrittany,” she takes another sip of her coffee before striking a pose in her high stool seat, bellowing out her voice. “Just creatiiiivly driveeeen~” “Whatever you say, darling,” Vrittany says before turning around to her bar’s sink. She cleans several mugs and glasses with gusto while preparing one last pot of coffee, enough for a single cup for later.

Vrittany takes off her apron and hangs it on the wayside of the counter as she walks around to take a seat next to Wiggle. After situating herself, she puts a paw on Wiggle’s shoulder. “Listen, pretty sure this is just a rut you’re stuck in right now,” she says. “Doesn’t every artist go through that every now and then?” Wiggle turns her head toward Vrittany, “Well..yeah, but this is different,” she desperately says. “I can’t let a song I made in my sleep be the best thing I’ve ever made! I know I can make something that’ll shake the world more than whatever ‘Do The Wiggle’ was.” 

Vrittany pulls back her paw from Wiggle to put on her best thinking cap. As deeply in thought as she was, her face immediately relaxes into a deadpan expression, “Have ya tried singing from the heart?” Wiggle cracks a smile, “HA, if only that’s how it works! It takes a musical genius to write a hit song in show biz, not just some field day with my feelings.” “Eh, worth a shot. Got any other plans?” “I’m still trying to figure that out. I need some kind of inspiration...almost like a-”

Before she could finish her thought, they both caught a glance at the muted green furred grump who walked up to them. He mustered up the words and said, “E-excuse me, you’re Miss Wiggle, right?” Wiggle turned in her seat to get a better look at the young Grumpus. She could tell he was nervous, clutching his sketchbook in his arms rather tightly. She quickly put on a more relaxed front to help calm things down, while also still showing off a bit of her excited side. “Why yes I am, Darling,” she said enthusiastically. “And I can tell you must be a fan of mine.” “Y-yeah...!” The green grump looked a little more relaxed, but still stiff in the shoulders. “Hey now, no need to be so nervous. I always got time for my fans.” “Thank you, Miss Wiggle. Um…” “No need to finish that thought, Darling, I know what you’re about to ask and I’m happy to oblige!”

Before the young man could stop to say something, Wiggle pulls out one of her many professional hand out photos that she has, and quickly signs with her autograph before handing it to him. “O-Oh, thank you, Miss, but that’s not what I was going to s-say.” he sheepishly says. “Really? Not an autograph,” Wiggle says surprisingly. “It’s usually the first thing fans ask of me.” “Sorry, I just...I wanted to show you this sketch I made…” 

The nervous grumpus slowly turns his sketchbook around to reveal a fully sketched art piece depicting a stylized Wiggle singing her heart out at the bar with Vrittany hanging out in the background cheering her on. He hands it to Wiggle to give them a closer look. It was still somewhat messy, showing a few guidelines and early roughed out shapes, but for what it was, it was still impressive to the two girls.

“Woah, that’s pretty rad!” Vrittany yelled out, leaning out from her seat trying to get a closer look. Wiggle was pretty stun, gasping at the sight of such a piece of artwork. “Darling, you drew this?! Just now,” Wiggle asked in awe. “Yeah! I was listening to some of your music and then you came in and sat down. It made me wanna draw you as fast as I could,” the green grumps says excitedly before rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry if it’s still a little messy looking though…” “Don’t be, because it is beeeaautifuuul~” “T-thank you so much, Miss Wiggle! T-that means a lot to m-me!” the grumpus says while his face lights up red from the praise. “You’re like an inspiration to me.” “Really now? Like a muse? All I do is sing the night away, Darling. You draw little masterpieces like this from me?”

As Wiggle continues to be enthralled by the young man and his work, Vrittany notices the coffee pot had finished brewing. She gets up from her seat and go back behind the counter to finish her last cup for the night. Wiggle and the green grump continue their conversation.

“W-well kind of,” says the grump, “it’s a bunch of music that inspires me when I draw. A lot of your stuff is so upbeat and fun, it gives me lots of different ideas to pump out!” Wiggle looks back, almost flabbergasted. “I’m...honestly a bit stunned that I had that kind of impact on you, Darling,” she says, almost with a melancholy tone, “...heh, kind of forget sometimes I do make some kind of impression on grumps like you.” She looks back down at the sketchbook, entranced by the creativity that sparked in the moment. That dazzling moment where it all clicked...where could she find that, when someone else can find it in her?

After an awkward minute of silence, the young grump spoke up and said, “If you like, you can keep the sketch page, Miss Wiggle?” Wiggle snapped her head back up from the sketchbook to the green fuzzball. “W-wait really? Are you sure you wanna give up this piece of art?” said Wiggle worryingly. “It’s no problem at all,” said the green grump proudly. “I already took a picture of it to save for later. I’m gonna make a painted version of it online later! Besides, it’ll make me happy if you kept it, since I was going to give it to you anyway.” “Oh Darling, you’re nothing more than a sweet one now, aren’t you? I’ll gladly keep it!” “Thank you so much, Miss Wiggle!”

Wiggle hands the sketchbook back to the green grumpus and he tears out the sketch. “No, Darling, thank you,” Wiggle says ecstatically. Vrittany returns from behind the bar with a to-go cup in hand, saying “Here’s your order, kid.”  “Oh, thank you, Vrittany. How much was it again,” the green grump asked. “Eh, don’t worry about it. Don’t feel like counting change. It’s on the house.” “O-oh you sure?” “You wanna change my mind?” “Don’t think I can, so thank you!” The green grump turns back to Wiggle and says “It was so nice meeting you in person, Miss Wiggle!”

“The pleasure is all mine, Dar-,” Wiggle catches herself before she realizes something. “Actually, what was your name?” “It’s Grite, Grite Tillsland!” Wiggle lets a genuine soft smile grow on her face. She felt a lot more at ease and happier knowing her new friend was much more relax and happy overall. She reached out her paw for a handshake, and Grite reciprocated.

“The pleasure’s mine, Grite, Darling.”

[ckret2]

“You’re so vain” “Give em hell kid” And “I hope you die” I’d love to hear those explanations

Righto! Okay so recap for the people who might have missed it, this is about the radiosnake playlist I mentioned/linked a bit over a week ago, Serpentine & Demonswing. When I posted it I also added an “and if you wanna know why any songs are on the playlist you’re free to ask.” The playlist is a work in progress so some of my answers are gonna be “so here’s the explanation for why it was included but tbh I’m not 100% on keeping it.”

Important things to mention before getting into it: the playlist is build specifically off my headcanons from “Cold Day In Hell,” and so all of the songs act on the assumption that CDIH is “canon.” (tl;dr: they’re exes, because Alastor got scared of emotional intimacy, told Sir Pent he never actually liked him, and ran off after blowing up all his airships.) The first chunk of songs is from Sir Pent’s perspective, the second chunk is from Alastor’s, the third is from them both or about them both, and the last few songs are “I like the vibe but honestly am not sure this fits the playlist.”

Also, y’all are welcome to keep asking me about songs, because this is a lot of fun.

I’m absolutely sure that tumblr is going to delete this read more out of the post but I’m going to put one anyway, maybe it’ll let this one work just to be contrary. If it doesn’t, I apologize for the dash stretcher, that’s just how tumblr do.

So! Explanations:

You’re So Vain (Lyrics)

This one is on the Sir Pentious side, so, although it’s not directly/accurately about Alastor, it is about how Sir Pent sees him in light of their catastrophic breakup.

Verse 1 is less on the nose in its description of Alastor, but you get the impression of someone who is obsessed with how he comes across to other people, and who is far more interested in himself and the image he’s giving off than he is in any of the people he’s trying to impress. A great deal of Alastor’s personality is—or at the very least, comes off as—completely performative. As though to this day he’s still nothing but a radio host performing for a listening audience, even when he’s only talking to one person. The fact that he’s always wearing a fake smile and pointedly providing his own sound effects adds to that impression of a performer who never breaks character.

And the fact that the character in the song is still wholly self-absorbed even when he’s dancing with a partner gives a nice little glimpse into how Sir Pent’s retroactively reinterpreted his last evening with Alastor.

Verse 2 is the stanza that comes closest to completely accurately reflecting what went down between them. First, the alliance between them, the implicit promises that they the were going to conquer Hell and then Heaven as partners in crime—“Well, you said that we made such a pretty pair / And that you would never leave”—and then, the breakup—“But you gave away the things you loved / And one of them was me.” It’s the one line that acknowledges that the character in the song did, indeed, actually love the singer, and wasn’t just performing a role/playing at being in love.

It’s also a line that would ring false to Sir Pentious, because in the aftermath of CDIH, he genuinely doesn’t believe that Alastor ever loved him. He completely buys Alastor’s claim that he was just screwing around with Sir Pent’s emotions for his own entertainment. Words to the effect of “one of [the things you loved] was me” would never come out of Sir Pent’s mouth.

However. Of all the lines in all of the songs in Sir Pent’s portion of the playlist, that one line is the most accurate thing that could be said about Alastor, the blade that would stab into the core of who he is and the role that he played in this story. Because of his vanity—his selfishness, his pride, his obsession with his own independence, his fear of love, his fear of vulnerability, his fear of sharing his life with someone else, etc.—he didn’t just lose what he loved, he did very deliberately and intentionally give it away.

(I’ve always found that line to be the most interesting in the song, for the hint that this vain person did indeed truly feel for someone else, so I’m glad that line fits so well here.)

Verse 3 is just more “what Alastor is like as observed by Sir Pent,” except even more accurately than the first stanza. Constantly running around, constantly moving on from one brief source of entertainment to another (just stuff “threw his support behind the Happy Hotel” somewhere between “gambled on a horse race” and “watched an eclipse”), constantly socializing with dangerous people and people whom he’s going to hurt without caring in the slightest.

Okay so that’s the lyrics.

Making sure the aesthetics/styles/genres of the songs match the character they’re for is one of my high priorities on this fanmix—not to the extent that having the wrong style is an instant dealbreaker, but I’m going to be hesitant to include a song that doesn’t at all match the sound I’m going for. For Sir Pentious, I’m kind of running with two styles.

The first style is “sounds Victorian-ish enough to get a shrug and a nod from anybody who doesn’t actually know/care about Victorian-era music,” so that’s gonna be just about anything orchestral/symphonic that doesn’t clearly fall into a different genre, symphonic metal that sounds symphonic enough to satisfy me, instrumental covers of other songs (string quartets, piano, full orchestra...), things with harpsichords (LISTEN i know that harpsichords are more baroque but they’ve got the right Vibe, you know, they’ve got the Feeling), and things with organ—but like, it’s gotta sound like pipe organ (pipe organ—sounds like a church) and not like Hammond organ (Hammond organ—sounds like a baseball game). Also steampunk, except a lot of “steampunk” genre music sounds swingy/jazzy, so those songs get ruled out because that’s Alastor’s aesthetic. And also, like, actual classical music, but I’m not into a lot of actual classical music, so I don’t think any’s actually made it in yet, lmao.

The second style is based on what the creator herself said about Sir Pent’s music preferences: “Sir Pentious would listen to Blink-182. Pentious would literally listen to stuff like Linkin Park, Green Day, the emo stuff.” So I took "the emo stuff” as “oh okay cool so the stuff I listened to at 15 got it” and ran wild with that. I’ve been most heavily drawing from My Chemical Romance, Panic! At The Disco, and Mindless Self Indulgence to represent that half of Sir Pent’s preferences. (MSI because I feel like that fits an in-your-face and morally jaded villain, P!ATD because their newer stuff fits his flamboyance and exuberance and egotism, and MCR because... because I know them best.) I haven’t yet made much time to carefully comb the discographies of the other bands listed or look into other more traditional emo-associated acts.

Carly Simon’s original “You’re So Vain” matches neither of these styles.

I combed through about 60 different versions of “You’re So Vain” on Spotify looking for ones that meet one of these aesthetics. Like 90% of them were, I’m pretty sure, just various singers adding their vocals directly over a karaoke version of Carly Simon’s original.

In the end, the only one that came close was Marilyn Manson’s cover. He’s a bit outside of the bounds I try to stick in for Sir Pent, but like, okay, he’s industrial metal, but in a particularly goth way, that’s close enough to emo. To my mind, “Sir Pent listens to emo” is like... Sir Pentious’s musical preferences are going to be, 1) counterculture, the kind of stuff that causes conservative Christian moms to go into moral panics, but also 2) mainstream counterculture, the kind of bands that produce huge hits & get featured in major blockbuster movies, but also also 3) slightly dated mainstream counterculture, i.e., at the end of the 2010s he’s listening to the bands that may still be popular but that peaked in the mid 2000s, in keeping with the way he’s trying to keep hip and modern but always seems a little bit behind.

So, in the 2010s, he’s listening to 2000s emo acts. In the 2000s, he was listening to the 1990s’ biggest metal acts (like Marilyn Manson) and possibly grunge acts (things like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins). In the 1990s, he was listening to the 1980s’ biggest post-punk and new wave acts (like The Cure, Joy Division/New Order, Depeche Mode). Always evolving his stylistic preferences, always trying to keep up, but always a little behind. So that’s how I justify putting Marilyn Manson in lmao.

Although that was the only version of “You’re So Vain” I thought fit well enough, I also found a version by Trash Pour 4, a version by Les Reed Orchestra, and a version by Giant Sand that were all very good. Trash Pour 4 is driving me crazy because I can’t quite figure out what genre they are, I just can’t place them—but they’ve got several other good covers that I’d like to take advantage of at some point.

I also found a song called “You’re So Vain (Christian Dior)” by The Energy Commission that’s not a cover of Carly Simon’s song, just a new song with the same name. I’m lowkey considering including on Alastor’s side of the playlist. It’d serve as a very sharp critique of how image obsessed Sir Pent is, there’s some snappy turns of phrase that seem like they’d appeal to Alastor’s sense of humor (my two favorites are “He went off the deep end ‘cause he’s so shallow” and “He’s got a timepiece on his wrist and it says ‘watch me’”), the fact that it’s a critique specifically of high class materialism fits with the fact that I headcanon Sir Pent as coming from British nobility while Alastor’s ancestry is both racially and socially mixed (including at least one close relative who was a slave, I’m thinking a grandparent but haven’t settled on my headcanons yet), and I love when there are parallels like that in playlists about the relationship between lovers/partners/rivals/siblings/any-combo-of-two-people.

The reason I haven’t added it yet is because, by the end of the song, it’s not just a critique of being a rich shallow image-obsessed douche, but specifically of how that culture ties in to exploitative capitalism that’s wrecking human lives and the world—which, in the context of the characters we’re talking about here, would translate into a criticism of Sir Pentious’s very-imperialist-sounding take-over-the-world villain ambitions. Which isn’t something I think Alastor cares about. He probably should, but like, he just doesn’t. He’s a villain himself. I’m sure he’s got his own morals and standards and hard limits but “take over the world” isn’t on his list of dealbreakers. What’s taking over the world include? Mass murder and subjugation? Yeah, he’s cool with that. So that’s why I’m still on the fence about adding it.

Give ‘Em Hell, Kid (Lyrics)

So remember how I said that My Chemical Romance is one of the bands I’ve drawn from most heavily so far in looking for emo Sir Pent songs? Yeah for about a day there were six different MCR songs sitting in Serpentine & Demonswing as I slowly whittled them down to the ones that I thought fit best. “Give ‘Em Hell, Kid” is one of the last three, and actually one that I’m constantly on the verge of cutting.

Lyrically, it’s an Alastor song. There’s mentions of the singer having come from New Orleans (listen... i am a sucker for songs that mention New Orleans, it automatically earns five points on the imaginary “is this an Alastor song?” rubric in my head). The singer is singing about a love interest who’s gone, and he’s making no moves to pursue/reclaim the love interest, wishing them well (“So go on, live your life”), but he’s a wreck and a lesser person without them (“If you were here, I'd never have a fear,” “Well I'm a total wreck and almost every day”), and it’s just getting worse with time, not better (“But I miss you more than I did yesterday”).

The line “Some might say we are made from the sharpest things you say” although directed toward “you,” i.e. the love interest, i.e. Sir Pentious, in my head actually reflects more on the things Alastor said to Sir Pentious: the cruel things he said to Pent—that he’s weak, ineffective, behind the times, a has-been, never going to conquer hell—ended up a self-fulfilling prophecy, because that’s exactly what Alastor’s rampage made happen. Today, as he is now, Sir Pentious is made from the sharpest things Alastor said.

“Your dreams and your hopeless hair” makes me think of Sir Pent’s wild efforts to conquer hell (and, of course, his ridiculous cobra hood), and “We never wanted it to be this way for all our lives” is a perfect expression of Alastor’s regrets/remorse over what his actions have done to both of their lives, but especially to Sir Pent’s life.

And all the references to violence—murder scenes, firing squads, sharpest things—fit with the fact that both of them chose to live lives soaked in blood.

So it’s a perfect Alastor song. The only problem is, it’s an MCR song, which is sooo far outside of my acceptable genres for him. (I’m not gonna get into Alastor’s genres now bc there are better songs to do that on, just know emo ain’t it.) And not only is it outside of his acceptable genres, it’s in the OTHER character’s acceptable genres, which is very messy. I can vibe with “lovers’ songs borrowing from each other’s aesthetic” a LITTLE bit when it’s used to represent, like, emotional synchronicity or the like (ex: both “Roustabout” and Vernian Process’s “Maple Leaf Rag” are on my “Alastor+Sir Pent style fusion songs” list). But MCR is a big departure from Alastor’s acceptable styles.

Plus, the playlist already has two MCR songs, and do I really need three songs from the same band? Unless there’s a really good reason, I try to avoid having repeats from the same band on one playlist—I feel like a good well-rounded fanmix oughta have a diversity of sources. (With “a really good reason” being something like “I’ve got the playlist divided into five sections detailing five phases of the character’s life and each section is introduced with a different track from the same band” or “I’ve got an instrumental version of the song to kick off the playlist to serve as ‘foreshadowing’ for when the version with lyrics shows up at the most dramatic moment” or something like that.)

If I was going to, like, make it a thing, I could. Justify it like “there’s one MCR song that represents them when they’re together, one MCR song from Sir Pent’s perspective, and one MCR song from Alastor’s perspective, like a little triangle,” but like... if I was going to do that I feel like I’d want to do it with a style that’s either representative of both of them or else independent of both of them, and MCR is so heavily a Sir Pent sound. Basically, having three songs from one band would be okay if it was a band that vibes with the overall tone I’m shooting for in the playlist—but it’s not. So I’m very torn on “Give ‘Em Hell, Kid.”

“El Tango De Roxanne” + “Overture” + “I Hope You Die”

Okay before I can talk about “I Hope You Die” by itself, I kind of have to explain its exact position in the playlist and its relationship with the other two songs I just listed.

While MOST of the playlist is chunked up into the four sections I mentioned earlier (Sir Pent, Alastor, both, undecided), within those sections the songs aren’t really in any particular order. The one exception is the very first three songs on the playlist/the very first three songs in Sir Pent’s section.

These three songs, presented in that order, all as Sir Pent songs, serve as Sir “in war, the side remembered is the side with the most style” Pentious the Super Villain making his big entrance like:

“El Tango De Roxanne” starts slow/quiet, and then (with a couple of brief dips) it gradually builds in volume and pain and intensity, getting faster and more emphatic, switching from mournful longing to nearly-angry anguish, until it ends with a pained scream, steampunkish percussion, howling background singers, and a wailing violin.

And then it pauses, for just a moment.

And then “Overture” hammers you with the most dramatic opening chord you will ever hear on an organ in your life, perfectly matching the energy at the end of “El Tango De Roxanne” and maintaining that level of energy throughout the song.

And then it stops so quickly it’s like someone gasped, holding its breath for a split second—and then some dude yells “You must die! I alone am best!” and the guitars kick in for “I Hope You Die,” leading into a depiction of the most intense, vitriolic, disgusting sort of loathing imaginable.

The build-up from “El Tango De Roxanne” and “Overture” really revs up “I Hope You Die,” the intensity of the organ in “Overture” highlights the intensity of the guitar in “I Hope You Die,” and all together it hypes up what could have been just a dark humor song about hating someone into something that sounds like a very genuine demonstration of hatred.

And taken all together, it makes for a fantastic intro for Sir Pent.

It also serves as a perfect intro to the current state of affairs between him and Alastor—sort of expressing his personal emotional journey on the morning Alastor betrayed him, as his reaction transforms over the course of three songs from grief/despair to fathomless fury.

There’s more I could say individually about “El Tango De Roxanne” and “Overture,” but I won’t, because it’s “I Hope You Die” time.

“I Hope You Die” (Lyrics - warning for a whole stanza dedicated to hoping someone gets raped in prison)

A small handful of the songs in my Hazbin playlists were discovered in and added from existing Hazbin character playlists I found on Spotify before I started making my own. “I Hope You Die” was one of them, found here. Which is why it was added even though it doesn’t fit my strict genre standards, it won me over before I narrowed down the styles I’m working with lmao.

(I feel like “El Tango De Roxanne” was one of those too, but I can’t now find a Spotify playlist containing it that added it before I did. Where did I grab it from? It’s not something I would’ve looked up on my own, something must have inspired me. IDK what though. None of the other songs mentioned in this post were found on other playlists.)

So this song is, obviously, just about how much some dude hates somebody else and wants extremely horrible things to happen to them. It’s sorta... *eyes lyrics uneasily* ... sorta tasteless; but, tasteless in a way that I feel like reflects back on the character singing the song. The feeling I come away from after finishing the song isn’t “the band wants you to think the person they’re singing about deserves this to happen to them,” because it doesn’t even give a reason why the singer hopes this person suffers; but rather, “the band wants you to think that this is the kind of hatred that the character/persona the singer is portraying is capable of, this is the kind of vile stuff that character wants to see done to their enemies, this is representative of the depths of that character’s rage.” Which is why I’m like “yeah... okay, sure, that fits” even though I’m real iffy about the last couple stanzas.

Because for a character who’s in Hell surrounded by people who have stomped on the last dredges of their civility and decency, and a character who’s patterned after a super villain (and, because the series creator dropped the idea that there are heroes/villains in the living world, the only super villain in this setting), and a character who gleefully boasts about being evil, and a character who we know demonstrates very rapid/extreme emotions and expressions of hate/outrage... Yes, I can absolutely see this song as the exact sort of hatred Sir Pentious would level at somebody who’s slighted him. And Alastor blew way the hell past “slighting” him. Alastor, without exaggeration, has ruined his life (afterlife?) and over fifty years later Sir Pent is still unsuccessfully struggling to get back up to the level he was at before he even met Alastor. Right now, Sir Pentious really and truly and deeply despises Alastor.

A song like this—sheer, frothing, unrestrained, vengeful contempt—tells you a whole lot about what kind of emotions Sir Pentious is capable; and it tells you a whole lot about the kind of effect Alastor’s actions have had on him, to inspire this level of reaction from someone who was very close to him for fifteen years and increasingly in love with him for probably a good amount of that time.

Plus, the “You must die! I alone am best!” is such a very, very Sir Pentious sentiment.

So that’s those songs! Again, y’all are free to ask me for my thoughts on more. Yes, most of them will probably be like this, lol.

[shenlongshao]

GGS Redesign Analysis: Faust

The Frosty Faustings event has recently passed with memorable and intense matches. At the end, it reveals the gameplay trailer for the character the event is named after; Faust. This is a continuation of my in-depth analysis of the characters' redesigns(original post can be found here https://shenlongshao.tumblr.com/post/189263935197/gg-strive-thoughts-part-3 ). This will be a lengthy post that'll follow the same format like I did the others. I hope you enjoy reading!~

FAUST ---------

After unveiling the full title of the new Guilty Gear game, Faust was briefly shown. Many people, including myself, was surprised at huge change to his design. The latest trailer gave everyone a clearer look at his gameplay and how he seemingly conveying a darker essence in comparison to the usually bright, wacky, and compassionate persona he's known for. I'll begin by examining his past design as Dr.Baldhead.

Prior to his battle attire, Dr.Baldhead wears the uniform of his profession with a long, white doctor's coat. The buttons in front and two medical crosses on his upper sleeves is black. Underneath is a black dress-shirt with a red tie, though the design of his gloves and shoes are unique. His layered gloves concealing his palms is teal green while the finger part is black. His socks and shoes share the same color scheme with black straps around the ankles. Round-shaped glasses conceal his eyes and fitting to his name, he's also bald.

In his battle attire, Dr.Baldhead a.k.a Faust's very lean, yet somewhat athletic build can be seen on his legs and arms. A wide, white thick collar of the teal green tunic is worn on his body accented with soldier padded sleeves. There's multiple straps in the belt around his waist with a silver buckle in the center. Another interesting part of his design is he's the tallest Guilty Gear character(he's 9 FT. 3in' tall). It fits well with how initially he's a caring doctor who genuinely wants to help and save people, but the guilt of a young girl patient dying in his care spurs him into insanity and bloodlust. I think this design is very reminiscent of classic cartoon doctors or mad scientists being bald, skinny, and wearing round glasses. Which is fitting for his story at the time, but it didn't last for it was the beginning on the path of atonement; leading to the iconic look and name we know him as; Dr.Faust.

I love the creativity put into Faust's iconic look because it's something never seen before. His face is covered by a light brown paper bag with a bullet hole on his left "eye"(it's a mystery whether it's his actual eyes or his eyes are covered by glasses or a special eye gadget that makes it glow). He wears a tailored, white doctor's jacket with broad shoulder pads. Large black buttons is seen on the edges of his shoulders and the helms of his sleeves. On his upper sleeves is a singular belt while two belt straps is in the front to secure it in place. Underneath is blue dress-shirt with a black tie and wears green pants on his lower body. On his feet is brown penny loafers with two large black buttons in the front. White, blue, green, and brown has been Faust main colors throughout, conveying not only his profession as a doctor, but also his personality. White Personality(https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-white.html): Having a personality color white means you are neat and immaculate in your appearance, in the presentation of your home and in your car, almost to the point of being fanatical. You have impeccable standards of cleanliness and hygiene and you expect others to adhere to your high standards. You are well-balanced, sensible, discreet and wise. You may be wishing to create simplicity in your life - perhaps a wish to re-create your childhood, lost youth and happier times in your past life.White is totally reflective, awakening openness, growth and creativity. You can't hide behind it as it amplifies everything in its way. White is a color of protection and encouragement, offering a sense of peace and calm, comfort and hope, helping alleviate emotional upsets. It creates a sense of order and efficiency, a great help if you need to declutter your life. Blue Personality(https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-blue.html): You are genuine and sincere, and you take your responsibilities seriously. Having a personality color blue means you have a deep need for peace and harmony in your everyday life - you don't like having your feathers ruffled. You would benefit from daily meditation and quiet time for reflection, introspection and self-discovery. You appear to be confident and self-controlled, but may be hiding your vulnerable side. You are a rescuer and love to be needed but one of your lessons is to learn to love yourself first - you live from your heart and are always busy putting the needs of others first. You don't like to draw attention to yourself - you prefer to be in the background. You have a thirst for knowledge in order to gain wisdom and appear knowledgeable in whatever area interests you. Green Personality(https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-green.html): Having a personality color green means you are kind, generous and compassionate - good to have around during a crisis as you remain calm and take control of the situation until it is resolved. You are intelligent and love to learn - you are quick to understand new concepts. You like to be accepted, appreciated and admired for the good you do in the community as well as in your family life. Brown Personality(https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-brown.html): You are friendly and approachable, genuine and sincere. You feel uncomfortable about losing control but will work hard to change a situation that seems unjust or unfair. You are hard-working, industrious and reliable. The only thing missing is the description of Faust's cheerful and humorous side. But if you think about how green is the mix of yellow(the cheerful color) and blue, then it conveys this side of him. There is some tweaks to his design in GG Xrd SIGN and onwards to add extra color and detail.

All of the buttons that were black are changed to gray while his tie is colored yellow. Attached to the leather straps on his upper sleeves is red medical crosses along with a black one. His green pants has thin stripes, which gives a 1960s gentleman style to him. His primary colors are still the same, but let's look at the meaning of the extra colors added to him. Yellow Personality(https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-yellow.html): You have a happy disposition and are cheerful and fun to be with. You are creative, often being the one who comes up with new ideas - an ideas person who needs others to bring the ideas into reality - you tend to have your head in the clouds much of the time. You analyze everything, all the time, and are methodical in your thinking. You are spontaneous - you are able to think quickly on your feet and make instant decisions. You have a modern outlook. New technology doesn't faze you. You communicate well on a mental level with like-minded people, but can become bitter and sharp-tongued if crossed. Being the lightest hue of the spectrum, the color psychology of yellow is uplifting and illuminating, offering hope, happiness, cheerfulness and fun. Red Personality(https://www.empower-yourself-with-color-psychology.com/personality-color-red.html): As a personality color red, you are stimulating to be with and you radiate a great deal of energy. Lovers of red are the explorers and pioneers of the world, the entrepreneurs and builders who like to be first in discovering new physical realms. If you favor the personality color red you have a passion and enthusiasm for life and are not afraid to pursue your dreams and goals. You are a hard worker when you have a personality color red, and you specifically enjoy physical labor and working with your hands. All of these colors match Faust perfectly and love the little tweaks to his look. I think this is the best design for him and adds a special, unique essence to the world of Guilty Gear. In the story, Faust finally discovers the truth about the young patient that died is actually caused by the Conclave and is on the path of discovering the cure for the Japanese's illness. He continues to dig deeper and deeper into these, which likely leads to a redesign since these are huge story developments for him. 

Design-wise, the only thing kept from his previous look is the brown paper bag over his head. This shows that he hasn't reverted to being Dr.Baldhead(cause the bag is conveying shame of his past while also wanting to atone for it). It obviously isn't the same bag because in the previous game, it says "Wandering Doctor Faust". But in Strive, it has something different written on it, which you can see when viewed upside down. (Note: From now on, I’ll just link to the pictures since Tumblr is weird, XD). https://i.imgur.com/fL6ECm9.png It says "Blackhole Donuts & Cafe". There is also a sentence written under it, but due to the shadows, it's hard to see. I've tried to brighten and enlarge it abit. It's still somewhat hard to see, but I'm 70% sure it says "Our donuts are not whole...without the hole." This relates to Faust liking donuts(also one of his moves he randomly tosses out a donut). Let's look at the rest of him. https://i.imgur.com/ooBZQKR.png Faust is wearing the teal colored scrubs typical for surgeons and nurses to wear. In front of the shirt is a grunge type splatter with the white medical cross and the word "Good" written in lowercase. The 'd' if examined closely, has the hand sign for "Okay", hinting of Faust's quirkiness is still there. There's also something written on the upper back part of his shirt seen here, which I think most likely is "Stimulation". https://i.imgur.com/0Ivbpcn.png On his upper arms is double leather straps and white gloves with black medical crosses, which is derived from his coat as Dr.Baldhead.  Underneath his shirt is what looks like medical utility belt with yellow straps attached to the large syringe. But I believe this belt is actually a medical tourniquet belt due to the design and how it's slightly above the waistline. A tourniquet generally is a special belt used to stop blood overflow from a terrible wound. Here's a picture of Faust's medical belt. https://i.imgur.com/YhpBrZy.png https://i.imgur.com/EaqoeLC.png Below is the tourniquet belt. https://i.imgur.com/mjka2pJ.png He still has his other medical supplies like the giant scalpel used as a weapon, a stethoscope, etc. The most striking and troubling aspect is how his body looks. It's true Faust has always been the skinniest character, but he never looked like he was anorexic. If you look at the Dr.Baldhead pictures, you can see some very lean muscle and even how his clothes fit him prior to GG Strive. There's also the dry skin patches around his chest and arm that likely caused from either a surgery or some type of injury. Lastly, on his feet is a pair of what some assume to be Nike type sneakers instead of penny loafers. It's mainly white with yellow trim and teal colored shoes laces. This time, his main color is Teal, so let's see what this means for Faust. Teal Personality(https://colorpsychologymeaning.com/color-teal/): Teal is reserved, intuitive and perhaps an introverted color, teal is different, yet it doesn’t look for attention. Teal is also unconventional, someone who likes teal appreciates those things that are a little bit different. They value their uniqueness and they don’t wish to just fit in with the crowd.Teal is also a cautious color, not impulsive and doesn’t take unnecessary risks. Teal personality is to think before acting.Those who like or wear teal are also probably open minded people, they like to keep their options open and they don’t judge situations and people quickly. They are also very likely to have creative, perhaps artist tendencies. Influences of Teal: Teal encourages objective and analytical thinking. Teal is calming and encourages introversion and reserved character traits. Teal can promote repression of emotions, can reduce feelings of empathy. Teal can discourage erratic and spontaneous thinking. You're probably thinking, "How can he be calming when he looks so creepy?!"  Lol! I totally understand that feeling from watching the trailer. But there are 2 things in keep in mind that'll help ease the creepiness. Anyone in the medical department purposely wear colors that not only represent cleanliness, but also calm and friendly so their patients feel safe and cared for. Faust has always worn colors to reflect this along with his personality; he truly cares about other people and tries to help through medicine. Teal is one of these colors, but there is another side to it you probably notice; the part where it says "promote repression of emotions". Repression means to hold something or someone back by force, and since Faust isn't acting his usual expressive self, it hints of something caused him to be "repressed", disoriented, etc. What happened to poor Faust??? Obviously, the best answer would be "wait until the game is released to find out". But this doesn't mean we can't theorize based on what happened in his story! GG Theory Time: Faust has possibly found a cure for the illness plaguing the Japanese, but he's paying a heavy price for it. Do you remember when Faust was researching in the Royal Library? If not, please watch this video(You'll have to skip to 13:37 to see).

Notice there's a pile of books he has thoroughly read, including 3 called "The Black Sunrise", "Rise to Power", and Eripmavs's Memoir".

"Eripmavs's Memoir= Eripmavs's D Yraid": This has a weird name, but look at it in reverse, it's really "Vampire D's Diary". If you didn't know, this is Slayer's memoir about what happened before, during, and after The Crusades.

"The Black Sunrise": In the GG Library, it's from how a travelling author described the destruction of Japan caused by Justice was like; the sunrise upon the jet-black ocean.

"Rise to Power": This one isn't mention in the GG library, or probably not directly. But if watching everything that happened in the story, it's likely about Gear Cells. Particularly, how Japanese were converted into anti-matter Gears through Information Flares that rewrites their DNA. And how Ki Overlow Syndrome is a side effect of massive amount of Mana and data from The Backyard. My theory is Faust has got the same disease as the Japanese. We currently don't see him have migraines or fevers, but do see he's suffering the severe symptoms like being listless(lacking energy) and feeble(lacking physical strength, especially from illness or age). There's also how his reality-warping powers, etc. has been enhanced alot from looking at the trailer of his gameplay(example how he has Chipp appear from the dimensional wormhole he opened).  When you think about the legend beyond the name "Faust", he could have also gained massive amount of Mana(Magic) and Information(Knowledge) from The Backyard. This probably somehow helped him find out the cure for Japanese and created the medicine. What I mean by this is NOT him going into The Backyard itself, but it’s how the side effects of the Ki Overflow Syndrome has a double-edge sword result for him.  The skin patches around his chest and arm could be surgeries he performed on himself as part of testing, or either the P.W.A.B, The Conclave, or whatever the new threat will be did it. I think for his story in Guilty Gear Strive, it's going to highlight the dilemma similar to the Faust legend of "Can Faust become a true super-human, be resolute and redeemed? Or will he prove his human weakness and unsuitability and be doomed?"

Link to information about the legend of "Faust"(not the GG character, but the tale the character's based from): https://www.faust.com/ It's time to give my opinion and rating on his new design. After getting over the shock of how different(but beautifully) he animates and the dark vibe mixed with his silliness, it suffers the same issue I have with May's. Instead of it being equal or better than the iconic look, it's a huge downgrade. The scrubs doesn't have any style except for the words in front and back of his shirt, which that can easily be printed on. His gloves are okay, but I think it could've been better like adding some trim or even take inspiration from his Dr.Baldhead look. His sneakers also isn't very unique or stylish either, just very generic. It's probably why they have him in shadows so much cause of how basic he looks, XD. Rating: E(Epic Fail!)

[fearfearer]

i have caught up with the magnus archives.

when i started listening, i started a text file to note down any thoughts/confusion/analysis/jokes i had as i listened. i isolated a few bits of it into standalone text posts that i already posted, but here is the whole thing, my long-form liveblog

thoughts on the magnus archive as i listen

jonny sims gives an impassioned performance of someone's statement-- a diegetic impassioned performance, as we witness it being interrupted and resuming-- and follows it up with his own judgement of merciless doubt. classic. why the impassioned performance? he's just a nerd. i dearly hope this is the fandom consensus

every episode ends at the perfect volume to which i have adjusted it, and then i start the next episode and it blares in my ears. i think the volume of the intro must be like 1.75x the volume of the rest

*makes a serious effort to listen to and remember the name and date at the beginning of the statement recording* *forgets completely within 2 minutes*

i saw a fanart of gerard keay and learned [1] that he must be a good guy after all, since they drew him lookin cute, and [2] that his name is not, in fact, jared key. what, am i supposed to be looking at the transcripts? understanding names properly? in my defense, jonny sims clearly articulates "Jared" when he says it. maybe i'm not as good at decoding british accents as i thought. [footnote added in later: ok good i'm not the only one who hears "Jared" and thinks "Jared" instead of "Gerard"]

when gerard keay was described as having numerous eye tattoos on his joints, obviously my first thought was, "including the ankle? so he's count olaf?" because that's definitely a way count olaf would disguise his eye tattoo: by tattooing eyes everywhere else too and becoming The Eye Tattoo Guy. anyway this is part of why i was not at first inclined to think favorably of gerard keay

"The first thing about this statement that makes me dubious is that it comes from a fellow academic." if you know shit fuck you

it has come to my attention that there are ships. makes sense... after all, everyone in every fandom is horny af*. i'm not in deep enough to ship yet but naturally i'm keeping an eye on it

*horny af for depictions of intimacy, sexual or otherwise, but mostly sexual

definitely feel like i need to be writing down every name i hear because they're never not cropping back up but for now i'll just let it all wash over me

so sasha has been replaced with not-sasha, huh? pretty sure. though i'm not good at distinguishing voices. but that sounded pretty different, and my listening comprehension wrt that table isn't that bad. <<as time passes i doubt myself more and more on this point but not enough to go back and listen again

"You believe me?" "Yes, I think I do." (smashes button labeled "CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT" and a loud buzzer sounds)

IT'S MICHAEL!!! i hope michael is a long-term good guy... he's not seeming like a good guy right now... he says he's mostly neutral. vaguely recall seeing a tumblr post about michael in the recent past but that didn't give me any hints and i don't remember it well anyway. michael's voice is good though. good laugh

i'm not good at visualizing characters based on descriptions, let alone based merely on their voices, so the only image i have in my head of jonathan is a furrowed brow

i'm on episode 49 and i don't like jonathan's distrust of his colleagues... i don't understand why his immediate suspicion was that gertrude's murder was an inside job. hasn't he just learned firsthand that the institute is not impenetrable? it's not inconceivable that someone could enter and shoot her and leave. especially when it took place in underground tunnels connected to unknown locations.

there's a good Old Lady Voice Combo on episode 62

so agnes montague was heavily cursed... that's my conclusion after episode 67

elias seems to tell jonathan to "get some sleep" a lot. though it IS generally good advice

episode 70, 9 minutes, 41 seconds: jonny sims's cell phone goes off in the background

small brain: ghost ship medium brain: ghost train galaxy brain: dirt train

i wanted to see if there was fanart of michael so i looked it up... i might as well have googled "blonde slenderman"

sweeney todd mentions tally: II

for some reason, hearing michael described this time as "a tall man with curly blonde hair and an unnerving laugh" puts an image in my head without my consent, and that image is chris fleming. now, he's not quite blonde, is he? but that doesn't change my casting decision, which is now set in stone. hope he does a good british accent

"YES i know what a meme is."

why is melanie the first/only one to notice that sasha is now not-sasha? is it because she is experienced in firsthand paranormal encounters (whereas the archivists are experienced in decidedly SECONDhand paranormal encounters, save for the worm debacle)? oh, my question was answered handily in the next episode. ok.

the replacer definitely limits its glamour to everyone except one person just so that it can be amused by the distress and confusion of the one person who can see the truth. that must also be the reason it chooses a completely different appearance. it surely COULD replace a person with their exact likeness; it just uses another face for fun, and to be satisfied that it can get away with it.

this table has appeared in like 10 episodes... Guess It's Crucial

jonny sims yelling while swinging an axe. jonny sims goes through michael's door (eyes emoji)

the idea of the replacer killing jonathan and not even replacing him brings to mind "AT LEAST RIDE IT YOU ASSHOLE"

wasn't expecting to hear from leitner at this point... he's dropping tons of lore here. too much lore. so much is happening. i have to say i kinda like it better when the stakes are not quite so high as this.

so at the end of season 2, tim and martin believe that jonny sims killed this guy, who they probably don't know is leitner... and we the audience believe that elias, now almost certainly a double murderer, has very quietly stabbed leitner to death. do i the audience believe it? i'll keep an open mind for now. things are not always as they seem. except when sasha was replaced with not-sasha, which was exactly as it seemed. [footnote added in later: looks like elias being a double murderer was exactly as it seemed.]

so jonathan sims is the name of the actual guy voicing jonathan sims. it's a cecil situation. so are they someday going to go back and retcon every episode to change his name, like with palmer/baldwin? or does jonathan sims just not mind being a character as well? as long as it doesn't devolve into RPS i guess it's fine. if there's fanart of jonmartin i hope it doesn't depict them as their actors bc that's too close for comfort to RPS

there's been a truly hellish c*ndy cr*sh ad that has played like 40 times between episodes and i'm pretty well convinced to never ever play that curséd game

elias has some serious blackmail for daisy, huh? that's heavy, having police characters in fiction who do extrajudicial killings. life imitates art imitates life

"i'm not on drugs or anything. ...what? i could be on drugs!"

he said "ample opportunity" but like "amplopportunity" with emphasis on the "plop"

it was obviously elias who delivered the statement to jonathan in hiding, because he knew he would record it despite not being at work... bc he's a nerd

so if gerard keay has eye tattoos, does that mean he also serves the uhh the observing or whatever? [verdict arrived at later: no he just has those because he's cool. or because his mom tattooed him. ok almost certainly the latter.]

"what do i feed it?" obviously you feed it filled up cassette tapes, jon... nothing has ever been more obvious

it's okay that jon very stupidly burned his hand to a crisp. you don't need even one hand to turn on a cassette recorder. you can do that with your nose

so if these people who are wax figures serve the desolation, and not-sasha was spending time at the wax museum, does that mean there is a connection between the replacer and desolation? i think that would make sense, since both seem to enjoy making people feel bad feelings. also i'm starting to think that agnes was not actually cursed, but that would mean she burned that guy on purpose after being nice to him... was she just really selfish in that way? using him to experience Dating and mutilating him when he crossed the line, so she punished him as a cruel goodbye? or just building up his hopes so they will be even more fun to burn down when the time comes?

"perhaps doing a bit of mindless filing will help distract you." honestly that is something i would like to do in real life... i do enjoy a good mindless task. though doing mostly mindless tasks 40 hours a week is not a fun time for me lately. but it would be better if i didn't have to listen to bad radio at the same time

what?! the friendly midnight acrobat described in episode 90 sounds totally non-threatening and i hope there's fanart of it. was that gym just jared the bone turner helping people live their twisted athletic fetishes?! [footnote added in later: YES! god i hope people draw these turn-boned creatures optimized for their gymnastic of choice. show me a person who remade their body specifically for the balance beam]

so the power endowed in the archivist by the viewening is that when you sit them down across from someone they want to interview, that someone will invariably spill SOME beans and think it was their idea. maybe? [footnote added in later: yes.]

ok so Michael "The Distortion" Michael, of fractals and golden ringlets, has specifically tormented this other michael, lichtenberg michael?

jon is clearly moved to ask questions by an external force because he's a sensible guy who would not try to ask questions when daisy is holding a gun on him

i think basira has precisely the same accent as estelle... or maybe just a similarly staccato way of speaking (or of line-reading)

[episode 93] elias: (holding jon's face between two pieces of bread) what are you? jon: (sigh) the archivist...

well, they did something i didn't expect them to do with this show: create a compelling in-universe reason for jon to read statements aloud. because obviously until now there was none.

jon did the cockney accents. (insert emoji for indescribable feeling)

here's the purpose of the pit: if we all climb in the muddy pit together at night, the earthquake will only jiggle us gently and no one will be inside collapsing buildings to be crushed. it's only logical

ok i was gonna say this before but why is jon still at georgie's house??? he's not on the run for murder anymore, right? he has an apartment with all his stuff in it, right? [footnote added in later: i still don't understand why it was like this.]

i will confess that usually once the credits start to roll i zip to the next episode, but this time i zoned out a bit and it's really funny that jonny sims reads out "Rate and Review Us Online" in his archivist voice

a third michael. this one is probably already dead though. unless distortion michael takes over this guy's body or something. oh, jon came in at the end of the episode to say precisely this.

was episode 100 mostly improvised? if so, that would be appropriate. but i wouldn't put it past them to write every stuttering bit of those four statements

MARTIN...................................................................................................................................................... (typed this as martin gave some of his own money to the lady who expected payment for a statement)

i'm skipping 100.1 through 100.5 for now... just for now.

ok so michael is michael but not lightning mike michael, and two of these michaels are dead, but one is something that has never been alive nor dead. got it

everyone's morality is much more gray than i at first anticipated. the only people who seem to be solidly and earnestly on the side of good, as much as possible, are jonathan and martin and basira and georgie and maybe tim?

so michael just died and was overtaken by pseudo-helen? neo-helen? ok. that's kinda too bad, as i enjoyed michael's terrible laugh and unpredictability. but the feeling of michael being revealed as having been michael shelley feels somewhat similarly disappointing (but a bit less staggeringly groan-inducing) to when the mysterious koro-sensei in assassination classroom was revealed to have been a twink in his past. because of course he was. (that's when i stopped reading that manga. too precipitously dumb to sustain my suspension of disbelief.) it's like, ok, you had an interestingly mysterious character going on, but having solved the mystery, what interestingness is left? not much. fortunately this was resolved by promptly ending the existence of this michael and instead introducing new and improved helen

ooh martin has the asky ability too huh? nice [footnote added in later: he only used it this one time, and i'm wondering if they did that and then forgot and decided that jon is actually the only one with asky ability.] [[another footnote added in much later: How did i manage to mistake jon’s voice for martin’s voice? How?]]

the way martin said "kumo ga tabeteiru" in episode 110... alexander j newall does not watch anime

"I'm a book." ~Gerard Keay, 2017

it was a few episodes ago now but i noticed that when jon clearly articulated "Jared" referring to gerard, elias was like "Jared? you mean Gerard Keay?" (pronouncing it like "Gerard.") there is definitely a disagreement between these two (actors) about how to pronounce that name

the eye, the spiral, the end, the stranger, the lonely, the desolation, the slaughter, the vast, the buried, the dark, the corruption, the web, the flesh, the hunt.

Q: why would anyone want one of these rituals to succeed? A: it's their fetish. it's their sexual fetish

ok time to make up names for each possible apocalypse. these are the real and true names according to me, who knows such things: the eye - the viewening the spiral - down the drain the end - the really end end the stranger - oh wait we know this one. it's the unknowing. the lonely - the alonening the desolation - Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Lightless Flame the slaughter - world war all the vast - the expansion the buried - the grand lahar (or the Smothering) the dark - the extinguishment the corruption - the Great Rot the web - the spidening the flesh - the smorgasbord (or the Eatening) the hunt - come and get it

gerry said there was no dark god of indigestion, but i can tell you from personal experience that there is. though it's true that there is also fear involved, so maybe no separate pantheon is necessary

i sense that there is a battle between people who say it like "gotta get myself oriented" and "i feel disoriented" (as feels correct/natural to me) and people who say "gotta get myself orienTATed" and "i feel disorienTATed," and this podcast falls SQUARELY on the latter team. they've said it like 20 times

idk why he has to be such a dick to helen. jeez

the guy who coded his mind into a computer, which of the 14 was that? the corruption? the stranger? gotta be the corruption, but that doesn't fit perfectly with its rot/bugs aesthetic...

speed -> speeding -> sped. heed -> heeding -> hed. thus i decree

in my dream i listened to a whole episode of this show, narrated by gertrude, and i was like "whoa this is cool" and i went to write it down but i was still in the dream and writing doesn't work in dreams :( also any successful writing in dreams doesn't transfer to real life paper :( the only snippet i remember: “...in his white mouth, which had known only bread...”

"I, uh..." Jonathan Sims, a thousand times, 20XX

martin's job is PLAINLY to distract elias and elias barges in like "martin. i see you're trying to distract me." and martin's like "maybe i am!"

o, jonny took a breath. that's good

he wasn't hooked up to an EKG or anything? you spend long enough with no heartbeat that they're just like "i guess we can turn this off"

this episode about philosophical zombies sounds a lot like that NPC meme from a year or two ago... and it makes me kind of uncomfortable, the way this person inspects others to determine whether they are True Minds or Impostors based on their emotional expressions, their eyes... because i don't always do the correct or appropriate expressions, and would someone judge me as being a non-person who is trying and failing to imitate human emotions?

i generally don't enjoy ships that have more-or-less explicit canon support, but i can't say jon/martin isn't good

melanie blaming jon isn't right... no one had a better plan to stop the unknowing, did they? (they didn't!) didn't all of them agree on the plan and understand that they might die? (they did!) she's just imposing survivor's guilt upon him because he survived for supernatural reasons. but it's not like he eagerly embraced his new supernaturalness, or even asked for it outright! i think she's being unreasonable. i didn't like her insistence on trying to kill elias either, even though elias is a huge dick. what's with her?

wait, peter lukas is the lonely? (meme where calculations and equations whiz past me)

jonathan baa'd

oh, see. the bullet is making melanie act without reason. i get it now. can't say i think they had the best approach to getting the bullet out, but all's well that ends well (???)

martin is being prohibited from talking to jon >:I martin is on a first-name basis with peter lukas >:I...

martin grumbles, "i don't like being manipulated..." while obviously and continuously allowing himself to be manipulated

jon is afraid of and uncomfortable with what he's becoming, at least to a degree, right? but he seems to be going about his duties (i.e. feeding the eye) with vigor and without reluctance. is he really that motivated by his own desire to know and understand? who is he doing this for? is the eye's influence on him so strong that "doing what the eye wants" seems to manifest as what HE wants to do?

"He'd place it over the one he wore already, and he would larf and larf and larf" (from breacon’s statement... just heard it like this for some reason)

deep water could be the domain of both the buried and the vast, because you could lose yourself in the vast ocean, but experience the physical effects of being buried under thousands of feet of water...

so tom han was an avatar of the flesh but he ultimately died after being tortured by the spiral... right?

"we're not people, though, are we? not anymore." close enough, i'd say.

jonathan has deployed THREE "I, uh..."s in episode 131 alone and i want to smack him in real life. FOUR NOW. JON. JONATHAN SIMS THE REAL ACTOR. LISTEN... quit falling back on your "I, uh..."s. and if they're written into the script i'll punch whoever did that too. total of five in a single episode. never utter "I, uh..." again

i hope whoever's throat is okay after doing bone turner voice for a whole statement.

jonny sure needs saving quite often, doesn't he.

peter lukas being a slightly chipper advocate for becoming a follower of the lonely is very strange

neil lagorio and his whole cinematographic history is made up but they namedropped kevin costner, who is real

VERY, VERY GOOD laugh at 23:44 of episode 136

melanie getting her session recorded... i was doing audio transcription for a while and you'd definitely come across bits of therapy-type sessions that very much seemed like they should have been confidential.

i wonder if the eye ultimately turned its back on gertrude and allowed her to be killed. if jon could survive a collapsing building, could gertrude not have survived a couple of bullets? wouldn't the difference be the protection of the eye? [footnote added in later: of course now i see who turned their back on whom.]

i'm somewhat heartened to learn that agnes montague was, in fact, a heavily cursed individual, though she seemed to have embraced it to a degree... and she wasn't made of wax.

i like that jon now includes helen in his office politics briefing

basira's like "Edmund Halley" and jon's like "Halley's comet?" (like “Hale-ey”) and two minutes later jon's like "Edmund Hally" (not "Hale-y")

"What's this?" "OH... That's, uh... that's... my rib..." "Right." (tiny clunk of rib being set down)

so giving a statement puts a curse on you... or is it "having a statement extracted / being compelled" that puts a curse on you? and the resulting curse, the fear it reawakens, is that good for the eye, or is that good for the powers that initially caused the fear?

well, i heard a homestuck reference in one of the patreon names at the beginning of an episode, and who is surprised? of course, i'm not one to talk

episode 144- the english think their summer is bad... as a professional "hot weather is bad" person, i feel doubtful, because if the sky is grey, it is not as hot as it Could Be, and therefore one should quit one's bitching

first statement about the extinction... interesting. but hearing martin be a jerk to daisy makes me sad :(

the powers never tell avatars exactly what they need to be doing, but that's just concerning the means. the ends are always clear: the power gets fed. and all of the powers feed on fear. also jonny is horny for statements. i hope, but also doubt, that his harmful behavior is at least partially the spider's doing. oh, i see now that it's not. yeah.

jon wants to eat fresh and delicious statements produced just for him, instead of reconstituting the dusty old statements already in the archive

episode 148 - samson stiller gets a crush. but in all seriousness, is he becoming an avatar of the eye but like, not institute-related? is that a thing? i guess that would make sense, but still seems weird

episode 149 - considering ring -> rang -> rung, we seem to have stumbled upon spin -> span -> spun, and the compasses gently span around (9:40)

does martin have loneliness powers now? it's sad that he is getting lonely... as a lonely person, i know.

the lady on TV in episode 150 was just speaking simlish.

i really want jon to overcome his urge to forcefully take statements because i want to be able to root for him still

british podcasts really have a leg up over american podcasts, at least among american audiences, purely based on their interesting and varied accents

i can't say the gravedigger's envy doesn't make me myself feel like going to sleep in the cold dirt forever. but bad depression lately is also a factor, so

jonathan having to settle for reading already archived statements instead of harvesting fresh ones is exactly like a vampire (not the kind detailed in this series) who has to choose between hunting people to suck their blood or drinking bags of donated blood from a (near-endless) stockpile. there's an ethical choice with a clear right answer, but the urge is also understandable

jon following up gertrude's tape with just "fuck" was really good. now he's like "ok martin. let's run away together"

spent all day at work thinking about how i can't fuckin believe the first thing jon did when he heard how to escape the institute was to go tell martin like "there will be a great cost, but... we can elope now"

also if tim was still around jon would tell him the way out and he would do it right then and there, i'm 100% sure. like before jon was finished explaining tim would be like "the eyes? (grabs scissors) got it. (does the deed)"

earlier today i was just thinking that we would almost certainly hear gertrude's death on tape, especially given that we now understand tape recorders are wont to turn on autonomously whenever something important is happening. anyway then i came home and heard gertrude's death on tape

peter, as an avatar of the lonely, is easy to play like a cheap whistle because as someone who clearly hates spending time around other people, he is not keen to the symptoms of being played.

elias is like "you'll have to go into the lonely to get him" and jon's probably thinking "but then at least we'll be in the lonely... ~*~*~together~*~*~"

i think martin's whole thing for most of the series has been that he sounds a little doofy, for lack of a better word, and people constantly underestimate his intelligence. and now he has played peter lukas like a cheap whistle and forced me to realize that by taking for granted that he was being successfully manipulated by peter lukas, i too was underestimating martin... and his pure love for jon <:3c no but seriously i even remember explicitly making a mental note to remember that martin is smartin but it fell by the wayside as my emotions (of sadness that jon and martin seemed to be growing further apart) took precedent

i work a non-verbal job just doing mundane tasks and that gives me all the time in the world to think about things like "if they were to have jon and martin reunite in a tearful embrace, how would you convey the physical contact in an audio format? like, whap? soft thud?"

jon enters the lonely and voiceover peter comes in to try and factcheck the ship

i guess it makes sense that peter would try to do the ritual for the lonely all by himself

did he kill peter by asking him to death? or did peter just self-destruct rather than be forced to answer?

the way jon snapped martin out of the loneliness just by making him look at his face... that's powerful. as a lonely person, i know that the most cry-making thing you can realize when you feel alone is that another person is, in fact, there with you

martin went for a walk and now it's thunderstorming. i wonder if he came back as soon as it started raining and now he's standing nearby invisibly as jon reads the intimidating magnus statement. ...I GUESS NOT

i plan to read through the transcripts of all the episodes (as it’s faster than re-listening, though i might selectively re-listen) so that i may better understand some things and answer some questions in this post that i didn’t ultimately resolve. i can’t say i was paying 101% attention all the way through. also april is very far away

[darks-ink]

Play Your Part 3

Chapter 3: You Might Just See A Ghost Tonight

Chapter title is from Emperor’s New Clothes by Panic! At The Disco! I don’t really have any author notes that I haven’t already posted about on Tumblr so...

[first] [previous] [next] [AO3] [FFnet]

“So let me make sure I got this right.” Jazz’s eyes darted from Danny to Sam and Tucker, then back to Danny. “This is Danny, but he’s not our Danny?”

Tucker opened his mouth, but Jazz held up a hand to silence him. “I wasn’t done yet. So this Danny is from an alternate timeline where everyone but him is half-ghost. He got dragged here because of some strange artifact, and now you guys want to go into the Ghost Zone to find out what it did and how to undo it. Right?”

“I guess?” Danny shrugged. “It was their idea.”

Jazz rolled her eyes. “Of course it was. Clearly you never have stupid ideas, do you?”

“Hey!” He huffed and crossed his arms. “I don’t know about your Danny, but I do my best to stay in the background, thank you very much! The last thing I need to do is draw the ire of people stronger than me.”

“Ah, that’s definitely not like Danny,” Tucker commented, nodding wisely. “He would fight God if he could.”

“Alright, so I’m not a ballsy half-ghost, whatever. Can we focus, please?” He didn’t want to hear more about how, even here, he was lesser. He had hoped, briefly, that maybe he would fit in better in this world of humans, rather than half-ghosts. But apparently that wasn’t the case.

Apparently he couldn’t even live up to the standards set by himself.

“Of course. Well, here’s my first question for you three.” Jazz gestured at him. “Do you know if you only swapped your minds, and kept the bodies in the right place, or is this a full swap?”

“What?” Danny asked, frowning at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Well, mind swaps are a classic plot device, right?” She shrugged. “But usually that only involves swapping the minds of the people involved. So if that is what’s happening here, you would still be able to access Danny’s ghost powers, because it’s still his body, not yours.”

Danny held out his hands, staring down at them. They looked perfectly normal. He didn’t feel any different, either. But then he was supposed to be half-ghost, too, normally. So what was the difference?

“How can I tell? If it’s his body or mine?”

“Ghost powers, duh.” Tucker’s grin became even wider when Danny glared at him.

“I don’t know, Jazz. I don’t think he has powers,” Sam pointed out, ignoring the two bickering boys. “With that kinda glaring we would be seeing green already.”

“Huh?” Danny’s head snapped back to the two girls, glare softening in a frown. “Oh, yeah, I guess. I’m not sure how you’re supposed to trigger any of them on purpose, anyway.”

“No one ever taught you how to use your powers? No special lessons or anything?” Tucker stepped in closer again, curiosity peaked. “Even though everyone had them?”

“Well, no.” He shrugged. “Apparently it just kind of comes naturally? They usually start manifesting when you’re pretty young. My dad was really late, and he got them by twelve.”

“Hence why you’re so sure you won’t get them.” Jazz nodded in understanding. “I guess that that makes sense.”

“Why does it matter if it’s a body or a mind swap, anyway?” Sam cocked her head, her brow creased. “We gotta learn more about that artifact, anyway. Whether he has ghost powers or not doesn’t matter for that.”

“Yeah, no, you’re right,” Jazz admitted. “Curiosity, mostly, and it could’ve helped you narrow down the search.”

“Eh, we’ll figure it out anyway.” Tucker held up his PDA demonstratively. “You’re underestimating our powers of research, Jazz.”

“Whatever makes you feel better.” She rolled her eyes, then sat down at the kitchen table. “I’ll keep my parents distracted if they come back before you guys, but don’t make it too long, okay? Or warn me beforehand so I can lure them away.”

“Yes ma’am.” Tucker shot her a grin and a salute as he made his way towards the door to the lab. “Let’s go, guys!”

Danny heaved a sigh but followed anyway, Sam right on his heels. “Is he always this enthusiastic?”

“Nah. I think he just wants to see your reaction to some of the ghosts Danny knows. Or, uh.” She made a face. “Our Danny, I guess, since you’re Danny too.”

He snorted. “Yeah, it’s kind of confusing, isn’t it?”

“No kidding.”

They entered the lab, which… actually looked different from the lab back home. Lots of glowing green on their inventions, too. Clearly powered by ectoplasm. Tucker was already standing next to an enormous cylindrical vehicle, which floated a foot or so above the floor.

“And here’s the Specter Speeder!” He threw out his hands towards the vehicle. “Tah-dah!”

He looked it over, nodding despite himself. “Not bad. Looks better than the RV, at least. Less tank-like.”

“Less reviewing your parents’ inventions, more getting in.” Sam shoved him towards the door, and he stumbled in.

“Alright, alright. No need to shove me!”

She clambered in after him, Tucker following suit and closing the door. “Who’s gonna pilot?” she asked the other boy.

“You do it, I’ll keep track on my PDA.” Following this statement, he sat down in the co-pilot seat. Co-driver? What did you call the person steering a hovercraft? “And Danny can sit in the back and enjoy the view.”

“Thanks,” he said dryly. “You sure you don’t need me to do anything?”

“Eh.” Tucker shrugged. “You can help look at stuff when we get somewhere, but for now we’ll be fine. Maybe prepare yourself to meet some of your fans, so you can convince them that you’re not the normal Danny?”

He made a face. “He has fans?”

“Some,” Sam commented, starting up the Speeder. “But mostly just humans. Tucker was referring to some of the non-malevolent ghosts that Danny is allied with, since we’ll be asking them first. You said it was a magical necklace, right, that brought you here?”

“I mean, I’m pretty sure that that was the thing responsible, yeah.” He shrugged, then realized she couldn’t see it. “Why?”

She turned her head some, sharing a glance with Tucker. “I was thinking we could start with Dora, then. She’s our expert on magical necklaces.”

“A magical necklace that lets you turn into a dragon isn’t the same as a body-swapping necklace, Sam,” Tucker pointed out. He then undermined his own statement by leaning forward and setting the destination on the navigational system.

“It’s a good place to start, anyway.” She shot Danny a look over her shoulder, briefly. “Better than Frostbite, anyway, and Clockwork wouldn’t be any help whatsoever.”

Danny frowned, fingers tapping on the edge of his seat. “You’re telling me that he’s the only half-ghost around, constantly fighting full ghosts, and yet he only has like, three allies? And you guys, I guess.”

“Yeah, kinda.” Tucker shrugged, twisting in his seat to talk more easily. “Most of the ghosts don’t like Danny getting in their way. And some are encouraged by Vlad, too, since he’s also half-ghost and doesn’t like that Danny isn’t on his side.”

“Really? Vlad? As in, Vlad Masters?”

“You know him?” Sam asked, not looking away from the front window.

“Well, yeah. Dad says Vlad is his best friend, but he comes around basically never. Old college friends or something, I think.”

“Huh. Yeah, that checks out with how it is around here. He flirts with your – Danny’s – mom a lot, and makes evil plots because he’s half-ghost and wants Danny as his half-ghost son or something.” Tucker shrugged, leaning his arms on the back of his seat. “It’s kind of messed up.”

“But that doesn’t make sense!” Danny flapped his hand, gesturing wildly. “Why am I human, countered by your Danny being half-ghost, if he gets to be half-ghost in both worlds? How does that make sense?!”

“I dunno, man. This sort of thing doesn’t have to make sense, you know?”

“But that’s so unfair!” Danny groaned, burying his head in his hands. “Why do I have to deal with this shit my whole damn life while he gets away just fine! So he’s not particularly powerful, at least he’s not bullied over it like I am!”

Tucker hummed. “He’s not… powerful? That’s weird. Vlad in his ghost form is among the most powerful ghosts we’ve encountered.”

“Great. So not only is my half-ghost counterpart here way stronger than normal halfas should be, Vlad gets to be all powerful too? So then what’s the damn difference?”

“Well, Vlad is pretty messed up,” Sam piped up from the front seat. “He suffered from ecto-acne after the accident in college, and he took years to get his powers, as opposed to Danny who got them pretty much instantly. Maybe that got mirrored in your universe into an accident that weakened him, but didn’t completely remove his powers?”

“But that suggests that I’ve been in an accident that made me lose my powers.” He looked down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them. “But that has never happened. As far as I know I’ve never had powers. I wouldn’t even know what my ghost form looks like.”

“Now that is a question I can answer.” Tucker clicked around on his PDA a little, then held it out for Danny. “Here’s a photo of Danny Phantom for you. I dunno what you guys wear in your ghost forms, if they’re formed naturally, but this is what he looks like, at least.”

“Huh.” Danny took the PDA from Tucker’s hands, eyes roving over the screen. Pictures on there was indeed what he might expect from his own ghost form, bar the clothing. Messy white hair, a brilliant smile, and vivid green eyes. A good mid-point between his parents’ chartreuse and green, he supposed. But--

“Why is he wearing a jumpsuit?” he asked, handing it back to Tucker. “He isn’t following our parents’ style, is he?”

“No, no. That’s what he was wearing when he became half-ghost, only inverted.” Tucker glanced at the front seat, but Sam remained silent. Her hands were clenched around the steering wheel with such force that the knuckles turned white. “He, um. Sam kind of talked him into wearing it.”

“Oh.” He cleared his throat, awkwardly. “Well, um. Why doesn’t he change it, then? That’s what we do, normally, to make our clothes match our current style.”

Tucker shrugged, turning back around in his seat. “It makes him look superhero-y, I guess. He’s never complained about it, at least.”

“I guess I can’t argue with that.” Danny glanced out of the front window, eyes roving over the expansive green landscape. “Hey, is that a castle?”

“Yup. The castle of Queen Dorathea.” The Speeder jerked as Sam slowed it down. “This is our destination for today. If she can’t help us, we’ll have to try somewhere else tomorrow.”

“Alright.” They landed, and he undid his seat belt. “So, uh. Is this one of those ghosts that knows other-me?”

“Yep,” Tucker confirmed, stretching himself out. “Just don’t piss her off and we’ll be alright. Sam can take point, right, Sam?”

“Yeah, don’t worry about it.” She stood up, smoothly, and exited the vehicle. “As long as you two don’t behave like idiots, we’ll be fine.”

“I don’t know, that’s a lot to ask of us, Sam.” Danny shot her a grin as he caught up. “I don’t think Tucker has spent a single moment in his life not being an idiot.”

“Oh, you’re one to speak!” The other caught up and shoved Danny, a fake offended expression on his face. “You’re-- Watch out!”

Tucker’s fingers wrapped around Danny’s wrist, barely preventing him from falling. He stared back, wide-eyed, half his chest and the other arm phased through a wall.

Sam grabbed hold as well, and the two of them pulled Danny back onto his feet.

“Sorry,” Tucker said, grin a little shaky. “I, uh, didn’t realize that you didn’t know you could phase through stuff in here.”

Danny just looked between him, the wall, and then him and Sam again. “Come again?”

“Humans are the ghosts in the Ghost Zone,” Sam explained, entering the castle proper now. “You can phase through stuff if you want. And, since I see the way you’re looking, yes, not wanting to hit something counts as wanting to phase through it.”

“Oh.” He glanced at his arm, then the wall. “Is that… what it is supposed to feel like? Intangibility?”

“Actually, I’m not too sure.” Tucker caught up as well. “I never asked Danny.”

“Seems like a missed opportunity.”

“Yeah, indeed.”

They paused before a large ghost, his empty red eyes peering at them over a humongous ax. Then the ghost nodded, minutely, and floated aside. “Sir Phantom. Our Queen can be found in the library.”

“Uh.” He shot Sam and Tucker a half-panicked glance, then looked back at the ghost. “Thank you?”

The ghost simply hummed. Eyes still wide, he sped past, Sam and Tucker rushing after him.

“Not used to seeing big ghosts like that?” Tucker smirked. “Or was the title getting to you?”

“A little bit of both.” He shot the other boy a glare. “Couldn’t you warn me about that? I thought you two said that I didn’t have any fans among the ghosts!”

“They’re not fans,” Sam explained patiently as they made their ways through the halls. Apparently the two of them knew where the library was, or they were better at pretending than him. “Dora really did knight Danny to thank him for services rendered.”

“That still would’ve been nice to know!” They entered a hallway with two enormous double doors at the end. “A title is still a big deal, you know!”

“Sorry, we kind of… forgot?” Tucker smiled sheepishly. “Danny doesn’t like them, so we tease him about them. I guess we didn’t realize that they could be a big deal to, well, you.”

“Alright, well--” he fell silent as both of his conversation partners walked through the giant wooden doors.

He made a face. Then, not wanting to come across like an idiot – or at least not more so that he already has – he focused on the earlier sensation of phasing through the wall, and walked forward.

Sam and Tucker stood on the other side of the doors. They weren’t alone. A girl, green skinned and red-eyed, with long braided blonde hair, floated in-between them.

“Ah, Sir Phantom,” she said cheerily once she caught sight of him. “A pleasure to see you again.”

“Uh, yes, um. Right.” He shot a wide-eyed look at Sam, then Tucker, hoping that one of them would speak up. “It’s… nice to see you too, Queen Dora.”

“Oh, please.” She flapped a hand. “You know you can call me Dora.”

“Right…” He narrowed his eyes at Sam. Didn’t she tell him that she would take care of it? “I’ll… remember that, Dora.”

She smiled brightly, folding her hands together. “Now, what brings you three here today? Not a social call, I assume?”

“No, sorry,” Sam said, finally taking over. She turned towards Dora. “We ran into a magical necklace, and we think it might’ve been a ghost artifact, so we were hoping to find more information about it.”

“Ah.” She nodded, her brow slightly creased. “Well, what can you tell me about it?”

“For starters, it swapped out Danny with one from a different universe.” Tucker gestured over at him, and he stiffened under the new scrutiny of the ghost queen. “Or, well, technically he was the one who ran into it and swapped with our Danny.”

“Is that so?” Her eyes softened slightly, but lingered on him for a long time. “You are not my Sir Phantom? I’m sorry for the confusion, then.”

“Uh, yeah. Same.” He shrugged, his shoulders lifted high. “I didn’t want to trick you or whatever. I’m… just Danny. No Phantom, no ghost powers.”

“Hmm, really? Is this… Would you consider this a problem, a fault?”

He drew his shoulder up even higher. “Maybe… Why?”

“I think I might know which necklace you found, then.” She cocked her head, one finger tapping on her cheek. “I will look into it, if you wish. But it might take a while.”

“Just like that?” Tucker asked skeptically. “Based only on a body-swap?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Sir Foley, do you really think that that is a common attribute of necklaces?”

Danny laughed, startled. Tucker made a face, then nodded. “Yeah, alright, that’s fair.”

“Can you send a messenger if you know more?” Sam asked, apparently more focused that the rest of them together. “We can’t stay here for long, I’m afraid.”

“Yes, yes, of course.” She rightened herself, her hands folded together. “I’ll make haste, then.”

“Thank you, Dora.” Danny let some of the tension drain out of him, shooting her a grateful smile. “I really appreciate it.”

“It is my pleasure.” Her eyes lingered on him, like she knew something he didn’t.

“If you don’t hurry you’ll be late for school.” Jazz’s eyes on him were steady, unwavering.

He made a face back at her to cover for his slip-up. He’d forgotten to account for the fact that he had to walk to school, now. Most of the time he flew to school, and in all other cases he walked with Sam and Tucker. But he had slept in, and thus had missed his chance.

“I’m leaving already, jeez,” he said, grabbing a piece of toast. He wasn’t a fan of toast, but it was already done, and easy to eat while walking. “No need to rush me.”

“Just looking out for you, since you can’t fly.” She passed him by, ruffling his hair along the way. “Now go, or do you want me to fly you?”

“No thanks, I’ve got it.” He waved her a short goodbye, taking a bite of his toast. “See ya, Jazz!”

The door slammed shut behind him, blocking out any answer she might’ve given. Shouldering his backpack so it laid better on his back, he started walking towards school. He wasn’t late enough to call for running, but if he kept his pace a little faster than usual… well, no one around to comment, right?

“Hey man, I thought you didn’t like toast?”

Danny jerked to the side, then glared at the empty space on his right. “I don’t,” he confirmed for the apparently invisible Tucker, “But I was running late and this was the only thing I could grab.”

Tucker faded into visibility, bright purple eyes and white-rimmed glasses. “You’re running late? Seems like a perfectly good time to me.”

“That’s because you fly faster than I walk.” Danny took a bite of his toast, then dodged to the side as Tucker lunged at him. “That wasn’t an invitation to carry me, Tuck!”

“Alright, alright! No need to snap at me.” He raised his hands defensively. “Just wanted to help, man.”

“I don’t need help, I’m fine.” Another bite of dry toast. “Just need to walk a little faster than usual.”

The half-ghost version of his best friend hummed, then floated along, lying on his back. “Well, I guess I’ll fly along, then. Sure you don’t want a ride?”

“No, Tucker, I’m fine. Can’t go you bother Sam or something?”

“Bother who?” Sam floated in front of him, blocking his path, her arms crossed. Her white ponytail flared like fire, and her cyan eyes sparked dangerously.

Rather than answer, Danny shoved the rest of the slice of toast into his mouth. Smooth, Fenton.

Apparently Sam thought so too, because she huffed out a laugh and floated aside. “Yeah, I see how it is. Get going before you’re late.”

Danny nodded, speeding up his walk even further than before. Still not a run, though. Tucker and Sam now both floated along, one on each side.

Man, that really was annoying. Maybe he should stop doing that to his own Sam and Tucker, back home.

“He didn’t want me to fly him, and apparently I was being annoying about it,” Tucker explained to Sam, still lying flat on his back. “Snapped at me and everything!”

“I didn’t snap at you.” Danny swatted at the floating boy, not surprised when the other simply turned intangible to avoid it. “I just told you that I didn’t want to be carried.”

“You’re not gonna be late again, are you?” Sam asked, some concern in her voice. “Lancer’ll kill you if you follow up your day away by being late again.”

“It’ll be fine if I keep up this pace.” He rolled his eyes at her, quietly wondering how often this Danny was late, and why. It’s not like he had ghosts to fight or anything!

“Just saying. You saw how pissed he was when we were late two days ago.” She stretched, lounging comfortably in mid-air. “And you know what he’s like towards you.”

He didn’t, but he was starting to get an idea of it. “Yeah,” he told her, speeding up just a little more, just in case. “But it’ll be fine, Sam, no worries.”

Before long the school appeared in sight, and he rushed through the doors and into packed halls. He dodged through the mass, ignoring the fact that some of its members were ghosts – or at least in their ghost forms – and praying that his locker and combination were the same in this universe. His ghost sense crawled from his core and into his lungs, but it stayed weak enough to remain unnoticed. No mist crawled out from his mouth – or his nose.

He stopped before his locker, starting to twist its lock quickly, lest he lose focus. Thankfully it unlocked quickly, and he bit down the cheer at things going well for once. Just as he was looking over the books and trying to remember what class he had, Sam appeared by his side, English books in her arms.

“Come on, grab your books and get going. If you’re early you might just give Lancer a heart-attack.”

“Right,” he said, taking the appropriate books out of his locker. Huh. Looked like they were reading a different book in this universe. He slammed the locker closed just as the first bell rung. “Let’s get going, then.”

She nodded, landing softly on the floor as white light washed over her. Now in her human form, looking like she normally did, she led him towards the classroom. He caught sight of more people transforming in the hallways. Must be a rule against ghost forms during class, which, actually, kind of made sense.

They reached Lancer’s classroom without too much trouble, and Sam walked in and to her usual seat without issue. When Danny tried to do the same, his core pulsed more strongly, and blue mist blew out of his mouth. He stilled, but no one seemed to have noticed.

Stepping inside, he saw what had triggered the proper ghost sense; Mr. Lancer sat behind his desk, his goatee and eyebrows white and his irises bright red. As a full-grown half-ghost, he must be powerful enough to set off his ghost sense.

“Mr. Fenton,” Lancer drawled, “How nice of you to join us again. And on time, for once? Color me surprised.”

Danny shrugged, unsure of what he was supposed to say.

“Well, go on and take your seat then.” Mr. Lancer waved a hand towards the desks. “Don’t get in the way, now.”

He huffed, but did as asked. Just blend in, Danny. Don’t draw unnecessary attention. Find out why you’re here and go home.

Slumping into a seat, he set his books down. He wasn’t sure how the lessons would go, but surely there couldn’t be that much difference between this universe and his own?

He opened his locker, then stuck his head inside and just groaned.

“You alright there, dude?” Tucker asked, stepping up next to him. “You’ve been weird today.”

“’m fine,” he mumbled back, not removing his head. It wasn’t like he could tell the guy that he was actually from a different universe and only now realizing how crazy this one was. The fact that everyone was half-ghost apparently wasn’t the end of the differences. Stunning. “Just… haven’t quite recovered from the accident two days ago.”

“Is that why you took a day off yesterday?” Sam leaned against the lockers on his other side, clearly curious. “No one wanted to tell us why you didn’t show up. Started to wonder if you hadn’t gotten jumped and killed or something.”

“Do you really have to be so morbid?” Tucker leaned back so he could shoot her an unamused glare past Danny, his eyes flickering purple briefly.

Danny pulled back his head, flapping a hand to stop them from squabbling. Some things never changed, he supposed. “Tucker, let her be, she’s just being goth. And yeah, had an accident in my parents’ lab, and Mom didn’t want me to come to school.”

Sam smirked at Tucker, clearly thrilled that Danny had taken her side. Tucker just stuck out his tongue in retaliation.

Rolling his eyes at their antics, Danny started putting away his stuff, letting his thoughts wander. This universe was absolutely madness. The only good thing he could think of was that, with his parents as human hunters instead of ghost hunters, ecto-contaminated food seemed to be far less common. Kind of weird, actually, considering that now everyone was half-ghost and wouldn’t die of ectoplasm poisoning if they did eat it, but hey, whatever. He never liked the taste of it anyway, and it had no benefits for healthy half-ghosts like him anyway.

Blending in was actually surprisingly tough. He had thought that it wouldn’t be all that different from usual, pretending to be powerless and a normal human. But here, that made him stand out, made him a target. And honestly? He really didn’t like that.

The bullying wasn’t limited to just Dash and his cronies. Pretty much the entire student body avoided him, like touching him would drain their own powers. Everyone bit insults at him, even the teachers! Like being human was bad, was lesser.

It was a stark contrast to his normal life, where he was constantly hiding and afraid because he wasn’t human. Because ghosts were lesser, were dangerous manifestations that didn’t deserve to exist.

He sighed, then zipped up his backpack. Sam and Tucker both shot him worried looks, but he ignored them.

Really, the only good thing was that these half-ghosts seemed to grow in strength with time. The students were all too weak to really trigger his ghost sense, and hiding it from the teachers wasn’t too hard.

“Ready to head home, Danny?”

“Yeah.” He nodded at Sam, clicking his locker closed. “Let’s get going. I’ve got tons of homework I need to get working on.”

“At least you don’t have detention again,” she said, her voice cheery like it was a good thing. Ah, another one of those things that hadn’t changed. Back home he got detention for being half-ghost, and here he got it because he wasn’t half-ghost. “So you’ve got that going for you.”

“Woo hoo. Lucky me.” He pushed through the doors of the school, ignoring the flash of light that preluded Tucker rejoining him in his ghost form.

“Man, Danny, you’re being almost as depressing as Sam,” the now-floating Tucker commented. “Cheer up.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Eh, good enough for me.” Tucker shrugged, then darted a glance at his watch. “Hey, I gotta get going. See you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, sure.” They waved him goodbye, and Tucker shot off like a rocket. Man, he didn’t realize he could miss flying so much.

“So, uh…”

Danny shook his head, turning to face Sam. “You have to get going too? It’s fine, Sam, don’t worry about it.”

“Yeah, alright.” She grinned, shifting to her ghost form as well. “See you tomorrow, Danny.”

He watched her go, then heaved another sigh. A whole school day had passed, and he still didn’t know why he was here. Clockwork might be fond of vagueness, but at least he usually gave some clue to what was going on. But he couldn’t dive into the Ghost Zone to find out more, either. He had no one to cover for him, and people would surely connect his ghost form with the normal Danny Fenton.

Still encompassed with these thoughts, he walked into the Fenton household without thinking. The moment he stepped inside, thick blue smoke wafted from his mouth.

And, startled, his wide blue eyes met three pairs of eyes looking back at him.

[comicsnsuch]

Tales from the Dark Multiverse

Hi! Thanks for finding this tumblr. The plan is to share and write about comic books, comic book art, other things that interest me and such, thus the name of the tumblr. Maybe you share some of the same interests, or maybe you’ll discover something new.

I’m going to try to post as frequently as possible, but that frequency will vary depending on what real life is like week to week. On slow weeks, there will be more stuff, on busy weeks less.  You get it.  Hopefully if you check in now and then you’ll find some new content.

I work (worked?) in a comic book shop, but as I have been recently reminded, due to the COVID-19/Coronavirus epidemic, I am non-essential.  Thanks State Government! Always good to have a self esteem boost! 

Anyway… I love comic books, reading them, talking about them, (thinking about) making them and so on. Always have, always will. I wanted to have an outlet for sharing that while I can’t be in the shop doing it face to face with customers and random strangers. 

I’ll be writing short reviews for what I’ve been reading, new stuff, old stuff, posting pics, etc.  

 Feel free to comment, but please keep it friendly. Assholery will not be tolerated.

To start with I just finished reading all of DC Comics Tales of the Dark Multiverse one shots. 

                                     I made this in MS Paint!

These started coming out in 2019 and the last one was released in early 2020. The idea behind each is Tempus Fuginaut, a sort of Watcher type character for the DCU (who I think debuted, or at least I fist remember seeing in the Sideways ongoing, a Dark Nights Metal spin off) observing the multiverse and introducing a story that takes an important moment in DC history and asks “what would have happened if things had gone differently?” DC’s version of What If?  in a nutshell.

       That’s Tempus Fuginauts big ol’ head in case you were wondering

 As the “Dark” in Tales of the Dark Multiverse might imply, these are not happy stories.

The first one shot that was released was Tales of the Dark Multiverse Batman Knightfall by Scott Snyder and Kyle Higgens with art by Javi Fernandez.  

This was probably my least favorite of the five issues. Since the “No Justice” mini series event I’m over Scott Snyder. I feel he has so many ideas rattling around in his head that he begins one story, gets too excited about the next one and leaves you underwhelmed with the current arc but dying to read the next. (That being said I of course checked out Batman Last Knight on Earth, having read his and Capullo’s entire New 52 Batman run I didn’t want to miss their “final” word on Batman, but have not read his just wrapped run on Justice League which I hear was quite good). 

I read this one right when it was released a few months ago, so my memory of it might not be the best.  

This one centers around the Knightfall event where Bane breaks Batman’s back and Jean Paul Valley/Azrael takes on the role of Batman. In this reality Bruce never recovers and Jean Paul remains Batman becoming Saint Batman, a Bats Azrael mash up. Javi Fernandez does a great job on the art and Snyder loves chopping people up. 

                                                      Gross.

Definitely worth the read if you’re interested in it or are a fan of Batman or just the Knightfall era. If you grab this series in collected format it’s not so bad that I recommend skipping it, just not my favorite from this batch of books. 

Next up is Tales of the Dark Multiverse Death of Superman by Jeff Loveness with art by Brad Walker and Andrew Hennessey. I really enjoyed this one, it was a good quick read and had a nice arc to it. One of the better issues from this series if you’re asking me.

Right after Superman dies defeating Doomsday in the Death of Superman story arc, the rest of the Justice League shows up, literally as the blood is drying.Ten seconds too late. Lois Lane blames Supes’ death on the heroes for not being there to aid him. 

She makes her way to the Fortress of Solitude and thanks to the Eradicator gets herself all the powers of Superman. She then goes about dishing out justice, with extreme prejudice, to the villains the heroes normally let the revolving doors of the DC justice system handle. This involves a couple of great scenes with Batman and Lex Luthor. Loveness nails the dialogue and the character arc he puts Lois on is great to read. 

                                  Walker and Hennesey do it again!

There’s more to this story than I’ve put here, but I don’t want to say too much and ruin your enjoyment of it if/when you read it.

Special shout out to the art team of Brad Walker and Andrew Hennessey. I feel like they don’t get enough love. They killed it on the Demon Hell is Earth mini, and from what I can tell are crushing it on Detective Comics. Dudes can draw. Spread the word!

Then we move onto Tales of the Dark Multiverse Blackest Night by Tim Seeley and Kyle Hotz. 

This one was a bit wordy, but a lot of fun! I would put this one in the middle of the pack. 

Seeley brings together an interesting bunch of characters including Sinestro, Dove, Lobo and the New Gods! The plot is a little complex, but basically after the Color Corps lose the battle against Nekron in Blackest Night, Sinestro is looking for a way to undo the damage done and becomes a pawn in Scott Free’s plot to do the same. 

Give Seeley a Lobo book or a Hawk and Dove book, or a Mister Miracle book!. He gives each character a unique voice which makes their joint travels through the plot that much more fun to read.

Kyle Hotz’s  art in this issue reminds of a 90’s Image Comic in the best possible way. Lots of detail and cool poses. I also see a lot of Bernie Wrightson in there with Hotz’s heavy use of black and the sinewy musculature of the characters. The book is worth the price of admission to see his renditions of Dove and Mister Miracle. 

                                                          kewl!

 I’m glad to see Hotz working more or just seeing more of Hotz’s work. I don’t know if he fell out of the industry after drawing the original The Hood mini for Marvel with Brian K. Vaughan, working with Eric “The Goon” Powell on Billy the Kid’s Old Timey Odditys, doing art on Carnage Mind Bomb and more I’m sure ( I just can’t remember it all), or I just wasn’t paying attention to what he was working on. If it’s the later, shame on me, if it’s the former, welcome back Mr. Hotz, you’re crushing it and I look forward to seeing more from you. Check out more Kyle Hotz work by following him on Instagram @kylehotzcomics.

Let’s not neglect the oft overlooked inkers! I’m not sure who inked what, but on a guess, Dexter Vines and Walden Wong brought a smooth, cleanness to the proceedings with lots of nicely tapered lines. Again just guessing here, because I don’t know for sure, but Danny Miki used a finer line bringing a scratchy-ness the others didn’t but also amazing detail and clarity on some of the portraiture in the later half of the book. 

Who’s next? Why it’s Tales of the Dark Multiverse Infinite Crisis!

This one may have been my favorite. When the original Infinite Crisis series came out it was a period  where, due to personal lack of enjoyment, I wasn’t reading much of DC’s output, but I did read the Countdown to Infinite Crisis one shot this issue takes as it’s jumping off point. After having read this issue, it makes me want to go back and read Infinite Crisis. I would say that’s the sign of a good issue.

In this alternate reality Blue Beetle, Ted Kord, kills Maxwell Lord instead of vice versa, making himself the head of Checkmate. He then goes about trying to prevent the coming crisis. It’s kind of a tale about absolute power corrupting absolutely, it’s also an underdog tale about getting in over your head.

                Sorry if these images aren’t the best, I’m new at this!

James Tynion IV does a great job catching you up on any old DC continuity plot points you may have forgotten or never knew about in the first place.If you’re reading Tynion’s current run on Batman, or his work on Detective Comics and Justice League Dark, you know he can handle a complex plot like this and does a great job condensing it all down to a single issue.  Aaron Lopresti and Matt Ryan handle the art and they do a great job. Always happy to see Lopresti’s name on a book I want to read.

Bonus points: You can never have too many Ted Kord, Blue Beetle comics, especially when Booster Gold pops up, even if only momentarily. 

If this series leaves you wanting more Blue and Gold action may I direct you to Booster Gold (2nd series) #32 thru about 38ish for some quality comics.

Final one, Tales from the Dark Multiverse the Judas Contract!

I’m not as old as my writing may imply so I had to read the Judas Contract in collected format about 20 years after it was originally released and after having seen it on many a fanzine’s (Wizard) best of list.  When I finally got to read it I wasn’t super familiar with the Titans of the era and already knew the big twist in the story, so it just washed over me without any great effect. None of the shock that someone who was reading it fresh in the 80’s might have experienced. 

I ended up liking this twisted take on the Judas Contract much more than when I read the original. “Sacrilege!” I know, I know, but like I said there was no surprise when I first read it, while this one zigged instead of zagging multiple times and kept upping the ante in scale. 

Kyle Higgins and Matt Groom do a great job reinventing a classic that I’m sure many people had high expectations for. This was a fun faced paced tale.  I enjoyed the hero moments Dick Grayson and Wally West were given. Like the Knightfall one shot Higgins co-wrote with Snyder there’s no shortage of dismemberment and disfiguration, which is neither a plus or minus in this situation, just thought it was worth noting.

Tom Raney handles the art chores here and he does a fine job.  Some of the figures seem a little squat, and their heads are too big in certain panels. Could I do better? No, so who am I to say anything? I just noticed it, here and there, it took me out of the flow of the story every now and then. That’s all. Big fan of his work on Stormwatch and Outsiders with Judd Winick. I also hear he’s super nice, so if you’re ever at a convention where Tom Raney is, seek him out! 

                                      They seem squat, right?

It’s worth mentioning these books are all done in DC’s prestige format and are extra long at about 48 pages each. All covers are by the fantastic Lee Weeks. A nice way to spend the afternoon.

There’s the first post. A little longer than I thought it would be. If you made it this far, I hope it was clear and you understood what I was saying and I hope you liked it and want to return for more. 

Until next time!

[harryandmolly]

The Emancipation of Ginny ~ 4

summary: shawn and ginny could’ve ruined everything six months ago, and sticking together despite their past could make or break them now as ginny stays on as his personal assistant. but what happens on tour doesn’t stay on tour.

warnings: Language, tequila-flavored nostalgia, Gertler on the loose

WC: 4.6k

Shawn and Ginny chatter while Shawn reaches for the aux cord and scrolls through his playlists. With a gasping chuckle, he seems to find exactly what he didn’t know he was looking for.

“Oh my god,” Ginny snorts, but her knee is bouncing and she’s nodding along so Shawn knows he’s got her.

The sharp clapping starts followed closely by drums, then the pulse of the synthy keyboard. By the time the breathy vocals start, Ginny is already there, ready to imitate them perfectly, the product of a thousand sing-a-longs.

Her warm voice curls around the “ah… yeah…” but Shawn steps in with a headbang and joins her for Whitney Houston’s iconic “WOO!”

They’re buckled into the backseat, dancing and wriggling to the intro of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” Jake bobs his head with a barely there smile. They do this a lot, especially when they’ve clearly pregamed their evening. Shawn knows what to play to get Ginny moving and singing along even louder than he is. Whitney is always a safe bet.

Shawn claps in time with the beat and sings a lower harmony to Ginny’s eerily excellent Whitney impression. When the chorus starts, they’re both belting, laughing and shimmying and paying absolutely no mind to the relative audience they’ve gathered.

They’re stuck at a light on Curzon St. because a lorry fender bender has blocked up traffic, but the folks around them are treated to a show as Shawn and Ginny put their all into the 80s pop classic. What they also don’t notice is the stunned teenager in the car to the right and just ahead of theirs who has the perfect angle to film them out the window, capturing every wail, every head bop, every time they grab Jake’s seat ahead of them to encourage him to sing along.

Shawn and Ginny didn’t know any of this until the next morning, by which time the Twitter video had gathered 11 million views.

+

Andrew Gertler has a Ginny Dresden problem.

Andrew adores Ginny. Andrew’s pretty sure that at this point, without Ginny, he’d have lost all his hair and maybe accidentally strangled his artist to death (not that Shawn isn’t a delight 97% of the time, but his job is very stressful, ok?!).

Andrew remembers when they stepped off that first plane together in New York, already thick as thieves. He had a feeling in his gut, the kind of feeling that directs him wisely, when he listens to it. The feeling didn’t have an action attached, it was more a reaction, a sinking feeling of dread.

The feeling said, fuck, this will be complicated.

The feeling, as always, was right.

Andrew saw it, obviously, as did everyone. When three months passed and he noticed no evidence of a sneaky affair, he figured they were safe, the sexual tension would remain just that (though, Andrew would admit, it wasn’t just sexual tension. Because that would be easy to get past. This was always more than that).

When Shawn and Ginny sat him down three weeks into their secret relationship, about six months after Ginny joined the team, Andrew was frankly stunned. He was annoyed, of course, at his naive belief that they had skipped over the complications he feared, and even more irritated that he didn’t notice, especially given the way they were looking at each other like they had each hung the moon for the other.

It’s probably weird to everyone around him, anyone in the industry who heard about this, that Andrew never considered firing Ginny. He really didn’t. He just… knew that wasn’t going to fly. He accepted their fate, trusted them to be grown-ups if and when things went south.

And when they did, chaos reigned only for a night before Shawn managed to right the ship. Thank god.

But Ginny, sweet, thoughtful, intuitively organized and proactive Ginny, she was still a problem.

It’s hard to know exactly what the fans know. They were whispering about Shawn and Ginny long before it became a thing, and they’ve continued whispering long after. Some believe they never broke up at all, that they hid their relationship for privacy. Some believe he’s still in love with her and refuses to fire her so he can win her back. And then some believe Shawn’s fucking Cez, so really, you can’t spend too much time listening to fans because as lovable as they mostly are, they’re also so insane.

But the fans keep Ginny in their line of sight at all times. They monitor how closely she stands by him, how often they’re seen out in groups together. She’s never far from their minds, or their theories, or their tantrum fits on Tumblr about how if she had any self-respect at all, she’d have left Shawn’s team when he dumped her ass.

Those posts make Andrew irrationally angry -- that’s when he knows he has to log off and take some deep breaths.

But the truth is, he can’t ignore them, not entirely. Because when they start chattering about how Shawn is playing with her heart, reeling her in and casting her back out again as he pleases, keeping her on the team for his own comfort, that kind of shit gets press attention eventually, if it gets enough of a groundswell buzz on social media. And then it becomes his business.

+

It happened all at once for Shawn, kind of the way falling in love did. When it started, he lived with it for 48 hours before he piped up and let it all come crashing down.

He remembers holding her on the plane, a Learjet taking them from Sydney to Tokyo. It was an overnight flight but Shawn’s body clock told him it was noon, so he was nowhere near tired, but Ginny could always pass out on command. He envied it, but he made her as comfortable as he could while he did it.

She was curled up against his chest in their reclined seats, the armrest up between them. He had a blanket draped over their bodies, bunched up under her arm because otherwise she feels “all trapped and shit,” which he knows she hates. Her springy curls are positioned so they’re tickling his nose. When he moves his head to avoid them, somehow they follow. So instead, he embraces it and buries his face in her hair.

The smell of coconut oil and something that’s just somehow Ginny completely overwhelms him. His heart kickdrums in his chest. His breathing starts to speed, but the weight of her on his chest constricts his lungs. He holds her tighter, blinking quickly as he tries to find his way out of this unfamiliar feeling.

He’s sick with it, whatever it is. The panic doesn’t fade when she nuzzles her cheek against him and lifts her head, blinking sleepily, mumbling in a raspy morning voice something about “get some sleep, you minger,” but he can barely hear her over the rushing in his ears. He just nods with a shaky smile and closes his eyes long enough to make her think he’s trying to sleep. She goes heavy against him again and he knows he’s alone, as alone as he can be with her plastered to his side, overheating him, clinging to him. He coughs uncomfortably, choking on his breath.

And the panic still doesn’t fade over the next couple days every time he looks at her and she smiles that big, beautiful Ginny smile, perfect white teeth framed by the signature matte red lipstain that is a scientific marvel because as much time as he spends kissing her, it never leaves a smudge. It’s like she was never there.

But she was. She was everywhere.

It was terrifying.

Even with the rise of panic, he doesn’t let himself consider the Scary Solution until 36 hours into what felt like a prolonged, very well-hidden anxiety attack. If Ginny caught on to his weird feelings, she never showed it, especially not when he was cupping her breasts and rowing his hips hard into her ass as he took her from behind, fucking her a little harder than usual.

The Scary Solution, of course, was ending it. The fact that he was even considering it was scary, though maybe not as scary as continuing. Two days ago, the idea of ending it would’ve made him bark like a defensive dog. He couldn’t imagine letting her go. Now, to his combined horror and relief, because fuck, human emotions are weird, it feels like the safest option.

He let himself stew for a while longer, but he didn’t want to draw it out too much, he told himself. It wasn’t fair to her. None of this was. So the sooner he ended it, the better off they’d both be, and the less likely it was that she’d hate him forever.

He sat her down in the armchair across from his and held her hands. He forced himself to look straight into her deep, dark eyes while he spoke because she deserved that kind of attention.

The truth is, he doesn’t really remember what he said. He stumbled something out about how much he cares about her, how he’s enjoyed the last two months more than any he’s ever had out on the road, but that this had all become too much. Things had moved way too fast. He didn’t want to end things like this, especially while they were still on tour, but he had to be honest with her. He had to focus on the music, on the path he’d be taking next and that as wonderful as she was, she was a distraction.

He hopes he said it as nicely as possible. But given the stricken, dumbfounded look on her face, he’s sure he could’ve done better.

Her tears were pretty immediate. His welled up but never spilled. She stared at him quietly for a while like she was waiting for him to take it back, or like she was looking for something in his expression that told her to dive in and fight for him. Maybe she didn’t find what she was looking for.

She stood on shaky knees, swiped at her face and mumbled something about talking to Andrew, about finding a replacement for herself quickly to minimize disruption to the tour.

That’s when it hit him. She was leaving.

He did realize when he made this decision she might not want to stick around, but somehow it didn’t truly register what he’d be losing until she said it.

His brain scrambled, watching her walk out the hotel room door, sniffling gently as she unlocked her room across the hall. He blinked. She hadn’t slept in her own bed in two months.

She was leaving him.

He was selfish to panic about it. He made this decision for them. He couldn’t expect her to stay, to be his personal assistant of all things, arranging his laundry and paying his house cleaner and reminding him to call his grandmother on her birthday. He had no right to feel this empty at the idea of continuing tour without her. But it was there, nonetheless.

He let himself lose his mind over that long, sleepless night without her. When he stood outside her room early the next morning, hearing her singing Norah Jones under her breath, he felt like shit.

“Please,” he begged, voice shaky with unshed tears, “Please don’t leave. Please. I know it’s fucking unfair to ask. I hate myself a little. I really do. But, fuck, please, I can’t do it without you, Gin. Not because… because I’d forget to fuckin’ put on pants in the morning if you didn’t tell me to, but because you’re… Jesus Christ, you’re my best friend. I can’t lose you like this.”

Ginny had every right to kick him in the shins. She didn’t. She had every right to laugh and tell him to go fuck himself for even asking. She didn’t.

Ginny’s dry cheeks stung with her tears. She sniffed and toed at the floor, locking her arms over her chest. “Don’t really want to leave, you know,” she murmured, “This is a good opportunity for me. I’m learning a lot.”

“So don’t leave,” Shawn pled, lurching forward. She adjusted, taking a step back. Shawn noticed and shivered, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Don’t leave. Stay. I think we can do it. I honestly think we can. We were best friends first, remember?”

She did remember. She had never felt this way about anyone before. That had to be worth holding onto, right?

+

Andrew’s been internally groaning all morning, watching the video spring up everywhere. E!News has it on their Instagram, People’s retweeting it, Tumblr’s having a fucking field day. Even Niall reposted the video on his Insta story with the caption: “😂😂😂 go off I guess.”

Not helpful.

In the next room, Shawn and Ginny are chuckling, nursing hangovers as they pack Shawn’s shit to get ready for their rescheduled flight to Miami. They find their viral video very amusing, thank you very much. When The Rock retweeted it with three of the dancing girl emojis, Shawn and Ginny both had to stop what they were doing, they were laughing so hard. Shawn’s wiping tears away when Andrew knocks on his door.

Shawn lets him in and narrows his eyes at the grimace on his face. “What’s up?”

“Just want to talk to you guys,” Andrew begins steadily, resigned. Shawn feels Ginny stiffen up beside him. The bed squeaks when she sits on it. Shawn lowers himself beside her and doesn’t let himself reach out for her hand.

“So this video. It’s… y’know, obviously it feels innocent enough, you’re just singing, being the shitheads you are, but it’s… ugh, god, you guys know I hate these conversations.”

Andrew looks weary. Ginny is silent, curious. Shawn is tense from head to toe, leaning forward slightly.

Andrew continues, “The reality is, there’s a lot going around about how you guys are back together again, how Shawn has seduced you again, how you can’t keep your hands off each other, yada yada--”

“Andrew--” Shawn interrupts, the word so sharp it almost sounds like a swear. Andrew cuts back in before Shawn can continue.

“No, but listen, you guys both know where I’m going with this. This will become an image problem. All we need is for one outlet to start sparking stories about how Shawn’s fucking the only woman on his team, and we’re all up in smoke. We haven’t had to work that hard to preserve the good guy image because, wow, how novel, Shawn actually is a good guy. But the media will have a hell of a time batting around the idea that he’s a fuckboy if we don’t shut this down.”

It’s not lost on Ginny that Andrew doesn’t seem to be speaking directly to Shawn, referring to him by name, glancing more at Ginny than at his artist. Probably because he can see the look on Shawn’s face and knows talking him into this is a lost cause. He knows he can use logic and reason and PR strategy to get to Ginny, but Shawn’s ears are already turning red.

“What are you saying then?” Shawn seethes.

Andrew sighs. “I’m saying you guys need to spend some time apart. We can’t have you photographed together for a while, not by fans, not by paps. You need to lay really, really low. If Shawn’s at the front of the pack, Ginny, you’re at the back. If we’re all out as a team, Ginny’s on one end of the table, Shawn’s at the other. We just have to let this blow over. It’s annoying and it’s strategy and I know you both hate it, but it’s where we are at the moment. I’m sorry, guys.”

Andrew’s words are simple. There’s no talking him out of this, he’s delivering his decree and that’s it. Ginny nods, looking exhausted. To Andrew’s surprise, instead of quiet rage, Shawn opens his big mouth.

“No.”

“What?” Andrew hums, eyebrows shooting up under the frames of his glasses. Ginny also looks startled.

“I said no. I’m not doing that. It’s stupid.”

They can both see the way Shawn’s bubbling over. They pause for a moment, waiting for him to continue. When he doesn’t, Andrew starts again.

“It’s shitty, but--”

“No, it’s fucking pointless, Andrew, we’re not doing that. We’re singing. We’re singing in the car. We’re singing Whitney Houston in the fucking car and someone put it on Twitter and now I can’t be seen with my best friend? No fucking way, I’m not doing it. My fans know better than this. They know I’m not some womanizing creep who’s fucking a girl on my team just because she’s a girl on my team. They know me and they know Gin, too. What are we supposed to do? Not speak to each other in public for a few weeks and boom, problem solved? That’s so fucking stupid. I refuse to live that way. It’s false and it’s fake and I won’t do it.”

Ginny blinks. Her lips are parted. She looks between Shawn and Andrew, whose face is unreadable. After a moment that feels like ten minutes, Andrew eases up out of his chair and looks down at them both.

“We’ll talk about this later.”

He lets himself out and back in to his own room next door. Ginny swallows. Shawn drops his face into his hands and leans forward taking a deep breath.

Ginny drops a hand to his back for a second before she takes it back and wrings her fingers.

“Fucking insane,” Shawn mutters.

“Well…” Ginny sighs. Shawn sits up.

“What?”

“Well, I get it, though. I get how it might not look great.”

“I don’t give a fuck how it looks!” Shawn croaks, “You’re really ok with that? With standing minimum ten feet from me at all times just to shut up the idiots on social media who think because we’re friends means I must be some gross loser who can’t keep his hands off his female teammate?”

Ginny wets her lips. “I’m ok with playing the game we have to play so we can stay on the path we’re on. I’m ok with whatever protects us.”

Shawn shakes his head. “Ginny, we can’t live like this. We can’t live dishonestly like this. This is how this kind of shit starts. It starts with a stupid little lie to protect some lame image and then it snowballs and then everything around me is a lie. Can’t you see that?”

He looks up at her, pained and red-faced. This time Ginny does leave her palm on his shoulder, rubbing her thumb into his muscle soothingly.

“I get that, I do. I know where you’re coming from. But I also know that you know that we have to pick our battles here. And more than that, we have to trust Andrew. You know it wasn’t easy for him to march in here and lay that out. You know he hates this kind of shit, manipulating something just to keep people off our backs. But he does it to keep you safe.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not a fucking child. I get that maintaining my image is part of his job, but--”

Ginny interjects. “No. Stop right there. It is his job. It’s what he’s paid to do. And he knows this better than we do. He knows what can happen if we do this wrong. So we need to listen to him and play by the rules, just for a little while. I don’t like it either. I really hate it, actually. The idea that people think I’m some sunflower following you around waiting for you is frankly incredibly insulting. But I’m focusing on the bigger picture, which is that if I stay on your team, I learn every day, I meet people, I’m growing my network and I spend all day every day with my best friends. So… yeah. I’m going to take Andrew’s advice. If you want, we can develop a secret sign language so we can still talk even when you’re standing fifteen feet ahead of me and not looking in my direction.”

Shawn snorts, defeated and tired. “Ok. If I pull on my left earlobe it means ‘hi.’”

Ginny smirks and lifts the hand resting on his shoulder to flick at his ear teasingly. “Kay. If I scratch my nose it means, ‘Shawn, spit out your fucking gum.’”

+

Shawn found time over the next day or so to mumble out an apology to Andrew for overreacting. Andrew accepted it graciously in that way Andrew does where he makes you feel like you never had to apologize at all.

Ginny and Shawn stick to the “strategy” and keep apart for a couple weeks in public, riding in separate cars when they can, Ginny chatting animatedly with Cez and Brian, looking totally disinterested in her ex-boyfriend. All went according to plan.

One day during soundcheck for a radio festival in Vermont, Andrew and Ginny are bopping their heads in perfect time (without their notice), standing in front of the soundbooth.

Ginny, eyes fixed on the stage, tilts her head toward Andrew’s to speak. “Think Cez should move Zubin’s mike to the left like--”

“-- five feet? I was thinking the same thing,” Andrew finishes with a laugh. Ginny chuckles and bounds away, communicating the suggestion. When they’re back in place, Ginny returns.

“Last couple weeks were weird,” Andrew acknowledges, “But I just… I wanna say thank you. Whatever you said to him, it worked. You made my job easier. So thanks.”

Ginny shrugs. “You were right. He just needed to hear that from someone that… wasn’t you.”

Andrew laughs. “But being that person isn’t always easy. I have so much respect for him, you know? I mean, I know you know. But his insistence on living a totally honest public life is so, so cool. It’s just not always the best thing for him. And I never want to feel like we’re ganging up on him. I never want him to feel too managed. So when you can step in and get something across to him that I can’t, that’s a big fuckin’ deal for the whole team. You’re gonna be a kickass manager, Gin, maybe sooner than you think.”

Andrew nudges her gratefully with his elbow and strolls away to make a call.

Ginny looks back up at the stage, watches Shawn’s eyes close, his brow wrinkle as he kicks into a “Particular Taste” high note.

And she thinks for a very long second that she should feel better about what Andrew just told her.

+

The days following the breakup were… hard. Shawn’s head reeled, trying to wrap around his own actions. Ginny was mostly numb, trying not to look him in the eye. They mostly avoided each other except when it came to professional necessity -- Ginny checking in with him about arranging his flight home, Shawn asking where his old pencil case filled with guitar picks got packed. All of this monitored very carefully by Andrew, who was looking for any excuse not to send Ginny home but knew he had to be looking anyway, just in case.

But before long, Andrew stopped watching. It became clear disaster wasn’t to strike. Shawn and Ginny slowly and surely became a new version of Shawn and Ginny, a version that had gone through a stage of innocent, flirtatious friendship, intense and all-consuming romance, and now were settling into seasoned, tried-and-true partnership.

It definitely didn’t happen overnight. Andrew doubts Shawn and Ginny could put a finger on when exactly they really would’ve called themselves friends again after the spate of awkward tension, but the fact that they did it at all meant they were gonna be ok.

But if Ginny had to guess, it would be that night in Antwerp when she heard him in the next room strumming “St. Patrick’s Day” by John Mayer and felt completely, totally comfortable snagging her Gibson acoustic and padding over in too-long plaid pajama pants to knock on his door and be invited in to play.

They sat cross-legged and pretended to ignore that the last time they were together on his bed, they were making love, and now they’re making music, and Ginny thinks that’s a pretty decent substitute.

+

In another three weeks, the video is long since forgotten.

Though, to be fair, given how much of the bottle of Patron they’ve finished between the two of them, most things are, in fact, forgotten.

Ginny and Shawn are planted on a balcony, barefoot with their legs stuck through the railings, feet swinging over the streets of… Chicago, Shawn’s almost sure. Wherever they are, it’s the kind of city where Shawn feels like he can really breathe, not like New York or LA. He can breathe in London, too. He and Ginny both love London. He’d like to go back to London with her, hold her hand, walk around her hometown, kiss her neck and feel her giggle…

Shawn sits up and sneezes loud. Tequila always makes him sneeze.

“Does not,” Ginny quips, and Shawn realizes he must have said that complaint out loud, “That’s not a thing. Tequila doesn’t make you sneeze.”

“Does, totally does,” Shawn grumbles, taking another slug of it anyway. He follows it with a sip of beer and… a sneeze. He holds out his hands and makes a face at her.

“I rest my case.”

“You’re drunk,” she accuses, pressing her face into the railings like she’s testing to see if she could get her head through. Thankfully, she doesn’t try very hard.

“I am. ‘S good, haven’t been drunk in a while.”

“We were drunk last week,” she points out, sipping at the lime wedge she’s already mostly sucked dry. Shawn watches her cheeks hollow out and turns away, feeling his face get hot.

“You know I’m like, so glad you didn’t leave,” Shawn blurts, pivoting the subject on a dime. Ginny blinks cluelessly.

“When?”

“When we broke up. You could’ve left. You didn’t. I’m glad you didn’t.”

Ginny swallows. “I didn’t want to.”

“I didn’t want you to,” Shawn sighs, dropping his head forward against the railing.

“I wondered if maybe you did,” she confesses quietly, closing her eyes. She can feel him turning to look at her curiously.

“But…”

“I know. But I wondered if maybe you felt guilty about me losing my boyfriend and my job all at once and that’s why you asked me to stay.”

Ginny chances a glance at him. He looks gutpunched.

“But that didn’t last long,” she assures him, “I know why you wanted me to stay.”

Shawn blinks. His tequila-slow body feels like it jumps into hyperspeed. He grips the railings tighter and swallows, waiting for her to say it.

I know you were scared.

“You’re my best friend, too, Shawn,” Ginny assures him, light-eyed and wistful. Shawn tries not to feel disappointment at her dodging the opportunity to poke at him, make him really talk about why he let her go.

Sweet and stupid, they drunkenly sway on the balcony for another hour, muttering to each other about Shawn’s next album, about the record company anniversary gala coming up, about a weird dream Ginny had about pancakes a few nights ago that she worries might mean she secretly hates dogs. They talk until Ginny falls asleep with her face against the railing. Shawn wakes her up before she can get an impression on her cheek from the metal. He scoops her up as much as he’s able when he’s more tequila than boy and drops her on the bed next to his, drapes the duvet over her, bunches it up under her arm and collapses onto his own bed, heavy with exhaustion.

Pls help me keep Ginny in lime wedges and buy me a Ko-fi (link on main page)!

Taglist:  @smallerinfinities @the-claire-bitch-project @achinglyshawn @infiniteshawn @stillinskislydia @singanddreamanyway @alone-in-madness @abigfatmess @shawnitsmutual @awkwardfangirl2014 @september-lace @grittyisathot @sinplisticshawn @mutuallynotmutual @rollingxstone @yslsaint @randi-eve

[p-artsypants]

P-Artsypants Fanfiction Masterpost!

I feel like I’m always making a new one of these posts every few months, but I honestly just write so much that it makes sense...

Updated so most recent Fandom is at the top. 

Find most, if not more, of these fics on:

Fanfiction.net | Archive of Our Own | Wattpad

 (~AU’s, *Finished, ❤️Author's Favorites)

Kingdom Hearts

~❤️Rage Awakened AO3 | FF.net- Ten years ago, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus lost their fellow apprentice, Sora, in Deep Jungle. Now, they are to return with two new students, Riku and Kairi, to lock the heart of the world. All the while, something watches from the trees. Feral!Sora AU

My Kingdom for a Heart AO3 | FF.Net - The curse of being one of the Princesses of heart, is that there’s always someone out to get you. As Xemnas looked failure in the face, he reached out in a last ditch effort and destroyed Kairi’s heart. Now her friends must travel the worlds again. Sora, to find a way to recover Kairi’s heart, and Riku, to make amends to those he has wronged. All the while, the darkness grows.

Miraculous Ladybug

One Shots

*❤️Amalgam- When an young man is rejected for being ‘incompatible’ he turns into the akuma ‘Amalgam’ able to fuse two people together. And later Adrien and Marinette would debate if it was lucky or unlucky that they got hit.

*Sing We All Noel- After receiving the worst Christmas present ever from his father, Chat Noir finds himself out on the streets with nowhere to go on Christmas Eve. Thankfully, Ladybug finds him and brings him home.

*Speechless- In a world where everyone has a soulmark, the first words their soulmate will say to them, Marinette is born without one. But Adrien Agreste has two. Curious, considering he’s mute.

*❤️Tunnels of Love- The night started out with an accidental kiss from Adrien Agreste, and ended with her bleeding in the Catacombs of Paris. Ladybug, the wielder of the miraculous of good luck. Yeah right. (Some blood)

*The Reveal That Wasn’t- First Parts My ending to kittybug’s Tumblr Prompt

*What A Mess We’re In- Ladybug has a lot on her mind, and when Chat Noir bugs her enough, she tells him she’s going to confess to her Crush, Adrien Agreste. Chat’s reaction is not what she’s expecting.

Long Fics

*❤️Nine Lives- (FF.net) When Adrien Agreste is scheduled to go to a Military School in Germany, Chat Noir must make a critical decision. Does he give up his Miraculous? Or does he give up his life as Adrien? I’ll save you the trouble of guessing, he gives up being Adrien.

*Tender Words- When Marinette finally gets the guts to confess her feelings for Adrien, some things go so wrong, and other things go so right.

How To Train Your Dragon

One Shots

The Vikings Have Their Tea (FF.Net | AO3)

Arranged Marriage- Takes place at the beginning of HTTYD

❤️Breathe- Survival of the fittest

~Childhood Friends- At the Sandbox

❤️Easy Fix- In which Hiccup has a bad day

~Fashion Designer- Astrid needs a fill in

❤️Frozen- In Which Astrid takes a Dip and things get frisky (Rated M)

❤️Headache- In Which Hiccup hits his head….really hard

❤️Heir- In Which Hiccup is Picked (Longer version by FateCharms) 

Illness- In Which Stoick is a dad

~Illusionist- Trick gone wrong

~In the Walls- In which there’s a poop ghost

~Knocking On The Wrong Door (2) - A chance encounter

❤️Messages- Astrid is Frustrated with Hiccup’s obliviousness

~To Mirkwood- Hiccup is not a dwarf

~Monster Falls- Hiccup and Astrid take a dip

❤️Mute- In which there’s a quiet stranger

~Music Video (ImgHS)- He didn’t expect it

❤️Operation: Lovebirds- In Which the gang makes a plan, and Hiccup gets Drunk

~Over- Too many nightmares

~Partners in Crime- A normal day at work

~Pirate- Astrid is the greatest treasure

~Prince- He doesn’t want to be a broken King

❤️Sorting Things Out- In Which Astrid gets her ducks in a row

~The Dragon and The Dame- Beauty and the Beast Au

The Pit- In Which Hiccup is rescued

Hide and Seek- Part 1

Lost and Found- Part 2

Long fics: 

*❤️Infernal Responsibility- Being the son of the chief takes brains, courage, and a lot of patience. But at his father’s the request for marriage, Hiccup decides he has had enough. When he seeks out a life of ease, he runs into more than what he bargained for. 

*❤️Roses and Lilies- “Astrid, you and I both know you’re much tougher than I am. You’re more brave, and a better fighter…but just for a little while…could we pretend that I’m the one protecting you?” “Oh gods yes!”

*~What the Water Gave Me- The sea is a wild and dangerous thing, something that cannot be foretold or predicted. Hiccup discovered this many years ago, in human naiveté. Yet, what was meant as a sacrifice became a new life, one like no one could comprehend. He now finds himself once more in the unknowing hands of those that sentenced him to death. He only prays things will be different this time. Merman!AU

*Parasite- Soulsnatcher Dragons are rare but deadly. But, As Hiccup finds out, it’s the eggs you have to watch out for.

*~320 State Street- Gobber’s Goods. A Hardware Store that was rumored to have everything you needed. She thought she only needed a job. Turns out, she needed a lot more than that. (A Modern AU no one asked for)

*~❤️The North Tower- When Finn Hofferson died, Astrid inherited his castle in Wales…and a whole lot more. Something sinister lurks in the North Tower.

*~❤️Boy Toy- AO3 - At the age of 21, Princess Astrid lawfully has to pick a husband. But when the perfect groom is nowhere to be found, she requests the toymaker to create one for her. It’s safe to say that everyone in the kingdom is a little concerned. (Pinocchio!AU I guess?)

No, You Go First- AO3 - The Chief of Berk was a headstrong viking, stubborn and full of pride, and willing to do whatever it takes to keep his village safe. But for a moment, he puts that aside, and listens to his son. In which Hiccup convinces his dad not to make him go through Dragon Training, and the subsequent changes that follow.

*In Due Time- AO3 - As another illness sweeps through Berk, Gothi needs another ingredient for her medicine…one that doesn’t exist anymore. Fortunately, she kept that old spell book around for such an occasion. Big Hiccup is sent to five years into the past, and his younger self sent to take his place in the future. But it’s only a few days, what could go wrong?

Trollhunters: Tales from Arcadia

❤️Arcadia or Bust- In Which Arcadia welcomes back it’s underground citizens.

Teen Titans

Oneshots:

~Big Brother- Don’t turn out the light (Horror)

Dear Jason- Bruce Writes a letter

Just Drawing- Bruce thinks about Robin

The Prisoner- Starfire is Guilty

Of Mustard and Three Foot Purple Tongues- A collection of Oneshots and Drabbles

Long Fics (*Finished): 

*~❤️Carol of the Bells- High in the dark Bell Tower of Notre Dame, there lives a mysterious bell ringer. Legend tells of the angel who fell from the sky, and the curse she bares. There are few who know her true identity though; her master, the priest, and the acrobat that performs on the streets below. Based loosely on ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ RobxStar and slight BBxRae

*No Escape- Three years ago, Starfire escaped an Alien race called the Gordanians, to arrive on Earth. They’re back, and ready to put Starfire back where she belongs, behind reinforced Titanium bars. Robin’s not about to let her go…if only he hadn’t got captured first. How does it feel to be the alien, Robin?

*Now you Know My Pain- When the new Villain, Gender Bender, comes to down, the Titans find themselves in an odd situation. They’ve been turned into the opposite gender against their will! Now in order to change back, they must learn to understand the gender they’ve turned into. Rated T for obvious reasons. A great read if you’ve ever wondered why girls or guys do [blank].

*Paint it Black- Robin disappeared three months ago. Now, Jump City’s crime rate is mysteriously being taken care of by a normal, albeit strange, teenage boy who goes by the name Black. As the Titans befriend this lunatic, they begin to see a relation between him and their missing leader. Will they be able to find Robin, or will Black turn them all insane as himself? Actually, contains NO OC.

*Saving Grace- “When I’m done with you, you won’t be able to walk upright or speak coherent sentences and all you’ll see is my mask and my voice repeating in your head…Weak. Richard Grayson, I am not tough, I am everything that you fear.” Happy Ending! Smudge of RobStar. NO Slash!

Other Fandoms

Final Fantasy XV

❤️Requiem for Pitioss-“O King. The god’s have heard your cries. Know that we weep with you. The Oracle’s calling has not yet been fulfilled. But…Lunafreya as you know her cannot return the way she was.” Noctis looked up, hopeful. “But she can return!” Canon divergence from Chapter 9. Happy ending. Some spoilers.

Beauty and the Beast

*❤️Behold the Beast- A Oneshot alternate ending to the Animated Film

Cinderella

*❤️Midnight- “When the clock strikes twelve, the spell will be broken,” the fairy godmother had warned. A retelling of the story, when Cinderella doesn’t escape the ball in time. Oneshot

*So This is Love- What if Jaq and Gus hadn’t made it in time to help Cinderella? A new twist on the ending of the classic Fairytale, and what lies beyond the story. She still gets her happy ending and her Prince, and her step family gets their just deserts.

Sleeping Beauty

*❤️A Love Song Back To Me- Maleficent saw the loophole that stared her in the face. Prince Phillip would break the curse in time, for sure. After all, he was betrothed to Aurora. So in an effort for her evil plan to stay in action, Maleficent takes care of the young prince herself. Phillip never imagined having to live off the land like the birds above. Alternate twist on the classic Disney tale.

Escaflowne

Down Feathers- Hitomi’s depressed. She’s been away from Van too long, he comes back to visit her…but what if something went wrong with the transfer? (Not finished. Never will be finished. Mwahaha) Circa 2012 

*Angel’s Wounds- Fanelia’s been victorious in their most recent battle with Basrum. Unfortunately, someone is wounded and just seeks solace in his love that lives so far away. Post Anime.

Momma Look Sharp- With the war between Fanelia and Basrum finally coming to a close, the kingdom is celebrating. The young king, however, is suffering from an experience unlike any he had before. Van finally seeks solace in his wife.

[thatfairyfangirl]

True Colors Chapter 10

The snow fell wet and heavy the entire drive down as you and Bucky traded stories of Christmas traditions and winter stories from your pasts. Your childhood home sat not quite in the city limits of Philly, but just outside in a small suburb. All the while in the back of his mind Tony’s advice lingered. He smiled watching as you sung along to the road trip playlist you had put together, tailored specifically for the two of you as the drive flew by all too fast for him. As you drove through the small town you pointed out to him the school you went to before you got your powers, and THE BEST sledding hill, and all the things about a small quiet town that you found yourself missing from time to time.

“So Doll,” you felt your heart tighten just a bit, you were beginning to like when he called you that. ”what did your mom say when you told her who you were bringing?”

“I didn’t.” You answered as you pulled onto a street lined with pine trees. “If there is one thing I’ve learned throughout my life when it comes to my mother it is that it is better to ask forgiveness then beg permission.”

Bucky peered out the frosted window of the car as you pulled into a long driveway to a split leveled home covered in snow, waiting for decorations for the season that hasn’t been touched in years. Behind the screen door he could barely make out the shape of a woman watching, waiting eagerly for you. How sweet! Maybe everything he’s heard about the two women who live there was all exaggeration...Afterall, what parent in their right might would like their daughter hanging out with the likes of Tony Stark anyway? Inside where it was warm your mother bounced up and down a little too excited to see the mystery guy you were bringing home. She figured out weeks ago that it MUST be Tony... she knew you moved in with him months ago. Watching the car pull to a stop she rushed out to hug you, instantly taking note of the figure emerging from the side door to load strong arms up with colorfully wrapped boxes.

“(Y/N)! I’m so glad you’re home! We saw you on the news at that mutant party and congress! So proud of my little girl!” You blinked surprised, last you heard from her just about everything about your lifestyle was immoral and wrong. Amazing the difference success makes. “Is that Tony Stark!?” She whispered hugging her daughter tight before rushing to take some of the gifts from him so she could see who was behind. Bucky half smiled to the woman who looked like a very much less colorful version of her daughter, in the back of his mind wondering if this is what she would have looked like if she wasn’t dipped in rainbows by nature.

“Actually that’s Bucky...my boyfriend.” You held out your arms as you gave a wavering smile, seeing that she was less than thrilled to see the face of the Winter Soldier. “Surprise!” This was a terrible plan!

“No. It’s bad enough that you refuse to act like a normal daughter. Go on national television and tell everyone that you just staged a jailbreak...refuse to dye your hair a normal color...” Your mother scolded as she set the gifts down inside before block the door as if Bucky couldn’t just lift her out of the way if he chose to. “I’ve forgiven all of that but this, young lady, is where I draw the line! This is my house and I am not letting this killer inside of it.” Bucky’s face grew hard as he watched your heart break at the harsh words she had for you, pulling you in close, to stroke your hair. Crystal blue eyes grew steely as he looked up to her, seeing what Tony was talking about. What she said about him he didn’t really care about, in his mind those words were all true...but for a mother to speak so harshly about their only daughter...

“Actually Shirley this is my house and I want to see my granddaughter.” Your Nana interjected from inside as her feeble bones worked her old body to stand. “Who does she have with her?” Your mom reminded your Nana about the Winter Soldier and all the terrible things he’s done on the news in the last few years.

“It’s not his fault!” You argued, every bit of you growing red with anger. “And he was granted a formal pardon! He was brainwashed! According the the Supreme Court James Buchanan Barnes had about as much say in doing what he did as I did in being a mutant.”

Nana stood up strait hearing the name. She lived through the war, she remembered the news reels. “Shirley you move yourself from that door right now and show Sergeant Barnes some respect. I may be old but I’ll never be too old to crack you one. That man saved your father’s life in the war. If it wasn’t for him you wouldn’t be. Now move.”

Inside the air smelled of cookies and pies of all different varieties. From the door he could see straight into the kitchen to an old woman creating the source of the smell as she pulled a fresh batch of sugar cookies from the oven. Her silvered hair was pinned neatly back in a style reminiscent of the 40s, and her clothing matched.

“Thank you ma’am.” Bucky smiled politely up to Nana as you both made your way inside, dropping your luggage at the door for now. Looking at the small woman Tony’s warnings echoed in the back of his mind, ‘the little old lady is the worst.’...how? She seemed so sweet.

“Nana, I thought you always said that Captain America saved Papa?” You asked in a whisper as you gave her a hug, all she replied with was a ‘shhh’ and a feeble pat to the side of your head. “Come on Bucky, my room’s upstairs.” You said with a smile, wiping the hint of tears from your eyes as you grabbed your bags. As you both traversed the stairs your mom and Nana looked to each other, concern all over their faces.

~ ~ ~ ~

Bucky couldn’t help but smile at the old house, spotting elements of a time long passed held onto by your Nana as he followed you up the stairs. The stairwell was lined with pictures of you throughout your younger years...huh, so that was what color your hair was before you changed...But never anything after, no rainbow splendor. “Why aren’t there any recent pictures?” He asked absentmindedly as he followed up to what was once your room, untouched since the last time you came home for a visit. The walls looked to be wallpapered in sheet music, he couldn’t think of anything else more fitting for your room than that. Upon closer inspection he realized, however, it was not some random spattering of pages. It looked to be new ontop of old...something your dad had started when you were a baby by covering the walls in the greatest of classical composers, from there it built up as you aged.  With a huff you set down your things before flopping yourself onto the bed pushing the rainbow mess from your face. Your eyes darted out the window watching flecks of snow dance to the ground until the thought hit you….

You let your hands hover over your head as you listened...The nice thing about your room was it sat right above the kitchen, with an air vent close to your bed giving you access to all the amazing smells from below, and the sounds of both your parents working below. “MOM!” You shouted downward, “WHY ISN’T THERE THE TREE UP YET?” You of course were referring to the reusable one the family had gotten when you were a kid.

“BECAUSE A RACCOON GOT INTO THE ATTIC AND ITS RUINED” She answered.

“We can go get one if you had your heart set on it Doll. I don’t mind driving if you tell me where to go.” You afterall, did drive all the way from New York.

“That sounds great Buck.” You said as you looked up to him with a soft smile that tugged at his heart.

Tag List:

@sillydecoy​

Announcement from the writer:

I am also on Patreon! You can find me on Patreon HERE. I know, I know, it sounds like I am expecting you to pay for my writing but fear not! I will only be charging $1 a month, and even that is voluntary. The majority of my fics will be available for free. The $1 subscription will be for access to the really adult content stuff I have been sitting on such as what I have been calling “Blind Date’s Deleted Scene” and access to my discord AND early access to fics! As a bonus for you guys since you have been with me since the beginning of Blind Date I will grant you free access to the discord if you shoot me a message here on tumblr and ask.

I will still post fics on Tumblr up until they are no longer welcomed by the staff, but patrons will be able to view them early.

For those who have trouble with hyperlinks on their device or find it hard to click a small word vs an actual link here is the full link to my new Patreon    https://www.patreon.com/fairyfangirl