#my dedication to this save is unreal

[softerhaze]

(♪)

[tuesdaygray]

thinking about. the consistent thread in challengers (2024) of wanting your life to be about more than "hitting a ball with a racket."

how tashi is the first character to bring this up and whether or not she means it (she's really only planning to do a year of college) she knows inherently that being well rounded is practical. that she's not from the same place as the country club, tennis academy, daddy's money kids. this should be an unattainable dream for most, but it's hers and she has it and it's terribly ingrained into her life but "what if this doesn't work out?" and then it doesn't. she gets injured and she gets stuck in this loop of the past, in her own potential, in what could have been. when it feels like everyone is counting on you to do and succeed at one thing ("she's going to make her family millionaires"), the one thing that is the framework and catalyst for everything you know, how do you come back from that? her life could now, realistically, become about something else because she actually can't have her dream anymore, but she becomes obsessed, holding on with white knuckles and performing alterations because she can't let it go, until she admits sardonically in a mostly abandoned applebees that her life really has only been about one thing.

and patrick. who challenges tashi's original statement. who has no problem devoting his life to tennis because it's a "good way to avoid having a job." who never had any dreams beyond playing the sport he's always had a knack for, coasting by on natural talent, never having to try. realizing too late that what really made it worth it was tennis as a relationship, not the selfish ego stroke it had been when he was good enough to win tashi's number. and he's stuck in arrested development, just like her. he never grew up, he never let go of the past, of what it felt like to play doubles with his best friend, of what it felt like to watch tashi at the top of her game. but he's painfully aware. he's made his bed and he's tangled in the sheets and he loves it and he hates it and above all else, he misses the way it used to be.

then there's art. whose decision to go to stanford is never questioned because it's unspoken general knowledge that he couldn't have gone pro right away. he never expected to be this big time professional player, he was always just concerned with doing a "really good job." and because of this, art's life is the one that probably should have been about more, the foundation was laid for it. but he's stuck too, a passive actor in a life he chose and was probably never meant to have. the holder of and heir to tashi's and patrick's unrealized dreams. (was it ever his dream?) and after eight years, after attaining it and living it without a real passion for it, he's ready to give it up because, out of the three of them, he wants his life to be about more than "hitting a ball with a racket" because it's "embarrassing to be doing this shit when you're 40." but he's the one who bears the weight of success, alone at the top, where the people he loves can only dream of knocking him off. so shouldn't he be grateful for it?

[starryeyedstray]

my thoughts on dbh as someone entering the fandom in 2024

so just got into the dbh fandom like in aug 2024. i have watched too much gameplay, read the wiki extensively, read an obscene amount of fanfics on ao3, and am in the process of writing my own. here are some of my thoughts (that no one has asked for):

every fanfic writer who started in 2018 and is still updating their works in 2024 are literal saints and some of the best damn writers i ever did saw and the dedication is fucking unreal. one fic had almost 2 million words??????? like BRUH. some are still ongoing and updated this year?? the dbh fandom in ao3 is not thriving as much as it was in 2018 (i say this purely as someone who's looking at the hits/kudos/comment ratios on older v. new works) but they are still alive!!!!

i am puzzled with the obsession with gavin reed. there are like a million fics that feature him and rk900. i am confused bc he did not seem like a redeeming character at all in my opinion and idk, i think he's just an asshole. i like the redemption arcs some ppl write for him but i just can't with him. i mean you ship who you wanna ship but i am not a reed fan and i am confused how he became so popular when all he did was bully our poor boi connor.

i personally don't ship hank x connor bc they give strong father-son vibes in the canon. however, i am obsessed with how jolli_bean writes the pairing on ao3 since its usually a canon divergence or an AU so the pair meet later in life. there are some fics that follow the canon and do a pretty good job with the pairing, but i just tend to keep it familial between them in my head. (but like i said, ship who you want to ship)

i am glad there's a vague consensus that we all wished alice stayed a human bc i feel like that lends itself to a more interesting narrative post-game. tho i guess her being an android is fine bc now kara, luthor, and alice can live as one happy family in canada forvever lol

i am literally obsessed with bryan dechart's acting as connor. like if you haven't seen him play connor in real life for the interactive #detroit2038 premiere event, then you gotta watch some of the live stream. like he doesn't break character the whole time and his physicality just screams connor and i just really appreciate how much effort he put in as an actor to really embody the character. just so impressive and i wish there was more bts of him acting as connor bc its just so nuanced and ugh *chef's kiss* if they ever made a live action dbh it would be impossible for anyone else to play connor

i love the 28 stab wounds meme. when i watched that scene for the first time it was so jarring lmao

i also love how everyone is like yes, we all know connor likes dogs but he also likes fish bc of that one fish you can save in the very first minute of gameplay hahahah. (his name is dewey and it is vitally important you save him). i also appreciate how the "i like dogs" line will undoubtedly find it's way into every fic possible lol

i think the love for simon is very good and well and amazing but i think josh deserves more love in fics too

it bothers me that when north tells markus "i love you" at the church, MARKUS DOESN'T SAY IT BACK??? LIKE BITCH SAY YOU LOVE HER BACK DAMMIT DON'T JUST WALK AWAY

i love how the fandom just latched onto rk900 and rk800-60 and fleshed out their personalities and i love reading ppl's interpretation of these characters and how they incorporate them into their stories. it's funny they only show up like one time and ppl just ran with it and it's so fun and creative and i love it.

i love the hc that chloe deviated when connor chose not to shoot her. that's the best hc. like it's canon in my heart idc

bless all the fic writers who have mastered the art of explaining how androids mind and bodies work bc there are so many gaps and possibilities left open in the lore and it's incredible to see what ppl come up with or interpret based off the canon. (i still feel 50/50 about when they make deviants feel pain cause like androids not feeling pain is such a big part of the canon and yeah i'll give it a pass if the fic does it for the whumps and the angst but i prefer when a fic finds a canon-compliant reason for deviants to feel pain, even if its just like they got a chip or software installed that makes them feel pain or something)

every pairing that i find in this fandom, i tend to be like... "yeah i can see that." (with the exception of hank x connor for reasons i stated in #3). i'm still like ehhh on reed900 or even gavin x connor bc i just don't think it makes sense in the canon but if it's written well i just shrug and say yeah i guess i could see that. some rarepairs i ended up absolutely adoring were chloe x north and rk900 x north (i realize they're both north but she has such good potential for character dynamics)

idk if it's just me bc i specifically look for fics centered around connor, but i feel like there's not a lot of love for kara at least fic-wise. ig it's cause she kinda just leaves so it's easy to not include her. tbh, i am quite well-versed in markus' and connor's stories but i haven't really explored a lot of kara's. i plan on playing dbh with my partner when i see them again in a couple months and i wanted us to take turn playing different characters and i wanted to play kara's storyline so i've been avoiding it for the most part so i can be surprised with my options. plus, in my wip fic, kara is in canada so she's not really relevant to my story which is why i have in depth knowledge about markus and connor and less on kara.

the music in this game fucking SLAPS. 10/10 kara's theme makes me wanna cry.

okay, there is a common trope in the dbh fanfics where connor loses his memory and that shit gets me everytime. i'm always bawling and anxiously waiting for him to fucking REMEMBER and i hate and love it and eat it up every. single. time. usually, the memory loss happens early in the fic and it's pretty expected but sometimes i get blindsided and i'm like FUCK not this shit again but i can't stop reading it and the angst is so palpable.

i think it's so interesting how ra9 is just like this mystery in the lore that never gets entirely explained in the game. it's like something you can totally kinda ignore but it does have interesting lore implications if you decide to really think about it.

i adore all the characters in dbh equally except for connor who is the certified best boi and my absolute favorite (no one is shocked by this declaration). and the characters on my shit list are zlatko, todd, and sometimes reed.

this is an obnoxiously long post and i apologies. i haven't been on tumblr in years and i just had so many thoughts about dbh and i have no friends to talk to so i decided to dump it all here. i still have more thoughts but those are the ones that come to the forefront of my mind.

tldr: i love dbh and its fandom and i have many specific thoughts about it and you should just really read my post if you care about any of it

[gauloiseblue]

Medic!Reader × Poly!141

Part I | Part II | Part III

[Tags: platonic, fluff, self-indulgent]

A/N: This fic is dedicated for @rainlovesyou12 hope you like it <3

You are a medic, and you come from a rich family, so naturally you're placed in an elite team, at least populated by polite men

While you're not a spoiled brat, you sometimes dare to challenge anyone when you disagree with them. Your "courage" is usually dubbed as rich kid syndrome in the military

Strangely, the captain (Price) is amused by your behavior

He never scolded you, even when people said he should

Your job is a medic, but you're more like a secretary of the team.

You help Price with the paperworks, taking care of the base, and sometimes even their foods.

He also asks you to accompany him to meetings or private talks with the superior, the reason? They don't give him a proper secretary, even when they should.

When you first come in, the team is still on a mission. It took 3 whole months before you met the whole team

Your first reaction: "Wow, life's so unfair."

Their heights tower you that it's almost unreal

When you greet them one by one, a member catches your eyes

It's Soap

As a medic, it's your obligation to heal them if they have any injury. So when you see the blood on his clothes, you immediately point it out to him

"You're injured!"

He seems confused for a second as he looks down to his gears, before he laughs. "Tha' ain't my blood, bonnie."

"Still, I have to check if you have any wounds."

Surprisingly, most of them are minor

You begin to check the other members, but it's the same for them too. Just scratches and bruises

They'd dismiss you, if not for your question about their discomfort, or if they had any dislocation

And that makes them all your patients

Even the reluctant Ghost finally gave in. "Fucking hell Price, she's a pushover." He said, "You'll come to like it someday" Price replied

After that, you and the team settle in the base, trying to get used to each other's company

(You also didn't ask questions on why the big man is still wearing a mask even though he's in the base)

Soap, and Gaz are the easiest to talk to, while Ghost is just polite, but still keeps his distance.

The three of you bond over food, because it's mandatory to cook if you wanna save money. You and Gaz are great at it, while Soap is strictly prohibited from entering the kitchen

Soap absolutely ravaged the foods that you joked about how he always makes the plates squeaky clean

On rare occasions, the giant man does show up at the table

When you ask him about what they eat usually, you can't believe your ear

"I ate the ratio that's been provided by the base." "You ate that dogshit???"

You end up scolding him (unintentionally) and end up telling him to eat the cooked food, but when he gets defensive, you tell him he doesn't have to eat together, just reheat the food whenever he's hungry

He didn't touch the food for 2 days, until one day, the leftover is gone, and the dishes were washed

You have no idea when did he do it, but you're glad nevertheless

Remember when I said you're more of a secretary than a medic? That Price often took you to meetings? Well, that leads you to an unfortunate meeting with Graves

Even Price was hesitant to bring you along

When you first met him, he's exactly the man that you picture in your head; arrogant, stuck up, flashy, and playboy. Basically all the bad stuff

He shamelessly flirts with you, to the point that Price has to clear his throat to remind him of the ongoing negotiation

One time he asks you (forcibly) if you'd like a bottle of a fancy wine that you don't even know

"You look like a girl that'd enjoy the Chateau Lynch-Bages' Pauillac." He'd smile

After several failed attempts to decline, you eventually give up

"I'm flattered that you'd give me such luxurious items, but I'd love to receive basic ingredients for cake. That way I can repay you back, how's that sound?"

He literally takes it as flirting

The next day, you literally received the high quality flour, eggs, sugar, etc etc that come in 2 boxes, along with a message: "While I hope you'd return the favor in some other way, I can't wait to taste what you made" and a scribbled wink

You end up baking a peanut caramel chocolate cake (A/N: try it, it's soooo good) because of the amount of chocolate he gave

The team watch you as you assemble the cake

You cut the cake into a good size for gift, and give the rest to the team

They treat it like a delicacy

After you sent it via his man, you received his reply on the next day

"I know you didn't give me all of the cake, so I hope you'll make up for it the next time. Ps. I like it, you should make more for me in the future" along with the abominable wink

Although you're irked by his narcissism, you feel a bit embarrassed and puzzled that he knew it's not the whole cake

You try to figure out how, and finally it clicks; he purposely bought a bigger size pan, and a medium sized box. Along with the evidence of a long rollcake box that somehow can fit the rest of the cake. You sigh, this man is really petty

And stubborn as well

The pile of unopened letters, with his name signed on the back would be the proof of it

Soap and Gaz tease you about him when they read the notes, but you dismiss them by saying: "I'd rather date Ghost than him."

Fast forward, Price and Gaz'll leave for a mission for months. But Soap and Ghost stay behind

Weeks would pass relatively quiet, and they're still radio silent. You couldn't help but worry, though Soap quickly assured you that they'd be fine

Ghost still kept a distance between you and him, until one night, when you and Soap fell asleep on a movie marathon, you woke up startled by the sight of him on the sofa.

"Shit, you scared me."

"I'd be surprised if you didn't."

"Why are you here?" You quickly corrected yourself, "It's not that you're not welcomed, but you're not around much, so…"

"No reason, just feel like it."

Silence

Then you gather the courage to say, "By the way, I'm glad that you didn't eat those ratios anymore. Let me know if you crave something in particular, I'll try to make it."

He just stares at you, before saying, "I don't understand, Price can just order takeouts for us, why should you burden yourself with cooking? Aren't you a medic?"

"Well," you scratch your head, "I'm the one who suggested it, because I couldn't stand eating takeouts everyday. The foods he ordered were greasy, and I didn't want to get sick because of it."

He lets out a snort, "You don't have to care about your weight when you're in the military."

"It's not about that." You shook your head, "But if you said it that way, well, I won't be here forever, so I have to maintain it somehow. Besides, I'd like to keep my cholesterol level normal so I won't die of heart failure or something."

That catches his attention as he gives out a small laugh, "The doctors I knew are either dead or diabetic. You're the first one that cares about your own health."

You shrug, "As I should. You should too."

For a split second, you let out a cold sweat, wondering if it somehow offends him for some reason, before you let yourself relax when he continues watching the TV. The two of you watch in silence, before you fall asleep again

Nearing the arrival of your team, you decide to busy yourself with dinner. Which, more like grocery shopping and planning on the dishes

"They usually eat pizzas after a long mission, ye don't have to do that." Said Soap one morning

"I don't care if they end up ordering pizzas." He furrows his brows at you, "I just feel the need to do that, I don't know why."

He playfully grins, "Wife instinct?"

"That's not it," you laugh it off, "It's just that, Price ever said to me that maybe one day, one of them won't ever come back. It has stuck with me ever since, and I don't wanna think about that at all."

He nods understandingly. You need a distraction

"Let me help then."

You both settle with beef bowl, eggs, and potato salad, based on his input that 'they'd probably want to eat a lot, so just make them easy to get refill'

You bought a ton of sliced beefs and onion, rice, and potatoes

The day that they come back, you're hit with a bad feeling and fear the worst, but after seeing them both in one piece, you let out a relief sigh

Still, the dark mood is still persistent

They look like they don't have any appetite, even for a pizza

You actually would let them rest, if they didn't look like they're malnourished

(Actually, when you think back, it's just an excuse to feed them. You actually just want them to eat your food)

"Would you guys like a beef bowl?"

Price perks up at the offer

"Well shite (Name), just what I need."

You tell him there's also potato salad, but that day he just wants the rice

They end up eating one portion—a small size compared to what they usually eat

They're still quiet even after the dinner, so you decide to excuse yourself, giving them space and the rest they need

You're in the office, sorting through documents until Price knocks on the door

He looks weary but still offers you a smile

"I'm sorry for being so gloomy tonight." He told you

"That's fine, really. You don't have to apologize."

"I feel like I have to, especially when you too are affected by it."

You let out an awkward chuckle, "Well, it's nothing like that. I know you guys are tired so I don't wanna bother you with too many questions." You shrug, "Anyway, I'm glad you guys are alright."

A warm smile spreads on his lips, "You're a good girl, too good for us men." He uncrosses his legs as he leans away from the door frame, "Thank you for the food, we'll talk again tomorrow, yeah?"

The two of you exchange a "goodnight" as he walks away, and you come back to your work

After Price, you didn't expect anyone to come to your place again, until the second person showed up at your door. You lift your head and see Gaz standing there, almost shyly

"Oh hey." You greet him, "Didn't see you there. Need anything?"

"Hey." He greets back, "No, I don't need anything. Just checking on you."

You tilt your head, face clearly shows a questioning look but you cover it with a smile

"Uh, y'know what? I wish I could tell you what happened, you must've been worried about—"

"Oh, no, no. You don't have to tell me. I don't wanna know either." You offer him a reassurance, "Don't worry about it, Gaz."

He seems relieved upon hearing that

"You're right." He said, "But it doesn't mean that I can't tell you funny stories."

He pulls up a chair as he begins to tell you stories from the mission. From the horrible dad jokes, and a moment when Price slipped on the ladder. In exchange, you tell him about your encounter with Ghost, which makes him laugh

It actually surprises you to hear Gaz telling you stories and all. You assume that he only does it to cheer you up, or that's just his way to destress. Either way, it's nice to have a company like him

He'd keep going if you didn't remind him of the time, and you have to force tell him to sleep, promising that you'll talk tomorrow again

The next day, you're surprised to find almost all of the members are in the kitchen. Chatting and eating the leftover beef with reheated rice

All of them, except for Soap, but it's because he hasn't wake up

You didn't want to admit it, but seeing the pan empty makes your pride swell

You join their talk as you sit on the table, and they immediately complain about you not making enough batches for breakfast in a humorous way. You complain back by saying you didn't get paid enough for this

And that leads them to protest about the food budget to Price

He just sighs

By the time Soap joins in, all the food is already gone. And he's pissed about it

"You gotta order pizza for today." Gaz jokes

"Fookin' cunt."

As the conversation flows, Price announces something so suddenly, that you doubt your hearing

"What did you say?"

"You'll be on the same mission as us next month. Pack up and be prepared."

Gaz whistles, "We won't be doing paperwork then?"

"She'll focus on being a medic, so she won't be doing your paperwork."

He groans

"That's… great news." You responded when they all stared at you, "When will we be leaving again?"

"Exactly one month from now." He explained before he sighed, "But don't be too happy yet, because it's not easy to be stationed in the red zone. I know you can handle it but still." He shook his head, "The bad news is, and you wouldn't like it when you hear it but, the person who requested your assistance… Is Graves."

[greathoughtsphilosopy]

Been getting loads of new followers lately, that's good! For any newcomers, welcome, I'm a philosophy blog dedicated to posting great quotes and thoughts I've got. If you evAUGHHHH ., OUGAHHG OH FUUCK ,,, I FUCKING FORGOT IT WAS A FULL MOON,... .... G GET OUT OF HERE, SAVE YOUR SELFF ....! AAHGHHHHOUGHHH----

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[bamtwozled]

you’ve got my hand, I’ve got your heart (so we are safe and sorted)

beta read by @fictionandmusic tysm!!

It’s the night of the ritual, and Dan is in love when he shouldn’t be. 

That’s not new, not really. He’s known from the beginning that Phil does not love him the way he loves Phil. Phil might love his devotion, might love how easily he’s used as a connection to Him, how simple it is to manipulate him, but he does not love him. Phil doesn’t love anyone but Him. And yet Dan stays, even when he shouldn’t, because where else can he go? Who else will love even that much of him? He is unwelcome, he is made up of mistakes, he is wrong. He has been wrong his whole life, a feeling that shifts and ripples inside of him, but it quiets a little when they’re together. 

And he is going to kill Phil.

It will only be temporary, but he is going to take a knife to the heart of the only person he’s ever truly loved. It has to be this way, Phil as the carved-out vessel and Dan as the conduit, parts they had been cast in before they’d even met. 

Phil believes that, anyway, believes that this is the way things have to be, so Dan has to believe it too. 

They’d spent most of the day setting up the ritual, and they hadn’t spoken much. They have both known their roles for a long, long time, they’d both known what needed to be done, and there had been no need for any last words when they wouldn't truly be last. 

Now the preparations are complete and Dan is standing outside a doorway with a knife in his hand and hesitating just a little too long for the faith he’s supposed to have in Him, the faith he does have in Him. It will be fine. It will be far, far better than fine, but first there will be blood on his hands and cold, empty blue eyes. 

This is the only way to make things right, he tells himself, and it’s a little less convincing coming from his own thoughts than it is when it comes from Phil, but it’ll have to be enough. He steps forward. 

Phil struggles in the moment before he dies. Just a little bit (just a second, really, no more), he struggles as the knife pierces his chest, and that imperfection, that momentary waver in his adoration of Him is vindicating somehow. It’s only a human instinct, the body trying to save itself, separate from what the mind may want, but there is something in Phil other than perfect dedication. 

Phil cries out, broken and strangled, voice twisted like his bloody hand into the fabric of Dan’s t-shirt, and when he kisses him, Dan thinks, Oh, he thinks, Maybe. Thinks maybe he’s been wrong about the unevenness between them this whole time, but then Phil smiles and it’s not meant for him at all. 

He doesn’t watch Phil finish dying, and it is selfish, either in the love or the betrayal. Maybe he wants to let him die alone. Maybe he just can’t bear to watch. Eventually, though, the sounds stop, and Dan is alone. 

The cut on his hand reopens as he’s dragging Phil down the hallway. He tries to be gentle, mostly, but it turns out there’s no gentle way to transport a body down a hallway that narrow, and the cut stings, and the blood mingles. Someone else’s blood in an open wound is a safety hazard, some distant part of him supplies, and an even fainter, vaguely hysterical part adds, Protip! Hysteria won’t raise Him and won’t bring Phil back though, so he pushes that down as far as he can and gets to work. 

They’ve run through the steps of the ritual so many times that he could do it in his sleep, and there are moments where he thinks maybe he is. Phil is dead on the floor, and Dan had been the one to kill him even if it was in service to Him, and it’s right, it’s the way things are supposed to be, but it doesn’t entirely feel right. But then Phil’s heart is in his hands and it fits in his palms like it was always meant to be there, and with the blood slipping between his fingers he exists in that hazy, unreal territory between a dream and a nightmare. 

Phil trusts him to get this right, and that has to mean something, doesn’t it? Trusts Dan with his heart, with his life, with the final steps to bring Him into this realm, and maybe trust isn’t love, but it has to be something like it. Or maybe he’s reaching. Dan is a body that can do what needs to be done and a mind that connects so easily to Him. Maybe that’s all. He’ll get everything perfect, though, because this is what he’s always been for, and because he is in love.

When He rises, it is everything they’ve ever worked for, and it is terrifying. All light goes out of the room, candles extinguished, and there is a presence and a weight like nothing he has ever felt before, dragging him backward, dragging him down, and he trusts Him, he trusts Phil, but then why—

Then Phil’s hand is in his, their fingers intertwined, solid, real, warm, alive, but there’s something else too. It’s enough to steady Dan when he flinches, unable to help himself, but there’s something that feels just a little like desperation. 

Phil holds his hand like he needs him, and maybe that’s enough.

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

Flash Fiction Fridays Winner - The Write Right Society

The Forgotten Locket by @darkeneddiary

Here is the submission from:

@darkeneddiary

🥇 First Place Winner

Memories are vicious things; the more you run from them, the more they chase you. They become even more heartwrenchingly crucial when they are the memories of your family. One day or another, we all stumble back into the darkness we tried to escape. So will she.

Standing in front of her family mansion, Tina's thoughts raced, burning her soul with all the memories she wished to forget. It was both tormenting and oddly nostalgic to be back. She never imagined returning to the heart of her most hated memories, but fate has its cruel ways.

Until last month, she was living her best life in Paris. Now, back in Mumbai, she had received a parcel declaring she was the sole heir to her grandparents' wealth.

Taking a deep breath, she walked towards the main door, her hands filled with bags. "I just want to get this over with so I can leave. Ugh, I hate it here," she muttered.

The guard came running towards her. "I—I’m sorry. I wa—was here. I promise. I just wanted to use the washroom tha—" he stammered, but she cut him off.

"Save it," she said loudly. "I don't care."

She motioned for him to open the gate, which he did. As she stepped inside, the mansion’s oppressive presence was as she remembered, like it was breathing and calling her in. She took a ragged breath and continued walking, the guard following.

Inside, her chest tightened. Dust hung heavy in the air, tickling her nose and throat. The mansion was dark, with only a sliver of light from an open window. The guard flicked on the light, blinding her momentarily. When she could see again, she told him, "I'll handle it from here," and headed for the staircase.

Alone, Tina climbed the creaking staircase, each step echoing through the silent halls. She was headed to her grandmother’s room, a place she hadn't seen since childhood. The door stood ajar, revealing darkness within.

Pushing it open, the door groaned. The room was frozen in time: old furniture draped in sheets, a four-poster bed, and a tarnished vanity. The air was thick with the musty smell of dust and a faint lavender scent from her grandmother’s old perfume.

As Tina walked through the room, her footsteps muffled by the carpet, she spotted a small box partially hidden behind a stack of old books on the vanity. Her fingers trembling, she reached for it. The box opened with a creak, revealing a delicate locket wrapped in faded tissue paper. Tina’s breath caught. It was the same locket she had lost at seven, on that dreadful day by the lake with her friend Mia.

The memory came rushing back with horrifying clarity. Mia had slipped on the algae-slick rocks and plunged into the murky water. Tina had scrambled to help, but the lake had swallowed Mia, dragging her under. In the chaos, Tina had lost the locket. The memory of Mia’s panicked screams haunted her dreams.

Finding the locket now seemed both unreal and sinister. Its familiar design brought a wave of grief and guilt. Tears brimmed in Tina’s eyes as she clutched the locket, a bitter reminder of a past she could never escape.

Hey fellow writers! I'm super excited to share that I've launched a Tumblr community. I'm inviting all of you to join my community. All you have to do is fill out this Google form, and I'll personally send you an invitation to join the Write Right Society on Tumblr! Can't wait to see your posts!

[seelestia]

to the esteemed ms. odelia,

it isn't any trouble to me at all!! your work is incredible, and i find myself completely at a loss at how easily you man your shop within the hectic city while still putting out such wonderful goods. i've attached a token of my appreciation: a trio of candid sketches i've been working on over the course of my visits. i do hope you don't mind. regardless, happy anniversary to your shop! here's to many more to come.⎛⎝(ºoꍘoº)⎠⎞

respectfully yours, 🕸️ anon! (congrats on the driving test and happy anniversary x2!! the headcanons were so cute!!)

https://imgur.com/j7GqK6v

[ fanart made by 🕸️ anon! check this out on the original site (imgur link) they've provided ♡ ]

oh, 🕸️ anon... what could i ever do to repay u for this... THIS IS BEYOND CUTE!!! the urge to make a whole theme dedicated to this is simply unreal 😵‍💫 /gen. first things first, i just wanna say that ur artstyle is sososooo lovely & adorable! the poses an outlines here are super neat. and the way u drew the chibis makes me wanna pinch my own sona's cheeks augshshhhshh!! i appreciate the “baker doesn't like sweets?!” headline bcs that is truly my trademark /lh.

pls allow me to dissect this art and ramble more abt what i love/noticed!!! putting it under the cut hehe.

^^^ the strawberries and the kiddos... ‹3 i love how this comes across as "miss odelia! the bakery smells good today!” “is it the cookies or my new perfume? oh, i'm joking, i saved some for you little ones.” !!!

^^^ the details?!???! the ruffles, ribbons, earrings!!! and the stain on the dress uuuuu i lovelovelove it. it's like someone just came into the bakery while i was in the middle of cooking ‹3 the :0 expression.... chef's kiss!

look... someone fell asleep at work... pokes pokes pokes them /lh. again, the way u drew the cheeks and the eyelashes give me cuteness aggression!!! 🕸️ anon, ur so good at this aaaaaaa ‹3

[ihavenocarinsurance]

ObeyMe! angst

I cannot sleep and have suddenly been hit with some unreal motivation and dedication

CHARACTER: Lucifer

GENRE: angst

READER: genderneutral

CONTEXT: established romantic relationship

WARNINGS: none

EXTRA INFO: this is my first time writing for ObeyMe! and as always I am open for any criticism ♡ I wrote that like months ago and forgot- I can't remember writing this; At first I was convinced that this isn't mine...

Lucifer

Lucifer, a demon with a high status is expected to be a busy one. From managing RADs school events to signing an endless amount of papers is all entrusted to him. Responsible, stoic, dedicated and reliable. That is the Lucifer everyone knows.

But in your eyes, when it is just the both of you he becomes a Lucifer only you have seen before. He becomes a compassionate, romantic and loving Lucifer. He becomes yours truly. You Lucifer, recognised in both worlds.

However, both worlds need him and while you do your best to be understanding and support him doing what brings him happiness, the heavy feeling of loneliness in your chest is undeniably strong. Most of your days have faded into an excruciatingly long repetitive routine, almost tiring you to sleep while everything around you seems to have lost colour. One would assume you were simply under the weather. You on the other hand were very well aware that this was simply a result of your unmet desire to be with Lucifer. You simply wanted to spend time with him, to feel him. And most days would pass exactly like that. If you were lucky you'd see him during breakfast and dinner, exchange smiles and kisses but your chances of meeting him fell all the way to 0 once you left HOL in the mornings.

On days where you did have the chance to meet Lucifer it was mostly in forms of a dinner date. And while the entire week was spent looking forward for that single dinner date it was worth waiting for once you finally got to wrap your arms around him and finally feel him embrace you in a hug in return.

And today was finally the day.

"I'll see you for dinner then" you kissed his cheek to which he pulled you closer by your waist, placing his other hand on your neck. "I can't wait, my love" he replied before you left for RAD.

The day went by smoothly, faster than usual and the excitement was hard to contain.

Once you arrived at HOL you immediately got ready, no longer being able to hide just how excited you were and soon enough you were seated at your reserved table. You had messaged Lucifer about your whereabouts on your way aswell as once you had arrived at the restaurant. So far you hadn't received any reply. It was safe to assume he was presumably on his way.

And just like that the first 30 minutes passed. With no call neither any new message in response to your previous ones.

After 15 more minutes you started typing more messages, asking about his whereabouts; if he was alright. No reply.

Throughout the next hour the stares of the customers and your waiter became hard to ignore. Each and every pair of eyes took its turn in sticking to your silhouette, sitting by itself.

He had stood you up. And as embarassing it was to admit you seemed to be the last person in the restaurant to realise.

And just like that, the world was once again drained of any kind of colour it previously had. Your messages still unopened and unseen you made your way home.

I don't remember writing this and neither do I think did I ever save that heart gif up there....but here we are?? my alzheimers is becoming worse

[theajaheira]

pls explain the jennyangel thing because i truly do not understand

yes absolutely! my jennyangel tag is a mess. it would help all of us as a society if i consolidated my thoughts.

so let's start from angel's perspective. jenny is someone who in a lot of ways metaphorically represents the enduring spirit of the girl he killed -- the girl who also changed his life by being loved, because her family made him who he is. the fact that such store is placed in that girl as a martyr to the point where her descendants are willing to serve one of their own up on a platter to angelus, putting her in close proximity to him in such a way that will place her in serious danger should he feel inclined to hurt her -- a young woman with lots of potential, her life ahead of her, moving through this world with genuinely good intentions -- is so fucking loaded. jenny being here and believing in him is really significant considering what he did to her family. she represents a chance at redemption. being forgiven by her means that there is a possibility that he, as he is, can be seen as a good person. her belief redefines his curse as something given to him to resurrect a man who she believes can do good in the world -- and i think angel would find that tempting in a whole lot of different ways.

and also -- hello! amends! jenny as the most constant face of angel's torment! jenny as the one who is most effective in pulling him down into the darkness! leaning in all close and being all touchy and whispering about how nice it would be to fuck buffy and give up! jenny represents SO MUCH to angel, even if he doesn't ever actually articulate it!

meanwhile, on jenny's side of the equation, angel is literally the same thing to her that he is to buffy and drusilla. she was introduced to the concept of him in the formative years of her life -- possibly even earlier than buffy and dru, as we'd ballpark their first encounters with him as in their teens, & jenny has known about angelus since CHILDHOOD -- and while she initially comes to sunnydale to watch him, we don't see her as ever actually dedicated to that mission. she's mostly just living her life before the (poorly written horrible bad) backstory kicks in. which, sure, retcon consequences, but also: there is this accidentally created implication that this has never been a mission jenny's wholeheartedly believed in, & that angel saving her life was really the final nail in the coffin (in more ways than one! ha ha ha). she has spent her entire childhood with the threat of him hanging over her head, and i think it would be more than natural for her to be curious in a lot of different ways, including (privately) sexually. there is nothing more Gothic Romance (and also nothing more jenny) than the allure of the forbidden, and this is a mysteriously murderous older man known as "the one with the angelic face" who ostensibly took an interest in one of jenny's family members. AND, again, this is exactly the same sitch as buffy and drusilla! she grew up in the shadows of what was done to the people around her. so much of what she became was in response to shit he did. he had a huge hand in shaping her and i think she'd have very complicated feelings about that.

i say very flippantly sometimes that i think making out would solve them, but my honest onion is i think it is such a compelling and fucked up and deeply weird dynamic & there's definitely mutual unresolved/unrealized sexual attraction in canon. i don't think it's ever anything either of them would pursue or even want to admit to -- and i also don't think that in canon it ever really becomes A Thing -- but i do absolutely think that at the very LEAST jenny considered the notion of being courted by angelus in her teens (in a subconscious sexual fantasy kinda way), even if she's mostly let go of that by the time canon starts. they have had a huge hand in shaping each other's identity and that is so weird and i think they should kiss about it.

[steveezekiel]

THE TIME OF RELEASE

“CAN A WOMAN FORGET HER NURSING CHILD, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? SURELY THEY MAY FORGET, YET I [God] WILL NOT FORGET YOU."

Isaiah 49:15 (NKJV)

* God has concern for His children. If a child of God did go astray, He would chastise him or her with the compassion and motivation to bring such back to Himself.

- God was saying, the Jews would be punished, but they would be restored after a while:

26 AND SO ALL ISRAEL WILL BE SAVED, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, AND HE WILL TURN AWAY UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB; 27 For THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS” (Romans 11:26,27 NKJV).

- If you, as a Believer, a child of God, misses it, and God chastises you; He surely would bring you back to Himself after a genuine repentance. God would not totally forsake you. He will turn your captivity after a genuine repentance.

* God would restore whatever you had lost through the Captivity: "THIS IS WHAT THE SOVEREIGN LORD SAYS: “See, I will give a signal to the godless nations. THEY WILL CARRY YOUR LITTLE SONS BACK TO YOU IN THEIR ARMS; THEY WILL BRING YOUR DAUGHTERS ON THEIR SHOULDERS" Isaiah 49:22 (NLT).

READ: Psalm 126:1

- If you offended God and He did punish you, He would not abandon you in that state that you are. Thus, Accept God's chastisement (Proverbs 3:11,12; Hebrews 12:5,6).

- When you are being chastised by God, accept it with a good heart, because He has done it for your good. He did it that you might partake in His Holiness:

"FOR our earthly fathers disciplined us for a few years, doing the best they knew how. BUT GOD'S DISCIPLINE IS ALWAYS GOOD FOR US, SO THAT WE MIGHT SHARE IN HIS HOLINESS" (Hebrews 12:10 NLT).

- God would surely restore a child with the penitent or repentant heart, because such is precious to Him: "THE SACRIFICES OF GOD ARE A BROKEN SPIRIT, A BROKEN AND A CONTRITE HEART—THESE, O GOD, YOU WILL NOT DESPISE" (Psalm 51:17 NKJV).

- The most important thing is, the Heart with which the erring child receives the discipline or chastisement: "FOR ALL those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “BUT ON THIS ONE WILL I LOOK: ON HIM WHO IS POOR AND OF A CONTRITE SPIRIT, AND WHO TREMBLES AT MY WORD" (Isaiah 66:2 NKJV).

READ: Psalm 34:18

* The punishment and the suffering would be for a while, If the erring Believer had a repentant heart.

- God promises to bring the Israelites out of their Captivity, back to their land of inheritance. A chosen vessel of God would not be outright or completely forsaken:

16 SEE, I HAVE INSCRIBED YOU ON THE PALMS OF MY HANDS; YOUR WALLS ARE CONTINUALLY BEFORE ME. 17 Your sons shall make haste; YOUR DESTROYERS AND THOSE WHO LAID YOU WASTE SHALL GO AWAY FROM YOU" (Isaiah 49:16,17 NKJV).

- Note:

a. When you are out of the predicament or Captivity, learn from your past mistakes, and do not allow it to repeat itself.

b. Appreciate God for your deliverance.

c. Tell others about God's goodness and love.

d. Let God have His way in your life.

e. Be more dedicated to God than you were before.

* The turning of captivity is usually like a dream: "WHEN THE LORD BROUGHT BACK THE CAPTIVES [who returned] TO ZION, WE WERE LIKE THOSE WHO DREAM [it seemed so unreal]" (Psalm 126:1 —Amplified Bible, Classic Edition).

- There is hope for whoever belongs to God, but finds himself or herself in one Captivity or another.

- If you had been going through ordeals, It is my Joy to announce to you, As you read this piece, now is the season of release. Believe the news. The time of emancipation; unloosen or freeing, has come.

- The devil who is the captor might not be happy with the news of the release or freedom, but there is nothing he can do about it:

24 Who can snatch the plunder of war from the hands of a warrior? Who can demand that a tyrant let his captives go? 25 BUT THE LORD SAYS, “THE CAPTIVES OF WARRIORS WILL BE RELEASED, AND THE PLUNDER OF TYRANTS WILL BE RETRIEVED. FOR I WILL FIGHT THOSE WHO FIGHT YOU, AND I WILL SAVE YOUR CHILDREN" (Isaiah 49:24,25 NLT).

* It is reiterated again, God will not forsake you, His anger is only for a moment: "FOR HIS ANGER LASTS ONLY A MOMENT, BUT HIS FAVOUR LASTS A LIFETIME! WEEPING MAY LAST THROUGH THE NIGHT, BUT JOY COMES WITH THE MORNING" (Psalm 30:5 NLT).

- There is a hope of restoration for God's children who are willing to change, those who open and respond positively to corrections and chastisements.

- If you are under God's discipline, punishment, or chastisement, there is hope for you. If you are permitted to be in any Captivity, in order to be corrected and learned, your time of release is here, as you pay attention to the principles shared in this piece.

- The truth is; God would not outright forget or forsake His son or daughter who erred and repented genuinely. Repentance; a change of mind and of your ways, is the key factor.

* You will not fail in Jesus' name.

- I have the urge to always pray for those who are ill or sick. If there is any ailment in your body, I release the healing power of God on you, and I declare your healing now, in the mighty name of Jesus Christ.

- Your afflictions come to an end in Jesus' name.

- Your time of release has come, you are deliver from that Captivity of sicknesses and diseases in the name of Jesus Christ.

- And the afflictions will never rise again in Jesus' name.

Peace!

STEPS TO SALVATION

* Take notice of this:

IF you are yet to take the step of salvation, that is, yet to be born-again, do it now, tomorrow might be too late (2 Corinthians 6:1,2; Hebrews 3:7,8,15).

a. Acknowledge that you are a sinner and confess your Sins (1 John 1:9); And ask Jesus Christ to come into your life (Revelation 3:20).

b. Confess that you believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that you confess it with your mouth, Thus, you accept Him As your Lord and Saviour (Romans 10:9,10).

c. Ask that He will write your name in the Book of Life (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:8).

- If you took the steps As highlighted above, It means you are saved—born-again. Join a Word based church in your area and Town or city, and be part of whatever they are doing there. Peace!

[skye707]

i just wanna say i love love love the way you draw dano. he looks like a teddy bear. i am obsessed! i’m such a sucker for him in your art style that iv saved a little compilation of your drawings of him to my photos.

I draw him like a little teddy bear to convey to the viewer how much I want to hug all his sorrows away. Or at least that's what I told my art teacher.

Hearing y'all tell me how much you like the little guys is just mind boggling to me. Hearing you've dedicated a compilation on your phone...unreal 💙

[streets-in-paradise]

Best Friends Till the End - Andy Barclay x (fem)Childhood Friend!Reader - Part 4

Masterlist

Word Count 7.5 K

Warnings: Discussion of Chucky induced traumas, massive amount of fluff and romantical tension. 

Summary: Catching up talks go in different directions as you bond with Andy and his sister sharing about your past and trauma. Her friendly approach becomes a new source of comfort for you while you begin to grow closer with your old best friend in ways neither of you would have ever imagined. 

Notes: There is a Halloween analogy structuring part of a scene, it was left open to interpretation if the two universes coexist. Also, I’m %100 sure I will write a part 5. 

Tags: @losersclubisms​

After so many years of being separated,the moment presented itself in the most unreal of contexts. You were finally face to face sharing about your lives and solving each other’s wonders about how you have been going. His sister was also there acting as Andy’s mediator on his tale and you wished yours would have been available to be part of it as yours. Although she wasn’t physically available then, it wasn’t like you weren’t about to call her so she could be warned of the imminent danger. You weren’t sure of how she would take the news about Chucky, but you knew she would ask to have a few words with Andy because his memory had some impact on her childhood despite never getting to meet him. Of course, he wasn’t aware of that because he didn’t know how hard you stuck to the promises made when you were little children. 

“ You start, I can’t wait to hear about you.” You sweetly begged him, insisting on making him a priority on the telling turns. “ Are you aware of how strange-awesome all of this is? When I was a kid you were my greatest hero, now you come back as some monster hunter expert. My infantile dreams have become true somehow, you grew up a hero.” 

There was real adoration in you matching the feeling of your phrasing, sweet admiration that never faded and only remained asleep to be awakened through its own inside process of transformation. By the way you were looking at him, as if he was the most amazing man on the planet, Kyle guessed there was something going on with you. Some aspects of reality matched the image of him you had plenty of years to build alone and you were fascinated. 

Maybe it was too early to speak of that, but you looked like a crushing girl silently swooning over the boy she likes. 

“ I’m just an ordinary man with very bad luck.” Andy humbly corrected you, refusing to see the motive of your surprise. “ More people near me have died than the ones I have actually saved. I told you I won and that’s true, but I didn’t state the price. Chucky took care of destroying everything around me, very few people have survived being in my life and most have left for good.” 

Fearing the sentence would be easily misinterpreted by you as a reproach, he corrected it before you could begin to blame yourself. 

“ I’m glad you did, (y/n). We were too little to understand that was the best.” 

“ I never did. Not spiritually, at least.” You corrected him before you could have burst into tears. “ I never got over it. Look around you, Andy. I dedicated my life to you, to make the sacrifice you made for me be worthy, but I didn't do it only out of guilt. We had a special vincule, our friendship was the very first social experience of my life. If Chucky taught me to fear, you taught me to love. I learned how to platonically love with you, when we were kids you were my world. I have had romantic breakups that didn’t hurt as badly as losing you did.”  

The blatant honesty impacted him, what you were saying was the exact opposite of what his guilt made him imagine. 

“ I’m proud of you simply for making it this far, even if I had to disappear for that. “ He didn’t have the strength to accurately answer you, to talk about his feelings about your separation. “ Raven grew up safe, you two stuck together and you are alright.” 

Kyle knew exactly what he was thinking of when saying that. Barbara and Nica Pierce: one dead and one possessed. That was perhaps one possible fate he imagined for you if he would have reappeared in your life sooner. She held his hand from underneath the table, a subtle sign of comfort trying to get him out of the overthinking. 

“ Ray dragged me into a scouts troop just for the knife training, Chucky would have been the one scared of her if he would have met her as a little girl.” You commented, hoping to tranquilize him within the joke. “ So you know that about us now. He better watch out: we got girl scout training.” 

The cuteness in that silly self mock got him, which left him ready to twist a sad memory into some impressive anecdote to tell you. 

“ I got actual military training.” He commented, carefully evaluating your reaction to see if that would impress you.” As a teen, in a military academy, after I failed the foster system.” 

It did, but the attempt of a self-deprecating joke got a quite intense reaction from you. 

“ Never say that, ever again, did you hear me? NEVER” You corrected him. “Institutions failed you, that’s not on you. I feel someone needs to tell you that because the amount of shit my sister tells me about the system is abysmal. She is away working on her thesis, the last step to get her degree in social work and that’s precisely her topic. Even today, It keeps failing the kids and then blaming them for it.” 

“ A kinder teacher and a social worker starting as girl scouts, you two are the definition of nice.” He teased you to avoid dealing with the effect on your sayings. “ I'm chronologically messy, I got into the academy at sixteen. What do you want to hear first? The story of how Kyle and I met and got our foster home raided by Chucky or how the bastard followed me into the military school? “

“ I know you have always wanted a sibling and I like that you got to be the little one.” You indirectly decided, then smiled at Kyle. “ You have each other despite everything and that’s a wonderful thing. I’m really sorry that he had to screw up everything else.” 

Kyle appreciated your heartfelt comment. 

“ It 's alright, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger i guess.” She answered to then later drop a casual joke before getting into the story. “ Your parents were real assholes with your sister’s name.” 

Naturalization made you think twice before realizing what she meant, but you did laugh once you got the joke. 

The food was getting cold and you were barely touching it, too into the stories you were sharing to realize you weren’t paying attention to anything else. Andy began the tale and the tenderness in your beautiful eyes completely fixated on him was making him melt a bit. It was the best comfort he could get for the grim aspects of what he was sharing with you. 

“ I spent an entire year being passed from place to place like a packaged bomb, nobody wanted to deal with me, untill Phil and Joanne took the risk. Of course, they kept the bomb for too long and it tragically exploded on them.” 

“ What he tries to say is that Chucky came back and killed our foster parents while trying to get him.”  Kyle corrected him.“ You were not a bomb, Andy. You were a seven years old kid, for god’s sake!” 

Your expression showed agreement with her viewpoint and she was encouraged by that. 

“ Sorry, you will always hear him saying stuff like that. Inside of him there is more guilt and regret than man. Maybe you will be able to help me out with that.” 

“ It’s alright, maybe we can start from another angle.” You followed her. “ How is your mom, Andy? I remember her fondly because, you know, your apartment was like my second home.” 

“ It took many years, but she got released.” 

“ THAT’S WONDERFUL! See? After all you did have one piece of good news to tell me.” You happily cheered for him. “ I would love to visit her someday, just gotta make some arrangements and I can go anywhere you take me on my next vacation period.” 

Andy understood by the implications of your words that you weren’t seeing your accidental encounter as an isolated incident. You wanted to stay, to get back in his life, for what he only hoped that the stories he had to tell would help you desist. 

“ So, in this new foster home I was staying there was another Good Guy left by some other kid. “ He reformulated, getting his narration back on track. “ I liked the place and I liked to be with Kyle. I didn’t want to leave but in order to stay our foster parents were demanding that I show normality. I was supposed to prove I left Chucky behind, that I ‘adapted’ because nobody wants a weirdo.” 

“ People think that because we were kids we had to forget easily. One year passes and all our problems get magically solved. The crap I got from the‘ they aren’t in full conscience, they are children! Give them time to repress it and done’ mentality got me where I am. Do you think I became a kinder teacher only to spot Chucky? I want to help children. “ You agreed with him, interrupting him for reassurance. “  I’m so sorry that even in the place you felt the most comfortable you had to stand shit like that.” 

“ It sucks, they have no idea of how it fucks you up even more. The thing is that I picked this doll and began pulling a fake show of how I was best friends with it once more, all just so they would think I was normal by whatever bullshit standards were expected of me. What I didn't know was that the doll was playing pretend too.” 

It took you an instant to show a reaction, shock impeding you to do it quicker. 

“ NO, NO, NO ,NO. Don’t you tell me that?”

“ Chucky destroyed it and took its place.” He confirmed for you. “ That's how he got into the sort of name switching he recently used with Camila.” 

“ My darling, that was so cruel. WHY PLAYING WITH YOU LIKE THAT? Of course you have trust issues, that’s even worse than what he did to you the first time!” 

The overly sweet way in which you addressed him was a new one. 

“ I found him tied to his bed, the doll was on top of him.” Kyle followed, continuing the story so he would get a rest. “ Andy tried to tell us, but we obviously thought it was more bullshit.  I did, at least until Chucky killed Phil and Joanne kicked Andy out. I threw one doll in the trash, but found the other smashed and buried in the yard underneath the swing. I went to check the trash can, but Chucky was gone. He killed Joanne, then attacked me when I discovered the body and held me hostage so I would drive him to Andy.” 

“ That’s exactly what he did to me. ” You interrupted again, disturbingly amazed as if you would have discovered the most incredible bonding point with her. “ Except that I was bait and he didn’t get to kill my mama because he was threatening me with killing her and my then unborn sibling.” 

“ She was four years old at the time and she still dares to say she wasn’t brave.” Andy commented to Kyle, showing evident pride for you both. “ Chucky must have convinced her of that; she would always say that to me.” 

She felt the immediate need of comforting you. 

“ I was a teen and scared to shit anyways, you shouldn’t at all go so hard on yourself.” 

“ To Chucky I will always be the weak bitch, I have feared him from before death. That's probably why he hasn't come back for me. There is no fun without chaze, if the prey is too scared to run, and I was.” 

The reasoning was slightly twisted, but the roots made it somewhat understandable. 

“ You are not a coward, ok? You are not.” Kyle insisted, her kindness reached you in a very special way despite you being almost strangers to each other. “ I have been there, I know how it feels. If there is someone you should believe in, it's me because unlike Andy, I don't know you well enough for you to assume I just want to make you feel better. It’s what I truly think: my little brother and you were tiny badasses, both of you.” 

You smiled as if those words meant the world to you. 

“ I bet you didn’t hide in a closet like I did. “ You mocked yourself for her. “ How did you stop him?” 

“ A car chase, Chucky kidnapped Andy and I drove all the way to the Good Guy factory to save him.”  

“ I wish you could have seen how furious he was when he tried to possess me, but found out it was too late and got stucked.” Andy followed her trace of the tale. “ We made him explode by forcing an air hose into his mouth, that’s how we killed him.” 

You were clapping with your fingertips, eyes wide open, probably impressed by such an end but suspecting it had to be more behind it. 

“ I wanna know more about that, he couldn’t have died in the first take. Do you remember how much it took you, Karen, Detective Norris, his partner and me to strike the asshole down? “ You stopped your friend from considering the story finished. “ Why don’t you tell me about this factory fight like if we were all kids and you two just killed Chucky? Any detail you remember, don’t be afraid to be disgusting and try to imitate his last words for me. I wanna picture him in my mind getting what he deserves.” 

Odd request, but he loved you for it. Andy took a sip of beer, then acceded to get into a prolific telling of his memories about that fight adding the gory details that Kyle wouldn’t recall as well as he did. However, you did begged her to include her contributions or remembered feelings of it because you were very impressed by her referenced actions. A case of reversed identification, you were living your vindictive fantasy through her because you never got to win on Chucky like she did: taking the more active part in an epic battle. 

As soon as the story ended you got up immediately to hug Andy, giving him no chance to correct you in any way. 

“ That was fantastic! “ You praised both while giving an extra of love to him. “ You are my hero, Andy. You will always be.” 

He giggled out of nervousy, a cute dumb smile on his face after as he realized you were the only woman on the planet he could have possibly impressed with a Chucky anecdote. 

“ You haven’t lost your sweetness to Chucky and that’s enough payment for me.” 

“ No, it’s not.” You corrected him in a sweet but snarky tone. “ You deserve every good thing in the world. If I could, I would do anything just to see you happy.” 

There was no doubt that it was an instant crush. You were all over him; if you would have been a cartoon there would be hearts in your pupils everytime you would mention his name. 

“ Mind if I hug you too, Kyle?” You asked the blond woman, back to earth from your infatuation. “ I’m like a Good Guy, I really like hugs and you deserve a strong one.” 

She got up to hug you herself, showing how far behind were her initial doubts on you, to what Andy felt a strange feeling of warmness as a witness of the moment. He loved to see you getting along, the part of him that wanted you to stay was made stronger. 

He later chose to pause his many other stories for you so he could get to hear some of yours. The implicit agreement was advancing according to stages of development, which meant it was your time to tell something about your childhood before he would tell you about his teenage years and Kent. 

“ Nothing was the same since you were gone. We stayed in Chicago, in that same damn apartment, but nothing ever felt the same for me.” Was the strong, introductory phrase of your story. “ Therapists had no real Idea of what was wrong with me because I couldn’t tell the truth, I really couldn’t talk to anyone about it. I was alone in the world, everyone who could understand me was put away. My sister was my only motivation: she became my world when I lost you and I got very concerned about being strong enough to look after her. I forced myself to grow up faster for her: tie my shoelaces, don’t cover my eyes on scary movies, sleep with the lights off like big girls are supposed to. That was the hardest of my bravery exercises to pointlessly prepare for Chucky, the darkness would make me automatically imagine his voice in my mind and he wouldn’t shut up. Asleep I would dream, awake I would imagine him. You were the only thought stopping him, Andy.” 

“ I missed you too, (y/n).” He confessed, moved by your words. “ I carried you with me anywhere I went, have no doubt of that.” 

The comment had you showing a special kind of light to your eyes. 

“ Buckle up your seats, because here is where it gets weird. “ You mischievously warned your small audience. “ My mother has always been a woman very open to the paranormal, but she has her limitations: she would believe in ghosts, but not in a killer doll. Karen’s explanation, OUR explanation, didn’t convince her. While I was spiraling and therapy wasn’t helping as quickly as she thought it would she started to search for her own answers. Our apartment was suddenly full of occultism books and she began to attend parapsychology conferences in order to elaborate an explanation she could believe.” 

“ You told me this was gonna be a ride.” Andy commented, remembering some past casual saids of yours. “ What did she come up with?” 

“ To her it was as if we would have been in a Conjuring prequel and I was little Lorraine Warren discovering her powers. “ You simply explained. “ I was talking with a dead man, I predicted my sister’s sex from the womb; she had enough circunstantial pieces of information to believe I was a psiquic. “ 

The news impacted him, but he tried to dissimulate it. 

“ Still less crazy than a voodoo possessed killer doll. I doubt her theory can get crazier than reality.” 

“ I got your apartment haunted by accident and a violent ghost got connected with both of us. Remember how my father used to scare me as a joke with the Lakeshore Strangler news before he was catched? My mother thought and still thinks that my fear triggered an early awakening of my ‘powers’ and a natural psychic response made me summon the ghost of Charles Lee Ray in your apartment the night Maggie died. I got years of ‘ I know you are scared of what you saw, but you can’t close yourself to your gift’, ‘ You are special, that’s why Chucky chose you. He was a horrible man, but there are plenty of good souls who need your help.’ “ 

Kyle tried to soften the impact with a joke. 

“ What a prideful parent, that lady was desperate to make her girl the star of the scene.” 

“ I didn’t need her pride, I needed to be heard. “ You insisted. “ Mom confused my ptsd induced dreams with Chucky as visions, my craving to see Andy as some psychic connection with him that was distressing me. He was the last person who made me feel safe, of course I was desperate to see him! I had a breakdown in front of the door of his old apartment once: sat there in silence and wouldn’t move, told everyone I was waiting for my friend. After that mom made me quit therapy and searched for a medium to treat me.” 

“ Nadia, right? The woman you told us about.” Andy asked you, disturbed by a suffering he never imagined on your part. “ That’s how you meet her? When your mother irresponsibly refused you therapy?” 

“ She was convinced it was going to help me and, in some way, it did. Not like she thought it would, because I am not a psychic and Nadia knew it. She listened to me when no one else was willing to, she was there for me and that was what I needed. Mom got to her seeking for confirmation, she would have left if she wouldn’t have been told what she wanted to hear so we kept the farse together. “ 

“Wait, you pretended to be a psychic for years just to please your mother? 

“ I grew up between meditation sessions and tarot cards. Nadia became a friend of the family just to keep helping me for real, but we had to pretend she was teaching me to control the power my mom thought I had. I learned divination readings of all kinds, every system out there, and some other cool shit like those symbols you saw. She was the most awesome adult friend; she explained Chucky for me to my sister when she reached the age to start asking questions.” 

“ Really?” Andy questioned you, marveled. “ How did she take it?” 

“ It wasn’t that hard, she was already used to weird shit by then. We got the Chucky talk as soon as we could because I couldn’t wait to start telling her all about how you saved us, as I promised you I would.” 

You were especially interested in letting him know that you fulfilled your saids. 

“ That’s, well, nothing like I have imagined your life would be.” He hesitantly interrupted. “ But wonderful. Someone believed in you, supported you and your sister understands you thanks to her. It’s beautiful, although not normal. I'm happy for you.” 

“ Thank you, it means a lot that you are not looking at me like I was a witch.” You pointed out, expressing an understandable fear. “ Nadia passed away in 1998. She got sick, the cancer was terminal so there was not much that could be done. It hitted me hard, like losing a mother.” 

The mention of that year activated an old alarm on him. 

“ No way, that was the same year Chucky came back for me… Are you sure that’s how she died? Maybe this lady saved your life and you didn’t know it.” 

“ I was the only one in my family who had the guts to enter the room to see her go when the time came, probably because I was exposed to death before.” You clarified for him. “ Natural causes, I’m absolutely sure because I was there.” 

A coincidence, those existed in his life for once. 

“ You know? She would say that stuff like that isn’t random, this sort of date match between your suffering and mine. I can imagine her blaming it on destiny or kindred spirituality, as if even from afar our lives would be meant to tangle. “ You added after reading his guess on his expression of relief. “ Maybe we were meant to meet again, Andy.” 

The softness in which you delivered that conclusion got every fiber of his being weak and he still had to remain strong to tell you about the massacre at Kent. 

Everything about you was a comforting surprise, you were making him feel insanely good and he had no idea on how to deal with that. Part of him, the one he considered most rational, was sure it was too good to be true. He wanted to disappear as as soon as he would be sure you were going to be safe to keep going with your calm life without him.However, what the rest of his conflicted self wanted was to wishfully wonder if it would be alright to ask you out someday or that would be weird to you coming from him. 

With you there was no awkwardness while talking about his life. Everything that would scare any other woman away, you admired him for. It was precisely your reaction to his Chucky stories that convinced him that you were perfect for him. He found you attractive pretty much since the very first moment he saw you at the preschool center, but that initial strike was intensifying at every moment spent with you. 

Thinking of the past bringing you back together, his child self would have exclaimed a strong 'yikes' to the way in which Andy was seeing you as an adult. When you were kids he sometimes used to get the casual teasing adults at that time would do of strong friendships developed between little boys and girls. Everytime someone would call you his girlfriend he used to internally cringe and reject the claims. Ironically, like everything in his life, finding you in adulthood had him begging that you would be completely single for him to take. Knowing that you weren't married was a good start to get hopes, but he still wasn't sure that there wouldn't be any partner that you weren't mentioning yet. 

Insecurities disencouraged him when he made an accidental new finding about you. You were showing him pictures on your phone and he took a brief peek of your photo gallery. Mixed between pics of your cat, selfies, stuff the kinder kids do for you and other cute stuff there were a few ones you quickly scrolled through. He catched a glimpse of those and saw you adopting romantical posings next to a man that was his physical opposite. There were only two possible scenarios in which he interpreted that: the guy was your current boyfriend or an ex. In either case, he himself wasn't your type. Andy was a master in overthinking: on a matter of hours he managed to get a crush on you and assume you would never be interested in him all in one take.

It became the main conversation topic during a stakeout he did with Kyle near the last hotspot of Chucky sighting. He managed to let you out of it explaining that they needed to be sure another Chucky wouldn't go after Camila but you couldn't be seen spying on the family of one of your class' kids. You were no fool and absolutely aware it was an excuse to make you stay away, but allowed it that time despite it frustrated you only because you had context for his attitude. 

Andy tried to dissimulatedly ask his sister for advice, but she could have bursted into laughter hearing his conjectures. Your interest in him was evident, she spotted it easily observing your peculiar approach. It wasn't just the sweet complimenting, you were showing clear signs that he wasn't catching. Hiding underneath all that hero worshiping you were practically throwing yourself at him, so obviously fascinated with the man you were discovering. 

The waiting for them to return felt eternal and the imprevisibility of the moment was killing your nerves. If Andy and Kyle would find a Chucky, they would be facing risk, but there was still the possibility of him being outside your house waiting for his best shot to get you. In the worst case, there could be two Chuckies handling everyone of you at once. They were used, probably felt ready for it, but you would be completely alone and he would find a way to mock your security. The worry for your old friend and his nice sister was more intense than the personal one, but the combination of both was fatal. For so, you ended up going along with some of your learnt strategies to calm the anxiety, starting by calling your sister once more. 

Exactly as you imagined, you two didn’t get much time to talk on the first call of the day because as soon as you told her Andy was with you she begged to speak with him and he gave her the needed instructions to keep precautions. The beautiful smile he had when he got to hear her thanking him for everything he has done for you made you feel a fuzzy, warm feeling close to bliss that you couldn’t explain. You weren’t going to tell her about that, but you wanted to talk your fears away. Raven’s idea of comfort was highlighting the positive elements in the news about your enemy. If the whole doll body was permanently weak, not just the heart, then she was ‘ finally able to perform a colonoscopy on him with his own damn butcher blade’ and so were you. Although quite sadistic and imprecise, it was an encouraging thought. Chucky was, in some forms, weaker than before and the surprise element remained his main advantage. He didn’t have that with you, not completely like in the case of some disgraced fool getting to know him for the first time.

 You had to stay focused, but busy with something that could calm you down nerves wise. Instead of doing some mindless scrolling on the phone before starting to fall asleep, the best was trying various true comforting activities in the wait. By the time the heroes arrived back you were baking cookies and watching your comfort film. 

“ We may have a killer out there, isn’t that enough for you?” Andy teased you as soon as he peeked at the tv screen. “ I thought you were going to relax, but you are just watching Michael Myers do what Chucky could be doing to us for real.” 

The movie playing was Halloween and that choice showed your quite curious definition of comfort. 

“ I use this to cope.”  You calmly informed him. “ This movie has a special place in my heart, the plot is really touching. There are two kids escaping from a killer they call the boogeyman and the prick really wants to kill their babysitter.” 

“ I bet Chucky has never been that tall, not even in his human body.” He mockfully recalled. “ Do you revive that night through this?” 

You had a very simple excuse ready. 

“ It’s cathartic, here the babysitter wins.” 

He sat next to you and your immediate reaction was to cling, hugging his side. 

“ Did you find him?” 

“ I look way too clean to have fought a Chucky, don’t you think?” He mocked himself, attempting comfort. “ Don’t worry, I’m not going to leave until I know it’s safe for you and your class.” 

" I have no rush for that, I'm just worried for you. Are you in a hurry to go? I'm all alone and thought this place could be like our Mystery Gang ClubHouse, the center of operations. There is safety in numbers, If we separate Chucky splits then dolls 1 and 2 kill us one by one. " 

You were trying very hard to justificate yourself while implícitly asking them to stay with you without sounding like you were begging for it. 

Kyle guessed what the fuss was about through what she learned of you in your conversations. You were scared and didn't want Andy to leave you, but you hated to be seen as a coward. 

" That would be a smart move. Thanks, (y/n)" She contributed to your justification without pointing out her observations. " I'm very tired, is there anywhere...?" 

" Take my sister's bedroom, we had a talk about the situation and she felt way better knowing you both are here with me. " 

" I take the couch, if Freddy is fine with that. " Andy followed with a joke. " I don't want to start a territorial fight with your cat." 

" For what I have seen, it's most likely he will abandon me to sleep with you. " You teased back. " Not that I mind. Nadia used to say cats can spot when your energy is low and they are like little rechargeable batteries of positive vibes. " 

" See, Kyle? I am not a cat magnet, I am just depressed. " 

The conversation got interrupted by the ringing of the timer and you had to rush to the kitchen. She followed you out of curiosity about what the hell you were doing at that hour. 

There were many plates with freshly baked cookies getting cold over the counter and you were taking out the last ones from the oven. You must have been on that for hours. 

" Are you baking in the middle of the night?" She wondered out loud. " I guess asking if you are alright is pointless." 

" I had to stay up and focused. My two standard reactions to distress are either insomnia or shutting down my brain and that last one ain't an option tonight. " You excused yourself. " Besides, I want to cheer up my kids with a little something tomorrow." 

In a closer inspection, she noticed you made two kinds of cookies: regular round shaped ones and others shaped like dog treats. 

" Scooby Snacks?" 

" Shhh, those are a surprise for Andy." You clarified in a complicit whisper. " Go ahead, pick one." 

She did so and shared with you more than just her verdict. 

" Great, really good. I'm sure he is going to love it. This is sweet, the kind of sweet he doesn't get often. His first instinct is to take off but, even when he doesn't do it, things don't get like this for him. If you want him to stay, keep giving him more of that. " 

You were slightly disconcerted and didn't hesitate in letting her know. 

" Why are you telling me this?" 

" Andy needs to let more people in and he has never closed the gate to you. "

There was a wide smile on your face when you returned to the living room holding a full Scooby Doo cookie jar. 

" Andy, I have something for you!" You announced yourself with a quasi musical tone. " It's a little reward for your courage, you deserve it. "

He turned back to look at you, then noticed what you were all about.  

" Is that what I think it is?" 

Your mischievous expression worked as confirmation. 

" Aren't you exhausted from being so lovely? " He teased you, blatant honesty coming out from him because of the great surprise. " You have to be the sweetest woman I have ever met. Look at that, those even look like Scooby Snacks!" 

His reaction was better than what you imagined, what forced you to try to dissimulate a bit. 

" I have an entire set of Scooby Doo cookie cutters." 

He tried to pick one cookie from the jar as fast as you approached, but you stopped him and he knew the reason. 

" There is only one ríght way of having Scooby Snacks and I know you know it. " 

Andy was simply astonished with your softness and the particularly sweet way you had to evoke your purest memories. His líps parted, allowing you to delicately feed him the cookie in shared excitement.  

You were staring lovefully at him, your inner child feeling like healing while your adult self couldn't help find him incredibly adorable.

He tried to return the gesture, but your first reaction was refusing.

" I don't deserve one unless you have a scary task in mind for me to do." 

He found you so cute that he was barely able to believe his own feelings. 

" Your scary task, (y/n), will be standing me tonight. " He replicated mocking himself to avoid what he thought would make you uncomfortable. " I'm a light sleeper and even when i am tired i don't fall asleep easily."

" So, not looking for clues in some dark abandoned toy store. " You followed, in tone with the joke. " Those have to be the easiest earned Scooby Snacks ever. " 

" You helped me win the trust of the kids and your classroom activity forced that girl to bring her Chucky. Without you that one would still be out there. " He insisted once more, proving to you the impact of your contribution. " Open up, you earned it. " 

You obeyed, circumstantially convinced by his words. Worries and fears faded almost exactly like when you were kids, but with one big difference. Feeling his eyes following the action, as he felt yours before, brought a kind of tension nonexistent back then. You glanced at each other's lips like you never thought you would. 

Andy finished the rest of the movie with you feeling in disbelief with what was happening. You weren't afraid of seeking intimacy, cuddling on the couch with him and talking about your experiences babysitting as a teenager. To increase his surprise, that closed the circle explaining how Chucky marked the path of your life. You went from hyper responsible eldest sister acting like a mini parent to highly recommended teenager babysitter with girl scout reputation to kindergarten teacher, all of that with the side ingredient of the secret occultist hobby your mother imposed on you.  

The closeness was there, both physically and sentimentally.

" You have warm hands." He heard you whispering in a fully relaxed tone " A chiromant would say that means you are a passionate man. " 

He instinctively retired the hand he had posed over your shoulder as if he would have done something wrong and you chuckled. 

" I am not going to hex you, Andy. My friend wasn't a witch. " You softly teased him, believing he got scared of you. " She was a woman of special sight. All we discussed was rules of the ghost world,exorcisms she performed and divination because that was all she used to work on. Actually, the first nice thing Nadia did for me was describing Charles after seeing him on a vision in her first reading of me. She helped me draw him so I could give my monster a face. A human face, something that could make him stop being the boogeyman with a doll mask. " 

" The masked man." He recalled. " You weren't entirely wrong on that. "

" There was a mystery to solve, just not the one I thought first. I do wish I could have seen his face for real like she did." 

In the TV screen Michael Myers was getting unmasked through the fight with Laurie, irony making you laugh together when it happened. Andy didn't remember that part and you weren't aware it was coming because you were distracted with him. 

" Is that why you want so badly to fight Chucky?" He asked you, quickly connecting dots. " Do you want to be like her?" 

You nodded in affirmation and the innocent expression on your face made him wish he could treasure you forever. 

" What if i tell you that you already are, even if you never got to single handle the bad guy? Daphne never did and she is amazing. " 

You had a quick objection to make. 

" What about the live action?" 

" Forget the live action, I'm talking of classic Daphne. " 

Andy wanted to cheer you up, but he was about to masquerade some very personal impressions of you through it. 

" She is kind, positive, and sometimes helps the gang with common objects she finds in her purse like freaking Mcgiver. I don't need a Buffy Daphne, I have always loved her like she was. She has been the villain's bait a few times, so what? She is sweet and beautiful. Shaggy is ríght there being a stoner dumbass and he has been the gang’s bait for the villians more often than her being taken away."

" Don't talk shit about my true love! " You cheerfully complained. " Shaggy may be a stoner dumbass, but I love him. " 

Andy felt so thankful of the fact that you were paying attention to the movie's ending instead of looking at him, because he was a weak mess. Through that description of Shaggy he was thinking of himself: you grew up into becoming the sweet, beautiful woman and he was the stoner dumbass.

" LOOK, LOOK! You are going to miss the part when the doctor shoots him!!" You were commenting with excitement. " I always get massive throwbacks here." 

He pulled you a bit closer and you were very receptive, holding his free hand. 

" Nice warm hands, indeed. You are either full of passion or anger... or both. " 

He looked at you skeptically. 

" Do you really believe in that? I thought it was bullshit your mom made you learn. " 

" It's a system of symbols like any other, Andy. I can read palms as I would read a text. " You patiently explained. " I don't have the power allowing me to go further, but I can interpret in base of what I know the symbols mean. " 

It awakened some curiosity in him. 

" So, you can't know for sure if Chucky is going to kill me tomorrow. What can you actually learn from my hand?" 

" I can get to know you better." You mischievously commented. " Chiromancy is to me more about discovery of personal traits than divination of the future. " 

He turned it into a challenging proposition. 

" Go ahead, read me. If you guess ríght anything about the mess I am in, you can consider double checking if you actually lack psychic abilities."

You accepted, turning off the tv and indicating him the perfect posture to adopt for his reading. He extended the palm of his ríght hand for you and you began to concentrate in a prolific examination. 

The experience was way more intense than what he imagined on the initial discredit. The proximity, mutual staring involved and the delicate touch of your fingertips all in once was too much for him. Your touch was following the lines of his hand, his knuckles, even the softest trait mattered to you as if you were discovering him as a whole through that. 

" Since I want to know first how much of that warmt is passion and how much is anger, I'm gonna go straight to the source. Venus and line of heart." You were explaining to him, reasons falling in a numbled mind whose only thought was you. "mmhh .. That's a surprise, Andy. Are you a repressed romantic? " 

He didn't know how to react. 

" Excuse me?" 

" Means that there is a shit ton of love inside of you with no clear outlet. " You replicated." Mars shows us some anger, frustration, but that's not the end of it. That warmt you have inside is more than just hate for Chucky. " 

It was starting to get scary, but he didn't want you to stop. 

" What else do you find?" 

" A persistent want for love, romantical love." You continued. " Dating you must be a delight, I bet you are the kind of guy who knows how to treat a girl ríght." 

One second of eye contact while delivering that phrase and he was done, praying that your grip of his hand wouldn't show him melting to you as he was. 

" Tell that to all the women who ran away after a quick google search. " He casually commented, confessing himself through the intimate moment. " It hasn't been easy, I can't be open with anyone and if i would they wouldn't believe me. "

" You know? I may not appear in page number one of the case search, but if you dig deep enough my name shows up too. " You tried to comfort him. " A few failed relationships afterwards, I can assure you I would have prefered to have the Chucky talk on the first couple of dates. It's part of my life: if he can't love me despite that, then he ain't the man for me." 

" Do you really think that or are you just saying it to make me feel better?" 

You chose to elaborate on that because you both needed it. 

" From all the bullshit he said, Chucky was ríght in just one thing: my dad never loved my mom. By the time she realized she wasn't going to divorce because she was afraid of creating more trauma, the real trauma was living among them. The thing is that I'm always afraid of repeating the cycle and, to me, that would be like letting Chucky win." 

" In his twisted way, he has raised us.. Didn't he?" Andy commented, trying to soften the impact. " Never listen to anything he says, he is a specialist on eating brains with crap." 

" I have never felt loved to a level that would make me stop fearing. " You added without thinking. " None of my partners had made me feel that much safe about their feelings. There was love, of course, but not enough for any big steps. Passing the initial dating phase means nothing if you don't feel safe enough to give yourself completely because you fear the other half could not retribute the same amount. It may sound silly and childish, but after what I have seen on my parents..." 

" You want a man that would be willing to give you all of him." He completed your phrase. " Did I guess that ríght? " 

You pressed a kiss on the inner side of his wrist, right at the pulse point, and both of you pretended not to feel it rise.

[starrynight0612]

I've never made a formal announcement but I think it's been obvious due to lack of content. I'm not much of a stars fan anymore. I became a fan at the start of 2020 because my school schedule was pretty light and I didn't have a job so it became pretty easy to follow two teams and I managed to keep that going so much so that I added the Wild as my third team. Then I did my service year and my schedule became so tight I could only dedicate myself to pens games (which wasn't easy) and the wild tended to play late games so it was easy with them. Then the Jamie Benn transphobia stuff happened, I hated so many of the coaching staff's decisions, and all around the fire I felt for them in 2020 basically started simmering out. I don't mind seeing stars content and I still really like many players on the team. I'll never forget that year. Who becomes a fan of a team that wasn't doing so hot and then they somehow make their way to being in the finals for the cup? And the whole bubble stuff? One of the most memorable and unreal years of hockey I've ever experienced. That time with the stars lbs crew will always bring me fond memories. I literally named my cat after Kiviranta!

But I won't be liveblogging for them anymore. For now, I'm placing them on a shelf that I can pick up again when I either a) don't have access to my pens or wild or b)just feel like checking in.

I'll miss razor's weird commentary (one of the best commentators I've ever had the pleasure of listening to). I'll miss Guri, Miro, and Roope's playing. Miss all the otter memes when he made a save. Miss reading everyone thirst after Seguin and seeing how pretty he is on the ice. And oh God I'll miss Robo. Seeing him break out as a rookie was amazing! I haven't felt such heart for a player since Jake Guentzel and Beau Bennett (Karpizov doesn't count because I consider him a seasoned player in terms of playing tho in vibes he's a total rookie). I'll miss so many little things. (Not the monster energy jerseys lol).

Good luck my stars 💚🤍💚🤍 I wish all my stars lb crew mutuals a fond 2022-23 season. I don't think I'd have enjoyed my stars fan experience had it not been for the amazing people I met during that time. Hopefully, the stars aren't a complete dumpster fire again (I say this with a fond smirk).

[nighttimescribbles]

scribs !! you're the reason why im crying right now omg i'm on the bus back from nami island. beautiful place by the way, my tour guide told us that if we see and catch a black rabbit, we'll be blessed with good fortune if we catch it but i've had experience woth a black bunny before and catching them is basically impossible. there was also so much slippery frozen roads and crunchy snow i never want to leave south korea. anywho, like i said i'm on the bus back and i check my email to see you've posted something new on ao3 so i read and i'm fully crying. i've never experienced a break up in real life but given how attached i can get to people i never want a break up as painful as the one you've written.

i miss reading your writing so much that i actually had kept a few of your fics on a tab on my phone just so i can read it on the plane :')

anywho i hope you're doing well !! i'll come back after two weeks when i return from my holiday ahh i never want jt to end though~

x 🍬

you're there!!!!!!! omg so excited for you! and already at nami island! if i remember right, that's the one with all the straight tall trees and the animals (clear forgot what they were! haha) and the cabins by the river, isn't it? ooohhhhhh~ it is such a romantic place! is it snow-covered this year? i can only imagine the ambiance! the vibes! the snowy aesthetic! from one cold weather enthusiast to another, i give you hugs of happiness, sister!!! 🫂😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

the ferry to nami island from the mainland has got the chicken barbecue i was raving about! hope your guide took you there to eat because *chefs kiss* a million times!

did you spot any black bunnies at least? or run into cute lil pooches in winter wear? 😭 korean dogs are uber fashionable! if your guide takes you to the shopping districts, i hope you see their pet clothing shops. makes you want to buy everything because they're all *so* cute!!! 😭 oooohhhhh and do have a peek at their bakeries! the cuteness of their cakes is unreal! gaaaaahhhhh sorry i'm all over the place! just so excited for you! ❤️

sorryyyy for making you cry! and on your holiday, too! if i ever come up with another happy fluffy one, i must remember to dedicate it to you to make up for your tears! 🫂🫂🫂

if you haven't read it yet and love audrey hepburn movies, i absolutely recommend Sabrina Fair (it's been renamed to Listen and Save). you'll want to marry the zeke in it 😭 ((adjkshaod reading my scribblings on the plane?? you are much too sweet istg ❤️❤️❤️))

keep enjoying your holiday, darling! take lots of pictures, make lots of happy memories, and be safe! see you in two weeks (may time slow for you so you enjoy your trip to the absolute fullest! ❤️)

[littlemisssquiggles]

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LittleMissSquiggles’ Summary of Art 2022

Trying a different take than usual from my art summaries of previous years. While I'll definitely miss seeing my previous summaries on full display to compare against the new one, like I said, I'm up for something a lil different so consider this a new cycle in how I present my continuous development.

My, my, my, what a year 2022 was for this squiggle meister. 

The most I can say is that quite a few changes---mostly positive, for now--- happened for me this year, particularly in these last few months.

Some squiggly good accomplishments I achieved in 2022:

In my professional career, I got yet another job opportunity working in games---you could say an even bigger one following last year's first gig. Early this year, I was approached by a mobile game studio. At first, it was mainly remote freelance work to create some 3D assets and accessories for one of their game titles. However, several months and a few more assignments later and I'm still working with them as of now, going into next year. While it's still mostly freelance work, so far it's been a really positive experience working with this studio. I've learned so much from them---mainly from my cool art manager who I've been working closely with from the start. An overall awesome guy. Next year will mark almost a full year I've been working with them and I'm genuinely hoping to keep doing more work with them going forward.

Secondly, remember last year when I mentioned my 3D modelling gig as a Set Modeler for a prospective animated series produced by Animschool---the online training school where I learnt 3D modeling? Well the name of that series is Mech West and recently, Animschool (presently under Animschool Studios) released the trailer for the first pilot episode for this series. And guess what folks? In the trailer, eye spied with my little squiggly eyes not one but both of the two character prop assets I worked on for the project. It's one thing to create a 3D model and another thing to see the final version of model fully textured, rigged and brought to life through the power of animation! The other artists who worked on the same characters and took over from me following the modeling process did a phenomenal job! And while I can't exactly say which characters I did (since I'm still technically under NDA and Animschool hasn't officially released their official artwork of my assigned characters as yet), I will say that my lil mech babies are definitely in the trailer. Wasn't expecting to see them, let alone both of them but there they were! Beyond that, I honestly cannot wait for when the full pilot of this series drops next year. If you're interested in checking out Mech West for yourself, you can watch the official trailer for the pilot right here on it's official Youtube Channel. And for more updates on the project, follow the series on its official Instagram page.

Other than that, I once again continued to hone my 3D art skills in my preferred style which continues to be stylized hand-painted. Despite starting off the year mighty strong, admittedly though, I did fall off working on personal 3D projects within recent months. You could say it's because I unintentionally burnt myself out on personal 3D projects and needed a recharge/break to assess the next direction I wished to take my craft. Apart from that, I also took a break to focus primarily on work-related projects. I used this period to dedicate more time to learning more about the process through my job while also saving up funds to invest in a new workstation. As much as I love my current laptop and have made lots of amazing pieces with it over the years that I'm still proud of til this day, the truth is... that I aspire to do MORE with my art! For the most part, ya'll have mostly seen me do stylized props in terms of my 3D work. And while I love creating props, I also really, really want to create stylized 3D environments too and I want to do it using Unreal Engine. Unfortunately, my current laptop setup isn't powerful enough to run UE. While it's decent enough for UE4, it's not a comfortable type of decent. Realistically, I need a system with a bit more fire power to handle UE. That's what I've been busting my butt these past couple of months to save up funds for. My plan is to gain a gaming PC that will allow me (hopefully) to work fully in UE4 specifically for environments. When I wasn't focused on freelance work, I also dedicated some time to experimenting with my art style and made significant strides for next phase of my work. With my new workstation, I wish to keep pushing my art in the hopes of achieving my goal of fully marrying my 3D art with my digital art style. You could say that's one of my artist goals for this coming year. So wish me luck on that. Will see how things go.

Overall, 2022 was an alright year; give or take. While it had its fair share of hurdles in between, it also brought me some good achievements which will definitely help me moving forward into the new year. Outside of that, I hope everyone else walked out of 2022 with some positives, more or less, as well. And like I say pretty much every year now, wishing you lot all the best for the upcoming 2023!

Each new year comes with a new chapter of possibilities and while we can't always tell what to expect, the least that can be done is take things in stride, one day at a time. At least that's how this squiggle meister plans on approaching it.

No matter what, let's all do our very best in our respective ventures and give 2023 our best efforts, 200% and beyond!

Happy New Year m'fam! Onward to 2023 we go-go at full throttle!

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LittleMissSquiggles (2022)