#and would prefer to be doing other projects

[astrolook]

💘Venus in Synastry - Are They Setting You Free or Setting You Up? 🔥

Note: These are all my personal observations and patterns I've noticed over the years. Take what resonates with you more and leave the rest. Lemme know in the comments if it hits home!

Their Venus in ur 1st - They want to "have" you before they know your name and also memorize your face like it's art. You walk around triggering their romantic fantasies without trying. Their taste shifts toward you like you're the new standard of hot, even if you don’t fit their “type.” They might stare at you for too long and pretend they didn't when you look at them. They might become desperate to "earn" your attention. You spark their inner romantic and inner pervert at the exact same time. They def would get jealous if you smile at others' jokes or give attention. In a relationship, they would go out of their way to let everyone know you're theirs. Can expect royalty treatment from them. If it’s one-sided, it feels like you’re being adored from a distance while they project a fantasy you never agreed to, or the other way around. After a breakup, their fixation can twist. Love turns bitter, and they might mock you for what they once worshipped.

Their Venus in ur 2nd - They def wanna know your fav food and anything fav of yours. You trigger their desire to invest their time and effort into you. Touch is currency now and you’re holding all the wealth. You trigger their inner sugar daddy, even if they’re broke. They want to feed you, spoil you, and then bite your shoulder a little. Your scent is burned into their memory. You make them want to show up, show out, and show off. They think about what your body would feel like under their hands. A lot. They like watching you do normal stuff like drink coffee, take your shoes off, comb your hair, exist. They prefer to be half-naked with you and prefer the same in return. If you’re not into it, they’ll still linger, hoping you’ll eventually “get it.” Breakups hit them in the wallet and the soul. They feel like they lost an investment.

Their Venus in ur 3rd - You start catching feelings after the fifth “lol” they send. Their voice does things to you that it shouldn’t. They text you just to hear your thoughts, not just your plans. You suddenly care what they think of your taste in music, food, etc. You talk for hours and somehow never get bored with them. They complement you in ways that make your brain short-circuit. You catch yourself laughing and blushing at the same time. They like the way you talk, even when you’re angry or crying. You become their favorite person to overshare with. It’s the “did you get home safe?” texts followed by a thirst trap. If it's one-sided, they leave you on read or ghost straight up. After a breakup, you’ll miss the way they spoke to you more than anything else.

Their Venus in ur 4th - They show up soft, comforting, then start touching your heart and your thighs. They want to know what breaks you and what blankets you. You suddenly feel like telling them secrets you haven’t even told your therapist or people close to you. Their affection feels like a warm bath, until you realize you’re drowning a little. They might like to talk or make out with you under dim lights. They’ll cook for you, then pull you onto their lap while it simmers. You start imagining a future with them in your house and hate how natural it feels. They def will like your bare face and messy hair. You start missing them before they leave for work. You feel like they see the version of you, you never know you had. Every time they touch you, it feels like they’re writing a love letter on your skin. On the flip side, they act cozy until things get too real, then vanish into emotional fog. You’ll start feeling like home to them, but they’ll treat you like a layover.

Their Venus in ur 5th - They make you feel hot and beautiful. They flirt like it’s a sport and you’re the trophy they plan to snatch. You catch yourself smiling when they walk in, even when you’re annoyed. They want you want them so bad. They gas you up and push your buttons like it’s foreplay. They would def complement you and praise you. You start craving their attention like sugar, then crash when they withhold it. Jealousy creeps in fast in some cases and suddenly you don’t like them laughing with anyone else. You light each other up, but it’s hard to tell if it’s love or just a spark fire. They might chase hard, then disappear when you stop clapping for them. If it's one-sided, you might feel like a background character in their love show.

Their Venus in ur 6th - You find them sexy when they’re focused, sweaty, or quietly solving everyday problems. They want you on your grind but also in their bed by 9PM, every night, no exceptions. They notice your health, your habits, your little flaws and want to be the one who helps fix them. Their affection is practical...until it turns filthy behind closed doors. They would take out the trash for you, run errands or pay bills. They want to earn your love with consistency and lowkey obsession. It’s not “I love you” every day but it’s “Did you eat?” “Text me when you’re home.” “I got you.” They might give and give, hoping you’ll notice and resent when you don’t reciprocate. They can micro-manage your day and tell you where to go and what to do or wear. They can become possessive over your time, space, and energy, quietly controlling. The relationship might feel more like an obligation than romance after a while. When it ends, you either miss them or feel relieved it's over, and thank god.

Their Venus in ur 7th - You look at them and think “yep, I could be seen in public with that.” You start fantasizing about joint accounts and matching rings after the third date. They trigger your romantic side, even if you thought it was dead. They fit your type in ways you didn’t even realize you had. Eye contact with them feels like vows you didn’t agree to yet. You might mirror each other’s moods, words, and even bad habits without noticing. Being with them makes you want to become a better person. The connection feels like it should be permanent, even when it’s fragile as hell. There’s a calm in their presence, until silence stretches too long and hits like a bruise. On the flip side, they might reflect what you want to see without ever really giving it. The silence between you starts to feel louder than any breakup. You’ll wait for a text that doesn’t come, because they know how to disappear quietly. Losing them feels like losing a version of yourself you almost believed in.

Their Venus in ur 8th - Fantasy overload! You want to know everything about them. Their touch feels like it unlocks a door you didn’t know you locked. You think about them in the shower, during arguments, when eating, mid-orgasm like nonstop. Jealousy or longing hits early and hard, even if you're not "together." Sex feels less like pleasure and more like a psychic ritual. You crave their secrets as much as you crave their skin. They know what turns you on and off and keep their finger right on the switch. You start to obsess over how much they know about you, how deep they’ve gotten, what they’ll do with it. They seduce you by showing you your own darkness and making it feel like love. On the flip side, you might get hooked while they keep it surface, leaving you craving a depth they never planned to give. One day, you feel seen, then invisible to them. If it ends, it can be violent or crazy.

Their Venus in ur 9th - They make your brain tingle and your pants/skirts tight/wet in the same sentence. Long talks turn into long stares, then long nights. It’s hot until they start drifting like a tourist who never unpacks. They light you up in ways that make you question what you thought love was. They make you feel like anything is possible and also that nothing is guaranteed. You crave their mind like a drug and keep going back for another hit. You don’t know if it’s love, lust, or a crash course in letting go but it’s a ride. If it ends, you realize too late that they came to teach you something, not to stay for the final chapter.

Their Venus in ur 10th - You wanna have their last name. They make you want to succeed and strip, often at the same time. You start imagining what you’d look like as their power couple aesthetic. You want them to respect you and ruin you in equal measure. You feel like the world notices when they look at you. Their attention makes you stand taller, talk smoother, and act like someone worth owning. They love seeing you in control, but they want to undo it slowly. They want to be seen with you, not just close, but claimed. They might put you on a pedestal and might believe everything you say. Can be a simp at times. If it's one-sided, you’ll feel like an accessory they show off but never truly hold. They might withhold affection if they feel it threatens their control or pride.

Their Venus in ur 11th - Their flirting is masked as inside jokes that go way too far. You start dressing hotter “by accident” when you know they’ll be around. Every group hang feels like a secret date only you two are in on. You feel freer with them than with anyone else, and somehow that’s what traps you. They make you feel known in that scary-good way....then ghost you for a week. They hype you up publicly and text you “you looked hot today” privately. You go from memes to sexts to emotional heart dumps in one night, lol. They show up like a best friend, but stay like an unresolved crush. Even if you’re not even together and one or both of you are already imagining a situationship playlist. On the flip side, they might give you mixed signals. You’ll be stuck between friendship and thirst with no map out. They might use connection to stay close, while keeping you at arm’s length. Emotional honesty gets dodged with sarcasm, distractions, or disappearing acts.

Their Venus in ur 12th - They feel familiar before you even know their last name, like déjà vu. Their presence lingers like perfume on skin hours after they leave. You can’t stop thinking about them, even when nothing has technically happened. You crave them in silence, and it somehow feels louder than screaming. Every interaction feels spiritually charged and low-key forbidden. Sex with them (or even imagining it) feels like a prayer you’re not sure you should say. They feel like the answer to a question you didn’t know your body was asking. Loving them feels like surrender, that's sweet, scary, and somehow sacred. If one-sided, you might obsess in silence while they sleep peacefully, unaware. This love can feel like waiting for something that never lands.

Some patterns I've noticed over the yrs:

Venus in 1st/5th/7th/9th/10th/11th/12th -> You love their mind, looks, presence, or life philosophy from afar. “We’d totally fall in love if we met…” Can have celeb-crush energy. Deep emotional obsession with someone who has no idea the other exists.

Venus in 3rd/5th/7th/8th/11th -> Can be one-sided. Friends with benefits situations, a hookup, one-night stand situations, short-term affairs, one person doing all the effort, to keep a score, etc can be seen here. Can be toxic too.

Quick Synastry Reality Check 💋

Synastry is about energy exchange between two people who actually know each other. That means: 🖤 You’ve met. 🖤 You’ve talked. 🖤 There’s been some kind of interaction or mutual vibe, even a little spark.

If you’ve never met them, never spoken, or it’s a one-way obsession (like a celebrity, athlete, Youtuber or influencer)…that’s not synastry, that’s projection.

No, that famous player or that YouTuber is not secretly in love with you because their Venus falls in your 8th or 5th house. Yes, synastry can feel intense, but it needs both people to be involved in some real way for it to work.

It’s energy. It’s chemistry. It’s connection. Not a crush on someone who doesn’t know you exist. I'm saying this here bcoz I got a few people in my DMs asking me, and I wanted to address it. Thank you for reading!

💌For readings, check out my pinned post for pricing! ✨💌🪐

[meanbossart]

I know you've said DU wouldn't get piercings for just the sake of his looks, but how does he react to other people having piercings? And how would he feel about a partner with them? I'm curious if he applies his own not wanting piercings to others, since I've noticed he seems to do some projecting with other things too at times. Plus I just keep seeing mods that give Astarion piercings, lol.

You are correct in that DU drow tends to project his personal preference onto others - and hence, that yes, he does not find things like facial or body piecing to be attractive.

...However, I do feel like a couple of people have over-thought DU drow's taste on occasion. The man is a huge hypocrite who constantly contradicts himself and then comes up with justifications for it on the fly - him preferring blondes over brunettes or being turned-off by tattoos doesn't mean that he can't stand the sight of people with either of those features, or that other factors couldn't outweigh their presence! His only hard-no is whenever someone is overly butch in both appearance and behavior (hence why characters like Karlach, Lae'zel, or Halsin don't even ping his radar).

...And even that doesn't mean that I wouldn't want to see someone draw him getting steamy with their buff Tavs, LOL. Life is too short and all that.

I think he'd make fun of Astarion if he decided to get a nose ring, but it wouldn't change how he feels about him.

[inthelittlewood]

The whole "releasing videos a day earlier for yt members" will also be applied to life series videos? I m guessing not, bc you have very few days to edit those and releasing them a day after everyone else would probably damage the viewership but asking just in case. It does make sense for misadventures videos tho

Not for Life series ones no. Otherwise that'd be me premiering before all the other players which would break embargo

It'll be for Misadventures and other videos where the timeline is under my control

Context for those confused: I've rolled out a very low cost member tier on YouTube where I'd like to share some BTS, early access to episodes and any other things people would like

I've also enabled members only chat on YT for now - partly as a spam deterrent as its been quite bad on there (and mod tools are poopy on YT) as well as layering it in as members benefit.

It felt better to make this step on YT rather than patreon or another alternative because it's more immediately accessible and familiar for most people.

If there is anything you'd like to see as content then let me know. Whether it's project files, timelapses, Q&As and the like

The reason for doing this is because financially the channel(s) / streams haven't been doing so hot financially. Whenever a month passes where there isn't a sponsored stream or post to make up the difference it's a bad time.

The hope is having a low barrier to entry for support will behave like the dollar drives (hence its naming) and lots of a little go a long way

If you have any other questions everybody, fire away!

(one to answer now is no, I don't plan on making a separate discord channel for subs/members. I prefer to keep everybody together buuuut I'll take a look at discord rank so people can showcase that support)

[yuurei20]

In addition to their pajamas/loungewear, how many details have come up in game about the characters clothing preferences or styles and/or potential outfits the students have worn outside of NRC? A few examples or instances come to mind, but I feel like I could be forgetting or missing others. Thanks!

Hello hello! Thank you for this question! 👔

This turned into a much bigger project that I had thought ^^ Starting with Riddle! (as always, if something seems to be confused or missing please do let me know!! Always happy to update with the most relevant and accurate information ♪)

Summary: ・Riddle owns nothing less formal than "smart casual" ・Riddle has been told by his parents to never be without a necktie ・Riddle is uncomfortable wearing clothes casually (re: leaving the collar of his shirt unbuttoned) ・Riddle went shopping for clothes of the formality he is accustomed to in more casual fabrics, together with Ace and Cater

Riddle has an entire conversation with Rook about his outside-of-NRC clothing in his platinum vignette, where he explains that he does not own anything less formal than “smart casual” as his parents have told him that he is never to be without a necktie.

When meeting up with Equestrian Club members for a visit to Foothill Town to purchase club equipment he surprised everyone by dressing in his gym uniform, as he simply did not own any other easy-to-move-in clothing.

Not wanting to make others uncomfortable with his fashion choices, Riddle explains that he went to Cater and Ace for assistance, who recommended that he try dressing down his existing wardrobe by going without a necktie and leaving a top button undone on his shirts.

Riddle explains, however, that he felt uneasy about going without a properly fastened collar. Instead of wearing his existing clothes in a more casual manner, Riddle went with them into town to purchase clothing to his tastes in more casual fabric (Rook gives the examples of linen and sweat fabric) and with a more casual fit. 

As of the platinum vignette conversation it seems that Riddle has not yet had the opportunity to wear his new clothes, but he intends to do so at the next opportunity.

Riddle has a voice line complimenting the elaborate embroidery of his masquerade outfit, and may have an eye for quality.

He describes his belly shirt of the Stitch event as “an appalling way to wear a shirt," so such a style is possibly not a part of his usual wardrobe.

Riddle says that he keeps his hair short and would cut his hair himself when he first enrolled at NRC, but Cater did not want him to ("for some reason") so now he goes to a barber in town (Jamil: "You should probably thank Cater for that").

[amemenojaku]

Updated the Touhou ships tierlist maker! All art has been changed to ZUN art when available, other official artists when not. Removed a few pairings and added some (including PC98 which were missing until now). Feel free to do whatever you want with it!

Some explanations on what did/didn't make it for anyone who's curious:

like the description says, I based most of this on the list of Touhou pairings from pixiv encyclopedia. I also added pairings not on the list but present in past popularity polls results, in english-speaking communities, or requested by users when I first did this tierlist maker (uhh a couple years ago I think it was?)

while this can totally be used for platonic relationships, I made this with the assumption that most people would sort their preferences in romantic pairings, so I didn't include families, Sumireko/Eika/Chiyuri (not that these characters have a lot of popular pairings in the first place), and ships of the fairies with characters other than, well, fairies. I know everyone has different opinions on which characters are minors, but these are the ones I will not budge on. for other characters I think it would be unfair to restrict too much. doesn't mean I agree with all the ships here, but I wanted to leave people the freedom to do what they want.

now for how rare a pairing could get, I chose like this: 1) has at least 50 artworks on pixiv, or 2) a decent amount of fanworks on other sites (socmed, ao3 etc), or 3) is definitely a rarepair but is part of a popular group of relationships (ex: Kaguya/Keine in the Eirin/Kaguya/Mokou/Keine group, Chimata/Momoyo with the UM quartet etc), or 4) there's only a couple of people shipping it but they've made a ton of fanworks for it and I've seen it several times online or at doujin events.

the required amount of fanworks was obviously lowered for PC98 pairings. some of these are just here for the sake of it but I figured that it might make some people happy so (shrugs).

oh yeah TH20 characters aren't here because there's barely any yuri of them rn, obviously. I'll update the list later this year if needed, after the full game releases.

I tried to make this as complete as possible but I've probably forgotten things! sorry if your favorite rarepair isn't there. you can always add images yourself when making your tierlist. have fun!

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

i feel like jimin and jungkook have lot in common in terms of their artistic vision, ambitions , goals , tastes, preferences, approach as a celebrity A LOT MORE than either pjms and jjks would be comfortable to admit

If only some of them had some common sense, particularly the loudest and the most chronically online.

It's not even about shipping. No one has to believe Jimin and Jungkook are together. It's not a prerogative and no one should inflitrate all fandom space to spread the propaganda (as opposed to the cult as we all know it). It's not even about having to like that person, even if their bias does. But it's about having a fact-based and realist understanding of that relationship. Be it of a working nature, friendship, romantic, all of the above or in various combinations. It's about being able to make a difference between our own feelings and something that has nothing to do with us as fans.

I was never shy in saying that I don't like Tedros. I don't like him as a person and I don't like him when he's anywhere near JM and JK. But at the same time, I also can't project my own feelings on other people. Koomi might find him annoying (see AYS Jeju), but I'm not gonna come here everyday and try to sell people the idea that they hate him. I have eyes. I see them together. Until something completely shifts that shows serious animosity, then I'll stick to my place.

I don't find being in this position difficult. Absolutely not. I can easily live with it. Which is why I find the solo stans constant wars so absurd in this case, particularly when the two idols that are the main topics, not only get along well, they have shown time and time again that they choose each other and that they like each other. Whatever that means for them. And there's so many similarities and easy to indentify. Watching AYS really solidified them through all their talks. Especially their approach as celebrities. They're bigger than their bandmates and yet, they're the ones not promoting themselves constantly. They have kept to themselves all throughout military service and came back stronger. Again, we know that based on their own words.

Cause that's it, isn't it? All we have to do is listen because it's all out in the open. There is no need for conspiracy theories or whatever fanfics people write when they project in their idol.

[biancasaidstfu]

Hi Bianca,

I have been in this fandom since December 2023. I have never been an active participant. I preferred to follow from a distance with my anonymous accounts. Since I want to remain anonymous, I would be very happy if you do not share this. I have been following your blog for a while. I am sure these have been discussed many times on your blog before, but this is the first time I wanted to share my thoughts with someone. My purpose is not to prove or disprove a theory in any way. I just want to share my observations.

A while ago, just out of personal curiosity (separately of fandom), I read many blogs and watched videos about celebrity PR techniques. I have no professional training in this field and I have no knowledge. I am aware that none of these are “scientific articles”. You have probably read or watched most of them. I would like to summarize the parts that were interesting to me, as far as I can remember, “in my own words”. I hope you are interested.

When a celebrity signs on for a project, they become the assets (in a rough way) of the production company. PR companies decide how to sell the celebrity (sexy, flirtatious, cute but talented, etc.). PR is part of the celebrity business. Celebrities sometimes lie, manipulate and deceive us. That doesn't make them monsters. It's part of their job to do that. Celebrities take a step and people are interested in it. In between, PR teams, tabloid press, paparazzi, etc. and of course the celebrity themselves rightfully benefit from it.

No matter what industry they are in, business deals are based on mutual benefit. Right? This does not mean that either party is a monster or a victim. Contracts are signed through mutual negotiations, both parties determine their own terms, and neither party can force the other to do anything they don’t want. As a result, both parties naturally benefit financially and emotionally from this.

Celebrities always say that they want to be on the agenda with their work and that they don't want their private lives to be talked about, but somehow they end up on the agenda with their private lives. Fandoms are usually made up of women, and women are more interested in the celebrity's private life (relationships, home decor, diet program, clothes, etc.). And we women love to talk. When a celebrity announces a project, it is forgotten the next day, but when they are seen with their partner, it is on social media platforms and in the press for days. Even someone you don't know/don't care about, you will definitely see a photo somewhere.

Celebrities do not live according to the wishes and needs of their fans/viewers. They show us as much as they want, when they want, and sometimes when it is “necessary”. People often sympathize with celebrities. They think that they cannot live like normal people and that they are constantly harassed. In fact, they live normal lives like us. They go to business meetings, travel, go to the doctor for check-ups, meet with their friends and have coffee like us. In other words, they are not photographed by paparazzi every time they leave their house. Isn’t this the main purpose of PR? Establishing a connection between the public and the celebrity is to touch people’s emotions and make them think “they are one of us”. Celebrities are not public property, but they are public figures. Of course, they are normal people who have feelings, needs and desires like us. However, earning millions of dollars and living privileged lives than most of us comes with certain costs.  It is the job of the celebrity's professional teams to manage this process in the best possible way.

PR relationships or using real relationships as PR is, in my opinion, one of the most predictable, tired and cheesy but still valid methods. It is very difficult to distinguish PR relationships from real relationships. The aim is to reflect that the relationship is sincere and real. It is planned at the table and everything that happens in a real relationship is included in the planning. Even the "kissing" we see may not be real. These relationships can be short-term or last for years. When a celebrity announces their relationship, we read things like: "the relationship is very serious, they made it public" "she/he has always kept their private life very secret, they no longer feels the need to hide it because they are very in love" "aww very happy relationship" "oh how in love" I am not saying that celebrities do not feel these things. Celebrities have the right to fall in love, to have romantic and happy relationships just like us. No celebrity is obliged to share the seriousness of their relationship, how in love and happy they are with the public, in short, to announce their love to the world. However, they can choose to share. When we are in a relationship, how many people do we include in our relationship? We share our relationship on our social media, but we do it in our own little worlds. We don't have millions of followers. When a celebrity chooses to share their relationship, they are including millions of eyes and the press in their relationship. They receive criticism, gossip, sometimes hate comments, and in some cases, the relationship is even dissected and tear apart. Why would a celebrity want to share their private life knowing that this would happen? I think the answer is very clear.

So do celebrities not have intimate relationships? Of course they do. I think the less we see of it, the more intimate the relationship is.

I read a sentence that summarized everything I wrote very clearly: "If you see it, it's PR"

Now for my personal thoughts. First of all, I want you to know that I am equally distant from Luke/Nic and Jake/Antonia. I don't hate any of them. However, I can't say that I am a fan of Jake and Antonia.

I think Luke's relationship is a real relationship (unfortunately). But I think he's using it as PR, especially because of what's happened since January. When I look back today and put the pieces together since last summer, we've been following PR steps that "for now" ended with BAFTA. I have no idea where this relationship is going. We'll wait and see.

As for Nicola, I've been thinking about this as PR since I saw the festival photos. For the reasons I wrote above, I don't think someone who has managed to keep her private life so private would suddenly want to announce her love to the world. We also see that PR is effective. Jake's follower count is constantly increasing, he's getting projects and he's being seriously praised by some. This tells me that PR is doing its job.

So will Lukola ever be real? I don't know. As I said in the beginning, I'm not trying to disprove or prove any theory. I don't think Luke and Nic are together. I don't think they were ever in a relationship, but there was definitely something going on between them somewhere.

We do not know what clauses are included in the contract of any actor in a project. It is not hard to guess that contracts are not written down and vary from actor to actor. Let's say that actor X may have said yes to a much stricter contract, while actor Y may have signed a more flexible contract.

Of course, I am not familiar with all the celebrity world, their relationships and projects. This is just an observation. You may have noticed that in some productions, the actors who play romantic couples break up their characters in the series if they are together in real life. The most recent example is Stranger Things' Nancy and Jonathan. They started dating in real life and then broke up in the last season. I even read rumors that Peter Parker will have a new date in the upcoming Spiderman movie. If that really happens, I will have proven this theory in my own way (just joke) Could this be a contract clause?

I can hear, “No producer can restrict an actor’s private life or the actor will not allow it.” Why not. We don’t know what is being discussed during negotiations. I don't think anyone is forcing anyone, but some things can be unpredictable. No producer wants an actor’s private life, possible scandals, to get in the way of their production. Therefore, MAYBE they can impose some restrictions on the actor’s private life. Also, if the relationship doesn’t work out, this can affect the project. Especially when it comes to Bridgerton, Colin and Penelope, it doesn't make sense to separate these two characters. Can you imagine them getting divorced in season 4? Well, considering that this will affect the views, why shouldn't there be restrictions? After all, Shondaland/Netflix is ​​a commercial enterprise. (No one is a monster here, and no one is a victim)

MAYBE the producer may not want the actor to take part in a project that will be more than their own in their future projects. They may want that actor’s name to be constantly mentioned with their own project. Wouldn’t they want to see “X’s star yy” in all the headlines?

Finally, theories are always talked about more. When a situation becomes clear, people stop talking about it. Isn’t that how human psychology is? When you get what you want, its value decreases and you move on to other goals.

This has been a very long post. I'll stop it here. I hope you made it to the end. Thank you for your patience.

.

[silassqaure]

The Key

Platonic!Joel Miller & F!Reader

(with of course some BestFriend!Tommy, too)

Words: 1.9k

Warnings: None

Tags: pre-outbreak, fluff, reader and Tommy are 16, Joel's 21, the wee tiniest bit of angst

A/N: The obsession I have with pre-outbreak tlou content needs to be studied. They have me thirty-six years of freedom and damned if I'm not taking it. Also childhood friends my beloved

part of my Sunshine & Rain!Verse

*-*-*-*

Description: Joel comes home to find not Tommy- but you crashing on his couch

The jangle of keys rouse you from a doze, but you make no move to sit up from the couch as the door opens. The cushions are too soft, your boy too melted into the fabric.

“Fuck ‘re you doing here?

Joel sounds… just as annoyed as he always does. He does sound a little extra shocked, though, which you’re going to count as a win. You pry an arm from over your eyes, letting it flop to the floor.

“Enjoying this nice ass couch you got,” you reply.

Across the room, Joel drops his wallet and keys onto the entryway table and toes off his shoes. He also sighs- loudly. Like you decided to turn all the lights on and leave all the taps running instead of taking a slight nap on his couch.

“This ain’t a house for wayward teens,” Joel grumbles.

“You let Tommy live here.” you counter.

Joel laughs- well, lets out an amused huff, more like, because he’s an asshole and won’t admit you’re funny. “Ain’t a house for wayward girls, then.”

Offended, you sit up in a flash. “Now that’s just sexist. Would you really prefer Tommy’s pot-smoking boys over me?”

You get an eye roll in response. Just an eye roll, no comeback. Which in Joel speak essentially means he knows you’re right. You fall back into the couch again, this time against the squishy back cushions. “That’s what I thought, Mr. Miller.”

That gets you a glare. Joel hates that.

“I told you to stop calling me that,” he says, proving your point. You give him your best innocent, teenage girl smile. As if you’ve ever called him that because of proper manners.

“How the hell did ya get a key, anyway?” Joel asks, standing in the middle of the living room.

You shrug. “I stole it from Tommy.”

For a moment Joel just stares at you. He opens his mouth once, closes it again. You wait for him to say something- to tell you off for it, maybe- but he doesn’t say anything. He just shakes his head, walking past you into the kitchen.

You watch him go, fingers tensing around the edge of the couch cushion. You didn’t think Joel would be mad. Tommy and you had been friends for a couple years now, and he’d been inviting you over for nearly that whole time. You’d gotten pretty familiar with Joel.

But… you guess you might’ve crossed the line with this one. Sneaking in here on your own. Joel wasn’t your brother. It’s one thing for Tommy to bring you over without any warning- it’s another for you to just show up. He seemed like he was joking when he came inside, but Joel could also be a hard man to read.

And you’d just been fucking sarcastic back.

Your fingers twitch, refusing to relax. A not so great feeling starts to drip in your gut. You really liked being friends with Tommy, but maybe you’ve gotten a little too comfortable in the Millers’ lives. It was just nicer over here. Your parents never gave a shit about where you went, but they barely cared any more when you were home.

Fuck. You’d fucked this up, hadn’t you?

You were dragged out of your thoughts when something nudged your leg. Looking up, you were met with Joel. He held out a soda in your direction, another one already cracked open in his other hand.

“C’mon,” Joel says. He nods his head to the side. “I gotta project I could use some help on, and wayward teens are usually put to work, right?”

Eyes wide in surprise- which makes you cheeks threaten to burn because you know Joel can see it- you take the offered drink. He doesn’t seem mad.

When Joel turns on his heel, you get up and follow. You take a sip of the soda, cold and sugary and very obviously the shitty off-brand. Hopefully, it will help you wake up some- the nap you’d just taken didn’t do much to stave off the tiredness weighing you down.

Joel stops in the cramped bathroom, setting his own soda down on the back of the toilet. You do the same, on the edge of the sink. Frowning, Joel points at the tiny washer and dryer tucked into the room.

“Both of these’ve miraculously managed to throw themselves off balance at the same time. So, of course, they’re now refusing to run. Normally,” Joel continues to explain, “it’s an easy fix- just a matter of adjusting the feet on the bottom.

“All fine and dandy ‘cept for the fact that when you buy the shitty pair from some coworker’s neighbor, it turns out they come without half the feet. Which leaves us with this.”

Joel gestures again, this time to the top of the dryer. You notice it has a handful of mismatched scrap wood spread across the top.

“Damn thing is gonna take more than two hands. I was gonna wail til Tommy got home, but the sooner I get this fixed the better and I’ve no idea when he’ll be home. You mind?”

You shake your head, stepping closer. Really, all Joel needs is someone to tilt the machines back as he wedges the wood scraps underneath. You are almost positive he could’ve done this himself- that he wasn’t actually going to wait for Tommy to get home.

But Joel also isn’t kicking you out. If anything, he’s sort of giving you a reason to stay. Under the guise of helping him. It feels like some unspoken assurance.

It doesn’t take long to balance the washer and dryer. At some point Joel pulls a level out of fucking nowhere, so you have a real gauge over an approximate assumption. It feels like a little bit of overkill, but what the hell do you know-

Afterwards, you follow Joel out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. It’s only just now getting close to six o’clock. According to Tommy, most nights Joel gets home a hell of a lot later than he did today. You hesitate for a moment by the table. You’d hoped that Tommy would be back by now, so you had a better excuse to linger.

Joel opens the fridge, but he turns to look at you over his shoulder before grabbing anything. “I didn’t think to ask- Tommy didn’t tell you when he’d be back by chance, did he?”

You shake your head- you don’t even know where he is. Which definitely means he is off doing something he’s not supposed to be doing. Tommy always tells you otherwise. Based off Joel’s expression, he’s thinking the same thing.

“No us waitin’ on him, then,” he says and starts pulling a few items out of the fridge. Then the cabinets, and then he’s turning on the stove.

“I should probably head back home,” you say, rocking back on your feet. You’d rather be here.

“If you want,” Joel agrees, “but I’ll be making plenty extra to leave for Tommy if you wanna stay. Maybe you bein’ here for dinner will encourage him to start being back in time.”

You chuckle. “Trying to encourage Tommy to do anything he doesn’t think was his idea is a fool’s errand.”

Joel lets out another one of those amused huffs. “Even so, at least he listens to you half the time. That’s twice the amount he ever listens to me.” A moment of silence lapses before Joel speaks again. “But if you’re gonna stay, go ahead and work on your homework while dinner’s cooking.”

“Who says I didn’t already finish it all?” you counter.

For that, you get fixed with a bored look and a raised brow. “The couch- which still has an impression of your lazy ass from how long you were laying there.”

You groan, but move to grab your backpack from the living room. While you’re in there you peer around, and the couch does not have a single impression of yours thank-you-very-much. Still, you drop into one of the chairs at the kitchen table and unzip your bag.

At least Joel’s willing to talk to you while you work.

*-*-*-*

Tommy strolls in as you and Joel are cleaning your plates. He makes a clatter as he comes through- dropping his backpack, kicking off his shoes. There is only the faint smell of weed coming off him when he enters the kitchen, though, so it could be worse.

“Hey, Joel,” he says, making a beeline for the stove where his dinner is being kept warm.

He doesn’t notice you until he spins to sit at the table, hands full with the plate Joel handed him on instinct. Tommy catches your eye, looks away, and then stumbles with how hard his head snaps back up towards you.

“You-” he drops into a seat. “You stole my fucking key, didn’t you?”

Trying to hold back your shit-eating grin proves to be an impossible task. The affronted look on Tommy’s face is just too good. A snarky remark is burning on your tongue, but Joel beats you to it.

“Serves you right for not keeping track of your things, dumbass,” he says, tipping Tommy to the side by a palm on his head.

With all the grace of a smug, older brother, Joel ducks out of the way when Tommy tries to retaliate. He does laugh then- something from deep inside his chest. And you realize you’ve only ever heard Tommy make Joel laugh like that.

Once Joel leaves the room, Tommy stabs his fork in your direction. Swallowing around the largest bite you’ve ever seen someone take, he speaks. “You are not allowed to team up with my brother. That is not how this-” he aggressively gestures back and forth between the both of you “-works.”

Rolling your eyes, you lean on the table. The heels of you palms press into the wood. “If you’d gotten home at any point before dinner, I wouldn’t have to. You left me no choice.”

Tommy makes an offended noise through yet another mouthful of food. You just grin as you bend to pick up your backpack. It’s nearly eight now- you really should be getting home. Tommy calls out to you while you’re slipping on your shoes.

“You ain’t even gonna hang out before you leave?”

Straightening, you look across the room at him. “I’ve been hanging out dude- You’re the one that missed it.

It’s worth it just for another glimpse of that offended expression. You hear Tommy groan behind you as you open up the front door.

“Thanks for the dinner, Joel!” you exclaim, raising your voice to carry down the hall.

It’s only a second before a voice calls back, “Any time, kiddo.”

A content feeling settles in your chest after you close the door. The sun lingers on the horizon. You like being at the Millers’ house- Tommy and Joel are fun. Even just being there, taking a nap on their couch, was nice. Your house is just fucking boring. And Joel really didn’t seem to care that you just showed up. Tommy’s ego might explode if you tell him, but… you’re lucky to have him.

It’s not until you get home, all the way into your bedroom without seeing a single soul, that you realize you never gave back Tommy’s key. And neither of them ever asked.

*-*-*-*

requested tags: @umadirectioner

[iron-hearts-ablaze]

Karlach kept her hands on Rolan's shoulders even as he soundlessly agreed to follow her away from the corpse. This way, the possible urge to turn back would already be stifled. If only she had such a strong guide when she first faced horrors - but she aimed to be someone others could rely on, and so here she stood. Firm and reassuring.

She gave him a moment to gather his thoughts, but they were soon beginning to get away from him. As a realisation after realisation sunk in, soon snowballing away from him down the hill of comprehension. "Hey, hey-" Karlach shook Rolan's shoulders just a little. She leaned low just a little to purposely catch his eye. "-One thing at a time. Like I said, we'll take care of Lorroakan. We have an archmage over there too, remember? He'll get this place cleaned up in no time. Meanwhile, you get yourself washed up. As for the shop..."

She paused for a moment, eyes darting to the side as she thought about what to do. She wondered if anyone in this group could spare a moment to hold down the fort - but there was already so much to do. Then she recalled who was behind the counter already...

"Can you do an illusion spell too? Y'know, a projection - or whatever they're called. The messenger Lorroakan has set up when we got to the portals. I've seen Gale use them too when he's practising. Can't you conjure up one just to keep the peace while we sort things out up here? Or if you prefer to shut the shop down, I'm sure we can clear the place." She gestured with her head to her comrades who were healing up or already starting with the clean up. "Known adventurers warning customers to leave because there's danger? They're bound to listen."

Only now did Karlach release Rolan's shoulders as she stood up straighter, hands on her hips with a gentle smile graced upon her features. "You can stop thinking like you need to do all this by yourself any time now, soldier. Like I said before, we're here to help. Rely on someone other than yourself for now. Sound like a plan?"

He followed the guidance of Karlach's hands on his shoulders, and what bristle there was in his pride was diminished by the dregs of shock. To be truly honest with himself, Rolan couldn't be sure he'd have turned away on his own, at least not for a while. He also didn't resist her attempt to put some distance between him and Lorroakan's body, for the same reason.

Cal and Lia. Right. Yes. They shouldn't spend one more night huddled outside the gates. There were more than enough guest rooms in the tower's private corridors, though he'd have to air them. And... this meant no more nights on the storage room floor, didn't it? Gods, when was the last time he or his family had a bed?

Rolan's whirling thoughts calmed enough for him to catch most of Karlach's reassurances. There was still a bit of a dazed look on his face when he nodded. Better days... Could he really risk hoping? Shouldn't he anyway? Yet the concept loomed so large and burned so bright, Rolan didn't dare acknowledge it directly. It felt too much like staring overlong at the Companion, when it still blazed over Elturel.

"I..." His focus began to clarify, as his mind fixed upon smaller, more straightforward thoughts. "They, they can't... I shouldn't, I mean, welcome them in to..." He gestured vaguely at the glass, the marks from spells, the body, himself. "They shouldn't see me like—" Rolan caught himself, crossing his arms with his tail wrapped tight around his own calf again. "They shouldn't see the tower like this. A corpse shouldn't be their first memory here, no matter whose it is. I have to clean up and—" A huff and a glance to the portal. "Zurgan, and the shop...! I'll have to close it without a word of why."

[apomaro-mellow]

look, I try not to chime in on these things but people saying keery will soon be "free" of stranger things just baffle me. like the man has done other things are you aware that he's done other things do you understand that actors can be involved in more than one thing

[sunderwight]

Hualian Idol AU where instead of the statues the big reveal of Hua Cheng's longstanding amorous fixation on Xie Lian is all of his self-insert "my mom sold me to One Direction" style fanfics located in the depths of some boyband RPF archive.

[processed-meat]

yuuup

[bonestrouslingbones]

also i hate to admit it and i swear i DO understand the importance of them but fellas i fear i may be steadily morphing into a humanities hater

[0x4468c7a6a728]

i've gotta program something soon...

[yeonban]

I always find it funny when I come across posts about Wammy's House disbanding "now that Near is L" bc logically speaking that wouldn't be the case 😭 after how many of the orphanage's best died to catch ONE criminal (Kira) including L himself, they know better than ever that Near could also drop dead at any point. Even Near himself is aware of this. And then what. Who'll become the next L? Who'll save the world if not for these geniuses? This orphanage's a generational prison I fear

[fleeblesim]

Born to play sims all day, forced to write essays for uni ✋️😩