#i made this while listening to the victorious soundtrack

[clqoo]

[cellythefloshie]

;; Fine Line Chapter Four of Alone With You Dedicated to @miracleonice87

Table of Contents Chapter Three «« 🏙️ »» Chapter Five

Summary: Estelle and Mat deal with the complicated aftershock of their hookup. Meanwhile, Anthony and Dani address the tension between them that had been building longer than either of them realized. Kinks & TW: brother's best friend, anywhere but the bed sex, nipple piercings, marking, vaginal fingering, unprotected sex, creampie Word Count: 5161

New York. 

It had been 14 days since Anthony and the Vancouver Canucks had visited New York and walked away with a victory - and in those two weeks since her brother had left them for the last time until the end of the season, Estelle and Mat hadn’t spoken a single word to one another. Their one night together had led to an awkwardness Estelle couldn’t quite identify. Their lives became soundtracked by nothing more than the opening and closing of bedroom doors, and they each had isolated themselves in their respective spaces - Estelle patiently waiting for his next road trip for maybe then she would have the courage to pack her bag and go home. 

She had been in the middle of doing so with the intention of leaving nothing more than a note for Mat when her plans had changed in a fraction of a second. She had been listening to the Boston vs Islanders game while packing her bag. It was then Estelle heard the call that Mat was injured, and she had made it to the TV screen just in time to watch the replay. Her heart sunk low in her chest as she watched him take a seemingly innocent hit into the boards before trying to make a play - but his skating was limited. He was hurt, though you wouldn’t have guessed it from the expression on his face. 

Estelle had watched enough hockey to know that even clean hits could end in injury, and before they had announced he would not be returning to the game, she was unpacking her bag and returning to her bedroom. 

From the moment he had returned home, put on the team’s injured reserve for the foreseeable future, it had been just the two of them in the apartment. They merely coexisted, with Estelle making sure he had something to eat at meal times and Mat cleaning up after himself. It was a peaceful balance fueled by only the words that needed to be said instead of what should have been said. 

Estelle should have told him why she had left him alone that night. She should have told him that she craved for it to be more than just one desperate night. That she craved his hands on her body - that his touch still lingered on her skin in a ghost of a touch, like an invisible burn on her skin. It was eating her alive, seeing him there and being so desperate for him that she kept herself hidden away - combating her lack of self-control and the insistent voice in her mind that told her wanting him was wrong. He must have thought so too, or maybe it had been exactly what she had concluded it would be, a one-night stand with her brother’s best friend. 

Keeping her head down, Estelle worked on throwing together a snack in the kitchen. She hid behind her face framing bangs, an oversized sweatshirt and left open cupboard doors as if Mat couldn’t hear her from where he was watching tv in the living room. It was naive of her to think she would go unnoticed, that Mat would uphold the silence that had plagued them for 14 days - but then he spoke, his voice sending her jumping in place as she stood in the kitchen, “Do you regret it?”

Estelle let her gaze rise from the counter, from the empty plate that was still waiting to be filled, and she looked to Mat who hadn’t even turned in place to look at her. 

“What?”

“Do you regret sleeping with me?”His words were so blunt it left her holding her breath as she took a careful stride towards the couch. Estelle’s lips parted to speak, but Mat wasn’t done, “because I can’t stop fucking thinking about it-”

“I don’t,” Estelle blurted out, her words cutting Mat off. The moment he had heard her, his neck snapped back, completely forgetting the television and giving her his full and undivided attention. 

“Then why did you leave the bed in the middle of the night?” His question stung, even if he had every right to ask it. 

It earned the meek shrug of her shoulders, her gaze dropping to the floor as she muttered, “I don’t know, it seemed like the right thing to do.”

“Come here?” Mat requested, his voice soft, and she didn’t hesitate. She rounded the side of the couch and settled into her place on the couch. The space between them, a singular couch cushion, had once been reserved for Anthony, but Mat was leaning in through the vacancy, his arm reaching out to drape around her shoulders. He drew her in, her slender body meeting his muscular. It sent a shudder down her spine. There was something about his touch that both calmed and excited her. His warmth painted a smile across her features as she looked at him only to find him looking back. Leaning in, Estelle was met by his kiss and the breath of his words. 

“You don’t have to avoid me, Star,” he mumbled, his face pressed into her hair, “I don’t regret it either, and I sure as hell wouldn’t be opposed to doing it again.” 

Estelle couldn’t hold back her chuckle as it crept up her throat, “You going to buy me dinner first, at least?”

And Mat smirked, his eyes falling back on the television as he nodded, “Yeah, I can do that-”

Vancouver. 

There was nothing like coming home after a long road trip, but Anthony had yet to find a place to call his own. His home was still the apartment he shared with Mat back in New York City, though Dani’s apartment was beginning to feel more like home with each passing day. He looked forward to returning to the apartment after practice and after his games and was always welcomed back with a smirk and encouragement, win or lose. Her hospitality alone was the reason Anthony had given up on finding his own place - and she didn’t seem to mind. He was out of her hair more often than not, and Anthony made sure to pull his weight when he had the time to do so. Which included doing the laundry on the one day off she had between his trip to St Louis and their home game against Boston. 

With his laundry basket tucked between his legs, Anthony pulled the warm laundry from the dryer. The heat radiated up his arms and against his chest as each article fell into the basket, he would fold them once he returned to his room, but first, his hand slid around the inside of the dryer feeling for any stray sock that may have been left behind. He ran his hand around each baffle and dipped it down behind the lint trap where his hand met a thin and flimsy piece of fabric. His face was overwhelmed with confusion as he took hold of it and pulled out a pair of white panties that were not his. 

Holding them up, his bright eyes admired the lace for a moment before he balled up the fabric in his fist. He could feel the heat spread across his cheeks, which were undoubtedly red after finding Dani’s panties. After seeing them, there was no unseeing them, and he couldn’t help but let his mind wander. Anthony couldn’t stop himself from creating the image of her wearing them in his mind - and it sent him recoiling up into a standing position. He needed to get rid of them before he let his mind fall any further. 

Abandoning his basket on the floor, Anthony wandered down the hallways and to Dani’s door. He could hear nothing but the subtle music that played in her room. Anthony hesitated there for a moment, hoping the redness in his face had faded, then he finally let his hand raise to knock against the door. 

“Fuck,” was the only word that greeted him, and it was followed by the rush of Dani’s rushed footsteps. 

When the door opened, Anthony had almost completely forgotten why he found himself at the door of her room. Dani greeted him with a smile, but his eyes failed to focus there. Instead, his eyes had travelled down over her body, taking in the sight of the oversized Fleetwood Mac band t-shirt that hung off her frame - keeping only her curves from him as she wore nothing on her lights. She could have taken the time to put on anything, yet she stood there too confidently, so shamelessly that it left him near choking on his words. 

“I think you left these in the dryer,” Anthony breathed. His hand opened just enough to let the white lace fall, her panties pinched by only his thumb and forefinger as they dangled in front of her. 

He had thought she would be embarrassed. That she would snatch the panties away and retreat, but instead, she only laughed, her fingers brushing against his as she reached out to take them from his hold - and Anthony couldn’t help but notice how her shirt rose and fell at the reach of her arm. 

“Thanks,” Dani smiled, holding his stare as he struggled to keep his eyes fixated on her face and her face alone, “are you putting another load in?”

“Yeah,” he nodded, his voice breaking, and he repeated himself, “Yeah, just a small one. Do you need to throw anything in?”

“I have a few things,” she told him and backed up from the door to move for her laundry basket on the other side of the room. 

Anthony averted his gaze, his eyes rising to look at the ceiling, but there was no ignoring what he had already seen. Dani had retreated to her laundry basket and bent right over, giving him a view of her ass and the panties that left far too much skin on display for him to enjoy. Only did he look down from the bright light at the center of the ceiling, his vision obstructed by the orbs of light as they tried to adjust back to looking down at Dani. He accepted each article as she handed it to him, and when her arms were empty, he began to take a step back, but the touch of Dani’s hand held him in place. 

“Wait, these too,” Dani told him, and her hand fell from her careful hold on his forearm. 

There was nothing left in her arms, drawing a perplexed look to Anthony’s features. That same look dissolved into awe as her hands slipped beneath the oversized fabric of her shirt and hooked onto the panties that were concealed by mere inches of fabric. Bright eyes travelled with her panties down the length of her legs, and he watched as she stepped out of them before placing them in the palm of his hand. He could feel his face heat up again, his features undoubtedly redder now as his fingers wrapped around the fabric that was still warm from the embrace of the most intimate parts of her body. 

Sweating suddenly, he gripped her panties tight in his hand and stood in the doorway for a moment. His mind and his body did not know how to function under the shock of watching her peel her panties from her body. Anthony’s mouth was agape, his eyes searching for anything to look at but her before he stumbled back and began his quick walk back to the laundry room. His mind was racing as quickly as his heart, trying to comprehend why she would do such a thing before dismissing every conclusion that would suggest she was trying to seduce him - because why would she? She was Mat’s sister, and they had known each other for years. Sure, she had always been friendly with him - maybe even a little bit flirtatious too - but that line was drawn. He couldn’t have her, even if he wanted her, it was something he had accepted a long time ago. 

Anthony had practiced his restraint for years - through dinners in Vancouver with her family when the Islanders had been in town and through the many family vacations he had the luxury of being invited to - but now, after living with her and her alone for as long as he had Anthony was losing his resolve. He failed to forget how sexy she was when she danced - and how sure he was that she had wanted to dance with him. He could still feel the kiss of her lips against the corner of his mouth when she had said goodbye to him before his road trip that sent him back to New York. There was no forcing the image of her undressing in front of him from his mind. It all left him clutching her panties tighter as he unloaded every other article into the wash. 

The tighter he clutched them, the faster her warmth was replaced with his - but it hadn’t fully removed the traces of her from them. Opening his hand, Anthony let out a low groan at the sight. He thought he had felt that right, and his eyes only confirmed his suspicions. The wrinkled fabric expanded in his hand, the subtle glisten of Dani’s arousal soaked into the crotch of her panties. Stroking a thumb through it, he could feel her slick, his chest struggling to take a mere breath as he realized what he had interrupted in her room. 

The music had been on to reduce any chance there was that he would hear her as - he could only assume - Dani pleasured herself. The thought left him cursing under his breath, his head lulling back on his shoulders as his cock stiffened - the outline of his own arousal all too clear in his grey sweatpants. He would need to clear his head before he even thought about going back to his room to take care of it, but he wasn’t given the opportunity. 

“I can’t tell if you’re just too nice or not interested,” Dani’s voice left his heartbeat loud in his ears. 

She stood in the doorway to the bathroom that doubled as their laundry room with her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned up against the door frame. Dani had made no effort to get dressed since he had left her in her room, the t-shirt still hanging off her frame - and from the angle, he had of her from where he crouched on the floor, he could see that Dani had made no effort to put on another pair of panties. While the shadow of her t-shirt kept him from seeing everything, Anthony had seen all that he needed to cast every rational thought his brain could fathom aside - he had seen enough to act on his only desire that had done nothing but tempt him since his arrival in Vancouver. He wanted Dani, and now he was going to have her. 

Anthony stood up from his place on the floor slowly, making no effort to hide the thick outline of his cock in his sweatpants. There was no being modest now, not with what they both wanted so evidently clear. He took each stride with confidence as he moved to meet her at the bathroom door, trapping her between his body and the doorframe. Their eyes locked, the air silent between them as he leaned in. Anthony took hold of her face in both hands, tilting her head just enough to welcome the kiss on his lips. 

He had intended it to be a slow and cautious kiss, but Dani had other intentions. Dani had leaned in to meet him, her hands reaching up to link at the base of his neck to keep him from pulling away. He could feel her fingers dragged over the sensitive skin at the back of his neck, creeping up on the wisps of hair at its nape that threatened to curl. Any caution and caring he had hoped to carry was lost, his thumbs on each side of her chin to draw her mouth open - and she indulged him, letting his tongue slip into her mouth to get a good taste of her. 

Dani was intoxicatingly sweet, and getting one taste of her wasn’t enough. Kissing her wasn’t enough, nor was letting his hands leave her face to explore the curves of her body beneath her baggy t-shirt. Anthony wanted more of her, all of her. 

His hands found the curve of her waist and gripped it firmly as he lifted her from the floor. Her short legs sound around his middle, her body clinging to him and earning a groan from his lips as he carried her from the doorway and back towards the bathroom counter. With a single hand supporting her bare ass, Anthony reached out with the other and freed the counter of anything that may have gotten in his way with a sweeping motion. Bottles fell into the sink and toothbrushes to the floor only for his feet to kick them as he placed her down just right. He seated her on the edge of the counter, his hands pushing up her shirt so it pooled around her waist. It left her legs bare for him to stroke down the outside of her thigh before a single hand travelled over to the heat between her legs. Two fingers were greeted by the wet warmth of her arousal as his touch travelled from clit to core, a heavy breath consuming him as he spoke out, “What do you think about when you touch yourself?”

Anthony drew back just enough for his bright eyes to meet the amber hue of her stare. Her full lips, swollen from his kiss, were left parted by her uneven breath at his question, the corners of her faint smile wavering at his words before she could find the words on the tip of her tongue. 

“Lately?” Her question was paired with a troublemaker’s grin, “You, Tito-” Anthony watched her face melt into pleasure before him as he eased two fingers into her cunt, her final word mixed with a soft sigh, “You.” 

“How long?” Anthony leaned in, his words a low growl in her ear as he eased his fingers in knuckle deep - feeling every bit of her warmth and arousal around him. She had been ready for him long before she had come to the bathroom door, but Anthony wanted to toy with her. 

Dani was silent for a moment, her petite body leaning back against the glass mirror as she refused to meet his gaze. Anthony watched as her tongue dragged over her lip, her eyes shutting for a long moment as she tried to avoid the question he had just asked her. 

Anthony could only smile. Dani was never one to be shy - always confident and demanding the attention of anyone who happened to be captivated by her - and she was at a loss for words for him. Leaning in close to her lips, just close enough to leave her thinking he was going in for another kiss, Anthony slid a third finger into her core and asked again, “How long, Dani?”

Her lips parted in an inaudible gasp, her eyes fluttering shut as Anthony could feel the walls of her core stretching around him. It rendered her silent, unable to answer her until the surge of pleasure had run its course. Then she managed her weak words, “A while.” 

“A while?” Anthony curled his fingers, earning another sharp inhale from her lips. He watched as she nodded rapidly, her hair falling into her face as she angled her hips as if she could take any more of him. 

“Since I got here?” he pried. 

Dani hesitated with her answer again, but this time Anthony didn’t challenge her with the stroke of his fingers or the teasing of her clit, instead he withdrew each of his fingers from her core and licked them clean. While he didn’t lay a finger on her, tasting her sweetness on his tongue seemed to have the very same effect on her. Anthony watched as Dani reeled on the counter, her chest rising and falling in a heavy breath as she bit down on her lower lip with a whine. 

“Since that trip,” Dani muttered to him, her hands leaving the edge of the counter to draw him in, “to the Maldives.”

Anthony groaned at the tug of her hands pulling his t-shirt up and over his head. The trip to the Maldives had been the summer of 2019, “Dani,” Anthony hummed as her hands reached down and began to tug down the waist of his sweatpants, “that was four years ago.”

It had been the first trip he had taken with Mat’s whole family - and it was the first time he had really gotten to know Dani. She had an everlasting effect on him - from her beauty to her confidence and charisma, it had always been something he had done his best to ignore - but he had an effect on her too he had just never known to what extent, until now. 

“Yeah, and?” Dani countered, her head cocked to the side as her hand continued to tug at his sweatpants. 

Holding his breath, Anthony held her gaze and tried to ignore the graze of the fabric down over the strength of his legs, and as it teased the stiffness of his cock - but it only coaxed a groan from him. One that had him leaning his head back on his shoulders as the cool air of the bathroom kissed his cock as it sprung free from his pants and into the warm embrace of her palm. 

“And,” Anthony hissed out through his teeth, his hips easing forward into her touch as she stroke him, her delicate touch almost teasing as she drew him in. Each stroke had Anthony inching forward, the head of his cock dragging up the inside of her thigh and becoming so close to her core that he could feel with heat that radiated from her. “That’s a long time to be kept waiting.”

Leaning in, Anthony placed both hands down on the tops of her thighs, his hockey-worn touch dragging over the supple flesh and opening up her legs just a little wider. Then, one hand dropped between them, his hand taking his cock from her hold carefully. He didn’t replicate her careful stroke that left his cock throbbing and desperate for her cunt. Instead, he guided himself to the slick between her legs and dragged the tip of his cock up and down the length of her need. “So I won’t make you wait any longer.” His face was inches from hers as she looked up, the graze of her lips felt against her own as she pleaded with him, “Oh, please don’t-” Her gasp was desperate and broken by the gentle pressure of his cock as he guided it into her core - and her heat welcomed her with its embrace. So slick and warm around him that Anthony struggled to maintain his composure. Every inch that she took his cock with such ease, his brain was left in a heavy haze of desperation. It left Anthony reaching around her petite body and gripping at the sweet swell of her ass to anchor himself to her as he began the steady rhythm of his thrusts - but there was no ridding himself of that desperation, that hunger for more of her. Not the kiss he placed on her lips that intoxicated his tongue with the taste of her. Not the repetitive, stinging impact of his thighs impacting the counter as he fucked her. It all left him wanting more and more of what her body had to offer him. 

His mouth took assault down her neck, a low groan of his moan muffled against her skin as the freedom of her lips from his own sent the sweet moans of her pleasure into the air. Hearing them, feeling the heat of those moans against the shell of his ear was nearly enough to send Anthony to the peak of his pleasure, his hands near trembling against her flesh as his head spun with the thought, the affirmation, that he was the one pulling those sounds from her lips - and he wanted to hear more of it. 

Hoisting her up from the counter, his fingertips dug into the flesh of her ass and thighs, Anthony intended to take her to her bedroom but he didn’t make it far. Instead, he stumbled over his sweatpants that hadn’t made it down any further than the middle of his thighs - the grey fabric bunched just below his balls and dampened with Dani’s arousal as it dripped down his cock with every thrust - and made it no further than the hallway before he was laying Dani out on the floor. 

The carpet that ran down the length of the hallways wrinkled beneath their bodies as Anothony picked Dani up by the hips just enough to angle them just right for him. There was no holding back from him now, his hands gripping her firmly to keep her from sliding across the carpet and away from her. Each thrust was quick and inconsistent as his movements became brash. Each thrust sent her shirt up a little higher on her frame as he constantly had to adjust her palace on the carpet - working its way up until her breasts were free. He watched as each swell bounced, the glimmer of the piercing on each nipple leaving him cursing and abandoning his every desire to fuck her until he came. Now, he just wanted to feel the piercings against his tongue. 

Dropping her hips, Anthony leaned in, his mouth encompassing a single nipple and letting the flat of his tongue stroke over her. He felt the end of one piercing, her pert nipple, and then the other end of the piercing against his tongue. It coaxed a soft found from his lips as Anthony’s mouth jumped over to her other breast, repeating the same stroke of his tongue before indulging himself with the careful sucking on her breast. He had thought about doing this since he spotted her piercings for the first time back at the airport, and Anthony enjoyed every second of it. He relished the feeling of her soft flesh in his mouth, leaving those delicate red swells behind that would fade into shades of red, blue and purple before they would fade in time. 

His mouth would continue its assault on her soft flesh, even as she began to push up off the floor. Dani moved slowly, her teeth biting down on her lower lip to fight back a whine as she guided him up. Anthony moved with her, his arms encasing her in the strength of their hold as he welcomed her into his lap after a few slow, calculated movements that had left him slipping from her core only once. When her warmth surrounded him again, his face buried between her breasts, and her hands gripped his shoulder tight for any support she could find - but it wouldn’t be enough as she rode him. 

Anthony could feel her hands as they travelled. Moving from his shoulders were her manicured fingers dug into the meaty flesh up into the curl of his hair. She would tug at his strands, drawing a sigh from his lips before Dani would reach out and press her palm firmly against the wall - the final leverage she needed as his hands gripped her hips and guided her up and down his cock with such cadence that the pleasure began to consume her. He could feel it tremor through her body, her legs quivering against his thighs and her core flexing around his cock. 

Each squeezing embrace left Anthony cursing and sent his head tilting back to look up at the calm pleasure on her features. A single hand reached up, pushing her blonde hair back from her face before Anthony was leaning into Dani, his groans and mumbles of pleasure washing over her skin with his every hot breath as he kissed down the angle of her jaw and down to her throat where one final, sloppy, open-mouthed kiss was interrupted by a ghost of a moan that was pair with his own release as he finished with his cock buried deep in her cunt, flooding her core and leaving him oozing from her and down his cock when she couldn’t take any more of him. 

It was then, feeling the mess that the two of them created dropping down the thick vein of his cock that he thought regret would hit him. That the magnitude of what had just happened would come crashing down on him with such a weight he wouldn’t be able to breathe - but that feeling never came. There was only calm as his hands stroked back her hair and over the angles of her body, his bright eyes raising from her throat to the heavy-lidded stare of her eyes. Anthony could only stare back, his lips pulling back in a too-wide grin, and Dani was quick to match with a smirk of her own. Whatever he was waiting for to tell him that he had made some kind of mistake didn’t come. Instead, Anthony only found reassurance. 

“You have practice in the morning?” Dani spoke to him, her words slow as a single hand came to run down the strength of his chest. 

Anthony could only nod, her touch still so foreign and exhilarating against his skin. 

“I can take care of the rest of the laundry while you’re out, and when you get back, maybe we can grab brunch? There’s this place-”

“You don’t have to convince me, Dani,” Anthony breathed, leaning in again to drag a simple kiss across the angle of her collarbone, “It’s a date.”

“Oh, yeah, cool,” Dani stumbled over her words as if she wasn’t expecting such an answer from him. 

“Dani,” Anthony sighed, “I’m not one of those guys who’s just going to fuck a girl leave. Especially when-” he cut himself off. Unable to say it out loud just yet. 

“I know, you’ve always been a good guy, Tito,” Dani sighed, her head cocked to the side slightly as she eased herself from his cock. She used his shoulder to steady herself on her weak legs before pointing a thumb back toward the bedroom, “Which is also why you’re going to sleep in my room tonight?”

Anthony let out a low laugh as he fixed his damp sweatpants around his waist, “yeah, that’s right. He assured her as he pushed up from the floor, “but only on one condition: you have to tell me how long it’s been since you got those piercings done-”

[nihilnovisubsole]

it's that time of year again: AK's 2023 Wrapped™. no, not the music thing. the december year-in-review thing. my spotify charts were deeply unfunny this time around because of all the game soundtracks i've been listening to. i don't know when these end-of-year posts became tradition for me, which is to say i could find out and i'm too lazy to check. the important thing, like lemon pigs or eating black-eyed peas, is that it feels like we've always done it. in the depths of winter, the warmth comes from the routine.

i won't beat around the bush about it: it's been a difficult year. it's been hard enough that it doesn't seem appropriate to joke about it or wave it off in favor of big, blog-worthy wins. times are dark right now. it behooves all of us to think deeply and check on each other. i hope i've been a decent friend to the people who needed it. so instead of scraping together a halfhearted victory lap, i'm going to go against my better judgment and be vulnerable.

it wasn't all bad. i got promoted to staff narrative designer this year, which is a fancy way of saying "you don't have to do time cards anymore." it's strange: in an industry infamous for volatility, my job has become one of the few things i can rely on to be positive. i believe my coworkers like me, which is good, because i like them. i feel not just included, but welcomed at work social events. i've developed a reputation for being a garbage goat on my writing team. "got an odd job? give it to AK. we can count on her to eat it." i had the chance to collaborate with someone i've looked up to for years, and i was delighted to find out how amenable they are to work with. there's work stress and there's work stress. everyone has challenging days, but it's not the crab bucket that voltage was, so it never seems that bad. i keep it in perspective. sure, these tasks keep me on my feet, but is it three cents a word, seven thousand words a week? i'll live.

i just wish it had all been good. it speaks to how my health has been that getting covid in february was one of the most mundane things to happen to me. i did everything right. i had all my boosters. i had paxlovid. i recovered well. still, it knocked me out of orbit in the psychological sense. i stopped getting enough exercise, though i'm building myself up again. i became neurotic about my stats. am i Getting A Good Grade In Blood Pressure? what about Pulse Rate? two months later, i came down with a strange, unrelated condition that was nowhere near as serious as covid, but made my life ten times more difficult. i'm happy to report i feel worlds better these days. even so, it was a bizarre time. bodies sure are curious.

later, my sink flooded my closet, and for a few days, i had to reckon with the idea that mold might destroy my entire wardrobe. all those irreplaceable pieces of character design that i've built my identity around since i was eighteen years old. who would i be without them? a wise person would say it was a lesson: stop defining who you are by your looks and find worth in your inner self. the mold is gone and my clothes are fine, but sometimes i have days where my lungs seem like they're sort of operating at ninety percent. i'm trying not to fuss about it. my checkups are normal, and i feel fine whenever i get out of the house for a while. maybe it'll go away when i move. because, hey, i can contemplate saving for a house now. how about that? remember when my mother and i were homeless? what a surreal landscape of highs and lows.

maybe grief is strange like that. in july, just when my health started to settle down, my grandmother died. it was a long time coming. she was 94 and extremely frail. i handled it well at first. it took the ensuing few months for the full weight of human mortality to sink in. before, i'd mainly been to funerals of warm, but distant old men, great patriarchs who loved but didn't relate to little girls. her, i knew. she was there when i was born. i won't go into detail, but it was not a peaceful passing, and it left problems in its wake. you don't live through that without taking a long, hard look at your life. everyone gets the invincibility knocked out of them sometime.

my mother is too disciplined to let it get the better of her. on the worst days of her life, the stove still got cleaned and the bills got paid. when people give her condolences, she encourages them to look on the bright side: she got almost seventy years with her. how many children can say that? but i can tell she's sad, and i'm not under any illusion i can help. i have to sit with it. there's nothing else for me to do.

under different circumstances, i'd have thrown myself into my work. i'd come up with some writing project to avoid thinking about it. i guess the dominant theme when it comes to my personal writing has been inertia: accomplishing nothing and being unsure of myself. if it's a growing pain, it's a rough one. i question my storytelling instincts so much, it's hard to get a story off the ground, let alone take it anywhere. i've hit a point where i find the conventions of the romance genre limiting. i still want to write about people in love, though, and i can't reconcile the two. why do some love stories get to be love stories and others are "just romance?" you could ask why it's "just" romance, and that's a good, but different conversation, i think. what are the great love stories saying about the human condition that i'm not? what is my work saying, period? not a whole lot, i'm afraid. i used to be pugnacious about writing from my id brain, about doing it for the fun of it. i worry that's not going to cut it anymore. i have to push myself harder. i also have to stop fretting about being perceived as pretentious for asking these questions.

it would be easier if i had more answers. i'm not sure which project to work on next, because they're all half-formed outlines with plots i don't know how to fill. i'm not sure whether it'd be weird for someone with my job to keep writing or posting fanfic, no matter how informally. i'm not sure what role physical intimacy should play in my writing, if any, because along with everything else, this was the year shame caught up to me. i'm not sure what happened there. i hope the "are sex scenes necessary" debate didn't get me, because i'd argue for their artistic merit any day. but when i do it, i worry that it's indiscreet somehow, like i'm revealing myself in ways that make strangers uncomfortable. some days i feel like going through my backlog of published work and tearing out all the sex-adjacent content like a power-mad inquisitor. i won't, because i'd regret it, but i spend a lot of time being embarrassed. it's embarrassing. i can't escape the feeling that people don't want to know that about me.

despite it all, it's still bad form to end on a down note, so i'll leave you with this: after five years, i finally got into physical therapy for my arm. i told my doctor the whole sob story and she put in a referral to a hand/occupational clinic. will it help? i don't know. i've tried so many things that haven't. but they're optimistic that i'm in better shape than i think - i've heard a lot of "wow, we get patients who can't even open a jar!" - so it's worth a shot. if it means i can draw a little more, it's something. i still make time for the picrew every day. ever onward. thanks for hanging in there with me, guys. you keep things interesting.

[pumpkin-stars]

A lizard dog, a banana boat, and a cassette tape

Eddie Munson/Reader/Steve Harrington

A part two that’s also a prequel to At Least it’s Not Rabies so the boys will eventually get bitey but for now they’re just normal :)

Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings/Content: set in s3, flashbacks to s2, Steve and Reader are pining for each other but Eddie’s cute too... Mews’ death is discussed a bit. no pronouns are used for reader, reader is called Sweetheart. Reader eats strawberry ice cream.

i finished this a while ago but i finally got around to editing it (while i procrastinate writing something else). Enjoy! x

30th June 1985

“Tell me, please tell me that you’re not the one who picks what they play in here?” You look up from the stack of cassettes you’re trying to organise, smiling softly when you see the guy who’s been coming into the store every day for the past week. “You don’t like Top 40?”

“Day in, day out?” He drawls, “Nahhh…” He makes his way to the counter, leaning on it right beside the tapes, eyes narrowing as he observes you, “You don’t like it either, do you?”

Your eyes are drawn to his rings as they catch the light, his hands clasped in front of his chin, one finger pointing accusingly at you.

“Uh… some of it’s okay.” You snap out of it, meeting his eyes instead, “Queen’s pretty good.”

He nods, “riiiight, but not if you listen over and over every day.”

“Right.” You smile, laughing softly as the song changes and Freddie Mercury’s voice comes through the speakers. Perfect timing.

“So you don’t pick the music,” He concludes, pushing himself up off the counter suddenly, swinging his arms around as he looks at the posters stuck to the wall behind you, all shitty boybands who sing about their perfect pretty girl…

“Store policy,” You smile, “Manager makes the mix tapes.”

“And forces you to listen,” he winces, “That’s tough.”

“I sneak my own in sometimes.” You admit, “When it’s quiet.”

“It’s quiet now.” He grins, looking around the store, pacing in a circle, his white trainers squeaking on the linoleum.

He’s right, despite it being the middle of summer, it’s quiet. He’s the only customer within the three walls of the store, even when all of Starcourt beyond the line on the floor that marks the ‘entrance’ is crowded with people, their conversations and laughter drowned out by your enforced soundtrack. You’re a little surprised that only this guy is in here, but you’ve seen the stuff he buys (on the one occasion he came in to do more than talk to you, exchanging a crumpled bill for some heavy metal), so maybe the rest of the town is scared to come in… looking inside to find a denim jacket and a mess of hair is clearly a terrifying experience.

“It could get busy soon.” You shrug, “I don’t wanna inflict my taste on potential customers.”

He hums, rapping his knuckles on the counter, “but you are inflicting the greatest drags of pop radio on your current customer.”

“What do you suggest?”

He grins, pointing at you, “Wait right there.”

You bite your lip, aware of your cheeks getting hot, looking back at the stack of cassettes and trying to do your job - unable to stop yourself from glancing over to where he ambles around the store, his hands stroking over shelves as he searches for whatever he wants.

“Ah ha!” He grins, picking a tape up with a flourish, holding it victoriously above his head, “play this.”

Your smile grows as he returns to you, handing you the tape. You’re pleasantly surprised. “Dio, huh?”

“Heard of ‘em?”

You laugh, “You certainly made sure of it.”

“Me?”

“You bought this five days ago, and the album cover is all over your back. Subliminal messaging.” You accuse.

He laughs loudly, “You been watching me walk away, huh? You like the view?”

If you weren’t flustered already, you certainly would be now.

Your breath catches in your throat, and you turn away, coughing a little as you move to the stereo beside the door to the storeroom, switching tapes, the sound of fast guitars quickly filling the store.

“Good choice.” You turn back to him, smiling softly, unable to look him in the eye.

“Shit…” he mutters, “I’m sorry, I made you uncomfortable. Forget I said that.”

“It’s okay,” You assure, “I um… It’s a nice view.”

He beams, turning around to show you his back, denim jacket hugging his figure, the monster on his tricep staring at you as he turns his head to look over his shoulder, “Yeah?”

“Mhm,” You nod.

“And the music?” He checks, “You do like it, right?”

“You saved me from the seventh repeat of Madonna today.” You nod, “I’d like anything.”

He laughs softly, “You’re very welcome, sweetheart.”

You tell him your name, blurt it out, really, making sure he knows it. You’re not sure if you could handle another sweetheart.

He grins, repeating it softly, “Yeah… Thought I recognised you. I’m Eddie.”

“I know, from- from school. Thanks for saving me, Eddie.” You bite your lip, laughing lightly as you say: “You’re my hero.”

His cheeks go pink, “Nahhh… I’m- I’m just… corrupting the youth with guitars and shit.”

“So I’m aiding and abetting?”

He grins. “Right you are, Sweetheart.”

~~~~~

“One banana boat, two spoons.” Steve grins at you as he sets the ice cream down, sliding into the booth, sailor’s hat discarded on the seat beside him with a huff.

“Busy day?” You smile, taking a spoon from him, making a beeline for the scoop of strawberry.

“Yeah, y’know, it’s hot out. AC only does so much to cool you down.” He grins, “You?”

“Not so much,” You shrug, “I definitely got the better gig in the job department.”

“Yeah?”

“I mean,” you glance behind the counter, able to see Robin’s whiteboard through the little window in the backroom, “I’m not striking out when I flirt with customers.”

“Yeah,” he blushes, digging into the peanut butter swirl, free hand running through his flattened hair, “At least I try. It’s the hat’s fault, anyway.” And the fact his heart’s not in it… he’s only flirting for something to do, to break the monotony of working in the service industry… there’s only one person he actually wants to date, and he’s too much of a coward to say it to your face.

You hum, taking another spoonful, “I tried.”

“You did?” He looks up from the bowl, “You- you flirted?”

“I think so…” You smile.

“You get a date?” He hopes not. He really really hopes not…

“No.”

Yes! The pressure around his heart releases. He really needs to get his head out of his ass and work up the courage to ask you himself.

“So you did strike out.” He speaks around his spoon.

“I wasn’t trying to get a date, so no, I did not.”

“Why were you flirting if you didn’t want a date?” He frowns.

“My god, Steve, not everyone wants to date all the time.” You smile, “Some people enjoy being single, you should try it sometime.”

“They do?” He acts surprised, like it’s inconceivable. You suppose, to him, it might be… if only he realised there was someone who’d say yes right in front of him.

You laugh, “Yeah, Stevie. And some people like to get to know people beyond looks before they date.”

“How do you get to know them if you’re not dating?” He scoffs.

“You got to know me, didn’t you?”

“That’s different.” He excuses. He wanted to date you, still wants to. But you’re his friend now… He got to know you as a friend… “We- we fought demodogs together, that’s…”

“An unbreakable bond,” You grin, “I know.”

2nd-3rd November 1984

A normal day. That’s all you wanted. A nice Friday evening free of stress, where you could relax and enjoy a cup of hot cocoa on the porch beneath a blanket, watch the sunset, and put off doing homework til Sunday night. Diamonds are made under pressure, and all that.

Not quite the attitude you should have in your senior year, but your grades were good enough that you weren’t especially worried about handing in something a little sub-par in the fall term.

Needless to say, stepping out onto your porch into the cool Indiana air and finding some sort of weird lizard dog eating the neighbour’s cat ten feet away was not on your list of things that happen on normal days.

You’d retreated into the house, slowly, carefully, quietly, not wanting to get that thing’s attention, hoping it takes the cat off your lawn. It’s not something you want your parents to find, or to have to explain to Mrs Henderson.

“Oh yeah, sorry about Mews, some lizard dog that looks like it’s come straight out of John Hurt’s chest cavity ate it last night while you were watching General Hospital reruns.”

Not gonna happen.

With all the weird shit that happened a year ago, the poor woman’s had enough stress - her son’s best friend disappearing like that… you don’t wanna be the one to break the news about her beloved pet.

As far as you’re concerned, there’s nothing going on on your porch at all.

~~~~

You groan as you open your curtains the next morning, almost afternoon. No cat on the porch, thankfully, but… - “the fuck-?” - there is a trail of bologna leading from the Henderson house to their Storm Cellar.

You check the driveway - your parents are out, and by the looks of things Mrs Henderson is too, probably looking for Mews or something.

Your heart jumps as you see Dustin, in protective Hockey gear, rushing out of his back door and into the little shed… only to gasp in surprise as the lizard dog - larger than last night - ambles out after him, eating up the bologna on the way.

You hold your breath, realising the boy’s out there alone trying to catch this monster, but you’re frozen in place, wishing you’d said something last night to stop this from happening. Shit, what if he gets himself killed!? Fuck…

You’re running to get dressed in another moment, throwing on the first thing your hands land on, buttoning your jeans as you rush downstairs, slipping on the shoes you’d left by the door, watching from the window as Dustin yells, slamming the cellar door shut.

You run out, grabbing his discarded hockey stick, and sliding it through the door’s handles, staring at the kid. “What the fuck is that thing!?”

“What thing?” He stares at you.

“The fucking lizard dog thing, what is that!?” You point to the door, “It ate your fucking cat, Dustin!”

“Shit…” he whispers, “Fuck. I- I’m not supposed to tell people who don’t already know.”

You sit beside him on the grass, “Well I know that thing exists, so… say I know. Tell me the rest. What the fuck is going on?”

~~~~

After hearing the most insane story of your life, you and Dustin started cleaning up, the kid grabbing his walkie talkie every other minute to yell Code Red all call for help as you helped him dig a grave for his poor cat.

“I feel so bad,” You whisper, “I saw him eat her and I did nothing…”

“It’s okay,” Dustin assures, “He could’ve eaten you instead and that would be wayyyy worse to deal with.”

“Yeah.” You nod, “Yeah, sure, great. That’s great.”

“You got any combat experience?” He wonders suddenly.

“Combat-?”

“Guns? Axes? Baseball bats? Anything?”

“Wh- why do I need that?”

“To help me deal with D’Art.”

“You named it!?”

“I thought he was a lizard! But he’s a Demogorgon… A Demodog.” He protests, “Sue me!”

“Fuck…” you whisper, “We need help, Dustin, I’m- Fuck…. I should’ve stayed inside…”

“Why didn’t you?”

“Duh, you’re a fucking child trying to fight a fucking--”

“Demodog.”

“A fucking demodog!” You huff, “shit. We gotta get help.”

“Code red.” He nods, grabbing his walkie again, “HELLO?? Code Red, does anyone copy!?”

~~~~

You’d looked everywhere for his friends, for the other people who knew anything about the… Upside Down… ending up at the Wheelers and asking Mike’s dad if he knew where his kids were. A guaranteed dead end, as far as you were concerned, but you’d bumped into Steve Harrington on the way to wherever Dustin thought they could be next.

Steve Harrington. The King of Hawkins High… is involved in this shit. And has a baseball bat with nails in it in the trunk of his car? Jesus…

“Is there anyone who doesn’t know about this, Dustin?”

“Sorry, who are you, again?” Steve looks at you in the rearview mirror of his car, “How do you know about this? You’re not supposed-” he turns to Dustin, “We’re not supposed to tell people about this.”

You huff, telling him your name, “We literally have half our classes together.”

“We do?” He frowns.

“You ask me for a pen pretty much every week.” You nod. “What do you do with them? Loose them in your hair or something?”

“Not the time, guys!” Dustin protests, “We need to get back to D’Art.”

“I dunno man, are you sure it’s not just some lizard?”

“His face opened up and he ate my cat.”

“Right.” Steve nods, “Okay. Right.”

1st July 1985

An unbreakable bond was formed that day, when the sun had set and you’d stood back to back with Steve in a field of old cars, facing down four demodogs with a baseball bat and a rusty axe. You’d never been more terrified, but you had managed to get a good hit on one of them, swinging the axe into its leg as it roared at you. Steve had grabbed you, pulled you to the relative safety of the old bus Dustin, Lucas, and Max were hiding in, the two of you falling over each other in your haste to shut the door tight.

Your crush had started then, for sure.

Something about a guy in tight jeans really gets you, even when you’re scared shitless and wishing you’d slept in just a little longer.

But it did mean Steve noticed you… the rest of the school year, he’d made an effort to say hi, and returned all your pens to you… including several he’d found stuffed in the back of his locker. He still asked to borrow one during first period, but whatever your last class of the day was saw him giving it back. He’d even split his breakfast bagel with you after a late night studying together in the library.

It seemed… hanging out with a group of middle schoolers made him realise that being King wasn’t all it was cracked up to be… plus, of course, there was Billy Hargrove stealing his crown.

It was odd… suddenly becoming his friend over a weekend. The popular crowd certainly thought so.

There was more attention on you than before, girls trying to work out how to get Steve’s attention the way you had, guys trying to get into your pants the way Steve ‘clearly’ must have done. None of them realising that saving the world together with a group of kids was the cause of your sudden friendship.

Only the other ‘freaks’ had really left you alone, Jonathan Byers occasionally smiled at you in thanks for protecting his brother’s friends, the other nerds you’d previously sat with at lunch didn’t want much to do with you (turning your back on your fellow weirdos at the first smile from a jock… some bullshit like that), and Eddie Munson… well… you’d caught him looking at you curiously once or twice in the library after school, when you were buried in textbooks and he was buried in notepaper covered in doodles of fantasy creatures and scribbles of stories. You’d lent him a couple of pens too that year, but he’d never made conversation, never introduced himself, just… poked your back and whispered a request for a pen.

It took months, it took until summer for him to pick up the nerve, totally by accident.

The opening of Starcourt had closed loads of small businesses in town, including the little music store that sold the best merch outside of Indianapolis. Which meant Eddie had no choice but to conform to Capitalist America’s latest idea- the small town mall. He’d avoided it as much as possible - the brightly lit shops and high-tech CCTV weren’t exactly conducive to his usual back-alley dealings, but sometimes a guy accidentally sits on his favourite tape and needs a replacement ASAP…

He hadn’t expected you to be working there, but it was a pleasant surprise. It just… took him a week to actually speak to you. A week of coming in every day, getting a little more courage, then a little more, going more insane as the same songs played over and over.

But he did it.

He flirted with you, made sure you remembered him from school, and came back the next day…  just to ask…

“Do you wanna go to Enzo’s with me?”

Your eyes snap up from behind the counter, where you’re crouched and stocking the latest walkman delivery in the glass-front. “What?”

“Umm,” Eddie smiles, “Enzo’s. You and me? Uh- tomorrow night?”

You stand slowly, “You- you’re asking me out?”

“If you want,” he nods, “I mean…” he sways back and forth, “You can say no, I don’t mind. I know I’m a ‘freak’ or whatever.”

���You’re not a freak.” You smile, “I just… Nobody’s… I mean, I… I’ve never been on a date before.”

“Seriously?” He frowns, “What about Harrington?”

“Steve?” You blink, “We- we’re just friends.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” You nod, “I… Yeah. Enzo’s. Tomorrow night.”

“Awesome.” He grins, “W- should I pick you up? Or meet you there, or-?”

“You can pick me up.” You smile, “Do you- I go on break in ten minutes if you wanna grab ice cream now?  We can iron out the details?”

“Yeah?” He smiles, “Sure. Yeah.”

~~~~

You pull the shutter down at the front of the store, locking up for the thirty minutes you’re allowed, leading Eddie through the back and into the stark white corridors that lead you all over the place.

“Woah,” he laughs, “I had no idea this was here.”

“Really?” You grin, “How’d you think everywhere gets its supplies in?”

“I dunno. Dumbwaiters?”

You lock the back door, laughing again, “Really?”

“I’m repeating senior year for the third time in a couple months, I’m allowed to be a dumbass.”

You shake your head, “You’re not a dumbass, Eddie.”

“I know several teachers  who would disagree.”

“I’ve seen you in the library, Eddie. Just cause you’re not good at standardised tests doesn’t mean you’re dumb. You write all those DnD campaigns… that’s hard. It took me like a month to make a character.”

“You play?” He frowns.

“I uh… my friend Dustin, he’ll be a freshman this year, he and his buddies play. I babysat them through a campaign once… it’s pretty cool.”

“Pretty cool…” he hums, “And you like metal music…  Are you real?” He pokes your cheek gently.

You laugh again, “It’s not that unusual, is it? Hargrove likes Metallica, he’s way more popular than me. It’s not just the ‘freaks’ who like cool stuff.”

“I just didn’t expect the prettiest face in Hawkins to be into the same stuff as me.”

Your step falters, “The- the prettiest?”

“You heard right, sweetheart.” He nods.

You’re flustered all the way to Scoops, never having thought Eddie would be so… flirty. Loud and exaggerated, yeah, but… flirty? And with you? It feels good… for a cute guy to notice you, to flirt with you, to just… interact with you as more than friends. Despite what you’d said to Steve yesterday, you’d grown pretty tired of being single. And tired of waiting for your best friend to make a move… There’s nothing wrong with going on a date with someone else, especially when he’s cute.

“Here,” you knock on Scoops’ door, grinning as Robin opens it. “Hey! Could I get two cones?”

“Two?” She blinks, a little surprised when Eddie appears at your shoulder. “Uh, yeah, sure. Two cones.”

“Steve here?” You wonder.

“With… um… Henderson? They’re out front. How many kids are you guys friends with?”

You grin, “They’re alright when you get to know them.”

“Sure.” She drawls, “Strawberry?”

“Please.” You nod, “Eds?”

“You got Blue Raspberry?”

“Sure.” Robin nods, “Be right back.”

You slip back into the hallway, smiling at Eddie as he leans against the wall.

“Work perks?” He grins.

“Friend perks.” You clarify, “Free lunch. Not entirely healthy, but-”

“It’s strawberry, that’s fruit.” He laughs.

“Exactly,” You beam at him, nodding, “So, um… tomorrow… Seven?”

“Seven,” He nods, “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

~~~~

Thank you for reading! Reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated :)

[kazoosandfannypacks]

Just the Way We Roll by kazoosandfannypacks

Pairing: Captain Swan Rating: General Audiences Word Count: 3K Summary: Killian Jones is just a simple teenager trying to navigate life. But when his brothers try to help him talk to his crush, it doesn't quite go as planned. Author’s notes: [In this fic, Liam II is named William, and Emma and Henry aren't related.] I feel like "Killian as a middle sibling" isn't a dynamic used nearly enough in fics, and decided to play around with "his brothers try to help him flirt and it doesn't go well." Taglist: @zahara @kmomof4 @jonesfandomfanatic @booksteaandtoomuchtv @jrob64 @tiganasummertree @anmylica @teamhook @undercaffinatednightmare @gingerchangeling @lonelyspectator @caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @cs-rylie @silver-the-phoenix @pawshapedheart  [if you’d like to be added to or removed from this list, hmu in my dms or askbox!] Also on Ao3!

 Being an older sibling seemed easy enough. Having people who always look up to you, paving your own path, never living in someone else's shadow- it all comes so easy to the oldest sibling.

 Being a younger sibling didn't seem too hard either. Your parents are more lax on the rules, they make less mistakes because they've learned from how they messed up your older siblings, and you've got older siblings to look out for you.

 But being a middle sibling was difficult. Keeping an eye out for your younger siblings, living in the shadow of your older siblings- your parents still messing up with you, yet having expectations for you from your older siblings. It was the worst of both worlds- but after ten years of having a younger brother and seventeen of having an older brother, Killian was used to it. He'd gotten used to the fact that William would beg to tag along anywhere he went. He'd gotten used to the fact that Liam would always be around to tease him. He'd gotten used to the hand-me-downs and the handing-down, to needing advice and then giving advice, to being annoyed by his younger brother and annoying his older brother.

 But if there's one thing he didn't think he'd ever get used to, it was his brothers' outgoing natures. To William and Liam both, a stranger was just a friend they hadn't met yet, whether it was a kid William met at the McDonald's playplace or a new employee Liam met at the local ice cream stand. Liam's charisma and William's enthusiasm were enough to charm the hearts of any stranger.

 Killian, however, was not so gifted at meeting new people. For one thing, he didn't really need to be- Liam's friends had always accepted him as part of the group anyways- and for another, he didn't usually care to. He wasn't a huge fan of talking to people, never knowing what to say, or how to say it, or when- it was easier if he just didn't talk at all. He had plenty of online friends, anyways, from his RPG groups and writing circles, and he'd always been content with just that.

 That is, until his older brother dragged him along with him to the local pizza parlor for dinner. Their mom was away for the night (and their dad had been away for much longer,) and Killian had been looking forward to spending an evening in, planning on proofreading a manuscript one of his friends had been begging him to beta.

 Unfortunately, Liam had decided they'd have much more fun going out for pizza that night, and William agreed- much to Killian's dismay. So, instead of reading his friend's historical fantasy WIP while listening to his favorite gaming soundtracks, he found himself eating pizza with his brother, in a seat much too close to the nearby jukebox, which was playing "What's New, Pussycat" for what seemed like the twenty-first time.

 But he didn't mind it nearly as much as he thought he would. After William had devoured a couple slices of pizza, he'd run off to play at the arcade consoles with a new friend he'd made. Liam then began talking with Killian about some of their friends, and Liam's upcoming victories as captain of the football team, and which of the Spiderman movies was the best adaptation.

 But what really made him enjoy his time- or, at the very least, made him stop wishing that he was back home by himself- was when he noticed some girls from school, sitting at a table across the way- one of those girls being the new girl, Emma Swan.

 If ever there was a person Killian was scared to talk to, it was Emma Swan. Her golden hair and charming smile were enough to turn loose the butterflies in his stomach- but her confidence, even in her new surroundings, combined with how quickly she'd fallen in with some of the cooler girls- altogether she was too cool for him to even think about talking to her.

 Fortunately for Killian, girls like her didn't tend to notice guys like him, so she didn't notice how much he was staring at her from his seat behind the jukebox.

 Unfortunately for Killian, big brothers always notice when you're crushing on someone.

 "Does she go to our school?" Liam asked.

 Killian turned back to Liam, trying to pretend he hadn't been staring at Emma- the last thing he needed was Liam meddling with his fantasy.

 "Who?" Killian asked.

 "That girl you haven't been able to take your eyes off since she came in."

 "I don't know what you're talking about." Killian said, making the mistake of glancing back at Emma and her friends- and seeing her laugh at one of her friend's jokes, which brought a tell-tale smile to his face.

 "Killian Jones," Liam said, "you are the worst liar I've ever met."

 "Am not!" Killian said.

 "You like her," Liam smiled.

 "She's just a girl from school," Killian said, "she's new; I barely know her."

 "What's stopping you?" Liam asked.

 "From getting to know her?" Killian asked, half laughing.

 "Just go over there and talk to her," Liam said.

 Killian knew Liam was only trying to be supportive, but at the same time, he could've said "just go jump in a pit of razor blades" and Killian would've been more willing to oblige.

 "Talk to her?" Killian asked, "me? It's not that easy."

 "Why not?" Liam asked, "just go over and say 'hi.'"

 "Maybe the captain of the football team can do that," Killian said, but "I don't think I could…."

 "Exactly, don't think," Liam said, standing up, "just do it.  Thinking's what gets you into trouble."

 "What?" Killian asked, his brother already having walked around the table to the jukebox.

 "This'll be your song," Liam said, putting a few quarters in the slot, "it'll boost your confidence."

 "What song?" Killian asked, getting up to look at the jukebox, knowing there was no point in trying to stop his brother when he had his mind made up.

 "Our jam," Liam put a hand on his brother's shoulder, "That's Just The Way We Roll."

 "Jonas Brothers?" Killian asked, "You want me to talk to Emma with Jonas Brothers playing in the background?"

 "Only thing better than the Joe Bros is the Jones Bros," Liam wiped a dab of sauce off Killian's face, "even if one of them needs a little more confidence."

 "I still don't know about this," Killian said.

 Their conversation was interrupted by William, who'd apparently exhausted all his arcade quarters.

 "Do you have any more quarters?" William asked Liam, "Henry and I ran out."

 "Who's Henry?" Killian asked.

 "My new friend," William said.

 "How'd you like to help your brother make a new friend now?" Liam asked William.

 "You?"

 "I don't need your help," Liam said, "but there's a pretty girl over there who's caught Killian's eye, and he needs our help to impress her."

 "I don't need…"

 "Okay!" William said, "what do you need me to do?"

 "Just follow my lead," Liam said, "and make Killian look good."

 "You got it!" William said.

 "I woke up, on the roof, with my brothers," the jukebox played.

 "That's your cue," Liam said. He put his hand on Killian's shoulder and pushed him ahead of them, towards Emma and her friends.

 "I wonder how much paperwork goes into disowning your older brother," Killian thought, as they got closer to the table and he still didn't know what he was gonna say.

 The girls at the table stopped talking and looked up at them, their eyes quizzically fixed on the Jones brothers.

 "Hi," Killian said, his stomach in knots and shoulders tense, "I uh, we go to the same school."

 "Emma, is it?" Liam reached around his brother to shake Emma's hand, "I'm Liam."

 "No need to introduce yourself," one of the other girls, whom Killian recognized from the cheerleading squad, interrupted, "I think we all know the captain of the football team when we see him."

 "Anna, right?" Liam asked, "Kristoff's girlfriend?"

 "That's me," Anna nudged the girl next to her, "and this is my sister, Elsa." 

 "A pleasure to meet you both," Liam said, flashing a dazzling smile at Elsa, then turning slightly to Emma, "and have you met my brother, Killian?"

 "I've seen you around," Emma smiled a little, not at Killian, "I didn't pick up on the familial connection, I guess."

 "Jones is a fairly common last name," Liam said, "and Killian hasn't picked up on nearly as much of the family charisma and charm as I have."

 Even if Killian had found his voice, he couldn't've argued with that.

 "And I'm William!" William piped in, "I'm their brother!"

 "Oh?" Elsa smiled at the child, "are you on the football team too?"

 "I don't even go to your school!" William said, "but I go to all of Liam's football games. I'd go to Killian's games too, if he was good at sports."

 "What part of 'make Killian look good' does he not understand?" Killian thought, before realizing it was probably the word "Killian."

 "Yet another thing that didn't run in the family," Liam smiled.

 "Would you guys like to join us?" Anna asked, sliding herself over and pulling her sister along with her, "I'm sure we can make room for you."

 "We'd love to," Liam said. He slid into the now-empty space in the booth, next to Elsa.

 Killian took a seat in the booth next to Emma, feeling a little too uncomfortable to even look at her.

 "This was a bad idea," Killian thought, sitting at the edge of the booth, hoping his cheeks weren't red from either embarrassment, awkwardness, or any more stray pizza sauce.

 Whether fortunately or unfortunately, Killian wasn't quite sure yet, but either way, William crawled under the table and popped back up between Emma and Killian, taking a seat between them.

 William tugged at Killian's sleeve and motioned for him to lean down. Killian did so, and William cupped his hands around his ear to whisper to him- but when you're ten years old, it's hard to tell the difference between "whispering" and "talking so loud the whole restaurant can hear it." Unfortunately for Killian, William did the latter.

 "Is she the girl you can't impress?" William asked, his voice somehow a million times louder than usual, "the one you needed our help with?"

 Killian blushed a little, glancing up at Liam and reading his expression, knowing that it was definitely loud enough, at the very least, for the whole table to hear.

 "I never said that," Killian scratched the back of his neck, behind his ear.

 "Shhhhh!" William reminded him they were supposed to be whispering, "you didn't, Liam did, remember? He said you need more confidence and there's a pretty girl you can't impress without our help."

 Killian hid his face in his hand, wondering now how much paperwork went into disowning himself.

 Liam pulled a few quarters out of his pocket.

 "Why don't you head back to the X-Wing Fighters game?" he asked, handing William the quarters.

 "Okay!" William said, "Nice meeting you girls!"

 "It was nice meeting you too," Anna said, as William crawled across Killian, adding injury to insult as he left the booth.

 Killian looked at Emma out of the corner of his eye, and behind her soda sipping straw was a sympathetic smile.

 "Great, just what I need," Killian thought, "she probably feels sorry for me."

 Killian hunched his shoulders and looked away from her, intently studying a stain on the table. He then remembered what Liam said about the song playing on the jukebox, and listened closely to the lyrics now playing.

 "If we lose, all the girls, they'll be laughing"

 "They'll be laughing pretty soon here if I open my big mouth and say something stupid," Killian thought.

 He looked up at his brother and took heart, knowing that at least one of the Jones brothers knew how to function in society.

 "I don't see how Liam got all the charisma and charm." Killian thought, "I want to go home- or, at least, go sit at the table behind the jukebox like none of this happened. I don't know how to talk to people, let alone girls."

 "So, do you ladies come here often?" Liam asked.

 "Anna and I do," Elsa said, "our favorite weekend hangout- this is our first time bringing Emma along with us though."

 "I just moved in a couple weeks ago," Emma said, "Anna and Elsa've been helping me adjust pretty well though. Our parents have apparently been friends since before any of us were born."

 "Glad to see you're, uh, well adjusted so far," Killian said, wondering if that sounded as awkward as he thought it did once he'd said it.

 "Thanks, I guess," Emma said.

 "Have you stopped by Scoops and Shakes yet?" Liam asked Emma.

 "Not yet," Emma said, "Elsa and Anna told me it's the best ice cream place in town though." "A slight understatement," Liam said, "one of the best on the planet. Perhaps my brother and I could you treat you ladies there tonight?"

 "Sounds pretty cool," Elsa said.

 "That was an ice one," Liam smiled.

 Emma groaned and rolled her eyes as Anna and Liam laughed.

 "I've got snow problem coming up with them," Elsa said.

 "You're quite clever," Liam smiled, then glanced at Killian, a look in his eyes that said he'd forgotten his role as wingman, but was just remembering it.

 "Care to join us at Scoops and Shakes after this?" Liam asked Emma.

 "I don't know," Emma said.

 "I'm sure my brother would be glad for your company," Liam smiled.

 Emma looked at Killian, expectantly, and he realized now he'd have to say something to her- something smooth, calculated, charming, cool- like Liam would. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't come up with anything.

 "That's it;" Killian thought, "I'm stopping by the county offices tomorrow and disowning myself. I'll go join Uncle Nemo's shipping company in Maine, never look back."

 "No, I, uh," Killian stammered, wondering how to avoid coming on too strong without avoiding coming on at all. "I might be able to uh," he made the mistake of looking at Emma, rendering himself entirely speechless at the sight of her smile.

 "You're really pretty," Killian mumbled.

 "What was that?" Emma asked, her tone not revealing if she liked what she heard.

 Killian covered his tracks- but covered them with the dirt beneath his feet, digging himself into a deep hole.

 "I said I need to use the privy!" Killian said, even louder than William had "whispered" to him earlier. He got up from his seat quickly, and ran to the bathroom.

 He shut the door of one of the bathroom stalls, not needing to use the bathroom, of course, but needing to step back and think, and wondering if his mom would still write to him if he ran away to Maine.

 "Curse that brother of mine," he muttered to himself, "why can't he understand that we're not all like him? I can't be him."

 But maybe that was Killian's problem. Maybe he was trying too hard to be like his brother- so much so he was neglecting to be himself.

 But if he was really gonna be himself, he'd be in his room right now, by himself, perfectly content to stay that way.

 When he left the bathroom, he saw William and his new friend playing at one of the arcade consoles, and figured it was as good an excuse as any to keep stalling.

 "How're you doing, kid?" Killian rubbed his little brother's hair. "Putting that Imperial Scum in their place?"

 "No!" William said. "We can't seem to get past this TIE Interceptor."

 Killian smiled. Taking on a whole fleet of TIEs was easier for him than trying to woo a girl.

 "May I?" Killian asked.

 William quickly stepped off to the side, and Killian took his place in front of the console. As he'd suspected, he did pretty well taking down the enemy invasion, and soon lost himself in the rush of the game and the cheers of the younger boys.

 "I think I got it from here," William smiled, pushing his big brother out of the way, "thanks!" "Man, we never could've gotten this far without your brother!" Henry told him.

 Satisfied that he'd at least done something right in the last ten minutes, he turned around, with a smile on his face. He quickly realized, though, that he hadn't noticed another spectator to his game- until he turned around and almost ran into her.

 "That's some pretty good shooting there, Red Five," Emma smiled.

 "I, uh," Killian took a deep breath, "I didn't peg you for a Star Wars fan."

 "Why not?" Emma crossed her arms, "because I'm a girl?" "Of course not," Killian said, "it's just rare to meet someone else who shares my interests, especially someone as cool as you."

 "You think I'm cool?" Emma asked.

 "Yeah," Killian said, "not many people can claim good looks alongside knowing Luke Skywalker's callsign."

 "I think someone else here can," Emma smiled.

 Killian blushed a little, his mouth an open smile as he thought of what to say next- not of what his brother would say next, but what he would say next.

 "Do you game as well?"

 "Sometimes," Emma said, "though I'm not very good at it."

 "Have you ever played the Fallen Order games?" "Haven't had the time or motivation yet," Emma said.

 "Liam and I have them on the XBox," Killian said, "If you'd ever did have the time or motivation, I'd love to show you."

 "Sounds like a date," Emma said. 

 "Only if you wanted it to be," Killian said, shyly looking down at his shoes.

 "Speaking of dates," Emma said, "did you wanna join the others over at Scoops and Shakes? I hear it's the best ice cream on the planet."

 "Liam was being facetious when he said that," Killian said, "but it is one of the best on a student's budget." They started to walk away, but he suddenly remembered his little brother.

 "William," Killian turned back to his brother, "time to go."

 "Go?" William asked, not turning his back on his game, "already? Five more minutes?" Killian rolled his eyes, then mouthed "watch this" to Emma.

 "We're getting ice cream," Killian said.

 "Finish it for me!" William jumped away from the console as Henry stepped into his place.

 "You got it, Gold Leader," Henry said, "may the force be with you!"

 "May the force be with you!" William called back, already past Emma and Killian and on his way to the door.

 "Shall we?" Killian asked, holding a hand out, gesturing in front of them.

 "Yeah," Emma smiled, and, much to his surprise, took Killian's hand in hers.

 He blushed, hoping his hand wasn't sweating too much, having never held hands with a girl before.

 As they rejoined with the others, Liam nodded at Killian and gave him a discreet thumbs up, to which Killian nodded in return.

 Killian looked back over at Emma and smiled a little, realizing that he wouldn't've gotten this close to her if Liam hadn't pushed him, and that maybe, just maybe, he didn't need to disown himself just yet.

[tindove]

The presentation of music in season two, and season one, of Good Omens is so important to me. But I find it hard to put into words just how so. So instead of losing my mind trying to figure out how to do all of that, I want to express my feelings over specifically “Everyday” and “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” and how they are used.

A huge emphasis was put on music this season. And a lot of the music defied my expectations of how it would be used having listened to the soundtrack before watching the season (And honestly I think part of why GOFLB specifically was included in the soundtrack was because, not just a nod to fans, the fandom had dubbed that THEIR song— or maybe just specifically Crowleys song for them…) And before was had s2, a lot of people assumed “Everyday” would again, be Crowley and Aziraphales song. Music surrounds them of course, and very often it defines them. So I had assumed the same for “Everyday”. Bringing them closer, everyday, fast paced notions leading to love. But it wasn’t their song. It was Gabriel and Beezlebubs. That song is the demonstration of their love for each other. More important than any other demonstration of love that could have been shown. That song is the most important thing to them. It makes them happy. And represents them at their best and most caring, especially toward eachother. That song is their triumph, their peace, and their beginning.

So no. Everyday is not Crowley and Aziraphales song. Because they already have their own song. That being, “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” of course.

That song is important to them. It’s practically about them, made for them, without it actually being so. It is what played while they dined together after the near end of the world, the thing that solidified the fact they didn’t have to hide anymore. They heard it play, and decided it was theirs— or at least Crowley did— but the fact Crowley brought it up at all makes me think it’s both of theirs. He knows how important this song is to the both of them. And knows that Aziraphales knows exactly what he’s saying, and what he means by it. Then and now.

The impossible had happened, an angel and demon won together against all of heaven and hell, they stopped the apocalypse (more or less) and they lived together, and a nightingale did sing.

It’s their song. Something sweet to be an outward representation of them. And it makes what comes hurt so much fucking more. It hurts after watching Gabriel and Beelzebub sing their song together, as they go off to live their lives, just themselves— and then Crowley takes that song that is theirs. That represents their triumph. Their love. And he says that it is gone. That there is nothing left there. That that’s the point. That silence is the point, and it’s been the defining point for both of them for four unresolved years of silence.

Because that’s what it feels like, right? Contrasting this ending to the end of s1, to what they could have compared to the other angel and demon. What they’re both trying to do (though Crowleys trying to say specifically what Aziraphale wants to do) isn’t a victory. It isn’t good, it’s not truly wanted, and it isn’t that same care that led them to the ritz after the last dangerous game they played with heaven and hell. There is no ritz, there is no nightingale, there is no song.

It’s quiet. And it’s not a good quiet. Because their lives are a constant lively dance. And the dance is over. And they’ve stepped out (and then Crowley doubly steps out after the kiss, after the “I forgive you”) That silence hurts.

That moment after the almost apocalypse, I would say, is the most on page they have ever been outside of simply trying to save the world, outside of simply trying to live. That was most peaceful with (almost) nothing to hide or lie about. No danger to worry for, not yet. The danger is momentarily gone.

That music being gone highlights how wrong everything with them has been. It’s been gone. At least the music they needed wasn’t there anymore. Nothing is light, or peaceful, or perfect. Because they can’t have that impossible happiness. Because they both want different things. Their approaches are so different that it leads to this break.

And when the music does come back (it comes back strong with the kiss specifically before it dies out back to defeated suffering silence again) it isn’t a good thing then either. Because it’s already been distorted.

The song plays for Crowley as soon as he starts the car. To start his own descent, away, to where? Who knows. Just not the bookshop. Whether that was because that was the Bentleys attempt at comfort, because he had the song cued up for them both— because it’s their song as they were to head to the ritz— like he wanted, or because his emotions are fucked and the song playing was the embodiment of that hurt. it all ends with him choosing to turn it off. It states that a nightingale sang, and he rejects that. He shuts it off. Because it can’t just be his song. It’s supposed to be their song. And it’s supposed to be their song of triumph, of personal choice. Of choosing eachother. But that didn’t happen. And now it’s just him. And so he leaves in silence.

No nightingales indeed.

[samaspic31]

Theory : anti-spoiler culture ruined the soundtrack of the kenobi series

I relistened to the series' soundtrack last week and the thing most noticeable about it is.... how unremarkable it is. Aside from the main theme john Williams composed, can you remember or sing anything from it? Aside from few good parts here and there, the impression I have is very generic, bland, and definitely void of the trademarks that make a good, memorable star wars soundtrack in my opinion.

Now I'm not one to hang on established themes if new, equally good ones are introduced; the mandalorian is my favourite star wars music, it proved it was possible. That wasn't the case here. And the kenobi series is, let's be real, mainly an appeal to nostalgia of the prequel movies. The mandalorian made new themes for new characters; and used the force theme for Luke's appearance, because it would feel like it's missing if it didn't. kenobi was almost exclusively legacy characters, some of them with firmly established musical themes. Leia has a theme since A new hope. The series also repeated instances from the prequels that had distinct musical associations: order 66 had the march on the jedi temple, anakin's betrayal, and the obiwan - anakin duel was characterized by battle of the heroes and duel of the fates (whose absence is made more frustrating by its use for the trailer. I don't think it was unreasonable for us to expect in to be used in the series when the promo was done with it).

Leia's theme is not used at all, despite the fact it had come to represent even alderaan itself in tcw's soundtrack. It makes no sense not to use it. They used it for baby leia meeting breha, it was created for her 19yo self, why wouldn't it be relevant to her 10yo self ? Besides, the emperor's theme is also left unused despite being long established in both trilogies. The imperial march is used once, and while I don't mean to swing back and argue they should have used it as much as rebels did, I do think it was too little and felt missing in the village scene on mapuzo

Again I would not be complaining if the music we got was so great that it made me forget what it didn't include. I don't want star wars to become a repetitive loop of rehashing and never any new theme, only callbacks. I do feel those themes should be used, sparsely, when relevant, when telling the story of the characters they represent. And especially in flashbacks. And the "replacement" we were given instead is, frankly, mediocre. I can't help but feel a void listening to it, because if you are reusing so much of the prequels both narratively and emotionally... why leave out such a huge part of what made us feel this way? Why cut the wings off your most emotional scenes by not reminding us musically what it's connected to ?

If you have to make me watch order 66 one hundred times, make it good. I have qualms with tcw s7, but I can't say Victory and death wasn't efficient, fitting, and as good a track as revenge of the sith's order 66 music. And it's just my opinion, but kenobi's take didn't live up to the challenge.

Ok, rant over. Why did this happen tho ? Why wouldn't they use the established themes? This is just my theory, obviously I don't work at Lucasfilm, but my guess is : the composer didn't know who she was writing for, she couldn't know what to use when. They wanted to keep the importance of leia's role a secret at all costs and make it a big reveal, as was when the vader - obiwan confrontations would take place, and the emperor cameo. I wouldn't be surprised if it was kept from even the composer. Favloni kept Luke's cameo secret from as many people as possible, telling basically anyone but mark that it'd be plo koon, and the only reason we did get the force theme in my opinion was that it did not give away it was specifically luke but any jedi. That specific brand of bland soundtrack mediocrity reminds me of what happens with the mcu when composers don't know neither what characters nor the details of the scenes they're writing for, in opposition with the Black Panther soundtrack where ludwig Goransson was informed.

It betrays such a disdain for composers that Disney is fully choosing to sacrifice quality, retaining relevant and vital information, to exclude artists from key aspects of the projects they hired them to be a part of, stifling their abilities to give us good music, and all out of fear of leaks that they cannot stop from happening anyways. Word got out of Luke's cameo, word got out of leia's involvement. Total lack of spoilers is impossible to achieve, and striving for it is hindering the very art it claims to protect the enjoyment of. Besides, a good plot should be able to withstand spoilers, and the whole spoiler circus seems very much a way to manufacture hype by signaling to people that they should want to find out before anyone else. But I digress. My point is that the lack of involvement of the composers make for some very forgettable scores and it's a damn shame

[geometricalien]

what is it. akafuri?? yeah them those two and that ship. Music note emoji

oh, oh no... i- i can't be normal about this, but thank you for asking and letting me talk about them. its impossible for me to go through my playlists and choose one song so here is three instead

Akafuri

Jess and Gabriel's cover of Rewrite the Stars - this song is about forging fate, choosing your love and happiness in the face of adversity. that exact theme is very popular in akafuri, plus encouraging akashi verse and anxious furihata verse. someone said this song encapsulates akafuri and i couldn't agree more except i'm not the biggest fan of the original soundtrack, luckily this cover's folk soundtrack suits my tastes better (plus no sad last verse)

BOY CRAZY by Nicky Buell - i feel like this song really captures akashi's feelings at the beginning of their relationship: the pop electro beat is electrifying, and then the lyrics- its so very akashi. being direct with his words and about his intentions, it reminds me of Furi's Anxiety Project by Turtinater (read it, its cute and fluffy and full of GoM shenanigans), like, the first thing akashi does when approached by furihata is flirt and when furihata is rightfully stunned he asks "i'm sorry, was that coming on a bit strong?" this song just sends me straight into brainrot- wHich is good, i need to write my wips fjasklj

Exist for Love by AURORA - i can't not include this song after it literally made me cry twice this week while thinking about akafuri. its also very similar to akashi's pov for my wip: "cause when you walked into my life, i could feel my life begin", "and then i learned the truth, that everything good in my life leads back to you", "i feel like i exist for love" - his fate includes being a warrior, being victorious, meeting furihata, falling in love with furihata: all preordained from the gods. to him, these are one and the same.

anywho thank you for the ask, pls excuse me i have to stare at the wall and cry while thinking about them

**EDIT** WAIT I MISUNDERSTOOD YOUR ASK FUCK UM- fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck okay real quick

Furihata First (because akashi would have my head if i didn't put him first)

Hercules by Sara Bareilles (wip song for him), Sunflower by Post Malone (song he'd listen to to chill out), Anxiety Song by Human Petting Zoo (anxious bean), 74 (boy loves his fairytales), Face My Fears by Mree (anxious & encouraging "let me face my fears" most furihata shit you'll ever hear)

Now Akashi

A Leader Always Carries a Stick by Grizzly Bear (that stick is what keeps his spine always so straight, thats the character trope i love), Body by Mother Mother (if akashi isn't sick of his body and just damn tired of his life that he feels like his is falling apart under all the pressures from his father- I HAVE NOT BEEN READING AKAFURI FOR 7 FUCKING YEARS), Casualty by Hidden Citizens (broken akashi >>>), Don't Mess With Me by Temposhark (badass akashi is badass), LAST ONE THANK GOD Akashi Rap (Kuroko no Basket) by Sensei Beats (fan rap someone made about him, its cold, and i know you haven't watched knb so FOLLOW THIS LINK AND GET TO KNOW HIM)

im so sorry, this, you didn't expect this much from the one ask fjdsklfaj

[thegeminisage]

ive done a terrible thing and accidentally turned on gloom hands for the map. i was only doing korok seeds/wells/caves/other bosses - i wanted shrines and hands to be a surprise, so i was just turning shrines on and off now and then to make sure i wasnt walking past any. but then i turned on hads to see how many there were and there's two in the next place im going for my korok seeds (crenel region). i would have rather not known :(

ugh man my compendium is SOOO empty...i miss the camera being on the first-person view. having it as an ability is so clunky! if i wanna 100% this i really gotta get on that bc no way do i or will i ever have the rupees to buy my way to victory

i looove btw, if i havent said. that if you kill an enemy while gliding/skydiving, you get the drops anyway. like they just appear in your inventory. VERY good

five bomb flowers in this chest! i appreciate it, but i almost have more bombs than arrows. (80-something arrows, 60-something bombs.) i got used to living without them. im a muddlebud girl now

ah i see. mining.

a well with nothing in it...there's gotta be more to it. haha it's the moor garrison ruins well so. that's a little joke. anyway im googling

okay, apparently google doesn't know shit either? surely there is something else here........

i guess not :/ bet i'll have to come back later...

WAIT I FOUND. STEPS THAT GO UNDERGROUND BUT THERE'S BARS HERE AAAA LET ME INNNNN

lmao the wall in the well is cracked can i actually bomb it?

answer: no

OH....................................

i thought ascending thru the ceiling would just take me back topside, but the well room was under this underground room! so i got in! ooough that dopamine. puzzle SOLVED all on my own!!!!

theres a treasure chest in one of these rooms, but the map tells me it's another fucking shield so im giving it a pass. i got the trick, thats what matters

shrine BELOW me? girl wtf

if i have to go back in that mining cave i just went thru.

ugh i checked and i DOOOO how did i miss it!!!

i DIED getting over there >:(

UGH and the enemies are back cuz of a blood moon :( i wasted 2 muddlebuds to NOT fight these guys...

i wish the totk fight music was better. i mean don't get me wrong, it's fine, but because of the way the soundtrack works the 3 songs i hear most often are the fight music, the shrine music, and the ambient bg music, which sometimes changes when in a snowy/high/watery area. i hear the fight music more than any other song and it gets stuck in my head CONSTANTLY and while much of this game's soundtrack is mindblowing and incredible, the fight music Is Not. it's simply not good enough for the song i'm listening to the fucking most. i'm already tired of hearing it and i'm only (checks) 95 hours into this game. ugh

>:( i'm mad that i probably won't be able to 100% it before i hit 100 hours...i wanted my whole hero's path on record...

anyway i found the shrine. finally.

NOT MORE OF THIS EVENTIDE SHIT

ugh i'm just gonna do it. honestly why couldn't they have just refined it to one island instead of microdosing us.......

COOL...there's a battle talus just patrolling back and forth along the road here!!

oh, a big tower fell over here...idr that from botw but i think it was in the trailers! neat

ok, i'm getting close to the area where the hands spawn :( i turned them back on on my map cuz im scared :(

oh man. so they spawn in these stumps full of water right...i can literally see those. they are so close to me. if i didn't Know i'd wander right in, unsuspecting...this is why i had that turned off. it's better not to know!!! than this anxiety!!!!!

what if i just...make them pop and then despawn them...

i can't do it. i can't. that is a TRAP i can see it's a trap those are high sides there's water like no fucking way. no way

GOD fuck a like like made a noise and i jumped out of my skin. the way the hands can scare you when you arent around AAAAAAAAAAAA

rauru settlement ruins...an innocuous reference to the ocarina of time sage in botw, but now...

i still have a few seeds left to get there and i know what i said about not doing shit today but i do actually have to do shit today. rip!

[purplejabberwock]

hello! if you're still taking fanfic asks - 5, 11, & 20!

Game questions from this meme.

5. have you ever made a playlist about something you were writing as an elaborate means to procrastinate when you could have been actually writing and if yes drop a link, son

No, never. If I plonk my ass in my writing chair and struggle, then I know there's something else up that I need to address. 'Elaborate means to procrastinate', in my mind, reads as 'I am lying to myself about an issue that's stopping me from writing', and I'm not a particular fan of the phrase because it pretends that I'm not an autonomous being who can make poor choices and own them.

I don't avoid writing. I choose to write, or I don't. If I find myself distractible and make the considered choice to be gentle, that's something else. Sometimes the choice is a bad one, but at least it's one I made, not something I just 'let happen'. Sometimes it's a valid one, like now, because I'm close to moving day and Just Don't Have The Room In My Brain. But it's still a choice I'm making, not an avoidance.

More on-topic, though, playlists have never really been my thing. I have songs I associate with characters and occasionally locations, but I don't put them into a playlist. I do listen to music when I write, and it's almost always instrumental -- John Dreamer and Two Steps From Hell being particular favourites, but often soundtracks from various places. Victory (Two Steps From Hell) deserves a special mention for being my on-repeat song for a while.

I do have an instrumental song I associate with the Tir from DMW, and an instrumental for the Dead Men in particular, but unfortunately my sister gave me those on a ripped CD yonks ago and I have never known their names, so I can't point them out.

11. what’s something neat you’ve learned while doing research for something you were writing? also, how much do you worry about doing research in general?

Penis hats. (VERY NSFW.)

I love research. Learning about new things is one of the pleasures of writing, for me. The issue is that it can sometimes get in the way of writing: it's a skill to realise a quick research jaunt is actually turning out much longer and cut it short, and change what you intended to write if necessary. (This, more than playlists, is my risk in terms of accidental distractions.)

Most of the time I can keep to quick research jaunts, but sometimes I need to consciously set that aside, or leave up a load of tabs to look at another time or to reference later. I haven't yet found a way of collating links I'm satisfied with, because if I want to know something most times I'll just google it again, but you can usually tell what I'm writing by what kind of tabs I have up next to Atticus. I do exhibit browser hygiene (in terms of having a different browser 'account' for my writing stuff) so at least I can afford to keep the tabs there until I'm done with them.

For those interested, my current writing tabs. (Inclusive counting does my head in.)

20. what is your favorite trope to write?

'Someone died in canon and I Refuse'. What, that's not a real trope name? I'm not going to TVTropes to be Official, I'm no fool.

[cress-meadowforge]

TASK 007. MERIT BADGES

cress might leave this arena, but she would bear its mark forever.

cress collapsed on all fours, gasping for air as she retched forward, empty stomach heaving violently. she choked, eyes welling. the second wave of summer had left its mark on her, but it had hardly done its worst. that particular achievement went to the remains of the district 8 tribute left incinerated outside. canons echoed in the distance, and cress slumped forward, gagging from sickness and the smell of burning flesh.

her fingers trembled as they slipped down to her satchel, pulling a tin jar of salve and a handful of dried flora from within. she took a loose stone from the cave's floor and began to grind the pressed greenery with her good hand, turning calendula and chamomile and pennywort into powder. she'd collected them during first spring, just in case, and as she mixed them into the salve, cress remembered learning about flowers as a child in the pioneers. back then, they'd made ointments for bug bites and scented chapstick like schoolgirls, and cress had been amazed that something so beautiful could be useful too.

cress was glad the tribute was dead. the boy from eight had already been injured; he knew he was going to die -- either from the weather or from the gaping stab wound in his stomach. he didn't have to grab cress like that. he didn't have to hold her there while the arena's synthetic sun rose, causing everything to evaporate, and boil, and burn. she wished she could have finished him with her bare hands, but she'd dragged herself down deeper into the cave to the soundtrack of his agony, and there had been some small solace in hearing that fade to silence.

pro: the fabric on her arm and shoulder had melted off entirely, giving her greater access to the burn beneath. con: pieces of it had melted into her wound, and removing the scraps challenged cress' confidence in her ability to maintain consciousness. she managed, though by the time the wound was wrapped, cress was weeping from pain. vaguely, she also realized that while the salve would save her life, and might even ease the effects, it would not spare her from scarring. cress might leave this arena, but she would bear its mark forever.

voices echoed from the depths of the cave, increasing in volume, and footfall shook cress from her realization. she listened to the pitch and cadence of the approaching tributes, sighing in relief at the sound. she pulled strands of hair loose, letting them matte to her face, and she pressed on her wound until tears spilled over from her eyes. curling into herself, cress called out, surprised at the amount of aguish in her voice. she listened to the quickening of steps and the gasps at the sight of her. she tried not to grin as familiar hands found her face, smearing the sweat from her face with a tenderness she did not deserve.

cress reached up, fingers covering the other's with her own as relief flooded her face. it was the only genuine expression there. she'd survive another night, one small victory on the way to one that mattered most. "i knew you'd find me," she whispered, closing her eyes against the touch. "lila, i knew you'd come."

[mach-speed-spin]

Mayblade day 10: song (reminder that Nickelback was once featured on official Beyblade merch)

Nelvana and Hasbro decided they wanted to make Beyblade be more than just spinning tops with a tie-in anime series. After several attempts, I think they kinda gave up because non of them were successful. Beywheelz, Beyraiderz, and Beywarriors all flopped (despite some cool ideas). Their trading card game back in the og series is so obscure that I can’t get any info on it besides “it existed” and “it seems poorly thought out.” And at one point they got into music. After finding this YouTube playlist with Beyblade songs (openings, endings, the dub insert songs, etc), I noticed that for some reason it included How You Remind Me by Nickelback, California by Phantom Planet, and an AMV. After some research, I found that those songs were released on official Beyblade CD’s back in 2001-2002. So I’m gonna give some thoughts on every single song in that playlist in the context of Beyblade (also to make up for yesterday’s shorter post since I didn’t have much time)

Normally I'd add a cut here but my laptop's still broken and I don't know enough about the Tumblr app to use it properly

Catch a Cannonball by White Pony: This song is considered lost media and if anyone can find it please DM me or something

Let’s Beyblade by Sick Kid ft Lukas Rossi: The original series English dun opening. It’s very early 2000′s and serves as an opening pretty well. I just wish there was an extended/ full version

Fighting Spirits by System-B: As a standalone opening, it’s pretty good. As far as Beyblade goes, it’s wildly different than any opening we’ve gotten since, which makes it stand out even more

Cheer Song by System-B: Not sure how I feel about the song itself, but if it works for anything, it’s as an ED. Also, it’s so different from Fighting Sprits that I had a hard time believing they were both made by System-B

Beyblade by Giorgio Vanni: The Italian opening for the first season. The combination of rock with what sounds like bells(?) later in the song create a weird but interesting feel to it. Also “Boy-blade” is such a stupid pun that it had to have been made ironically, right. Right?

OFF THE CHAIN by TOSS & TURN: Song is a banger. I have no idea who thought it’d fit Beyblade as an opening. Love how it’s in ALL CAPS. Also I don’t speak a word of Japanese but there’s enough English that I can kinda guess what the song is trying to say

URBAN LOVE by Shiori: Another song in all caps, this time as an ED. While I’m normally not a fan of less energetic songs, this is pretty good

Jet by Fairy Fore: The scream at the beginning of the song makes you think you’re gonna get a much harder song than the first verse. And the it slowly ramps up until by the end, you’re back to the same energy as the beginning. Brilliant

What’s the Answer? by Retro G Style: Like OFF THE CHAIN, there is just enough English for me to get a vague idea of what the song is about. I like it, but wish that they had used the song by Retro G Style in G-Revolution for obvious reasons

Beyblade vforce by Giorgio Vanni: IMO a nice improvement over the first Italian opening, but goddamn “Boy-blade” is still here. Why?

Poroporo by Hana Hana: The ED for the V-Force movie. Every other beat is out of tune but it’s done on purpose so I can’t consider it a flaw. It grew on me over time but the decision to be out of tune on purpose is still weird

Victory by Dynamite SHU: I couldn’t find official information on the artist but someone said Victory was performed by Dynamite SHU so I’m rolling with it for now. Also it may be called Victory or Victoria. It’s unclear. It’s also part of the V-Force movie soundtrack and honestly I think it’d make a better ED than Poroporo, if only because Poroporo isn’t really enjoyable on your first listen (even if it really grown on you later)

Go Ahead by Motoko Kumai: Amazing OP for G-Revolution. Probably my favorite from Bakuten Shoot. It gets you pumped for the episode and it fits the tone of early G-Rev perfectly

Oh Yes!! by Sista with Yuka: As an ED, it’s pretty good. It’s also a great way to conclude the early episodes of G-Rev

Kaze no Fuku Basho by Makiyo: Somehow manages to be an improvement over Oh Yes!! while also fitting the middle portion of G-Rev better

Identified by Springs: Finally we learn that the G in G-Revolution stands for Good. It’s also the perfect OP to end the original series on

Sign of Wish by Makiyo: Like Identified is the perfect OP to end on, Sign of Wish is the perfect ED to conclude the original series. I know that the last episode used Kaze no Fuku Basho for the epilogue, but Sign of Wish was perfect for the BEGA arc, itself a great conclusion to the original story

Never Gonna Take Me Down by Anthony Vanderburgh: I’ve been fighting every night an day. I’m gonna do my best to put you away. It’s perfect for more friendly but intense (like most of the minor battles in tournament arcs). Like most of the dub insert songs, they’re bangers but sadly misused

Round After Round by Jason Dean Bennison: Like Never Gonna Take Me Down, it’s perfect for battles where both bladers want nothing more than to just fight each other

All Across the Nation by The Black Europeans: The fact that this was used for any battle in the season 1 tournaments (you know, the ones with multiple countries) is weird, but the song itself is still good

Let’s Go Beybladers by Krystal Band: The vocals have this strange quality to them, like the musical equivalent of a 2004 homemade video project made by a high school student. Objectively bad but charming in its own way

Swing Low by Jason Dean Bennison: The vocals feel out of place, but damn that bass is epic. Also you can kinda hear samples from Fighting Spirits in the background (that “DORAIGA” scream is hard to miss after a few listens)

Underdog by Mudd: In all honesty it’s a shame Mudd didn’t go one to have more success after Beyblade. Underdog was great

Always Be In the Game by Jason Dean Bennison: Normally I’m not a fan of rap vocals over rock instrumentation but Jason pulled it off. Not sure how or why, but it works

Switchblade by Lenz: Good song but someone messed up when they rereleased it. Also the contrast between the music and the lyrics in the chorus is fairly specific. Maybe it was written to be a character theme?

Hang On by Chris Szczesniak and Mike Dunca: It took 20 years for this song to be released. Amazing bass, amazing vocals, and I can’t think of a song that better fits Kai vs Brooklyn (the time where Kai wins, that is)

Rise Above the Storm by Daniel LeBlanc and Creighton Doane: Oddly uplifting yet very energetic. When I say this is one of the most uplifting songs I’ve ever heard, I am not exaggerating

I’m Not Going Down by Jonathan Evans and Gerard Tevlin: If Hang On fits Kai vs Brooklyn, then I’m Not Going Down fits Tyson vs Brooklyn. It’s just a powerful declaration of victory, being the musical embodiment of that final battle

Start the Circus by Far From Heroes: Good song but I don’t see what it has to do with Beyblade. Still a banger

Cinderella by Adam Crossley with 9 Point Landing: Just like Start the Circus, a banger that is completely unrelated to Beyblade

What the Girls Say by Jennesy: For a show with such a skewed gender ratio for characters, this song feels extremely out of place. It’s good, but manages to feel more “off” than Cinderella

Running Away by Project Wyze: A friend of mine likes to say that early 2000′s music was 80% pop rock and 10% rap metal. Running Away is part of that 10% and it is the perfect example of what rap metal is. If you like rap metal, you’ll like this song. If you don’t like rap metal, you won’t like this song

Let It Rip by Ego Massive: It truly relates to Beyblade and it isn’t an insert song. I’m surprised. The song itself is alright, but pales in comparison to some others

Split the Atom by Edwin and the Pressure: Great song. Unrelated to Beyblade. I’m starting to notice a trend

Pretty Girls by Prozzak: Good song and I have though the glass break sound effect was real and in my house on one occasion

Girls & Boys by Good Charlotte: This song is 50% less out of place than What the Girls Say

Year 3000 by Busted: Possibly a warm take, but the Jonas Brothers’ cover of the song was a downgrade

Buck Rogers by Feeder: I first heard this song playing Gran Turismo and forever associate it with that game. I can’t judge the song on its own because of that

Movies by Alien Ant Farm: Honestly it’s probably the weakest song that released on that CD. It’s not bad per se, but it’s less good than the rest

Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus: Hit early 2000′s song that was shoehorned into Beyblade merch and honestly, it wasn’t a bad idea

Nothing by A: Google “A Nothing” and see if you find this song. Other than that, it’s great. Love it

How You Remind Me by Nickelback: It’s Nickelback. That’s all there is to say. Take that how you will

California by Phantom Planet: If only Beyblade saw the US as more than New York and Las Vegas (and later, Moab, Utah). The west coast isn’t even acknowledged. Had they made one of the characters be from California (like any of the All-Starz), this would’ve been more fitting

Metal Saga by Clifton David: While the English OP for mfb isn’t bad, it feels like a remix of the Japanese OP, but without being different enough to stand out

Metal Fight Beyblade by YU+KI: YU+KI did an amazing job in every season of mfb, and the first opening is no exception

Boys ~To the Radiant Tomorrow~ by MASH: I thought Boys was the artist for far longer than I should. It’s a great ED, and has IMO some of the strongest visuals for a Beyblade ED even though it’s very simple

Beyblade Metal Fusion by unknown artist: I don’t know who made the Italian opening for Fusion but it was pretty good

Galaxy Heart by YU+KI: It takes everything that made Metal Fight Beyblade good an multiplies it tenfold. Absolutely amazing

Oozora wo Koete Yuje by Odoriba Soul: Pretty good ED. It kinda gives me similar vibes as Oh Yes!! but I’m not sure why

Beyblade Metal Masters by unknown artist: An improvement over the Italian Fusion opening, taking it from good to great

Spinning the World by Noa: Love it. Great ED for the Sol Blaze movie. Probably on the same tier as Kaze no Fuku Basho for me

Kokoro no Yuki by YU+KI: the 4d opening slaps even harder than Galaxy Heart

Destiny by YCHRO: Just like Kokoro no Yuki managed to outdo Galaxy Heart, Destiny managed to outdo Oozora wo Koete Yuke. God 4d had great music (if only it wasn’t a shortened season)

Shine On by unknown artist: Absolute banger. That’s all I have to say about it besides that the artist deserves to actually be credited

Let It Rip by The Lodge: I did not expect bars of this level from a song made for a toy commercial. Even though the dub adding rap in anime is usually an unpopular decision, this was good

Game Changer by the Lodge: Another banger

To the Extreme by the Lodge: Why couldn’t the XTS toyline go as hard as this song?

Deploy and Destroy: This song is great and makes Stealth Battlers seem a lot cooler than they were irl

Own the Dome: Somehow a team of people got Hasbro’s worst stadium ever, and made the best commercial out of it. And part of that has to do with this absolute bop of a song

Stunt, Race, Crash by the Lodge: Like To the Extreme, Deploy and Destroy, and Own the Dome, this was a great song that advertised a terrible product

Zero-G Bey! Go! by YU+KI: I’d rank it between Metal Fight Beyblade and Galaxy Heart. It’s good, but not as much as the previous Japanese OPs (granted the bar was pretty damn high)

Looking Up Smiling (We Go!) by YCHRO: It manages to be just barely better than Destiny, which is pretty impressive

Beyblade: Shogun Steel by Sugar High Bunny Punch: Does it fit Beyblade? Not really. Is it good? Maybe not great, but better than I’ve seen people give it credit for

Let the Games Begin by Arunachal: The Beywheelz OP that was used for the English and Japanese versions alike. Like the English OP for Shogun Steel, I think it’s better than given credit for. Although like Beywheelz, it pales in comparison to the other seasons

A Better Place by Jonathan Evans: One of the guys behind I’m Not Going Down makes his return. A Better Place is a pretty good ED< even if it doesn’t stand out

Beyraiderz Theme by iSH and Nicholas Walsh: I’ll be honest the chorus is the only part I like from this. The rest is serviceable as an opening, but I wouldn’t call it good

Come Around by SPACEMAN MUSIC: I like Come Around, and consider it an improvement over A Better Place, but I don’t think it fits Beyraiderz as a season

Beywarriors: Cyborg by unknown artist: A better OP than Beyraiderz, but still a tad below Let the Games Begin

Hold Tight by unknown artist: Like anything relating to Beywarriors, the artist name is hard to find. It’s a strange ED, but I can’t put my finger on why. Like Poroporo, it’s interesting, even if I’m not sure whether I like it

Burst Finish! by Tatsuyuki Kobayashi: A good OP that fits the first season of Burst. It’s great

Believe by SHIKURAMEN: The only Burst ED to get a full version, and it’s certainly deserving of it. Like Burst Finish! it fits the first season of Burst perfectly

Our Time by Steven Allerick Chen: A great opening in par with Burst Finish

Battle Above My League by Fenwick & the Futures: The instrumentation is ok I guess. The vocals have this weird feel to them, like lofi but not really. Like Poroporo and Hold Tight, this song interests me because I don’t quite understand what I’m hearing

Evolution Burst! by unknown artist: The Beyblade Burst God OP is great. I'd call it the best of Japanese Burst openings but Cho-Z exists, making Evolution Burst! a worthy second

Beyxercise by Señor Hanami: If we ignore the visuals in the ED (so no Markiplier dancing), it goes from hilariously good to just regular good. The beat is catchy, but the vocals really make this song. It's performed by Hanami's VA, which makes that last "BASUTO FINISHU" so much better

Beyxercise 2 by Señor Hanami: It's Beyxercuse but again. The beat is different, and a bit of a slightly downgrade, but everything else is as good as the original Beyxercise

Evolution by Dave Vives and Steven Pagano: It's a great opening. Not much to say other than it's really good

Made for This by Vaski and Ian Everson: Amazing. Absolutely amazing. It's hard not to sing along and go "We were made for this"

Chouzetsu Muteki Blader by Ryosuke Sasaki: Easily one of my favorite Beyblade openings ever. Everything about it is fantastic

Bey-Pop! by Shun Kusakawa: Catchy and cheery is the best way to describe this. Lovely song

Bey-Pop Swing! by Shun Kusakawa: It's Bey-Pop bit more energetic. Still catchy and cheery, but with a tad bit more excitement

Turbo by Nate Wants to Battle: Best of the English OP's according to many, and a very close second best in my personal ranking. Nathan Sharp has delivered everything one could ask for from an opening

Gatti'n'Roll by unknown artist: I genuinely dkn't know why anyone though this was a good idea. I guess they thought they couldn't beat Chouzetsu Miteki Blader at its win game and went in the opposite direction, being very cheery rather than adrenaline-pumping. For what it's trying to be, it's pretty good. It just doesn't really work as an OP

Rise by Jonathan Young: IMO the best English opening in all of Beyblade. Jonathan Young made a high-energy OP that gets you pumped for the anime. Also his JJBA OP covers are great

Journey Into Tomorrow by Tony Rodini: I have a hard time deciding between this and Made for This for which is the best eyecatcher theme. Journey Into Tomorrow is just as good as Made for This and Made for This was great

Sparking Revolution by unknown artist: Not a bad OP but it doesn't really stand out. It's good, but it's just "there"

We Got the Spin by Konrad OldMoney and Johnny Gr4ves: Like Gatti'n'Roll, they were trying to go in the opposite direction of the previous opening. However, GT was a more lighthearted and comedic season, while Sparking is more serious than its predecessor. This means that to fit the season, we'd need something as intense as Rise, or at least Evolution, and instead we get this. And unlike the original series or mfb using rap on occasions, We Got the Spin lacks the energy present in songs like Shine On and Always Be In the Game

Clash! Dynamite Battle! by NORISTRY: Great opening. Probably my second favorite Japanese Burst OP behind Muteki Blader

We're Your Rebels by Nate Wants to Battle: Massive step up from We Got the Spin, and it's just what we expected from the guy that made Turbo

[sometipsygnostalgic]

Reviewing Kanto Gym Leader/Elite 4 Music

Today, Tipsy is watching “All Elite 4 Soundtracks [GEN 1-9] 2022″ and she realised that not only are there an ungodly total of 4 Kanto tracks on this video, it’s also missing “Kanto Gym Leader” from Generation 2 and 4′s Johto games (because they’re not the E4 themes), which brings us to a total of six Kanto gym leader remixes in the core series alone, excluding the anime, spinoff games, or Super Smash Bros. 

Here is my review of each of them. 

Generation 1 (the original, Red/Blue/Yellow): Very high energy. I can tell that they put everything they had into this track and pushed the Gameboy to its limits. What I like about it is how victorious and yet intimidating it is, it’s a friendly intense battle. I think this track captures what makes Pokemon music good. It fits exactly what it was made for. 

For some reason, I can only find Pokeli’s edit of the theme with added Pokemon sounds. Even compilation videos like the one at the top of this post use this version. 

Generation 2 (Gold/Silver/Crystal): If the last version of this theme was intimidating but cheerful, this version scraps the cheer completely and focuses on the fight. I don’t actually like it as much as its predecessor, there’s not nearly as much energy, but it’s so hype to get to Kanto after playing through Johto and hear remixes of all your favourite tracks. I love how on some repeats, this version changes up the instruments rather than having a straight loop. Unfortunately the GSC versions of the gym leaders never scaled up with each battle, so it’s a bit forgettable. 

Generation 3 (Fire Red/Leaf Green): Heck yes, back on the bullshit with EVERYTHING HAPPENING ALL THE TIME, and it’s emphasized even more by how they seem to use every instrument available on the gameboy in this track. Because of the GBA’s sound system using compressed audio, this version actually sounds way dirtier than its Gameboy counterparts. This is also hard to listen to with how chaotic it is. However it’s all good fun, I’d say while I prefer the original, this is a good evolution of it and fits Gen 3 well. 

Generation 4 (Heart Gold/Soul Silver): Holy SHIT that intro!!! The intro is way longer than the Gold and Silver version, I’d say in general it’s a huge improvement, adding a final verse before the loop where the music is higher just like in the original before moving down to the GS low key. Like all the battle music in HGSS, this feels like a battle for your life. Again, the actual battle is not as strong as Johto gym leaders, but it’s so nostalgic, a true sequel to FRLG. This sounds much better than Gen 3′s compressed trumpets and guitar. Makes me want to pick up Soul Silver, but I need to complete Platinum again before I can touch it... 

Generation 5 (Black 2/White 2): With this gen they went back to the drawing board - rather than emphasizing the chaotic core instruments like Gen 3 and 4, instead they DE-emphasized the main tune, returned to more chiptune sounds like the original, and put the background synth in the spotlight!! That synth bar at 1:58 and 2:17? That is sex. I love this experiment. It blends in with the rest of the music in gen 5, which knocks it down a bit, but compared to the other versions of Kanto Gym Leader it’s refreshing and new. Gen 5 was going for a different sound after the designers got sick and tired of the same pseudo orchestra noises across the last two gens. 

Aaaaa??? I can’t add any more videos. T_T  

Nintendo Switch (Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee): Hell yes, now we are finally on modern technology, with the Nintendo Switch’s audio giving Game Freak the full power they need to make an Anime tribute version of the theme. That’s right, the battle music in LGPE is supposed to sound like the anime. Full orchestra, baby! With this cool guitar serving an undercurrent to the whole thing. It sounds kind of like a Xenoblade version of the theme, which means after a minute of listening my brain switches off, but I think objectively this is the easiest to listen to other than the original, because of how natural it sounds. So many layers, but none of them intrusive and irritating. 

BONUS: The original Anime theme from 1995: Dear god, this is SUCH an 80s/90s style piece of music, the progression, the “boop boop boop” synth noise, the switch to a sudden guitar solo, the constant change in instruments just like in the Gen 3 version... I think if Game Freak had the resources, they’d have made the games sound like this. It’s got that almost pseudo jazz style that they have fallen in love with in recent years. 

[reslari]

Time to clutter up the timeline, but I had the idea to follow up on the Soulstober post I made with some fun comments that I didn't put on the actual AO3 work (mostly because they sort of interrupt the flow of the very short stories), so I'll do it here where only the real OGs will be able to see what I say.

Day 1: Wings

Lot of people drew Malenia for the wings, and that's fair, but almost all of them did her second phase. I love her Scarlet Valkyrie imagery (and her helmet. God I love that helmet), and the fact her trinkets in Elden Ring reference the wings and victory just was a no-brainer.

Day 2: Scavenge

I linked the fic to my girlfriend. About two minutes later I just hear her yell "Damn it, Patches!" from the other room. Clearly I did something right.

Day 3: Eye

Just wanted to do something for the dead Choir dude you find with the Cosmic Eye Watcher badge on their corpse. Also wanted the Upper Cathedral Ward to fall apart in a lot of the same ways and for a lot of the same reasons as the Research Hall did (In the Hunter's Nightmare, at least). Parallels!

Day 4: Cold

I wanted to go contrary to how many people were drawing Friede (and one or two of Priscilla, bless those folks) for this. Also, wanted to fit as many references to many different kinds of "cold" as possible. Cold tension between Maria and her mother, cold weather at Cainhurst, Maria's slow descent into a much colder personality, and of course, cold and dead. (Ask me what I think Maria was like at Byrgenwerth pre-massacre sometime)

Day 5: Stars

Back to predictability, it's just a quick post-script to the Age of Stars ending from Elden Ring, with a gender-neutral Tarnished. Yes, I do rather enjoy that ending.

Day 6: Rot

Most people associate Malenia with rot, which is fair! Hers is the strongest association, of course. But Friede is the OG on that one.

This is just a quick blurb about what I think was actually going on in Ariandel. Read this and it'll be obvious why I decided to write Rosenrot in the first place.

Then ask me about my Friede headcanons/interpretations sometime.

Day 7: Rune

Caryll is just a silly little guy. Also I know the game calls them "inhuman mutterings of the Great Ones" but I just love playing with the idea that the language of the Great Ones is a whole entire Experience that isn't actually like listening to words.

Day 8: War

Golden Order vs. Caria and Marika's decision to sic Radagon on Rennala. Whether or not that was a good idea or Marika shot herself in the foot in the funniest way possible will depend on what you consider the relationship between Radagon, Marika, and Rennala all was.

Also I love unhinged Marika. The original ending of the chapter had her cursing her steward to never be able to talk again, but it flowed weird.

Day 9/10: Window/Sibling

I had this really strong image of Lothric sitting at a window and talking to his brother. In lieu of trying to come up with a second prompt for the second day, I just combined the two together into one.

I love Lorian and Lothric. Fun characters, probably my second favorite boss fight in Dark Souls 3. Banger soundtrack.

Day 11: Fear

So my girlfriend started a new Bloodborne playthrough last weekend, and while I was sitting on my computer playing a much brighter and friendlier game, I couldn't help but note just how panicked and fearful the huntsmen are wandering the streets of Central Yharnam when they attack you (and even when you hear them muttering to themselves). They're absolutely terrified of you, of your Hunter. There are a lot of things to fear in Yharnam, but your Hunter seems to be one of the most central ones. When disempowerment of the player/character is sort of a hallmark of the Souls series, Bloodborne flipped that on its head in a way, too, just like the slower Dark Souls combat. You're the apex predator here. You're an unknown variable, and you're terrifying.

Then you kill the townsfolk, and their gods, and you sort of prove them right in a way; they SHOULD have been afraid of you.

Man I love Bloodborne.

Day 12: Rain

Breakdown of cycles, weather patterns. Also a slight reference to that post in the main tags that's like "Bloodborne: Sopping wet, Dark Souls: Dusty and dry, Elden Ring: Normal amount of humidity".

Like what if the "dry" was a side-effect of disrupted weather cycles due to the Flame's waning?

(I say "dry" but you run through all kinds of mud and puddles in Dark Souls, and places like Irithyll are still snowing. So, there's still precipitation somewhere.)

Day 13: Mystery

Fia and Rogier and something akin to pillow talk. Going to Stormveil Castle and plumbing the depths beneath it can only end well for Rogier, right? :')

[calii-classy]

Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher by Kenny Loui

About the book:

The tale of a man drifting through life, collecting cute, cuddly plushies and valuable life lessons along the way.

Kenny Loui is a self-proclaimed "UFO catcher," whose life goal is to "liberate" all plushies trapped in captivity inside arcade claw machines. In his UFO-catching journey, Kenny encounters a concerned guardian spirit who tries—but fails—to keep him out of trouble, a beautiful stranger with an affinity for dart games but is always missing her mark, a wise arcade owner who never hesitates to share his sage advice, and a rival who foils Kenny's crane game victories every chance he gets.

This collection of short stories chronicles Kenny’s experiences playing arcade UFO catchers, rescuing cute and cuddly plushies while capturing important life lessons along the way... just like Aesop's Fables, but with a modern-day twist (and an awesome 80's soundtrack)! Based on a true story.

This graphic novel collects all stories originally published in Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher #1-3 and features bonus content including extended scenes, an epilogue, BGM-enhanced stories, and character sketch art.

Buy the book – HERE

Reviews:

San Francisco Book Review – 4 stars

Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher , an autobiographical manga by Kenny Loui, was such a creative, lighthearted read. Based on Loui’s personal experiences, he bestows life lessons and wisdom that he has gleaned through a fun, colorful manga.

The story’s main character, Kenny Loui, is a self-proclaimed “UFO catcher” alongside his role as a student, teacher, hopeless romantic, and officer. As a UFO catcher, Kenny essentially goes to crane and claw machines to “rescue” as many plushies and stuffed animals as he possibly can. The manga follows him in 13 different episodes as he plays the claw machine and learns many life lessons along the way. For example, in Episode 2 titled “Always Have a Plan”, the scene is set where Kenny is playing the UFO Catcher claw machine. As he enters his money to play, he moves the joystick back and forth, attempting to maneuver the claw to win a pink cat plushie. After pressing the button, he just misses the toy. Upset, he inserts more money and tries again for his victory. The moral of this episode, summarized by Kenny contemplating his next move next to the claw machine, is to always have a plan. As he states, “Don’t just jump in without knowing what you’re going to do.” Similarly to this, the rest of the episodes continue in this fashion.

As a whole, I enjoyed the plot of all the episodes and found them to be cheerful reminders of timeless advice. But, one of the most notable things about this manga was the gorgeous illustrations done by Yamawe. Truly, she outdid herself. With manga, the artwork is such a crucial, make-or-break component of the novel, and I am happy to say she truly made this book unique! Her attention to detail, color, and precision makes this novel come to life. I loved the way she played with pigments to show shadows, light, texture, and emotion on all of the characters and the scenery.

Finally, one of the most innovative things about this Manga was the incorporation of QR codes. Throughout the story, Loui and Yamawe include scenes with a musical component. On these pages, a character asks the reader to look out for the YouTube play icon, as a QR code is included to deliver you to a music video. The character then encourages you to listen to the song as you read, for a full immersive experience. Personally, I absolutely loved how originative this was. Never before has a book asked me to incorporate another sense as part of the experience, and I loved the results! This truly made this book stand out to me for its creativity and uniqueness!

~ Reviewed By: Theresa Kadair, San Francisco Book Review

Book Life:

Loui collects his autobiographical Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher webtoon series into this entertaining manga following his adventures as a teacher, student, and stuffed animal liberator. Characterizing himself as a “hopeless romantic” (who’s also “unlucky in love”), Loui details his mission to free plush dolls from the local gaming store’s claw machine—“because no one should live in captivity…even cute plushies.” His quest is endearing, as are his attempts to keep his cool when the rescue efforts inevitably go south—and the local bully shows up time and again to reap the benefits of Loui’s hard work.

As admirable and relatable as his mission is, Loui’s adventure of course isn’t all fun and games. But as he hits roadblocks, his guardian spirit, Somi, offers resonant wisdom, encouraging Loui to find the principal lesson he must learn behind every obstacle. When Loui changes tactics mid-rescue, bully Killian steps in to steal his plushie, prompting Loui’s sage advice that you shouldn’t “ ‘flip flop’ in the middle of executing a plan… [or] you may end up opening the door to victory for somebody else.” That’s the start of a serious rivalry between Loui and Killian, and despite Somi’s efforts to help Loui keep his cool, he eventually loses it—and faces grave consequences afterwards.

Yamawe’s illustrations dazzle the eye while suggesting the narrative’s underlying themes, such as depicting Loui, and Killian’s, inner children, who deliver heightened emotion to some of the story’s more tense scenes. Loui sprinkles mature themes throughout as well, as when he’s momentarily distracted by the racy Gals Attack video game only to end up in an awkward position, prompting him to “stick with UFO catching!” Loui’s choice to include QR codes for a 1980s soundtrack to accompany the story is entertaining, and a fun counterpart to Somi’s moral-heavy philosophizing toward the end.

~ Review

About the Author:

Kenny Loui is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Loras College in Dubuque, IA. Due to his lifelong love of comics and Japanese anime/manga, he often incorporates creative and expressive arts into his classes to enhance student learning. One of his most popular classes at Loras College, Law, Crime & Pop Culture Diplomacy combines Dr. Loui’s interest in comparative criminology and East Asian popular culture. His debut graphic novels, Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher: An Autobiographical Manga and There is No Shrimp… And Other Lies My Mother Told Me, were presented the Mom's Choice Awards in 2023 and received praise from Kirkus Reviews, San Francisco Book Review and more.

[academicvoyager]

Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher by Kenny Loui

About the book:

The tale of a man drifting through life, collecting cute, cuddly plushies and valuable life lessons along the way.

Kenny Loui is a self-proclaimed "UFO catcher," whose life goal is to "liberate" all plushies trapped in captivity inside arcade claw machines. In his UFO-catching journey, Kenny encounters a concerned guardian spirit who tries—but fails—to keep him out of trouble, a beautiful stranger with an affinity for dart games but is always missing her mark, a wise arcade owner who never hesitates to share his sage advice, and a rival who foils Kenny's crane game victories every chance he gets.

This collection of short stories chronicles Kenny’s experiences playing arcade UFO catchers, rescuing cute and cuddly plushies while capturing important life lessons along the way... just like Aesop's Fables, but with a modern-day twist (and an awesome 80's soundtrack)! Based on a true story.

This graphic novel collects all stories originally published in Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher #1-3 and features bonus content including extended scenes, an epilogue, BGM-enhanced stories, and character sketch art.

Buy the book – HERE

Reviews:

San Francisco Book Review – 4 stars

Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher , an autobiographical manga by Kenny Loui, was such a creative, lighthearted read. Based on Loui’s personal experiences, he bestows life lessons and wisdom that he has gleaned through a fun, colorful manga.

The story’s main character, Kenny Loui, is a self-proclaimed “UFO catcher” alongside his role as a student, teacher, hopeless romantic, and officer. As a UFO catcher, Kenny essentially goes to crane and claw machines to “rescue” as many plushies and stuffed animals as he possibly can. The manga follows him in 13 different episodes as he plays the claw machine and learns many life lessons along the way. For example, in Episode 2 titled “Always Have a Plan”, the scene is set where Kenny is playing the UFO Catcher claw machine. As he enters his money to play, he moves the joystick back and forth, attempting to maneuver the claw to win a pink cat plushie. After pressing the button, he just misses the toy. Upset, he inserts more money and tries again for his victory. The moral of this episode, summarized by Kenny contemplating his next move next to the claw machine, is to always have a plan. As he states, “Don’t just jump in without knowing what you’re going to do.” Similarly to this, the rest of the episodes continue in this fashion.

As a whole, I enjoyed the plot of all the episodes and found them to be cheerful reminders of timeless advice. But, one of the most notable things about this manga was the gorgeous illustrations done by Yamawe. Truly, she outdid herself. With manga, the artwork is such a crucial, make-or-break component of the novel, and I am happy to say she truly made this book unique! Her attention to detail, color, and precision makes this novel come to life. I loved the way she played with pigments to show shadows, light, texture, and emotion on all of the characters and the scenery.

Finally, one of the most innovative things about this Manga was the incorporation of QR codes. Throughout the story, Loui and Yamawe include scenes with a musical component. On these pages, a character asks the reader to look out for the YouTube play icon, as a QR code is included to deliver you to a music video. The character then encourages you to listen to the song as you read, for a full immersive experience. Personally, I absolutely loved how originative this was. Never before has a book asked me to incorporate another sense as part of the experience, and I loved the results! This truly made this book stand out to me for its creativity and uniqueness!

Reviewed By: Theresa Kadair, San Francisco Book Review

Book Life:

Loui collects his autobiographical Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher webtoon series into this entertaining manga following his adventures as a teacher, student, and stuffed animal liberator. Characterizing himself as a “hopeless romantic” (who’s also “unlucky in love”), Loui details his mission to free plush dolls from the local gaming store’s claw machine—“because no one should live in captivity…even cute plushies.” His quest is endearing, as are his attempts to keep his cool when the rescue efforts inevitably go south—and the local bully shows up time and again to reap the benefits of Loui’s hard work. As admirable and relatable as his mission is, Loui’s adventure of course isn’t all fun and games. But as he hits roadblocks, his guardian spirit, Somi, offers resonant wisdom, encouraging Loui to find the principal lesson he must learn behind every obstacle. When Loui changes tactics mid-rescue, bully Killian steps in to steal his plushie, prompting Loui’s sage advice that you shouldn’t “ ‘flip flop’ in the middle of executing a plan… [or] you may end up opening the door to victory for somebody else.” That’s the start of a serious rivalry between Loui and Killian, and despite Somi’s efforts to help Loui keep his cool, he eventually loses it—and faces grave consequences afterwards. Yamawe’s illustrations dazzle the eye while suggesting the narrative’s underlying themes, such as depicting Loui, and Killian’s, inner children, who deliver heightened emotion to some of the story’s more tense scenes. Loui sprinkles mature themes throughout as well, as when he’s momentarily distracted by the racy Gals Attack video game only to end up in an awkward position, prompting him to “stick with UFO catching!” Loui’s choice to include QR codes for a 1980s soundtrack to accompany the story is entertaining, and a fun counterpart to Somi’s moral-heavy philosophizing toward the end.

~ Review

About the Author:

Kenny Loui is an Associate Professor of Criminal Justice at Loras College in Dubuque, IA. Due to his lifelong love of comics and Japanese anime/manga, he often incorporates creative and expressive arts into his classes to enhance student learning. One of his most popular classes at Loras College, Law, Crime & Pop Culture Diplomacy combines Dr. Loui’s interest in comparative criminology and East Asian popular culture. His debut graphic novels, Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher: An Autobiographical Manga and There is No Shrimp… And Other Lies My Mother Told Me, were presented the Mom's Choice Awards in 2023 and received praise from Kirkus Reviews, San Francisco Book Review and more.