#i like a lot of fish too i forget to consider them in my top 5 but seeing them makes me joyful

[yrlocalghost]

nobody asked but my favourite animals are deer, rabbits/hares, sheep, various birds and various bugs. i just wanted to share that

[spacesapphi]

Guys... Can I talk ab the Marnie lore for the main story I'm writing for my interp of Stardew...

Too bad, doin it anyways

Marnie Lore Doc is Here!!!

This mostly goes over her backstory as in what she was like when she was younger, all the basic story points of what happened with her leading up to the parts that I'm writing about in my fanfics (there will be no spoilers here)

CW for some talks of health and death

Everything is below the cut!

Marnie and her sister Mona were born in 1959 (Stardew in my writing takes place around 2010) and grew up in the ranch house in Pelican Town. The farm had been in the family for generations now, the Yoder family taking great pride in their roots as PA Dutch people. The girls’ father instilled the ideals of working hard and taking pride in said work from a young age, having them help out on the ranch when they were as young as 5. 

The girls were each other's best friends growing up, and they grew extremely close. They knew each other's deepest secrets and biggest dreams, and supported each other wholeheartedly. Mona was the first person to know that Marnie wanted to be a textile artist instead of a rancher. It wasn’t like she didn’t like the animals, she loved them! But life in the valley felt too stagnant for her, and she felt like she could only truly excel if she made something of herself out in the world. Mona supported her wholeheartedly, giving her praises and critiques on her works, and overall being her biggest fan. Her father wasn’t exactly so excited about this, however. He worried that going out into the city would change his daughter too much, make her forget her roots. Not to mention, the ranch needed to be cared for. It took a lot of convincing from Marnie, and Mona assuring him that she’d take over the business for him to finally come to accept that choice.

She worked for the ranch through highschool and into her early 20’s to save up to go to her dream college, a fabulous arts institute in Zuzu City. It was incredibly expensive, but she managed to save every spare cent to pay for her classes. She was so proud of herself, as were her father and Mona. Unfortunately, the year before she was set to go didn’t go as planned for anyone. Their father passed away unexpectedly, leaving Mona as the sole caretaker of the ranch. Marnie offered to stay home, to push off college and help Mona with the work, but she kept insisting she could handle it, telling Marnie to pursue her goals. Reluctantly, she agreed to go forward with college, thanking Mona for being so kind and understanding. 

The first year away at college was interesting to say the least! The valley was so small and tight knit, and it was jarring seeing so many people all crammed into one place like in the city. Marnie felt like a true fish out of water. People in the city commented on her clothes, how she ‘talked funny’, and how her mannerisms were ‘odd’. She started feeling like maybe she made a mistake, and almost went home during orientation week. However, she changed her mind after meeting her roommate, Pamela Finch.

 She was an… odd woman to say the least. Pam dressed in all kinds of bright, funky clothes, wore heavy makeup and had her blonde hair teased to high heaven, the poster child of the 80’s. She didn’t seem to take many things too seriously, just ‘going wherever the wind took her’. College was her dad’s idea, as he wanted her to do something big and important with her life. But Pam? Her dream was being a trucker, driving all across the country with nothing but the open road and the radio to keep her company. Though in many ways they were opposites, Marnie grew to enjoy her company. They were both considered ‘odd’ by people in the city, just in different ways. Pam was like another sister to her, a fun and rowdy one who got in all sorts of trouble. They were great for each other, though. Pam was able to mellow out a little and Marnie was brought out of her shell through their friendship.

On top of gaining a new friend, Marnie would soon gain another family member! She and Mona made it a point to call each other at least 3 times a week, updating each other on their lives. Marnie typically was the one with the most exciting news to share, as the valley often was not exciting, but Mona actually had something interesting to share. She was going to have a baby, and Marnie was over the moon at the thought of being an aunt. When she asked who Mona was seeing, and when she would meet the lucky man, Mona got standoffish. The man pretty much ghosted her when he found out, and Mona didn't want to talk about it. Marnie got the hint quick and wouldn’t bring it up again.

The next spring, right after the Spring semester let out, Marnie went home to meet the baby for the first time. This baby would be her little nephew Shane, and he was the cutest thing she ever saw… though she was a bit taken aback at his purple hair. The shock wore off quickly, Marnie claiming that such a unique trait was the mark of a future artist like herself! She absolutely adored and spoiled her nephew, and was so pained to leave him and Mona to go back to the city once the Fall rolled around. 

When she got back, she dormed with Pam once again, who proudly announced that she had gotten married over the Summer! The two barely knew each other for two months, but she swore they were in love. He was the man of her dreams, a wild and handsome trucker who promised to take her all over the country with him as soon as she was out of college. Her dad was not happy about this, almost disowning Pam over it, but he eventually came around to it and reluctantly accepted his daughter's choice. 

The next school year was exciting, consisting of many elaborate projects and even gallery showings for Marnie! Mona showed up to every single one she could, always telling her sister she was gonna go far with this. It gave her the motivation to keep pushing herself above and beyond, making more conceptual pieces, always inserting symbols of the culture she grew up in and loved so much. She promised her dad she wouldn’t forget her roots, and stuck by that promise. 

In her Junior year, Marnie found herself getting considered for a grand opportunity, an apprenticeship with one of the greatest artists guilds in the country. The job would almost guarantee herself a spot in the art scene. She was ecstatic, overjoyed! Pam insisted they go to a party that night to celebrate… and Marnie learned quickly that she did not enjoy the party scene, especially after she got stuck with a nasty hangover in the morning. 

She chose to work even harder on her art, improving steadily to prove that she deserved this apprenticeship, and her spot in the art world. Her dreams were coming true before her eyes, and she couldn’t possibly be more excited. Whenever she called Mona, she had the most enthusiastic voice, chattering away about all her plans and projects, everything that kept her so busy. But perhaps she was too busy, at least too busy to realize Mona was progressively beginning to sound more tired and unwell with each call. 

Mona convinced herself she was able to handle the ranch and a child, but it was becoming clear she couldn’t. The stress was taking a toll on her health, and she was already starting to go gray in her twenties. She was getting weaker as time passed, the strain of it all having disastrous effects. She refused to tell Marnie though, knowing she would drop everything to come back home, give up and turn back when she was so close to touching the stars. Marnie noticed when she came back home though, seeing how much older and tired her sister looked. She insisted she was going to stay home, Mona telling her no, and a fight broke out between the two over it. Marnie eventually agreed to go back to school and finish her degree, though she felt uneasy about it. 

Senior year was nerve wracking. All the work she had put into this degree was under intense scrutinization, the apprenticeship on the line. All those sleepless nights and days spent squirreled away in the textiles studio were finally paying off. Marnie was noticeably off her game this year though, her thoughts too preoccupied with Mona's health. She was also afraid she was going to fumble this, make a fool of herself in front of everyone and lose the opportunity. But to her surprise, and relief, she was chosen in the end. Upon graduating she would start the apprenticeship, and join the greats in the art world! This should’ve been the happiest time in her life, and it could’ve been if not for the devastating call she got just after graduation.

She and Pam were clearing out their dorm, talking about the future and all the exciting things they had planned. They had graduated just a few days ago, and the excitement was still buzzing in them (though Marnie couldn't help but feel disappointed that Mona couldn't come).

Pam was talking about starting a family with her husband, so excited about the life she saw ahead for the two of them. And Marnie would be on her way to New York, living the high life in the big city and throwing her life into her work. Pam promised to visit her if her work ever brought her to the state.

Marnie chattered on about her plans once she got to the city, getting interrupted by the phone ringing. It was a call from back home. The town doctor was on the line, informing her Mona was hospitalized, and the outlook wasn’t good. Life ground to a halt immediately. Marnie packed the rest of her things as fast as she could, rushing out the door without saying goodbye to her roommate, speeding home as fast as she could.

She didn’t leave Mona’s side once in her last moments, the two talking about life, regrets, and what the future would be like. Marnie scolded her for not opening up about how bad it actually was, and for insisting she go back to school when the stress was legitimately killing her. Mona told her she just wanted her to follow her dream, but if her dream came at the cost of her sister, her best friend, Marnie didn’t want it. Mona asked her to take care of Shane, and Marnie promised she would. By the next morning, Mona was gone.

Marnie of course had to turn down the apprenticeship, moving right back into her childhood home instead of that flashy apartment in the city she had looked forward to. Getting back into the rhythm of ranch life, and adjusting to life with a toddler was difficult, to say the least. The guilt of knowing this is just how Mona felt for so long weighed on her heart, and she promised herself she would do her best to make up for that. As time went on, life began to get easier, though it was never the same. Having no support system, no close friends or any family here was so hard. But she had her nephew, and knowing that he needed her kept her going. 

About two years later, a very familiar woman moved into town, trailer hitched to the back of a pickup truck. When Marnie realized it was Pam of all people, she was overjoyed. Finally, she had a close friend, a familiar face back in the valley with her! She had a baby of her own too, a little girl named Penny that she just adored. Pam explained how her husband had walked out on them recently, and she decided to settle back here for a simpler pace. She was going to take over the bus driving job as well, a position that had very recently opened up! The two talked about the past few years, exchanging stories of the highs and lows of it all. Neither of them expected to be here in Pelican Town, living such similar lifestyles after having such lofty goals and dreams. Pam seemed to find the humor in it though, and expressed that she hoped Penny and Shane would grow up to be good friends. (They would not </3 )

The next few years were a whirlwind. The ranch was a lot of work of course, but there was so much more too! She’d been invited to an aerobics group with all the other ladies in town, won the valley fair quite a few times, had a short, fleeting romance with the man running the saloon, her nephew came out to her as trans (Marnie was actually the one to pick out the name Shane!), the old farmer next door had struck a wonderful business deal with her, and she surprisingly found herself happy in this spot in life. 

This life wasn’t the one she had planned, that was for sure. There were still many things that she regretted, so many things she wished she could’ve done and achieved. She still grieved too, grieving the loss of her opportunity and her sister. But despite it all, and through all the future troubles and misfortunes that would befall her family, she couldn’t help but keep a glimmer of hope that everything would be okay in the end. And with time, it would be.

[accirax]

initial thoughts on DCAS episode 14

top 10 sentences said moments before disaster

choose your fighter: Derek "Kristal really isn't that bad once you get to know her" Johnson versus Kristal "I miss when Derek and Trevor weren't a part of this show" McLane. even though the Krisvek shippers are technically winning, i feel like they're really losing. Kristal continues to serve aro realness, though.

Grett and Gabby being actual friends makes me so happy :D (another entry on the top 10 sentences said moments before disaster)

seems like the villains' alliance is over? probably? still, if Grett won't forget this sentiment, we shouldn't forget that she said it.

this honestly makes a lot of sense, even though i hadn't thought about it before. there wasn't really anything keeping her from jumping ship and joining the villains alongside Gabby-- it might've been strategically better for her to be 6th in a 6-person alliance than 5th or 4th in a 5/4-person alliance. she didn't really have any relationships with the villains, but she didn't with the heroes, either. we stan characters making decisions for character reasons!

there was this one boomer meme that my friends used to send to each other every morning: "morning (can't be a good morning because i'm not out fishing)". i think Connor would appreciate that meme.

cackling at the realization that Jake is playing Aiden's gay best friend

okay, spreading this "lie" (they don't actually know it isn't directly true) is a decent enough reason why you think telling the other campers about the kiss would be detrimental to the villains' alliance. thank you for finally explaining yourself, Aiden.

but also, i told you so.

buddy. you don't need a game defining move because, unlike Survivor, there's no jury vote at the end. every finalist's game defining move is just surviving until the end of the game.

Trevor... you're 32, not 12. you can't act like a child when you're six feet and four inches tall. (apologies, i'm going to keep clowning on their ages and heights because so many of them are so funny to me.)

Disventure Camp has so many immediately iconic lines and scenes. this part was hilarious.

SIGHHHHHHH. i obviously have thoughts on this, but we'll get to those when we get to the elimination.

so obviously Ally could just be wrong, but if she's right, it has really interesting implications. looking at the teams, Alec and Connor are clearly the underdogs here. was production trying to get Connor out of the game? it's probably just that they were trying to create teams to "make the most drama," but they seemingly weren't that worried about losing Connor, at least.

congrats for fully getting over your fear of heights bestie

i understand Ally's worry, because she doesn't want to go down if her and Jake lose. however, is it really important how good the dance is if you make it to the end first? Jake is totally right here: they should just move on and try to end the challenge first. not too surprising that we're supposed to side with Jake, though, as this episode is Ally's first step towards villainy.

the faces that all the characters make whilst doing the various dances are so... (/pos?)

i know that this is probably meant to illustrate Grett's character growth but. girlie you literally did the exact same thing when you helped Fiore in the s1 finale. is that why Gabby is grimacing?

THE SHARK WASN'T EVEN MOVING THAT FAST WHEN YOU HOOKED IT??? i love it when Alec defies the laws of nature to win a challenge.

... was the phone not already in the water prior to this? i guess it's more about the proximity from the shore than the wetness, because otherwise the phone Grett is holding should have been destroyed as well.

sighing resumes. look, i hate to be negative, but... sometimes some constructive criticism is needed, especially for beginner writers. (not to say that i couldn't be considered a beginner writer as well, just that we should cut the ONC writing staff some slack for being young and not even starting off trying to become writers.) this elimination was really bad. the whole thing reeks of not knowing how to write yourself out of the supposed deadlock you put yourself in.

however, coming up with a random non-vote elimination was not the way to solve things. there are plenty of ways that this episode could have gone that wouldn't have resulted in a 4-4 vote. i still think that the most natural thing to have happen this episode would have been everyone piling votes on Alec. but, if you really need to keep Alec in the game, you could have changed the prior episodes. as @venus-is-thinking suggested, you could have just let the villains take out another hero (like Aiden) last episode, and then have Grett and Gabby flip on Yul this time. or, you could have gone with my plan, and had Yul flip on the villains to work with the heroes (who had already taken a shot at Gabby once) and vote out Gabby last episode. then, Grett would work with the heroes this episode to take out Yul (likely flipping the order the challenges occurred). that way, you would still have Gabby and Yul out of the game, but not do so by arbitrarily shaking up the rules to disturb Gabby's super stable position.

even if you were going to go with this "the last two players to arrive are at risk of elimination" thing, couldn't you at least have had the other players vote on which of Gabby and Grett to eliminate? that could even have an extra level of intrigue if you decided to pay off on that plot thread of Gabby lying about having an idol right before the merge. all you need is a line from someone in the Gabby vs Tom vote about "we're trying to blindside Gabby here at a time when she wouldn't think to play her idol," and a line from Kristal confirming to the players that "to make it extra spicy, people in the sudden death vote out won't be able to protect themselves with idols or advantages." then, Aiden can tell the group that this would be another good opportunity to take Gabby out when she can't use her idol to protect her. thus, Gabby would be eliminated as a result of lying and playing villainously, AKA what Ellie warned her about.

instead, this vote out comes off as incredibly convoluted, from the premise itself to Gabby having to trip over a rock and having a shark hit their boat to justify why Grett and Gabby came in last in a challenge they otherwise should have been good at. the whole phone swap thing only added insult to injury by making the elimination needlessly complicated. i understand if they didn't want to have Grett win of her own merits, because then it might feel like spending time with Yul was what protected Grett. however, all of that could have been avoided if they'd just had a regular vote out!! or, we could've had Gabby volunteer to step out or something. "even though i love Ellie, i can recognize how braving some time without her really helped me grow as a person. you've barely had any time without Yul yet. i think you need this time more than i do to figure out who you really are without Yul."

i once said that "it's the mark of a great writer if you know how to avoid unnecessary cons, but also turn the ones you do have to deal with into creative, entertaining, and unexpected solutions," and i stand by that. unfortunately, i feel like the writing team struggled to come up with a creative or entertaining solution to the con they found themselves faced with. i certainly don't think that the writers deserve to be at all bullied or harassed for writing a subpar episode of their overall well-made and engaging free internet cartoon, but i do hope they can stomach some of the backlash to this episode and prevent things like it from happening in the future.

shoutout to Grett's VA, she really nailed it in this scene.

to paraphrase Venus, "how is Jake being the emotionally mature one the world that we've come to?"

REAL (affectionate)

i'm so glad that they went in this direction with Connor's backstory; i think it's much more interesting and fitting for him. prior to this, i had felt like they were gassing Connor up too much, and making him out to be some boringly perfect guy. now i know that all those compliments had a point behind them! and honestly, knowing how different Connor and Riya's backstories are, it's probably a reason why they have such different takes on things and might ultimately be incompatible...

yeah, more of this! let's make Connor a bad person!!! :D (/lh) (<- villain enjoyer)

Jake's winner cut grows stronger and stronger by the day. if he or Grett isn't the season winner at this point, I'll be pretty surprised.

thus ends one of the DC episodes ever. i hope and suspect that we'll be back to the regular vote out system next week, which will hopefully be kinder to my power rankings. oh, my power rankings... we'll check back in on the damage there on Wednesday.

overall, i still didn't hate this episode. even if the elimination was kinda BS, the dances were pretty funny, and exploration of Ally and Connor's characters was fascinating and needed. also, i'm going to tentatively put my trust in the writers that they made this choice because they really strongly felt that Gabby's elimination was the best thing for the future moving forward, no matter what they had to sacrifice along the way. if that means great things from Grett and/or Alec and/or whoever else in the future, I'm all for it. see you next time, and sorry for the negative vibes.

[gregrulzok]

Modern!AU Zeke Jager brainworms, courtesy of the really long and complex AU I made with my friends fucking, what, two years ago?

We're only talking about Zeke but suffice it to say there's a lot of other backstory I'm leaving out

• Full name is Ezekiel Jager. He will absolutely never use this name and fully pretends it doesn't exist

• Was abandoned by Grisha when he was 7 after Dina died. Grisha left him with his grandparents and disappeared 'to grieve', returning 3 years later with a new wife and son to take him back

• Zeke really resented both him and Eren for a while, but after realising what a shitty father Grisha was to both of them, he took over taking care of Eren as much as possible - doubly so after Carla died too

• While Grisha was absent, Zeke developed a close paternal bond with his teacher/baseball coach Mr. Ksaver. Ksaver passed away when Zeke was 16, and Zeke was too grief-stricken and ended up abandoning baseball, comitting instead to becoming a doctor like Grisha

• When the Jagers started fostering Mikasa, Zeke was the first to try and learn some Japanese to make sure she didn't forget the language

• This led to him studying medicine in Japan after he got his bachelor's degree. He has a very ... Interesting encounter with Levi Ackerman while staying there *cough cough* at a specific sort of club *cough cough*

• (They met at a gay club and hooked up multiple times over the years, forming a very strained and awkward sort of relationship. They definitely annoyed each-other more than they liked each-other, but they formed a sort of kinship largely through their complicated family lives)

• Eventually he returned to do his residency in his father's hospital. In truth he absolutely hates the stress and fuss of being a doctor and thinks he isn't cut out for it - but he can't bring himself to quit.

• Staunchly anti-natalist - doesn't ever want to have kids and thinks he'd make a terrible father. On top of that, doesn't want to get married - he considers it an outdated institution

• Dated Pieck briefly. They had a stable relationship, but a fairly explosive break-up - Pieck brought up moving in together, and Zeke interpreted it as a marriage proposal and shot the idea down very harshly, leading to a huge argument and eventual break-up

• Most of his joy in life comes from embarrassing and poking fun at Eren. He loves him more than anything and can't bring himself not to annoy him at every possible opportunity

• Has numerous houseplants and can't keep any of them alive for shit

• Owns and takes great pride in using a full-on beard care kit, complete with an ornately carved mahogany box to keep it in. Generally takes really good care of his appearance ... Whenever he goes out. If he doesn't go out for two days in a row he immediately transformed into an over-caffeinated anxiety-riddled sasquatch

• Despite appearances, his house is an absolute mess - every surface has coffee stains, papers are scattered everywhere, ashtrays overflowing, dishes that haven't felt the touch of a single drop of water in many a night ... He absolutely hates cleaning and will put it off by any means necessary

• Has a novelty breath-mint tin

• Too nervous and forgetful to own a pet - he's toyed around with the idea of getting some fish, but after researching the amount of care they actually need he gave up on it entirely

• Listens to a lot of podcasts about the most random topics. Additionally his entire YouTube recommended feed is full of 3+ hour video essays

• Has a lot of trouble sleeping. The temperature, light and sound levels need to be very specific. On top of that he needs to be holding something to his chest.

• Fantasy nerd. Has read lord of the rings, played DND in college (doesn't have time for that these days), still watches real play streams - WILL try to mansplain the complex topics in any given high fantasy work of fiction

• Owns a collection of weird shirts with random images and sentences on them. It started off as a gag gift from Eren that read "Women fear me, Fish want me" - now he has easily over 20+ weird shirts, which he wears around the house at any given opportunity

• Loves Monty Python

[garuda4321]

Alright. So Endless Ocean Luminous has been out for… a day. Or so. Location dependent (midnight releases). Now, I’ve played some of it and I have some thoughts I’ll share here. And I’ll also include some other opinions the Endless Ocean fan base has as they are worth considering.

Yes this means spoilers ahead. And no spoiling for me as I haven’t gotten too too far in the story

So. First and foremost, the game does have a menu! However upon the first opening that is not what happens. It just dumps you into the story mission 1-1 to acquaint you with swimming (left joystick), camera movement (right joystick), and scanning (left bumper). Now, previous installments (EO1/2) we had someone guiding us. Those people being Katherine Sunday (1) and Oceanne Louvier (2, Rouvier if you weren’t NA). In Luminous we have Sera. Sera is an AI and the name is an acronym (off the top of my head I think it’s “Sea Exploration Research Assistant”). Not as witty, not as much personality. We scan a humphead wrasse and “light” jumps off it. We’ll get back to that later (4 missions later).

Before I forget, we are a new and very prospective member of the Aegis Research Team/Group/whatever they are.

1-2 is where we meet Yggdrasil- I mean the World Coral. Vibrant ecosystem of coral and fish in a small canyon cave. Looks like a tree. Apparently it’s dying from necrosis and your organization is trying to help Ygdr- the World Coral not die. We’re asked if we’re ready to help (our choices are “Yeah!” and “Uh… Sure”). We leave the cave and the screen shakes. A lot. This massive (golden) blue coelacanth passes by and we are told to leave because it’s mad for some reason which means it’s too dangerous.

1-3 a quick side note, brief Blue World notice. There was a character named GG (Gaston Grey). GG was a treasure hunter, only in it for the treasure that the Okeanides (mysterious people that were really connected to the sea) left behind. Bit of a scaredy cat (see Cortica River segment). What does this have to do with Luminous though? A lot actually. We meet Daniel, a senior diver with the foundation. He’s a treasure hunter and only in it for the treasure the Oannes (mysterious people that were really connected to the sea) left behind. He challenges you to salvage more/better stuff than him. You smoke him and then you find a “cutting board”. Sorry, a “chess board”. That has squares 11 across 9 deep. Sorry, it’s a “Mystery Board”. Each square represents one mystery of the sea we operate in. Sera says this is preposterous and unlikely. Aegis decides to investigate it more.

1-4 We’re back with Daniel! He’s still a little hurt at our success considering what we found. An actual Oannes artifact (mystery board). Apparently the squares glow when we solve a mystery! Sera says this is preposterous (note that the mystery tablet is glowing as she says this). Nothing else memorable happens.

1-5 We’re back! And someone is joining us! Oh, just Daniel (he swears he was just nearby and passing through the area). We do a bit of swimming and scan a giant sunfish. Gold Blue coelacanth shows up again and things start shaking. Daniel runs swims away like a chicken (yes he admits it himself!) and we decide to scan this gold blue coelacanth. Soon as we scan it all the “light” jumps off of it and it’s revealed to be a golden coelacanth. Apparently it’s a UML (Unidentified Marine Life) that is quickly dubbed something (Raja something…). HQ is on top of naming things at least! That light though. It’s not light per se. It’s a bacteria specific to the sea we work in that covers essentially everything and pacifies them. When we scan them with our scanner, we scare them off and they jump into our pockets. (I’m not kidding…). Also according to HQ this is helping the Ygdr- sorry, World Coral heal so we just need more light! Yay! Easy solution!

Gonna break from story for a bit to mention something. That’s the ENTIRETY of Chapter 1. Now it wasn’t “do chapter 1 now do chapter 2”. It was “do chapter 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, do a solo dive, do 1-4, solo dive, 1-5, dive, 2-1 repeat”. So now I’ll talk about solo dives. (Yes shared dives are a thing but I didn’t activate my free week yet, that’s happening later).

Solo doves. This is essentially the core of Endless Ocean. Diving, discovering locations and creatures and learning about them. Now, Luminous has an interesting way of doing this. In Endless Ocean the map was A-M, 1-8 (really C8-M1) with some sub areas (Ship’s Rest, Moia Atoll, Abyss). Endless Ocean Blue World had zones, some large, some small, some had small sub zones (Gamma Atoll had Deep Hole and the Private Reef, Cicero’s Strait had Valka Castle, Zahhab Region had Abyss and Cavern of the Gods, and such). Luminous now, will randomly generate a 16 digit Dive Site ID that is a 10x10. (0-9, A-J). You can continue diving in the same site until you choose to get a new one. Let’s say this now. 10x10 is huge. 2 hours of swimming (admittedly in circles a bit) and I discovered half a map and half the creatures on the map. So the maps are MASSIVE. And you get a lot of light from scanning everything (every single school gives light PER creature in the school, not just one, and some larger creatures give multiple light).

Next thing, zoom spots. Endless Ocean did this well. Your diving zone of choice had certain fish that lived there (fish that lived in Rock Bluff weren’t necessarily near Coral Forest). And there were tiny fish that lived in zoom spots (not static, they always moved and you had to find them). Some zooms would have one critter (looking at you Moorish Idol), others would have several (slugs, Moorish Idol, Stark’s Demoiselle and other combinations). Endless Ocean 2 had static zooms and they weren’t as hard to find if you dove with Oceanne, but again you’d find the smaller fish (slugs, moorish idol, Stark’s demoiselle, and other combinations). Luminous doesn’t HAVE zoom spots. These tiny creatures are just out there with the large creatures (example being the Whale Shark I saw swimming over the Red Spotted Blenny).

Onto Legendaries. Endless Ocean only had two that were named. Those two being Maga Tapa, a ferocious looking Great White with a ton of scars, and the Ancient Mother (a type of Albino Blue Whale with slightly different DNA meaning it’s a different species). The Ancient Mother was unlocked by finishing the story. Maga Tapa though, was more difficult. You had to find a shark tooth necklace through the salvage system (I’ll get into it more in the next section), unlock 80% of the map (or however much was required to get an email about a ghost ship), find the ghost ship to enter Ship’s Rest at NIGHT to unlock him. Now, you notice I said two that were named. The Beluga Whale and Orca also were difficult to unlock but weren’t named. Beluga required finding another salvage item and going to Moia Atoll and finding it in a room. The Orca required finding 100% of the map (or however much it took to get an email about the Jewels of Life), finding them in Moia Atoll through the salvage system, and then entire ring Ship’s Rest during the DAY.

Legendaries for Blue Workd worked differently. They were quest related usually. (The dog found a small island turns out to be a turtle, large shadow in Cicero’s Strait is a plesiosaur, healing a large penguin, finding a log is actually a formerly extinct crocodile, etc.) but some are just there (black humpback whale is a moon cycle thing, large sperm whale is in Zahhab, off the cliff side). There’s a LOT here, but one main one is Thanatos, a large ferocious Great White with scars and an attitude problem and is the embodiment of evil basically. (Yes he’s Maga Tapa but actually capable of harming the player because BW had an aggression system).

Luminous Legendaries. A lot of these legendaries from Blue World (which does include the Orca and most likely the Ancient Mother) appear to have made it into Luminous! This is fabulous if you never met them originally. I’ve met Apollo (sunfish), Phantom (Ray), and Emperor (coelacanth). You might be wondering about that UML, I’ll get there don’t worry. However, I’ve also found Thanatos. There’s no aggression system so he’s just chilling. They’re rather easy to find this time. They have “yellow light” which is used to indicate a rare/large/small/legendary creature. There’s a lot of rare creatures (example, red bicolor parrotfish). Now, this is nice though I do find it a little concerning that every square seems to have a rare creature. A minor complaint in the grand scheme really.

You’ve seen me talk salvage, so how’s the time to do that. EO’s salvage system was abysmal. You had to either search specific quadrants/squares to find the piece you were looking for (fixed salvage), or open every zoom spot on every surface (walls, floor, ceiling, etc.) for a CHANCE of finding salvage (rotating) and hope it’s not a duplicate. Blue World improved this a bit. Some salvage (coins… just a hundred coins) we’re in zoom spots and they were all fixed. Now, other salvage, had to be found with a tool (sensor) and then appraised so you knew what you had found. Tedious but better as you could guess what you had grabbed (wood, metal, stone, dense, none/all/some of those). Luminous… doesn’t have zoom spots or a sensor. So how does it work? There’s a dot in the top left that might flash yellow. If it’s yellow, treasure is near. Pick it up and it’s added to collections. Nice but duplicates do happen. Now, there are also treasure chests (that contain a variety of things) and tablets. Both contribute to the mystery board. There’s also some large stone circles on the ground that require a creature companion to do a thing but I haven’t figured them out/had the capacity to do it (Apollo requires 150 capacity but I have 70 capacity now at rank 26).

UMLS, our Unidentified Marine Lifeforms! They don’t just appear. You need to find anomalous fish/creatures to lure it out. (Seems to be 7). Your cursor (middle of the screen will pulse red if it’s near and pulse rapidly if you’re on the creature in question). Then the UML is lured out. These UMLS are quite something. They’re like a new legendary with an annoying salvage system (finding the last one can be a pain as the area gets smaller every time)

Personal opinion from my experience so far then? I’m loving it. I think it’s great and while it could do with a LITTLE polishing, it’s still great and what I was expecting from trailers and such.

The community is not all as thrilled as I am. Some say that it’s too fast with discovering creatures (half the encyclopedia in 2ish hours). That we should have a “home base”. That the Aquarium should exist. That Daniel is just discount GG and that Sera is too bland. Others see this as more of a test run to see if people will play a franchise that’s 15 years old and that if another one releases it will be considerably more polished and have more features.

Lengthy post. I am well aware of it but if you’re here, you reached the end! I still think it’s a fabulous game and am going to play it a LOT.

[heatwa-ves]

Top 5 manga/anime series

I've put off answering this for so long because I really don't know how to pick just 5.. doing my best here but there's absolutely gonna be some i love that I completely forget about 😛

anime: as usual here I'm just including anime I haven't read the manga of because 99% of the time I'll prefer the manga 💥 also the order is subject to change

1. banana fish- changed my fucking life it's been almost exactly a year since I watched it for the first time and I am always thinking about it because. aiyshajueiwhshwkkeyaiowhsjajejieiwheh. I enjoy pain and suffering and thinking about ash makes me cry

2. haikyuu- been rewatching recently so it's on my brain.. I love you gay volleyball players I love you sosososososo much. makes me absurdly happy

3. death parade- changed my life. chiyuki..... really interesting perspective on death and morality and is one of the few anime that have genuinely made me cry I sat there in tears for so long. also banger op.

4. bofuri- do you like lesbians do you like silly girls being silly do you like video games do you like FUN. shoutout to bofuri it makes me so happy

5. doukyuusei- on any other day this probably wouldn't make the list but I've been thinking about it today and feeling emotional. all I can say is watch it right now.

manga: this is where picking got really difficult I read manga a lot more than I watch anime and there's a lot of obscure ones I really like and also one I'm not gonna mention on this list for reasons but I consider it one of my favs too

1. toilet bound hanako kun- my favourite art in the world amazing characters amazing story it's all I could ever want in life I owe my life to aidairo

2. the summer hikaru died- I love gorgeous art and body horror and guys who come back wrong and gay people and amazing narratives and this one ticks all my boxes

3. chainsaw man (or at least, csm part 1. I'm so conflicted on part 2) - I love love love part one the characters are amazing the narrative the themes everything. part two is good I guess but I don't enjoy it the same way I liked part 1. also it's confusing to me 😔💥

4. crossplay love- the gist of this one is guy 1 (hanae) dresses as a girl (Hana) and works at a maid cafe, guy 2 (shuumei) sees Hana, develops a crush on her, and dresses as a girl (mei) to get to know her better and hana and mei become friends, while hanae and shuumei who go to the same school don't like eachother at all initially, it's hilarious and very Not Cis and yaoiyuri silliness and I love it dearly. also the art is gorgeous

5. shimanami tasogare- do yourself a favour and read it.

6. (I couldn't pick just 5) sirius twin star- I love love love love this author so much it's a short manga about two girls who meet while staying at a beach town in the summer and mutually inspire eachother to live and strive for their dreams and it's sooooo beautiful and I love them and also they're gay if that wasn't already obvious

[ryansjane]

Hello! I have an anon controversial train of thoughts, in case you're still doing those.

I want to preface this by saying I mean no disrespect to anyone, it's pure curiosity. Provided everyone is a willing participant, they are taken care of and paid properly, no one is forced to do anything, and everyone's boundaries are respected and all that, how would you feel about any of the bl/ql couples doing actual nc scenes? Or like separate sexy videos, just for fun. Do you think any would be down to do it? I think the fandom would be very devided into "hate it or love it" if that ever happened, people would either consider them confirmations that their favorite imaginary couples are real, or hate them for giving the fans (who have nothing better to than project onto famous people) false hope, and queerbaiting, even if it was prefaced it's not real and shot just for fun, as a side project. Maybe in characters as extra episode for their series? Something like LITA special episode, but more. The key point is that if *the actors* were willing to do this, I don't mean it as another forced fanservice act from thier companies. I don't really know where this came from, I think with the increasing amount of bl/ql pairs who seem genuinely comfortable with each other, and not just dead fish-kissing, I was curious if any of them would be interested in doing anything like that (and earning some extra cash in the process). Actually, I wouldn't be too surprised if something similar was to take place soon (though probably less explicit and consensual), some "special perks for top spender at X company" or something, or already taking place (very non consensual, cough War Of Y cough).

Alright, it got all over the place, but it's been circling in my head for a few days now, and I wanted to let it out. Feel free to not reply, I know it's a lot, but you wanted controversial anons so I thought of you. Thank you kindly for your time if you finished it.

hi, so that's an interesting question, one that I can only give my opinion on even though who knows what will happen bc it depends on the actors & directors. I also wanna say that I'm a bit clueness about bl news bc I now try to stay in my own bubble of wholesome & worth it shows, so for example I didn't watch lita or war of y & didn't know there had been any issues with them. now though, I think if we're talking about having sex for real on screen, that's a practice that's always been used in movies more than in series as an artistic practice & I think that would also be the case in thailand. also, while bl shows are allowed to be more sexual than their straight counterparts bc they don't contain women (gotta love sexism lol), I think people forget that thailand is still a conservative country, therefore any show that ends up on tv channels such as gmm25 or one31 go through censors, which would NEVER accept nudity or explicit sex. even though streaming platforms are very present in thailand, I have yet to see a bl show not also be shown on tv, but some very violent & explicit straight dramas like the revenge & remember 15 were made exclusive to wetv & viu, which affected their international viewing especially. moreover, in a world where bl is such a different industry compared to literally any other in the world, full of fanservice & toxic fans, I don't think most established thai actors would be willing to go through it. maybe show some ass at most but that would be it. that being said, a newbie who's comfortable in his body & wants quick fame? I definitely see that happen, though I think the controversy it would cause in thailand might be too much to handle for now. soooo... maybe? personally I don't see it happening any time soon though. seeing how a lot of the sex scenes in bl are already very convincing, idk why they would take the risk to get their show pulled off the air and alienate half of the fandom for that, when fake sex is already very popular. one day, though, it'll definitely happen.

xxx

[thesinglesjukebox]

IMAGINE DRAGONS - "EYES CLOSED"

Eventually we'll meet the next generation of pop artist, who can do it with their eyes closed and a broken heart...

[4.90]

Mark Sinker: issuing a correction to my previous experience and instinct regarding the terror group imagine dragons, this gothic-neurotic slab of game-soundtrack piffle continues to stick in my stupid head in a pleasing way -- as i hand it to them are there professionals I can see about this?  [6]

Tim de Reuse: I can't make cheap shots about their ghastly production choices this time, because it sounds mostly fine -- a little dry, a little sand. Even the dubstep wubs, bizarre as they are, feel too blended into the mix to really offend. Justin Timberlake did that better. I mean, funnier. Which is to say: much worse. The weird stuff is a little harder to get to. What kind of killer fish-based cultural undercurrent is he trying to harness with that line about piranhas? Why are you driving your car with your eyes closed -- and are we to take the end of the video as a cautionary tale or a triumph? Why are you rhyming "turn out the lights" with "turn out the lights?" The strange formant-shifting effect on his voice makes him sound like a cartoon elephant, in such a pointed way that I cannot imagine what he could have been going for except for "cartoon elephant." This is advanced Imagine Dragons, practically avant-garde. I wouldn't recommend this song to beginners in disliking Imagine Dragons. You need years of experience in disliking Imagine Dragons before you can start working on disliking this one. [4]

Taylor Alatorre: Twelve years after "Radioactive," they finally figured out the basic mechanics of how dubstep works. And also that their name, while still a debuff, does at least grant them the license to be loudly and unrepentantly silly, which they should use more often. Alt Nation needs better court jesters than the AJR brothers, after all. [6]

Alfred Soto: Their songs shiver with portent, which explains their appeal -- did their mid '10s fans go on to stream Disintegration and Violator? Even the hints of hip-hop distinguish them. If these hints and allegations don't cohere, they don't keep me from switching from radio to phone either. [6]

Nortey Dowuona: Mattman and Robin have somehow managed to pulled the rap nerd spirit out of Dan Reynolds, and I admire that, but sometimes you lay down a better piano track than the limp one you slip in the intro and chorus and don't add weak brostep bass wobbles under echoed lines. Try, for the love of gorsh. [3]

Will Adams: Strange to feel nostalgic for dubstep wubs, but here we are. Between that and the rapped bits, there's a bizarro approach to "Eyes Closed" that keeps me from fully hating it. As I said earlier this week, "weird" is an increasingly rare but welcome quality in pop music. [5]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: I was really feeling this but thought it was maybe a little subtle and understated. Fortunately, the boys down at Imagine Dragons HQ agreed, and put J. Balvin on the remix! Pop excellence. [3]

Katherine St. Asaph: Imagine Dragons no longer sound like mainstream pop. I am completely serious. I'm not doing a bit. Forget your prior associations, kill the cringe cop in your head, and ask yourself: what artists in pop in 2024 (I'd say in the Top 40, but considering the Top 40 is mostly Taylor Swift at the moment that would be cheating) sound like the sounds this group is emitting? I'm not saying this is good, but it is distinctly them, the product of their uncool, bombastic, stubbornly held musical fixations. It sounds like visiting a parallel musical universe and checking out its jock jams. [7]

Oliver Maier: Look, you can say a lot about Imagine Dragons' catalogue of ridiculous hits, but at least they all felt like they sounded the way they were supposed to. What really bugs me about "Eyes Closed" is how inept the drop is: the wubs are too timid, the drums are too reverby. Most galling is the way the "TURN OUT THE LIGHTS" line is drawn out for two extra beats. It's spacious! I want to feel the oxygen being sucked out of the room! [3]

Isabel Cole: Dan Reynolds has debunked the rumor that Imagine Dragons got their start writing cast-offs for the musical Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, but this song sounds like he used that concept as a writing prompt. It feels deliberately designed for use in Bucky Barnes fanvids, or tailor-made to close Act I on Marvel’s next attempt to gain ground on the Great White Way. I almost feel wrong listening to it in the middle of a Spotify playlist, like I’m taking an animal out of its natural environment (the season finale of one of those CW superhero shows, where it would make sense the way "Believer" instantly earned my forgiveness once it became the Riverdale horny teen sex anthem). Obviously, I would not say these things about a song that was not deeply, deeply stupid, not to mention loud and annoying and humorlessly committed to a bit it doesn’t seem to realize is a bit, but to my own surprise, it’s kind of grown on me. It’s so silly, so earnest in its own goofy bravado, that a few listens took it from “this is awful” to “this is… camp???” My head says this is a generous [4]; my heart says there’s a fifty-fifty chance I put this on a cardio mix by summer’s end. [6]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

[homophyte]

OKAY plants update: just now i replaced the pebbles in the pebble trays of all the nepenthes except Moe with a whole bunch of marbles i just had, around, for reasons. i cleaned everything nice including the trays themselves and the pebbles will go back where they came from, eventually. what you can also see in this second picture here is the new ventrata pitchers on these babies! im expecting that big one on the left to pop open any day, which is nice. im definitely happy to see those start to accelerate their growth (nice leaf jumps!) so now im just waiting on the gayas to hopefully improve, hopefully.

next up is Moe herself cause theres a few things going on that are all connected, as far as i can tell. i forget if ive said this before but Moie right now has a bunch of basals (four, as far as i can tell-- you can see really well the different stems from left to right in those top two pics) and ive decided this time to just leave them, for two reasons: 1, i dont really have the space or desire to separate them and 2, i kinda wanna see what happens if i leave them? ive heard its possible that basals make more pitchers than the main stem so, well see. there ARE some babies on them--one of which is really big and will probably open soon but whether it will be MORE is...i dunno.

what i DO know is that the resource demands that the basals have--which is a lot, since their leaves are big and getting larger all the time and theyre making pitchers--is draining the main stem. not enough to kill it, mind, im not worried about that but enough that its noticeably not doing as good as it was. for one, the new leaves take much longer to form and when they do theyre smaller, and not only smaller but each new one is seemingly smaller than the last. its just not an energy priority to keep making them and keep making them big. the other thing is this:

which honestly i dont actually know if its related to the basals. this is the newest formed pitcher, the one it made in july, and, like. i dunno this makes me sad. obviously the worse case here is rot, which id have to cut and probably will anyway. im not super worried about it spreading to much of the other plant from this but it would be for certain a bad sign. what i think this more likely is is just..natural pitcher aging and death. they brown and dry from the tips down. the only confusing thing is that this is the YOUNGEST pitcher or, like, the one youd expect to die LAST. i dunno what thats about but my suspicion is that because the basals are being very energy demanding right now and probably will continue to be, the plant is diverting energy away from keeping its other newest growth in tip top shape, so you get smaller new leaves and the newest pitcher dying. i dont know that for sure, but ill be keeping an eye out to tell as closely as i can, cause this definitely just...feels bad.

next steps are basically winter prep! i have artificial lights to supplement daylight for all the neps, i know i can maintain humidity, i have a plan for the sarracenias dormancy. i wanna give basically everything some nice big meals before Bugs become a bit scarcer in the winter--im considering purchasing those fish food things people feed to pitchers even but i dunno how necessary that really is..whats left is two main things.

1 is repotting the sarracenia because Holy Moly did it get big fast. it keeps making new pitchers and theyre SO huge they just crowd each other like crazy and get deformed, but even with repotting i dunno how much of that i can change. probably the best for that is separating it from the rhizome but i also kinda dont want to do that? it just looks nice all full like this--and also it would be something to do at the end of dormancy, in the spring, definitely not now. i should also do this like....frankly asap. november is about when ill need to move it to its dormancy spot and thats not that far off! i want to give it some time to adjust to the larger pot size before, and if i wait too long ill have to do it after dormancy which like, i could do and it would be fine but honestly id just feel bad about having put it off. spring is the best time to make big changes for a reason but just upsizing the pot in a soft repot isnt actually big enough to justify waiting the same way separating the rhizome would be, for example.

2 is to change Moes set up. so like. i like Moes set up and from how well its thriving i think it does too but the fact of the matter is uhhh shes BIG. quickly becoming too big for the hanging pot its in now. i would not be surprised if she reaches my ceiling in another few months if i dont move her. the hanging basket is rn serving the dual purpose of supporting the vine--it would not be able to stand so well on its own and especially with how large it is its heavy enough to probably break under its own weight. so the plan is to make a moss pole with a pole my mom found and the moss i bought recently, and attach it to that instead. then i can take it out of the basket and put it on this lovely little plant stand i found instead! that will go basically in the same spot on the desk as the other plants are now. as much as i like the hanging look its not long term practical and really prevents me from moving or uhhh doing much of anything with Moe! its very hard to water and mist her cause i have to basically stand on top of the desk to reach and is basically in a lot of ways Pretty but not Optimal. with it NOT hanging ill be able to make changes and check stuff way more readily.

[casspurrjoybell-25]

November - Chapter 12

*Warning Adult Content*

- Oliver -

‘Really? A kiss on the cheek?’

Oliver had spent all day trying not to stare at Cooper's ass and this is what he ended up doing?

He was almost thirty years old but he was acting like a fifteen year old with a high school crush.

If Cooper had wondered at all if he was interested, he probably didn't think so anymore.

Oliver made it over the last few logs, internally berating himself for acting like an idiot.

But as they walked up the path to the parking lot, Cooper placed his hand on Oliver’s lower back and kept it there.

Oliver didn't know why but it was nice.

Maybe he hadn't blown it after all?

Cooper hadn't touched Oliver that way before.

Some men might be put off and feel babied by Cooper's caring gestures but Oliver liked them.

Oliver liked Cooper’s hand on his lower back.

He liked the older man helping him over the logs and calming him down when he was freaking out on Mount Storm King.

He liked the sexy lumberjack giving him one of his rain jackets and cooking dinner for him and buying his food at a restaurant.

In his relationship with Brad, Oliver had been the one constantly doting on his boyfriend, making sure he was happy and cared for.

It was nice to experience someone doing those things for him instead.

                                                    ******

The next morning, Oliver woke up to the smell of maple syrup and bacon.

He padded out of Cooper's guest bedroom to find him in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up and scooping some bacon out of a pan.

"I should be cooking for you," Oliver said, trying to hide a yawn.

"Nonsense. You're my guest."

Cooper placed a plate in front of Oliver that was piled with waffles and bacon.

"Besides, this gives me an excuse to cook a big breakfast. It seems too indulgent to do this for myself."

"I'll have to make another trip out here in the future so you have an excuse to cook a big meal."

Cooper's booming laugh filled the room.

"That's a lot of effort for you when I could just invite family or friends over."

He turned to put waffles on a plate for himself and when he spoke, it seemed like he was trying hard to sound casual.

"Would you actually consider coming back out here?"

"Definitely. I love it out here and I know there's a lot more to see. And the company isn't bad either."

When Cooper faced Oliver, he was smiling widely.

"I'd love it if you came back to visit sometime. And the next time I have to fly to California for a fishing job, I can visit you."

Oliver returned Cooper’s smile.

"I'm glad I met you on the plane."

"Me too."

                                                 *******

After an almost two hour drive, they were headed up into the mountains to Hurricane Ridge.

The road up was curvy, winding through trees and hugging the side of the mountain.

"I'm glad it's not snowing," Oliver said.

"That would make this drive interesting."

"It's not too bad. They plow the road and my truck can handle a decent amount of snow. I've got chains in the back if things get dicey but if there are any storms or a high risk of avalanches, they won't open the road."

“I can't imagine trying to do this with Brad in the rental car, so I'm glad I'm with you. Thanks for driving me up here."

"How are you feeling about the elevation? I know you're not a fan of heights."

Oliver glanced out the window.

"We are really high up but it's okay so far."

"It's good that it's a clear day. It'd suck if we couldn't see anything when we got up there."

At that moment, they rounded a curve in the road and the view suddenly opened up to reveal snow-capped mountains.

"Oh wow," Oliver said, leaning forward to see more out the windshield.

"This is incredible."

He stayed glued to the window, completely forgetting how high they were until Cooper parked the truck at the top.

There were mountains stretching out in almost every direction, hues of blue and green topped with white.

There was also a lot of snow on the ground and Oliver was glad Cooper had seemed to go overboard dressing him in a heavy jacket, scarf, hat and gloves.

Oliver wouldn't have been prepared without him.

"I've never seen this much snow. I've been to Chicago in the winter but city snow is nothing compared to this."

"If you get cold, let me know. I have hot chocolate and coffee in thermoses in the truck.”

"You're the best tour guide," Oliver said

The young man was smiling but he truly meant it.

"I better live up to it then. Let's walk around and I'll point out different mountains and take you to where we can see Canada."

"We can see it from here?"

"Sure can."

                                                     ******

For the next couple of hours Oliver followed Cooper around, trying his best not to fall on his ass in the snow.

The views were stunning.

He could see Canada in the distance and mountains filled the landscape in all other directions.

They were even lucky enough to see a deer wandering across the path.

The walk around the ridge also gave Oliver time to think.

He was worried about putting Cooper in an awkward position if he told him he liked him and he didn't reciprocate but maybe he should stop worrying and just go for it.

‘Cooper and I are both adults and if he wasn't interested, we could be mature about it and move on like nothing had happened.’

It would be better to know, rather than say nothing and then go back to California and always wonder 'what if'.

Oliver was so wrapped up in thinking about Cooper that he wasn't paying attention to his surroundings as they walked back over to the parking lot.

He stepped onto an icy patch of packed snow and went down immediately.

It wasn't a surprise, since he had already fallen into the snow four times.

Cooper was surprisingly agile given his size and he hadn't slipped once.

Oliver laughed as Cooper pulled him up from the sidewalk.

"I am not good at the outdoors," Oliver said, shaking his head.

"If you lived here and hiked a lot, you'd be fine. It takes some getting used to."

"I'm sure it does but you're so capable at everything out here. Seriously, what are you not good at?"

Cooper appeared to be thinking.

"Um, probably anything fancy, like going to an upscale restaurant or an event like the symphony. I'd be a bumbling fool. A bull in a china shop."

"You would not. I bet you clean up nice and you can get along with anyone. You're so charming. Not Brad's type of charming but genuine charming, as in making people laugh and knowing how to make people feel good about themselves.

- Cooper -

‘Oliver was flirting with me. I was sure of it.’

When Oliver kissed Cooper on the cheek last night, the older man thought it was just a friendly kiss, a 'thank you' for catching him when he almost fell in the logs.

Now, Cooper saw it in a different light.

Maybe Oliver had been testing the waters and seeing how he'd react.

But was that possible?

Could this city guy who looked like a real life Ken doll actually be into an large, bearded, blue-collar worker, who lived in the middle of nowhere?

"I appreciate your confidence in me," Cooper told Oliver.

"But I still think me in a fancy setting would be a disaster."

"Would you be interested in dinner and going to a symphony? I'll go with you if you want to try it someday."

Cooper shrugged.

"Possibly. It always seemed like a cool bucket list thing to do."

"Then let's do it. If we can't make it work on this trip, then we'll plan it for the next time we see each other. We'll get all dressed up. I'd be proud to have you on my arm for a fancy night out," Oliver said, smiling at him.

‘It was the tell tale sign, Oliver was looking at my eyes, then down to my lips.’

Cooper had never mistaken that sign before.

But he wasn't going to push him.

Oliver was newly single and Cooper was his tour guide and he was staying at his house.

Cooper didn't want to do anything to make the situation awkward for Oliver, even if he was sure the younger man wanted to kiss him.

"The sun sets soon, right?" Oliver asked, looking up at the sky and changing the subject.

"Where's the best place to watch it?"

"Over at the wall behind the Visitor Center."

Cooper put his hand on Oliver’s lower back as they started walking in that direction.

If Oliver wasn't going to move things along, Cooper was going to try his best to encourage him without being too blatant about it.

The sun was beginning to sink behind the mountain peaks and once again Cooper was grateful that they had a rare clear sky.

It resembled cotton candy, with wisps of pink and blue clouds creating a soft pastel scene against the snow-capped mountains.

"It's gorgeous," Oliver murmured.

He shivered slightly as he said it.

Cooper moved behind him and wrapped his arms around his smaller frame.

"Is this okay? You seem like you could use some warming up."

"It's more than okay. You're probably a human heater with all that muscle."

Oliver sank back into Cooper and they stood watching the sun set.

It was romantic and perfect and Cooper’s heart ached with how much he wanted this for more than just tonight.

He had to fight to keep his breathing steady and he was convinced Oliver could feel his heart pounding and the way his hands were shaking. It felt like they were on the cusp of something and the anticipation was killing him.

As the sun dipped below the mountains, Cooper didn't want to let go of Oliver.

Oliver began to shift in Cooper’s arms but instead of pulling away, he turned so he was facing him.

Without saying a word, Oliver put his hands on both sides of Cooper’s face, tilted his head up and kissed the other man.

Even in the cold, his lips were soft and warm.

Cooper kissed back, gently moving his lips against Oliver’s before he opened his mouth.

He felt Oliver's tongue lightly brush his and Cooper whimpered and pressed himself closer to the younger man.

Oliver moved his hands to the back of Cooper’s head and tangled his fingers into the older man’s hair.

It was heaven but they seemed to realize at the same time that they were in public and Oliver pulled back.

Cooper leant his forehead against his.

"I've been waiting days for you to do that."

"You have?"

"Yeah. I've liked you since I met you on the aeroplane."

Oliver smiled at him, his dimple that Cooper loved appearing in his left cheek.

"I like you too, Cooper. I've had a great time with you."

Oliver kissed Cooper again, letting his lips linger before speaking.

"Why didn't you tell me you liked me earlier? I mean, obviously after Brad was out of the picture."

"Because you just went through a break-up and I was trying to be respect. Besides, you said you weren't looking for another guy anytime soon."

“I'm not looking but that doesn't mean I'd say no if a great guy came along and something happened. Like you. You happened.”

Cooper chuckled.

"Okay. Fair point. But why did it take you so long to kiss me?"

Oliver took his hands from around the back of Cooper’s neck and stepped backwards so he could hold the older man’s hands in his instead.

"I couldn't tell if you liked me or if you were just being friendly. You're like that with everyone. I also didn't want to make things awkward since I'm staying at your house and you're driving me around. If you weren't into me, I was worried things might get weird.""

I don't see how anyone could not be into you. I'm so into you," Cooper replied, no longer caring how much he was embarrassing himself with his honesty.

Oliver blushed.

"Even if you are, I don't want you to feel like I'm just using you for a vacation hook-up."

“I don't feel that way. I didn't even think you'd go for me anyway. Isn't your type pretty guys like yourself?"

Oliver tilted his head to the side and studied Cooper.

"You don't think you're pretty?"

Oliver’s response made Cooper laugh and it lightened the moment.

"You're a very attractive man, Cooper," he says.

"And your personality makes you ten times more attractive. I think you're a total catch."

Cooper smiled even wider and squeezed Oliver’s hands.

His words made the older man feel like he was floating.

"You're the catch and I thought all along that you deserved more than Brad. You deserve someone who will treat you like the prize that you are."

"You're so sweet, Cooper" Oliver says, shaking his head.

"I'm starting to think I dreamed you and none of this is actually real."

"I feel the same," Cooperconfesses, stroking his thumb over the younger man’s soft knuckles.

Oliver steps closer but then he shivered again.

Cooper laughs and put his arm around the young man’s shoulders.

"Come on, let's get you home."

[darlingpwease]

I only use those two, but I do listen on cd's too :))

   panna cotta, do you really adapt so well to bad conditions?

Hmm.. I'm not sure, maybe? I'm not sure if I adapt well, but I do my best to stay calm in such situations.

I also really want to squeeze you and call you adorable <3333

Ahhh, you're way too sweet for me, Dove <33

By the way, do you have a kind of marine animal you enjoy?

I'll make sure to use balsam, thank u :))

I'm really happy you're enthusiastic about praise, tho I can fathom you being alienated from it, I thought you'd get showered in it /gen /pos

You truly are incredibly talented, and the way you write is absolutely amazing <333 I love it, you're probably my favorite writer, your style is mesmerizing, absolutely stunning!! ♡♡

And Dove, being honest is definitely a wonderful way for you to express ur gratitude <333

-panna cotta

cd?... compact disc?

wow

you are full of amazing things, panna cotta,,,

however, having a flexible psyche is actually good, as long as you are comfortable and you don't lose yourself and your sense of comfort. I'm more conservative and capricious, so it's hard for me to look at this from a non-idealistic position </3

'too sweet' shshhshshsh </333 I'm glad you think so, because in my opinion, I'm too unkind to you. I mean look at you, panna cotta! such a charmer,,,,,,,

... moray eels </3

like, they look absolutely not pretty, and not charming, and not touching, and no one in their right mind would call it "cute", — to be honest, they look like someone who will come to me in nightmares or badtrip — but I like them. I like their, uh, "style," and that they're so dangerous, but still so precious <3333

it might bite off my thigh and leave me bleeding, but it doesn't matter as long as it's a moray eel, because it's cool, and I'm saying this absolutely not ironically. a huge ribbon whose teeth look like a lot of saws, which is a top predator — sounds like something I can take an example from, even if it will be the last thing I will take in my life /j

or alepisaurus (lancetfish).

a cute... creature? they're hermaphrodites when they're young, so I'm not sure what to call them correctly, and whether the concept of human gender applies to them, but they're, like, cute. I would die if I saw them in the water, but in the photo they are even a little cute. like little messengers of Cthulhu. little creatures from the underworld. I have heard that they are often thrown ashore due to the cold snap, and this is not surprising, considering that it must be very hot in the fiery abyss, from where they came.

but!!! they're cute!!! voracious and very predatory, but still cute. a bit like my favorite needle fish.

when I was little, I often caught needle fish because adored the feeling of hunting, and still unconsciously react when see something in the water that looks like a needle fish. I just feel like I have to catch it; track it down, swim up quickly and grab it before it realized I was seeing it and had time to escape from me.

of course, now I try not to pounce on anything, but I still hate when people chase me (even playfully) and almost instinctively want to run after what is running away from me. questionable behavior, not gonna lie /hj

what about you, my sweet one? any childhood stories with the sea (or not the sea) that influenced your personality? hunting instinct?

Wait, are you really using a balm? you have chapped lips?

(by the way, about scratching — I'm not sure how comfortable this topic is for you, but don't forget to process and use plasters or bandages, okay? without prejudice or resentment, just a reminder, like that you need to brush your lips. scratches have many unpleasant properties </3 /gen)

I do not!!!

I do not know how to react!!!

this is beyond my normal reactions!!! you!!! I am!!! ajsgshdhdhsh I'll just crawl into my nest and drag you and your sweet words with me!!! no more box!!! I'll find a warm corner for a new companion </33333 /pos

outrageously!!! outrageously cute!!! I'm going to do something about it!!! my paws are ready!!!

ajsghshshhsgdhdgdKAHSHSHHSBS </33333

[deadcactuswalking]

REVIEWING THE CHARTS: 22/10/2022 (Stormzy, Lil Baby’s ‘It’s Only Me’, blink-182)

For the fourth consecutive week, Sam Smith and Kim Petras reign at #1 on the UK Singles Chart with “Unholy”. It’s a messy week – on the charts and in the Commons, but welcome back to REVIEWING THE CHARTS!

Rundown

It’s a busy week and this may be a long episode so let’s start swiftly – though more of that next week – with the notable dropouts, songs exiting the UK Top 75 – which is what I cover – after five weeks in the region or a peak in the top 40. It was a bloodbath this week, so we can say farewell to “4 the Win” by D-Block Europe, “Hotel” by Montell Fish, “LA Leakers Freestyle” by Central Cee (which lasted way longer than it probably should have), “Sweater Weather” by the Neighbourhood (thank God), “Deep Down” by Alok, Ella Eyre and Kenny Dope featuring Never Dull (which is a shame), “Matilda” by Harry Styles, “KU LO SA – A COLORS SHOW” by Oxlade which was a surprise hit, “SNAP” by Rosa Linn, “No Excuses” by Bru-C, “About Damn Time” by Lizzo and of course, “Mr. Brightside” by The Killers but it will be back soon enough.

As for our notable gains and returns, which this week are only somewhat more interesting, we do have a good amount, especially considering the amount of new arrivals here too, though much of the gains from last week got slanted. For returns, we just have singles from The 1975’s #1 album Being Funny in a Foreign Language return to the chart thanks to that boost, with “Happiness” at #49 and “I’m in Love with You” at #34. Neither are new peaks and we will get to The 1975 later in the new arrivals, but I don’t expect any of them to really last. As for gains, we see boosts for “How Do I Say Goodbye” by Dean Lewis at #35, “Miss You” by southstar at #23, “messy in heaven” by venbee and goddard. at #14 and the plagiarised “Miss You” by Oliver Tree and Robin Schulz making it all the way to #9, becoming Tree’s first in the region and Schulz’s first since 2014.

Outside of seemingly everything else, the top five is mostly stagnant, with “CUFF IT” by Beyoncé at #5, “I Ain’t Worried” by OneRepublic at #4, “Forget Me” by Phil Collins at #3, “I’m Good (Blue)” by David Guetta and Bebe Rexha at #2 and of course, “Unholy” at #1. Before we get to the new arrivals, I have found the time to discuss some of the new releases I enjoyed – or didn’t – over the past couple of weeks that didn’t land on the singles chart.

Off the Charts

CHARLIE – Charlie Puth

You know that feeling when you chew gum for so long that it loses its flavour? Well, imagine there is not a nearby bin and you’re too anxious to spit it out anyway – this album is the process of you giving up and swallowing. The fact that an artist created this and a record label is just releasing it for people to chew up when any content is worth saving shows the Hellscape we are in now. I have a lot to say about this and the new GAYLE EP but I’m going to try and only have a roughly sentence-long summary so I won’t go too in depth. If a full review is requested of me... I may have the time. There are no favourite tracks here.

a study of the human experience volume two – GAYLE

This new GAYLE EP makes the subtext of everything she’s released thus far the text, dropping an emotionally devastating track in the middle of this EP that genuinely shifts the experience in such a weird way, even though most of it is still produced flatly and the performances have not gotten better. My favourite track is the cute yet contextually harrowing closer, “snow angels”.

>COPINGMECHANISM< – WILLOW

WILLOW delivers a rock album not too dissimilar to Demi Lovato’s, wherein there are so many different styles tried here that the formula seeps through and a disappointing level of songwriting as well as stock production makes what could be interesting and genuinely hard-hitting sounds from rock and metal lose their lustre really quickly, despite the great frontwoman that WILLOW is. My favourite track is “hover like a GODDESS”.

Dirt Femme – Tove Lo

Tove delivers a matured selection of synthpop that feels a Hell of a lot more organic than what we get on the charts but still taking less risks than she could be in creating an album much less cohesive in sound than her previous, so whilst the more powerful lyrics may hit home, they’re not on every track and the level of empty platitudes and playful sexuality that is here is delivered just well enough through Tove’s ability to make everything sound so much closer to Earth than a lot of singers in pop. My favourite track is “Cute & Cruel” with First Aid Kit.

Return of the Dream Canteen – Red Hot Chili Peppers

I wouldn’t mind if this became the band’s last album as whilst not every song hits, this is an at times manic and experimental psychedelic trip down memory lane in terms of the sounds captured by the band damn well because at this point, RHCP have the room to experiment even on a bloated record and I don’t know why they had yet to come to this realisation. It’s a bit of a mess, but my favourite tracks are those messier songs, especially the complete outlier “My Cigarette”.

MATA – M.I.A.

M.I.A. no longer feels “new” and this is not an album full of surprises. Instead, it’s her most realised and finalised-feeling project in years, and definitely got me to step back on the M.I.A. train since whilst the content has political elements and a “revolutionary” aspect as well as flexing, it all feels so much more internal in its reflection and its transgression that takes a step away from the conspiracy when it needs to, either to be damn near devotional or just – for once for M.I.A. – sit down far away and observe. It’s not spectacularly produced but there is a waterworks of uniquely M.I.A. ideas here, from the Tamil samples, groovy percussion and minimal and primitive beats that push M.I.A. all the way to the front, even though it seems in these songs that she is at times kind of uncomfortable with that pedestal, reinforcing her own insecurities in the lyrics and the delivery that exchanges some retrospection for dismissive brattiness. It’s really difficult to pick a favourite track considering that this is a concise delve into the psyche in a way that feels very of this time: she’s not saying as much as she could but that’s the statement in itself, right? In 2022, it feels right to be delusional, even if that delusion is just that everything is okay so we can all get on with our lives as if that delusion is fact. I recommend the whole album, but “Time Traveller” has an incredible beat from Pharrell, and the three-track run at the end with the nostalgic bop “K.T.P. (Keep the Peace)”, the intense purging of insecurities “MATA LIFE” and the bittersweet mission statement “Marigold” with Lil Uzi Vert of all people uncredited on backing vocals just feels inspiring. Maybe it just resonates with me specifically, as consensus is mixed, but I adore this. Check it out if this interests you. Now, back to your regularly scheduled programming...

NEW ARRIVALS

#69 – “Chapters” – Central Cee

Produced by SHK

In terms of album impact, we have two songs from Cench, three from Lil Baby and one from The 1975. In 1979, the Gap Band released “You Are My High” as a deep cut on The Gap Band II, which was then remixed by French house producer Demon into a track of the same name in 2000 that is just as slick as you’d expect it to be, with just enough squelch in the acid house drums to make it a real floor filler. Last year, DJ Snake released a similar remix that made it an awkward, cheap-sounding trap song, reducing any of the fun or the sensuality with some really awkward synthwork. It was a minor hit in France and New Zealand – and I mean minor – but Central Cee picked up on it on his recent EP full of what seem to be previously leaked songs, and here we are with a drill beat that has a history way more interesting than its rollicking 808s and tight sprinkling hi-hats. The sample is cute but Central Cee is just being typical in his flexing, occasionally arriving upon something vaguely profound but completely ditching it in the next line, repeating bars he already rapped and worst of all, sounding as defeated as possible doing it all.

#45 – “Bye Bye” – Marshmello and Juice WRLD

Produced by Marshmello

Juice WRLD had a pretty unmatched work ethic prior to his death, so whilst it’s not surprising to see his posthumous cuts end up on the charts, it’s also always somewhat disheartening to see it attached to a bigger name who is reaping the royalties and is likely to put it on their album. That work ethic does not always translate to actual completion, and never has this been more obvious on this song, with a first take of vocals that really does sound like a 2019 demo on one of the clunkiest trap beats that I have ever heard. Why the hi-hats are that loud and disruptive is beyond me, and Juice WRLD clearly hadn’t finished these verses, especially considering how much empty space there is, how there isn’t really a clear topic or through-line during any of this, and how there is just one verse and two repetitions of the chorus. If a dead man doing vocal riffing over a trap beat is your thing... I don’t know, man, get different hobbies.

#43 – “Forever” – Lil Baby featuring Fridayy

Produced by Fridayy, Bizness Boi and Fortune

I got a tad confused seeing this chart because I assumed it was Lil Baby’s lazy 2020 cut “Forever” with a Lil Wayne verse too good for how cheap-sounding the beat was, from his album My Turn, since I had no idea regarding this second song of the same name from his newest album, It’s Only Me, which debuted at #3 on the UK’s albums chart this week. This new track makes use of a demo from Vory and Fridayy, who for whatever reason has appeared on big-name features recently in the same vocal filter and falsetto that sounds pretty unique and more like a restrained Giveon. Maybe DJ Khaled gave this to Lil Baby because he was unintentionally name-dropped in that demo’s chorus, but I doubt much thought was put into this, as the cheap pad loops surround both Fridayy and Lil Baby alongside this childish vocal sample that becomes frustrating in the verses, especially with how basic and sloppy the drums are. There is this weird, outlying snare just added there for no reason at the start of the first verse, and Fridayy’s hook is too filtered to really add much to this personality-drained waste of time. Lil Baby’s vocal mix is engineered terribly – maybe focus on hiring good people around you instead of just pushing out 20 songs per album every year – and both of his verses feel lacking in any kind of focus, struggling to detail the potential relationship problems or the flexing angle and making a real mess of it all with his nasal, deadpan tone just sitting there stagnant. I have not heard much from the new Lil Baby album, but if this is anything like the rest, I’m glad that I sat it out.

#36 – “Real Spill” – Lil Baby

Produced by G1 and Kaigoinkrazy

Now I did check out this one, mostly because it is the opener and it samples a chipmunk version of “The Great Unknown”, a 2018 song by legendary soul band Sade, and takes all of the soul of it by placing it so far behind a trap beat more competent than “Forever” but just as stagnant. Baby’s details regarding gang violence here are more compelling and unlike Central Cee, Baby tends to continue on his train of thought when he finds something profound. With that said, the whole mix seems very stock and Lil Baby’s vocal mix is full of what are either sloppy punch-ins or just Baby loosening his flow and cadence in a way that is way too playful for the content and this stale trap beat... yet somehow he still sounds like he doesn’t care. Put this over a fuller chipmunk soul beat fit for Cam’ron and it might just be good but as is, it’s really disappointing.

#31 – “EDGING” – blink-182

Produced by Travis Barker

I am not a blink-182 fan. I will always admire their ability to stay relevant through sheer charisma and personality that seeped into much of their music even amidst band drama and side projects, and I like the self-titled album as well as some of their more recognisable hits. My favourite blink track is probably “Adam’s Song”, but a more apt comparison to this new song, where the iconic trio of yesteryear is back again, is “What’s My Age Again?”. It starts with the instantly recognisable guitar line, develops on it with a more subtle Travis Barker drum line that has always matched the intensity of the two guitarists perfectly, and does not waste time getting to the main hook. The chorus changes each time but it is such an infectious melody and with the hooks and refrains outside of the chorus, whether it be Mark Hoppus delivering his lines in his typical deadpan snark, the comical lyrics, or the tight, layered guitar playing, make the back and forth feel less simplistic and moe cathartic. There’s even the oddly subtle and mostly acoustic guitar solo that provides a refuse long enough for you to want to hear that incredible hook again. “All the Small Things”, a song that I don’t even like, might be an even more apt comparison: the verses are longer and more staccato, but since the chorus acts as both a slower refuse and absolute release with the vocalising, and there are more purely instrumental parts, most of which are pretty tense after the chorus, even using synths in the bridge, the musical variation is solid and means that each chorus still hits hard. “EDGING” fails the focus test entirely. It starts with the same drum sound that Barker used on “Feeling This” to make the intro drums sound distant yet instead of giving them time to grow like on that song – which is also one of my favourites from blink – they immediately drop into a slodge of a verse that repeats itself incessantly until the phrases don’t mean anything. At least Tom expresses more than Mark, even if that leads to cringier lyrical moments, because Mark’s vocal mix and his general cadence sounds like it required less emotion than his half-assed feature on the Avril Lavigne album (and I LIKED that song). They try to add interplay during the chorus but when the chorus melody is so rote and static, it really makes you miss the times where blink would have more dynamics in basic songwriting ideas. I mean, Travis Barker is still a great producer when it comes to making the songs sound as loud as they were to make, but it fails at being anthemic because... whoever’s anthem this is should probably be on some kind of register. I will continue to compare new blink to their older tracks too, since that’s what they’re selling the reunion on, right? That’s how they’re selling those ridiculously over-priced tickets, why they debuted so high, and why anyone cares. They’re selling this single on nostalgia, but that just makes this song’s lack of detail and effort even more resoundingly difficult to accept. If you want blink tracks you haven’t heard before, I’d recommend the side projects +44 and especially Box Car Racer, because they do more with the style in an era of experimentation from the boys that sadly has not been seen on this single. I hope Tom brings some of that weird space rock nonsense from Angels & Airwaves over to this album because I know damn well that Travis has no ideas. As for Mark, I’m just glad he’s alive.

#30 – “Poland” – Lil Yachty

Produced by F1LTHY, Lukrative and Lucian

This is a leaked Lil Yachty song that he didn’t really care for in which he overloads his voice with Auto-Tune for a really unique vibrato in the chorus. His melodious flow and lack of real singing ability sounds even goofier over a rage beat from one of my favourite producers out right now, F1LTHY, which for a song barely over one minute, is able to carry its fizzing synths over the static trap beat pretty well, especially in the outro where the 808s really propel. Lil Yachty is just there singing over a beat he shouldn’t be singing on about taking cough syrup to Poland so he can drink lean since as far as I’m aware, there are no anti-lean laws in Poland. In the verse, he references Kenan and Kel for extra dated reference meme factor, and the song is over in 83 seconds. It sounds too good of a meme to be true, and his helpless ad-libs are the icing on the cake. This almost seems like the industry crafted the perfect meme though maybe I’m just cynical. Get some actual Polish rappers on the extended remix, and it seems like it could be a really big moment but for now, I’m okay with this. It’s honestly just a bit of fun, and I hope Yachty can start making more interesting music thanks to this experiment’s success... or maybe he can just take the coke to Romania, the heroin to Armenia and the Percocets to Kosovo... not that I recommend smuggling drugs into Eastern European countries. Or at least, not yet.

#29 – “Oh Caroline” – The 1975

Produced by George Daniel, Matthew Healy and Jack Antonoff

For a week packed with new arrivals, there is genuinely such little quality here that astounds me, and The 1975 in no way are going to change it with their most watered-down snooze of an album yet, with vocalist Matt Healy’s achingly personal and awkward, self-flagellating lyrics coming off as extra weird when translated onto 80s heart-break synthpop and yacht rock. Sometimes, his goofy sincerity comes across in a better way, and it nearly does here with the melodrama about feeling suicidal because of the relationship not working out as well as it could have. It is a sweet song for the most part, with tropical percs in the drums and a pretty detailed mix of acoustic guitars and some great, intricate piano playing that makes it feel like a washed-up rock band on their last legs in the 1980s. That makes perfect sense for the content considering how desperate he is, and how Healy is getting cucked – no, really – so whilst the song doesn’t interest me, I can recognise that this is a pretty well put together track with some great buzzy synths in the bridge and a really punchy climax. It’s nowhere near as cloudy and uncertain as the other, airier tracks (even if it suffers from the Antonoff touch in the same way). I’m never going to like soft rock, so this is more of a case of a blind spot or pleb filter so I’m not feeling it but I have basically zero complaints either. Healy’s vocals are even less heavy-handed and the sax is wonderful when it subtly pops in, but it really is just not my genre.

#26 – “California Breeze” – Lil Baby

Produced by Murda Beatz and Mars

With the help of Murda Beatz and a decontextualised James Blake sample, Lil Baby once again does nothing over a stagnant beat. The sample has much of its fluid taken from it as it is placed under all of the other stock trap effects, including the incessant chant in the right channel that is just distracting from a song that is all flexing with Baby’s flow just as rambling as his content. I had a lot of goodwill for Lil Baby after his collaborative album last year with Lil Durk, but what I’ve heard from this album is really not developing or telling me much about Lil Baby as a person or artist or even presenting a serviceable musical experience given all the shoddy mixing. I doubt any of this will last, but I don’t think this is going to be that sharp of a decline that Baby’ll notice that he needs to step things up to continue engaging his audience, so I guess we’re stuck with auto-pilot Lil Baby for now. He’ll delude us with a few fire guest verses down the line, and then we’ll get yet another album full of filler, and the cycle will continue.

#17 – “One Up” – Central Cee

Produced by Lekaa Beats

This week is just filled with rappers saying nothing of substance, isn’t it? When the only quotable I can think of from the eight rap songs that debuted this week is “I took the Wock to Poland”, there may be an issue. The beat on this track from Cench, the lead single of the No More Leaks EP, sounds just as cheap with its seemingly default acoustic guitar MIDI and hollering falsetto vocal loop, but the drill beat has some really cool 808 slides when it starts to intensify and Cench brings some more energy on this one, with a catchy hook and even some wordplay and funny lines in the first verse, yet like most Cench songs, he seems to run out of juice in the second verse. At this point, what do I say about this kind of track? It’s not like it’s unique from Central Cee, he could really make this in his sleep. Well, at least he mentioned Linkin Park.

#7 – “Hide & Seek” – Stormzy

Produced by PRGSHN, Owen Cutts, P2J and Calum Landau

It turns out that “Mel Made Me Do It” isn’t on Stormzy’s third album, with this being the lead single for This is What I Mean. I was immediately expecting this to maybe have something to do with the incredible jazz-inflected drill banger from Knucks of the same name from earlier this year, but it’s going for a completely different vibe, as it blends uncredited vocals from Ayanna, Teni and Oxlade, who probably should have been given a feature credit (you’re not Kanye, Stormzy, not that anyone would want to be). Making Afrobeats singers this anonymous doesn’t help them stand out in the sea of artists there are, and it’s really unfortunate because they make this song. The song is about being desperate to fix a relationship that doesn’t work out just as well, and Oxlade plays the relationship as if it was the start where everything was okay and she would confide in him her emotions. Ayanna and Teni have excellent backing vocals, especially Ayanna who has a wonderful performance playing up the melodrama over this shaky Afrobeats production, which feels fittingly unsure of itself. The blend of falsetto in the post-chorus is a genuinely excellent touch, and Stormzy... he just talks. He goes for the most laidback cadence possible, and in the first verse he sounds genuinely half-asleep. This is not the kind of content you can be dismissive with, and whilst the song is decent as a result of what’s surrounding him, it is a shame that he couldn’t bring more to this otherwise pretty great song, especially by the end where the backing vocals repeat “pressure” over Oxlade’s deluded mantra. It’s airy in the best of ways, and it’s a damn shame that the lead artist, the only artist listed on the song even, is easily the worst part.

Conclusion

Best of the Week goes to “Poland” by Lil Yachty because this was a waste of a busy week, where even the good songs have things that bug me about them preventing me from fully enjoying them, and the bad songs are really rough. Oxlade, Teni and Ayanna carry Stormzy to the Honourable Mention for “Hide & Seek” but as for the worst, I think Central Cee gets away safe for being inoffensive so it really should go to Lil Baby for any of his three tracks... but that seems too easy. Rather, Worst of the Week goes to Marshmello for “Bye Bye” and the Dishonourable Mention can be shared between the trio of blink-182 for “EDGING”. With “Bye Bye”, I feel distaste, with “EDGING” I feel resounding disappointment. For Lil Baby, there’s less contempt as much as there is just a tired critic not wanting to care about an artist flouting their potential. As for next week... Taylor Swift. Thank you for reading, and I’ll see you next week!

[husbandohunter]

A Furry Predicament, but reversed (Reader turns into a cat)? Pretty please with a sweet lil cherry on top? (I recently stumbled across your blog and may I just say that I absolutely adore your works??) Thank youu and take care~~

A Furrier Predicatment [Genshin x Cat!Reader]

♤♡◇♧☆

Synopsis: It's your turn to be a cat after this incident.

Characters: Diluc, Kaeya, Xiao, Albedo, Zhongli, Childe, Venti

(A/n): Ah you did OwO that's very sweet of you. It's alot of fun to write, especially when your imagination is stunted and you just gotta spit out something silly.

=======================

[Diluc]

Any beloved pet owned by Master Diluc would be under the most high quality and meticulous treatement. Mostly for cats since they tend to be calm while elegant...to some extent. If they were dogs then he'll ensure that they also serve as a partner for sniffing out trouble such as a certain bard who'd might've sneaked into the wine cellars. But you weren't either, so to say, you were both a beloved AND a cat.

As he picks you up gently into his arms, Diluc would be a little baffled on what to do next. He has no idea how to care for delicate creatures as he never had one (other than a pet tortoise but that's different) in which he needed to look for help. But who? The staff? Certainly not, no one can find out that his partner turned into a pet (imagine all the scandals he'll be in). Jean? Anything but the knights of Favonius. And most certainly not his brother.

So Diluc ends up figuring everything out by himself (old habits die hard). All the sweets and regular meals you craved were no long in your menu, you were forced to have a proper cat diet because he believed it was healthier. Half of the time he has no idea what he's doing, since you were a cat and all you could do was "meow" (which Diluc forgets. He tries to have a mundane conversation until you stare at him with feline eyes. That was when he remembered).

"What would you like for tonight's dinner, my love?"

"Meow." He has alot to learn.

Though Master Diluc often gets very tired and he attempts to take a quick nap before killing himself over the next set of duties. That is, until you could help it. Being a cat has it's furry and comfy advantages. So you leapt up to the bed as quietly as possible and onto the side of your lover, circling a few times to see if he was really asleep. When he was you snuggled close to keep him warm, hoping it would lull him into a rest even deeper. He slept like a baby.

~xx~

[Kaeya]

If the Cavalry Capatain were to own a pet, they would either be charmed by him or snaring their teeth because of his unreadable and suspicious aura. Animal instincts are quite powerful. But your case wasn't the latter, thankfully and he could feel himself growing fond of this new found relationship. Almost. What should he do with you now that you're a cat, Kaeya wonders.

Belly rubs and a lot of them. He absolutely adores the way your cute little nose scrunches up while he runs his fingers on the center of your tummy (though he knows when to stop, Kaeya is rather gentle with you nowadays). You found that he absolutely adores the shape of your nose, would pick you up and boop yours with his own somehow knows how to be his flirty self despite your unusual form.

There was this one incident where you saw something shiny flashing over the wall. Slowly you followed it as the bright dot moved futher and further away, evetually gaining speed. Little did you know it was Kaeya who was watching you swipe your little paws up and down against the wall while he was just cleaning his sword. How could he help it? You were often so headstrong and independent, now you were just an adorable little kitten that loves to play with yarn and shiny things. It backfired him though, now there were a bunch of scratchmarks marring the surfaces (which he had to pay for repairs).

Takes you out to Windrise so that you could get some fresh air (also for you to find somewhere else to shed your fur other than his humble abode). Kaeya sits back under a tree while you either chase a butterfly or start slapping against the dandelions (only sneeze when they fly into your face). He wasn't sure if you were aware of what you were doing right now, if you were then he'll have lots of things to talk about once you turn back into human. If not, then at least he had the opportunity to witness such a soft side coming from you.

~xx~

[Xiao]

If any animal were to go close towards the adeptus, they would run away. Xiao isn't very good at interacting with others, pets included, usually they would run into the alleyway or hide around the legs of their owners while he glaringly, blankly stares at them (Even though he wouldn't admit it, Xiao thinks to himself, how soft is cat fur?) Now he gets to touch your cat form and turns out that fur is very ticklish yet pleasant against his skin.

Would be the most awkward conversationalist, the poor yaksha was already terrible with his words (often coming out harsh so he prefers to either keep away or say nothing at all) and even with you sometimes, now it was almost impossible to communicate. Xiao is not very good at reading a cat's body language. When you want him to hold you again, you'd walk in circles. He assumes you were hungry and leaps out the window to go fetch some fish...for the nth time there was a pile of raw salmon stacking upon the floor. Xiao thinks that maybe salmon species weren't to your liking, hence he does out to find another one.

As he plays his flute, you'd magically doze off on his lap. (There was one thing that you both can communicate with at last). Slowly but surely, he comes to learn the different gestures you make for certain situations. You often rub yourself upon his leg which he had heard to be a cat's way of claiming their territory. That was when Xiao picks you up, FINALLY. Though the real reason why it took him this long was because he was hesitant to hold you. He never really held a pet so naturally he has no idea how to hold a cat. Ends up cradling you in his arms because it seemed to be a safer option <3

"I never thought I'd be able to hold you like this," Xiao softly says to your lazy form, observing the way your ears perked up at the sound of his voice, "But I...forget it. We can stay like this for the time being, if you'd like. If not, that's fine too."

You stay.

~xx~

[Albedo]

The only pets Albedo had were for his alchemic experiments (plus they were put in cages too). Fact be told, he would make a terrible pet owner with the lifestyle he has now. The alchemist would be so absorbent into his work that he'll most likely forget that he has someone to feed and by the time he realized it, they would have already starved to death. After hearing glass bottles crashing to the floor, Albedo bursts into the rooms as the smoke fills it completely, finding a cat lost between it. The cat was you. He knows because he made the potions.

Sometimes he'd a little too scientific for his own good. Albedo assumed that when you turned into a cat, you've gone into cat mode and ends up treating you as such. "No, don't go near any bodies of water. You wouldn't like it." He almost forgets that you were once human which is very much like him if you had to be honest. Though when he does find out that you still carried human traits, Albedo must find ways to adapt things to your liking.

He makes your food himself. He's not a cook but he sure is good at everything he does, even if it's something he never did before. This goes for other areas too such as the size of your bed, if you need a little couch to stay on or maybe some tools to play around. (The only time when he is a good pet owner). In his sketchbook he'd have a bunch of blueprints and contraptions of what to make next. There's something enjoyable when spoiling you, those little reactions when you're pleased, like the twitch of your whiskers or the lift of your tail. Albedo finds is very cute.

On top of all that, he could also make you a potion to turn you back into normal. It seemed that it was the last thing he thought of on the list. Albedo was too occupied with treating you like a cat that it all flew over his head until now. Time flies when you're having fun.

~xx~

[Zhongli]

Unlike Albedo, anyone who has Zhongli as a pet owner would be considered to be a very lucky animal. He radiates a calm and serene aura that gives the perfect environment to have infinite nap times. People look at this man and wonder why his pet never gives him any trouble, especially when cats were considered to be both fiesty and needy. But they just didn't know that the cat was you (not like it would make a difference, any animal would know that Zhongli was no ordinary man).

How on earth does he know what you're saying? Maybe it's because he was once an archon. You could meow and he knows exactly what you would like to snack on. You could tilt your head, he takes it that you were curious on what he was currently doing (which was exactly what you were wondering), you can say nothing at all yet as if he could read your mind, Zhongli comes over to pet you with his gloved hands.

"How can I tell? Indeed it is because you're my lover, of course. Throughout this time we spent together, I've come to learn the way you speak through your eyes. They seem to hold true no matter what form you take. It's rather comforting."

Though there were many moments where you sneak up behind Zhongli. His hair, his ponytail- so long. Must play with. As you jump up and down with his thin strand swings side to side, it'll take a few seconds for him to decipher what your were doing. The minute he turns around he catches you with his hands midair and laughs heartfully. Cats were very endearing creatures.

~xx~

[Childe]

Back home in Snezhnaya, Childe would probably have owned a dog or two. They were mostly meant for hunting purposes, big and large furry creatures with thick skin suitable to endure the harsh cold. He has dogs because cats hate him for some strange reason. They either hiss or snootly turn their backs on him, one time he picked one up as a kid but his face bleeding after the cat scratched him with their paws. But of course you wouldn't do that to him. You would never~ he was your cutie pie anyways.

He was an obnoxious hugger, not gentle at all. Childe forgets his strength as a human man and when he squeezes you tightly against his chest, you'd spike out on all ends because by the archons, you're suffocating. But it was your fault for feeling so comfy and warm! Similar to Kaeya, they're both obnoxious but Childe deemed himself to be even worse. He'd rub his face against yours, commenting on how sensitive it sways. Tonia once told him that she wanted a pet cat instead, maybe he should also bring you back to his homeland now.

Yes he would love to play with you. Bring in the cat toys...or not. This was the eleventh Fatui Harbinger, what were you thinking? Normal cat activities? Not here. He's gonna teach you how to hunt like how he taught his dogs to hunt in Snezhnaya. You gave him the most deadpanned and dissapointed look with your large feline glare. Not only was he disliked by cats but he certainly was not good with them.

Though he can take it down a notch sometimes and just indulge in relaxing activities. When there was nothing else for him to do or when he was just tired after a productive day, he'd sit by the kitchen and you on top of the table. While you yawned and leaned down for a nap, Childe plays with the small of your paws to the soft edge of your nails. If he taps your nose, your whiskers twitch. Your ears are nice, maybe he should get you a headband version once you turned back to human.

You immediately wake up when he touches your tail.

~xx~

[Venti]

Achoo!

You sometimes wonder how is it that the anemo archon was able to live through 2000 years without getting beaten up by a cat. If andrius was a large cougar than a wolf, maybe he wouldn't be an archon now. Which is why you are to stay miles far far away from him unless you want the whole of Mondstadt to be blown away by the wind.

Wears a mask (as if this were the covid19 pandemic), although it doesn't take away all his problems, at least it'll minimize it. Venti always has a box of tissues ready but you can tell by the puffiness of his eyes that he's been sneezing alot. He really tries his hardest to pitch in every once in a while when Albedo was working on a cure for you to go back to normal. Though acts as if he was quarantined by staying all the way at the other side of the room.

"Ahahaha don't mind me. It's your local bard of Mondstadt dropping by to see how things are going. I wanna make sure how long it will take for you to make the potion? Just curious!"

No hugs, cuddles or anything involving close proximity. This makes Venti very pouty and impatient. Albedo finds it very hard to concentrate with all the sniffling and sneezing that he had no choice but to kick him out. It didn't help that the location was Dragonspine, now he was sneezing even more.

[hiddles-and-skittles]

Ride

Pairing: Bucky x fem!reader

Word Count: 1,585

Summary: Gatherings can't be that bad, right? Especially if your boyfriend convinces you to ditch early for a ride home on his motorcycle. It's just unfortunate he's gotta rile you up beforehand.. .

Warnings: 18+, kinda masturbation/edging by motorcycle???, teasing, pet names; sweetheart, doll, cocky Bucky (what? He's definitely a warning)

Notes: This idea came to me and I absolutely could NOT put it down. I don't typically write smut or anything along those lines, so any feedback is appreciated! This is way out of my comfort zone😅

____________

"Come on, Sam is waiting on us."

You roll your eyes and dramatically throw yourself back on the bed. "Yeah well, Sam can wait. I don't even want to be there."

"And you think I do?" He calls to you, pulling on his gloves and nearly stomping back towards your room.

"Bucky, I don't want to go." He stands in your doorway and you pout at him, making him sigh.

He cocks an eyebrow at you. "I know. But who says we gotta stay all night?" At this, you raise up from your mopey position. "We make an appearance, talk to Sam for a little while, then get lost in the crowd and disappear. He won't even notice."

You hum thoughtfully. "Good point." You swing your legs over the bed and slip into your Converse shoes, plastering a smile to your face and gleefully skipping due to the fact you'll get to leave early.

Sam was having a reunion party with some buddies from his Afghanistan tours. It was a huge event downtown, but neither you nor Bucky was a big fan of crowds. So the two of you only considered going in support of Sam.

Bucky stopped on the apartment complex's steps, narrowing his eyes at an empty parking spot. "He took my bike."

You snorted. "Cab it is."

________

Shortly you arrive at the event and he opens the cab door for you, his knuckles grazing down your arm to catch your hand in his. The action sends a shudder through your body and he smirks, stopping to give you a scheming look.

"What?" you ask him, furrowing your eyebrows and squeezing his hand.

"Nothing," he simpers.

You decide to be suspicious of him for the rest of the evening.

There are a plethora of people but you both advance through the crowd in search of Sam, Bucky stopping you to point out that Sam is quite preoccupied. He nudges you towards the most empty table he can find so you can sit down. On either side of you both is an empty seat, and the rest of the chairs are filled by half-drunk, burly men sporting drinks.

One of them turns to you and introduces himself and his comrades. A few of them take quick note of Bucky's name, quoting something Sam has mentioned about him before then thanking Bucky for his service. You wrap your arm around his middle and look up at him with pride, nuzzling yourself closer to your soldier.

You're both quiet as the vets around you continue their chatter about their best times, their laughter making the atmosphere light. You have to admit, you might actually be enjoying yourself. You're lost in a story about a guy teaching his kid how to hot wire a car when a hand squeezes your thigh.

Your knee immediately jerks and hits the table and you have to bite your bottom lip to stifle a yelp. A few heads turn in your direction and as you feel the warmth spreading to your face, you feign a sneeze, apologizing for the interruption. Bucky remains dead panned, although the sides of his mouth subtly quirk up. You glare at him. "Bless you, sweetheart," he patronizes. You shift uncomfortably as the men return to their conversations.

His hand makes its way back to your thigh and you inhale sharply through your nose. "Bucky," you whimper, swallowing hard.

"Gotta keep quiet for me, doll, or I'll stop," he tuts lowly. Instinctively you spread your legs a little to make enough room for his hand. Your breath hitches as he circles your clit with his middle finger, lightly tracing down your clothed mound. You curse yourself for wearing jeans, because the thickness of the denim heavily affects the way he feels against you.

But you want more.

He presses harder until Sam struts over to the table, and Bucky innocuously throws his arm around your shoulder. You huff in frustration and he chuckles.

"Surprised you two haven't left yet," Sam laughs, sipping a beer and slapping a hand over Bucky's shoulder.

"Why would we do that?" Bucky asks sarcastically.

Sam rolls his eyes playfully. "Stay awhile, enjoy the sunset and have a drink. They're all on the house." You both pause in thought. "I knew that would convince you!"

"Well," you start. "The sky is gorgeous right now. Maybe just one drink till the sun sets."

Someone then calls for Sam and he excuses himself, telling you he'll see you back at home later. You watch him disappear into the crowd, reality hitting you that you're still worked up from Bucky's teasing. And all it takes is a devious look from him to get you riled up again. You shoot up from your seat to thank the vets around you for their service, and tell them that it was nice to meet them, but you have some personal matters to attend to at home. Bucky follows suit, grabbing your hand.

You try to push your way through the crowd without an obvious, horny spring in your step, and as you pass by a table, Bucky fishes a beer with his free hand without stopping.

"I'll call the cab back here and we can-"

"No."

"What?" You stop in your tracks and Bucky lets go of you, continuing to walk to where his motorcycle is parked. He beckons you over with a crooked finger as he mounts the bike, and you fold your arms over your chest, cocking an eyebrow.

"What? It's not like he'll be able to drive tonight anyway." He foots the kick stand, placing his beer in the back compartment then bringing his hands up to twist around the handlebars. "Come on, let's go watch the sunset."

"The-the sunset?" You ask incredulously.

"What? You said it was pretty, let's go get a closer look." Your eye twitches at his feigned ignorance.

"Bucky I swear to god if you don't take me right now-"

He grins. "Then I just won't take you at all." He revs the engine once to accentuate his threat and you groan. "Come on or I'll leave you."

"Fine."

You march over to him and swing your leg over the bike, nestling yourself into his back and situating your hands on top of his shoulders. The engine roars to life, the heads of onlookers catching your eye and in one swift motion he kicks it into gear and you're off.

The winds whips your hair and licks at your face, causing you to constantly tear it away from your eyes. Once free, you take in the view before you, ever amazed at how the sun sets on the water; the sky glows with an orange and pink hue, making it look like a painting. And for a moment you forget about your throbbing lower half until you shift to get a little more comfortable on the seat and oh. Oh.

Your hands impulsively tighten around his shoulders and your jaw goes slack, gasping as the vibration from the motorcycle hits just the right spot. You let out a light moan and no sooner clap a hand over your mouth, hoping Bucky hasn't heard you. Your head slumps forward on his back.

"You good back there?" He yells over his shoulder.

"Y-yeah! Uh-all good!" you wheeze, attempting not to sound too out of sorts. The street is bare as he stops at a red light, and you try to breathe so as not to let the pleasure overtake you. It's not that you don't want to let go, it's just that you know you'll never hear the end of it from him of you do.

When the light turns green, he revs the engine so many times you lose count. Your mind is swirling in ecstacy and you start to pant faster, clinging onto Bucky for dear life as you near your release.

You screw your eyes shut, the coil finally snapping while you bite down harshly on the shoulder of his leather jacket. By this point you're unabashedly gasping and moaning, your hips bucking wildly into the seat as your clit is overstimulated to the point it hurts.

You pray for the ride to your apartment to end while he speeds up, causing you to sob into the waves of pleasure the vibrations are granting you. You claw mindlessly at his torso until he finally slows to a stop, and you catch your breath to come to your senses. You can't help the nagging, coherent thought that the ride home had taken a lot longer than usual and you realize the sky is now completely black and littered with stars.

He knew. That fucker knew.

Bucky dismounts the vehicle and stands before you with a hand on his hip and a smug demeanor. You lean forward on your hands, still heaving to try and even out your breath.

"Enjoy the ride?" Bucky taunts, flat lining his lips.

"Fuck-" pant  "-you," you nearly spit. He chuckles darkly. "You were edging me, with a goddamn motorcycle."

He scratches the back of his head. "I might have added a little extra something just for you."

You raise your head. "Why don't we go upstairs and you let me get my revenge?"

He huffs. "What's the point? You already came all over my seat."

"It wasn't your cock," you retort, untangling your wobbly legs from the bike. Bucky reaches out to steady you, pulling you to him by your waist.

"Fair point, pretty girl."

[wallflowerimagines]

Hi! I looove your posts! Thank you so much for sharing your writing!

I was wondering… could you maybe write about the Four Lords with a shy S/O that gets bold and defensive when someone insults the lords? or calls them names? And the Lord’s reaction to the S/O acting different? Dk if im explaining myself >.<

Again! Love your work! Have a great day!

We stan protective partners on this blog!!

Warnings: uh...insults? They're pretty over the top😅 Also swearing.

Alcina Dimitrescu

Honestly, Alcina is more than able to defend herself.

She's got a tongue like a viper, and the thickest skin imaginable. If you really want to hurt her feelings, you have to be someone whom she already respects to a certain degree, or she won't even be phased.

Still, when she leaves a room, there's always some idiot that thinks it's a smart idea to talk shit.

Maybe it's a maid, maybe it's a guest in the Castle, but either way you're not having it.

"God, you're annoying." There was a pause before they opened their mouth again, and you rolled your eyes. "No please, by all means, continue to share your lack of taste with the rest of us."

You disassemble this dumbass, starting small with comments about their personality (trying to keep it classy), but escalating the more they choose to double down on the comments.

Alcina comes back into the room to find you practically screaming at this asshole.

"Look, all you have accomplished here today is revealing that you are a fundamental disappointment on every possible level. My life is worse now that I've heard you open your mouth, you disrespectful, shit licking worm fucker."

Alcina is stunned. You do not give off "aggressive guard dog" vibes at all, yet here you are defending her tooth and nail. While she had seen brief moments of your inner strength and protective streak (mostly towards her daughters) she just...never thought you would do the same for her.

It's not because she doesn't trust you or love you! But nobody has ever done something like this for her before? Ever? She's never had anyone try to protect her--not physically, and not even verbally. She's been so independent for so long that it's... Strange to see you support her so openly.

She doesn't need you to do this for her, she doesn't even expect it, but you do it anyway for no other reason than the fact that you love her. You want people to give her the respect she deserves.

I'm going to be real here: Alcina has never been closer to swooning before in her life. You're overcoming your shyness because you believe in her so much-- it's not a gesture meant to be romantic, but Alcina can't help but see this as a massive statement of your commitment to her.

Seriously. This is such a massive thing for her that if proposals weren't already on her mind, she is mentally picking out a ring for you the minute this happens.

Then, of course, she glides into the room, kisses you until you're breathless and babbling, and smirks at the unfortunate peon who thought they could get away with insulting House Dimitrescu.

She's in such a good mood that she's considering going easy on the idiot. Maybe removing their tongue would be enough of a warning?

Donna Dimitrescu

You don't really know how it's possible but apparently some people don't like Donna Beneviento? Some people think she's scary and unpleasant????

Wild. Can't imagine what that's like.

The two of you are honestly the sweetest, most toothrottingly adorable couple-- blushing when you hold each other's hands, sneaking glances at each other across rooms, giving each other kisses and forgetting whatever was on your mind...

Honestly, anybody who's critical of your relationship with your girlfriend is just a hater. Fuckers can pound sand😤

Still, you are pretty shy, so it takes a lot for you to defend yourself if someone comments about you. It can take a lot of courage to stand up against rude remarks, and sometimes it's easier to walk away.

Defending Donna, on the other hand?

The minute someone even thinks about dismissing her, you are ready to throw hands.

"My lovely girlfriend already said no, meaning you're either deaf or too stupid to pick up on simple social cues," you purse your lips and give the rude and pushy Villager a patronizing once over. "You and your opinion are equally useless. Get the fuck away from us."

Donna blinks.

She... Was not expecting this??? At all?? You're so nice! You always tell her about your attempts to avoid confrontation! What's going on??? How did you get the guts to say what she's always wanted to say?

Meanwhile, Angie is LIVING.

The little doll chimes in to assist you with the verbal homicide, working as a tag team to absolutely murder this moron. She's half partner, half hype man, and is so excited to do this with you. Normally, she has to protect Donna all by herself, but she's relieved and reassured that you stepped in first.

'USELESS IS TOO NICE, THOUGH! THAT IMPLIES THEY AREN'T A POINTLESS, RANCID, LONELY FREAK. THEY LOOK LIKE THEY CRY WHEN THEY MASTURBATE.'

You high five Angie, still glaring daggers at the unfortunate villager.

The two of you continue to ream into the villager, while Donna hovers nearby.

As surprised as she is, she's also grateful. She's only really ever had Angie to help shield her from insults and disrespect (and occasionally inducing horrifying hallucinations that make people claw off their own skin), but having you in her corner makes her feel safe.

Not to get totally sappy, but you're like her knight in shining armor in a lot of ways. And the fact you two are so similar is really motivating-- She wants to one day be confident enough to return the favor. Until then, she's happy to watch her two favorite people have fun insulting some stranger ❤️

Salvatore Moreau

With you being so shy, Salvatore is surprised how often he takes the lead in your relationship.

He's not normally all that outgoing, but you seem to bring out a side of him that's very protective. Whenever you have a bad day he wants to bundle you up and keep you safe from the world.

If he so much as holds your hand you start stuttering and avert your gaze. It creates a feedback loop where you both get flustered, but Moreau has never felt steadier. Despite your shyness, you make sure he knows how much you love him.

You're sweet as pie and twice as kind--Salvatore is the luckiest man in the world, nobody can convince him otherwise 💕💕

So it comes as a total shock that when a passing fisherman spits in your path and calls him a freak, your entire demeanor does a 180.

Your posture straightens and you look the villager dead in the eye, "I don't believe anyone asked your opinion."

Salvatore: 😳

This is not the time, and he totally knows it, but, uh, something about your tone??? Really does it for him???

While he's attempting to process why exactly he's starting to short circuit, you proceed to verbally shred this person to bits with clinical efficiency-- nothing is off limits.

They might try to defend themselves, but it's useless. You do not let up.

"Ugly? Monster? Bitch your teeth are throwing gang signs, don't throw stones from your shining glass house."

You insult their appearance, what they're holding, their smell-- you get so fucking mean that you might even make them cry.

Moreau is just lost right now, trying hard to figure out how exactly you were able to gain all of this confidence so quickly.

He's not upset! In fact he's very flattered! But, he also doesn't want you to get into a fight with some unimportant stranger. (After all, if they so much as throw a punch, they're straight up dead. Moreau is a patient man, but he's not that patient. You do not hurt his partner and live to tell the tale.)

He may a healer but...

Eventually he steps between you and the fisherman in an attempt to deescalate the situation, but you just kiss him on the cheek and step around him, determined to make your point.

Blushing hard, Moreau lets you do what you want. What can he say? Fish man likes himself a protective partner 💞

Karl Heisenberg

Magnet Man is not the most social guy to begin with, so any opportunities you have to stick up for him are already pretty slim.

He mostly knows you as the shy, sweet, easily flustered partner that lets out a cute squeak every time he sneaks up to hug you from behind.

Karl's honestly happy just to spend time with you all alone in the Factory. It's not the best or healthiest mindset, but he'd be perfectly content to only ever see you for the rest of his life. Spending time with anybody else feels like a boring waste in comparison.

But occasionally, you do head out into town with him. Heisenberg wants you to be safe so he doesn't do it often, but running errands with you is a weakness of his. It's domestic in a way that he's never experienced before.

He likes it ❤️

What he does not like is the shopkeeper starting to give their opinions on the quality of your relationship with him.

Most insults Karl will let slide because he doesn't particularly care. However if anyone makes a comment on how scared (shy) you look around him, how you must be being threatened into being with him, how poorly Lord Heisenberg is treating you...he won't stand for it.

But before his fingers can even twitch towards his hammer, you snap.

"You're clearly the blindest cocksucker I've ever met--so wipe the cum out of eyes and mind your own fucking business."

Karl does a double take.

He's heard you curse before, but quietly. The words coming out of your mouth are WILD right now, he has NEVER seen you so angry. You're defending him with the aggression of a wild animal, and it's simultaneously HILARIOUS, but for some reason he's also getting a warm fuzzy feeling in his chest?

He doesn't need you to protect him like this, but seeing you blatantly argue how much you love and cherish him in public reassures him in a way he didn't know he needed.

Still, hearing you call the shopkeeper "shit for brains" is the funniest thing that's happened in years.

Heisenberg starts laughing, and the more you shout at the idiot, the harder he laughs. Is it weird how hard he wants to kiss you right now?

Eventually, he just has to drag you away, cackling as you continue to shout insults at the unfortunate shopkeep. There's got to be an alley around here for some good old fashioned privacy 💕

[redpandaramblings]

A Matter of Admiration Alpha Gang Orca x Omega f!Reader

Hello Hello! Here is my very VERY late submission for the SFW portion of Spudcorner's Valentine Blood and Chocolate Collab. This was meant to be a two page drabble. 13 pages later it's a bit more than that. Regardless, I do hope you enjoy!

Sequel/Epilogue Here

Content Warnings- Omegaverse, SFW, Insecurities, Misunderstandings, Pining, Fluff, Lots of food mentioned, Kugo being very down on himself, very minor mention of blood and stitches needed.

“Really? Again?”

The large alpha seemed to shrink under your judgemental glare.

“I am sorry, Y/N. The fight got intense and it slipped off. Someone must have stepped on it.”

You sighed heavily, your gaze turning to the workbench where the shattered remains of your creation sat. This was your seventh attempt at outfitting Gang Orca with a communicator headset. It was dangerous for him to keep fishing for a handheld during the heat of battle. Unfortunately, his lack of outer ear made keeping a headset on him difficult. Shaking your head, you gave a small smile.

“Not your fault, Sakamata. We knew this was going to be tricky. Though at this rate I’m tempted to just glue a headset on you and call it a day.”

Kugo snorted, his posture relaxing. “I wouldn’t blame you if you did. I hate to see your hard work go to waste.”

“It’s not a waste if I learn something from it. This one lasted a couple weeks of normal patrol work, so that’s an improvement. We just need to figure out what was different about this fight. So, sit. Talk.”

Kugo shook his head with an amused huff. He admitted he had been slightly dubious when you had first come to his agency. He’d encountered many hero support workers claiming to specialize in mutation quirks that seemed to be looking for lab rats for their creations. However, you always listened to what he said, and made suggestions that would actually make his job easier. You made sure your support items not only were functional, but comfortable at well. If the few years you had worked for him, he was pleased to say you had become good friends.

“I can’t right now, Y/N. I need to get cleaned up, then complete my report before I forget the details. I’ll come back first thing tomorrow.” You frowned, tapping your foot. Kugo fought to keep a neutral expression. You’d never forgive him if you knew how much he enjoyed your expressions when you were annoyed.

“Alright. Fine. First thing tomorrow. But make sure you get some rest tonight, you’ve been working too hard lately!”

Sakamata waved a hand in answer as he walked out the workshop door. He’d try to follow your request, but a hero’s work is never done.

~~~~~

Gang Orca shuffled through the door to his agency with an aura of gloom about him. In the past five days, he had broken five more communicators, gotten into several serious fights, and had allowed a villain to escape. And that was just his work life. Some of his friends had set him up for a speed dating session. He didn’t blame them for trying, but it ended exactly how he knew it would. Most of the omegas who had been present were scared of him, and those that weren’t were clearly only interested in his pro hero paycheck. Kugo trudged toward his office, his thoughts gloomy. A man with a quirk like his would never have a normal courtship. It hurt sometimes. How nice it would be to come home to a sweet smelling omega. What wouldn’t he give to home filled with pups, and laughter and love? He sighed softly as he swung his door open. Such a life was not meant for him, so no point in even dreaming. On autopilot, he hung his coat on the coat rack, and turned to set his briefcase on his desk. However, the desk was already occupied. Kugo tilted his head as he stared at the object resting on his desk. It appeared to be a large bento box, wrapped in a rather feminine handkerchief, patterned with some sort of flowers. Kugo set his briefcase down on a chair before coming closer to investigate. Gingerly, he untied the knot, setting the cloth aside as he looked at the contents curiously.

First and most obviously, was the strawberry shaped sticky note attached to the top. “You looked like you had been having a rough week. I hope this can make it better!” The writing was… painstakingly cute. The “i”s were dotted with little hearts. Each letter having just a little bit of flourish, while still being legible.

Kugo hummed quietly to himself. Clearly this had been left on his desk by mistake. A bit awkward, considering his name was on the door, but there was no other explanation. He drummed his fingers on the desk as he considered his options. He could take a guess at who the bento was for. There were several popular alpha heroes working for him that got their share of gifts from admirers. The soft omegan scent coming from the handkerchief that had wrapped the bento was a solid clue the gift was likely meant for one of them. But really, there was no way to tell for sure who it was supposed to end up with, and he really didn’t want the hard work to go to waste. Yes. Best thing would be to eat the bento, and place the box in the break room with a note inside the box apologizing.

His course of action decided, Kugo opened the bento, quietly sucking a breath as he saw what was inside. There were sausages cut to look like little octopi. A large slab of teriyaki salmon. Rice balls shaped like teddy bear heads, complete with little seaweed faces. He tried to tamp down his delight at seeing over half of the bento was dedicated to tamagoyaki. While he lived up to his stereotype of loving fish, the egg dish was a secret favorite of his; something his mother had made for him whenever he had a bad day when he was growing up. The second layer of the bento had even more. Rice, vegetables, and surprisingly a small but adorable piece of cake. Kugo put the bento back together with a small smile on his face. Perhaps it wasn’t meant for him, but it had been a long time since he had been able to enjoy something like this- cute and homemade, clearly filled with a great deal of care. He couldn’t quite feel guilty as he looked forward to lunch. He could pretend, just this once, that a sweet smelling omega had put so much care into something for him.

~~~~~~

Later that day, when most of the day team had left, Kugo made his way to the common break room. He carefully cleaned out the bento box in the sink, setting it to the side to dry. He folded the handkerchief it had came in, and placed it next to the box before sighing. He was in the process of scribbling a brief apology note when he heard a cough. He glanced up to see y/n leaning against the doorway.

“You okay, chief? Thought your shift ended an hour ago.”

Kugo nodded as he placed his note on top of the handkerchief. “Yes, just had a few things I needed to wrap up. What about you? I know you were supposed to be done several hours ago now.”

You fidgeted, embarrassed, shrugging your shoulders as you glanced away. “Had an idea for how to improve a few items and, well, you know how I get when I have a project. But what have you got there? You never struck me as the homemade lunch type.”

It was Kugo’s turn to look uncomfortable as he shuffled from foot to foot. “It was left on my desk this morning by mistake. I had no way of knowing who it was actually meant for, and I didn’t want it going to waste, so I ate it.”

You frowned as you walked into the room, opening cupboards and starting to retrieve things to make tea. You held a mug up toward Kugo in a silent question, grabbing a second one when he nodded. You were quiet for a few moments, going through the motions. After a while you asked “How are you so sure it wasn’t for you?”

Kugo snorted, leaning back against the counter and gesturing at himself. “Omegas aren’t exactly lined up around the block. I don’t place high on the ‘heroes that look most like villains’ list every year for no reason. Some unfortunate omega got confused about whose office was whose. It’s a shame I couldn’t give it to whoever it was meant for, it was a beautifully crafted bento.” Kugo doesn’t mention the note. Kugo especially doesn’t mention the note had found its way into his desk drawer to save as a memory of how nice it had been to receive the bento, even if it was an accident.

You laughed, passing him a steaming cup of tea, made just how he liked. “Sakamata, don’t talk down about yourself like that. You’re big, strong, and prime alpha material. You’re one of the top heroes! And even more importantly, you’re a gentle kind man that any omega would be lucky to have. I’d bet good money that that bento absolutely was made just for you.”

“A nice thought, but I doubt it. You’ll see. In a few days I bet a bento will make its way to who it was meant for.”

~~~~~~

Kugo stood stock still in the doorway to his office. Sitting on his desk was another cloth wrapped package. Once was a mistake, clearly. But two days in a row? Why on Earth was there another bento on his desk? He approached the desk and slide the bento to him. He untied the scented fabric with care. A cat shaped note greeted him.

“I’m sorry if it wasn’t clear before, Sakamata. I wanted to make this for you because I admire you so much. I’m not always great at saying my feelings, so I hope my cooking says enough.”

This was… for him. The bentos… were for him? He sat in his chair, leaning his head against his hands as he regarded the innocent looking lunch. If it wasn’t a mistake, then what could it be? Probably a fortune hunting omega trying to get in his good graces, if he went off his past experience. Though usually those types of omegas were more likely to offer favors of a different sort. Kugo winced as another thought occurred to him. There was a good chance this omega pitied him. Ugly, intimidating, unmatable. Someone had seen him and decided he needed looking after because clearly he’d never get someone on his own. Yes. That had to be it. He should leave the bento in the break room and end this farce as soon as possible.

His mind made up, Kugo picked up the bundle to do exactly that. The subtle smell of the contents hit his sensitive nose, causing him to salivate. Tempura? Definitely egg. Well, it would be a shame to not even look inside to make sure.

Clearly just as much care had gone into this one as the last one. The rice balls were shaped like little cat heads, to match the note. An assortment of tempura seemed to be the main dish, cute cat shaped food picks stuck in some of them. There were even paw print shaped gummy candies for the dessert. Every inch of the lunch was absolutely adorable. And it was all done for him. There was no way Kugo could let it go to waste. It hurt to know it was a gift given out of pity, but maybe, just for a while, he could pretend there was someone out there who loved him like this. The omega would grow tired of this eventually. Until then, he’d let himself enjoy this.

~~~~~

It was surprising how easily this had become routine. Every day when Kugo walked into his office, there was a new bento waiting for him. And every day he’d unwrap the bento, indulging a brief moment in the cutely patterned handkerchiefs. Every bento was unique and cute. They seemed to show a good understanding of his tastes and preferences. It was a pleasant break on the quiet days and a welcome comfort on the rough days. Each day there was a sweet written note that Kugo gently stored in his desk drawer. It was perfect.

Until it wasn’t.

~~~~~~~

Kugo hated attending charity events. It wasn’t the charities, he always supported good causes. It wasn’t the dressing up, or the fancy atmosphere. It was the people. While a few of his friends were around somewhere, there were many many others who didn’t know him well. Others who were intimidated by his appearance. Others who apparently had no idea just how sharp his hearing was.

“Oh my god, I can’t believe Gang Orca is here.”

“I know! Well, I suppose he is a hero. Allegedly, anyway.”

“Did he come with anyone?”

“Of course not. I mean ew. Look at him. Can you imagine cosying up to that at the end of the day?”

“I know! And those teeth! If he tried to bond someone, he’d take their head clean off!”

“As if anyone would want to bond with that.”

“I don’t know. He’s in the top ten pretty often. He has to be loaded, right?”

“Would have to be a lot for me to even consider it.”

“It could be all the money and I still wouldn’t!”

“Oh don’t say that! Poor bastard can’t help he’s unmatable.”

Kugo walked away from the refreshment table as he tried to tune out the unkind comments and mocking laughter. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t heard before. He knew full well what he looked like. He had had enough failed courting attempts to know exactly what omegas thought of him. But it still stung. Stung more than usual, actually. The daily bentos with their scented cloths and cute little notes had almost made him forget. The only omegas who were interested either pitied him, or wanted his money. He could never forget that.

~~~~~

What he could forget, apparently, was that the number two pro hero was scheduled to be at his office the morning after the charity gala. Kugo stifled a sigh when he saw the red winged hero waiting outside his agency’s door. Of course he’d have to deal with this on a day when he wasn’t in the best of moods. “Orca! My man, good to see you again!”

Kugo nodded as he held the door open. “Hawks.”

“Didn’t get a chance to talk to you at the party last night. You know how it is. Go to one of those things when you're single, and you get swarmed.”

Kugo gave a non committal grunt. No, he didn’t know. He just wanted this morning to be over with. He perked up slightly as he saw you hurrying down the hallway toward them. Hawks gave a low whistle. “Who's the babe?” Kugo half growled. “That is Miss Y/N. The support item engineer you allegedly came here to see. You will be respectful and refrain from flirting with my staff.”

Keigo held up his hands and laughed. “Hey now big guy, don’t mean any offense. Just saying you’re lucky to get to work with that every day.”

Kugo jerked his head in an abbreviated nod. You slowed down your quick walk as you got closer, not wanting to interrupt the heroes’s conversation. Kugo waved you closer. You smiled at him so brightly as you joined the group. Yes. He was lucky to work with a friend such as you. Kugo’s nerves started to cool a bit as he introduced you and the three of you began to make your way to his office. Hawk’s casual questions were more inquisitive than flirty, and Kugo knew from long experience just how much you enjoyed being able to talk in depth about your work. He was smiling by the time he opened the door to his office, ushering the two or you in. Hawk’s next words hit him like a bucket of cold water to the face.

“Dang! Either you got one hell of a cafeteria service at this agency, or Gang Orca has himself quite an admirer. Delivered right to your desk, pretty bold, man! That’s exactly why I keep my door locked. There’s only so much lunch a man can eat, am I right?”

The bento. He had forgotten about the stupid bento. There it sat, as always. The handkerchief was especially cute today, some sort of pattern with teddy bears hugging and kissing. Any other day, the sight would have calmed him. Any other day he would have sat down and quickly poked through to see what surprises lay inside that day, would have read the note meant just for him with a smile.

But today was different. Others were in his office. The number two hero, handsome and popular. His support engineer, pretty enough to probably have plenty of suitors of her own. And then there was him. Large. Scary. Consistently told he looks like a villain. Has never had a relationship that wasn’t pitying or profiteering. Kugo remembered the whispered remarks from the party. Usually he’d be able to brush off Hawks’s commentary. But today…

Kugo snarled, his scent agitated as he swept his arm across the desk, knocking the bento roughly into the trash. “They are a nuisance that need to cease! I’m so tired of some desperate piting omega shoving their unwanted, unneeded efforts at me! Enough is enough!” At the end his voice was raised to a shout. He was dimly aware of his nails digging deeply into his palms. Kugo leaned on the desk, breathing deeply as he tried to calm himself. He could hear the others shuffling behind him awkwardly.

“Come on,” You murmured and lightly tugged on Keigo’s sleeve. “How about I show you my lab and take some measurements before we get started.”

“Yeah. Um. Yeah.” Keigo allowed you to lead him away. You softly closed the door behind you. Kugo remained, hunched and breathing raggedly. It took him several minutes to calm down. It took him a few minutes beyond that to gather the nerve to make the trek down to the support lab. He slipped into the room as inconspicously as a man with his fram could manage. You were taking measurements off of Keigo and muttering to yourself as you tapped out notes on your tablet. Keigo noticed Kugo’s entrance and greeted him cautiously. “You good?” Kugo nodded. “I… apologize. It’s been a rather trying week, but I should have composed myself better.”

Keigo waved him off. “No worries, man, no worries. Y/n was just telling me she thinks that she’ll be able to rig up something for me that would help slow my fall in situations where my wings get damaged.”

You hummed an affirmative, taking a few more measurements before you started describing your process. Kugo couldn’t help but notice you didn’t look his way. You looked at the ground, at your tablet, at Keigo, but you were clearly avoiding Kugo’s gaze. He mentally winced as he settled onto an out of the way stool. It was rare for him to have that kind of emotional outburst. It probably could be heard even from outside his office. He’d make sure to apologize to you better when he got the chance. But for now, it was looking like it would be a long, awkward day. Goodie.

~~~~~

Kugo growled under his breath the next morning when he saw the cloth wrapped bundle sitting on his desk. Yesterday’s embarrassment was still fresh in his mind as he stalked forward. His thick fingers quickly untied the surprisingly unpatterned piece of fabric. There, under the cloth, on top of the box, was a note as there always was. Kugo’s anger was cooled by confusion when he saw it, however. The paper was a plain yellow post-it note. Instead of the painstakingly cute handwriting with the heart dotted “i’s, there was a clearly hasty scrawl.

“I’m sorry. I never meant to annoy you. This will be the last one.”

Kugo frowned, shifting in his seat. Clearly the bento maker had heard about his outburst from yesterday. That was… unfortunate. But perhaps for the best, since he had no way of directly telling them to cease their nonsense. Unconsciously, his hand balled up the handkerchief and as he had been doing for a while, he scented it.

The cloth had a slight smell of salt to it. Tears, Kugo realized uncomfortably. The smell of tears slightly diluted the normal soothing smell of whoever had carefully packaged these bentos. He had little appetite as he looked over what was there. Tempura. Salmon. Vegetables. A large portion of tamagoyaki. But the part that caused an uncomfortable weight to settle in his chest was the little red box, filled with slightly clumsy, clearly homemade chocolates. Kugo closed his eyes, sighing as he set the box to the side to wait for lunch. This was good. This was what he wanted, to be left alone instead of some kind hearted omega taking pity on him. He had lived a long time without homemade bentos and little notes. He certainly didn’t want the small offering of chocolates. When lunchtime came, he certainly didn’t linger over the food longer than usual, savoring each bite. He tried to tell himself that this was for the best. That this was what he wanted. He refused to think about why he tucked the handkerchief and the box of chocolates into his desk drawer instead of leaving them in the break room as usual.

The next day as Kugo opened his office door, he looked toward his desk out of habit; searching for the lunch that had been left. His chest gave an uncomfortable lurch when he found the desk was bare. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it. This was fine. This was what he wanted. The sooner he forgot about all this nonsense, the sooner things would return to normal. He settled into his chair and began sifting through the paperwork he had to deal with. No better way to take his mind off his troubling thoughts and distract the whine of his inner alpha. He was certain. Things would be back to normal soon.

Two weeks later, Kugo listlessly picked at the limp lettuce of the poor excuse of a salad that he had picked up at a convenience store. He sighed, putting the lid back on the barely touched meal resolving to throw it away when he next passed a garbage can. He didn’t like to admit it, but he missed the carefully planned meals. Wondering what cute surprise was going to be next. It was nice that someone thought he might enjoy seeing animal shaped onigiri and cheesecake flavored kit kats. His alpha whimpered when he thought about the contented omega scent that gently perfumed every handkerchief, except the last. But just as the note had said, he had received nothing since that last bento. His thoughts remained gloomy as he entered the agency, quickly making his way into his office, locking the door behind him. He knew better than to hope as he looked towards his desk. Bare, once again. Sighing heavily, he slumped into his chair. He gently pulled open the bottom drawer of his desk. Carefully nestled into it was the cleaned, empty bento box from the last meal, the small box of dwindling homemade chocolates, and that last precious handkerchief.

Kugo carefully removed the handkerchief. He brought the cloth to his nose, inhaling deeply. Stabbing pain shot through him as he realized the scent was barely there anymore. The faint scent of tears almost completely overpowering the last lingering trace of distressed omega. His hands clutched the fabric tightly, squeezing until he realized the stress he was putting on the fabric. He quickly placed it on the desk and tried in vain to smooth out the wrinkles. After a minute of fussing, he gently refolded it and placed it back in the drawer. Kugo stared at the contents, unblinking before slowly sliding the drawer closed. It was almost gone. Everything was almost gone. And he didn’t know how to get it back.

With a low growl, Kugo pushed himself up. Today was a rare day where he hoped for trouble on his patrol. A fight would certainly take his mind off things, and just maybe calm the whining alpha that echoed throughout his entire being.

~~~~

He really needed to be careful what he wished for. Kugo winced as he limped toward the support lab. He had gotten a fight alright. He had gotten three fights, a twisted ankle, and a once again smashed communication headset. It wasn’t his fault that he had gotten thrown backwards into a rather solid concrete wall. Y/N was going to kill him.

Kugo pushed the lab door open, stepping inside. His forehead creased in worry. The lab felt off. Wrong in a way he couldn’t immediately place a finger finger on. Well, he’d have to think about it later, he decided as he made his way to where you were sitting. You were at your workbench, tapping your pen on the table and staring at nothing when he settled down on the stool next to you. You glanced over as Kugo sat down, did a double take and let out a small noise of surprise.

“Sakamata! What happened to you?”

The large man shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “The usual. Villain didn’t behave exactly how I thought, and I paid for not being vigilant enough. Nothing too bad. Twisted ankle and roughed up a little. Unfortunately though…”

Sheepishly as a scolded schoolboy, Kugo pulled the shattered remains of his latest communicator out of his pocket and placed them on the workbench.

“Kugo!”

He couldn’t help but smile. He loved the times when you got worked up enough to call him by his first name. He watched as you gingerly sifted through the sad shattered remains.

“What did you do, hit it with a rock?!”

“Concrete wall, actually.”

You stilled before turning to look at Kugo, sharp and suspicious. “And I assume you were wearing it at the time?”

Kugo had the decency to look embarrassed as he nodded. Suddenly he was being fussed over, gentle hands touching his face and turning his head this way and that. An exclamation and curse left you when you found a large, sluggishly bleeding gash on the back of Kugo’s head.

“You! You Alpha!” You huffed as you started digging through the pockets of your lab coat. Kugo got a brief glimpse of colored fabric before the handkerchief was softly dabbing at his wound. Kugo hissed, only half listening as the scolding continued about how knot headed alphas needed to learn to go to the medical ward first before worrying about stupid replacable tech. He was brought back to the present when a hand, so much smaller than his own, grabbed his hand. You easily maneuvered him so that Kugo was now firmly holding the handkerchief over the cut. You hummed, satisfied for now.

“Now Sakamata, please hold that there until you can get medical to look at it. Doubt a hard headed man like you has a concussion, but might need stitches. I’m not exactly an expert. Don’t worry about the headset. I should be able to get a new one to you before my replacement takes over. And if not, I’ll be leaving some blueprints behind anyway.”

What?

“Replacement?”

You stilled, looking away from him. “Yeah. Yeah, sorry. I just… I never found the right time to tell you.” You fidgeted, rubbing your thumb over your knuckles. “I’m going to be going to America soon. I’ve gotten a good offer to work with a few heroes over there that need someone specialized in mutation supports. It would do a lot to boost my career…”

Kugo reached out, grabbing your hand, and stopping your nervous motions. He tried to find words in his stalling brain. “This is really sudden, Y/N.”

“Yeah. Sorry.” You wouldn’t meet his gaze.

He gently shook his head, giving your hand a squeeze. “Not scolding you. Just, is everything alright? Is something going on?”

You pulled away, digging your hands into your hair with a sigh. “You know me too well.”

Kugo gave half a smile. “I would hope so. I like to think we’re friends. Is there anything I can do? Are you in trouble in some way?”

You shook your head. “No. No, nothing like that. It’s kind of embarrassing. Just… A courtship that really didn’t turn out well. And I just… I could really use some time away to get my head back on straight. Eagle Pride’s office has mentioned wanting me to go over and collaborate with them for a while, and what better time than now?” Your laugh sounded bitter.

Kugo sat silent and stunned. He hadn’t known you were courting. Being courted? Honestly, he wasn’t even sure of your dynamic. If you weren’t beta, then you certainly hid your scent well. He cleared his throat before speaking hesitantly.

“I certainly won’t stop you if you truly wish to go. It is an excellent opportunity. Might be a step in having your own support company if you wish. And if not, you’re always welcome here, Y/n. You must know that.”

You give a small smile, finally looking him in the eye. His chest tightened when he saw tears there. “I know, Kugo. You’ve been nothing but kind to me. You’re a good friend for putting up with me.”

“There’s no putting up with. I enjoy your company, always.” Kugo reached out slowly, but you turned away and wiped your eyes with your sleeve. He frowned, placing his hand back in his lap. “And you sure you’re alright, Y/N? No one is threatening you, are they? Someone unsafe taken an interest in you?”

You snorted, “Nothing like that. And people think I’m the dramatic one. No. I just got rejected is all. I miscalculated. Thought they were interested, but they made it very clear they aren’t.”

“Then they’re an idiot.” The words escaped Kugo before he even realized what he was going to say. But it was true, he was sure. You were beautiful, kind, smart. Anyone would be beyond lucky to hold your interest. On the rare days he allowed himself to dream, he often thought he’d love to have someone like you as a mate. Someone who knew him well and cared for him as much as he cared for them. He felt pains in his chest and his eyes widened as realization hit him in the face like a wet mackerel. Oh. He was jealous. He was jealous of whoever it was that y/n had tried to court. And he was angry. Furious that some fool had rejected her. Hurt her. But he was glad she was still here. Yet she was going to leave. Going to leave him here alone. His thoughts swirled and tumbled, and he swayed slightly in his seat. And hand on his shoulder stilled him and he looked up into your concerned eyes.

“Hey, you’re not looking too good. You really should get to medical. Do you need me to help you?”

“No. No. I can make it down a few hallways, thank you though.”

Kugo stood, and tried to give back the cloth he had been pressing to his head. You pushed it back, gently scolding him. “I said leave it there until someone can look at it. If you insist on returning a silly old rag, you can wash it and give it back later.”

Kugo nodded and mumbled out a goodbye. He had a lot to think about as he slowly made his way to medical. So. He liked you. The more he thought about it, the clearer it seemed to him. He’d liked you for a while. Things were always easy with you. But now, you’re leaving. He couldn’t stop you, and wouldn’t even if he could. You clearly felt like you needed to go.

He was still ruminating on his thoughts as the doctor ushered him to a bed. He was poked and prodded. Kugo managed to mumble out what must have been coherent answers. In the end, he did end up needing a few stitches. And just like that, he found himself fixed up and back in his office. He snorted a laugh at the absurdity. How can a day like this somehow manage to be just another day? Kugo sat in his chair and twisted the cloth in his hands absently. He brought it to his nose and sniffed out of habit. Oh course, the scent of his own blood was the most dominant. But underneath that was the usual calming scent of omega. His shoulders relaxed as the tension ran out of him. He pulled that cloth away, idly looking at the pattern. It was cute. Floral. Reminded him of the cloth that the first bento had been…

Wait.

Wait.

He hastily brought the handkerchief to his nose again. There was no mistaking it. He knew that smell. He had missed that smell for weeks. It was faint. But it absolutely was there. Omega, soft and sweet. Not any omega. His omega. His bento maker. His y/n.

Y/n.

Y/n who had seen him toss her courting gift in the trash, who thought he had completely rejected her, and who was moving to America.

Kugo was on his feet in an instant. He’d never made the trip to the support lab that quickly before. You jumped when the door flew open, hitting so harshly that the doorknob dented the wall.

“Sakamata! What?”

He dropped to his knees before you, arms wrapped tight around your waist and his head pressing against your stomach.

“Kugo?” You asked softly, hesitantly stroking along his fin. “Kugo, what’s wrong?”

“You’re the best thing life has ever given me. Please don’t leave. Please.”

You made a soft, wounded sound. You kneeled slowly, and took his face in your hands. Kugo leaned into your touch like a man who had been starved of affection his whole life. You stroked your thumbs over his cheeks.

“Kugo, I’m going to need you to speak plainly, so I’m sure I don’t misunderstand. What’s going on?”

His large hands came up, taking both your hands in his.

“I’m an idiot.”

You snorted and tilted your head, confused. He met your gaze as he continued.

“I’m an idiot and I love you.”

You inhaled sharply, looking at him in disbelief. He pulled the crumpled, bloodstained handkerchief from his pocket.

“I’m an idiot because I love you and yet I never even noticed that you loved me too. You showed me every day. You knew I like eggs just as much as fish. You cared enough to make them cute. You gave me extra sweets on days when I was working a double shift. I loved every bento you made me. I have every note saved. And I might be an idiot, but I’d be an even bigger idiot if I let you go without saying something. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, and I love you and please don’t go.”

“Kugo.” You smiled sadly. “I’m sorry. I already promised I’d go.”

Kugo inhaled a shaky breath, his eyes lowering to the floor.

“But,” you used your hands to lift his chin. His gaze snapped back to yours. “It’s just for six months. Six months, and then I’ll be right back here. With you.”

“With me?”

“Mmhmm.” You gave his nose a quick peck. “Always. You’re the best man I know. I don’t think there’s anyone else in the world for me.”

Kugo groaned and pulled you close, burying his face in your neck. From here, although it was very faint, he could smell your soothing scent. “You can’t say things like that and then tell me I can’t have you here for six months!”

You chuckled as you hugged him close. “Well, we have two weeks before I leave. We have a little time. And once I’m back? We’ll have all the time in the world.”

“Even that won’t be enough time to spend with you.”

“Dork.”

He hummed his agreement. “But it’s true. Eternity would be enough time to spend with you.” Before you could protest, he pulled you in for a gentle, but determined kiss.