#i keep forgetting to put my art here too OOPS

[revletter]

How does Geno sleep?

GASP. An inbox ask about something I already can't shut up about? AND an excuse to glow-up some more old art?! 🤩

In my headcanon:

Badassery notwithstanding, Geno often just sleeps like a sweet little doll. It feels natural and comfortable - after all, long before he ever borrowed it, it spent almost every night sitting like this.

Also, lying down felt a bit too vulnerable for a while. Especially at the beginning of his adventure. In fact, he got a TERRIBLE first impression of anything resembling unconsciousness - so terrible that for his entire first week on the planet, he didn't sleep at all.

And then he discovered sleep is actually… lovely.

Here's a little bullet point story about that! 😊 [oops, it actually got pretty long, haha... hope you enjoy it!]

Geno Versus Sleep

During that first big fight, Bowyer sent a wall of electricity crashing toward ♡♪!? and the two people who had shown up out of the blue to fight by his side. Before it even hit, he knew it would be too much. He heard Mario's shout, Bowyer's mocking laugh, then dimly felt the impact of his borrowed form against the ground.

The next instant, he found himself alone in a blank, dark, starless void. This was new. And… not good. ♡♪!?'s mind was still very much aware, but he couldn't see, hear, feel, perceive anything. All he knew was that he was still in the doll's body.

Then a harrowing realization dawned on him. With almost all of his magic tethered to a body that wasn't working, he didn't have enough left to escape it…

[Continued under the cut]

Seconds later, there came a feeling almost as jarring: a sudden, wild, violent propulsion back into his senses. The first sense to return was a gaggingly sour taste. Then the unmistakable pain of his injuries knitting back together. Then a voice saying "Good morning! You okay?" - then the blurry sight of Mallow's face. Geno was just as disoriented as he had been when he'd first commandeered the doll.

He quickly learned this feeling was a Pick-Me-Up.

Cool.

He inwardly decided to avoid all of that mess involved in being less than conscious - at least when he had a choice in it.

His first full night on the planet, he kept watch all night long. And the second, and the third. Mario and Mallow became increasingly concerned, which Geno only found endearing. Patiently, repeatedly, he put them at ease about his lack of need for sleep.

(He did not mention any other reasons he might be avoiding it. These people had saved him and his mission; no way was he going to get picky about their methods. Besides, even the child could clearly handle these things without complaint. He resolved to do the same.)

He did, however, often feel a specific exhaustion: being low on magic left him dim inside, almost too depleted to maintain his hard-won motor control over his feet and fingers. On any normal day, the Star Road would restore him directly and abundantly, but now he felt this exhaustion more than he ever had. And it was work and expense to use physical consumables to keep himself going.

When he mentioned this inner conflict in passing - masked as appreciation for how much they spent on him - he was quite surprised to learn that for Mario and Mallow, sleep restored their magic. Intriguing.

Resolving to try and save his friends some resources, he finally decided to give sleep a shot on purpose.

Mario and Mallow were both amused to see Geno flop to the floor between their beds like a toy. After several days of watching the serious, otherworldly warrior wreck things ten times his size on the battlefield, it was easy to forget that part - but his limp doll slump against the wall was a clear reminder that his form was still every bit the silly oversized plaything.

"You sure you don't want to lie down?" asked Mallow.

"It's alright. I don't think it makes a difference to this body," said Geno. "Besides… if something happens, I can be on my feet faster."

In his own bed, Mario rolled onto his side toward him and offered a reassuring smile. "If anything happens, we're right here. We'll be in it together."

They turned out the lamp, and Geno tried to relax. He could do this. Piece of cake. He'd been here a week; he'd been able to tolerate feeling trapped in an unconscious body several times. If he had to face that for several hours in one go… well, he'd experienced worse things.

Hadn't he?

What? Yes, of course he had. Stars, what a silly thought. People down here did this every night. Surely he was blowing this way out of proportion. Surely it couldn't possibly be such a -

Geno felt something fluffy brush against him. It was Mallow's hand, wrapping around his. "S'gonna be okay," the kid said, sounding already half in a dream.

Of course. Mallow seemed to have a sixth sense for these things. Geno chuckled softly into the dark, feeling equal parts sheepish and glad for a friend like this. "That's what I'm here to make sure of, my little friend," he redirected anyway, but Mallow was already asleep.

On his other side, he heard his other friend shift. Mario looked quite awake, the shine of his eyes just visible in the starlight through the window. Mario didn't always pick up on Mallow's reactions and what they meant. Had he this time?

Confirming his suspicions, Mario quietly slipped out of his bed and sat next to Geno on the floor.

"Let me guess," Mario whispered conspiratorially, "where you're from, there's always someone alert and guarding, yeah?"

"Yeah," Geno whispered back. "It's what I do."

"Well, who does it for you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Up there, who guards you when you need it?"

Geno was quiet. Mario clearly didn't know his real source of trepidation, but… he'd never specifically considered this question. His unspoken answer was, of course, 'Still me.'

Mario seemed to take his silence as an answer. "Hey, you know what? I'll sit watch tonight."

Geno blinked. "Mario, you really don't have to do that."

"I'm gonna."

"But... you need nightly sleep."

Mario leaned closer to whisper in his ear. "Wanna know how little rest I got when it was just'a me and Mallow? And how much I've gotten for the past week with another actual adult around? It's like having my brother here, but you actually stay awake all night, like - I dunno, almost like you're some kinda star watching over us or something."

Mario's eyes were glistening with humor in the dark. Geno couldn't help a soft chuckle in return, and stopped trying to dissuade his determined friend from his new side mission.

"I can handle one all-nighter. Get some rest… stella dalla testa dura," Mario added under his breath as he got up, a good-natured tease he probably didn't realize Geno understood just fine.

Nice projection there, hard-headed human, Geno thought with affection as his friend sat in the same chair he would have chosen himself, the one next to the window and in full view of the door. He knew it was far from the first time Mario had done any of this… including the unnecessary and probably futile gesture of support at his own expense.

But he was surprised at how much it helped.

Before he even asked it to again, Geno felt his body relax. His eyes drifted closed; his head and shoulders drooped more deeply. The ever-present restlessness in his feet and fingers departed as he realized that, for tonight, he could at least withdraw from the most complicated joints and actually give himself a bit of a break.

Through the wood of his eyelids and chest, ♡♪!? could still see a dreamy, unfocused version of the room. He still had all of his senses. He could still feel Mallow's fluffy hand. The little guy had pulled Geno's entire forearm close to him in his sleep, as if his arm were a doll itself.

Some time later, he heard Mario softly snoring. Geno noticed that he was slumped backward in his chair, his neck at an angle even he recognized as uncomfortable. He sorted himself back into his body. As he got up, Mallow made a little sound and clutched his arm more tightly; Geno carefully detached it at the elbow.

By this point he knew that, if woken, Mario would only be embarrassed and more doggedly committed to staying awake. So instead, he tucked a pillow behind his friend's head, and covered him with his bed's left-behind blanket. Then he quietly sank to the floor next to Mallow again, plugging his arm back into his socket so the little guy wouldn't get a scare when he next awoke.

He relaxed his head and limbs again, letting the sounds of his sleeping companions soothe him, until… finally… he felt it. The magic of this world, barely perceptible. It was always there in the living things, the trees and flowers and mushrooms and people, so strong in his friends, and now it was slowly suffusing every part of him that he'd allowed to relax.

He knew that at its deepest root it was the same old, deep source of magic as that of the stars. But down here it was slower, gentler; less of a fiery focused precision, more of a flowing peace just out of sight.

Feeling at ease at last, he surrendered control, for the first time head to toe, purposefully, completely. The gentle flow of magic coursed like water through his cooling chest… pleasantly ran through the starlight fringe of his spirit like a caring hand through hair.

What a gift of an experience sleep is... he thought contentedly. Yes, I think I'll be able to handle this indeed.

Bonus headcanons:

With his action figure joints, Geno can technically lock his knees and sleep standing up like some kind of weird horse. He doesn't, though. That would freak people out.

At some point in their adventure, Geno somehow acquires the ability to snore. It sounds like creaking. Because it IS creaking. Geno somehow cannot hear himself do this, and genuinely thinks they're all making a joke he doesn't quite get. Finally, Mario, with his assortment of handyman skills that include carpentry, does the rest of the party a favor and gets some graphite and wax into Old Man Geno's joints.

The first time Princess Peach uses star magic (Come Back) to revive Geno, he's absolutely awestruck. He wonders if she has the slightest idea how much sheer potential she has. Here's a big long headcanon of mine about that, with some art!

[fernandamaya]

Virgo.28.06.24 I've rewrote this many times but I start rambling so I'm gonna keep it as short as possible (lol). Few days ago it was my bday (yay me woo) and it prompted some harsh realizations alongside what past months have already brought. Life's been tough for everyone. I wish I could keep rose tinted glasses all the time to forgive, hope for the best, be the best, but it's just not a thing I can accept all the time, that would not be the human experience we're here to live. Mine in particular has to do with a lot of introspection and how I express it out into the world. Sometimes such introspection causes extreme discomfort, simply put. But I'm pushing thru it because art is quite literally a solace, even more so during these times where everything is so uncertain, in so many aspects it makes anyone spiral into panic if you sit with it for too long. So there's that. I hope my art brings solace to others besides myself. Be it just a second of "huh, pretty", like and forgotten into the ether, lol. Life's weird but we love it and we keep pushing, do we not? Thank you for continuing to enjoy my art. I'll always continue to draw, no matter what

Oops, always forget to add but you can write to fernandawassermoth@gmail.com if you're interested in commissioning me, thank you ♥

[chromotps]

Hello! Been in the OP fandom for more than a decade (i miss the days where ace/luffy were a normal ship) and finding fics have been difficult.

Do you have any luffy/ace fic recommendations? Wishing you a good night!

hello! I wish I had been around for early acelu days... I was reading OP fic back then, but it was mostly zo/san 😅. I get what you mean, it's tough to find stuff for them these days that's not just luffy-harem stuff (which is fine! just not what I'm looking for) or ooc

I prefer fics that are mostly sweet and not too angsty, so my list won't include some of the ones that are really bittersweet/dark/endgame-tragic, even though they're beautifully written. I'm sure if you ask another acelu fan, you'd get a completely different list... I'm just a big weenie! 😭😂

I'm also really disorganized, so I'm probably forgetting a bunch!!! I need to keep better bookmarks omg

SFW Fics:

spinning on that dizzy edge by to-a-merrier-world (wayward_wolves) fav fav fav (helps that this was sort of a gift? based on some art I drew;;? hhh i love it so much) A sweet!!! and playful, relaxed scene between Luffy and Ace—who's joined the Stawhats!

this short fic by 002yb a really lovely, atmospheric piece of writing about the boys just being cute and speaking through touch

forget me not by 002yb a touch more bittersweet, but I loved how insightful this little look at Ace's last night with Luffy in Goa was

to be deserving by 002yb (after acelu week I need to have a separate section for 002yb!! tbh consider this a blanket rec for all their fics) adorable!! very nuanced, quick look at some courtship (or lack thereof) (but hope for some in the future?) between ace and luffy in an omegaverse AU

Bridesmaid Blues by Anonymous so much fun!! a rom-com style take on Luffy and Ace eloping in canon. Hilarious, and just makes me adore all the characters even more

In Your Heart Shall Burn by kayura_sanada oh my god. so it's a fix-it fic that involves a mysterious mirror and wishes. the tone feels just like canon with maybe a hint more bittersweet hopefulness, and the heartfelt moments between ace and luffy in this MELTED ME INTO PIECES. this will be one of my forever favorites.

oxytocin by ruche Gen fic but the author has other great shippy acelu work; this one is, post-marineford-ace-lives scene with Ace being worried and grateful for Luffy... the characterization is amazing

Near Death Experiences by monch_monch (WIP) This is a reincarnation AU, and it's got one of my absolute favorite acelu scenes in one of its flashbacks... I love everything about this fic—the way the other characters are brought in, and how cute and heartfelt Ace and Luffy are... I can't compliment it enough

The Same As You by PeachyStud (WIP) (jksgfhd oops i put this is sfw when the latest chapters have some messing around in it, but... i'll just leave it here) This one's a very sweet and fun modern AU—I reread it when I just need some feel good acelu fluff.

Next Stop, Everywhere by NewWonder This fic is the 2nd part of an "Ace lives and sails with Luffy" series, but it's my favorite of the 3 parts because it focuses a lot on Ace getting to work through his heartache 😭

Together Again by Swinky Swanks (SpobSpucci) A sweet, short piece about when Ace visits Luffy in canon

I'll Always Want You by PeachyStud This is part 1 of another "Ace lives in canon" series—this fic focuses on Luffy asking Ace to join his crew during their 2 years training and is SO cute and lovely. Part 2 is also a treat (and rated M 👀)

Arrangements by Sully-van I feel a little crazy for including an FF.net story on here, but this little royalty/arranged marriage AU just made me smile.

Find the Hat by authenticaussie  funny, slightly bittersweet AU where luffy's a ghost in ace's university library. i know, unusual concept, but a quick, fun read

(Ir)Responsible by oumriel (WIP!!!!! probably permanently from the looks of things) okay I have to recommend this one—it's a modern AU with drama/slow burn, and some incredibly heart-warming moments and really interesting characterizations. it does end on a heart-breaking cliffhanger, but... acelu seems to be a little bit cursed with WIPs, in the end, haha

Sleeping Habits by RainyCatharsis surprisingly fluffy soulmate AU where a soulmate who's died stays in their partner's dreams until they're both ready to move on. short and sweet!

on brotherhood by LadyCrimsonAndBlack another gen fic; age-swap! older Luffy runs into Whitebeard and makes sure Ace is happy on his crew

Lock; Key by Anonymous (SFW.... for now. since there's only 1 chapter up) very interesting modern, omegaverse AU with cool worldbuilding

NSFW Fics:

Hatchling by Anonymous good old-fashioned "not too loud or dad will hear us" modern AU incest. haha. really, this one is a nice mix of cute and dirtyhot, with a looooot of teasing smug ace

and what do they say about dreams by ruche uhh. a smut fic that... focuses on Ace's narcolepsy? it's surprisingly cute and funny—mind the tags, but I really enjoyed it!

Tearjerker by necroesthe OKAY so I love a lot of Necro's acelu fics... They do tend to skew darker, so that's a good thing to remember if you go browsing. This fic, though, is an adorable and fun and hot modern AU, with Ace thinking Luffy looks cute when he cries.

for the asking by irrelevant  another modern AU, I love the relaxed dialogue and vibe of this one. There's something about Ace and Luffy acting like dumb brothers while also being devoted to each other that gets me every time.

You're Built from Motorcycle Exhaust, Cigarette Smoke, and Starlight by Novicecomics Modern AU, really atmospheric story about biker!Ace and Luffy going on a little adventure and being in love

born hungry by ruche hard to summarize... i guess, modern AU, drunk/troubled ace has surprisingly sweet sex with luffy. this author always captures such a like, darkly funny, wry attitude with ace, and their luffy is a treat. still good to check the tags!

the blood of my brother by fizzyren another maybe odd one. uh. short summary is, acelu period sex with trans luffy. i'm not usually into those kinds of fics but this one got me down, what can i say

Lake Pontchartrain by necroesthe definitely read the tags for some of these dead dove recs i'm sneaking in here. anyway uh. the first chapter in this is, modern au, preteen luffy catches ace watching porn aaaaand then there's fallout

Virtue by necroesthe ditto above w the tags. um. 15yo luffy wants to ride ace. i'll add, necro's darker fics are more psychological-hot to me than like, silly-yummy-smut hot? if that makes any sense haha

I'd also like to recommend my own Once Piece fics... I think they're all pretty sweet, and not too bad if I do say so myself. :3c

Anyway!! Hope this helps! And pls feel free to tell me your thoughts on any of em............. 👀

[prof-polarbear]

A wild Cubchoo appears!

Hello Hello!

I am Moose aka Modigo aka Vamoose aka- i could go for a while.

I run (counts on fingers) 4 active rotomblr blogs and 4 inactive ish ones and wow i have 9 blogs now. yikes!

This is mostly me copying Phyto (love you dude /p) for a space to rant about my characters in a visible place, and also answer peoples questions about that that they may not be able/comfortable asking in the character's askbox themselves!

Some of my favorite posts will probably get put in here, as well as some ooc art of characters!

Summary of characters under the cut!

Active Blogs!! @prof-polaris : My first ever rotomblr blog, and the one that this blog is jokingly named for! Polaris is 27, and the father of- how many kids now? So many. They are my beloved silly guy who trains service pokemon for others, and is doing their best to keep their family stable and alive. Polaris is generally very mild mannered and easy going, unless their family or friends are being threatened. Oh, and they're a mite bit haunted by their families past. Don't worry about that too much. Polaris' blog is also occasionally taken over by their cousin Violet, who just so happens to be a Zoroark. mostly chill but occasionally mid-high stakes due to their kids

@unovan-gardener : CD!! or Cultivar Deo, Boy, turned plant boy, turned leafeon boy, and my accidental punching bag! Whoops! CD is- near constantly going through it because of the traumatic events leading up to and through his hybridization as a leafeon, their father's C- parenting, and their inability to work through their feelings as they feel like nobody listens or cares! But also they love plants so much and love and care about their friends so much so when there isn't angst happening around them that they get dragged into generally they have a good time!! I promise!! Warning for occasionally body horror, there is a plant inside him keeping him alive <3 mostly mid-high stakes because of his friends whoops-

@naptime-noct : My darling narcoleptic guy, daze is. doing dazes best! daze is mostly active at night, and mostly just. talks to dazes boyfriend Casey @/bones-poison-and-pokemon and dazes (in my opinion) bff Ceti @/rising-normal-type-star. generally low states, except for occasional darker themes in reference to dazes parents and disability

@moose-from-animals : whaaaaaat whos this guy??? definitely not just- me but pokemon lmaaaooooo oops all low stakes except when i am going through it irl because we are the same man Inactive/Barely Active Blogs

@csamhp : Chroma Sactuary and Museum of Hisuan Pokemon, run by Skie Tiergan!! Xe are doing their best. This is a sanctuary Polaris runs, but honestly i forget about it alot. shoot it an ask if you wanna know more about it tho!

@newgrowthspaest : Polaris' business blog. all their service pokemon training stuff is here

@chromacorporation : ooolldd chroma corp blog. completely retired. only go here if you want older polaris lore.

@cedar-scavenges: guy gets cursed. more at 7. every time he sleeps he wakes up in a new region (randomizer blog). the idea was cool but lack of interaction made me lose interest in sprout, and i kinda didnt really know where i wanted to go with him. might get rebooted someday if i get ideas.

[merrinpngvt]

yahooo, hey all, hey there or hello there :))

It's been a while since I made an actual Post. I've been putting loads of Thought into it, in what to do. As for example on my 2nd Acc @alhaithamsboobs I do only Art, on YT I do some complete different Content and welp on Insta, Picsart and Pinterest; I post my own Wallpapers [My Socials r all at this Link: ]

So I've been questioning myself, if it'll do sthg good to myself, to see some Changes here, or if I should keep Tumblr out of this.

It's up to u Guys ig, if y'all want to see my Wallpapers on Tumblr, I'll prob start posting them on Reddit and Twitter as well (cuz the last 2 mentioned Platforms r empty af). Oh and I probably shouldn't forget Hoyolab as well ig-

So, one last thing: I don't have every Wallpaper on my Phone anymore, so u gotta probably screenshot and crop them from my Instagram. But be warned, they have not the best Quality once u crop 'em :')

Alright, that was all, I wish u great Holidays and a Happy new Year too, tho it might be a bit too early to say that, but I don't frkn care- oop-

Have a nice one everyone!

Toodle doo~

[bitegore]

AO3 wrapped (when you've time, given that you've just gone to sleep): 3, 18, 30...

I didn't see this until now! oops lol

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

I think it would have to be the snakes series, just because. Holy shit. What an accomplishment.

This is another question that doesn't specify year, and I wrapped that up last year, so I'm also going to go look through my 2023 ouvre but off the top of my head, there's no real standouts lol. All my real energy went toward art this year. I think it'd have to be franchise-confused euphemism, again for extra-textual context; this one was written in something like half an hour in an in-person setting as part of a competition and I did too good a job on it, objectively, but it was fun to read aloud to a room with a handful of people in for sure.

18. The character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

Jazz. Hands down. A good third of the Vortex fics I wrote this year were me trying to write Jazz doing literally anything and then realizing I was just writing Vortex being a little more cooperative than usual while wearing an Autobot's skin. Torture and misery. I still haven't nailed him.

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

Mostly reception, if I'm honest. I keep forgetting how far my 'standard' baseline for normal stuff is from other people's - every couple fics I'd write something completely anodyne (to me) and have the entire comments section mention it in incredulous tones as though, like, they'd never heard of someone watching videos of animals mating or read depressing stuff where people died or considered using weird objects as sex toys or ever cooked an egg on their computer while rendering something in a 3d modeling program. Very, very few of my story ideas seem to me all that off-the-wall, since I had to come up with them from somewhere and I'm almost never trying to come up with something "crazy" or whatever, but for months people were mentioning the one fic I wrote where Wildrider puts rocks up his valve in this one discord server I'm in because I guess they'd just never considered it? And I suppose not a lot of people are doing sex-comedy-horror the way I am but every single time it takes me by surprise lol.

You can find the questions here!

[jumpscaregoose]

x laws propaganda time

alright this is the big one buckle in nerds

@ungodly-amounts-of-godly-trauma poll crash course in x laws and also lyserg diethel. all encompassing longpost, tangents included

this is probably going to be too monolithic to work as propaganda but I can do what I want

(read more for courtesy because. abomination)

we’ll begin with some light housekeeping!

Shaman King 101 real quick for those unaware: shamans are people who can see and communicate with ghosts and spirits. every 500 years there’s a big tournament to decide who gets the biggest, bestest spirit, the Great Spirit. there are two versions of SK, 2001 (a heavily manga divergent anime adaptation considered to be better on both nostalgia and writing principles) and the 2021/manga version (written by this guy hiroyuki takei who’s really not the best at writing plots and tends to forget important details. this one’s his intent for better or worse and is more canon).

IMPORTANT TERMS (that I use here but forgot to explain first oops)

spirit ally: a shaman’s primary spirit they use for combat and various tasks

over soul: putting a spirit into a physical medium to allow them to interact with the living world

mana/furyoku: interchangable english and japanese terms for a shaman’s power level. can be measured numerically

shaman king: the person who has the great spirit as their spirit ally

the original shaman king manga was written by a man named hiroyuki takei. takei is. certainly a writer ever. he’s very good at writing fun characters and character dynamics. he character designs and art are very nice (when he’s not being stupid with them. there are some CHOICES). he is very bad at most other things. like remembering timelines and plot details. or research. I will be referring to him occasionally

my area of expertise is the manga version, so assume anything I mention is from that one unless otherwise stated (most general statements do apply to both). HOWEVER, there are some x laws related things that are SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT (more traumatic) in 2001, and I will bring those up as well.

the main antagonist is this guy hao, an onmyoji from 1000 years ago who reincarnated himself to become god (the shaman king). also btw an onmoyji is a type of spiritual leader person who practiced the traditional chinese wuxing (five element) concept, that’s important later. the main protagonist is his twin brother/split part of his soul yoh. they’re really interesting but not the point of this post so 

enter lyserg diethel, blorbo no. 1 for this poll (I highly recoommend starting to type his name into your search engine and clicking on the first chemical looking thing that comes up in autocomplete. I could just tell you but it’s way funnier if you find this out how I did)

when we meet lyserg he’s 14 years old (I think. the SK timeline is very broken around this part of the story and dates can vary by a couple years) and he’s joined the shaman fight (big plot tournament) to get revenge on hao, who killed his parents and burned his house down when he was 6. also he’s british, uses dowsing with a pendulum, and his spirit ally is the fairy morphine (funny if you looked up the thing from before), who’s been his friend for his entire life (comes up in trauma later keep notes). he’s also frequently depicted with poppies in the manga (infuriating when combined with the name thing and morphine. why. why is he named that. why he not opioid. this makes me so irrationally upset). lyserg meets the protagonist gang (yoh, this gay emo kid, gay emo kid’s shonen rival boyfriend, and this other guy with a hilarious running gag of summoning this guy billy with magic hitchhiking powers all the time in 2001. it’s implied hitchhiking guy and billy make out once. this show is insane). lyserg’s goal at this point is to find strong allies to beat hao, so he tries to invoke the let’s-fight-to-become-friends trope and it does work but not until he gets decked in the face for being an idiot and pays for everyone’s hospital bills. which are a thing because btw everyone got dropped out of a plane into new mexico breaking bad style for a tournament test.

while journeying with the protagonist gang, they encounter one of hao’s minions, a man named boris tepes dracula. boris is able to use his spirit ally to possess people and temporarily turn them into his vampire minions. the concept of becoming a servant to hao is so horrific to lyserg that, in the 2001 version, he begs yoh to kill him if he ever becomes one. with 100% sincerity. spoiler alert he does at one point, does not get killed, and is confused. this is also when the main event of this poll shows up.

X LAWS BACKSTORY INTERLUDE!

back in the day there were these two dudes luchist and marco lasso. marco was an orphan who grew up at luchist’s family orphanage and they had a very close paternal relationship. so close that they founded an independent supercar dealership together. enter hao, here to find minions for the shaman fight in what was at this point probably about 10 years! arson and murder! the car dealership and orphanage get burnt down, and luchist and marco swear lifelong vengeance on a kid who couldn’t have been more than 5 years old and form the x laws. they gather more people who also think a small child is the ultimate evil, including… who’s that? our next competitor!

iron maiden jeanne, blorbo no. 2 for this poll!

jeanne was a young orphan girl on the streets of mont saint michel in france (my high school functions teacher claimed to have almost drowned in quicksand there writing his name during low tide), that marco and luchist picked to become their ultimate weapon and convinced her she was sent from god to defeat hao. key point here: iron maiden jeanne is genuinely just some random little girl, no divine connection beyond that of the average shaman of her power level. and about that power level. manga/2021 shaman king has this weird little detail, where if a shaman dies or is gravely injured, their numerical power level (I’m glad 2001 only brought in numbers to surprise us with hao’s strength later on, because aaaaaaa) will increase drastically. the x laws exploit this system by having jeanne swear and oath on an iron maiden (the fake medieval torture device, not the band) and stay inside it almost 24/7. real spikes, too. blood pours out of it during her introduction.

being so close to death for probably half her life has given her immense power, and her spirit ally is shamash, the god/spirit who… issued the first laws to the babylonians in mesopotamia? wasn’t the x laws supposed to be a catholic thing?

don’t. worry. about it. normal Takei things.

real quick on religious imagery: the x laws’ over souls are “angels” these robot things (think eva unit but #aesthetic #angelcore or whatever) that they activate by shooting guns. can range from small handguns to bazookas. the second ed of the 2021 anime is also this:

take it as you will (I love the 2021 eds so much btw, my favourite pieces of shaman king animation. ed 1 for the win)

jeanne’s over souls are all also medieval torture devices (of various levels of accuracy), for example guillotines, gibbets, and the statue of apega

(also, when I say “god” in this, unless I’m referring to hao, the great spirit, or winning the shaman fight, I just mean a powerful spirit ally. it’s weird and confuses even me)

and while we’re talking about jeanne, she’s clearly named after joan d'arc, the revolutionary who heard visions from the archangel micheal on mont saint michel. jeanne wholeheartedly believes she was sent by god to defeat hao, and in the x laws’ twisted views of justice

all those who stand in their way are irredeemable sinners who deserve their gruesome deaths. the x laws are justice incarnate. hao is the ultimate evil who must be defeated at all costs (hao is spotted doing such things as. hanging out with his adoptive little sister/daughter on top of big rocks. engaging in polite conversation with his brother at coffee shops and hot springs. eating a baguette at their match. taunting his brother’s fiancée over a book)

returning to the timeline, the x laws appear and immediately kill boris (turn him into actual dust and all). resident good boy yoh and the other protagonist guys are obviously icked out, because they’d just shonen battled boris, learned his tragic backstory, and taken him out as a threat. lyserg, however, is entranced by the x laws and their gun angel robots… gun angels… angels with…

no…

*I am pulled away from my computer and executed by the comedy police*

anyways, this is the start of a somewhat out of place shakespearean tragedy for our boy. is comparing hiroyuki goddamn takei to william shakespeare a stretch? yes. so much of a stretch. does it feel right in this case? also yes. this is the start of a beautiful, fascinating, deeply frustrating spiral (this character arc has made several people I know hate lyserg diethel at some point lol)

our guys make the final walk to their destination awkwardly walking behind the x laws, who are pissed they didn’t do a murder. eventually they separate and we randomly meet god in southwest colorado. god as in the great spirit in this case. some plot shit happens and lyserg ends up separated from the rest of the protagonist gang, and he wanders into the x laws. there’s this absolutely heartbreaking scene of lyserg, this young boy mourning his parents, crying into marco’s shoulder to ask him if, just maybe, the x laws can defeat hao. and because this is a cult he says yes.

the reveal of lyserg joining the x laws is another very nice and painful scene. it’s been heavily implied to have happened (see above) but had not yet been confirmed. it’s a really good scene but I think you can only really catch the ~Vibes~ by seeing it so

important context: the guy getting sliced was lyserg’s opponent in an officially sanctioned tournament match, where you absolutely do NOT have to kill people. this is after around 3 months of being with the x laws (in the dumb manga timeline. holy shit I hate the manga timeline. in 2001 it’s different, I think it’s even less time)

so, in roughly 3 months with this group, our boy went from “standard anime revenge plot” to “actual cult member. who will kill people”. like he was fucked up before but not in a godly way. also there’s more fucked up now.

real quick jeanne thing. in the manga, most of the x laws get killed by hao (either in a tournament or while shooting a giant space laser at him, setting off a criminally underutilized subplot). some more shit happens, and jeanne ends up discovering that she’s not sent from god, but just and ordinary girl. she is surprisingly unfazed by this. I blame takei

the 2001 and manga versions both have a mutually exclusive godly fucked up thing about them so we’ll be going over those after a quick word from our sponsor: child abuse! yeah lyserg gets slapped around a lot. for not being 100% murder cult 100% of the time. it’s fucked up in a godly way yeah.

in the 2001 version, the spiral is even worse, including lyserg abandoning morphine (best friend fairy who he had a whole filler episode getting back from some goons. that morphine). and he doesn’t really stop being culty and the worst until the very end. and he’s also a lot MORE culty and the worst. he straight up kidnaps someone to use them as bait in an elaborate plan to send hao’s soul to the shadowrealm called the Gate of Babylon, this thing that’ll send everyone in a small vicinities’ souls there. I’m gonna be honest I forgot the details and the wiki was really unhelpful but that’s the gist. he does eventually get less cultish in 2001 though.

in the manga lyserg goes to hell. this isn’t actually that weird for shaman king, I haven’t mentioned it yet but at this point in the manga death has kind of lost all meaning (this comes up with a jeanne thing later. do I need to touch on red crimson jeanne in here? not really. but I’m gonna. “world is mine” -hatsune miku). 4 other guys go to hell at the same time as him he isn’t special. BUT. the hells in shaman king are pretty clearly tied to past events of their beholder’s lives, or worries they might have. for example, a character who’s hometown was flooded when they were young goes to a flooded forest (for THREE PANELS. justice for the hororen hells). lyserg’s hell is london, what looks like some weird time dilated tudor/modern london crossover (or someone not knowing what london looks like). in weird london, lyserg is attacked by a demon he calls Mastema (who, according to my beloved wikipedia, is a fallen archangel and the personification of hatred) takei clearly did at least that much research for once, because Mastema follows lyserg wherever he goes and only attacks when he thinks of his parent’s deaths and his hatred for hao. at one point, he does this to try and defeat it…

…and immediately gets pummeled

now, I’m not entirely sure this was intentional, but like. becoming an “angel” to defeat something. and that doesn’t work. 2+2, people. he comes back from hell btw. death has no meaning and all

in 2021 there’s also this scene where yoh comes to visit lyserg (because he’s the goodest boy ever and is worried about his friend) and jeanne shows up to ask yoh to join the x laws. he refuses, and she immediately switches from hello friend join us to well. murder

and we should also probably talk about zeruel. zeruel, according to google and evangelion, means “arm of god”. zeruel is the angel lyserg recieves as part of the x laws (and who he ditches morphine for in 2001). zeruel itself isn’t really that relevant overall but I felt I had to bring it up. in the manga he uses zeruel (car form) and morphine to form his armoured over soul, mastema dolkeem (flames of enmity)

oh right

five warriors

is a thing

so

in the manga, they introduce this concept of the five warriors, each representing one element (annoyingly, not the actual wuxing elements but instead water, earth, fire, air, and lightning?). hao’s spirit ally throughout the series has been the spirit of fire (there are spirits for each element btw) so it’s poetic that lyserg gets the flames of enmity and fire, or something.

let’s talk about the impermance of death in shaman king real quick. for most of the second half of the manga, death has basically no meaning

oh shit I just realized I forgot to mention jeanne can resurrect the dead. she can do that btw

the death-has-no-meaning train gets started when jeanne brings this one emo guy who died for emo reasons back from the dead and it’s introduced as a concept. over the course of shaman king that emo guy dies. four times. the entire main cast has died at least once (we will get to that later). by the end there is no reason to leave someone dead at all, and doing so would be really fucking stupid. guess what happens to jeanne in red crimson (shaman king spinoff manga. also the best shaman king spinoff manga my beloved)? she dies. permanently

(this screenshot was apparently what broke the post? jeanne dying too powerful for tumblr?)

it’s an ok (?) ending to her character arc (and shows how fucked up she got from the whole child cult leader thing) but it irks me somehow (there’s also a scene in the manga after jeanne discovers she’s not sent from god where she refers to suicide as “there being no act more wicked”)

resurrect my girl

jeanne’s whole thing in red crimson annoys me to no end and if I went off about it here you wouldn’t believe that red crimson is Good Actually. so I won’t. but just know that the wasted potential is off the charts

and now, for what feels like a technicality to me: asakura hao kills everyone!

at the end of the manga, hao becomes god. he also proceeds to attempt his genocide of the human race and offs the entire main cast almost instantly. it is my favourite scene in shaman king ever and I love it dearly. what matters here is that both of our guys here got killed by god himself. that’s also godly trauma. the fact that THAT’S in a lil footnote shows how fucked up everything else is tbh

and uh that’s all I can think of for lyserg and jeanne religious trauma. if you’re curious just ask me somehow and I will be glad to infodump

but really you should just go shaman king (I recommend reading the manga first and then watching 2001. the reboot anime too if you really like the story but it’s just the manga but worse)

do it

there’s some bullshit and bad writing in there but it’s still pretty good (and stupid)

[androidappdevelopments-blog]

Pink French Tips – My Nail Art Obsession (and How You Can Do Them Too!)

Okay, confession time: I’m obsessed with pink french tip nails. They’re like the little black dress of the nail world – classic, chic, and perfect for any occasion. I mean, who doesn’t love that clean line of pink against a soft, natural base? It’s just so darn flattering!

But here’s the thing: while I love the look, I’m not exactly a nail salon regular. So, I’ve become a total pro at doing pink french tips myself at home. It’s actually way easier than you might think!

Why Pink French Tips Rule

Let’s be real, there’s a reason why pink french tip nails have been around forever. Here’s what makes them so awesome:

They work on everyone: Seriously, no matter your skin tone or nail shape, pink french tips somehow manage to look amazing. Plus, they have a lengthening effect that makes your fingers look super pretty. #longandlovely

They’re low-key chic: Need a manicure that looks put-together but won’t clash with your outfit? Pink french tips are your answer. They’re perfect for work, school, or even a night out with the girls.

They’re chip-resistant champions: Let’s face it, chipped nails are the worst. The good news is that with pink french tips, a small chip on the tip is way less noticeable than a chip on a fully colored nail. Plus, as your nails grow out, there’s a natural gradient effect that helps hide it even more. Score!

Taking Your Pink French Tips Up a Notch

Okay, so classic pink french tips are great, but there’s room to play around too! Here are some fun ways to personalize your mani:

Pink it Up!: Don’t be afraid to experiment with different shades of pink! A baby pink base with a hot pink tip adds a playful pop, while a dusty rose base with a soft mauve tip creates a more sophisticated vibe.

Glitter Power!: Want some sparkle? Add a touch of glitter to your french tip for instant glam. You can go subtle shimmer or full-on disco ball vibes, it’s all up to you!

French with a Twist: Feeling adventurous? Ditch the classic straight line and try a wavy french tip, a v-shaped design, or even an angled french.

Accessorize Your Nails: Think tiny rhinestones, metallic nail art tape, or even cute decals. Just remember, keep it balanced – the pink french tip should still be the star of the show!

DIY Pink French Tips: You Got This!

So, convinced that pink french tips are the way to go? Awesome! Here’s how to achieve salon-worthy nails from the comfort of your own couch (bonus points for comfy PJs and Netflix!):

Prep Party: Clean, dry nails are key! Push back your cuticles gently and buff your nails for a smooth surface.

Base Coat Boss: Apply a thin layer of base coat to protect your nails and help your polish last longer.

Sheer Pink Perfection: For the base, choose a sheer pink polish or a light, natural-looking shade. Two thin coats are your friend here, letting each dry completely before adding the next.

French Tip Magic: This is where it gets fun (and maybe a little tricky)! There are a few ways to get that perfect pink french tip nails. You can use special french tip guides, a thin nail art brush, or even a toothpick dipped in polish (although this one takes some practice!).

The Final Flourish

Alright, your pink french tip nails are looking fierce! Here’s how to keep them that way:

Shiny Savior: Slap on a good top coat. It’ll seal everything in, prevent chipping, and make those nails shine like nobody’s business. Get a quick-drying one – trust me, your fingers will thank you!

Cuticle TLC: Don’t forget the cuticles! Regularly using cuticle oil keeps them healthy and moisturized, which adds a whole new level of polish (pun intended!) to your mani.

Oops-Proofing: We all make mistakes, nail art mishaps included. If you mess up a line, no worries! Just grab a cotton swab dipped in nail polish remover and clean it up. Easy peasy!

Pink French Tips: Your New Nail BFF

Pink french tip nails are like the ultimate nail BFF – reliable, stylish, and always down for whatever you have planned. They’re easy to DIY at home, don’t require a ton of skill, and can be dressed up or down.

Plus, they look good on everyone! So next time you’re looking for a manicure that won’t disappoint, give pink french tips a try. You might just fall in love (like I totally have).

Now, I gotta dash and paint my nails hot pink with a glitter tip – feeling a little adventurous today! But before I go, spill the tea! What are your favorite nail polish colors?

[softgrungeprophet]

here is my thing, because i just keep seeing opinions that make me raise my eyebrow from multiple different people

CEOs make hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars annually, everywhere and including at publishing and comic companies

when people say publishing books is "too expensive" it is because they are paying their ceos anywhere from 2x to potentially hundreds of times more than almost any other individual employee at the company while making record profits lmao

comics isn't in that exact same position necessarily but comics ARE profitable.

when creators are not compensated on time, properly, or at all, or are dropped for stupid reasons, or put on unreasonably tight deadlines, it has nothing to do with format, art style, print quality, author wages, color vs b&w (though one is def more expensive to print than the other), ogn/tpb vs single issue, etc. and almost everything to do with corporate greed. (and of course the purposefully manufactured system that prevents the creation of a union or guild by keeping creators separated, too overworked to function, and desperate) (i have seen multiple posts strongly implying this is the creators' fault for not "trying hard enough" to organize while literally working themselves to death, which is a very shitty way to frame a system manufactured to prevent organization in the first place)

even (especially?) refusal to market (often forcing creators to market themselves despite being signed onto big name companies or massive IPs) is most likely due to the Maximum Profit attitude and also, again, has literally nothing to do with any of those format-based factors

bad stories, lack of continuity, offensive writers, rushed art, are all due to things like overly tight deadlines + schedules, creators working multiple series simultaneously, the lingering attachment to an old guard system that privileges the opinions of middle aged white male collectors (also probably why all those #diverse stories get shitcanned before being compiled in the first place, because those buyers drive the direct market while historically underserved groups and "new" audiences such as middle school girls frequent places like libraries a lot more so these series are often cancelled before reaching the hands of their actual target audiences unless they manage to be digital sales breakouts, oops!) (this rlly only applies to the Big Two though) and continuing to hire some writers who really are just bad writers unfortunately (and don't forget, bad writers have existed in comics for decades too) who would continue to be bad writers regardless of format or whatever

no offense and not to get derailed but writers are not writing for trade, they are "writing for being cancelled after their six month contract expires." Actually writing for trade would involve story longevity that is not present outside of series that are so well known the author is basically never going to get kicked no matter how shitty their story is because everyone is still going to buy it anyway. And even those shitty stories are making references to past continuity and have internal consistency despite sucking ass. Frankly the retcon pissing contest, fully related only to the toxicity of cape comics culture, is more of a problem than the mere existence of *checks notes* books will ever be, and again, not related to format. esp since graphic novels have and will continue to exist outside of the context of superheroes and claiming that graphic novels (which is what trades are) are killing storytelling just because western superhero comics are run on the stupidest system imaginable, is, well, stupid

sales model is technically related to format but that's related to single issues, not paperbacks

(also i'm sorry but a superhero tpb is no different from a dvd collection imo)

anyway sorry i just was annoyed about a stupid text post i saw like a month ago, back to artists and treating them like shit

I esp want people to consider that this exploitation of comic artists and other creators has been happening long before the current day (decades and decades) including under the industry's "beloved heroes" back when the only thing that existed was 12 cent magazines

and, moving away from the exploitation convo for a side note: i also want people to consider how many people rely on libraries to read not just books but comics as well. digitally and in print. (tho hoopla's digital comic reader might be the worst i've ever used)

Magazines are very difficult to shelve and keep in readable shape. The library I was at kept most of its magazines (which excludes comics; i am talking about stuff like natgeo and the economist) in those little angled notebook holder things with the most recent on the display shelves next to the newspapers. Depending on the magazine thickness the holders could fit a few months to a few years' worth of back issues. most of them are bent up because that's actually not a good way to store magazines since they lack a rigid cover + spine so a lot of them, if in cases that are not full, are unable to support their own weight lol

ALL of the single issue comics we had were for children (this is part of a greater issue obviously) and crammed into a few of those bins without ANY organization whatsoever (arguably also part of a greater issue) though the children's magazines like ladybug had special hinged shelving with magazines stacked behind the display (a much better way to store them than the containers imo)

In Theory there is a way to shelve floppies like those magazines, lying flat on their sides and organized by series, and part of THAT problem is still not format (the floppies did not cause this issue but rather the flawed notion that comics are simply worthless and only for children, thus not worthy of space or organization) but stocking floppies is still not ideal compared to trades mostly because floppies are often printed on very low quality paper and are essentially designed to be as disposable as possible (not unlike romance novel paperbacks, which we also have problems with the durability of at libraries), and churned out as cheaply as possible, while the magazines vary in print quality and some are just as durable as the average paperback book (which obviously itself varies a lot) while others are like floppies

I do think it's unlikely that most libraries are able or willing to run with FOC deadlines, unfortunately, though they hypothetically should be able to do pull lists for libraries without much issue or, obviously, order directly from the distributor as they do with other books but frankly i have not had much luck in getting the library to order comic books in this way, in the past, even for actual trade paperbacks. not the books' fault, obviously. again comics are just not considered worth time even at libraries, even as paperbacks.

I think it's entirely possible for libraries to stock floppies in an organized manner but i don't think it's likely unfortunately and they are typically less durable than trade paperbacks and graphic novels (which have also been around for decades and are not going away any time soon)

but like...

i got lost making this post and i don't remember what the point was tbh

i guess the point is that i don't think either single issues or the paperback or graphic novel format are a "problem" any more than serialized short stories and novels are a "problem"? or dvds or whatever

but i am routinely and repeatedly seeing posts from multiple different people implying that trade paperbacks are some kind of root of all evil or that single issue floppies are a magic bullet that will fix solely structural corporate problems...

no offense but artists aren't gonna be paid better or more on time if we suddenly drop trades (and subsequently fuck over aforementioned underserved readers or people for whom single issues are sometimes inaccessible) (i'm people, just fyi)

the problem simply cannot be solved by changing format; it's a problem of at least sixty years and isn't going away

thr solution is not to print specific formats, the solution is largescale worker organization and mass strikes lol

the solution is a union or guild that will directly protect artists (and all the creators involved in making comics) by strongarming the corporations (and yes the little indie companies who are often just as bad or sometimes worse) into treating their creators with literally any respect

the problem is capitalism, not print format or color or length or any of those other things i listed at the top 🤷 mixed case or thought boxes (the latter of which have existed in manga for decades) aren't killing you or your comics. it's all capitalism, it's all corporate greed and the corporate view of all workers as ultimately disposable

the ONLY solution is to address that.

nothing else will do.

also I know this post is a long, disjointed, uncharismatic mess but truly i don't want to argue or whatever i just... think we are blaming the wrong things here, genuinely, and i'm tired of all the posts i see blaming minor format quibbles for the DEATH OF COMICS like I'm sorry but lowercase lettering isn't gonna kill comic books

[darlingpwease]

...oops??

Oh? I'm always happy when I don't have things to do at the moment. I usually just have some 'me' time or hang out with friends lol. sloth darling, so sweet <33,, /t

(RIGHT?! I tried to convince them yesterday that it was stupid. One guy in our group is at the top of the class, and he's the one who suggested it originally, saying we could try to do an avant garde thing with what we have or change it all together [both which are BAD IDEAS WITH WHAT WE HAVE SO FAR] and because he's at the top of the class, some other group members were like 'oh, okay then, if he can do it so can we' as if completely forgetting that this one guy has years of experience compared to us?? The others decided to just go along with it. Its just– I– AHH i'm a little stressed hahA)

By the end of this, I'm going to have to listen either way, I'm going to crash and I'll happily enjoy it lol

IM SORRYY :'□

...you think so?? ..mwah??

fertangerine?? what's that?? oh, so you are trying to kill me???

-panna cotta

nope, it won't work on me, honhon /t /j

... I'm just lying under a blanket in an embrace with plush,,,, my socializing and my "my" time is classified as "working" time</3 I am too intraspersonal intellectual not to consider "let's deal with ourselves :333" as another processing for which, moreover, I am not paid (which is also a huge omission) oh shush,,, don't make me blush; you've been too smooth lately, even more than usual,,,,,, (⸝⸝⸝╸▵╺⸝⸝⸝)

(I just hope that the score from this project doesn't affect yours too much, because it sounds like you decided to bet everything on zero in the casino, since the luckier guy is sure that you will be lucky. it's okay to take risks when you know it won't get any worse, but what's the point of increasing the risk if it's not entirely clear if it's not a high risk with a low reward,,, in the book "the art of war" it was said that it is not worth moving when it is not profitable, and here your case fits perfectly with this phrase sjgdhdgdhhd<///3 in the end, the guy in any case has a low chance of risk, since he is already good and one project will not affect anything, but I don't quite understand why the others agreed. it's a little too selfish for a group project when you all depend on each other, while for some it can seriously affect the assessment, but just make sure you don't get too nervous in the process, okay? I'm sure everything will be fine, but in any situation, try to stay confident and relaxed, control your face and speak loudly — even if something goes wrong, don't think that it's your loss; you should always keep your line to the end and perform solo, regardless of how others performed~ in any case, you are a smart little thing and worked great, don't give your resources too much, it's not your responsibility that they decided to radically change and that they obliged you — this is not exactly how teamwork should work<3 try to relax and have fun when you can neither destroy nor lead~)

hehehe~ then I'm looking forward to this moment so that you finally start taking care of yourself, even if the reason wasn't very good~ /t /hj

I can't. you don't even keep our memories together; surely you only remember about our babies when I speak, don't you? terrible, terrible. how can I forgive you?... only if you tell me that you agree to the terms of that list >:33333 /hj /ht THESE ARE YOUR OWN WORDS I just changed them a little<3

I mean, birds and an earthy shade? why not snails then? or blue? why so uncertain?... are you there kissing someone else??? /hj /t

oh! have you never eaten this? it's very tasty; to do this, you need to take handsome little Ferris, who hasn't grown too much yet due to lack of sleep, and put him on tangerine slices!!! very delicious😋❤︎ especially good if he is nervous about some things at this moment or tired!!! of course, embarrassed is best, but then he makes you want to just squeeze him, so I prefer scared :/// /t /j 🤨🤨🤨of course, otherwise why wouldn't I let the project do it? if you die, then only crushed in my pocket or in my arms, NOTHING else can do it🫤🫤🫤 /hj /ht

[j1mmyr]

Oop I seem to have gained some new people! Sorry I’ve not been too active lately XD

UH…a small “get to know me” though I guess!

- My IRL name is Jonny so you may see close people using it but my online name/art name/alter ego is Jimmy sometimes stylized as J!MMY and it comes from a long story inside joke! Sometimes I tack on my last initial (R) depending on the situation

- I’m a guy, my pronouns are he/him/his!

- I’m trans and have been out since 2013! I’m 5-6 years on T (I honestly forget the exact year off the top of my head) and am almost two years post-op! I don’t label myself as a “trans guy” exactly though and usually just say “guy” because frankly trans or cis doesn’t matter because I AM A GUY lol

- I’m an artist first and foremost and draw…well, kink and nsfw mostly XD I have an original comic about two fat BDSM gimps in a cyberpunk world that fall in love…sort of :U It’s complicated. They’re names are Scream and Candy and they’re my main OCs. You can see more of them and my art at my art blog @electropuz or send them asks at @spandexspaceman though that blog isn’t exactly ready yet!

- Other hobbies include writing, RPing, and cosplaying! And sometimes making said cosplay though my skills aren’t great so I usually end up buying cheap cosplay and fixing it up lmao. I also like gaming sometimes and wanna stream myself playing them or do “let’s plays” as a side thing for fun!

- Possible trigger warnings! I am mostly “spiritual” but openly identify as an atheistic Satanist! I also am a heavy drinker and a stoner so it’s hard for me to always tag things like drugs and alcohol! I’m also pro-kink BUT within limits!! I DO NOT support pedophila, incest, and other such things! Just keep all this in mind before following and minors DO NOT INTERACT at all! Btw if you’re a minor and I interact with you first out of accident first just tell me and I will quit right away!

- Otherwise I have three (technically five…long story) awesome cats that I love very much and put before all else! They’re names are Cirice (black, female, we pronounce it Cirrus due to a Ghost video we watched early in the fandom years ago), Dewdrop (cream/light orange, male, named after the unofficial name for Ghost’s lead guitarist), and Mochi (sphynx/hairless, male, named because he looks like he has rice ball skin lmao). The other two cats mentioned are cats I had when I lived with my grandpa and had to leave behind when I moved out! I still visit them frequently and make sure they’re well cared for though! They’re names are Wade (fluffy gray and white, male, named after Deadpool because he’s my hero) and Bruce (white, male, named after Batman to match Wade being Deadpool). All are spayed/neutered and three are shelter rescues!

- My personal triggers are cat deaths, harm, etc. so please tag them if we become mutuals! It’s not that other forms of animal death/abuse aren’t important (they bother me too), they’re just not a full blown trigger. Cats specifically send me into episodes of severe anxiety and depression

- My “just talking” tag is “the rest is all bullshit” so feel free to blacklist that if you’re just here for cats or memes or something!

ANYTHING ELSE?? I guess just ask me! I love to talk and my favorite things are currently the band Ghost, Walt Disney World, Ghostface (both Scream and DBD), and talking about my OCs! Also aside from Ghost my big fandoms are OFF, TF2, Rick and Morty, and MHA! There’s also a handful of nostalgic fandoms (like Homestuck) and various characters I adore, it’s just hard to list them all right now XD

OKAY I THINK THAT’S FINALLY IT!! Welcome to my blog!

[hydatiid]

oh thats right vanny doodle

[persephone-andromeda]

Love That Will Last

Requested? Yes | No

Will you please write a Bucky x Ivar x Reader fic that takes place during Victorian times? Lots of romance please

Pairing: Victorian times!Winterboneless x reader

Summary: You are the duchess to be of Duke James Barnes and the lover of Lord Ivar Ragnarsson in secret. On the night of a ball, you and Ivar have an argument and you wonder if this love is meant to last.

Song inspo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8GxG7IuI0Y

Warning(s): Angst, reader and Ivar get into an argument, loving James, ends in fluff

Word count: 2.8k (oops)

A/N: This is my first request in a long time! Hope you like it!

Tags: @unbetaedimagines​

The ballroom was blazing with light. Chandeliers cast mini rainbows as the crystals gleamed. A fountain could be heard faintly bubbling outside against the chatter and music of the room and the footsteps of eager ladies and less eager gentleman. Cream and gold decorated the walls with expensive frames of art and sculptures pushed to the corners of the room but placed in a way that looked deliberate. Opulence was the name and it showed.

You were standing by one of the open balcony doors to get the faintest trace of a spring evening breeze. The dress you wore was too tight and the heat of the room made everything too claustrophobic. Maybe it was the champagne too…

A glass of water appeared in your vision and you cast your eyes to your fiancé before downing the liquid quickly. You sighed in relief.

“Thank you. This room is absolutely stifling.”

“Here I thought it was just my presence.”

You snort and hand him the empty glass.

“I could never be bored in your presence, James, no matter what you think,” you tell him before taking him in.

James Barnes, your town’s most eligible bachelor, and a holder of a very large estate, was the most eligible bachelor, is dressed in a smart suit with black tails behind him and a bowtie to match. His blue eyes are slightly shadowed in the light and they make him look even more alluring with the slight smirk on his face.

“I am a lucky man.”

“You better not forget it, or I might just leave you,” you tease.

He fakes a gasp as he holds the glass close to his chest.

“My love you wound me.” He casts his eyes around the room. “Which one of these insufferable fools would you leave me for?”

You also cast your eyes around the room for a few moments and you spot the lord of the house, Ivar, sulking away in a corner with a half empty glass of whiskey. You grin a bit as you turn back to James.

“Well, there’s a lot of qualities and responsibilities that I’d need to replace you,” you start and rock on the balls of your feet, as much as the shoes allow. “First, he’d have to be able to support me and whatever endeavors I hope to achieve. Secondly, he has to be attractive and fun. He can’t sulk away the day. Finally, he has to have an open mind. I have ambitions and dreams and maybe I want to cause some trouble too. He has to help.”

James nods as he twirls the stem of the glass between his fingers.

“Hmm, well, I do believe you’re out of luck here sweetheart. None of these men here have all three qualities that you desire. I guess you’re stuck with me.”

He grins at you and you flush at his gaze as you know what that look means.

“Behave, James. We’re in public,” you whisper as he draws you close to his side.

“Maybe I just want to have a little bit of fun.”

The band concludes with the song and you applaud politely with everyone else as they take a break. You kiss James’s cheek, as the sound of scraping chairs and hurried footsteps around you gives you an opportunity to lean away from his promising touch.

“Will you get me more water? I’m parched.”

James nods and then goes off into the crowd. You take a moment to look for Lord Ivar again, but he is gone from his spot in the corner. You frown for a moment and then hear the signs of squeaky wheels halt at your side.

“Miss (Y/L/N),” he says, and you turn to see him beside you. You start into a curtsey. “You don’t need to do that, you know.”

You smile coyly as you dip back down anyways, just to torture him with the neckline of your dress.

“It is your family home, my lord. It would be impolite to not pay my respects,” you say and complete the curtsey before standing back up.

“And because it is my home, I can command you to do certain…acts,” he teases back.

You fight the flush that tries to crawl its way under your skin.

“Of course, my lord,” you drawl. “But I always make you pay for it later.”

You wink at him and then casts your eyes around the room to make it seem like you and the lord are having a simple conversation, perhaps about the artwork lining the walls. No one needs to know that you’ve been here may times before and you’ve memorized the lines of wallpaper meeting together and the places of frames, even when they are taken down for cleaning.

“Has there been any news about my father’s statues? I thought that you would have told me something by now…” you enquire.

Your father conserved ancient marble statutes and once he had died, since he had no male heir, they were sold at the house auction, breaking your heart. Before you had met James, you spent quite some time looking for them, but you hadn’t been able to find them. Upon James introducing you to Ivar, and learning about his connects, he put out enquiries into them. He had found them two months ago but no new information had been provided since then, leaving you antsy.

The squeak of leather alerts you to the fact that he’s shifting in his seat, either from discomfort from the topic or from the pain in his legs. If this was any other situation, you would help him, but you cannot. No one can know.

“You know I cannot talk about that. Only James is privy-”

“To that information, I know. You always say that,” you finish and sigh before looking at him again. “You know my background. My father didn’t educate me in conservation for years just for you and James to disregard my experience, even in our….relationship. It isn’t fair.”

“Can you believe that we are trying to protect you?”

“No. If you wanted to protect me, you never would have asked me to risk my reputation every time you ask me to come see you. James and I will be married, Ivar, and I don’t know where that leaves you.”

You look away again at the many pairs of feet that are lingering by the drink table or swaying to an unheard song on the floor.

“I understand that you are angry at me for not indulging you, but there are certain things a lady of your disposition-”

You can’t help but laugh at that and then you stare at him again, making him stop.

“Don’t pull that with me. I’m not your mother. You cannot command me to do anything.”

“Watch your tone, woman, or I’ll-”

“What? Hmm?” You stare him down. “What will you do to me? Punish me? Arguing with you is punishing enough and I will not do it anymore, even if you want my forgiveness.”

He snorts.

“Forgiveness? Why would I want that? Have I slighted you, my darling?” He asks with a slight rage burning behind his eyes, begging you to keep going, but arguing with Ivar always ends in someone’s feelings getting hurt and you are not in the mood.

Enraged, you look away from him, just as James returns.

“I’m gone for two minutes and you two are already at it,” he comments and hands you the refilled glass of water.

You down it quickly again, feeling the water cool your anger, but not entirely.

“I want to leave. I’m tired and annoyed,” you address James, ignoring Ivar completely. Two can play at that game.

“You will come back tomorrow and we can-” Ivar starts, and you whip your head around so fast it makes you a bit dizzy.

“I am not cattle to be herded. You will do your best to remember that my lord. I am going to be a duchess and you will show me the respect I have earned.”

He opens his mouth to counter back, but he is stopped by James.

“That’s enough, both of you. If I knew that you two were going to be at each other again, I never would have suggested that we come. My love, let us go and, maybe, we will return tomorrow with cool heads. Agreed?”

“Ever the logical one,” Ivar sneers.

“Ivar,” James says sternly, and shuts his mouth again.

James turns to you.

“Agreed?”

You nod curtly and hand him the empty glass again. You know that Ivar will not say that he agrees but he might if he decides to behave.

“Alright. Let us go before the storm kicks in.”

James leads you away from the crowd of bustling dancers as the music starts up again and you don’t bother to turn around to see if Ivar is watching you go. You doubt he even cares.

On the carriage ride back, you’re abnormally silent as you look out the window. Your annoyance has calmed but it still lingers, even in the cool night breeze.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” you tell James as you know he wants you to, at least, say something.

“I’m sure he’ll be sorry in the morning.”

You snort again.

“When Hell decides to freeze over, then maybe then there will be a chance of him apologizing, and actually meaning it.”

“(Y/N)…” James sighs and from the corner of your eye, you see that he has turned to look out the window on his side. “I don’t understand why you two fight so much. There’s nothing be gained from it.”

You swallow and blink back the tears.

“I know.”

You argue because most of the time you don’t believe that Ivar truly loves you as he says he does and when you argue, at least you can see some emotion laced in his words and in his eyes.

“Will you sleep on it? I can come get you in the morning and we can have breakfast at that café you like and discuss it then,” he suggests gently.

You nod.

“Alright,” he concludes.

Fifteen minutes later, the carriage rolls to a stop in front of your home but before you can get out, he stops you. James kisses your hands.

“My love, please think on it. You and I both know he loves you, and don’t look at me like that. You know it’s true.” He kisses your forehead and opens the door to help you back down onto the gravel road. “I love you and no matter what happens, that will never change.”

You nod again and give his hand a squeeze before parting.

“I love you, James Barnes. Always have, always will,” you proclaim softly.

You’re rewarded by one of his dazzling smiles and as you lay in bed that night, you wonder about the future and how uncertain it all seems.

********

At that same moment, Ivar sits at his desk in his study tapping his pen against a piece of paper that has many scribbled and struck out lines on it. He cannot seem to find the right words to apologize or tell you how he feels, even when he knows you’re only trying to help.

He balls up the piece of paper and throws it into the fire before he sighs. He looks at the picture of you on his desk and gently strokes the image of your cheeks.

“What am I to do with you, my love?” He asks himself softly.

He looks at the clock on his desk just before he hears the small bells chime for midnight. Maybe he’ll have a better idea in the morning. He swallows at that and downs the rest of his whiskey before he stares back at the picture.

Right then, he knows what he has to do, and he can only pray that his hands can keep up with the words flowing from his mind.

********

You debated going with James in the late morning, but the argument could not be left unresolved or else bitter feelings would grow between you and Ivar. You are both very stubborn but driven people and you two were bound to clash every once in a while. James always has to play Switzerland, the neutral ground, to make sure that you two didn’t reach the point of no return. That only happened once, and you and Ivar didn’t speak for two weeks. You can’t even remember what that argument was about. That’s how silly it seems.

You sigh a bit as you look out the window as his manor comes into view.

“Remember-” James starts as he’s adjusting his cuffs.

“I know. Be nice, smile. Be a duchess to be.”

James sighs a bit, but you don’t have the energy to respond to that. What you do have is curiosity as you see the servants bringing in a wooden box, and by the sounds of their grunting, a very heavy wooden box. You frown as the carriage rolls to a stop in front of the manor.

The footman helps you down as James rounds the carriage to come to your side.

“What is this? Did Ivar mention anything to you?”

James shakes his head and once the box is securely inside, you enter the manor. The manservant is inspecting the states of the boxes and is making notes in his book as he spots you. He bows to you both.

“Your grace, my lady. Lord Ivar is in his study,” he says and you both nod as you make your way to his study.

“This is very odd,” you whisper to James as he just smiles a bit. You frown again. “What is it?”

“Oh, nothing,” he chuckles. “He’s smarter than I thought is all.”

Now you’re even more confused, but Ivar’s study door is open and the conversation halts. Ivar looks up from the paper he’s studying and looks back down before gesturing for you two to come in.

As you enter, you see papers littering the floor around him and you can only imagine the state under his desk. He isn’t looking up, but you take in as much as you can.

“Have you slept?” You ask gently, your argument almost forgotten.

“No,” he speaks, and you want to protest but stop as he speaks again. “But you will see why. Come with me.”

He sets the pen down and wheels out from his desk and in front of you and James. He stops at the door and looks back at both of you.

“Well, come on. Hurry up so I can sleep this day away.”

You roll your eyes and takes James’s hand as you follow Ivar back out to the main hall where the boxes have been arranged along the sides of the walls deliberately. You can then read the words that are stamped onto the fronts of the boxes that read fragile in Italian. Your heart leaps in your chest.

“Ivar-”

“Shh, let James open them first before you get too excited.”

Ivar gestures to the crowbar that is resting on top of one of the shorter boxes and James takes off his jacket and hands it to you. You take a step back and your heart flutters with nerves and excitement.

It takes James a moment to creak open the front of the box and the protective stuffing comes pouring out, revealing the smoothed marble of one of the statues, completely unharmed.

“Oh,” you exclaim, and James moves aside so you can investigate.

You almost start to cry as you move away some more of the stuffing to see the face of the statue looking out over your head. You gently stroke the marbled cheek and let out a sound between a choke and a sound of exclamation.

You turn to Ivar.

“How did you get them here so fast? I thought that they had been lost or something.”

He shifts in his seat again, this time from discomfort as pink decorates his cheeks.

“You were right last night. I know they were your father’s greatest possessions, besides you of course, and…..I had lost them for a while there during transport and I didn’t want to tell you in case something had happened.” He meets your eyes. “I didn’t want to disappoint you and…..I’m sorry for being so snippy lately. I’ve been worried about them. I managed to send a letter to the dock master late last night when he was on shift and he said he was going to write me because they had arrived around ten. I had them delivered here as fast as he could manage it.”

You rush over and hug him tightly, despite his chair. You press kisses all over his face.

“Oh, Ivar. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I cannot tell you how much this means to me.”

He smiles, a real one, and he strokes your cheek.

“You’re welcome and I am sorry.”

You look at each other for a few moments before James speaks.

“I guess it won’t be a cold day in Hell after all,” he teases.

You know then that this love will last after all, no matter the situation or the fall. Loving forever and forever all time.

[coffee-imagines]

Red

part two 

Pairing: Ron x fem!reader/gryffindor!reader

Requested: Can you do something with polyjuice potion where Ron’s girlfriend doesn’t want to be with him anymore so she convinces reader to be with him for a few more days and act distant before breaking up with him instead of herself? I dont know if that makes sense but if you could write something along those lines itd be great

Warnings: none?

A/N: Okay I love Draco but I should probably give the poor boy a break so here’s someone I haven’t written for in a long time, and this is way longer than I expected it to be so oops

Summary: Lavender finally has enough of Ron and asks for your help

———————————–

You were sound asleep in your dorm when Lavender had barged in. Sure it had also been her room, but her landing on your bed shook you awake. With a groan you shoved your face further into your pillow, only to have her shake you. Your relationship with Lavender was a weird one. The both of you had been friends ever since your first year, but this year put a strain on your friendship because of her relationship with Ron. She knew you liked him well before she ever showed interest in him, and when they got together you hadn’t taken it well. 

“Wake up.” Lavender demanded and you just gave her a grunt. “I’ll get the water.” She warned, making a move to get off the bed but your hand shot out to grab her. 

“I’m awake.” You grumbled and glared at her. If there was one thing you absolutely hated, it was being woken up earlier than needed. 

When you sat up you were completely floored at everything Lavender started throwing at you. With you being half awake you were only catching bits and pieces. Poly juice potion, Ron, breaking up with Ron, you breaking up with Ron… Ron?

“Slow down.” You covered her mouth with your hand. “I am not awake enough for this.” You rubbed your eyes and sighed. “You want me to pretend to be you… and then break up with your boyfriend?” You scrunched your eyebrows in confusion. 

“Yes exactly! Thank you! I’ll bring you the potion when it’s finally brewed.” She explained excitedly and gave you a hug before leaving. You stared at the door dumbfounded before letting yourself fall back into your comfortable mattress with a groan. You had no idea how you were supposed to do this. 

You pushed the thought to the back of your head, hoping that by the time the potion was done she’d just do it herself. You sluggishly put your things in your bag and made your way to the Great hall. With a sleepy smile you made your way over to Ron, Hermione, and Harry before plopping down between the boys. 

“You look tired.” Harry immediately said, making you shoot him a glare.

“This one’s girlfriend woke me up too early.” You explained, pointing to Ron with your thumb. 

“Oh she’s not too bad.” Ron explained, wrapping his arm around your shoulder before pulling you closer. “You’re more than welcome to sleep on me since it’s technically my fault.” He joked making you relax into him. 

“That’s very tempting.” You mumbled before sitting back up. “But I need food.” You explained, making a grab for Ron’s plate. 

“Get your own.” Ron warned, holding your wrist in his hand. 

“You stingy little-” You grumbled while you stood up. 

“Play nice you two.” Hermione cut in making you sigh. 

“See you later Red.” You smiled and rustled Ron’s hair before walking out of the Great Hall and back to your room.

You’d completely forgotten the fact that you were hungry, crawling back into your bed before letting yourself fall asleep again. Ron never failed to amaze you. You thought about what Lavender had said for the time you’d curled into your covers. Thinking about how it would be to date Ron. You wished it would’ve been you instead of her that got to ask Ron out first. There was no way you’d ever forget the hurt you’d felt when she broke the news to you. You still occasionally questioned your friendship with her because of it. She knew how you’d felt, and still do, and she only got with him to prove a point, there had been no doubt in your mind about it. 

“Red wait up!” You called after Ron on your way to class. He wrapped his arm around your shoulder when you walked up, and before you could speak again he was rustling your hair. 

“That’s for yesterday.” He explained making you laugh. 

“Just keep walking to class you red headed twit.” You teased, elbowing his ribs. 

“I’m so hurt.” Ron mocked sadness, holding his hand over his heart. “Come on.” He said, holding the door open for you. 

The potion finished brewing faster than you expected, and it finally made you realize that Lavender had been sitting on this idea for longer than you had originally thought. You were standing behind her, watching over her shoulder while she added her hair to it before giving it a final mix. 

“And done.” Lavender smiled at you once she capped the bottle. 

“This is crazy.” You groaned while you watched her. 

“You like him, he likes you. Nothing crazy about it.” She smiled, making you scowl at her. 

“He doesn’t like me. He’s dating you.” You seethed making her sigh. 

“It’s obvious he likes you too. That’s why you need to do this.” She explained. 

“But he’s gonna think it’s you.” You explained and she rolled her eyes. 

“He’s supposed to.” Lavender patted your head. “I just can’t take it anymore. Make it gradual. You have three days worth.” She smiled and wagged the potion in front of your face. 

“Yeah yeah.” You grumbled, grabbing it from her. “Three days.” You muttered to yourself, watching the liquid slosh back and forth. 

It had been two more days before you decided to do anything. Got the courage more than decided, but you hadn’t known what to do. You figured you’d give him an awful date for the next three days, and break it off. You explained the plan to Lavender and she nodded with a smile, deciding she’d stay in your dorm to not create any confusion. You drank enough to give you a few hours and shook your shaking hands as you walked into the Great Hall, making a B line for the red head. You covered his eyes with your hands before trying to muster up the most Lavender voice you could. 

“Guess who Won won.” You cooed and almost threw up in your mouth at the nickname. 

“Lavender.” Ron smiled up at you and you had to stop yourself from flinching. 

“Come.” You stated, pulling him up from his seat to go out. “Hurry up.” You explained when he lagged behind, tugging him to move faster. You wanted nothing more than savor him holding your hand, but Lavender had made it clear that you needed to make the break up believable, and that meant everything needed to be rushed. Letting go of his hand you sat on the grass. 

“What’s all this about?” He asked, earning a shrug from you. 

“A date obviously.” You gave a half hearted smile. 

Your heart began racing when he scoot closer. You hadn’t thought this far ahead. You hadn’t even talked to Lavender about what you’d do if he wanted a kiss. Maybe you should turn away? Start the distancing already? It was too late when you felt him cup your cheek. You were breathing heavily, staring at his lips before meeting his eyes with yours once again. His nose brushed against yours and your eyes fluttered closed on instinct. His breath was fanning your face, and before his lips met yours, he kissed your nose instead before pulling away. You let out a breath and open your eyes staring up at him in shock. 

“How was your day?” He asked, making you just stare. “Well?” He asked, the smile on his face growing. 

“Good, it was good.” You nodded, biting your bottom lip while you looked at his. If you didn’t think it’d be a bad idea you would’ve thrown yourself at him and kissed him, but you knew that would only complicate the plan. “Yours?” You asked, pulling your knees to your chest resting your chin on them while you watched him. 

“All good except for Defense against the dark arts.” He shrugged, making you bite the inside of your cheek to keep yourself from laughing.

“Why?” You almost snorted, already knowing the answer. 

“Well Y/N… she knocked me back during class in front of everybody.” He explained timidly and you couldn’t keep it in anymore. 

You shoved your face between your legs and started shaking as your laugh consumed you. It had happened by accident and you couldn’t get his face out of your head when he’d flown across the room. You’d been practicing how to properly wave your wand for Stupefy when you’d accidentally said it under your breath and it hit Ron straight in the chest. 

“Lavender. It’s not funny.” Ron muttered and you only laughed harder. You waved your hand out to him, and gasped for breath. 

“I’m sorry. I can’t.” You wheezed, standing up and kissing the top of his head. “I’ll see you tomorrow Re-Ron.” You explained and shook your head hoping he hadn’t caught your mistake. “I love you Won won.” You smiled and waved before hurrying back to the Gryffindor common room. 

You’d stayed in the restroom for a while, not wanting to pretend to be Lavender to other people. You’d be able to do it with Ron, but you hadn’t wanted to confuse things with other people involved. 

“How’d it go?” Lavender asked when you threw yourself on her bed, finally back to looking like yourself. 

“I had to cut it short.” You laughed, looking up at her. “So I accidentally hit him with Stupefy during class and he was talking to you about it and I just couldn’t.” You explained making her shake her head. 

“Well cutting it short will make it easier for him to believe the break up.” She explained, making you nod.

“We um...” You blushed making Lavender look at you skeptically. “Well he almost kissed me.” You explained making her laugh.

“Go for it.” She shoved you with a smile. “Now go get some sleep.” She explained almost pushing you off the edge.

The following day you felt butterflies in your stomach at the thought of hanging out with Ron. You had to pretend you hadn’t just gone on a date with him, and you couldn’t help but blush every time you looked at him. A part of you wished he would have kissed you yesterday, each time you saw him you could remember just how close he had gotten to your face. You knew it was because he thought you were Lavender, but that didn’t stop you from getting giddy at the thought.

“Hey Red. Any plans for today?” You asked, doing your best to wrap your arm around his shoulder.

“I was going to ask Lavender to hang out at Hogsmeade.” He explained making you stop walking.

“I have to go.” You explained and started running back to the common room despite Ron calling after you. “Lavender!” You called out when you got in and stopped one of the first years that had been walking by. “Have you seen Lavender?” You asked, and they only shook their head. You cursed to yourself and made your way into your room.

“Why are you calling me?” Lavender asked, looking at you through the mirror while she fixed her tie.

“Ron’s going to ask you to go to Hogsmeade with him.” You explained making her eyes go wide.

“Well you have to go for me.” She insisted, making you scowl. 

“I’m not allowed to go to Hogsmeade.” You explained making her roll her eyes.

“You’d go as me. They wouldn’t know the difference.” She explained and you sighed.

“I don’t like this idea.” You muttered, grabbing the bottle before drinking some.

“I’ll stay here, pretend to be you.” She smiled and laid down on your bed. “You sleep while we’re gone right?” She joked making you glare and walk over to her so you could pull the fabric from her hair before tying it onto your own head.

“You know you could have just done all this breaking up stuff yourself.” You muttered, looking in the mirror to make sure your clothes matched Lavender’s style enough.

“Oh now where’s the fun in that?” She asked, making you sigh.

The whole time you spent at Hogsmeade your eyes were just about popping out of your head. You’d always wondered if it were as fun as everyone had explained, and it was even better than you had expected. You were almost ignoring Ron the whole time, but you didn’t mind, knowing it was only helping your plan. That had been until you’d gone into the candy shop.

“I’m getting this for Y/N since she can’t come.” Ron explained, waving your favorite candy at you. You couldn’t help the smile on your face and you hugged him.

“That’s very sweet of you.” You mumbled into his chest.

“She’s your friend too you know.” He laughed, patting your back.

“Yeah...” You trailed, looking at all the candy in the display when you pulled away. “Come on, I think we’re leaving soon.” You explained, tugging him out of the store by his upper arm.

You let Ron have his arm around you the rest of the way back, and you couldn’t help but lean further into him. You’d completely forgotten to wear warmer clothes, and you were shivering slightly. When you both parted ways in the common room he kissed your nose which left a smile on your face. With a dreamy sigh you let yourself fall onto your now empty bed since Lavender had decided to go back to hers.

“He’s amazing.” You swooned, staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t know why you’re breaking up with him.” You laughed turning your head to look at Lavender. She was smiling at you and you furrowed your brows. “What?” You asked. 

“Nothing.” She smiled and shrugged. “You only have enough left for tomorrow.” She pointed out, looking at the almost empty bottle you had on the table next to your bed.

“How should I do it?” You asked, tossing her hairpiece back to her. “I mean… what do you want me to say?” You asked, earning a shrug from her.

“Just make it convincing.” She explained and you nodded.

You stared at the ceiling later that night contemplating all the different ways you could tell Ron you were, or rather Lavender was, breaking up with him. You knew there was enough to give you a few more hours, and you couldn’t let it go to waste. You were going to make sure to at least get a proper date that would make what you would say convincing. 

“Red.” You nudged him when you walked over to him in the Great Hall. “I have to talk to you.” You explained when he turned around.

“Hey Y/N, I got something for you.” He explained, ignoring your previous statement. “I know you don’t like missing Hogsmeade weekends, so I bought you this.” He continued, pulling the candy from his robes.

“That’s very sweet of you.” You smiled sadly at his hand before taking it. He gave you a questioning look before you shook your head. “Lavender wants to have a… date with you later.” You explained looking back up at his face.

“She can’t ask me herself?” He laughed making you bite your lip and shrug.

“I guess not.” You smiled, sitting next to him quietly. 

“You alright?” Ron asked when he saw you picking at your food. “Y/N.” Ron nudged you with his shoulder making you look up at him. “I asked if you’re alright.” He explained making you smile.

“Yeah, I’m okay.” You nodded. You couldn’t really tell him you upset that you would be breaking up with him even though it wasn’t technically going to be you. How would you have even begun to explain that?

Later that night you found yourself in a worse mood than you had been that morning. Lavender helped you get dressed, and you’d stayed quiet through the whole thing. She made sure you knew the plan and you were just giving her nods. You’d never dated anyone, and you didn’t know what if felt like to be broken up with, but you knew how your friends looked when it happened to them, and you couldn’t help but feel bad for being the reason Ron was going to be feeling that way soon.

You stayed quiet through most of the date. You were too nervous to come up with actual responses to questions he’d been asking you. Letting him hold your hand was all you’d given him, and by the time you’d gotten back to the common room you’d just let it out.

“I’m breaking up with you.” You blurted out making him stop what he was doing.

“Lavender I don’t understand.” Ron shook his head, his eyebrows knitted together while he looked down at you. “These past few days have been the best, what happened? What did I do?” He asked, making your eyes widen slightly. 

The best? You’d been horrible to the poor boy the past few days. Hadn’t you? Your chest ached at the thought of Lavender treating the sweet boy in front of you anyway other than lovingly. 

“We can’t be together anymore, that’s all there is to it.” You explained, shaking your head in return. It almost broke your own heart to be doing this for Lavender and having to see for yourself how exactly Ron was going to take the news. 

“Alright.” Ron mumbled, cupping your cheek before pulling you in for a kiss. You gasped but kissed back, moving closer to him. You’d almost forgotten what you were supposed to be doing, getting lost in the kiss before you quickly pulled away, resting your forehead against his. 

“I’m so sorry for this Red.” You whispered, turning away to make your way to your room. You couldn’t stop your hand from coming up to your face, a small smile forming when you brushed your fingers against your lips and remembered how his lips felt against yours. 

“Y/N?” Ron asked, making your fingers quickly fall from your lips and your eyes go wide as you froze in your spot.

———————————–

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[caitlyn-winchester]

Pilot (Part 3)

Cordell Walker x daughter!reader

word count: 1,667

warnings: mention of dead parent, abandonment issues?

masterlist

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It was the next morning and I got ready for school. I went toward the kitchen and saw grandma making breakfast and August sitting on the kitchen island.

"Goodmorning." I greeted my family and hopped up on a stool.

"Mornin' Y/N, eat up!" Grams said while putting some eggs and toast in front of me. I poured myself a glass of juice and started to eat my breakfast.

"Is dad almost ready to take us to school?" I asked August but he shook his head which caused me to frown a bit.

"He got a call, he had to go into work." He replied and Uncle Liam entered the kitchen while fixing his tie.

"Of course." I grumbled, "Can't even greet his kids in the morning" I sighed.

"Come on Y/N/N. We got a good morning routine going anyways." Uncle Liam reminded

"I know but I just wish he'd be here with us, you know, to parent and do family like things together." I pointed out.

"He can't just not do his job, Y/N. It has always been like this. I don't know why you're being so annoying about this now." August seethed

"Really August? You're telling me you didn't want dad to be here these past eleven months? To go through this tough time together, lean on each other like we've always done, have him by our side when we went through these life adjusting changes. You really didn't need him at all?" I asked and August was quiet. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

"That's enough, Y/N." Grams chimed in. "You're dad is here now."

"No he's not!" I raged. "I don't think you understand, yes he is here in Austin but he is not here spending time with us." I ran a hand through my hair and got up from the island. "I-I'm sorry, I'm just going to walk to school today." I apologized, grabbed my backpack and left the house.

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I left school after my morning classes. Every little thing started to aggravate me, especially after this morning. I decided to go to the gazebo at Lady Bird Lake to clear my head. I just don't understand why dad wanted to jump back into work so quickly. Why couldn't he just take a second to get to know his family again. I miss him.

As I sat on the floor of the gazebo I heard a truck pull up. I turned my head to see who it was and it was dad. He climbed out of the car and we made eye contact. I turned my head away and sighed.

"Do you know who worried we've been?" he asked.

"Well you actually showed up, so this must be a super big deal for you." I quipped.

"Did you forget the part where I picked you up at the police station last night? And now you're here?" He motioned to the lake. "What are you playing at Y/N?" he demanded.

"It's not a game." I stood up from where I was sitting and faced him.

"Then tell me what the hell this is so we can end it," he began, "I'm telling you right now, we can't keep going on like this. Trying to figure out where you'll be next, scaring the crap out of everyone. I'm in the middle of a case!" he ranted.

"When aren't you?" I challenged him to cross my arms. Right his precious case that's always way more important than his family. He sighed and was left speechless for a second. I could see in his eyes he was searching for something to say.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked. "What do you want me to do? I am here and I am trying."

"Yeah," I scoffed, "when you're forced too."

"I just got back and I am trying to make this work. Be here for you, protect you and yes, do my job. I can't just do it all." he tried to reason.

"She did." I dared. "But what? You're somehow more important?" I asked.

"Of course not" he said as I started to walk away. "Y/N...Listen, stop!" he called and I turned around to face him again. "You think it sucks just having me, I know but it's not just me. You have Gramps and Grams and Liam-"

"I needed you! August and I needed you!" I shouted and I can feel tears pressing against my eyes.

"Ok well we need to find a way to have a balance because when I get a call I have to go." he stated.

"Do you?" I challenged him. "Do you just have too? You can't just call up your boss and say 'oh oops i have to actually pay attention to my kids now'. We lost mom, then you left. I-I felt like I lost you too." I choked up at the end. A tear threatened to slide down my face but I quickly wiped it and looked away from dad.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked. I rolled my eyes and started to walk away "How can I fix this?"

"I don't know, the only person that could have fixed anything is gone!" I exclaimed. Dad swallowed and looked at me with a half angry, half sad expression.

"Get in the truck." he commanded and I did so slamming the car door behind me.

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I heard dad and grandma talking right outside my room so I decided to stand by my door frame and listen in. They were talking about August and I and Grams basically reiterated what I said this morning about dad being in Austin but not at home with us. She also mentioned the farmhouse that could be our new home.

"You already arranged the whole thing, didn't you?" dad asked grandma.

"Well I wanted you to put your own personal touches on it first" she responded and my dad chuckled.

"Mama," dad began, "It's a tricky time for me. I-I mean there's a task force I've been recommended for. It's down south and it's really important-" dad was cut off by August walking into the room. I entered my room and slammed the door. He's probably leaving again, I can't say I'm surprised though. He always put work over family.

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It was much later when someone knocked on my door.

"Come in" I said. I sat at my desk and doodled in my sketchbook. I never really liked doing very detailed art, just basic doodles. My door opened and August entered my room.

"Dad and I are sleeping in the farmhouse. Would you like to join?" he asked me

"No thank you." I grumbled and I heard August let out a sigh.

"You're so confusing." he huffed

"What do you mean?" I asked as I concentrated on my drawing.

"You always say Dad's never here but when he actually is, you're the one that avoids him."

"Well sorry if I don't want to get attached just to have him leave again."

"He's not leaving."

"Did you not hear him earlier? He got offered another case away from us." I started tracing the same circle over and over again on my paper. I concentrated on the circle getting darker to distract me from the tears trying to escape.

"He isn't taking the job." August insisted.

"Ok so say maybe he isn't taking this job, but he will take one eventually and leave us again, just like he always does." I pressed too hard on my paper that it tore. I ripped the page out of my sketchbook and tossed it in the trash can. I sniffed and started a new page.

"You alright?" he questioned.

"Yea," I lied, "Augie just go spend time with dad. Let it be a father son thing." I forced a smile and August nodded and left the room.

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I walked up to the farmhouse holding a blanket grandma gave me to bring up to Dad and August. I know what she's actually up to. She wants dad and I to talk. I opened the door and entered the house.

"Hey." Dad greets while looking towards me. August was sleeping on my couch next to him.

"Mawline told me to bring you this, which was super subtle." I said and dad offered up a smile. He took the blanket from me and draped it over August. "I heard you earlier." I told him referring to his conversation with Mawline about his job offer down south.

"Come on" he motioned for me to sit next to him on the couch. I sat on the floor beside the couch instead. I'm trying to not get too used to him being around because there will always be that fear of him leaving us for good in the back of my mind. I bit my lip nervously, not knowing if he is going to take that job makes me anxious.

"I am not going to that job." he affirmed.

"You might feel different in the morning." I said sadly.

"I am not going to feel different about you, and being here." He vowed which made me smile a bit.

"For now." I scoffed. Sometimes I feel like I am to blame for mom's death and that's the reason dad went away.

"I'm learning. Now's all we got." he said and I took a deep breath

"Do you think I could have saved mom?" I dared to ask "I mean when I heard the gunshot, If I went back, would have I been able to save her?" Dad was silent which had me terrified.

"Y/N, I can't tell you if you could or couldn't have saved her but I think," he paused for a moment, " you did everything you were supposed to that night. You did exactly what mom told you to do, which was always our number one rule for when you went out with her. If you went back, you'd probably have died too" he informed me. I sniffed, leaning further down the floor and resting my head on the couch cushion.

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[legionofpotatoes]

we decided to watch all story cutscenes from the new resident evil village videogame on a whim, since it’s not really our cup of tea gameplay-wise but seems to be this massive zeitgeist moment that made us morbidly curious. And I know how much everyone cares about my thoughts on things I know very little about, so. let’s get into it huh gamers. and yeah spoilers?

for context, I’ve only played resident evil 4 and a small portion of 5. I also read the wikipedia entry for 7’s plot recently. all this to say I was only vaguely aware of how tonally wacky the series was going in

I also completely gave up following the plot of the mutagens’ soap opera, so that paid off in spades here as you might imagine

anyway so that baby in the intro. that baby’s head is just massive. humongous toddlerdome. when ethan finds the baby’s head in a jar later on. there is no way that head would fit into that jar. bad game design. no not even game design. basic stuff. one hundred years in prison for jar modeler

if I see a single functional hetero marriage in video games I will cry tears of joy. I understand their misery is kind of The Point irt them badly working through the hillbilly romp trauma but like. sheesh. at least set that up as an emotional story goal the plot will help resolve. but nope they start off miserable and it goes nowhere

I know I know the mia thing has a huge wrinkle in it but like. not really in terms of dramatic function?? set up a happy end to the re7 nightmare (miranda can keep up appearances for all she cares) and then take that all away from angry griffin mcelroy for manpain. it will still absolutely work to set up the dramatic forward momentum. why throw in this cliche Hollywood Tension in their marriage if you’re not going to address it oh maybe because it’s normalized as automatically interesting because nuclear families are a self-propagating pit of a very narrow chance at emotional happiness relying on social stigma to preserve their empty function oops my baggage slipped in yikes abort mission

I called him griffin mcelroy because I saw his face on twitter and. yeah. I will continue to do this occasionally. my house my rules

... fuck the reason I’m hung up on this is specifically because the rest of the game is so tonally dexterous (which is a shining point to me! more on that later!), and yet they felt weirdly compelled to create the aesthetic trapping of a family-at-odds trope without following it through too well. a sign of both the good and the bad stuff to come

but listen the real reason why I wanted to talk about any of this is to nitpick the fascinating backwards-engineered nucleus of the entire thing; in that this game essentially creates a melting pot of just SO many disparate horror tropes and then makes a no-holds-barred unhinged effort at weaving thick lore to piece them all together. it is truly a sight to behold. like straight up you got your backwoods fright night situation, your gothic castle vampires, your rural-industrial werewolves, and don’t forget your bloated swamp monsters over there, with then a hard left turn into robotic body horror, and the entire ass subgenre of Creepy Doll writ large, and the bloodborne tentacle monsters, and a hellboy angel bossfight, which rides on the coattails of a mech-on-mech pacific rim bonanza, and just jesus henry christ slow down

almost all of these are textural hijack jobs that don’t really get into the metaphor plain of any of those settings but the game sort-of makes an argument that the texture IS the point and revels in it. It is kind of admirable almost. The same reason why the intro felt boxed in and unmotivated is also why the rest of the game just blasts off of its hinges to the point of complete and self-indulgent tonal abandon. I kinda loved that about it. lady dimitrescu made sure to hold her hat down as she bent forward in mahogany doorways and then suddenly she’s a giant gore dragon and you settle in your temp role as dark souls man with Gun to take her ass down. Excellent??

this rhino rampage impulse to gobble up every horror aesthetic known to man comes to head when the game wrestles with its FPS trappings in what is the most hilarious solution in creating visceral player damage moments. Since most cinematics and the entire game is in first person, that leaves precious little real estate for the devs to work with if they really want to sell griffin’s physical crucible. To wit. This dude’s forearms. Specifically just the forearms. They are MASSACRED throughout the story. The poor man lives out the silent hill dimension of a hand model. by the end cutscene he looks like a neatly dressed desk clerk who had decided to stick both his grabbers into garbage disposal grinders just a few hours prior. like in addition to everything else it manages to rope in that tinge of slapstick violence into its general grievous genre collection except this time it IS for a lack of trying! truly incredible

but wait his miracle clawbacks from everything his poor paws go through are retroactively explained away, yes, but far too vaguely and far too late to console me as I sat and watched everyone’s favorite baby brother reattach an entirely severed hand to his wrist stump by just. placing it on there. and giving it a lil twist ‘n pop terminator-style. and then willing his fingers back into motion right in front of my bulging eyes. this game just does not care. it does not give a shit. and boy howdy will it work to make that into one of its strongest suits

cause generally speaking resident evil was THE premiere vanilla zombie content destinaysh for like a decade, right? and as the rest of the world and mainstream media started encroaching and bloodying its blue ocean it went and just exploded in every single conceivable horror trope direction like a smilodon on catnip. truly, genuinely fascinating franchise moves

yeah the big vampire milf is hot. other news; grass... green. although I do love the implication that her closet is just identical white dresses on a rack. cartoon network-level queen shit

apropos of nothing I’ve said there’s also this hobo dante-devimaycry-magneto man, and I can’t believe this sentence makes sense. anyway he made that “boulder-punching asshole” joke referring to chris redfield and it was probably the only easter egg that really landed for me and boy did it land hard. I have not seen him punch the boulder in re5, mind. I had only heard about how funny it is from friends. and here this dude was, probably in the same exact mindset as me, trying to grapple with that insane mental image. with you on that ian mckellen, loud and clear

I advocate vehemently against the shallow pursuit of hyper photorealism in art direction but I gotta admit it works really in favor of immersive horror like this. the european village shacks especially gave me super unchill flashbacks to my rural countryside retreat in western georgia. I could smell the linoleum dude. not cool

faces are weird in this game. can’t place it. nice textures, good animation, but the modeling template is... uuh strange? and the hair. it has that clustered-flat-clumpy look that harkens to something very specific and unpleasant but I just don’t know what. sue me

griffin’s mental aptitude to take all this shit in stride and end every seemingly traumatizing bossfight involving some fucking eldritch being yet unseen through mortal eyes by essentially throwing out an MCU quip is just. What the fuck dude? I mean that was funny how you casually yelled the f-word at a god damn werewolf that you considered a fairy tale an hour ago but are you like, all right?? it was swinging a sledgehammer the size of a bus at you, ethan

oh oh the vampires are afraid of cold and your last name is winters. I get it haha

Pro Gamer Nitpick: boss fights seemed a bit unnecessarily long?? idk why the youtuber we picked decided the ENTIRE propeller man fight counted towards the vital story scenes he was stitching together, but man mr big daddy lite there really had some get up and go huh??

why are they saying dimitrescu.. like that. is it really how you say that word or is the english language relapsing into its fetish for ending every single word with a consonant at all costs

I’m not saying it’s a dramatic miss of a twist in context of all that’s going on, but the “you died in the last game actually and have been DC’s clayface ever since” revelation is low-key. it’s. it’s just funny to me, I dont know what to say. century-old god-witch fails her evil plan after she mistakenly removes heart from what was definitely NOT just some white guy with eight fingers after all

chris realizing he’s about to become the player character and immediately swapping out his tsundere trenchcoat for the muscletight sex haver sweater

the little bluetooth speaker-sized pipe bomb he taped to his knife was nuclear?? really??? I must have missed something because that is just too good. I buy it though I totally buy it. chris just got them fun-sized nukes in his car trunk for, you guessed it, Situations

anyway this is all for now just wanted to briefly touch on how unexpectedly funny and tonally irreverent this seemingly serious game turned out to be. did not articulate any cathartic story beats whatsoever but my god it had fun connecting those plot points. he just fucking put his severed hand back on his stump and it Just Worked todd howard get in here