#aesthetic • always one season away from everything changing.

[libbystcwart]

tag drop!

[sterredem]

Descendants

F1 grid x driver!rookie!reader

Face claim Pinterest girls

Warning Mention if addict (max with RedBull), Not proofread, spelling mistakes, long

Summary the new rookie on the grid is obsessed with descendants and makes it everyone’s problem

A/N bsf/n = best friends name (for anyone that didn’t know)

I like it! I hope y’all also do. It’s pretty long and I made it over here course of a few weeks so there can be parts where it doesn’t fit so if you notice that please say it so I can fix it! I have also had my descendants obsession come back with the new movie. (Still deciding if I like it or not)

Please repost and comments it helps a lot! Feadback is also appropriated!❤️🫶

Instagram

Liked by LewisHamilton and 2.735.567 others

f1 BREAKING: Y/n y/l/n will make the step in 2025, signing a multi-deal with Red Bull! ✍️

View all 8.276 comments

User1 YES!! 💜💙

User2 OMG? Already up to red bull? I would suspect that she would go to rb first!

User3 There are going to be a LOT of GenZ on the grid! It’s gonna be chaos!

User4 wait till everyone finds out how crazy and a PR nightmare she is 💜💙

User5 LETS GOOOO

User6 power duo with her and max

User7 Women in F1 again??

User8 YESS!! 💜💙 I have loved her ever since F3!

User9 Why do so people use the blue and purple heart?

User8 its an inside joke with her and the fans. It’s better if you get to know it through something else (I’m not trying to gatekeep its also just really hard to explain)

User9 alright. I’ll look it up.

User10 not really surprised

User11 she’s so pretty

User12 why do they say multi-year and not the year?! ITS SO ANNOYING!!

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Instagram

Liked by RedBullRacing and 926.752 others

Y/n_Racing Ready for 2025 with red bull. Already binge drink wing this drink. Happy to drive the bull for a few year (hopefully a long time)💪

View all 9.968 comments

RedBullRacing Happy to have you on our team next year💪

MaxVerstappen1 2 history makes in the same team… this is gonna be fun. Happy to have you as a team mate

Prema_Team Sad to let you go, but happy to see you in f1. Great job Y/n💪

User1 HISTORY MAKER!!

User2 Why is this such a dry caption? From what I’ve heard she is a PR problem but this doesn’t seem like it

User3 she is… she has a second account that is managed by herself and that is the chaotic and problematic one. PR has tried to take it away but she always finds a way to get it back. So they’ve given up. I think I’m a few minutes she is gonna post on their and cause a problem of post a chaotic post

User4 FINNALY A WOMEN AGAIN!!

User5 she will be the inspiration to Kay many jong girls

User6 Already looking forwards to the next season!

User7 wait… so where is Carlos going?

User8 her and Ollie being on the grid together is just so funny to me. They are going to cause havoc

User9 I already love her and I’ve only seen a PR made post

User10 💜💙

User11 wait till everyone sees her descendants obsession. They won’t think the same about her

User12 she is so pretty

User13 she looks so nice😊

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Instagram

Liked by bsfuser and 745.578 others

Y/n_Real Just vid announced as a RedBull driver… I think I need to change the aesthetic to red…… good this the new descendants movie will be with a lot of blue (and Evie will be our saviour!)!! Als the 5th picture is how it feeling rn.

View all 14.852 comments

Bsfuser AAAHHHH IM SO HAPPY!!!!

Y/n_Real YESSSSS

Bfsuser Also the rise of red and Evie our saviour 🙏🙏

Y/n_Real REAL!!🙏🙏

User1 AAAHHH!!! IM SO PROUD

Y/n_Real THANK YOU!!💋💋

User2 OMG I FOUND THE SECOND ACCOUNT!! And user3 was right!

User3 Always eats with her posts

User4 The mal picture is so real

User5 I love how she interacts with her fans in this account

User6 wait why rise of red? Isn’t that Ferrari?

Y/n_Real yes. But CINDERELLA AND HER DAUGHTER! (Sorry for being passive aggressive I am just SO EXITED ABOUT EVERYTHING (but they are both blue so yaya red bull!))

User7 I love her and bsf/n’ relationship!

User8 do you know how they became friends? I’ve seen a lot about them but I’m just wondering

User7 yes I know! They became friends at a comic con event for the 3rd descendents movie where they sat next to each other so they began talking and became friends

User8 That so funny! How do y’all know all this?

User7 sometimes Y/n or bsf/n go live and just talks a lot

User9 The make up looks so good!!

User10 you are so pretty

User11 Post 941 of Y/n putting mal in her post (don’t break this streak sweetie)

Y/n_Real OMG YOUR STILL HERE!! I love you!!

User11 ILY TOO

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Instagram

Liked by Kyliecantrall and 626.735 others

Y/n_Real SO PROUD OF YOU KYLIE!!! All that aside… I am soooo proud of you Kyliecantrall and I’m very happy that you have made it this far!

For anyone that’s nee here: this is my VERY talented friend Kylie, and she has made it into a Descendant movie!! I have had the honours to go to the premiere and to have known this lovely lady for quite some time!

Love you Kylie and you did an AMAZING job playing Red!!

(Also 5th picture is how I felt at the premiere)

View all 9.925 comments

Kyliecantrall I LOVE YOUUUU!!!💋❤️💕

Y/n_Real ILYYY 22222!!!! 💋💕❤️

Bsfuser I LOVE U KYLIEE!!!

Kyliecantrall I LOVE YOUT TWOOOO!!!😘😘

User1 I love her friendship with bsf/n and Kylie

User2 OMG SHE WAS AT A DESCENDANT PREMIERE!!!

User3 I WAS SO EXITED WHEN U SAW HER!!

User4 real ones know who Kylie is and her friendship with Y/n and bsf/n

User5 Now the male picture again😂

User6 I’m still so confused at this

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Instagram

Liked by Bsfuser and 767.725 others

Y/n_Real New team, new me (Also this wasn’t my plan Bsf/n dragged me into this)

View all 8.726 comments

Bsfuser Don’t say I dragged you into this. It was YOUR plan

Y/n_Real STOP SPREADING LIES!!

User7 It looks so good!

User8 Why does this seem so random?

User9 My new fav brunette and black haired duo

User10 I love you both!!

User11 you both give me dark academia vibes and I’m LOVING it!

User12 So cute!

User13 and there we go with mal… again (not complaining)

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Instagram

Liked by Bsfuser and 925.725 others

Y/n_Racing Life as a newly brunette and attending an f1 race as an announced driver for the first time

View all 9.926 comments

Redbullracing Happy to have you and glad we can see more of you next year😊

Maxverstappen1 It was nice seeing you again!

Alex_albon I see you have already taken after my hair dyeing. Welcome me the grid Y/n

Bsfuser Rude that you didn’t invite me🙄

User1 Brown hair looks good on you

User2 she is really living the dream life: going to premiers and f1 races and also going to drive in f1 and being besties with descendants cast members

User3 just wait until she meets dove Cameron or Sophia Carson, she WILL freak out

Y/n_Racing DONT EXPOSE ME!

User4 my favourite celebrity

User5 So happy to see you on the grid next year!

User6 just wait until the grid sees her descendant obsession.

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Time skip to 6 races in the season

Twitter

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Instagram

Liked by DoveCameron and 1.564.254 others

Y/n_Real A real dream come true! Me and @bsfuser met the people that started our friendship!!! It was an absolute dream meeting @DoveCameron and @SophiaCarson !

(We also got some great advise… you will see it soon)

View all 123.625 comments

DoveCameron I also had a great time meeting you! Liked by author

SophiaCarson It was lovely meeting you and bsf/n (I also hope you can do something with what I said) liked by author

Bsfuser THIS STILL FEELS LIEK A DREAM!!

Y/n_Real FOR REAL

OscarPiastri Weirdo. I noticed you where obsessed with descendants with the music that always comes from your drivers room but this…

Y/n_Real Says the one that is doing a movie marothon from descendants with his girlfriend

User7 AHHHH THEY MET!!!!

User8 What did they tell you?!

Y/n_Real It’s a secret 🤫🤫🤫

User9 Not this being one of the only posts with over a million likes😭😂

User10 I love how the drives are already aware and done with her descendants obsession

User11 I AM SO JEALOUS!!

User12 I love that for y’all!! (Totally not jealous and not sarcastic)

User13 Them also commenting🫠🫠 so cuteee!!!

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Liked by Descendants and 1.725.267 others

Y/n_Real Dove, Sophia, Bsfuser, Alex, Kylie and a lot of the drivers + descendants movie cast said I should do it… so I did. New hair era!!!

View all 267.275 comments

DoveCameron It looks so good!!

Y/b_Real Thank you!

SophiaCarson I said it would be a good idea!

Y/n_Real And you were right!

Bsfuser Should I go blue?

Y/n_Real YES!!

Alex_albon Already going for my bit I see

Y/n_Real you’ve never done purple soo…

OscarPiastri This is really beginning to become a problem

Landonorris True

Zhouguanyu24 True

Hulkhulkenberg I also see it

Logansargeant I also do

Yukitsunoda0511 Same with me

Valtteribottas I fear I also see it

Kevinmagnussen I also see this becoming a problem

PierreGasly I also do… and why purple? There are a lot of different… better colours

Lancestroll I have to admit I also see this as a problem…

DanielRiccardo Why doe it kinda look good??

EstebanOcan It doesn’t…

Fernandoalo_Oficial It does, shut up Estie

Carlossainz55 Yeah shut up Esteban

LewisHamilton It looks really good Y/n!

Y/n_Real Thank you Lewis!

LewisHamilton Also I also think Descendants is a great movie series

Y/n_Real YESSS!!

Maxverstappen1 Obsessed

Y/n_Real Says the RedBull addict

Charles_Leclerc should I now also whatch it? I want to but I think I’ve already heard to many spoilers from you

Y/n_Real watch it.

User1 All the drivers in the comments😭😂

User2 I think the grid noticed her obsession

User3 They FINNALY caught up!

User4 The hair looks amazing!

User5 everyone here talking about the hair but has anyone seen the make up?? IT LOOKS AMAZING!!

User6 Y/n had really made it now

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[beegalactica]

The real 'glow-up' is all mental.

With it being the prime season for the 'how to glow up' guides to make their rounds in the media we consume, it is always worth reminding yourself that the only way you are going to 'glow up' on the outside is if you 'glow up' on the inside.

I personally get annoyed with the whole glowing-up phenomenon because it perpetuates this idea that there is some kind of 'end goal' in life and once you reach it, everything will be perfect. In a world where the idea of what it means to be attractive, intelligent, successful, or desirable in any way is constantly changing, there is only one constant: YOU.

You are a lifelong investment, and you are worth every penny, second, and ounce of effort you put into yourself.

Let's go over some of my glow-up tips and habits for you this year and examine how much of your levelling-up will really need to take place in your head.

Invest in your hygiene. This doesn't mean buying the most expensive skincare and having a 30-step routine, this means brushing your teeth every day, taking showers regularly and looking after your hair. Of course, we all want to achieve that 'clean girl aesthetic' but to me, simple hygiene is the best way to send a message to your body and mind that you care. Nothing says "I love you just the way you are" to your body like taking the time to clean it, care for it and pay attention to what it needs.

Invest in your surroundings. Now I know, making your bed every morning can be an unnecessary waste of time, especially if you're just going to end up getting back into it at night, but I like to think that my surroundings reflect my mental state, so if my room is a mess, best believe my mind is a mess too.

Invest in your interests. Start a hobby, pick up a new skill, try to find a book that interests you, or even start a Tumblr blog 😉😉! This year, I am focusing on really cultivating myself and becoming an interesting person who has things to talk about with people, instead of mindless gossip or resulting in self-deprecation to entertain others.

Invest in your happiness. Do what makes you happy. Distance yourself from those who seek to pull you down, to prop themselves up. You are worth so much more than that. Sometimes, those people are in our households, and the only way to cope is to know what makes us feel good and chase that happiness. Know that whatever issue you are facing shall pass and you will feel good again.

There is a common belief among people who may struggle with their self-image that once they fix this, or change that, everything will be perfect, but as someone who has had that mentality, it won't. If you want to lose 10kg for example, but hate your current body, waking up skinny tomorrow won't fix that voice in your head that tells you that you're still not good enough. If you love yourself as you are, and acknowledge that exercising is a form of self-love, and it doesn't take away from it, that mental glow-up will begin to manifest itself physically.

What's the point of others complimenting you daily if you don't believe it or can't accept it because you don't think of yourself the way that they do?

Trust me when I say this, my biggest milestone on my 'glow up journey' was not losing x amount of weight, but looking at myself in the mirror, first thing in the morning with no make-up or styling, and still being able to say "Damn, I'm so beautiful." And I can confidently tell you that to reach this point, I didn't set the intention of losing weight and trying to become more beautiful, I set the intention of loving and accepting myself the way that I am and all the actions that followed after stemmed from this love that I have. I didn't feel the need to exercise because I wanted to be skinny, but because I knew that it was what my body needed, and I loved my body so much that I was willing to do that for her.

It's easy to get wrapped up in so many things and lose sight of yourself, but when that phone is off and you're all alone, disconnected from the rest of the world, what do you say to yourself?

P.S. If you're reading this thank you all for the love on my first post! Opening Tumblr every day to new notifications has created this sort of excitement and extreme joy that I didn't even know was possible! Stay safe and take care of yourself 💗💓

[burst-of-iridescent]

atla live action thoughts: episodes 3 & 4

SPOILERS AHEAD

tw: opinions

things i liked:

jet, you beautiful, beautiful man. had me twirling my hair and kicking my feet fr i NEED this show to get a season 2 just so i can see more of him in the ba sing se arc please netflix

but looks aside, sebastian amoruso DELIVERED on the performance. the softness, the vulnerability, the charm, the intelligence, yet also the ruthlessness beneath it all? KILLED IT.

the moment between him and katara where he tells her to remember her mother as she was alive and not just her death was absolutely lovely. “remember the sunrise” made me very emotional

on that note, can’t believe jetara fake marriage is canon now lmao

i am SO here for desi omashu. i love the vibe and aesthetic of the city and again the visuals are STUNNING. live action repping the south asians better than the original ever did i’ll be honest

shameless fan service but “MY CABBAGES” being so fucking dramatic had me dying

of all the things i expected from the atla live action, secret tunnel and omashu being lesbians wasn’t even on the list but i’m not mad. hilarious that they turned the cave of two lovers into the cave of two platonic siblings though

jet, omashu and northern air temple arcs actually meshed together better than i thought. the NAT episode never sat well with me in the original so i’m glad they moved them to omashu instead.

the freedom fighters were RIGHT OUT OF THE ANIMATION. casting directors absolutely killed

love that they showed resistance movements within the fire nation and azula being part of rooting them out. it’s a nice nod to the deserter, since i’m guessing they’re not including that episode

really glad to see that the atla live action is following the tradition of having weirdly unnecessary zutara crumbs in every iteration of the story because what in the om shanti om was that zutara scarf moment. 10/10 no notes

having one of the earthbenders transporting iroh be angry over losing a loved one because of iroh’s siege of ba sing se was a really great change. i’ve always thought the original glossed over the true extent of the damage iroh did, so having him come face to face with what he’d done in the past was a great way to add some complexity

“how dare you beat up that child!” everyone go home seeing zuko being beat up by a random old lady is the highlight of this series. really love that they were just running around throwing things at each other that was major book 1 zuko/aang fight energy lmao

SECRET TUNNELLLLLLLL

leaves from the vine instrumental was 100% to inflict emotional damage and it fucking worked. the scene between zuko and iroh at lu ten’s funeral was so beautiful & then to have it flipped around at the end when iroh says “everything i need is on this boat”… fuck you for this netflix i didn’t need these tears today

things i disliked/am conflicted about:

not a fan of what they’re doing with katara’s character. they’re toning down a lot of her rage and fierceness, and boiling her down to “trauma over mother’s death.” in the original katara didn’t freeze jet and splash water at him because he tried to fight her, she did it because she was hurt and pissed off! there’s no way animated katara would’ve just run away from jet without sending a water whip at his face first. i’m concerned for how the pakku fight is gonna go tbh

bumi my guy, what did they do to you 💀 this series seems hellbent on having everyone remind aang that he ran away which doesn’t work when a) you already changed aang actively running away to him just going off for a break and b) you’ve made that point! the original omashu episode was about bumi teaching aang to look at the world differently, here it just weirdly feels as though he’s punishing aang by venting all his anger and despair on him?? that’s NOT what animated bumi was like & they didn’t even have the two of them go sliding down the delivery system in the flashbacks so adding it in at the end felt very out of nowhere. they didn’t even genuinely seem to be FRIENDS

having aang immediately figure out it was bumi was… sigh. can we please not do the thing where characters already know everything it’s giving me trauma flashbacks to the percy jackson show

jet’s plan feels more reasonable here than it did in the original. i get they’re trying to show that he didn’t care about the collateral damage to innocent people and that’s bad, but idk him wiping out an entire town unilaterally felt more extreme than a few bombings.

heavily dislike what they’ve done with zhao. i know they’re trying to show him clawing his way to power but that’s more of a long feng move than a ZHAO move. it’s important that zhao always holds more power than zuko and that he has an overinflated sense of ego from the start for him to fulfil his narrative purpose of serving as a warning to zuko of what he might become.

i like seeing mailee but why are they in this show? it feels as though they’re cardboard cutouts there for fan service instead of being actual characters

overall i liked these episodes better than the previous two & i do enjoy how action-packed and visually pleasing the show has been so far.

overall rating: 8/10 for episode 3, 7/10 for episode 4

[alyssaforevermore]

Unearthed ↦ Daryl Dixon season two, part seven

Synopsis: Based on the events of The Walking Dead television series, Y/N Grimes, younger sister of Rick Grimes, attempts to survive in a world now inhabited by walkers. Family has always meant everything to her, but in this new world, can she keep her family safe and together?

Show: The Walking Dead (S1-S11)

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x fem!Reader

Warnings: coarse language, violence, character deaths, drug and alcohol references, series spoilers and general The Walking Dead content warnings!

Tags: @1ivinqdeadqir1 @callmeyn @thegeorgiahuntsman @mellxander1993 @bigbaldheadname @cjmonsterwolf @abbi23323 @actuallyklee @lanxsee @livingdeadblondequeen @sweetz1919 @moonmark98 @sarahbaker2010 @ririi-3 @ryoujoking @hayley1998 @crazyunsexycool @gabriella-aesthetic @dixons-sunshine @strqwbrina @beardedstudentsuit

Masterlist

You walked around the barn, checking for any weak spots. There were small cracks in the exterior but you couldn’t find any loose boards or spots big enough for a walker to sneak out of. This didn’t make you feel any better, however. You could hear the groans and clattering going on inside, each sound making the hair on your neck stand up.

Despite Rick’s promise to speak with Hershel, your hopes were low. If he truly believed these walkers were just sick people, there was no way he was going to agree to put them down. 

“My father’s going to kick your people out now, you know?” Maggie spoke from behind you.

You let out a small sigh, turning to face her. “You can’t seriously believe these people are sick.”

“Those people are my family.” Maggie hissed. “If Glenn would’ve just let it go-”

“We deserved to know.” You cut her off. “Look, I get why your father feels the way he does but you guys haven’t seen what we’ve seen. You haven’t seen people being eaten alive, screaming in agony. Sick or dead, they’re dangerous.”

Maggie was silent for a moment. “When Glenn and I went into town yesterday, one of those things almost got me. He saved my life.”

“Then you understand.” You whispered. “Please, help us make your father understand. Maybe we can move them somewhere else, away from where we all sleep. There’s gotta be a way.”

“I’ll talk to him.” Maggie agreed. “I don’t know if he’s going to change his mind but I’ll try.”

You smiled. “Thank you.”

Maggie nodded before turning around and heading back towards the farmhouse. You took one last look at the barn before making your way back to camp.

Hunter sat on a stump, awaiting your return. As soon as he saw you approaching, he stood up.

“Were you at the barn?”

You nodded. “It looks safe enough for now. I wouldn’t worry too much, alright? That’s my job.”

Hunter nodded, though you could feel his discomfort. Knowing what he’d experienced out there, the last thing you wanted was for him to be scared here. You had thought this place was as safe as it gets now and part of you felt guilty having brought him back here. Sure, there were much worse places to be, but you wanted the best for him.

“Listen,” you spoke, crouching down to his level. “I won’t let anything happen to you, okay? We’ll figure out a way to make this place safer for all of us. I just need you to be careful and always stay within eyesight of an adult.”

“I will, I promise.” Hunter responded. After a moment of silence, his face began to crinkle. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” You smiled.

“Yesterday Carl got to go with everyone else. He got to practice shooting a gun. Why couldn’t I go?”

Your face fell at his question, as you had no idea how to answer it. “Did you want to go?” 

“I don’t know.”

“I thought about sending you with them but I wasn’t sure if you were ready for it.” You spoke plainly. “It’s a big responsibility but if you’d like to learn we can start slow. I can teach you how to handle them safely and we can work our way towards shooting lessons.”

Hunter’s face lit up. “Really?”

“As long as you feel ready. It’s important that you know how to be safe around them. For you and for others. Do you promise to take it seriously?”

“I promise.”

You nodded. “Come with me.”

The two of you walked towards the RV, making your way inside. You gestured for him to sit down at the table while you grabbed a pistol from the bag of guns.

“First, I want to show you how to handle them.” You spoke. “There are two big rules you need to follow when you’re holding a gun. First, never point it at anyone you don’t intend to shoot. Second, keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot.”

You continued to go through all the rules of gun safety, Hunter listening intently. Then, you allowed him to hold one you’d made sure was empty. You could see he was being thoughtful, following every direction and piece of advice you gave him. 

“They aren’t as scary as I thought.” He spoke, slowly handing the gun back to you. “I mean, I know they can be dangerous if you’re not careful.”

“I get what you mean. They’re also dangerous if others aren’t careful.” You nodded. “I’ll send you with the others for shooting practice next time.”

“Thank you, Y/N.” Hunter smiled.

You put the gun away before turning back to the boy, ruffling his hair. “I’m proud of you, kiddo.”

…

Hours passed by, uncertainty still weighing over yourself and the others. You’d seen Rick leave with Hershel and Jimmy earlier, nobody knowing where they had gone. In Rick’s absence, tensions only seemed to be running high and higher within your group.

Most of the group was sitting around the front porch of the farm house, waiting for some answers. Beth and Patricia sat with Carl and Hunter, teaching them how to play chess. Maggie and Glenn sat on the stairs together, clearly having moved past their earlier spat. You were surveying the land, hoping to see Rick approaching at any moment. 

Instead, T-Dog and Andrea were approaching from the left of the porch.

“Do you know what’s going on?” T-Dog asked.

“Where is everyone?” Andrea added.

You and Glenn both approached them.

“You haven’t seen Rick?” Glenn questioned.

“Not since he went off with Hershel.” Andrea responded. “We were supposed to leave a couple hours ago.”

“Maybe that’s a good sign.” You spoke up.

Daryl and Carol now approached the four of you.

“Rick told us he was going out.” Carol said.

“Damn it. Isn’t anyone taking this seriously?” Daryl hissed. “We got us a damn trail.”

Daryl’s eyes focused on something in the distance, causing you all to turn in that direction. Shane was now approaching the group with the bag of guns on his shoulder and a shotgun in hand.

“What’s all this?” Daryl asked.

“You with me, man?” Shane questioned, handing Daryl the shotgun.

Daryl nodded, cocking the gun.

“Time to grow up.” Shane spoke, looking to Andrea. “You already got yours?”

“Yeah,” she responded. “Where’s Dale?”

“He’s on his way.”

“I thought we couldn’t carry.” T-Dog inquired.

Shane shoved your gun into your hands.

“We can’t.” You hissed, holding the gun as if it were live dynamite. “Shane, what the hell are you doing?”

Shane began handing out guns. “I’m doing what needs to be done.”

“Rick is fighting to get Hershel to let us stay. You’re ruining any chances of that working.” You hissed in his ear. “You’re ruining everything.”

You could feel the anger radiating off of him, but instead of continuing to argue with you, he moved on. 

“Look, it was one thing sitting around here picking daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe. Now we know it ain’t.” Shane turned to Glenn, offering him a gun. “What about you, man? You gonna protect yours?”

Glenn reluctantly took the gun.

“Can you shoot?” Shane asked Maggie.

“Can you stop?” She retorted. “If you do this, if you hand out these guns, my dad will make you all leave tonight.”

“We have to stay, Shane.” Carl spoke up.

Lori exited the farm house, placing her arms around Carl. “What is this?”

“Our downfall.” You mumbled.

“We ain’t going anywhere, okay?” Shane spoke. “Hershel, he’s just gotta understand. Okay? He’s just gonna have to.” He then approached Carl. “Now we need to find Sophia, am I right?”

Carl nodded as Shane held out a gun.

“Now I want you to take this. You take it, Carl, and you keep your mother safe. You do whatever it takes. You know how.”

Lori jumped between them, pushing Carl back. “Rick said no guns. This is not your call. This is not your decision to make.” 

“Oh shit.”

You all turned to T-Dog before following his line of sight. In the distance, Jimmy came out of the trees, followed by a walker on a leash that Rick was holding. Hershel was also leading another walker behind him.

“What is that?” Shane asked, before beginning to run towards them.

Everyone began to follow him, including yourself. You could tell they were leading these walkers towards the barn.

“What the hell are you doing?” Shane snapped.

“Shane, just back off.” Rick demanded.

Hershel looked around. “Why do your people have guns?”

“Are you kidding me?” Shane asked. “You see what they’re holding onto?”

“I see who I’m holding onto.” Hershel responded.

Shane let out a small huff. “No, man, you don’t.”

“Shane, just let us do this and then we can talk.” Rick pleaded.

“What do you want to talk about, Rick? These things ain’t sick. They’re not people. They’re dead!” He yelled, circling them. “Ain’t gonna feel nothing for them ‘cause all they do is kill. These things right here, they’re the things that killed Amy. They killed Otis. They’re gonna kill all of us.”

“Shane, shut up!” Rick snapped.

“Hershel man, let me ask you something. Could a living breathing person walk away from this?” Shane pulled out his gun, shooting one of the walkers three times. “That’s three rounds in the chest. Could someone who’s alive just take that? Why is it still coming?”

You were watching in horror as the scene unfolded in front of you. As much as you felt Shane was doing this the wrong way, you knew deep down that he was right. No matter how much you wanted to stop him, you couldn’t bring yourself to. 

Shane shot the walker twice more. “That’s its heart, its lungs. Why is it still coming?” He shot the walker another three times.

“Shane, enough!” Rick screamed.

“Yeah, you’re right, man. That is enough.” Shane spoke, walking over to the walker and shooting it in the head.

Hershel fell to his knees, still holding onto the leash as his face went pale. 

“Enough risking our lives for a little girl who’s gone! Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us. Enough.” Shane continued. “Rick, it ain’t like it was before. Now if y’all want to live, if you want to survive, you’ve got to fight for it! I’m talking about fighting right here, right now.”

Shane ran towards the barn, grabbing a pickaxe and beating on the chain lock holding the doors together. Everyone watched on in shock, unsure of what to do at this point. There was no stopping Shane.

Rick begged Hershel to take hold of the walker still alive, but it was no use. Hershel was in shock, his eyes darting between the walker Shane had put down and the barn. 

Shane finally broke through the lock, removing the wood plank also holding the doors together. He began banging on the doors, gaining the attention of all of the walkers inside. Then, he backed up to join the rest of you.

Everyone held up their guns, preparing for what was about to happen. In a matter of seconds, walkers began pouring out of the barn and the sound of gunshots filled the air.

“Maggie?” Glenn asked.

Maggie nodded, tears in her eyes as she held her father close. “Go, it’s okay.”

You hadn’t fired a single shot, almost paralyzed in shock and horror. You knew they were dead. You also knew how much they meant to Hershel and Maggie. All you could think about was if they had been your loved ones. Would you have the strength to do what needed to be done?

Shane turned to Rick, shooting the walker he was still holding onto. Reluctantly, Rick drew his gun and joined the group.

Your eyes landed on Hunter, who was looking at you with uncertainty. In that moment, you knew you needed to set an example. You couldn’t be afraid to do what you needed to do to protect him. Taking a deep breath, you stepped forward and lifted your gun, shooting one of the walkers in the head.

Over a dozen walkers had fallen before no more came out. The gunfire stopped as everyone looked around, observing the scene before them. Nobody spoke, so the sound of groans and shifting feet coming from inside the barn caught your attention.

You watched in horror as one final walker exited the barn. 

Sophia.

As she stepped into the sunlight, you noticed a large bite in the side of her neck. Carol let out a guttural scream, running towards her daughter. Daryl quickly caught the woman, stopping her from getting too close.

“Sophia.” Carol cried, falling to the ground in Daryl’s arms.

Sophia began to walk towards you, stumbling over the bodies laying on the ground, her growls growing more intense. You could hear Carl crying behind you and Hunter began to hug your waist. Throwing your arms around him, you held him closer.

You watched as Rick stepped forward, walking past your entire group to get to Sophia. Her growls only grew louder the closer she got to him. Rick raised his gun slowly as you closed your eyes, a loud bang echoing out through the farm lands followed by a thud of her small body hitting the ground.

-------

AN: Here we are with chapter seven of season two! I hope you all enjoyed this one. We are now entering the second half of this season and I'm very excited. Please remember to like and reblog if you enjoyed <3

[too-many-rooks]

Spoiler warning: Long rambly notes I took while watching season 3, disclaimer that a lot of this is just character moments/lines I found interesting and initial bones of an au idea for a burgeoning, extremely self indulgent slightly-darker-Alex in season 3 wip I’ve started.

Also it was the middle of the night and I was very tired and wired out of my gourd on some mix of cheap white wine and floods of hyperfixation-sourced dopamine. Also also I only started taking notes at ep 3?

Episode 3

Alex is SUCH a better spy this season than when he began even in the first few episodes prior to SCORPIA training he’s more careful and precise and the team feels better organised - he did so well on that boat I’m so proud of my baby

I’m actually enjoying Tom and Kyra fucking about more than I expected. Tom pulling Kyra together after the boat explosion suprised me by how emotive it was. But I do want them to.. go away. Alex should more isolated/desperate/have NO other choices than SCORPIA.

Everything in Malagosto seems so staged to just see how Alex will react to it all - here’s an unlocked door, here’s an Alex sized vent and a dead spot in the cameras, what are you gonna do about it? +Alex absolutely speaks French I think he’s just not giving that away yet

Oh yes yes lingering bad touch from Julia Rothman hitting the right notes even though that costume is a WILD kaftan moment. Evil carmen sandiago/noir femme fatale aesthetic where are you I miss you so much

Ohhhh Julia saying Ian walked away and abandoned him and that was what hit him worst oh my goooooooooood

(Outfit change from julie mean day change or is she just a multiple outfits a day kinda person. Believable, I guess)

Julia’s gaslighting I ssoooo crazy ‘we trust you. We want you.’ After having his closest people not trust him, and now maybe questioning if Ian even wanted him!

Julia fucking loved this, she’s totally thrilled by her own power. Queen 👸🏻.

God Jones and the department is going THROUGH IT THIS SEASON, just suddenly surrounded by corpses

Julia : offers irrefutable proof, upsets him, then presses him to continue believing what he did before and belittling his objections - very subtle but more firm tone of voice, less motherly/accepting, very clear that the noose around Alex’s neck is always there.

She’s so delighted at the prospect of making Alex into the perfect soldier

Julia: “I want you to meet your tutor”

Me: ‘here he here he comes here he comes.’ And then I threw of my blanket, pushed myself onto my knees, and started bouncing and palm clapping in sheer delight. I basically never happy stim like this but MY GOD the flood of dopamine is IMMENSE.

More manic laughter at the start of episode 4 realising I’m about to see John and young Yassen. Nicuragua! 18 years ago!

God nervous baby Yassen with a gun

HES!! SO!!! BABY!!!

Baby boy already got his colour scheme locked down

Baby Yassen has curls - is it just the humidity or maybe does he have naturally curly hair that he straightens so he looks less cute?

Johns actor has a real resemblance to Ian (and Jack Lowden) but less so to otto

Ohoho scar moment scar moment bc Yassen was nervous and fucked up two people one bullet

“Close your eyes” as I tell these people I’m going to shoot you and have faith

God cut to adult Yassen WATCHING ALEX SLEEP LOOKING SO INTENSE

“Leave the past behind us.” “Ian rider was a professional. It was not personal it was my job.” “Think of this as a school and your dead by the end of the day” (actual honesty for the first time)

Alex not committing to being able to work with Yassen is perfect

Yassen taking Alex TO HIS KNEES so easily besties not been slowed down too much by a bullet to the chest

Soaking wet!!!!!!!!

Alex shooting scene amazing, as was Yassen bursting into his room immediately after for a murder pep talk. Alex has no privacy privileges from Yassen

Yassen removing the humanity from his targets, names/faces/lives are irrelevant, they are just blank targets. “One day you’ll have to murder them.”

“That’s not gonna happen”

Yassen *be so ffr rn face*

Really interesting to see the other side of the department covering up an agent death and lying to the family - I like the department with more humanity/emotional resonance than pure ruthlessness

Shitty Malagosto communal dorm room and matching drab grey hoodies my beloved

Shame there’s no ‘your not afraid of a little prick are you?’ ‘I wouldn’t call you that’ line. (But switching out the ‘getting vaccinated will implant you with secret nano tech that will kill you’ plottline probs a good idea)

Ooooh Julia creepily poisoning him so excited making me think of her delighting in drugging him in a cocktail of ‘let me take care of you’ ways

Yassen pulling rank to break up the fight!!

Ooh Nile wants to take down Yassen so bad.

Toms film skills coming in clutch recording/ documenting things so Alex will be taken seriously, glad to see him be… less of a dead weight to the team

Begrudgingly-impressed-at-Alex Yassen, even with the “come on that’s a bad idea”, “yeah, but!” Teenagerisms

Yassen’s core (suppressed) emotions: fear, doubt, panic

Alex: love, hope, friendship (okay dear, 🙄 but remember you’re literally becoming an assassin why are you so niave all of a sudden?)

Alex insisting John saved him bc he had compassion and was his friend and that Yassen’s rejection of that makes him lonely oh oh my heart my heart

I LOVE how much fun Nile has being evil at his job of threatening children.

Episode 5

Oh my god HIT HIM ALEX where do you think you are? How do you think you’ll actually manage to get those trainees to trust you? Stop whining and hit the man with a wooden sword, christ

Smithers (in reference to Alex) “he’s out there being a teenager because of us” *cut to Alex, very much in danger, contemplating his capacity to kill*

Julia: “no one leaves,” [scorpia, me, interchangeable to her]

mission with Yassen!

Packing for the mission with Yassen!!!

Yassen can’t read his handwriting!!!

“You’ve put… lockpick?”

“I left my last one in Nile. “

Alex bitching about his meagre gadgets at point Blanc 💯

Matching tactical turtlenecks!!!

“I don’t want you to fail. I don’t want you to die.”

Alex and Yassen are a team but Yassen gives Alex command of them oh boysieeeee

Again glad they dropped the vaccine bit: vaccines aren’t dangerous, but vaping is!!

Of on a road trip with Yassen!!

A murder road trip!

Love Kyra seeing the shot and the body - I know why it didn’t happen but I do kinda wish for a more corrupted violent Alex coerced/bargained into firing it himself

That Tom confrontation was great - I do want to see it as like a ‘your getting in my way’ intentional cruelty to push him away and keep him safe when Alex is too deep in SCORPIA to be deluded about thinking he can go home

Alex rejects intimacy with Julia and she cracks down her authority ‘no one leaves’

Ep 6

Love Alex spooky in the cemetery, SCORPIA hot on his heels

Sharing a grotty safe house together god SO GOOD

“We trust each other. You should try it sometime.”

“If it’s not emotional why do you do it?”

“Because it’s my job. (Identity/life/personal connections/sacrificed everything for) I work for SCORPIA. I’m good at it. You could be too.” Olive branch of intimacy - wants alex to be more like him, so they can be equals, can share this life that he apparently finds satisfaction in, not thinking or making decisions beyond how best to achieve his goal/finish the task(/order)assigned to him/subject himself to feeling emotions/thinking about his life beyond his attempts to depersonalise himself as just a weapon - just a professional with no emotions, and that that is fundamentally who he is. Evidently having some inconvenient feelies about Alex tho.

Oh no his delivery disguise makes him look like a caveman. Glad he took off the accessories for the Jones confrontation, his hair actually looks great there all tousled. (Beginning to realise how important characters hair is to me bc I still hate Julia’s I want some dark perfect waves this Bob is ough)

I’m really glad they settled on Yassen NOT knowing about John - he twists it that John didn’t betray him bc he had nothing to gain from being kind to him, so it wasn’t false, but he is so 100% loyal to John, eager to twist any criticism. I do wish we’d seen more of their relationship, but expecting some Russian roulette bits was overly optimistic

“I know my place” he’s IMMEDIATELY off to rescue his boy (actually, where did he go? All of that last episode I was just WHAT ABOUT YASSEN? Was he just plotting a rescue that didn’t need to happen and waiting for his boy to show up?)

Dare I say… good for blunt? Stephen dillane is just so charming I can’t help but like him. And you see some flashes of his ruthlessness like when he talks to Greif but he’s not a 24/7 conniving monster. Also Jones in charge and Alex possibly (definitely) returning to spy work in a couple of years? I like that. Totally abandoning it would have felt unsatisfying.

Loved that moment on the roof - missed opportunity for them to awkwardly wave at each other, but I’m so happy I predicted wrongly and Yassen gets to live and walk away and put down his weapons. There’s so much space for how they can reconnect in that.

[darcylightninglewis]

Good morning!!! Sorry to bother but since you are the most knowledgeable person I know about Hellcheer can I ask you if you have ever read a fic where Chrissy survives Vecna and then joins the group to defeat him? Thanks in advance and have a great day!!!

Okay, first off, you're never a bother, ever.

Secondly, I am honored by your ask. Sorry for the delayed response, it's...it's been a weird emotional exhausting few days but we're back!

Where my brain immediately went to

Chrissy and Eddie’s Infinite Mixtape by @little-scribblers-heart

What may be (to my reading knowledge) the most epic rewrite of S4, really can't recommend LovelyThings enough.

(sooner or later it comes down to fate) i might as well be the one by @majicmarker

Another great one and one of the best stream of conscious Eddie writers I've ever come across. Their fics always make me laugh.

someone reaching back for me by @enoughtotemptme

Okay, this one is gonna make you sad, but eventually very happy too! It was the first groundhog style fix its fics I read for season 4 and introduced me to the writer's work who I also can't rec enough.

EDIT

OMFG, I CAN'T BELIEVE I DIDN'T INCLUDE @hangon-silvergirl!! Thank you for pointing out my mistake, @majicmarker <33

Bonus Tracks by @hangon-silvergirl

Everything by her is amazing and this is no exception. I love it when folks use things we learn from con's in fic (like Chrissy's would be Vecna song), superb. A WIP, but off to a killer start.

Now below these are ones that have been on my Marked for Later list because I'm just in need of pure uncut fluff these days but come highly recommended.

the pleasure, the privilege, is mine. by melodicvinyl

I just love the starting premise of this one, I can see it being a thing Eddie does to make her smile or it's actually his mundane superpower that finally comes in handy. Also love their other fics too.

Linger by CircusBones

Hawkin's High 10 Year Reunion! Class of 86! Chrissy Cunningham has built a life in California, far from the demons of her youth, from her mother to Vecna. There's people who were always good to her, though. Healing might have taken her away from them, and coming back has its own challenges. This story moves between the events of 1986, and Chrissy experiencing Hawkins ten years later.

I've read their shieldshock fics and love them so I'm sure I'll love this too.

like hands that tick on a clock by theredhoodie

What if Chrissy Cunningham wasn't Vecna's first victim, but she survived instead? How would that have changed things for everyone? A ST4 shippy rewrite.

aesthetic chills by sloelimbs

"aesthetic chills" is the literal translation of frisson, which is the feeling you get when listening to a really good piece of music.

put your lips close to mine, as long as they don't touch by Percyjacksonfan3

Here's the thing about Chrissy Cunningham: she actually is the straight laced dependable good girl that everyone thinks she is. She's also, until she starts having these weird visions that make her feel like she's going out of her mind, insanely bored. Or, alternatively, the fix-it AU where Chrissy doesn't die and she and Eddie try and figure out what the hell is going on with her. And with them. Also, the usual gang is there. Eventually. Because these two need some serious help fighting demons and figuring out that they are not just friends.

If I missed an author's tumblr name please forgive me, I'm preeeetty brain dead. If I missed any fellow Hellcheerios, please drop them in the comments as I'm sure this isn't an exhaustive list. But hopefully enough to get you started babes!!

Hellcheer to canon:

[feyres-divorce-lawyer]

um anyways so my brother is watching *shudder* fate and made the grave mistake of calling it a good show within my presence (honestly did he learn nothing from shadow and bone🙄) so of course i had to follow him around the apartment for seven minutes and rant about the gross, grotesque even, disservice netflix did to winx club.

first off, the world. what the fuck happened to magix? netflix what did you do to my house?! the best appeal to winx club was fairies and magic existing in a technologically advanced world that is usually almost always found in sci-fi. magix having flying cars and hover bikes and phones that make earth tech look ancient (thx tecna), and fucking laser guns subverted bloom’s expectations! she thought she would see dragons and wands and wizards because that’s what fairy tales consist of on earth AND IT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE EARTH’S MAGIC WAS DEPLETED BY THE WIZARDS OF THE BLACK CIRCLE AND FAIRY TALES WOULD REMAIN THE SAME WHILE THE REST OF THE DIMENSIONS ADVANCED! they took away magix for some harry potter, dark aesthetic vibe FOR WHAT!? where’s the color! where’s the joy, the whimsy?! bloom had fun when the girls took her around magix because it wasn’t what she expecteeedddd! the otherworld (how creative😒) is just like every other run of the mill magical world with dark secrets, cold stone castles, and mind-numbing rigidity. alfea was blue and pink and bright, and ya killed her for some hogwarts copycat, thx a lot.

next up, the most heinous crime in my opinion, bloom and stella’s relationship. ooooh i’m bout to tweak in this bitch. i watched the show’s like first 3 eps and remember nothing but bloom and stella’s relationship is not at all the same. they’re the best friends ok. the best friends. bloom saved stella from knot, she transformed for the first time thinking she was saving stella’s ring from the trix, stella was the one who introduced her to everything. they’re each other’s defenders. stella helped bloom when she was struggling becoming domino’s princess. if bloom committed murder via arson stella’s helping her hide the body. and what did netfucks do to this beautiful friendship? made them adversaries over a guy😐 sky of all ppl, that bland blonde, “mr. i’ll pursue a relationship with a girl that knows nothing about intergalactic politics and won’t know i’m engaged” ALSO keeping on track with their “change things that subvert expecations” netflix made stella into the exact type of character winx did not. this popular princess, fairy of the sun, is a mean bitchy girl? oh who would’ve thought, no one saw that coming. netflix you owe me compensation

NEXT! um where are my magical girl transformations😐 winx club the magical girl show, with magical girl transformations and banger music (harmonix has the best song fight me). what is this hand waving magic in civillian clothes nonsense. GIVE BLOOM HER SPARKLY BLUE CROP TOP AND GOLD WINGS NEOWWWW. glad the show is cancelled now tho cuz i don’t wanna see how they would’ve butchered enchantix

NEXT! the trix. oh my favorite witches. why why whyyyy would they make all three of them into one person and then apparently (according to my brother he’s terrible at describing shows tho so idk) SHE BECOMES GOOD? NO! the trix are meant to foil the winx. how neither group gives up but one fight to save the world while the other fights to destroy it. how both groups are sisters if not in blood. icy darcy and stormy did not serve cunt in season one to get meshed into some frankensteinian mess because netflix wanted to reboot a beloved kid’s show and then took way all the things that made it beloved😐

and finally, valtor. yes valtor or baltor depending on which version you grew up with. um what they did to him. who the fuck is sebastian and why is he in a baseball cap. valtor terrorized the world in a purple coat and luscious hair that he maintains with his carefully curated 22 step routine. he would NOT wear plain bland clothes with a baseball cap. BLASPHEMY!

anyways, yea netflix i hope you’re haunted by the dragon flame

[pynkricee]

A Permanent Red Stain: Redamancy

Chapter 1

KyiGo, is a woman in her 30's, divorced from her ex after 5 years of marriage, leaving her with a two year old daughter to raise. After a year of being single, trying to find self-love and her self-worth again, she finally wanted to step back out into the world and discover something worth wild. From understanding her hatred to understanding the person that it turned her into, she will always try and do what's best for her baby girl. Even if it meant sacrificing her happiness? Even if that may mean stepping into a new love she never imagined? Or breaking the cycle of being afraid to love again....

I was tired. So tired that I couldn't even keep my eyes open but I knew I had to get home, cook, clean and get my daughter ready for school tomorrow. That also meant the possibility of me putting up a slight with her to get her to sleep in time if i could. Luri, still being the age of two, was still attached and wanted to cuddle up under me every chance that my little monster got. Every time we were alone, that was our comfort in peace. She was my baby girl and I loved her more than anything. She was all that I had, and I was grateful. I couldn't ask for anything else or anything more. 

The house seemed like it was always a complete mess with her toys all over the floor, but I was even still too tired to bend over to clean them up every evening when I made it home from work. 

 Fuck It, ill do it tomorrow… (That was my main motto. I'll do it tomorrow. But even in Tomorrow, I knew I would be the definition of too busy.)

I felt like I was even too busy to have a life of my own….. 

Finally after a long night of cooking and cleaning, I was able to soundly get her to bed, this was the only time that i could squeeze a moment in for myself. And that was to be replaced with a nice, hot, long shower. I would consider this.. the best part of my day, not including spending time with my daughter of course. Yes she was my everything. My entire world. The air that I breathe.. But it was nice to get some ‘me’ time in even if that meant that I had to step away for a moment from ‘The Mommy Life.’  

Getting my main essentials ready for my shower, that I placed on the sink, I looked in the mirror fluffing up my short curly black locks that I cut off a few months ago. I was accustomed to having long hair for years, so I decided to cut it all off. When I mean I cut it all off, I went from sixteen inches to having a short undercut with a curly top. And I was completely in love with it. It was different, new but it was easy to take care of. Being a black woman in the black society, your hair was and has always been deemed as ‘your crown’, and if you didn't have the long black, Aesthetic look, you were basically judged for it. I thought it was the most stupid thing so I did the complete opposite. And I'm glad that I did because I don't regret it one bit. Aside from that I had the hair grade to pull off any hairstyle. 

Looking at myself in the mirror, I always notice my large breasts that grew up two sizes after having my daughter, is something that I still very well have to get used to. My light stretch marks that curled down my hip dips and around my waist, complimented me more than they used to before I had kids. My semi light toasty skin hue, that changed colors during the seasons. My small seven foot size with my tiny toes. I had no type of ass, but I must admit, it was soft. I always have a smile on my face when I would rub it every now and then. A slight jiggle is all I had but it was all I needed. I was very petite and somewhat slim except for the gut my little one gave me after birth that I've grown to actually love. So right now, I was just as pale as the slice of bread my daughter left for me on the floor as a gift this evening. 

(Being a mother of one, I  always tried to compliment myself every chance that I got. Even if it was in silence. Even if it was hard. Even on my toughest days I had to be the one to bring myself up for my own protection. Like I said, even if it was hard. And there were times it was hard….)

“Shit…..” This felt so good. I thought to myself as I let the hot water span down my naked body, standing under the shower, with my mouth open, nipples hard from the warm water sliding off them. I wish I had someone who could touch me right now. Just maybe hold me for a second. I opened my eyes to know the reality of my thoughts were just as dry as the hot air that blew from the heater. 

(Why… Do I always think like this in the shower? Of all places. It seems like it never fails…)

“Mama…” I then opened my eyes again to the sound of my baby girl crying, knowing that certainly meant she was missing me. That I wasn't beside her like I needed to be.  “Well then… I guess that means my time is up for the night. It really was nice while it lasted…” I said in a low tone to myself, turning off the water and grabbed a towel to dry myself off.

I took my hand, wiping it across the fog to clear my reflection in the mirror. But I couldn't help but notice the look I had in my eyes. The look in my eyes.. was somewhat.. soulless? Like something was still missing in my life. I couldn't help but let out a soft sigh and crack a small grin on the corner of my lips to let myself know ‘It was alright..’ I always tried to convince myself that it wasn't love… But I knew deep down, thats what it fucking was. That I wanted someone to just love me right for once. 

After getting dressed for bed, I held my daughter close as we went to sleep for the night. Ready to repeat the same day tomorrow. I kissed her gently, holding her in my arms in a sweet embrace that warmed my heart until we both fell asleep. 

I was just ready for the weekend…….

That next morning came and I was already ready to get the day over with. I was just ready to execute the plans I made for Luri and I for the weekend. Which included going to see the new Dora movie that came out in theaters last weekend. (Her idea though.) I won't lie, I was super excited to finally be able to relax and spend some quality time with her. Especially knowing I'd be off for the next couple of days. 

After about a ten minute drive I finally made it up to her school. All the parents were rushing in the back seats of their cars, unhooking their babies from their car seats, and running them into their classes so they wouldn't be late for work. I won't lie, I was actually one of them. 

Finally entering the building, I took my baby girl into her classroom, which was the second door to the right of the walkway entrance. When I would go in, I'd  usually just hand her to the teacher and leave after waving goodbye to her…. But her teacher wasn't there today.  “Hey Nobara, Sarah isn't here today?” Nobara was Sarah's other assistant in class that helped with handling the kids when she wasn't in attendance. As I looked around the corner of the classroom, I noticed I didn't see my daughter as she walked off around the corner to the bathroom. 

“No.. She's out sick for the week with covid. It's been really going around.” Fucking great! That's really what I needed to hear. That's all I need right now. As she was changing another child on the changing table I looked around for Luri before I walked off, but I still didn't see her. 

“Such a beautiful girl you are. I love your eyebrows!” Said the voice of a tall pale man coming from around the corner with my daughter in his arms with her coat over his shoulder. I immediately stopped because it caught me off guard. (Someone I didn't know  was holding my daughter.) 

“KyiGo ….” Nobara said walking up to me, cleaning her hands off with another baby wipe. I was still glued to this man as he too walked up to me with “My” daughter in his arms. “This is Choso. He's going to be filling in for Sarah until she gets back from sick leave.” He stood her down on the ground and we watched as she ran off with the other kids. 

“Hey I'm Choso.” He said hold my hand out to shake. I shook it but I was still hesitant about someone that was new around my baby girl. 

“Nice to meet you Choso… I'm KyiGo.” I said releasing his hand. His skin was cool to the touch but gentle at the same time. He too was somewhat an odd one though. He was dressed in all black, black Nike high tops, a black G-Shock watch on his wrist..(Which was my favorite watch brand. But I haven't been able to get as of late because they ‘were’ pretty expensive.) Black hair that he kept in a bun with a few free bangs hanging down over his Amber eyes that darkened as he stood in front of me. His pink lips….

(Wait..Wh…Why am I looking at his lips? His lips of all things..Hang on, that smell though. Is that Top Boy Cologne?) 

(Please snap out of it Go…)

“Your daughter has the thickest eyebrows!” He said with a soft smile. Nobara was sitting there, slightly looking at me giggling behind Choso. From the expression on her face she could tell my thoughts trailed off..slightly. 

“Thank you… Mr. Choso right? I have no idea where she gets them from.” I could tell I was slightly blushing and I wanted to slap myself with both hands. And as hard as I could too. 

He turned around slowly and started to walk towards the kids, cracking a small smirk on the side of his mouth making a soft “mhp” sound under his breath. “Just Choso. Added, she gets them from you.” He turned around walking to play with the babies. My daughter one of them. 

I could promise that at that moment my eyes seemed to be the exact  replica as Jasper from Twilight right about now. I had to turn my head away from the classroom because I knew for a fact it was  fire fucking red in this daycare. Nobara was ‘still’ giggling, not making the situation any better. I was so embarrassed as I bit down on my lip to where I felt it was about to bleed. “Mmmhhppp” was the softly sound that murmured from my mouth. 

My back was still turned as I waved bye to my baby girl, as I walked as quickly as I could out the school door and to my car. Rushing to unlock it, I opened the door, jumped into the seat and looked into the rear view. My face was so flushed. To the point where it looked like I absolutely had on makeup. Plus I never wore makeup unless it was a special occasion.  

Choso… That was his name right? Choso?

Wait.. No..

What am I doing? Why am I thinking about his name? Why am I..thinking about him?

[capnsupernova]

I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep so here is a running list of all the reasons I will always love the Kiera Knightly and Matthew McFadyen version of Pride and Prejudice over any other remake ever:

The music. Every time I hear that opening song I feel like the opposite of crawling out of my skin. Like crawling back into my skin after letting my skin sit in the sun for a little while. And the song that Lizzie and Darcy dance to is so moody and angsty and perfect for their relationship and conversation at the time. And the song that plays when her and Charlotte aren't speaking is such a mix of light and life continuing to go on even when you feel such intense loneliness. Ugh. Just the music.

The scenery and the cinematic shots. They turned that movie into an art piece. The scene where here and Charlotte aren't speaking, with the music, and her just sitting on that swing, spinning as the seasons change and people just go on with their lives as if she hasn't lost one of the most important people in her life until she finally hears from Charlotte again. Everything about Pemberley and the journey leading up to it and the way you can see her falling in love with Darcy as she walks through his house and how that alone is enough to get a better understanding of him and his softer, homely side. The scene at the end in the field with the soft light of the rising sun and the fog in the field. The scene after she turns down Mr. Colins, with the pond and the geese and her mother screaming at her. Every scene was given it's absolute optimal shot of emotional and aesthetic quality.

Her parents. The people who play Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are just peak in my mind. I wanted Mr. Bennet to be my dad. His affable distance, his voice, the way he smiled. The way he obviously loved his daughters but also obviously didn't understand them at all. MRS. BENNET I don't care what anyone says. She was peak Mrs. Bennet. I cannot accept anyone else. Her kind of airy, high-strung voice and way of speaking. How her hair and clothes were always in slight disarray. The scene where she learns that Lydia has been married and her family isn't in ruins, how she goes from prone and distraught to immediately like "Married?" with an absolutely light and wistful and hopeful face/voice. A full 360 of her previous mental state.

And then just the individual scenes:

Like a few of the ones already mentioned, the scene after her and Charlotte's fight. How it emphasizes so strongly the relationship between them and how that is so clearly more heartbreaking to her than anything that could possibly happen between her and Mr Darcy. Without a single word spoken or a single action taken besides the spinning and the passage of time it conveys how lost and alone she feels in those moments. The pigs being chased in the background adds a touch of humor but also is a great shot of her despair. This is something Lizzie Bennet would laugh about, something she'd find silly and wonderful and she can't do that now because her friend isn't there with her.

And the scene where she gets the letter from her family about Lydia running away and she comes out after reading it with the intention to tell them what's going on, but she's so distraught and stressed that all she can do it make that sound so she just goes right back into her room and then shows up again a few seconds later much more composed and just says "Lydia's run away" and the look on Darcy's face like "babygirl, I'm gonna fix this. You don't need to know about it, but I am going to fucking fix this because you are sad and that hurts me" just with his face.

(Also Mr Darcy in general, the way Matthew McFadyen's face can go from gloomy and bored and apathetic to so so so soft. Like. kill me, please. If anyone’s face ever did that when they looked at me, I would cut out my whole entire heart and just give it to them, bleeding and beating and all.)

(Full disclosure, this movie was probably my actual first bisexual awakening. Kiera Knightly and Matthew McFadyen can do whatever they want to me.)

The scene where Jane is leaving to go on her trip after Bingley has left her with no word, and she's sitting on the back of the coach and she's smiling but it's such a frozen, practiced smile that never reaches her eyes so you can still see her heartbreak.

At the end, when her and Darcy meet in that field, and he's confessing his love to her and all she says is "Your hands are cold" which isn't I love you, exactly, but then she brings them to her lips and there is so much care and gentleness that it might as well be I love you.

The scene where Mr. Bingley comes back to propose and their all just chilling, lounging in the sitting room until they get the call and they flurry around the room to get "presentable" and then the door opens and they're all just sitting perfectly poised and pretty as if they weren't just flurrying around the room.

Listen.

There are some things I would have liked more of. Like the scene where she comes to visit Jane while she's sick and Caroline says that bullshit about how she looks "positively medieval" and Darcy is supposed get all snappy and say "well, actually, I think the walk made her look more lively." LIke more of him defending her when she's not even around to hear it, becasue that foreshadows so much of his behavior towards the end, including him specifically asking Lydia never to tell anyone that he was the one that helped her get married.

But just about everything else.

Everything.

I don't care that it wasn't as true to the books.

Because in some ways, with the changes they made, it was more true to the books and the characters and the intent of the book. I am of the camp that movies shouldn't be exactly like the book. It should be its own experience. Translating books directly and perfectly into a movie/tv show is just boring to me. Make it something unique. Make it an extension of the story, not a carbon copy of it. Like the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. There is not a single remake of that book that is exactly like the book itself or is exactly like each other, on purpose. Changes should be made, but only if those changes are actually meaningful and better express what is happening between the characters. And the changes made for this movie are so perfect and lovely.

There is so much that is captured without the need for words.

Everything about this movie will always immediately put my heart and soul into a good place. This movie single-handedly makes me believe in love. And not just any love, but a love of understanding, a love that takes work and communication, love between women and the importance of female relationships over all else. The way the scenery and music speak just as much as the characters do.

I just think about that movie sometimes and it makes my heart feel so many inarticulable things.

Anyways. yeah. That's all. Thanks for coming to my 4AM rant about P&P.

[fuckentoastybitch]

My VN List!

I'm listing them according to ones I've played and ones I plan to play (as well as brief notes about either my opinion on the game or why I'm interested in them, formatted like this.)

This is for my own personal collection tbh, I just need to put them all in one place.

A. Have played:

The Arcana. Played since I was 16, all time favourite and Julian is my husband. This game shaped my interest for fantasy settings and magic. BUT! As a long time fan I must warn new players that trying to get the full experience for this game is difficult because of its coin system. The only reason I manage to keep playing for years is because I literally take a year's worth of breaks in between routes and logged in every. Single. Day. to collect coins and keys. It's literally been 6 years and I still haven't 100% the game yet cause I simply didn't have that kind of energy and time to do that anymore, but I still love the characters very deeply till now.

Blooming Panic. Second all time fave. Fell for Quest first, fell for Toasty hardest, for some reason is obsessed with xyx. I've revolved my entire personality around BP since 2023.

ERROR 143. Fun! Micah is technically not my type but I really like the general aesthetic and humor of the game. Iirc there are still more content to come to the game so I am very excitedly and patiently waiting.

3 Seasons. This was short and sweet. I think what I liked the most about this was the unique character designs, especially Rye and Briar's. I heard the dev's are working on more content on the current LI's + Briar's route, I'm really excited for those.

Our Life: Beginning & Always. Our life was INCREDIBLE, to put it simply. The entire game and story was very well thought out that it even made me reflect on my own life at each phase along the game. It gave me a really strong sense of nostalgia and reminded me of my own feelings during every change I had experienced. I actually wanted to make a whole post about OLBA but I got busy and already forgot everything I wanted to say, ehe. I still have to play the DLC and get the remaining locked CGs though.

Assignment Due: Project Blue. THIS GAME IS ADORABLE. I already made a blog post about what I like about it and I will again emphasis on how this game felt like it was made specifically for me. I love Asher so much aaaaa. I heard rei, the dev is working on another game for Eden, I'm looking forward for that, too.

Coffee Talk. Coffee talk was so so good! I need to play more non-romance VNs too cause this was so enjoyable in terms of its storytelling, setting, gameplay and design. Every character had such a nice story that tied up nicely, even the MC who's supposed to be just an observer throughout the entire thing. Also the cozy vibes and music is a 10/10 would recommend.

A Date with Death. This one's so cute too! I played only one route last year and just picked it up again recently. I have only one route left to finish and the new DLC!. Anyways yes the Grim Reaper is very babygirl I can attest to it.

seekL. THIS IS SO GOOD. SO SO GOOD. If you didn't see the one week phase where I basically went insanely obsessed with seekL, you missed out. Hacker man save me.. save me.. hackerman..

B. Want to play:

Lost in Limbo. Really pretty art and interesting concept. The theme seems very fantasy/magic centric which really pulls me in. But this game is still a WIP iirc

When The Night Comes. Technically I'm currently playing this one, but only the intro and hadn't touched the game in months cause I've been busy. Again, the fantasy setting caught my interest aaand I just met Ezra but I already love him. Will continue this as soon as I can!

Infinite Blue. I've played the demo! Very mysmes reminiscent lol. The game looked very cute so far and Brooklyn reminded me that I'll never run away from my old man liker allegations. It's already out so I def gotta play it soon.

Coffee Talk Episode 2. Don't really need an explanation for this one except that the new characters I've seen so far looks really cool.

Tavern Talk. D&D inspired Coffee Talk! If it's not obvious already, I LOVE fantasy settings so even though I've never played D&D, it is right up my alley and I wish I could play it someday. I've been eyeing the production of this game for a while so I'm really excited that it's finally out!

Obscura. This one looks really REALLY cool but I haven't actually read into what it's actually about. The art alone looks good enough to get my attention. Really curious about it, I hope I'll play it soon.

Intertwine. Just from looking at the 2023 Otome Jam entries overall I thought this one looked most visually appealing to me. I love the color scheme, and the aesthetic reminds of the string of fate myth (that probably is the theme)

DATA BR<3ACH. I'm usually not a fan of cyberpunk setting but this one seemed pretty intriguing to me visually!

Innerlog. By Jenny V Pham! I enjoyed Error 143 so I have no doubt I'll enjoy this one too.

Andromeda Six. My impression of this one is "space D&D" lol. I can't believe I haven't played this one yet.

TOUCHSTARVED. I can NOT believe only the demo is out cause the quality looks like it should've been a long existing popular franchise. One thing I'm a little hesitant about playing this game is because it's goth themed and in case you haven't noticed, a lot of the media I like have a softer, more pastel aesthetic. lol. But that's a personal preference and yet I definitely need to play it sometime soon.

Cupid's Chatroom. There's really not much to say. Pink aesthetic? Mysterious chatsim that appeared out of nowhere? My cup of tea 100%

Na Daoine Maithe. I've played the demo of this one and it is sooo interesting. I like myths but I've never really read into Gaelic ones. The art is so pretty and the story so far is very intriguing. I can't wait for the full game.

Swiped!: Double Shots of Love. FINALLY AN INDIE VN WITH OLDER MALE LOVE INTERESTS DFKJFDSJKD I played the demo, it was really really cute! The professor LI was made to call me out lol

Wake Me Up If You Need Me. A game made by rice! Someone who I've seen around in the fandom and who's really talented at making songs and audios. I had no idea they made a game but I just found it recently and I have to play it.

Keyframes. It looks really good but I'm interested mostly cause I found out Charlatean (Toasty's VA) is in this kjsdhfgkjd

Rekindle. I follow the lovely artist that's creating it and the DEMO IS OUT!. I saw one (1) art of Jules and he is EXACTLY my type so I'm already looking forward to this game.

Our Life: Now & Forever. Baxter's OL game! I already loved Cove's so I'm really really interested in this version of the game. Plus, I actually really like the autumn aesthetic compared to Cove's beachy style.

Hummingbird's Crown. Has a very interesting premise: a time loop mystery. I'm definitely interested in this one for its story potential rather than the romance, I love me a good mystery.

Aaand that's it. Thankfully "( – ⌓ – )

There's actually a few more that I added in my twitter bookmarks but those are relatively new and I haven't decided if I really want to play them yet. I'm following the devs though so that interest might grow over time. These lists are long enough as they are already, haha.

[brb-on-a-quest]

DAY EIGHT

(hi, remember that if you guys have any ideas for questions I can use, you all can feel free to drop them in my box! not running out of inspiration yet, but its cool to have a wide variety of questions that I might not think of otherwise!)

~season edition~

what season are you living in right now?

what do you like most about it?

what do you like least about it?

what is your favorite season and why? (if it isn't the one you're already living in now lol)

what is your least favorite season and why? (if it isn't the one you're already living in now lol)

if there was one thing you could add/take away/change about 1 season of the year, what would it be and why?

and finally, what are some of your favorite local plants that go with each season? (example: spring-daffodils, summer-roses, fall-sunflowers, winter-evergreen) (can be any plants too, not just flowers)

Most people have Seasonal depressive disorder in the winter when everything is cold and dark and dreary. Mine hits a lot more in the summer (sigh. its summer). There are some good things about it. I like not doing homework, but there's a lot of.... added relationship stresses that get strained during the summer that is sometimes very not fun. I tend to put myself in situations and then don't actually have the backbone to defend myself from situations or making it unnecessarily harder than it needs to be. That being said, I love seeing the irl bestie (would simply not come home if it weren't for her and be looking for more work up near school) and my littlest sister is amazing to say the least.

Favorite season? I have a feeling that will change soon as I finally "get adulted" and graduated and need to move out of house and home but right now i am so much a winter and fall (particularly fall) kind of person because I am not, have never been built for heat and get very much sick in it if I'm out for Too Long in It (like now *cries*).

If I could cahnge/takeaway I'd make summer less hot so I don't get as sick which would remove a lot of summer hatred ("But Birb you could just move to like someplace cold like alaska") But then there's snow all the time And Driving In the Snow is a nightmare and I don't want to do that either (nah, i just have very little practice because do not drive as much as I should because don't normally do much during the summer and during the school year I have no car so friends drive to places; It's just a practice will get over fear of snow driving). If I can't make summer max like 5-10 degrees colder, I'd like snow to be everywhere except the roads (lmao i wish we had snow repellent roads somehow).

(Im cheating and looking up flowers no one can stop me i am too nauseous to rememer things).

spring: crocuses are pretty and bleeding hearts are nostalgic but overall picks are peonies or lilys of the valley (grandma had a bunch of those in the garden).

Summer: asters!! And daisies!! and the black eye susans!! and the coneflower daises (i called them inside out daisies for awhile)

Fall: I think grandma's marigolds were fallish? that may be summer and I maybe entirely incorrect but they giveth fall aesthetic.

Winter: we had poinsettias around Christmas times (always in the greenhouse and the cats were never allowed in there) so those ones. The real ones were so much prettier than the plasticky ones but yk beggers can't be choosers.

[softstraykidshours]

~skz and their reaction to a target trip~

pairing: ot8 stray kids x gn!reader

genre: fluff, headcanon

length: 576

warnings: teeny tiny bit of profanity

chan

you don't think he enjoys shopping trips with you, so you don't invite him initially. but when you say you're going to target to grab a few things really fast, he's asking if he can come with, because 1.) he wants to spend time with you and 2.) he doesn't want you to have to go to the store by yourself. he ends up buying you something you want but wouldn’t buy for yourself, because he loves spoiling you.

minho

he will agree to go because he wants to spend time with you, but he is going to give you so much shit the entire way there because he just "doesn't understand the hype.” however, the second he walks in and sees the themed items, he becomes obsessed. he’s too proud to admit that you were right and target is low key the best place ever, so he pretends to be indifferent the entire time. 

changbin

he’s actually the one who suggests going. he had never been to a target but then he saw one of felix’s tiktoks about it and thought it looked super fun, so he asks you to take him. he has the absolute best time. it’s like watching a kid in a candy store the way he’s so excited about absolutely everything. after that, he’s asking you if you want to go to target with him at least one a week.

hyunjin

when you tell him you're going, he makes you wait, so he can go change into a more “suitable target outfit.” it's like an event for him. he needs a starbucks in his hand before you can start shopping, and the first stop is always the candles, so he can smell all of them. he basically considers it a date for the two of you. do not expect to make a quick target run if you’re going with him.

jisung

he is going to complain the whole time that it’s boring and that target doesn’t have a "fun section," so you suggest that he just goes and hang out in electronics while you shop. you then have to literally drag him away when you're finished, and he’s going to whine the whole way home about the fact he had to leave.

felix

he’s going to ask you to go, because he loves target. he very rarely buys things when he’s there, he just loves walking around and looking at stuff. if you can't find him, you should check the chip and joanna gaines section, because the odds are very high that he’s there. when he does decide to buy stuff he's most definitely making an aesthetic target haul tiktok (changbin watches these religiously).

seungmin

he will go with you only if he needs something. to him, target is just another store, and when he's there, he's focused and will only getting what you two need. no loitering and looking at stuff. don’t even think about looking at those candles, because they aren’t on the list. if he doesn't need anything then you're definitely going by yourself.

jeongin

he’s just happy to be included. he also absolutely lovessss the seasonal clearance at the entrance. he’s going to follow you around the entire store and will be just as excited as you about any good finds. you’re also always going home with something you didn't need from the clearance section that he just “had to have”.

[2024-grimoire-challenge]

September Week 4 - Altars and Workspaces

This week we're going to look into and design our own workspaces and altars. Look into design, function, purpose, location and more! Not everyone works with deities and has an altar in that sense, or even has a specific place set aside for spellwork and ritual work, but some of us do. Even when we don't have spaces that we can use in such a way, we tend to create a workspace with purpose when we do workings. Certain tools or items go in a certain place relative to others, things get used in a certain order and we design our work in specific manner. So let's dive in!

Monday - Creating A Workspace/ Altar

Research - Traditionally and historically, what kinds of spaces did witches work in? What kinds of altars did they have? Where did they have them? Where did they keep them? What kinds of things were used to make them? Tables, shelves and so on? Then look at your own altars and workspaces within your practice. What have you used? Where do you work your craft?

Tuesday - Altar Tools

Research - Look back historically and traditionally at the tools witches used on their altars specifically. What kinds of tools were present at all times? Which ones changed out during different seasons and for different spells and rituals? What tools do you have and which do you want to have?

Research/ New Page - Herbal Study - Pick another herb from your list and research all you can! Myth, history, mundane an magical associations! Everything!

Wednesday - To Decorate or Not to Decorate?

Research/ Introspection - This is really a personal preference and boils down to you, your aesthetic, your need to or not to conceal your altar. Personally, I decorate mine in a manner that suits the seasonal changes, with small accoutrements that get pulled out and put away for different times and purposes. How would you decorate your altar? What would be the main theme? What items would remain constant and which would change through ritual, season, and different spells? For example, I always have a statue of Brighid, three candles, and a deer statue present, at all times. Other things change in and out as specific needs arise.

Research/ New Page - Gemstone Research - pick a gemstone off your list and learn all that you can about it! Myth, legend, history, practical, mundane and magical uses! Associations and more!

Thursday - Big or Small?

Introspection - Your workspace should always be more practical than anything else. What good is a beautiful workspace if its not usable? So should you have a small workspace? One that is moveable or easy concealed? Or should you have a constant, larger workspace? Either is fine, both have their merits, and it is really dependent on you and your craft what kind of workspace you should have.

Friday - Creating Your Space

Practical - If you have a workspace, use today to tidy it, perhaps rearrange it, find new pieces or tools or decor for it. If you don't have a workspace, draw one up on a piece of paper! Design your altar setup, from the placement of things, to storage, to decorations, everything! Use today to create, clean, organize, design or decorate your workspace!

Practical - Since we have looked at our workspaces today, let's also do some work on it. Pick a spell or ritual, design a spell or ritual, and go to town performing it! Use your lab notebook to document all that you do, so as to journal about it and tweak it for reuse later on!

That's all for this week! Thank you all again for continuing to participate!

-Mod Hazel

[stagbells]

For What Difference It Makes

From: @magn0lia-blossoms

To: @foxkairi

Written works below readmore

It was cold outside. During the stasis of Hallownest, the seasons refused to change, refused to decide which one of them would rule. Constantly temperate, never too hot or too cold. They had only learned this after they were freed, though. Within their containment, it was always too hot, too hot, too much. They were not within their containment, now. 

It was cold. 

They ached. 

They didn't have the bones or muscles to do so, but it was happening all the same. Their joints hurt, their scars hurt. This cacophony of pain was attempting to swallow them whole. 

They would endure. They always had. Though now they kept on for a different reason than blind devotion. Never again would they follow blindly. Now, they endured for those who cared. Their sister, their siblings. 

Everything was still. Quiet. The small village of Dirtmouth was quaint. Nothing too exciting, nothing too much. Their sister had procured a house for them. It was one of the larger ones, for their stature demanded it, though they rarely spent time inside. They preferred to be outside, where there was no chance of confinement. No unwanted visitors bothered them, and their sister visited them every so often. She mostly kept to herself, as well. Rather, she was busy with those below. Not as much time for them. They didn't mind, if she'd given them her full attention they might've grown complacent, they might have begun craving it. 

Just like they had with him. Their father. 

Though they denied it for so long, he was their father. They craved his affection like any grub would. But they had grown, now. They didn’t need to become dependent. He was gone now, anyway. None of that mattered. It was time for them to have a new life, independent of anyone’s will but their own. Because they had a will. They always knew it. Denial had always been their specialty. 

Not now, not now. They would not deny that they had thoughts and emotions and a will. Never again. 

Currently, they were sitting on the roof of their house. It was colder up here than on the ground. They hurt worse up here than they would if they were inside. It was warm inside. Not hot, not too much. But… they liked it up here. A preference. The breeze on their shell felt nice, even though their joints and scars protested it.

Cold, cold, cold. How were they cold? They were made of a substance as cold as the vast reaches of the sky. 

A star had burned within them. She had shown them true heat. Was that why they could feel the cold now? Whatever the reason, it was affecting them. They really should go inside. They didn’t move. 

Though they didn’t need to sleep, they thought that they just might be able to, up here, in the cold. She was dead and gone, now, after all. They could sleep without fear. They wanted to. 

A sharp pain in the stump where their arm used to be reminded them why they weren’t. 

Clutching their shoulder, they brought their knees up to their chin. She had done damage irreversible. The stump was pitted as though by acid, and they had scars all over themself to match. The time they’d spent in confinement had allowed them to atrophy. They didn’t care for the way their scars and joints ached. It was preventing their sleep, their rest. The way the scars looked was also not preferable. They did not have much of an eye for aesthetics, but on a base level, the pits in their chitin were unnatural and an eyesore. There was not much to be done about it. There was no use worrying. 

Their sister had gifted them several cloaks in the months after they were freed. Often those cloaks were used to hide the scars. Hide, hide, hide away. They did not enjoy bugs looking at them, enjoyed it even less when those bugs recognized them. When they were by themself, like now, they did not wear the cloaks. This was not out of a lack of gratitude. It was merely that they enjoyed feeling the air on their chitin, after so long in a place so stagnant. Stuffy. Suffocating. They did wear the cloaks when around others, if only to put out some semblance of public decency. They looked unnatural without a cloak. They were not a natural being. The clothing hides that, somewhat. The way bugs looked at them had made them uncomfortable ever since they emerged. Especially the bugs who knew what they were, what they were supposed to be. 

It was increasingly obvious to those bugs that they were not what they were supposed to be. They had expected most to resent them for it, but the overwhelming emotion they got was that of pity. 

They didn’t want to be pitied. Pity was for the weak. They were not weak, they had just been placed against an impossible task.

Well, they might be weak now. They were not as strong as all those years ago. Before the atrophy, before the scars. When they had first emerged, they had barely been able to walk. Now they could climb onto the roof of their house consistently. 

Climb into the cold. 

They ached. 

It was a pulsating thing, the pain. Like waves. One wave would subside only for another to crash into them. Some were more severe than others. Some were almost manageable. It didn’t really matter. The pain would pass. 

It would continue as long as they stayed up here, in the cold. Staying outside in general was a bad idea right now. The ache would only get worse. They wondered how long they’d been on the roof. When they’d climbed up, it had been early in the sleep cycle. 

Time was an odd thing for them. Never having been sure when they were awake or not, time in confinement had stretched on and on. Even now, they lost track of time easily. A habit from days long gone. It was of no concern to them how long they spent up here, not really. It might be a concern for their sister. She had been urging them, recently, to rest. She had said that the cold often makes those with injuries, past or present, experience pain. They had dismissed her at the time due to the fact that they were not like other bugs. They should not have. The ache present throughout their body was proof of that. 

Pain was something they used to be very, very familiar with. Months had passed, now, without that searing, burning, rotting pain. Had they grown too used to the comfort? Was that such a bad thing? There was no blinding light. There was no threat that they needed to concern themself with anymore. The only threat to them was this cold and the pain. They were still curled in on themself. It didn’t help shield them from the chill. They didn’t generate heat, so this was just as effective as sitting normally. There was no movement, regardless. 

No movement. They didn’t need to move, so why would they? When they had been first released, they had been desperate to move. Somewhere, anywhere. It didn’t matter where. However, in those first weeks, their movement was limited. Their sister had installed rails around the house she had given them, to help them. They had not been able to communicate with her at that time, both because they

couldn’t write well and because whenever they had attempted to write, they had felt too much grief, too much shame, too much, too much. 

Now, they could write fairly well. It still triggered a habitual jolt of shame whenever they needed to communicate, but it was more manageable now. Their handwriting was much neater. Their sister had spent many hours teaching them how to write. 

So much has changed. They have changed, have learned, have grown. Everything was so much better. 

The pain was getting worse. 

But they didn’t want to move. They enjoyed thinking, enjoyed not having anything in their mind but themself. If they moved, they’d probably go inside. And they wanted to feel the breeze for a little while longer. 

“Are you having fun?” 

They nearly jumped out of their shell, reflexively reaching for a nail that was not there. With a breif panic, their head shot up to look at the bug who had disturbed them. 

Oh, it was the being of Nightmare. Grimm. They hadn't seen him climb up. He laughed, a raspy sound, and sat next to them. 

“Apologies, I didn’t mean to scare you, Hollow.” 

Right, Hollow, the name that their sister had bestowed upon them that was derived from their incorrect title. The name that they couldn’t bring themself to change. The name that they introduced themself with and everyone knew them as, now. Hollow. 

They nodded at Grimm. He was forgiven. 

A vague warmth was emanating from him. 

They ached. 

It was now that they realized just how stiff they really were. They felt the ache in their arm especially, where it had moved so suddenly to grab a weapon that sat inside, by the door. The joints of their arm hurt, as did their hips and knees when they straightened them. It was as if the joints were scraping against the sockets with no cushion. Movement. Cold. 

Warmth? 

They looked at Grimm. He was looking out over the town, just like they had been. They should probably be more cautious around him, since he was a god of

Flame and Nightmares, both things that they didn't particularly enjoy. But he'd been in Dirtmouth for the entirety of the time they'd been here, and before. He had been kind to them, regarded them with no expectations of what they were supposed to be. He didn't harm them, and didn't seem to want to. Their sibling had summoned him, yet they left his Ritual unfinished. He had said that he wasn't upset with their sibling, but that the Heart would continue burning his body from the inside. 

That was something they could relate to. 

Burning, burning, too hot, too much. They knew the feeling well. The months freed did not make them forget the searing pain. Nothing would. They wondered how bad it was for Grimm. He didn't show outward signs of pain or scarring. He seemed to be enjoying the cold. Their sister had given them cold compresses when they had first emerged. It had felt nice at the time, cool packs of ice were a relief on their still-cooling self. Was it similar for Grimm? The cold was certainly not doing them any favors, but it might be good for him. 

Had he wanted their company? Did he seek them out for that purpose? They weren’t making conversation, but neither was he. The two of them were just sitting on the roof of the house their sister had given them. Was that normal? He hadn’t done it before. Most of the time, they sought him out in his tent after receiving a letter of invitation from him. He did not summon them often, but when he did it was nothing important. Just to talk over tea that they couldn’t drink. They couldn’t talk, either, but he always had paper for them to write. He didn’t mind their silence, and they didn’t mind his talking. It was pleasant, comfortable. 

They were not comfortable. The pain in their joints and scars was not going away. They really should go inside. But Grimm was enjoying the cold, and they couldn't just leave him here by himself. 

The rational part of their mind said that he'd either follow them inside or just leave. He wouldn't be offended. He knew them well enough to know that they meant no harm. But… they enjoyed his company. His silence was thoughtful. It was only their body that was uncomfortable. They didn’t want to leave him. 

He was looking at them. They realized that they were staring, and looked away. Grimm laughed. 

“I don’t mind the staring. What were you thinking about?” He pulled a few papers and a pencil out from under his cape. He had come prepared. When was he

going to give them the ability to speak? Whenever it suited him? The tought irked them a bit, but neither had attempted to converse before this. They supposed it didn’t really matter. Taking the pencil and paper from him, they held the paper down with their knee as they wrote their answer to his question. It is cold. 

“It certainly is. Winter is setting in. I’ve always enjoyed the sight of snow, though I doubt we’ll get any here in these caverns. Snow is an amazing thing, it dampens the sound where it falls, leading to silence unlike any other.” He gazed upwards. “It truly is beautiful. It sparkles when exposed to light, before melting away. I’ve always preferred winter. Fire isn’t much needed in the summer, after all.” 

Warmth. He was flame, he was warm. He was burning. They were freezing. There was an obvious solution. 

They lifted their arm, placing their hand on his shoulder. Grimm jolted. Afraid they’d startled him, they lifted their hand, only for his own to gently grab their wrist and guide it back to his shoulder. 

“Do not worry, Hollow. You were just… colder than I expected.” And he was warmer than they expected. They could feel the heat through his cape. They wondered how much pain he must be in. Though he was a god, the body he inhabited was still mortal. They assumed that this was why he was dying. They were taller than Grimm by a head, and their hand was bigger than his shoulder. Surely there was a better place for their hand to be. They lifted it from his shoulder, and while he lightly tugged to get it put back, they continued pulling it away. Grimm reluctantly let go. They then placed their hand on his back, and it nearly covered the entirety of his torso. He sighed, leaning into it. He was in more pain than they realized. 

Gently rubbing his back, they realized that their hand was not going to stay cold enough to provide relief for long. He was too warm. As a Vessel, they knew that they held the chill of the Void. Their extremities would not be able to generate the cold needed to cool Grimm down, but their torso might. 

They removed their hand from Grimm’s back after it had warmed thoroughly enough to not provide relief. Grimm still protested. They were sure that it wasn’t from the sudden absence of cold, since their hand was warm enough now to match a normal bug’s. Was it from the loss of contact? They picked up the pencil that they’d set down and wrote their next message.

Would you like to sit in my lap? 

His mouth parted the slightest bit, perhaps in surprise. Was it really that surprising? They held the solution to his problem, and he held the solution to theirs. Though their hand was warm, the rest of them was still incredibly cold and stiff. 

“Would… that be alright? I wouldn’t want to overheat you.” 

You would not. I need warmth now, anyway. 

“Are you hurting as well? I know that scars often ache when the weather changes, especially when it’s cold…” They nodded. “We should get you inside, then. I knew you had been colder than usual. I could help you start a fire. Do you have blankets? I could retrieve some from–” He stopped when they shook their head. They enjoyed the breeze. They would not move when they could have both warmth and the breeze at the same time. Grimm sighed. “You’re stubborn.” You are free to refuse. 

“No, no, you were kind enough to offer.” He leaned forward to begin climbing into their lap. Or, rather, climbing to sit between their legs. Their legs were long and lanky, so there wasn't much of a lap to sit on. This did not stop Grimm from reclining into them, sighing in relief. Now that he was against them, they could feel more acutely just how warm he was. Far too warm. 

They crossed their arm over his chest, holding him, and sat their head between his horns. Grimm startled a little, but relaxed soon after. The two sat like that for a little while, the temperature between them beginning to reach something close to normal. Well, normal for a regular bug. It was warmer than they were used to, but pointedly not hot. It was comfortable. 

“You know, this isn’t the first time a Ritual has failed.” Grimm started, and stopped just as abruptly, causing them to nudge his head with their chin to get him to continue. “You see, most bugs either complete our Ritual through defeating the Nightmare King or through Banishment. If the summoner agrees with what we stand for, they often complete the Ritual traditionally. If not, they choose to Banish us. There is always a member or two who is discontent with their life in the Troupe. Banishment is their way to escape peacefully. Though, Banishment is slightly more painful, because I am not asleep when I die. It also forces the Grimmchild to be raised within the Troupe, but it is a smoother transition when the summoner purposefully rejects us than when they simply… do nothing.

"Banishment is far less painful than this. When a summoner goes this route, it leaves the Child with the summoner, stuck in his third molt, unable to grow until the summoner gives him back to the Troupe or until I die. My death is slow, when the Ritual fails. The Nightmare Heart becomes too much for this body, as I have already given part of myself to the Child, and I burn. I appreciate what you have done for me tonight, but the pain will return. I do not have long left.” 

They stared at the top of his head. He had, in the time that they’ve been free, been kind to them. He had been one of the few to not pity them. They enjoyed his company. Yet… all things came to an end eventually. That was the philosophy of the Troupe, and its Master was no exception. They knew that their sibling had not intentionally abandoned Grimm. Their sibling had ascended. They weren't sure if their sibling could complete the Ritual, in their state. 

"Please don't think I resent them for their choice. They managed to save what was left of this kingdom, that's a feat that I couldn't have accomplished. Because of their actions, so many bugs will get a chance to live.” He stared at the roof below them. “Some may think me opposed to letting bugs live. I am not. More bugs alive, more kingdoms rise, more kingdoms fall. Everything will surrender to the flame eventually, and then that flame itself will go out as well. That’s when it’s your sibling’s turn. And yours, should you choose to surrender yourself to the Void. Though, this world would be losing such a beautiful mind.” 

The statement caught them off-guard. Their mind. The mind they were not supposed to have, the mind that decided their defeat before they had even begun fighting, the mind that had others pitying them for their failure. He called such a mind beautiful. They huffed incredulously, then shifted their arm to hold him tighter. Grimm was not a bug that they wanted to let go. 

They would have to, soon. 

“You do not have to mourn my passing. I’d prefer it if you delighted in the time we got to spend together. Remember me, and let those memories stay in your mind for as long as you allow them to. I will not ask you to remember me forever.” They knew they would anyway. 

“In a way, I’m glad that your sibling didn’t complete the Ritual. It allowed me to meet you, and though it wasn’t for long, you helped keep the pain at bay.” They got the impression that he wasn’t only talking about tonight, that all of the time they spent with him was somehow a relief. They reluctantly released their

hold on Grimm to pick up the paper and the pencil. Moving their hand in front of the both of them, they sat down the paper. Grimm held it in place so they could write. 

You, as well. 

“Me? Are you saying that I have eased your pain also?” They had thought that that was obvious, but they nodded into his horn. He stared at the paper, at their side of the conversation so far. “I am glad. I seem to have grown quite fond of you, Hollow.” 

They pointed at their last message with their pencil. Grimm laughed softly. “I see. It’s a shame that such a thing has to end so soon. Feelings such as these are rare, something to be treasured.” 

They struggled to put into words their exact feelings towards Grimm. He was kind, and thoughtful, and he had treated them like he would any other bug. They appreciated the days where his flame burned like a bonfire, bright and dramatic and full of energy, but they also enjoyed times like these, where his flame was more like a candle, soft and soothing. They wanted to have known him longer, but they knew that no amount of time would be nearly long enough. Their sister had once called him their friend. That word felt both fitting and so far from all they felt. He was their friend. But so was their sister, and that archivist, and the elderly bug in the square. He felt different, somehow. 

Feelings were never something they excelled at. They didn’t need to put a name to it. Trying to do so was meaningless when Grimm was in their arm, burning ever so slowly. They very much treasured their feelings towards him. They treasured this moment, sitting on the roof, the air chilled but both of them warm. He moved, and they lifted their chin and loosened their grip to allow it. He turned himself so that he was facing them. 

His eyes were dim. Not so much as to stop glowing, but they weren’t as bright as usual, hadn’t been since he arrived. He looked up at them. He was smiling. They ducked their head down to nudge his cheek, and he nudged back. They pulled him against them and leaned back, laying down. Grimm chuckled, scooting up to rest his chin on their upper chest. They rubbed his back. His hands found their face, and he stroked the shell under their eyes with his thumbs. 

“You truly are remarkable.” 

They leaned into one of his hands. So was he.

It was an easy silence. The two stayed there for the rest of the sleep cycle. At one point, Grimm had fallen asleep. They had felt it as his breaths evened, as he drifted off. They wanted to protect him. He didn’t need protecting. He was dying. There was nothing they could do to stop that. And yet, they didn’t feel helpless. They knew that he was fine with this outcome. He wasn’t resigned to his fate, he welcomed it with open arms. 

They decided that they would not mourn him. They would do as he suggested. They would remember him fondly. They would delight in the time spent together. They would let these feelings remain, to remind them that such things existed. Perhaps they would find another that they could treasure their feelings for. They hoped that they would. Perhaps Grimm would be happy to hear that. They knew that he wouldn’t want them lingering on him for long. He would want them to continue living. They wanted to continue living. 

They thought back to their first message of the night. 

It is cold. 

They were warm.

[blues-valentine]

A debated opinion but I wouldn’t mind if Can I Have This Dance is a full group song with each couple having their own part, preferentially during Homecoming/Prom because that would be so cute, that if Rina gets Right Here Right Now and I Just Wanna Be With You because it’s more meaningful since it fits their whole arc.

In fact, High School Musical 3 as the school production for the season Rina is a couple and Ricky is a senior is perfect. Look at those lyrics:

Everything about Rina has been about change.

Ricky's fear of change and Gina's life constantly changing so she dosn't allow herself to think too far ahead but Ricky is been her yes. So for Right Here Right Now, if Rina’s arc for S4 is like I predict it will with them feeling unsure about their future because is Ricky's last year at East High and now their whole public relationship with everyone inserting themselves into it then the lyrics fit just right: "I'd wish this moment was ours to own it and that it would never leave" and then with being afraid of the future and linking it to Gina’s speech about her life being all about maybe and holding onto the present and the journey: "Right here, I promise you somehow that tomorrow can wait for some other day to be, but right now there's you and me". Ricky’s senior year/decisions approaching: "We know it's coming and it's coming fast (but right now, there's you and me) so let's make every second last". And we back again with the theme of change: "A bend in the universe is gonna make everything in our whole world change (it's changing) and you know that where we are will never be the same". It’s prefect for a moment when they're feeling like nothing is going like they want it to because of their fame and time is running out.

Then there’s Just Wanna Be With You: "You know how life can be. It changes over night. It's sunny then raining but it's alright. A friend like you, always make it easy. I know that you get me every time. Through every up. Through every down. You know I'll always be around. Through anything you can count on me." I mean, "I thought we sort of got each other" is pretty self explanatory for them and it really highlights the rollercoaster that has been their journey though out all these four seasons.

Actually, I can see this song being sang by two different couples (the full song does), the first part for Ryan and Kelsey on the piano (could be Seblos) and Rina taking it off from where Troy and Gabriella start since it’s the part that fits their relationship and most of it till the end kind of like in the movie version (the rehearsal, not the actual show). I can see that song being Rina focused but with the other couples as backup.

And even Gabriella's solo Walk Away is so Gina coded and it mentions change. This song is when Gabriella had to leave East High earlier because she got an early admission into college. "I guess I should've known better to believe that my luck had changed. I let my heart and forever. Finally learn each other's name. I tell myself this time is different, no goodbyes 'cause I can bear to say it. I'll never survive the ones that's coming if I stay. Just walk away and don't look back 'cause if my heart breaks it's gonna hurt so bad. You know I'm strong but I can't take that." And I just remember Kristoff Lullaby: "You light the world for me. You live life fearlessly, braver than the braver of us do" and Ricky’s “Gina’s a fighter and she’ll come back for opening night” Like, Gina is Gabriella. I'm sorry, she's so her coded.

And we know there's only one person that can sing Scream and that's Ricky Bowen and the line: "Yeah, the clock's running down, hear the crowd getting loud. I'm consumed by the sound. Is it her? Is it love? Can the music ever be enough?" that's Ricky Bowen coded. I can imagine him singing this when he is feeling overwhelmed about having to make decisions about his future, about music, about having to be away from Gina. Josh would eat this bad.

CIHTD is aesthetically iconic but the lyrics can apply to every couple on the show so I wouldn’t mind that one being a group song with all the pairings together singing some parts because it would look pretty cute on a big scale dance. “A Night To Remember” needs to happen too. Like, it’s basically a need for them to do this.