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frostedclock-writes · 3 months ago

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Angelic Radio

Chapter 2

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Warnings: Rated M, Angel!Reader, female reader, not beta read

Chapter 1

Chapter 3

"Deal."

It was odd.

Truly.

Alastor had made a door appear for you, it outlined in that bright shade of green you've began to associate with his demonic powers. He added an addition to his shack, which seemed to be quite an easy task for him. A simple bedroom, but it was nice for what it was. A bed, a dresser, a small closet, a vanity with a stand up mirror next to it. You slept - if you considered tossing and turning sleeping - for a few hours before deciding that it was useless to try and rest right now.

You looked at yourself in the mirror. Your white robe looked a bit dingy from your trouncing in the street and maybe even the bedsheets. They seemed clean but can anything down here be that clean? Maybe you should get yourself some new clothes, easy things such as that should be no issue for you to do. Right? Your eyes drift to your halo, it floated slightly crooked above your head, a few inches from your hair. Your fingers go up to it for a moment, the bright silver shine a bit brighter for a moment.

You let go of it and shake your head.

You walked towards the bedroom door and slowly clicked it open. You glance out into the small home. You could hear sizzling of meat, humming in the distance and a light brightly spilling into the home from the kitchen. You slowly walked outside of the bedroom and towards the warm yellow light. The humming grew louder as you approached and you peeked inside.

Alastor was in front of the stove, his back was to you. He had taken off the red pinstripe overcoat and his red button up had its sleeves rolled up to his elbow. A soft black coated his hand, his fingertips the same shade of red as his hair. It was an older song he was humming, you recognized it but couldn't place the name. It brought you back for a moment to when you were a Guardian. The sound of locusts and the smell of sassafras.

You took a few steps within the kitchen and a swirl of black came from below Alastor's feet and a slightly opaque shadow version of Alastor materialized. It gave you a big smile. You gave it a big scream. Not your proudest moment, you would say. Your wings stuck out and a few feathers floated through the air.

Alastor looked over his shoulder, he cocked an eyebrow. The Shadow of him looked almost like a kicked puppy at your reaction. Did you hurt it's feelings? Can a thing like that have feelings? Oh dear, what if it does and it was just trying to say hello?

" Sorry, uh.... You startled me..." You glanced at Alastor, " Alastor, what - who uh is this ?"

" Just a bit of my soul, don't mind him. " Alastor chuckled, he turned his attention back to the stove and began to stir the contents within the cast iron skillet.

" Oh yes, normal. Totally. " You nodded. Lies, this stuff was kinda freaky, but you would need to get used to it down here you supposed. The Shadow made a silent cackle and smiled again , he swirled around the kitchen and then peeked over Alastor shoulder at the food he was making. You approached slowly, still a bit cautious of the shadow being even if it seemed he didn't mean any harm. " What are you cooking?"

" Oh, as close to chicken fried steak and eggs that one can get down here. " Alastor looked back to you out of the corner of his eye.

" Oh!" You perked up a bit. You didn't know what you were expecting, but it was a pleasant surprise to see two slabs of meat coated in breading frying shallowly in oil. A bowl next to the stove had yellow liquid with speckles of red and black, you assumed it was the eggs ready for scrambling. " Do you need any help?" You offered.

Alastor hummed, his smile twitched a bit wider. " Could you go to that cabinet and get down the dinnerware?" His shadow self moved towards the cabinet and flattened on the surface.

You make a small laugh as you got to the cabinet. When you reach for the shadow covered cabinet, the shadow being melted like hot ice cream off of the surface and slid across the floor back to its source. Weird, yet kinda endearing. You opened the cabinet to sets of nice china, all shades of yellowed white and dark reds. You went for the darker reds this time, you pulled two plates down.

" Two glasses as well, though I don't know if you will partake in my choice. " You heard Alastor from behind you.

You gather two glasses that were found and kind of thick, you return over to the kitchen island in the center with your gathered glassware. Alastor moved a thick rag over to the empty space and a hot skillet was swiftly placed on top with two still sizzling pieces of fried meat. The smell hit your nose, which at first you thought would disgust you, but some how it smelled different than the bagged swill that you had encountered at the fast food restaurants. Spices -like paprika and garlic - filled your senses and made your mouth water a little. He had poured all the grease out of the pan and was now doing something with it in a pot on the stove while eggs began to cook.

" I will be leaving after the meal to attend to a few things. I want you to remain here. " Alastor spoke up as he scraped the sides of the pan.

" Oh, well I guess I can't go wondering around in this kind of place. " You made a gentle laugh and slowly move towards him, glancing into the pot to see what was bubbling inside. Brown and thick. Gravy? " I'll be a tad bored then,but I'll do my best to entertain myself. "

" Don't worry you won't be alone. " Alastor chuckled and shook his head. " No. No. " He turned off the burners, his red eyes met yours. " What kind of protector would I be should I leave my charge all alone?" His smile grew a few inches.

" Hey, that wasn't my fault that I got reassigned. " You half-heartedly grumbled.

Alastor chuckled and his hand reached and pinched your cheek for a brief moment before he walked to place the other pans on the table. " I'll be leaving Niffy with you. She can keep you busy while I'm away. "

" Niffty?" You tilted your head and rubbed your cheek gently as you went to the little barstool at the kitchen island.

Alastor didn't elaborate. Instead, he played the two meals up and poured gravy over the whole slab of meat. It looked delicious. You had nearly forgotten about his skills in the kitchen during the decades apart. You must have been staring hard at your plate because you heard Alastor speak as he took his seat.

" Go ahead. You must be famished. "

Okay it looked delicious.

It tasted amazing.

Like how could food like this even be made down here? It truly amazed you.

You didn't know what kind of meat it was, but right now all you cared about was that it melted in your mouth and the gravy had soaked into the breading like a sponge. Alastor ate his own meal as he watched you occasionally, his smile was gentle -almost soft. You actually were enjoying yourself, listening to the soft melodies from the distant broadcast and to the hums that Alastor made under his breath. You smiled softly and you made a gentle laugh as you laid your fork down next to your half finished meal.

" You know, this is all kind of ridiculous. " You admit.

" Ridiculous?" Alastor cocked an eyebrow, then took a piece of meat and brought it to his mouth.

"I feel almost guilty for enjoying myself. That's all. I'm dining with a sinner, a soul I couldn't save. A delicious meal at that. Like oh gosh, This could make some Cherubs cry. "

Alastor made a chuckle, he shuffled a little bit like he held pride for the praise. " You shouldn't feel like that's it isn't a sin to dine with an old friend, is it?"

"No?"

" Good, than you should have no issues! " He adjusted his monocle and his eyes settled on you. " Heaven must be quite a dull place if you can't even allow yourself to enjoy the little things. "

" No. We do... It's just, " you sighed, " I don't know, perhaps I feel like I would get in trouble if one of the higher angels caught me here. " You made a laugh and shook your head.

" Well. There are none of those here," he took the napkin to the corner of his lips and set down the napkin over the empty plate. " And no need to worry. " He stood up and as he passed by, he parted your head. " I wouldn't even let them harm you if that is what you wished. " He flicked his wrist and his microphone staff appeared. He began to walk towards the exit. " Take your time with breakfast! Niffty will be here to clean up. Adieu!"

Alastor left you alone shortly after, your gaze returned to your food. You finished what you could and scraped the plate into a trashcan you had found. You paused as you slid the fork across the porcelain. You heard a floorboard creak for a moment then you looked around and didn't see anyone. You shook your head and picked up the dishes and set them all in the sink with the cast iron set off to the side. You had no idea how to handle those, besides remembering that they took special kind of cleaning.

You wondered if you should go ahead and run the water. Whoever this Niffty was they might appreciate a little help. Plus, what else were you going to do? You think there were books in the living room but you didn't ask Alastor if it was okay to peruse his library. Darn, you should have thought of that.

You heard a scuttle. Like a rat running across the floor. Well, there were probably all sorts of pests in hell. Or you at least would assume so.

You went to the sink and began to film the water in the sink. It came out this gross dark rusty red. It smelled like old piping, but you couldn't be sure. You still let it run and fill up, thankfully hot water seemed to be at least working. You thanked the heavenly father for the small blessings. Despite how few and far between they seem

"Ow!" You help out as you feel several of your feathers get yanked out. You look over your shoulder sharply.

" Kehehhe! Hi! Your feathers are pretty! " A red haired tiny woman cuddled the cluster of feathers like a child would a stuffed toy. " Alastor said he found an angel but I thought he was teasing!"

You backed up a few steps and made a soft laugh, nervous and sharp. " Ah yes, well uh, you must be Niffty."

"Mhmm! " She stepped closer even as you back up to the counter of the sink. " What's your name? "

" Alastor didn't mention it?" You tried to calm down. Something about this woman made you think you were trapped in a room with a wolverine. Small, cute, but definitely dangerous. "It's uh Y/N."

" Nope!" She shook her head vigorous and she hopped up onto the counter. She gripped onto the cloth of your robe and looked at it. " Oh! These are really soft! But they look gross. Do you not have anything else to wear?" She made a gasp. " You wouldn't! Don't worry I'll pick you up something. "

" No, no, you don't have to-"

" Hehe you can't be wearing something like this down here! " She than began to push you slowly down towards the exit, using the counter for a lift as much as she could. " Now I have to clean! Go!"

" Oh uh, okay? "

She was quite a character. Niffty was as small as most Cherubs you knew, but she had more strength than she let on, you felt your feet skid across the floor as she moved you.

She shut the kitchen door behind you and you could hear the clanking of dishes and... Stabbing? You smooth the part of your wings that was missing a chunk of feathers. You move quickly towards your room, this place felt insane. You close your bedroom door and move towards the little cot. You need to take a breath, it can't be all that bad right? Sure, the little maid lady seemed a bit.... Unique. Alastor was a killer, of how many you had no idea, but he seemed alright. Your gaze goes to the little window, the painted red sky with little streaks of white made you miss the soft blue and yellow of Heaven's sky. In the silence of the room, you could hear gunshots and screams down the street, your feathers stuck up. You took small breaths.

At least you were safe here, right?

Alastor had seemed like he had wanted to make sure you weren't harmed. Though, in a place like this, how can you be sure that he could keep such a promise. Was he powerful like a Seraphim? You weren't sure how hells magic works, sweet spirit, you didn't even know how most of Heaven's magic worked because that was for higher ranked angels than you.

You almost jumped out of your skin when the sound of a knock brought you back to reality. You cleared your throat. "Come in!"

The door clicked opened and the singular eye of Niffty peeked inside. She pushed the door opened and skuttled inside with a little platter in her hand. She stuck it up in the air towards you, little cookies with chocolate chips inside. Was it chocolate chips?

" Would you like some? " She made a small chuckle and looked at you expectantly.

You hesitated. " I....yeah, sure. I'll take one. " You stopped when that big eye began to get watery.

" Hehe! Yay!"

" So... Niffty, " you bit into the cookie. " How long have you known Alastor?"

" Hmm?" She tilted her head and lowered the platter. " Oh! A few years? I can't really remember. Heheh, but Alastor is the best. "

" Oh, I guess he takes care of you?"

She nodded. " Eheh and he lets me clean up his messes! " She seemed to get a bit giddy from the thought, " So much bleach! Heheheh!"

"O-Oh.... How, um, nice? Nice. " You felt nervous again.

She looked up at your halo and grinned widely. " Are you able to take that off? "

"Well, it's able to come off. " But you weren't sure how it would affect you in the long term, like what if you got back up and couldn't put it back on? Or like what if it just comes back without warning if you haven't warn it in a while? What if taking it off down here meant you were fallen? Permanent? Oh gosh, oh gosh.

" Are you okay? "

You blink and look to Niffty. " Ah, yes. Sorry. "

She left the plate of cookies on the dresser near the window. The cookies almost looked pink in the natural light of the Hellscape that you found yourself in. " That's okay! Alastor should be home soon, don't worry! "

"Right, yeah... "

She headed back for the door. She paused and turned back, her little feet made dainty noises even as she walked as cross rotted boards. " You made Alastor really happy by showing up! Thank you! " She then closed the door and was gone in a flash.

Yep. Odd, would be one word for how your life is going.

Taglist: @l3rittany @ari-hatake24 @michi-keinz

#hazbin hotel #hazbin x reader #alastor x reader #hazbin alastor #alastor x you #hazbin hotel x reader #angelic radio

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suzukiblu · 1 year ago

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WIP excerpt for derpsheep; a fake cryptid and a real romantic. (( chrono || non-chrono ))

“Tt,” the Batman says, vaguely annoyed. Then it wonders where it got that sound, and then it wonders why it wondered.

It’s just a sound. It makes sounds, sometimes. Not often, but sometimes.

So it’s . . . odd, that it’s wondering about it.

But it’s owed another Robin, something in the place where it doesn’t have a mind knows. Or maybe the place where it doesn’t have a heart . . . ?

But it’s owed one.

It knows it is.

“It looks like he’s just here to hang out with Tim,” Dick says, back to peering at them as Tim flies from building to building and the new Robin flies the wrong way around him in loops and spirals that are at least very Robin-like, even without a net. “Can’t imagine why else Superboy'd ever be in Gotham. Though I also can’t imagine why he’d decide to come hang out, admittedly. I didn’t even know they knew each other, much less well enough for Tim to invite him over.”

Robin, the Batman says, vaguely annoyed again. Tim didn’t need to invite him. He’s a Robin. Robins find their own way to Gotham, one way or the other.

Definitely not a “Superboy”, either way.

“Seriously, B, ask Uncle Clark, he'll tell you,” Dick says, flashing it a slyly amused grin. “He's got dibs and everything.”

The Batman scowls. Jason explained “dibs” to it. Superman does not have “dibs” on its Robin.

It should tell Gotham on him, it thinks in vague annoyance, then gathers the shadows around itself and Dick.

“Um,” Dick says. “Where are we–”

The Batman draws the shadows in, and then slips out of them a few blocks away on top of the rooftop Tim is currently perched on with the new Robin floating overhead. Dick laughs Nightwing’s laugh, and Tim startles, all of Robin's feathers puffing out.

“Oh my god that’s so cute,” the new Robin mutters, then looks up at them curiously. He’s floating in mid-air, which definitely isn’t how Robins fly, and wearing dark, opaque glasses despite the night.

There’s still the city lights, the Batman supposes. Maybe its new Robin is sensitive to light.

Robin, it intones, and Tim hides his face in Robin’s wings.

“Priiiiivate!” he hisses in Robin’s voice, and Dick laughs Nightwing’s laugh again and springs up on the edge of the roof beside him, grinning Nightwing’s inhumanly-wide grin up at the new Robin as he pushes himself up onto the balls of his feet.

“Suuuuuperboy,” he croons, and the Batman glowers at him in exasperation.

ROBIN, he insists. Tim makes a strangled noise.

“Suuuuuperboy!” he hisses insistently. “NOT a Robin!”

“Um, hi?” the new Robin says, looking sheepish. “Um . . . nice to meet you . . . sirs? Ma’ams? I can’t tell, I’m gonna be honest, I’m kinda just guessing here.”

irrelevant, the Batman says, because it is.

“Ma’am!” Dick laughs delightedly, pointing at himself.

The Batman will never understand its Robins’ senses of humor.

“Yes, ma’am,” the new Robin says, then grins at Nightwing and does a little bow in the air. It’s appropriately performative for a Robin, which is mollifying. Even if he’s still flying wrong.

They’ll work on it, the Batman decides, sliding up over the side of the ledge on Tim’s other side.

#derpsheep #wip: a fake cryptid and a real romantic

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mspaesthetic · 11 months ago

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what brush did hussie use to draw everything

He used the default hard round brush preset in Photoshop with the Pencil tool. Some newcomers to digital art might hear the word "pencil" and get confused, thinking it refers to a literal pencil texture brush, but it's a distinct tool from the typical Brush tool. In other programs, similar brushes might also be called the Binary brush or Pixel brush.

The Pencil tool is basically the same as the Brush tool, but draws the strokes with pixelated hard edges. The Brush tool on the other hand draws strokes with anti-aliasing, smoothing the outline of the strokes. This is done with semi-transparent pixels, something that the Pencil tool specifically does not use (hence why it could be called a Binary brush, because a pixel is either fully opaque or not).

Something to note is the version of Photoshop Hussie used: CS3. In CS3, if you had pen pressure enabled, the minimum brush size the strokes could go down to was 2px only (if the brush diameter was set to at least 3px). Setting it to 1-2px would not net you any benefits out of having a pressure-sensitive drawing tablet. In other words, brushstrokes can't taper off to 1px thin ends.

(Bear with me since I currently don't have a computer with Photoshop installed so I'm using these kinda shitty old demo gifs that weren't supposed to be used)

Photoshop CS3 brush engine

The brush engine changed slightly in versions after Photoshop CS3, however. Starting from Photoshop CS4, setting the brush size to 2px with pen pressure enabled would make the 2px brush size invert and jump up to 3px as the minimum brush size, while only going back down to 2px if you applied pressure or drew at an angle or something. (I unfortunately don't have any images on hand demonstrating this clearly.) Only setting the diameter to 3px makes the ends 2px, as you can see below.

Photoshop CS4 brush engine

You can still see this shitty behavior in Photoshop CC versions to this day:

Photoshop CC 2024 brush engine

Maybe this doesn't really matter too much if you're normally drawing hero mode panels, but it does produce slightly different results when drawing sprites.

Also if anyone tries to sell you on using a square brush, disregard them. They're an idiot, plain and simple.

#question #drawing

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sweettoothvn · 4 months ago

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What kinds of species live in the Intrepid? I'm very curious to know about all the beings living there

Omeans, Umbrans, Myrmith, Agalma's, Collectors, Thulu, Thaero, Melani, Hapex, Franix, Aurguia, Gilvans, Strailisks, Gluorim, and Maehal

More will be made in the future but these are the ones we have so far. I'll give brief yet vague descriptions of them as you're supposed to learn about them in game

Omeans - Responsible for the myths surrounding imp, succubi, incubi, and demos. They have hooves, horns, long, thin tails, pupil-less eyes, sharp teeth, and often have markings across their bodies. Rainn is an example of an Omean. Albeit she is an interbred one.

Umbrans - Responsible for the myths about ghosts, specters, poltergeists, and other undead phantoms. They are made from ectoplasm, feel cold to the touch, and have long, textured tongues that are semi-opaque, glow purple, and are forked. Andre and Callisto are examples.

Myrmith - The bug/insect race. They range from semi-humanoid, humanoid with insect features, to entirely insectoid/arthropod. They bleed green and live in Uptown Seikatsu.

Agalma - Elementals. They live in Kumumea mainly and are made from pure Incendie/Luftu/Wai/Diqiu magic. Castle is an example but he is half Diqiu Agalma

Collectors - Porcelain looking 'dolls' with hollow eyes. They are known to be greedy and typically hoard things or even people. Cricket is an example.

Thulu - Creatures entirely comprised of tentacles. They feast off of souls and emotions. Wise but very dangerous creatures.

Thaero - There are three subspecies of Thaero. They used to be one race but after The Bhaavanan War, they were punished and split into three. Fae, Pixies, and Angels. They have 'capes' that look like wings. Depending on the subspecies, they may or may not have parts of a halo. Whiskey is an example of an Angel Thaero.

Melani - FHCCBFRQ GB OR RKGVAPG. XVYY BA FVTUG. GURL NER QNATREBHF. BAYL GUERR NER XABJA GB OR YRSG.

Hapex - The bird race. Responsible for myths about harpies. Phelo and Tenylia are examples.

Franix - Responsible for the myths about Vampires.... kinda self explanatory here... there are more details but will be shared in game.

Aurguia - The aquatic race. Responsible for the myths about merfolk, sirens, and other mythical underwater humanoids. Nyr is an example of one.

Gilvans - Mammalian race. Responsible for myths about Werewolves, Nine Tailed Foxes, etc. Noble is an example.

Strailisks - Reptilian race. Responsible for the myths about dragons in some cases if one was bred with an Agalma. Castle is an example, being half Strailisk.

Gluorim - Amphibian race. Frogs, Salamanders, Axolotls, Toads- you name it!

Maehal - Look similar to sphinx cats... in a sense...? They have six, fleshy ears and multiple eyes.

#sweet tooth vn #asks #sweet tooth lore #worldbuilding

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thhouseofblack · 1 month ago

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Wow hermoine being bitter came like a gut punched and electra with that look towards telemache. I can't quite decipher it, is it accustory?

Love tele being like "oh yeah I was feeling really sad so athena gave me a piggyback ride up to Olympus, it was very fun!"

Since your penelope has water nymph features do you hc tele as having inherited those as well or just the eyes?

Question : is that actually how veils were worn in ancient Greece? Married women wear their veils backward and Un married ones over their heads? That seems kinda weird like I would've expected the opposite.(Google is useless)

Totally expected tele to not be into marriage bc the only men in her life are the gross suitors but considering penelope probably never shit up about ody it makes sense!

electra is a lot of mixed feelings? it isn't accusatory, but i do imagine she has a lot of thoughts on her situation as a whole - hence telemache not being able to decipher the look electra sends her way.

tele and athena having a bond means so much to me - like i love writing them together or talking about each other - there'll be more of them next chapter!!!

i do actually! i think tele has slightly webbed and pointed ears, and her hair (or his depending on the fic) in certain lighting looks a bluish-black.

In regards to veiling in ancient greece, the book I drew upon is Aphrodite's Tortoise: The Veiled Woman of Ancient Greece by Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones.

Note that Homeric Epics aren't set in ancient greece per se, they're set in a fantasy/mythological version of Mycenaean Greece - and because of this there are a lot of difference between customs and culture in the epics compared to ancient greece: like dowry and bride gifts - dowry was a major cultural cornerstone of greek culture up until recently as far as i'm aware, and this practice dates back to ancient greece, however this is not a concept in homeric epics, rather it's the opposite: men are expected to prove themselves as the ideal groom and are to give bride gifts to the father of the bride to win the hand of the woman they wish for wife.

i'm rambling i'm afraid - but from the homer's epics it can be inferred that married noblewomen wear a veil on their head that they can pull forward to cover their face if need be - which was what I was trying to show.

The poet is keen to stress that she is the mistress of the household, for she does not appear in mourning for her lost husband but instead she holds herself with the dignity and poise of a queen. Penelope hides her face behind her veil not simply as a natural reaction to express modesty and to instil a feeling of shame in others, but also because the veil distances her from her social inferiors – to some (significant) extent she veils because the suitors are unworthy to look on her and because her rank of queen is stressed by her deliberate and eye-catching act of veiling. The visual effect produced by Homer is striking: Penelope suddenly appears in the megaron, standing at the doorway and accompanied by her two amphipoloi, both of them there to bolster her appearance. Then, in a deliberate action, she takes a corner of her head-veil and draws it forward, thereby covering part of her face. These actions are clearly designed to magnify her status. In fact, Penelope’s veil is a vital link in the chain of her characterization, for she is associated with textiles and their opaque quality on several occasions.

but then unmarried noblewomen too veil themselves:

In Homeric Greece the veil was an aid to displaying a nobleman’s status; the veiling of his wife, daughter, unmarried sister demonstrated to the world that he was wealthy enough to keep his womenfolk separated from society and in a comfortable enough financial state that they did not need to labour.

but then in a society where veiling for noblewomen is supposed to define their modesty, standing and good virtue - it is only natural that there are different kinds of veiling.

We see married women like Hecuba, Andromache, Penelope and even Helen with wearing a veil on their heads, and unmarried women like Iphigenia and Antigone with face veils.

The evidence for the use of constructed face-veils in Greek society (as we have seen) stems from the mid-fourth century onward, although from the snippets of texts available and the wealth of artistic representations of the veil-gesture, face-veiling with a section of a head-veil seems to have been practised regularly as a woman’s individual reaction to a social situation. If a woman is required to veil her head by a set of social mandates, then the veiling of her face as a signal of her awareness of aidos becomes an almost inevitable consequence. Thus Iphigeneia’s mortification at the sight of strange men at Aulis is recalled later in Tauris by her description of her reaction to her approaching marriage: ‘I hid my face in my fine-spun veil.’ Here the veil is a container for Iphigeneia’s aidos, and its use can be compared with Antigone’s lament that she will never know marriage or the arete of containing her own sexuality in a display of respectful aidos through veiling.

this was what I used as a reference to show the difference in veiling between these two characters - as denoting their social positions. if that makes sense?

i'm so sorry for going on about this to this length - i just wanted to explain my reasoning behind it!

#my asks

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your-dear-memmy · 5 months ago

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Tokyo Ghoul:re ending thoughts +Juuzou meta p. 2

[Sooo I just finished Tokyo Ghoul:re and I've got quite a lot on my mind abt the last arc bc this series has consumed my brain]

Warning: SPOILERS!!

I've heard plenty of people complain about how rushed it was, and while reading the ending I didn't think it was too huge of an issue, but man do I feel unfulfilled right now. The dragon arc went by so quick that it's like nothing ever happened at all, and most of its emotional weight was lost on me.

But first of all, I want to talk about the Implications.

What is up with the Dragon's orphans slowly gaining the intelligence of 5 year olds, and the characters speculating that was how ghouls were born?? what?? how was that just merely mentioned, why was it only glossed over?? My mind EXPLODED at that notion.

Is there gonna be a new species of ghouls now that will gain the same intelligence as ghouls and humans, while still posing a threat? It became all about changing the world in the end, but it just seemed to really center around Kaneki’s own happy ending, because these implications for the world are astounding. Certainly, what Kaneki truly wanted was to keep his loved ones safe, but what I mean is that the consequences for the world as a whole aren't as positive as they're presented to be.

IT FEELS LIKE EVERYTHING WENT BACK TO THE START!!

Maybe these dragon orphans are supposed to represent a vicious cycle of life and war or whatever, but that wasn't really explained because they're just THERE. It feels like the war was all for nothing because now there's new enemies people are losing their lives for, and are being trained at academies to engage in combat with. Perhaps they're new enemies that kill parents of children that go on to become new-age "investigators" to avenge their families, like it used to be against the entirety of ghoul-kind.

It's obvious not every ghoul would play along so it makes sense there are still some harmful ghouls, but these dragon things gaining intelligence is seriously mind boggling. Wdym that's how ghouls were born?? And yall are exterminating them? Why are they attacking??

I feel like my time just got wasted cuz what do you mean these new enemies are getting smarter? Will they reach the iq of a real person soon enough? WHAT DO YOU MEAN they're starting to look more and more like humans?

Is there gonna be yet another one eyed king to make peace with the dragons, the ghouls and the humans?? Is it necessary for this common enemy to still have to tie them together post-war?

Why does it sound like a shitty set up for another sequel when we know damn well Ishida never wants to do anything with manga anymore, since he talked about how stressful working on Tokyo Ghoul has been for him? If it was a philosophical choice, then Im afraid I did not understand it, though I’d certainly love to.

That aside, in regards to the ending I have to say I liked the emotional weight of the discussion between Donato and Amon (what was even the point of Takizawa being there?), as Amon finally admitted he still loved his “father” despite his absolute evilness, and Donato actually loved him as well.

The Uta vs Renji was cool ig though it didn't truly feel like there were any stakes (I can't say I mind them becoming rivals once more but it certainly could’ve been done better, as the clowns have been hyped up for SO LONG…), and I couldn't bring myself to be sad about Irimi and Koma when they were brought back for basically one panel and died the next, even though I really liked them :-(

I was kinda chilling with the Furuta fight, and I guess Furuta wishing in the end to have a normal life was a sign that it truly did all stem from his Washu inferiority, though he remains very weird for wanting to have children with an unwilling Rize. (The Dragon Rize stuff was epic) Overall, Furuta was a cool villain, so it's fine. His opaque motives and his monologue are not too bad at all.

I'm conflicted about Mutsuki’s role in the ending and how they behave after succumbing to and accepting their trauma. Their story is truly tragic and I understand the psychological reasoning as to why they’d latch onto Kaneki and lash out (they also sa’d Uta apparently, believing him to be Haise’s corpse? Uta changed his face shape another time as well, so I do believe that was him), but them suddenly being badass once they remembered their trauma isn't really my cup of tea (which is ironic considering how many times Kaneki himself got “being suddenly badass because of trauma” moments) I liked them and the portrayal of their mental instability in the island arc but afterwards I didn't care much for them.

Also did I miss something or are Amon and Akira not in the end?? Am I tripping??? Maybe some chapters didn't load because why wouldn't they be there? I'm so confused. Amon and Akira have def been in my top 5 favorite characters of the entire series, so safe to say I'm very puzzled.

Takizawa fading into obscurity is just so sad that I don't even know what to say, he just came back to watch and then do his thing after he was tortured and sa/d by Kano into being how he is now. Not everyone's gonna get a happy ending, obviously, but damn😭

One of the best parts of :re was most definitely Urie’s character arc- everyone's character arcs, really!

Tsukiyama’s character arc was spread onto the whole series, and tbh I completely dig it, even though the Tsukiyama raid arc probably could’ve been done even better. At first I thought he was gonna groom Hinami, but he turned out to be an actual gentle”-flower-man” lol. I like him!

Arima’s tragedy was so beautifully done, I swear. Def one of my absolute favorite parts, if not my favorite. It lives in my head rent free.

I literally gasped so hard when it was revealed who Hide had been hiding as the whole time, Ishida's foreshadowing is truly insane. I already knew he was alive, but I was still surprised. He started to feel sm more like a concept rather than another character tho, if that makes sense, haha.

And finally, my son: Juuzou Suzuya .

People were a bit harsh on Juuzou’s ending, I think, though I can definitely understand why!

I don't think Juuzou understood what Marude really meant about making his own decisions- at least, not at first.

Juuzou is 29/30-ish I think, in the ending?? He's been working so hard all these years, just for Shinohara, to become him as if that's what he wanted from him. Or so, that's the last we see of of his motives, though that's before the dragon war, so years back.

After the dragon war, his development feels null because it wasn't fully explained: we aren't told whether juuzou reflected on Marude’s words and decided to stick with the new ccg because he wanted to for himself. We aren't told whether Juuzou developed a sense of justice, and that's why he does what he does, or if that's what he thinks his assigned purpose is and he's simply just sticking to it because he thinks that's what shinohara would've wanted, or he simply doesn't know what else to do with himself. We don't know whether he actually embraced his scrapper/slaughterer role (as I said in my other meta) in a healthy manner or if he just stuck with it because that's what he's been all his life and he doesn't know how to be anything else.

We can speculate, but that brings it back to Shinohara. No manner how you look at it, if Juuzou hasn't reflected on himself and his motives after all these years, then meeting Shinohara once more would shatter his expectations, as it wouldn't just be happy tears and such. That's the man he's fought for for so, so long, and it's really hard to think of how their relationship would be. During those years, Juuzou idolized Shinohara a lot in his mind, which is why he initially wanted to be him. He loved Shinohara, and so what Shinohara stood for must've been, by proxy, just. So, if Juuzou hasn't removed himself from his delusion by actually maturing past the point we see him in before the :re time skip, then it's not gonna be as pretty for him because it wouldn't match his built up expectations, and that's why I find it rather bittersweet.

For someone so traumatized, I don't think Juuzou could ever fully recover, as trauma alters the brain; but, for the sake of my sanity, I'll think he chose to keep fighting for himself rather than because that was the role he was put in. I want to believe he's found how to be his own person, and just likes working together with his squad AND also sees Shinohara on a weekly basis. I JUST WANT HIM TO BE HAPPY DAMMIT💔💔

[With that said, I've been scavaging Ao3 and soon fanfic.net for fanfictiona to quench the void in my heart, but there aren't many that are Juuzou centric. I shan't give up just yet, though! Maybe I'll find one that'll make me feel less bittersweet about Juuzou and Shinohara!]

#tokyo ghoul #tokyo ghoul:re #tg meta #tg:re meta #tokyo ghoul re ending #juuzou tokyo ghoul #suzuya juuzou #juuzou suzuya #tokyo ghoul juuzou #juuzou suzuya meta #Memej yaps

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loki-zen · 5 months ago

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Finally found a combination of game start and game settings on CK3 that keeps my attention and doesn't feel constantly in danger of hard-to-retrieve calamity; this has involved turning the difficulty sliders down so low the game no longer qualifies for achievements but this genuinely feels like the only way I'm going to be able to learn what all the moving parts are and how they interact instead of lurching from crisis to crisis and frequently just not having the funds to do anything.

Definitely a steep curve kinda game if you've not played predecessors or maybe other paradox games just because there are so damn many things to pay attention to and a lot of the central mechanics are kinda... Opaque? (Also if you play the "easy" recommended start tutorial setting, you get vikings wrecking your shit every five minutes)

Like, I read what the game gives you for the inheritance rules a bunch of times and nowhere does it actually spell out that pre-emptively granting your kids titles can take them out of the inheritance scrabble, even though this seems to be a core mechanic of the game before you can get unitary inheritance (which is most of the game). I knew from reading guides that it could do that but was trying to figure out precisely how it worked; in the end I resorted to just saving and doing it and seeing what happened. By what the in game text actually says, you'd expect that the titles you still have when you die are divided up, without reference to what titles your kids already have.

Also, I've at least once had an army lose to an army of slightly smaller size on Very Easy! I would've thought that the damn purpose of a Very Easy mode might be that you could ignore, idk, terrain advantages and matchups between unit types or whatever it is that lost me that one while you're still figuring out how to play the rest of the game.

Anyway it's an inverted-genders Byzantine Empire in the late era run in which I'm an original character that starts out in charge of Athens. I'm grateful that I do actually seem to have access to a form of non-partiate inheritance now bc I apparently just will not stop popping out babies; you'd think frequently being away traveling/leading armies and/or having a homosexual partner would put the brakes on this a bit but apparently not!

But yeah I get that managing the inheritance thing is supposed to be a core mechanic of the game its just that, again, I feel like I'd benefit from being able to spend a few generations working out how you actually go about building up a kingdom until that stuff takes up less brain space and I have room to worry about the complex dynamics of making sure there still is a kingdom generation to generation.

#ck3 #i am bad at this particular sort of video game

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dungeons-are-too-cold · 1 year ago

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just got home from i saw the tv glow...

SPOILERS FOR I SAW THE TV GLOW

thats gonna need a rewatch

and a long long long long nap

because i am not entirely sure how to deal with everything i saw and the ending and my emotions???? I did not cry (its been a weird day and i am cried out) but like im kinda stunned by it ya know? it was really hard, and really rewarding, and really hard. like not depressing just, sobering? like really hard lmao

like theres something about it thats not frustrating or difficult but like dry and bland (the plot and the feeling not like the movie was bland, but like the emotions within the movie were emmulating a sort of bland unmoving everyday feeling that the characters were feeling) and like overwhelmingly mundane. Just the whole experience owen has throughout the film is so quiet and deeply shameful and protectively mundane, like how he says hes too scared to look inside to check if something is missing... like thats, holy shit man. ya know?

and that's not to say that's bad, i don't want that to be what people think i think, cuz its very very very the opposite of bad. its an incredible piece of cinema in general, but especially queer cinema. I am absolutely dumbstruck by its brilliance. Its just hard. and that's good and the point and okay that its hard. its supposed to be, because it is.

i feel like an asshole in away though because i didnt cry. But I think i was just like, stunned by it more so. Like i was sobered by it, and i have this quiet sort of emotional hollowness in relation to owen and maddie and their friendshipn and their journeys and everything. I feel at a loss for words. I feel like i dont know what to do or say or how to live my life now? like i feel like im in the midnight realm. but the pink opaque feels so incredibly far from my reality that there is almost no attachment to it. I know its real, i just cant get there.

I feel like, in my queerness, i cant see a pink opaque for me. But not in the same disbelief and fear and insanity owen has for maddie in the planetarium like it cant be real at all, but idk like in a resigned kind of dead ache on the inside of me kind of way. I know its real, i just cant get there. And i think that's whats so unsettling and terrifying and humbling and subduing and solemn about it i guess. Its just like, its hard

im sorry I keep saying its hard, its the truth.

as u can see i am unwell about this film in a very scary way i think.

#the pink opaque #the midnight realm #i saw the tv glow #i saw the tv glow spoilers

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dark-elf-writes · 1 year ago

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Cute scenes I'm sharing: Teddy wanting the same dress as JD.

Teddy gives himself wolf ears on full moons.

Harry wanting the Same suit as Alex.

Harry learning to create gold shields like Andy.

… Andromeda and Andy meeting in the perfect ‘Mama Andy’ moment.

I love all of these so much I need you to know that.

Teddy wide-eyed looking at JD’s dress then giving Harry and JD the biggest most watery puppy dog eyes because it’s both pretty and cool and he wants it so bad. He typically wears it with a cardigan which is the perfect mix of JD’s punk style and Harry’s cozy one that it makes everyone coo about their mini-me.

Teddy who tries to distract himself from feeling icky on the moons by trying to change his appearance when he remembers Mac’s ears and he gets really excited. His are blue and stick up out of his curls a little too far but it just makes him look like a puppy that hasn’t grown into them yet. Mac doesn’t cry the first time she sees them but it’s a damn close thing.

Not only does Harry have an exact copy of Alex’s suit he also develops a fondness of skirts that is all Andy. It’s not uncommon to see him matching one parent or another when he goes into H.E.R.A. and goes into Hogwarts already prepared to throw a fit when they tell him that he can’t wear a skirt. He really is out here playing 5D chess with gender and the wizarding world hasn’t even mastered checkers yet.

Wait wait wait nsndnsnsnsbsb imagine a shield charm is supposed to be transparent or just kinda white but some stronger shields tend to lean towards colors. Flitwick tells all of them to think about what makes them feel the safest when they cast, to hold that idea close as they feel the tug in their magic. Around the room most of the shields are clear or white (Ron’s is a familiar red hue while Hermione’s is more brown very close tot he looking old leather) but Harry’s is not only nearly opaque but it’s a blinding gold and silver mix. None of the other students can break Harry’s shield, and even Flitwick says it’s the strongest one he’s seen cast by such a young student. When asked about it Harry says he was thinking about his parents and leave it at that.

You know the dad thing where if there’s more than one dad around and you call for yours all of them look? Andy and Andromeda at all times. They really do become the best of friends and definitely bond over having a “destiny” set for them that they gave the finger to and chose to live the way they wanted instead.

#the elf talks #harry potter #havenfall is for lovers #Astoria fates kiss #Harry: Gender is dead and I killed it #alex: I am so proud of you every day so you know that #Harry primarily uses he/him pronouns but his gender is mostly threat don’t let him confuse you #fawn spots au

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heronoegg · 11 months ago

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Bubble Girl being fish-like (fish qualities)?

i wanted to draw art for this ask cause i really like Bubble girl like a lot - sadly i don't have any new art for her :( but i'll still talk about her

YES she is a fishy girl, like i said before "know shes not the fish lady but i wanted to give her fish qualities like glassy eyes and gills kinda, homegirl seems a little boney in the ribs"

the thing about her and the actual fish lady Tsu interned with or workstudy or whatever is that lady actually isn't a fish lady and those ears are fake gjknjknjkthj remember that octopus villain broke one of them cause it was a communicator? - ALSO i did some looking up about Bubble girl for another reason but i found out two things, there was a controversial about her revealing costume and she was supposed to be 16 but they changed it to 21 in her concept art by the person who drew her (i believe? im not very sure )she was wearing a UA Uniform

i got this from this post it talks about Bubble girl facts

one of them ones i actually think is something interesting is - "Her body is also supposed to be translucent like a bubble as illustrated in the original art, but I guess Horikoshi went for an opaque blue skin instead" from that post, might include that by making her a little shiny next time i draw her

ME PERSONALLY i always thought she was like freshly graduated never gave me the actual functioning grown women vibes, she acts childish, she apologized to a yakuza member when she manhandled him to the floor, that's a child your honor

Have some headcanons i have about her

-She can stay 16, we just cover up her chest - shes not as new as Mirio but she hasn't been here longer then Centipeder

-she's such a seasoned fighter Nighteye thought it just a great idea to have her on the team, she makes him laugh and they are genuinely friends.

-He met her one day and she was all frazzled out about not being able to be accepted by a agency cause she woke up late and missed a train and wah wah wah! - he simply told her "tell me a joke and if you can make me laugh you can work for me" - she made him laugh by being a girl failure and shes been on the team ever since.

-It wasn't necessarily about her making him laugh but the fact she was really trying hard when he asked that of her told him everything about her - she started crying when she thought he was never gonna laugh at her attempts at being funny

-Deku reminds Nighteye of Bubble girl alot and that's a small part of why he agreed to let Deku be here

-She skipped a grade at like middle school or something for one reason or another, that's why shes younger then Mirio but graduated from UA as a 3rd year she was younger then all her peers not sure how that works but it did, my cousin skipped a grade so it can happen - and like i said shes a seasoned fighter shes just out of sorts all the time

-She has a crush on Deku - who doesn't lol - she doesn't make it known at first but Deku kinda knew when he was there and didn't say anything cause he 1) didn't know what to say back and 2) he kinda friend-zoned her cause he didn't feel the same, he just met her lol poor thing

-She asked him out and he slowly avoided the question lol danced around it so he could get out of responding cause he didnt know what to say. She thinks about asking him again but she doesn't wanna be weird or push the issue like shes desperate

-Shes very jealous of Mirio being Nighteye's "golden boy" but she and Mirio have a very good friendship going. She has told him this many times thats shes jealous of him, she complains about it sometimes and she complains about it to Mirio "Can you kinda like, give me a chance to show you up?"

-Bubble girl and Mirio know Nighteye so well they be escaping when he's mad about stuff, Mirio will clock out and leave, Bubble girl will clock out and make the jump from the window to leave the building if hes mad

-Bubble girl and Mirio fight alot kinda, like Mirio is never really mad but they like "no you, it's your turn no you!" when neither want to do a task for Nighteye that's kinda weird/strange.

-Bubble girl gets put in the tickle machine more then anyone in this agency and quite honestly she is the only person who gets put in it Mirio once said "it was built for you"

-Centipeder patronizes Bubble girl when she acts like a child, she doesn't know when shes acting like a child she thinks this is her normal behavior and reactions to certain situations but she is a little childish

-When Nighteye gets injured he doesn't die but he retires cause he has a bad heart now and a hole in his chest and a robotic arm and he isn't stupid, Centipeder is the head of the agency it belongs to Nighteye and if he isn't so sure on what to do he asks him but ultimately he's kinda running the show now. He choose her to be his personal sidekick over Lemillion because shes more responsible then him

#bnha #my hero academia #mha headcanons #bnha headcannons #Kaoruko Awata #mha bubble girl

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17-noodlebird · 1 year ago

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🧿 Lapis Lazuli 🧿

🧿🧿🧿🧿

The Lapis Lazuli, harnessing the elemental power of Metal, is the first of the initial twenty-six jewels collected by the members of The Amazing Digital Circus, upon completing their objective at The Ace Of Clubs.

🧿🧿🧿🧿

Emitting a cobalt blue hue, the Lapis Lazuli, an opaque semi-precious metamorphic rock, has the ability to shape and bend metallic materials, as well as magnetize precious metals together, ranging from gold and silver, to iron and titanium.

🧿🧿🧿🧿

It is one of the twenty-six designated crystals that were scattered all over the digital world, and serves as a reward for a job well done by The Amazing Digital Circus members after completing an objective, mission, or just in general saving the day in certain locations.

🧿🧿🧿🧿

It is hidden in The Ace Of Clubs, a Las Vegas-esque city filled to the brim with casinos, luxury resorts, and game show studios, specifically behind the vault for where the grand prize for the game show Trivia Torrent is supposed to be in.

~~~~

I know it's only 1 week until episode 2 comes out, but I thought I'd get it out now. Plus, I had already finished writing episodes 2 and 3 for The Amazing Digital Road Trip and currently busy jotting down episode 4.

That means you should be able to see TADRT Episode 2 sometime before or after the canon episode 2 comes out. Kinda ironic, innit? Anyways, be fed!

#the amazing digital circus #tadc #tadc caine #tadrt au #tadc road trip #tadc pomni #the amazing digital road trip #tadc au #tadc jax #tadc ragatha #tadc kinger #tadc zooble #tadc bubble #tadc gangle #road trip jewels #tadrt ep 2

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tryskomys · 10 months ago

Text

Wet Sand

Stone Gossard x OC

Chapter 6 - Maybe

Summary: close. open.

masterlist

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫

notes: next chapter, yay! this has, like, kinda a lot of words. hope you’re okay with that lol

tws: mentions of drugs and awful parenting. loneliness. touch-starved trope if you squint very very hard. weed, but that’s kinda given by now.

songs:

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫

“Actually, you wouldn’t believe the coincidence,” Stone mumbled after breathing out smoke that mixed with the frigid fog coming out of his mouth. They stood at a balcony, a Christmas Day house party in full swing behind them. “I’m your secret Santa.”

He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket to fish out a scrappy bundle. It nearly looked like an empty crumpled ball of red polka-dot wrapping paper. It was clumsily taped all around, which made Keeva chuckle.

“You’re not supposed to tell me, that’s where the word ‘secret’ comes in,” she raised her eyebrows, reluctantly taking the gift he was offering her.

Stone huffed, awkwardly sticking his hand back into the pockets of his jeans.

“Couldn’t resist,” he shrugged, carefully watching her pick apart the wrapping. She was cherishing every second of opening it, careful not to tear any of the wrapping.

He was growing a bit impatient, taking a puff of his joint.

“Take your time,” he muttered and smirked when Keeva mocked a smile.

“I will, thank you.”

When she finally unwrapped the bundle, Regan’s voice echoed from the inside.

“Stoney, come here! Someone’s looking for you.”

Stone seemed to be a bit too eager to bail out of the situation, not sparing Keeva a single look as he disappeared into the crowd inside.

She frowned, puzzled by his sudden coldness, and finally looked inside the crumple of paper she was holding.

There was a little necklace, thin and short, with a battered heart pendant. The gold colour was scratched and opaque, clearly worn out.

And under it, a folded note written in very neat cursive.

I was discovered in an antique shop behind Mama’s. If you ever need a friend to help out, open me.

— your dearest heart-shaped locket

She pushed the flimsy little button at the side of the heart and when it clicked open, a tiny roll of parchment fell out. She unfolded it and broke into unbelieving giggles when she saw a number written on it, punctuated with two little x’s. It was their phone line.

Keeva peeked inside the house. She met eyes with Stone, who was already observing her reaction from afar.

Mel was standing next to him and waved her hands around, explaining something. He seemed to ease when he saw Keeva’s grin as she tucked the note back inside, closed the locket and hung it on her neck. He wiggled his eyebrows and turned his attention back to Mel, a sly smirk still plastered on his face.

February, 1988

Keeva was fiddling with her necklace, lying with her legs up against the wall. Her faded pink curls were sprawled across the washed-out plaid bedsheets of her creaky bed. She was staring into a copy of Steppenwolf - Stone’s - full of highlighted notes and dog ears. Her concentration wasn’t fully in it, though, no matter how hard she tried.

She threw another frown in the direction of the stairs down from the attic room - the heavy fleece fabric that served as an improvised curtain was open and tucked behind the entrance frame.

The shrilling sound of strings rang from downstairs through an amp that was turned up way too loud for a place this small.

Living with Stone was more symbiotic than she would've imagined three months ago, but man - whoever created him was heavy-handed with annoying mannerisms.

Leaving water on the floor in front of the shower, putting milk back in the fridge even though he just finished the bottle, slurping while drinking tea…

And above all, tuning his guitar as if he was working with the acoustics of Madison Square Garden.

“Again a bit louder?” Keeva called after him, closing her book with a slap. He stopped and hummed, his voice still scratchy from the morning instant coffee.

“Hm? Oh, I didn’t say anything.”

“No, I meant the D string. You’re not tuning loud enough,” she said, waving her arm to mimic strumming even though Stone couldn't see her. “I wanna make sure my grandma hears it. You’re almost there, she’s buried under the ground in a cemetery in east Belfast.”

He laughed and then abruptly stopped to try to pass it off as sarcasm.

“You're so funny I forget to laugh sometimes,” he called back and started strumming again, this time softer after he turned his volume down.

She stifled a giggle. A strange tradition came out of often being each other's only source of humour, especially in bigger companies - both always tried their best not to laugh at the other one's joke to make the silence even more awkward. They both knew it was an act, but it somehow made the jokes funnier.

Keeva put her book away and dragged herself to the stairs. She lied down on the wooden floor and peeked out, her head hanging as she looked at him upside down.

Sitting on his bed and frowning at the fretboard in concentration, Stone was wearing striped boxers and a scruffy Green River t-shirt full of holes.

His bare knees were really bony and scabbed and she had no clue why they, specifically, made a few beads of sweat appear above her eyebrows.

She already saw him in his underwear a few times, he seemed to be pretty comfortable with walking around barely clothed. She was flattered and glad that he felt free to do whatever around her. But it also cemented her opinion - he did, in fact, not view her as anything but his annoying short friend.

People are not this comfortable around someone they wanna court.

Pft. Court.

No wonder he doesn’t wanna court you, you fucking Victorian hermit.

Keeva shook her head to ground herself and silently cleared her throat. When Stone didn’t acknowledge her and kept playing, she got up and carefully hopped down the stairs.

“What's for lunch?” she asked, heading straight to the kitchen corner to crunch on a handful of Rice Krispies straight from the box.

He raised his head, his features still hardened. He looked up at the old cuckoo clock above the door - 11 AM.

“Uh, I don't know. Hunger?” he said, putting his guitar aside. She wasn't even sure if he’d properly heard her question.

Stone always got lost in his head when he was playing - and he made sure they were playing together for at least a few hours every single day. Even after a full workday. Sometimes it drove her mad, but he was her better half in that sense - always responsible about practising.

“We had hunger yesterday, not interested,” Keeva talked back, a piece of cereal falling out of her mouth. He scrunched his nose in disgust.

“Don't choke, Baby,” he shook his head and got up, picking up a towel from the carpet.

“Don't ever use that line in my proximity again, I beg you,” Keeva said and stepped in front of him.

She opened her mouth to show him the chewed food like a petty child. Stone was clearly pushing back laughter, but he hid it behind a scowl.

He tried to walk past and when she mirrored him like a shadow, he whipped her leg with the towel. Keeva squealed and jumped out of the way, letting him enter the bathroom. Stone stuck his tongue out at her before closing the door.

“I'll shower up and go get some groceries,” he called from the shower as the water turned on.

“What a good housewife you are!” she giggled and sat down on the floor at the tea table they used for eating.

His guitar was still plugged in, so Keeva shuffled to his bed, grabbed it and switched the amp on. Sudden feedback screeched through it, so she quickly turned the volume down and cringed.

“Careful!” Stone shouted, the ropes of water muting his voice. Keeva gave him a silent apology and moved further away from the amp to prevent any more shrills.

She softly traced the neck, studying the scratched frets under the strings he plucked the most.

Christ, this guy couldn't wind his strings right if they put a gun to his head.

He made it look so easy, yet so complicated - he hardly used his middle finger and made the most basic chords seem unplayable just because his hand was positioned all weirdly.

Probably because he was trying not to get twisted in his own alien fingers.

The wood was still warm from Stone’s grip.

She wrapped her hand around it and tried to strum a slow riff he'd played for her the night before, but she got lost in her thoughts and failed to recall it.

It sounded better from you, anyway.

She sighed and dropped her hand from the neck, staring at the burgundy carpet under her feet.

Keeva had never been as comfortable with existence as now - living inside this tiny little piece of wood and bricks - but she wasn’t sure if she’d ever felt lonelier.

She and Stone were spending basically all of their free time together and she loved it, yet she always craved more. He felt so far away, even though he was more affectionate with her than anyone ever was.

Stone was special to her in that way - he clicked with her from the very beginning without judgement. In fact, she felt like he was her first actual friend.

That's what hurt the most, she thought. He was used to this, it was normal for him.

He, on the other hand, had many, many friends. Good friends, bad friends, old friends, annoying friends, shallow friends, loyal friends.

Lady friends, too.

It's not like he brought those home, but she was certain she'd seen him leave a party with a girl at least three separate times, even though he later came back.

Stone knew everyone and she felt awful. Angry.

At herself, that is.

She had no right to be thinking that way and she knew it. No claim to him - no one did and he was pretty adamant about that.

Free bird.

Lost in thought, Keeva hunched and hugged Stone's guitar like a teddy bear, wrapping her arms around the sturdy wooden frame as if it were made of plush.

She always had the fairytale idea that instruments had their own souls. A piece of their owners inside, an extension of them - a guitar might feel just right for one person, but be untamable for someone else.

Pretty concentrated on the specks of dust on the floor, Keeva didn't notice that the shower stopped. A soft cough tore her out of her thoughts and she jumped, raising her head.

Stone was out of the shower, wearing nothing but a towel and an amused grin.

“Am I interrupting something or...” he mused, holding the tucked fabric down to make sure it didn't fall from his bony hips.

Keeva was still holding the Sunburst in her arms, staring at Stone like he just dropped a bucket of hot water down the collar of her pyjamas. She looked him up and down as quickly as her eyes allowed her.

Droplets of water were slowly falling from the tips of Stone’s red hair, dripping down the pale skin of his chest. It was scarcely peppered with hair, along with a happy trail that ran down from his navel and disappeared behind the rim of the towel.

“Are you cuddling my guitar?”

Keeva's eyes snapped back up and she cleared her throat.

“Bleh, do you mind?!” she pointed at Stone and waved up and down, finally letting go of the instrument. He scoffed.

“It's my house too, you know, especially the bottom floor. I can do what I want,” he said and confidently strode from the bathroom door to his clothes drawer.

Stone didn't spare Keeva a single look when she raised her eyebrows as he passed by the tea table. She was still staring at him, now questioning his audacity, but Stone didn't look too bothered. He just took a couple of fresh clothes out and looked over his shoulder.

“Do you mind?” he mocked her insulted expression and pointed at the towel.

Keeva snapped away so sharply she felt her neck cramp. She got up and headed for the kitchen while theatrically shielding her eyes. Stone just chuckled.

Cocky bastard.

“Christ, Stoney, you're fucking shameless,” she shook her head.

“Oh, my sweet patron saint, can you forgive me? Forgot you’ve never seen a bare chest before.”

She shut off Stone’s snarky answer by loudly crunching on cereal.

“The riff sounded really good from the shower, maybe we should add a bit of chorus to it,” Stone added while ruffling his hair with the towel and walked up to Keeva to get some cereal, too. “I’ve seen an old Electro-Harmonix pedal in -”

“The antique shop behind Mama’s. Same.”

He wore another clean Green River t-shirt and striped underwear - he must’ve had a whole pack of identical boxers in that drawer.

Yeah. Sounds fitting.

He smelled nice.

She would never admit to Stone that she’d borrowed his shampoo a few times and tried to fool her brain into thinking he was falling asleep next to her.

“Good point, I’ll check if they still have it tommorow after my shift,” Keeva continued. “You play it better, though. I should've looked at that bloody chart,” she grinned, handing him the carton box.

Stone took a breath to tease her, but the doorbell interrupted him. He jumped a bit and frowned as he made his way to the door. When he opened it, he was greeted by a 'phew' puffing out of Andy's chubby frostbitten cheeks.

“Thank god you're home,” he lamented, unceremoniously pushing past Stone.

“‘Sup - oh yeah, come in I guess...” Stone shook his head and closed the door behind his friend.

“Guys, I need you,” Andy wheezed, clearly out of breath from biking.

“Hello to you too, Andrew,” Keeva raised her eyebrows and hopped up on the tiny counter. “Doing great, thanks for asking.”

“Last night I did a thing,” Andy explained, dropping on the bean bag under the stairs.

Stone straightened his back. His face changed from annoyance to judgement and Keeva could tell the switch in his brain flipped to the setting ‘Drugs’.

“Sounds promising,” he muttered.

“I was out and about and I kinda scored a gig at Tug’s tomorrow?” Andy announced with a guilty expression. Stone visibly relaxed while Keeva looked confused, so she shrugged.

"Tug's?”

“Little downtown gay bar,” Stone explained, folding his arms.

“Oh,” she shrugged again. "Well, good for you?”

“Not good,” Andy rubbed his face, got up and started pacing around the room. “I sorta kinda promised that I’ll be bringing a spectacular new never-seen-before act. And that’s where Tom and Jerry come in.”

Stone and Keeva exchanged a confused look, darting between Andy and each other.

“You two, dummies! Pretty please?” he exclaimed, but his plea was drowned in complaints.

“What?! Just like that? We don't know any -”

“- any songs! No fucking way, buddy. Not happening.”

“I have a twelve-hour shift tomorrow!”

“I'm on kitchen duty at the bakery, my hands will be like soggy sponges!”

“Yeah, it will be rad!” Andy sat down again and crossed his legs. “Come on, I’ll beg if I have to. We’ll raid some closets and do a little acoustic set, I have it all planned out. Look, puppy eyes!”

Keeva frowned.

Yeah, good try. Solid puppy eyes, seen better. Eight out of ten.

“I can’t tomorrow, sorry,” she said matter-of-factly, crossing her arms at her chest. Stone nodded.

“Yeah, me neither.”

“Yeah, right,” Andy squinted at them. “Whatcha got planned, a canasta tournament?”

“Sharp tongue for someone who’s asking us to play an unrehearsed gig a single night ahead,” Keeva hissed at him. Andy raised his hands.

“Sooorry, I just - I’m desperate, okay?”

“So you’re saying that you only come to us when you’re desperate?” Stone challenged, raising his eyebrows when Andy rolled his eyes.

“Jesus Christ, stop grilling me. That synchronized assholery routine you do is annoying, not cute,” he said and put his head in his hands. “God is testing me today, I swear.”

“Chill out, princess, or you’ll get wrinkles. Do a proper sales pitch and we’ll think about it,” Keeva grinned, jumping at the opportunity to hear Andy's undoubtedly crazy story.

“So there’s a chance?!” he excitedly hopped up from the bean bag again. “Okay, so, I was out at Tug’s yesterday and I got into a, uh, conversation with the owner.”

“Right,” Stone squinted at him.

“And he said that he needed an act for Monday night, the band that was supposed to play cancelled because the singer has a bad case of acute urinary infection from -”

“Spare the details, love,” Keeva interrupted, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“Yeah, sorry,” he shook his head. “So to speak, I was in a bit of a compromised mental state at that moment, so I proposed that I can jump in with some last-minute freaky shit and that Stoney and the greenie will accompany me. And he was so happy he -”

“I said spare, Andy.”

“Sorry. Well, and that’s it. I figured out a whole act for us!”

“Andy, that’s not -” Stone started, but Andy quickly stopped him.

“We’ll gather all instruments we can get our hands on, borrow a drum machine and come in and have a jukebox shtick, right? People will ask for songs and pay us in drinks and we’ll be a little circus act.”

“Pay us in what?” Keeva choked out and blinked a few times.

“Yeah. You see, Jack said he can give us three to five bucks max,” Andy's face cramped with a tight smile. Keeva choked on her saliva and then turned to Stone, slapping her forehead.

“Why do I have a feeling that was meant as in total?” she loudly whispered and Stone just shook his head.

“Great catch, sibyl.”

“Anyway,” Andy jumped in before they could start bickering. “You only have to think about the music, okay? I’ll get everything else, trumpets, violins…large buckets of glitter.”

“Have you ever even held a violin?” Stone asked, leaning back against Keeva’s legs.

“No. Bet Keeks did, though. Didn't you say you were in the school orchestra, Pooky?” Andy questioned, adjusting the Cowboys cap on his head. She choked again.

“As a guitarist, Andy. Fucking hell, I-”

“Stoney said that you have perfect pitch, that means you can work anything, no?” he stubbornly pushed back, redirecting her attention to Stone - he shrugged when she softly kicked his back.

“Oh my god. First of all, I don’t. Second of all, Stoney doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about and third of all - that’s not how it works! It’s not the fucking Force,” she exclaimed and waved her arms around.

“Chill out, princess, or you’ll get wrinkles,” Stone mused over his shoulder, receiving another knee to the backbone.

“Shut up, beanpole. Don’t tell me you’re thinking about it,” Keeva questioned, surprised when he didn't answer right away.

“Dunno, could be fun,” Stone mumbled when she nudged him again.

“Will be fun,” Andy corrected, clearly hyped that he was swaying Stone to his side. Keeva sighed.

“I don’t know, I just hadn’t played a gig, like, in front of people for...fuck, some time and -”

“You will not be playing, Jerry will!” Andy patted her cheek and set off to the door. She frowned.

“Wh-”

“Your alter ego, baby girl!” he called over his shoulder. She looked at Stone with wide eyes. He just turned around and squeezed her nose.

“That annoying little cartoon mouse, look in the mirror.”

“Did they drop you on the head as a baby or -” Keeva hissed and slapped his hand away while he stifled a laugh.

“Yay!” Andy exclaimed and opened the door.

“Wait, we didn’t say yes!” Keeva said, but he was already out of there.

“You didn’t say no! Love you, eternal thanks! I’ll come tomorrow after work with the good stuff. You take care of makeup beforehand, Pooks. I need the whiskers ready!”

● ● ● ● ● ●

“So I asked him if they dropped him on his head and he just stopped objecting, like in general. I swear he does it on purpose. He just gets off on making me pissed off,” Keeva spat out, angrily wiping a table next to the entrance to the café.

“Knowing him, he probably does,” Jeff chuckled as he arranged a bundle of napkins in a box on the counter. “To be honest, I’m not even sure if I wanna be in a band with him anymore.”

Keeva frowned.

Shit. I wasn’t planning this.

“Jesus, is it that bad?” she calmed down a bit, leaning against the table. She left a handprint on the shiny surface. “Did you have another lovers’ quarrel? He wasn’t worthy of you anyway, babes.”

Jeff grunted, stubbornly forcing the napkins in.

“And he’s not even that hot!” she added, shrugging. When he didn't answer, Keeva cleared her throat and walked up to him with folded arms.

“What’s up?” she asked, softly.

“He’s an asshole,” Jeff shot back way too quickly, as if he was holding it back for a long time.

“I feel like that’s the whole point of his existence, no?” Keeva shrugged again, trying to loosen the mood. He scoffed but still didn't relax.

“Yeah. And my patience has overflown long ago, it’s just not my jam.”

She wasn't sure what to say to soothe him.

Jeff was clearly made of a different material than Stone. He was a very direct, no beating around the bush kind of guy. He seemed to be a headstrong working-class country boy, while Stone was a wealthy city kid filled to the brim with passive-aggression.

She got Stone in a way that he didn't - in some ways Stone’s attitude was very English. Dry and cold to everything that threatened his peace.

But he didn't understand what Jeff was going through, either. Jeff was from a tiny town and had to grow up fast to survive, trying to fight his way out of the gutter and make something of himself. And she knew exactly how that felt.

“I’m just not totally set on doing music at all, let alone with him,” he finally turned to her.

Keeva nodded and watched Jeff tear tiny pieces out of one of the napkins as he tried to formulate his thoughts.

“I don’t know, Keeks. I just feel like this was the thing, you know? Now that River broke up I can’t even decide if I wanna continue. There are just so many good bands, too many. And I just - I don’t know if we’re…I’m not sure if I’m cut out for this. Working my ass off here and desperately trying to make it at the same time,” he shrugged, looking up from the napkin. “I don’t know, maybe - maybe it’s like some stupid sign or something. That I should pack my shit and go back to school…sign up to U-Dub and forget this silly fairytale crap.”

“Hey, don’t wreck your brain over it, ok? No rush, just take it steady and think it through. Nobody’s gonna bite your head off if you decide to quit this freakshow,” Keeva said, rubbing his back. “Whatever you decide to do should feel good to you and no one else. You can always reboot and try it differently, anyway. You got your whole life ahead and only you are in charge of it.”

Jeff softly chuckled, giving her a toothy smile.

“How old are you again?”

“What, do I sound like a grandma?” she giggled. He just smiled even wider.

“Yeah, just like my nana,” he said, hugging Keeva around the shoulders. “I loved my nana.”

"So you'll come and see us tonight?”

"Sure thing, Keeks. I'd never leave my nana hanging like that.”

● ● ● ● ● ●

“Okay, this is all I have,” Keeva said while adding a handful of pots and pencils to Stone’s single black eyeliner that rolled around the carpet. He was sat on the bean bag, cracking his knuckles.

There was one small pot of silver eyeshadow, another black eyeliner and a green one, a half-dried mascara and two lipsticks - one very dark red and one in a brick-like shade.

“Yeah, that will do.”

“Hey, a little more excitement wouldn’t hurt you. That’s my treasured collection, okay? Show some respect, it had survived many gigs over the years,” Keevs said and lightly tugged on his shirt so he’d lean closer. Stone raised his eyebrows.

“Okay, maybe not many. But a good few,” she backed out, making him grin.

“I don’t doubt your expertise, no worries,” Stone shrugged and watched her pick up the eyeshadow.

It was the first time she got that thorough of a close look at him.

Stone’s eyes were almost perfectly round and deep-set, which made his eyelids just right for makeup. He was staring at her, not sure what to do with himself as she hovered above him with the silver pot of colour.

She noticed that he had a small fleck of dark brown right next to his left pupil, which made it look strangely uneven. He also had a few freckles under his bottom eyelashes, that only deepened the subtle dark circles around his eyes. The more she looked into them, the sadder they seemed.

It was overwhelming.

Maybe it was the half-closed eyelids. Or the unusual shade of peridot in the moody lighting of a single lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. But there was something more - a certain wisdom, unfit for a twenty-one-year-old man.

He’d probably call it bitterness.

“Close,” Keeva said, letting out a relieved sigh when he did so.

She took a bit of the eyeshadow on her index finger and brought it to Stone’s eye. When she touched him, he lightly jumped.

“Don’t move or I’ll poke your pretty peepers out,” Keeva mumbled as she gently smudged the silver powder over Stone’s skin.

She suspected he’d take it as a jab instead of a compliment, so she was a bit surprised when she felt the skin of Stone’s cheeks heat up under her palm. He somehow seemed nervous - picking on his nails.

Stone didn’t respond, just took in a shallow breath.

They sat in tense silence while neither of them realized it.

When Keeva moved on from Stone’s eyes, she softly put her hand on his cheek to hold him in place and lightly patted the remnants of shimmer on his cheekbones as a highlighter. Stone let out a sigh he was seemingly holding in. She’d noticed that he tore a hangnail at the same moment.

Andy’s voice echoed in her mind.

‘Doesn’t like it when girls touch him.’

“You good?” Keeva silently asked, holding her hand in the air. “Did I -”

“N- yeah. I’m fine,” Stone said, maybe a bit too eagerly. She tried to think of some snarky remark to loosen the mood, but her mind was blank.

His cheeks felt like they were burning.

“I just haven’t been touched like that in some time,” he mumbled, barely audible. Keeva was taken aback by the sudden openness.

“You - wh-what did you say about the patron saint earlier? I’m just patting your cheek, Romeo,” she chuckled but immediately regretted it when Stone didn’t reciprocate her amusement.

“Probably the beer talking,” he said and she could swear she felt his cheek cool down in a matter of seconds.

They did raid the fridge and drink everything that was in there, courtesy of stage fright - although neither of them would admit that.

Good job, you snide asshole. No wonder he doesn’t care about walking around you naked.

Keeva attempted to save the situation by softly running her fingertips over Stone’s cheekbone, passing it off as smoothing out the glitter. And it seemed to work as his muscles tensed again.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to be a bitch,” she whispered as if she thought she’d scare him by talking too loud. Stone shrugged.

“Makes you you, doesn’t it?”

Is that supposed to be some backhanded compliment?

“Yeah,” was all Keeva replied, mentally punching herself in the gut. “Open.”

When Stone looked at her again, his stare felt even more scorching than before. He looked unbelievably beautiful - elven. And the eyeshadow was doing something to her - she couldn’t even properly put it to words.

“Looks great,” Keeva nodded as she chewed on her lip before giving him a small smile. Stone, on the other hand, didn’t smile.

He wordlessly got up from the bean bag and walked around her. He carefully wrapped his hands around her waist and slightly lifted her up, turned her around and sat her in his place.

Ignoring her sheepish expression, he took the eyeshadow pot from her and smudged some on his finger.

“Close,” he said and Keeva gladly did.

Stone’s touch was feather-light. Almost like a tickling breeze - just like in her dreams, where she wasn’t even sure if he was corporeal.

Her eyelashes fluttered when he tilted her chin up to see better.

Why does this feel like revenge?

“I used to be quite glammy, you know?” Keeva said, trying to make her voice as steady as possible. She had to break the silence somehow, or she would’ve gone mad.

“What do you mean, used to?” Stone chuckled, picking up the green eyeliner. Keeva huffed.

“You’ll make me blush.”

“You’re already blushing.”

“I was in a wannabe prog rock band in high school,” she said, interrupting his obvious attempt to make her even more flustered. “I wore that shit like warpaint.”

Stone hummed, smoothing out the edges of the liner with his thumb.

“We covered a lot of Genesis and stuff, the early things,” she continued after clearing her throat. “I got kicked out.”

“You got kicked out?” he snickered, tapping her cheek to signal he was done with the eyes. “Why?”

Keeva looked at him and quickly moved her gaze away when Stone reached for the lipstick. He drew a little heart on both of her cheeks before smudging it into a rouge.

“I’m sure they had their reasons. Or not. You know fifteen-year-olds. They supposedly wanted to move in a ‘different direction’,” she said, waving air quotes around. Stone blew a raspberry.

“What, from pencils to crayons?”

“Yeah,” Keeva scoffed. “They wanted to be more punky.”

“You were not punky enough?” he questioned, genuinely surprised. Keeva just shrugged.

“Guess not. Around that time, I resented punk.”

A short silence followed before Stone took her face in his palms and turned her to face him.

“You’re just going to drop that on me out of nowhere?” he raised his eyebrows and shook her head a little, grinning. Keeva nodded.

“Yup.”

“Context, please?” he said as she looked away again with an amused exhale.

“My parents were hardcore teenage punks who definitely should not have spawned a child at that age. Or any age, really,” Keeva explained. “And you know, growing up, it was the mid-seventies and it was the dumps of London - the mecca. It was everywhere I looked, all I heard day and night. I was sick of it. I swear, if any studded leather flashed in my proximity I immediately dry-heaved.”

Stone chuckled, but she could tell he was a bit more rigid than before. Mentions of Keeva’s childhood were clearly added to one of the topics that made the switch flip.

“I thought seventies punk was supposed to be a vehicle of rebellion for the working-class youth,” Stone mumbled, brushing the remnants of lipstick on his thumb against Keeva’s lips.

Her eyes fluttered closed again, but she managed to keep composure.

“Yeah, but what if your parents are the youth actively riding it? How do you rebel against punk?”

Stone pondered for a while and then shrugged.

“Obviously by embodying everything the counterculture hated at that time - you know, long guitar solos, overly complicated arrangements, God forbid theatrics or any kind of concept,” Keeva said and shook her head, clearly frustrated. “It’s all puritanic bullshit, everything’s influenced by everything and it’s infantile to pretend that it’s not.”

“Is that why you use big words like ‘infantile’?” Stone chuckled. “Look at me.”

She did. In what she assumed to be his weird idea of powerplay, Stone nonchalantly licked his thumb to wipe off a smudge of eyeliner under her eye.

Keeva shuddered.

“Not my fault you didn’t pay attention in English class.”

“I never really got around to listening to this kind of music as a kid,” Stone said, casually pointing at her modest collection of about five records. “I don’t know, I think it felt embarrassing. Like I’d be breaking the code or something. I guess that proves your point.”

“You’re open to discover and that’s what matters,” Keeva shrugged. “That’s the real punk ethos - embrace chaos. Meaning listen to any fucking thing you like without remorse.”

“No such thing as guilty pleasures?” he raised his eyebrows as Keeva scoffed.

“Exactly.”

The next few moments were filled with heavy silence as Stone took the dark red lipstick, opened it with a pop and ran it across her lips.

“You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d say your parents raised you well,” he said after a while.

“Thank god you do know better,” Keeva mumbled, her lips parted as he smudged the lipstick around. “I was eight when mom offered me coke for the first time.”

Stone stopped for a second, holding in a sigh. He couldn’t comprehend her nonchalance.

“Ran away and slept in the school library. I‘ve read some solid books there over the years, good times. Maybe that’s why I use big words.”

“Sounds like a blast,” Stone bitterly grinned and continued smudging.

“Yeah. Humans have more capability to adapt than you’d think,” she said with a shrug, crossing her arms.

“I never felt like I had to. My parents were always good to me. Sisters, too. Lately, I feel like it might’ve been to a fault.”

Keeva couldn’t help but chuckle uncomfortably at Stone’s sincerity once again, but she - again - regretted it.

“What, you think you’re spoiled?”

“Honestly, yeah,” he simply replied. “I never really had conflicts or obstacles at home so I had to create some for myself, you know. Had to put the hormones to use. Rebelling against the nice quiet life like an idiot.”

“No, no, that’s still a valid reason, Stoney,” Keeva shook her head and gently patted his arm.

A friendly gesture. Just a little friendly gesture so he knows.

“Being able to complain is not something you have to earn. It’s okay to not want that life for yourself,” she added.

“Maybe I want it and I’m just in denial,” Stone sighed. “I don’t know, no idea what the hell I want.”

“Man after my own heart,” she softly shoved his shoulder, finally getting an earnest toothy smile out of him.

Keeva continued with a dreamy sigh.

“I for one reserve the option to have that. What do you guys call it - a white picket fence life? Could be fun. Sitting on the porch, judging the local youth…”

“…crosswords, eating dubious amounts of broiled potatoes…” Stone added with a giggle.

“Exactly.”

The doorbell rang and Andy’s cheerful voice sing-songed from behind the door.

“Guys, I’m here! Regan drove me, come help us!”

Stone still stared at Keeva as if he thought he had to say something before letting them in.

Instead, after a few more knocks, he inched closer to her and placed a hesitant kiss in her hair before setting off to the door without a word.

She couldn’t decide if she was glad or disappointed to be put out of the misery of being under Stone’s fingertips - it was too quick, even if it had been hours.

Stone sat on the floor under the plucked pine in the middle of the room. He searched for his name in the pile of small gifts under it. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed a tiny, neatly wrapped packet with a polka-dot print. He recognized the oblique handwriting.

Stoney xx

Inside was a rolled-up note and, to his confusion, a simple silver ring, all matte and scratched from wear. The note was in the same font as his name.

Found in an antique shop behind Mama’s. To help you lose your slut ways and finally get your very own heart-shaped locket.

— yours truly, Virgin Mary

He looked a bit closer at the ring. When he finally deciphered the fading engraving on the inside, he broke into a wide grin.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

He searched for Keeva in the crowd and found her talking to Bruce next to the punch bowl. She did a quick double-take between him and the ring he was just putting on his finger, shrugging when he raised his eyebrows in question.

“Seriously?” Stone mouthed and Keeva simply responded by tapping her heart locket and wiggling her finger at him.

Bruce turned around to see who she was gesturing at and gasped when Stone theatrically put his hand on his heart and collapsed on his back with a muted thud.

No one really noticed as they were preoccupied with digging for their own gifts, but the two of them giggled as Stone lied on the floor with spread arms, taking a drag of his joint.

“What’s that about?”

“Santa got him a purity ring.”

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