#it drowned in the queue lol

[fluffypotatey]

Hello there! I hope the month has treated you kindly enough. I don't have much questions right now, but there are a few buzzing in my head:

Why did Wukong tell MK at the start of S2 that he was going on a vacation, instead of maybe just saying that he has some unfinished business, maybe a serious one, that needs attending to now that MK can sort of look after himself? Probably to set the tone into something less alarming but I think if he went with that kind of excuse maybe MK wouldn't feel so resentful about his mentor apparently chilling while away. Or rather why not say that he's going to the Celestial realm and that he may not be available for a while because time runs differently between the two realms?

What effects do you think that being imprisoned inside a mountain has on Wukong instead of being trapped under it like in the OG JTTW book? I mean, both are pretty bad but at least the one in the book gives him fresh air and sunlight instead of complete darkness in the isolation.

Do you think that just like the battle that lead to the Havoc in Heaven 2.0 is different in LMK compared to the original book version, the peach thievery and banquet disruption also has a different story to it than the book one?

How's your writing for SWK and The Reaper series going? If you're having a bit of an inspiration fatigue, take your time to recharge. But are we going to see the White Impermanence's successor in that series though. How would the s4 and its specials' events go?

Have a great week, eat your meals regularly and not too late, take your medication if you have any, and eat your fruits and vegetables!

oh dear, oh honey, you’ve done it now :3 the floodgates are open :) hope you don’t regret it

imma have to answer these by short answer to long, so that first one is definitely placed last

anyway,

How's your writing for SWK and The Reaper series going?

tis marinating my good friend! tis on the slow cooker rn and might be for some more days or weeks depending on my uni stuff and motivation levels T^T but yeah, it’s not abandoned (far from it!) just needs some more mental plotting (ESPECIALLY because I added Xié Líng to the story and kind of want them introduced in the upcoming chapter/installment/part(?))

Are we going to see the White Impermanence's successor in that series though?

so yeah, you will see the White Impermanence’s successor soon! their involvement in the story takes place more in what I have in mind for s4 :3 and I don’t remember what I mentioned about them, but Xié Líng is basically Júhua’s only friend in the underworld (not to mention that the two are basically soulmates no thanks to what they have/will inherit). they aren’t that big of a fan of Sun Wukong but tolerate him bc it’s Júhua’s uncle (a label she only ever confessed to Xié Líng). also, hoping they will help me explained Júhua’s magic a bit more since I now have 2 reapers in this verse :)

and for s4…..no, I shan’t say…….more Diyu and Júhua playing sleuth while MK goes through the horrors

Do you think that just like the battle that lead to the Havoc in Heaven 2.0 is different in LMK compared to the original book version, the peach thievery and banquet disruption also has a different story to it than the book one?

I honestly would not be surprised if that was the case. lmk already differentiates a lot from the book with specific details or chapters (Red Son’s chapter/Samadhi Fire lore, the reason behind Guanyin’s vase, how the JTTW crew met Pigsy, how they met Sandy, LBD’s chapter). so, while the feel of the show sticks with that adventure and high stakes and moral dilema that JTTW had, it also is its own piece of work (which you could argue for many JTTW adaptations tbh since there are sO many and many are very different from each other)

anyway, yeah, I have an inkling that the stolen peach story is not exactly book accurate.

What effects do you think that being imprisoned inside a mountain has on Wukong instead of being trapped under it like in the OG JTTW book?

oh ho ho! what a question 👀

I certainly think being trapped inside the 5 Phases Mt has a different impact than being trapped under it. for one, like you mentioned, book!SWK had the “luxury” of being able to see outside and breathe fresh air. lmk!SWK???? he is in the heart of the mountain. he is seeing nothing but rocks (stalactites and stalagmites), he can hear nothing but the drips of cave water, he can breath nothing but stale and dusty air….for 500 years :)

how do you stay sane in such conditions?

spoiler: you don’t!

you cannot stay sane or impassive to being trapped inside a mountain with nothing but rock and golden chains for 500 years!!! we all remember that clip of a freed swk, right?

see that? that’s the look of a monkey who’s just been released from a 500 year prison and is ready to tear the world apart just to feel better :)

so how would one stay some-what lucid in this imprisonment? my guess is the man hallucinated the shit out of it. bored of seeing nothing but rock and more rock and even more rock? how about visualizing that Macky returned after your horrible fight and is apologizing for snapping at you. how about believing that you good pals the Brotherhood and you didn’t fail your war with Heaven! how about thinking that the darkness and loud echos of the cave hold more creatures and demons who heard of your downfall and want to finish the job. how about envisioning being back at FFM, Macky and your monkey subjects are so happy to see you and you were actually never imprisoned! how about believing—

listen to me, listen to me: Wukong’s experience of being held inside the mountain, other than being smushed under it, is more psychologically impactful and I bet this monkey could not sleep well after being freed for centuries. Wukong sleeps with a night light still!

Why did Wukong tell MK at the start of S2 that he was going on a vacation, instead of maybe just saying that he has some unfinished business?

short answer: because he’s an idiot

long answer:

Wukong is very used to solving issues on his own. he is aware that MK is human (maybe) and a mortal (now debatable, but at this point, MK believed that and that’s what’s important). he is aware that MK’s an anxious kid and wants to prove himself but also has great power within him. he is very aware that MK still needs to complete his training and isn’t ready for what Wukong is about to embark on (also who Wukong would potentially fight against with no one being none the wiser to).

and, as I stated prior, Wukong is very used to solving issues on his own. he did it in his time before JTTW and even during JTTW because he was the overpowered stone monkey who was FFM’s trump card and the JTTW savior when situations got rough (barely any of the other companions are able to beat off an opponent without Wukong’s help). thus, Wukong is not someone to ask for help or even allow other to be aware that help is needed because he is not used to asking (he only will if push comes to shove and he is out of ideas, which he wasn’t in s2)

however, I’m sure we’re well aware of SWK’s almost allergic reaction to acknowledging help or admitting that something is most definitely wrong! but imma get that statement out of the way so that when I delve into the question, we all have what I said above in mind :)

now, why tell MK he’s going on vacation? why not give a lie that could be a little closer to the truth?

well, as said before, Wukong has an aversion to admitting when there are things going wrong that only he could recognize and probably worries that hinting to MK that Wukong is off to investigate something would possibly entice the kid to join Wukong or ask the monkey a lot of questions about it he isn’t inclined to answer. also, if Wukong were to say he needed to complete something in the celestial realm that would also bring on more questions he would not know how to respond to

thus, vacation! it’s already established that Wukong retired himself from helping duty by s1. and what do retired people do? go on vacation!!!! they hit the road, take the most tourist heavy sites, go radio silent and relax! therefore, if Wuking were to tell MK he is going on vacation, then MK would not ask him too many questions about where he’s going or ask if he can join! I would not be surprised if that’s Wukong’s thought process. this answer is merely the simplest way for Wukong to subtly get rid of the LBD problem while MK protects the city and learns more about how to hone his powers (it’s not like the kid needed Wukong, the kid’s a fast learner and his powers are growing pretty quickly).

‘course this undermines MK’s insecurities of not being good enough and brings to light his abandonment issues and his low self worth but, uh, yeah

in conclusion: Wukong dun fucked up for saying vacation because he’s an idiot

[iii-days-grace]

sometimes im just like. what if i went and got my benthic invertebrate monitoring certification for fun. what if i got my wetland botanical classification schema. what if we all ran away into the woods and looked at bugs forever

im not a biologist anymore but that just sounds like a fun thing to do, and i don't even have to recert it, i can just steal that knowledge and keep it in my brain! cant stop me now!

[malhare-archive]

Ben Drowned stimboard

💚💚💚 | 💚💚💚 | 💚💚💚

[serickswrites]

Crashing Waves

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11

Warnings: restraints, kidnapping, captivity, buried alive, referenced/implied drowning, hallucinations

Whumpee woke with a start. It was dark and their shoulders were pressed in on both sides. Where were they? They didn’t remember falling asleep. They tried to control their breathing as their heart raced. It was dark and tight wherever they were. They couldn’t move. Their hands were bound tightly in front of them. They strained against the rope, but it didn’t budge. They tried to kick out, drawing their knees up as far as they could go. They brushed a hard surface very quickly. They kicked their feet with as much force as they could muster, feet colliding with another hard surface. They screamed in frustration and pain. They were trapped in a box. A box!

As panic set in, they reminded themself that panicking wouldn’t help. That they needed to think their way out of this one. They braced their knees, feet, and bound fists to the lid of the box and pushed with all their might. The wood didn’t so much as creak with the movement. They were trapped in a box God knows where. 

They wracked their brain for the last thing they could remember. How did they end up in a box? They remembered walking into the office that morning, a carton of coffees in hand. They remembered meeting up with the team in the conference room, their latest board filled with pictures, papers, and Whumpee’s neat handwriting. They remembered being frustrated with not having more answers. Not having enough information. And they remembered everyone’s tempers were running high. Teammate Two had snapped at them. Teammate One had left in a huff saying something about needing air. And finally Caretaker had had enough of them, too. Told them to take a walk, clear their head, and come back later. Being dismissed by Caretaker had been hurtful. They’d left in a hurry. They hadn’t meant to frustrate anyone. They were just so close. They knew it. They remembered walking out into the cool sunshine. The air was crisp. Autumn had finally settled over the city. They remembered walking a few blocks, and then they didn’t remember anything else. 

Someone had grabbed them? Who? Who would want them? Whumpee realized that was a dumb question. A lot of people wanted to do them harm. But who wanted to act on it now? For the life of them, they couldn’t think of anyone in particular. Or anyone who’s methods were to put people in boxes. 

Besides their father. I wouldn’t do that to you, my child. I would never put you in a box. Father’s voice whispered through their mind. 

“Not helpful. And yes, you would if it served your purpose.”

I’m going to pretend you didn’t say that last part. Let’s try and think our way out of this one. You’re in a sticky situation, my child. 

“I realize that, again, not helping.”

Think, Whumpee. Use that big brain of yours. 

Whumpee closed their eyes and took a breath. They could hear the rattle of chains. “No,” they whispered, breath quickening. “No, no, no, no, please, no. Please.”

No, you’re not hearing that. Take a breath, my child. She’s not here. I won’t let her come here. You found her. Remember?

Whumpee did remember. It didn’t change the fact that they still felt as though they were trapped in a box with Father’s Victim. But she was alive. Unharmed. They took a steadying breath and listened again. 

Waves crashed in the distance. Gulls called. “I’m at the beach.”

Very good, my child. Who would take you in a box to the beach?

Whumpee’s heart sunk. There was only one person that they knew of that would do that. And it was the person they were hunting. “Whumper.”

Great! So you know who has you then. I’m sure we’ll be able to work our way out of this, my child. 

Whumpee tried not to let despair take over. “No.” They swallowed. “No, I don’t know who it is. And there’s no getting out. I’m going to die soon.” Tears pricked at the corners of their eyes. 

The case had been a tough one. The first body turned up after some beach goers were digging for crabs in Beach. The next had turned up at Other Beach, children digging at some driftwood buried in the sand. And the latest had turned up at Third Beach, a concerned citizen had called in about a driftwood cross at the waterline. All three victims were buried at the tide line in a pine box coffin, hands bound with coarse rope in the front, and a scuba mask and light tank attached to their face. They had all drowned, of course. They would have been able to hear the tide coming in, feel the water crashing around them, and they would have lived for a time while they were submerged. Until their air ran out. None of the victims were related to each other. Even knew each other. Whumpee had suspected they were dealing with a serial killer, but the team hadn’t wanted to hear it. There had to be a connection. Whumpee wasn’t so sure. 

And now they were going to be the connection. Their breath quickened as they started to panic again. They beat against the box with their feet. Pounded with their fist. Screamed in rage. This was not how they wanted to die. They wanted to live!

You are, my child. Think about it. They bury the victims with a scuba mask on. Your face is free. 

“Yeah, maybe because they want me to drown faster.”

Nonsense. If they are what you say they are, they will not deviate. You have time, my child. You’ll be able to talk your way out of this. 

Before Whumpee could reply, there was a creaking sound from above them. They flinched back as the lid of the coffin was pried off by a crowbar. 

“You shout quite a bit, don’t you,” a heavily accented voice came as Whumpee was blinded by the sudden brightness. 

Once their eyes adjusted, Whumpee could see the person who grabbed them. They was short, stocky, with sandy brown hair and green eyes. They smirked down at Whumpee as they leaned on a shovel. 

“Only way I knew how to get your attention.” 

“Oh, you’ve had my attention for a while, Whumpee.” Whumper squatted down so they could lean over Whumpee. Far enough away that Whumpee couldn’t head butt them. But close enough that Whumpee could see their freckles. 

“Should I be flattered?” Whumpee licked their suddenly dry lips. 

Do whatever you need to get out of here, my child. They’re seriously unhinged. And that’s coming from a man who killed many people! 

“Definitely,” Whumper chuckled. “But you aren’t my usual type, Whumpee. Even though you are a pretty, wee thing. Still not my type.”

“People make exceptions for me,” Whumpee tried to sound less sarcastic, more inviting. They weren’t above flirting their way out of this. 

Whumper looked away. “Tide’s coming in.”

Whumpee felt bile creeping up the back of their throat. They had to do something now. “Please, you don’t have to do this.”

Whumper looked back at Whumpee, their eyes tight. “Aye, but I do, Whumpee. Can’t have you catching me, now.”

“I won’t tell anyone. Just let me go and I won’t come after you.”

“Pretty to think so, Whumpee. But I know who you are. I know what you do. The code you live by.”

I’ve seen their face. They were never going to let me live. They was just playing with me. “Then why open the box up at all? Why not let the tide just take me?”

Whumper grinned. “Had to let you see who finally beat you. The person who caught the Father’s Child.”

Father took a snarling breath. Whumpee spoke first to Whumper before addressing their father’s hallucination.. “And yet you call me Whumpee.”

“Well, had to be sure I was writing the right name on your tombstone.”

Before Whumpee could reply, Whumper was shoving something into their mouth and pulling something else over their head. “Best take slow, even breaths, Whumpee.” Whumper rose, pulling out a phone from their pocket. “You know, this Caretaker texts you quite a bit. And calls. A lot. They your significant other?”

Whumpee growled around the regulator. 

“Guess they’ll be the one we call then.”

No! Don’t call Caretaker. I don’t want them to be the one to hear this. See me. Whumpee raged around the regulator, but didn’t spit it out. They didn’t think Whumper would stick it in their mouth a second time.

Whumpee could hear the ringing of the video call. Heard Caretaker answer. Heard Caretaker gasp. “Caretaker, I presume,” Whumper said as they aimed the camera at Whumpee. 

“Let them go. You don’t have to do this,” Caretaker shouted. 

“Tide will be in in two hours. Come get your Whumpee. You make it, I won’t interfere. You don’t, well, I know what you’ll be busy with.”

Before Caretaker could reply, Whumper hung up the call and tossed the phone away. “Any last words, Whumpee?”

Whumpee glared at Whumper, putting as much venom into their gaze as they could. They did not want Caretaker to be the one to find them. They never wanted Caretaker to be the one to find them. 

Fuck you. 

“Duly-noted. I don’t suppose we’ll be seeing each other again in this life. Until the next, Whumpee.” And Whumper slid the lid back over. Whumpee heard them hammer the nails into the lid. 

Two hours is a long time, my child. Caretaker will track your phone and be here soon. 

That’s if I’m still in the city. 

You are, my child. They wouldn’t deviate. Caretaker will be here soon. Loathe as I am to let them save you. Better them than no one. 

Whumpee had a snarky reply ready to fire off when the first shovel of sand hitting the roof of the coffin silenced them. They were being buried alive.

[indigodreames]

six of crows / @manneatcr ❝i can take it.❞ (ALEXA)

"i didn't say you couldn't. just don't push yourself too much, alright?" lex knew firsthand just how much pushing your LIMITS could take a toll on you. which is why she'd was careful with the other, not wanting them to push themselves to the point that they BREAK. "it's fine if you need to rest, to take a break, we can come back to this anytime, you've been doing really well so far, how about we take a five?"

[potential-fate]

slowing down my queue to only 5 posts a day cause I've been busy aiight?

dunno yet if I'll still post Arkhelios updates in the queue and just have them be like two hours apart instead, or if I'll schedule them manually and have them be the same general times as before. anyways.

as per usual, most of my queue is reblogs, but if you wanna just see my posts I have a link from my page to only show my original posts or u can click here

[haootia]

also new blog @bjaodn everyone go reblog toast with eyes right now

[ironbloodcd]

@tenebriism​ has a wet boyfriend on his hands

     The rain had started out of nowhere - or at least, that might as well have been the case for Willow. Though a roll of thunder in the skies would have acted as a warning to most, the sound fell upon literally deaf ears in his case, and it was only when the downpour began that the dendro-wielder realized the situation he was in - and by then, it was far too late to avoid the rain. If there was one small blessing in all of this, it was that he’d been out gathering herbs for the next time Diluc needed his wounds looked after rather than painting.

     By the time he reached the winery, Willow was soaked, breathless and a little chilly, his hand fumbling for the door before he stumbled inside. The warmth of the manor was an immediate relief, though the artist still felt himself shivering as he hurried up the stairs to his and Diluc’s shared room. Though unable to hear the sound of his own sopping footsteps, Willow knew that he must have been tracking a wet trail throughout the house and made a mental note to apologize to the maids later - he hated giving them more work to do than they already had.

     For now, however, he needed to get out of his wet clothing, lest he end up catching sick as a result.

[stomach-bugg09]

im insanely in love with your older! Sister mini series!

Hmm I have a request, could you perhaps do one where you remember the scene where kiri unfortunately has a seizure underwater?

Instead of it being kiri could you switch it so instead we’re the one who has a severe seizure?? maybe a little different? Not too similar to how kiri’s whole situation went.

And the whole family especially our younger siblings go into a panic bc this has NEVER happened before.

It’s alright if you don’t want to do this one 🤍 was trying to come up with an idea so the mini series could stay alive for a bit longer! Lol

summary: [y/n] is normally the one taking care of her younger siblings—how are they supposed to care for their big sister while she’s hurting?

a/n: ahh !! thank you for this request. it’s been sitting in my drafts for a while because i was writing other requests , but i’m finally here !! i kind of changed the plot because kiri has a reason for her seizures ( “epilepsy” as norm might say , or as educated people might say , she’s connected to eywa ) so i decided to go with more of a connection to ancestors sort of route so that way they’re still super worried and she’s super in danger , but at least it’s something unique to her character !! hopefully you all enjoy. feedback + reblogs are always appreciated !!

tags: @rafeslovergirl @wxnderingthoughts @liyahsocorro @bonnibuckets @hjkshshjkhklhkl @itssiaaax @grierpilots @fleurbeass @eywas-heir @historygeekqueen @missroro @23victoria

warnings: mentions of immense pain , passing out , almost drowning , death , a very familiar death scene of a beloved na’vi from the first movie

not invincible

it should have been a normal day. it truly should have! but, alas, the sully family would forever keep it from being anywhere near “normal.” especially in their new home.

the group of siblings had been overwhelmed with honor when tsireya offered to show them the metkayina spirit tree settled beneath the waters of the cove of the ancestors.

as soon as [y/n] broke through the surface, immersing herself in a completely different world than she ever grew up around, she could feel the change in atmosphere. there was something different, something deeper that exuded itself through the cove. at the feeling, she could not fight the natural smile. it reminded her of her home, of the omaticaya tree of voices. oh, how she missed it.

the underwater bioluminescence highlighted features upon each of her companions, the beautiful splatter of glowing freckles littering each of their cheeks. [y/n] sent a cheeky grin towards her youngest sister, excitement omitting from every one of her movements.

the further they swam, the more in awe that [y/n] seemed to be. it was absolutely gorgeous. the scenery was jaw-dropping,

“come,” tsireya signaled, gently grabbing her own queue as they neared the tree. the four sully siblings that joined her on the journey to the spirit tree, neteyam, kiri, tuk, and [y/n], all followed suit.

the closer [y/n] swam to the tree, the louder her heartbeat got. she couldn’t help but stare in complete awe, the purple light omitting onto her face. she smiled, grabbing her hair, and she connected it to the underwater tree.

immediately, warmth flooded through her body. her smile broadened, and her fingertips tingled. at the comforting sensation, she felt herself slip from reality, allowing her eyes to close as she shifted into another world.

when she opened her eyes again, [y/n] was met with a familiar sight of home. she let out a laugh of joy, spin around as she took in the sight. she’d missed the forest, but as the eldest child, as the role model, she felt as if that longing feeling of being homesick had been pushed down. it was a common role that [y/n] had to take as the eldest. push down her feelings and prioritize that of her baby siblings.

[y/n] took a step forward, feet sinking into the wet mud. she paused, wiggling her toes, a moment of nostalgia playing back. once she looked back up, she felt smaller as she was met with the comforting eyes of her father.

he looked younger, much less stressed than how he did now. he looked happy.

“daddy!” she cried, stubby arms reaching out to him.

jake laughed, immediately swooping down to grab his daughter. “i’m gonna get you!” he taunted, voice teasing and soft.

[y/n]’s small voice shrieked with joy, turning and attempting to run. unfortunately, her father was far too quick, his large hands grabbing her by the waist.

she cried out, laughter flooding her voice as he lifted her into the sky. [y/n]’s eyes squeezed shut as he soared her through the air. and then, everything changed.

the wind picked up, and she felt lighter. the air was thin from where she flew. at the change in her senses, she instantly opened her eyes wide, her stomach crawling into her throat as she took in the sight.

she flew through the skies atop an unfamiliar ikran. the ground was very far beneath her, it was merely just her and the atmosphere.

the one thing that did accompany her, however, was the sight of sky-people technology, specifically that of the rda. it was large and dangerous. ammo was stacked within the ship that flew in front of her. she ship that she was flying towards.

[y/n] screamed at the creature to stop, but it was as if she couldn’t open her mouth. she had no free will, in fact. no, she was merely watching the scene unfold from eyes that weren’t her own.

she gasped as she jumped forward and off of the ikran, bow pointed at a soldier standing aboard the ship. a fierce battle cry left her throat raw, tears pricking her eyes from the wind that pierced them.

her feet thudded against the metal ground, grabbing men and throwing them one by one. she was actually doing quite well!

she smacked a few with her bow, multiple ending up thrown overboard. but, just when she was getting to the last of them, one of the humans released a round of bullets. each one embedded themselves into her chest.

[y/n] screamed at the feeling, warm pain spreading from her chest outwards. she could feel it in each of her limbs, a feeling of a throbbing numbness.

before she knew it, she was free falling, the wind roaring in her ears. and then, it all flashed to complete black.

[y/n] awoke from the spirit tree, and she couldn’t breath. her chest hurt, it was so tight. she could not feel her arms and legs, they were numb.

immediately, she detached her queue, stumbling backwards as best as she could underwater. cries left her throat, but all that came out was bubbles upon bubbles.

every second that went by, her vision began to darken. she could not see, could not hear, could not think. everything hurt. so bad.

neteyam was the first to notice. it was almost as if, through his urge to protect, he instantly felt that something was off in the universe, and as a result, he left the spirit tree earlier than anyone else.

at the sight of his big sister floating helplessly, screaming as loud as she possibly could, his heart burst. what happened? he was quick to act, bringing everybody else back to reality as he swam over to [y/n].

when the eldest sully felt her brother’s hands grab her’s, she felt a little bit more at peace, although not by much. all of her senses were out of whack, simply put, and she was in so much pain.

she barely even noticed as neteyam swam her upwards to the surface, and, thanks to her lack of oxygen from screaming, she kept fading in and out of consciousness.

once they broke the surface, the first thing to leave her throat was a scream. “it hurts so bad!” a sob took over her voice, each word shakier than the one before.

“sh,” neteyam attempted to calm her down as he brought her over to his ilu, getting her to lay on top of the creature rather than float in the water.

beside them, tuk bobbed up and down with tsireya, kiri, and rotxo. “[y/n]!” she cried, repeating herself a multitude of times. kiri clasped a gentle hand on her shoulder to quiet her down.

“what happened?” kiri panicked aloud. “what is happening, sister?”

the only answer she got was another choked cry. “it hurts. oh, it hurts so bad.”

“go!” tsireya called their attention. “you must get her back to the village.” neteyam nodded, boarding the ilu as he wrapped his arms safely around his sister.

“let’s go.”

neteyam and his ilu shot into the distance, kiri, tuk, rotxo, and tsireya not far behind. kiri held the youngest sully between her arms, attempting to comfort her, but it was extremely difficult considering kiri herself was worried.

the only reason neteyam was composed was because he had to assume authority, as weird as it was considering [y/n] was always the one to fill that role. as soon as he swam into the docks screaming for his parents, his heart began to rise to his throat.

when he watched his big sister get carried away in the arms of their father, pain panged deep within his chest, worry overtaking all of his emotions.

not one of the sully siblings sleep all night, especially lo’ak upon returning and learning that he was not there to help.

upon waking up a few days later, after a multitude of different attempts from norm and maxwell to ronal and eywa, she is immediately attacked by love and care from every member of her family.

when [y/n] first wakes up, she cannot help but cry. although she is no longer in pain, she can’t get the image out of her head. the way that na’vi died, no matter who he was. it was sad, it was gruesome, it was unfair.

the one thing to bring [y/n] back to reality was the small body of tuk who laid herself on top of her, the youngest sully’s arms wrapping themselves around her big sister.

“[y/n]!’ she cried, her small hands laying against [y/n]’s. “i am so glad you’re okay.”

once tuk noticed her new sense of consciousness, it did not take long for the rest of the family to pay their honorary visits, each of them having their own sense of emotion to them.

neteyam’s was more relieved than [y/n] could have imagined. he was so worried, so concerned for his big sister. he told her about his prayer to eywa, he told her about how scared she’d made him. she couldn’t help but smile, another round of tears pricking her eyes ( this time more bittersweet than sad ).

kiri was quite teasing the way that she threatened, “if you ever do that again, i’m going to kill you!” she told her of the way they’d all been so worried for [y/n], the way they’d all forgotten that their oldest sister actually had feelings and could get hurt. “we’ve just been so used to you taking care of us!”

lo’ak told jokes. he updated her on the ways of life in the past few days, told her of the reef. a part of lo’ak wanted to avoid speaking of her event because of how difficult it was to visit what could’ve happened, so he avoided it with his humor. as he always seemed to do.

tuk didn’t leave her side once. she made bracelets for her healing sister, she ranted about the reef, she made dinner with her. there was so much to do, so much to talk about! after a few days of [y/n] being asleep and healing, tuk had a lot of quality time to catch up on.

neytiri and jake, of course, were just so happy she was okay. it took a while for them to get rid of her siblings, wanting them to get their own time together before they had to remind her of whatever’d happened. but, they needed to understand.

once neytiri asked her, tears immediately pricked her eyes. as [y/n] retold the events, she had to pause multiplied times to keep herself from choking on her tears.

by the end of it, jake and neytiri exchanged glances. the story was far too familiar. but, they also decided that was a problem for another time. they just had to thank eywa for keeping her alive.

overall, the sully family learned a valuable lesson. just because [y/n] seems invincible does not mean that she actually is.

[frogcroaks]

Hello! I’m someone who’s planning to begin taking commissions in the future, and seeing as you have experience I’d like to ask; is there anything you feel new commissioners should know as they get started? Essentials with sheets/process that are easily missable, or just things you’ve learned in your time?

Sorry for the late reply! I think I could talk about the commission process in length and each step there, but I'll just share a few tips for now. For sheets first:

Function over form: Your commission sheet is not an art piece, it's an advertisement, and while pretty graphics can entice people it's important to not let your own art be cut off or drowned by it. This is especially true if you want to showcase fullbodies, character design and larger work, where the entire piece is important.

If you can draw it, show it: Avoid having your examples all be the same subject if you're saying you can draw multiple things. I draw humans, furries/anthros and animals, so I tried to put one of each in my sheet. This also applies if you only draw a specific subject: Human artist? Show different races and body types and clothing. Furry? Show different species and body types (again) etc.

If you draw multiple things also, you may have less opportunity to expand on each area. If you think that's lacking, having an extra examples page will not hurt!

Organize yourself: I know this sounds obvious but please organize your commissions!! Especially if you're taking them on social media DMs (and if they're spread across multiple platforms). I personally recommend a trello, but it doesn't really matter as long as it works.

Things I recommend writing down: The @ or name of the commissioner, where you're contacting (email, twitter, discord, etc.), the request and details of the comm & refsheets.

This will make it so easy to put down updates, the length of your queue, who to do next and grabbing your refs in one place!!

Terms of service: Have one, they're more for you than for your commissioner, as many never read an artist's TOS LOL.

You can check mine out, and you have my permission to just steal it for yourself. I detailed payment, refunds, process & edits and the rights & permissions. It doesn't have to be long, and it's better for it to not be long! But even if you think you don't care about your art to have them, you might find some use anyway.

I'm ending it here because this is getting long, but if you want anything more lmk! I could talk hours abt the commission process LMAO

[fluffypotatey]

Trivia Tuesday!

so! there’s this neat little thing where for everyday you post about your writing process/progress and imma use it as my excuse to ramble :D

anyway, who would like some behind the scenes look into my beloved Merlin fic: Letters from the Blood Wraith 👀……..you do? oh wonderful!

now, did you know that i originally intended for Arthur to be aware of Merlin’s magic since chapter one? like, there was a whole fucking scenario where Arthur confronts Merlin about it (because, mind you, Camelot’s newest magic prisoner was talking about how the dragon ain’t dead and had a thing for staring at Merlin when Balinor was mentioned, so…..)

this was basically my way of trying to insert how Arthur is a more observant and critical thinker than he is made out to be. like, yeah, sure he has a his faults and sometimes it makes sense in character but also sometimes it just doesn’t make sense even in the show (see, Arthur’s whole character being reverted in almost every season 🤧)

but as fun as it is to joke about Arthur’s obliviousness and how he can’t ever see Merlin practice magic even if he is starting straight into his eyes (see 5x01) Arthur is an observant person.

of course, this scene and development did not happen in the fic (as you are aware) mostly because i wasn’t happy with the way it turned out. not to mention the fact that it would speed up certain plot points i had not planned for.

also, i just like the concept of Arthur slowly piecing together Merlin’s magical secret throughout season 3 rather than it being immediate. I want him to slowly come to terms with it, give him the grace to truly process what he had to speedrun in DotD, ya know?

so yeah there’s your trivia

[fanby-fckry]

📝❣️❣️

Send me 📝 in an ask to get a random WIP snippet.

!!! I low-key did not realize this was so soon in the queue, and was pleasantly surprised to find this in my inbox! Thank you, Prince!

No content warning for this one – it’s just some banter between Al and Luci. And Luci getting distracted and going on a tangent about some biblical shit, lol.

“You have hooves!” Lucifer blurted out. “I have hooves, sometimes!”

Alastor’s smile thinned and his eyes narrowed, an expression Lucifer had mentally dubbed ‘frown-adjacent.’

“You’re a shapeshifter, Lucifer,” he said, thoroughly unimpressed. There was barely any filter in his voice. “You can have any form, any feature, any time you please.”

Lucifer sucked in a breath. “Ok, yeah, fair,” he admitted. “But I actually have hooves most of the time.”

Lucifer slid out of his own shoes, revealing the cloven hooves he tended to favor. “Tada!”

Alastor hummed and wiped the sleep from his eyes. “Well, they say imitation is the highest form of flattery, but I’m not sure why you’d choose to adopt hooves over antlers.”

“Rude!” Lucifer crossed his arms and kicked his newly freed hooves. “First of all, they’re not deer hooves, they’re goat’s. Second, I already told you I have them ‘most of the time.’”

“As in, they’ve been my go-to for the better part of my existence.” Lucifer uncrossed his arms in favor of talking with his hands. “Before I met you, before you were even born, before Dad threw a hissy fit and drowned ninety-nine percent of life on Earth.”

“That was a fucking nightmare, by the way. I didn’t get so much as a courtesy call, but He made sure some random human got the memo in time to build a fucking boat and load it up like a floating menagery.”

“Of course, neither Dad nor what’s-his-name” – was it petty for Lucifer, patron of knowledge, to pretend he didn’t know Noah’s name? Absolutely. But Lucifer was a petty bitch and would never claim otherwise – “factored in biodiversity, so some poor, non-Fallen saps were probably working overtime for generations fiddling with the DNA of every land-dwelling species, upto and including humanity…”

“What were we talking about?”

Alastor blinked with one eye at a time. “Hooves.”

[sherifftillman]

busy streets and busy lives • ralph penbury x reader

A strange day at work gets even stranger when you meet a man who claims he's from 1926. With no certainty as to when he can get back, you decide to take him in until that time arrives.

masterlist | prev. | next

Tags: Timewasters (series), modern!au, slow burn, mutual pining, idiots in love™, fluff, some angst, swearing and mentions of adult themes throughout, eventual adult content, alcohol content, penbury is a fanon surname

Word count: 9.2k

A/N: Thanks for being patient! I know this one took longer than the other two, but yeah. Back pain is no joke, and also, as you can see, this became somewhat of a monolith lol. This whole fic is my most favourite thing to write. I hope you enjoy this chapter! <3

Also, apologies for the horrific photoshop job I did trying to recreate a certain social media layout, lol.

The first few weeks of living with Ralph are certainly… An experience. You’re able to teach him how to cook basic freezer meals, how to use a hob and the importance of never taking your attention away from food when you’re preparing it. He’s got his favourite TV shows, especially now that you’ve trusted him with access to your streaming services, too - though you did have to make him a separate profile on your account when your current obsession had been drowned out in your Continue Watching queue by Ralph watching half an hour of whatever was showing up first, giving up and moving onto the next thing. He’s got a rapport as “that eccentric young man who lives in flat 912”, who befriends all the local outdoor cats and bows to everyone he makes eye contact with. Plus, with all the extra attention Ralph gives them while you’re not there, your plants have been thriving more than ever.

Another morning of waking up on the sofa. You reach blindly for the pain relief and water bottle you now keep close to you and chug them down before peeling yourself away. At least today is a day off. Except it isn’t really, as you’re reminded when you hear the shower going. You’re still a full-time Ralph-sitter. You decide to treat the pair of you to a full breakfast, something that your new housemate had considered “grotesque” as “grease is not a food group”, but you’d acclimated him to it eventually. As long as you cut him some bread soldiers to dip into the yolks of his eggs. That’s his favourite part.

You scroll through Spotify on your phone to see what playlist you’ll ask your Echo to play for you. It recommends, based on your recent listening (by which it obviously means the battle your algorithm faces trying to find common ground between your music taste and Ralph’s), an electro-swing playlist. Excited, you ask Alexa to play the playlist as it’s titled, and start bouncing along to it as you get everything out to start cooking.

Ralph emerges, hair still wet, with a smile on his face. “Good morning!” You understand and appreciate his efforts to try and blend in a little more aesthetically, but arguably the worst thing your friends have convinced Ralph is that he looks better with a bit of facial hair. Which, of course, is true, but that’s what makes it so terrible for you. “What is this?!”

You shrug, “Dunno, it said electro-swing and I figured that sounds like the perfect mix of both of us. You like it?”

Ralph nods, “I mean, it’s certainly not the classics, but I could definitely get used to this!” He starts moving his feet in very deliberate ways, and you smirk at him.

“Did you ever learn how to swing dance, by any chance?”

“Guilty!” he lilts, rolling his eyes up. No matter how much he may try to look like a 21st century man, he’s still unmistakably Ralph. “Yes, Mother got Victoria and I enrolled in a school to get us out of the house. Father wanted me to join some new-fangled group, the Scouts?” You’d think you’d be used to all the culture shocks by now, but hearing that Ralph could have been one of the first ever Scouts still knocks the wind out of you a little. Ralph, completely unaware, continues rambling, “Yes, but it was all… Swimming and climbing and… Outdoor survival,” he shudders. “So, Mother sent me away with Victoria to her dance classes.”

“Were you any good? Or did you enjoy it, at least?” you ask.

Ralph smiles as his head bobs with excitement, “I was rather exemplary, yes! Ms Lillian often paired Victoria and I together, knowing we could practise at home as well, though when we got to a… Certain age, Victoria decided she would rather have other male partners.” You can tell from the sadness in Ralph’s tone what he’s about to say next. “And, well, she was on such good terms with the other girls in the group that… Well, none of them wanted to be paired with little brother Ralph, so the teacher was my partner. ‘Little brother’, I ask you, only by twelve minutes!” he starts to mutter under his breath.

An urge swells within you to find Homeless Pete, insist he find a way to fix that time machine up as soon as possible, and travel back to that time just to shove every one of those rich little brats. Instead, you focus that energy on comforting Ralph, reaching your arms around his shoulders in a quick hug. “I’m sorry, mate. Though, I don’t suppose you remember those moves you learned?”

His eyes light up. “I certainly do! Did you want to learn how to? The teacher did say I was quite the natural, I could teach you if you wanted!”

You grin, “I’d love nothing more.”

You spend the best part of an hour learning how to do things like the Charleston Step, the bow tie and the one that Ralph calls one turns, two turns, which you can tell is his favourite based on the smile he gets when it’s his turn to get twirled around.

Eventually, you heave with exhaustion. “Well, that’s worked up the old appetite, though I dunno how I’m gonna cook when I can barely feel my legs!”

Ralph giggles, “Oh, please, that was nothing! Ms Lillian would have you in tatters.” You give him a death stare and he stops laughing immediately. “Would you like me to get us something from the baker’s? I could get you some of those doughed nuts that you enjoy.”

“For the last time, Ralph, doughnuts don’t actually contain nuts and you can have some yourself, too!” you groan as you start replacing everything you’d taken out of the fridge.

Ralph tuts, shaking his head. “I have no interest in your nuts, thank you.” That’s one to send to Scott and Connor later, you think to yourself as you open up your phone and add to the note “Ralph Quotes”. “Perhaps the nice old lady who calls me chap will be there,” he muses with a small smile, “I like her.”

“Hop to it, then, old sport,” you say in a mock-posh voice, earning you a glare from Ralph, which only makes you laugh as you make your own way to the shower.

When you’re out and dressed for the day - in the clothes Ralph had worn on his first night with you, but only because they’re your go-to comfort clothes anyway and you don’t exactly plan on leaving the flat - you go through your usual routine of checking the news app for the headlines, and then the trending topics on Twitter, just to see if there’s anything your friends will be talking about. 

You giggle at the fact that the name Ralph is trending, screenshotting it to send to the group chat later. Out of curiosity as to which Ralph the internet is obsessing over today, you tap it and scroll through. It’s mostly people in fandoms, making threads called ‘[series] as ralph tweets’. The “ralph tweets” in question seem to be of someone tweeting as though they think Twitter works in the same way as Google.

Your stomach drops as you realise some of them look a little too familiar. Almost as though you know a Ralph who’d be this far out of touch with the modern world. Almost as though you could track the very conversations that would lead to some of these to that particular Ralph.

You click through to the profile @RalphOnTwitter and scroll all the way down to see exactly when he must have gotten an account:

You send a single message in the group chat: GROUP MEETING, MY FLAT, ASAP. ALL MUST ATTEND.

Your friends all arrive relatively quickly after that. You simply herd them all onto the sofa one by one until the last of them has arrived, but just as you’re about to lay into them, the man of the hour arrives, having fumbled with the lock for a good minute with his arms full of baked goods.

“Ah, good morning, all! It’s a good job you’re all here, it was that young woman serving today and she always gives me extra food even though I don’t ask for it or pay for it, I don’t know why -”

“It’s ‘cause she fancies you, mate,” Connor grins, causing Ralph’s ears to turn a vibrant shade of red.

“Can we please discuss Ralph’s love life another time?!” you interrupt. “I need to know which of you is responsible for giving him access to a Twitter account.”

You know Anna’s in the clear, you’d been helping her in the kitchen, but the other three look at each other shiftily. “Well, it was sort of all of us? We just thought it might be fun to teach him,” Grace explains. “It’s not often you meet someone who’s never heard of social media.”

You pinch the bridge of your nose, squeezing your eyes shut. “Ralph,” you call out, eyes still closed, “what do you do when you need to know the answer to something?”

“I do what you taught me when you first gave me my phone,” Ralph answers, perplexed. “I tap the very last square, I type in my question and I wait for an answer. A lot of them are just people being rude, but eventually someone will be helpful.”

“Sounds about right,” you groan, rubbing your face.

“Wait, you mean, you still do that even after we put - you didn’t think to just move one to the -” Scott’s eyes widen. “Oh, god.”

“Why would it move?!” Ralph asks, taking a bite out of his favourite pastry and chewing anxiously.

Anna starts giggling as she scrolls through his account, “Aww, but it’s so funny! And it’s not hurting anyone, what’s the damage in it?”

The fact he’s not supposed to be alive and yet he’s suddenly very much perceived, maybe? The fact he could accidentally tweet something that would give him away? The fact he could tweet something vastly inappropriate at any moment?

“Yeah, you could really capitalise on him while he’s here,” Connor smirks. “Get him on Instagram, too, get those brand deals coming.”

“Yeah! Ralph On Twitter’s face reveal, make it a whole thing,” Grace grins.

You sigh. “I dunno. It feels like a really bad idea.” You look at Ralph, who looks blankly back at you. “But… Maybe we could make something of you. As long as I’m your PR manager, obviously, and you don’t go talking directly to anyone.”

“I don’t think I know how,” Ralph shakes his head, “I thought it was the searching thing that you’d told me about.”

“Good. Never learn,” you point at him, “and give me your phone.” Your friends all cheer as they crowd around you, watching you download Instagram onto his phone, as well. You give him the handle @ralphoninsta “to keep the brand alive,” you explain as you set up his profile.

“Now we need a good first photo,” Scott holds his fingers and thumbs up in a rectangle shape to frame Ralph in his own field of vision. “Let’s get him into some good lighting.”

Sitting him in the best-lit corner of the flat, Scott insists on playing photographer, telling Ralph to sit and smile. However, Ralph does not seem to do well in front of the camera. He sits bolt upright, every part of him looking stiff and uncomfortable, and his smile isn’t right. It’s far too forced, it shows all his teeth and yet somehow the smile itself stretches beyond them. “Maybe we should take him out and about, get some candid shots of him,” Anna suggests.

You groan, having just started on your second doughnut. “Fine! I’ll leave the house today, but I won’t be pleased about it!” You shake your half-eaten breakfast at your friends, who laugh. “And you guys better come eat these, too, Ralph wasn’t kidding about these freebies.” You hold out another doughnut and wave it in Ralph’s direction, “Sure I can’t tempt you with one?”

He leaps onto his feet and backs away from you, “How many times must I ask you to keep your doughed nuts out of my face, please!” As expected, Scott and Connor crease up in laughter.

“You’ll love ‘em when you try ‘em, Ralphie,” you grin, taking another bite of your own, but Ralph isn’t as amused by it all.

Once you’re all adequately full, you begrudgingly throw on a hoodie and go out with everyone else, trying to find the right lighting, the right backdrop. Even with everything, Ralph just doesn’t seem to pose very well. His posture becomes so much more awkward and his facial expressions just aren’t… Ralph.

When he starts to express his apathy for the whole thing, you think of one more thing that might help. Standing him in front of a brick wall, you position Scott and set his phone camera to video, earning you an, “Ahh, good shout.”

Scott starts recording as Ralph stands in place, looking over at all of you. “So, what is it I’m supposed to do, now? Do I have to pose again? How?”

You shrug, “I dunno, just… Be Ralph. Stand however you want. Look however you want. Just, keep it moving around, yeah?”

He may still look a little awkward but you’re able to get him to do plenty, at least. Getting him comfortable is easy enough, you start getting him talking about his new favourite TV programmes and he very vaguely - and mostly not entirely correctly - describes the plots of them, with all the excited sincerity of a lifelong fan. Grace also asks him about his favourite local cats he’s befriended whenever he’s been out and about, which he lists happily and extensively. 

When Scott feels as though he’s got some good angles, he stops recording and you all crowd around him to review the footage together. While you all have different opinions on which angles are best, you can all agree on one thing - Ralph certainly photographs far, far better candidly. You all eventually settle on pausing and screenshotting at two specific moments, though Ralph is still perplexed. “But I’m not posed for either of those pictures, doesn’t that make them bad? I mean, I’m not even looking in that second one!” He points to a shot where he’s looking down, itching his jaw.

“No, trust me, it’s fine, they’re great,” you insist, maybe a little too quickly. Nobody seems to have noticed, though. Thankfully.

“And in this one, the sun is in my eyes! I’m all squinty!” He frowns, swiping to the previous shot.

“That’s called a smoulder, babes, everyone loves a smoulder.” You watch in amusement as Ralph’s ears turn pink at Grace’s words. No matter how many times you’ve told him that Grace calls everyone by that name, it still gets Ralph all nervous to be referred to by it himself. “You’re a natural, when you’re not actually trying.”

“Is that a good thing?” Ralph asks, his eyes darting around the group to gauge everyone’s reactions.

Anna nods, “It shows promise, right, Scott? Scott’s big into his photography shit, he’s got a proper camera and everything, don’t you?”

Scott nods. “If you ever wanted to try and get more comfortable with it, we could definitely shoot together sometime.”

Ralph shuffles over to you to whisper in your ear, “What do guns have to do with -”

You interrupt him to quietly explain, “You shoot photos on a camera.”

“Ah. Thank you.” Addressing Scott, he smiles and claps, bouncing on the balls of his feet, “If I am still around, I should rather enjoy that!”

“Fuck, I forgot we’ve only got you on borrowed time,” Anna complains, before gasping and clapping her hands, addressing you. “This is your weekend off, right?!” You nod, and she squeals, holding her face in her hands. “So, we have to show Ralph what a good night out is, right?!”

Excited reactions from the entire group, except one, obviously, but the others seem too keen on planning tonight now to respond to any of his reactions. “So, do we just take him out, or out-out?” Connor asks.

You look over at Ralph’s face, trying not to laugh too loudly at him looking as though he’s been asked to solve quantum equations in his head. “You trying to figure out the difference there, mate?” you ask, and he nods. “Right, so going out usually means just to the local pub, pretty casual attire, you say you’re only going for a couple of beers but then it’s approaching midnight, the poor sod behind the bar is calling last orders and you’re five deep, trying to gather everyone for the walk home where you drop them all off one by one. Going out-out is dressing up, it’s going into the city itself, it’s going to bars and nightclubs and getting super overpriced cocktails until it’s 3am and you’re sat outside a McDonald’s waiting for a taxi home with whichever stragglers you’ve managed to hold onto by the end of the night.”

“Dressing up, you say?!” Ralph lights up at the idea, but you put a hand on his arm.

“Not in the suit and tie way, I’m afraid.” You frown, “I don’t actually know if we’ve got any out-out clothes for you at home, you know. I haven’t had a chance to get you to any shops where you can try nice clothes on yourself.”

With a collective gasp, Grace and Anna each loop an arm around each of Ralph’s, with Scott joining in their chorus of, “Shopping trip?!”

You groan, “Can I at least go back and get changed if you’re gonna keep making me leave the house?”

“I mean, you don’t have to come with us, if you want a break,” Anna suggests. “You trust us with Ralph, right?”

“So what, just the four of you will be going, then?” Connor asks, to the others’ groans. “Oh, come off it, what use would I be?!”

“Connor,” Anna starts. “How often are we ever likely to ask you for your opinion as a straight man again? You need to come with, for your people.”

Connor sighs in resignation, though he can’t fight his own smile. “Alright, fine, but you lot are buying all the coffees I’m gonna need to get through this.”

You slip Ralph your bank card, mutter to him that the others will teach him how to use it, and salute the others as they all make their way to the high street before turning on your heel and heading back to the sanctuary of an empty flat.

Straight away, it feels too empty. Too quiet. Sure, you’ve trusted Ralph to just pop across the road and back, but you’ve got way more alone time now. You ask your Echo to play your favourite playlist as you make a start on the chores you normally can’t do with Ralph around.

Though you expect that to take up until they return, you’re done before the hour is up. You let out a long exhale, tutting through it as you look around your little living space and wonder what on earth to do with yourself. You start watching the next episode of the show you’d been watching, but even that didn’t feel right without the constant interjections, feeling as though you have to explain who characters are, what plots have already happened and why certain scenes are especially important.

You text the group chat a few times, but only Connor ever responds, and as is on brand for him, it’s always a sarcastic comment about how Ralph is obviously going to show up in the most garish outfits known to man. You take comfort in Connor being the one to make those jokes, at least, as if anyone else were to, you might be more inclined to worry that Ralph’s own tastes might just be a little too eclectic for the South London nightlife. At least Connor will be there to talk him down into dressing somewhat appropriately.

You also ask Scott to send you the photos for Ralph’s Instagram profile, telling him you’re happy to edit them to pass the time before eventually getting them onto Ralph’s phone to upload them. He sends you the screenshots, along with the video itself. One little watch, you tell yourself. Then to editing.

An indeterminable amount of time later, you’re replaying a part where you’re constantly correcting Ralph on the actual plot of Gilmore Girls versus what he seems to have retained that it’s about, where you’ve reached the point of uncontrollable laughter and he’s laughing at your laughter. His smile is so pure when he’s genuinely happy, and yet it’s so rare to see it that way. Even without his manufactured pose, when he’s smiling amongst you and your friends it still feels stilted. You often wonder whether he misses the familiarity of home, whether you’re doing a good enough job at helping Ralph to fit in. But seeing that look on his face, it fills you with an overwhelming sense of relief. It’s the first time you’ve been able to really notice him looking comfortable. You take a screenshot of that moment, but not necessarily to add to Ralph’s profile. Maybe this one stays as a memento of Ralph’s time here, just for you.

When you get the text in the group chat letting you know that a) they’re finished, and b) everyone’s getting ready at Grace’s since her housemates are all out for the evening, you hurriedly edit those two photos Scott sent, empty your wardrobe of all your “out-out” clothes into a duffel bag, throw in whatever toiletries and cosmetics you can find and make your way over there.

Scott, Anna and Ralph are nowhere to be found, at first, but Grace assures you that they’re simply helping him “look the part”. You’re more worried about checking in with Ralph, seeing if he’s overwhelmed at all, and most importantly, making sure he hasn’t blown his cover.

Grace is more than happy to help you pick out your outfit for the night, while Connor’s input remains a constant and totally helpful series of grunts without even looking up from his phone. Grace helps you get your face and hair ready, too, though not without scolding Connor for not participating either way, despite his constant rebuttals that he is taking care of “the most important thing”. You quickly shoot him a text thanking him for helping to take Ralph off your hands for an afternoon, and reassuring him you’ll buy him a drink to show your appreciation. The absolute wordsmith that he is, Connor sends a thumbs-up emoji in response.

There’s a ring at the doorbell, which even Grace is puzzled at. That fills you with a sense of concern, too - if Grace isn’t expecting someone at her door, who could it be? Connor seems pretty confident at going to open it, though, and you see why when he eventually shows up with the pizzas that he clearly ordered. “You didn’t have to be so cryptic about it!” You shake your head at him as you make sure everyone has drinks made up as well.

Scott’s head pokes out of a door to ask, “Everything okay? Who was at the door?” You and Connor both point to the food and Scott grins, “Ah, nice! Right on time! Okay, folks, are you ready to meet The New Ralph?”

The three of you clap and cheer as Scott and Anna make a big show of revealing Ralph, and thankfully you weren’t holding any of the glasses you were making drinks in, or you’d have surely dropped them. Wearing a dark fitted polo, very well-fitting jeans and some crisp new Adidas trainers, Ralph stands between your friends, looking around at the three of you. When he catches your eye, he only makes very fleeting eye contact before looking your own outfit up and down and then hastily looking back at the others. He rubs at the tops of his ears - you can’t quite see from this distance, but you wonder if he’s blushing, and whether he’s doing it over everyone’s reaction, or just yours.

You set everyone’s drinks up around the living room, deliberately seating you and Ralph together. “I wasn’t sure what kind of fancy-schmancy drinks you’re used to, and none of us exactly have champagne on tap, but I thought you might like a martini?” You say to him as he takes his seat on the sofa next to you.

Ralph’s eyes light up. “I do rather enjoy a martini!”

“That’s my guy!” Connor cheers from his corner, raising a slice of pizza in a toast of sorts. Ralph tentatively takes a slice and does the same, but you hurriedly follow it up by grabbing a plate and holding it beneath Ralph’s slice for him.

“Don’t want to ruin your nice outfit before you’ve even been seen out in it, do you?” You fuss, and Ralph nods, taking the plate from you and holding it directly under his chin as he eats, which makes you laugh. He could literally look like anyone in the world, but little mannerisms like that will always tell you that that’s your Ralph.

When he’s had enough to eat, you take the plate from him to take it out to the kitchen, though Grace is quick to whip it out of your hands, too. That’s when you notice the plate seems to have moved something underneath the collar of Ralph’s shirt. You move it aside slightly and, with all the might of keeping any kind of flustering behaviour at bay, you ask, “Is that a neck chain you’re wearing?” Is this what manifesting is?

“Yes! Do you like it?” Ralph scoops it out into view with his finger. “Just a plain one, but Anna said it really brought the whole outfit together, didn’t you?” He asks her excitedly, and she nods back.

“She’s got a good eye, that one,” you grin. “You look so good, Ralph.”

“As do you,” he mutters, gesturing quickly to your outfit. “I see what you mean about dressing to the nines, now. It’s nice to see this side of you, too. All of you, really,” he stammers, looking around.

“Right, last minute hair and make-up touches and then I want photos of all of us!” Grace announces.

Ralph’s face falls as he asks you quietly, “Would you like to teach me how to take them, since I’m not good at being in them?”

“Don’t be silly,” you nudge him. “We’ll get some good ones of you tonight, trust me. And if you wanna see a bad photo, wait until you see the atrocities this lot take by the end of the night.”

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. We’ll prepare a slideshow of your finest moments for him, shall we?” Scott retorts, to both yours and Ralph’s laughter.

“Maybe we should save that for a special occasion. A birthday, perhaps?” Ralph asks with amusement.

“Yes, Ralph!” Connor and Scott cheer in unison, both slapping his shoulders excitedly as you gasp in mock offence.

“The betrayal!” You can’t actually be mad at Ralph, though, not with how good he looks when he’s this happy. It’s even more captivating in person.

You shake your head as you go to make sure you’re all freshened up after your meal. You can’t keep thinking these things when you’re sober, or else who knows how that’ll manifest when you’re less so.

Your friends all love learning how to get Ralph distracted enough that he doesn’t even realise half the time that his photo is being taken. Scott, being the photography setup genius that he is, even gets his phone out, sets it on a timer, and manages to get Ralph laughing while looking at the camera, in the middle of the group, all while successfully running into the shot himself. Everyone’s in love with that photo, even Ralph, and when Scott sends it in the group chat, you promise him you’ll print one for the flat, and an extra one just for his room. 

“What about the other ones that everyone else took?” Ralph asks. “Could I get those ones on my phone, too?”

“I’ll do that tomorrow. Ooh, speaking of! Before we go! Gimme, gimme,” you make a grabby hand at Ralph, who eventually takes the hint that you want his phone as he hands it to you. You send over the two edited shots - and that’s all - and, on his phone, successfully upload them:

“No caption?” Anna asks, looking over your shoulder.

“Well, it’d look a bit dodge if he’s tweeting to ask his phone to stop changing his words for him, but then he’s a total whiz at Instagram, wouldn’t it?” You explain, to everyone’s agreement.

Finally, you’re all piled into an Uber and on your way to your favourite bar. It’s in the car, cramped between you and the door, that Ralph realises something in a panic. Frantically tapping your arm, he whispers, “Won’t they ask me to prove I’m of age to drink there?”

You shake your head. “Don’t sweat it. The staff know us like the backs of their hands, they’ll trust us that we’re not bringing in some teenager. Besides, you look far less baby-faced now,” you wrestle your arm out enough to ruffle the beard he’s starting to grow with your fingertips. “So we’ll be fine. Promise.”

Ralph, too, wrangles a hand out to hold his little finger towards you. “Promise?”

With a small laugh, you link your own with his. “Yes, but less of that around the people we have to convince that you’re not a kid, okay?” Ralph nods with a very serious expression, and you copy him before settling back into conversation with your friends.

It takes a few bats of the group’s eyelids and some convincing c’mon, mates but the bouncer soon lets Ralph in with you all, to which he enthusiastically thanks them over and over again. You hurriedly rush him in ahead of you before he arouses too much suspicion.

Connor makes a point of letting Ralph know where the toilets are, and Ralph immediately disappears off into that direction. You ask the boys if one of them should make sure he’s okay getting there, but everyone scolds you for fussing over him too much and moves you along with the rest of them to order everyone’s drinks. You want to hold onto Ralph’s for him but, as Scott reminds you, it’s safer for him to, so that you can look after your own. Just in case.

Soon enough, as with every night out, the group starts to scatter. Scott is happily chatting between Connor and a girl you don’t recognise, most likely playing wingman. You can spot Anna and Grace in amidst a small group of people whose heads are turned away from you. Still no sign of Ralph for a while. Ringing his phone does nothing, but the music is quite loud, he might not be able to hear. The bar is small enough, you tell yourself. He’ll find you eventually.

As you’re craning your head around the bar one more time, you don’t realise anyone is in your immediate vicinity until you almost trip over someone behind you. They catch you with a, “Whoa, easy there! How many have you had?!”

“Barely any, that’s the scary thing!” You laugh.

The man smiles at you. “Sounds like I ought to buy you one then, eh?”

You shrug, “Sure, what’s a free drink?” You gesture that you’ll walk up to the bar with him and order your drink. He tries to make small conversation, and you start to get into it a little, until he starts trying to flirt. He’s not exactly your type, anyway, and his total lack of game really doesn’t help matters. You try and get away with a simple thank you, a promise that you’ll find him later to buy him one back but you really must get back to your friends.

“Ah, what’s the rush? Surely it’s easier for them to come and find you if we stay here, right?” He asks. You look around desperately, trying with all your might to use some of that manifesting power you seemed to have earlier to will one of the boys back, both to rescue you and salvage Ralph.

~~~

Ralph was having quite the experience. Having heard the other boys talk of the bathroom, he assumed that was a prompt for everyone to go, but only once he could see the door to it did Ralph turn around and realise he was completely on his own. Suddenly, the atmosphere changes. What seemed dimly lit now appears almost pitch black. There are lights of all colours shining everywhere. Music that doesn’t quite sound like music thumps in the background. Twenty conversations happening around him turn into white noise, until someone approaches him. A total stranger. Two of them, actually.

 “Alright, mate? Do me a favour?” One asks, despite Ralph’s expression clearly being one that should let anyone know that he is in no position to be giving out any favours. They continue anyway, “Look, I have to draw something, and you have to guess what it is, okay?” Ralph, still bewildered, does not respond in the slightest, but before he knows it, the other person has turned around so that their back can be used as a surface. The original asker now splays a napkin of sorts against their friend’s back as they try and draw something.

Ralph tries his absolute hardest, but as no amount of squinting and focusing can help him, he tells them, “Oh bother, I’m terribly sorry, chaps, I’m honestly trying but I’m really coming up trumps, I do apologise.”

They give him looks of confusion and concern. “Are you on something?”

“Why does everybody assume that of me, just because I’m ever so slightly more well spoken than the average resident here?!” Ralph complains with a frown. “Can this not just be how I talk?”

“Oh my days, you’re a right laugh,” the other grins. “Here, come and do a shot with us, you have to!”

“I- Do I?” Ralph asks, and they nod. “Well, I really should get back to my friends -”

“Oh, c’mon, one shot and we’ll help you find them. Deal?” They ask.

“Well… Alright,” Ralph sighs in defeat. If he can’t find you, he can at least find a constant to anchor onto in the meantime.

“Oi, lads!” The two call out as they approach the table they’re leading Ralph to. “Time out on that game for a minute, we’re doing shots with this legend!” They both look at Ralph expectantly, waiting for him to introduce himself.

“Oh! Yes! Hello, everyone. My name is Ralph. Fabulous to meet you all,” he smiles as he looks around the table.

“Isn’t he sick?!” The artist of the pair grins at his friends.

“Quite the picture of health, actually,” Ralph retorts with a side glance.

“Oh, isn’t he a cutie,” a girl coos from the table. The other of the pair starts to clench his jaw.

“Oi, come off it,” another comforts from around the table. “Any bloke that uses the word fabulous isn’t exactly stealing your girlfriend, is he.”

Ralph’s not even sure how to answer to that, but he isn’t given much time to, either, before being whisked away to the bar with this new group. They hand him a tiny glass filled with clear liquid. Ralph wonders if a shot is perhaps some sort of palate cleanser, a mouthful of water between drinks.

The fiery sensation that travels down his throat as he drinks teaches him that it certainly is not. But once the unpleasantness clears, the strange comfort of alcohol starts to fill Ralph with warmth. It’s certainly happening a lot faster than he’s used to, but then these drinks are far stronger than Ralph’s usual tastes.

Briefly forgetting his own arrangement, he returns from the bar with his new acquaintances - and another martini in hand - and sits back at the table with them as they continue playing their game. It’s played on one of their phones. Someone taps through prompts and reads them aloud. Sometimes it’s challenging a player to do something themselves, sometimes it’s challenging them to approach a stranger, as they had done with Ralph. Sometimes it’s asking them completely arbitrary questions to vote upon amongst the group. They all certainly seem to be having a great time playing, anyway.

Once they declare a round over, they ask Ralph if he wants to join in the next one. “Oh, I’m rather… Old-fashioned, I don’t think I’d be a good fit for this, but I’m sure my friends would love it! Shall I go and find them?”

“More the merrier,” one shrugs.

Ralph excitedly jumps up and starts patrolling the bar to find a familiar face amongst the crowd. He’s yet to see any at all, until one makes his heart drop. He sees you, in the arms of another man. Ralph had really been priding himself on repressing his feelings around you. He wasn’t going to repeat what happened with Lauren. He wasn’t going to scare you off too soon. He was going to keep it to himself. He had tried so hard. And yet, this sight is truly unbearable.

Biting at his quivering lower lip, he storms back into the direction of the bathrooms and keeps going, shoving the first door he finds open as he tries not to cry.

His sorrow is quickly replaced with horror as he finds several women all standing in various places around the room. Some just standing and chatting, some calling to friends in the stalls, some checking themselves in the mirror. After the scene finally sets in for Ralph, he lets out an ultimately high-pitched shriek, swivels around and immediately starts scolding himself. “Oh, bother and blast! Please, forgive me, girls, oh, what an absolute cad I am, I’ve truly disgraced myself, just when it couldn’t get any worse!” His voice gets shakier with every word, and he flinches when a hand appears on his shoulder.

“Sorry!” One of the girls apologises hurriedly. “I just wanted to let you know it’s okay. Are you alright?”

“Please do not ask me if I have taken any sort of drug just because I am well-spoken!” Ralph half-cries, and the hand squeezes him comfortingly.

“We won’t, promise. Did you need a wee, or just a wind down?”

“I’m not sure, I just… Ran. I’m terribly sorry,” Ralph sighs.

“It’s fine,” the voice reassures. “Wanna turn around and talk to us? I promise, there’s no better therapy than a night in the girls’ loos. Right?” A chorus of agreement fills the room.

Ralph slowly turns around to see an awful lot of smiling faces. He sniffs harshly and nods, “Good evening.”

“Hi!” The one who had approached him smiles. “I’m Lauren!” 

Of all the names! “L-Lauren?” Ralph practically squeaks out as he feels himself start to well up, and her own face falls in some kind of realisation as she shakes her head. 

“Or Loz! Just call me Loz! All my friends do! Forget the other name entirely. Sound good?”

Ralph nods. “I’m Ralph. A pleasure to meet you, despite it being under my most horrific actions.”

The other girls introduce themselves, as well. “So, Ralph, this, uh… Girl With The Forbidden Name, is she why you’re all upset?”

“Is she?” One pipes up from the very back. “Because you point her out and I’ll sort her out, no holds barred.”

“See, this is what I tell you, you get like two vodka red bulls down you and you’re ready to throw hands at any inconvenience,” her friend groans next to her. Ralph very quickly taps the square with the bird on it and types a message out to ask the internet “why do people throw hands at each other”, quickly followed by “what sort of hands do people throw”. He decides he’ll check people’s answers later, so as not to appear rude.

“Look at him, though!” The more hot-headed one gestures to Ralph as he wipes away the tears that had been threatening to fall. “Look at those eyes! Like melted chocolate, they are. What kinda sadist would possibly make that happen?!”

“Oh, it’s nothing, it’s all futile,” Ralph shakes his head, but his new friend Loz points at him.

“Oi. Nothing’s futile here. This is a safe space. Let it out.”

Ralph starts to explain that he had fallen for a Lauren, dove in headfirst, had his heart broken and vowed not to let it happen again, but that seeing the housemate he cared so deeply for in the arms of another just brought all of that sadness back up again. The girls are all very sympathetic, and very good at knowing exactly what to say to make Ralph feel better. The rather boisterous one keeps trying to speak negatively of you, but Ralph won’t have any of that. You’re your own person, and it’s up to Ralph to get over his own feelings. The girls commend him on his emotional maturity. Apparently not a lot of men have that.

They ask if he wants to talk it through with you, but he shakes his head, telling them that he isn’t certain how long it is before he can go home again, and so he doesn’t want to commit to anything or risk either staying with you with such an emotionally charged elephant in the room at all times, or being turfed out indefinitely.

"That's quite the predicament you've got yourself in, Ralphie, babes," Loz hugs him arm, and he allows himself the comfort of leaning against her.

Suddenly, a stall door swings open violently, and a whole new girl appears, holding her phone up to her face. Before anyone else can ask if she's okay, she gasps loudly, "I bloody knew it!"

Everyone looks at her quizzically, including Ralph, and she continues. "Well, I thought, guy called Ralph who sounds really old-fashioned, I wonder if… And then some of the things he's said kind of sounded like those tweets, have any of you seen that Ralph On Twitter guy?"

A few more gasps of realisation dot about the room. Ralph's ears turn pink as he recognises the word Twitter from the conversation you’d had with the other four this morning. Loz frowns, "Are you sure it's -"

"Is this your insta?" She turns her phone around to show Ralph her screen. It says Instagram on the top, so Ralph takes out his phone and presses the square that also says that, showing it around to see if that's right. Excitedly, all the girls crowd around to make sure they get Ralph's handle right so they can follow him.

One girl - Ralph's already lost track of them, honestly - announces, "So what I'm hearing is, girls' room photoshoot with Ralph from Twitter?!"

Ralph laughs nervously, "Oh goodness, I'm flattered, but those are all taken candidly, would you believe! I am certainly no poser, I have been told this enough times today already."

"Bollocks to that!" The loud one shouts. "We'll teach you how, won't we, girls?"

Before Ralph knows it, he's squatting amongst all his new friends who are trying to teach him how to do the smoulder look he was doing in his photo on purpose when the main door opens to reveal you standing there, looking absolutely bewildered. "Oh my god, Ralph! You're okay! Thank fuck for that!"

As you frantically update the group chat that you’ve found Ralph safe and well, Loz reaches for his hand to squeeze it. The loud girl starts to tense up behind him but Loz waves her down from behind his back. “Yeah, he’s just been having some drunk girl therapy,” she explains calmly.

“God, I could do with some of that right now,” you groan. “Honestly, you trip and fall onto a guy one time and he thinks you’re soulmates, it’s horrendous!”

Ralph’s face lights up all of a sudden. “You’d… You’d fallen on him?” Concern falls back onto his expression. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, physically, I’m fine, but I don’t know how I’m going to mentally recover from listening to one man talk about himself so much,” you groan into your hands as you hold your face. “I forgot why I stopped dating in London.” You notice that one of the girls puts her arm down after having held her phone up at a particular angle. “Oh my god, wait, you guys were taking photos together?” A few of them nod. “Would you like me to take them for you? Rather than one of you trying to fit everyone in at arm’s length.”

“Oh my god, would you?” one of them sighs with relief.

You nod, gesturing to Ralph to hand you his phone again.

Maybe it’s the alcohol, maybe it’s the presence of so many other people in the photo with him, but Ralph blends in so much more naturally in the photos you take now, even when you suggest different poses and expressions. One of them - Ralph quickly introduces her as Loz, and no other name - asks around for phone numbers of the girls that, you assume, had all just met and bonded over whatever Ralph was in here for. You take over the role of adding everyone’s numbers into Ralph’s phone, and see that Loz adds him to a group chat that she names “Ralphie’s Angels”. You laugh at the name, and send all the photos you’ve taken into the group chat.

“Right, I can feel myself sobering up now, and we can’t have that,” one of them calls out, making the rest of you laugh. “Shall we all go and face the music?”

You pull a face, “Ugh, that means I have to go back and face… Him.”

“Nah, you stick with us, hun,” the one who seemed hostile with you at first suddenly seems to be fighting your corner now. “He even looks in your direction when I’m around, I’ll make him wish he didn’t.” You give her a comforted smile in response and the whole horde starts making its way out of the bathroom.

Your friends also catch up with you at the bar, grateful to see Ralph’s face again, too. Grace is hanging off some new guy’s arm, Anna is half-present in the whole conversation but also half-texting somebody, and Scott is catching up with Ralph. You spot that Connor isn’t talking to anyone and head over to him, “What are you drinking?” you ask loudly over all the music. “I still owe you, remember!”

Connor shakes his head, “Nah, don’t sweat it. Ralph’s a good’un, it was no bother.” Speak of the devil, Ralph excitedly hands you and Connor drinks that one of his new friends insists on buying for everyone, then grabs his own glass from Scott who’s followed him to clink against yours and Connor’s before hurriedly rejoining his group. You and your friends laugh in unison before Connor downs his martini, gives you a quick hug and heads home for the night. Grace and her new friend are the next to leave - you never did catch his name, and you’re not sure you’ll have a reason to remember it anyway.

You dismiss Anna and Scott, telling them that Ralph will probably be a while yet, and that they don’t have to wait up for him just because you do. At first they insist on staying with you, but eventually tiredness consumes them both and they bid you goodnight.

As though preying from afar - because that’s most likely what he was doing - your admirer from earlier appears as soon as your friends are out of the door. “Well, well, we meet again.”

Your eyes narrow as you groan out a breath. “Yeah, hi -”

“I can’t believe your friends would leave you alone like that,” he shakes his head.

“Oh, they haven’t, I’m still waiting on -” Your knight in 21st century armour, Ralph, walks over to the pair of you. “Ah, there he is! Are we going home now?”

“Would you like to?” Ralph asks, concern in his eyes, and you nod with fervour. “Then yes!”

The other man pulls a face. “Wait, sorry, you’re going home with - who the fuck is this?!” He gestures at Ralph, a nasty expression on his face.

Thankfully, Ralph’s cavalry come to your defence, led by none other than an incredibly loud, “Oi, dickhead! Who the fuck are you?! Fucking look at my friend like that again, see what happens, yeah?” Despite being perhaps half a foot shorter, Ralph’s most fiery friend easily squares up against him.

You tap her shoulder in thanks, take Ralph’s hand and guide him out of the bar. The cool air outside hits your face, but the alcohol in your system acts as a blanket around the rest of you. “You good?” You ask Ralph, and he nods. “Good. I’ll call for an Uber.”

Ralph frowns, “But aren’t those taxis, parked up over there?”

“Well remembered! Yeah, but a drunk girl once told me that those charge extra for all the time they’ve spent sitting there, and I’ve never felt bougie enough to spend the money to find out if it is true, so I like to play it safe.” You book an Uber that says it’s four minutes away and sit on the edge of the path. Ralph joins you. “Sorry we lost you, earlier, by the way. I did keep trying to look for you.”

“Pah! My own fault, really. I got all frazzled, you know,” Ralph’s eyes widen as he gestures wildly, making you laugh. “I still feel a tad so now!”

“It helps to kind of start resting your head for a bit. Here,” you pat your shoulder and Ralph takes the hint, tucking himself inwards to rest his head on your shoulder. Yours head falls onto his instinctively, and you set your phone to the front camera. You see Ralph’s small, contented smile, quickly plaster one of your own on and snap a photo.

Ralph then frowns, “Oh, no! I wasn’t prepared!”

“Exactly. Look,” you say fondly as you show him the photo. Both of you looking happy and comfortable, despite some bumps in the road. A perfectly normal first night out for Ralph.

“Can you put that one on my phone too, please?” he asks sleepily.

Reluctantly, you push his head away from you. “Yes, but c’mon, sleepyhead. We still have to get home.”

Ralph doesn’t make it the whole journey home, his head once again flopping against yours in the back seat of the taxi as he sleeps. You manage to prod him awake once you’re back outside your block of flats, though, and he trudges along behind you into the lift and along the hallway until you’re back in the safety of the flat again. “Gimme a minute to grab some PJs for the night, yeah?” 

“Of course. I think I should use the bathroom properly now,” he nods.

You pull a face, “Yeah, the fact you’ve gone the whole night without it is honestly impressive!” You hear Ralph chuckle under his breath as you go back into your room, blindly head to your pyjama drawer, take out the first top and bottoms that you can feel, regardless of whether or not they match, and head back into the front room, opting to duck beneath the kitchen counter to change.

Ralph re-emerges a few minutes later, his voice drawling wearily as he asks, “Would you like the bed for tonight? I can’t imagine the morning should be pleasant for either of us.”

You walk over to him and put your hand on his shoulder as you chuckle, “It’ll be fine. You probably need it more than I do, that was probably heavier than what you’re used to.”

“I had a shot tonight, you know,” Ralph tells you with intrigue.

Your eyebrows shoot up, “Oh, yeah? And how did that go for you?”

“Absolutely awful,” he replies simply, pulling a face of disgust, and you both laugh.

“Yeah, you’ll definitely need the bed, then,” you nod. “Did you have a good time, though?”

“Oh, most certainly!” he grins. “I’ve made so many new friends! And I really rather think I’ve made a good impression on your friends, as well.”

“You know they’re your friends too, right?” you ask, cocking your head. Ralph tries to wave you off, and you pull a face of disbelief. “Come off it, they love you! I bet you had a great time with them earlier, didn’t you?”

“Oh, yes, absolutely! Um, but… I did… Um… It wasn’t quite the same without your presence there,” he mumbles.

You frown, “Did you say anything about your past?”

“Oh, no, that never came up! Just… Oh, ignore me, I’m dreadfully tired,” Ralph rubs his face wearily.

“Yeah, you’ll be thanking me for the greasy-ass breakfast I’ll be making us in the morning, so get ready for that,” you grin at him before pulling him in for a goodnight hug. He may smell like a fragrance store with all the proximity he’s had to several perfumed people, but there’s still something comforting about being able to bury your face into his shoulder and taking a deep breath in. Ralph’s arms tighten around you as you do so, as he allows himself the luxury of squeezing his eyes shut and just enjoying the moment.

You eventually pull away with a yawn, “Alright, I think we’re both about to fall asleep standing up, so… Night, Ralph.”

“Y-yes. Of course. Goodnight. Pleasant dreams,” Ralph smiles awkwardly at you before walking quickly to the bedroom.

You set yourself up on the sofa and start looking through the day’s photos. Ralph’s little instagram photoshoot doesn’t feel like it was only this morning, and you can’t help but let yourself fall into the trap of looking at the photo of him laughing again. Shaking your head again, as though that’ll do anything at this point, you scroll through to the photo of all six of you in Grace’s house and set it as your lock screen. You keep scrolling through hurriedly to your other favourite photo of the night, and, while it may be a little delusional, you set the photo of the two of you at the end of the night as your home screen. You’re used to being into people who you can’t have, be it from their disinterest or other reasons, so what’s the harm in indulging yourself a little by imagining a world where the two of you could always be like that?

That’s what Ralph tells himself too as he stares at the photo on his own phone screen until the need for sleep finally takes over.

next chapter

[awesomesauce-abbie]

Hello hope I'm not bothering you but I saw a post of yours it was a billy hargrrove x reader and I liked it but I just wanna ask if you could do like reader works at a restaurant and really upset and tired because their having problems with a waitress and they constantly pushing sh*t on them and billy picks up reader and reader gets in the car and just says "drive please" and then the drive home is quit and they get home and billy just comforts them and being the protective bf he is, I hope you understand I'm writing this because I have trouble with a waitress and I'm a hostess (look it up for more info about being a hostess) and ya I just had a bad day sorry and you can do whatever to the end you want like h going to the restaurant later and confronting the waitress. Omg this is so long lol thx 🙏😊

A/N: I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time with your job, I hope it gets better for you soon. I know this is easier said than done but try to push through the negativity and carry on your day as best as you can and I hope this oneshot will somehow help!

HardWork Pays Off Eventually

Billy Hargrove x reader

You worked at Burger Town, one of the few restaurants in Starcourt mall. If the bright yellow and red uniform with the burger baseball hats wasn't annoying enough, your coworker was a right piece of work meaning that she didn't actually do any. The only time Kimberly Price lifted a finger was when she was in the back with her press on nails or dancing to whatever was on the radio whilst you attended to the lunchtime rush of Hawkins by yourself. What was most infuriating was that her dad was the boss so Kimberly was always getting extra days off with nobody to cover her shifts and always got pay rises. She was only a few dollars short of earning exactly as much as her father, day by day you were regretting not getting a job at the local pool with your boyfriend Billy Hargrove. Despite his bad boy attitude, he was more than happy to teach the younger children of Hawkins how to swim or save them from drowning. He suggested you get a job with him so you could see each other every day but you had already accepted the job at burger town before he suggested it. Today made you absolutely regret applying more than ever.

You quickly served a table of three with a tired smile and a quiet “enjoy your meal.” You rushed back to the kitchen and started preparing the next meal before only to dash to the counter a few seconds later to take another customer’s order. You had to force a smile as you heard Madonna blasting from the break room. The queue was leaving the restaurant and was almost outside of Scoops Ahoy. You actually saw Robin Buckley and Steve Harrington stick their heads out a few times to see what was going on. You spent over an hour running around like a headless chicken serving food, cooking food and taking orders before things actually calmed down which gave you the chance to clean up tables and bin rubbish. Kimberly walked past you with her jacket and bag on. “Where are you going?” She scoffed, glaring at you as if you’d offended her just by existing. “I have a date with Patrick, I’m leaving early. Remember to lock up and clean up properly, anything that’s done wrong won’t make daddy very happy. Oh and your covering my shift with Ben Woods tomorrow. No way am I working with that nerdy little freak ew! Don’t forget to clock me out at the end. Try and snitch on me, well we’ll see who daddy believes. A bumbling idiot who got this job out of pure luck or his precious little darling of a daughter?” Kimberly giggled before strutting away. “We’ve got six hours and tomorrow’s my only day off!” You yelled after her but she didn’t turn back.

You’d left an hour late, having to tidy up everything as well as lock up. If Steve Harrington hadn’t noticed you struggling with putting the tables away, you’d likely still be there. You stormed out to the parking lot and saw Billy leaning against his car with a lit cigarette and there were three cigarette butts not too far from his feet. “What the hell took you so long, I’ve been waiting for over an hour! I was about to come in and find you. I thought something happened.” He was worried, annoyed and exhausted from his own day of work but you got into the passenger’s seat silently. Billy scoffed, throwing away his cigarette before getting in. “You gonna talk to me or what?” “Just…Drive please” you sniffled. Billy rolled his eyes before starting the car and drove to your house. His dad and Susan were out tonight and Max was at Hop’s house for a sleepover with El so he was spending the night with you.

The ride home was silent except for the quiet buzz of music from Billy's car radio. He noticed a few tears run down your face but for most of the journey, you faced away from him and didn't utter a single word. He parked in your driveway with a sigh and turned you, placing a hand on top of yours. “Please tell me what happened today. You've never been this late from work and you're usually pissy yeah but never crying. What happened?” You looked at him, drying your eyes as you tried to find the words. Billy leaned forward and kissed your forehead, cupping your cheek with his hand as he wiped tears away with his thumb. “I’m just tired, I had a really shitty day. Kimberly walked out six hours early and I had to do everything by myself again! I’m supposed to have a day off tomorrow but she dumped her shift on me instead.” Billy let out a harsh sigh and clenched his jaw, this wasn’t the first time you had complained about Kimberly’s laziness and he was sick of her upsetting you. “You need to leave that shit hole, there isn't anything at the pool right now but at least go work with fucking Harrington! At least I know he's not a total asshole like that Kimberly bitch” he huffed. “Though if he even thinks about hitting on you, the only thing he'll be eating is ice cream cus he won’t have the teeth left to chew!” You couldn’t help but chuckle and Billy grinned. “There’s that sexy smile” he kissed you before you both got out of the car. “I’ll help you out

Billy helped you write out a resignation letter as well as help you get your paperwork sorted so you could apply for another job. “If anything comes up at the pool, you’ll be the first to know. She won’t get away with this shit either, I know it’s hard but we’re gonna get out of this shit hole town. I’m going to take you to California, teach you how to surf. We’ll have our own place, the shit bird and her loser friends can visit in the summer. It’ll be perfect, I promise” he smiled, stroking your hair as you leaned against his shoulder. “Think the kids will bury Steve in the sand?” Billy snickered just at the idea and kissed your temple. “Yeah, maybe we’ll leave him there overnight for the fully beach experience” he chuckled before getting up and heading to the kitchen. You cuddled up together with a bowl of popcorn and watched The Terminator with a promise that Kimberly would be sorry for pissing you off.

The next day you turned up at work but Kimberly was there and so was her father? Kimberly was in tears, hr dad was red in the face and his eyes filled with anger but he calmed down slightly as he noticed you walk in. “Ah, sorry. I was meant to call. I had a dozen complaints yesterday from customers who said you were working alone. Kimberly is working her shift today so you can go home, she’ll be working as she should be and her pay has been cut so she’s earning the usual rate which she’ll be using to fix her car. I walked out the house to see the windshield smashed and the doors all scratched and dented” Kimberly merely sobbed at the mention of her car and was even more hysterical after you handed in your notice, she’d be picking up your shifts as a result.

You walked out to the car park, Billy was still there with a smug grin. “Her car? Seriously?” “Told you she’d be sorry for messing with you” he chuckled as you let out an amused sigh. “What would I do without you Billy Hargrove?” “Crash and burn obviously.”

[indigodreames]

six of crows / @manneatcr ❝i need a mug of the darkest, bitterest coffee i can find. or maybe a real punch to the jaw.❞ (MINERVA)

"well, if you want SHIT COFFEE sweetie, i can make you some. as for a real punch in the jaw -- i don't think i can do that for you." minerva said with a laugh, shaking her head. if there was one thing she knew she wasn't good at, it was anything that involved her being in the KITCHEN, cooking, making coffee, even the simplest of things she was terrible at. and she wasn't afraid to admit that. though, she could hear her mother's nagging the back of her mind that she'd make the worst housewife.

[randomimagesofspongebobgames]

1,442 followers!!

First off, i'm glad that this account is continuing to thrive! Even though I have been a bit too busy to update the queue I have worked to check each and every tag if I can!

I'm getting there with Lights Camera Pants at the moment though working through putting up some flash games as well to hopefully not drown everything in TOO much Lights Camera Pants haha.

I'm thinking about direct links to videos I'm getting materials from now. I have a current queue of 217 images which at my current rate will take a while to reach 0. I still have some stuff in the queue that was from all the way I started. I'm wondering if to wait for the queue to deplete or if I should start linking now. It might be confusing based on how I do my postings since I love to click that shuffle queue button after getting a bunch of images. I will still obviously be updating my FAQ but I'm wondering if I should go a little step further. I haven't fully decided yet but if I end up just going with links now you might see a lot of stuff in the queue that isn't fully linked mixed with stuff that is.

Things i'm considering for the blog also: Fan games, Mods, and Games that Include Spongebob. For each of these - unlike the main games - I will try to include a note that categorizes them based on these descriptors. Aka I'll note if they are not official Spongebob games or are games that use Spongebob's likeness

For explanations click the Read Below!

FAN GAMES:

This one is going to be the most vague admittedly and hard to define as what I apply as applicable to this blog. I understand that most Spongebob fan games lately are horror material or may contain mature topics. Even games that I was considering (If you've seen my FAQ you know i'm familiar with Around The Clock At Bikini Bottom.) may contain swearing, death, horror material, etc. So it's sorta matter of would these sorts of subject matters are befitting to this blog or not.

Though there are some games - at least right now - I'm gonna sorta avoid putting on just because they're a little too out of the realm of Spongebob. Stuff like Mr. Krabs Overdoses on Ketamine, SpongeGlock SquarePants, and Sinister Squidward. Also, some of them are just a little TOO MUCH for me lol (especially Sinister Squidward.)

Also, let's be honest, there are a lot of SpongeBob games out there that's made by younger audiences (Which I don't want to bully) or by greedy scammers trying to get money by putting Spongebob on a bike game or creepy dentist game (Which I don't want to give attention to.)

MODS

For Mods I will not be doing just simple reskins (unless the reskin is large in scale such as BFBB Winter Wonderland and Battle for Boo-kini Bottom.) Aka I won't pick mods where it's just Spongebob in Sonic Adventure 2 or Sonic in BFBB. I'll probably pick ones that are specifically mods for Spongebob games.

When approaching this particular subject i'm thinking of stuff such as BFBBMix but I understand there are probably not a lot of Spongebob mods under those sorts of criteria.

SPONGEBOB-INVOLVED

This is just a coined term for things that include Spongebob in some way such as Nicktoons Unite! / Spongebob Squarepants and Friends Unite!. I'd probably skip on material that doesn't have much to actually offer in content (Nicktoons Racing, Nicktoons Party Blast, Nicktoons MLB.). I want to use games where Spongebob characters have an actual impact on the game through dialogue or story (so things such as All-Star Brawl 2 Campaign could count since each of the characters has active dialogue!) However, i'll try to keep the focus on Spongebob and Spongebob characters!