#but baddie looks fun and...easier...

[beehop]

they've released the dance class schedule for next month and nct 127 fact check is the one that interests me the most but i do not think i can look like a fool doing nct songs two months in a row with the same instructor 💀

[astrow1zar6]

Slay Astro placements pt 3

Venus/Uranus positively aspected (trine, CONJUNCTION, sextile): this is by far the most magnetic aspects you can have (especially in conjunction) your vibe is very electrifying. People are super drawn to you & you have the ability to attract friends and admirers from every walk of life. These people can really get along with everyone & are usually super fun to be around. It’s never a dull moment around these individuals. You have a very unique/shocking personality & style. This can be a big fashionista placement and are really creative when it comes to putting certain clothing together. (They could have a really cool Pinterest aesthetic as well). They can be seen as very quirky but they usually pull it off in a very cool way which makes people want to copy them! Big social butterflies & always have exciting stories they share because they are always going on crazy adventures. However they can have a difficult time with long term commitments and romance because of their need for freedom. A lot of big influencers have this placement.

Fire grand trine: if you have this configuration in your chart you have big star quality! A grand trine in any element is considered super lucky & rare but I notice in the fire element they tend to be a lot less lazy & it’s easier for them to go for what they want without procrastination ( grand trines have a tendency to make the native lazy with their talents). You have a larger than life personality & have the ability to attract people and opportunities to you as easy as pie. They posses a lot of energy & ambition which makes getting what they want very easy. Big manifestor energy! Anything they put their mind to they can achieve. A lot of celebrities and models (ex; Cara Delevine) have this they usually have an easier time in life and have an easier time finding joy in life than most. They need to watch out tho for being to impulsive & making rash decisions when they become too excited. It’s good to learn grounding tips so they don’t go astray from their goals.

Venus in Leo: this is honestly one of my favorite Venus placements. These people are sooo put together. They can wear a plastic bag and still look like a baddie. Usually big into luxury and you’ll see them wear a lot of designer, name brand shoes, pretty jewelry, expensive perfumes. They usually smell AMAZING omg (especially with VIRGO or Libra in their chart 😩). They tend to be very ambitious as well! Because of their love for luxury & the good things in life they are normally very money driven & I’ve met a lot who get straight As. They are very self assured & know their worth from a very young age. It’s princess treatment or nothing with them. They usually attract partners that show them off & worship the ground they walk on (bc honestly the accept nothing less). They can have a worship kink. They also treat their partners really well too with a lot of attention and grand gestures, dates & gifts. A lot of people envy them and their relationships. Just know you getting taken care of if these natives love you! Very popular placement as well.

Jupiter in the 12th: these natives are so divinely protected & can be super lucky especially when they are practicing any type of spirituality. They have a lot of angels around them! (My mom had this placement and she had a lot of psychic randomly walk up to her in stores and tell her that there were angels around her😳 super cool). These people experience a lot of supernatural shit in their life & can be lowkey psychic (especially in their dreams). They are able to escape from a lot of terrible situations unharmed. This also creates someone that has a very beautiful selfless soul🥺 they are sooo pure at heart. They are usually into things like volunteering, helping the poor/cooking for them, volunteering in foreign third world countries ect. When they aren’t practicing anything spiritual or are giving to others however they can become very lost in life so it’s important for them to give themselves to others selflessly to increase their good luck. Don’t do these people wrong in any way! They are so protected that karma will fuck your life up forreal. Has a very unforgettable vibe especially romantically.

Uranus conjunct mercury: this placement gives Einstein vibes. So many people who are geniuses or savants have this placement in their chart. This gives a very out of the box creative type of thinking to the native. They have the ability to see patterns others usually miss. Their brain works like the speed of light and they can pick up on concepts and academics faster than most. Their brains work in lightening speed! A lot of famous scientists and philosophers have this aspect in their chart. Being super smart however can have its downfalls. These people usually suffer from overthinking because of the amount of information they are able to absorb & suffer from head aches a lot. This can also cause anxiety because you could be ahead of your time cognitively making it really difficult for others your age to understand your thought process. These people have a great out if the box sense of humor as well! Their intelligence makes them able to think of some of the most creative funniest lines.

Sun in positive aspect with the moon (trine, conjunct, sextile) : these individuals are very in tuned with themselves & are usually very comfortable expressing & understanding their emotions more than most. A lot of people are down to them because of how secure they are with themselves & are able to deal with difficult feelings with ease. They have the ability to make others feel comfortable being themselves around them because of their accepting and open natures. They are normally more comfortable being/showing vulnerability than most & their masculine & feminine energies are usually very balanced within them. They are super affectionate and have hearts of gold for the ones they love. They usually know what they want and who they are from a very young age which can make it easy for them to go for what they want since their is little confliction internally. They are guided by their hearts and don’t let others projections get in the way of what they truly desire & want which I think is so special. They can however be over emotional at times and people can take advantage of them a lot because of how giving their natures are:( overall though very good people usually.

Jupiter in cancer/4th house: these people are probably your favorite family member. They are that cousin & aunty that if there aren’t at the family reunion then it’s super dull. They know how to bring people together by their loving charismatic natures. They will do anything for their family and usually grow up being really supported by family members as well. Most I notice came from wealthier families. And if they weren’t wealthy they were all very close to the native and helped them a lot when it comes to achieving goals. Usually they are the breadwinners of the family. They could’ve grown up in a very culturally diverse household where they learned a lot about different ways of living or was able to travel a lot to places most people don’t get to see. Could’ve grown up with big family reunions and a lot of fun feasts and holidays/traditions. Because of the great support in their upbringings they have are usually very wise and emotionally mature even from a young age. Their emotional world is very colorful and can put themselves in others shoes with ease (very big spiritual teacher aspect). Billie Eilish has this aspect and she always says how growing up her family was her rock and she brings them to all her tours. Could be especially close to the mother or grandmother (4th house ruling mother/grandma). When they have a family of their own it’s most likely going to be big and they normally have a very beautiful big house/home. They are normally amazing parents when they decide to have a child of their own.

Taurus or Libra in the 5th house: another big pretty privilege placement. These people are usually very appealing to the eye and tend to enjoy very Venusian hobbies such as art, fashion, beauty, cooking ect. They tend to be very pleasant partners and attract very pretty spouses as well! This can also indicate having very beautiful children when they ever decide to have them. A lot of people in the modeling industry have a Venusian 5th house. Libra tends to be a very flirtatious placement when in the 5th house and are usually able to find their soulmates/ marry at a very early age. Taurus in the 5th may take a little longer to find their soulmates (usually they find them when financially stable) but once they do they are in it for the long haul and their partners are usually quite wealthy or are very good at investing. Taurus in the 5th tend to have a natural charm about them which makes the irresistible to the opposite sex. (Or same sex depending on what you are into). Both can attract a lot of money and admirers in their lifetime.

Juno in the 1st house or 7th: hubby/wifey material. If these people love you trust me you have a rider for life. These people are super loyal and naturally know what it takes to keep a stable long lasting healthy partnership. They are amazing at compromising & will stay with you thru thick or thin. Could’ve dreamed of marriage from a very young age (especially in the 7th). They usually attract partners that see eye to eye with them & have similar ways of thinking which can cause little issues in their marriages. They have the ability to attract others like them! However these people can struggle with having an identity outside of their partnerships and can become very codependent when in love so it’s important to separate yourself from your lover from time to time to not become too overbearing. Overall though very lucky in love & tend to marry early.

Venus/mercury: smooth talker alert. These people can charm the pants off anyone! It’s actually more rare to have this aspect considering it can only be in either conjunction or sextile. Just by the way you speak and engage can make other fall head over heels for you, you know just what to say & your timing with words are impeccable. I notice these people can have very pretty/sexy talking voices (would be very successful in a podcast because people just live hearing you talk) and they can also be very good singers as well. Usually have perfect pitch naturally. Tend to have very beautiful minds. Their words can be very inspiring as well if they ever choose a public speaking career & they have the ability to connect with so many people just by their words. Can use their hands a lot when they speak which makes you even more engaging

North node in Leo: your whole mission in this lifetime is to SHINEEE. This is such a cool north node to have. In another life you could’ve tried very hard to fit into others and hide the quirks that make you special. You could’ve been very involved in humanity and being involved in a community/friendgroup (south node Aquarius) you could’ve been very detached and independent. In this life however you are meant to stray away from groups and lead! This north node is all about fun & self expression. Deep down you have amazing charisma and charm the you may of had to water down to please others but in this lifetime you are here to stand out not fit in. You are meant to be a STAR. Don’t shy away from the stage or give it to someone else it’s all about YOU not other anymore. You are here to experience romance and learn how to connect deeper with your vulnerability. You’re going from mind to heart in this life. This is a big main character placement imo. Big artists like Beyoncé have this north node. This placement is about finding what makes YOU happy and feel good which I find so beautiful🥹.

Leo sun: you radiate warmth everywhere you go. Like the sun you are able to attract others to you and almost give life to the fullness of life. Your large than life personality and positive outlook draws so many opportunities to you. The world is your stage and YOU are the main character. You are super confident in yourself from a very young age and adore the attention you get from others (they get A LOT of attention). You are a natural entertainer and enjoy making others laugh/ inspiring people. Usually into artistic hobbies such as music, art, comedy, dance, poetry ect. The sun rules Leo so this is one of the most fruitful/comfortable placements for the sun to be in. You have this natural love for yourself that teaches others to love themselves as well♥️ if you aren’t careful you can become a little too attention hungry and only think of yourself which can cause you to receive more negative attention than positive. So make sure you give others a chance to shine as well.

Virgo mercury: these people are so well spoken & are super smart. They have such logical minds and have a very vast vocabulary from what I’ve observed. They are extremely clear in their communication as well which is something I admire (cries in Pisces mercury 🥲). They are usually at the top of their class & have little issues in acedemics. They are huge perfectionists and have an eye for detail. They will not hand in their work until it’s PERFECT. I notice a lot of people with this aspect are love reading as well! A lot of people with this placement are amazing writers and a lot of top novelists have their mercury in Virgo. These are the types to read the dictionary to expand their wordplay. However these people can struggle with a lot of anxiety because of how much they think & how hard they try to make everything “perfect”. They can have problems with never feeling satisfied with their work even if their work is incredible. Don’t be so hard on yourselves:(

Castle configuration: this configuration is pretty rare in the chart. This is where you have a grand trine accompanied by two sextiles on the side creating a castle pattern in the chart. This pattern gives great strength and fortitude. Those who have this pattern are natural born leaders and have the potential to achieve great things in life by their drive alone. This pattern is found in a lot of CEOS, businessmen & great politicians. This gives you the ability to succeed in any field you put your mind to. This gives an amazing level of confidence and ambition. & because of their charisma they are able to attract a lot of relationships with powerful individuals that can help them get to where they need to go in life. Their relationships with others too are usually strong and long lasting. The only issue with this is that these natives can be very rash and impulsive when it comes to decisions but they always prevail even thru their mistakes. This is super lucky and rarely shows up in charts. (North west Kardashian actually has this in her chart).

POF in the 11th house: these people naturally attracted like minded individuals/ friends that help them to become successful in life. The Friedan these people make in this lifetime will be powerful and very influential. The 11th house is also the house of hopes and wishes so it’s no wonder these people are natural manifestors! Anything they wish for and desire are more likely to manifest in the physical compared to others. They can be amazing at networking and can gain a mass following by just being themselves. This is a big entrepreneur placement. They have the ability to create meaningful bonds with others and can have friendships that last a lifetime. They can become very well known toward the end of their life or when they reach a mature age.

[botanicsoul]

Heyy would you able to write a yn x katsuki smut fic where yn is very tall( I never see people inserting tall reader and I'm 6ft myself so it's hard out here😫🙏🏻) maybe stuff about him comforting her about her feeling insecure that she's too tall. Let ur imagination run wild idm. Thank you luv if u do decide to write this prompt 💗

OF COUUURRRSEEEEE!! i love a tall baddie😝

I hope you like it hun!🩷🌸

“Too Tall? Not for Me.”

Katsuki Bakugou x Tall!Reader | smut/comfort

MDNI (18+)

𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘ 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘ 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘ 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘ 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘ 𖤣.𖥧. 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘ 𖤣.𖥧.𖡼.⚘

The club was loud, filled with the pulsing bass of music and the hum of conversation. You weren’t even sure why you agreed to come out tonight—maybe because Mina had insisted, claiming you needed to “stop sulking and have some fun.” But you already knew how nights like this went.

You stood near the bar, shifting uncomfortably in your heels, which only made you taller. At six feet, you were already taller than most girls, but the added height had every guy looking at you like you were some kind of battle ready pro hero.

You were used to it—the lingering stares, the hesitant glances from men too insecure to approach you. And even when they did, the comments were always the same. Damn, you’re tall. Do you only date guys taller than you? Or worse, I like petite girls, but you’re kind of intimidating.

It never used to bother you as much as it did now. But after years of feeling out of place, the insecurities had settled deep in your bones.

And then, there was him.

Katsuki Bakugou, standing a few feet away, talking with Kirishima and Denki. He was clad in a tight black tee that clung to his muscles, his hands stuffed into his jeans as he sipped at a drink. His crimson eyes flickered over to you, sharp and assessing.

You quickly looked away, heart pounding. Bakugou had never treated you differently because of your height. In fact, he’d always been normal about it—never bringing it up, never making a big deal out of it, the two of you had gotten a lot closer this year.

But that didn’t mean anything, that didn’t mean he was into girls like you.

So, when you felt a presence settle beside you, warm and solid, you stiffened.

“The fuck you doin’ all the way over here?” His voice was rough, teasing, a little loud to be heard over the music but there was something softer beneath it.

Your lips pressed into a thin line. “Not in the mood for being stared at.”

Bakugou’s gaze flicked around the room, his expression darkening as he got closer to your ear so you could hear him better. “Who the hell is staring at you?”

You let out a dry laugh. “No one right now, but you know how it is. I don’t exactly blend in.”

He studied you for a long moment before clicking his tongue. “Who gives a shit?”

You sighed looking at him once a few inches away from each other’s face. “Easy for you to say. You’re not the one who gets treated like a goddamn skyscraper.”

Bakugou tilted his head slightly, his gaze unreadable. Then, without warning, he leaned in again, his lips brushing just beside your ear.

“Good,” he murmured. “Makes it easier for me to find you.”

Your breath hitched.

He pulled back, his smirk lazy and full of mischief. “Come on. Let’s get outta here this place is fuckin lame anyways”.

—

You barely made it inside his apartment before his hands were on you, rough and needy.

“Fuckin’ perfect,” he muttered, pressing you against the door. His palms slid up your sides, over the curve of your waist, squeezing possessively. “Bet you don’t even know how fuckin’ hot you are.”

You scoffed. “Yeah, right.”

Bakugou growled, nipping at your neck. “Shut up with that shit.” His hands moved lower, gripping your thighs. “Wrap ‘em around me.”

Your eyes widened slightly. “Katsuki, I’m too—”

“Too what?” His gaze darkened. “Too tall? Too strong? Too fuckin’ perfect?” He tightened his grip. “Let me make somethin’ real clear, princess—I don’t give a fuck about any of that.”

You swallowed hard, heat pooling in your stomach.

“Now,” he rasped, lifting you with ease, “be a good girl and let me fuckin’ take care of you.”

And who were you to argue with that?

[krystella-shifts]

All things˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌟₊˚ʚ 🌸 ₊˚ Visualisation˚˖𓍢ִ໋₊˚ʚ₊˚

Visualisation whether you're using it for shifting , manifesting, or to distract yourself while inducing the void state. It doesn't matter if you're manifesting LOVE, MONEY, FAME. or wtv This post will help ya

This will make visualisation much more effortless and fun instead of stressful and forceful

Struggling with visualisation? Here's why:

If you're the perfectionist type of person, you're probably overthinking it, trying to make it perfect, "this exactly greenish-blue curtain with white flowers pattern is spread 57% beside my window", visualising EVERY detail, like your subconscious will get it wrong if you don't or something. is someone holding a gun to your head 😭 like calm down, You're supposed to relax, let yourself, your mind freely play around with it! YOUR MIND KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT. Trust yourself.

When you let your mind be free, let it play around you might even get ideas and clarity! For example, like when I let my mind wander I got a better idea of how I want one of my DR bedroom to be, i didn't thought about curtains and plants but my mind suddenly showed my the image and it was SO PERFECT AJAJSH like yes bish that's exactly what I want! So I got this idea because I wasn't forcing anything, any picture. So your mind knows even better.

⟡☾How to make your visualization better☽⟡

So, you’re trying to visualize your dream life, but the image keeps going blurry like a bad WiFi connection? Don’t worry, bestie I got you. 😔💅🏻 Here’s how to level up your visualization game so your manifestations hit different.

• Details?

It's definitely better to visualise in details like for shifting, the colour of the walls, the feel of the sheets. and for manifesting, if you're manifesting df let's say, visualising looking in the mirror, your lips shape, etc. But you don't have to cuz there's no right or wrong way. You should do what works for you the best. Don't put pressure on yourself.

If someone has trouble seeing the image with details, it's okay to not worry about the details, you can use other senses, like how it feels, smells. That brings me to our next pointtt

• Engage all your senses (Because Your Brain is Dramatic Like That)

If you can’t see the image clearly, FEEL it, get THE FEELS. Hear it. Smell it. Taste it (only if applicable, pls🫢😭).

Don’t just see it—feel the emotions, hear the sounds, smell the scents, and touch the textures, that it feels SUPER real.

Example: If manifesting money, imagine holding crisp bills, hearing them rustle, and feeling the excitement. (I can smell it rn 😤💸 all this bread so yummy yeah)

• Can't hold the image?

use motion not just still images. (cuz I wanna see it in 3d, in motion), It used to happen to me too, i picture something and it start to fade or get blurry. But in that case i realised it's easier to hold it if it's a moving scene, like a scenario. Instead of holding a still image, visualise a small scene. Static images fade, but movement keeps them alive. Movement makes it real. ✨

• Embody the Feeling NOW

Don’t just think about it—feel like it’s already yours. (Spoiler alert: it is). 🥚🥚ample, If u r manifesting confidence, being a pretty little risky baddie, visualize yourself walking tall, speaking smoothly, and radiating certainty. 🤌🏻✨

• Repeat & Reinforce

Wonder why sats work so well? Visualization is most effective when done consistently. Try visualizing for a few minutes every morning or before bed when your mind is most receptive. so like my girl says it, DON'T STOP AND JUST REPLAY, REPLAY-AY - iykyk,iyk,lmk cuz Lee know >:)

I feel i ATE with this one. I hope this helps you pookie!!~ (⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡ lmk and remember ALL THE GIRLS ARE GIRLING GIRLING (the amount of kpop refrences in this post MUHAHAH) if you get all the references ily

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Three for One 2

Warnings: this fic will include dark content such as dubcon/noncon, cheating, customer service abuse, and other possible triggers. My warnings are not exhaustive, enter at your own risk.

This is a dark!fic and explicit. 18+ only. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Warnings have been given. DO NOT PROCEED if these matters upset you.

Summary: As a customer service associate, you’re used to work with a wide variety of characters. Your efforts to go above and beyond draw the attention of a certain set of customers who want more than what’s on the shelf.

Character: Andy Barber, Lloyd Hansen, Ransom Drysdale

Note: The ho-lidays are the daddies and the baddies.

As per usual, I humbly request your thoughts! Reblogs are always appreciated and welcomed, not only do I see them easier but it lets other people see my work. I will do my best to answer all I can. I’m trying to get better at keeping up so thanks everyone for staying with me <3

Your feedback will help in this and future works (and WiPs, I haven’t forgotten those!)

Love you all. Take care. 💖

You bob around to the tinkling of carols as they waft over the store. Unlike your coworkers, you enjoy the repetitive tunes. They are so fun and bright and help the time pass between customers and stocking. Not that there isn't more than enough to keep you busy.

In the rare moment where you aren't distracted, you let yourself browse the colourful lipsticks and shining perfume bottles all around. You don't have anyone to shop for, not even yourself. You have your dollar store glosses and discount nail polishes. You don't see the need to spend too much on those things. Or maybe you just prefer what you know. Simple and cheap.

Around lunchtime, traffic really picks up. Several customers ignore your approach and brush by you before you can entice them into buying some Chanel. You've already hit your sales targets but you never really think of numbers.

A woman stops you and asks for a very specific palette. You know just the one. You think it's cute, it looks like a cupcake, and while you adore the aesthetic, it isn't worth the price tag. It's just powder!

You show her where it is and Luanne comes over to take the reins. She's the makeup genius, her flawless contour is proof enough. You turn to float back to your zone and see a man watching you. You recognise him! Vaguely. You see a lot of people in a day.

"Good afternoon," you sing as you near him, "anything I can help you with?"

His throat bobs as he cheek ticks, "uh, yeah, er..." he pushes back his gray jacket, tucking his hands in his pants pockets, "you remember me?"

You smile as you try not to show your cluelessness, "I think..."

"I came in last week," he says.

You think, scrunching up your face as you tap your chin, "yes! You bought Liz Taylor for you mother."

"Mother-in-law," he corrects you, not unkindly.

"Yes, that's it," you jab your finger upwards, "you complimented my sweater."

"Yeah, that was me," He finally smiles, "anyway, I was thinking of getting a gift for my wife. Just a little stocking stuffer."

"Oh, that sounds so cute," you nearly squee. You get so excited to help people shop for a loved one. At the same time, you feel that void. Maybe one day you'll have a husband thinking of you. "We have some great gift sets, actually. They come with different scents so you're wife can figure out which one she likes best." You direct him over to a shelf, "oh, and if she has a favourite, you can get her a full bottle for Valentine's!"

He gives you a look. His eyes narrow just a bit and his cheeks round, "that's a good idea."

He glances over the shelf and you wait patiently. He turns back to you, his eyes flitting over your name tag as he reads it out, "do you have a suggestion?"

"Me?" You perk up, "well, I actually like the Coach. It's not too expensive and it's nice and subtle."

"Is that what you wear?" He asks.

"I don't... I use some cherry blossom body spray but I usually smell like the whole store by the end of the day," you shrug.

"Cherry blossom," he nods, "oh, by the way, I'm Andy."

He offers his hand in an overly formal way. You giggle but take it nonetheless. You don't really get that often.

"Sorry," he squeezes your hand firmly before letting go, "lawyer, habit."

"No, it's fine," you assure him, "I'm just a perfume salesman, is all."

"Well, you're really good at your job," he praises.

"How do you know?" You say.

"You're friendly and helpful. I have no complaints," he reaches past you and claims the Coach pack, "she's going to love this. I owe you."

"No problem. Do you need me to ring you up?"

"Actually," he sighs, "she has this idea. Christmas card. I'm supposed to find a sweater. So, I need to look around some more."

"Oh, that's so cool. A Christmas card? The sweaters are just over in the men's, right near the east entrance," you point, "they have some really cute Charlie Brown ones."

"Charlie Brown," he repeats.

"Anyway, I'll let you go," you clutch your hands together, "I hope your wife likes the perfume."

"I'm sure she will," he agrees, hesitantly clapping the kit between his hands, "uh, thanks. Again." He leans back on his heel, "oh and, that's a really nice colour on you."

"Uh," you look down at your gem green blouse, "thank you, sir."

"Andy," he insists, walking backwards, "again, you're a life saver."

You grin proudly and he spins on his heel, nearly knocking into Luanne as she comes over. He apologises as he side steps her and continues on. She gives you a strange look.

"Geez," she grumbles, "people. This time of year makes everyone so crazy."

"Well, he was nice," you say.

"Kinda cute, too," she intones.

"He was shopping for his wife."

"Lucky lady," she scoffs, "so, you wanna go on lunch first? I'm dying for a latte."

"You can go, I don't mind," you say, "I'm not very hungry."

"Deal," she winks, "I'll get you a hot chocolate for your trouble."

"You don't have to do that."

"I don't have to, I want to, sweetie," she preens.

"Fine, fine, I accept your coerced hot chocolate.”

🎀

Another day close to complete. It's like checking off items on a list. Each evening seems to darken sooner than the last, every morning rising too soon.

You yawn at the empty fragrance section as it’s only you left for the last hour. There isn't much to do except balance the till. Your headset keeps you entertained as electronics calls out possible shrink and home goods argue about their numbers.

“We need a body at returns,” Lucille cuts through the chatter. “Now.”

No answer comes and you slowly slide your hand up the wire. Before you can hit the button, your name is snarled from the other end. You're ordered up to cash to assist with the hordes.

You leave the ghost town that is beauty and as good as skip up to the front. You calm your step as you see Lucille sneering at you from behind a machine. You give a tiny smile and claim the extra screen behind returns. 

“I can help the next person,” you call and wave your hand in the air.

You stand back and wait for your first customer. A man comes up and throws a torn open package on the counter, the item bouncing out of the plastic. You flinch and barely catch it before it can slide off the other edge.

“Hello, sir,” you bat your lashes, “how are you today?”

“Not fucking well,” the man snarls. His mustache tickles your memory; do you know him? “It’s a piece of shit.”

“Oh, okay,” you look down at the trimmer and examine it, “you’d like to do a return?”

“Yes, I’d like to do a return,” he snaps, “are you dim?”

“Of course, sir,” you punch in your ID and passcode, “I’ll just get you going. Do you have your receipt?”

“A receipt? I bought the damn thing here, look it up.”

“Ah, alright, when did you buy it?”

“You don’t remember, little trigger finger,” he sneers.

“What do you mean?”

“Pfft, right, you think spraying people with skunk spray is fun?”

“Um, no?” Your cheeks tremor as you withhold a frown; you think you know him now as you’re hit by a sudden wave of Gucci cologne, the scent of a memory. “Did you have the card you purchased this with?”

“You don’t think I have money?”

Everything he says is aggressive. Your questions bounce off him like accusations. You don’t know what to say that won’t agitate him further, He huffs and kicks a foot out, leaning on his back heel as he reaches in his back pocket.

He flicks a black card onto the counter, “put it back on this.”

You nod and take the card, examining the nameless front. You turn it over and swipe it in the machine instead to search the number. He scoffs, “bet you never seen one of those up close.”

“Sir,” you smile bigger, letting the insult ping off of you. All the money in the world and he has no manners.

You find the purchase with the same sku and put his card back on the counter. He snatches it up as you start the return. You scan the barcode and continue on to the next screen, “what’s your name, sir?”

“Lloyd,” he answers curtly. You type, waiting, then look up at him, “Hansen.” He finishes sharply, “with an E, got it?”

“Yes, sir, and the reason for return?”

He rolls his eyes, “it doesn’t fucking work.”

“Alright. So it doesn’t cut the hair or–”

“It won’t turn on,” he growls.

“Right,” you take the trimmer and turn it over. It looks fine enough, even after he threw it. You slip the door of the battery compartment off. It’s empty, “and you had double As in it?”

“Double As?” He repeats.

“It needs batteries, sir.”

He pauses, eyes flaring, nostrils flaring.

“You think I’m stupid? That I don’t fucking know that? You’re not getting free fucking batteries from me.”

“Of course, sir, of course,” you rarely feel this addled, even this time of year, “I’ll get you your money back on a gift card–”

“Gift card? I want my money,” he holds up his card between two fingers.

“Yes, sir, I understand. As per our return policy, personal care items, once opened, are only eligible for a store credit return. Or you can exchange for another item. Would you like to look at our other trimmers? I can put this aside while–”

“What? How would I know that?” He hisses.

“It says on the receipt, sir.”

“I don’t have the goddamn receipt,” he barks.

“I know, sir, sorry. I can only refund this amount on a gift card. I can’t override the option.”

“I want a manager. NOW!” He demands as you jump in your shoes.

“I… I’ll see if she’s avail–”

Lucille has you jumping even more as she appears beside you, no doubt drawn by the raging man in front of you. She elbows you out of the way, not even acknowledging you as she puts on her mask. She leans on the counter just slightly.

“Sir, is there something I can help with? I’m the manager,” she says.

“I want my money,” he echoes once more. “I bought a defective product and I don’t want store credit. I drove out here twice for this bullshit.”

“Oh, certainly sir,” she brushes you with her hip, further edging you out, “right back on that black card, right?”

She scans her keycard, overriding the safeguard, and proceeds to the refund screen.

“Yes, exactly,” he snorts, “not like I don’t have even more money to spend here. Even if the customer service is lacking.”

You back away, unsure what to do. Do you just stand there for the transaction or do you go back to your department? You twiddle your fingers and bob on your heels.

Your eyes meet that man’s and he smirks smugly, wiggly his credit card at you. It’s fine, you won’t let him ruin your day. He’s already ruined his own getting so worked up.

🎀

It’s another busy shift. Your hot chocolate has gone cold from your neglect and you long to sneak away and shove it in the break room microwave. You can’t mourn the lukewarm drink as the line before you stretches on. You’re only a week from Christmas.

You finish wrapping the Prada bottle and hand it over the iron-haired woman with her cute curls. You wish her a good day as she waddles off. The next customer comes up, slamming down a cup so hard, the foam of the drink spits through the slot in the lid.

“Hello, sir,” you croon, “how are you today?”

“Here for a pickup,” he ignores your question.

“Right, can I get a name?”

“Why?” He challenges.

“For… for the package,” you sputter.

“Oh, uh, Drysdale,” he sniffs.

“I saw that earlier. I’m the one who called,” you brighten up.

“So you’re the annoying songbird,” he grabs his drink again, “took you fucking long enough. Line’s a mile long.”

“It’s very busy, yes. Everyone’s catching up on their Christmas shopping,” you bounce, “are you almost done yours?”

“Yeah, I bought myself cologne. So, chop chop, sweetheart.”

You nod and quickly spin. People get so impatient. You go into the small back room housed behind the shelves of lockup and you search the shelves. Drysdale. You pluck up the box and hurry back out.

“Right here,” you announce, “I have good news, too.”

“Tell me you’re gonna stop yammering,” he snickers.

“Um, no, the uh… the cologne is currently on markdown so I can do a price match and give you your money back.”

“Why would you do that?” He asks.

“Er, because… it’s policy?”

“You think I can’t afford it?”

“N-no, I didn’t say–”

“Look, I don’t need some department store busy bee to judge me, got it? This scarf costs more than your whole wardrobe,” he touches the patterned scarf around his neck.

“It’s a very nice scarf,” you agree.

He narrows his eyes, “you’re mocking me.”

You shake your head, “no, sir, I like the colours–”

“Give my goddamn package," he reaches and rips the box out of your hands, “and a tip, shut up and do your job. Maybe then you won’t have half the city waiting to get their shit.”

“Thanks,” you swallow down his anger. “Have a great day, sir.”

He doesn’t reply as he takes his cologne and storms away. You watch him and notice his cup still beside your till. It’s too late to call him back. You’ll just put it aside, you’re sure he’ll come back for it.

You move it to the other end of the counter and face the next customer, “hello, how are you?”

“Good,” the blonde woman answers with a gentle smile, “some people…” she tuts, “don’t let the grinches get to you, honey.”

“Thanks,” you feel the ice melt away, “I won’t.”

“Adorable cardigan,” she adds, “I really love the collar.”

“Oh, thank you,” you trill, “is this everything for today?” You gesture to the bottle of Calvin Klein on the counter.

“That will be it. And I’d love to have it gift-wrapped, thank you, hon.”

[smilesrobotlover]

Since I’m thinking about rebooting this thing I wrote down who I ABSOLUTELY needed in the story. I started off with the big baddies cuz that’s easier, and there’s obviously Demise and Ganondorf. Ghirahim is someone who I always planned to have in the story, but I wanted to keep it a surprise. But I can’t keep it anymore lol. So yeah Ghirahim’s here, and that drawing of Ghirahim is an older one but it still looks good. Then ofc the Sordoblin and a newer addition . Overall fun characters that won’t cause issues at all :) also yeah I’m using my Godzilla demise design cuz I can and I want to

[lionhanie]

han taesan ; end up here

maybe a tad angsty (taesan is an overthinker), fluff at end!, campus crush (he's literally in love with you), college au, reader is a baddie mhm yep yep

word count: 2.2k wtf

warnings: cursing, implied insecurity (taesan), alcohol usage, alcohol + weed mention, party setting, i'm literally so cliche but idgaf

this work is part of my boynextdoor as old 5sos songs series! ↳ if you want to listen to the song, here u go!

a/n: everyone rejoice... other members are mentioned >:D ok i lied. i tried to fit everyone in but it's mainly riwoo & leehan. and it felt wrong to find a way to include woonhak in a college party where there are Drugs and Alcohol buttttt hope u enjoy mwuwhuwhuh

likes ♡ and reblogs ↺ always appreciated!

taesan really didn’t want to go to this party, but riwoo and leehan had insisted it would be more fun than staying in his dorm room writing song lyrics the third weekend in a row. not that he doesn’t want to party, but he’d rather spend his time doing something he’s /actually/ interested in-- and right now, it doesn’t include making awkward small talk with strangers he will probably never see again in a sweaty led-lit room with mediocre music in the background. 

“taesan… come on! i understand that you love making music, but don’t you think it’s time to come out with us? just this once?” riwoo pleads with him, tugging on the sleeve of his shirt. reluctantly, taesan spins around in his chair, turning to face his friend properly. 

“ah, i knew i shouldn’t have turned around. it’s so much easier to say no to you when i’m not looking at your face. put those puppy eyes away, i’ll go change.” he gives in a bit easier than he initially intended to, unable to hide his smile at the way riwoo does a dance of celebration at his successful convincing. 

leehan, currently leaning on the doorframe, chuckles at the sight. “i don’t think it’d be bad for you to go out with us from time to time,” he pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose before continuing his thought, “maybe you’ll find some more song inspiration while we're out.”

taesan rolls his eyes and ushers the two out of his room, quickly changing into one of his favorite shirts and fixing his hair in the mirror. after grabbing a couple of accessories and checking himself out in the mirror one last time, the trio make their way to the house in question. it’s only a party, it shouldn't be too bad... 

“wow, the weather’s perfect tonight.” leehan admires, hands in his pockets as they walk through campus, warmly lit by the streetlights scattered around. the crisp night air only seems to give taesan cold feet, as he feels the sudden urge to turn around and walk back to the laptop waiting for him in his dorm (despite being only a couple seconds away from their destination). almost expecting this to happen, riwoo stops in his tracks, causing taesan to bump into him.

riwoo crosses his arms, ready to give the best pep talk of his life. “i swear i can hear your thoughts. dude, don’t overthink this! it’s just another one of jaehyun’s parties, nothing crazy. we’re gonna have fun tonight!" riwoo frowns at taesan's doubtful expression. "leehan, help me out here.”

“i’m sure you’ll recognize at least half the people there. plus, you look cool.” leehan pats him on the back as a means of reassurance before putting his arm around taesan, practically dragging him through the door. 

upon entering, taesan is immediately reminded of the last time his two friends convinced him to go out with them-- it reeked of cheap weed, the music absolutely sucked, and to top it all off, someone spilled their mystery drink (?) all over his shirt. never again, he told himself that night.

but here he was, red solo cup in hand as he followed his two friends around while they greeted various people around the room. taesan actually could not recognize anyone else except his classmates, sungho and jaehyun, who were sitting on the couch against the wall. the concoction in his cup was barely touched, disgustingly sweet because of the various juices in it, and alcohol too strong to enjoy it in the slightest. maybe he should’ve stayed home.

“you walked in, everyone was asking for your name / you just smiled and told them trouble” 

“no way…is that y/n? y’know, i was convinced you’d never show up to one of my parties, but here you are!” jaehyun nearly jumps up from his place on the couch, hugging you at the entrance before shoving a cup full of who-knows-what into your hand. no way, indeed.

never did taesan think he would end up seeing his campus crush as close as he is now. this is crazy. he finds himself straightening his posture suddenly, even going as far as taking a big gulp of the drink in his hand, despite its unappealing taste. he'd noticed you early into the semester, finding you sitting with your friends out in one of the common areas outside his classes. he didn’t think much of it-- that is, until he kept seeing you. like, everywhere. he'd never admit it to himself, but he soon found himself looking forward to seeing you around. eventually, it got to the point where he started dressing a little nicer on the days he knew you’d be there, in hopes that you might notice him too. 

“i think some of your friends are here already, y/n. oh, a few of my friends from class came too, you'll love them!” jaehyun encourages you to introduce yourself on the spot. while slightly flustered, you look around the room with a smile as you wave to the various people.

“shit, how many friends do you have?” you joke, taking a sip from your cup before properly introducing yourself to a room full of, well, strangers. “nice to meet you everyone, i’m y/n!” you do a little twirl, which earns a couple whistles from around the room. taesan swore he felt the room brighten up with your arrival. your presence felt like a breath of fresh air in a stuffy room full of people. he moves to take another gulp of his drink as the two of you lock eyes briefly, making him cough before he could properly swallow. 

“y/n…who’s that? you know them?” leehan questions from next to him, pointing his cup in the direction of the front door. taesan only hums and shakes his head ‘no’ in response, his eyes glued to you as you dance along with the friends you’d just greeted. 

“my head spins / i’m pressed against the wall just watching your every move / you’re way too cool / now you’re coming this way” 

despite his sudden reluctance to drink when he first got there, taesan found himself with a freshly replenished cup planted in his hand as he leaned against the wall. the alcohol was starting to get to him; he could definitely feel the buzz with the way the room felt like it got a couple degrees hotter. or maybe it was just you being there that was making him warmer than he was ten minutes ago. he was vaguely listening to the conversation his classmates were having next to him, but his eyes always found their way back to you. he’s seeing you in a completely different light. normally, he’d be one to briefly admire from afar as he walked out of his lecture hall; now, you’re here. 

and all of a sudden it’s a little too real, because what do you mean he gets to see you laugh and dance around with your friends…? you’re just supposed to be the campus crush he never gets the chance to make a move on. wait. this is his chance to make a move, isn’t it? oh god, what if he doesn’t get another opportunity like this to talk to you without looking like some weird dude who’s been looking at you across campus-

“how did we end up talking in the first place? / you said you liked my cobain shirt”

“cool shirt. kurt cobain, yeah?” oh shit. and now you’re in front of him. riwoo elbows taesan, which was his way of telling him ‘good luck.’ the action snaps him out of his thoughts, eyes widening ever so slightly before he clears his throat.

“yeah, it is. you know nirvana then?” he scratches the back of his head, noticing his friends moving their conversation away from the two of you out of his peripheral vision. he mentally curses them out, because now this conversation feels like he needs to make sure he doesn’t make a fool out of himself, and now there’s no one there to butt in and save him. 

“obviously! you can’t say you know kurt cobain if you don’t know who nirvana is.” you beam at him as you finish the drink you were holding in your hand. his campus crush listens to one of his favorite artists, surely this isn’t real.

“taesan,” he blurts out, “i’m taesan, by the way. and you are..?” he waits for your response, as if your name wasn’t the only thing floating in his mind the second jaehyun welcomed you inside. (this is his attempt of being nonchalant btw)

“i’m y/n!” you look down at your empty cup briefly before looking around the room aimlessly. “do you want to get out of here?”

“what? you want to… leave?” with him? like this? now he’s almost sure this is some sort of prank or something. he’s taken aback at the bold request, clearly confused at what the hell is going on.

“it’s hot in here. and loud. you don’t want to step outside for a minute?” you placed your cup down on a random table, already making your way towards the door. you look at taesan, extending out your hand for him to grab so you can drag him through the crowd. 

oh, you just want to get some fresh air. okay. that makes a lot more sense. he’s glad the lighting is so bad in there, as he’s almost certain his ears are red as he looks at your waiting hand. he mimics your actions, putting his cup down on the counter before finally placing his hand in yours and letting you lead the way. 

“now we’re walking back to your place / you’re telling me how you love that song about living on a prayer” 

the two of you sit side by side on the curb outside the house, slowly getting more used to each other as you go on about random topics-- first, it was music... then clothes... eventually turning into a never-ending stream of conversation topics neither of you wanted to put an end to. he’s in awe of the situation he’s currently in: you look so beautiful under the streetlights, and you keep laughing at his jokes, and maybe the weather really is perfect tonight, just as leehan said earlier.

...taesan doesn’t exactly know how he finds himself sitting on your living room floor, but he vaguely remembers you complaining about how your outfit was too uncomfortable and you desperately needed to change. he instinctively offers to walk you back to your apartment to get some comfier clothes on; you even offer him one of your bigger hoodies for him to change into. it was still a little small for his liking, but he accepts your kind gesture happily.

much to his satisfaction, the conversation never dies. hours pass as you two continue talking about anything and everything. the things you miss from your hometowns, embarrassing childhood stories, outrageous things you've witnessed at past parties you've been to-- and it all flows so naturally. taesan swears he is in love, because even though he was lucky enough to find a great group of friends at uni, he’d never clicked with someone like this so fast, let alone the person he's been crushing on for weeks now. 

“my friends say i should lock you down / before you figure me out and you run away / but you don’t and you won’t / as you kiss me and you tell me that you’re here to stay” 

taesan is disappointed when he wakes up. damn it, he knew it was a dream. he blinks a couple times before reaching for his phone on his nightstand, only to be met with… carpet? and you, his campus crush, the person he spent the entire night talking to until you both eventually fell asleep on the apartment floor next to each other, laying on the carpet two feet away from him. sitting up almost immediately, he covers his mouth in disbelief as he takes in the situation, desperately looking for where his phone is without making too much noise.

→ 6 missed texts from The Boyz groupchat! riwoo: taesanieeee did u go back to the dorm without telling us :(  leehan: Wasn’t he talking to y/n? leehan: Check outside sungho: yeah, he’s still out there talking to them sungho: leave him be lmao jaehyun: actually? this isn’t really y/n’s type of crowd jaehyun: i’m surprised they haven’t gone home yet LOL keep up the good work taesan ;)

he puts his phone down on the floor, letting out a sigh as he places his head in his hands. oh god, and they’re already on him about this. he can’t help but let the last message jaehyun sent get to his head. not your crowd, huh? yeah, makes sense. after all, you shone so bright last night, it’s only reasonable for them to think that you probably wouldn’t get along with a guy who practically hugged the wall the whole time.

“he’s just trying to psych you out, you know.” you ran your hands through your hair as you stretch, taesan’s phone in hand. he shoots up immediately, in shock at the realization that you were awake and that you read the texts on his phone. “sorry for taking a peek at your groupchat, was just curious about what had you sulking so early in the morning.” you pass it back to him, his cheeks visibly flushed in embarrassment; the sunlight shining through the blinds only illuminating his current flustered state further. 

“i wasn’t planning on coming to the party last night, by the way. i only showed up because he told me you’d be there. you think i haven’t noticed you around campus too?” you smile at him from your place on the floor, moving over to give him a peck on the cheek. he thinks it’s insane how charming you can get, even if you just woke up. “stop worrying so much-- i’m here to stay, taesan. only if you treat me to breakfast though.” 

taesan doesn’t exactly know how he ended up here, but he was almost certain he'd found his new muse.

© lionhanie 2024 ; all rights reserved!

[cuteandhughesy]

The Alchemy | Jeremy Swayman (instagram edit)

summary: your and jeremy’s instagram posts after you get together in toronto - essentially hard launching your relationship.

face claim: abigail cowen

warnings: none <3

a/n: suprise! this is one of my favourite things to look at when it comes to other fanfics, so I thought i’d create one for almost all - yes almost ALL - of my fics (excluding ones under 7k words) I hope you enjoy and keep a lookout for more ❤️

link to the alchemy

───────── ౨ৎ ─────────

liked by jswayman1, sydneymartin and others

yourusername some behind the scenes of my time filming in boston 🤫💛

tagged jswayman1, barstoolsports & pucksindeeppodcast

comments

user1 wait is that SWAY IN THE MIRROR PIC

user2 this is everything

jswayman1 💛

user3 is this a hard launch ?!!!!

user5 omg i’m obsessed with them I hope it is

nhlbruins look at that golf stance from sway

user4 love love love

pucksindeeperpodcast fav podcast guest and fav duo

user5 you’re my favourite person ever

user6 new wag alert omg 😩😩😩

spittinchiclets not a big deal

lullmark jeremy is still forcing you to fish? dreadful

yourusername I don’t think i’ll ever learn linus 🥲

liked by pucksindeeperpodcast, jswayman1 and others

yourusername always catch me wearing black - thought I’d share this absolute serve 💁🏻‍♀️

comments

pucksindeeperpodcast mother

user1 can we talk about how STUNNING y/n is

user2 beautiful 🤩

ashleybertuzzi always so stunning hunni

jswayman1 😍

user6 jeremy back off our woman 🤺

user3 imagine being that funny and that beautiful

kileymcavoy gorgeous

user4 😍😍😍😍😍

user5 baddie

user6 meanwhile i’m over here looking like this 🧍‍♀️

daniellegcoyle i’m so obsessed with you

liked by daniellegcoyle, jswayman1 and others

yourusername back in B 🐻💛 happy playoffs everyone

tagged jswayman1 & daniellegcoyle

comments

user1 let’s go baby

user2 sway is so lucky dude

user3 you look stunning

nhlbruins we’ve got the queens support - we will be unstoppable 👑

daniellegcoyle always so fun with you babe

user4 stop this is adorable

jswayman1 baby

user5 SWAY UR GF IS A BADDIE

user6 so ready for playoffs

nhlbruins amen

user7 when’s the next podcast ?? 😩 I need danielle on an episode

kasloane I think we were the loudest in the damn place, and that’s saying a lot 🤣❤️

liked by jswayman1, cmcavoy25 and others

yourusername apparently in may it’s still pretty cold in alaska ? thankfully the sun was out so I could slay in these pics 🗻 (p.s. I still can’t fish)

tagged jswayman1

comments

barstoolsports the fishing saga continues

jswayman1 love you sm ❤️

user1 this is everything to me

kileymcavoy omg you’re such a cutie

user2 i have nobody to talk to about this OMG

user3 THE BABY UGH 😩😭❤️

davidpastrnak crazies you two

user4 not her being in alaska with his fam - im crying

user5 i’m EATING this up

user6 the way they’ve completely hard launched and made me invested in their relationship is insane. i love them

liked by yourusername, 1996_carlo and others

jswayman1 thought shrimp fishing would be easier….y/n disagrees 🦐

tagged yourusername

comments

user1 omg y/n is so relatable

nhlbruins king and queen

1996_carlo my turn next

user2 😍

user3 how many shrimp did y/n catch?

yourusername zero.

user4 yall are so funny

bmarch63 sways got that dog in him

pucksindeeperpodcast mother looking bad tho 😏

user3 AMEN

yourusername guys I still can’t fish

user5 beautiful

user6 omg her huge poncho. reminds me of your fishing video 😂

liked by sydneymartin, lullmark and others

yourusername see you next year alaska 🙌🏻 no more grainy zoom podcasts for now 😏

tagged jswayman1

comments

user1 so excited !

user2 are you coming back to boston for a little bit?

pucksindeeperpodcast we are ready 🙌🏻

user3 you’re so hot

spittinchiclets let her cook 🧑🏽‍🍳

jswayman1 grainy zoom or not i’m still watching

daniellegcoyle AHHH

user4 beautiful lady

sydneymartin obssesed with you

user2 you and me both 😩

user5 can we take a moment for sway’s photography 😗💨🔥

rohlsson can’t wait to see your pretty face

nhlbruins anticipating your arrival 🐻

user6 yessssss 😍

liked by jswayman1, nhlbruins and others

yourusername opening week ✔️💛

tagged jswayman1, nhlbruins & mayson_elizabeth_

comments

user1 HAND PLACEMENT 😭

jswayman1 love you sweetiegirl

user2 SWEETIEGIRL

user3 when’s it gunna be my turn 😩

user4 THW wag group 🔥

daniellegcoyle yasssss

mayson_elizabeth_ missed you so much 😩

user5 you are so back !

user6 wag y/n is my fav y/n

bmarch63 young man watch those paws

liked by daniellegcoyle, pucksindeeperpodcast and others

yourusername special home podcast with one of my favourite girls coming tomorrow 💕

tagged daniellegcoyle

comments

daniellegcoyle i’m so pumped ! had so much fun with youuuu 💕

nhlbruins our fav girlies

user1 you two look so cute and cozy

user6 no fr I need to be their besties

user2 i’ve been waiting for this - TURN IT UP

user3 this is my super bowl 👑👑

charliecoyle_3 me next

davidpastrnak you’ve had your turn.

user4 coyle and sway are so lucky

pucksindeeperpodcast our first girl guest - we are pumped.

user5 I thought it was a hockey podcast?

user2 it is….they are dating hockey players. listen before judging dude

jswayman1 I can still here you two laughing on the porch

liked by jswayman1, mayson_elizabeth_ and others

yourusername attached: pictures I sent to my boyfriend this week (look at that jersey bite tho…i’m going feral)

tagged jswayman1, pucksindeeperpodcast & kileymcavoy

comments

user1 love your little hockey life

daniellegcoyle craft night again soon

kileymcavoy yes please

user2 can sway fight?

user3 aweeeee

user4 YES THE BITE 🔥😍

jswayman1 and I love every single one

user5 you are my favourite influencer girly! funny, hot and relatable … iconic

nhlbruins logo appearance

user6 okay robe! BADDIE

user7 can’t wait to see what’s in the future for you! you are glowing, successful and in love 😩❤️

spittinchiclets our hockey pod sis

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a/n: OMG this was so fun and I hope you all enjoy! stay tuned for more content ❤️ not spell checked currently.

I do not own any of these photos - full credits to original owners.

[collisvng]

CHAPTER 3 | TWO BADDIES, TWO BADDIES, ONE DENNY’S

THE END ZONE 🏈🩰✨

Pairing 🤎 Seo Changbin x Fem! Reader︎

Genre 🤎 SMAU, University/College AU, Ballett/Football AU, Fluff, Angst, Crack—all of that good shit lol︎

Synopsis 🤎 By recommendation of his coach, Changbin decides to take a ballet class in order to improve his agility and coordination on the field. It seems like a harmless and fun activity at first. But what happens when his ballet partner starts to make him choose between the two?

Warnings 🤎 Brief mentions of food/eating, alluding to weight/eating insecurities, mentions of jealousy, slight swearing

Taglist 🤎 Open!︎ ✨

Word Count 🤎 3,102 

In Collaboration With 🤎 @channie-143

✨️MASTERLIST✨️

©collisvng (2023) — all rights reserved. reposts/modification of our work is not tolerated.

“THANK YOU!” 

You smiled at the sweet, middle-aged lady who had brought you and Changbin your food. 

After a 30-minute freak-out over the fact that Changbin decided he was going to pick you up, you found yourself at Denny’s sitting across from the curly-haired man smiling like a complete idiot.

You were on your 15th question now. After deciding that things would be easier if one of you just asked a question and then both answered it, things seemed to be going a lot smoother. By now you had found out whether or not he liked pineapple pizza (he doesn’t), the last concert he went to (he saw Day6 live), how he had his first kiss when he was 13 (it was at homecoming), and various other things about him that for some reason just made sense.

You guys answered most of your questions in the car on the drive over. And the whole ordeal with Changbin picking you up from your dorm sent Felix into retrograde. 

When Bin arrived at your dorm Felix was the one to answer the door. He smiled, estranged to his friend’s presence but happy for the surprise nonetheless. He felt so enthralled that his friend had come to visit him out of the blue. But the moment you walked out in your oversized sweater and yoga pants telling Changbin that you were ready, it all seemed to click.

As you hopped into your ballet partner’s Escalade and the both of you drove off, Felix simply stood at your guys’ door with his mouth agape in bewilderment at the fact you just left him there without even so much as a last-second invitation.

It was kinda hilarious. And a great conversation starter.

“Alright, we have five questions left,” you stated as you picked up a fry off your plate. “It’s your turn.”

Changbin cocked his head to the side. “You got that instead of a milkshake?”

“Really? That’s your question?”

“No, sorry…” His voice trailed off as he chuckled. “I’m just surprised, that's all.”

You stared down at your little green smoothie; swirling it around with your straw, watching the extremely tiny pieces of spinach go round and round. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Nothing,” he shrugged. “Just expected you to get something different I guess.”

“Thought I was going to get something a little more…” you tapped the glass of his strawberry milkshake and smirked, “pink?”

He smiled and looked down at his shake, moving his straw back and forth in an attempt to not blush. “Maybe.”     

When the waiter came back with your guys’ food, you watched as Changbin dipped one of his fries in his shake and winced at his questionable combination. He was weird. So weird. But the little laugh he let out when he witnessed you scrunch your nose somehow turned that weirdness into something infatuating.

“Alright,” you repeated, glancing down at the food in front of you before once again giving the man in front of you your full attention, “like I said before, we have five questions left. It’s your turn to ask something. Go.”

“Oooh, okay…” Changbin grabbed another fry and tapped it against his chin. “Um… what is something that you hate?”

“Oh that’s easy,” you nodded. “I hate when people are late. It causes me so much anxiety, especially when people are late for important things… Completely drives me insane.”

“Didn’t you say Han used to always be late? Wasn’t he your dance partner?”

“Yeah. And considering that you’re sitting in front of me right now instead of him, we can both see how that’s going.”

“Right, got it,” Changbin said, giving you a quick nod as he bit the fry that was still in his hand. “Never be late or else the pretty girl gets angry. Noted.”

You chewed on your bottom lip a bit in an attempt to mask the grin that was ever so starting to appear on your lips. Changbin was always so casual with his flirting as if saying sweet things were like his second nature. It was evident he knew how much it flustered you as well considering his smize. You promised yourself you’d get him back for that later.

“Shut up… Your turn to answer.”

He cracked his neck to the side. 

“Ah, I feel like mine isn’t that bad,” he shrugged. “I just hate it when people over-repeat themselves. If I’ve already heard what you said the first one to two times, why keep going? Just tap me on the shoulder or something and ask if I understood you before you start rambling. It's not that hard.”

You raised your brow. “You know Han has a bad habit of doing that too, right?”

He paused.

“I have a feeling your friend is going to drive us both crazy in this class.”

“He’s my best friend, it’s to be expected at this point.”

Changbin quietly giggled, making your heart race against your will. You shied away, staring down at the table in front of you and thanking the heavens that your hair was down or else the tips of your ears would surely give you away. 

There was a small PING! that came from Changbin’s phone that caught your attention. Your eyes briefly flickered to the screen that lay face-up near his elbow and caught heed of a text that lit up the screen.

Just as soon as the screen lit up, it dimmed. But by the time his screen had gone black, your thoughts were all over the place. Changbin was so busy scarfing down his burger that he hadn’t realized you were staring at the notification as long as you had been. Your mind was confused. In all this time the both of you had practiced together over the week, he had never once mentioned having a partner. But who else would he have listed on his phone like that? And also, why did you care?

It wasn’t until your dinner (definitely not a—) date leaned over the table a bit and asked if you were okay that you finally broke out of your haze. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Sorry…”

“You sure? I lost you there for a second.”

“I was just…” you had to think of the right thing to say, “... trying to figure out what to ask for the next question. But I think I got it.”

“Ask away.” He lifted his milkshake up to his lips and took a sip.

You sighed. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

If Changbin’s immediate choking wasn’t evident enough, he wasn’t prepared for that kind of question. So you backtracked.

“Or I mean… partner? If you’re into that, maybe? I don’t know. I’m so sorry—”

“I wasn’t expecting that,” he heaved and rested a hand on his chest. “What makes you think I would be dating anyone right now?”

A grimace tattooed itself onto your face as a sudden cringe feeling sat in your gut due to what you were about to admit to.

“I just figured I’d ask,” you shrugged. “I saw the notification on your phone so I just thought…”

He frowned, grabbed his phone off of the table, and clicked one of the side buttons to turn it back on. Once he saw the name on the screen, his confusion turned into fondness.

“Oh, this?” He turned the phone to you. “That’s just my friend Wooyoung. I have his contact like that for personal reasons.”

“You save your friends’ names in your phone like that?”

“You don’t?”

“I have Seugnmin’s name saved in my phone as ‘Seungmin.’” You retorted, laughing in disbelief. “No, I don’t.”

He pouted. “Sooooo… what do you have me saved as then?”

You raised your brow. “Does this count as one of your questions?”

“Now it does.”

You laughed, pulling out your phone from your pocket and began going through your contacts until you landed on his name. A disappointed look from your dance partner is what you were met with when you turned your screen around to just reveal the word “Changbin” along with the words “from ballet class” in parenthesis next to it. 

“You didn’t change my contact name after I put it in your phone?” He questioned, letting his own despondency show more than he had hoped.

You shook your head. “No… was I supposed to?”

Changbin pouted; he was clearly hoping for more. It almost made you feel bad.

“And what do you have me saved as?” You asked, slightly curious.

He quickly mimicked you; scrolling through his contacts until he found your number and flipped his phone so that the screen was facing you.

You rolled your eyes as soon as you saw the words:

“Boss Lady 🫡🩰✨”

“Really?” You rubbed the bridge of your nose, squeezing your eyes shut in disdain. “Changbin, I told you before to stop calling me that. Also, is it just a thing for you? You know, to put a shit ton of emojis at the end of people’s names in your contacts?”

“Do you not?!” He raised his voice slightly, leaning over the diner table as if to insist his way of doing things was obviously the correct way.

“Once again, NO!” You shot back, laughing harder now then you had before. “I mean… Felix’s name in my phone is pretty normal, but I have some people’s names saved weirdly I guess. Minho’s name in my phone is just saved as ‘Min-whore’. And I have Han saved as ‘Minho’s boyfriend,’ so…”

Changbin frowned. “Wait… is Han a little…”

He flicked his wrist, causing you to snort in response.

“Please! That guy’s been trying to get laid by a girl since the moment he stepped foot on campus,” you wiped a tear away from one of your eyes. Laughing this hard seemed so foreign to you. “If he was a little fruity none of us would be surprised, but no—he and Lino are just friends. They’ve been inseparable since orientation so our friend group has a habit of teasing them for it.”

“Ah, that makes more sense.”

You nodded. “He even tried to ask me out once.”

Changbin’s eyes widened in response and your nodding became even more vigorous. 

“Oh I know! It was cute though, to be honest. We’d had a few classes together and he'd always been so nervous around me. Then one night the kid came up to me at a party freshman year and asked if I was seeing anyone. I had to let him down easy and he just immediately apologized and asked if we could still be friends. Now he and Felix are like my other halves.”

“What made you say no?”

“He’s not really my type,” you shrugged as if it was the most obvious answer ever. 

Changbin picked out a piece of lettuce from his burger and put it in his mouth as if to remind himself that his food was still in front of him. 

“Wait, so what’s your type then?” He asked nonchalantly, a smirk trying to fight its way onto his lips.

You sucked in a breath, gritting your teeth.

“Well you see, I would answer that question… But you already wasted your question and now it’s my turn, sooo…”

Watching your dance partner press his tongue to the inside of his cheek in annoyance brought you a sense of joy you hadn’t felt in a while. You giggled at the unexpected feeling of power, having a sudden surge of energy course through your body. 

“Anyways,” you smiled. “My question, my turn.”

Changbin finally grabbed hold of the burger on his plate and took a bite out of it. He sighed as he were a man starved, eyes practically rolling into the back of his head as he chewed his food. You stared down at your plate; a set of 8 boneless wings smothered in buffalo sauce stared back at you. 

In theory, eating in public wasn’t bad. But it was something that you preferred doing within the company of friends. You never felt judged by Felix, Han, Hyunjin, or Minho when you went out. Sometimes Seungmin would make a joke here and there whenever you did something as silly as spilling on yourself or ordering wrong. But, it was always in good fun.

Changbin didn’t seem like a judgmental person. If anything he seemed the exact opposite. But he was also a new-ish person. And that alone made you contemplate whether or not you were going to attempt to eat more than just a fry or two in front of him. But you couldn’t bring yourself to. So you just proceeded to ask your question instead.

“What made you want to join the football team?”

He smiled, setting his burger back onto his plate. He finished chewing before speaking. “Well you see…”

His answer was longer than you expected, although you didn’t mind. He went on to explain how he grew up being insecure about his weight. He didn’t mind how he looked, but wanted to feel better about his body and how he presented himself. So in high school he took it upon himself to do some research and try different things. He excelled in his anatomy and P.E. classes, which eventually became the reason he decided that kinesiology was what he wanted to study in college.

“The classes are actually really fun,” he explained. “We spend most of the time in the gym on campus in order to stimulate our body and learn about our strengths and weaknesses. Then for homework, we’re supposed to write reflections about our strength and conditioning methods. I’m basically knocking out my degree just by going to the gym, which I already do anyways so it’s great!”

He continued, expressing how much football took part in his weight-gaining journey. Bulking up was heavily encouraged, which Changbin was super enthusiastic about. And it was easier to do since he had begun taking nutrition classes for his major and knew what foods would be beneficial to him. He began going on a mini tangent about the different types of foods that were great for helping build muscle mass and which exercises were good to accompany them with, but then paused once he realized he was losing track of the topic at hand.

“Sorry,” he blushed. Your heart swelled a little when he shied away and let his gaze wander down to his own lap to avoid eye contact. “The point is, football seemed like a fun activity and it not only benefited me in terms of my major but also just in general. It’s helped me a lot with my confidence and has helped me meet a lot of good people. I’m really grateful to be a part of my team.”

The grin on your face was hard to hide, although the faltering behind it was less obvious. You felt happy but jealous of Changbin for many reasons in that moment. Being a dancer, especially in your field, was particularly hard. Body type was a big deal in ballet, or at least it was to you. Being a dance major had always made it extra hard to stop worrying about your body. Your teachers and the artistic staff in the dance department had always alluded that the thinner you are, the better off you are… especially in ballet. 

It led to you being insecure about your body; something you had been working on more and more since you started living with Felix. He was always making sure you ate, drank water, and were taking care of yourself. It was one of the reasons why he had gotten in trouble numerous amount of times for smuggling food into the practice room. And soon became one of the reasons Minho had often tried to set up small dinner gatherings at his and Han’s dorm, along with why Seungmin would always try to drag you out on In-N-Out trips with him.

You guys were the same, but also not. While you were struggling to lose weight, Changbin was trying hard to gain weight. Eating affected the both of you in different ways. And as much as you felt proud of him for achieving his goal, there was a stinging feeling in your gut; a sort of longing for the same notion of accomplishment he had that you knew you’d never get. And it hurt.

But you couldn’t tell him that.

“I’m happy for you,” the smile on your face became weaker. “I’m glad you’re comfortable with who you’ve become and the people you’ve surrounded yourself with. That’s a big deal.”

You could feel the burning feeling of salt water prickling from your tear ducts and prayed that it wasn’t obvious that your eyes were starting to glass over. But it was. And you hoped Changbin wouldn’t ask you anything about ballet, because if he did you were sure the dam you were holding back would finally break.

Luckily, he was smart enough to catch on that something was wrong and decided to change the subject instead. Sometimes, men are smart.

“Alright, last question…”

He stared at you, observing every inch of your face. He looked concerned, intrigued, and caring all at once. So much so, that it became your turn to finally shy away from him. He beamed slightly, feeling proud in the way he was able to make you smile once again even if you weren’t able to bring yourself to look at him. Which made his question even easier to ask.

“�� Why did you say yes to hanging out with me tonight?”

You chuckled, sniffling a bit before letting your eyes meet his again. Then after a moment or two, you shrugged.

“I don’t know. Something about you just feels nice,” you stated truthfully. “You seem fun.”

“Fun? As in ‘your type’ kind of fun?”

“Now I never said that…”

Changbin’s giggle was followed by your own as the both of you laughed at your own banter for what felt like an eternity. Eventually, things calmed down and you spent the rest of the night discussing regular, mundane topics. You were thankful he didn’t bring up the fact you had almost cried earlier and didn’t quite know how to express your unspoken gratitude. You were more sure than ever now that he was a big sweetheart. And that gave you all the confidence you needed.

It was peaceful.

It was comfortable.

It felt safe.

As you watched Changbin scarf down another fry before taking an additional bite of his burger, you let out a sigh you hadn't realized you'd been holding in.

And finally, you let yourself eat. 

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[theseerasures]

what's funny about the trend of G(a)lindas getting denser and wackier over time is that their Populars have largely in parallel gotten more steamlined and homogenized

it's not a tame number now by any means--my baseless hypothesis is Glindas tend to age out of the role faster in large part because Popular is so physically demanding--but all the same Ginna Claire Mason doing the splits or Kara Lindsay...uh, failing to do a cartwheel are spicy in markedly different ways than Cheno pulling out a whole ass book, or Hilty gifting Shoshana Bean pink panties. obviously you have to partly attribute the insanity of the latter two to Last Show Jank, but even Last Show Populars have trended toward the less chaotic. no one is stopping the number cold for entire minutes anymore to pull a surprise gag; you get to do your wacky thing during the Designated Wacky Times, and that's pretty much it.

it feels counterintuitive at first, but the more i think about it the more it makes sense. when Cheno and Shoshana were leaving nobody had any idea of the institution Wicked would become. it was already a runaway success, but runaway success doesn't always translate into running forever, so it was easier to hurl caution into the wind and treat all of it as if this were the last night for everyone. or take a few years down the line on 1NT: Carmen's last and Katie's last weren't breaking the flow of the number completely anymore, but they were still taking advantage of its elasticity by deviating from the script or (in Katie's case) abusing props. Wicked was more established as a staple, but the idea it would last so long cast members could return to the show multiple times is a whole other thing. it still felt like you could be careless, even with the professional relationships at stake.

beyond these speculations on the business end, it makes sense that the priorities of Popular have shifted as the priorities of the show have shifted. i make fun of how many little gestures seem to be mandatory now, but that's not necessarily because Wicked has become less permissive as a whole. it's more that where they decide to be permissive has changed to respond to changing audience tastes and past acting choices. Popular was more load bearing as a way to ingratiate Galinda to the audience in the early days, because in the early days Galinda was...well, a baddie. an enjoyable one to be sure, but her earliest portrayals emphasized her mean girl nature, and so Popular was necessary to show Galinda's softer side--that her comedy doesn't always have to come at the expense of someone else.

that concern feels pretty much irrelevant now. Megan Hilty made Galinda sweet (if dim), Kendra Kassebaum made Galinda weird, how mass culture conceptualizes The Popular Girl has changed. and Galindas have become more and more likable from the outset. if she no longer needs to bring the house down in Popular to get back in the audience's good graces, then it makes sense to tighten up the number overall to emphasize musical timing and fold the scene more organically into the show's pacing and tone. what's more is that because Popular now has the reputation of being--in the words of drunk Shoshana Bean--a legendary musical theatre moment, it's easier to take for granted that the audience WILL be entertained. if there's no need to fix what ain't broke, the pressure is off each individual Galinda actress to coax laughter out of the audience. she still needs to do something during the time alloted for Galinda Shenanigans in the score, and increasingly Galindas have chosen to use that time to build on their chemistry with their Elphabas.

most "toss toss" sequences don't really stand out in the early versions of Popular. partly because it was originally "flip flip" (the horror), and partly because the early Populars were SO densely wacky everything blurs together into one hysterical fever dream. but the later we get in Wicked's production history the more i look forward to "toss toss" specifically, because Gelphies have correctly pinpointed this as a great place to flesh out their dynamic, and as a great place for Elphaba to be funny. i especially loved the Gina Beck and Emmy Raver-Lampman exchange where Emmy's attempt to do a coquettish giggle turns into a full on witch cackle, but they've been great for quite some time.

the one above isn't as effectively entertaining, but i find it a fascinating object lesson in doing less with more. Katie "i just don't think i'm a comedian" Rose Clarke has always given fairly toned down "toss toss," and for this one she's stripped out everything that's not the bare minimum. but this version takes about as long as any other "toss toss" sequence, if not even longer, because both Katie and Laurel are content with letting a moment just sit, even in the most rambunctious number in the whole show. and they end up fishing some new laughs out of this typically predictable sequence as well as deepening what we know about their relationship. the pauses are everything here: be it Elphaba's first flat disbelief she's expected to do this; or Galinda trying to break it down to basics with her second demonstration; or Elphaba, grasping not for the first or last time in this number how earnestly serious Galinda is about everything, earnestly in turn trying to get herself ready; or Galinda look of utter relief that Elphie has not sustained some kind of head injury after all, because she is trying now, so her baffled look before was probably just an Elphie thing; or the fact that we KNOW how it's going to look on Elphaba, not just because we know about the musical number Popular, but also because we've already seen her dance.

it's an entire story, done in near complete silence, and under a minute

[thealternateuniverse]

The Chaotic & Charismatic Brothers – Marriage Edition 💍🔥

Jaebom – The Reluctant Groom Turned Power Couple King

👑 "It's just business. We'll be divorced in a year." — Famous last words. 💼 The heir must marry, so daddy sets him up with a business partner's daughter. She hates him. 😌 Plays the role of the patient, doting fiancé to make his life easier. If she wants something? He just gets it. Less tantrums that way. ❤️ Unexpected plot twist: She falls for him. 👩‍❤️‍👨 Plot twist part two: They actually get married. The world’s most iconic power couple—rich, famous, and effortlessly stylish. 🔥 Business headlines: "The Perfect Pair: A Love Story or a Merger?"

Mark – The Master of Uno Reverse Card

🤢 Hates the entire concept of arranged marriage. 👊 Told his father if he was forced into one, he’d disown himself. Meant it. 💍 But then Jaebom actually went through with an arranged marriage. Mark, officially paranoid, escapes overseas. ✈️ The escape plan fails when daddy announces publicly that Mark is next. 🍼 Comes home married—with a 3-month-old baby. His dad almost collapses. 👀 Turns out his “business” overseas was just him living his best life with his longtime girlfriend, who he secretly married a year ago. 🎤 "Surprise, I’ve been married. Also, meet your grandson."

Jackson – The Forever Rich Uncle

💃 Hates arranged marriage with every fiber of his being. 💌 Too busy attending exclusive parties and dating around to care. ✈️ When his dad sets him up on a blind date? He disappears for a year. 🍾 Will settle down when he decides to, not when daddy demands it. 👶 Rich uncle mode activated: Spoils all his nieces and nephews. 📢 "My only commitment is to looking good and having fun."

Jinyoung – The Lawyer Who Stays Three Steps Ahead

📑 Too busy drafting prenups and handling corporate lawsuits to think about love. 💔 "If one of you gets divorced, at least make it easy for me." 🕵️ Accidentally ends up with the perfect partner—someone in his field, just as sharp as him. 💡 Outmaneuvers his father by introducing his actual girlfriend before the matchmaking circus begins. 👶 Ends up being the responsible, doting husband and the unofficial babysitter for his brothers’ kids.

Youngjae – The Tech Nerd Who Pulled The Ultimate Baddie

💻 Quietly hacking his way through life until—BAM!—he lands the heiress of Samsung. 🔥 They bond over their shared love for tech and probably build a cybersecurity empire together. 💔 Almost breaks up with her because of an arranged marriage setup—until they realize they were arranged to marry each other. 💒 Wedding goals: A high-tech, futuristic cyber-themed extravaganza.

Bambam – The Diva, The Icon, The Untouchable Bachelor

🚨 Allergic to marriage. Screams it from the rooftops. 📸 Loves the drama surrounding his brothers' love lives but refuses to be part of it. 🎭 Outsmarts his dad by pulling publicity stunts before any matchmaking rumors start. 🤣 Gets roasted by his brothers for being chronically single. 💔 Last serious relationship? Middle school. She ghosted him. The trauma still lingers.

Yugyeom – The Lost-Love Trope in Real Life

💔 Constantly in dating rumors—half the time, he’s never even met the person. 😍 Fell in love at first sight in college, but the girl vanished. 🔍 Finds her again years later. This time? He won’t let her disappear. 🔥 She turns out to be Simon Dominic’s little sister. 👶 Surprise: They already have a son, who is older than Mark’s kid. 🥺 Begs his father and Simon D for permission to marry her because "I am NOT losing her again."

[satoshi-mochida]

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD demo now available - Gematsu

A demo for Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is now available for Switch via Nintendo eShop, Nintendo announced.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD launched for Switch on January 16.

Here is an overview of the game, via Nintendo.com:

Take Off With a Barrel-blasting Adventure!

Help DK and Diddy Kong recover their precious banana hoard from the villainous Tiki Tak Tribe in this visually enhanced version of the Wii game. Stomp enemies, blast through barrels, and ride rockets, minecarts, and even Rambi the Rhino in 80 levels across nine worlds, including the additional levels from the Nintendo 3DS version. You can even join up with a buddy for two-player local cooperative play!

Stomp, Blast, and Roll Across Donkey Kong Island

Platform your way across DK Island’s vibrant and obstacle-filled levels. You’ll be stomping and rolling through environments ranging from jungle to volcano.

Swing Into Action as Donkey Kong – Some levels will have you swinging on vines, blasting through barrels,

or riding things like mine carts, rockets, and Rambi the Rhino.

Deal With Obstacles and Enemies the DK Way – Execute moves like Ground Pound, Roll, Blow, and Grab and Cling.

Work Together to Find Those Bananas!

Team up with a friend and take on the Tiki Tak Tribe together as DK and Diddy in two-player local cooperative play. Pelt foes with Diddy’s Peanut Popgun and hover using his Barrel Jet. If you’re playing solo, break open a DK barrel to find Diddy Kong—he’ll take damage instead of DK!

Meet the Top Bananas

Play as Donkey Kong or join the fun as Diddy Kong in two-player local co-op to take down the evil Tiki Tak tribe. You’ll meet some wild characters along the way!

Donkey Kong (playable) – This powerful Kong goes absolutely bananas when it comes to jumping and pounding. He wears a fancy tie, but he still likes to crash through branches and boxes in the jungle.

Diddy Kong (playable) – He might look harmless to jungle baddies, but this small Kong is a peanut-popping powerhouse! He can ride on Donkey Kong’s back and blast his buddy to new heights with his Rocket Barrel.

Cranky Kong – Stooped in stature but sizeable in spirit, the curmudgeonly Cranky Kong runs a shop which supplies Donkey Kong with the items needed to rid the jungle of banana-nabbing baddies.

Rambi – Donkey Kong can smash his way through a box or two, but he needs this rambunctious rhino to power through stone blocks (and the occasional enemy).

Tiki Tak Tribe – This troublesome tribe can’t mask their thieving nature. With a bit of hocus pocus, these musical hypnotists can turn the gentle beasts of the jungle into fearsome foes.

Squawks – A brightly colored bird which can be purchased with in-game coins in Cranky Kong’s shop. Squawks will let you know when puzzle pieces are nearby.

Professor Chops – This helpful porcine offers tips as you make your way through each level. He will indicate the halfway point where your progress is saved.

Explore, Collect, and Unlock

Search every inch of the jungle to uncover special items and unlock extras.

K-O-N-G Letters – Letters spelling K-O-N-G are spaced throughout each level. Collect all the letters in all the stages of a world to unlock that world’s temple, where a Rare Orb can be found.

Puzzle Pieces – Puzzle pieces are hidden in out-of-the-way places. Get all the puzzle pieces in a level to unlock something in the gallery.

Two Ways to Play

Play the game as it was first designed for the Wii system or reduce the difficulty for extra hearts and other goodies to make your journey a little easier.

[queenlua]

what would you recommend as a first Fire Emblem game to play? do i just pick up the latest one, or does an older one capture the True Fire Emblem Experience(tm) better? sorta like Super Metroid still being my absolute favorite of that series…

iiiiiinteresting question, huh! it probably depends somewhat on what you think you'll like / care about the most in a Fire Emblem game?

my personal first FE game was Sacred Stones & i think that's still a really good place to start. the spritework is *gorgeous*; i personally think it's the visual peak of the series. it's got the core "old-school" FE gameplay but with lots of nice quality-of-life improvements (as compared to e.g. something like FE4 or FE7), and the story is my second-favorite in the series after the Tellius games—just a good core emotional core with really well-drawn characters and support conversations.

the drawback is that it's on GBA, so if you don't have one of those lying around (or some other handheld to play it on), you're stuck playing it on an emulator on a computer, which i think hampers the enjoyment somewhat—like, i played a lot of that game in "in-between" moments, while on the bus, etc, and it was really excellent for that. also: it's on the easier side! which i didn't mind; i find the FE game loop enjoyable both when i'm just cruising through baddies AND when i'm having to tightly & rigorously strategize every move. but i know a couple people who stopped playing because they found it too easy & got bored

i do think the Gamecube/Wii FEs (Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn, aka the Tellius games) hold up really well. obviously i am a little insane about them *stares at fanfiction output* and thus clearly biased, but the character writing is shockingly good & rich (sometimes despite itself, lol), and the gameplay's real fun! reasonably challenging while not making you want to throw your controller across the room (unless you opt into lunatic you mad lad!). i do think they're a little ugly though lol. rip. also, if you like PoR enough to play RD, you'll find RD... uneven. it's uneven in ways that mostly delight me, but like, yeah it's suffering a little from "we're telling like four different storylines with a HUGE cast & jerking you around between them a bit" so it interrupts the usual "smooth progression of your carefully-curated army" gameflow for something more like "wow, hope you're looking forward to saying BYE FELICIA to all your old dudes & putting down a random rebellion in Crimea for exactly five chapters & then doing something else entirely."

those games are my personal faves though and. i will always tell people to start with them. in principle. but you should decide if you trust me lol

a WHOLE lot lot of people got started with Awakening, and the core gameplay in that one is VERY fun. about halfway through, if you're sufficiently clever at assigning abilities, the game becomes a little too easy to "break," but it's an enjoyable ride the whole time. it also introduced a LOT of the quality-of-life improvements people now take for granted in modern FEs (you can choose to disable permadeath; UX is much nicer; etc). so if dealing with some old-school cruft is unpalatable to you, you'll definitely want Awakening or newer.

unfortunately the writing in Awakening is, uh, not great, lol. there's two generations of characters you're playing as, and the first generation is just... not very interesting! very one-note and tropey! storyline is nonsense! the second-generation characters are a little more fun but overall i found the main plot's incoherence + the plethora of dull characters meant that i found the story very forgettable.

i think the writing in Conquest/Birthright is similarly weak but i do have to say, if you want to powergame and optimize stats and get REALLY SWEATY GAMEPLAY NERD about it, Conquest can't be beat. best map design in the series, extremely challenging, etc

and then there's the massive fandom juggernaut known as Three Houses lol. of the "modern" FEs, this game contains the most Stuff I Like About Fire Emblem. the storyline's a lil jankier than e.g. the Tellius storyline, but still has plenty of fun stuff to chew on, and even if you don't some of the 3-4 storylines offered, there's a pretty strong chance you'll resonate with at least one of them. and the gameplay is *fun*, lots of QoL improvements, reasonably snappy...

...but it does have a somewhat bloated, "AAA-gamification" feel. visiting the monastery between EVERY SINGLE FUCKING CHAPTER to do "home base"-y stuff gets old fast. and also, the gameplay starts to drag some as you go along... a campaign takes like 40-50hrs iirc, and near the end, i usually find myself going like "jfc i don't WANT to do these three skirmish battles before i go onto the next one... but i need to because it's the Objectively Optimal Thing To Do... why is this game making playing it so annoying," lol. also, the writing, while reasonably solid... could've been reduced by like 50% and probably been *stronger*? most "old-school" FE games only had 3-5 support conversations per unit, and that was generally enough to give a good sense of the character without Overwhelming With Pointless Chatter. but so many characters in Three Houses have *so much more* text than that and it just starts feeling like.. a chore... to go through... especially when in practice i won't even like all those conversations... so yeah idk

tl;dr if you have slightly old-school sensibilities, get Sacred Stones; if you want a "modern" feel, get Awakening or Three Houses; if you want to make Lua Internetperson happy, personally, you should grab Path of Radiance :P

[sabrinahawthorne]

CLASH! Devlog, September 4, 2024 - Mastery Rework and NPCs

Sorry for the long absence, everyone - I'm back on the horse and I have developments.

Stats are called Stances!

I just want to get this one out of the way - I've been looking for a bespoke term for this since I drafted the original prototype, and I finally landed on language I like.

Mastery Rework

I've been having trouble with the Powerhouse's Playbook progression mechanic - I have a very clear idea of the narrative moment I want to emulate, but nothing I've thought of has really jived with the universal Mastery Mechanic. Eventually, I realized it was because there was a problem with Mastery itself.

(If you don't remember how Mastery works, you can read about it here.)

So to clean it up, I've altered how Mastery works, just a little. It used to be that you gain a point of Mastery whenever you used a Tech that you're currently learning (previously called Unmastered, now called Imperfect). That Mastery would then automatically be invested into the used Tech, until you finished learning it.

Not so any more. instead, Mastery now functions more like XP in other games. It's earned in a number of circumstances - activating Imperfect Techs and activating Relationship Techs, among others. From there, you have some choices about where you spend your Mastery. You can invest it into learning new Techs, but you can also spend it to improve your Stances, or even give it away to give an ally some extra Potential.

From here, I was able to actually implement the Powerhouse's Progression mechanic! But I won't get into that here - you'll have to read it for yourself.

NPCs

Does anyone else get scared of writing GM-facing rules? It's not a rational fear; it just feels overwhelming every time I have to write them out for a new game. Especially so in this case.

A particularly daunting hurdle in the case of CLASH! has been NPCs. This is a game about combat against interesting, developed characters, which means that I somehow need to make playing multiple complex NPCs manageable for the GM. It's been eating at me for months.

The solution came in three parts: Traits, Types, and Tiers.

Among the three, the only term that carries any mechanical weight are Traits - but All three are useful pieces of language.

Traits are simple tags attached to some NPCs which describe their motivations and behavior. They aren't Techs; they don't describe a character's powers or weaknesses. Instead, they're about a character's priorities, both in and out of combat. For example:

Or, something more specific to combat:

These serve several purposes. First and most significant is that they make managing a potentially large cast of antagonists easier on the GM. Every important NPC has a list of personality traits that inform their actions, and those traits are written down, so if you ever forget that one bad guy's whole deal, you can just double check.

It also means that running combat is simpler. The GM doesn't need to worry about a characters actions being consistent - they essentially have a very simple AI to follow - a set of procedures that generate consistent behavior and tactics for their baddies. Hopefully.

I also anticipate that this will add an additional layer for the players, who I hope will have a lot of fun deducing the priorities and strategies of their opponents, and finding interesting ways to take advantage of that knowledge.

Types are a soft distinction between two styles of NPC. It doesn't make sense for every rando the Fighters encounter to have fully fledged Stances and Techs to use - that's simply too much work to put on the GM. So instead, the majority of NPCs are what I'm calling Noncombatants - their more complex counterparts of course being Combatants.

Combatants are the ones with Stances, Techs, and Traits. They're any NPC you expect might be getting in a fight with the PCs, and any Noncombatant can be hooked up with some of the above if the need arises. But Noncombatants just have a name, some pronouns, and a listed motivation. If you want, you can even use a Trait or two for this - but you don't have to.

Finally, Tiers are essentially a way to make constructing Combatants easier. The tiers are Goon, Lieutenant, and Boss. With one or two minor rules exceptions (Goons will flee when they lose a Contest), these are all identical - it's just that each tier has better stats and more personality than the ones below them. Lieutenants are more colorful and interesting than Goons, etc.

This manifests really simply - higher Stances, more Techs, and more Traits. It's just an easy way to create a hierarchy of villains that ranges from your average nondescript Soul Reapers, to your Captain Alvidas, to your Orochimarus.

I've got another Devlog coming this week! It's smaller than this one, but I figured I'd keep engagement high and split the updates up just a little to keep people reading.

If this is your first time hearing about CLASH!, you can check out the open beta play materials Here! And keep that link open - I'm working on an updated booklet with more cool stuff.

[green-crow]

oooo what is 2. Ethex?

This, my friend, is a one-shot that has been sitting there for too long. See, I have some friends who have very cool OCs. Like. Very cool. And being the fool that I am I fall for them.

This one-shot in particular takes place in the Twisted Wonderland universe (for those unaware it's a mobile game Disney has about the baddies being students in a magical academy. Actually pretty fun would recommend to ppl if they into gachas). My self-insert is a fox beastman based on Honest John who, while studying in the school's library, sees a very pretty new student, Ethel (based on the rose from the beauty and the beast). They fall head over heels almost immediately for this stranger, even more so as they observe her looking through books. She clearly knows a thing or two about the romance genre, and if their ears don't deceive them, is she also a writer? Alex quickly forgets about their alchemy homework and spends the rest of the evening thinking about this mysterious student. Unbeknownst to them, Ethel has also spotted them in the library, and she has some thoughts of her own...

Have a lil snippet!

With a sigh, the beastman turned yet another page of the dusty book in front of them. They had been reading for so long that a faint headache was already comfortably settled in their head, not to mention how dry their eyes felt. Yawning, the student stretched on their seat, ears and tail going up and then flopping back down almost immediately. At least the library was quiet and relatively empty, making it easier to study. The smell of old leather had an almost soothing effect on them, as well as that familiar and comforting scent of ancient paper. It almost made studying alchemy recipes worth it. Almost. Alex glanced at their water bottle, long forgotten on a side and still full. Right, water. When was the last time they had drank anything? Those fuzzy drinks from Sam's probably didn't count…

[hannahwatcheshorror]

TILL DEATH (2021)

💁‍♀️Strong Female Lead

I do have to point out that I hate the shortening of “Until” to “Till” because there is only one “L” in the origin word BUT I digress. This is a very clever movie with an interesting casting choice for Megan Fox as our Scream Queen. Megan does an excellent job dealing with the hell she is presented with. A very thrilling and fun movie to watch, believable characters and motives, the pacing is excellent, I was never bored. Worth the watch and then some.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Trigger Warning Suicide)

We begin with Emma (the illustrious Megan Fox) and her lover but Emma is calling things off because of her husband. The next day is her anniversary with said husband and things are icy as ever, he gives her jewelry she doesn’t like, she gives him Super Bowl tickets he won’t accept. A lovely evening all around. The next morning when she wakes up though, hubby has gone off his nut because he shoots himself in the head just to make things hard on her, oh and did I mention he is handcuffed to her? Yeah, he is rather diabolical, especially because later we find out that he was also a cheater so him being so dramatic over her dalliance was just a big show since his career was ruined (which we find out halfway through the movie, but I digress again). Soon enough Emma finds that her husband has disconnected the phones, disabled her cellphone, and removed all tools from the house that would make removing him from her wrist easier.

Maybe I have seen too many horror movies (ha) but I would have blunt force trauma broken his dead hand right off his wrist. I would have used a door (the car door would probably be the easiest leverage wise) but I would get him OFF of me even if it was bloody. There is no way I would spend so much of my energy hauling his literal dead weight around. She also has glass from the vase she could break and pull a Gerald’s Game but on the dead hubby (NOT her own hand). She ends up using an anchor to remove his thumb which ultimately gets the cuff off of her husband but in my opinion she dragged him around for far too long (poor dear). But here come some more people! First Emma’s lover comes and she knows it is a trap immediately because it would be too easy if her husband had called her lover there to save her.

Right she was because the next folks who arrive are the brother of her attempted murderer and her attempted murderer! Wack! And the killer immediately kills the lover which the brother is all broken up about which is very adorable, he’s just a little guy who thought they were doing a burgle, not a murdle! Either way, the husband and lover are both dead and now the brother and killer are trying to find Emma and she is scared! As she should be! This is about when she is able to ditch her husband's corpse (also it should be noted that she is pulling a Die Hard and not wearing shoes the whole time, which is a bitch because of the cold and snow). She plays a little golf with the baddies and then gets got right after contacting the police.

Now the brother only wants to get into the safe but the killer wants to, well, kill, so we are at quite an impasse here. The brothers fight and the killer ends up accidentally killing his brother (woops) and he blames Emma (silly woman!) so he is even angrier but Emma slips the cuff onto him and now the killer has the dead weight of the husband's corpse! This is good because she needs to run away from this guy now and she has very little to protect herself, she is able to hit him with her car which was pretty cool, but then they go out on thin ice and fall into the freezing water! I was cold just looking at them! The killer was so focused on killing Emma he didn’t care that the body was dragging him down so he didn’t try to detach it from him and he drowned himself in his anger. Emma was able to escape and used the killer's knife to break through the ice just as the police arrived!

----------------------HANNAH WATCHES HORROR---------------------