#They've been friends for 10 years and I'd love to call them by something more fitting than their Last Life dynamic? :o

[fountainpenguin]

I love you duo names, I love you completely acceptable and useful way to search up and tag a pair of characters in a less inherently shippy-sounding way that's more comfortable for me personally, I love the humor, I love the spark, I love you duo names <3

[thehollowwriter]

Ok ok ok ok-

14, 16 and 19 for Finn, Blaze and Clyde?

Yo! Thank you!

Talent: What is your twst OC's talent(s) and who can properly appreciate that?

Finn has immense artistic talent and an eye for details, I'd say his only weakness is drawing people XD He helped Azul with concept designs for Mostro Lounge (menus, lights, etc) and has considered taking commissions for certain painting pieces. Azul, the tweels, Vil, and Riddle especially admire it, as they've worked with him for art related projects before and have seen his paintings. He's also good at analysing music, but he mostly does that in his own time when he's alone, so others don't really know about it.

Blaze has a talent for alchemy. Like, he's REALLY good at it and he actually enjoys it, though he won't admit it. Crewel and Vil have both noticed, Crewel obviously because he's a teacher, and Vil because he works with Blaze in the same club and the conversation came up after practice once. They both think Blaze should admit his interest in it and maybe even pursue it.

Clyde has a talent for narration and storytelling, though that's not too much of a surprise, considering who they're twisted from. Their voice just draws you in and gets you lost in the story. You almost forget you're listening to someone tell it to you. Those who listen to their podcast appreciate it, but so does Ortho! Ortho has developed a habit of asking Clyde to tell him a story from time to time, and he remarks with incredible excitement both his and his brother's love for their podcast XD

Quote: Give me something your twst OC will say. Either something they always say or something iconic they said. Something that helps solve the problems or something that is a catalyst to even more issues.

"What did I tell you?" Finn hissed, jabbing Azul in the chest. His voice was raised far louder than anyone had ever heard him speak. "I told you not to trick him like that, but do any of you idiots listen to me? No! And now we're stranded in the desert because none of you can pull your heads out of your asses."

"What's wrong, pipsqueak?" Blaze called from his place next to Ruggie, laughing as Finn gripped Azul's unconscious body harder and started mumbling to himself. "You gonna cry?"

"Have none of you considered what may happen to people who overblot?" Clyde asked quietly, staring at the others with a clouded, distant gaze. "Do you really think something so dangerous and unknown just gets forgotten about?"

Pick only one: Let your twst OC pick only one and explain the reasons: only one favorite from each dorm, only one favorite housewarden/vice housewarden, only one favorite first/second/third year etc.

I did Finn's favourite first year, and his favourite housewarden is... Riddle! I decided not to count Azul cause they're dating XD Finn may have been friends with Vil first, but Riddle is someone who shares a love of animals (mainly hedgehogs) with Finn, and post-OB, is someone Finn finds himself enjoying the company of and talking too. Finn is also glad to have someone who relates to not being up to date with current trends or understanding certain things. They become friends and Finn really likes him.

Blaze doesn't really have a favourite of anything? At least that's what he'll say to you. Overtime his favourite third year becomes @moonyasnow 's Spike! A dorm mate who's shown him patience and tried to understand him despite his spiky reaction to people trying to pry. Spike makes him feel understood, though he doesn't admit that.

Clyde... their favourite first year would be Ortho XD. They used to be suspicious of him, but now they're happy someone seems to like them so much and appreciate their stories. And so enthusiastic! Bravo, 10/10 first year.

Tagging: @distant-velleity @br3adtoasty @rainesol @theleechyskrunkly @jovieinramshackle

@galaxies-and-gore @cyanide-latte @cynthinesia @officialdaydreamer00 @krenenbaker

@offorestsongs @kitwasnothere @elenauaurs @boopshoops @inotonline

@1dont-really-know @kazumify @minteasketches @elysia-nsimp @skrimpyskimpy

@casp1an-sea @offorestsongs @tixdixl @poisoned-pearls @the-trinket-witch

@ramshacklerumble @ghostiidasponk @thegoldencontracts @the-banana-0verlord @cloudcountry

@skriblee-ksk @twstinginthewind @lumdays @theolivetree123 @natsukishinomiyaswife

@authoruio @jewelulu @raguiras @honeynclove @moonyasnow

[decepti-thots]

re: meta again. first, thank you for the long answer! you have a lot of interesting points, e.g. how fandom spaces influence how you interact with media: my first fandom space was restricted to teenagers who mostly knew nothing about media analysis (and it was also animanga haha), and then I moved onto tumblr, where - in my memory - most users were slightly older teenagers but still didn't know much about media analysis. there probably was meta somewhere (apparently on LJ?), but I didn't see (or notice?) a lot of it. which possibly also was because I changed fandoms a lot more quickly, and I feel like many others did, too. there's a book fandom where five years ago, the general sentiment about an antagonist was 'well fuck him' and now people write extensive posts on why he did what and what that means for the story and why it mirrors the protagonists arc etc, which maybe means that sometimes fandoms need time to get past the initial excitement of new things to give more attention/time to meta?

I very much agree that tumblr makes interactions/discussions harder. especially re: reblogs - its so easy for someone to disagree with you in a reblog and some of their followers to take that as a hint to hate on you - I've seen this happen mostly related to "shipping the wrong things", but why wouldn't it happen for drawing the "wrong" conclusions in a meta post? I feel like the general tumblr user is older than they were 10 years ago so maybe I should hope that they've grown up as well and are more reasonable about this to be fair

what I also noticed regarding the book fandom and TF is that TF fans - depending on your specific bubble probably - seem to be more aware that writing meta is a thing, because they're more likely to call it that.

re: elitism - it's important to me that the things I was referring to can feel elitist, not that they are, if the distiction makes sense? maybe it also wasn't the best/fairest choice of words, sorry. the sentiment isn't meant towards e.g. the people complaining about headcanons that have become accepted in the fandom but have zero relation to canon. its more frustration that theres seemingly infinite canon material and you can't really join any conversation without interacting with a good chunk of it, while (seemingly) everyone else has already done that already.

and finally, wonder if part of who writes meta and who doesn't is fandom "socialization"; there seem to be a few people for whom it appears easy to express their thoughts online, and then a much larger amount of lurkers who don't, and I've never really figured out the cause.

god tumblr does really let me put as much text as I want here, I'm a bit sorry for the long message. If you have any further thoughts I'd be happy to hear them but no pressure

First of all: no apologies for the long message! I love it, I will put my thoughts under a cut for everyone's dashes but we LOVE an in depth fandom meta-meta discussion in this household. I started this blog to RAMBLE and rambling is WELCOME my friend.

You make an EXCELLENT point about how longevity can influence fandoms here, anon. Especially for fandoms where there isn't a constant drip-feed of NEW canon, I absolutely think fandoms living on and people going back and re-engaging the source material to look for new ways to engage it can gradually make meta a larger part of the fannish space sometimes. (To give my own book fandom example, I was on the periphery of book!Good Omens fandom back in the day, and the amount of time people had spent with just that one single book meant that more and more discussion of the ways you could read and work with that one book meant there was some very in-depth meta going on there.) (…as you can imagine, the last few years have been a hell of a wild time for me with the show fandom becoming the Hot New Major Fandom, LMAOOOO.)

There's definitely also something there about the old "if someone I follow clowns on a person, my (para)social relationship with them means I feel like I'm doing a social faux-pas by not choosing a side" you mention here too. Tumblr really makes visible the idea of social networks in a way I have to admit I overall find uhhh. Kind of not great. "If I follow someone who follows someone my mutual hates, do I need to perform my support of someone here", that kind of thing. (Answer: no, that is some Panopticon shit, bring in the Foucault. I am only half joking.) Even over an objectively inane Transformers headcanon take, it's the social mechanism more than the content that brings in the pressure I think. Again. Web 2.0 wants everything pushed at everyone all the time to encourage More Interaction, and reducing any sense of wider social circles being removed from you personally is a part of that I think. It's all equal on The Endless Timeline, innit.

I see what you mean about the "feels like" distinction on elitism, anon, now you lay that out- that makes sense. I do think TF fandom is sometimes a bit of a minefield in terms of like, even within certain subdivisions of canon there's so MUCH stuff (and the fandom has, IMO, a bad habit of not bothering to decide what is more or less "useful" in conversations; sometimes tertiary material is… you know. Tertiary. LOOKING AT ALIGNED FANDOM). I think those of us who are sometimes a bit more "canon completionist" do need to approach these things in terms of like- take IDW1 fandom. If someone posts meta about MTMTE based on just material from MTMTE, approaching that in good faith and not going "well it's in continuity with phase one, and THIS phase one comic says [xyz]", but instead seeing it as a perspective that takes that one text as a complete thing in itself? (And maybe considering how that perspective and how it differs from one which looks at the whoooole canon is interesting, rather than deficient, in its differences of opinion.) There are folks who get very snotty about people doing that in a way that is, at the very least, unproductive. (And the folks bringing in their Extensive Lore Knowledge TM by whining stuff from other continuities contradicts a take on a different continuity are just uhhh. Annoying. Those people can just Stop, Please, lmao.) I think understanding that different approaches to what "canon" even is can be interesting rather than something to be "corrected" might go some way to making it feel less… intimidating? Alienating? For folks working with what they like.

As for the confidence in sharing opinions thing… I can only speak for myself but uh. If I have a personal flaw it is unwarranted overconfidence, not insecurity, haha. Let me put it that way. I do think that cultivating a confidence in the idea "I have my own personal tastes, and those tastes are idiosyncratic and do not need to be compared to other peoples' taste, and they are Valid TM" is a skill to be honed and one I think is worth honing, and I think may be a big thing here from my anecdotal observations. I find that many people in fandom don't have a lot of confidence in the idea that you can express not just an argument for "objective" (lol) "quality" but a sense of personal taste? (This is not unique to fandom, at all, but I think fandom has a lot of it, if that makes sense.) Especially because often the things fandom centres around lack cultural prestige. It's why an appeal to being Real Literature TM is the go-to argument for why fanfiction is "acceptable". I think a similar thing can be true of opinions; to let go of the urge to have everyone agree with you 100% of the time and to be "proven" right, you have to feel confident enough to sit in subjectivity and be like. My opinions may be subjective, but that's fine. And you do have to cultivate that! But I think that's where the "I can express an opinion and not feel destroyed if someone flat out rejects it and I can't even disprove their argument" trick kinda lies, maybe. And maybe meta is easier if you've already internalized that, so the possibility people will be like "nope" is less scary?

[astorytotellyourfriends]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

tagged by @magicalrocketships, thank u pal! 💛

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

252 😅😅

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

3,190,822 😅😅😅😅

3. What fandoms do you write for?

i tend to stick to one fandom at a time, so for now i'm writing hellcheer for stranger things, but in the past i've written for: 1d, julie and the phantoms, shadowhunters, 911, and young royals! (some of those were just one-offs tho)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

can't help falling in love with you (1d - narry)

keep me up all night (jatp - peterpatter)

tell me how to feel about you now (1d - louis/harry)

if we don't leave this town (we might never make it out) (stranger things - hellcheer)

damn bitch are you okay (julie and the phantoms - multi/prompt collection)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

yes! i try to respond to every comment i get, tho sometimes i don't reply to ones that are like replies to my previous comments bc that gets to be too much. i also moderate all my comments so i tend to delete the ones that are rude (which truthfully i do not get a lot of, which is nice!)

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

oh without a doubt that's always have & i always will. i set out to write a very sad fic and that's exactly what i did.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

i'd say this could apply to pretty much every other one of my fics bc i do prefer a happy ending since isn't that what we're mostly all here for??? happy endings for our blorbos???

8. Do you get hate on fics?

i have in the past. it's part of the reason why i started moderating comments. i simply don't understand why someone would take time out of their day to read something when they usually know they aren't going to like it before they've even started, and then take MORE time to write a nasty comment to someone who shared their work FOR FREE. go be miserable somewhere else, thank you!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

yes! all kinds, i suppose. i'm not really sure what that second question means.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

i don't think AUs count as crossovers so ... no? i once had an idea for a 1d/teen wolf crossover a million years ago but that never really made it out of my head much less onto ao3. once upon a time i also had an idea for a jatp/hellcheer crossover ... that could maybe still happen.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

yes. someone once reposted several jatp fics of mine to fucking wattpad (derogatory) and only deleted them after i commented on every. single. one. calling them out for it. wattpad did fucking nothing.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

no, but i've had a couple people ask over the years.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yes! so far i think the only one that's ever been posted is the only thing i want (when one drop hits my mouth) with my dear friend @cunnninghams, but many fics have been brainstormed over the years with grand plans of one day being written! (the omfd s2 we dreamed up lives on in our hearts if not our memories @magicalrocketships)

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

how DARE u ask me this i refuse to answer on principle.

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

ughhhh i don't want to say i'll never finish it but we're edging towards a year since i last updated i roll 'til i change my luck and i just have zero will to go back to it. but! i really don't want to delete it either so we'll just have to wait and see :(

16. What are your writing strengths?

i take very great pride in my dialogue. my sister read one of my works recently and complimented my dialogue and i was all 🥰🥰🥰 over it. i've also had multiple people compliment my ability to write scenes well enough that they can see/hear them in their heads and i absolutely love that because that's exactly how i write!! i have a very vivid imagination and it takes a lot of effort to try and get it right on the page.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

BREVITY.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

english is bad enough i don't need to be stupid in another language.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

once upon a time i wrote self-insert lotr rpf fic that will never, ever see the light of day (shut up i was like eleven) BUT the first fic i actually posted for other people to read (which has subsequently been deleted from internet existence) was a bandom fic specifically about simple plan lmfao

20. Favorite fic you've written?

oh, that's so hard. if i'm going by fandom, for 1d it's these four walls and me bc that fic has a piece of my soul forever. for jatp, it's a tie between coping and stubborn, selfish, easily jealous (the former because it helped soothe the sting of the show getting cancelled, and the latter because i love my stupid fucked up boys who can't get their shit together to say i love you). and for stranger things, it's if we don't leave this town (we might never make it out) because i had the most wonderful time writing it and i'm so glad so many people felt so deeply connected to the story.

wow that was a lot so i'm passing along this enormous task to @cyraclove, @gorgeousgreymatter-x, @medusasfinalgirl, and @staceymcgillicuddy

[cindersalad]

Hello! I have been told you have some cool characters I'd like to know more about, so would you share some information on Jaques, Kaleo and Humbert?

Hello to you!ヾ(•ω•`)o Sorry for the delay in answering, I checked Tumblr only today! And your ask is so precious, I'm so glad you're interested in some of my characters! ;u; I'll gladly tell you about them!~

It's a very quick sketch (and of unfinished redesigns, I'm currently reworking their aspects but mostly the clothes), but here they are how they appear in Humbert's story (so 1975/1980 circa, 10 or so years before Lance's story)!

Humbert DeRocca (or Umberto, he tends to use the "international name" when needed) is an Italian independent paranormal investigator, together with his wife Amanda and his best friend Jonatan. They are quite known in all of Italy at the time and a bit in Belgium thanks to Jacques (which I'll tell more in a moment!), and because of this they tend to travel a lot. While Amanda is an empath and Jonatan is an energy bender, Humbert is "just" a human, no special abilities nor powers, just an amazing memory and a big brain! In the trio you asked about he's the one with the greatest knowledge of magical creatures (he's often jokingly referred to as a walking encyclopedia), and during his story he becomes Kaleo's mentor!

Jacques and Kaleo Francœur are father and son, descendent of one of the great hunter families, so their names mean a lot. Jacques is one of Humbert's best friends, they've been knowing each other since they were kids, and an extremely well trained hunter specialized in stealth (which is much more useful than most give it credit for) and battle with the spear, while Kaleo is much less experienced (at the time of Humbert's story), but extremely good in ranged combat - he will eventually become one of the best aims in the world, and in Humbert's story already is extremely good! He stays with Humbert for a lot of time, learning both his knowledge and to actually... think a bit more before acting. He's really impulsive when young, which leads to some things. Spoilers. :3c When he gets to Lance's story, he's MUCH more mature - even more because by the time that arrives, he has a little daughter!

Humbert works primarily in Italy and Jacques in Belgium, where he was born, even though Jacques travels MUCH more (the Francœurs are known in all the world, and people ask for them specifically, while Humbert has a known name but it's more like, you know. The "neighborhood's problem solver", in a sense, and his knowledge is more precise about Italian creatures and mythology), and when Jacques needs someone who he can trust in delicate or big matters he calls for Humbert, which are the rare times he gets out of Italy for work (and most frequently in Belgium, reason why he is more known there than in other countries!).

I love them so much, they are some of my favourites between my own OCs (and Humbert is probably my absolute favourite), and I won't continue talking about them in this post only because it's already very long, haha! But for general information, this is it! If you're interested in something more specific, feel free to ask! I'll be so happy to answer more questions about them and any other OC! ;u;//

[purplesurveys]

1741

1. Is there currently any snow on the ground where you live? Where I live has never seen snow ever.

2. Do you have any nieces or nephews? I don't. I don't think any of my siblings want to be parents either, so I feel like the most I'll have are godchildren from my friends.

3. Have you ever sold anything online? I've sold a few photocards, but that's it. I'd love to try my hand more in selling but I'm just so busy as it is and have little to no time to even respond if inquiries come in. Then there's the effort in making some sort of microsite like Carrd so you look legit, the time and resources needed to pack the orders, then booking the shipping service...I'm just way too busy to become a full-time seller.

4. Have you ever been to an extremely dirty house before? Whose house was it? I don't think I've ever been in a dirty house per se but I've visited families or classmates whose houses are just loaded/packed with so many things in one place. Filipinos like to hoard stuff, so a typical Filipino living room would have things like graduation portraits and diplomas lining up the wall, every single medal their kids have won, religious statues, a bunch of miniature art sculptures that don't necessarily complement, a china collection...the list goes on. Like it's not messy, but it's filled to the brim with so many things that it ends up being an eyesore.

This applies to most households I know of but I'm glad my mom didn't pick up that tendency. She likes to keep the house looking clear and I've ultimately picked up that preference too.

5. Would you ever or do you hunt? It doesn't sound interesting to me in the least and I wouldn't do it.

6. Have you ever blown smoke into a bubble (kids bubbles) before? No. Is something supposed to happen when you do that? Hahaha now you have me curious.

7. What bothers you most about the customers you serve at work? If you don’t directly serve customers at work, what bothers you most about your job in general? It makes work-life balance a myth. Even things like people getting to turn off their notifications in the evening make me jealous because I can't do that – I have to be on call literally, like, 24/7.

8. Do you like to play games on your phone? What games do you play most often? Sure. These days I've been pretty obsessed with Rhythm Hive, which is a (surprise!) rhythm game for Hybe groups. I used to be addicted to In the Seom but I haven't played that in a while. :( I should reinstall that soon...

9. Do you take a lot of pictures of your pets? Of course. I'll whip out my phone every chance I get.

10. Do you screen shot a lot of things on your phone? Way more than I think I do. It's just second nature for me to do so at this point, especially if I feel like I'll need to backtrack on that screenshot sometime in the future.

11. What is the most recent video you took of? Cooper barking threateningly at a nonexistent stranger/noise.

12. Do you have any future tattoos planned out? Will you actually go through with them or is there something stopping you from doing so? I have design ideas but they will always remain as ideas because I'm terrified of needles lol.

13. Who was the last person to break your trust? How did they do so and how did you deal with it? The supplier we got for our event last Thursday. They've been our go-to since last year, never disappointed us, the team's always been a joy to work with; but idk they've had quite a bit of booboos over the last few months and last Thursday was simply mine and my team's last straw. They were extremely unreliable on the day of and for some reason their manpower kept disappearing at crucial points? - like where tf were they hanging out??? - that I had no choice but to manage the entire event myself until the end.

14. What did you dress up as for Halloween? Or if you didn’t dress up, was there a specific reason or do you just not care about that sort of thing? I went to one Halloween party last year, which was Disney-themed, so I DIY'd some clothes to be Winnie the Pooh.

15. Has wind ever done any extreme damage to your home or anything that you own? No. That happened to our neighborhood once though. There had been a typhoon that started off with extremely strong winds, and you could hear windows smashing and glass shattering every minute or so. Fortunately for us we had all of our windows closed that morning so our house was left unscathed.

16. Is your pet very snuggly or are they more independent? Agi lives on being snuggled, and he isn't opposed to whining and barking if he feels like he's not getting enough of it. Cooper is very independent; he'll actively wrestle out of your grasp if you try to cuddle with him haha. Kimi had independent as well.

17. What shirt were you wearing the last time you took a picture of yourself? A white oversized polo with handpainted doodles.

18. Do you enjoy Smile Cookies from Tim Hortons or any of their other charities and/or seasonal promotions? If you don’t go to Tim Hortons, do you dislike the coffee, live too far away from one, or is there another reason? I don't think I've ever eaten anything from Tim Hortons beyond their wraps.

19. Are the photos on your lock screen and on your homepage of your phone the same or different? If you don’t have that option on your phone, what is your background on your phone? They are different, yes. I feel like it'd so boring if they were the same.

20. Do you enjoy taking photos with your significant other or are you just not that type of couple? If you don’t have a significant other, do you enjoy taking photos of yourself more or of your friends and/or family? I definitely take more photos of other people than I do myself.

[justsomeectoplasm]

Hey! I saw a lot of pages of the manga you coloured! It's the one that has a 3D anime right? I have been wanting to watch it for a while now but didn't have time. Since seeing the last piece you coloured i have been hella confused. What's the manga and anime about? Is there anything that needs a warning? In animation I'm fine with a lot of potentially triggering stuff like body horror etc. I'd really appreciate your comments on the series since I can't seem to find anything without spoilers attached :((

Thank you for your time!

Ps.: Your colouring of the manga pages brings them to life! Original panels are pretty but that prettyness multiplies by 10 after you go at it!

I'm so glad you love my manga colouring!

I didn't know so many people would love them and it honestly makes me happy. Thank you.

And onto your question:

The anime/manga is Land of the lustrous. After 3 comets have wiped out all of humanity, immortal gem people called the lustrous emerged from humanities remains. They live with each other on a small island with sensei, the mysterious caretaker of the gems. However, spiritual like people called the Lunarians come down to earth from the moon to hunt them and use their parts as decorations and jewelry, thus the gems fight them to prevent them and their friends being taken to the moon.

The story follows Phosphophyllite, the youngest and weakest gem. After failing every single job they've been given to do, Sensei gave them the task of compiling an encyclopedia, much to their dismay, for they rather want to fight alongside others.

(I talk about the series underneath the cut and some trigger warnings)

I... may have majorly spoiled you with my latest coloured pages, but since it's confusing out of context, it won't matter that much until you get to that part.

It's a fantastic anime and manga. The uniqueness of the art draws many people and the way the author wrote the story makes it such an interesting read. It's way beyond the average manga story and I honestly reccomend it to people if they've read a fair bit of manga or watched a fair bit of anime. Also the fanart of this series is amazing like something about this series causes artist to pump out masterpiece after masterpiece.

The anime is also solid and extremely well done. The anime was a big breakthrough for studio orange and made them quite famous, giving the anime the title "Cgi anime done right", which led them to animate beaststars and their popularity bloomed. There are also many talented jp voice actors in the series.

As you said, one of the warnings of this series is body horror, but you somehow get used to it. Although the mangas body horror is much more gruesome than the anime, which had to try and adapt the authors unique style (the latest pages I coloured is after the start of the worst body horror you can imagine in the series. The pain is on Evangelion level of bad)

So if you want read the manga, I suggest taking it slow so that you don't potentially feel uncomfortable when reading it.

There are also heavy religious themes, as the series deals a lot with Buddhist symbolism.

If you decide to read the manga, now is probably the best time. We're nearing the end of the series and just got out of a two year long hiatus. I have a feeling the newest chapters would hit you much more differently if you decide to binge read it.

[davyjoneslockr]

ship ask!! fugio w/ 20, 21, and 27 :0

(From this ask game)

20 - What do family/friends think of their relationship?

I imagine they'd get together a while after PHF, so if we're being canon-compliant, it's... complicated. Neither of them have any family, exactly, and the people that are close to them are kinda split. Lowkey wrote a whole fic about Mista's perspective, but TLDR I see him struggling with jealousy and a sense that it's unfair (why do they get to be happy after all the shit they've done, especially when the people that did the right thing didn't get to have a happy ending and the love of his own life was killed senselessly?), but he eventually comes to terms with it, and is at least glad that they're good for each other. Sheila was just waiting in agony for it to happen. Hearing Fugo endlessly ranting about his feelings for Giorno every time they hung out was starting to wear on her. But she's super supportive, and is stoked that her terrible pathetic bff gets to date someone she admires as much as Giorno. I think Murolo would be like. Totally unaware. Like Fugo's talking about Valentine's Day plans or something and Murolo's like "oooh, who's the lucky person?" And Fugo's like. "Uh. Giorno. Obviously." "GIORNO??? OUR BOSS???" "Murolo we've been married for 10 years." He probably thought Fugo and Sheila were dating or something because he has no gaydar.

Also also because I like to think about Everyone Lives AUs. Things would be way different and I think they'd actually start dating sooner. Still after PHF but not *years* after like in canon. And you know Mista and Narancia would be the most aggressive wingmen. As a whole, the Bucci Gang would be happy for them. Abbacchio would pretend to be mad ("I can't believe my favorite kid is dating my least favorite kid. This is the worst thing that has happened to me ever actually"), but deep down, he sees how happy Fugo is with Giorno, and acknowledges it more as he comes to terms with the insecurities that made him "hate" Giorno. I think he and Bucciarati would walk them down the aisle at their wedding. hehe evil little found family things

If there's one thing everyone would complain about, though, it's how sappy they are. Not in a constant PDA, corny nicknames, etc kind of way, but they're just like. So weird and dramatic about each other. Romeo and Juliet type beat (and actually I always conceptualize Fugio through what I call the Romeo and Juliet factor. but that's a talk for another time). Does that even make sense. Idk

21 - Who is more likely to start dancing with the other?

!!!!! OKAY IVE WRITTEN ABOUT FUGIO DANCING AT LEAST TWICE BC ITS SO IMPORTANT TO ME. Giorno is a terrible dancer, so I'd say Fugo would initiate more often. He'd try to teach Giorno stuff like ballroom dancing, maybe even the silly little dances he makes up with Mista and Narancia, but more often than not, if they're dancing together, they're slow dancing. A little scene I've imagined, but is probably too small for a fic, is like. The first time Giorno cries in front of Fugo is when they're slow-dancing together late one night, and Fugo sings quietly along to whatever song is playing - Giorno just gets overwhelmed over how much he loves him.

27 - Who would sing to their child back to sleep?

Fugo 100%. If he had a kid, he'd try his hardest to be super gentle with them - his biggest fear, as with all his relationships, is that he'll hurt them - so, when they're a baby and they wake up at night, he slowly rocks them back to sleep and sings very quietly, between reassurances that they're safe and loved. Giorno wouldn't sing, just because i headcanon that his singing voice is godawful lol but the second he hears the baby wake up? He's rushing to their side. He doesn't want his child to ever feel abandoned like he did, so he'll sit with them, carry them around for a while, talk to them - whatever it takes to let them know that their father's there. Fugo has definitely walked into the living room in the morning to find Giorno fast asleep on the couch, cradling their child, because he didn't want to leave them until he was certain they were asleep again. Anyhow. Domestic Fugios :]

[dreamsister81]

Happy anniversary Grace! Released August 23, 1994 📷 Merri Cyr

What were you aiming to achieve musically when you went in to record Grace and are you happy with the results?

Just to express, just to make a record of pure expression. Am I happy? Well...well, it's uh, it...Grace...a record that you make is something that changes and shifts and I am something that changes and shifts and I'm gonna have to really be a mature human being and say against all my sensibilities, yes, I'm pleased but I'm horribly self critical. I'm horrible. So sometimes I'll just say "oh this is the biggest piece of shit I've ever seen in my life, blah, blah, blah," but I won't...I mean, but because Mickey and Matt and Michael are on it, I can't really say that 'cause they do...I'm so proud of them. It's alright, you know, it's alright, I just can't wait til the next one. I can make a better record than Grace.-interview in Paris for Rock Rush, September 22, 1994

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The next album will probably be more joyful but this time, it was impossible...You can be cute, funny, generous, there's always the danger of a break-up in a love relationship. No one is safe. Grace, this is the album of a jealous, poor guy who just got dumped."-Les Inrockuptibles, October, 1994

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"I know the next album will be a very different kind of work—even more direct than Grace, but bigger in scope. If people were confounded by the range of the first album, they'll probably run to it as a safe haven in light of what's to come.

"I can see it now—'The amazing, beautiful disaster pastiche of Grace is totally lost in Buckley's newest work.' We haven't started recording it yet and already I'm bored with the reviews."-Now magazine, 27 Oct, 1994

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I mean, I hope people don't get too attached...no, that's impossible...hope the media and the wheels that turn don't get too attached to Grace. 'Cause you know, it's out and you know, I just want to make another one and another one and we've grown so much already, we've completely mashed that album into the ground.

Is what you're saying is you don't want them to want you to do another album like Grace? Because the next one will be different?

No, no, no, no...I mean just like...uh, yeah,you know...I don't know, what is it? I just...

You know how sometimes the company will say "oh that one was so good, so do it again"?

Nah, the company is like the least of my problems actually in that respect 'cause they know everything's growing and the people I deal with are very happy and pleased as they say in the music biz. They know where I'm coming from but it's just like in another interview...um, we've evolved, and we'll keep on evolving, I mean like radically. Like radically. And Grace is, Grace is just a completely different work unto itself, it's a box where I put things in my past that have made made my past live, in a box, away.

So you're done with certain things?

Yeah, in a way. But on to new things. It doesn't mean that I'll completely eskew, or astew, or get rid of, whatever that word is, get rid of the old things, it's just that I like the present so much.

How do you feel when you listen to those tunes and how they were recorded?

Sometimes we can't listen to 'em and sometimes we're totally in love with 'em-WDET, October 31, 1994

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The New York Times has called "Grace" the best debut record to come along since Tracy Chapman's in 1988. "I can't listen to it anymore," said Buckley, 26. "The songs have changed. I like it, but it is sort of like looking at baby pictures."-Salt Lake Tribune, November 10, 1994

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What about Grace? So many people, at least in France, the press is all unanimous, your records are selling, it's a masterpiece...what do you think about it now?

'Massively beautiful album'...somebody gave us a rush of a commercial, that was supposed to go out on the TV and I hope it doesn't make it: 'Grace, it's unanimous, blah, blah, blah...' Not that's bad, but it's just a first album and we've really grown since then and it just doesn't make sense that it seems to have this kind of impact, commercially. The people who really...you know, like...I don't know, I'm sick of magazines, I can't even buy them anymore, just tired of 'em, they don't say anything. I hope it doesn't sound like I'm whining, and maybe I am, but it's just...it's boring man, I'd rather go to the gig. Now there'll be people who will come out with something else and people will say 'obviously lacking the splenderous chaos of Grace, this new album falls short...' I can hear the reviews already and I'm totally bored. I hope that people just calm down really. Actually our fans are pretty normal, they're pretty cool, they're pretty calm about the whole thing. But the media seems to...you know, the media, the rock critics they've lambasted plenty of brilliant friends of mine which just shows me they have no taste whatsoever, and usually in most cases. Just totally destroyed people who've made great work. And then this comes along and 'this obviously is the thing,' how am I supposed to trust that? I can only trust my friends, and my band, and the people that come.-interview for Top Live in Paris, February 15, 1995

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Praise has been especially glowing in England, where the respected pop monthly Mojo named "Grace" the album of the year and Q magazine hailed it as "an enthralling, endlessly playable piece of work...the missing link between (Van Morrison's) 'Astral Weeks' and (Nirvana's) 'Nevermind.' Isn't Buckley flattered? "Of course I am," he says, shifting in his chair as if annoyed at himself for admitting it. "At the same time, I'm not 'Grace.' That album is like a brick onto itself. It's like a coffin that I put certain feelings and observations in so that they can be capsulized forever. I wanted to put them there so I would be free to move on.-Los Angeles Times, February 19, 1995

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“I just thought it should link this album to my past a little,” he said at the time. “Grace is like...a lot of this stuff ... I don't know how to describe it to you...It's just a bunch of things about my life that I wanted to put in a coffin and bury forever so I could get on with things.

"On the outside of that you can say that I find great joy in the things that are sad. That's the way emotions are in people. They fall down on you and there's no way to get out, except to go through it. There's no way you can control it, there's no essay you can write to answer yourself out of it. It just soaks you like the rain. There's nothing you can do. Then it's gone and then another comes around. But tears are not all I deal with. I'll leave that to the next album.”-Juice, February, 1996

[millakatariina64]

Happy Saiou Day!! 💙💜

So if anyone remembers last summer I said I'd post the complete portraits of my talentswap designs and a climactic scene from the AU with a full summary when they're finished? Well, I didn't forget!

So, below are my headcanons for Ultimate Supreme Leader Shuichi and Ultimate Detective Kokichi~!

(I'm really passionate about this AU, I hope you read it ':3)

(Tho no climactic scene unfortunately)

Ultimate Supreme Leader Shuichi

So first of all Shuichi's parents are still celebrities, move overseas and leave him with his uncle. However in this AU Shuichi's uncle is a politician who actually has a really good reputation. Problem is, his uncle is incredibly busy and is almost never home because of that. Still, he wants to be like his uncle (though the wish is fueled more with wanting to be good enough and accepted). Shuichi's personality is basically the same.

So then one day I Alligator girl's (Gonna call her Wani) alligator gets stolen by some group who're going to sell it and they threatened Wani to not call the police or tell anyone. So she asks Shuichi to help. Somehow they manage to retrieve the alligator together secretly (idk) and right afterwards one of Wani's friends is in trouble with some shady local business. So Wani suggests they make a group to stop these sorts of people and that Shuichi would be the leader. He agrees, he still wants to do something to make this world a better place like his uncle.

After that Wani starts asking her most trusted friends at school if they'd like to join (Shuichi would never have the social courage to ask someone that). When they get to 10 members (all girls) they stop growing for some time and decide to get themselves uniforms. When they're finally considering getting more people into the team since Shuichi doesn't really know these people, he decides to start wearing a mask to be safe. He also starts using the code name "Crow". The other 10 members go by flower names.

The group then grows a lot. And by the time Shuichi's officially scouted to be an Ultimate, it has around 1500 members. And it's making him very worried as Shuichi's not even sure anymore if he's skilled enough to lead it. The group started out stopping or changing corrupt businessmen, unethical businesses and other evil groups. And although that still is what they do, he's realized that the way they go about things is pretty illegal. (When he first realized this, he started wearing a hat.) Obviously he forbids violence, but they still use blackmail and steal information. Also they need money for the group to function at this point so they've had to get it through illegal means that Shuichi's not sure of anymore. So Shuichi is immensely scared of being revealed as the organization's leader because it would completely destroy his organization and it would also annihilate his uncle's as well as his parents' careers on the spot. Basically everything would get ruined and it would be a nation-wide scandal. Perhaps even an international scandal.

He gets even more worried when the police finally start realizing there's some sort of group that's blackmailing big businesses and start investigating.

When he gets scouted to Hope's Peak, the letter comes to his base and even HPA doesn't know his identity, just that he's a high school student. He doesn't think like he deserves the title at all since it's really his organization that does the hard stuff and Wani's the one that's made it grow and he shouldn't be panicking like this if he really was a "great leader". But he still decides to go due to "If you manage to graduate from Hope's Peak, you will be set for life!". But as his family can't know of him being scouted there as the Ultimate Supreme Leader, he forges a letter claiming he's the Ultimate Lucky Student which he shows to them. And at HPA he requests he be referred to by that title.

Problem is, now his year group has 2 Ultimate Lucky Students and a certain Ultimate Detective gets suspicious.

Miscellaneous: Shuichi really wants to use make-up but he's really afraid to at home since he feels his uncle would think it's really weird. So at the organization's base Wani heard about it and got him some makeup and now Shuichi wears makeup when on missions and at the base. Also the organization has a helicopter. (It's a central part of that climactic scene I talk so much about.) Shuichi thinks about becoming a detective perhaps, but he's not sure how he'd be able to leave his group anymore so...

Ultimate Detective Kokichi

For Kokichi I still have my pretty elaborate origin story. His early years are great until at some point his real father finds out that Kokichi's mother had actually had the Kokichi and his older twin brother with him and not her husband leaving him alone. And thus he murders Kokichi's mother out of spite. Kokichi and Tamotsu (my headcanon name for his twin) see the murder take place and flee. However, they were never actually able to make out who the murderer was and they knew even less of why their mother was murdered.

The murder never gets solved and this mystery stays in Kokichi's mind. Who ruined his life, who killed his mother?

(I feel they'd have like an uncle and their mother's husband lived with them obviously. There'd also be other factors like disposed evidence and the suspects vanishing making the murder so much harder to figure out afterwards.)

So Kokichi and Tamotsu end up at an orphanage, one related to the one Maki's at. It's kind of a terrible place, but it's where Kokichi meets (most of) Dice. They become inseparable friends (tho don't form a group with the name Dice. I'll still call them that here for clarity's sake though). However Tamotsu who had always been supporting Kokichi and being there for him at his side starts becoming bitter (jealous?) against Kokichi due to dice and starts turning against them. This is the time when Kokichi starts developing his lying to protect himself from Tamotsu as well as the borderline abusive authority at the orphanage. He's also started to figure out the dark secret of the orphanage training children to become assassins.

I feel like during this time a detective was investigating the orphanage. So when things get too dire and Kokichi and Dice escape the orphanage the detective ends up taking them in after finding them on the streets afterwards since he can't just send them to an orphanage at that point. So Kokichi and Dice end up staying with the detective and start helping him out. Kokichi's especially interested in the orphanage now and he and the detective with the help of the other Dice members figure out a lot of stuff. (This is also the time the rest of the Dice members "join".) Until one day the detective gets assassinated by someone from the orphanage sending them a message to stop the investigation.

So Kokichi takes over the Detective's office and to get by he starts working on all kinds of small cases with the help of Dice. And that's what they mostly do. Among those small cases are often cases that have something to do with saving children. However Kokichi occasionally also takes on homicides and investigates organizations. He wants to be prepared for when he finally investigates his mother's murder as well as the organization behind the orphanage. He wants those people locked up in jail forever.

Personality wise Kokichi's pretty much the same. He still loves pranks, lies all the time and would have elaborate stories (lies) about like for example how he was the one who managed to put the previous Queen of Novoselic's assassin behind bars. (The previous Queen was not even assassinated). He'd also jokingly blackmail people by claiming he knows something about them or could figure out something incriminating about them. He never really means it, though he would like try to find out harmless embarrassing secrets to mess with people.

Around the time he gets scouted to Hope's Peak he's specifically requested to assist in the investigation of a mysterious organization that steals information and sends blackmail and other such things. It's a huge flashy case, so of course he picks it up.

At Hope's Peak he then meets an (surprisingly mysterious?) Ultimate lucky student who seems really interested about his Ultimate detective talent and his lying.

Bonus

The original portraits from summer 2020. My laptop just broke when I finished the lineart and then I couldn't really edit them on my new tablet anymore and they were getting really old so I just decided to completely redo them. Also lmk if you want the sketch of the climactic scene since I'm not sure if I'll finish it even though I really like it. It looks pretty okay even if it's unfinished.

Also hope this is coherent and that I haven't forgotten anything aah. And damn if you actually made it this far gezus. This took like 4+ hours?? oops.

[gaybarbiegirl]

00s Barbie rewatch - 12 Dancing Princesses (2006)

Yesss I've been looking forward to this one

The intro of this movie >>>>>>

"Which is known for its abundance of pears, potatoes and peasants" underrated joke right there

We love a movie that shows princesses being fun and charismatic and unique instead of just being graceful and sweet

Ok but that bird is iconic, he deserves more love

Imagine having eleven people tease you about your love life, I think I'd just die on the spot

Why do most Barbie villains have gigantic hair?

THE CINEMATOGRAPHY

Someone really should tell mattel that being identical in every feature except for haircolor is not how twins and triplets work

Love how the main villain of this movie is one of these classist conservative ladies who try to control how women should act. Like, that is something that should be portrayed as a terrible thing to children, you know?

Why do they all wear bows to sleep?

Their birthday song ❤

How did they never notice that the books matched the stones before? They've owned these books and lived in this room for years

This theme song is so magical

Mood

Thank god Genevieve suggested they call a doctor. Bring in the common sense, girl

God, Rowena is so worried about the girls potentially marrying princes that they would've met the night before. Like, chill, it's been less than 24 hours, I doubt anyone's ringing wedding bells.

I know I was just trashing on Rowena a minute ago, but she really is the most efficient villain in the BCU. Like, she's the one with the most coherent and doable plan, and the one who comes the closest to succeeding

"Lock her up and throw away the key" I'm dead, the comedic timing of this bird is unmatched

BEST DANCE SEQUENCE OF THE MOVIE YESS

See, this is why I love Edeline

You know how everyone says that there are twelve dancing princesses, so at least one of them has to be gay? I have now decided that there are three gay princesses, Blair, Edeline, and Fallon, for no good reason other than that I think they're cool

Felix being a 10/10 sidekick again

But it is a little weird that Derek's best friend is a parrot

Holy fuck, Rowena just called this man's children burdens to his face

I'm not sure if I respect her more or less for it

"Newsflash. She walked in her own room" I'm telling you, this bird is a gem

"You did...? Or is that just the bird talking?" more respect for Felix, please

Yeah, Rowena has the right idea, I don't understand why the girls haven't started harvesting those wish flowers yet

Ok but why do they suddenly have to dance in pairs for the portal to work? It always worked fine with just one person

Their dancing is really pretty though

This scene looks so gorgeous ❤

What does "the power of twelve" mean? Wouldn't it be easier to just say "we have each other"?

When did Rowena find the time to get this painted?

Look at them using the skills they were reprimanded for in the beginning of the movie to save the day! Hell yeah, good for them!

Rowena WHY are you confessing?? I get he's about to die, but still, keep it to yourself

But seriously, Rowena could have been the Barbie villain if she just had a more likeable personality. She's got everything else going for her: she's the smartest, most capable and most strategic villain in the BCU, and she has style. If only she wasn't annoying...

Why did Genevieve just randomly have a fan with her?

Also, what would have happened if the fan didn't reach every single speck of dust? Would Genevieve have like, an eternally dancing arm?

Yeah man, you were pretty blind

Their dad accepting them as they are is a really sweet scene, though

I have to say, ending in a wedding was a bit of a disappointing note. Genevieve and Derek were cute, but they barely knew each other

Plus, this ending only wraps things up for Genevieve, and I get it, she's the protagonist, but she did have eleven sisters who we've also been following for the entire movie, and they deserved a proper ending, you know?

Final thoughts:

I like this movie A LOT. It's one of my top 10 Barbie movies, and for more than one reason: I love the soundtrack, love the dance sequences, love the bond between the sisters, and, most of all, I love the theme and the way the princesses were portrayed.

Like, princess movies are very often criticised for having bland one note protagonists who lack agency, and while I don't 100% agree with these criticisms, I do see where they're coming from. Now enter this movie, that does the exact opposite. We've got twelve different princesses here, all with different skills and abilities that are portrayed as equally valuable and impressive. They're fun to watch, they have distinctive personalities, and they take the lead and are active characters for the entire movie.

Since we know for a fact that the little girls who watch Barbie movies are going to be looking up to the princess characters, I think it's great to show them a bunch of princesses with unique personalities and interests. It gives every kid someone to relate to, instead of just potentially making girls feel inadequate for not being "princessy" enough. And if that wasn't enough, the main conflict we have in this movie is that their father is trying to change them to be more ladylike, and the whole ordeal is clearly treated as a big, terrible mistake from start to finish.

I could gush for hours about how great and unique this theme is, and about how important it is for movies that are aimed at little girls to portray this sort of message. But I'm just gonna wrap things up and say that overall, this movie is amazing, and it deserves all the love it gets.

[sk-lumen]

Need serious advice about setting boundaries or communicating when dealing with a person who:

Is a parent

Has unhealthy communication methods -- it takes very little for them to start full-blown screaming, shouting out all your 'negative' things/mistakes/past, can continue to scream-criticise you even after you've gone silent, for WHOLE MINUTES even if you've shut up, will not accept anything that even hints at them making a mistake

You can't trust since childhood coz u made the mistake of confiding in them with a serious issue as a young teen --- mental related --- and they belittled and invalidated you, and since then pretended you never confided in them and have NO IDEA how you've been coping without them or ANYone else for years... Yeah thanks, parent, what u said back then made me think I was the one at fault and so I stopped trusting even friends coz yeah, when ur own parent doesn't give a damn, why would anyone else?

Is a master at silent treatments without explaining what EXACTLY they're punishing you for, then when theyre in the mood, will start talking to you as if they hadn't ignored you for days. Lol I'd rather be water boarded I think. Especially for all the damage this caused when I was a child

Won't openly talk about what they want, yet expects ALL FHE TIME others (in the family) to know what they want, then will complain/scream/angry for AGES about how no one cares, no one gives a damn... And when someone asks them what they want, they either say: nothing, or "you should know! Can't u see?"

Upon asking them to please talk normally, will blow a fuse, and lose it --- happened multiple times today

Literally will use me as a scape goat to unleash their frustrations upon. Even when I leave the room, I can hear them b*tch about how much of a failure I am etc. The trigger being anything that bothers them, from a phone call to something other siblings did, bla bla. I limit my time with them... But it's like, it feels impossible to have them treat me normally, without ridiculing or criticising me. I'm already a very low self esteem person... This doesn't help AT ALL

In short, refuse to tell/ask/discuss important stuff, and getting mad randomly that no one read their mind, bcoz everyone's 'old enough to have enough sense' to know what they 'should' do... Eg will not pikc up the phone when we call them from the store to ask when what the needed isn't available, so what other alternative can we get... And then when we get home, will instead blame us for being fussy and not getting the alternative, completelt skirting around the issue they didn't deign to pick up the phone... I mean, I don't get it. In the past I HAVE in fact asked them to just openly tell me what they want/expect from me to make them happy... Got passive aggressive answers like "don't you know? Are you dumb?" Bla bla

Passive aggressive to the max when they've lost it

Expect me to drop anything I'm doing and immediately cater to them, and expect me to help them in their hobbies (while simultaneously, as I learned many years ago to much heartache, not being interested or even pretending to be interested in my hobbies. The disinterest taught me very quickly how much what I wanted meant, leading to years of self-invalidation. Luckily I've learned it really is them, not me. My hobbies are valid)

Will not talk about why they're feeling angry, what causes it. Instead will blame me, who's like the golden scapegoat in our amazing family, by saying :YOU made me negative. They've said it many times now... It hurts a lot, when I'm also struggling with my own issues which I ofc can't confide in them about :)

Today I manned up -- the outburst of hatred happened again! Over a simple thing. It was NIGHTMARE and made me angry/sad/frustrated/triggered---, and so I told them to stop talking like that... Boy was that the wrong thing to say... I don't think I can accurately tell u what happened afterwards...

Usually children learn communication skills from the parents... I at least learned to recognize the unhealthy ones, and what NOT to communicate like lol. Like, other parent is even worse, believe it or not. But that's another complex situation

I'm not bashing on the parent. Lord knows I even have that much of a right huh? I hate myself eveb more when they invalidate me if I try to show how MUCH THEY HURT me after a 'communication session'. As in, heaven forbid me if I BE SILENT afterwards and DON'T wanna listen to their retardation. Nope. Even then they provoke me, rage at me, you know how sometimes enraged people hiss vitriol thru gritted teeth? Yeah, that's what they did today after I stayed silent and tried to ignore them an hour later after the 'session' when they wabted something. It's like they don't even need me to say a word and will carry on and on for minutes 🤢

I feel alone, helpless and at a loss what to do

I want to move out. Due to severe mental issues I can't even move out rn coz it scares me even more. But this has to stop. Things are only okay if I'm absolutely passive, say yes to whatever they want, kill my wants and needs, and become a perfect robot bred to cater to them (parent)

I hope you can help me out, dear

Hi darling,

It sounds like you’re in a considerably toxic environment. I'm sorry you're going through this. Know that this is not normal, nor is it how a parent/child relationship should be. In case there's any doubt, let me start by saying you deserve to be supported, respected, listened to, to have your needs met. You deserve to live in an environment that offers you all of these things.

With that being said, from the many scenarios you’ve mentioned you’ve already tried reasoning and setting boundaries, to no avail. There is only so much you can do on your own, if the other person in the equation is not meeting halfway or at all. After all, a healthy conversation involves two people, not just one.

Here's my advice, in this order:

Calmly and maturely asking the respective parent to have a serious discussion with you and to listen to what you have to say. Share how their actions and behaviour is making you feel, let them know you care, and make sure to mention several solutions for the issue as well. If this doesn’t work…

Bring up the subject of needing help from outside, such as the assistance of a specialist/therapist. Family counselling can shed a lot of light on toxic behaviours that are ingrained from childhood (both in their case and yours), on fears your parent may have, stress from their work, whatever is causing their outbursts and anger - because there is always a reason. Behind anger is sadness, and behind sadness is some need not being met, or an underlying fear, trauma, etc. This is not a justification for their behaviour, they are responsible for it; this is simply the fact of how energy dynamics work. People bottle up their frustrations, fears, etc, and let them out on those closest to them, to whom they feel superior. It’s not fair, and it’s not healthy, but it is frequently how this pattern works. If this solution doesn’t work either…

Then unfortunately, all you can do is focus on yourself. If they refuse to meet you anywhere along the road, you have to pack up your things and go your own way. Literally or metaphorically. They may be your parent and you may love them even in spite of their behaviour, but you cannot hold yourself responsible for anything they say or do; that is on them. In those cases, you have to prioritize your own mental health and wellbeing, and focus on moving out. If your (home) environment is toxic, you have to focus on first changing it. That’s vital. Only afterwards can you start healing, refinding yourself, reclaiming your self-esteem and confidence, your sense of worth. As long as you stay stuck in a toxic environment, you cannot really heal; if there is abuse of any kind (physical, mental, emotional), the causes are still there, leading to re-traumatizing.

If for whatever reason moving out is not (yet) an option, I would emphasize seeking some sort of counselling for yourself, if nothing else. You need an anchor, some sort of support that will help you along your path until you do get out.

Now, I don’t know how old you are. I am going to assume you are over 18 and of age, so only mind my advice if that is the case. (As disclaimer, I don't provide advice to minors as it's not the scope of my blog nor am I specialized/focused on that area.)

I understand moving out seems scary because it is unknown, but with that line of thought you may wait another 10 years in the same situation. Wouldn’t you wake up 10 years later already having done the hard work on moving out, finding your independence, claiming your sense of individuality and moving on from this sort of environment, this phase in your life?

Sooner is better than later, but do so with mindfulness and care over your mental health, of course. I know it’s scary. But being an adult requires some difficult decisions at times, and setting boundaries begins with choosing your wellbeing and doing what needs to be done, even if it is something uncomfortable short-term, but highly rewarding and beneficial long-term.

Hope this helps... and wishing you much luck, clarity, gentle guidance and comfort.✨

PS: Lately I've been receiving longer and longer letters in my inbox. As solution, I was thinking of having longer asks/letters redirected to my blog where there isn't any length limit, and readers can more comfortably browse both my tumblr and blog - and those requesting advice can share and receive a more in-depth response.

-Lumen

[avidrawsthings]

Mini showcase: Reina and Talbott's children

As I wasn't able to get around to drawing a new pic to celebrate the quads' birthday (May 9), I figured I'd at least compile some past drawings of them I made into one post. They've gone through a few tweaks over time, and their latest designs to date are on the fourth pic. Their adult look above is also outdated now, and their updated appearances are in the works. A brief profile of each one will be under the break below!

Altogether

They were born in May 9, 1998, seven days after the Battle of Hogwarts.

Rowan is their favorite aunt, and they lovingly call her Auntie Rowan.

All of them inherited the same Empath abilities as Reina, allowing them to read the emotions of those around them. Like their mother, all of them can see through deception.

Like Reina, none of them eat poultry as it makes them nauseous.

All of them are LGBT+, discovering their respective orientations during their teens. The family's love is unconditional, and they're happily supportive.

All of them are Animagus, however they didn't go through the steps to become one. As Reina became an Animagus thanks to her grandmother's experimental potion (which skipped all the steps and granted the form immediately), it was believed the trait was passed along to the quads. Their respective forms manifested when they were 8, all being a type of bird.

Like their parents, the quads were among those that received Sacrificial Protection from Harry during the Battle of Hogwarts.

They also inherited the birthmark of their ancestral clan, the Mark of the Celestial.

They attended Muggle school during early childhood, and soon began displaying higher levels of magic than most magic children their age. Because of this, they were approved to attend Hogwarts one year early, starting their first year on September 1st, 2008.

Corvo Winger

Oldest of the four.

Animagus form is a crow with the same heterochromia.

Often slept a lot when he was younger, more than usual for a kid. Later on it was discovered that he has Narcolepsy, and has been on treatment since then.

While in Hogwarts, he works with several other classmates in creating a spell to allow muggle objects to function inside Hogwarts.

Often described as a cool and chill person, and is the easiest to get along with. Just don't mess with his siblings or his friends, and don't try stealing his things.

Discovered he was Bi during his 4th year. He's quite proud of it.

Loving music from a young age, he aspired to have a future career as a musician. Throughout his time at Hogwarts, he often hosted rave-like parties that became a hit with other students.

After Hogwarts, he became a well known DJ and music producer, being a hit the magic and muggle communities. He takes on the stage name of Talon.

His shows are very spectacular, as he secretly combines his magic with his music to create some highly amazing visuals.

His music is a mix of New Age and Hardstyle.

His favorite instrument is the piano.

Has a beautiful singing voice but is very shy about it.

Ava Winger

Second oldest.

Her Animagus form is a Golden Eagle like Talbott.

From a young age she proved to be very athletic. She was always the most energetic of the quads, and getting into sports proved to be a very good outlet for her.

Was the one that physically fought bullies during their childhood years at a muggle school. Classmates hailed her as a hero.

This carried over to Hogwarts, where she often fought anyone that dared to mess with her siblings and friends.

Don't touch her hair without her permission or you'll be on the receiving end of a beatdown.

She's something of a daredevil, and enjoys taking high risks in sports, such as pulling off very tricky moves. No risk, no reward, right? After Hogwarts she took up skydiving as a hobby during her downtime.

Attempted to try out for Quidditch as a first year but was declined. She wasted no time and tried again the following year, and makes it onto the Gryffindor team as one of their Chasers. She remained part of the team for the entirety of her time at school.

Realized she was a lesbian when the time came for the Celestial Ball.

Realizing how much she truly loved Quidditch, when the time came to consider future careers as the O.W.L.s were approaching, Ava was dead set on becoming a professional Quidditch player.

Near the end of her final year, her talents got the attention of the Montrose Magpies, who were looking for a new Chaser. Not only were they Ava's favorite team, but she was ecstatic when learning she made the team. She was officially a member by the summer of 2015, and continues to play in the present.

Jena Winger

Second youngest.

Her Animagus form is a Raven.

Never responded to her name when she was younger. It was later discovered that Jena was born on the Autism Spectrum.

Finds loud noises to be overwhelming. Has since gotten around it by wearing noise cancelling headphones when necessary. She eventually adapts as she gets older.

Loves her owl plushie Princess Feathers, which doubles as a ventriloquist puppet. She received it as a gift from Talbott for her 6th birthday.

Developed an interest in ventriloquism around this time, and after enough practice and dedication, she became very skilled at it before the age of 10. She preferred to keep it as a hobby rather than entering contests and such.

While incredibly sweet and polite, Jena is also very honest and straightforward. She also has a snarky sense of humor, and likes bringing fun laughs to her classmates.

Loves to explore new things, and briefly took up Quidditch in her 3rd year, playing as Ravenclaw's temporary Seeker for that year's final 2 matches. While she enjoyed it, she was fine stepping down from the team afterward.

Realized she enjoyed baking during 4th year, and began to help her brother Altair in running the school's mini baking business, much like Reina did back then.

Discovered she was Pan during 5th year, and dated a few folks during her remaining time at school.

Jena took an interest in working alongside her mother in the family's bakery, and did just that after graduating from Hogwarts. She still works there in the present with Reina.

Altair Winger

The youngest.

His Animagus form is a Magpie that retains his eye color. His earring contains one of his feathers.

As a child he was always the most sensitive and the most prone to crying, and much of it still lingers in the present. He's a guy not afraid to show his emotions, and tries to encourage his male students to do the same.

Although he's the youngest, he's always looked out for his siblings, especially Jena as kids liked picking on her during their childhood. This protection remains during their time at Hogwarts.

He's a fierce duelist and displays great skill in Dark Magic. He was taught to use it ethically and only as a last resort.

He's equally skilled when it comes to Jinxes, Hexes and certain Curses, and was not above using them against bullies if the situation called for it.

Like Reina, he baked a lot for classmates and started up the same mini baking business she once had during her school years. He was joined by Jena later on, and they ran it together until graduation.

Discovered he was gay some time before the Celestial Ball took place in his 4th year. When the time for O.W.L.s rolled around, Altair realized he wanted to become an Auror like his father. After Hogwarts he reached his goal. He was often paired up with Talbott on quite a handful of missions, helping take down the remaining Death Eaters that were still in hiding.

In 2019, Altair developed an interest in becoming a teacher, specifically in Defense Against the Dark Arts, as he felt he could use his experiences an an Auror to teach the students more efficiently.

He soon met all of the requirements and became a professor, taking over for Ricardo (the Jacob of this AU) after the latter stepped down.

[blissfulsaturn]

Story time:

I don't know if anyone cares or wants to read this, but I'm gonna tell y'all when and why did i start believing in Charmie. So buckle up, who ever is reading this.

I've been a part of a lot of fandoms and they were usually about movies/TV shows/actors/actresses. I've always been a shipper of characters and not actors, I'd search their pictures by their character's names, read and write fanfics about the characters, i did everything that involved just their characters. Example : i used to ship Stiles and Derek from Teen Wolf, just them, not Dylan O'Brien or Tyler Hoechlin, same thing with the Maze runner, i shipped Newt and Thomas, and now Thomas Brodie Sanger and Dylan O' Brien (oh Dylan...lol) etc.

And then i saw Call me by your name, and i was shipping (still do) Elio and Oliver, but there was something more to it, i couldn't wrap my finger around it, something was missing, like it wasn't enough that it was just them. So i went online and watched all the interviews with Timothée and Armie.

Honestly, something you need to know about me, i was never involved in a private life of a celebrity or knew all this PR, Hollywood, fake relationships shit until i came here on Tumblr. So when i watched the interviews i was like "Aww they're such good friends, they're really close if they talk like that and touch each other like that, if they compliment each other like that etc", because i was like "You can't ship two actors, are you insane?? Armie's happily married with two kids, his wife looks good (on photoshopped pics, i never zoomed in her eyes and jaw), and Timmy's definitely straight and all that bs."

So time goes by, and I'm still shipping just Elio and Oliver, and Armie and Timothée like bros and good friends (that rolled around naked on bed, and made out for 10+ minutes).

And then TIFF happened and that was a breaking point for me. Even before TIFF when Timmy showed up after being a ghost for 6 months, and he showed up for Armie Hammer. That kind of spiked in my book, that was the first time i gave myself a permission to believe there's more to it than just friends. And then the TIFF hug and everything that happened at TIFF.

So i joined Tumblr and realized i wasn't the only one with that opinion, it was good but still wasn't enough for me. Now, I've seen Charmie being spread around and never really took it seriously, like i saw them as nothing but friends. But that hug, that hug was...everything to me. I'd think of Armie being married and then the hug, I'd think Timmy's probably straight, and then the hug. The TIFF hug undid all the doubts i had of them being just friends.

Then SSIFF happened and the rumor about Tim going to dinner with LRD and then his eyes, those sad eyes, he wasn't sick, we've seen him being sick, it wasn't the same. No, those eyes were pure sadness and anxiety, and i remember seeing him like that and all I wanted to do is fly over to Spain to hug him for whatever reason.

Fast forward to the first Central Park picture of Tim and Lily.

That's when i got very suspicious. Okay, they were at TIFF and SSIFF, there was no interaction, that rumor of them going to the same dinner was just a rumor until the black and white picture came out months later (where Timmy looked like he was holding some sort of guard), how come this relationship just sparked out of nowhere? (Lily was on the set for 2 weeks, no time to fall in love) Then Mud happened, then those pictures from the rain, then those from Central Park, and all the gossips and rumors and made up stories...everything was so suspicious to me. So i log onto Tumblr again and saw all the theories and i tried to develop my very own.

If Charmie was just a fantasy, and it was made up by couple of people on the internet, then it shouldn't bother anybody, because it was just a fantasy, and this relationship began so close to the TIFF hug that got me thinking "What if it's not just a fantasy but something real, and they're covering something up?". Because, let's face it, not in a millions of years would I ever put Timmy and Lily together in a relationship. He was Tim, and she was very problematic (from family to drugs, lbr). It got me to question either Timmy and his choice of women, or his PR team (I learned that here). But Timmy went on being his perky self and this relationship just stunk to the core.

And from that point on, everything was smooth sailing.

Maybe I've gotten far into something I shouldn't have, but the point is, the reason why i started to believe in Charmie is because of the fake relationship. It was too close to them being publicly affectionate and too far from thinking Tim would really fall for a woman like that. I'm sure Lily's okay in a closed room alone, but in public, i don't like her very much and it has nothing to do with Tim, or me being a jealous person that wants Tim all for myself (he's not my type), i wouldn't follow someone like her and her insights in the world. Simple as that.

After that, i turned the film around and realized that they've probably been "together" since CMBYN promo or so. The fact that "friendship" like Tim's and Armie's had to be covered by a fake girlfriend and a wife that was rather a control freak, then i got my thoughts straight.

Now i know what we say about Tim and Lily, and Armie and Liz, they could all be legit and really in love and happy, but...i just don't see it. And i know what we say about Tim and Armie could be false, or it could be true, we're just speculating, but my God, when all the pieces are put together, when all the videos of them gawking at each other, their body language, their eyes and compliments, just them being them...it's hard to see them as just friends and co-stars. They went through something when they were filming CMBYN, and I seriously doubt they stopped at that. I think this movie awoke something in both of them and they deepened the bond and it got them where they are now.

So, thank you PR teams for making me believe in Charmie, you did a shitty job and each time you screw up a bit, I believe in them even more, because the more you try to cover something up, the more real it gets for me. And it's not just them, it's the entire picture, this is very simple and people with logical thinking can see it also.

Conclusion : I am a Charmie, i love and support both Armie and Timmy separately and together, i don't like Lily and i think Liz is very...something. No hate, this is just my opinion on all this.

Have a great day, sorry for the long post, here's some Charmie love.❤️

[cashtonwoah-blog]

Better Man // Part 2

Hey guys! Hope you liked the first part of Better Man, my newest fanfict for Ashton! I'm really enjoying writing this, and felt inspired recently as I have just returned from a holiday! Enjoy this second part.

Warnings: light smut, swearing, slight mention of controlling relationships.

****

"He called you cute?!" Camila squeeled with delight, as I recalled the events from earlier in the day.

I sighed, but smiled a little. For once Camila actually sounded invested in one of my guy stories.

"And then... His mate just walked off with him?!" she asked confused.

"Well, Luke his friend, and band mate, basically dragged him back to have a nap, he'd had so much to drink Cami" I scoffed.

"He's in a band?!" Ed gasped.

"Go Y/N! You've pulled! " Camila cheered, clapping.

"Comeon guys, I was just providing support. He was quite drunk so I bet he doesn't remember any of it". I chuckle, picking up my drink and heading back to the bar after finishing my break. I wasn't try to make a big deal out of the chat with the boy as it wasn't a big deal, but he was kinda cute. And it was nice that he felt comfortable talking to me.

****

"Lucky number 7, numero siete" I hear the entertainer Sami shout from the stage. Bingo was a very popular game in the hotel, especially as the old folk found it fun. I'd noted that the hotel was busier tonight, filled with all ages, which meant good business. I'd already had to stop 2 guys on a stag do from having more alcohol. I continued to make my favourite cocktail for a lady at the bar, Love On The Beach, which had vodka, strawberry flavouring with peach schnaps and a dash of lemonade. I presented the lady with the drink, to which she lightly clapped.

"Excuse me miss?" I hear a voice say at the bar. I turn around and see the curly haired boy, looking rather sleepy. His hair was messier than usual, and he was dressed in the same clothes are he had on 5 hours earlier. He rubbed his hand in the back of his head in an awkward fashion.

"Well hello rockstar, back for another drink?" I jokingly ask.

He smirks, sitting down at the bar, placing his head in the palm of his hands. I decide to make him a special drink. It was my first drink I learnt from Camila, a hangover cure! Orange juice, lemonade and a few other secret ingredients. I make the drink up, and place it in front of him.

"Please tell me there's no gin in this" he groans, lifting his head up from the bar table to inspect the drink.

I chuckle. "None what so ever sir".

He goes to give me a €10 note to pay for the drink. I wave my hand across my chest.

"No charge, its on me" I smile, pushing the drink closer towards him. He replies with a wide smile, I note his big ___ eyes, looking at me.

"Thanks Y/N" he replies, taking a sip. He subtlety moans.

"That's lovely".

"Enjoy... D'you know, I never got your name." I chuckle.

"Really? How rude of me." the boy laughs, offering me his hand.

"My names Ashton" he says, shaking my hand.

"So I wanted to apologise for earlier, I wasn't myself, and normally I'm not that much of a drinker like that" he said.

"It's okay, I've heard a lot worse stories over the past few months. I witnessed a divorce at this very bar, so you're good" I reply.

"Wow" is all his reply is. He takes another sip of the drink, followed by 2 headache tablets.

"Did you have some dinner?" I ask.

"Not yet, I'm waiting for Luke and Sierra and then we'll head out for the night" he replies.

"So is Luke a friend in your band?".

"Yup, he's the guitarist and vocalist, I'm the drummer" he says proudly.

"That's so cool!" I smile. As I attempt to find out more about Ashton, I hear a clicking of a finger and find a big old gentlemen trying to beckon me over to his side of the bar. I sigh.

"Excuse me Ashton" I say, walking to the gentlemen.

"Finally! I've been waiting for service for ages!" the old man moans.

"I do apologise sir, how may I help?" I reply awkwardly.

****

Its 1am, and the stag do have finally left the bar to head into the town centre for a night out. I sigh in relief, tidying up so I can close up and head home for the night. It was my day off tomorrow so I was looking forward to a lie in. I decided to start clearing the tables first, filling my tray with cocktail glasses. I hear a smash of glass, I turn around and see Margot by shattered glass.

I groan, heading over to her with a brush and pan. I smile at her, and let her get on with cleaning up the mess. She just shrugs at me, and proceeds to clean up. Throughout my shift, all I've thought about is Ashton, and how lovely he was. For the rest of the night before Luke and Sierra returned, we talked about lots in between me serving customers. We spoke about living in England, something both of us had done.

"Don't you miss home?" I questioned.

"Yeah, but the boys and I knew that we had to leave Aus a bit to try and get known musically. It was brilliant, living on our own, no rules, no nagging mums-" he says.

"No cleaning" I interrupted, laughing. He gives me a playful nudge at my comment.

"So did you live alone in England before moving here?" he asks.

"I actually lived with my Dad until he remarried, which became difficult to I decided to stay here for good!" I reply with a smile.

Ashton pouts. "But do you not miss home?" he asks.

"Not really. I have bad memories of home, with family and other people, so it was nice to start all over here again" I reply.

"I get it, like I miss home but so much has happened since I moved out and focused on the band" Ashton smiles.

****

I continued to clean the bar, and manage to finish around 2am. I sigh looking at my Apple Watch, noting the time. I head to reception to sign out, and am greeted by Ashton, sat on the chairs, like he was waiting for someone.

"Hey Rockstar" I smile tiredly, trying to hide my yawn.

"Hey Y/N, going home?" he asks.

"Yup, off tomorrow which will be nice".

Ashton looks somewhat disappointed. "Oh? So I won't see you tomorrow?" he replies, looking at the floor.

"Not at work nope, but if you're in the town or about maybe I'll say hey" I wink, confused at why he appeared so disappointed.

"That would be nice, Luke and Sierra were thinking of heading to the beach tomorrow, so maybe see you around" Ashton says.

"Well personally, I'd go to the one further down towards the airport. Its much nicer and better quality sand, if you get me. I head there with Cami and Ed often, it's nice" I smile.

"I take it Ed and Cami are mates?" he asks.

"Yup, Cami is a cleaner here at the hotel and Ed works on reception." I reply.

"That's cool, well maybe I'll say hey to them if I see them around, point out next time? He asks.

"Will do, enjoy your night Ashton" I smile, signing my name and walk towards the exit.

"Goodnight Y/N" he smiles at me, before walking away.

****

I couldn't sleep last night, which was weird for me. Normally, I'm out like a light, but last night was different. I had Ashton on my mind and I couldn't work out why. The way he smiled at me, made me laugh all night at the bar. The sparkle in his Hazel eyes got made me feel gooey.

I decided to get up, and head to the local Spar to get some food bits for the day. I parked my car in the car park, and headed into the store. I grabbed a roll, some Lays crisps and a bottle of Pepsi. I turned into the sweet section and overheard a woman with an American accent laughing.

"Luke! There here, come get the candy" she laughed, before walking into the same section as me. I stopped, and recognised the voice as Sierra, Luke's girlfriend.

"Oh hello" I warmly smile, continuing my shopping and placing some strawberry laces in my basket.

"Hey Y/N, Ash said you had a day off today!" Sierra says, grabbing the same bag of sweets.

"Do I hear my name?" I hear Ashton say, as he turns the corner into where we're stood. As soon as he sees me, his face lights up like a little boy in Christmas day. I playfully wave at him. He comes over.

"Hey Y/N, did you decide on a beach day too?" Ashton says.

"As a matter of fact I did! I take it you listened to my suggestion of this beach?" I say, pointing to the beach over the road from the shop.

"Ahhh so you recommend it... That explains a lot." Sierra winked at Ashton.

"Well it would be rude of us to not invite you along to sit with us for the day, if you wanted?" Sierra asks.

"That would be lovely, thank you. It's always nice to have some company on my days off" I reply, excited at the fact that I get to spend time with them, as they seemed like a good bunch of mates.

Ashton smiled over at me, beckoning me over to the sweet counter.

"Now Y/N, what other sweets should we get?" he asks.

****

"You're definitely cheating!" Ashton insists, pouting like a four year and throwing the cards onto the blanket.

I laugh, picking up the cards and start to reshuffle the deck. It's the 5th round of Rummy and Ashton had lost every single round.

"What can I say, I'm just too good for you" I wink playfully. Ashton rolls his eyes, poking my chest playfully. I watch Sierra and Luke, who are play wrestling on the beach. Its been good hanging out with the three of them for the day. They've spoken a lot about the band, Luke and Sierra's relationship and planning future holidays.

"They're cute together" I admire the couple dancing on the beach. I look over at Ashton, who is also looking at them.

"Yeah, they've been through a lot those guys, I love them lots" he smiles. "They've both been great friends to me, especially recently".

"Can I ask you, what actually happened with your ex?" I asked curiously, not wanted to upset him.

"Myself and Kay had been dating for 6 months, things were going well, but I found myself not being able to give her my full attention, with everything that was going well with 5SOS. She started to make me feel guilty for being away from her. I tried to make effort more, but in the end she wanted more than I could offer. I tried to end up several times, but each time she'd come up with a different excuse or reason not to. In the end I stupidly invited her on this holiday with Luke and Sierra to try and calm things down. Biggest mistake. She took it as a sign that we would be getting back together, but I kept saying to her that I just want to be friends. We sat down the other day and she ended up storming off. So... That's it" Ashton said, his head facing down the whole time.

I pause, taking it all it. "I'm so sorry, it must have been difficult." I reply, placing a reasurring hand on his back.

"It's okay. I just feel bad that she wanted more from me that I can offer. She knew my schedule. I just wish I could find someone that understands that" he sighs.

"I get you, like a no strings things?" I ask.

"Basically yeah, it's how things with her started, but then it clearly got more complicated. Feelings get mixed up. Sex turns into moving in. It went quickly." he says.

"I get that. My ex jumped ahead, its scary, especially if you aren't ready for it" I reply, sighing.

"You went through the same thing?" Ashton asks, looking at me.

I pause, preparing myself to tell the story.

"Yup, and it ended messy. We dated for 5 months. Started off as a hook up after meeting on Tinder, and somehow he turned it into a relationship. I basically felt forced into it, he kept saying 'it's the right thing' when in reality I didn't want it. He insisted on making it a serious relationship, meeting family and making it official on social media. When I tried to end it, all I'd get is abuse, calling me crazy and stupid. In the end I managed to leave him, but he ended up stalking me for weeks after. In the end I got a retraining order, and I've had no trouble since" I said.

Ashton sat and listened to my entire story in silence, nodding a little and sighing with me.

"Wow, you've been through a lot" he said.

"Yup, but then I look at how happy I am now, at my new job, making new friends and meeting new faces each and every day, it gives me so much happiness" I reply smiling. Ashton smiles at this comment, knowing that I'm hinting at him.

"That makes me happy to hear. I'm glad we met y'know Y/N, you're a lovely girl" Ashton says.

"Thanks Ash, I guess you're alright" I reply giving him a wink. He jokingly pushes me to the ground, and jokingly pins me down to the sand, holding both of my hands. We're both laughing, before it all goes quiet. I look deeply into his eyes, memerizing each part of his face. His cute dimples on his cheek, the crease in his lips. Realising what he was doing, all of a sudden he gets up and walks in a circle.

I pause, confused.

"Is everything okay?" I ask.

"Yeah, sorry, I shouldnt have done that" he replies worryingly.

"It's okay, we were only messing around. It was funny" I replied, shocked at how serious he was taking this.

"If you're sure, just don't wanna hurt you" he replies.

I laugh. "I'm a big girl Ash, I'll be okay" I laugh. He chuckles, rolling his eyes, before sitting back down on the picnic blanket again.

****

We get back to the Hotel, and I'm greeted by a beaming Camila, who introduces herself to Ashton, Sierra and Luke.

"Please excuse Miss Y/L/N, she's needed in a room urgently." she requests, dragging me arm away to room 263. She pulls me into the room, and I see Ed is already sat there patiently waiting, on the bed, legs and arms crossed.

"What in earth?" I whisper, realising that we're in a guests room.

"Oh don't worry they checked out an hour ago, no one new expected until later on" Cami reasurres me.

"So, spill some tea sis!!!" Ed chimes.

"Why didn't you tell us you were meeting up with the curly haired boy?!" Cami says.

"OK so his name is Ashton, and he's really sweet. We hung out with his friends at the beach, nothing special" I shrug.

"It looked pretty special to me, looked like a double date" Camila smirked. Ed clapped his hands at this.

"Ashton isn't really looking for... Anything... Or anyone for that matter... At the moment, so it definitely wasn't a date, just hanging out." I shrug, trying to contain my excitement that he was pretty cute.

"But still, he is cute girl, you gotta admit that" Camila said, smiling.

"Yeah, he is, I like him". I said, smiling and dancing around the room a little. Ed and Camila join in dancing with me, before we're interrupted by a knock. Camila forgot to shut the door behind her.

"You lot seem... Happy?" Ashton questions, seeing us all dancing. I can feel myself turning bright red, hoping that he didn't hear what I just said.

"Erm.. Yeah, just happy that it's the weekend!" Ed smiles, trying to cover our backs.

"Speaking of which, cool if I grab Y/N?" Ashton asks.

"You go ahead sweetie, we'll be just here". Camila grins from ear to ear, ushering Ed out of the room, and hide behind the corner so they can hear every word. I roll my eyes at this action.

Ashton chuckeled. "Your friends are funny".

"Yeah they're petty decent. Did you have a good day? I hope you liked the beach and that you liked the food also, because I really was worried tha-" I said.

"It was perfect, Y/N, thank you. Luke commented on how much of a great tour guide you were for us today. So thankyou. Plus you have a good eye for nice food!" Ashton smiles, lightly brushing his finger along my cheek. I can feel myself shudder at this light touch, making me legs feel like jelly.

"Speaking of food, to say thank you, I'd like to take you out for dinner tonight, just me and you. Is that okay?" Ashton asked.

I pause, shocked at his request.

"I-I would love to" is all I manage to reply.

"Great, it's a date" he winks, before walking off.

****

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 //

[gamegrumpiess]

Don't Forget About Me PART ONE?

Its been a fucken minute. I've been working a lot really. Trying to get my place together since I moved and what not. I have free time again! So here you go. Also! If you want me to continue this, let me know!

Dan x Reader

Warnings? Might be a bit sad, but nothing worth crying over.

You can request some shit!

(y/m/n) - your mom's name

(y/l/n) - your last name

(h/t)- home town

~~~~~~~

~1992~

Young Danny's POV

"Dan! Dinners ready!" My mom yells from downstairs. "I'll be right there!" I pause my game and make my way down. It's been freezing in my room lately, New Jersey winter really taking a toll on our house. The heater isn't installed yet, though I wish it was. I only have so many blankets.

"Dana, Leigh, there's new neighbors across the street. They've been here for about a week, I met the woman and her fiance last night, but her kids weren't home. I think it'd be a good idea to welcome them all. After dinner we'll all go down together. Is that a good idea?" My mom and dad have always been really nice like that. I feel wave of anxiety rush over me, it's not that I don't want to meet them, I just feel weird going to their house just to introduce ourselves. Dana nods her head and goes back to eating her soup, so content with her life. I'm not looking forward to this...

After we all finish eating, my mother tells us to get ready and look decent for the neighbors. What would 'decent' be? A regular shirt with jeans? I'll be in my jacket so I guess it really doesn't matter. After I get myself together, I walk downstairs to see Mom and Dad waiting for me and Dana. "Alright, let's go guys!" Dana comes out of her room dressed and ready as well. "I'm ready!" She yells with her childish voice. At least she's excited, because I'm not.

*ding ding dong ding*

A woman opens the door with a smile. "Oh, hello Debbie! What brings you here?" My mom smiles back at the woman, "I thought we could all come welcome you to the neighborhood!" The woman looks shocked a bit before she opens the door wide and invited us all in. "So this is my husband, call him Avi, my daughter Dana, and my son Leigh. He likes to be called Daniel, though." The woman smiles and shakes my dad's hand and mine. Dana has gotten a little bit shy, so the woman kneels down to her height. "Hi Dana, I'm (y/m/n). I work with kids your age all the time! You know, we have a pet turtle, his name is Cheesy. Would you like to meet him?" Dana's eyes light up at what (y/m/n) said. She nods her head frantically as the woman points to a glass talk with rocks and a little bit of water. "He's right there. Go ahead and talk to him!" As Dana runs to look at, what I assume is Cheesy, the woman turns back to us. "My fiance is at work right now. But my daughter and son are here. Y/N!" (Y/m/n) yells upstairs. "I'm coming!!" A little voice yells back. A girl came downstairs into view. She looks my age, but I haven't seen her at school, is she new? "This is my daughter, y/n. My younger son, Jacob is taking a nap in his room. Shes been working on her room all day." My mom smiles at y/n, "hey y/n! How old are you? Do you go to school here yet?" Y/n looks down, clearly a little shy. "I'm 12 years old... I don't go to school yet here, I'm new, I kind of don't want to." She states truthfully. She's only a year younger than me, but she seems very mature for a 12 year old. Then again, I'm kind of mature for a 13 year old.

As time goes on, y/n and her mom start breaking out of their she'll a little bit. Ms (y/l/n) says they just moved here from (h/t), she left her husband a while back and met a man who lived here. So I guess the man who lives here now isn't y/n's and Jacob's actual dad. Something about that is really sad to me, I have both of my parents. I can't really imagine what it's like to only have one in your life. "Is y/n going to go to the same school as Leigh?" I knew that question would come up. And turns out, yes she will. I'm not really complaining. At least she'll have one person she knows. I'm not entirely popular at all, but at least she won't be alone. Y/n looks at me and smiles. She really does have a sweet smile.

~later that night~

"Debbie, she's out there again! Poor kid, I hope she's okay." My dad calls out to my mom. "She's out there almost every night. Do you think she's okay?" I get curious and look at the time. 10:18 pm. Who would be out this late? Sure, it's a Saturday, but it's so cold outside this time. It's probably going to snow soon. I walk out to my mom and dad to see what's going on. "Who's outside?" Mom points out the window and I look out to see a figure sitting in the empty driveway across the street. "Almost every night, y/n just sits on the cold driveway. Her mom works graveyard shifts a lot. I wouldn't doubt it if she's home alone, poor thing." My mom puts her hand over her heart and looks down, her motherly instincts kicking in. "Leigh, could you please go out there and see if she's okay? She's always out there for hours at a time." I comply to what my mom says, mostly because I don't want to disappoint her by saying no. Also, I'm a little curious as well as to why she's out in the cold so late.

Y/n POV

Space is so cool. I've loved the stars and planets since I was a baby. On the nights when my mom is working, Jacob stays with my stepdad at his place. He's only 5, I get it. At this point I'm used to being alone. It's not a bad thing. I like it. When I was younger my dad would always leave me by myself so he could work. I was old enough to take care of myself though, little 7 year old me. I would do this back then as well. Sit outside and look at the sky. Even on days when the sky would be covered by clouds, I'd still stare In wonder above.

I hear a door close across the street and a skinny boy huddled up in jackets walk out of it. I hope he's not coming here, I'm not good with boys one on one. They make me feel awkward. Plus, he's a good looking boy. That makes it way worse. "Y/n, right?" He's standing right above me. I smile slightly, "Yeah, that's right. Aren't you cold?" He's very skinny, probably doesn't have body heat of his own like me. Im on the thicker side of the wall when it comes to looks. I'll probably always will be, but that okay. "Yes I'm freezing. But I saw you out here and I thought I should ask if you're okay."

I look up at him, "I'm okay. I just like looking at the stars. I'd rather be out here looking at the sky than in a quiet house." I tell him truthfully. "Are you home alone?" I nod and smile. "Yea, my mom works at the children's hospital and my little brother is with my stepdad at his house. I dont go because my stepsisters don't really like me. Which is fine, I don't really like them either." He sits down by me, criss crossed and hands in his pockets. "Are you okay on your own, though? My mom is worried too." His mom? Why would she be worried about me? I guess I am out here a lot. "Tell your mom im fine, and thank you for worrying. I appreciate that." He looks back to his house and then to me again. "Do you want me to sit here with you for a bit?" I smile again, "Sure. Just don't get frostbite in my driveway." He laughs and I join in as well.

~1997~

Y/n POV

I've known Dan for almost 6 years now. Since that night he'd be sitting on my driveway with me any chance we could. He's grown up a lot, but so have I. I'm proud of him, really. He just graduated high school, the only thing is, he's leaving for college. I still have 12th grade left. It sucks, my best friend is leaving. In the 6 years I've known him, I've grown to have a massive crush on him. He's gotten a lot taller, his hair has grown more, he's just this tall silly nerd. I'm not one for cliche cheesiness... But I really do love him. The times hes had girlfriends, it's been pretty painful. There's been more than a few nights when I'm on the driveway alone, or I'd have to eat lunch with Joe and Dylan alone because he'd be out with his girlfriend at that time. I'd be in pain, but I would never let it get to me. If he's had other girlfriends, it's clear he doesn't like me like that. And that's fine, I'm okay with just being his friend. As long as he's in my life at all I'm okay.

But he's leaving.

Dan's POV

My last night here in New Jersey is tonight. The flight for Boston leaves tomorrow morning, early as hell too. I'd have to go to bed soon if I really want to catch it. My room looks so empty... All my memories of growing up are in this exact house. I went to go see Ms (y/l/n) earlier today and say goodbye before she went to work, even said bye to Jacob. Y/n wasn't there, (y/m/n) said she was at band practice. I told her not to worry, I'll probably see y/n tonight since I usually sit with her in her driveway at night. Luckily, it's not cold anymore. Summer weather keeping me cool enough to not wear shorts, though. I walk out and see y/n sitting where she usually sits. Except now with a cat in he shirt to keep the cat warm in the cool weather. She looks up at me and waves, and I can't help but smile a little and wave back before starting to walk over.

If I had a choice, I'd take her with me. She's my best friend, I don't want to leave her alone. Joe and Dylan are leaving as well, she'll be alone at school and she'd have no one to sit with at night in her driveway. 6 years spent with her, and I wouldn't want to change it for the world. She's a really good friend.

"Hey.." she says, careful not to wake the cat in her lap. "Hey, I'm leaving tomorrow morning.. I wanted to come say bye to the cat." I say jokingly. She rolls her eyes and nudges my leg as I sit beside her. "Shut up, Dan. I can't believe it, you're going to college." I can't help but agree. I shake out my hair a little bit. "Yup. I really want to be a musician, but my dad said hed pay for my college if I go into advertising. I really don't want to, but I cant pay for myself on my own." She pets the cat again and shrugs. "Soon enough, you will be a musician. You'll have thousands of fans, be on stage rocking out like you've always wanted. You'll have people recognize you in the street wanting a picture and an autograph. You'll be so successful, as long as you put your passion in it." I can't help but smile at her. That is my dream, always has been. "It's gonna be weird without you guys. Senior year... I have one more year before I leave too," she looks at the sky again. "It's kinda scary. I won't be a kid anymore. Growing up in general is scary." I grab her shoulder and look in her eyes. "Hey don't talk like that. You're gonna be a great voice actress like you've always wanted to be. You might even become a singer too. You have to put passion in it too. You'll be in all your favorite anime shows, and video games. You can do it too. Don't forget that." She looks down and nods. "I will. Hey promise me something though." I look at her and encourage her to go on. "Don't forget about me. I know you're gonna grow up and find all the success in the world, just don't forget about this time in your life. Our friendship, who you are. Don't forget, please." I give her a sad smile and lean in to hug her. "I could never forget about you. You're one of my best friends. Don't worry. I'll keep in touch as much as possible, I promise." She smiles and hugs back. I start to walk back to the house when I hear her call my name again, "Dan!......." I turn back to her and she looks down before looking back up to me. "Be safe out there." She stares at me and I nod. "You too, y/n.."

To be continued?~