#i've actually heard it's one of the best volumes

[candledburns]

sometimes i need to work with my brain instead of against it. and that’s why i’m watching volume 7 of rwby despite having not seen volume 6 yet whoops-

[bgomtori]

☆ lover's rock - c.bg

synopsis - love wasn't something you believed in until you bumped into him while listening to your favourite band.

-> music major! beomgyu x art major! reader

-> love a first sight, college au!, artist x muse

-> warnings! slowburn, yn's dense, makeout session.

-> note! after i heard that beomgyu listens to cas, i screamed, my fav person and one of my fav bands :' also gyu day!! his birthday is literally 4 days before mine, i think it's fate 😂 jokes💀 hope you guys enjoy this :>

art, something that is enjoyed by many in various ways, through music, paintings or even poems. personally, you enjoyed art through your paintings, the ability to express yourself on a canvas with multiple hues of colours was fascinating to you, along with the soothing melody of music playing in the background. your mind wanders off as you immerse yourself in the current art project you had, your wrist moving slowly while you sketch on your prep board.

the library was quiet as usual, all types of students from different majors all gathered in one area to study or rush last minute work. you snapped yourself back into reality, aimlessly staring at the artpiece infront of you, your eyes feeling strained and dry, unable to keep itself open. that was your cue to pack up and leave, you stretched your aching body, slinging your bag over your shoulders as you left the library, placing your headphones over your ears, turning up the volume slowly, paying no attention to the surrounding area around you.

"ow, sorry." a voice sounded louder than what played in your headphones, you removed them, trying to be polite to the person you accidentally bumped into. "it's fine, i should have paid more attention to my surroundings." you bowed, before bending down to pick up your phone that was knocked away from your grasp.

"you listen to cigarettes after sex too?" you could hear the joy behind the male's voice, clearly thrilled to find out that a person listens to the same band as him. you nodded your head, "you like them too?"

"yea of course! i've been listening to them since they released their first album." he smiled, his eyes shimmering despite the dimly lit hallway you were standing in. "that's cool, what's your name? maybe we can talk more."

"beomgyu, choi beomgyu. how about you? i've seen you around the art building before." he replied, shooting the question back at you, "yn, hope to see you around next time." you smiled at him, wanting to leave already.

"wait, what's your number? you seem cool, i mean you are cool especially since you listen to cas. i just want to talk to someone like you." beomgyu stuttered, his face turned away from you as he held his phone towards you, displaying the contact list to you. you laughed softly, typing in your number, along with your name and an emoji.

"text me anytime, i'll try my best to reply." you waved, leaving a stranded beomgyu in the middle of a dark hallway, his eyes never leaving your disappearing figure. without even noticing, his lips tugged up into a smile, finally someone he could relate to, he could already feel the connection between the both of you. call him crazy, but he thinks that you would be best friends by the end of the semester.

and that dream became a reality. all starting from a text message from beomgyu, sending you a playlist he created of his favourite songs from all his favourite bands. something as little as a playlist warmed your heart, who would actually take the time and effort to create a playlist for a stranger they barely knew. and this was the starting point of your everlasting friendship. the way that he would often make his way to the art studio, despite his music studio being a 10 minutes away from it, he is willing to walk that distance for you, with your favourite drink in hand.

"you're class ended 15 minutes ago, how are you here so fast?" you opened the door for beomgyu, letting him into the art studio, locking it in the process. beomgyu stared at the current piece you were working in, completely awed by how pretty the artwork was.

"you're so good at this." ignoring your previous question, placing his bag down on the ground, taking a seat beside your canvas. you sighed, knowing beomgyu would never reveal the reason why he's always so quick to find you.

"have you listened to their latest single?" beomgyu asked, scrolling through his playlist, specifically made for music of his taste. you shook your head, "i didn't even know that they released a new song." beomgyu looked at you as if you grew another head.

"you're missing out, oh my god." beomgyu gasped, immediately playing the song, 'bubblegum.' by cas. a familiar yet different sounding melody filled your eardrums as you listened intently to the song beomgyu was showing you.

"it's nice." you found yourself humming to the lyrics, sketching on the canvas that was infront of you. "right, they never disappoint." beomgyu agreed, trying to find another song to add to the queue.

"gyu–" beomgyu looked up at the sound of his voice, his eyes blinking at you slowly, waiting for you to complete your sentence, "why, don't you talk to your other friends about music?" it has been a question on your mind ever since you've became friends with beomgyu, you've noticed how he doesn't talk much about his interest and taste in music to the guys compared to when he is with you.

"oh." his response was dry, making you think that you've said something hurtful.

"uhm, i didn't mean it, i guess it's slightly insensitive, forget that i asked that." you stammered, your face getting warm due to the embarrassment you were facing.

"you didn't say anything wrong, don't worry." he reassured, giving you a small smile.

"it's just that they don't share the same taste as me, so i can't really talk to them about my passion and interest in music. it's fine though! i've finally met you, so i'm alright with that." beomgyu admitted, his eyes practically glowing under the bright light in the art studio. your heart raced, butterflies filling your stomach, how cute could he be to make you feel like this. you've never believed that love was something for you, every single person you've liked has rejected you, clearly beomgyu wouldn't be any different.

"when is this due?" beomgyu questioned, his finger tapping on your canvas.

"in 2 weeks, why?" your head tilting in confusion as beomgyu's lips tugged into a mischievious smirk, "let's dip, you still have plenty of time to complete that."

"what? no. i need to–"

"no you don't, let's go to a vinyl shop, i know a place." beomgyu grabbed your hand, pulling you up from your seat. you screeched, telling him to wait, since your things were scattered around the studio. beomgyu chuckled, releasing your wrist, watching you frantically pack everything into your bag.

"i hate you." you grumbled, glaring at beomgyu while locking the door to your art studio. beomgyu laughed, his hand landing atop your head, stroking your hair, "quit grumbling, let's go."

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

"what took you so long?" you removed a side of your earbud, looking up at beomgyu who was staring at your with an apologetic look on his face. "i've not been to the campus's library in months, so i kinda got lost.." his eyes averting your gaze, cheeks warming up due to the embarrassment. you laughed at him softly, patting the seat beside you.

"do you always come to the library on your free time?" beomgyu whispered, placing his bag on the ground, grabbing his laptop at the same time. you nod your head, fingers quickly typing out the 5000 word essay that was due the following day. beomgyu frowned, noticing how you have yet to give him any attention from the moment he sat down beside you.

beomgyu sighed into the palm of his hand, pushing his chair closer to yours, your shoulders coming into contact with one another, knees brushing against each other's occassionally. you could feel beomgyu's eyes burning holes into your soul, causing you to turn to face him, unaware of how close you guys were. your eyes widened, along with his, your face about a centimeter away from his. lips barely touching, his hot breath fanning against your face, eyes boring into yours.

"sorry.." beomgyu coughed, turning away from you, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"it's fine." you choked out, still thinking about what just happened, unable to think straight, you hastily finished your essay, not caring on whether it was perfect or not, and switched your laptop off.

"let's go to the vinyl store, i need more vinyls." you packed your bags, trying your best not to look into beomgyu's eyes, knowing that you'll instantly malfunction under his gaze. however, just as you had that thought in mind, beomgyu grabbed onto your wrist, making you pause your actions.

"wait, i have something for you." beomgyu removed his grip from your wrist, pulling a small box from his bag, placing it in your hand.

"open it." he whispered, eyes looking at the box and back at you, excited for you to open up the surprise gift he bought for you. you untied the cute little ribbon on the box before lifting up the lid of the tiny box, only to see a cute bracelet staring back at you, the star-shaped charm gleaming prettily, it's colours so plain yet so charming.

"it's pretty." was all your said, but beomgyu has known you long enough to understand that you don't talk that much when you see something you like so much, but your express it through your body language and facial expression. he could see the way your eyes lit up, ane how your lips tugged up to a slight smile without noticing. beomgyu grinned, watching as you slipped the bracelet on your wrist.

"let's go?" you asked, snapping beomgyu out of his daze.

"yea sure." his hands grabbing onto yours, acting as if he doesnt care, but his mind was a hectic mess. he could see your clueless expression through his peripheral vision, doe eyes staring at his hand on yours. beomgyu swore that his heart was going to jump out any moment, his ears turning to a soft hue of read, you were definitely going to be the death of him.

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁

time flies whenever you're with beomgyu, without even realising it has already been months since your first interaction. by this time, you've finally grown accustomed to your growing feelings for the male, from his appearance to his passion in music, everything about him was perfect. even your friends caught on to your lovesick ways, also talking to beomgyu from time to time just to see if he was suitable for you, only for them to say that you're dense. you couldn't even believe soobin when he told you that beomgyu hasn't been like this around his past lovers, lies, was what you told soobin, laughing at how ridiculous it sounded, just to see soobin shaking his head, telling you that it's true.

every now and then, beomgyu would invite you over to his dorm if he's too lazy to go over to yours, and behind closed doors, blocking out the noise happening in the living room due to the boys loud yelling, the both of your just listened to your shared playlist in silence. it may not seem like much, but this activity calms you down, resting your head against the bed frame while beomgyu lays on his pillow, scrolling through his phone.

lovers rock, the song you recommended him since the start of your friendship. the sound of the electric guitar slowly fading into the quiet atmosphere, your fingers subconsciously tap against your phone to the beat, humming along with the melody.

"look at this tiktok, it reminds me of us." beomgyu chuckled, his arm extended to show you the cute tiktok on his phone. you took some time to process that he was trying to show you something before turning your head towards his phone, "oh my god, stop shaking." you grumbled, grabbing onto his phone, your hand laying on top of his.

the video contained two cats hugging each other as they had earbuds in their ear, listening to music, perfectly picturing the exact event happening right now. your stomach felt funny, biting your lips as you fought back the largest smile ever. "yea, that's us." you giggled, this feeling was euphoric, the way your smile is immediately reciprocated makes you feel like you've won a marathon, how this man has you completely wrapped around his finger...

beomgyu hummed, a hint of joy hidden behind his voice as he turned to his side to face the wall. your eyes flickered onto beomgyu's figure, your body slowly edging towards him unconsciously.

"hmm?" beomgyu sounded, feeling your head pressing against his back, you forcefully pushed his head away, preventing him to look at you, "i'm tired." you yawned, wrapping your arm around his waist loosely, growing more comfortable against his warmth. beomgyu could hear his own heartbeat, loud and clear, afraid that you could hear it too. your eyes fluttered close, on the verge of falling asleep.

"yn." beomgyu called, his body shifted around to face you, you looked up at him groggily, waiting for him to say something. beomgyu's mouth turned dry, completely forgetting the words that he wanted to tell you.

"ah, forget it, rest well." swallowing the lump in his throat, he watched as you nodded your head, falling back to sleep. he stared at the wall behind you in frustration, his mind only filled with thoughts of you, and how he was going to confess to you.

ever since he told his friends about his undying love for you, all they did was to push him into confessing because he'd be a pussy if he didn't, and to convince his friends that he isn't one, he has to tell you soon. currently, his phone was raided with a bunch of notifications from his group chat, all of them asking when he was going to tell you.

heeseung : stop pussying it, just say it.

beomgyu : it's not that simple 😐 and she's asleep right now

jeongin : you had all the time in the world to say it just now, and you wasted it.

beomgyu : ok shut up, maybe later.

"so fucking annoying.." he groaned softly, turning his phone off, staring off into the distance again.

"what's annoying?" you yawned a question, woken up by beomgyu's rapid typing and groans in annoyance from earlier. beomgyu looked at you in shock, praying that you didn't see any of the messages he exchanged with his friends.

"ah, nothing." beomgyu shrugged it off, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear.

"yn, i have something to tell you." he suddenly sat up, causing you to flinch, "what is it?" following his actions.

"do you believe in love at first sight?" the sudden question about love caught you off guard, you played around with the bracelet beomgyu previoudly gave you, unable to come up with a response. your silence made beomgyu nervous, was it too random? he stared off to the side of his room.

"i didn't believe it at first, but i guess i think it's possible." you replied, the back of your neck feeling warmer by the second, afraid that you'd accidentally slip out a confession. beomgyu looked at you as if you grew two heads, he knew you weren't fond of love, and would much rather focus on your future art career. he was slightly curious, and extremely jealous of this person who managed to steal your heart.

"who?"

"who..?"

"who is this person that changed your mind." his tone sounding harsher than he intended to, maybe becausr he didn't want to lose you to any other guy who didn't deserve you. your throat was dry, it was to either tell him the truth or lie about your feelings for him. however, you didn't want to miss out on this opportunity, i mean what could be worse than getting rejected in his own dorm. you swallowed the lump that formed in your throat, licking your lips,

"you."

"what?"

"it's you, ever since you bumped into me when i was making my way out of the library." you confessed, feeling yourself crumble, knowing that beomgyu is watching you intently. on the other hand, beomgyu didn't believe his ears, his mind going haywire at the thought that you liked him back, not even paying attention to your rambling.

"i don't know if this is the right time to confess, i mean i guess it was just the heat of the moment.. i'm sorry if i made you uncomf–" your eyes widened at the sudden contact on your lips, slowly blinking to register the situation that's happening. what felt like fireworks in your stomach, your eyes naturally closed, reciprocating the kiss, your hand placed on top of beomgyu's, slightly gripping onto it. beomgyu smiled into the kiss, his free hand landing on your waist, pulling you closer to him.

beomgyu pulled away, causing you to whine, wanting more. beomgyu couldn't help but giggle at how desperate you were.

"more.." you sighed out, wrapping your arms around beomgyu's neck, tilting your head as you connected your lips against his. his lips tasted like strawberries, his favourite fruit, and also the chapstick that he steals from your occassionally, he was perfect. you pulled away, catching your breath, placing your forehead against beomgyu's.

"guess we picked the best song to kiss to." beomgyu chuckled, you quirked your eyebrow, not understanding what he meant, until you heard what the lyrics meant. you giggled, nuzzling your head into beomgyu's neck.

"it's perfect."

she might wanna kiss

before the end of this song..

perm taglist! (send an ask to be added) @mrsyawnzzn @tinyelfperson @woncheecks @boba-beom @naveries @be-argyu @defnotleee

[sirfrogsworth]

Froggie's Guide to Budget Headphones

@nimrella I am more well versed in traditional audio and home theater with big honking speakers, so I don't have much personal experience with headphones and headphone accessories. But I can tell you what I've learned from other people who are in the headphone world. And since you are starting more within the "budget" range I think I am somewhat qualified to guide you at this level.

You have three paths to choose from...

Wireless, low impedance wired (no amplification required), and high impedance wired (amplification required).

Basically... easy, medium, and hard.

But also... good, better, best.

Wireless Headphones

Wireless headphones have come a long way. Audiophiles used to scoff at them but now there are options that really do sound fantastic and the Bluetooth data rates are good enough to deliver high resolution audio. They also have noise cancellation options which may be desirable. If you do not have a quiet, dedicated space for listening to music you might find high end noise cancellation a godsend. People love them especially for planes, trains, and automobiles.

I don't know if everyone knows how noise cancellation works or not, but basically the headphones have microphones that listen to the world around you. They measure the incoming sound and then generate an opposite sound that just about kills ambient noise. If you play the same sound 180 degrees out of phase it basically nullifies those sound waves. The tech works best between 50 Hz and 1000 Hz. For reference we hear between 20 Hz and 20,000 Hz (lower if you are old). So anything super high or super low pitched can still get through.

In any case, if that sounds appealing, wireless headphones should be a consideration.

The other advantage of wireless headphones would be the ease of use. They pair to your phone, your laptop, your TV. They have controls to help you pause and skip songs and change volume. Some allow you to take phone calls.

But the big downside is the sound quality takes a bit of a hit. As I said, the bluetooth standards have actually gotten very very good. (Though there are audiophiles who will swear it still sounds like a 1990s MP3.) So streaming the actual media files are not really an issue. But trying to cram all of that tech into lightweight headphones you can wear around town all day requires compromises and added expense. Not to mention the battery has a limited lifespan. You may have more limited or inconsistent frequency response, poor dynamic range, distortion problems, weak output, and a high noise floor. Wireless options still can't match wired headphone systems in the same price range. And the wireless options that come close are quite spendy.

Wireless Headphones Suggestions

In your price range the two wireless options that I hear mentioned over and over again are the Sony WH-1000 series and the Bose QuietComfort. They are both well regarded for having a good mix of sound quality and noise cancellation while also being a decent value. You might be able to visit a Best Buy and demo them to see if you prefer the sound and comfort of one over the other.

The Apple AirPods Max are said to work really well within the Apple ecosystem. They have some interesting spatial sound modes and very good audio quality. I've heard the noise cancellation is some of the best currently available. But they seem too expensive and a lot of people feel they are too heavy. I also suspect they are due for an update. That said, if you wait for the new ones to come out and buy used, they could come into your price range. I'd really only suggest these if you have multiple Apple products that you will be streaming sound from.

Before we move into wired headphones, let's go over some terms that you might see pop up when doing research and reading reviews.

Froggie's Glossary of Audiophile Terminology

Driver A speaker is made up of drivers. Some speakers have a woofer, a midrange, and a tweeter. Each individual thing is a driver. And with headphones you will often hear "headphone driver" instead of speaker because it is more specific. Headphones typically have an all-in-one driver that does all frequencies. A woofymidteet.

That's not a thing.

I made that up.

Frequency Response This is the range of frequencies produced by the drivers from low to high. You want to make sure your headphones have good, deep bass. That will make more of a difference than anything else. It's the foundation of all sound and what is sorely lacking in devices with small/cheap speakers.

Music typically doesn't go much below 40 Hz in the bass range. So if you are only interested in music listening, that is plenty deep. Movies can go down to 20 Hz, but this isn't necessary for a good immersive experience unless you have giant subwoofers. So if you find something that can play ~40 Hz with decent output, you should be all good. Every speaker has a frequency response curve. It looks something like this.

The X-axis represents the frequency and the Y-axis represents the volume in decibels. We are most concerned with the 40 to 10K Hz section, as most sound happens there.

I'm not going to go super in-depth and overwhelm everyone, but typically you want this graph to look fairly flat in that range. A flat-ish line will give you a "neutral" response.

The above graph gets a little bumpy in the high frequencies. That means those frequencies will have a higher volume than the lower frequencies. If a higher frequency has a big peak, that could make your sound seem too bright or tinny.

Or you could have the opposite problem. You could have a null in the bass where the output dips below everything else. This can make your sound a bit anemic and lacking punch.

Whereas a more flat speaker will output all frequencies at about the same volume and sound much more balanced and smooth.

Equalization or EQ A flat response is good because it will accept EQ well. Equalization is where you add peaks and dips in volume deliberately to taste.

This can be as simple as 3 knobs.

Or it can be a more complicated parametric EQ.

A lot of digital EQ methods have presets to help get you started. I promise it isn't as intimidating as it looks.

Some people like to buy speakers/headphones that are EQ'd how they prefer out of the box. (Or if you get Beats by Dre they just turn the bass all the way up and say "Fuck them other frequencies!") But this is often a bit of a crapshoot because it is hard to EQ a speaker that sounds good in every room or every environment or just to varying individual preferences.

By making the speaker more neutral, it can be much easier to equalize specifically to your needs and enjoyment.

So if you like the bass a little bassier and the mids a little quieter, you have the power to dial that in with great specificity on a neutral speaker. You can apply any EQ you wish and you won't be fighting the speaker's predetermined response.

Basically if you are reading reviews and the headphones are described as "flat" or "neutral" that's a good thing (in my opinion). Just remember nothing is going to be perfectly flat. We're shooting for flat-ish.

If you do decide to get a neutral sounding pair of headphones you may find them a little bland out of the box. Do not panic. You just need to learn a bit about how to apply EQ, but thankfully YouTube is plentiful with tutorials.

The Harman Curve was researched to be most liked by the most people, so you might start there. (Also, SoundSource is a very popular EQ app for Mac.)

Dynamic Range This is the spectrum of how quiet to loud something can get. If you have speakers that can render both a pin drop and a big explosion with great fidelity and proper intensity, you will be in audio heaven. There is so much emotion and drama that can be expressed by expansive dynamic range and most cheap speakers compress it to an inch of its life. When the soft and the loud sounds are the same you miss out on so much audio information intended by the composer.

Distortion This is just how loud a speaker can go without breaking up. Low distortion is good. While every driver distorts at some point, usually that is at a much higher volume than you will use. This typically only plagues cheap, tiny drivers.

Sound Pressure Level (SPL) This is a measurement of how loud a speaker can get. While you don't want to listen to anything louder than a sustained average decibel level of 80 to 85, you do want peaks over 100, especially in the bass. Bass is less damaging to ears and hearing damage is all about sustained volume rather than quick peaks here and there. Most headphones can comfortably do an SPL between 90 and 110 dB. The ability to go louder is good, but only because that expands headroom, not because you should actually listen to them that loud. So if the headphones can get super loud, that means they will have a much easier time delivering normal levels.

Noise Floor Every sound system has background noise. You know that static you hear when you turn a radio up really loud when there is no sound playing? That is your noise floor. You want that to be as quiet as possible because if you turn up the volume, you don't just turn up the volume of the sounds you want to hear, you also turn up the volume of that background noise.

If you can find a headphone system with a decent low noise floor and you can also find a very quiet space to listen in, you could have a religious experience. I don't think people realize how much the room you are in matters, even when listening to headphones. When you are in a quiet room, you can play at lower volumes. And that can mitigate a lot of the problems associated with cranking the volume. You won't damage your ears for one thing. But the speakers won't have to work as hard so you'll have less distortion and better clarity.

Noise mostly comes from the amplifier, which I will talk about later on.

Froggie Pro Tip: If you want cheap speakers to perform better, go to a quiet room and move them as close as possible. This allows you to play them at a lower output while maintaining your desired perceived volume.

Okay, now we can finally talk about...

Wired Headphones

You have open back and closed back styles.

Open back tends to have a more natural sound and feels more comfortable. Like listening to regular speakers. People generally feel they are able to listen to them longer because they don't create a seal and cause pressure on your ear drum. However, if sound can get out, it can also get in. So with open back headphones people nearby will be able to hear what you are listening to. And if you are not in a quiet room, all of that sound will leak in. Meaning you have to increase the volume and the noise floor and the distortion.

Closed back seals off your ears and gives you a quiet and immersive experience. You can be in a noisier room without having to crank the volume as much. Some prefer this style just because it helps them feel like they are going into their own personal dimension of sound. These are great for ASMR too. But ear fatigue can become an issue and you may need to take little breaks to let your ears breathe and your ear drums rest.

And the last thing we need to discuss is impedance.

The impedance of headphones mostly determines how hard they are to amplify. Impedance is measured in ohms which is this little horseshoe symbol... Ω.

Lower ohms means less electrical resistance and easier to amplify.

Higher ohms means more electrical resistance and difficult to amplify.

If you get headphones rated below 100 ohms, they can typically be driven by smartphones and laptops just by plugging into a standard headphone jack. Though depending on the device, 100 may sound a little quiet so you may want to go lower. 30 ohms is fairly typical if you plan to drive your headphones with everyday electronics.

Above 100 ohms you are going to need some sort of amplification—usually a DAC with a headphone amplifier. (There are DACs without amplification so be sure to check that.)

A DAC, or digital-to-analog converter, is already built into your phone and laptop. But those are very small, don't have a lot of power, and might have a higher noise floor due to interference from other components and heat and just a lot of electrical signals nearby.

By getting an external DAC w/amplifier you separate out the components, make them larger and more powerful, and typically improve the sound quality. Because it is more isolated, the amplification can be much quieter despite being more powerful.

If you plan to stay in a static location and you have high impedance headphones, you can get a little box DAC that sits on your desk. It works like an external sound card for your computer. If you record music or stream, a digital audio interface works great as well (remember to check the Ω).

But if you need to be more mobile with your headphones you can get a little USB dongle DAC, though you will probably not get the same sound quality and power.

Both will be superior to the internal DAC built into your computing devices.

So, low impedance headphones are easier if you need to move around.

High impedance headphones are better for staying put in a single location unless you get a dongle DAC.

Just remember, high and low impedance doesn't necessarily indicate quality. It's just that in order to drive high impedance headphones you need the larger amplifier with the nicer components and, by necessity, you automatically get that quality bump.

You can get very good low impedance headphones. However, if you power them *only* with a smartphone, you may not use them to their full potential. Which is why getting an external DAC is a good idea regardless.

But the nice thing about low impedance is you can get the headphones and still use them until you save up for the DAC. Or you can use them as normal while out and about and have a special listening spot at home with the DAC.

To review...

Low impedance and high impedance can both be high quality.

Low impedance (less than 100 ohms) works with anything.

High impedance (more than 100 ohms) requires amplification.

Both will be used to their full potential with a DAC/headphone amplifier of some kind.

Wired Headphones Suggestions

Again, I have not personally listened to any of these. I am just relaying what experts I trust have mentioned as being nice quality in your price range.

The beyerdynamic DT 770 headphones are some of the most well-regarded budget headphones I've heard of. They come in low and high impedance versions.

The Sennheiser HD 560 high impedance headphones are also praised for their value and performance.

If you can go a little pricier...

The HIFIMAN Sundara headphones have low impedance and can be driven easily by all your devices.

And the HIFIMAN Edition XS are even lower impedance and about the same price.

And if you want to try a DAC, I've heard good things about both Fosi and Schiit (yes, like the poopies), though there are many different brands. Just make sure the DAC has a headphone amplifier rated for the ohms you need.

The FOSI K5 Pro is a cheap "beginner" DAC that will power anything up to 300 ohms. This is the kind that sits on your desk.

And if you want a more portable dongle DAC, you can get something like the iFi Go Link.

I've also heard good things about the AudioQuest Dragonfly, though I hate recommending AudioQuest products due to them claiming they can do magical things. They use scientific gobbledygook to scam customers most of the time. That said, the DragonFly might be their only valid product.

Note from Future Froggie: AudioQuest just can't help themselves. While the Dragonfly itself is a good product and not a scam, they developed the "DragonTail", which is a scam.

It's just a USB A to C Adapter for the Dragonfly. But they have to find a way to justify 30 fucking dollars so they came up with this bullshit.

Definitely need to stabilize my geometry. If I have unstable geometry that could lead to quixotic trigonometry. And we all know that could introduce vertices into dodecahedrons. Which leads straight to accelerated cosmotic entropy catalyzing the heat death of the universe.

Fucking AudioQuest.

ANYWAY...

An inexpensive DAC may be all you ever need but DACs can get crazy expensive—just like headphones. And if you are really fancy you can get a DAC and a headphone amplifier as separate items. Audiophiles claim when you simplify components to a singular function you increase quality. While I think there is some small truth to that, I suspect they just think the tubes look neat.

Froggie's Disclaimer: I am not telling you to get these specific things, but I do think you'll probably be happy with anything I've suggested. But sound is a subjective experience and it is always best to test things out before you buy them, if possible. Or make sure there is a return policy. You might see if there is a brick-and-mortar store nearby that allows you to demo headphones. Remember that comfort can be just as crucial as sound quality for long listening sessions.

Final Thoughts

Good sound has been life changing for me. And I am excited when anyone goes down this journey. While the stuff mentioned is considered "budget" by audiophiles, this can give you a good starting point if you want to upgrade down the road. You'll get to know your preferences and get a better understanding of how this all works and choose your own adventure from there.

Though it is very possible you'll be quite content with "budget" and the sound quality is more than enough.

Personally, while I am very happy with my current home theater setup, I am hopeful one day I can upgrade one budget tier above where I currently am and that will be my endgame. I've heard $10,000 speakers and it is mostly a land of diminishing returns once you reach that level.

I'm fine in "budget" land.

Further Research

I didn't mention the different types of headphone drivers because I didn't want to put too much data in everyone's head. But if you want to do additional research you can learn about the 4 main types... dynamic, planar magnetic, electrostatic, and balanced armature.

[theminecraftbee]

alright, so, one more thing i've been thinking about during all of this, and apologies, because i normally try to keep my blog fairly discourse-free in the grand scheme of things. but.

there are hermitcraft fans who act irritatingly morally superior about this fandom. i think it's out of some impulse to try to distance yourselves from any other mcyt fandom. it needs to stop.

the worst behavior during the polls was from the hermitcraft fans.

period.

there were so many instances of hermitcraft fans accusing the other side of cheating, of hermitcraft fans making attacks on the character of their guy's opponents, i have heard what i HOPE are isolated reports of racism in the grian/quackity fight (it was genuinely impossible to keep up with the blog's notes that round without both going into a death spiral thanks to the horrible behavior of scar fans during techno/scar and also without losing track instantly of where we were due to the frankly insurmountable volume of notes, so i did not see it, but unfortunately i fully believe it). i have seen people receiving awful asks - saw people being accused of 'betraying' the hermitcraft side due to voting for quackity or techno, for example.

and for a fandom that likes to act like it's better than the other guys, well. the dsmp fans were generally very well behaved in comparison. (shoutout, for example, to quackblr - i saw maybe one or two possible instances of bad behavior, but for as intense as you all were, you all were normally mostly just retaliatory towards whatever energy was thrown at you.) it wasn't supposed "outsiders coming in" that was doing this bad behavior, either.

folks, you can't blame the dsmp when the problem is inside the house. you can't blame twitter users when you're doing it here. you can't blame the reddit when you're the ones throwing the first death threats.

get off your high horses. we're all mcyt fans. we're all having the same fun. get off your high horses. you can hardly claim we're entirely all "unproblematic" when keralis accepted a sponsorship from the wizard game and xisuma periodically gets another round of getting shouted down over something he said on xisumasays. get off your high horses. you can't claim we're the accepting, good behavior fandom, unlike those other guys, when you're the ones causing the problems.

now, as always, i'm sure this is a law of large numbers thing to some extent. as technoblade, wise as he is, said: sometimes when you get a large enough group, you're going to have a few serial killers. but for the amount that hermitblr likes to act better than Those Other Minecraft Fandoms, and those Other Fandom Websites, it wasn't those guys that made me cry.

to be clear, the majority of you have been well-behaved. but there's a persistent tendency in this fandom to act strangely morally superior to other fandoms. and, y'all? you aren't.

you just aren't.

and the sooner you acknowledge that, the less likely this is to happen again, because once you admit that yeah, we can be toxic too? that's when you can start actually looking at yourself and trying not to be.

anyway, sorry again to make this post. i don't want to be a downer, hence why, outside of the official mod statements of "chill the fuck out", i didn't make this until now. (it also helps that i wanted to wait until i was no longer furious, upset, and death spiraling.) i have seen a lot of the best of this fandom over the past two weeks! i've just also, unfortunately, seen some of the worst, and feel the need to make this statement because it's just... been eating at me.

i don't want this to continue to be a trend. i think we can do better. do so.

[spdrvyn]

parched — MIGUEL O'HARA

(( I FINALLY WATCHED ATSV AAAGHHHH IT WAS SO GOOD !!! not gonna say anything because if i ramble it will 100% go into spoiler territory but it was probably the best movie i've ever seen no exaggeration. anyway, here's a small miguel one shot? drabble? spoiler-free :3 ))

READ PART 2 HERE.

You and Miguel led nearly entirely different lives.

He was constantly out and about. Putting his body, his mind through strenuous lengths for the sake of the people. For the sake of everyone. He sacrifices a piece of himself, bit by bit. Everyday. Just for everybody else's peace.

Your job almost felt a little silly next to his. After all, you were quite sure that being Spider-Man didn't offer a week of paid vacation. Which you were extremely grateful to have, by the way.

In all honesty, you felt the smallest piece of pity for him. You were able to catch up on your hobbies, enjoy shows that were put on your list for so long, and get more than 5 hours of sleep.

You knew that Miguel was barely getting a shred of that. How did you know? Even in two in the morning, while you were resting on the couch and catching up on yet another show, you hadn't heard him come in through the window that you normally keep open for him.

Worry seeps it's way into your brain as you try to focus on the pixels in front of you. Of course, you were scared for him. Everyday that he went out, the unexpected could happen and well... You didn't want to think too deep into it.

At least, your mind was distracted when you were working but now you were relaxing, the thoughts that you tried bury deep down under to the crevices of your mind were all coming back again.

It only concerned you more when throughout the week so far, you'd seen him less and less. On occasion, in the middle of the night, the click of a lock would alert you awake but before you could sit up and investigate, strong arms locked around your waist and a head pressed into your shoulder.

You sighed, reaching for the remote and pausing your show.

The worries, the yearning. It all gave you a swirling, growing feeling in your gut that you hadn't really familiarized yourself with. You weren't sure if you liked it, you weren't sure if you hated it. Though the way that it pierced into you like a newly sharpened spear just confused you even further.

Trying to focus on another feeling growing inside of you. Hunger and satisfying it, you hoped it would get all of this off of your mind as you lazily walk into the kitchen.

A reoccurring theme whenever you wanted a snack was once you actually made your way to the pantry, decisions were a foreign concept and your cravings were like trying to read binary code.

Instant ramen? Cookies? Chips? Ice cream?

Felt even worse this time when you hadn't particularly been exercising your brain recently, a mental note to yourself to be just a little bit on edge when you get a break like this.

You opt on giving up entirely, you slam the cabinet door, and turn around to get back to the couch until—

There's a weight against your back and waist, keeping you against the counter.

As you look down, you see the familiar shades of red and blue. Sighing, you look to a little over your shoulder and take a little peek. To see closed eyes signalled by Miguel's mask. The marks trembling shut, you feel his grip on you get tighter.

In a volume as close to a whisper, you break the silence, "Miguel? You okay?" Like you expected, he takes off his mask. Eyes screwed shut, brows furrowing as you can see the stress lines and deep circles under them.

He sighs but not out of being content, thumb tracing small shapes into your stomach. "Been so lonely, mi cielo."

Your heart clenches as that. That was right, you understood what kind of lover that he could be. Needy, clingy, these qualities festering even more each moment he spends away from you. You noticed how much he was holding back right now.

He normally liked to fix himself up before getting all comfortable and relaxed with you. Showering, brushing his curls, general self-care but the moment he came inside his first instinct was to go to you.

Those thoughts from a while ago that were nearly going to absorb you came back. To think the cold that Miguel had to endure out there from how tightly he wanted to absorb your warmth.

"I missed you so much. Me sentí tan solo, don't wanna let go."

You were going to respond but your mind practically short-circuited when he started pressing soft kisses along your neck and shoulder. You let him indulge himself, just a little while.

Of course, his job terrified you sometimes but seeing him like this. Seeing him let his guard down, talking about how much he missed you, calling you his darling.

Perhaps Spider-Men had their own charm but Miguel's just got you wrapped around his finger like nobody else could.

For a brief moment, he nibbles on the flesh at the back of your neck. Pressing one last kiss, "Will get fixed up, then voy a demostrarte cuánto te extrañé después de todo este tiempo."

Shamefully, you didn't pick up learning Spanish yet from how much Miguel speaks it to you. Yet through context clues and bashfully asking him what the things he said meant sometimes.

You knew exactly what was going to come next.

[ikroah]

I pushed my soul in a deep dark hole, and then I followed it in, I watched myself crawling out as I was a-crawling in. I got up so tight, I couldn't unwind, I saw so much, I broke my mind… —“Just Dropped In (to See What Condition My Condition Was In),” The First Edition (1968)

It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin’ #28 - Ring-a-Ding-Ding VII

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Read IKROAH on Archive of Our Own

Notes / Transcript:

Notes

Do you have any idea how long I've wanted to type those words? "End of Volume 2?" We have been on Volume 2 for just over three years. Obviously it's unfair to compare it to the breakneck pace of Volume 1, because... I got burned out (I got better), I got divorced (I got better), and most importantly, I've spent all three of these years overhauling my approach to art, which is to say, I got better. My canvas size doubled because my initial naive approach of "smaller pages means less art, which means faster art" was holding me back: I wanted more art, and the subjects of too many panels had gotten flubbed due to what was basically a pathetically low rendering distance. I revamped my approach to coloring entirely, leaning into a vibrant, saturated, and faux-comic halftone style that I vastly prefer to my more grounded, gradient-driven work beforehand. I changed IKROAH's font (Unmasked!), I changed Agnes's appearance slightly (she's far less gaunt, which was an early design choice I've thrown away, plus I think I'm much better at drawing her consistently now), and so much more. Comics are a time-consuming artform and while a lot of what made this volume take so long was out of my control, and well worth not pushing myself through, the total reinvention of how I actually make comics was the single best thing to come out of Volume 2.

It's a lot of lessons and groundwork that I'm very eager to take into Volume 3, which I have spent every single one of these years viciously impatient for. Now, it's finally here. See you at the cover reveal.

Original Pencils

Something that I have been working a lot harder on with my art lately is inking: actual inking, not merely "outlining" and figuring out the rest by the seat of my pants digitally. I've come to realize that the fewer steps of my production process that I try to do digitally, the more fun it is to make art as a whole, and inking was something that I was very intimidated by for the longest time. What happens if I mess up! It's permanent marker, after all! But after all the practice that I've done, I'm really happy with how bold and confident the shadows are on this issue, and they're perfect for how moody and dramatically lit the whole thing is. You can compare the pencils to the inks to the final products and really see how I planned out the overall composition.

Transcript

INT. LUCKY 38 PRESIDENTIAL SUITE, VERY LATE AT NIGHT. The lights are all off in this luxurious, distinctly pre-war abode. It is almost empty.

RADIO: Welcome back to the program, folks. This is Mr. New Vegas—and I hope I'm not coming on too strong. We've got some news for you, coming right up.

The only real light in the suite comes from the glowing screen of the Securitron VICTOR, standing in front of the private elevator.

RADIO: Tops Hotel owner Benny has been killed by an unidentified assailant. According to his fellow Chairmen, shots were heard in his private suite, and his body was found inside. They are urging all visitors to please keep an eye out for suspicious individuals and behavior on the New Vegas Strip. The new head of the Chairmen, Benny's former right-hand man Swank, consoled mourners: "If I know my pal Benny, he's swinging with the Big Cat Upstairs as we speak. Or he's chasing some angel broad with cans as big as her halo!"

RADIO: In other news—

In a guest bedroom off to the side, ROSE OF SHARON CASSIDY is sound asleep. Her belongings are neatly folded on the dresser, except for the cocktail dress that she was wearing, which has been thrown onto the ground.

RADIO: —refugees at Bitter Springs are giving startling accounts of the legate known as Lanius, who is said to be Caesar's top field commander. One refugee told us the legate took over an underperforming squad of troops by beating its commander to death in full viw of everyone. The legate then ordered a tenth of his own force be killed by the other nine tenths. And you thought your boss was a pain!

RADIO: You know, I think all news, whether it's good or bad, brings us closer together. Don't you?

Directly across from the elevator, across from VICTOR, are the shut doors to the master bedroom.

RADIO: These headlines, brought to you by Vault 21...Vault 21! Everything is better when you experience it...in a vault.

Inside the master bedroom, AGNES SANDS sits on the edge of the bed, wide awake. The RADIO plays from her PIP-BOY, which provides a slight amount of light in the dark room.

RADIO: Gonna play a song for you right now—it's about that special someone, that you can only find once...in a "Blue Moon."

"Blue Moon" begins to play from the radio. AGNES's head remains lowered in rumination.

Suddenly, the radio broadcast cuts out.

SFX: KZZRRRSSHHTTZ

RADIO: Has your life taken a turn?

A NEW VOICE speaks on the radio. It's dreamy, seductive.

RADIO: Do troubles beset you? Has fortune left you behind?

AGNES remains in thought.

But then: she lifts her head.

And she looks over at the radio.

RADIO: If so, then the Sierra Madre Casino,

The PIP-BOY displays: 11.09.81, 4:13. <<Signal Unknown>>

RADIO: in all its glory, invites you

AGNES listens.

RADIO: to begin again.

AGNES is now somewhere else.

EXT. MOJAVE DESERT. At sunrise, AGNES SANDS is perched atop a ridge somewhere in the desert. Her overcoat billows behind her, and her shoulder-mounted flashlight beams straight ahead. She looks manic. In one hand, she clutches her duffel bag, full of every belonging she has. Her other hand is wearing her PIP-BOY, and the radio broadcast continues:

RADIO: Come to a place where wealth, excitement, and intrigue await around every corner. Stroll along the winding streets of our beautiful resort. Make new friends...or rekindle old flames. Let your eyes take in the luxurious expanse of the open desert, under clear starlit skies. Gaze straight on into the sunset from our scenic Villa rooftops. Countless diversions await. Gamble in our casino, take in the theater, or stay in one of our exclusive executive suites that will shelter you...and cater to your every whim.

Below the ridge is a pile-up of wrecked shipping containers. One of them opens up toward the surface like a gaping throat of metal. It leads somewhere, deeper into the earth.

RADIO: So if life's worries have weighed you down—if you need an escape from your troubles—or if you just need an opportunity to begin again—

The source of the broadcast signal is coming from INSIDE.

RADIO: —then join us.

AGNES descends into the container, revealing a makeshift staircase of sheet metal that leads into darkness.

RADIO: Join us, let go, and leave the world behind...

The signal from inside the tunnel is now audible. It overlaps with AGNES's PIP-BOY...

RADIO: Join us, let go, and leave the world behind...

Until she sees it.

RADIO: ...at the Sierra Madre Grand Opening.

A pre-war, art deco type radio, sitting on a metal pedestal. It speaks to her.

RADIO: ...at the Sierra Madre Grand Opening.

AGNES stares at the radio, bewildered.

She barely notices the HULKING FIGURE about to grab her from behind.

RADIO: We'll be waiting.

END OF VOLUME 2

[writer-in-theory]

A Cat Named Eddie — part three.

part one part two part three

--

"I know, I know, Eds," Steve coos the moment the door shuts, pressing a kiss to the top of the cat's head and stepping further into the house. "So much yelling, 'm sorry for scaring you."

"Did you scare my sweet prince? How dare you!" Robin calls from the living room, spun around on the couch to glare at him. Steve rolls his eyes, handing off the cat who immediately curls up in her lap. Traitor.

"No, his namesake did." Steve places his hands on the back of the couch, leaping over it like he might a hurdle to land beside Robin. Both her and Eddie give him the same look: annoyance, irritation, disbelief that he had the gall to disturb them. "Showed up yelling about how he deserves an apology."

"Seriously?" Robin asks, hand stopping her petting of Eddie until the cat nips as a signal to continue. "Bastard," she hisses, looking down at the creature, "you and your namesake."

"Don't call my cat a bastard," Steve says, nudging Robin's elbow with his foot as he extends his legs and leans back against the armrest of the couch.

"Seriously, though. Eddie just showed up and demanded an apology?"

"Yep," Steve pops the 'p' and crosses his arms over his chest.

"That doesn't sound like Eddie," Robin says, raising an eyebrow in his direction. "Is this another moment where I find out how dramatic you are?"

"No," Steve nearly shouts, rolling his eyes at little Eddie's huff of annoyance at his volume. "I'm not dramatic. That's exactly how it happened."

"Steven-"

"My name isn't short for Steven, I've told you-"

"-there is no way it happened like that." Steve wanted to smack her. He also wanted to hug her. Best friends were really confusing sometimes.

"It basically happened like that," Steve corrects himself, leaning forward to pry Eddie off of Robins lap. The cat lasts for a few seconds on his lap before he slides off, curling up between Steve's hip and arm. "He accused me of making fun of him, which was completely off base, then he stands there and demands an apology from me like I'd done something wrong. And get this, Robs, he was looking at me like he did in school, which, fine but it hurts, you know? Then he sees little Eddie and he completely freaks out, acts like I never to—Oh, shit, Robin."

"What?"

"I messed up," Steve breathes, the hand not petting the cat moving to swipe through his hair. "I think I forgot to tell Eddie about Eddie."

He meant to, he really did. But from the first moment the name slipped from his mouth Steve knew it was something big. People didn't just name their pets after people for no reason, not even if they were merely friends. No this was important, and the more Steve thought about confessing to Eddie the more his head swam and his heart raced so hard he thought it might pop free from his chest. So sure, maybe he'd chosen to stop thinking about it.

"Steve! What do you mean?" Robin exclaims, sitting up to show how immersed in the conversation she was.

"Eddie and Eddie Hair-rington haven't met...technically," Steve says, rubbing the back of his neck and wincing against the response he knew he'd get from his friend.

"So you've been talking about little Eddie around big Eddie with literally zero context? Dingus!"

"I didn't mean to!"

"How many times has Eddie thought you called him a fucker? Or a bastard? Or a-"

"I get it!" Steve groans, "Still. I've heard the kids call him so much worse, and he didn't..." He didn't what? Didn't lay into their entire personalities? Their interests? Their whole fucking worth? Reduce all of it down to bullshit, bullshit, bullshit?

"You know what my biggest pet peeve is, Stevie?" Robin asks, voice oddly carrying a light lilt despite the heaviness sinking in Steve's chest.

"People stealing your mouthpiece?"

"Ew, no—but yes," Robin shudders. "No, it's when stupid, darling, stupid men don't get their shit together and kiss."

Best friends were terrible and Steve didn't like them, actually. It wasn't that he'd never thought about kissing Eddie—on the contrary, as time went on it became nearly impossible to have an interaction with the man without the thought crossing his mind—but rather that it was so damn obvious to Robin that he wanted to.

"I don't want to kiss Eddie," Steve tries, "I'm mad at him."

"No, dingus, you're heartbroken." She says it simply, like the thought should have occurred to him ages ago. It probably should have, of course, but there's no way Steve would ever tell her that. "And it sounds like he is too. So maybe try...oh I don't know...talking?"

"That's a terrible idea. Plan B."

"Steve," Robin admonishes, and it reminds him too much of when his middle school teacher used to talk to him in that voice, the kind that says she knows he knows what he did wrong. He does.

"Fine, fine! Next time Eddie shows up at Family Video I'll talk to him." Steve smirks, knowing he's already won. Eddie hadn't been in since the day he said such horrible things to Steve, when he left Steve breathless and fighting back shocked tears over realizing how Eddie really thought of him.

"Deal."

--

Steve Harrington should know never to doubt Robin Buckley.

The second Eddie walks through the double doors of Family Video, Steve's head hits the counter. He tucks it into his folded arms, hoping that might help him disappear. Maybe Eddie miraculously lost his idea of object permanence in the past twenty-four hours?

Eddie hits the little bell to signal he needs help. Robin loudly announces that she's going on break despite it being only nine in the morning and a mere hour into their shift. Steve feels like he might lurch over the side of a cliff.

"I don't have a lawn mower," Eddie says, and Steve still doesn't pick his head up from the counter. "I don't have anything to give you that would make up for this."

"I don't need anything from you," Steve says automatically, lifting his head to reveal a gentle smile on Eddie's face, the man's dark eyes shimmering in spite of the shitty fluorescent lights of the shop. "Everything's fine, Eddie."

"It's not," Eddie corrects, but not in the harsh way he'd thrown the words the previous night. He says it in the way he would remind him that Steve's character is a paladin, or that Ozzy was in Black Sabbath not Dio. It was the voice Eddie used when he pointed out the obvious in the kindest, most gentle way anyone could so as to spare Steve the embarrassment.

"It is," Steve insists, "and you know, it's kinda busy in here so—"

"Attention faithful Family Video patrons!" Eddie shouts, climbing up onto the counter and spreading his arms like he had thousands of people watching him instead of the ten or fifteen occupying the building.

"Eddie, c'mon, man, what are you doing?" Steve sighs, cheeks heating up red at all of the eyes staring at the two of them.

"I, Eddie Munson, officially admit that I was wrong. Not all jocks are airheaded and lame," Eddie continues, grinning and winking at one of the women giving him a nasty look. All Steve could do was drop his head into one hand, peering up at the man between his fingers. "Steve Harrington in all his brilliant heroism has shattered the Munson Doctrine forever. That is all, carry on!"

"You really didn't have to do that," Steve says immediately once Eddie hops off the counter into the employee side. "Really."

"Like I said, this was the best I had without a lawn mower."

"You're terrible," Steve responds, though a little smile works its way past the blush on his cheeks.

"I also want to apologize just..." Eddie pauses to glance around the store before looking back at Steve's eyes, then briefly dropping down to look at his lips. Fuck. "Somewhere with less people."

Right, they were still in public. "Right, um...I'm off at 4? Come by the house?"

"I'll be there, Stevie," Eddie promises, stumbling far-less-gracefully back over the counter. Steve laughs, because something about Eddie's persistent earnestness makes it impossible to truly stay mad at him forever.

--

"Okay, listen up, buddy," Steve says seriously once he hears a knock on the door, lifting up Eddie Hair-rington's front paws so he could look him in the eyes. "We've got a new friend coming over, okay? Listen to me really closely. No biting, no scratching, no being a giant chaos monster that feeds off the pain of humans, got it?"

Eddie blinks.

"Glad we understand each other." Steve sets Eddie down, straightening up his own hair before opening the door. "You actually came."

"You thought I wouldn't?" Eddie asks, bouncing on his feet until Steve moves out of the way so he could step into the house.

"I dunno," Steve admits, shrugging once. "You seemed pretty upset before."

"Yeah, I..." Eddie trails off, looking up at the ceiling briefly before refocusing on Steve. "I don't know how to say any of it but-"

"I know I messed up. I should've told you about little Eddie, and I didn't," Steve blurts out, trying to save Eddie at least a bit of explaining. "I should've told you."

"I could've asked," Eddie returns, and yeah he could've. It would've saved a lot of strife, a lot of fucking chest pain and swiped away tears if he would have just—

"Yeah, you should've," Steve admits quietly.

Eddie steps closer, brown eyes nothing but earnest as he speaks. "I didn't mean any of it. Shit, Steve, I don't know why I said half of what I did, I just thought it'd be better to hurt you before you hurt me worse."

"I wouldn't 've," Steve says, trying to ignore the persistent scratching and tugging he feels on his left pant leg. This was too serious a moment, Eddie's eyes were too soft and too vulnerable, and Steve didn't want it all too end before—

"Is that the hero of the hour?" Eddie beams, bending down to grab at little Eddie before Steve can warn him. Eddie, no, the little shit bites everyone, it takes weeks to get him to warm up to you and even then—

"He is such a little asshole," Steve hisses, watching as little Eddie immediately snuggles against Eddie's chest, purring delightedly. Steve points to the cat, who's now looking at him with way too much attitude for such a tiny body. "You're a traitor. Remember who gives you tuna, you tiny gremlin."

"I don't know, Stevie, he seems like an innocent sweetheart to me," Eddie teases, eyes on the cat as he pets little Eddie's ears. "Just like his namesake."

"Uh huh," Steve says in monotone. "I get why you like each other."

"That so?"

"Yeah, you both like torturing me."

"I don't know about that, Steve," Eddie says, stepping closer. His hand stills on little Eddie, moving instead to adjust a piece of stray hair out of Steve's face.

The touch burns in the way it nearly makes Steve gasp, the way it makes him feel like he'd never been alive at all before this moment. He wonders if it was supposed to be like that, or if sometimes he just felt too much too brightly.

"I know I'm giving you a lot of mixed signals, but I really do like you, Steve," Eddie practically whispers.

"You have a lot of making up to do," Steve breathes, chest fluttering at how close Eddie was to him.

"That right?"

"Uh huh," Steve says. "Lots of groveling, cheesy speeches like the stunt you pulled at Video, and definitely bribing little Eddie."

Eddie laughs, a deep sound that rumbles straight through Steve. “I can do that. Little Eds deserves some pampering.”

They would have to talk about it further, the hurt and the missteps and all the ways this could have been avoided. But for now, Steve allows himself to relish in the feeling of Eddie's lips on his.

That is, until a persistent meow causes them to pull apart.

--

Thank you so much for reading everyone! I wouldn't be opposed to writing a lil blurb here and there of Steve, Eddie, and Eddie, so let me know if that's something anyone would want. I'm also going to clean this up a little and put it on Ao3 eventually!

It wouldn't let me tag everyone at once so I'll reblog this with the rest of the people who asked to be tagged in just a minute!

TAGLIST: @estrellami-1 @sjullay @swimmingbirdrunningrock @background-noise-headache @wowimwhatibingewatch @obsessive-anddepressive @krazyperson @nonsense-of-dimitri @whimsicalwitchm @zerokrox-blog @electrick-marionnett @the-redthread @juststeddiebrainrot @dollalicia @vi-an-te @lioniheart @unclewaynemunson @stevesbipanic @ajamlessbaby @qomrades @ivydragon @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @apricottree @gleek4twd @messrs-weasley @makewavesandwar @renaissan-vvitch @artiststarme @suikatto @proudbaconatornyoom @ilikechocolatemilkh @0o-queendean-o0 @dangdirtydemons @v3lnys @mybradforddream @giveemhales @gaydrieeen @runtyghost @luthienstormblessed @goggles-mcgee @odetolimerence @paintsplatteredandimperfect @readbythestarlight @slit-wrist @imzadidragonfly

[madman479r]

Knight Light

*Earth* *Pizza place*

*Jessica, (Green Lantern) Diana (Wonder Woman), Dinah (Black Canary) and Mari (Vixen) having a girl's night out.*

Jessica:... and he's such a gentleman, he's kind, considerate, loving and just... *sighs lovingly* perfect.

Mari: Damn, you are love struck.

Karen Starr (power girl) : **appears because she was late** Who's love struck?

Dinah: Jess.

Karen: Really, you found a guy? Congrats. What's his name?

Jessica: Jaune Arc.

Karen: Jaune Arc, Huh? Short, sweet, rolls of the tongue. Where's he from?

Jessica: Another dimension.

Karen:... So am I gonna have to be the bitch here or was this Girls night out actually an intervention?

Diana: What do you mean?

Karen: *sighs* Alright, guess it's option 1 then. Jess, sweetie, I get sometimes ladies, especially hot ones such as yourself, get embarrassed by not having a guy but you don't need to pull the "he goes to another school" or dimension in this case, with us.

Mari: No, but like he's literally from another dimension.

Dinah: Besides, aren't you from another reality as well? How is it so far fetched?

Karen: Okay, mind showing a pic of the guy?

Jessica: Sure. **Shows volume 1-3 Jaune**

Karen: Hmmm. I mean I guess he's cute, not exactly my type, unless I wanted a one night stand but I say you could do better.

Jessica: **swipes to show volume 8 Jaune.**

Karen: Okay, well he certainly had a glow up. He looks more confident and that body is definitely a plus but I still say-

Jessica: **Swipes to show volume 9 Jaune**

Karen:...Would you be opposed to a threesome?

**Laughter from all girls**

Mari: But I think we need to ask the most important, emotional question.

Dinah: That's right. I've heard of long distance relationships but this is pushing it.

Diana: My thoughts as well. Neither of you would be willing to leave your own dimensions so... how... would... *notices what Mari is doing*

Mari: *puts her index fingers together and slowly starts to pull them away, looking Jessica in the eyes.*

Jessica: *smiling smugly*

Mari: *Continues to widen the gap between her fingers*  Oh? Okay. *Gap is now 7 inches wide* Nice. *8 inches* ain't no way. *9 inches* no, no! Really?!

Jessica: *Still smiling, not saying anything*

Dinah: I'm actually getting worried for her now.

Mari: *Reaches 12 inches*

Jessica: *Nods*

Mari: Holy shit.

Diana: Talk about blessed by the Gods.

Dinah: She's gotta be lying.

Karen: I can see her heart rate and pupils, holy shit she isn't lying.

Jessica: And you wanna know the best thing? His ability lets him charge himself back to full, so he can go for hours.

[grenade-maid]

there's a lot of reasons more people aren't into yuri that are troubling to consider, but equally, I genuinely think it cannot be understated how much of it comes down to most yuri being boring as hell. Like truly. I've been reading the front page of Dynasty Scans like it was the newspaper for 15 years I am not exaggerating I can show you the download file data 15 years.

You know what the complaint about yuri by yuri readers was back in 2009?

"wow that really was just 5 volumes of them blushing at each other and then they don't even kiss"

You know what the complaint about yuri by yuri readers is today in 2023?

"wow that really was just 5 volumes of them blushing at each other and then they don't even kiss"

Don't get me wrong, Yuri has grown a LOT in that time, to the point that most people today wouldn't even understand a Maria-sama reference if it were dropped in front of them (thank God). It's expanded and evolved to encompass more stories about adult women, wider varieties of scenarios, a greater acknowledgement of real life lesbianism, and is more comfortable showing girls kissing with tongue and having sex.

Yuri Manga is maybe the best is it's ever been, and it's also getting the widest readership it's ever had in the English speaking world. The titles we carry at work are always on back order with long queues, and, when I've asked them, most weebs of all gender or sexualities report keeping up with at least a few Yuri series.

At large though? Most of it is still really boring. That's not a bad thing necessarily. I like it because it goes down easy. For the most part any series you pick is gonna be pretty chill. Even shit from Sal Jiang which is PRETTY EDGY for yuri is a pretty breezy read. More serious ones like How Do We Relationship? cover some pretty real subjects about how intimacy is actually quite difficult even when both of you love each other, but it's not like... Exciting. Yuri isn't where you go to pump your fist or get perched on the edge of your seat.

So when the comparison is made to yaoi, well, I mean, have you READ any yaoi? Even in some of the more restrained titles those boys are likely to be sucking and fucking balls and all within the first volume or two. There's gonna be drama, intrigue, shit is gonna get messy, passions are gonna get heated, clothes are gonna be ripped off, people are gonna get sold to One Direction, it's stuff you can sit down with a bowl of popcorn with you know? Stuff you can message your friend and gush Hey Can You BELIEVE? A lot of it is pretty trashy, but that's the appeal. The generic state of yaoi is torrid and exciting and sexy. Ultimately, as a species many of us like to see pretty people fuck. In yaoi you'll get that. In yuri you won't. Nothing wrong with that, but it is gonna be a major contributing factor to their relative popularity.

It's also worth making the comparison to hetero romance manga, which has undergone a renaissance of it's own in recent years. There's now a whole meta around crafting a handful of mean shitty grouchy dysfunctional bully women and flinging them at the protagonist of the day who, unlike in years past, may actually have a face and personality. Most of these are also very trashy and truly scrape the bottom of the bucket in terms of writing.

AND YET?

I would bet money on the fact that you'll have heard of these women and probably even have a good idea what they're like without ever having touched a page of their manga.

I'm sorry but the straights are whipping donuts around the yuri girls in terms of delivering a wide variety of weird compelling fucked up women. How many yuri leading ladies by comparison can you point to as standout recognizable characters even divorced from their story? There's definitely a few, but not many. I'm not talking quality or depth of writing, I'm talking straight up pure recognizability. There are many beautifully written women in yuri, now more than ever. I can't think of many who'd like, get a figure made or have their face splashed on merch, though.

I don't really have a conclusion here. I love Yuri a lot, but at the end of the day this is just kinda the state of things right now.

[toskarin]

just because I'm thinking about it, here's one of those periodic posts where I list off a few random youtube channel recommendations I've been enjoying lately (or have been enjoying long-term (or for any length of time really))

Masaru. - I like fishing. but I can't do it at the moment. Masaru also likes to fish. he free dives, he brings a fish up, he cooks the fish, then he says how it tastes. sometimes it is an unusual fish. sometimes it tastes good. sometimes it tastes wretched. he will tell you. this singlehandedly solves basically every single complaint I have with most cooking/fishing channels. this is cocomelon to me

MIQ(MIO) - it's MIQ! one of the strongest anison vocalists of... well, basically ever. it's her official channel! she uploads concert recordings, karaoke advice for her own songs, and general updates on what she's doing here. I'm always aghast when I see how low her viewcounts are, given that she's an industry legend who's been going strong for over 40 years.

bellykelly - vinyl collector, uploading some really good cuts that you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. one of those channels where I'm always up to date on uploads, and when I fall behind, I just playlist it all to catch up

Xerxes Vinyl Classics - vinyl collector, hasn't upload in a while, but has lots of older releases and remix pressings that are otherwise pretty rare. has some of the higher quality recordings of cantopop releases that are otherwise a little difficult to listen to in acceptable quality

Zuka Zhvania - music-enjoyer and song-uploader with a VERY frequent upload schedule. he's (as far as I know) not an official promoter or anything, but he's pretty damned good at keeping the tunes coming. if you're looking for someone to set you on some obscure industrial and house cuts, check out this channel

LIVING ONLY RECORDS - official channel for a doujin label with some absolutely fantastic noise rock, punk, and shoegaze bands on it. it's my understanding that this is less of "a record label" and more of a way for 群青リボン and friends to book out live houses together while selling merch at one table. which is a pretty noble cause

Someone45356 - probably laying pretty safe claim to the title of "most genre-firsts in the touhou doujin scene," Someone45356 is a strong recommend just for the level of care they put into their arrangements. I love their video thumbnails and their arrangement notes in the video description. a great channel at any level of musical interest (but an ESPECIALLY good channel if you're also a musician)

UPROAR24 - sick and tired of plguin and samplepack demo videos that are 75% ad copy by volume and still don't manage to show you the stupid thing in action? tired of looking at questionably-useful free vsts and not being able to tell whether you're even comfortable having that rubbish on your pc? UPROAR24 runs a channel that's pretty explicitly a reaction to this, making dodgy demos of dodgier plugins. works lovely as a catalogue to browse when you're looking for a new toy

USUDA - the pillar of the Armored Core fan community, USUDA has arranged more Armored Core music than anyone else short of actual FromSoft staff. he also releases his music for free download, including his midi arrangements. very friendly guy in all the interactions I've seen, and also pretty good at remembering people he's seen in other comment sections. I'd honestly shoot him a message first if I had any questions about arranging songs from these games lol

Ricardo Cruz - if you've listened to any portugese (br) covers of anison, you've heard Ricardo Cruz. even if you only listen to originals, there's still a pretty fucking solid chance you've heard him, because he's a JAM Project contributor. absolutely wonderful channel if you like watching skilful singers duet with other powerhouses

Saint Mauve - the best Hellsinker channel on youtube, which isn't an especially competitive title. but I think Saint Mauve would probably still be the best Hellsinker channel on youtube even if there were more than like three. my qualifier for when I've found something weird in the Hellsinker periphery is when I haven't seen Saint Mauve post about it. also plays other (often HS-adjacent) doujin stg and has good opinions on them

Tom Green - this is a weird recommendation but if you don't intuitively understand the appeal of a now-early-50s Tom Green calmly talking about his farm animals and riding around on a horse for hours at a time, I'm really not sure I can sell you on it. oddly calming

mercurytower - this channel is run by Asa, the musician behind Souvenirs to Forget. before they started releasing their original work, this was mostly used to upload guitar covers (which are good, but guitar covers aren't really enough to make me give a glowing recommendation of a channel). Souvenirs to Forget is a really exciting solo project and one I'm personally keeping an eye on. naturally, they upload their releases to this channel

Trance Classics - vinyl collector, records videos to go with the music, focuses more or less entirely on trance. I've got no excuse here. I just fucking love trance and always have, so you can pander to me really easily by just making a channel like this. if you like trance, it has hours and hours of trance

SJ HanStone Lee - the early-gen Mabinogi composer, among a lot of other things. it's been a while since he's posted anything new on this channel, but I check in every now and again. by my reckoning, one of the best mmo composers (and honestly one of the best game composers in general) of the past two decades. there's some stuff on here and his soundcloud that serves as wink-wink-nudge-nudge loveletters to his time working on the early Mabinogi soundtrack

[emgavi]

Hii wanted to request a gavi x fem reader whereby they are dating and the reader sees rumours of him and Princess Leonor and she gets jealous and he reassures her (smut pleasee) take your time love :))

Mi Renia (Gavi x reader)

hope you enjoy! <3

[ps. not really any smut cause i've never written it before but there is some action ;) ]

“Okay so how about this one?” Madelyn asked you, holding up the fashion magazine to show you an outfit she considered getting. Looking at the picture squinting your eyes, you nodded your head. “Looks cute” Madelyn smiled in satisfaction at your answer. That’s when the TV volume caught your attention. 

“Gossip Daily News reports new couple alert???, recently news has been flying around that Princess Leonor from the royal family of Spain has a big crush on football star Gavi”

Your head turned watching the report, surprised not that another girl was crushing on your boyfriend but that they assumed that they would become a couple. Sure, how could they know that you and Gavi have been dating for 2 years when you’ve been keeping it a secret from the public. Both of you value having your early dating days to be private. But now, you were leaning to make it public after 2 years 

“Wow Gavi actually has the princess of Spain falling for him” Madelyn tells you, also looking at the screen. Nudging you on the shoulder, “you better watch out before she makes him the next king of Spain” she says jokingly. 

Little did she know it, jealousy was starting to creep in the more you watched the report and your best friend's comments didn’t help either. Shaking your head, you tried to act normal. “Heh yeah no, like that would happen” you said but feeling a hint of doubt as you said it. 

“I’m just joking y/n, Gavi loves you too much to do that,'' she said, going back to looking at her magazine. You just nodded your head, remaining silent, negative thoughts swirling in your head.

______________________

Scrolling on your phone you see another article about the Princess liking Gavi, this was the 5th one just this day, and you were having enough. Rolling your eyes at the horrible photoshopped picture that one of the articles had of them together. You got out of instagram and went to try to call Gavi, thinking he probably was finishing up with practice and in the locker rooms. Hoping hearing his voice will calm you down.

It ringed and ringed then went to voicemail. You sighed, he probably was still at practice. 

Moments later, you hear the door to your apartment open. “Amor, I'm back,” Gavi called out.

“In the living room’ you responded.

He walked in with his practice gear smiling at you, showing you his cute dimples. He went to you and gave you a quick kiss. “¿Cómo estás mi querida?” he said sitting next to you on the couch.

Leaning on his side, he wrapped his arm around you. ‘I tried to call you not long ago, but other than that peachy’ He frowned, grabbing his phone from his pocket, “ah i’m sorry mi amor, my ringer was off, we had a special meeting today after practice’ he said, giving a kiss to your head. 

Looking up at him, ‘it’s okay ,what was the meeting about?” you say playing with his fingers intertwined in yours. “Apparently the national team players are going to meet with the royal family to congratulate us for our appearance at the world cup’ Gavi told you.

You stopped and started to feel the jealousy creep back again at the mention of royal, knowing that would most likely include the princess who has a crush on him. “Oh… does that mean the princesses are going to be there?Have you heard the news recently?’ you said hesitantly, worrying that Gavi has liked hearing the news and thought of the possibility being with her. 

Gavi did a tiny laugh, “well, si pero it’s just gossip and even if it is true, I have you with me carino, don’t worry”. You gave him a small smile, “I know, I'm happy though for you and the guys, you are getting the recognition you deserve’ telling him softly. 

He smiles at you, giving you a kiss which you gladly reciprocate. “Gracias y/n, te amo” he said to you, gazing into your eyes. “Te amo tambien”

______

Today was the day Gavi and his national teammates would go to the royal family’s home for a special dinner. Sadly you weren’t able to go to Madrid with Gavi because your work permitted you to. They were going to be there for a week for the monthly camp and then the royal dinner. So instead of being with your boyfriend, camping out in his hotel room, you were stuck in your apartment, on your laptop with the royal dinner broadcast on your TV. 

You very much disliked being away from Gavi especially knowing he was most likely going to meet the princess that supposedly has a crush on him. Turning to the screen you see the broadcast start, showing the national team’s bus driving to the royal palace. 

All the members of the royal family stood outside to greet them, as they got out of the bus. Friendly smiles and handshakes, you saw each one given to the players, then you saw your Gavi shake hands with the king, the queen, and finally after the last princess, the famous princess leonor. 

You could see the blush on the princess’s face when Gavi shook her hand and gave her a smile. Feeling the ugly pit in your stomach again brew. Finally after all the greetings, they went inside, then a new camera angle showed the royals showing the players around the palace. Again you see princess Leonor walking closely by Gavi and attempting to make small talk with him. Ughhhh

After a while the broadcast showed them finally sitting down for dinner, and you didn’t fail to notice the arranged seating arrangement, gavi next to you know who. Rolling your eyes for what felt like the hundredth time tonight, you continued working on your laptop, listening to the TV as background noise. 

Looking up for just a minute to the TV screen, you see Gavi and Leonor laughing together where they are sitting, seeing her inch her seat closer to Gavi in the process. Having enough you turned off the TV, opting to go for a walk outside to try to get rid of these feelings. 

You grab your jacket and keys and head out to the nearest park. While walking you try to get yourself to calm down from the emotions. While you knew the princess had no idea Gavi was in a relationship because you both were still private, you still hated seeing on national television her openly flirting with your boyfriend. You couldn’t even imagine the headlines in the paper the next days torturing you. 

Trusting Gavi was never the problem, you knew he loved you, but you couldn’t stop yourself from comparing you to the young royal. She was everything you weren’t and better in your eyes, regardless of being one year younger than you. Sighing you decided to head back home as daylight started to fade in the darkness. 

______

It was still 3 days until Gavi would come back from Madrid doing national camp, and during that time your social feed was filled with pictures of the princess and Gavi together from that night. A bunch of accounts shipping the two and others making up dating rumors between them. It was so much that it got to you, into your head. You started to ignore Gavi’s texts and calls. Feeling like he would be better off in a way with her and not you. After a while you thought, What could you offer to him? You were just a normal girl , with a normal job, nowhere known in the public eye. While she was a princess, a PRINCESS. Literally she could have her own disney fairy tale if she wanted.

Unknowingly to you, Gavi was getting more and more concerned on his end. He was confused and hurt why you weren’t answering his texts or calls. Every chance he got he tried to call you but nothing. So he tried the next best thing, he got Pedri’s phone to call you, knowing that Pedri was one of your best friends now. Sure enough to his dismay, after almost the final ring, you answered

“Hello?” he heard your voice say for the first time in a while. 

“Why have you not been answering my calls or texts?’ Gavi started off, feeling ticked 

‘Gavi? I thought this was Pedri’s number?’ 

“You didn’t answer my question y/n, porque?” he said desperately trying to find an answer

You signed on the line, “i don’t know i - - just- i don’t know Gavi’ you spoke, feeling a bit embarrassed to admit that you were jealous. 

‘Well it has to be something because it’s making you do this crap, do you know how concerned I've been not hearing from you??? The whole time even after the royal dinner, you have been radio silent with me but you answer for Pedri, que es pasando? ” he said with a tone that was a little more harsh than he intended. 

The mention of the royal family and the tone of his voice made you snap, already at your breaking point without Gavi knowing. “if im making you so concerned why don’t you just go to the princess, she’ll make you much happier at this point!” 

Gavi, stunned at your sudden outburst and realizing what really was going on, “que?, mi amo-” Before he could finish you hung up the phone, now stuck in your feelings of insecurity, jealousy and self-inflicted hurt feelings. Curling up in your bed, you tried to swallow in your self pity

_____

It’s been a day since that call with Gavi. You feel horrible for throwing all of your bad emotions on him but you couldn’t bring yourself to call him back, worrying that he hates you now. You probably gave him the chance to go after the princess. 

The ring from your doorbell stopped you from furthering down the hole in your head. Groaning when a loud knock is followed by it. Lifting up from your bed, you head to the door. Opening it you see the last person you expect to see at your doorstep. 

“y/n… are you okay? Have you eaten?” Gavi said, immediately worrying seeing you looking disheveled. You just shook your head in response, “Gavi, why are you here, aren’t you supposed to be in Madrid?” 

 He walked into your apartment ,which you let him. “I had to come and see you after our last call, why did you hang up on me amor? Tell me what’s wrong?” Gavi said pleadingly 

“It’s stupid… i’m sorry i didn’t mean to, it’s just i -” you choked up on your words, feeling the emotions well up in you again. Gavi saw this and quickly went to you, pulling you in his arms. As tears started to fall on your cheeks as he held you, he tried to calm you down. 

“Mi amor, if it’s about what I think it is, you don’t have to worry about that, i love you querida” he said in your hair.

Closing your eyes to try to stop the tears, you held on to him. “But, she's more better than me, in everything, I mean she’s a princess. Everybody all around me says that you and her would be better together, and all of the pictures, maybe they’re right.” you cried in his chest. Hearing you say this made him felt your pain, hating that you were drowning in these kinds of thoughts. 

Holding you tighter in his arms, kissing your forehead,”y/n/n, bebe, she may be a princess but you are la renia to my heart, el amor de mi vida. mi amor you are so much better, please believe me when i say you are so perfect for me and I can’t even imagine not being with anyone else but you.” he told you softly 

“But -” you started but he cut you off

“No buts querida, i love you and only you” he says. You just hugged him tighter. 

Knowing that you still had doubt in your head, Gavi wanted to crush it all tonight. Pulling just a bit to look in your eyes, “let me show you how much I love you, mi amor” he whispered softly leaning slowly to kiss your lips. 

He kissed you,giving you a slow passionate kiss, putting all his love in it. You kissed him back just as much, Your hands going to his cheeks while his hands went to your waist. As your kissing intensified, his hands slowly went under your shirt, shivering at the feel of his hands moving up on your bare skin. Pulling away for a moment, he gave you a look asking for your approval to continue further. You nodded your head at him, love in his eyes as he slowly lifted your shirt up while you did the same with his shirt. 

Tossing it to the floor, his lips went straight to your neck, kissing up and down your neck to your jaw, then back to your lips again. More layers of clothing falling to the floor as hot breaths can be heard in the room. Lifting you up in his arms, your legs wrapped around his waist, as he leads you to your bedroom while never letting go of your lips.

_______

You woke up to the light coming in from the curtains. Squinting your eyes you tried to get up a little but failed to do so by Gavi’s strong arm wrapped around your waist. The movement wakes him up, sighing softly pulling your body closer to his body. Kissing your bare shoulder, “bon dia amor” Turning around to face him, “bon dia’ you say softly, smiling and staring into his brown doe eyes. You leaned up to kiss him softly before curling more into him. Taking in his warmth since the thin sheets covering your naked bodies did hardly anything for the Barcelona cold temperatures. Last night Gavi sure showed you how much he loves you, while also whispering soft assurances the entire time. You had no more doubt in your mind, Gavi made all of them disappear. 

Feeling Gavi’s arm move to the night stand grabbing his phone, you kept your eyes closed leaning next to him. Hearing him type away, you finally looked to see what he was doing. You see his instagram page open. “Whatcha doing bebe?” you said

He looked at you, kissing your nose, “why don’t you look for yourself” he said handing you his phone. There you saw a post he just made with a picture of you two together, the one that you took on your 1st year anniversary on the beach, you both smiling stupidly at each other as the sunset is behind you. Surprised that he posted that, you looked down to see the caption, it read 

“Mi renia ❤️” 

“I wanted the world to finally know that I already found my queen,” he said, laying his head on the top of your head and caressing your hand. You raised his hand to your lips, kissing his hand, ‘te amo”. Giving you his smile only reserved for you, “y te amo tambien, mucho”  

You both then hear your phone dinging like crazy, notifying you that you now had a bunch of new followers and eyes on you now that you and Gavi were out. Wrapping the sheet over your head, not wanting to deal with it during this moment. Gavi just laughed at your reaction and got under with you.  “The price to love me” he said jokingly while you just rolled your eyes at him pushing his face away playfully. 

[seasons-of-death]

Heartbreak Prince

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Female Reader

Synopsis: Someone knocks on the door of Eddie's trailer, and you don't realize how much it breaks his heart to see you hurt.

Word count: 2k

Warnings: angst and fluff, comfort, explicit language and cursing, underage drinking.

A/N: I haven't posted since July, and honestly, it's been because I've been busy with life, and because there wasn't anything or any character that inspired me. Even my birthday went by! But because of a similar event in my life, I was inspired to write this :D Kind of sad, no? I hope you enjoy this, my writing skills might be rusty, but I tried my best!

The sound of music blaring through the trailer Eddie lived in wasn't anything unusual, the crappy stereo in his bedroom blaring Judas Priest with the volume knob turned all the way up, the boy pretending that the occasional crackling of the cassette wasn't bothering him.

He could hear the rain pattering against the steel roof of the trailer, tapping his guitar along to the noise in deep thought. Never before had he felt so uninspired, so bleak. In front of him laid the notebook where he usually wrote lyrics in, the page in front of him completely blank except for the messy drawing of a clown he had scribbled at the edge of the paper.

Eddie had been feeling this way for a while now; for the good part of the past month, there had been nothing new added onto the pages of that book but bad scribbles and the occasional math homework when he actually got bored enough to work on it.

His sulking was interrupted by a loud rapping coming from his door that almost startled him to his feet, the boy put his guitar back in its usual place as he stumbled to the front door, almost tripping on a pair of black jeans he had left on the floor.

A wide grin took over his face as he peeked out of the window, seeing a familiar girl standing there, but as he opened the door, the smile on his face slowly crept away.

You stood there in a rain-soaked brown cardigan covering your short t-shirt and your jean shorts, your arms crossed in front of your chest and a bottle of whiskey in your tight grip, a look of fury on your face that he hadn't seen before; one that he knew wasn't aimed at him.

"What's wrong?" He asked, letting you into the trailer as you took an angry swig out of the bottle, "What were you doing out in the rain? I could've come get you-"

"He cheated on me." You said with a grunt, taking another swig out of the bottle, Eddie worrying that the liquid would spill with the amount of motioning you were doing with your hands as you spoke. "I can't believe it. He actually cheated on me!"

"I think we're done with this." He muttered quietly, taking the almost full bottle out of your grasp and placing it on the table without you even so much as noticing, too busy pacing around the trailer with irritation. "Who cheated on you?"

"Aaron." You scoffed, Eddie furrowing his brows as he leaned against the counter, "You know, the dick who-"

"I know who Aaron is, but didn't you break up half a year ago?"

"That's not the point!" You ran your hand through your wet hair, pacing around while trying to straighten out your thoughts. "We broke up five months ago, but during gym, I heard Lacey say that it was her and Aaron's seven-month anniversary. This means that while he was dating me, he was two-timing me with fucking Lacey! That hag knew we had been dating for way over a year! Everyone knew! She was bragging to her little friend about how she stole him from me!"

"Shit-"

"He told me it was because we both had too much baggage, I guess his baggage was the fact that he was fucking Lacey Jones in the back of his pickup!"

Eddie felt his heart stop in his chest as he noticed the red scratch on your cheek, blood matted around the wound. His hand took hold of your chin, turning your cheek to him as he inspected it.

"What?" You asked irritatedly, your brows furrowed.

"What's on your cheek?" He asked, causing you to beeline towards the closest mirror in a fury, a chuckle leaving your lips as you inspected your face.

"Guess that bitch must've gotten a scratch in." You laughed.

"I think we should clean that up."

"Yeah, you don't know what kind of bacteria that wench could have had on her fake nails before I ripped them off."

Eddie made his way towards the bathroom, searching through the cabinets for some kind of antiseptic; he was sure that Wayne kept a whole collection of them with the number of scratches and wounds Eddie had come home with.

"Did you actually rip her nails off?" You heard him call out from the bathroom, letting out a laugh.

"At least two."

"Why would you even attack her? You've gotten over him already, haven't you?" He said, approaching you with a bottle of disinfectant in his hand and a roll of toilet paper in another as he motioned for you to sit down.

"I got over him a long time ago," You said, sitting down on one of the kitchen chairs, "But it wasn't because I liked him, or anything. It was because he betrayed me and because she felt all too happy-go-lucky that she got my sloppy seconds. You should've heard what she said."

"What did she say, then?" Eddie asked, putting some disinfectant on a piece of toilet paper and grabbing your chin softly to lift it up.

"She said that I was so pathetic. That I was a tease, who couldn't keep Aaron because I didn't want to sleep with him. That I was a boring little freak he was just leading on until he found someone he actually wanted. That he would never really love someone like me, someone who had so many issues. She was so proud of it, proud of taking him from me like he was some kind of prize. She acted like she won something."

You didn't even feel the sting of the antiseptic, nor the wetness gathering in your eyes, keeping your gaze to the ground as Eddie held onto your chin, lifting it up as he pressed the toilet paper on your cheek as softly as possible.

"She was wrong." He said quietly, a chuckle leaving your lips as you sniffled quietly, "I'm serious."

"What if she's not, though?"

Eddie scoffed, throwing the used paper into the trash can as he took hold of the bandage, "Because the moment that she's not going to be the perfect little girlfriend Aaron wants, he's just gonna go to the next one. Guys like that always do that. It doesn't have anything to do with you, and everything to do with the fact that he was an asshole who didn't deserve you. I knew that from the moment I met him, and I knew it all throughout your relationship."

"Why didn't you tell me that, then? That you knew that he didn't deserve me?" You let out a little chuckle, looking up to see your friend shaking his head slightly, "What?"

"Because I was afraid it'd seem like I was jealous." He said, pressing the bandage over the wound on your cheek.

"Why would it?"

"Because I was." He said casually.

"What?"

"We're done?"

"What do you mean done?"

"I meant your cheek." He chuckled, Eddie thinking that the puzzled look on your face made you look adorable even with the smudged mascara around your eyes. "Do you want something to eat? You should at least change into something else, I should still have some of your clothes in my closet. Or you can wear something of mine, whatever you're most comfortable in."

"Hold on," You said, pointing your finger at him, "Why were you jealous?"

"Why do you think?"

"I don't-"

"Because I like you. I liked you before you were dating that douche, while you were dating him, and after. Even when you were forcing me to watch those crappy romantic movies you secretly cried to, telling me that you'd kill me if I told anyone."

"Why didn't you tell me?" You stood up, looking into his eyes, trying to see if he was lying to you. For you, his eyes were like the mirror in Snow White. Every time, even with the simplest things, you could look into Eddie's eyes and know if he was lying to you. But as you stared intently into his brown eyes, everything inside of you was telling you that he was being truthful. "Why didn't you tell me you liked me?"

"Because I was afraid that you'd look at me the way that you're looking at me right now. Like I'm a stranger." Eddie said weakly before clearing his throat, evading your intent gaze. "We probably just have plain spaghetti, hasn't been time to buy anything else yet. Hope that's fine."

As he was turning away from you, you took hold of his wrist, the boy turning back to you with confusion, and it was now his turn to study your face.

"You're such an idiot."

But there was no time for him to look for the meaning behind your words as he was taken over by the taste of whiskey and the feeling of your cold lips on his, your wet body pressed against his warm one, blending into one as your hands tangled into his hair.

When he finally realized what was happening, he pulled you closer to his body by your waist, a definite feeling of victory inside him to finally know what it felt like to kiss you, what it felt like to tease your tongue with his. He had never felt so confident, and so inspired.

You were only supposed to give him a small kiss, but as you felt yourself being lifted up onto the dining table, your mind was in a haze from the feeling of his lips on yours, his hand on your waist feeling like they were going to burn a hole through your clothes, the heavy breaths exchanged between you covering the distant music coming from Eddie's bedroom.

As you felt his lips travel to your neck, you pressed yourself closer to him, the hungry kisses he was leaving on your neck causing you to let out a whine.

But the wordless exchange between you was interrupted by a loud clank, and as he pulled away from you, you could see that the open bottle you had left on the table you were sitting on was now knocked over, the liquid spilling everywhere.

"Shit!" You exclaimed, hopping off the table and picking it up with a laugh, looking at the puddle of whiskey that had spilt on the table, the bottle still half-full.

As you turned back to look at Eddie, both of you burst into laughter. His hands were still around your waist, and yours were still wrapped around his neck. You pressed your face to his chest, shaking your head in laughter.

"I should clean that up." He said after a while, and you looked up at him with a dazed smile, nodding at him.

"I should get changed."

"Yeah."

The dazed feeling inside of him was made worse when you got on the tip of your toes, pressing a quick kiss on his lips, a wide smile on your face as you tucked your wet hair behind your hair before turning, rushing into his bedroom.

And as he looked up at the ceiling, leaning against the table, he pressed his hand on his chest, hoping that his heart wouldn't burst out of his chest.

[twstowo]

Chapter 1-2 [Sorceress!Yuu x OB!Characters]

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗SYNOPSIS: Wanting to help the collared people you follow Che'nya's plan and infiltrate the castle to befriend Riddle.

♡︎ Warning: None just Riddle being cute

「 ✦ PREVIOUS ✦ 」 「 ✦ NEXT ✦ 」

The plan was simple: get inside the castle, befriend Riddle, and try to change his mind about the collared people. But nothing really seemed simple to you, especially when you were expected to befriend a tyrant.

So, there you sat, perched on a chair, patiently waiting as the trio rummaged through outfits to find the perfect disguise for your role as the new palace architect. Che’nya, with a mischievous grin, mentioned the disappearance of the actual architect, leaving you with a nagging feeling that the details were best left unexplored. You couldn’t help but wonder how Riddle wouldn’t immediately recognize someone he had recently collared. Ace, unperturbed, dropped a blond wig onto your head, bearing an uncanny resemblance to your own hair, just a different hue—an inquiry you dared not voice. Deuce, on the other hand, overwhelmed you with volumes of the Queendom’s architectural styles. Days stretched into a week, your nose buried in dusty tomes, absorbing everything to brace yourself for whatever Riddle might demand. Amidst your studious immersion, you longed for the day this charade would come to an end.

Grim slept next to your books, he looked so peacefull as you reached for his head giving him some pats, brushing his fur with your fingers. At least someone was having a good time.

"What do you mean I, the great Grim, can't go with my Human?" Grim's voice reverberated in protest as he pointed an accusatory finger at Che’nya. The four of you sat sipping tea before the planned departure, and Che’nya had insisted that Grim couldn't accompany you. The rationale given was that Grim might cause disruptions that would compromise the entire plan. Initially, you had reservations about separating from your feline companion, having never ventured anywhere without him. However, Che’nya’s reasoning began to resonate.

"I also believe it’s for the best, Grim," you said, trying to pacify your betrayed friend. "Your help is crucial here." But Grim's disappointment was evident as he refused to meet your eyes.

"Fine. Go without me. But if you need help, don’t even think about calling for me!" With that proclamation, Grim stormed off, leaving you alone with Che’nya.

"How are you feeling? Tomorrow is the big day," he said, flashing a broad smile that did little to ease your nerves. You'd spent a lot of time contemplating what could go wrong—whether Riddle might recognize you, discover that he had collared you, or find your true intentions.

"Nervous, but I think I can handle it," you replied, attempting to project confidence.

"That's what I want to hear, nya!" He rose from his seat, offering a gentle smile that seemed to reassure you that everything would turn out okay. And you trusted him.

──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

In front of you loomed the gates of the castle, towering above you like monumental giants. As nervous thoughts raced through your mind, you couldn't help but chuckle, recalling these particular gate styles from one of the books you had studied. Oddly, this recollection gave you a surge of confidence. When the guards ushered you inside, you encountered Riddle once more, this time greeted with a warmer reception. Surprisingly, he seemed pleased to see you. Perhaps your initial encounter had simply been an anomaly, or perhaps he saw you in a new light now.

Riddle took your hand and bestowed a quick kiss upon it/gave you a quick handshake in welcome. "I've heard quite a bit about you, an architect of considerable renown," he praised, elevating your spirits even though these praises weren't intended for you. "But, pardon my frankness, I had envisioned you differently." His comment made you widen your eyes, and you felt a sudden shiver run down your body.

"I hear that often," you replied smoothly, trying to maintain composure. "Before we discuss the building plans, I'd love a tour of the palace, just to gather some initial inspiration. If that's possible." You glanced around the entrance, taking in the surrounding rose-filled bushes.

"Please allow me to escort you around." Riddle's company led you through various rooms and halls within the castle, each adorned in shades of reds and whites. The floors boasted a chessboard pattern in black and white, a pristine and luxurious atmosphere entirely distinct from the dusty tower you once called home. After an extensive tour, Riddle guided you outside, revealing the verdant gardens and a sprawling rose labyrinth, meticulously tended by the royal gardeners. Finally, your journey concluded at a collapsed building.

"Several months ago, the collared peasants rebelled against my mother's regime and destroyed this beautifully crafted building," Riddle spoke, a hint of disdain evident in his voice as he referred to the collared people.

"Rest assured, there's nothing beyond my ability to build. I'll create something that will please the Queen's desires and more," you assured him with a smile, earning visible satisfaction from Riddle.

"Very well." Some guards approached, and Riddle turned to leave. "I entrust the rest to your capable hands," he stated before departing.

With a sigh of relief, you released the breath you'd been holding. Everything was proceeding perfectly, just as you'd hoped. Gazing at the ruined building, you found the guards and workers awaiting your instructions. "I need some paper and a pencil."

Swiftly, you sketched structures inspired by the palace's designs, blending in elements from other styles that harmonized well. After several hours immersed in the drawings, you raised your head to find all eyes on your sketches. A twinge of embarrassment hit knowing they'd witnessed the entire process. However, the awe and admiration in their expressions reassured you that your work was appreciated. Rising from your seat, you began directing everyone around, bracing yourself for the tasks ahead. This month would be demanding, but you were prepared.

Lying on the bed, you relished the comfort of the room Riddle had assigned you. It was quite spacious, and it struck you that Riddle seemed particularly fond of this architect. It dawned on you that you knew so little about this person—if Riddle asked you something, you’d be completely at a loss. Determined to remedy this, you resolved to locate the palace library the next day and educate yourself about the architect.

──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

You wandered through the palace walls, groggy from the night before, in search of the library. After a long walk, you finally found it and stepped inside. The sheer size of the place left you in awe. The bookshelves stretched like the halls themselves, laden with books of various sizes and hues. Everything was meticulously organized and devoid of any dust. There was so much to read, and yet so little time. For now, your focus was on learning about the architect. You hurriedly looked through the books about this strange figure. Fortunately, their face was never shown, signifying their desire for privacy. Most of the works were stunning, intricate creations, teeming with details you'd never encountered in the books Deuce had provided. You made mental notes about these, realizing that diverging too much from what Riddle envisioned could raise suspicions.

As you returned the books to their places, one peculiar volume caught your eye. It bore your last name, prompting a moment of confusion until you plucked it from the shelf. Inside, you discovered a book chronicling your parents' journey. It vividly portrayed snowy landscapes and recounted how they had earned their place as landowners, working their way into prosperity to establish something in their name. Memories from your childhood flooded back—moments with your mother, interactions with villagers, and the constant presence of a childhood friend who was always by your side. Everything seemed blissful, which made you wonder why they had locked you away in the tower. Questions swirled in your mind, but a strange, unsettling feeling urged you to cease your inquiry, casting a shadow over your thoughts.

Reluctantly, you returned the book to its spot, unwilling to dwell further. With a heavy heart, you moved toward the exit, your head bowed in contemplation. However, just before leaving, you noticed someone else in the library—a surprise visitor. To your astonishment, it was none other than Riddle.

You pondered whether engaging in conversation with Riddle was a wise choice. He appeared consumed by work and potentially quick to collar anyone deviating from his desires. However, before you could depart, your eyes met, and you found yourself captivated by his stunning blue gaze.

“Y/N,” he greeted you warmly, rising to meet you, and you were jolted out of your daydreaming.

“Forgive me, I just—”

“No need for apologies. In fact, I would love your company if you permit,” his tone unexpectedly tender. Was this the same person who had erupted when Grim landed on his head?

“Of course. How may I assist?”

“I’d like to hear your thoughts on my designs.” He gestured toward his table, displaying the most intricately detailed building plans you’d ever seen on paper. Your reaction was instinctual, you had to stifle your amazement. If he saw the design you'd given to the construction team, he might have certainly collared you.

“This looks—” You paused, realizing you were playing the role of a distinguished architect whom Riddle admired. You couldn’t merely fawn over his work. “Pleasant.” Despite the underwhelming choice of words, Riddle’s eyes widened with pride.

“I’ve been studying your designs extensively, attempting to draft the building myself. But my efforts could never compare to the real artist.” He regarded you as if you were his shining star, leaving you to wonder if he realized you weren’t the actual architect.

“I’m glad you appreciate my designs. It’s always nice to find a fan.” You offered a smile, and he reciprocated, clearly pleased with your words. Yet, even as he smiled, you noticed the dark circles under his eyes, indicative of fatigue. “Have you been overworking yourself?” You posed the question, realizing afterward that it might not have been the most appropriate thing to ask.

“Well, I have my duties as the future king of the Queendom of Roses. I can’t simply set them aside,” he responded, a glimmer of happiness shining through as he realized your concern for him. On your end, you grappled with the situation. Your intention was to grow closer to Riddle to facilitate removing the collars from everyone, so you needed a way to break down his barriers.

“How about baking some strawberry tarts?” you suggested, sporting a cheerful smile. He looked at you with a quizzical expression, seemingly ready to dismiss your idea. “If you need to leave midway, I can finish what we started and bring you the tarts when you’re free. So, no need to worry about a thing.” You offered solutions, trying to convince him, though he seemed puzzled by your eagerness to spend time with him.

“If you insist, I could permit it,” he agreed, adjusting his tie in a nervous gesture. “But everything must be done precisely! And the kitchen must be perfectly cleaned afterward,” he stated, almost as an order. You nodded in agreement.

“Follow me, Riddle!” you exclaimed, taking his arm and guiding him to the kitchen, causing him to widen his eyes at your bold actions.

In the midst of baking the tarts, Riddle meticulously followed the culinary book's instructions, determined to use precise measurements. Any deviation seemed to stress him, and he'd restart if things didn't align perfectly. As he focused intently on each step, you couldn't help but feel frustrated by his strict approach.

“Riddle!” you called out, finally voicing your exhaustion with his rigidity. Startled, he dropped the spoon he was holding, his face flushing with a mix of emotions, perhaps anger or embarrassment, you couldn't discern. But you persisted, “This is why your designs aren’t perfect! Things like this aren’t meant to be perfect, they’re meant for the fun of it!” He seemed to freeze, absorbing your words. “When I come up with new designs, I don’t aim for perfection, I draw what I find fun at the moment,” you elaborated. His mouth opened and closed, as if struggling with your point. He rubbed his chin, lost in thought.

“So… I need to have fun? Stop trying to make my designs perfect?” he murmured, almost to himself, but you caught every word. You nodded, handing him the dropped spoon. He hesitated but then swiftly scooped flour, bypassing the measurements this time. You saw him gulp, battling his instinctual need for precision, yet he bravely added the flour to the batter.

“See? You’re getting the hang of it!” You clapped your hands, prompting a deeper blush from Riddle, who let out a sigh but continued to bake. You sensed that he had relaxed, gradually enjoying the process of making tarts with you. Despite his attempts to maintain a pristine kitchen and occasionally strive for perfect measurements, you noticed a significant change in his behavior, and that was what mattered most.

As you grabbed a large bag of flour, you lost your balance and tripped over your own feet, sending the flour cascading onto the floor and covering you both in its powdery embrace. Panic surged through you, as you slowly glanced at Riddle who also had been covered in flour from head to toe, you anticipated Riddle's reaction to the mess, believing that now even Che’nya could not save you from this one, but unexpectedly, he burst into a hearty laughter. You froze, stunned by his unanticipated response. Instead of anger, his laughter filled the room, and he even walked over, extending his hand to help you up from the flour-covered floor.

“I haven’t laughed like this in such a long time,” he chuckled, his cheeks tinted pink from the flour. His laughter was contagious, and you couldn't help but smile back. However, amidst the chaos and his laughter, you noticed something about him that felt strangely captivating, even covered in flour he seemed to have this angelic look to him, wait, what did you mean with angelic? Did he always look this nice? You shook off the thought, dismissing it as a trick of the moment.

“Sorry, I will clean all of this!” You hurriedly searched for a broom, but Riddle placed a hand on your shoulder, a warm and friendly gesture.

“I used to visit a friend of mine when I was young,” he reminisced, an unfamiliar softness in his tone. “One day, he tried to teach me how to bake. That day, I dropped a full bag of flour. I never heard the end of it from my mom, but it was such a nice moment…” His words trailed off, and both of you stood there, flour-covered but sharing a moment of connection. His hand lingered on your shoulder for a moment before he withdrew it, seemingly realizing the gesture's duration. “Sorry…” His demeanor shifted slightly as he began to look for a broom. “We should clean all of this,” he suggested, and you nodded in agreement, grateful for the lighter atmosphere between you both.

The rest of your free time was spent enjoying the tarts and tea, chatting about various topics. It became evident that Riddle was gradually opening up to you. Even if it was initially part of the plan, you couldn't deny that you enjoyed his company.

──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

After a long day, you finally returned to your room, feeling exhausted. The building constructions were progressing smoothly, even better than expected. As you made your way towards the closet to change into your pajamas, a strange knock caught your attention. It seemed odd for someone to visit at such a late hour, but you decided to investigate. Upon opening the door, no one was in sight. You shrugged it off, thinking it might have been your imagination until the same knock echoed again. This time, you scanned the room, even checking the windows, but found no one, until your gaze shifted to the mirror in your room.

“This is the first time we get to talk properly,” the strange woman in the mirror addressed you, her lips moving in sync with her words, yet she remained motionless, fixated on you. You felt frozen, a chill creeping over you—did ghosts exist? Were you so fatigued and sleep-deprived that you began to see apparitions? “I was expecting this reaction, but relax, I am not here to harm you. Quite the contrary, I want to help you.” Her voice, despite standing next to the mirror, sounded distant and echoed faintly.

“Who are you?” You approached the enigmatic figure cautiously.

“I am you from another universe. I believe your friend Che’nya has already explained most of it.” The revelation stunned you. She had been the one to free you from the collar. Hearing Che’nya's tale of being cursed to live inside a mirror, unable to experience the outside world, evoked a pang of empathy. Having been locked in a tower yourself for so long, devoid of interaction and exposure to the outside world, you could empathize with her isolation.

“How do I set you free?” Your directness caught her off guard, her head bowed to conceal her sorrow. It felt surreal—her facial features mirrored yours, almost like watching your reflection cry.

“Only someone with an immense amount of magical power can release me,” she replied, raising her head to fix her gaze on you.

“But is there anyone out there with that kind of power?” You questioned the possibility. While many powerful wizards existed, like Riddle, you doubted they could intervene in such a situation.

“You,” she responded, and your eyes widened in surprise before adopting a more skeptical expression. “I can grant any wish, but with each wish comes a curse that consumes the wisher, slowly eroding their sanity and driving them mad. Strangely, it also bestows a certain strength upon them.”

Your astonishment grew; the thought of losing your mind over a wish you were still uncertain about was daunting. Sensing your concern, she offered crucial reassurance. “Given that we are the same person, this curse will affect you differently. Your sanity will deplete at a slower rate.”

“Why does it affect me differently, and what happens if I completely lose my mind? What then?” You felt the weight of the seriousness setting in, wondering if helping her was worth such a dire situation.

“This is our curse. It works like poison—the more exposure you have, the less impact it will have over time.” She paused, extending her hand toward the mirror’s surface. “If you do succumb, I’ve discovered a way to undo the curse during my confinement here.”

“And what’s that?” You inquired, intrigued.

“A true love’s kiss.” The two of you stood facing each other in an awkward silence. What did she mean by a true love's kiss? You hadn't found someone who made your heart skip a beat, and as you began to voice these thoughts, the image of Riddle laughing, covered in flour, flashed into your mind, reddening your face.

“W-what? S-so, that means you’d just kiss all those guys you cursed?” You blurted out, still rattled by thoughts of Riddle. As soon as the words left your mouth, both of you seemed to stutter, embarrassed like two high school girls gossiping about their crushes.

It took a while for both of you to calm down and realize the gravity of the situation. Sighing, you took a few steps back and settled onto the bed, facing the sorceress. Emerging from a tower, only to be thrust into this chaos, you wondered if things were spiraling further out of control with each passing moment.

"Can't I just wish for you to be free?" you asked her, as this seemed to make the most sense.

"The power of the wish is connected with the magical power of the wisher." She looked at you with a sad expression. "And for now, you don't possess enough magical power. The only way for you to get stronger is to wish for smaller things for now." You nodded, annoyed with the revelation. Of course, things couldn't be as easy as you wanted them to be. How foolish of you. As you thought about any wish, with nothing coming to mind, you watched as she slowly started vanishing from the mirror. Some sort of magical dust slowly made your reflection show in the mirror as it used to. As you heard a strange voice in the back of your mind, "If you ever feel like asking for a wish, repeat these words.”

“Wish and want in sacred verse, Grant my heart's desire, universe.”

That was an incantation. You rushed to grab some paper before forgetting it, but as you started jotting it down, you realized it had ingrained itself in your mind. It seemed intentional, as if you couldn’t erase it even if you wanted to. You relaxed, lying back on the bed, letting your tired eyes close. Tomorrow promised to be a long day.

「 ✦ PREVIOUS ✦ 」 「 ✦ NEXT ✦ 」

[deadbeatbirdmom]

Why Yang is the best*

*in my admittedly biased opinion, she's my favourite character in RWBY.

Let's get the shallow reasons out of the way first:

She's very pretty, including her long golden blonde mane of hair and lilac eyes. Blonde bombshell is a fitting description.

And this blonde bombshell can make other things very literally explode with her sticky grenades from Volume 7 onwards.

She's a badass in combat even without her Semblance, but with it she packs even more of a punch, and that's quite an understatement.

There's also the way her Semblance makes her hair either glow like molten gold or transform into flames (Volume 6 onwards), and her eyes turn red, or later a fiery orange. Both striking.

But Yang is far more than these shallow things. She has depth.

Right from the start in her trailer, from the quote at the beginning to the things she does, it's clear that there's more to her than meets the eye. She's goes to a club, but not to party. She's there for information.

Yet I've read fics where she's written off as a dumb blonde party girl. Sure, the beauty of fanfic is writing what you want, but if Yang's that out of character is she really still Yang, and not an original character by the same name?

Yang isn't dumb. There's no mention of her being a bad student, and she's seen paying attention and poised to take notes in Volume 1.

She also doesn't fight like someone who just keeps punching until her opponent falls down and can't get up again. I mean, that might be part of it, but she adapts, like she did in the trailer against the kicks of Melanie Malachite.

In that trailer Yang defeats a club full of goons, two bodyguards (Melanie and Miltia) and Junior himself. All of them adults against a 17 year old who hasn't yet started at Beacon (going by what I've heard of the Roman Holiday book, Melanie and Miltia are in their early twenties in Volume 1, just like Neo).

Yang starts to adapt against Neo on the train in Volume 2, but gets knocked out before she can get far enough to actually do more than throw Neo.

The Yang that gives the impression of a cheerful party girl is a mask, as can be seen when there's glimpses of her depth in Burning the Candle when she persuades Blake to slow down. And that mask really shatters in Volume 3 when bad things start to happen.

Yang goes through trauma, physically and emotionally. It changes her. But it certainly doesn't make her boring, at least not to me. She also gradually heals, enough to make jokes in Volume 5 onwards. That is a hopeful message to other people who go through bad things. Sometimes bad things just happen, but that's not the end. You keep moving forward. It may take a while to recover, and to get back to yourself, and you won't be quite the same, but you're still you.

Then there's the sisters Xiao Long-Rose. Yang is dedicated to being there for Ruby, to the extent that she raised her after Summer disappeared. Exactly how long their dad was lost to depression isn't clear, but even after he recovered he'd still be busy working. Yang would remain the combined big sister and mother for Ruby even after Tai's more capable of parenting.

That isn't to say that Yang is perfect, or that she never makes mistakes, or always gets along with Ruby. She's human. They both are. To be human is to err. But they always love each other. They're family, the closest they have. Even if Yang didn't always manage to say 'I love you' back right away. Even if Ruby left her without a goodbye or even a note (the one she left at the end of Volume 3 was for Tai). They know where they stand with each other, even if it took Ruby a reassuring hug and an 'I love you' from Yang to be sure of that in Mistral.

There's Yang’s big heart. I've seen her described as the heart of team RWBY, and it's so true. Yang's intimidating when she wants to be, but she's so kind and caring, to the extent that it led to a rift of sorts with Ruby in Volume 8. Ruby was focused on the big picture, trying to get word out to all of Remnant about Salem, while Yang wanted to help save the population of Mantle before they were overrun by Grimm. Neither of them were wrong.

Yang takes hits, not just as part of her combat strategy to fuel her Semblance, but also to spare others who might not be able to take them as well as she can. Usually Ruby, but her other friends too. She draws Salem's attention away from Oscar when she threatens him, which could have gone so badly for Yang. But that's who she is. Those she loves matter more to her than her own life ever could.

And there's Yang's mothers. Her biological mother Raven, who abandoned Yang when she was a baby for reasons that still aren't clear, but likely to do with Raven being afraid of Salem. Yang's search for her almost got her and Ruby killed as young kids, and when Yang finally found her she was bitterly disappointed by who she found.

I don't hate Raven, I find her an interesting character, but she has without a doubt disappointed and hurt Yang, to the point where that was a large part of what reduced Yang to tears on claiming the Relic in Haven's vault.

Despite all that, Yang kept the fact that Raven was the Spring Maiden to herself, as far as we know. It wouldn't be the first time that a conversation about Raven took place off screen, as Jaune, Ren and Nora knew Raven was Yang's mother. Yet Yang only ever told Blake about her. And I can't see Blake gossiping about that. I figure Ruby likely told them at some point when on the long walk to Haven.

Then there's Yang's step mother, Summer, who took Raven's place so completely that Yang didn't know about Raven until after Summer disappeared. Summer, Yang's super-mom, who Yang must have tried to emulate when raising Ruby, but couldn't possibly be more than a pale shadow of. Yang was just a child, only two years older than Ruby. Summer is Yang's hero, and who she still considers as her mom, as she proclaimed to Salem.

Last but certainly not least: Blake and Yang. The Bees kissing are what drew me to RWBY in the first place, and Bumbleby is my OTP. They've been through so much together, and they deserve happiness with each other.

Yang was already my favourite months before the Volume 9 commentary revealed it, but it also means a lot to me that she's only just figuring out her sexuality. It took me a long time too.

This isn't every single thing I love about Yang, but it's what I could think of and get down in writing.

All of this is of course just my opinion. Maybe someone else from RWBY is your favourite. In that case I'm just glad another character can mean that much to you.

[saltydkdan]

Salty, may I ask which you recommend more: the one piece manga or anime. I wanna get into it but I also want a recommendation on which one may be better to start with depending on the pros and cons. Anyways I apologies if this is a dumb thing to ask.

Sure! One Piece is a really interesting beast when it comes to the difference between it's anime and manga, and at the end of the day it depends on your preferences- However yes, there are Pros and Cons to each! For this ask, I'll be trying my best to stick to the Official options available to you.

Also, this post specifically will be about how to best GET INTO the series, not necessarily a critique on the content of it! (I'll gladly do a separate write up on that eventually if anyone is interested in my thoughts on the Pros and Cons of the series itself)

Anyway, here are my personal thoughts:

MANGA

(This is my preferred way to experience the story)

PROS

-I'm not a manga purist by any means HOWEVER, the One Piece Manga is really good

-The pacing is really great (especially initially). In the first half, arcs are very quick and snappy! And even as they got progressively longer in length I didn't mind because by that point the story already gripped me.

-The art is wonderful in both black and white, and the official colored scans (which you can find online)

-This isn't really a "pro" per say, but it's something I enjoy doing. When I read, I like to put on some of the soundtrack from the anime. I usually find stuff like "Tense One Piece Music" or "Emotional One Piece Music" and listen to it as I read. It really enhances the experience for me personally. I also like to look up clips of arcs from the anime that I'm reading or already finished to see what they look like, and also see them in a fun new way. I feel like this sort of mixed approach is optimal for me.

CONS

-You have to read 😔

-There are many ways to read One Piece and in many different languages. There's black and white and colored manga- however just be careful. The best one TRANSLATION wise is the official release, and while you may find other options, some older "unofficial" translations are VERY outdated (I once saw one where Zoro casually dropped slurs)

-That also being said: Even though the official translation is the best, it is stuck in black and white. Many official colored scans were never officially licensed in English, and because of that aren't as accessible.

-Collecting it physically is fun, but can get VERY pricey. Like... hoo boy. Thankfully they sell compendiums that collect a metric shit ton of chapters, however the paper/print quality is noticeably cheaper. So if you want to collect them, the smaller volume releases are the way to go. That being said, I would just suggest using the Shonen Jump App by Viz Media. It's the best official way to support the series officially, as well as the cheapest for the average consumer! $3 a month for the entire library as well as other series + getting new chapters updated every week is great. I'm not sponsored or anything either, I just really like the model. So if you find yourself really enjoying the series, THEN you can go about collecting it physically if you want!

ANIME

PROS

-It's animated (obviously)

-You have a choice of either the Japanese Sub or English Dub. This also boils down to preference but from my experience they're both great options!!

-I'll get into it in the "Cons" section, but the One Piece anime is VERY long, like... kind of in a not so good way at certain points. However, I've heard that even though some parts are a bit too long, it's one of those things that if you really get into it, you'll love the fact that it feels like a never ending adventure! Not my experience, but it's what others have told me!

-This is gonna sound crazy, but Filler Arcs. A lot of people don't like these, and I get why, but they are very easily skippable if you want to look up a guide, and some of them can actually be really short and fun (as well as add a bit of extra flavor to the story). One of the best examples is an arc called "G-8". Even Manga readers recommend it, so you know it's good and gives each of the characters some fun moments!

CONS

-You may be aware already, but the One Piece anime has a very bad reputation of having HORRIBLE pacing. Now, to be fair, many people say that the pacing only gets truly horrible AFTER a very specific arc about halfway through the series (which is where a lot of anime watchers jump ship to the manga)

However, I'll be honest... I wasn't a super huge fan of the pacing from the beginning. To clarify, I STARTED with the anime. I don't have a super great attention span, so having to wait around 38 or so episodes for "Arlong Park", the arc that people suggest you get to before deciding whether to keep going or quit, was very difficult for me at first. I got through it, and I'm glad I did, but as soon as I did, I decided to switch over to the manga and had a much easier time.

-I find the show's music very repetitive at times. That's not to say the music is necessarily bad, I love the One Piece OST! It's just... over the years they have barely updated the soundtrack. Every arc you might here one or two new tracks, however a lot of the time you'll hear the same tracks replayed in the same sort of situations. ("OVERTAKEN" is an AMAZING track, but if I hear it one more time I'm gonna snap)

-This is a bit of a nitpick but I need to say it. One Piece's sound effects, while iconic, are also extremely outdated. When you start the series and hear the older-styled Toei Animation sound design, it is super charming because it fits with the older visuals. However in more modern One Piece, which visually looks incredible, THEY STILL USE THE OLD SOUND EFFECTS AND THEY JUST DON'T FIT.

TOEI, UPDATE YOUR SOUND LIBRARY!!!

ANYWAY...

Anyway, I hope my funny little list here helps!! Sorry it's so long, went a bit off the handle. But I think this is a fine enough starter guide and may help you get started!

[malfoys-demigod]

"I love you" from friends to lovers - Fox Mulder x Reader

A/N: I've started loving the X-Files a few days ago, and I instantly fell in love with Fox Mulder. I've always wanted to do a friends to lovers fic with him ever since! Shout out to @muldermuse as they are my inspiration to write for Fox. They have the best fics ever so check their blog out as well and do ask for fic requests from her since she does the best! I hope you love this one, friend!

Summary: using "I love you" long before it gets a romantic meaning (being shocked when they realize one day that they actually express their new feelings aloud already)

“Hey Fox, be safe out there, m’kay? Just because I’m sitting this case out does not give you permission to go batshit crazy!” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Mulder says before leaving you in his office, “Bye, love ya,” he says, waving goodbye to you as he and Scully were off to do another case while you stayed back, filing a report on the last and most recent case the three of you had done that week. 

You and Fox go way back, first meeting him at the FBI Academy when you were both learning how to become one of the best agents in the bureau. You guys were more than best friends, it was as if you were thicker than thieves. But of course, at first, it was purely platonic, so platonic, that saying “I love you” was more of a friendly and best friend-kind of manner. 

Every morning, you’d arrive at his office, bringing cups of coffee for you, Scully, and Mulder to start your day right. 

Sometimes Mulder would have sleepless nights the night before, due to either not being able to solve whatever theories he had running in his mind or simply because he just couldn’t get himself to sleep. 

So whenever you’d come in bringing coffee for helpless mornings, he’d take the cup from you with a warm smile, thanking you for being his hero. 

“God, I love you,” he would say without feeling anything romantic to it

“Couldn’t sleep last night, huh,” you figured, to which he nodded and went back to reading his book on supernatural creatures 

When Dana came into the picture, she found it weird at first when she first heard the two of you exchange your famous, AND, platonic line. 

The three of you were ending your first case together as a trio. 

Dana in the backseat, Mulder driving, and you sitting shotgun. 

It was a triumphant success, having three brains work together efficiently on a case. Mulder was driving the two of you back to the office that day, with a smile on his face. His smile only got wider when one of his favorite songs started playing on the radio. 

“Now, that’s my jam,” he confidently stated, turning up the volume. 

You weren’t really fond of the song, it wasn’t really your type or vibe at the moment, and you looked at Mulder with disgust on your face. 

“Really, Fox?” you questioned his taste 

He looked at you with slight confusion, “You don’t like this?” He then turned up the radio, creeping in a smirk when he started headbanging like a boy listening to his favorite song for the thousandth time. 

Annoyed by the boyish friend you had, your fingers started making their way to the radio. About to press a button, Mulder smacked your fingers lightly, shaking his head with disapproval, “Uh-huh, you are NOT doing that,” he calmly said. 

“I’m starting to hate this song because of you!” you protested. You aggressively pressed a button, changing the radio station to another one, which coincidentally was starting to play your favorite song. 

“Now that’s MY jam,” you teased, imitating his headbanging 

Mulder let off a light scoff, shaking his head again, “You are a child,” he stated 

You chuckled, turning up the volume, “Yeah, and we’re staying on this station from now on, okay?”

“Fine,” he gave up, rolling his eyes.

“Aw, love you,” you thanked your best friend,  continuing to headbang to the song. 

Dana silently witnessed what was to her, deemed too adorable for just friends to create with this kind of interaction. She had also witnessed the first time she saw a hint of pink coming from Mulder’s cheeks, right after he had taken a look at you headbanging like a silly girl who got her way with things, and she had also witnessed the way you looked at him and looked away, trying not to smile too big in a span of 10 seconds. 

Now back to the present time.

Right after Mulder and Scully left you in his office, Scully just had to ask the question that she had been wanting to ask ever since that car ride. 

“Have you ever considered dating her?”

“Who? Y/N?” 

“Yeah, you guys always act like an old married couple and you can’t tell me the “I love yous” are just platonic till now”

“I-I don’t know,” Mulder replied, starting to stutter, “I mean she’s my closest friend and I mean I guess we just say silly things out loud without thinking it could have meant something else, you know?” 

The two of them stayed quiet as they were on their way to leave the building. 

A few minutes later, while in the car, Mulder opened up the conversation again. 

“I do like her actually,” he confessed, “I mean, we work so well together as friends, but I don’t know, maybe I’ll end up embarrassing myself in the long run if I changed things between us. I can’t, Scully, it’d be the end for us.” 

“Mulder, you’re both oblivious to the fact that without a doubt, you both probably imagined yourselves being more than just friends,” Scully acknowledged, “I’ve had a feeling ever since!”

Mulder narrowed his eyebrows, “Ever since when?”

“Ever since our first case with the three of us. The car ride back here? I definitely saw the way you both looked at each other.” 

Mulder looked down, with a small smile on his face, remembering that moment you shared with him. It was cute and he couldn’t disagree. 

--

The case Mulder and Scully faced that day was more than they had expected. 

It was a case where Mulder almost thought it is the end for him, for attempting batshit crazy things in order to find the truth. 

It was a case you didn’t want to see first-hand since you had hidden feelings for your best friend, and you’d probably slap him for trying something batshit crazy even if you were there to see it.

Luckily, Mulder and Scully ended up solving the case, though with some wounds and bandages from Mulder’s end. 

When you heard about the small cases of injuries on Mulder, you didn’t hesitate to drive all the way from the office to the next state just to see him. 

You were now driving slowly to face a bunch of police cars and an ambulance you knew you’d find your friend sitting by. 

“Dammit, Fox,” you arrived by the scene as you scolded him, getting the attention of Scully and Mulder

While you looked at Mulder with deep concern over his bandages and dried blood marks, he was looking at you as if you were the stars and moon standing in front of him as he was happy to reunite with you. 

“You just had to do something batshit crazy without me and look at you!”

“Yet it got us closing the case, Y/N,” he admitted, smirking at your defeat. 

“I knooow,” you rolled your eyes, “But-”

“But I did realize something along the way of almost getting killed,” he said slowly. 

This was a cue for Dana to make a few steps away from what she saw coming as his confession to you. So she subtly walked away, smirking. 

“If I did lose my head or something back there, I would’ve gone without saying that I love you.”

You looked at him silly, not knowing where this was getting to, “Um, you did right before you left your office, remember?” 

Mulder held both your hands, getting you to move closer to him. He squeezes your hands a little, smiling at you with already burning red cheeks. “Not the “I love you” type that means I do love you, more than just a friend, since you’re basically the world to me, Y/N.”

You started feeling light on your legs, feeling so foolish to not see this coming. You sat in front of him by the ambulance, still without words as you were watching your friend get only more closer to you. 

“May I?” he asked, asking permission to kiss you. 

You only agreed by kissing him first, as your lips met his, moving slowly together as the kiss was simple and long-drawn. 

When the two of you returned to looking at each other, you looked down, shyly, matching the same tone of red as his on your cheeks. 

“I love you too, Fox,” you confessed, “In that same way as well.” 

“I guess I had a hunch ever since I let only you call me by my first name,” he teased, “And did I ever tell you how good it sounds coming from you?” 

xx