dlpktm

[spectrumspace]

that's why they call it that

[avimaka]

little sketch i did of rook & devi at electropunkz 3. it was just going to be devi but then it's a beautiful world started and oh my god the rat slip dress is incredible.

[spoopy-nevermore-dump]

Some doodle backlog. Enjoy!

[lilyinwaiting]

Gross bitch in my D&D party

[floriansfurryfantasies]

Between Bramble & Briar. Home for Yule ~ Part One. (SFW)

AUTHOR NOTE: This episode is a cute, cosy, and SFW (a smidge suggestive, in parts) glimpse into the Blackthorn's traditional Yuletide family festivities.

WORD COUNT: 2442

TAGLIST: @caxycreations

Let me know if you'd like to be added to BBB's tag list.

Over the crackled, charcoal surface of the Yule log, amber flames flickered. Beneath, the ember glowed. The fire would burn all night, slowly consuming the feast of its fat log. Downey Cottage would be kept warm and cosy throughout this, the longest night.

This time of year was truly one for feasting. Ada Blackthorn had spent four months stowing away Yuletide provisions in her pantry, as she did every year until the time was right to spend three days preparing her traditional feast. The shortest day of the year was one in which the Blackthorn's spent the most time eating. From pies and nut roasts to cakes, biscuits and buns, platters of crackers, conserves, and cheese, the sideboard in the kitchen was laden with many delicious treats. Ermine's part to play began in the cellar in late August when he'd harvested all the fruit and barley he required to make his meads and wines. This annual tradition usually ended with the old mouse, drunk and singing himself to sleep in his armchair, come dawn after he'd shared all the fables and tales he could muster.

Taking after his found father, with a full belly and what remained of his mulled wine in hand, Arthur retired to the Blackthorn's couch.

It was a given that he'd been invited to share in their festivities, yet he could never escape being the odd one out. Now, the nest of some two dozen merry mice had left their abode to watch the Battle of the Holly and Oak Kings—as was tradition. It was being reenacted in a little coppice of trees on the way out of the hamlet toward his own village: Briarbury. Furfolk from four villages around gathered to watch as the moon hung high in the mid-winter sky. All bundled up and full of food and cheer, glad that the rebirth of the sun was upon them. But tonight, Arthur didn't plan to join in.

Downing the last mouthful of his mulled wine, he found it cool and less pleasant, but it couldn't put a dampener on an otherwise pleasant day.

At ten o'clock, he'd pulled in at Briarbury train station from Dornbury. He always closed The Sanctuary during Yuletide.

From there, it was a short walk home to change his clothes and shed his Florian facade. Then, another walk, only a few minutes more, into Hedgley Woodhouse to Downey Cottage.

Beneath his feet, a dusting of snow chilled his paws, but the scarf about his neck kept the wind from biting. He anticipated that the Blackthorn's home would be as scorching as July. The range would have been on all the day prior and perhaps even through the night. Ermine would have already stoked the fire in the living room, ready to receive the Yule log, not to mention the number of bodies bustling about the home.

And he was right—the place was heaving! All the Blackthorn children and their spouses had arrived. He could have sworn there were more pups every year.

Letting himself in through the front door, he ducked inside and was immediately hit by an overload of stimuli: the chatter and laughter, the smell of home cooking, and the heat! It was the same every year, and every year, it filled his heart with gladness to be a part of it all. This was true family life. This was his secret dream, and each Yule, he got to immerse himself in the illusion that it was his own.

"Aup, Art! S'good to see you. Keeping well?" A familiar face greeted, thrusting a warm furless paw into his and giving it as hearty a shake as a five-foot mouse could muster. It was one of the Blackthorn brothers.

Weaving his way down the hall, he was met with a warm welcome from every mouse he came across and stripped of his coat and scarf by the mice that felt like kin.

"Make yourself at home."

"Mam! Artie is here!" Someone called toward the kitchen.

"How goes business then?" A mouse asked, pulling his pipe from his lips and allowing a plume of smoke to be free of his snout.

"Dad has outdone himself with the mead this year, mate. Here, get some down ya." A pint of brown was put into his hand.

"I heard there was some nasty business in Dornbury–"

"–Oh, damned rats causing trouble again, is it?"

"Wouldn't surprise me."

"Did you hear about it, Artie?"

"Go on, get on wi'ya! Leave the poor lad be!" Ada's usually gentle voice barked through the cacophony when she appeared in the hallway. Although she stood barely four feet tall, the portly and bonny-looking mouse was the Queen of her castle. She had raised a nest of mouse pups—five boys as wild and roving as brambles. She wasn't to be messed with—a maternal veteran with a heart of gold and nerves of steel.

Once she'd wiped her dainty paws on her floral pinny, she reached up for Arthur's arm and pulled him to her. She didn't have to ask; he knew the drill and leaned down so she could brush her fingers through the trim of his cheek fur and give him a kiss.

"Lovely to have you home, sweetheart." Her smile plumped her rosy cheeks as she spoke.

"Sorry, chaps, I'll catch you later." Arthur looked back apologetically, though internally glad of the rescue. He was led through a passage under the stairs, past the cellar door, and down a step into the kitchen.

"Offf, what a rabble." Ada tittered, rolling her blackberry eyes. "I've got a bramley pie in here with your name on it, love. I've been batting them off like flies all morning."

Arthur laughed. Mrs Blackthorn always let him have the first slice, seeing as it was his favourite flavour pie. That warm feeling he adored, dare he call it motherly love, filled his chest.

"Ad–"

"Ah ah! Less of that young man." She wouldn't abide him calling her by her given name.

"Mam–" he corrected, his ears folded bashfully. "–but it's not even lunchtime yet."

"Suit yourself. But I can't keep them off it much longer. It'll be gone by lunch and cold, too, if you don't tuck in now."

The heat gathered the closer they got to the range. Now, standing on the kitchen's terracotta tiles, the chill in his paws had thawed completely. He scrunched his toes into his pads, enjoying how the numbness melted into toasty warmth.

Most of the family's women were gathered around the kitchen table. Their chatter was lilting and choral.

Upon the lap of one such sister sat a pretty little pup. Her single curl tied in a crimson bow between the dishlike ears she had years to grow into, and the pretty broadie anglaise frills of her frock matched in colour. She was indeed a beauty. Her beady eyes peered at him through the crowd of her kin like ripe damsons. Perhaps he was the first ferret she had ever seen, but the sweet little thing wasn't frightened of how he towered over her aunts; instead, she beamed, grinning with only her two front teeth to show for it.

Her fixation on him turned a few heads, and then a new wave of welcomes began.

"Aw Arthur, it's good to see you love."

He was beckoned to sit at the table and nudged along by Mrs Blackthorn, who presented him with a fat slice of bramley pie accompanied by a mountain of whipped cream.

"Ya' keeping well?" Someone asked, rubbing his back to warm him to the seat he'd found.

"That big city is being kind, I hope." His mead was pushed aside the moment he set it down. A cup and saucer took its place, and from over the table, one of the sisters poured him a cup of tea from the pot that had been steeping. Another sister added a spoonful of sugar, and then another furnished his saucer with an oat and raisin biscuit that neared the size of the saucer itself.

"Oh, yes, especially with all that ratty business that's been in the paper."

"We don't have to talk about that, do we?" The mother of the pup scowled as she handed her baby over.

Without question, Arthur took hold of the infant and smiled down at her as she began to coo.

"Isn't she a beauty?" A familiar voice chirped from behind. Searching for a face, he found her to his right—Lillie Blackthorn, the youngest of the Blackthorn siblings, though she was by no means the baby of the family anymore. She was a woman now—he wished he hadn't noticed.

Usually, Lillie would have stood a foot below his shoulder, but as he was sitting, they were about the same height. Her treacle-coloured eyes glistened as they caught the cool winter sunlight pouring in through the window, and they warmed it. Her smile was warmer still.

"Uh, yes, a beauty. I think I'm in love."

"With a mouse?" A few of the women giggled in unison.

"What're you like, Arthur? You're so funny." They shook their heads at the comedy.

"He'd be potty to not fall for our little Lottie." The mother cooed as she tapped the twitchy pink nose of her pup. "Isn't that right, sweetheart?"

"She is absolutely adorable." Lillie joined in the giggling but couldn't deflect Arthur from noticing how her ears twitched backwards before she centred herself. For a while, he'd been wondering what all the little mannerisms, one-second displays of disappointment, crest falleness, sorrow, and yearning summed up to mean. He hoped he was reading her wrong. His assumption, if proven, would be devastating.

Pulling up a stool, Lillie wedged herself between one of her sisters and Arthur and stole the biscuit from his saucer without a care. It looked like she was fine, after all. There's no need for him to worry... Or so he thought...

"You know, not everyone Mates their own kind these days," Lillie announced.

"Being at that University is going to your head, girl." Her sister yoinked at her ear. Their disapproval was real but gently spoken, with concern, love, and a little bit of comedy to help it go down.

"You'll think differently when you meet the right mouse." Another said.

Arthur kept quiet, now four spoonfuls into the bramley pie. He licked the tart-tasting, jammy juices from his lips and sipped his tea. It washed it all down quite pleasantly.

"And before you know it, you're married and have a pup on the way."

"What if I have kits instead?" Lillie asked nonchalantly, rhetorically, as she tickled her niece's chin.

Amidst the chorus of cackles—as if she had cracked the century's funniest joke—Arthur felt a tail slip over the top of his thigh beneath the table. It came from his right-hand side, which meant it was Lillie's. As if her comment hadn't been enough, a tightness took over his hips, and his tail bolted straight as the bushy tip of hers flicked further into his inner thigh. It was all too much! It caused the last mouthful of his tea to burble back up his throat and ensnared him—sending him into a fit of coughing and spluttering into a closed fist, unable to keep any composure. Wide and bewildered, his eyes found Lillie, who grinned deviously. Those treacle eyes had darkened salaciously as she peered up at him through her lashes. It was only for a second, but he couldn't mistake the desire in them. What did that mean?

Then, her nose twitched, and like a switch had been flipped, a musical thrill of innocent girlish giggles came from her.

"It's just a thought. Things are different in the city. You see all sorts there."

"Well, never you mind what happens in the city. The city isn't for girls like you, my Lil' Liza." Ada's hand found her daughter's shoulder as she placed a slice of pie before her and kissed the back of her ear lovingly. "You get your education and come right on home to where you belong. Tommy isn't going to wait forever."

Thomas Barlstep—Lillie's ex-boyfriend. A barley field mouse and son of Ermine's Skittles club and school pal, Frances Barlstep. Tommy was held in high regard by the Blackthorn's. He was an ol' country boy, a hard-working barley farmer like his father. He lived up to his family name and was a sunny sort of fellow, if not a bit simple. But he was kind and seemed a fit husband for their precious youngest daughter, who they thought needed her wild taming—a bumpkin would do just right.

The conversation erupted into how sweet Tommy was, how good a match he was, and how impressive his show of strength at that year's summer fate was. While her mother and sisters were distracted, Arthur noticed how Lillie sighed. How she toyed with her food rather than attempt to eat even a spoonful and the biscuit she'd pinched lay on the table missing only two bites.

"I've brought you a present." Arthur leant down to whisper near her ear as he laid his paw over the brush of her tail, which was still on his thigh.

Her closest ear flicked back to home in on his voice, and a moment later, her eyes found his. "Me too. It's in Dad's study." Lillie grinned, the inners of her ears flushing pinker. Meanwhile, her tail coiled over his fingers in an embrace. "Let's sneak out."

Arthur clutched onto her tail a bit tighter to dissuade her from leaving her seat just yet. "I've not finished my pie, and neither have you."

Although he could tell she really wanted to roll her eyes, instead, she resigned and enthusiastically dug a fork into the crust and finished Arthur's tea while she was at it. Lapping the fruity filling from her lips and dusting the crumbs from her snout, she blinked up at Arthur to see if he was finally satisfied enough to leave.

"Come on, before Vince gets here and whisks you away." Lillie's whispy tail eagerly coiled Arthur's wrist as she rose from the table to lead him away.

There was no way his leaving could be discreet. As he stood, he towered above the table and its occupants, the tips of his ears only an inch shy of the overhead beams.

"Where are you two off to?" Ada asked, though not accusatory or suspicious, just curious.

"We've got some books to share," Arthur explained with a simple smile.

"It's for school, Mammy."

"Alright, sweetheart. If you see your father, tell him there's a slice of pie for him in here."

[ks-lair]

Maggie and Co cheering on

Cheerleaders are cool, so I did this for @nettleseeds-art's #SummerCheerJam! Sometimes all someone needs to understand what they've got to do is the right beat!~ Lucky for Maggie and Co here seems like it was Provided by *hopefully* not a villain. It's a good workout at least~

Maggie belongs to me, Ada to my dearly beloved, Suzume to @rokkit-story-time , Tanja to a friend that did not want to be tagged and Val to @sellitall

[monarchisms]

oh yeah, now that it's closed, here's the post i wanted to make about that rt rebrand poll i made last week. this will be pretty long and kinda rambly, so feel free to just blacklist the "long post" tag :)

so like, i made the poll because of 2 main reasons: 1. because of a mix of comments i saw on other sites from people who also didn't know what color it was supposed to be, and 2. because of myself confidently believing it was some shade of orange until i switched from looking at it from my laptop screen to my phone screen.

it being a godawful shade of red/red-orange was mentioned in the article itself, which is why my question was phrased "what color do you guys think it is?" since either red or orange is both technically correct. going more into the specifics of the poll numbers:

tumblr doesn't show the specific number of people who voted for any given poll option by default, just the percentage, so i went digging and followed this tutorial to get the raw data using firefox's inspect tool. the final results are, with 934 votes total, red at 551 votes (59%), orange at 303 votes (~32.4%), and other/a secret third thing at 80 votes (~8.6%).

red winning wasn't a surprise, really, but i was pleasantly surprised at how many people didn't have a definite answer or switched between answers like i did. i can't exactly pin down why that is, but if i had to wager some guesses...

the color scheme has a high chance of being a callback to rooster teeth's Popular Web Series Red Versus Blue™:

and with a want/need for rt to rebrand, the idea of keeping the color scheme while also making it modern and pop out is really cool, but its execution is uh...

i couldn't fit everyone's tags, but you get the gist. it fucking sucks, man.

as @god-of-arts-and-crafts has pointed out:

orange and blue are complementary colors, with them being opposite each other on a color wheel except the people who made the rebrand chose a deeper shade of blue??? they couldn't even get that right, oh my fucking god, so while its technical color is red-orange, it can be overwhelmingly orange when paired with a similarly bright shade of blue, which is what's causing many people eyestrain. hell, the first time i looked at the picture when the news dropped, it literally gave me a headache lol

finally, as i've said in the tags of a different post about this eyesore, this is an accessibility nightmare. with the worst color combination possible, the colors used for the new font and logo are definitely not ada-compliant. there are free sites out there to test images for general accessibility issues. contrastchecker is what i use sometimes, and below is what i got using red-orange as the background and blue as the foreground, and vice versa:

(both versions had the same ratio and color difference lmao)

the americans with disabilities act recommends that the contrast ratio be 7 at the lowest, but should ideally be higher than that, if possible. this is objectively and subjectively a very bad corporate rebrand, and i really, really want rt to break their "no jokes on april 1st because that's our anniversary" rule this year. if for nothing else, then just so that people who haven't read the variety article and/or the reactions on social media aren't jumpscared once the new intros/endcards/whatever else start rolling in.

[tetsuskei]

ur tags made me rmb this one art i saw a while ago (๑/////๑ " )

like the whole thing is amazing but when i started noticing the finer details... when i zoomed in on his ARMS (w the rolled sleeves don't even get me started) istg i nearly fell out of my chair... adding hair to the list of frequencies we share shdhdjdjk

ADA this art literally lives in the kuroo louvre ,,,, and the animated stuff they do is so cool…but yeah i will literally eat this man’s arm hair as a nutritional snack

[fyeahcompetentwomen]

Hype/reasons needed!

The following characters have been submitted with extremely short blurbs as to why they're super competent/what at. No worries if you don't feel confident at that kind of thing - it happens, and shouldn't stop anyone from submitting their fave! However, since I don't know half these characters anywhere near enough to write blurbs for them, I'm gonna crowdsource this!

The character list (alphabetical) is under the readmore; these are all characters that don't have at least one full sentence, or a list with three bullet points. Please submit blurbs for them by putting what you want to hype them with in either the notes to this post (reblogs please rather than tags; replies are also fine - both of those are copy-paste-able), or as a Tumblr submission to this blog!

AND FOR THE LOVE OF XENA INCLUDE THE CHARACTER'S NAME! (thank you 😅)

(if you want to submit blurbs for characters that were already submitted but aren't listed here, feel free, but please also include their name ✌️)

[Character]: [currently available description]

13th Doctor: Time Lady supreme Donna Noble: She's the DoctorDonna

Abigail M. Carmichael: ADA

Anna Mill: Con-artist

Cosima Niehaus: If you watched the show you wouldn't need to ask! -> sorry, friend, haven't watched, HAVE to ask. Please elaborate for anyone who hasn't seen Orphan Black, to give Cosima a fighting chance!

Cynthia (Pokémon): She's fucking cool. Iris (Pokémon): Pokémon battling Nemona (Pokémon): Pokémon battling

Jane Rizzoli: Best fucking cop ever.

Janet Frasier: medical doctor

Jenny Calendar: Technology and Witchcraft

Kim Wexler: law and scams <3

Margaret Houlihan: Nursing in a warzone

Naomi Nagata: Engineer and mechanic

Nomi Marks: Hacking and standing up to her transphobic mother

Paris Gellar: Being very driven and smart.

Raelle Collar: Amazing healer (fixer), helped cure the witch plague

Shauna Sadecki: Soccer and butchering animals

Sidney Fox: Archeology - she's Indiana Jones :D

Villanelle: Best killer out there

Yu Shu Lien: Proficient in various martial art forms

[adaplayspiano]

I posted 2,166 times in 2022

That's 615 more posts than 2021!

119 posts created (5%)

2,047 posts reblogged (95%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@dailyhatsune

@quieter-bug

@winningxshowtime

@amii-stuff

@fuschiaflare

I tagged 354 of my posts in 2022

#ada talks - 57 posts

#my art - 48 posts

#digital art - 32 posts

#pom - 15 posts

#penguins of madagascar - 15 posts

#tpom - 15 posts

#penguins of madagascar rico - 14 posts

#penguins of madagascar fanart - 13 posts

#project sekai colorful stage - 13 posts

#the penguins of madagascar - 13 posts

Longest Tag: 102 characters

#no tumblr i do not want to follow 50 other blogs of that fandom this person in particular is just cool

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

The penguins are silly!!

28 notes - Posted November 1, 2022

#4

November 28, 2008. The date these guys would first air on Nick.

Happy anniversary to the show of all time.

35 notes - Posted November 28, 2022

#3

They like to call this their first family photo.

35 notes - Posted November 3, 2022

#2

Yall I am so happy at how well these turned out

45 notes - Posted December 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Happy Birthday Shaun! 15 years as of today!!

48 notes - Posted March 5, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[spectrumspace]

doggy

[notsogoodangel]

I posted 1,890 times in 2022

15 posts created (1%)

1,875 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@navy-leader

@bdoubleowo

@apollos-boyfriend

@wiiwarechronicles

@juh-britto

I tagged 1,890 of my posts in 2022

#smp dream - 608 posts

#ajajajajajjajajajjajajajajaj - 259 posts

#video - 183 posts

#mcyt - 182 posts

#i don't know shit about hermitcraft - 146 posts

#(ignore that tag that's my hermitcraft tag) - 137 posts

#3rd life - 128 posts

#comic - 94 posts

#tumblr - 87 posts

#karmaland - 81 posts

Longest Tag: 114 characters

#why is that monster brown? why is there so many fucking crumbs on the table?!! there's only one bag of chips there

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Bungou Stay Dogs from story to novel (Spoilers for the manga, Gaiden and Beast)

So, I like to collect the Bungou Stray Dog books. I have collected Volumes 1-17, 20, Beast Manga Volume 1 and the Gaiden manga volumen 1, as well as the Dark Era, Beast and 55 Minutes light novels.

On my journey I have noticed something: the separation of the title with the volume art. 

From the very first volume we see that title “Bungou Stray Dogs” is almost completely separated from the rest of the art, with just little thing connecting the two, like Kunikida in volume 1 and the blood splatter on volume 12. Always switching between black title background (in odd numbers) and white title backgrounds (in even numbers ).

But that change on volume 15: 

See the full post

49 notes - Posted June 8, 2022

#4

Nobody cares about Bungou Stray Dogs: 55 Minutes and I will make it everyone’s problem. (Spoilers for the manga, Dead Apple, Dark Era, Fifteen and Strombringer).

I love this light novel. It’s like one of the only ones light novels I actually care about, and you should to if you care about world building on BSD.

But nobody has read it so I have decided to write some fun facts and food for thoughts that the synopsis and summaries can’t make it justice. Also yes, all those works are mentioned or connected to 55 Minutes.

Firstly, I want to point out how Atsushi’s transformation is described:

“He visualize a tiger… the complete opposite of his weak self… Like night cooling the ground, the frailty hidden deep down inside Atsushi grew until it was sinisterly ferocious. The tiger was not of this world. It only existed within him. It was his arrogance and cowardice, his pride and sense of shame. The more he tired to hide his weakness, the more exposed it became… His skin corrugated as his bones started to creak strangely.”

I just love how despite this taken place after the Guild attacked, he still consider himself weak, a coward, and needs someone to help him.

Europe, in average, has more skill users than Japan, and using the war they manufactured a lot of weapons. Nowadays, a lot of those weapons seem to be hidden or in the governments possession. 

Victor Hugo, Shakespeare and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe are all canon, they are all Transcendents (just like Rimbaud), they participated on the war, and he fought and caused more casualties at once in the entire history.

H.G. Wells is also a character in the story, she is an ability user that can send the memories of someone 55 minutes to the past and only once, and she also participated on the War and created a weapon of mass destruction. Which is what most people are fighting for in the story.

Apparently Dazai knows how to control his heart beat because of his suicide attempts… know he does it to be a spy.

Andre Gide is also mentioned in the novel and they are partially part of why one of the villains, the Colonel, it’s obsessed with getting a secret weapon. By the end of the light novel, they were trying to piece together Colonel’s story and that it matches, only to find nothing, because the Mimic attack is hidden to the public and cover the event completely, which Dazai of course says so the ADA stops looking for it, since the government just won’t let them. Only for Atsushi to ask “do you know anything about them?” WHICH HURT MY SOUL WHEN I FIRST READ IT.

Dazai famously gets stabbed on this novel, and it’s so noticeable and impressive because he didn’t predicated it at all. The ADA had to make their own plan to rescue his ass. (And this is important to show that they can solve a case without his help).

It’s implied that Dazai is not the only ability user that has a nullified ability.

If an ability user has a to-the-touch ability (Fyodor) or one that doesn’t turn off (Fukuzawa) and they are dead, their ability cannot be used, but abilities can used on them. So if Dazai dies, Yosano can use her ability because he is dead, and like IRL, there’s a time in which people can still be brought back even if they are dead.

The main reason why I wanted to read 55 Minutes was because of Jules Verne and his relationship with Gab (his ability who obtained consciousness).Verne’s ability is Mysterious Island, in which he gains the ability of any user that dies on Standard Island (where the events of the light novel take place). Gab is what happened when someone abuses their own abilities and said ability mutates and grow. 

Jules Verne was someone who suffered in the war, his parents died and they did everything to stop the War and suffering of others. He met Wells long after the war was over, and they actually met because they were stopping a terrorist attack on the island Verne swore to protect, not only because it was part of his ability, but because it gave him a purpose.

Jules Verne, after his parents died, joined an organization to stop the war when he was around 12-15 years old. They were named the Seven Traitors. They stopped the war by kidnapping a bunch of world leaders so they signed peace treaties to stop the war… and it worked. Once the war was over, they disappeared essentially and they put Verne in charge of guarding the island. He was fine with it, because those years he spent planning with the Traitor, they all became friends. And with no family, and with the knowledge that his friends were safe, it gave him a purpose.

He is pretty similar to Sigma in that way with DOA. They got attached to a group and were put on a place that gave them a purpose. 

The difference is that Verne had the ability to steal the abilities of anyone that died in his island, and that would be his downfall. During Wells and Verne’s plan, she died and he was able to use her ability so she wouldn't die next time, and the problem was to that, in his next try, not everyone was safe, people still got injured. So he continued to go back, and something unexpected happen. The found out that Wells’ and his own ability grew every time he used them. He was able to travel more than 55 minutes to the past. So he started to go back in time over and over again, in part to save Wells and the people he cared about, but it got to the point he tried to go back in time enough that he could stop the War itself. That would be good in theory but the island got free will, and as it grew stronger he overpowered Verne, and eventually took over his body.

I have wanted to read this because this could happen to Atsushi at any time, if their abilities get free will. Which sadly they are. Verne's ability was Standard Island, but he got a name Gab. Atsushi's ability name is Beast Underneath The Moonlight. And we see this struggle with Verlaine and Chuuya on Fifteen and specially Stormbringer. They struggle to keep their sense of humanity, and the separation of them as people and as abilities. 

Alongside this, I want you to remember the war was 13 years ago, Jules, Gab and Verne and the entire island have being on a time-loops for over a decade. 

Something important I want to point out: Atsushi didn't fight Gab, it was only Byakko (the white tiger). During the whole battle, Atsushi just let Byakko took over, and defeated him. And most importantly Gab is talking to it. He said:

“I’ve been conscious ever since my master, Verne, controlled this body- but I couldn’t say anything. My voice reached no one. I was neither alive nor dead. I was just alone in lukewarm darkness, wondering who I was.”

(Which sounds kinda familiar if you have read Stormbringer)

There’s also an interesting parallel to the themes of DEAD APPLE: the connections of souls, abilities and the reason to live. “Gifts are lodged deep inside the human soul. You shouldn’t remove them” Which is interesting and notorious since Shibusawa and Verne NEED to kill the users to obtain their abilities.

ALSO, IMPORTANT: Even if Gab is on control, Verne is still conscious inside of the body. He just can’t reach anyone at all. Except, curiously, Atsushi. I wonder why (I have theories, but nothing is confirmed)?

Also @yarrayora here’s your “Bungou Stray Gods can be canon” evidence:

“I think a lot of skill users believe their skill is part of them” Atsushi said as if answering his own question “But maybe they’re wrong. Maybe they come from somewhere else and stick to us. Maybe they’re something we can’t understand… I don’t really know how to put it into words, but that’s how I feel.”

Atsushi, at the end of the events, thinks back to Verne and Gab, wonders if Verne and the Seven Traitors acted like the ADA, and maybe that’s why Gab joined the same group of people while stuck on the time loops, so maybe he could experience what Verne felt with the Traitors; and if Gab ever had true friends that he could have ended differently.

136 notes - Posted June 9, 2022

#3

See the full post

140 notes - Posted April 13, 2022

#2

They are on their way to adopt the internet

286 notes - Posted November 2, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Welcome to Tumblr @captainpuffdaddy! As is tradition, you shall be drawn in a maid dress. I have seen some people saying you should be drawn in a butler outfit, so I did both. 

323 notes - Posted January 13, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[hellonoblesky]

Pinned Post Thing!!

WEBSITE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

IF YOU ARE MIGRATING HERE FROM TWITTER:

Hi, sorry about your site shutting down!! Don't be a dick here though.

HOUSE RULES.

Keep shit like "Cringe Culture" in any variant OUT of here. Let people live.

DO NOT. And I truly mean DO. NOT. Talk shit to me about queer identities you think are dumb or stupid or not real I will defend them to my dying BREATH.

My askbox is open to: - Discussion of my special intrests - Questions about my opinions on things - Questions about my art - General topics of conversation

Drawing Requests Are OPEN in the askbox!! - INCLUDE A REFERENCE PHOTO IF: Your character is an OC, your character is one that I have not drawn before, or if your character is something from a media that I have not posted about - There is no guarantee I'll actually draw it

Don't be weird in my askbox or in my DMs

If you have an issue (like a trigger warning you'd like added), take it up with me privately please!

DNI if: pro-Cloneship, proship, racist, transphobic, TERF, queerphobic (in ANY FORM.). ALM, anti-vax, map, zoo, or anything relating.

About Me.

Turtledove/Turtle, any bug or bird or animal name, or any name derived from my URL is cool

Any pronouns (including neos!)

I am a MINOR.

Star Wars is my special interest.

General interests include: Hannibal, Bungou Stray Dogs, Supernatural, Zita the Spacegirl, Manga, Music, Forensic and Mortuary Sciences, Writing, Art (focus on composition, color, and lighting), Character and Setting Analysis, bones, fashion, DIY ethic, softmodding computers, etc

--tags for topics of my own works --

AUs:

Execution AU -> AU where the entire ADA gets executed minus Fukuzawa (he ends up in the mafia. No one is having a fun time.)

Trainwreck Trio -> AU where Albatross survives Storm Bringer and is best friends with Chuuya and Dazai

The Falcon And The Peacock -> AU where Kaeya and Vennessa Falcon of The West are friends due to a mechanic in her sword, they bond over their similar situations in life

Hatsune Twi'lek -> Hatsune Miku but she's in Star Wars and is an icon for Twi'lek girls trapped in the entertainment industry, her status as a programmed singer making her a very versatile medium for them to have their troubles heard

Bungou Stray Butterflies -> Yosano is given Vita Sexalis as a cruel dying wish of Mori's. AU focuses a lot on Elise trying to navigate the world

Other:

Oh How Inconvenient: 100k Kaeya character study and whump fanfic I wrote and am obsessed with

--General Tag System*--

turtle updates (blog updates)

turtledove draws (art tag)

turtledove yells into the abyss (general post tag)

turtledove answers (ask tag)

turtledove is not vibing (vent tag)

live turtle thoughts (liveblog tag)

turtledove talks abt music (music tag!)

turtle’s gendering again (gender topic tag)

(*I have tags that I do not list here, because they are not intended for the general use of the Internet populous, they are for my friends and/or my own personal archival)

Fandoms that I don't put in their main fandom tags are (inconsistently) tagged in the following format:

[Fandom abbreviation] shit (ex: spn shit, sw shit)

[deepdonutkid]

Buy me a drink and let me tell you why I need it

Authors note

Thank you very much for the request    @caelys​ I had fun writing it and actually I thought about modern!au John way too much. Like I made a model for his apartment and a playlist and I could possibly draw ten more fan arts of him.

It takes place in a modern setting, but it starts before John goes to the military. He and Tommy still work in the Garrison, besides some other shadier jobs. Arthur is a car mechanic or something like that. Ada still goes to school and Finn too. Polly and Michael are not mentioned here.

Female reader x bartender!John BIG PUNK VIBES HERE!

Actually, this was going to be a multi-chapter fic with intense slow-burn, but whatever there it is. Just say one thing and I’ll write a second part!

tagging  @bonniesgoldengirl​

 Warning: drinking, drug use, marijuana, swearing, infidelity mentioned, a little bittersweet

Word count: 2348

 The garrison was not a pub for everyone. It was full of gangsters and other low-life scum. A woman was a curiosity. Working there wasn’t pleasant, but John didn’t complain.

It was the only legal job he got after graduating. He worked at the Garrison twice a week, usually on Friday and Saturday.

The nice thing about this work was the free beer and he could make as many cigarette breaks as he liked.

Nevertheless, John was a little pissed that night, because he could see his friends drinking over there and he had to stand behind the counter. Tommy’s orders!

“Fuck off, Tommy”, he mumbled while cleaning bar. Of course, his brother didn’t hear that, he was busy making some phone calls. John didn’t want to know, who Tommy was calling or why. Probably their next job.

But while he was still on the first one, he didn’t want to think about more work. He already had enough. It was past ten and John hadn’t eaten for hours.

At first, he was to occupied from his work to notice you. You sat down at the bar and cleared your throat. It wasn’t on purpose or to get the bartenders attention. Actually, you just wanted your peace. You hated being trapped in your new apartment, while everything was still so empty. Since you moved, so much changed in your life, but you still felt lonely.

That’s why, you walked straight into the nearest pub, when you couldn’t bear the weight of your own thoughts. But now you realized you hadn’t a penny left. Or at least not enough for a beer. “Get me a glass of water please.”, you said to the bartender, who kept starring at you. First you thought he was a little weird and also a little intimidating, but then you understood what he expected from you. An order, of course.

“A glass of water?”, he asked with a grin on his face: “Really? You know, where you are, girl?”

Now you looked confused. Maybe there was an unspoken rule, to not order a soft drink in this place, but how you should know? After all, you’ve been pretty new to Small Heath. Three days ago you moved into your new place. It was small, but it was yours. Your private space and your sanctuary. “A pub… maybe?”, you joked: “So what about the water?”

“Ah, I get it… It’s the end of month.”, he responded.

You laughed and shook your head. “I’m always broke. Money is not my thing.”

“Not mine either.”

Now he got your attention. You took a closer look at the bartender. He was somehow handsome. A pretty face for a fucked-up place like this. Then you noticed the tattoos on his arms, that peaked out of the sleeves of his shirt. “Dead Kennedys. Nice”, you mumbled and smiled slightly, barely visible.

He put a filled glass in front of you and smirked. “No need to pay.”

Your eyes widened. That bartender really surprised you. He was nicer than he looked like. You took a sip from the glass and nodded. “Thanks… I guess.”

The water was okay, but everything you wished for was a beer or a whiskey. Something to stop your brain from thinking. However, you nipped the glass very patiently, because you didn’t want to leave this place too soon. You didn’t know the neighborhood and chances were high, you got lost on your way around town.

The bartender seemed to notice your tension. “Do you want to drink something else?”

“A beer would be nice.” You croaked

The handsome man behind the bar nodded and pulled out a pint. “A beer, it is.”

You didn’t know it yet, but you were the only thing tonight, that made his work bearable. Everything else was so boring and you were new in town. Every little thing about you was so exciting for him. Staring with the fact that you stumbled into the Garrison without knowing its reputation. Then your little comment about his shirt, yes, he heard that. And your overall appearance was just the cherry on top.

The leather jacket, the ripped jeans and your washed-out Kurt Cobain shirt said a lot about you and John was ready to listen. What else should he do in the next couple of hours until his shift ended?  

“I’m John.”, he said and served you a beer.

You noticed the twinkle with his eye and replied with a shy smile. “Just call me Y/n”

The two of you shook hands and exchanged a strange glance. Was he flirting with you? No, of course not, you brushed it off. It was part of his job, to be nice to his customers.

After a few sips of your beer, you calmed down a bit, but not enough. You fumbled in the inside pocket of your jacket for your package. You smoked Dunhill and probably started way to early in life. An end of your smoking addiction was not in sight. The package was already half empty, when you opened it.

“Fuck” you cursed and signed. How could you make it to your next pay check with just a few cigarettes left? Maybe skip dinner a few times.

“Cigarettes are empty too?” he asked “I would give you one of mine, but they are empty too.”

“No, I still have some left, but not enough until July. Maybe not even enough for the rest of this night.”, you explained.

You took two out of the package and put it back. “Want one? I don’t have money, but at least I still have something to smoke.”

“Whatcha smoking?” “Dunhill”, you answered.

A wide grin appeared on his face. “Me too.”

“I know, I shouldn’t… but I just can’t quit.” You shrugged and lit your cigarette.

John brushed it off. “Fuck em. I think, I’m never gonna quit too. This shit just stays with you forever.”

“True”, you signed and took a deep drag from your cigarette.

“So… why am I the only girl in this place? Is there something I should know?”

“Nah, not really. It’s just…”, he began to explain, but then paused to smoke. You liked how he leaned against the counter. Like there was no cooler person in this room. “I don’t know… most women don’t like it here. Too filthy or whatever.”

You nodded and looked around. Everything smelled like ashtray and whiskey. There was dirt lying around. Nobody seemed to bother, so you chose not to either.

“And you are new in Birmingham?”, he asked: “All the locals know to stay away from this place.”

Again, you nodded and hid your smile behind your hand. “I just grabbed my bass and some clothes and left.”

“Bass?” Now, John was hooked. Since he could walk and talk, he had a thing for music. Especially rock and punk and he blabber about his favorite bands all day. Of course, he never learned to play an instrument, because his family was too poor, but he stole every record he could lay hands on. “You play bass?”

“Yeah, I can also play guitar, but I sold mine to get here. I started playing in a band now and I really hope this is going to work out… somehow.”, you explained

“Maybe.”, he said: “I can ask Harry, if you can play here. Live music would be great.”

You beamed and jumped almost over the counter. “Really?”

“But I need to listen to a song first. Otherwise, I can’t do it with good conscience.”

“Yeah, sure thing! When I get the promo tape, I’ll come back here.” Finally, some good news for you. After all you went though you really needed that and right now you just couldn’t stop smiling.

Three beers later, you were already in an in-depth discussion about music and which bands paved the way for punk.

After six more beers, you danced to the song he put on. John watched you with the purest joy. Nobody has ever danced in the Garrison. Good for him, that Tommy left, because “something important” occurred.

On beer twelve you sang for all the man to watch. The Shelby just could take his eyes off you, even when you didn’t hit the right tone.

He even caught you, when you fell over the counter.

But in the end the bar had to close and you still had nowhere to go, so you waited for him to finish his work. It took twice as long, because John kept staring at you in awe.

After everything was done, he asked, if he should walk you home and you agreed. Actually, you didn’t say yes, you hugged him and rubbed your cheek against his. Then you made a purring sound and told him your address.

You even hold hands with him, but that was mainly, because you were to drunk to walk straight. But you had plenty of time to sober up along the way.

Finally arriving at the front door, you had to stop laughing and catch a breath to manage to say something. “Do you…”, you began and paused, because you didn’t know how to phrase it.

Without hesitation he answered: “Yes! Yes… I mean, it would be cool.”

And again, you started laughing. “I was about to ask, if you want to watch the stars on my rooftop, but I didn’t know you were going to be so excited about this.”

He scratched his neck and chuckled. “Yeah, we were talking about the same thing.”

“Oh honey, I’m taken”, you explained

That last three words crumbled his hopes, that have been build up since you walked into the Garrison.

But he was a gentleman and he shouldn’t expect anything from a woman. After all, you don’t owe him anything. Even though he thought you were flirting with him the entire night.

He just bit his lip and shrugged. “No problem here.”

Then he added: “But we might not see the stars though all the smog and light pollution.”

“Let’s give it a try.” you opened the door and smiled.

You took the steps up to your apartment, John followed you closely. When the two of you entered the small flat, everything was still dark. The alarm clock next to your mattress said four in the morning.

John was so curious, when he looked around. “You really didn’t lie, when you said, you just took you bass and nothing more.”

“Yup”, you mumbled and walked to a pile of clothes. “Do you want to smoke one with me?”

When you pulled out the joint, John grinned at you. His cheeks were still red. “Why not?”

Climbing out of your window and onto the roof sounded way easier than it turned out to be.

But the view was great, and that was enough.

You lit the joint and inhaled the white smoke, just to blow it out again.

“No stars in sight, babe”, he noted while looking up

He was right, but you were still glad, that he came up here with you. You feared the moment of being alone again. “Yes, but the view… is amazing.”

You didn’t notice, he was glaring at you when he said: “Yeah, it really is.”

Then you turned to him to pass him the joint.

John took one drag and coughed. “That shit’s strong.”

At first you tried not to laugh, but ended up giggling anyway.

“What?”, he asked with blunt curiosity.

When you calmed down, you had to tell him the joke that just crossed your mind: “I like my weed like my sex… keeps me paralyzed for a while.”

That was the last thing he thought he would hear from you. He would believe his ears, if he hadn’t starred at your lips the entire time. “Uhm, okay.”, he whispered and hit the joint one more time.

The longer you sat there with him, the more comfortable you two got. After talking the whole night about music and artists and stuff, you finally opened up.

You told him why you left your home town and moved to Birmingham.

And he told you in return something you would have expected either. “Just a few more months and I’ll be in the military.”

John didn’t look like a soldier or somebody who took pride in defending his country. You couldn’t understand, how a wonderful guy like him ended up serving the forces. It just didn’t seem to fit in. But then again, you knew him for a few hours now, so who are you to judge?

“I’m scared”, he whispered: “that nobody but my family will write me… and I’m going to be all alone in the middle of nowhere.”

That feeling was all too familiar for you. Your heart ached, when you glared at him. “I write you.”, you promised. “And phone you and what else.”

“You would?” His voice was full of doubt. “We don’t know each other really.”

It was true, but you always kept your promises. You moved closer to him, to hold his hand and look him in the eyes. “I would. I know this feeling too well.”

For one second you thought he was going to kiss you, and you were ready. The drumroll played, like it always did, when the first touch of two pairs of lips, unknown to each other, was close. But the drumroll was all you were going to get tonight. You kept staring at his beautiful mouth and how would it feel, when his lips meet yours. Infidelity has never been your thing and you would stay true to yourself, even when the chance was so tempting.

“Can you hold me?”, you asked, while avoiding his eyes. You felt pathetic for being so needy in front of a stranger, so you added: “Just for a while.”

John didn’t answer. He didn’t have to. Instead, he just pulled you in arms and stroke your back.

The two of you felt all alone in this broken world, but right there you met and became friends. What a weird thing to happen.

[peakyblinderswhore]

CYM as peaky blinders characters?

hi hello hi!

@comebackjessica polly - jess, i must say that polly’s god complex is very much similar to yours and you even mentioned something the other day that really made me think that and i couldn’t help myself... plus whenever anyone says something where they sound like they need help or a word of advice you’re always the first one to reply, helping us all out as best you can.

@oddshelbyout ada - honestly, i really think you’re very cool! i feel like you do what you want the most? idk, your hair, your tiktoks and your overall attitude towards things are very interesting. ily mars. ada does what she wants and doesn’t let anyone tell her otherwise, i feel like this suits you.

@deepdonutkid lizzie - byrn i feel like you are a no-nonsense person like lizzie but also falls head-over-heels in love when she doesn’t catch herself in time. although i’m drawing off of conversations that definitely haven’t hit that aspect of our lives yet (give it a while longer when we’re FAR too comfortable with each other) and, bryn, you have beautiful artwork, i wish everyone could see it, much like i wish everyone could see lizzie’s loving interior.

@mandoisgay alfie - ajkdhjasknkln don’t tell jess i’m hoping she doesn’t read past her one oop -- anyway. i really do, i mean while we were bonding over zodiac’s and all of that stuff you were like wtf is that adrien you fit alfie the most for me. alfie 200% doesn’t give a shit about zodiac’s and has strong opinions about everything. also amazing at art (digitally, which is something i haven’t got the hang of yet yeesh) which i think is so cool. i’m easily impressed these days but your stuff is more than that ^.^

@fives-cup-of-coffee finn - amelia you’re so soft i cannot explain how well you fit this role. finn just exudes softness, no matter how hard he tries to act older and ily sm it’s crazy. i love seeing that you’ve tagged me in things or that you’ve interacted with me via either of my blogs, much like finn, you make me feel warm and bubbly inside, like nothing can get in my way <3333333

@justalonelyslytherin arthur - ally, i feel like i never talk to you x_x ... i’ve been so inactive recently that i miss when you’re talking on the server. arthur is such loveable character and i want to love him as much as i want to love you. wow this sounds like a love letter gone wrong. anyway, your art is spectacular and i wish i could see more of it!!!

@bonniesgoldengirl bonnie - G, ironically enough, i really think you live up to your tag. you’re so sweet and only ever have positive things to say. i don’t think i could fault you if i tried. there’s just something special about you because of that. i can only hope you get better than bonnie </3

@iwillmakeyoucraveme uncle charile - rana, i know this seems a little odd (ik, ik) but as we haven’t had a massive amount of time to interact i feel this is the most appropriate until further in the future! charlie has a lot of opinions that (whist tommy mostly ignores them) i feel like he plays a massive role, one which you fit <3

no one gets tommy bc he’s a dick and no one is a dick <3

[curiousconch]

Free Fall

Chapter 4 of Ricochet (An Open Heart AU)

Catch up here: Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

Chapter Synopsis: Bryce takes Heather out to distract her, while a real threat looms closer than ever.

Pairing: Rafael Aveiro x MC (Dr. Heather Song) | Bryce Lahela x MC (Dr. Heather Song) 

Words: 1.9k | Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Romance

Rating/Warnings: Mature (16+) / hints of violence, stalking

Author’s Notes: I always wanted to try trampoline basketball (not sure if that's the right term?), it looked cool on videos. BUT lockdown happened, so here I am manifesting what could've been a great date night alternative. I have also long imagined to bounce around in slow motion while the chorus of Fallin' All In You by Shawn Mendes was playing on the background. Hope I made the wait for this chapter worth it. Also, disclaimer: majority of the characters are owned by Pixelberry, except the main character Heather Song.

Please let me know if you want me to tag you for the rest of this series. Thank you for reading!

Jordan whistled as he walked through the off-white hallways, pushing a cart full of cleaning supplies forward. Although he knew that this was just a temp job, a means to an ends, it didn't mean he can't enjoy its perks.

His gray overall was already damp, as he just finished mopping the hallways of the building's seventh floor. He was heading to his last assignment for the day, which was also his favorite. His black sneakers squeaked against the tiled floor, but he didn't seem to mind. He was feeling accomplished today, seeing his art splayed across the local news. He gave himself a mental pat on the back, knowing he's running closer toward the finish line of his master plan.  

He adjusted his baseball cap before tapping his key card on the scanner by the glass door, then stepped inside the empty office. 

He cleared the tables of assorted food wrappers in record time. But there was a table where he liked to linger a little bit longer. 

His fingers grazed on the surface of the desk - she always kept hers tidy. He read through the pages of the medical books browsing where bookmarks were sandwiched in, trying to get an idea of where she left off. He then reached out to the purple bottle of hand cream on the left side of the computer screen, and pumped it to get a few drops on his palms. He loved the jasmine scent of it, reminding him of the same fragrance of the clothes in her closet. 

He tapped on the keyboard and the screen display came to life, revealing a picture of her and her mother when she was a teenager. He logged himself in, checking her emails. He found what he was looking for, and took a picture of the itinerary using his phone. He closed the applications and locked the computer, the screen display reverting back to the wallpaper earlier. He smiled sadly as he looked on, thinking what a waste it will be when her day of reckoning comes. It's a pity that she threw herself in the middle of a crossfire, so he had no choice. He felt bad for her, recalling the months of stalking he did to know her life. He always thought she was no different from him, alone in a city, no parents to turn to, no one but themselves to rely on. 

After switching off the computer monitor, he retrieved his cleaning supplies and sprayed a disinfectant on the surface of her desk. He was about to wipe it when he heard the distinct beep of the electronic lock, followed by the subsequent opening of the glass door behind him. 

"Oh, hey Pete," Heather waved at him as she approached. "Sorry for uhm, interrupting. I'm just here to get some of my books."

He tried to hide his initial shock, grinning goofily at her then stepped back from her desk. "No problem, doc. I'll get out of your hair so you could do whatcha have to do."

She smiled back at him. "No, no need. I'll just grab these," she took the bundle of books sitting on top of her desk, "and then these..." she trailed off as she unlocked the drawers and retrieved a small bottle of the hand cream and a few markers. She put the small items in her purse and stepped back.

"Thanks, Pete. I'll see you around," she bid him goodbye, hastily getting out of the diagnostics office.

Jordan followed her figure until she was out of his sight. He then approached the glass windows and slid his fingers in between the blinds, waiting until he saw her crossing the parking lot and got into a familiar silver Camry.

Aha, so you're with the ADA. No wonder he didn't see her with the special agent. She stayed with someone else. 

It was smart for her to stay somewhere he wouldn't expect. But it didn't matter now. Phase 2 didn't concern where she lived at the moment. His lips twisted into a sinister smile, knowing she never had a clue of what was to come.

Oh doc, I'll see you soon.

***

Bryce honked his horn the moment he saw what was cradled in her arms. "Nerd alert!" he shouted.

"Ugh, shut up!" she groaned, her eyes rolling as she dropped the books into the backseat of his car.  

"Seriously, Heath, you are such a dork. It's Sunday!" he said as he began driving out of Edenbrook's parking lot.

She snapped on her seat belt and leaned back, crossing her arms. "You are a hypocrite, Lahela! Deep down you know we are on the same league," she said as she glared at him. 

"Nope, not at the moment, I'm no hypocrite. Do you even see me checking my phone for emails?" 

"Psh, you're driving, you just can't," she ruffled her bangs, annoyed. "So, what's the plan here?" 

"Lighten up, Doctor Song, have some little spontaneity!" he shuffled his shoulders as he said the last word. "I promised to distract you today, did you not trust this handsome face when you said so this morning?" Bryce pouted in an effort to mock her. 

She huffed in reply, settling into silence. She did trust him. She trusted him last night when she poured out her heartbreak to him. She also chose to trust him this morning, taking up his offer to go out today. He gave a convincing pitch about what he had planned for the day. But really, Heather would take any opportunity to get her mind off from the incidents of the past two days.

Besides, it was easy to say yes to Bryce. She was comfortable around him. He reminded her of her carefree days before her life all went downhill. He balanced her out, his dazzling personality never failed to brighten up even the starkest days for Heather. And this was her darkest season in recent memory. It was just apt to let someone like Bryce shine upon it. 

So she agreed to leave at noon, but asked to swing by the hospital to get some of her books so she could catch up on some reading. She wanted to stay sharp since she'll be flying back to Maryland to continue her cancer research.

Now they're driving along the freeway, she had no idea where their car is headed. After almost an hour, Bryce took an exit and then a few turns, before entering a parking lot full of cars. 

"We're here!" he said as he tapped the steering wheel and turned off the ignition. She got out of the car along with him, staring at the white signage in front of the building. 

"Sky zone?" Heather squinted at him, a queasy feeling rising in her stomach.

Seeing her hesitation, he practically dragged her to the front door and pushed her inside. A sight of kids and adults alike bouncing up and down on various complex trampoline structures welcomed her. 

She'd never seen Bryce this giddy, who went straight to the reception to register both of them. She was left alone and dumbfounded. She had no idea a place like this in Boston existed. But all the laughter surrounding her made her suddenly excited. 

He pulled her into an area full of lockers, and helped her shove her shoes and purse inside an empty one. He shoved his into another beside hers. 

"So? What do you think?" Bryce walked up to the nearest trampoline platform looking at her expectantly. 

"You sure you're an adult?" she said sarcastically, chuckling as she said it. 

"Aha! I knew it! I just know you'll like this!" he teased. "Dibs on the first bounce!" he leaped onto one then did a backflip, as Heather watched in amazement. He did another flip, even posing midair to make it look effortless. Seeing him enjoying himself, she couldn't resist any longer and dived right in. 

"This... Feels... Awesome!" she shouted to him in between bouncing, trying to propel herself higher with each jump. Bryce simply nodded back, giggling with her as they alternated between bouncing and running to the different trampoline stages in the park. 

Heather never felt as exhilarated as she was at that moment. With every jump, she felt a piece of her heartbreak shedding away. In her mind, she screamed at the looming threats that washed over her the past few weeks. It was getting more and more difficult to hold on to the grudges that wrapped her heart. So she let herself go. She leaped on every surface, on every stage, on every setup. She bounced until there was nothing left of the anxieties that seemed to anchor her with heaviness in the past 48 hours. 

When she started losing steam, she lifted herself with all her might and leaped into a pit of sponges, savoring the few moments of free fall. She then stood up on her feet and went down, found somewhere to sit and rest. Bryce followed her shortly after. 

While they were sipping ice cold water from one of the vending machines, he watched her. She was lost in her thoughts, a pensive look in her face. He perked up when she finally spoke. 

"The metaphor isn't lost in me. I get why you brought me here." she punched his arm playfully, before wiping the sweat on her forehead with a paper towel. 

"I never doubted you'd get it," he nodded, his face turning serious. "Look, let me tell you a secret," he leaned forward closing the gap between them. "This is where I kinda sulk after I lose a case, or when my head gets caught up in a rut," he paused for a few moments, pursing his lips. "Look, I know you've been through some hard times recently, but in my gut I know you're tougher than that. You're strong, you're a victor, you always, always overcome. Even when things get difficult, you just leverage the situation so you could bounce back. If there's anyone who can emerge from all of this triumphantly, it's you. Because you know why? You're one hell of a woman, Heather."

He stopped himself from saying anything more and finished his speech, as he gave her an endearing look.

She was taken aback by his words, unsure how to react. It took her a few moments before it sunk in - that he was exactly right. When times did get rough, she always managed to rise above it. She didn't buckle. But she had a tendency to forget, not because she's overwhelmed, but because she buzzed right through every painful experience. She used them as stepping stones, as fuel to her dreams and desires. She only needed a rousing reminder.

And that's what Bryce gave her today. With her spirit lifted by his overwhelming encouragement, she placed her hand over his and gave it a soft squeeze. Without thinking, she planted a quick peck on his cheek. 

"Thank you, Bryce. Thanks for bringing me here. I needed this." she whispered, staring back at him. 

It took all of Bryce's strength to stop himself from kissing her. Instead, he settled on ruffling her damp hair, smiling brightly back at her. 

"Like I said, I always got your back." He opened his arms and shrugged, a smug smile pasted on his face. "So if you're done moping around, you wanna play some more?"

Heather can't help but laugh. 

They hit the trampolines again, with Bryce flipping himself and shooting into some hoops. They even had a contest, where they tried besting each other over dodge ball. They didn't stop until they got both hungry. He eventually drove them to a nearby food truck, and together they ate hotdogs and greasy fries in his car. Heather's friends called her while they were parked, inviting them both for a quick hangout at Donahues. 

As they drove back into the town center in silence, she couldn't ignore the tugging in her heart that this wasn't just two friends hanging out. Yet she didn't feel guilty or confused at all. That Sunday afternoon, she felt entirely certain that she was with someone who she was supposed to be with. It didn't feel forced, exhausting or boring. It simply felt good. 

Tags: @choicesficwriterscreations for Fics of the Week

Ricochet AU tags: @eleanorbloom @ramsey-lahela