#howdy sounds weird when i voice him lol

[eggsbenedictinurmom]

Couldn't stop myself.

The post I was undoubtedly inspired by (and the one that's in the background of the video) is of course by @welcomehomeincorrectquotes, bc I just can't get enough of looking through their posts recently

[therottenkingsreckoning]

Gotta say, I'm surprised and incredibly happy with how much y'all seemed to enjoy the first chapter! Don't know what I was so nervous about lol.

Right, as promised, chapter 2, and more soon to follow!

It would take some time after breakfast was already made and eaten before Frank felt ready to leave on their ill-fated grocery trip, continuously finding excuses to delay in little busywork around the house. Some cleaning here, reorganizing shelves of books, and gee I'm sure I must've left the oven on!

It couldn't be put off forever though. Eventually, he knew, Eddie would come back from his business, and Frank had to know before then. There'd be no leaving the house under the watchful eye of their beloved husband, no avoiding his questions when he spoke in that sweet, caring tone of voice. Frank loved the man, in part because of how deeply cherished he made them feel in return. It'd be cruel to hide the truth from him (if truth's what it was) and let him continue to think his lover was merely sick. Getting dressed for the day (he'd not be seen outside in PJs!) they donned a mask as well- for posterity's sake, and in case he really was contagious after all. Better safe than sorry.

After all of that, and with the heavy weight of finality in their chest, Frank stepped out through back door of the house and made his way towards Howdy's shop.

They knew by now that Eddie would've come and gone from there, likely voicing his concerns over Frank's current health to the resident shopkeep. Oh well, if Howdy gave him lip for being outside while sick, they had no trouble telling him to stuff it.

He was busy stocking shelves when Frank came in, hardly pausing when he saw them but still offering a chuckle. "Mornin' Frank, you look like shit." It was a friendly tradition between the two by now, and normally Frank would've responded with a roast of his own. But they had little energy for such things at the moment, his mind too tangled up in fears and what-if worries to try for an insult. Luckily, the bug did seem to get the message, and Frank could quickly slip unseen past the corner and into the pharmacy aisle.

There they were, the dreaded purple boxes. The thing that would soon decide his fate. Frank thought briefly about why their town's store would stock this many- there were only a few womb-havers here, and even fewer who'd realistically ever put the thing to use. Still, suppose they were there just in case. Just gotta grab one, they thought. Grab and b-

Buy it. Frank would need to buy the thing from Howdy. The idea had seemed doable in the abstract, but now that they were here...he couldn't do it. Having to look him in the eye, face his questions, try to make jokes...Frank swallowed hard, fighting the rising lump of bile. But he couldn't just walk out without it!

Glancing around quickly, they pressed himself close to the shelf, silently praying forgiveness for what he was about to do. A box was torn open at its seal, the contents swiftly stuffed into the waistline of their pants, and the empty shell stuffed behind the others as discreetly as he could manage.

His heart was racing with nervous excitement. They'd never stolen anything before. Should he just walk out like this? No no, surely that's too suspicious. Grabbing a bottle of cold medicine as pretense for being in that aisle, Frank walked through the rest of the shop as casually as he could manage, even as their mind screamed at each passing second.

Bunch of bananas (on sale!)

A loaf of bread.

Some cheese.

Four things was enough, right? Just a normal quick trip to the store, nothing weird with that. Nothing strange, he'd done nothing wrong.

The caterpillar had long since finished up restocking when Frank approached his counter, the normal indescribable level of snark in his eyes as he watched them. "All set?" he said, taking a look in the basket. "Not much today, eh?"

Frank let out a noise meant to be non-commital and bored, but ended up sounding more like they were suffering from stomach pain. Still, it worked somehow, earning little more than a raised eyebrow from the taller. "Yeesh, you do look terrible," he said, all teasing aside for a second as he spoke in genuine concern. "Tell ya what, I won't ask for a joke this time- tell me a fact. Know you're good for that, won't be hard on your noggin."

Oh if only you knew, Frank thought miserably, how hard everything is for me right now.

He racked their brain for a moment, trying to think of a fact he'd not told Howdy before. They'd told him plenty, it was after all the scientist's favorite activity. But for as many as had been told, Frank knew at least a dozen more.

"D-did you know that butterflies can't fly...if their body temperature is below 80 degrees?"

They tried to let his mind fall into the familiar rhythm of infodumping.

"Or no, wait, i-it was 65 I think. The uhh...the mucles don't..."

It didn't work.

Howdy seemed to mull over what Frank was saying, a comedically exaggerated look of concentration across his features. Frank had always hated that, how he and Barbie never seemed to take anything seriously even though there was plenty of serious stuff in their lives. What they hated even more though, was what happened next.

"So what if it's warmer than that? Does that mean more flight?"

Frank's heart sank. Oh no. He's got follow-up questions. On any other day they would've relished the chance to share more information. Now though, it felt like agony, the clock still ticking and ticking fast. "I think..." he started, but their mind was drawing blanks, stuck like a broken record on the singular thought of Oh God get me the fuck out of here. "I..."

Just then, sounds of the shop's only doors jangling open rang out from behind them, along with the cheerful-if-monotone call of "hello my lovely neighbors!"

Wally. Wally, the beautiful, darling little demon. Frank could almost have hugged the man if they weren't still pretending(?) to be sick. If anything at all could convince Howdy to take focus off of the grey, it would be the appearance of his boyfriend.

And sure enough, he did, a hand gently shoving Frank back with their groceries as the bug locked lips and eyes with his little man. Frank made a noise of pretended offense at this, though truth be told they were overjoyed for an opportunity to seize. "I'll take my leave since you two are clearly busy," he said, earning quick looks of embarassment (mostly from Wally.) Heart still racing and with a carefully measured step to avoid jostling free their secret "purchase", Frank walked through the door and headed home, praying they'd get there before Eddie did.

[luckyshotwrites]

same anon as the fav character description anon

if each one of the main-cast characters of WIDFALI had to teach a class what would it be and what kind of teacher would they be?

I'm sorry, this is the meme that popped into my head when I read that you were the same anon! xD But Howdy! You're coming back at me again with another sick question!

If each one of the main-cast characters of WIDFALI had to teach a class what would it be and what kind of teacher would they be?

(This post is long so I did a keep reading for you guys)

(First I wanna say, this really makes me want to do a second person AU where they are teachers at a college and hijinks ensue, vore/not vore related. I might have votes for the parts, who knows. It'd be something funny to do and you know me and ridiculous stuff).

Lynette: I either see her doing elementary school math, she'd be a mother hen to them and I can see her really trying to pump these kids up to learn, using treats, funny voices, the likes. Math is her best subject, she's not that great at science, history, or the likes. OR I can see her, not as a teacher per say, but a high school/ maybe college counselor. She'd try to listen and be there for them, and help get them help if its needed. (She might have went into one these careers, if she had more confidence. Fun fact, Lynette didn't pass high school and got her GED rather "late" so she doesn't think she could ever do any of this. Another reason why this is her best option to settle the disappoint, she thinks her family has in her).

Alexander: He's hilarious to think about in this scenario. I don't think he has the patience to teach anything that's not physical. So, a gym coach, most definitely. Not that he's not good at other subjects, but I think he'd get fired real quick. xD I can imagine him either doing this in high school, or college. He might prefer college since they are the most determined for those scholarships, so he could push them to the limit.

Drake: He's a weird one to think about. He's pretty well rounded, but most definitely a language (any) teacher. His classes would probably be calm for the most part, informative, and he'd be the hardest teacher to get a reaction from even if the kids, in high school, wanted to get one from him. He's very studious when learning new languages. It hasn't come up yet, but he knows a lot from Yexodele even though he has never been there, and videogames/movies that he's enjoyed. He has an appreciation and like for the sounds and writing for them.

Lev: This man should not be teaching. xD But, social studies/history. WEIRD right? I know. He actually has a vast knowledge of history, and given his sleep schedule, he has much more time to study it. Though, he likes competition, I can see him wanting to compete heavily with people, SO in college, he'd do business courses or law, he'd love to be able to sway court rooms, or beat someone at their own haggling game. Again, Lev has a plethora of knowledge. He likes to keep himself busy whether it be watching, reading, or DOING something. He'd be wicked at teaching it but it'd be a challenge to pass his class.

Claudia: You guessed it, SCIENCE. The humans magic. Lol. She actually loves it and has been trying to understand it but her Fae brain's like, "we could use magic to do this better though." If she stayed and focused on it, she would definitely be that crazy science teacher. She'd want to come up with some of the most out there but safe experiments for those she teaches. At least to make their class life a little more exciting.

Zilla: Oh boy- I'd say Psychology. I can see her really getting into it to find out what makes others tick, and how she can get them to follow along. (Makes her sound really manipulative, eh?) She'd like using it as a way to understand people better. As a teacher, she'd be strict but very open to debate and discuss topics. I feel like handling or keeping a classroom together wouldn't be a challenge for her, she'd use tactics based on their types to keep them in line.

(I don't think Viola counts as a main cast, as she's...a little different).

THANK YOU FOR THE ASK, HOMIE! These are so fun to think about. AND HAVE A NONNEGOTIABLE SWEET DAY!

[katsukiboom]

Howdy! If it��s alright could I ask for bakugou or Shinsou taking reluctant selfies with their S/O? You’re my favorite writer on here! I’m so glad you are back!

thank you very much my dude! i’m really happy to hear that as well ;;;;;; you’re going to make me cry lol - i did some drabbles for this one though shinsou’s turned out a bit longer aksfdklashf i missed writing for my boy

hope you like these! <3

Ko-Fi || Commissions

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Bakugou Katsuki

“Oh come on Katsudon,” you said with a big smile on your face as you sat down on your boyfriend’s bed, trying your best not to laugh as he visibly cringed at the nickname you liked to use with him. “It’s not like I’m asking you to do a video dancing to some old song… though I could.”

“Piss off.”

With your phone in hand, you were scrolling through various different filters on your favourite camera app while you waited for Bakugou to finish his homework – having had asked him beforehand if he’d be okay with a funny picture, you could tell he had other types of ‘funny’ in mind (you could blame Kaminari and his phone gallery filled with pics of Bakugou exploding things for that one) and the filters didn’t even cross his mind. You were deciding whether to use a bunny filter or just a random one to see how he’d react when you felt the bed moving next to you.

With a slight frown but mostly a bored expression, Katsuki lay on the bed with his head on your lap, making you blush a little bit. “Why is it taking you so long to choose a single thing for a damn photo?” It was as if he wanted to sound rough but you couldn’t overlook the same pink colour tinting his cheeks, and it made you smile as you looked down at him. “Just choose one, you’ll look good anyway.”

Not even bothering to hide the smile his words had caused to appear on your lips, you finally got to one specific filter you had downloaded days ago but hadn’t really used yet; it was a simple cherry blossom filter exclusively made for the spring season and you took the chance to get it before it would disappear from the store. You tapped on it and suddenly the screen showed pink petals flowing everywhere as a flower frame finished the decorations. “Here,” you said before he got up, sitting next to you on the mattress. He eyed the screen, but made no comment about it. “Try to get as close to me as you can without squishing me,” you joked as you both posed in front of the camera.

You were waiting for him to drop the frown before taking the picture but he sighed and turned around to face you as he placed his hand on top of yours, his thumb playing above the camera button. “You’re taking too long,” he muttered, but when you turned around to reply he planted a soft kiss on your lips and you closed your eyes, hearing the ‘click’ of the photo being taken at that very moment. “There you go,” Bakugou whispered once he pulled away. You looked at the picture and your cheeks reddened once more.

“What was that for?”

Getting up and going back to his desk, he looked at you before putting his attention back on his work. “I just like to see you flustered.”

 Shinsou Hitoshi

The clock ticking on the wall annoyed you more than you could’ve guessed as you leaned against one of the walls of the spacious room. You had been waiting for twenty minutes already and even though your best friend had texted you saying he’d be a bit late to pick you up when you were done training, you couldn’t help but be bothered anyways.

Ten more minutes passed before you heard the door opening, the familiar purple-haired boy peeking in and seeing your frustrated expression as soon as his gaze fell on you. As always, you went up to him but instead of saying anything you walked past him and didn’t pay attention to him, though you weren’t really mad to the point of ignoring him for long. “You know you could’ve waited for me outside, right?” Hitoshi asked, his voice laced with worry. “You didn’t have to stay inside the locker room.”

“It was getting chilly out here on the halls,” you replied softly as you turned to face him, a smile appearing on your lips as you saw the slight blush on his face. He had one arm hidden behind his back, and you wondered what was up with that. “And there was no one here to give me a hug to warm me up.”

He only laughed and walked closer to you, but somehow it felt different that day – assuming you were only feeling weird because of all the training you thought nothing of it but as he stopped right in front of you, his eyes fixed on the floor. “I’m sorry I’m so late,” he muttered, but before you could say anything he added, “I went to get you something.” Hitoshi moved his hidden hand and presented you with a bouquet of small blue flowers you didn’t recognize, wrapped in silver paper and small droplets of water sprinkled all over the petals. “I saw these and instantly thought of you. They’re, um… they’re called forget-me-not. Take them as an apology.”

You were perplexed but amazed at the beautiful flowers, and you looked up at him to see his hand was now placed on his nape as he avoided your eyes. Smiling and without a second thought you threw yourself at him, carefully wrapping your arms around his waist and hugging him tightly. “I can’t stay mad at you like this, you idiot.” He seemed to be taken aback but still hugged back and you felt his heartbeat close to yours for the first time. When you pulled away after a moment, you quickly took out your phone. “We should take a celebratory selfie!” you said with glee.

“Are you sure you want that?” he said quietly. “You know, if you upload that, people could get the wrong idea… about us.”

“And who cares?” you replied almost instantly, and his eyes opened wide at those words. “We know what we are, don’t we? The world can talk as much as it wants.” His expression softened but somehow you felt a bit of nostalgia on his face, but you knew it would be better not to ask about it. Quickly opening your camera, you posed next to him and put the flowers up, but the shot didn’t feel good enough for you. You came up with something, and said, “Why don’t you take the picture? You have longer arms.”

He nodded and took the device from your hands and found a better angle, and you leaned on his shoulder right before he took the picture. You grabbed your phone back as soon as you could and looked at the pic, noticing the bright blush on his face again. Turning around you smiled as you started walking towards the exit, leaving a flustered Hitoshi behind soon to follow you outside.

[damienthepious]

boy howdy it Sure Is Time For Lizard Kissin’. like. lots of Lizard Kissin’, honestly.

Scattered On My Shore (Chapter 17)

[Ch 1] [Ch 2] [Ch 3] [Ch 4] [Ch 5] [Ch 6] [Ch 7] [Ch 8] [Ch 9] [Ch 10] [Ch 11] [Ch 12] [Ch 13] [Ch 14] [Ch 15] [Ch 16] [ao3] [Ch 18] [Ch 19]

Fandom: The Penumbra Podcast

Relationship: Lord Arum/Sir Damien/Rilla, Sir Damien/Rilla, Lord Arum & The Keep

Characters: Rilla, Lord Arum, Sir Damien, The Keep

Additional Tags: Second Citadel, Lizard Kissin’ Tuesday, Pre-Relationship, (for the three of them. it’s established r/d), Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Injury, Injury Recovery, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, (this will also be), Enemies to Lovers, (for damien and arum eventually lol), Mutual Pining, canon typical Arum ignoring feelings

Fic Summary: Strange things wash up out of the lake near Rilla’s hut, on occasion. But this monster… this monster is certainly the strangest.

Chapter Summary: Morning, warm and safe, and together.

Chapter Notes: A short chapter and a weird chapter and i don't know whether to be sorry about it, but a certain someone(s) will yell at me if i am, so. I hope you enjoy? One more chapter probably to wrap things up, hopefully. probably. probably. I love you, kiss a lizzer.

~

Damien wakes at the same time he does nearly every day, regardless of the light strain in his muscles from the last leg of the journey, from the duel. He inhales deeply before his eyes are even open, and he hears an unfamiliar creak of wood, smells rich soil and vague sweet florals, feels the softness of his Rilla close by his side, feels-

The rise and fall of a scaled chest, beneath his own cheek. Scaled arms, wrapped around him. A clawed hand, curled at his lower back.

Damien blinks his eyes open, and stares at the gleaming, dappled scales he is resting against, and his heart-

His heart beats steady, and calm, and certain, and Damien wishes to wake like this… every day, if he is able. As often as he is allowed to do so, at the very least. His forever-flower close and safe and warm by his side, Arum's hands wrapped around the both of them.

He closes his eyes again, feeling their bodies beside him, committing this precise feeling to memory, future rhythms and rhymes tickling the back of his tongue. He breathes, slow and safe, and Rilla and Arum breathe as well, untroubled in slumber.

Content as he is, though, Damien knows that if he remains in their arms for much longer he will come in danger of waking them. The urge to press his lips to Rilla's shoulder, to the scales above Arum's heart- he would not dare risk it, but the temptation is too strong.

And- well, it is morning, and Damien has a routine to maintain, of course.

Arum's grasp upon him is loose in sleep; it is not terribly difficult to extricate himself, to allow the lizard's limbs to curl around Rilla instead, and neither wake though Rilla mutters something in her sleep as she presses her face into Arum's shoulder. That alone is enough that Damien needs press a hand hard over his mouth, the words on his tongue threatening to spill past his lips with the force of his adoration.

As Damien pulls his eyes away from that utterly enthralling sight, he realizes that they are no longer in the same place they fell to sleep the night before. They are not by Arum's table- in fact, they appear to be in a bed.

Arum's bed, Damien must assume.

He bites his lip, feels heat in his cheeks, and decides not to think too deeply on that particular detail.

Not at the moment, at least.

He tiptoes away from the bed, towards the loose curtain of leafy vines that separate the room from a wide balcony outside, shrugging off his shirt as he goes. The swamp below is utterly beautiful, breathtaking and thrumming with life, splotched with color and vibrancy, and Damien inhales the floral morning air of the Keep deeply, and then he begins his exercises.

Tranquility. Damien is filled with the feeling again as the sunlight hums warm through his eyelids, and he did not realize that he had been lacking, before. No, he had settled into his knighthood and achieved not tranquility, but complacency. Perhaps the one had preluded the other, but nonetheless he had allowed himself to forget the water, forget the flow of the river, to stagnate.

Damien slowly works his body, wakes his muscles, whispers his prayers to the morning air, to his Saint.

Mostly, this morning, his prayers revolve around the theme of thankfulness. Damien does not think he has ever felt so blessed.

He is settled, sun-warmed, utterly tranquil by the time he is finished, and he takes a long moment to simply… lean on the woven structure of the balcony railing, looking down upon the hazy glory of the swamp beneath him, rich greens and browns speckled through with vibrant purple, colors that echo and summon to memory the elegant visage of the monster still resting inside. The echo alone is enough to make Damien's heart ache, and he cannot think of a single good reason to deny himself the joy of returning to their sides, of holding patient vigil until his loves wake.

He gently sweeps the vine curtain aside as he steps back in from the sunlight, but he pauses in the threshold when he sees the flash of violet, gazing at him from the bed.

Rilla is still sleeping, still curled against Arum's chest, but the monster is awake. Awake, and attentive, if the brightness of his eyes is any indication, and Damien feels his cheeks heat again.

"A-Arum," he says, his voice pitched carefully low. "I- I did not wake you, did I?"

Arum shakes his head, his mouth curling into a slight smile.

Damien stands in the threshold, licks his lips, and Arum watches him quietly.

"I… it is… your home is beautiful, Lord Arum," he says eventually, and Arum's expression softens even further, going pleased and warm. "Thank you for… for sharing it with us."

"Honeysuckle," Arum says softly, and Damien feels the word like a ribbon wrapped around his throat. Soft, and welcome, but undeniable as well.

"Yes, Arum?"

The monster stares for another moment, one of his palms drifting very, very slowly up and down Rilla's back as she sleeps, and then his tongue flicks before he meets Damien's eyes again.

"Come here," he murmurs, and then he lifts a hand in Damien's direction. "Please."

Arum's eyes are soft, warm, perhaps a little worried- more worried, the longer Damien does not respond. He shakes off his surprise, and he does as Arum asks, padding closer until he is within Arum's reach.

Arum does not reach, though. Not immediately. He holds his outstretched hand just away from Damien's arm, and Damien sees him swallow before the monster glances up enough to meet his eyes again. "Honeysuckle," he repeats in a murmur, the nerves in his eyes sparking brighter.

Damien feels his lips pulling into a smile, affection making him feel near giddy, and then he kneels beside the bed, putting himself closer to eye level with the monster as he reclines, trapped beneath Rilla's quietly sleeping body.

"Arum," he murmurs, and then he drifts his palm across the back of Arum's hand, feeling the texture of scales against his skin, and then he gently pulls Arum's hand to his mouth so he may place a kiss at the heel of his palm, joy welling higher and hotter within him when that makes the monster give a keening sort of noise.

Arum swallows again, his hand flexing in Damien's, and then he drifts the tips of his claws across Damien's cheek with delicate care.

"Come here," he breathes again, and Damien blinks. "Closer, honeysuckle."

Damien leans forward, Arum's hand on his cheek tickling gentle as the space between them softens. Damien pulls himself back onto the bed beside them, careful, and Arum's eyes stay fixed upon him, steady and determined and only barely edged with nervousness now.

Damien pauses, then, close but still with space for breath between them, and there is something expectant on Arum's face now, but Damien is still not entirely sure…

He reaches out, cupping Arum's face as Arum is cupping his. Arum's breath catches, his frill raising just barely, and he leans into the touch, a rumble growing in his chest.

"Well?" the monster says in a whisper, and Damien blinks again.

"W-well?" he echoes, uncertain, and Arum's hand on his face flexes, claws so terribly careful against the skin beneath his ear. "Well, what?"

Arum exhales, his frill raising further, and the nervousness returns to his eyes though he does not pull his hand away. "I… I am… I imagine that you understand better… what is expected next. Human… convention is quite beyond me."

Damien tilts his head, letting his cheek rest more fully in Arum's palm. "I am not quite sure what you mean," he says gently.

"All- all of this." Arum gestures with another hand, vague and wincing as he does. "Being- being together. I have your example- yours and Amaryllis', but- but I have been- attempting not to allow myself to- look. Not to look too closely at the pair of you."

Damien blinks, warmth blooming brighter in his chest at the uncertainty and worry on Arum's face. "Oh." He breathes a light laugh, caressing Arum's jaw when the monster winces again. "Oh, well- if- if you are concerned for convention, I think you may safely set those concerns aside. This- this," he strokes his thumb over Arum's cheek, lifting his other hand and placing it over Arum's to draw light down Rilla's back. "This us. This you, and I, and she… it would be madness to expect us to be conventional, Arum. We must find our own rhythms, our own union, our own strength."

Arum exhales slowly, some of the tension in his shoulders softening, and he nods very slightly. "A fair point," he murmurs. "Nonetheless I am… uncertain what I should… do."

"Your instincts seem to be sound," Damien says, his voice warm, and then he pulls his hand back to cup Arum's own, cradling it against his cheek. "This is… quite lovely. I no longer need pretend that I have not longed for your hands upon me… longed to know the caress of scale upon my skin, longed to discover how your arms would feel around me… around us."

Arum's breath whirs, his tongue flicking, his slitted pupils slowly widening to dark diamonds. "You…" he smiles, very slightly. "Even at this hour you drift into poetics. I suppose I should not be surprised to hear the songbird lilt with the rise of the sun."

"I will lilt for you whenever you like, Arum," Damien breathes. "I am afraid I cannot help myself… the only words I can find to describe you, to describe what I want from you- they are all of them rather poetic."

"What you… want from me," Arum echoes, his tongue flicking again, and Damien feels his cheeks heat.

"I find myself more concerned, at the moment," he answers, "with what you want from me. If you are unsure what you should do, Arum, I think perhaps that would be the place to start. You answered me yesterday in a much grander sense, what you desire from us, but- what of this moment? No expectations, no convention. What do you desire?"

"You," Arum answers instantly, and Damien's breath leaves him in a sharp exhale. "Amaryllis," he continues. "This." He caresses Damien's cheek, the sharpness of his claws utterly careful, utterly safe. "Only this."

Damien blinks quickly, fighting back the dampness in his eyes, and his smile is helpless and warm. "An easy desire to fulfill, then," he murmurs, his voice wavering only slightly with the force of his adoration, and he edges a little closer, one arm pressing against Arum's as he arranges himself back on the bed more closely to the pair of them. "Have you any other desires we may meet with such ease?"

"I…" Arum trails off, his eyes flicking between Damien's, and then he gives a very soft laugh. "P-perhaps-"

Damien waits, but Arum does not finish the thought. He raises an eyebrow, staring at the monster as his frill begins to flutter again. "Arum?"

"Closer," Arum manages, his voice vaguely strained. "Would you-" he breaks off, hissing low, ducking his head, and then he sucks in a slower, steadying breath before he braves meeting Damien's eyes.

Violet, violet like-

Like nothing else. No metaphor Damien can summon would even come close. And those eyes, full of so much feeling, full of emotion, full of-

Love. Warm and overflowing, brighter and bolder than whatever fear is attempting to hold Arum's tongue.

"Kiss me again, Damien," the monster says at last, and the words may be a command in form, but Damien hears the desperation coloring them into a plea.

Damien's heart pulses, love rushing through him like a wave, and he knows that he could not possibly deny Lord Arum so sweet a request. He could not. Moreover, he does not want to.

Damien leans down, slow and patient, feeling Arum's sharp breath against him for a lingering moment before he presses even closer, and Arum's name bounces on his lips as they brush soft over the monster's mouth.

Arum gasps, light and sweet, one hand slipping back to claw gently through Damien's hair, the monster's breath whirring at the back of his throat, the texture of his scales making Damien's lips tingle.

Arum's mouth doesn't move like Rilla's, the contact stiffer, cooler, but the way his claws flex at the nape of Damien's neck, the soft whine he gives, the light pressure of his teeth against Damien's lower lip, all of it spins together into something strange, overwhelming, enthralling, and Damien is utterly helpless against the pull of it, utterly unable to do anything else besides press another kiss to Arum's mouth, and another, until they blend out of individual context, until he loses the thread of anything besides the sensation itself.

"Good morning," Rilla says, some time later by Damien's hazy estimation, and her voice is syrupy with sleep. Arum hisses as Damien pulls back with a sharp inhale, his heart swelling with delight as it ever does when his flower blesses him with her attention. She stretches against Arum (the monster gasps again), looking up at the both of them with warm, dark, gleeful eyes and a smile that squeezes Damien's heart. "Gotta say, I'm not a morning person, but if I can wake up to that more often I could probably be lured over to your side, Damien."

"Rilla," Damien murmurs, and Arum's claws are still in his hair as Rilla gives him that sly, loving smile, and Damien's fevered mind wonders briefly how happy it is physically possible to be. "Oh, oh love-"

She leans up and kisses him without preamble, and Damien's eyes slip automatically closed even as he hears Arum give a ticking rattle of surprise mere inches away, his palm drifting down the back of Damien's neck. Rilla's mouth slides against his own, familiar and intoxicating before she pulls back with a low hum of pleasure. "Sleep well, Damien?" she murmurs, and Damien presses another kiss to her cheek, chaste and delicate.

"Entirely soundly," he answers, "and blessed to wake with such beauty surrounding me, as well."

Arum ducks his head, his smile both flustered and pleased, his chest rumbling- purring, Damien realizes, at the base of his throat, and Rilla turns her warm gaze upon him next.

"Good morning, Arum," her voice soft as she smiles up at him, pressing her palm to his chest. "Are you feeling okay today?"

Arum blinks, as if taking a moment to remember his own injuries. "I… yes. I feel… I… I think, perhaps, I feel better than I ever have," he says, very quietly.

"Really," Rilla says, her eyebrows raising as her smile goes wider, her hand drifting up from his chest, up the column of his throat, gently brushing the edges of his healing frill. "All better, that quick?"

The monster wrinkles his snout, huffing a breath. "Well. A- a little sore, still, perhaps. But-"

Rilla lifts herself up, leaning to press her lips to the scales of his frill, and Arum breaks off into a whirring hiss.

"Saints," she whispers, and then she kisses him again, lips brushing his neck. "Y'know- I'd be lying if I said I hadn't wanted to do that for a long time."

"I-" Arum pants a breath, the hand he still has curled around her lifting to stroke down her braid. "I- I would be lying if I said I had not been longing for…" he exhales a laugh. "I didn't even know what. Your touch, your conversation, your attention … all of it. This." The arms he is caressing each of them with curl more tightly around them, tugging them into a proper embrace. "This," he says more softly, and then he runs the tip of his snout along Rilla's jaw, nuzzling and flicking his tongue lightly at the skin of her throat. He lifts his remaining two hands, taking Rilla's own in one and Damien's in the other, tangling his fingers with theirs, squeezing. "This," he repeats. "This, I wanted quite dearly."

Damien's heart swells almost painfully, and he lifts Arum's hand to kiss his knuckles, his mind a tangle of prayer and poetry and love.

"I wish I could keep you here forever," Arum whispers, giving barely enough breath to be heard, closing his eyes as Damien kisses his knuckles again. "I know, of course, I cannot. I know you must… return to your lives, but- but so short a time, knowing- allowing myself- so little time to- to love you properly, takatakataka. So little time before we must- before you leave-"

Rilla cups Arum's face in both hands, her dark skin so indescribably beautiful against the jewel-gleam of Arum's scales, and then she kisses him, slow and thorough and sweet, and Damien's heart swells yet again at the sight of these two precious creatures tangling together.

When she pulls back, only leaving just enough space between them for breath, for words, Arum exhales slowly, calmly.

"We'll figure it out," Rilla says, her voice utterly confident. "And… in the meantime," she pauses to kiss him again, "I don't see any reason to rush off home this instant, if you aren't eager to kick us out anymore-"

"Of course not," Arum growls. "Don't be ridiculous."

"Good," she says, and then she glances Damien's way, raising her eyebrow in a question that makes Damien's cheeks go hot, and he knows that she understands his desires precisely without him needing to even nod. "In that case… I think maybe we could just… spend the morning here... just like this, and we can work out something else I think we all want."

Arum stares up at her for an uncomprehending moment, and then Rilla presses another, deeper kiss to his mouth, her hands slipping back to wrap around him, one cupping the back of his head, her tongue darting out to trace the line of his teeth, and when she pulls back again Arum pants out a wild sort of breath, his diamond pupils widened such that they are nearly round, now.

"If," Damien says gently, "that is something you desire as well." He smiles, leaning up to peck the tip of Arum's snout much more chastely. "Whatever it is you do desire, we will love you all the same," he says, and Rilla nods beside him. "So… why don't you tell us, then. What do you want?"

Arum stares down at the both of them, his frill flared and flushed, his eyes wide and bright and intense, and then the monster smiles.

"You," he says, simply. "Both of you. Of course I want you, however much of yourselves you choose to share. I will treat your generosity with precisely as much care as it deserves."

Rilla's smirk softens, and she draws her hand down the back of Arum's neck slowly, making him hiss and shiver. "You big softie," she murmurs.

Arum narrows his eyes, though he cannot seem to clamp down on his own smile as he hisses, "Arrogant little creature."

"I love you both so much," Damien keens, the words bubbling up past any semblance of control, and Arum and Rilla both look towards him.

Rilla's smile is soft, understanding, and Arum looks nearly awestruck with it before he flicks his tongue, breathing something like a laugh. He shifts, pulling himself up to lean over Damien, crowding close enough to rub his cheek along Damien's, sweet and affectionate.

"I love the both of you more than I know how to say," he says in a voice that trembles with both emotion and laughter. "So perhaps-" he pulls back, his violet eyes so determined and full of undeniable desire, and he reaches a hand out, drawing Rilla closer as she laughs. "Perhaps, little humans, I should show you, instead."

[->]

[softeddiek]

howdy everyone and happy holidays!! for the @gendrya-gift-exchange i got alexa aka @fugascious aka the QUEEN of gendrya gifsets!!

the prompt was “a gift mix-up causes a misunderstanding” so here is my attempt at being funny and lighthearted lol

my heart is thrilled by the still of your hand 

2.6k words | read on ao3

Gendry isn’t a gift giver. Growing up with a single mom struggling to make ends meet hadn’t left much money to blow on presents. Now, don’t get him wrong, his mother had tried to make the holidays of his youth special. Not much emphasis had been placed on gifts though and, as such, Gendry didn’t really see a point to them.

But this year is different.

This year, Arya had surprised him by saying that his Christmas gift was on the way. They’d never exchanged gifts before, but this year she said she couldn’t pass up something she had seen in one of those holiday catalogues. He’d panicked for about four days over what to get her in exchange before he finally came across a cool looking wolf pendant in a secondhand shop in town. It hadn’t been in the best condition, but he’d bought it anyway and cleaned it up enough that it almost looked good as new.

He had actually gotten really excited about giving it to her and seeing her reaction, but then she had told him she would be going to the Vale with her family for a Christmas ski trip, and that she would wait to open it on Christmas day.

“Your present is in the mail though,” she’d said, “so open it whenever you want, so long as you call me when you get it. I was thinking we could use it together.”

So now here he is, opened package on his lap, torn wrapping paper littering the floor of his apartment and all he feels is…disbelief.

Because his present is not at all what he expected.

Inside the package lays a shiny pair of handcuffs. Nothing else. Not even a key.

He gulps nervously, mind running wild with what this could possibly mean.

Gendry has been in love with Arya for years, he thinks everyone knows that except Arya. But now…well with this present it seems like she might know. And, if he keeps letting his mind wander, she might have some sort of feelings for him too. Still, he never would have guessed that she’d be so bold in saying so.

This could always be a gag gift of course, but what’s the punchline? Gendry’s never been arrested or accidentally handcuffed to anything.

No, she had said “I was thinking we could use it together,” he very distinctly remembers those words (mostly because he had, he’s ashamed to admit, preened over the idea). So, this has to be Arya’s forward way of telling him how she feels, right? Not wanting to completely get ahead of himself, he decides to try his best to casually bring it up in conversation. (And if in that conversation, his feelings are finally admitted and she just so happens to share those feelings, well then what’s the harm in that?)

It takes him half the day to talk himself into just sending her a message about it. After more drafts than he’s proud to admit, he settles on just starting with a greeting.

Gendry: Hey! How are the mountains?

But when all he receives are disjointed messages sent multiple times and a half-decipherable, staticky voicemail about bad cell service, he realizes it will have to wait until after Arya returns from her trip.

Gendry would say he’s disappointed, but his thundering heartbeat at hearing Arya’s voice over the crackle of her message tells him he probably should take the time to put some thought into what he’s going to say.

“Arya,” he breathes out, feeling only a bit ridiculous at hearing himself say the words aloud in the quiet of his empty apartment, “we’ve been friends for awhile now. And sometimes friends, they uh…they grow feelings for each other that are un-friend-like.”

Gendry groans, the sound punctuating the air louder than he’d let his words. “Un-friend-like? That’s how you’re going to tell the girl you’ve been in love with for years how you feel about her? Un-friend-like? Fuck.”

Knowing he’s not going to be able to come up with something worthwhile—not now, not with those handcuffs in his line of sight from their spot on his coffee table—he decides he could use some help. He’s known Arya for years; they’re each other’s closest friends. But there are other people that they’ve known just as long—ones that know the both of them well. A voice in the back of his head—one that’s getting louder the more he considers the idea—is telling him not to do what he’s about to do; it’s shouting at him really. Unfortunately, his fingers don’t heed that voice as they start moving across his phone screen, opening up the group chat.

--

A loud burp echoes sharply from Gendry’s right as a hand reaches out across the small, circular table to slap harshly against the outstretched hand of the burper in a high-five.

“So,” Hot Pie starts, patting at his chest with his fist in an attempt to expel any lingering gas. Gendry cringes. “What’s so urgent that we all just had to get together immediately for some beers?”

Gendry scoffs. “Please, like you two had any pressing plans for the night.”

“How do you know I didn’t have a hot date to meet up with,” Lommy exclaims at the same time that Hot Pie says, “The new season of The Great British Baking Show just came out.”

Eyes rolling, he replies, “Like I said, no pressing plans.”

He tosses a few peanuts into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully as Hot Pie and Lommy raise their eyebrows at him in question. Washing them down with a swig of his drink, he sighs before saying, “I got my Christmas present from Arya.”

Hot Pie’s eyebrows furrow, “And?”

“It’s uh, not what I expected,” he mutters out, scratching at the back of his neck.

“What is it, some weird sex thing?” Lommy jokes, grabbing for his own drink. His hand stills around the neck of the bottle, eyes widening at Gendry’s silence and averted eyes. “Holy shit Gendry, no fucking way.”

“It’s not like that exactly…” he trails off, already regretting bringing this up to them.

Hot Pie’s mouth, which had been hanging open, snaps shut. “What was it then Gendry?”

Rubbing the back of his neck, “A pair of handcuffs.”

Lommy lets out a hoot of laughter, his hand coming down to smack the table, jostling their drinks and the bowl of peanuts. Hot Pie’s eyebrows are furrowed.

“But you’ve never been arrested.”

“Exactly,” Gendry says.

“Hot Pie, my dear boy,” Lommy begins, voice adopting a tone of faux sweetness as he wraps an arm around the other man’s shoulders. “Sometimes, when two consenting adults want to have sex, they use—”

Hot Pie throws the arm off his shoulders, clamping a hand over Lommy’s mouth. Over Lommy’s muffled words he says, “Why don’t you just ask her about it?”

“She doesn’t have cell service in the mountains,” he responds.

“So, what do you want our help for?” he asks, removing his hand from Lommy’s mouth and grimacing as he wipes it off on his pants.

Gendry worries at his lip, nervous. He, Hot Pie, and Lommy have been friends for years, but they didn’t exactly do feelings. “I want to tell her how I feel. Even if…even if this doesn’t mean anything at all, I want her to know.”

“And if she doesn’t feel the same way?” Lommy quips, grunting when Hot Pie elbows him in his side.

Gendry shrugs. “Then she doesn’t. She’s still my best friend.”

Hot Pie sends him a small smile. “I wouldn’t worry about it Gendry. We’ve seen the two of you around each other. I’m sure she feels the same way.”

Gendry sends a grateful look toward him before draining the last of his beer to distract his hopeful thoughts.

Of course, Lommy, wanting to show his support, has to add, obscene eyebrow waggle and all, “He’s right. She wants you Gendry, I’m telling you, no question about it.”

--

Christmas day had come and gone with little fanfare. Before Gendry knows it it’s the 28th—the day that Arya’s supposed to get back from the Vale. He doesn’t know how he didn’t work himself up into a nervous wreck over the last week (Hot Pie and Lommy would say that he in fact did) but now Arya’s on her way over to his apartment and Gendry feels like he might faint.

He’d cleaned up his apartment—the handcuffs had been moved to the top of his dresser; he definitely couldn’t have this conversation with her with those right in front of him—and is sitting anxiously on his couch when he hears a knock on the door.

Taking a deep breath, he gets up off the couch and opens the door to see Arya’s face grinning broadly at him. He can’t help the smile forming on his own face.

“Hey,” he greets her.

She launches at him, arms wrapping around his middle, a muffled “hey” coming out of her mouth.

He laughs as they take a step back from each other. Before he can step aside to let her in, something around her neck catches his eye.

“You’re wearing it,” he says, surprise in his tone.

Her left-hand darts up and wraps around the pendant hanging around her neck. “Of course, I love it.”

Some of Gendry’s nerves relax, glad that he at least managed to get her a present she liked. But as Arya pushes past him into his apartment, plopping down on the couch and looking at him curiously, those nerves go right back into overdrive.

“So, where’s yours?”

He shakes his head, turning to close the door before cautiously making his way over to her. “My what?”

“Your present. I want to see how it turned out.”

Gendry’s brow furrows, confusion written on his face. “You want me to go get it? Now?”

“Yeah!” she exclaims. “I wanted to call and ask about it over the phone, but my service was spotty. Maybe we can use it now that I’m here.”

Gendry chokes on his own spit, mouth hanging open as he gapes at Arya. His mind is running wild as he thinks about the implications of her words. He had thought maybe they could talk about this all first, not just jump right into it.

“Are you sure now is a good time for this? Maybe we should talk about it first?”

She cocks her head to the side. “Are you worried about safety? I know your living room is a little small but—”

“Oh my Gods,” he takes a breath, feeling perspiration forming on the back of his neck under Arya’s increasingly confused stare. “Okay,” he breathes out, pivoting on his heel to his bedroom. “I’ll be right back then.”

He barely spares the things a glance as he grabs them and heads back to the living room, hoping that not looking at them will calm the heat that’s begun to spread all over his body.

When he’s back in front of Arya, handcuffs hanging limply at his side, he finds he can’t meet her eyes. Which turns out to be fine because, when his head snaps up at her questioning, “What are those?” he finds that her eyes aren’t on him, but on the handcuffs.

“My, er, Christmas present?” he answers.

Arya looks at the handcuffs, then at him, then back at the handcuffs before a laugh bursts forth from her.

Gendry startles. “What?”

Between breathes, “That’s not your present Gendry.”

He finds himself at a loss for words. “I—”

Seeing his blatant confusion, “Those were for Jon.”

His cheeks must be crimson by now if the heat he’s feeling in them is anything to go by.

“It was a joke gift. Because it took him two tries before he passed his exam to become a Night’s Watchman.”

“Right,” he mumbles. “Of course. Just a mix-up.”

“Why did you think I would give you a pair of handcuffs? You’ve never even been arrested.”

“Yeah, I know that,” he bites out.

Arya hesitates for a minute, looking at him unsure before her eyes widen a fraction. “Oh.”

Gendry would very much like for the floor to swallow him up.

“You thought—”

“It’s not, it’s not like that,” he interrupts. “I mean, Lommy thought it might be but—”

“You told Lommy that I got you handcuffs for Christmas?!”

“I mean, I didn’t know what to think!”

“You could have asked!”

“I wanted to, but you didn’t have service and…,” Arya’s glare cuts him off. He lets out a sigh. All of this is getting messed up. This is not at all how he wanted this to go. He was going to tell her how he felt first, get her reaction, then bring up the gift if it all went well. At least if things had gone that way he could have saved himself some embarrassment in the process.

“Why didn’t you think it was a mix-up in the first place?” she asks, voice oddly emotionless in that way it gets when she doesn’t want people to know what she’s thinking. Usually Gendry can manage to figure it out, even if just a little bit, but he’s much too caught up in his own head to even try.

“I don’t know I just….” He stops, head pounding, eyes feeling uncharacteristically watery as his hopes come crashing down. “I just thought maybe you felt the same way about me,” he admits softly.

There’s silence between then as Gendry squeezes his eyes shut, prepared for Arya to walk out. Only instead of hearing his front door closing, he hears her voice, wavering slightly. “What way?”

He cracks his eyes open, sees hers looking at him with her own eyes wide and open and it all comes rushing out. “I love you Arya. I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember, and I think I’ll always love you. But more important than that, you’re my best friend and I don’t want that to change, I don’t think I could bear it to…so if you don’t feel the same way that’s fine, really, it is, we’ll just forget about all of this, okay?”

Arya’s lips part soundlessly, her eyelashes fluttering quickly as she blinks back at him. Despite his unease and embarrassment, Gendry firmly meets her eyes.

He falters only a little as she gets up off the couch, moves around the coffee table, and stands in front of him.

She cracks a smile that sends Gendry’s heart pounding heavily in his chest and says, “I love you too.”

His sharp exhale is cut off by Arya’s lips as her hand wraps around the back of his head, tugging him down to her height. All Gendry feels is warmth—against his lips, in his chest, everywhere—and all he can think about is the feel of her waist pressed beneath his hand. When they pull apart his head is swimming, a dopey smile on his face as he sees Arya’s shy one.

They’re both breathing loudly, giggles entering the space between them and he can’t help himself from leaning down and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

“A replica sword.”

He pulls back, confused expression on his face as he meets Arya’s eyes, now twinkling with mirth.

“What?”

“Your actual present. I don’t want to ruin the whole surprise since it still isn’t here yet, but that’s what I thought we could use together. I know how interested you are in medieval blacksmithing, so I just thought…,” she trails off.

Gendry laughs in disbelief. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

She sends him a smirk in return, and then, “You know, Jon already thinks his present is late. I could always send him something else and he’d never know.”

It takes Gendry a minute to catch on but when he does he thinks his face is likely to catch on fire.

Gendry isn’t big on gift giving and hasn’t received many gifts in his life, but he’s never been happier to have received the wrong one.

[ducktracy]

51. bosko in person (1933)

release date: february 11th, 1933

series: looney tunes

director: hugh harman and friz freleng

starring: johnny murray (bosko), rochelle hudson (honey)

it’s back to bosko in bosko in person! it’s a plotless cartoon, with bosko and honey giving us boundless entertainment.

the title card curtain peels away to reveal an asbestos curtain, which goes up in flames (foreshadowing i wonder?) to reveal bosko banging out “whistle and blow your blues away” on the piano, the current looney tunes theme song for the 1932-1933 season. he recognizes us and greets “howdy, folks!” before going back to tickle the ivory.

honey makes her entrance, snapping and dancing along to the music as the two banter. immediately, they launch into a complicated, cute, and endearing dance routine, making a regular fred astaire and ginger rogers of themselves. though the bosko dance scenes are everywhere, i really enjoy this one! it feels more complex than usual. i’m sure friz’s co-directorial credit has something to do with it.

a “gee bosko, you’re swell!” from honey turns bosko bashful, and he dedicates a song to her, “i love her, she loves me” which, as far as i know, seems to be an original song? his ridiculous falsetto really making it a lot funnier. honey joins him in the dance number, the two of them awkwardly dancing and scatting before waltzing off stage together.

bosko plays some more upbeat bars on the piano, throwing his glove off which slides down the keys and runs back to him, the process repeating. eventually, the glove hops on his knee. bosko urges it on, asking “well, what can ya do?” (parallel to his first appearance in bosko, the talk-ink kid. how the tables have turned!) the glove’s voice is drop dead hilarious. it’s a squeaky violin that sounds almost like a kazoo—no words are being said, but the inflection is perfectly understood, the glove insisting “i dunno/i don’t wanna!”. finally, bosko suggests that it sing mary had a little lamb, and it does, giggling and leaping back on his hand. bosko finishes out the skit with a few chords of “shave and a haircut”.

next, bosko decides to do a tapping routine, looking at the audience instead of his feet. gotta applaud him for trying! he loses his balance and falls, and the audience laughs at him. he limps back over to his previous spot and gives it another go, with the same results. gotta admire his perserverance. i’m curious as to who animated this. bob mckimson maybe? i think was after his car crash.

^^ that sounds weird, but it’s true! bob mckimson got in a car crash sometime in the early 30s, i think around 1931 or 1932. he was (thankfully) fine. he was actually MORE than fine. before the crash, bob would come into work and take a nap before lunch (which, according to bob clampett, rudolf ising did the same thing too, which is probably how he got away with it). after lunch, he’d churn out a TON of animation, more than what the other animators who worked all full hours did. after the car crash, something must’ve happened to his brain. he didn’t sleep anymore, his animation was extremely professional and calculating, he didn’t even have to do rough sketches first, he was just that good. i love his animation work under tex avery and bob clampett, more than i love his directorial work in all honesty. he was insanely talented, and also credited for really nailing down bugs’ look starting with tortoise wins by a hare. you can read bob clampett talk about him here. (with all the corrections made, since clampett is notorious for getting details wrong)

anyway. point is, the animation looks great! cut to honey, who sings “was that the human thing to do?” in a big, belty, raspy voice and later doing a hilarious impression of greta garbo. i love her saunter! it totally reminds me of daffy’s strip tease in the wise quacking duck. greta garbo would also be parodied in a few cartoons, such as in porky’s road race, porky’s five and ten, hollywood steps out, etc. her catchphrase “i want to be alone” would also be parodied in the daffy duckaroo as “i want to be a lone... ranger.”

bosko finishes of “whistle and blow your blues away” by doing an impression of maurice chevalier. i love love love all these celebrity references! even if you don’t understand them, they’re funny just to watch. they’re drawn to be funny and sound funny—pales in comparison to what we’ll be seeing when mel blanc comes aboard and the animation becomes more refined, but very entertaining.

jimmy durante strikes again! bosko blows up a balloon to use as his bulbous nose and even remarks “schnozzle! HAAAAAA!” i can’t get enough of that drawing! the uglier and weirder it is, the more i love it! the best caricatures (not of racial stereotypes LOL) are the ones that get a gut reaction out of you. one of my favorite lines from a bosko cartoon that sums this up perfectly is what he says next: “i know i’m not good looking, folks, but that’s one opinion against a million!”

bosko durante receives boos from the audience (and a single cheer from me). he declares “am i mortified! am i mortified!!”. honey cheers him on in the wings and motions for the audience to do the same.

switching from jimmy durante, bosko now opts to do an impression of ted lewis, asking “is everybody happy?” and playing some wonderful jazz through his clarinet. the animation is great! i especially love the detail of him playing the drums with his feet (above). i’m always glad to see the animators having fun with their work. eventually, he loses and balance and falls through the drum. all the instruments are rattled with the impact, but fall back into place as porky bosko bursts through the drum, once again clad in his terrifying yet funny jimmy durante face.

bosko climbs back on stage and switches from clarinet to drum, complete with a franklin d. roosevelt caricature on the side swinging a pint of beer. it’s actually contested whether that’s FDR or ted lewis, who bosko imitated earlier. my odds are on FDR, as honey comes out of the wings waving an american flag, and he’s swinging a pint of beer, aligning with his anti-prohibition status. however, he got inaugurated on march 4th—this cartoon is said to have come out on february 11th according to a few sources, but one lists the release date as april 10th (which would make sense). confusions aside, it’s interesting to note. fade out as bosko goes into the wings.

i adore this cartoon! definitely one of my favorites. even though it has no plot, the gags all hit hard. understanding of the celebrity references or not, they’re fascinating to watch and listen to regardless. the music is upbeat and beautifully jazzy, and bosko and honey are rather endearing as they play off each other. the animation is absolutely beautiful, more intricate than usual. it’s worth a watch! it’s such a feel good cartoon, and the ending with the FDR reference could pose as a symbol that indicates better things are coming. in the long run, it’s true!

link!

[bixgirl1]

What's your favorite sex scene you've written out of all your fics & what's your favorite sex scene you ever read?

Hi nonnie!  Sorry this took so long — I tend to leave aside asks that I know will take awhile to compose an answer to (and boy, howdy if this isn’t one of those. lol), and shamefully end up forgetting they’re there for way too long. But I’m a teensy burnt on writing atm and came across this, so:

(This got wayyy longer than I intended, so it’s going under a cut. :D)

My favorite sex scene(s) I’ve ever written

I hope you don’t mind that I picked a few. I freaking hate sounding egotistical, but I’m pretty proud of a lot of my sex scenes, so I kind of wanted to cry at having to pick. lolol. Anyway, I narrowed it down to:

The Legilimency sex in Every Me and Every You. That’s one of those scenes that came to me in this blinding, gleeful flash, and was written almost as quickly — and I got to try my hand at a version of Glove!kink, which makes me absolutely drool (more on that in the second part of your ask. lol).   

The Bonding scene in In The Red.  Though the fic has like 90 sex scenes in it (all of which I loved writing) from the outset, I knew exactly how I wanted that scene to go, every line and word, every position and emotion. I’m a little in love with it.  

Pretty much every sex scene in Sexplanations (Of The Horrible Sort),but especially the final one, because I laughed my head off at doing… well, that, to Harry.  (I make no apologies. Bahahaha)  

The whole of If The Shirt Fits.  It’s a pwp, but I love Draco’s voice in it.

Every sex scene (both het and slash) in Love Him More, because I felt like they managed to be both sexy and something else depending on the scene: aching, heartbroken, confused, renewing.

And I have to put an honorable mention in here for the first kissing/unfulfilled frotting scene in 12 Days Of What The Fuck. No one gets off in it, but I loved writing an extended snogging scene for a lot of ~reasons. (One of them is that I hardcore headcanon Harry as really loving kissing, partly because kissing’s great, and partly because he was so touch starved growing up.)

Now. If the first part of your question made me want to cry, this one practically had me bawling and wearing sackcloth, thank you ever so much for the trauma of having to pick. LOL. I am…less good at narrowing things down here. (I love sex in fic. I most often sort by rating and again, I make no apologies. *snort*) Believe you me, if I like the scene enough to list it as a fave, all of these writer’s sex scenes are brutally hot, and beyond that, the writing and plots are unbelievably good, too. (I can legit quote the dialogue in most of them. lol) Also, keep in mind I haven’t read every fic out there, my to read list is disgustingly long, these are all simply my own taste, and there may be some I adore that I’m just outright forgetting or leaving out for the sake of space and time.

*cracks knuckles* In no particular order:

The first sex scene with its surprisingly explosive chemistry in Touch Me Fall  by @lqtraintracks  and her first and second-to-last sex scenes in Blood and Fire,  which were simultaneously scorching and so lovely.

The extended foreplay/sex scene in lqt and @whipmyhairlikebangbang‘s Weeds Or Wildflowers  because hmmminuhh, there are not even words…

The first (in person) sex scene in @magpiefngrl‘s Hush, darling,  and each excited, faltering, tender kink negotiation sex scene Harry and Draco had in her fic Kettle.  (For something lighter and equally brilliant, read the lust leaks sex in  The Full Monty)

The first sex scene in Good Talk, Potter  by @l0vegl0wsinthedark. She brushes off how brilliant it is, but it was my introduction to Cocky!Harry, and for that I’ll always adore her and it. But I can’t not mention the rimming and knotting scenes in her fic Expectant, which, combined, are like 12k of some of the hottest sex you’ll ever read. But who’s surprised? 

@oceaxe’s series Closer Than Skin four smutty one-shots about, uh, shaving I didn’t know I needed until I read them. 

The knotting scene in Embers  by @shiftylinguini, which is somehow long, sweet, and blistering at the same time. Also (and this isn’t H/D, but idec), the Albus/Scorpius and Teddy/Jamie sex in her fic Sardines, which will make you go  :o  then go :O then go ;)~

The first and last sex scenes in Idk, My BFF Hermione? because the gift of writing such filthy sex and talk has only been bestowed upon a few in this world, and @letteredlettered is one of them.

Endowment  by @dictacontrion. It was my introduction, I think, to Hung!Draco, and I still can’t read it without blushing hot red and making little yipping noises.

The sex in don’t say you love me, that’s extortion by @lower-east-side​ because it’s so quietly evocative and intimate. 

Draco coming on Harry’s chest in Sex and the Art of Castle Maintenance, Draco coming on his own chest as Harry rims him in You open always (petal by petal), and Draco coming between Harry’s thighs in Lumos, all by clever and talented birdsofshore. (What can I say? I really really dig it when she makes Draco come. You will too, promise. lol)               

The sex in When You Kiss Me (What A Lovely Way To Burn) by @femmequixotic, whose sex slays me every time. (And don’t even bother asking which sex scene is my favorite from her Tales From the Special Branch series because there are a lot of them and they’re all splendidly dirty and I can’t pick and you can’t make me.)   

The first blowjob scene in @writcraft‘s Dreaming of Harry because it’s so…idk, sexy and realistic and sweet, just what I’d imagine between these boys under those circumstances, and the getting off in the cupboard scene in their fic Harry Potter and the Bisexual Awakening because, I mean, hot, but also charming and wonderful.     

And I believe I promised to come back to Glove!Kink? Try The Games We Play by @gracerene09​ because holy hell, you guys. Seriously. Fingering and wanking for the fucking win. Wear sunglasses or it’ll blind you; it’s smoking. 

The sex in Fuck, Kill, Marry by @lettersbyelise​, which is funny and blistering and darling all at once.  (….And omfg, when I went to get the link, I saw that her newly posted a drabble came with the tag ‘rentboy Draco’ and I couldn’t resist and jesus fucking christ, the blowjob in Swallow (Your Pride) too now, yes, yes!!!)

And, okay, this one might sound weird, but the Blaise/Draco sex in Just Friends (or Why Draco Malfoy Shouldn’t Have Sex in His Office) by @unadulteratedstorycollector  because it matches the heat of the Harry/Draco sex that comes later, but Harry’s accidental viewing of it is incredibly sexy and confusing (for him) and his reactions are awesome.  

And finally: The first (dubcon) sex scene in @firethesound‘s The Light More Beautiful, which left me breathless and enthralled, as well as the shower wanking scene later in the fic, both of them a totally enthusiastic chef’s kiss!  

So there you go! A non-comprehensive list of my favorite sex scenes. That many of them are in some of my favorite fics is probably no surprise, but what can you do? lol. I like detailed and dirty, I like kink, I like romantic, I like exploratory, and I like to read a lot of it. :D Hope this helps!! 

[whump-my-dear-watson]

Whumptober day no.14, 16, 17 +20

Pinned down, tear-stained, stay with me, Trembling

Character: Clark Kent

Fandom: Smallville

Word Count: 1,880

Summary: Clark is pinned by a boulder that is infused with Kryptonite, unable to move it off of him and being continually weakened, Clark faces the longest day of his life. 

A/N: this takes place around the earlier seasons of Smallville, idek, and boy howdy I sure did combine a lot of prompts for this one lol, also there’s a ton of perspective switches because I love so many dynamics of caretakers with Clark, and I couldn’t choose...

Pete’s truck sputtered and spit with black smoke, giving out with one last spurt. Pete sighed as he did his best to steer off the road as to not block any other cars, with a shudder the truck halted. Peter looked around. What could he do now? 

Before Pete was even able to make a decision on what he should do, the ever familiar blur of Clark came streaking towards him.

“Need a hand?” Clark asked with his typical face-wide grin. 

“Yeah, she gave out again. Think you can push it down the hill, or should I call a truck?”

Clark’s hands were already on the bumper of the truck, “I got this.”

Pete took a step back as Clark started to push the truck over the little hill before the road started to plateau. 

Good thing Clark came when he did, it was starting to get dark and the rock side of the road towered high, hiding them from view. 

They had gotten over twenty feet before Clark stopped.

“You okay?” Pete asked.

Clark twisted his head towards the side of the road. “Do you hear that?”

“What? No.”

“It's like a rumbling, it doesn't sound good…” Clark studied the wall of rock beside them, with the squint that Pete could recognize as using his x-ray vision. 

“Everything okay?” Pete could barely get out before Clark let go of the truck and turned to him.

“Watch out!” Clark screamed, tackling into him, throwing Pete out of the way just as a giant boulder broke out and landed with a heavy thud.  

“Clark? Are you okay?” Pete asked, standing up.

Clark's voice came from under the newly made to pile. “I'm good. Maybe,” he added much softer.

“Can't you lift it?" Pete asked, observing the large Boulder pinning Clark down.

Clark groaned with effort, "I- I don't know, it's not," Clark pushed against the rock again. "It's not working!" his voice broke, "my powers, they're not working!" 

Pete's head spun, how were Clark's powers suddenly not working? 

"It's okay, I'll help." 

Pete looked at his phone, no signal. He wouldn't be able to call for help. Pocketing his phone Pete went to stand by Clark, what was visible of him at least. His head, shoulders, and his right arm could move freely, everything else trapped. 

"Okay, let's get you out of this."

Pete braced his hands against the rock, pushing with all of his might he attempted to free him, but all the time he spent working out and at football, it didn't matter. The boulder didn't move an inch.

Clark started to be visibly distressed, Pete sat next to him, at his eye level. He wasn't looking good. That's when Pete noticed, "Clark, Clark, you're bleeding!" 

He did his best not to freak out or to freak Clark out, but in all their years of friendship, never once has he seen him bleed. He was supposed to be indestructible, right?

Clark's worried eyes found Pete's. "What's happening to me?" He asked, but Pete had no real answer.

After a while Pete started to notice Clark’s skin, it was a weird green tint, Pete had seen that before.

"Clark, doesn't the meteor rock make you lose your powers and become weak and all that?"

Clark got out a nod. "You think?"

"Yeah," Pete nodded. "This boulder is meteor rock."

They sat like that for a while, every so often Pete would get an idea, leveraging a big branch against the boulder, or digging Clark out, nothing would work. 

Pete didn’t leave Clark’s side, his worry growing more tense every second. Clark’s breathing became more erratic and his pain more audible. 

The evening sun was setting on them, the trees covering them from night. 

Pete wondered if anyone would ever find them if his truck was working he could drive for help, but he couldn’t do that, and he didn’t dare leave Clark alone anyway. 

It must have been an hour before they heard anything, a low rumble of an engine, the headlights of an oncoming car shown on the accident. 

Pete ran to get their help but froze in his tracks when he saw who the driver was. 

“Lex?” 

Lex Luthor stepped out of his car, rushing towards Pete. 

“What happened? Are you alright?” he asked, concern etched on his face as he observed the abandoned truck and pile of rocks scattered on the road.

“Uh, not exactly. My truck broke down and then...there must have been an earthquake or something because the rocks got loose,” Pete walked Lex over to the side where Clark lay, a heavy layer of sweat mixed with blood covering him.

“Oh my god, Clark?” Are you okay?” he asked squatting down to his eye level.

Clark’s distant gaze drifted over him, “Hmmm,”

“We can’t lift it. I tried everything and I can’t get a hold of anybody, no service.”

Lex nodded and tossed his own personal cell to Pete, “This should work, you should call the Kent’s.” 

Pete dialed Johnathan, no answer. He left a quick voicemail just out of Clark and Lex’s earshot, “Clark’s in trouble, his powers aren’t working, I think we need help.” Pete spared another worried glance at his friend before filling him in on their location. 

“Went to voicemail.” Pete informed Lex approaching the two of them.

“Well, let’s hope he checks that soon. In the meantime let’s get an ambulance up here, and, I don’t know the procedure, but a really big truck too? We have to get Clark out from there.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I know, it’s just- it wasn’t supposed to be him… It was supposed to be me, Clark saw the rocks starting to fall and pushed me out of the way, it was supposed to be me,” he repeated. 

Lex came up to Pete and looked him straight in the eyes, “You can’t control what Clark does, it wasn’t your fault. You know Clark, he’s always the first to jump to save somebody.”

Pete nodded, but still feeling the overwhelming sense of guilt mixed with regrets. 

Clark’s face was drained of all life, the meteor rock not helping the tint. Lex returned to Clark’s side, trying to think of something to say to encourage the kid. “You’re doing good Clark, help’s coming shortly. You’re getting out of this.”

Clark swallowed and nodded, hardly able to hear Lex over his rapid heartbeat. He never knew so much pain existed, without his skin like steel- he was open quite literally to a world of pain. Lex was unable to hide his concern, it was obvious Clark’s mental state was deteriorating, and he looked sick, like really sick. Then again the boulder was bigger than a truck, part of Lex wondered how Clark was even still alive, but he knew that as with everything surrounding Clark, there was a mystery, but quite frankly the mystery of Clark Kent was the furthest thing from Lex’s mind, only worry for his friend remained. 

It wasn’t long before Pete emerged with Johnathan at his heels. He rushed to his son, unable to form any words. 

“Dad?” Clark asked in between deep breaths, a calming trick Lex had shown him, it wasn’t helping much at the moment. 

Johnathan smiled through his own pain of seeing his kid trapped, “I’m here.” 

Clark began to break down, it had been hours since he’d been powerless against the meteor rock laced boulder that was crushing him. With his loose arm, Clark tried to cover his tear-stained face, it was all too much. “It hurts, worse than anything I’ve ever felt,” he choked out a sob.

“I know son. I’m sorry.” Johnathan squeezed his eyes shut and took Clark’s hand in his, Clark leaned into the warm pressure. 

“You’re gonna be okay.” 

“I can’t move- Dad, I- I can’t move,” Clark’s shoulders trembled with fear, his mind racing, he would die here. Killed by a rock. Was that all that was meant for him?

“Hey, hey, I’m here.” Johnathan repeated until Clark’s breathing started to stabilize. 

Johnathan did his best to comfort Clark as they awaited the emergency responders, everyone at the accident had tried to lift the boulder, but they were no match. They would just have to wait for a truck. As Johnathan lay holding his son he thought back to when he first found Clark, he was all alone. He wasn’t now. He would never be alone again, not if Johnathan had anything to say about it. He’s so young- he had so much life left to live. 

“Hey! I think help’s here!” Pete shouted overlooking the hill.

Johnathan smiled down at his son, “Do you hear that? We’re gonna get you out, Clark. You’re gonna be just fine.”

Clark didn’t respond which made Lex and Johnathan’s stomach drop. “Come on Clark, stay with me,” Johnathan said trying to control his own breathing. 

Lex took a step back, he couldn’t watch his friend die. He had seen so much in his life, so much pain, his own mother, he couldn’t are to witness another person he loved die in front of him. 

It didn’t take long for the equipment to be set up to get Clark out, with all the people working and now the trucks, the boulder was moved. 

Clark hissed in pain from the movement, now fully aware of what was happening. Relieved from the pressure and contact with the rock Clark’s mindfully focused on the toll that such long exposure to the meteor rock had taken on him, normally it didn’t even take minutes after separating with it for him to start to heal, but Clark continued to feel worse than ever before. 

His head lolled in place as they loaded him onto a stretcher, Johnathan staying by his side. Pete and Lex stood dazed in place before Lex offered to take Pete to the hospital to see Clark later.  Lex flagged down Johnathan before the ambulance took off, “Mr. Kent! I want you to know that you don’t have to worry about medical bills, Clark will get the best care that is offered. “

“You really don’t have to do that,”

“I insist.”

Johnathan nodded, appreciative of Lex’s offer, but now terrified about what the Doctor could find out about Clark, but he was still human now, so Johnathan hoped that he would stay that way until they would leave the hospital. 

Pete apologized to Clark for the millionth time, but Clark just continued to tell him that it wasn’t needed. 

“We need to get you to the hospital now Mr. Kent,” one of the paramedics told Clark, Pete took a step back to make room for Clark’s father to join his son. Johnathan nodded a thanks to him before loading in.

Clark was already starting to look marginally better, no longer on death’s door at least. “Thanks, Dad.” he smiled. “For being there,” 

“Always son,” Johnathan kept his hand comforting on Clark’s shoulder, never would he have thought that he would have to witness his son so close to death, that was one of the perks of having an indestructible alien son, no danger. But that was never Clark’s style, and Johnathan had to accept that. 

“Next time you need a ride, call me.”

[danielbernardgray]

Howdy!

Are you available now?

Yes

Jus feeding my cat carrots

Do your cats always eat carrots?

No I discovered this a few week ago

How you doing?

I'm well

drinking coffee out of the mug you made me. When I want a non-giant amount of coffee I often opt for the Cat Lover Like No Other mug

Nooooo are you really?!

Awwww

That makes me so happy

I would send a pic but that would slow down the conversation

Lol no it’s fine

is it snowing? I saw snow pics from London

Nope not today but yesterday it was

we had one day of snow, but nothing stuck in our area

What do I do?! Act natural?!

No don't act natural! That'd be the worst thing you could do!

kidding

bad joke

Ffs I am like freaking out do I be me or less me

Well anyhow...

Lol

http://rosalieschweiker.info

Is this a virus?

lol, probably not

She's an artist and has a really nice website

Oh ok

click on it and click on work

you'll get an idea of some of what i want to do with this conversation

Ok ok I see

"it's difficult - I'd like the website to be accessible, but I also want it to be confusing."

Yes that’s true

I have no problem admitting that i'm going to straight up steal this idea

I think the artist wouldn't mind

Lol no it’s a good idea and we won’t be saying the same shit will we

part of the idea is simply that so many artist websites are nearly identical, which is a weird thing for artists to do, do the same website over and over

but maybe not that weird actually

No idea is original anymore

the other thing i'm doing is adding material to my website on a semi-daily basis, to coincide with a show I'm currently in at Texas State University

I thought conversations would be an interesting thing to include, but i also didn't want the conversations to be just about my work, because that seems really self-centered and egotistical

(disregard the obvious contradiction of this appearing on MY website)

Well any type of conversation would do right? It’s all an insight into you whether it’s indirect or directly related to your practice

Probably anything I post will be interpreted as being part of my practice, so yeah, we can talk about anything but i did have a few things in mind.

ok

Let me start with the first thing

We should probably do something of an introduction. Can you post your name, and a link to the clay studio you started just in time for the global pandemic?

Hi I’m Kiran Sattar and I run a little clay studio in Derbyshire, U.K. you can find me on Facebook at @KikiClayStudio and on insta @kiransattarart

as I understand it you were having groups of people come in and make things in your studio, and often they had never touched clay before, right?

or at least not since they were in grade school

Yes! So I ran a range of workshops some one-off ones and others were weekly clay dates with people who found a passion for ceramics and attended each week. We did kids workshops, 1:1s, family workshops and couple ones too. Basically anything you can think of related to clay

A lot of people (mostly the older generation) did clay at school like 40 years ago and they never had an opportunity to do it again ‘til they found me

at least compared to many other art making endeavors, clay/ceramics tends to be something that is often done in a group setting

Yes it’s great to make it in to a social thing, making friends, talking out ideas

Do you have objects that you've made that end up having, or prompting, direct memories of the people you were with when you made the object? Does that work its way into the object?

yes, definitely

Most of its quite random things, I remember vaguely as a child my mum took me somewhere and it was my first experience with clay. I made a little hedgehog and a rabbit

I still have them

I guess that means there's vague memories in the hedgehog and rabbit. I'm not sure what that means, but it sounds nice.

It’s nice to think I was destined to play with clay

the older generation people that came into your studio, would they ever talk about the things they made when they were in school?

They would make the generic stuff pinch pots, hand built bowls. Some had schools with wheels so they’d attempt to make pots, cups and bowls but nothing “usable”. So they enjoy having a chance to have another go.

"usable" is interesting

would they use that term themselves?

Sorry, should have said “functional” ceramics but yes they would have said usable

I'm trying to tease out of myself what's interesting about the nothing usable phrase

Maybe cause people assume it’s always about making something useful/usable? What good is a lump of fired clay if it’s not a cup?

Sitting beside me (actually now right in front of me) is a fired lump of clay that Chris Powell fired for me in my last couple of months of grad school

Ahahahha is it useful?

It's too light to even be a paperweight, zero function

There you go!

but it has loads of memory attachments to it

which to me makes it as usable (or useful?) as the mug you made me

Ahhhh yes ok

And when I say it has loads of memory attachments i think I mean that it makes me think of Chris Powell

more to the point it's an attachment point to a specific human, and a really delightful human at that.

Definitely!

same as the aforementioned mug

I have all sorts of treasures from him that I’ll cherish

I don't believe in ghosts, not in the conventional way the term is understood, but I see no reason why someone's ghost can't be running around and doing things before they die. Preemptively ghosting around seems like it should be totally possible

I guess I understand that? When I lived in my TX apartment I swear I used to trip over my cat

Ohhhh

if a ghost is some sort of essence or remaining traces of a person, to me it makes sense that all you really need is to no longer be in the geographic presence of that person to be able to feel or encounter those traces

Like in dreams? You see loved ones who have passed away?

yeah, but wouldn't you also dream about people who are still alive in Manchester when you were living in Fort Worth? I'm not sure how different that is from the occasional dream I'll have where I'm spending time with my Finnish grandfather, who has been dead now for 15 years

When I got back here or like over holidays at home I would dream of all of you.. well mostly Hayley and I swear I could actually hear her voice

I can’t remember any from being there dreaming of here

If I did, they were in TX with me in the dream but actually in the U.K.

I think I have enough to work with here, conversation as material

I need to go in a minute

thanks for talking with me

I'll let you know when I've posted it. Might not be today's entry but it'll go up soon

Awesome! Thanks Daniel this was fun!

yeah I had fun too

toodles

[primadonnatartuffe]

-- invincibleDetective [ID] began bothering primadonnaTartuffe [PT] at 14:26 --

ID: Hello, hello. Telephone ring.

PT: moshi moshi ryan desu.

ID: Well howdy there, lil lady. I don't suppose you're Ryan's answering AI.

PT: lmao sure. also im japanese for some reason.

ID: Pretty witty for an answering machine.

PT: pretty and witty... much like ryan herself amirite?

ID: The better to take her messages with.

ID: This is. A beautiful stranger.

PT: oh my... im highlighting this information. ryans weak for beautiful strangers.

PT: what kind of message can i relay for you beautiful stranger?

ID: Just ask if she's avaliable for the coffee we promised to meet up for.

ID: Donuts are included. With and without the holes.

PT: well i just so happen to have access to her schedule and it looks like she is good to go on that front.

PT: also highlighting the bit about holes. an important distinction.

PT: youll see her at the coffee can. ;)

ID: Important in the way I wouldn't dare mention when discussing donuts.

ID: Let her know I'm here already.

PT: shell be there momentarily~!

RYAN: *ryan pockets her comm as she enters the coffee can, peeking around until she spots jack. it's easy enough, he sticks out like a sore thumb. she ambles up behind him and plarps him right on the head, mussing with his hair.* here i am.

JACK: *Do not plarp. But also do. Jack accepts the muss of his hair, even if it sends his shades askew. All the more reason to pluck them off and tuck them into his shirt. Angles himself until he's facing her, grey eyes vacant but searching still.* Oh good.

JACK: Sometimes strangers get familiar. It happens.

RYAN: *stupid pretty grey eyes. at least she can stare and he won't know. she slips into a seat next to him.* i know how it is.

RYAN: who wouldnt wanna get familiar with all this? *gestures at self.*

RYAN: by the way im gesturing at my killer bod.

JACK: Might need to demonstrate a little better. Only so much left to the imagination. *makes himself snort and plucks a donut hole up from the cup. Offers it out to her and chews.* 'Nut hole?

RYAN: *grins and takes it* im always a sucker for a good nut.

RYAN: the hole kind or otherwise.

JACK: Take your pick. They're frosting filled. *Having too much straight-faced fun here. He should probably be stopped.*

RYAN: *SNRK* id have them no other way??? *nibbles a donut hole.*

RYAN: thinly veiled sexual innuendo aside... whats up?

JACK: Nothing much. Having some coffee. Having a donut. *munch munch* Spoke with Finn yesterday.

JACK: He was... a little bent out of shape.

RYAN: *frowns, pausing before she speaks again.* is he alright?

JACK: I think so. He wasn't at first. But he's alright. *sips him coffee.* Did you want to order something?

RYAN: huh? oh right. ill get something in a second.

RYAN: what was bugging him?

JACK: Something about... not feeling like he was fit to look after Sofia. *blinks and frowns, looking much like his more somber self.* He was ready to take her to the adoption agency.

RYAN: whaaaat? *frowns too* man come on finn.

RYAN: hes great with her.

RYAN: and its pretty obvious she makes him really happy too.

JACK: Whatever the case... it was also pretty obvious he needed to sit down and reevaluate what he was doing.

JACK: Good thing he did. *mutters* He would have had a lot of regrets, otherwise.

RYAN: yeah... thats a relief. *shakes her head.*

RYAN: poor finn... always going through something.

JACK: But he always makes it through. *offers her a smile* Have you talked with him lately?

RYAN: oh yeah. i was at his place the other day to meet sofia. *kinda zones out thinking about it.*

JACK: What did you think of little miss Helen of Troy? *sips again*

RYAN: *laughs at the nickname.* i fucking adore her.

JACK: Of course you do. It's all a part of the ploy.

RYAN: hey... i know all about that.

RYAN: im plotting to take her under my wing. who better to teach her how to weaponize her good looks than her cool aunt ryan?

JACK: Well. I would nominate cool Uncle Jack but I think I'll settle with teaching her poker.

RYAN: *snickers* thats an important skill too.

JACK: I daresay the two skills are interchangable.

RYAN: we oughta team up then. ;)

JACK: *Oblivious to the actual winks but hears it in her tone of voice.* Good thing I've got the best of both worlds. At least, I like to think I do.

JACK: Confidence is the true power in this world.

RYAN: agreed.

RYAN: for what its worth i still think youre pretty damn handsome.

RYAN: just a little disheveled. *snrk*

RYAN: but hey. same. not that you can tell.

JACK: The hair seems to be working better for you though. *reaches a hand out to feel* May I?

RYAN: go for it. *leans towards him, definitely not blushing.*

JACK: *gently paps his hand in the air around her hair. Nodding as he gets a visual for the style.* Looking good.

JACK: It must be the face frame.

RYAN: oh thanks. *grinning to herself.* i kinda miss my long hair though.

JACK: How long have you had it short for? *smiling too and withdraws his hand. Feeling for his coffee again.* Any special reason?

RYAN: ah hmm... *her tone changes a little, like it's not the most comfortable subject for some reason.* ive been keepin it short for a little less than a year?

RYAN: *shrugs* no particular reason except... maintaining all that hair was like WAY too much work for me at the time.

RYAN: actually i got kinda frustrated and just.

RYAN: chopped it off. there it go.

JACK: Kind of the inverted reasoning behind my own hairstyle choice. *Listens to the change in her tone.* At some point, I stopped caring.

RYAN: hey it works for you too. even if i wanna take a comb to it. *manages to smile again.*

JACK: You aren't the first one. I hear it drives my dad batshit. *returns her smile in kind* It's the small victories.

RYAN: *laughs about that.* aww i miss your dad. i should drop in on the fam sometime...

RYAN: reminds me tho. i talked to rory the other day. *nibbles another donut hole.*

JACK: He's back in town already? I heard he was on Earth... lucky rascal.

JACK: What did he say?

RYAN: heeee...

RYAN: was informing me that someone was looking for me.

RYAN: ...

RYAN: my ex girlfriend.

RYAN: kinda came as some shock to me cuz i thought she was through with my ass lol.

JACK: *raises his eyebrows* That does sound shocking.

JACK: And for Rory of all people to come across her. The chances?

RYAN: its fucking weird. haha.

RYAN: i guess she just wants to make sure i havent fallen off the wagon or whatever. which is cool. not really her problem but yeah. its cool.

JACK: Have you spoken with her?

RYAN: mmm... nooo...

JACK: *Ryan...* Are you going to?

RYAN: *DEEPEST SIGH OF ALL* yeah... i gotta.

RYAN: its just awkward!! we didnt leave each other on the best note.

RYAN: and im kind of exhausted from all this reconciling shit.

RYAN: ive barely even scratched the surface though. like ive still got this extensive list of people i need to see and shit i need to talk about. bluh.

JACK: Not that I'm one to push another on making those kinds of decisions. *hums* I just hope it works out for you... once you get around to it.

JACK: But I know it's difficult.

RYAN: i mean... to be fair its worked out pretty well for me so far even if its emotionally taxing.

RYAN: its just... scary too.

RYAN: taking that first step.

JACK: You deserve to. *says with a nod. Taps the lid of his coffee.* And if anything... here's to hoping your ex understands.

RYAN: yeah... *glances at him.* heres hoping.

JACK: *tilts his head, wondering.* Do you want to talk about her?

RYAN: *seems a little surprised by the question.* not really.

RYAN: ... okay kind of.

JACK: Maybe you can drop her a message. Without necessarily speaking, face to face.

RYAN: that could work.

RYAN: it might piss her off though if she came all the way to skaia.

RYAN: not that its super inconvenient but still.

RYAN: i dunno.

RYAN: shes really grouchy lol.

JACK: What I mean to say is... it can be a process. Building up to a face-to-face encounter.

RYAN: yeah... guess that could work. *takes a deep breath, trying to rationalize.*

JACK: *drums his fingers against the table* Grouchy, huh.

RYAN: haha yeah. real attitude problem.

RYAN: but she was always looking after my ass even if she had to make remarks all the time.

RYAN: i think ive got a thing for sass.

JACK: *finds himself smiling again* And her name? Don't think you mentioned it.

RYAN: *stop that smiling... illegal.* oh yeah.

RYAN: its nona.

JACK: I can't believe it... *appears astonished* Your celebrity couple name is Rynona.

RYAN: *snorts* catchy huh?

RYAN: but like i said... she got fed up with my bullshit.

JACK: Maybe she doesn't see it that way.

RYAN: haha maybe? i dunno how else she would though.

RYAN: i was making her miserable. *stares down at the table*

JACK: *Hesitates. Wondering how qualified he actually was to give her talk to her on this particular topic. It had to go either one of two ways. Hyper-qualified, or severely underqualified. Fuck.* What you were going through... wasn't you. The way your mind was.

JACK: All of that's happened already. It's done. What you're left with now is a perspective... but not facts. Or the whole truth.

JACK: Just remember... Nona has the other half of the experience.

RYAN: *looks up at him, brows knit as she listens. there's a lot of emotion bubbling up remembering her experiences, remembering all the damage she did, and there's something bittersweet hearing this kind of reassurance from jack. she hopes he believes those things about himself, too. he seems pretty well put together from her perspective, which makes it a little easier to put her restless thoughts to bed when they're usually so adamant to convince her that her own illnesses were all that she was.*

RYAN: *she reaches over to take his hand, giving it a squeeze. she can't help the sniffles coming on, but it's a blessing he can't see her watery blood shot eyes. very attractive.* when did you get so smart? geez.

RYAN: *exhales* thanks jackie.

JACK: *Some melancholy feeling spreads in his chest with the nickname. He hadn't heard it in a while and coupled with the gentle squeeze of her hand, the feeling twists in his heart like a corkscrew. Awful but thankfully, present.* I just...

JACK: Had to stop living like I was. Letting myself think how I was.

JACK: I'm not smarter. Just more aware of the poison.

RYAN: *smooths her thumb over his hand. she doesn't want to let go.* im really proud of you.

JACK: *the sad twists persist* That's my line.

RYAN: heheh... i just straight up plagiarized you.

RYAN: you deserve to hear it too.

JACK: *He exhales, doing away with the impulse to disagree.* ...Thank you.

JACK: But it's not my ex we were gabbing about.

RYAN: well?? i mean?? *TECHNICALLY... she snickers a little, but then reality hits her again when it occurs to her this might be a good time to segue into other things she needs to talk to people about... she should at least bring it up. put it on the table where they all can see it.*

RYAN: ... um.

RYAN: hey... on the note of... hashing things out with folks...

RYAN: ... now probably isnt the time and here probably isnt the place but... do you think we could??

RYAN: well.

RYAN: you know...

RYAN: urgh. *DEEP BREATH.* can we talk about what happened between us?

RYAN: sometime?

JACK: *He's blind, Ryan. Every place looks the same to Jack. But still he blinks, acutely aware of their hands still touching. He would glance down at them if he could.* Talk about it... *echoes, feeling the uncertainty creeping on him.*

JACK: We can talk. Any time.

RYAN: *WELL SHE'S NOT BLIND. nor is she blind to the unease. it's difficult for her too.* any time??? okay... cool.

RYAN: thats good to know.

JACK: *Unconsciously, he feels his hand withdrawing again.* Sorry. I was just...

JACK: Never completely sure what I would say.

RYAN: yeah i mean... me neither. *feels him pulling away and awkwardly retracts her hand as well.*

RYAN: i just thought it might be... helpful? maybe.

RYAN: it might be helpful for me.

RYAN: but i dont know about you.

RYAN: ... i know were okay but theres still a lot weighing on my mind.

RYAN: there are a lot of...

RYAN: ????

RYAN: feelings?

RYAN: in my feeling place.

RYAN: ... for fucks sake.

JACK: *Despite his hesitation, he does nod. Chuckling weakly.* Feelings in the feeling place. An accurate way to describe it.

JACK: In all honesty, I'm not much better than you about it.

RYAN: *laughs too, nervously.* cool. in that case maybe we can like... flounder through the conversation together.

JACK: Ideally, that's how I would execute the thing.

RYAN: alright so weve got a game plan.

JACK: More or less. *sighs, trying not to let some stray thoughts snag him into a loop of things.* But...

JACK: You know I don't hold anything against you. Right? *frowns into some distance* Everything that happened... came out of the circumstance.

JACK: The timing was bad... everything... but the feelings were bad.

RYAN: i-- *swallows, her expression softening.* yeah i know.

RYAN: like... i /know/ but i guess i still... worry about it.

JACK: Why? *eyes flicker to her as if he can really see her for a second. But the look dissolves away soon enough.*

RYAN: *plays with the donut hole cup, shrugging. she didn't notice him looking at her.* sometimes i worry that im... too much for people to handle.

RYAN: when you were already going through so much.

RYAN: like realistically i know it wasnt my fault? we both had our shit.

RYAN: but i still wish i couldve helped more. i didnt wanna drag you down i wanted-- to work through it with you. *rubs at her eyes with her palm.* i dont feel that way very often?? even now.

RYAN: its... probably dumb to dwell on it. im trying not to.

JACK: *closes his eyes, letting himself card through the blink of memories. Anything he could remember in the dull, dreary haze he lived in before.* It's not dumb to dwell on it. I broke up with us... feeling as if I was fulfilling the failure I had set us out for.

JACK: It was wrong to enter the relationship like that. But I wanted so fucking desperately to feel like I could have something for myself. But I was wrong.

JACK: I never felt like I deserved you. So us... the relationship... was lost long before I could even let myself have it.

JACK: That was my mistake.

JACK: Not yours.

RYAN: *it's a lot to process, and she's quiet while she does so. it hurts to know she really had been shut out from the beginning, but it makes sense, and she knows as much as she wanted to open up to him too, she didn't know how.*

RYAN: jack...

RYAN: i still-- *swallows down her own words. rephrases.*

RYAN: i miss you.

JACK: *There's a tightness in his throat, but Jack doesn't let it get in the way of what he's trying to say. If anything, he smiles. Weary for the world.* I miss... being able to make you laugh just by being around.

JACK: If I'm nothing else. I'd like to be that again.

RYAN: *catches a couple tears that manage to fall, a watery laugh tumbling out of her.* of course you can baby. you always were.

RYAN: nothing could change the fact that you just...

RYAN: make me really happy.

JACK: Then I'm glad. *Effortlessly it seems, he finds her hand again.* I don't need anything else.

RYAN: *tangles her hand up in his, holding them up to her cheek for something to rest against. she shuts her eyes, making no attempt to stop her tears now.* me too.

JACK: *It's easier to focus on the stream of her tears than the well threatening to press from his own. But he lets his hand linger.* I can't say for sure. But you're probably smudging your make-up.

RYAN: *giggles softly, huffing a relieved sigh.* i dont care.

JACK: Fine by me.

JACK: Can't exactly tell the difference.

RYAN: *nuzzles against his hand.* if anything it adds to the recovering burn out aesthetic i got going on right now. you know im always a slut for Aesthetic.

JACK: Hey. Same here. *uses the free hand to skirt the shades onto himself.*

RYAN: hahah fuck. we look like we came out of a quentin tarantino movie or some shit.

JACK: Now that's what I call aesthetic. *sits there a moment contemplating.* Hm.

JACK: I wonder.

JACK: Did you go on many dates besides Nona?

RYAN: dates? nah... not really.

RYAN: fucked around plenty before her but uh.

RYAN: even with her we just kinda fell into it.

JACK: Bad to the bone. *but he sounds admiring.* Can't say I had the same luck.

JACK: Must have been the summer of crocs.

RYAN: oh jesus.

RYAN: please tell me that phase has passed.

JACK: It's hard to say. I don't know what my shoes look like nowadays.

RYAN: then you wont notice when i banish them to the shadow realm.

JACK: Unfortunately not.

RYAN: a win win for everybody. *grins*

RYAN: poor jackie tho... hes overdue for a hot date.

JACK: I'm just one guy. Living in a dark sexually frustrated world.

JACK: Surprised I made it this far.

RYAN: you cant even see the sexy babes all around you?? i cant being to imagine how difficult that must be.

RYAN: especially when the sexiest babe of them all is right in front of you.

JACK: With a voice that can raise the dead. *nods knowingly* Among other things.

JACK: This is the part where you sensually whisper, "Yard sard."

RYAN: fuck.

RYAN: do i make your yard sard????

JACK: My yard is apeshit bananas sard.

JACK: Here let me just... *takes out his comm...*

RYAN: *peeps over his shoulder curiously.* ... oh my god.

RYAN: so youre putting out a personal ad now huh?

JACK: Just as I suspected. *places the comm right at her.* Nothing.

RYAN: *TYPING WITH HER OTHER HAND* wow what a bummer.

RYAN: *snrks againt jack's shoulder at him teasing finn. a national pass time.*

JACK: *Honestly.* Finn is a national treasure.

RYAN: love that boy.

JACK: Gotta.

RYAN: *softly singing milkshake now.*

JACK: *snickering at all his own stupid jokes. An excellent use of his time.*

RYAN: *aww. he's so cute when he's smiling and having a good time. it's so nice to see. don't mind her if she just keeps admiring him while leaned against him.*

JACK: There's that. *stows the comm away in his shirt pocket.* Remind me to try again later.

RYAN: you got it.

RYAN: ill just have to keep you company until you can a response.

RYAN: **get?? wtf are my typos today

JACK: The ultimate wingman.

RYAN: im actually a really shitty wingman as i tend to draw all the attention to myself so... sorry in advance.

JACK: Wow. *sounds bemused*

JACK: I can safely say I did not see that coming.

RYAN: do you feel betrayed?

JACK: Envious. But I'm sure it's a sight to behold.

RYAN: *snorts.* if its any consolation im not really interested in bringing all the boys and girls to my yard right now.

RYAN: (test)

JACK: (( test ))

RYAN: (YE)

JACK: Well...

JACK: As they say.

JACK: More milkshake for you.

RYAN: *smirks at him* do they say that?

JACK: They're pretty wise for their age, I hear.

RYAN: well its a good saying. this milkshake is too tasty to share with just anybody tbh.

JACK: Write this on the reviews. That Jack Crocker remembered it fondly.

RYAN: oh yeah im sure you did. living in that dark sexually frustrated world of yours.

RYAN: very fondly.

JACK: In my defense. I have nothing else to use for comparison.

RYAN: do you need anything else? ;)

JACK: An ice pack. *he's so smug*

RYAN: you need a full blown cold shower.

RYAN: you know you really are repressed. we opened up this whole evening with nut holes.

JACK: You could say...

JACK: ...

JACK: We've come full circle.

RYAN: ...

RYAN: god.

RYAN: dammit.

JACK: *lowkey knifecat.jpeg*

RYAN: *snickers...* hey did you have any other plans for today?

JACK: Nothing that can't be rearranged or postponed.

JACK: Why do you ask?

RYAN: i was wondering if i could walk you back to your place... and just hang out there for a while?

JACK: That sounds like a plan. *starts to rise out of his chair* I think Sage recently bought a remastered copy of One Hundred and One Dalmations.

JACK: Let's break that in for her.

RYAN: ooh i like the sound of that. *stands with him, looping their arms.*

JACK: *lets her take the lead* Then we can go for some Dominos. The pizza and the tabletop game.

RYAN: youre just full of great ideas. *smiles, absolutely content as she leads him out of the coffee shop and back to his place.*

[sevenmothz]

my kh3 experience

howdy guys, been a long ass time since i’ve written any of my own posts on this here blog. part of it is because i just haven’t gamed a lot in the last few months, and part of it is i also haven’t used tumblr in a long time too. xD

anyway, i played through the story of kh3 the week it released and while i was doing all that gaming, i pretty much liveblogged on mine and my friend’s discord with all my immediate thoughts/feelings of the game (whether she as awake to lol @ my nonsense or not xD).

so, of course, i went through and typed up most of that shit and am copypasting it here for random strangers’ enjoyment!

naturally, there will be spoilers, so don’t look if you care about that shit.

AAAAHHH HIT ME WITH THE FEELS WITH JUST THE MUSIC Y’ALL the title PAIGE PAIGE PAGE FUCK

oh my ggooooodddd the new dearly beloved fuuuuuuck

ooh this place is pretty

oh boy there’s water oh man i bet this white place is gonna be a pain in my ass to get through fucking hollow bastion all over again

sora you’re so beautiful 😭

oh jesus do i really gotta do this stupid tutorial shit again at least now we are finally rid of that awful KH1 Sora model

hey it’s the tsunami from the frist game!

am i playing a diddly dang prequel of 3? are those FUCKIN’ LOADING SCREEN PAGES FUCKING INSTAGRAMS also lol sora got nerfed

aahhhh learning curves i hate have to get used to how this game handles

uh oh sora is worried about what xigbar said to him

eat shit, titan

also i’d like to say sora runs ridiculously fast now

sora’s such a brat “awww what about new clothes for meeeee??”

i can’t computer

SEA SALT ICE CREAM freaking lea looks amazing DONT CRY LEA HE WANNA GO BY AXEL NOW???

stop being a bitch, buzz buzz killyear

oh yeah so when playing olympus hades was all “IVE BEEN PLANNING THIS FOR 18 YEARS” it’s been 17 years since KH1 came out 18 since it was in development god kingdom hearts is a junior in high school

gdi rex stay put oh no buzz oh noes i’m in a video game lmao

omg a cactaur

yeah you go woody

oh how i miss timed events/reaction commands. makes dealing with these fuckers you gotta climb on top of a lot easier to deal with

square why don’t you have the gotdamn kh3 soundtrack on itunes i need to be able to listen to this title screen music ALL THE TIME

sully just fuckin’ chuck vanitas through a door like “NOT TODAY BITCH”

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH” — Sora

DON’T BE TALKING ABOUT YOUR CONNECTION TO POOH BEING WEAKER ; A ;

of course they’re gonna do let it go.. they really did the whole thing

climb all the way up the mountain and larxene blows us off of it rude

wow are they really gonna do all the songs or wut

keep forgetting i can switch keyblades

annnnd back down the goddamn mountains lmao sora is so done

srsly we’re going up again

damn this boss fight is epic makes the slog through the world worth it unlike the fuckin’ toy box boss hated that fucker oh no marshmallow

fuck off larxene let people be happy

lmao stfu ventus keep volunteering sora to resque aqua

demyx :<

oh hello piercings dude

these pirate nerds little pirate sora is so cute

yeesh that elizabeth voice is terrible

guh it’s always a slog getting through the disney story stuff cuz it’s just worse rehashings of the movies at least fransokyo will be new content never seen big hero 6 xD

o mai assassin’s creed lite

jack you dumb bitch

oh man davy jones voice is bad too

jesus that second luxurd battle fucking terrible

god i never through elizabeth’s speech could sound so terrible how can you let someone butcher one of the most iconic moments from the third movie so bad?

oh thank god the kraken is easy to beat

lmao luxurd taken out by jack’s breath

eat shive, dave

lmao vexen “gdi it’s a real heart organ” “WE NEED A METAPHORICAL HEART YOU ASSHOLES”

damn sora throwing hands i was wondering how sora woudl react to one of his disney pals dying wasn’t expecting bodily assault

oma lea axel* whatever i wanna see his new dudes

ansem gonna talk to ansem oh god kids do’t get killed oh boy what happening now nobodies fightin’ ansem the bad WHO DUN IT GDI oh it was vexen DOUBLE AGENT??? or is he. filTHY LIAR they’re not gonna tell me pricks

“omg a robot :D”

keyblade hero 3 omg sora why

omai visor oh wow chill music

baaah sora showin’ off

holy shit i found me a new fav strength weapon the keyblade from caribbean love it even more than the toybox one xD the fuckin’ formchanges are amaze

THAT AIN’T SEA SALT ICE CREAM <gasp> roxas rude

replica riku~

damn microbot was a pain in the ass

AQUAAAAAAA 😭😭😭😭😭

WOT WHAT NOMURAING THIS SHIT ALL UP is this groundhog day i s2g

is that gotdamn terra

yen sid can actually do shit

damn this a long endgame

ITS SORA AND RHE SORAS

ah there we go. good ol’ Plot Device Kairi and there i thought she’d be useful lmao man tho i seriously rolled my eyes when xehanort struck an unconscious kairi down i was just like “yeah that seem about right..” storywise, sora has such a stronger connection to riku barely talks to kairi lea talked to kairi more in one game than sora ever did in 9+ i’d ship kairi and lea if there wasn’t such an obvious age gap lmao and WHO THE FUCK IS THIS CHICK THAT DIAPPEARED ON LEA AND ISA? like is that answered in this game or was it answered in a previous game?

anyway

Roxas is a REAL BOY now

gotdamn those dudes were tough

fuck man barely gives me time to block stupid goat head lemme guess tho that isn’t the end of course not because kingdom hearts can’t just let us defeat him c’mon man let me reload my potions at least man fuck off with this boss shit motherfucker did you really just force me into rage form “I AM MORE POWERFUL EVEN THO YOU KILLED ME LIKE 2 TIMES”

omg donald and goofy’s voices from the controller speaker

just fucking die already

this bitch really thinking he was the good guy the whole time

jesus the x-blade is bigger than sora

mickey and donald finally get to be hoooome

axel and xion in their new clothes~ EVEN ISA

wut WUT SORA BOY DID YOU REALLY SACRIFICE YOURSELF FOR THIS BITCH

maleficent is gonna find that fucking box isn’t she and we’re not gonna see what is in it i’m guessing its the box the Master of Masters gave to his apprentice cuz that’s the only notable box in the series i can think of

but yeah this game this game was supposed to bring an end to the Xehanort saga so they fully intent to make moar games so we’ll get a new annoying big bad and more weird dumb lore

ok we’re getting into the dumb credits like PR manager and shit so i think they’re coming close to the end ihope never know until you start seeing the gotdamn logos

logos!

that fuckin’ xigbar THE OLD MASTERS fuck it is i knew it I KNEW HE HAD SOMETHING GOING ON i was betting he was master of masters but no it’s luxu

fak FUQ fuck off with your games eraqus

HELLO SORA and Riku THEY”RE IN INSOMNIA no wait verum rex GAH

ok the verum rex stuff was the secret movie I JUST HAVE MORE QUESTIONS AND VERY LITTLE ANSWERS DISAPPOINTED

what if Demyx is Master of Masters

Final Thoughts: me: there were pretty much no FF cameos so 0/10 AzuraSpyte: lol I give it a 5/10 for Axel alone me: lolol minus 1 for making him wear the organization coat the entire game