#i just want to ruin public perception

[theamazingannie]

Love the way people will simultaneously hate on celebrities for voicing opinions about politics because they aren’t educated enough on the topic and also condemn celebrities who don’t speak out about politics when they are clearly not the kind of person who is properly educated on the topic

[ladsofsorrow24]

i think from the recent chapter, fujimoto might touch on the aspect of celebrity/idol culture...

[aquarri]

.

[starwrighter]

1/?? Halloween prompt

I’ve got brain rot for creepy Deadserious content but only when it’s only seen as creepy by outsiders. (I know I’m writing a fic with a similar plot but it’s different I swear! Also my grammar is shit because I’m getting dental work done tomorrow and I’m nervous) Tw for stalker behavior

So Damian has a crush on Danny and immediately goes about acting on these feelings much to onlookers horror. Danny is swooning because someone made the effort to do a background check on him. Danny thinks Damian doing this is really smart because, he could be a serial killer for ancients sake why would you risk that? Others say this is a horrible invasion of privacy.

Damian not realizing he's being creepy (being liminal and being an ex assassin, turned vigilante wasn't doing him any favors) Plus Danny also not realizing it's creepy unless you relay Damian behavior towards him with different names.

Damian's just being a textbook stalker, breaking into his house and shit and Danny's all like "awwww he likes me" because this is just normal ghostly courting rituals! His dormroom isn't his lair so Damian breaking in doesn't feel like he's violating any sort of boundary. To him it's like a friend showing up at the coffee shop you work at to say hi.

Danny's had stalkers before, he's very cautious of his behavior to insure he never stalked anyone. Being stalked back in Amity was a horrific experience for him. From cameras in the locker rooms at school (wes) to cameras in his bathroom and bedroom at home (Vlad)! He couldn't feel safe anywhere! To Danny Damian's not a stalker, he's his protector. Nobody seems to understand when he tries to explain this though they just look at him like he's lost his mind.

Damian’s not subtle at all and Danny’s kicking his feet like a lovesick school girl who found out her crush likes her back. Overall it’s super cute from their points of view Damian’s planning an official confession to ask him on a date while Danny’s trying to figure out if Damian actually likes him or is just being nice. They’re just doing normal couple things but people just jump and attack Damian’s character while painting Danny as some kind of brainwashed victim.

The thing is… Danny’s become very good at appearing normal while Damian refuses to pretend to be a bumbling idiot like the rest of his family. He also refuses to dull down his personality for anything other than secret identity reasons. For these reasons since their relationship had become public, Damian had been painted by the media as a creepy possessive boyfriend who threatened Danny into a relationship. This infuriates Danny, the only one doing any kind of possession is him god damn it!

They want to be around each other all the time and that’s normal behavior for ghost/liminal couples! They live much longer than regular humans do they’re like elves, their perceptions of time are messed up. They still spend time apart they still have hobbies and an independent life, people just get hung up on the amount of time they do spend together. It’s normal behavior for them to know mountains of information about each others interests to the point they almost know more than each other. It’s normal to know each other’s schedules and background check the people they associate with. (The realms are very dangerous with shapeshifters and manipulators like spectra and Desiree who can ruin your afterlife in a matter of minutes) Their relationship is creepy to those who haven’t gone to extremes to survive.

Damian has taken to ignoring the reputation press has given him. He’s dealt with paparazzi and tabloids before it’s just frustrating to deal with. It’s when people start accusing him of hurting his beloved that really pisses him off.

(Bonus if Danny’s the one frothing at the mouth to maul a reporter while they try to paint him as a poor innocent victim)

I’mma end the prompt with this so everyone understands why Damian specifically being targeted by press. The more liminal you are the more creepy/uncanny you appear to other people and the more effort you have to put in to hide it. It’s why the bats are more believed to be Eldritch creatures than actual humans in suits. Surprisingly becoming a Halfa completely changes this effect to do the complete opposite. It’s easier for the human brain to look at a halfa and think “Innocent or normal,” Vlad and Danny were morons when it came to actually hiding their identity’s it was only their statuses as halfa’s that prevented people from comprehending them being anything other than normal.

In short Damian’s too dead to be perceived as normal while Danny’s too alive to be perceived as anything other than normal.

[msfantasy-comics]

The Opposites Attract

Dick Grayson x Reader

Summary: A Head Cannon on which Dick Grayson and Y/n oppose each other yet remain wholly compatible.

Warning: Y/n is depicted as angsty and a little feral. 

Masterlist - Tip Jar

Opposites attract they say.

Yet Dick and Y/n are such polar opposites surely their difference outweigh each other.

Despite it all, the two love birds gravitate each other due to their completing differences.

Extrovert vs. Introvert

Dick is insanely outgoing and is recharged by socialising. His perfect setting is in a crowded rowdy rooms where the conversation moves like wildfire. Wild and Abrupt.

Y/n on the other hand, prefers a quite space with one-on-one conversations.

In typical extraverted fashion. Dick adopts the introverted Y/n and encourages her to step outside her comfort zone and talk to others.

But it’s just not in her nature.

How the hell are you meant to jump into a conversation?

How are you meant to have a say on a topic when three other people are talking over each other to get their 2 cents in?

You gave up almost immediately and retreated back to your safe corner always from the shoulder bashing and elbow jabbing walk way.

Dick was initially disappointed to see you give up so quickly until he noticed that you were carrying on your socialising in your own way.

You sat silently as strangers poured their heart out to you.

Silently nodding and humming in agreement every now and then before the person sighed, thanked you for listening and walked off.

Dick really admires that about you.

Dick: “Need some company.”

Y/n: “Only if you bring me the good vibes.”

Optimist vs. Pessimist

Dick is a buzzing bundle of bountiful energy.

Dick is never short on absurdly positive outcomes despite all odds indicating otherwise.

Why live in a delusional state? You know the realities of life.

And the reality is that life can be shit and it doesn’t turn out well for everyone no matter how much they try or desperately scramble to achieve their hopes.

Hope is pointless.

There is just something obnoxiously wonderful about Dick.

How is it that your boy wonder lights a flame in you that fills you with certainty that all will be right as long as he is here?

You greatly admire how infectious Dicks positivity can be.

Y/n: “Why keep sending them to Arkham only to escape and ruin lives? Might as well just put an end to their burdensome presence.”

Dick: “Oh honey nooooo. Everyone deserves a chance at redemption. Snuffing out the life of a person doesn’t solve the root of the issue.”

Y/n: “Who cares! Nothing matters in the end anyway, we will all die and become obsolete. Only to let the next generation bitch and moan about the inequality of it all.”

Dick: “Ah, my precious little sunshine can be such a downer, yes you can.”

*Condescendingly pinches cheeks*

Secretive vs. Open

Dick just wants the best of both worlds.

To be the figure head for heroism, hope, peace and safety, without an of the consequences of having your image publicly known.

Dick would never want to endanger the lives of those around him due to his passions in crime fighting.

Therefore, he must maintain the secrecy of the bat and the mask.

You, however, don’t understand how or why your boy wonder hides his true identity.

It’s not like Dick Grayson is an every day normal civilian.

He’s a fricken heir to Gotham wealthiest philanthropist.

It’s not like he doesn’t have any privacy on either alter egos.

But the Bats secret is not your own to share.

So instead you live freely by your own rules.

You admit your identities and aren’t afraid to show the public your true self.

You honestly couldn’t care less about public perception.

Dick, admires your unapologetic lifestyle.

Aggressive Random: “You shouldn’t -“

Y/n: “Piss Off- no one asked you.”

Dick: “Ah sweetie… maybe you should listen to what they have to say.”

Y/n: “I couldn’t give a rats!”

[annabelle--cane]

Wild weird theory: What if Mr. Bonzo is a sort of tulpa brought to life by the public? It was sustained by the clamor of them wanting to see more, then he says "In the minds of the public, Mr. Bonzo was completely changed." He says people think of him and Mr. Bonzo is never far behind.

In addition because I can't stop thinking about it, what if Mr. Bonzo works by getting someone's name. Originally it was made to embarrass big names, famous people. Nigel said it was for the best that he didn't get Gwen's name, and to hand over the envelope of someone's information. Like a reverse slenderman. You don't have to think of it because it's already thinking of you.

I really think you're onto something, especially with that first point. I saw a post going around last week that I think I forgot to reblog (;-;) (please send it to me if you know what I'm talking about!) (EDIT: this post by @theboombutton) that said the evil dice that kill you don't work like actual dice, they work like a gambler's idea of how dice should work, with good streaks and bad streaks and extremely statistically unlikely incidents of snake eyes. in archives, lots of stuff ran on dream logic and the fears were always shaped by people's perceptions, but I think we might be seeing an accelerated version of that in protocol. if you think hard enough about the ruins of the magnus institute, you might just start hearing more about them.

[spade-riddles]

The album and the Matty Healy of it all; the Allegory and a literary breakdown for you all :)

As an english girly, I am having the most fun dissecting this album. She wrote her entire story into the album. It’s an allegory, each song has two major interpretations, one is the obvious (matty/joe/travis/PATERNITY TEST) whereas the other is her truth. This is a literary device that has been used in writing throughout history since forever. Everything about this album is so intentional, especially the Matty Healy of it all. This album has been planned so meticulously, every move she’s made with the beards has been to directly tie into the songs and the references. She needed a heavily documented example, she wants people to believe it, so when she burns it all down she can say “look at how easy is was to construct a narrative, hide an allegory within it and watch no one get it, it’s happened my whole life”, this is why this album is so much louder to all of us than the rest of them, because we have always seen the second story but now she’s making it more obvious. But they will get it, the story in this album is so strong, she’s coming out and she’s made this so she can send people to look back at her music (lookin’ backwards/might be the only way to move forward- her entire catalogue is the manuscript) screaming “I told you, I laid it all out. You didn’t believe me!” This is the post mortem, every reason why she’s ‘dead’ (the inauthentic version) is laid out in the album.

For example, i’ll break down ‘Fortnight’ since we have the MV imagery too. On the surface is about her fling with MH. If you get down to the next layer it’s about the failed coming out & Karlie. About how she almost had it all “for a fortnight” (just a metaphor for a short time), how her plans got ruined and how she’s doing it over again. She was supposed to be sent away, she was meant to go stay in the asylum (the closet).

“Now you’re in my backyard, turned into good neighbours”.

She has Karlie so close to her, but hidden in her backyard, no one can see her in her backyard.

“Your wife waters flowers, I want to kill her.” There is something that is in the way of them being together, she wants it to end (her public narrative). Could also be a reference to JK, he gets to to be with Karlie, watering flowers in her garden (betty’s garden anyone) while Taylor watches, she wants to kill the perception of him as Karlie’s husband.

The rest of the song moves into Karlie & Taylor getting closer, they’re plotting a way out.

“Now you’re at the mailbox, turned into good neighbours, my husband is cheating, I want to kill him.” Again, Taylor’s husband is her public persona, she wants to kill it.

When you add in the music video, she’s breaking out of the asylum with her twin, then she was put right back in there and her twin is performing experiments on her. I think Post Malone represents both Taylor and Karlie at different points in the MV, because both of their own choices are also part of the reason they’re still closeted, she’s acknowledging this. But then something happens, one of them can’t do it anymore so they run away. This is the release of the album, specifically 2am 04/19 (fresh out the slammer), Taylor’s on top of the box, she’s out; this the endgame for her now, but Karlie is still stuck in the phone box (the closet). But not for long! 😘

Every single song is like this, there’s a very intricate but obvious second story. They’re not all about Karlie, there’s a lot about her childhood, other muses (thank you aimee is not about Kim, it’s about a hometown love), growing up, her fans, the industry, closeting, christianity, masters heist.

I’ll touch base quickly on ‘The Albatross’.

She’s coming to take down SB, i’m not sure 100% how but I think it has to do with the coming out and exposing everything he’s done to her to keep her in the closet for so long (it’s a lot darker than people think).

She is here to destroy him.

“Now you’re persona non grata” he’s not going to be able to work anymore, he’s going to be exiled from the music industry.

There’s always been the iffiness around the masters situation, people saying she was told prior, her insisting she wasn’t. The below is a confession (and a threat).

“Wise men once read fake news

And they believed it

Jackals raised their hackles

You couldn't conceive it

You were sleeping soundly

When they dragged you from your bed

And I tried to warn you about them”

She lied, she knew about the master situation but she said she didn’t. Her fans believed it though and they crucified him, she tried to warn him how powerful they were. She’s already embedded that image of him in their minds, so when the next thing comes out (lol), they’re going to raise absolute hell, his entire career is going to be over.

“thanK you aIMee”, the entire world right now thinks it’s about Kim Kardashian, because she capitalised ‘KIM’ in the title, there’s that line about her kid singing her song (which coincidentally did happen). It’s so obviously about her right! No, it’s another “blue dress on a boat”, something she has done throughout her whole career is splice monumental images of Taylor Swift ™ into her songs, so she can sing about her real life without being questioned. Except this time, she’s trying to make you question it, that’s why it’s so OBVIOUSLY 🙄 about Kim Kardashian. A red herring if you will 😉. It’s meant to point you towards one thing, when it’s really not about that thing at all.

tldr: everything about the album is intentional, she’s layered two narratives together on purpose. one at surface level, one a bit deeper.

Images are both Taylor’s & Aaron‘s words on the album, about hidden meanings and secrets.

And if you need any further proof, at exactly 4:19 of ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ title track, she says “who’s gonna troll you?”. The entire album is the troll, for the general public, it’s not about the men at all.

[maxwell-grant]

(VENTURE BROS FINALE SPOILERS)

There's this thing I keep thinking back to in The Venture Bros, that is the way everyone talks about Jonas Venture. The early myth of Jonas Venture, the great man and hero beloved by everyone who has been succeeded by a less-than-great failure of a son, is eventually twisted around with the gradual reveal of Jonas as a horrible man who did horrible things to his son that made him the way he is, and with every subsequent appearence unveiling more and more about the depths of depravity Jonas was actively capable of. We get to see how much Jonas is responsible for many of the issues all the characters find themselves envolved in, how much can be traced back to him, and we see things he's done that even appalled the rest of the old Team Venture who seemed mostly fine with all the other things he was doing. Rusty even gets a couple of moments of catharsis where he's shown to be making progress in having moved past his dad.

But the way people talk about Jonas Venture never changes. There is no reckoning for anyone other than maybe Rusty. Jonas Venture is the biggest and most successful and influential character even after his death, and his perception at large never remotely changes. He is the biggest monster, and so he has the best public image out of everyone. All the little monsters are just playing in his pool, and even all the other not-monsters will cover for him and praise him no matter what he did, no matter how many people he killed, no matter how many children's lives he ruined or how much destruction he left everywhere he went.

When we're introduced to Professor Victor von Helping, the kindest and most helpful person Dean's ever had in his life, he expresses open admiration for Jonas as an inspiration for getting into science, something he will explain to Dean was what saved him and allowed him to take control of his life from his horrible father, and this is directly after the Morpho saga that had shown us Jonas at his absolute worst. And the thing is, we're not meant to think less of Von Helping for it. He is not malicious, he doesn't worship science or Jonas for any nefarious or ignorant reason, he just knows what everyone does: that Jonas Venture was a great scientist who changed the world and has been succeeded by a not very impressive son.

Ben, who personally assisted Jonas in the cloning process and who knows what else and now lives in a graveyard of hundreds of people whose deaths he directly attributes to both Rusty and Jonas, is still about as benevolent as a super scientist can really be in the setting, and in the movie he helps cap off the show with a message to Hank Venture that he delivers based on what Jonas passed onto him. He attributes "Blood doesn't make a family; love does", a closing statement on the show, as heartfelt wisdom from Hank's granddad. It's not played for irony. We can debate whether it's meant to have some or the degree to which that statement can be read as malicious coming from Jonas or someone who was that closely affiliated with him, but none of that even really matters in that moment of Hank's closure and Ben being able to provide some with what he claims to be Jonas' teachings.

None of this takes away from all the horrible things Jonas did. None of this is meant to be any kind of redemption for him or his legacy. His legacy may be complicated, but Jonas Venture was not a complicated man. Complications and moral dillemmas are things he invented for the little people around him to deal with, whether they fought for the Guild or the OSI, or they are little Ventures scurrying in his shadow. Moral greyness was just a thing for chumps to be concerned about while Jonas ruled the world unimpeded from doing whatever he wanted to whoever he wanted.

Usually when shows have this big, massive force behind so many unfolding events and characters and traumas, there's a degree to which their comeuppance involves some kind of larger reckoning. They get exposed for who they are, their legacy crumbles, their great deeds are rendered lesser, they are given ignoble fates or some kind of retributive punishment, society can rest easier with the great evil exposed and defeated, and the audience can rest easier knowing that, if some great evil like this was made public and exposed, we'd do something about it. We'd so something about it on a scale that matters and stops it from happening again.

We need to believe that's what happens because we can't, and maybe we must never, accept that it doesn't work that way, that all around us are monuments and reminders that celebrate the monstrosities of our forefathers and their grip on our current lives, even when everything they've done and continue doing is public record, even when you tell someone about it and they still keep doing it, and everyone around you gives them a pass to do it so long as it (and by "it", they mean you) doesn't bother them.

And it's not like none of those things happened with Jonas, he did get a deserving comeuppance of sorts in the Morpho trilogy. But nobody really cared. Nobody that mattered cared. Only Rusty cares, and Rusty doesn't matter. Certainly not as much as his dad matters. Jonas gets the approval of the world and all the accolades and statues that follow, and he gets to crush his children forever under the weight of his legacy because of that. All they can do is try and survive past him, and even that is enough of a struggle.

But even with all of that, even with Ben's gentle and comforting parting words being another reminder that history exonerates Jonas for everything he's done while looking down on those he victimized, I find myself thinking of the fact that the last we ever see of Jonas' image is that accursed statue finally being toppled off it's pedestal, and the entire cast banding together to rescue The Monarch, his other son and victim, from it. They may not even like him (and for good reasons), but they don't let the invincible grip of his father take him to the grave. It takes them all to push back Jonas, but they push him back nonetheless, and Monarch lives another day.

It's not what the movie ends on, it's more of a funny moment than anything. It's just I was going to end this ramble pessimistically, until I remembered this frame. The true final word on him.

May we all survive the Jonas Ventures of our lives and push those fuckers back into the trash where they belong.

[mara-xx217]

A Grave Misunderstanding- The Unknown/Reader (Dead by Daylight Commission)

This was commissioned by @hexheathen! Hope you enjoy~

All the legends of that terrible place warned you of the consequences of peering into the unknown. Persistence and curiosity will end up getting you killed if you aren't careful...

Warnings: Toxic/Abusive Relationship, General Horror/Suspense, Late Night Shifts, Fear of the Dark, Body Horror, A Series of Terrible Decisions, One-sided Attraction, Obsession, Canon Typical Violence

It was yet another long night for you. Alone, just like you always were… You don’t even know why your boss keeps this shitty theater open for so long. It wasn’t like anyone came here during the weekdays and certainly not after nine at night. There just wasn’t enough business to justify such a thing though… Maybe you should just be grateful that you don’t have to face the public rush every single day like the rest of your coworkers. 

You’re at least away from that jerk that you call a boyfriend… 

You had stopped in your nightly closing duties, sitting in the midst of rundown arcade games that only barely function and a carpet that was totally ruined with soda, popcorn and other movie theater sweets that are far too overpriced to be bought or sold. Your shoes stuck to the ground and you rhythmically picked up and dropped one of your feet as you tested just how sticky the ground was. 

“Ugh, are you serious?!” Your face wrinkles in disgust as you struggle to pull your tennis shoe off the carpeted floor. This was waaay above your paygrade to clean up… Sighing heavily, you pick yourself up off the bench and trudge your way over to the mop bucket that has stood nearly overflowing with dirty water. 

“...I seriously hate this goddamn job…”

You slosh the water around with the mop and sling it against the linoleum floor. Why couldn’t this entire theater be like this? It’s so much easier to clean… You were ruminating on all things that were bad and just plain inconvenient in your life. You hated working alone at night. Your mind wanders too far for your liking and you focus on all the wrong things that shouldn’t really matter to you in the end.

Like the guy that cut you off on your way to work.

Or how your coworker just pushed all their unwanted tasks onto you without consulting you.

Or… Or how your boyfriend stays out for days at a time and never calls or messages you like he once did… 

You sniffle softly as you watch brownish-grey water pool around your feet. It wasn’t just that… There was so much that was bothering you. He didn’t look at you like he once did, he didn’t say ‘hello’ or ask ‘how was your day, baby’... He- He just didn’t… 

“Is… Is it really so much to ask for…? I-I just want to be understood…” Your voice trembled under your breath as you sniffled. Large tears welled in your eyes and streamed down your face. Great, now your makeup is ruined too… You pat your eyes dry with the collar of your uniform and struggle to get ahold of your raging emotions. Why are you even thinking about this stuff at a time like this? It had to be terrible for your already ailing mental health-

“Hey…”

You blink, snorting in the snot that threatens to spill out of your wet nose. 

H-Huh…? Did you just-? 

“H-Hello?” For a fraction of a second, your heart skipped a beat. Your body immediately sobers from the emotional stress that clouded your perception. Your tears dry and you subconsciously hold your breath, uncertain if you should really be waiting for a response or not.

…but you don’t hear anything else. Or… you at least think you don’t.

“Hello…?”

A chill runs down your spine and you suddenly feel like you were being watched by someone.

Or something… 

Everyone knew about the stories. The stories about the Greenville theater, about people disappearing into thin air, disappearing after staying in the theater, alone, disappearing when questioning too many things, disappearing in front of large crowds…

“Hey, you-!” 

You never believed in those stories. Disappearing into thin air in front of a crowd…? Yeah. Right… It’s just one of those urban legends that are always spreading around. You didn’t even hear about them until after you had started working at the theater, and, well… It’s not like you’ve seen or heard anything out of the ordinary.

“Hey! I’m talking to you!” 

A nagging feeling was gnawing at the back of your head. Something was making the hairs on your body stand on end. You nervously shove your hands into your pocket, blindly feeling around until you finger the small container of pepper spray that you keep on your person as a ‘just in case’ measure. You weren’t ever sure carrying this around was ever really a good idea, but your boyfriend would always insist that you bring it with you when you were out alone. 

Ah, your boyfriend- 

You blink and the thought escapes to the back of your mind. You had a need to just… double check… Just to see if there were any dumbasses that tried to stay in after closing. It was something that you were warned about, given the theater’s reputation as an urban legend spot. You swallowed thickly and grabbed the mop what good was it going to do? and made your way towards the bathrooms.

“H-Hey! If there’s anyone here, you need to leave! I will call the cops if you don’t!” Your voice echoed in the empty bathroom. There was only the sound of water dripping from one of the faucets. You stepped up to one of the stalls and sucked in a deep breath. You couldn’t see anyone’s feet underneath the stall, nor anyone in the crack in the door.

“H-HEY-!!!”

THUD-!

You slammed the door open and… 

Nothing. 

There was nothing in there. Nothing in any of the stalls. You started to chuckle to yourself, nervous and on edge. Maybe working all these late shifts was taking a greater toll on you than you originally thought… Maybe you should switch to the daytime-

“Come here-” 

You nearly jump out of your skin. For a fraction of a second, you couldn’t feel your own heart beating. The air was trapped in your lungs and your legs refused to work. You were trapped in a freeze response and could do nothing other than strain your ears over the sound of your entire body rolling and shifting in place. Did… Did you really just- 

Against your better judgement, you poked your head out of the women’s restroom. Everything in the opening floor was just as you had left it. Some of the lights were on and the bucket of dirty water was right where it should be. You crane your head to the side, eyes straining in the darkness that lead towards the actual theater rooms. No… No, there’s no way in fucking hell that you’re going down there… This was a sensation that you had nearly forgotten about in your day-to-day adult life. The fear of what could be lurking in the dark… Whatever it was, it had to be someone pulling the shittiest prank in all of existence. Once you get your hands on them- 

You… You think it came from the men’s room. You nudge the door and, of course, it’s open. Why didn’t you lock them before you started?! You should have just backed away and called the cops. So what if it was a false alarm? This is fucking terrifying! You push the door open with the handle of your mop and your eyes scan the harshly lit bathroom. 

There’s… 

Step-by-step, you edge your way inside. You shouldn’t be doing this… This is stupid… This is how dumbasses get killed in slasher movies- 

“I-If… If there’s anyone in here, you b-better come out now! O-Otherwise I’m- I’m gonna k-kick your ass!” You tap your mop against the tiled wall.

“W-With a mop!” 

…as you strained your ears, you heard something. 

“URK-!” 

There was shuffling in one of the stalls. You lowered your stance and strained your eyes for any movement- anything- but couldn’t see a thing. You thought you heard the sound of something… popping? Or maybe crunching, like a wrapper or some pop-rocks in a person’s mouth. Maybe it was chips…? Your mind was running wild and the more it got away from you, the more grotesque the possibilities became. Maybe it was bones breaking… or joints being popped out of place… Or… O-Or…

“Is… I-Is it…?”

Oh

My

Fucking

GOD-

Your heart nearly fell out of your ass. In spite of your body ceasing to function properly, you heard that voice in crystal clear quality. It was soft and light as air, as if the person speaking was frail and hoarse as though they were sickly. You couldn’t gauge much else about them, since it was so quiet and just… short. You couldn't hear any breathing, no wheezing and no… anything, really. The ambient noise in the bathroom was nearly silent, the hum of the fluorescent lights muted and the sound of your own breathing seemingly vanishing just as the voice did. Into thin air.

In… Into thin air- 

“H-He- …hello…?” For some reason, you were drawn to a particular stall. You… You don’t know why you just… stepped up to it, pressing your ear against the cold, metal door. It slightly moved against your weight, showing that it was in fact not locked. You… didn’t push any further. There was a presence on the other side. Someone was there and the annoyance that you felt suddenly shifted into something different.

“Are… you… o-okay…?” What if… What if they needed help? What if they were sick o-or-? 

Your heart seized in your chest as you heard that same terrible noise that you heard moments before. Somehow, you just knew they were leaning towards the door too. This was confirmed when the door was pushed back towards you, catching on the locking mechanism that was on the other side. 

…….

…….

…….

“...don’t leave me behind…”

You had never run so fast in your entire life. You don’t think you had ever screamed so loudly, either. By the time cops showed up, you had screamed yourself into silence. Even though you had told them- told them!- that there was someone that sounded fucked up in the men’s restroom they just-

Sighed.

And rolled their eyes.

They didn’t bother trying to hide that they didn’t believe you. ‘Really, this shit again?’ was asked directly to your face. W-What…? Did they think it was some kind of prank?! That… That you were just making it up for attention?! They proved to you that there was no one in the bathroom but it didn’t make you feel any better. The cops didn’t check the rest of the theater. They just… left you there, telling you that misuse of emergency services was a crime that you could be charged for the next time that you called them like that. Like ‘that’?! Like what?! You were enraged when you got home and couldn’t sleep at all, no matter how exhausted you felt. When you told your boyfriend about this, he rolled his eyes and scoffed.

“Well, what did you expect? God, you’re such a drama queen!” 

You instantly burst into tears. 

What… the hell was even happening anymore…? 

You had a few days off from work but you didn’t recover from what happened to you at all. That night kept repeating over and over again in your head when you were awake and in your dreams when you were asleep. You couldn’t talk about this with anyone. Somehow word had gotten out about you calling the cops while working the closing shift and everyone was probably calling you a coward or that you were just an attention whore… 

It’s what your boyfriend thought of you so why not everyone else? 

The voice that spoke to you continuously repeated in your head. Who… was that? Was it really your imagination? No… it was real. You had no proof, of course, but it was just so… so…

‘...don’t leave me behind…’ 

It twisted your stomach into knots. That voice was so desperate… The more you thought about it, the less scared you became. Huh… You were a little surprised. In the dark of your room, thinking about the most terrifying moment of your life started to make you feel more concerned than terrified. That voice was so quiet… so… desperate. If… something wanted to hurt you, it would have, right? You frowned. The longer you began to question things, the more you wondered if it really happened at all. It’s such a well known urban legend spot where people have gone missing. Why didn’t you disappear too? 

As one of the two people that closed the theater down for the night, you had one of the three keys to enter the building. For some reason, your boss trusted you with it, even though it was a place that people liked to break into for the thrill of it. You had never done something like this before and never thought that you ever would, especially given that you had been utterly terrified only a few nights before. You were due back to work the very next day anyway but you didn’t think that you could wait to confirm your suspicions any longer. This might be the stupidest thing that you’ve ever attempted but so what? 

It's not like anyone really gives a damn about what happens to you… 

The theater was pitch black and eerily quiet when you approached it from the back. It was already well past closing time so it was no surprise that your coworker had already cleared out for the night but still… It was a little scary… 

You sucked in a deep breath as you put the key for the employee entrance into its lock. You were a little surprised that it opened, secretly hoping that it wouldn’t have opened for whatever reason. Why wouldn't it work? You know that key works for that door… You were already losing your nerve and you hadn’t even set foot into the vacant building. Shaking your head, you suck in a deep breath and open the door. 

….

Fuck, it’s dark in there… You already regret not bringing a proper flashlight. At least you have your phone… The light from your phone’s flashlight wasn’t great but it was a hell of a lot better than blindly feeling around in the dark. 

“O-Okay… I-I’m coming in…” 

Who were you even talking to? You still weren’t totally convinced that what you heard the other day was even real. If- IF- there was someone or something waiting for you in there then it only felt right to announce your presence when you were practically breaking into the building. W-Well… was it ‘breaking in’ if you had a key…? 

You strained your ears as you timidly stepped inside the break room. Everything was just as it should have been inside. You… don’t know why you expected it to be any different but it wasn’t so… that’s good right? 

R-Right? 

“O-Oh shit-!” You jumped as you accidently scooted one of the break room chairs against the floor. You fumbled and tried to push it back, nearly knocking it over in the process. You stumbled out of the break room and towards the main lobby of the theater, the linoleum floor still a little wet from being mopped early and thus a little slippery under foot. 

Goddamn-! U-Uhh…” You shined your light at your feet and stumbled towards the concession counter, resting your forearm on it as you held your breath for a moment. The silence was unnerving, almost unnatural, just like the dark was. The light from your phone seemed to just halt a mere few inches from your foot. It was so dark that you probably couldn’t see your hand even if it was resting on your nose… Shit, this isn’t right… Why the hell did you come here to this place-?!

“Is someone there?”

You nearly lost control of your bladder and fainted at the same time. Oh my GOD there really is someone here…! 

“H-Hello…?” You pressed your back flat against the counter as you waited. A shiver ran down your spine as you heard a familiar popping sound, one that you had heard the last night that you had worked at the theater.

“Is… Is it you-?” 

God, that voice was so… so strange but you couldn’t put your finger on why that was. It sounded like there was no breath behind the words that were being spoken. As if that made any sense at all… You swallowed the rising lump in your throat and you exhaled softly. 

“I-It’s me… It’s-” You gave the voice your name. The silence was deafening on your ears. Shit… what if it wasn’t looking for you? W-What if- 

“....you came back….” 

It was spoken directly into your ear, as though whoever was speaking was looming directly over your shoulder. A scream was caught in your throat and you sank to the floor, utterly terrified. You waited for something terrible to happen, to be killed or… or something. When nothing happened, you released the breath you were holding and struggled to slow your rapidly beating heart.

Ba-dum

Ba-dum

Ba-dum

“...are you going to hurt me…?”

Ba-dum

Ba-dum

Ba-dum

“Is… Is it really so much to ask for…?”

Your eyes go wide as you hear the ghost of your own voice being spoken back at you. The air around you is still and you hear the sound of something creaking and straining underneath a great weight.

“W-Wha-?”

“…I-I just want to be understood…” 

That… made you choke up a little. What… What was this…? You were told that the urban legend here was a monster, something that would spirit people away and steal their voices but… 

God, this is really getting to you… 

You couldn’t answer the voice, your throat squeezing shut as you heard the heartbreak in your own voice being parroted back. Parroted? M-Maybe… Maybe it was something more than that… 

You don’t know for how long you sat there on the floor, not moving, not speaking… The presence behind you, leaning against the counter didn’t leave even after you fell utterly silent. You just… didn’t know what to say. What was there to even say? Maybe, if it wanted something else out of you, it would have just taken it. Maybe, like other urban legends, you didn’t do something right and it couldn’t take anything from you yet. Whatever the case, you just sat there and waited. And waited… And waited some more. 

But nothing happened. 

Even after you turned your phone’s flashlight off, nothing happened. The presence didn’t leave and it didn’t say or do anything else. It wasn’t until it was getting close to the opening shift to arrive at the theater did you finally move, and when you did, the presence behind you totally vanished into thin air. 

H-Huh… 

You didn’t tell anyone what you experienced that night. You never brought it up with anyone that you went back and re-experienced something supernatural in that place. Perhaps you were just losing your mind… Perhaps there really was something freaking about that theater that no one wanted to talk about. Whatever it was, you thought that it would probably be a secret that you would have taken to your grave. You got back home and couldn’t stop thinking about what had happened there. Maybe you should have ran far, far away but how could you when it was just getting interesting? And after all…

You couldn’t remember the last time that another being was so kind to you… 

The next time that you went to work, you were still on edge but not nearly as scared as you were the last night that you were there. Like last time, you announced your arrival and got to work cleaning the theater, starting from the back and working your way up towards the front. As the night went on and you didn’t hear anyone calling out for you, you began to become disappointed. Did… Did you upset them in some way? You were genuinely becoming sad, shoulders drooping and sighing heavily as you mopped despondently. 

“Did… Did I do something wrong?” You absentmindedly slapped your mop against the wet ground. You just wanted someone to talk to, even if they were just a figment of your imagination. 

“Shh, it’s alright.” 

Your ears perk up at the sound of a frail voice speaking out to you from behind the concession counter. There was a kitchen that was bathed in darkness and you hesitated as you took a few steps in its direction. 

“H-Hello? Is… Is it you, strange voice?” Was that rude? It might have been rude… You cringed and was about to apologize when they spoke out once again.

“Come here…” 

You couldn’t stop a violent shiver from wracking your spine. There was something about that voice that was totally unnatural but you no longer felt the fear that you once felt. You were in the pitch-black with this being for the better part of a night and nothing bad had happened to you… You stopped just shy of the kitchen’s threshold and you prepared yourself for the being to speak again.

….

….

….

“Hello-” 

It made your heart seize in your chest. How could something be so soft spoken yet so chilling at the same time? After your initial fear passed, you exhaled deeply and you forced a smile to your face. It wasn’t like you were lying by doing this… You’re just a little on edge, that’s all… 

“H-Hey! You’re still here!” You were happy that they were still here, waiting for you. The presence in the darkness was still there, staring at you keenly. It laid heavily on your shoulders but instead of feeling objective terror you felt at ease. 

Though there was still something lingering that made your skin crawl.

You didn’t know what you wanted to say to the being. At first, you didn’t talk about much, just about who you were, what you were doing there, wondering aloud if you were intruding on the being’s home… You didn’t get much of a response out of them, only a few phrases that it seemed to use to communicate with you.

“Yes, that’s right-”

“No, no-”

“What is it?” 

Not all of the voices were the same but they weren’t at all different. It’s like the being was parroting after all, only there seemed to be genuine intelligence behind the responses it chooses to say to you. You weren’t able to learn much about them, given their limited vocabulary, but the most important thing that you learned was that they seemed to linger in the dark places of the movie theater, calling out to you whenever you moved too far away for them to be heard well. After the first few days of speaking to them regularly, you began to turn a few more lights off as you worked, giving the presence more than enough roaming area to stay close to you so you both could talk. 

“It’s just that… You’re probably one of the only people to actually talk to me, you know?” You were idly rolling the powered off vacuum cleaner around the arcade area, procrastinating the work you had left. The area was almost too dark for your liking but your paranoia was muted by the presence that hung over you heavily. You could feel it pressing against you with enough force that your shoulders began to sag from the weight.

“...” 

They said nothing but your ears began to ring. You heard no breathing, only the sound of something shifting and popping in the darkness. You swallow thickly as your skin begins to crawl.

“...him- …him- …him-” 

W-What? ‘Him’? Him who-? Oh. 

“Do you… mean my boyfriend?” Silence answered you but it was filled with anticipation. You hesitated for a moment, trying to judge their intentions but quickly nodded as you grew annoyed with the thought of him.

“Yeah… ‘Him’... What about him? He’s a freaking asshole!” You huffed as you left the vacuum where it was standing, going to sit down on a nearby bench. The presence strained against the confines of the darkness, eager to hear more. 

“I can’t believe he left me here!” 

Your throat grew tight. Y-Yeah, actually… 

“He… didn’t believe me when I told him about you… He made fun of me for being scared that first day…” You chuckled nervously as you tested the ground’s stickiness with the soles of your shoes. It’s unpleasant on your ears, almost as much as the being’s voice as it echoed voices laced with betrayal.

“Why did he leave me?”

“He made a promise-” 

Tears throbbed behind your eyes. You sniffled and rubbed your nose on the back of your jacket sleeve as you remembered the look of pure annoyance on your boyfriend’s face as you told him about what was a terrifying encounter that you had while you were alone at work in the middle of the night. 

He really doesn’t care about you, does he? 

“I… I think he wouldn’t care if I just disappeared one night… “ Your voice trembled slightly as you struggled to swallow down your emotions. 

“Do you… really make people disappear? Maybe… Maybe if I disappeared one day, then everyone would be better off…” You laughed bitterly, instantly feeling a bolt of fear running through your body. There was tension in the air and after a moment of silence, the being spoke out of the darkness.

“....don’t leave me here…” 

It made you choke up a little bit… You shook your head and tried to smile, ultimately failing as tears streamed down your face. 

“S-Sorry… ‘m sorry…” 

You had nearly forgotten what it felt like to be needed by another person. You really should leave that jerk… You don’t deserve to be upset every single day of your life for no damn reason… 

“He should- G-Go away!” 

You were surprised by the forcefulness of the being’s words. It sounded like something was squirming in the darkness, squirming in anticipation. 

“W-Well… Yeah… I-I guess so… But-” You thought about it a little bit. You thought about all the times that he was mean to you, that he yelled at you or ‘forgot’ important things or when he ignored you for days at a time…

“Y-You know what-? Yeah. I do wish he’d just leave!” You scoffed, feeling less and less sad the more you thought about it. 

“Maybe I should leave him before he tries to dump me! I don’t even think that loser can find anyone that will put up with his bullshit…” You stood up and wiped your face again. You were still feeling down but you were already a lot better than you were before. 

“Thanks for that. I think I needed to get that off my chest…” You waited for a reply but didn’t receive one. Odd… The presence wasn’t nearly as strong as it was before. In fact… it was practically gone. Huh… 

Their sudden departure made you sadder than you were willing to admit. Were they gone for good? You hoped not… You were going to miss them if they somehow disappeared… The rest of your shift you worked, dejected and upset. The only thing of note that happened was your phone going off in your pocket. 

BZZT!

BZZT!

You nearly missed it, since you always had it on silent mode. You were lost in thought and your body was a little stiff from constantly moving so you didn’t realize you were getting a call until after you missed it. You furrowed your brows and frowned. 

Who would be calling you at this time of night? 

Your brows raised up to your hairline as you scrolled through the dozens of phone calls that you had received in the past half hour. Over and over again, the same number called you, sometimes hanging up and calling you again before the call went to your voicemail. You had an additional eight voicemails, all of which were from the very same person that was calling you repeatedly.

Your boyfriend… 

With trembling fingers, you clicked on one of the voicemails, hearing your boyfriend’s annoyed but clearly terrified voice on the other end of the line as he yelled at you for being a ‘pathetic, childish bitch’ for playing such a ‘stupid fucking prank’ on him. What… What was he talking about? You didn’t do anything! Heart pounding out of your chest, you called him back, not bothering to listen to his other voicemails. Maybe if you did, it would have saved you… Maybe, but-

You didn’t receive an answer. No matter how many times you called, he never answered you back. Your entire body was trembling as the possibilities ran rampant through your head. 

Was he pranking you?

Maybe someone was pranking him…

W-What if he’s been hurt?

W-What… W-W-What if- i-if- 

Maybe if you called the police this time, it would have made the difference. But they didn’t help you last time. They scolded you for calling them. If there’s a problem, you might need to solve it yourself…

You need to face your problems instead of just running away or relying on others to help you… 

The home that you shared with your longtime boyfriend was dark. Unsurprising, since even when you left work early, it was still past twelve a.m.. You aren’t sure what you were looking for. His car? There. The door? Closed and locked. The windows? Also all seemed closed and locked… 

Unlocking and stepping into your own house felt foreign and alien… It’s like you have never been inside of this place before, in spite of the fact that you have lived here for some years. You strained your ears for a moment, holding your breath as you simply-

-listened.

…

You couldn’t hear anything whatsoever. It was just like most nights that you come home, only even more hostile, if such a thing were possible. You left the front door open as you gathered the courage to speak out.

“H-Hello?” 

Silence. Were you losing your mind? Maybe he was asleep, as he always was, and would storm out of the bedroom, pissed off that you woke him up yet again. You don’t think you would have minded that much… Anything was better than this terrible silence.

“H-Hey, are you up there?”

…again, nothing. You swallowed thickly as you debated on what to do. Maybe you should just call the cops… You have more than enough reason to do so, right? As you pulled your phone out, you heard your boyfriend calling you from upstairs.

“H-Hey-!”

The way he called your name made you cringe. As much as your vital organs seized violently, a wave of relief washed over you. So he was okay then?! 

“H-Hey! S-Sorry for waking you up! I was just so worried about you-! Why did you call me so much?!” You waited for a reply as you began to take your shoes off. Silence. Is he fucking serious right now?! Giving you the silent treatment when he’s the one that called you nonstop?!

“-i-it’s not funny! Knock it off!” 

You furrowed your brows.

“W-What? What are you-?” You walked towards the stairs.

“-come here! Now!” 

Again with that tone… You were getting annoyed the longer this went on.

“What’s your fucking problem, dude?! What the hell did I do to deserve this right now?! Huh?! Hey! I’m fucking talking to you!” Your patience has eroded beyond what you were capable of dealing with. You angrily stomped up the stairs, faltering as you nearly reached the top.

“...p-please-” 

Your boyfriend was whimpering your name. Instantly the rage that you felt dissolved into something much more terrifying. Panic began to spread throughout your body and you fished out your phone and began to dial the police. 

“H-Hey?! Hey?! Are y-you okay?! Hey-?!” You called his name and began to back down the stairs. Fear made you tremble but hearing him calling out to you again, only much weaker this time, spurred you into action.

“S-SHIT-!!! HANG ON-!” You tripped over your own feet as you rushed up the stairs. He didn’t sound like he was playing around! He actually s-sounded hurt or- or-!

As you ran down the top floor hallway, you yelped as you slipped in something wet and sticky that coated the floor. You had to flounder around as you desperately tried to regain your balance, your hand slapping against the wall as you struggled to reground yourself. 

“W-What-?! W-WHAT?!” 

A metallic smell hits your nose with enough intensity to make you gag. The little surge of confidence that pushed you forward suddenly died in your throat as you freezed in place. Fear had gripped your limbs coldly and you couldn’t move no matter how much you needed to. Your breath was squeezed out of your tightening throat and you felt pure terror as you heard your boyfriend call out to you again. Or what sounded like him, anyway…

“P-Please- C-Come! PLEASE! …don’t leave me here…” 

Your eyes nearly bulge out of your head as the door to your bedroom slowly pushes open. You heard a hauntingly familiar popping and cracking noise, like pop rocks in someone’s mouth or someone’s bones being popped out of joint or broken all together. Bile burns the back of your throat as something your eyes couldn't fully comprehend clumsily stumbled out of the bedroom. Something hard slammed into the door and a glint of something wet and sharp shined in the dim light of your home. You blink your eyes repeatedly, tears falling down your face as you wonder if this was really happening. It’s just a bad dream, right? It has to be a bad dream!

I-It’s only a- a bad- a b-bad-

“You’re probably one of the only people to actually talk to me, you know-?”

The second that you finally saw it in all of its terribleness, you opened your mouth to scream. 

@prettycutebunny, @infinitewhore, @kennbb, @slutwithadegree, @dead-bxxxtch-walking, @space-arsonist, @pink-soft-shadow, @sinlessdesire, @hoemine, @memoryofheather, @horny-3

[haitanisbug]

Yandere! Bonten reacting to upset darling who gives them the cold shoulder

includes: Sanzu, Mikey, Ran, RIndou, Kokonoi, Kakucho, Takeomi

Cw: Minors don’t interact. Intense yandere themes. Use of restraints (Sanzu). Mention of punishment/knives (Ran). Mention of punishment (Rindou). Violence (Kakucho). Suggestive language/implied noncon (Akashi). Violence, use of gun and blood (Mikey)

SANZU

“Dinners ready, darling!” Sanzu sounds way too excited for a man who quite literally has you locked up in his room. You’ve been chained to the bedpost in your shared bedroom, and right now he’s the last person you want to see.

Sanzu walks closer to you, a manic smile on his face as he reaches to undo the chain. You shy away from his touch and he clicks his tongue and grabs your ankle with a tug.

“Stay fucking still.”

“Sanzu?” He ignores you and your voice shakes as you repeat yourself. “Sanzu, I already ate. I’m not hungry. And I’m tired. I just want to go to bed. Can you please.. please let me go to bed?” He likes begging. You think maybe tagging on an extra ‘please’ will get you out of this situation. You’d do anything to get out of eating with him.

“I don’t give a shit, sweetheart. I don’t care if you’ve eaten enough to last five lifetimes. You’re eating fucking dinner with me, and you’ll stay obedient like always.”

He drags you to the formal dining room of his penthouse and shoves you into one of the chairs. Your hips scrape up against the marble top, and you know it’s going to leave a bruise. He chains you to the chair and then drags it as close as possible to his chair at the head of the table.

Every time you move or squirm, the chain on your ankle rattles.

Sanzu brings a bite full of food near your mouth, but you turn your head away.

“Princess, you’re gonna eat what I give you or I'll do it the hard way and I’m begging you to let me do it the hard way. Test my patience, darling, and see where it gets you.”

You can feel the skin around your ankle tearing with the force of you pulling at it. There’s no way out. There never is. You’ve tried them all at this point and Sanzu’s taking great pleasure in watching the emotions on your face as you come to this conclusion.

“I’m not hungry, Haru.” You whisper

“I didn’t ask if you were.”

You know if you push further, it’ll earn you another week-long punishment. And judging from how last week went, it’ll be much much worse.

You can’t deny him, you can’t even push back anymore. There’s no hiding anything from Sanzu and that’s why he just laughs when a tear escapes the corner of your eye.

He reached forward and brushes the tear away with his thumb, bringing it up to his lips and licking it from his finger.

“Mmmm.” He flashes you a crazed grin. “I love the taste of your sorrow. And I love how you can’t hide it from me.”

RAN

“You’ll get your ass out here right now darling, or I’ll drag you out.” Ran’s voice sounds light and teasing but you know the hidden threat behind his words. He’d do much more than drag you out of the room, and the thought makes you seize up in fear.

You tried to get out of dinner. Made up every excuse in the book, but Ran was too perceptive. He knew your emotions too well and when you tried to tell him you weren’t feeling up to it, he just laughed into your face and told you “Your feelings aren't going to ruin the perfect dinner date I set up for us”

So you’re left with your last wall of defense: acting like a brat towards Ran and hoping your cold demeanor will deter his advances.

You should have known how naive that thinking was. All the way to the restaurant he’s rubbing up on you. He’s got you placed on his lap during the car ride there. The partition in the limo was rolled up all the way so that Ran could touch you shamelessly in peace.

When you got to the restaurant he has you so close to his body, you almost feel like you’re suffocating. You know he can’t really do anything in a public restaurant though, so you curse him out under your breath. Every time one of his hands is too close to your thigh, you grab it and push it away.

Eventually, Ran gets tired of this game and he grabs at your waist, hauling you into his lap. Your once rigid body is now squirming in discomfort and Rans hot breath is brushing up against your neck.

“You’re so fucking cute when you struggle.” You can hear the smile in his voice.

“Fuck off, Ran. I don’t want you touchi- ahhh” You gasp and choke on your sudden intake of breath as Ran’s fingers dig into the knife marks that litter your torso. He’d meticulously cut into your skin last night and the pain was still raw. You wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing your tears or cries for help. So you just bite down on your lip and endured the torment through the rest of dinner.

When you get back to the penthouse you immediately shake off Ran’s hold and go to your shared room. Ran doesn’t follow and you’re beyond thankful for that because as soon as you hit the pillow you break down. You had put on a strong front all night but it was finally too much. Shoving your face into the pillow, you try to stifle your sobs and gasps.

Ran is in the living room relaxing, a glass of whisky in hand as he thinks about how your night went. You still act like a brat no matter what he does, and it’s begining to get exhausting. As he’s thinking about how he can punish you for tonight's bad behavior, he hears muffled cries coming from his bedroom. Ran laughs softly knowing his strong little darling is starting to break down.

RINDOU

You’re seated on the edge of your bed staring at your reflection in the mirror across from you. Your thigh burns under your dress from where Rindou had punished you last night. Every time you slightly move, your dress scratches up against the burn and you wince.

Rindou walks out of the bathroom of your shared bedroom and stares at you for a second.

“Why aren't you finished getting ready? Put your shoes on. Our reservation is in less than an hour.” His voice is stern. But you speak up anyway.

“I- I don’t really feel like going out tonight Rin. I don’t feel well. I think.. maybe I’m sick...” You hope the shake in your voice sounds like that of nausea instead of the pain and fear you’re really trying to hide.

Rin levels you with a look. You know he’s perceptive. You know that if you don’t pull off this fake sickness, he’ll know you were crying from last night's punishment. And Rin hates nothing more than when you sulk over punishments. Especially if they occurred a whole day prior.

He’s practical. Always has been. And he expects you to take your punishments like a good girl and then learn from them. But last night was worse than usual. And you don’t think you can handle an entire dinner with him. Pretending to be lovers while your leg burns from his vile actions. Walking out in the real world where freedom would be so close yet so far. No. You couldn’t do it. And your heart seizes up when Rindou begins to walk towards you.

He stands directly in front of you and grips your chin- forcing your neck at an odd angle to look into his eyes. His voice is low.

“If we don’t make this dinner reservation you will make this up to me. Understand, darling?”

Your stomach sinks and all you can do is nod. He tightens his grip for a second and then he lets go. Rindou doesn’t miss the tears that fall from your eyes as he turns to leave you alone in the room.

KOKONOI

Your hands rub up and down your arms soothing the bruises from last night’s fight. They still throb- you didn't realize in the moment how strong of a grip Kokonoi had. But the pain is impossible to shake off, and instead, you opt for laying on your bed curled up instead.

You had plans to go out tonight with Koko to one of Bonten’s luxury restaurants. He was going to take you to do some light shopping afterward to treat you as well. But you can’t find the energy to get up and get ready. Not when your arms feel like lead and the memory of Koko’s furious eyes was burned into your memory.

The door of the bedroom opens up and you know it’s Koko. Your back is turned, but the tension in the air is palpable and you can’t tell what Koko is feeling.

“Princess?” his voice doesn’t sound cold or harsh. There’s a tint of concern to it, and you think maybe tonight will be one of his better nights. “What’re you doing? It’s 6 pm, why are you in bed? We have to leave soon.”

He sits down on his side of the bed and reaches over to brush his fingers across your skin. You try to stop the flinch but it’s impossible and you can feel Koko’s eyes narrowing.

You shake slightly and decide to speak up. “I don’t feel well Koko… and it’s cold out tonight. Can we skip dinner for another day?”

He looks at your shaking formm and his heart softens a bit. The weather had been awful lately, and it wasn’t expected to clear up tonight. His sympathy has him agreeing to your request. “Course, princess. I don’t want to drag you out if you don’t feel well.”

Unbeknownst to him, your shaking wasn’t because of the awful weather. You’d been reminiscing about missing your old and friends all day, not only that, his presence behind you was terrifying. It was too much to handle.

Koko scoots closer to you and brings your head to his lap. He strokes your skin gently as your breathing begins to level out. While you start to drift off, Koko notices a tear slip out of the corner of your eye. Yea, Koko thinks. It’s better to stay in tonight anyway. If his darling wasn’t feeling well he had to shelter her. It was dangerous outside. His grip on you tightens, protecting you is the only thing on his mind.

KAKUCHO

Last night was bad. Really bad. The worst night you’d had since you met Kakucho. It was late, and you were reading on the couch in the living room waiting for Kakucho to get off the phone with a subordinate. He was in his home office and from the sound of Kakucho’s yelling, the subordinate fucked up.

The door of his office swings open and Kakucho storms over to you. He looks beyond enraged, and you shrink further into the couch to brace yourself from his fury.

“Get up. We’re going to bed.”

Normally Kakucho is levelheaded, and you’ve never seen him like this before. In order to calm him down, you try to sound as gentle as you can when you speak.

“Kaku, can I stay up a few minutes? I’m on my last-“ you let out a shriek as Kakucho grabs your wrist hard and jerks you up. “Kaku! My -my wrist!” Violent pain shoots up your arm and you let out a loud sob.

Kakucho had broken a bone in your wrist. And your night ended with you in the ER, stammering some sort of excuse to the doctor about how you tripped and hurt your wrist, Kakucho’s hawk-like gaze trained on you the whole time.

That was last night. And tonight Kakucho had made a special dinner to apologize for breaking your wrist. He didn’t mean to break it. He had no intention of hurting you ever. But he had been worked aggravated already from his underlings incompetance and he couldn’t stand your talk back in the moment.

You couldn’t forget the pain though, or the vicious look in his eyes from last night. It terrified you. And you didn’t want to sit through a whole dinner, staring at him when all you could imagine was his wrath. What if it had been worse? It was your wrist last night, but what if he did it again in the future and your neck was the thing he decided to grab?

“Kakucho..” you mumble as you shuffle into the kitchen. “I’m really tired tonight.. can we do the dinner another time?” Your eyes are trained to the floor, afraid to meet his gaze.

“Oh. Ah… of course, love. I’ll save it for tomorrow. Go get some rest.” He places a kiss on top of your head, but he doesn’t miss your slight flinch. And later that night when he’s getting ready for bed, he definitely doesn’t miss the way that your side of the pillow is soaked in tears.

AKASHI TAKEOMI

Akashi’s grip tightens on your hip every time you squirm. You’re seated on his lap at the dinner table of his penthouse. Every so often he’ll lift his chopsticks to your mouth urging you to take a bite of food.

His hand travels down to your thighs and you quickly snap them shut before he reaches his destination. He lets out a low chuckle whispering into your neck.

“Let me touch you, princess. You don’t want to upset me hmm?”

Your heart beat picks up but you spread your legs a bit and Akashi wastes no time running his fingers all up and down your skin. He can’t keep his hands off of them. You let out small noises of discontent when Akashi presses his fingers on the burn and bite marks that are littered on your inner thigh.

“Do what I tell you to do when I tell you to do it, baby. Or I’ll give you more of these tonight.” He presses hard on one last burn mark and you squirm in his grip.

Akashi continues to feed you after his assault. It’s too much. Feeding you at the same time as the slight throbbing on your thighs. You’re not hungry. Your appetite is completely gone from remembering your actions of last night.

Akashi pressing you into the bed. Akashi’s lips kissing up your legs and making your skin sear all over. Not in a good way though- making your whole body burn with dread.

You can’t escape these thoughts and if you don’t get out of his grasp soon, you know you’ll do something you’ll regret.

“Takeomi?” You turn your head around to slightly to look him in the eye. Your hand comes up to thumb at his scar. Physical affection tends to soften him up, and if you want to leave you know you’ll have to let him indulge in your touch just a little bit more.

“Can I go to the bedroom? I’m full, and I’m ready to rest.”

He gives you a hard look, one that makes you want to melt away from his gaze. But you stay still, not averting your eyes until he responds.

“You can leave if you give me a kiss.”

Your heart beats a bit as you lean in. If this is what you have to do to get out of his grasp, then you’ll just have to endure. The kiss is searing and rough. Akashi’s large hand grips the back of your neck and his teeth tug at your lips violently. You can feel the tears building up as he kisses you further. And when he pulls back it’s all you can do but get up off his lap and walk quickly out of the room.

Later when Akashi slots himself behind you in your shared bed and leans over to kiss your cheek, he spots the tear streaks there. You’ve been asleep for a long time already but they stick to your skin like a ruined painting. Akashi can’t help but smile to himself at the sight of your despair.

MIKEY

Curled up on the chaise lounge in Mikey’s office, waiting for him to be done for the day, your thoughts begin to wander.

Yesterday Mikey had business with some lower executive from another gang. The man wouldn’t stop looking at you during the whole meeting, and for the first time ever you were seeking out Mikey’s comfort. Your head was tucked into Mikey’s chest and your hands were shaking. When Mikey stepped away for a second to gather something from his desk, the other man approached. He placed a hand on your shoulder, and that was just enough to set Mikey off.

Blood covered the floor, and your shriek was still ringing through the air. Tears pooled down your face and as you tried to avert your eyes from the violent mess in front of you. Mikey had shot the guy. Mikey had shot him, just because he touched you.

Mikey turns to you, gun still dangling from his fingertips.”If they touch what’s mine, I’ll fucking kill them all.” His voice is void of all emotion.

Even though it’s a new day you can’t shake that whole scene out of your memory. So when Mikey steps towards your figure on the lounge, you shrink from his touch.

“Time to go darling. We’ve got our dinner reservations soon.” He tugs at your wrist but you don’t get up. Mikey turns to look back at you and narrows his eyes. “You disobeying me now? Is that it?”

“No Mikey.. I.. it’s just..” you’re eyes are looking anywhere but him and all you can think about is the way he killed that man in front of you last night. He grips your chin and forces you to look up at him- a silent command to speak up.

“Can we got back to the penthouse instead? I- I’m not hungry tonight.” Your voice trails off.  His his tightens his grasp on you, then he nods firmly.

His grip doesn’t leave yours until you get back to your bedroom. And you’ve been separated maybe a minute before he's pressed you up against the counter of your bathroom. His back to yours, staring at your reflection through the mirror. You fidget a bit and turn to look away from him.

“First you don’t want to eat with me, now you’re shying away from my touch. What’s going on darling?” His voice is dark and a hand comes up to grab at your neck.

All you can see is the blood. Your eyes slip shut and it’s still burned in your vision. Mikey. Blood seeping out of a body. The sound of a gun.

“Nothing Mikey. Please I’m just tired… please can I just go to bed?”

He levels you with another look before he pushes you away. “You’ll tell me tomorrow. Whether you want to or not.” You scurry over to the bed and shut the lamp off. Mikey stares at your body trembling underneath the sheets. You belong to him, your body, your mind, and and every thought that passes through your pretty little head. If you’re unwillling to submit to him, then he’ll just have to rip you apart until you do.

[thetypingpup]

"I was wondering when you'd come find me."

Doused in deep blue light, Haechan calls to you from his place on the couch. He sits right in the middle, arms draped over the back, shamelessly eyeing you as you come closer. His bright red jacket stands out even in the darkness, the leather holding a subtle gleam that matches the glint in his eyes. A lazy smirk quirks the corner of his lips, his smirk widening the closer you get.

"Couldn't stay away, huh?" He entices you closer with a taunt, an obvious challenge evident in the lilt in his voice. He wants to rile you up, injecting just a hint of desperate frustration into the lust. It works like a charm, and your feet move forward, your fingers already itching to wrap around his neck.

Neither of you care about how public this is, how you're both taunting each other in the middle of a party like this. The teeming throng of people seems to fade from view, the music receding from your perception, save for the strong base that serves as the tempo you both follow. As much as he taunts, as much as he tries to get the upper hand, he really wants you to overtake him like this, to play with him however you want. Which is why when you slip between his legs with your hands sliding up his thighs, he spreads his legs wider, letting you grab and grope his thighs through the denim. When your lips start to kiss and such on his neck, he tilts his head back and moans at the attention, sighing in content and easily melting beneath you. The more you play with him, the more turned on he gets, and you and any onlookers can see the noticeable tent in his jeans.

Your legs are on either side of his lap as you settle on top of him, right as your hands make their way to either side of his neck, pulling him towards you. He spreads his legs wider, opening himself up to you, lips already parting to let you slip your tongue between them. You grind against his arousal, making him suck in a breath and hiss out a moan against your lips. He doesn't touch you, he doesn't dare move his hands from where they clutch the back of the couch, not until you tell him he can. For now, you're content to just play with him, to leave marks that will stand out even in the dark light of the party, and he's content to let you play with him like the slut he is. Your lip gloss shimmers and shines on his lips, the subtle tint of your lipstick underneath staining the skin around the marks you left, deepening them beautifully. Haechan can't stop moaning, can't stop letting his hips roll up against you, and you let him show everyone just how much of a desperate slut he is. He lets you undress him just a bit, parting his jacket wider and pulling his shirt aside to mark along his collarbones. He lets you use him as a plaything, lets you pull on his hair, slide your tongue into his mouth as you kiss him, mark him as yours for the night.

And when you've decided you've toyed with him enough, you pull back, leaving him there a completely debauched, ruined mess. Now you have the upper hand, and you smirk at him as you walk away, daring him to make the next move. If he wants more, he's gonna have to come and get you, and beg for what he wants loud enough for everyone to hear.

[sciderman]

Would you ever consider blaming Raiminand Tobey Maguire for making people think Peter is a selfless quiet dork with barely any charisma or snark? Or where did the "Peter is an akward spineless quiet dork without a sassy bone in him" idea of Peter came from?

i don't want to discount raimi's parker because - you know, i kind of like him. i kind of like most peter parkers, for their own reasons. i'm unfortunately doomed to be in love with most peter parkers for some reason or another. and for tobey - he's just one silly little autistic-coded guy who's kind of terrible at relationships and struggling his way through life. which is very peter parker core.

i don't think being sassy or charismatic is something integral to peter - it's something you love to see, no doubt, but - like, every peter parker is different, and i can't fault anyone for looking at tobey's peter and saying "yeah. that's my spider-man."

sure - i think it's a bummer that there's a pop-culture consensus that peter parker is meant to be pathetic - but - it's true, actually. he is pathetic. just every peter parker has their own brand of pathetic. and it's down to them to discover what their flavour of pathetic is.

i'm more upset that the tobey movies kind of ruined the public perception of MJ - that's unfair. especially since TASM rolled around after and gave everyone gwen stacy and everyone fell in love with gwen stacy and doubled down on the MJ hate. the number of people who tell me they hate MJ and i ask! why! and it's directly the fault of the tobey movies. that's not fair. she's not even bad in those movies. peter and MJ were both kind of stilted and wooden in the trilogy, and we live in a world of women haters who'll just lambast the female character more than the guys.

i think the mcu's portrayal of spider-man did a lot more damage to the public perception of peter parker than tobey – tobey's kind of meant to be a little bit of a blank slate - your archetypal suffering hero character. but there's lessons learnt from him. tom's spider-man - tom's spider-man kind of fails all of that. he's not sassy - he's a puppy dog. he humps the leg of anyone who'll give him attention, and he really doesn't have any sort of motivation beyond "oh! this is cool!!" or "oops. i messed up." he's dragged around by the narrative like a wet blanket, and kind of doesn't do anything noble or heroic that doesn't inadvertently cause more damage. i don't like that one. i don't like that peter parker. that's the peter parker i'm mad at for ruining peter parker. i'd wipe that twink off the map if i could.

[yarpharp]

hey im back again barely a few days later and like.... okay so Astarion is Fucked Up™. But also, to be further Fucked Up (depending on whether you want this to be official canon or just leave it as old content Larian left out) Astarion was a fucking MAGISTRATE of Baldur's Gate pre-vampirism?

Depending on how you want to interpret this, that can mean a number of things. One: He was the equivalent of a sitting judge in Baldur's Gate courts. Astarion was an elf of 39 WITH THE POLITICAL AND JUDICIAL HEFT OF THE CITY AT HIS NIMBLE FINGERTIPS. Two: He was the equivalent of a prosecutor in Baldur's Gate courts. That means he was 39 and a goddamn lawyer. Three: He was the equivalent of a specialized judge, a "judge of inquiry." Four: He was a state/city-appointed official that handled population information, public registers, and acted as a public notary.

Either way, it's hard to listen to this possible-backstory of his life pre-turning and not go "Cazador..... You are a disgusting piece of shit. Absolutely vile. But also..... you turned a perfectly smart and possibly very able-bodied city official with political power into a goddamn enslaved prostitute? Other than the fact you are clearly a sick son of a bitch, you are also an fucking moron for letting that kind of talent rot."

I mean, Astarion as you meet him is not stupid. He's honestly worryingly smart and perceptive (generally, if the dice rolls are kind), and his ability to hoodwink people into thinking he's just some shallow vapid bloodsucker is quite the intricate little disguise. It's been his defense mechanism for over 200 years, but it might also hint at the fact he's generally quite good at running verbal circles around people. It deeply upsets me to think this elf had a very impressive career for an elf of 39 (not even out of immaturity by elven standards! Not even 100! He still had his elf baby name!) and was debased so fucking horribly. And sure, there's some other content attached to this possible-backstory. Hints that he was a "morally-questionable" magistrate, willing to take bribes or look the other way in some cases. But that doesn't mean he didn't have to learn ALL OF THE LAW required to have his city-appointed station, ALL OF THE EDUCATION. The man had to have been from a reasonably reputable background to even afford that kind of education. Higher class, certainly. The way he speaks is enough of an indication.

Idk i'm ranting. Lowkey more reasons to slaughter Cazador; fucker ruined the life of a goddamn Magistrate elf who was insanely young to have such a high position in city government. (if you vibe with that discarded canon. I personally think it fits him well and just lump it in anyway)

[ametrinearrows]

Love's Leap

Seth Rollins and I had been the best of friends for years in the intense world of WWE. We had traveled together, trained together, and faced countless challenges side by side. But lately, something had shifted between us, something that I couldn't quite put my finger on. 

One evening, as we were both backstage before a show, I decided to confide in one of my fellow Superstars, Ember Moon. She was perceptive and had a way of cutting straight to the heart of things. 

I sighed, running a hand through my hair as I leaned against a stack of equipment cases. "Ember, something's different with Seth and me, and I don't know what to do about it." 

She looked at me with a knowing smile. "You mean the whole 'best friends' thing is getting a little complicated?" 

I nodded, feeling a mixture of frustration and longing. "Exactly. I can't help but wonder if there's something more between us, but I'm afraid to ruin our friendship." 

Ember raised an eyebrow. "Well, have you talked to him about it?" 

I shook my head. "No, I haven't. I don't even know how to bring it up." 

Ember gave me an encouraging nudge. "YN, sometimes you just have to be honest with yourself and with him. You can try asking him how he feels. It might be scary, but it's better than letting your feelings linger in the shadows." 

Her words hit home, and I knew she was right. It was time to have that conversation with Seth, no matter how daunting it seemed. 

Later that evening, as we were both sitting in the locker room, I mustered the courage to broach the subject. "Seth, can I talk to you about something?" 

He looked up from lacing his boots, his blue eyes meeting mine. "Sure, YNN. What's on your mind?" 

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest. "Lately, I've been feeling like there's something more between us, something beyond just friendship. Have you ever thought about that?" 

Seth's expression softened, and he set aside his boots, giving me his full attention. "YNN, I've been feeling the same way." 

Relief washed over me as I realized that we were on the same page. "Really?" 

He nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah. I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want to risk our friendship, but if you feel the same way..." 

I couldn't help but smile back at him. "I do, Seth. I really do." 

And in that moment, our friendship transformed into something more, something that had been simmering beneath the surface for years. It was scary, but it was also exciting, a new chapter in our lives together. 

Our lips met in a sweet, hesitant kiss that spoke volumes of our unspoken feelings. It was a kiss filled with years of shared moments, trust, and a newfound desire to explore this uncharted territory of love. 

Seth pulled away slightly, his forehead resting against mine. "YNN, I can't believe we're doing this." 

I chuckled softly, my fingers gently tracing his cheek. "Me neither, Seth. But sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith." 

He grinned, his eyes filled with affection. "I'm glad we're taking this leap together." 

We shared another kiss, this one deeper and more passionate, a promise of what was to come. As we pulled away, Seth spoke, his voice filled with a mix of excitement and tenderness. "So, where do we go from here, YN?" 

I leaned in, resting my forehead against his. "We take it one step at a time, Seth. We've got a strong foundation as friends, and now we're building something even stronger." 

He nodded in agreement. "I like the sound of that." 

As we continued to talk, the fear of jeopardizing our friendship slowly melted away. We discussed how we would navigate our new relationship within the world of WWE, where our lives were often on public display. 

Seth squeezed my hand, his eyes locked onto mine. "No matter what, YNN, we'll face it together." 

I smiled, feeling a sense of security in his words. "Together, Seth." 

And with that, we sealed our newfound love with another kiss, knowing that whatever challenges lay ahead, we had each other to lean on. Our journey had taken an unexpected turn, but it was a journey we were both excited to embark upon, hand in hand, as lovers and best friends. 

[griancraft]

I’m not going to say much about everything going on but I will say this. I’m not trying to dramapost, that’s why I turned reblogs off. I might reblog it once or twice but I’m posting this because it’s important to talk about and it’s important to me

I am an abuse victim of my parents. They have enough influence to ruin my life forever if I mess up and tell the wrong person. It is terrifying to know they have power over public/workplace perception and things like your income, housing, friends, basically your entire future

I’m not saying that’s one of the reasons she may not be speaking out about who it is but I just. Can understand to a certain level the feeling of wanting to tell people but not being able to. I don’t think I’d want people spreading speculation around that could potentially put me in danger /neu

[chronicbeans]

Hello! I've recently been binged reading your human illustrator wally series and I love it-!! It's amazing, and I think it would be cool to see your perception of the others too-!! That is if your comfortable to do so! Amazing work and im excited to see more in the future

I'll do my best! OwO I'll try to make it a bit short, but no promises lol. There is a bit of extra Wally info, too, simply because some of it pertains to other characters.

Human Illustrator Wally AU Character Info:

TW: Brief Mentions of Trauma/Possible Trauma, Past Bullying, Mentions of Delusions, Anxiety, and Paranoia

🖍️ Wally, alongside Barnaby and Howdy, went to a school that mainly consisted of richer families. It was kind of a school for "gifted" kids, and by "gifted" it means "both gifted, but mainly kids if families who PAID to be here". Wally and Barnaby's families paid for them to be there, while Howdy scored high enough in public school to be offered a genuine placement there. The school was a k-12 private school.

🖍️ Wally, even as a young kid, was extremely talented at art. Barnaby... well, Barnaby never really found a talent. What he doesn't realize is that he is actually pretty good at socializing and analyzing people. It was a part of the reason why he drifted towards Wally. He could tell that Wally was pretty lonely and wanted to help. Howdy drifted towards the both of them after being transferred from his public school, because the other children tended to bully him for coming from a poor family and not being able to afford trendy clothes. Howdy has a natural talent in marketing, being great at selling you basically anything. A part of it comes from how he felt he had to make excuses on why he had "cheap" items, such as a very basic lunch or a tattered bookbag.

🐛 Howdy's family was below the poverty line. Due to this his extended family either lived with them to help provide for everyone, or lived nearby to be there to fall back on. This has caused him to have a very close relationship with his family and to be hugely family oriented. His wife passed away, leaving him with their daughter, Henny. He treats her to whatever he can afford, often putting her needs before his own. He doesn't see himself as needing a lot of money, because he always saw how the more rich kids at the private school were mostly snobbish, besides Barnaby and Wally. He believes a good heart is more valuable than anything in the world.

🐾 Barnaby has always dreamed of being a comedian, however, he just can't come up with the right jokes or stunts to make people laugh. He usually starts out alright, before spiraling from both anxiety and believing that he messed up the joke and now has to explain it in vivid detail, thus ruining what good he had. He's determined, though, for better AND for worse. For better, because he has been practicing and practicing, making his jokes slightly better than before. For worse, because he soon became on the brink of being homeless. When Wally offered him a room in his house, he was forever grateful. He was also the first out of the group to figure out that Wally has hallucinations. Although he is unsure of exactly HOW he can help, he knows a few things that he can guess WON'T help, and to avoid doing those things. So, he tries his best to make Wally more comfortable whenever things get bad.

🎀 Julie LOVES fashion, of course, as a fashion designer. She especially loves the aesthetic of Childcore fashion. So, that is the bulk of the clothes she designs. She rarely puts the logo of her company on the clothes she designs, besides the tag. She believes that doing that would not only ruin the design, but be a bit devious, especially for the children's clothing designs. She doesn't want her clothing to make people walking advertisements! She wants her clothing to make people FASHIONABLE. She met the others through a brand deal, where her, Wally and Sally were working together on a show.

🌟 Sally is both a movie and play director. It usually goes that she will make a play, then make a movie out of that play. For her, the play is the most valuable form of the story, but she is well aware that some simply have trouble enjoying plays. For many, they simply do not have the imagination to fill in the details of the background details. So, the movie will help provide them a more entertaining version of the show. She can be a bit of a diva while directing people, but can always figure out when she has become too harsh and accidentally hurt someone's feelings. In those cases, she tries her best to make it up to them. She can also be a bit overdramatic, in both a good and a bad way. She wants her life to be more entertaining, like a real life show, and finds it difficult to cope with how bland the world seems to be compared to the stories she tells. So, when she met Wally and Julie on the show they were working together on, she knew she had to become their friends. They both seemed, to her, like they walked right out of a children's show.

🕊️ Poppy is as shy and anxious as ever. Now, though, she isn't too anxious to make the baked goods she comes up with herself. She has even made by Eros cooking shows with her skills. Before she found her passion of cooking and baking, however, she actually worked as a nurse. Seeing the injuries of some of her patients was what made her grow more anxious and accident wary in the first place. Eventually, she quit her job and moved back in with her family for a bit, before turning to cooking as a coping mechanism. She soon, unknowingly, became extremely good at baking and cooking meals for her family. She decided to make it into a career, when her friends and family got her to go onto a competitive cooking show and won. Then, her career as a cooking star rose up, eventually causing her to meet the others.

✉️ Eddie and Frank are both "outside" of the group. They aren't celebrities. Eddie is still just the clumsy mailman we know and love. In this specific AU, however, he has a form of ataxia that he inherited at birth. Ataxia, in a very basic explanation for those who may not know, is a condition that causes difficulty with walking and balance, coordination, speech and swallowing, and eye movements. His case is very mild, and he is receiving any available treatments he can get his hands on, but it still causes some difficulty with walking and having to make sudden, coordinated movements.

🦋 Frank is the local librarian. In fact, he owns the library. He met Eddie after ordering some books for the library, with him realizing his packages arrived from hearing Eddie trip and drop the heavy packages to the ground outside. Frank, to be frank (pun intended), was quite upset until Eddie explained his condition. After that, they slowly became friends as Frank ordered more and more packages of books to fill the library on time for its opening day. After a few years of them talking, they ended up getting into a relationship and marrying each other. To a little surprise, it was a blue haired stranger that ended up helping them out along the way, by giving love advice to them both before they asked each other out (Cough cough WALLY cough cough BUT NEITHER OF THEM RECOGNIZED HIM cough cough).

🏠 Home is just a little voice in Wally's head. A malicious one, that is. Wally's house itself seems to act as a sort of "trigger" for this specific voice, which is why Wally has nicknamed it Home. It causes an array of problems for him, from filling his mind with anxieties to even planting the seeds for brief bouts of delusion from time to time. As of recent, the delusion aspect has not been as common. Wally has found ways to ground himself back in reality, so those episodes have grown shorter and shorter. The main problems that Home causes at this point in time are anxiety and paranoia. Wally has never shared this fact, but he believes that the reason why his own house seems to be triggering Home is because he had a bad experience in his family's home when he was very little. However, Wally isn't entirely sure that his theory is true. All he knows is that Home only really talks to him whenever he is in his house, usually when he is alone in a room.