#i miss decked out 2 era.

[aliferous-ly]

On his first run, Keralis nearly fainted he was shaking so badly. But he made it through, one of the very few hermits to do so on his first run, so that had to count for something.

Plus, an uncommon card? What kind of luck was that? Yeah, he didn't know to appreciate it at the time, but still.

The chill, while terrifying, was a bit addicting...

His second run went poorly, and it just about stopped his heart. Well, it did. Technically.

Third, fourth, fifth... Yeah, Keralis loved this game. Dying repeatedly to Pumpkin the Ravenger could not be good for his health. He was too old for this.

That being said... maybe he'd do just one more run.

[two-white-butterflies]

you're losing me (one)| ja. velaryon and am. targaryen

Description: Being a popular popstar is a tiresome job, it's a good thing that you have someone to go home to. Seven years together and he still hasn't proposed. In which, you realize that letting go is one of the smartest thing that'll lead you to each other. (Aemond needs a fake-girlfriend and he accidentally bumps into his nephew's ex-girlfriend [but he doesn't know that] so he invites her to a family reunion]) (slight angst) (will have a pt. 2) Rating: General Audiences Author's Note: not at all related to mom (taylor) and dad (joe), just taking inspo from the song 💗

"When are you getting married?" a late night host asks, leaving you laughing awkwardly.

You were a traditional woman in a sense - longing for marriage, a white picket fence, and children but Jace was different from that. He wanted to be a disruptor - an enigma for change. Marriage was never on the table with him.

"There's so much more to life than getting married." you lied, trying to convince yourself that it was what you wanted - that you didn't want to get married, but deep down - you did.

"I agree, but can you see yourself getting married in the future?" the man insinuates, holding the deck of questions on his right hand. The audience begins laughing at your awkward reaction. "Personally - I don't." you chuckle, you don't see yourself getting married because Jace didn't want to get married.

" - and if I did, I'm not telling you Jimmy." you add with a giggle, taking a long sip of the coffee beside you.

(your first name)

In a recent interview, a question was asked about something in my private life. I took a while to answer because I wasn't prepared to show people that part of my relationship yet. I just wanna say that when I'm interviewed, I wanna talk about my work, songs, etc.. the things that I've given my entire life for.

You placed your vintage bag loudly on the table - taking a mammoth stride towards your boyfriend who was in the process of writing his new book. You haven't spoken to each other in three-weeks, and he didn't even seem to be bothered by the distance. "I missed you." you hummed, burying your face on the crook of his neck. "I watched your interview," he answered, taking his hands off the laptop - placing them around your waist and pulling you to his lap.

"I was caught of guard honestly, my PR manager didn't warn me." you complain, trying to see if he was mad. Jace was the heir of a jewelry company. They came from old money, and he was very private with his life. There was an era in your relationship where you weren't allowed to say his name in public.

"It's fine babe - I hope they stop asking you about it though." he answers, pressing a soft kiss on the top of your head. "I mean, we haven't spoken to each other seriously about the topic." you point out, wanting to change his mind about marriage. It was wrong to force him into something - but you didn't want to force yourself into loving someone who might not love you enough.

"You've already articulated on my behalf. Marriage is for dummies, we have to do a thousand things like prenups, and planning the wedding." he rambled portraying those things like they were bad things, but to be honest - the thought of planning a wedding and choosing a wedding dress made your eyes sparkle.

Almost everyone dreams about their wedding day.

"I want to settle down." you reply with a sad face. He was working on his career - and he had no time to settle down. He was silent for a moment - thinking of a million things he'd reply to you. "I've already got my life handled - my career is flourishing, marriage and babies are the only thing left, Jace." you explain.

"What about me?" he questions, pointing at his laptop that had 30,000 words for his new series. "You can write while being married to me." you scoff, and something in his eyes shifted.

"I'm sorry - I don't think you're getting the point. I don't want to get married because everyone who gets married fight all the time." he pointed out, now raising his voice by a few decibels. The calmness that flooded his features were gone now - and he was fuming with rage. "We're not gonna be like your parents." you argue.

"How do you know that?" he interrogates, his grip around your thigh tightens. "How can you promise me your everlasting love? How can you promise me that you'll love me everyday?" he repeats, there was a storm hidden behind those honey irises. Your eyes soften as you began to realize that there wasn't love between you anymore.

"I can't promise all of that - but I promise to choose you everyday." you profess, but he refuses to believe you. "Babe, we're fighting all the time - I haven't seen you in a month. If we can't agree in this marriage thing, then maybe we should break up." his voice softens, tears brimming his eyes.

He still loved you - but he knew that it was going nowhere. He wanted a relationship that lasted and agreed with him. You were too different - too interesting. You take a deep breath, standing up and releasing yourself from his embrace.

He was expecting you to say 'no' like all the other times before. But you walk silently - grabbing your bag and heading for the door.

deuxmoi

(your name) is allegedly broken up with nepo-baby Jace Velaryon. (he's the son of model/heiress Rhaenyra Targ who was popular in the 90's and the hippie who made a cult, Laenor Velaryon)

archiebald22: omg why?? didn't she just have an interview a few weeks ago with jimmy fallon?

(a year later)

He was undressing you with his mere gaze. His name was Aemond, a popular businessman in Europe and Asia. He was handsome in person, with long blonde hair and a purple eye that glimmered in the moonlight. You shouldn't be horny just by staring at him - but you are, because he oozed with sex-appeal.

"Aemond Targaryen," he introduced himself with a smile, and you shake his hand. "(Your name)" you greet, smiling in return.

This could be something new.

He wasn't anything like you've had before.

"What are you doing in this small country?" you inquire, walking beside him on the small gardens of the hotel. It's been a while since you've stepped foot in America, everything about New York reminded you of your West Village. "I heard that a beautiful singer was going to be here," he teased, ignoring the paparazzis that were chasing you around. He's heard your name a few times - mostly because his niece was a big fan of you.

"I don't think Beyonce's here" you joke in return, earning a soft chuckle from the man. "I'm talking about you." he answered. He reaches for the calling card inside his wallet, "I'd like to take you out on dinner sometimes." he smiled, walking away - realizing that his business-partners were calling him.

ynandjaceworld: the day that music died...... its been a year guys.

129 comments 450 likes

chamalamabingbong: mom and dad didn't even have a proper picture together 😭💔

ynfanbase: i kinda feel bad because dad's books suck - queefburger: yeah bcuz they're non-fiction 🤬

" - you look like a/an (your nationality) singer." the waitress points out, and you resist the chuckle that wishes to come out of your mouth. "I get that a lot." you smile, and she nods - walking away. Aemond laughs, seeing that you looked like a deer caught on headlights.

"It must be hard being famous," he converses, twirling the pasta on his fork and bringing it to his mouth. You lick your lips - his food looked delicious, meanwhile - you were stuck with a salad. "I've been famous since the dawn of time - I can't remember living life without the cameras." you answer, piercing the lettuce with your fork.

All you could think about was that creamy carbonara he was eating. Why do men always have that instinct that lets them know if food is good? Damn, you wanted one of those. " You've been famous for so long, but you still owe the IRS $6 Million" he opened his mouth to speak, and the world began to still around you.

Shit.

"Hey, that's not cool." you complain with a pout, still continuing to eat the salad on your plate. It was the cheapest thing in the menu. "I'm not here to shame you about the money that's in your pockets, I need your help - and I think you're the only one that's willing to help me." he calmed you down.

"Here's the thing, my father is going to give his entire inheritance to the first person that gets married in our family. Of course me, my brother and my nephew are fighting for that spot - seeing that my oldest sister doesn't want any ties with us." he whispered. He pushes the carbonara to your side, seeming to realize that you wanted it.

"- and trust me, I can fake a wedding." he added, in a low tone.

"What do I get in return?" you inquire, with an ambitious nature.

"$10 Million - I know that you're good with money. You just lost all of it trying to help your con-artist father." he stated, and you nod.

"Okay, I can play your fiancee." you hum.

part two

my first time writing in this style.

@beaconofthehightower @casualheartadorable @glame @yentroucnagol

[forpiratereasons]

okay I'm with you the "forgiveness does not have to be earned" thing but I think you're missing what the show is telling us: Izzy becoming part of the crew happens before 2x4-5. Jim says "he's our dick" in the first episode! Fang is heartbroken when he's shot! The narrative suggests that he's advocated for their interests with Ed, and he saves them by stopping Ed from firing a cannon into the mast. This strikes me as more of a narrative about community/solidarity than one about unearned grace.

ah no worries i see where you have misunderstood me. i agree that there is, at the very least, solidarity between izzy and ed's crew in eps 1 - 3. of course, the "he's our dick" line comes because archie has asked why jim and frenchie even care about izzy who seems like kind of a dick - archie doesn't know him and doesn't really care about him and is kind of baffled that anybody does, so you know there's still quite a bit of distance between the crew generally and izzy. i think izzy feels responsible for them more than he feels like he's a part of them - "we cannot let this crew suffer any more for our mistakes." so his relationship to the crew is still very much dependent and tied up in his relationship with ed. this also plays into the crew's treatment of izzy versus ed - izzy is a lesser source of conflict to the crew specifically and they also didn't have as much of an emotional connection to him prior to the kraken era, so his position lacks the feeling of betrayal that ed's has. but yeah sure i agree that there's a level of solidarity there.

in ep four though, izzy is separate from the crew. physically, even - he's hanging out at the forepeak with the unicorn figurehead getting smashed. he's not included in ed's crews cleaning of the deck, and he's not included in stede's crews attempt to cheer up ed's crew. he hides in his room alone and when they knock on his door he shouts and tells them to fuck off and says they're harassing him.

this is why the note and leg scene is so good. it's the crew extending a hand to someone who hasn't earned it, and telling him he has a position among them - as a figurehead, no less. they see izzy and what he needs (a leg and a purpose) and they give it to him. that's about the crew deciding what kind of crew they'll be. he takes it. that's about izzy deciding to join them.

so when i say that the crew accepts izzy into their fold in eps four and five, it's different from what was going on in eps 1-3 for three reasons: 1) it's collective, from both ed and stede's crews, now united and from a position of safety, and 2) izzy's no longer viewed as being aligned with blackbeard by the crew and/or by himself, and 3) izzy is physically and emotionally separated from the crew at the start of ep four.

as far as community/solidarity over unearned grace - i guess i disagree that these are that kind of distinct as concepts? community always involves a level of unearned grace.

the point is that it's in extending grace to izzy that the crew forms their community - their acceptance of izzy, who has now separated himself from the crew, into the fold is what drives them to work together and become a cohesive unit - and establishes its values - if you need help, we will help you, if you need kindness, we will be kind, if you need purpose, we will give you purpose.

that's growth, baby!

[pokemon-card-of-the-day]

If you dont mind the ask, what are some of your favorite pokemon cards by moveset, design, and/or art?

Ooh, I like this ask, I think I'm going to dig in and make this my post for the day and put some work into this.

Electrode was the coolest Pokemon in the first generation because blowing up to what would become 2 of any Energy let some cool strats with otherwise slow Pokemon work. It's a shame that it was so weak to Energy Removal, but at least Lass existed to help.

Kabuto from Neo Discovery goes in the art category. Was the first of the clay Pokemon by Yuka Morii that I ever got, and those cards are adorable. I'm glad there was a series of these throughout the years.

Town Volunteers was one of the first Supporters, which was a very positive change to the game, but was also used for art in the Lumiose Museum in XY. I love that they used old cards in that.

This was probably the first deck I used that was really, really good, as I actually got all the cards together for a functional version of it. I couldn't go to many events for various reasons but I'm fond of it anyway.

Flygon here had a lot going for it. It was one of the Delta Species, which was a very cool concept and one I wish they'd go fully back to someday. Tera does some of that but misses out on the Weakness diversity within a type thing, which I know they're actively trying to avoid now. It also let you play with a variety of Delta Species at once with that Poke-Power, so it was fun to mess around with.

My favorite Pokemon may have never been good in the games (does ADV ZU count as good? Probably not) but got one of the best cards of all time. Any deck could use this as 2 of any color of Energy, though you had to return an Energy back to your hand so it worked best alongside things like Blastoise ex or Meganium ex. Those decks could just work with any Pokemon that needed 2 or fewer off-type Energy, so that translated to the vast majority of Pokemon in the game. It was still useful in decks without that to an extent. Oh, and it was also a starter Pokemon for basically any deck running a lot of Delta Species Pokemon, even if it was just the Basic versions to evolve into something else. Incredible card.

Crystal Beach isn't here for design or what it does, it's for story reasons. One person that could possibly read this will know what I'm talking about here.

I didn't get to play a ton in the DP era but I do remember this being silly. 90 for no Energy was such a fun concept, and it was actually pretty good at the time.

The attack is called Everyone Explode Now. What's not to like?

---

I think I should stop here for now, got out of hand a bit. I think I'll put out a second edition of this tomorrow evening with later cards since I rarely write anything after therapy anyway and that'll be a fun easy thing. Can go back to normal posts Wednesday. Thanks for the ask here, that was fun to do!

[bentleysbeetle]

Hey Beetle, my front tyre is flat and I'm out of miracles for the day. The guy from the repair shop wants to charge me £47 to change both tyres, because they don't have the same brand as my back one in stock. Now, I think I can get away with cycling with two different tyres, but it would be better if I found a repair shop with the same tyres instead. What do the cards say? Would really appreciate the input.

@totally-a-sheep

//Beetle secretary again: I am still translating seeing as Beetle has not un-become a cat since last reading//

Oh no!!! Hi Luc!! That sounds tough, I got my tarot cards as quick as I could!!! I'm doing a simple read for you, 3 cards. The 1st one is the past, the 2nd one is the present and the 3rd one is the future.

First you got the two of swords!! They have their points up so that probably means 2 punctured tires!!! but you actually got it upside down, so that means before you had two NOT punctured tires. Which I think is true. Right?

UM. THE SECOND ONE IS DEATH. THAT MEANS YOU ARE DYING D: Maybe... Oh gosh..... Maybe you had an accident when your tire went flat and now you have a concussion and you're going to die :( I'm so sorry Luc I love you so much I'm gonna miss you

Okay uhhh... In better news, there is a knight with a wand, and he's on a horse! But he's upside down though... Ummm... I think he means travel, since he's on a horse, and the wand could mean it's a magical journey? So you are going to NOT have magical travel. You will have very little travel, and the travel you will have is bad. So whatever your intuition is telling you to do about this: DO THE OPPOSITE!! OR ELSE YOUR BIKE WILL BE HORRIBLE! and maybe you'll continue dying!!!! :(

Um... Please don't die!!! Wear 3 helmets maybe?? I love you! :(

//Serious reading under the cut!//

//Alright. Let's get on with it Luc, here's your more serious answer.

A two of swords in reverse usually means suspicion. It's like, lack of trust, treachery (my booklet mentions in partnerships specifically), and you know, be careful of people looking out to manipulate you. This one fell out as I was shuffling the deck, FACE UP. It was the only card to do this. I think this is a sign. Your tire going flat was NOT a coincidence. This? This was SABOTAGE. By SOMEONE YOU TRUST!

The second card. Oh my god okay it's a lot different than it sounds. It signifies change, things ending and beginning, hindsight, it represents opportunities, the card represents a necessary end to something. Your tire was meant to go flat, Luc. Because now? Now you have all these opportunities. You could have a dual tired bike, like some cursed version of a penny-farthing, you could get brand new fancy tires, or you could go back to usual! The world is your oyster, and this is your sign to make Oysters Rockefeller. Or Oyster Omelette. Whatever squeezes your lemon. This is the start of a new tire era, Luc.

Okay, I wasn't TOO off with the travel stuff, because the knight of wands represents creativity and progress! However, in reverse it represents... Falsehood, and lack of progress >:O! The knight of wands is someone who will talk a lot about a project, but do nothing about it! He's a representation of judging people by their actions, and not their words. Now, I'm taking this as a sign that you should probably be a bit wary of the people from the various repair shops. This first guy for example, why didn't he give you a discount because he didn't have your brand of tires in stock? That's not *your* fault! Covering a small expense like that is totally a worthy investment, after all next time you need a tire change you'd know that guy has your back! Instead you have to pay more?? Consider your options here! Consider your options and go to someone who actually sounds trustworthy! Hope this helps <333

[amazingmsme]

Restless ‘Til We Reach Home

A Lamb in Wolf’s Clothing (ch. 2)

AN: The long awaited second chapter & thunder saga is heeeere! I was getting ready to post it but stopped in my tracks when the thunder saga trailer dropped & realized how close it was & I knew what I had to do. Gotta say, Odysseus is real mean in this one. But hey, at least Hermes is there to balance it out!

Ch. 1 Ch. 3

Polites felt as though he really needed to clear the air with Odysseus, but where to even start?

The captain was nowhere in sight, so he floated around the deck in search of him. He was still trying to get used to his new way of travel, but he liked to think he was getting the hang of it pretty well.

In the underworld, he couldn't fly. Then again, that was a place made for people like him. It was meant as a bastardized recreation of home, to provide the comfort of solid ground and company.

Polites thought back to Hades, and how despite how horrible he thought he looked, there was always someone around the corner who was worse. He had gotten used to the gruesome sights after a while. And as awful as it was to say, seeing them kept him humble. Because yes, things were bad, but at least he didn't have his entrails dragging behind him. Eurydice was one of the few who looked just as beautiful in death as she did in life.

Eurydice...

He wondered how she was holding up. It'd been hours for him since he'd left, but for her, who knows? Had only seconds passed, leaving her on the bank as she wondered what awaited him? Or had it already been a day, the loneliness beginning to set in? Even with the perspective of the real world, Polites found it difficult to gauge the passage of time down there. So wherever she was, however long it had been, he hoped she was doing well.

The sun was getting lower in the sky, inching towards the horizon. It would be dark soon. For now, the light shifted, reflecting off the clouds in vibrant golds and orangey pinks. It was the first sunset of his new life, signaling an end of an era and a new dawn on its way.

Night fell quickly, enveloping them in a blanket of stars and darkness. Polites looked for the moon in the sky, but it was nowhere to be found. Ah, a new moon.

If you were to ask him, he would say that the moonless sky was just as beautiful as a full moon night. He'd started various debates about it with other soldiers, encouraging them to just hear him out. Of course the full moon is beautiful, he never said it wasn't! The new moon may lack her silvery glow, but doesn't her absence make it all the more beautiful when she comes back? The darkness on nights like these provide the most clarity, offering to you all the stars you could ever wish to see.

Most people thought the night sky was only black, but oh how wrong they were. These are the impatient ones: those who never allow their eyes the time to adjust before they give up, going on about their night. But when you lay back and just allow yourself to study the canvas before you, the work of art will reveal itself with bold blues, greens, purples, and yes, even pinks.

Polites floated on his back, hovering mere inches above the deck as he stared up at the sky. By the Gods, how he'd missed it.

He didn't know he'd been crying until he heard heavy steps coming up the stairs, and he frantically wiped them away. He sat up just in time to see who was approaching.

Odysseus let out a startled yelp when he saw his friend's crumpled form lying on the deck, just as he looked before he died.

"Dear Zeus, you scared the shit out of me. What the hell are you still doing here?" he snapped, keeping his distance.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to startle you, Captain," he said earnestly. "I-I was just watching the stars. It's such a beautiful night..." he mused, gaze turning upwards once more.

"I didn't mean why are you out here. I mean why didn't you go back to where you belong?" Odysseus asked in a harsh growl.

The warm, soft smile that had found his face was gone in an instant, "W-What?"

"If you're really Polites, you should be in the underworld. Isn't that right?" he cocked his head to the side, taking a threatening step forward.

Polites stared at him in complete and utter shock. "Odysseus... Why would you say such a thing?"

"Answer the question."

"I WAS IN THE UNDERWORLD! You were in the underworld! But- we made it out, together-"

"No, you stowed away," he clarified harshly. "There's a difference." He had backed Polites against the rail, continuing to advance until he was so close, their noses were almost touching.

"I-I thought you'd be happy to see me again!" he cried defensively. There was a flash of sadness, of forlorn longing across Odysseus's face, but it was gone in an instant. Polites continued, "I know I sure was... until you opened your mouth."

Odysseus scowled, "If you really are Polites... and I seriously fucking doubt it, then you have no idea what we've all been through since you left. So I don't much care for your holier than thou judgment."

Holier than thou-

"Is that what you think of me?" he asked, genuine hurt laced in his voice. "That I thought I was better than you?" His voice began to tremble, but he fought against it, although his words still came out in a wavering rasp through his weakened vocal cords. "Because I would never think that." He couldn't believe he actually had to tell him this...

Odysseus didn't speak for a long moment. Despite their close proximity, Polites had never felt farther away from his friend.

"I don't know what to think anymore."

Polites shook his head, eyes flying wide open. "No! Odysseus, you know me! You know better than to think that!" Said man rolled his head to the side, glaring at him from the corner of his eyes.

"Do I now?"

"You should..."

Another long stretch of silence. The only sound was the gentle breeze catching in the closed sails, swaying them about and flapping the fabric. Small waves lapped at the hull of the ship, creating a soothing sloshing sound.

"Yeah well, like I said. Things have changed." He inhaled deeply, letting out a long, suffering sigh. "I really wish I could believe you," he said, eyes closed as he addressed him. He shook his head, the movement barely noticeable. "But I just can't."

"But you can!" Polites reached out instinctively to hold his hand, but Odysseus jerked his arm away before he could. And then he noticed the way he was staring at him, as if he was some kind of threat- some kind of monster.

The captain quickly schooled his emotions, taking a moment to himself before addressing Polites.

"So... what made you follow us?" he finally asked. A hopeful smile broke out on the spirit's face. Maybe he could convince him to see the truth through the haze of paranoia.

"Honestly, it wasn't my idea, but my friend down there, she told me I needed to go. A-and I thought... just maybe... you were looking for me," he admitted shyly, staring at the ground. He didn't like the way he could see through his own feet to the deck below.

Odysseus let out a shaky breath. "I knew it..." This was it!

"You really aren't the Polites I knew."

And just like that, the world came crashing down on him. His eyes were welling with tears fast.

"H-ho-how can you even say that?" he asked as he slowly sank to the floor.

"Because Polites wouldn't be so stupid as to think I'd risk the lives of my crew to rescue a dead man!" he screamed, spit flying from his lips with the passion of his outburst.

Polites took a step back: through the railing. He held his hands out in front of him, as if to protect him. But there's nothing to be protected from anymore. Nothing except the newfound cruelty of his old friend.

Tears threatened to spill over, but he blinked them away, shaking his head frantically. "Nonono, you don't really mean that. Y-you're just upset! Odysseus, please tell me you didn't mean it like that," he all but pleaded.

Odysseus opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself short. He tried once more, but all he could muster was a simple, "I'm sorry." He hesitated before turning his back on him, marching off to patrol the ship.

Polites was left floating there, completely heartbroken by his reaction. Never in a million years would he have expected the venom shooting from Odysseus's mouth to be aimed at him of all people.

Polites let himself fade from reality, disappearing completely as he drifted up towards the crows nest. It had always been the most peaceful place on the ship, and tonight was no exception.

He floated on until he reached the top, sitting down in the tightest ball he could manage. He buried his face in his knees as sobs completely wracked his body.

Why would he say such horrible things? He knew he couldn't even begin to fathom how their journey's gone up until now, but it was hard to believe it would prompt such a dramatic change.

But the alternative; the idea that he had never truly know Odysseus, was a far worse thought.

He looked up at the dozens and dozens of stars stretching before him from every which way. He felt as if he were flying, falling up, spiraling out of control towards them. Would he be falling for an eternity? Or would the stars catch him in their net, allowing the darkness to swallow him whole and consume his soul?

How wonderful it must be, turning to stardust.

"Oh Eurydice... you were wrong. I never should've left." His voice was weak and strangled as he spoke, just as it had been in his final moments. He gasped through his sobs, swallowing the snot that rolled down his throat, making him shudder. His whole body shook with convulsions as he cried.

"They don't w-want me a-around anymore. I'm nothing b-but a f-freak to them," he spoke barely above a whisper, frantically wiping away tears and blood. He hung his head low in defeat and shame, "I should've just stayed in Hades with you."

"And she's what? Girlfriend, friend, come on fill me in," an unexpected voice rudely interrupted. Polites screeched in surprise, turning visible once more as he whipped around to meet the intruder. How the hell did someone climb up without a sound?

"If you'd like, I'll even give her a little message from you," the strange man smirked wider, twirling his long curly hair around a finger. Polites gasped and looked down to the man's feet just to be sure, and just as he thought: wings.

"Hermes? I-I'm sorry, but uh, what are you doing here, exactly?" he asked, his previous breakdown quickly replaced with confusion. Something he did not appreciate. He wanted, no needed to cry after all that. But even the Gods wanted him to suffer, it would seem.

"Well excuse you! Taking a page from the captain's book, I take?" he taunted before bursting into a fit of giggles. Polites stiffened and glared at the God.

"No. I'm just trying to mind my own business, can't you do the same?" he huffed, crossing his arms across his chest. Hermes squinted in the dark and gasped when he recognized the man before him.

"You're his little dead friend, aren't you? The one that used to be cute," he clarified in a teasing manner.

Used to be cute... That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

Hermes froze, mostly out of fear, when he first saw tears. "Um, what are you doing? Stop that," Hermes ordered, sitting on the edge of the crows nest. Polites looked at him in utter disbelief.

"I'm crying Hermes, what's it look like?" he snapped, and true enough, tears were once again rolling down his cheeks.

"Well, it's not a good look. Nope, doesn't suit you at all, really," he mused, looking the mortal up and down. Polites chewed the inside of his cheek, trying to be patient as he continued to glare.

"Oh really? And what, pray tell, would suit a face like this?" Polites asked bitterly, pointing at himself as he blinked back more tears.

"A smile, for one!" Hermes cheered, plopping down next to Polites and throwing an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in close. Polites squirmed and shoved him away angrily.

"Leave me alone! I don't want to smile, okay? There's nothing to smile about! And you know what? Yeah, I'll say it! I was happier in the underworld!" Polites screamed, not caring how loud he was. In fact, he hoped a certain captain with his head up his ass heard him. He hoped the guilt ate him alive.

Polites hated the fact that he didn't really feel that way, that he was self aware enough to know it was just his anger talking. Because once it blows over, he'll be the one wracked with guilt.

Hermes reeled back from his words, a hand flying up to cover his mouth as he gasped in shock.

"Oh Polites, you shouldn't say such a thing! I mean, what if the Gods themselves heard you? Ahahaha!" he threw his head back, cackling at his own joke.

"I don't care anymore! Clearly I don't belong here! I-I should've just stayed..."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was such a touché subject," Hermes apologized, seemingly meaning it. Polites remained skeptical. "But I'm truly shocked by your little outburst. You were always the happy one, were you not? So what's changed?"

"Everything!" Polites cried. "Are you blind? How can you not see that everything's gone to shit?"

"Careful now, don't forget who you're talking to," he warned through pursed lips, trying to hide his growing amusement.

Polites sighed in defeat. "I'm sorry Hermes, sir, but I don't really care right now."

Hermes shook his head, a small frown etching its way onto his face. "Oh my, this really is worse than I thought," he muttered to himself, resting a hand on his cheek. Polites couldn't help but roll his eyes and turn away.

"Tell me something I don't know..."

Hermes sighed, staring at the back of his head with pity. "Odysseus can be... stubborn at the best of times. He'll come back around. You just have to show him that same, chipper, adorable Polites he knows and loves," he tried to encourage him.

"But that didn't work..." he said, voice shy and meek.

"Oh! Um, well then... keep at it!" he chirped, slapping a hand on his back.

Polites was more than ready to tell him to get lost, but the touch on his back stole away all of his attention. He turned to meet Hermes face to face, eyes wide in a mix of shock and excitement.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

Polites gestured at him wildly. "You just touched me! I mean like, actually touched me! I thought that was impossible!" Hermes opened his mouth to speak, but he rambled on, "Is that a God thing? Or can-"

"Shh, if you'll let me answer, I'll tell you!" he said before breaking off into giggles. Polites quickly shut up, hanging on his every word.

"It all comes down to intent. And, it works both ways. Here, shake my hand," he explained, offering holding it out for him to take. Polites looked at him skeptically before reaching out.

He tried to grasp his hand in his own, but phased completely through. "This is hopeless!" he whined in defeat. Hermes whistled and smacked him upside the head.

"Ow!" Polites yelped and flinched away, rubbing his head, more for show than anything. Hermes rolled his eyes at the dramatics.

"Oh please, I know that didn't hurt. Quit whining and try again." Polites grumbled under his breath, growing frustrated when he phased through once more.

"Try harder."

"I am!" he growled before taking a grounding breath. He tried again, and this time his hand firmly clasped around Hermes's wrist. A bright smile lit up his face as he met his gaze, "I-I did it!"

"Yeees, congratulations... You can let go now..." he prompted with a smirk.

"Sorry!" he immediately let go, yanking his arm back as if he'd been burned. Hermes chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"You're lucky it's me," he teased, breaking off into even more laughter. Polites couldn't help but giggle along with the infectious sound.

"I guess I am... So uh, t-thanks, for all that. I needed it."

"Desperately so," Hermes agreed. "But I single handedly saved the day, so you're welcome."

Polites snorted, "I wouldn't go that far, but you did make me feel a little better." Hermes cocked his head with an exaggerated pout.

"Aww, just a little? Are you sure about that?" he asked, and before he could answer, Hermes reached up to flutter a few fingers under his chin. Polites scrunched his neck with a barely choked back giggle, and the look he gave the messenger God was priceless. Hermes burst into hysterical giggles, flashing a sly grin his way, "Like I said Polites, it all comes down to intent."

He fished around in his bag, pulling out a gold drachma. "Catch," he said, tossing the coin his way. Polites reached out, snatching it in the air. Hermes gave an impressed grin, nodding in approval. "I expect you to practice. 'Til we meet again, ta-ta!" he waved farewell, hopping up on the edge of the crows nest and stepped off backwards. He swooped up in a backflip, definitely showing off as he flew away.

Polites stared at the coin in his hand, smiling softly. Maybe things would turn out okay.

~~~

Things always seemed better in the morning, Polites told himself. In the light of day, he would have a fresh start, a unique perspective. He just needed everyone else to come to terms with their new normal. So he went about the day like any other, floating down to the deck when the crew was called for breakfast.

He saw the few men spread out across two long mess tables, and he quickly spotted Eurylochus. He smirked and turned invisible, making his way over to him. He waited until he reached for his glass, and Polites placed his hand atop the cup, preventing it from being lifted.

Eurylochus stared at the cup with furrowed brows, giving it another tug. It barely budged under his hold. He looked around the table at the men around him, wondering if they had something to do with this. A few began to take notice and were just as confused as he was.

"Having a bit of trouble this morning?" Elpenor teased from across the table.

"Haha very funny," he said sarcastically, tugging on his glass one more time. Polites didn't fight back, and water splashed right in his friend's face. Anyone seated around Eurylochus had ended up in the splash zone as well.

The men who got drenched cried out angrily while everyone else erupted in wild laughter, and Polites joined them. But his laugh was loud and distinct, and a sound Eurylochus knew all too well.

He froze looked around the room, glaring at thin air. "Polites? Was that you?" he dared to ask. The unruly crowd suddenly grew silent, unsure if they wanted an answer. Then, a fork launched off of a plate, spinning in the air before it clattered to the table. Excited screams and cries broke out as some gathered around the fork, while the rest scattered as far away as possible.

"You think it really is him?"

"He answered us, didn't he?"

"Yeah, but what if it's a trick?"

"You're all playing with fire!

Not everyone was swayed, but it certainly planted the idea in their minds.

Polites liked pulling off these small, ghostly pranks. Mostly because, to him, it felt like magic. Just focus, and you can turn invisible. Focus even harder, and you can make things move. He had his favorite tricks of course: a self rowing oar, a lone mop swabbing the deck, but the funniest thing was when he'd hold something behind someone, only to hide it as soon as they turned around. And his audience seemed more than amused by all of this.

Up until the moment he decides to show his face again. Then it's all hushed whispers and adverted gazes, even from his best friends.

Elpenor frantically looked around his room for his other sandal. It had just been there a second ago, but now only one remained.

"O-okay, very funny. Now give it back," he demanded. He gasped and went stiff when he felt the mattress sink next to him, as if someone sat next to him. The temperature shifted.

"Looking for this?"

Elpenor chanced a glance in his direction. His missing sandal dangled from a mostly transparent hand. He gulped.

"Yes."

He reached for his shoe, but it was yanked out of reach at the last second, and again when he made another grab for it.

"Give it!"

"Then look at me!"

The request took Elpenor off guard. Polites sounded... desperate and sad. He had to look, no matter what the captain said. He wasn't here anyways.

He hesitated, but ultimately caved and looked at Polites. He didn't know what he was expecting, but it wasn't this.

Polites was smirking at him, a warm look in his glazed eyes. Yeah, he didn't look the same, but he still looked like himself. A sob caught in Elpenor's throat.

He snatched his sandal without warning, quickly lacing them up before rushing out of the room.

~~~

"I don't get it Eurylochus. Are they really that afraid of me?" Polites asked after five days of strategic avoidance from everyone on board. He took a deep breath, thinking about how he'd answer the question.

"Maybe so." Polites scoffed and looked him up and down.

"Are you afraid of me?" he asked, deciding to put him on the spot. He stiffened, keeping his gaze trained on the floor, and he didn't speak. Polites deflated, "I knew it."

"Polites, trust me, it isn't like that," he tried in vein to reassure him.

"Oh please. None of you can even look at me," he hissed through clenched teeth.

"Have you even seen yourself?" Eurylochus barked back, going on the defensive immediately. Polites floated a little lower to the ground, bottom lip trembling.

"Polites, wait-"

"No, no, I get it. I wouldn't want me around either."

Eurylochus had to force himself not to roll his eyes at the theatrics on display. This was typical for Odysseus, but Polites?

"I didn't mean it like that."

He looked up at him, and for the first time outside of battle, Eurylochus saw him look truly upset.

"There's not many other ways to take it, Eurylochus..."

Neither dared to speak for a long time. Polites took a shaky breath and finally broke the silence. "I guess I'll be seeing you around. But... you don't have to worry about seeing me," his voice sounded weak and strangled.

"Wait I'm-" Eurylochus spun around to stop his friend, but he was left alone on the deck. "Sorry..." he finished lamely, dropping his arm by his side.

He flinched when a hand squeezed his shoulder, but immediately relaxed after the initial surprise.

"It's okay, really. I-I think it's for the best if no one sees me for a while," he said, and despite being invisible, Eurylochus could hear the emotion in his voice.

"Are you sure?"

"M-mhm. I think if I stay, it'll just make things worse."

Eurylochus stared at the empty space the voice was coming from. "If you say so..." he reluctantly caved.

Barely anyone had seen Polites since. Sure, he made his presence known in other ways, and most of the crew seemed better off for it. But that's what hurt the most: he'd been right. Eurylochus was wracked with guilt, knowing it was their own reactions that drove him away. Even worse still, their captain didn't seem to care at all. In fact, it only seemed to upset him more with every interaction Polites attempted.

He stood behind Odysseus as he steered the ship. The men were gathered below deck for meal time, leaving the two of them alone for a rare moment.

"I know you're there."

"You should go down there. You need to eat too, y'know."

Odysseus couldn't help but roll his eyes. "What, and let you take the wheel?" Polites furrowed his brows.

"Would that really be so bad? I handled her plenty of times!"

"No, the real Polites did!" he snapped. For once, Polites snapped back, refusing to back down.

"I AM THE REAL POLITES!" he screamed, on the verge of tears. Odysseus merely gave him a cold, empty stare.

"Maybe if you were the first one we ran into down there, I could believe you," he admitted in defeat. There was something a softness behind his eyes that hadn't been there before, his shoulders heavy with grief.

"What will it take?"

"Huh?"

"Tell me what it'll take to prove myself," he pleaded.

They stared at each other for a long moment, seconds passing by in silence. "I don't think you can."

Polites refused to let it end like this.

"Your favorite color is red," he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. Odysseus froze and turned to face him, a puzzled expression in place. He locked eyes with him and continued, "And your favorite food is Penelope's stew with fresh baked bread."

By now, Odysseus knew what he was trying to do, so he quickly closed his eyes in hopes of drowning him out. "Don't."

"You have a mole on your shoulder that looks like a comet, a-and you like sunsets more than sunrises, and you used to go pick flowers for Penelo-"

"Please, for the love of the Gods, just shut up!" he cut him off harshly. Polites snapped his mouth shut, obeying the command. Odysseus slowly opened his eyes and stared at his friend. "Why are you doing this to me?" he asked as tears finally spilled down his cheeks.

"I just want you to believe me," Polites insisted. Odysseus shook his head.

"I told you, I can't-"

"WHAT WILL IT TAKE?" he repeated, voice straining against crushed vocal chords. He was crying, and he didn't care if he was shouting. "You say you can't believe me, but you don't give me a fucking reason! And you won't tell me how I can win your trust back, and I just- I don't know what you want from me."

Odysseus thought long and hard about his answer. "I wish I could tell you."

"Then why don't you?" he pleaded.

Odysseus avoided looking directly at him, choosing instead to stare at a crack in the wall just over his shoulder. It was insulting how he thought Polites wouldn't notice.

"I don't know." Then, as if to add insult to injury, he marched straight ahead, walking right through Polites. It was just another way for Odysseus to assert the fact that he wasn't really "there." To prove to himself that he was right. And that hurt more than it had any right to.

But he was nothing if not persistent. When it became clear that Odysseus wasn't looking for a conversation, he thought maybe a few light hearted pranks were just what he needed to jog his memory, to open his fucking eyes and see that he was right there.

Polites could've sworn he saw him smile when he noticed the way he was making his cape billow behind him. The old Odysseus was still in there somewhere, no matter how hard he may be hiding.

But he was still more than skeptical.

~~~

Odysseus was making his way down to his quarters when he felt someone step on the back of his sandal. He turned around in annoyance, ready to chew out the culprit, but he was alone. He thought nothing of it and continued on his way. Then it happened again.

Odysseus sighed heavily, closing his eyes as he tilted his head back. "That you?" he asked in a disgruntled tone.

"What, can't even say my name?" he sassed in order to hide his true nerves when confronting his friend. He appeared behind him, arms crossed.

"Not sure it's really yours to say," he countered easily, the retort sliding off his tongue with ease. The smile he flashed him was cocky and vindictive; nothing like the way he used to grin at him.

Polites decided to go out on a limb and risk it, "Why are you so adamant it's not me?"

"Because if something's too good to be true, it is. But you know all about that, don't you?" he spat, words laced with poison. No, no, there was no way he was talking about that.

"Captain? What do you mean?"

"Oh I think you know," he said darkly. Polites didn't dare to answer. He only shook his head.

"The sheep, Polites. I'm talking about the sheep."

Polites couldn't believe his ears. He sucked in a sharp, shuttering breath in shock. "A-are you trying to say it's my fault that I was killed?" he asked in complete and utter disbelief.

"... If that's how you wanna take it."

He had no hope of fighting off the tears welling in his eyes.

"H-how can you be so- so cruel? It was a mistake!" he pleaded.

"Yeah? Well that mistake cost you your life! And not just your life! You think you can greet world with open arms, but you just can't. Only the strongest survive. And that's why I'm still here, and you're not."

The tears rolled fat and heavy down his cheeks, drawing clean streaks through the blood and grime smeared on his face.

"I-if that's how you r-really f-feel, then fine! B-be that way!" Polites was a blubbering mess as he tried to speak, and he couldn't stand it. He balled his hands into fists by his sides, squeezing his eyes shut as tight as possible. "Y-you'll never have to see me again, if that's what you really want!" he screamed back, allowing his own hurt and anger to boil out of him.

"Good!" Odysseus snapped, completely exasperated.

Polites was frozen in shock. "I don't even know you anymore..." he whispered, mostly to himself. Odysseus glared harder before he turned his back on him, marching down the hall to his cabin and slammed the door behind him. Polites was left alone in the room, feeling hollow and hurt.

Polites took a shaky breath. Why bother to fight a losing battle?

~~~

If barely anyone had seen Polites in the days prior, then he must have made himself truly scarce after his last confrontation with the captain. The playful, if unexplained, shenanigans were no more, and the crew fell back into their monotonous routine.

But remaining invisible for so long takes its toll, and he needs his moments of peace and quiet. And so, the crew took notice of the man sitting alone in the crows nest, his presence never faltering. At least this way, he can still be of some use to the crew while completely isolating himself.

By now, Polites hadn't moved from the crows nest in over a week. Even his practice with the coin was getting weaker. He sat with his knees pressed to his chest, desperately trying to shove the drachma across the planks. His finger phased through, making no impact on the piece of gold.

"How have you possibly gotten more pathetic than the last time we met?"

Fucking great.

[wizardofahz]

The Mom Fine Print

Fandom: Supergirl Compilation: Moments in the Life of SuperFam A/N: A little SuperFam treat for @stranger-who-writes-fiction because she more than deserves it. This is set during the 3x06 "Midvale" era.

Eliza isn't supposed to know her girls are outside on the deck upstairs.

The microwave clock lets her know that it's almost 2 AM on a school night. Eliza mostly ignores that and continues her task. Midvale is lucky to be spared big city levels of light pollution, and the moonlight is sufficient for Eliza, who knows the kitchen like the back of her hand.

She prepares three mugs, lifts the pan from the stove top, and pours its contents into two of them. The third she fills with coffee. Eliza pours some marshmallows into a bowl and arranges it along with the mugs on a tray, balancing them carefully and heads for the deck.

Alex is on her feet the moment Eliza walks through the door.

"Mom!" She's about to give her best excuse until she spots what Eliza is carrying. She freezes then, using all her brain power to put two and two together before concluding correctly that they aren't in trouble.

Over by the telescope, Kara continues on unbothered.

She had been quiet during dinner. Eliza hadn't missed the concerned looks Alex had been shooting her way. There had been something knowing about them. Something that spoke of grief and Krypton.

"Of course when we break the rules for Kara, we get hot chocolate," Alex grumbles.

It's not exactly a fair assessment of course. Kara has gotten her fair share of scolding and lectures, especially when her actions put herself and their family at risk. In this particular case, the worst Kara and Alex can do is spend their upcoming day at school in a sleepy haze. Eliza isn't worried about that.

Nonetheless, Eliza is pleased to hear a fondness in Alex's voice that was more likely to be begrudging just a few months ago.

Eliza proffers the tray of hot chocolate and marshmallows. Alex eyes it suspiciously but caves quickly, grabbing a handful of marshmallows and dropping them into her hot chocolate.

As Alex retakes her seat on the cushioned bench, Eliza places the tray on the side table for whenever Kara's ready. She carries her own mug to the patio chair on Alex's left, so she can keep an eye on both her girls.

It's a good thing she does. In their attempt to be stealthy, Alex and Kara hadn't come out in more than their pajamas. When Eliza notices the nighttime chill starting to get to Alex, she goes inside to retrieve a blanket and drapes it over. Now relaxed into the situation, Alex receives it gratefully.

Alex tries her hardest to stay awake, but as the minutes turn into hours, she loses the battle. Other than gently coaxing Alex into a more comfortable position, Eliza leaves her be. Alex had clearly wanted to keep Kara company, and Eliza will respect that.

The coffee helps keep her awake, but even without it, Eliza thinks she'd manage to stay awake on her own. This is the "mom fine print," the drive to be there for her girls whenever they need her no matter the hour.

She watches Kara, who's still looking intently into the telescope, and checks on Alex once in a while, making sure she's still warm enough.

When twilight brightens the sky, Kara steps away from the telescope, appearing in a daze as the memories refuse to let her go.

Eliza walks across the deck to her. She rests her arms on the railing and turns to face Kara. She doesn't get too close. She doesn't pry. She'll let Kara decide how much she wants to engage.

"I made hot chocolate," Eliza says in case Kara wants an opening. "Would you like me to re-heat it for you?"

Kara doesn't respond at first. Eventually she returns to the present, stepping to Eliza's side and letting herself fall limply into Eliza's shoulder.

"Thank you," is all Kara says. It's all she can manage right now, but Eliza understands the enormity behind those two words. That's the other part of the "mom fine print."

Thank you for making hot chocolate for me, but, no, I don't need it re-heated right now.

Thank you for staying with me all night. Even lost in my memories, part of me could sense your presence, and it helped.

Thank you for letting Alex stay with me.

Thank you for not trying to stop us.

Eliza kisses the top of her head. "Always."

They stay like that for a moment. Then Kara straightens and turns to look at Alex, gaze fond.

"I've got her," Kara says. She easily lifts Alex into her arms and heads inside.

Eliza follows. "You should get some sleep too," she says.

Kara nods, more emotionally exhausted than anything else.

After making sure both of them are tucked in properly, Eliza heads back out to the deck to gather the mugs and bring them to the kitchen. She leaves everything on the counter. She can handle the clean up later.

Instead, she goes back upstairs to the girls' bedroom to make sure Kara has fallen asleep. Eliza tiptoes through the room, turning off the girls' alarm clocks. They deserve to sleep in today. Eliza kisses each of them on the forehead before going to her own bedroom.

When the time comes for everyone to leave for work or school, Eliza will call in sick for all of them.

[autisticlancemcclain]

fic rec friday 21

welcome to the twenty-first fic rec friday! where, on friday, i rec five of my favourite fics.

1. Most Artists are Messy by @shipsgalore

Lance is drawing a complicated flower on the base of Keith’s wrist and it makes his lips pull up into a smile despite the panic. They’re always flowers when it comes to Lance. He uses them in everything he does, and usually doesn’t even know he’s doing it. Keith can count on one hand how many times the doodles on his arms haven’t been of flowers.

i love this one because keith & lance are just blatantly and clearly autistic. it’s wonderful. it’s sweet and fluffy and it’s a modern au, which as y’all know is my jam, and the last few paragraphs do this specific thing with sentiment repetition that genuinely gets to me every time

2. Be Alive With Me Tonight by @caesaria [EXPLICIT] [ABO]

When the Blade of Marmora requests assistance on an information gathering mission, Lance and Keith go undercover as a bonded alpha and omega pair. At first, it seems like this is going to be more like a vacation than a mission – right up until everything falls apart and they realize how unprepared they really are. Now, Lance and Keith have to fight to not only survive, but to make it out together. They’ll have to rely not only on their skills as Paladin, but the bond they’ve created and nurtured between them.

okay i gave this one the explicit warning bc there are chapters that are explicit, but tbh the scenes are skippable if that’s not ur thing. now this fic is an EPIC. truly. its a quarter million words and the plot is breathtaking, the worldbuilding is iconic and the romance is like HOLY SHIT. this is a novel, and better yet its a KLANCE novel, so. highly recommend if you have a day or two to read.

3. roses by @renyoi

Lance is always getting flowers for Keith, so Keith decides to return the favor--with a little help, of course.

written for prompt #4 of klance valentine's week!

keith is hilarious here. just in general but here especially and i love him. he wants to pamper lance so so badly and hes so straightforward and earnest!! and allura’s character in here is also excellent. i will leave u with this one line from the fic that made me laugh it loud: “ The next day, the sun rises to Keith Kogane, dressed all in black (that’s all that was clean, okay?!), loitering around in front of Alluring Blossom, the 5-star-rated “I’ve never had such a delightful bouquet delivered to me in my entire life!” flower shop of a woman named Allura Altea. Keith automatically trusted her because he loves people that also have alliteration in their names. “ king. love him

4. here it comes by rideahorse

Keith watched a lonely droplet of water fall from Lance’s soaked bangs, curving a path over the bridge of his nose and then pooling—almost teasingly so—at the bow of his lips.

“I feel like I won, for some reason,” Lance said quietly.

what have i told yall about fics from 2016!!! this fic made me SMILE and im not usually a fan of like senior year of high school fics but holy shit!! holy SHIT!! this fic had me smiling and kicking my feet and losing my mind. i will leave u with the note i put on my bookmark (spoiler warning):

a couple things: 1. “lance is a bad influence” and “lance is a pretty princess (tm)” are god tier tags so thanks for that 2. keith with a tongue piercing. must i say more. 3. i miss keith gyeong that was an excellent era 4. the couple tattoo moment had me taking a Moment 5. here’s how i imagine the aftermath of this: shiro: i saw u ditched prom. are you okay? keith: yeah actually! lance convinced me that we have to have a wild final night, so we went to a High School Party (tm), i decked a guy for lance and your honour, we panic drove away, went skinny dipping in a pool, got caught, ran away naked for two blocks, went to sonic in another town, got matching tattoos, fucked in the backseat of my car, and watched the sunrise :)) shiro: shiro: shiro: shiro: i’m sorry. what were those last parts keith: yeah i know you really like sunrises we probably should have invited you :// but it was kind of an us thing i’m sure you understand :) shiro: KEITH

anyways i laughed

5. if silence was a song by @angstinspace

“It’s … Your show is on so late at night,” Keith tries to explain, as if Lance didn’t know this already. “I guess I was just wondering why that is.”

A crackling silence answers him, and Keith’s stomach sinks. Did Lance hang up? Keith can’t exactly blame him.

But then he hears Lance make a noise––a short huff of breath that might have been either an impatient sigh or a quiet laugh … Keith has no clue.

“That’s the reason you’re calling? To complain about my time slot?”

or, Keith starts anonymously calling Lance's college radio show and develops an unexpected crush.

@catnippackets did a comic of this i believe, and it literally never leaves my head. yall know the trope where one person gets a phone call and halfway through they sigh wistfully and say “god i wish you were here” and then the other person smiles so viscerally it can be felt through the phone and they say “look behind you” and theyre THERE?????? that makes me lose it every time. i love this fic

that’s it for today!! i’ll see y’all back next friday for the next fic rec post!!!    

[sosaspiels]

Life is Strange: Double Exposure looks interesting. It is good to see Max back, but based on Deck Nine's creations of True Colors and Before the Storm, I have my doubts when it comes to Double Exposure living up to the original Life is Strange game.

Before the Storm was really boring and cringy to me; it wasn't bad, but I would not like to play it again ever in my lifetime.

True Colors was better but still not up to the standards Life is Strange 1 and 2 set.

I feel that it is just something in the essence of Dontnod that is missing in these newer Life is Strange games.

Life is Strange 1 set up a nostalgic and cozy environment filled with what seemed to be purposely archetypal American high school characters. The dialogue was gawdy at times, but fitting as an exaggeration of early-to-mid 2010s slang, especially for the northwestern internet-grown millenial 'hipsters' that Max and Chloe were presented to be.

Life is Strange 2 was quite inconsistent when it came to the themes and ideas of individual episodes, but stood out as an ambitious video game that not only put more effort into making itself a "Choices Matter" experience, but also covered controversial themes like anti-immigrant sentiment [specifically] in the early Trump era of 2016 (though it was sometimes a bit exaggerated for the sake of proving a point).

This is a rare instance of where I hope a game development team strays far away from its usual ideas. However, the trailer does not seem to make that apparent.

It will be interesting to see how they approach the Sacrifice Chloe or Arcadia Bay endings, as they mentioned Max being able to jump through 'parallel universes' or something of the sort. It is a bit ironic how the game does seem to be set in the Sacrifice Chloe ending while the plot is centered around Max trying to save a murdered friend with her powers.

Wait. This plot mirrors Life is Strange 1 more than I imagined.

The trailer gave off the same 'imitation of Life is Strange 1's small town vibe' just like True Colors. But what I just realized is that the premise is based around Max attempting to save the life of a friend murdered (for unclear reasons) with her rewinding ability -- just like the premise of the first game.

Chloe is murdered by Nathan for reasons unknown, and Max rewinds (awakening her power) to discover the motive behind her murder while also uncovering a larger conspiracy in Arcadia Bay.

Max's friend in this trailer is murdered by someone unknown for what seems to be reasons unknown, and Max rewinds (using her power for the first time in ages) to discover the motive behind her murder while also probably uncovering a larger conspiracy in her town because that is the same exact thing that happened in Life is Strange: True Colors.

I still have faith in you, Deck Nine! The news about Nazi symbols being hidden in this game was concerning (among claims of a toxic and harassment-filled workplace), but I still hope the team was able to move through such a heinous trouble and come out of it with an amazing piece of work.

Please, I beg of you!

[cleoselene]

All The Concerts!

my mom wrote down every concert she's ever been to and it's a LOT, like in the triple digits

and it got me thinking if I could name every concert I've ever been to? I am fearful I might forget some tho my MS memory sucks but here goes:

New Kids on the Block

Boyz II Men/MC Hammer

Tori Amos (x7)

Switchblade Symphony

KMFDM with Nivek Ogre

VNV Nation (x2)

Air Supply (x2)

Terri Clark (lol I hated country when my family dragged me to this one, I was in my peak Snob Goth era)

Garth Brooks (happened much later when I had learned to embrace country)

Peter Cetera

Sarah McLachlan

The Editors

Radiohead (i hated this hahah, it was so fucking boring like their music. My friend bought the tickets and I had hoped seeing them live would make it click. It did not. I was bored and cold because it was raining in Seattle)

Coldplay (was so much better than Radiohead, seethe snobby indie rock fans)

Regina Spektor

The Decemberists (literally the worst concert I've ever seen. Again I did not buy the tickets but my friend who liked going to indie rock shows always bought two tickets in hopes of getting a date and I was her backup if she didn't. To be clear even though this and Radiohead sucked, I did have a great time with my friend both times)

Cake

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic

Puscifer

Barry Manilow

ummm now I'm drawing a blank but I KNOW I've been to more shows and the stupid brain damage is making me forget. I've always been to see a fuck ton of tribute bands at this supper club, and tbh they were almost all really good. The Pink Floyd one especially. Also lol in middle school once this club I was in had a band come perform and they were like... a hair metal Christian band that took mainstream rock songs like "Living on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi and changed the lyrics to like... "LIVING 'CAUSE I PRAAYYYY" and it was fucking hilarious. It's driving me crazy tho because I know there are more actual real concerts I am forgetting -_-

so i guess if you count all the artists I saw multiple times, it comes to... *maths* 28 concerts? Which tbh does not feel like nearly enough.

on the bucket list:

Vienna Teng

Brandi Carlile

Portishead (lol this will never happen but a girl can dream)

Beyoncé

Taylor Swift

TOOL

A Perfect Circle

The Amazing Devil (which is somehow even less likely than Portishead)

SO I'LL MAKE THIS A MEME. Tell me which concerts you've been to, and tell me which concerts you feel like you MUST see before you die. @deathinthesun @an-ivy-covered-summer @swiftzeldas @sylvieons and whoever else wants to do it~

I did get Taylor tickets last year HOWEVER they were... beyond atrocious, the seats. Like, upper upper deck, BEHIND the stage with like no visibility, not even of the screens, because again: BEHIND. I had like three people trying to get tickets that day and 2/3 of us failed but my friend succeeded and she was like "do you want me to buy these? they're upper deck" and I was like yeah yeah that's okay! We can look at the screens! And then I saw the "OBSTRUCTED VISIBILITY" thing and looked at the layout and I was like...kind of devastated, honestly? It's really hard for me to do an outing like that physically, it was outdoors in April (which translates to HOT in Florida) and I just didn't see myself able to endure 5 or 6 hours at minimum in the heat without like, passing out and dying. Not to mention I'm still really scared of being in a large space with that many people because my disease-modifying drug destroys most of my immune system. I ended up selling them, and... buying my vinyl collection lol. Taylor got a lot of that money again because I bought a lot of her records. I'm kind of bummed that maybe I missed my chance forever, but again, I don't think I could have physically swung it. Plus, of the three nights she did Tampa, the show I was supposed to go to had meh surprise songs while the other 2 nights had AMAZING ones, so I know I would have been salty about that too. ONE DAY THO.

[chrisbitchtree]

Feels Like Home

For Harringrove Flip It Reverse It - Day 2

Prompt - NSFW - Stripping

1k - G

***

Finally, after years of saving every penny they could, passing on nights out at the bar in favour of sharing a cheap sixpack of beer at home, only making the expensive trip back to Hawkins once a year, and working two jobs each, Steve as a receptionist at a dental office and a barista, and Billy a mechanic and bartender, they’d saved enough for their own little house near the ocean.

Saying house might be putting it too kindly, though. It was really more of a shack. Sturdy but tiny, one bedroom, a tiny kitchen and dining room combo, and a living room making up the whole place, sand dusted on every floor, the scent of sea salt filling the air. And horrific, 70s era wallpaper covering nearly every wall. It wasn’t ideal, but it was within their budget and allowed for easy access to surfing and swimming, so they gladly snatched it up.

***

They’d put in a lot of work over the past few months, refinishing the floors, replacing the rotting boards on the deck, and replacing the ancient, pea green toilet and tub, and now it was time for the final task: stripping the wallpaper so they could paint the walls in a rainbow of colours, from sky blue to sunshine yellow.

They’d rented a contraption that promised to steam the wallpaper off almost instantly, but neither had any clue how to use it, and it wasn’t going well. Billy’s curls were a wild mess because Steve kept accidentally aiming the steam at him, the few times they could magically get any steam to come out at all, and Steve’s face was bright red from a mixture of embarrassment and frustration from not being able to figure out this seemingly simple task, even after the clerk at the paint shop had given him a demo.

Billy had unfortunately had to miss out on the demo due to work. He was always the handier of the two, but he had to rely on Steve’s memory and an instruction manual that left a lot to be desired in terms of detailed descriptions of the steps to get him through. They had always made a concerted effort to not raise their voices at each other, but they were not successful that day.

“How can you not remember, Steve? You said the guy showed you how to do it, like three times! Is it not this button?”

“Which button?” Steve shouted.

This button! This button, Steve!” He jammed his thick finger into one of the three buttons on top. “The button I keep showing you! Is this the button?”

“That’s not the button you were pressing before!” Steve roared, dropping the nozzle and storming out of the room. He stepped into the bathroom, the only room with a lock, and sat on the lip of the tub, fuming.

It was just like Billy to pin this on Steve when he knew that Steve had a terrible memory. He should have gone to the paint shop instead of Steve, but he just had to work an extra couple hours of overtime, even though he’d promised Steve he’d slow down with it now that they’d bought the house.

They had both agreed that they’d cut back on their hours so they could enjoy being here together, but only Steve was keeping that promise so far, and it felt sometimes like he was doing all the heavy lifting on the new house himself.

Billy banged loudly on the door. “Steve, can you please come out here?” he called. “So we can talk about this like adults?”

“No,” Steve replied. “I need a minute to myself to calm down.”

“Ok,” Billy sighed. “Good. Take a minute to get your head out of your ass, then we can talk.”

Steve huffed an incredulous laugh. “Get my head out of my ass? How about you get your head out of your ass? If you hadn’t insisted on taking on that extra overtime, you could have been the one to go to the paint shop for the tutorial, and we wouldn’t be in this mess!”

“Well, I’m so sorry for trying to make some extra cash, Steve! Sue me for not wanting us to be poor!”

Steve stood, flicking the lock, and flinging the door open, standing face to face with Billy. “Money won’t buy us time together, Billy! It won’t buy us memories and happiness.”

It was Billy’s turn for his face to go red. “I know that asshole, but it can buy us a future. It can buy us safety. It can buy us financial security like I never had growing up. I want to take care of you, Steve. I love you so fucking much, and I want to give you the world. Is that so bad?” Tears were now leaking from the corners of his eyes, and Steve brought a hand up, trying to wipe them away.

Shit. He’d never thought of it like that before. He knew that he took for granted sometimes that he’d have his parents’ money to fall back on if things really got rough, so it had never truly occurred to him what money might mean to Billy.

He grabbed a tissue from the back of the toilet and handed it to Billy before pulling him to his chest and holding Billy tight in his arms. He rocked them softly, back and forth, shushing Billy as the tears continued to flow.

“Don’t cry, baby. I’m sorry. You’re just trying to take care of us. I know that now. I’m sorry that I didn’t see it before but thank you. You’re always looking out for me. For us. How about we just take another minute to calm down, then I’ll treat you to an ice cream cone, then we can go back to the paint shop to have them explain it again. Ok?”

Billy nodded, letting out a wet whimper.

Steve continued to hold him in his arms, running a soothing hand down his back. Fuck, he was lucky to have Billy, have him care so much. He made a silent promise to himself to let Billy know more often just how much he appreciated his love.

[pokemon-card-of-the-day]

Okay here's round 2 of cards I like, now for more recent sets (yes, to me BW is modern, help I'm old)

Eelektrik was a very useful way to accelerate... But really it's here because they decided to make an evolving Stage 1 good on its own. It's not like this never happens (recently we had Flaaffy and now, to an extent, there's Metang) but Eelektrik being chosen was a cool moment at the time.

The best fluff. At a time where big Legendary Pokemon-EX did most of the work, this thing could actually hold its own. It was also fun because you kept discarding things and ran like 25 Pokemon at a time where 10 or fewer was very normal.

They went with evolution line theme art here. Probably one of the coolest things they've done with card art.

The idea here was of a Stadium that worked differently for each player, and whoever had the card got to pick which side went where. A fun idea for sure, though one they didn't keep for long.

Look at this thing. It has 60 HP and 10 base damage. Oh, right, its damage scaled up quickly... So basically we had a good, competitive deck with a 60 HP attacker that damaged itself on purpose when a lot of other things were over 250. And it worked.

I once took this to a local tournament and had a winning record. I might be biased because Castform but it was fun as hell to play. You got to use whatever Stadium you wanted to mess with the opponent and discard all over the place. Lost to a turn 1 Cramorant there, though.

I like the Supporters that let you choose what to do, and this was cool in the V era as drawing or forcing a V into play. Much less cool now. And yes, it went well in Castform.

Welcome to modern funny gimmick! Pair this with Forretress ex. Blow up a ton, fall way behind. Your second Brambleghast will have 350 HP and a ton of Energy, and you flip your way to a win. Or probably not, but if you're playing this you really don't care much about the result. It's just hilarious. Add Hero's Cape for even funnier results.

I could most likely find more but I think this will do, there's so many interesting cards out there I probably missed.

[cringe-y-gumi]

Forget school, embrace the dreamnoblade. For this we must imagine:

Techno being the one they put in prision, the server decided that he is the biggest threat, without him dream couldn't have blown up lmanburg, quackity would have his two eyes, tubbo won't be scarred and everyone would have their home. So they take Phil again, they used ranboo against him as much as it hurt Tommy to use his friend like this.

Techno is unsurprised but disappointed nonetheless. He spends the few first weeks trying to grow potatoes in the cauldron because Sam doesn't give him enough for his half piglin side. But one day quackity arrives.

He just wants atonement from what happened in the butcher army,but even tough he is decked out techno still manages to trow him into the lava so next time he comes back with potion, and they work a little too well in making the piglin weak.

It gets to the point even the sigth of a regen potion makes Techno pale.

This goes on only for two months.

Dream decides that Techno is worth more alive than dead (and he may or may have not missed his rival) So with the knowledge he has of the prison he gets him out nobody the wiser, Phil is still on the artic trying to make a plan with ranboo and Nikki.

Cue cottage core arc where Dream is very sweet and caring to Techno while he is very emotionally constipated. Dream gets the rest of the syndicate when Techno heals up and makes the rest of the server go boom boom.

I do not regret writing this long ass ask.

Oh gosh, I almost let this one slip out of my mind.

I'm so tireeeed... But tbh, seeing some people still enjoying the things I also like— like Dreamnoblade of course, I'm all good

ಥ‿ಥ

and YEEES!!! Please for the love of god, I BADLY WANT SOME DNB COTTAGE ERA WITHOUT BEING HIDDEN BEHIND THE TITLE RIVALS DUO ( ≧Д≦)!!!

I may be biased, but the potential, the subtexts of some of the fics I read are OH SO THERE! Sometimes I wonder if some of them wanted to actually write dnb but due to its reputation, didn't.

Or maybe I'm projecting...

Anyway, I'm getting side tracked.

I would LOVE to read this one!!! But also add this:

When Dream broke Techno out of the prison, the Syndicate never knew. So when they were executing a prison-escape— one that was a little after Dream broke Techno out, they met a barren, empty cell.

Syndicate be panicking, while Dream and Techno be enjoying their cottagecore era.

Of course, Techno needs to heal— both physically and mentally but mostly it's emotionally.

After spending 2 months in that cell with Quackity taunting the fuck out of him, his Rival/friend acting all soft and domestic is the last thing he would want to deal with. But he doesn't have a choice.

Because the thing is... Not even Dream knew why.

"Techno is a powerful ally so he needs to get on his good side" is what Dream tells himself. You see, no business partners would wake up early to make sure the other eats. No business partners would learn the way the other likes their bath (temperature) or their coffee.

When Dream first noticed himself, he found out he likes what he's feeling and is he started to do them more.

When Techno finally noticed, he found out he wasn't opposed to the feeling and so he also started doing the same.

But remember the Syndicate?

Just when things starts to become better, the Syndicate managed to accomplish their goal: To find and rescue Technoblade who they all assumed was kidnapped and kept somewhere.

So with that, they managed to catch the two off-guard— successfully getting Techno, and capturing Dream.

Techno doesn't accept it. No one is listening to him. Dream— being used to this treatment, isn't even speaking

AHHH I want hurt comfort, more when I finally get some sleep...

Also I appreciate such long ask! I like Reading them!

[raintides]

Out of curiosity which ygo series have you watched already and what are your opinions of them ?

OOPS i completely missed this ask but i've watched gx and i'm 2/3 of the way through vrains! i haven't watched enough of the other series for anything in-depth, so i'll just answer it for these two!

gx: for such a huge main cast, i was surprised by how much all the characters grew on me. even the one-off side characters are memorable (abidos the third, i'll never forget you). i also love how stupidly ridiculous some of the episodes get? it never fails to make me laugh

judai is also one of my favorite characters ever. i love dumbasses with hearts of gold. i love his single-minded passion for dueling. i love his fearlessly endless optimism, his unfaltering determination, and the way he naturally brings people together by just being himself. he gets more jaded later (his depression era) but he manages to rekindle his passion for the things he loves while still retaining everything he learned through those life experiences and i'm just. ugh. i love him

vrains: this series is what got me back into the actual physical tcg (salamangreat represent!!!) (i play rikka sunavalon now but salads are forever) so if anything it'll have a soft spot in my heart because of that. i'm around episode... 80ish right now? so i haven't gotten to The Major Stuff yet (soon). but i really like it so far!! i'm the kind of person who gets into things primarily because i like the characters and vrains 100% nailed that. I LOVEEE TAKERU this is a soulburner appreciation page. yusaku and ryoken are also my babygirls

characters aside, my favorite thing about vrains are the duels??? they're so fun??? yusaku pulling off an extra link was legit one of the most hype moments in the entire show. on that note, i'm personally offended ghost girl didn't win more duels? her deck is atrocious (i am saying this positively). she runs imperm?? this girl plays meta. i cant believe she lost to mirror force. i think i actually laughed so hard i cried when revolver revealed his ultra powerful secret card and it was mirror force

[tiredgremlintime]

Arc-v Month Day 3: Duetto of Duelist and Spirit

@arcvmonth

ok so I’m going to talk about three decks! Performapals, melodious, and lyrilusc!!

So performapals! The first arc-v deck I wanted to play

As the zexal era in duel links was drawing closer to its end, I knew arc-v world was next, and I was excited, I was super excited to play Yuya and try out Zuzu, I knew I wanted my first deck to be Yuya’s, especially the performapals focus one, with odd eyes and some magicans of course since Yuya is one of my favorite characters, I tried to study his deck by watching the anime, yes, I was and still am unhinged thank you. So when arc-v world dropped, I couldn’t really play Yuya’s deck. See the problem with duel links is that when new decks come in, some of the cards from said deck is from older boxes, which meant spending a bunch of gems, until last month I couldn’t have Yuya’s deck, considering how EXPENSIVE he was, thankfully I could still play his deck, I just couldn’t bring it online. it was performapal focus! Just like I wanted! Sure it probably wasn’t THAT good but it was fun :). Thankfully, thanks to the campaign that happened last month I can now FINALLY play his deck and main Yuya! Fully compatible, fun to play, AND can be brought online, yippee!!! Even though I have to play with LESS performapals, I still get to play with some! So there’s that atleast! I’m just happy I can finally play my boy :)

Now with that knowledge, you may be wondering, since I been struggling to actually play as Yuya this past year, who else did I play in arc-v world? Who’s deck did I fully have? All the cards and such? Well that’s a pretty easy answer, which leads us to our next point!

Melodious! The deck that gave me confidence again

Now, I really like Zuzu! She’s one of my favorite arc-v characters! Back then though since I was still watching arc-v season 1, she was just a character I liked. Now when arc-v world dropped and the new tier list dropped melodious was actually tier 1! Unfortunately I missed that era cause it lasted like 2 months and it took me 3 months to get Zuzu, but when I DID get her my brother encouraged me to built her deck! I did and she became one of my dl mains! Melodious might have been tier 3 but I was playing GREAT with it online, this deck actually helped me re-gain the confidence to duel online! I’m forever thankful to this deck for helping me gain pvp courage, even if the deck isn’t consider powerful anymore. And this deck also made me love Zuzu even more! So another great thing this deck did for me!

so those are my two arc-v decks in duel links! How about tcg wise? Well this leads to the next and last deck I’m going to talk about in this post

Lyrilusc, baby’s first irl deck

SO, I’m going to talk about this more later, but spring last year I started to really like Lulu, like she was becoming a fav of mine, to the point where I made a daily doodle blog for her, but during this stage where I started to really like her, my brother got the synchro storm box, the newest Yugo box! So we opened it up together, and as a result I got a LOT of lyrilusc support from it, I actually got almost all the cards I needed for the base deck! Because of this my brother suggested that my tcg deck should be lyrilusc, I was a little nervous but also excited about this, so I agreed! It took a long time for the deck to be built however, because believe it or not playing Yugioh actually cause a LOT of money!!!! I didn’t really think I get to actually play the deck, but then Christmas approached, and one of my brother’s gifts for me was the rest of the cards I needed for lyrilusc tri-birgade!!! One of the best versions of the lyrilusc deck is to play it with tri-brigade, so that’s the deck I now own!! Now that it’s officially summer I can finally take the time to learn the deck, I been wanting to play with this deck for awhile so now I’m really excited to learn! I can’t wait to see how far I can go with this deck I was gifted!

So yeah that’s it for my arc-v decks! Thank you to anyone who read this far!!

[sonic-adventure-2-battle]

Times Groudon has been left out while Kyogre and Rayquaza got cards: A list

Number 1: In Vivid Voltage, Rayquaza got an Amazing rare, & in Shining fates, Kyogre got one. They then stopped making amazing rares after Shining Fates, so Groudon never got one.

Number 2: In Crown Zenith, Kyogre got a normal card and also a V, & Rayquaza got a V and 2 VMAXes that look really similar and are essentially the same thing. Meanwhile Groudon didn't get a V in the whole set, & the worst part is that Groudon didnt even get a single V in the entirety of Sword & Shield.

Poor Groudon :(

There are also a lot of times when Groudon & Kyogre got stuff but not Rayquaza, but thats ok, because they still work as a duo, but i'll put some examples anyway. 1: cosmic eclipse theme decks 2: omega ruby and alpha sapphire 3: primal clash

At some point, they made these LEGEND cards which were 2 cards that become one big card, & there was one for Kyogre & Groudon, Along with theme decks for both of them in Cosmic Eclipse. The cards with Groudon missing were both from Sword & Shield, so this is what i think happened at some point during that era.

that or groudon died i hope not though